KUKU'S KOFFEE HOUSE - A TASTE RANCHI IS UNKNOWN TO!

 Hello....

Been long since my last post... Was busy with few trips I had to make to Bangalore & Mangalore after having to live in Ranchi for 8 months continuous.... 

Ranchi is nice for many personal reasons...

Earlier it was cuz Kuku lived here & he was my home... Then, I hardly got to explore Ranchi & know its whereabouts cuz all I wanted was to be with Kuku for the few days I was here... He did take me around to few falls & of course the WORLD FAMOUS Patrathu Valley... 😝 Other than that of course those nearby temples we visited as families... Then there was our food outings both as families & as couples... With family had been to Madhuvan Hotel, Holiday Home & Radisson Blue... As couple to Le Lac Sarovar Portico, Radisson Blue & Prana.... Beyond this I knew nothing of Ranchi....

It was ONLY AFTER KUKU, that I got to know Morabadi & it's vegetable market, Chandni Chowk, Lalpur, Doronda, Dhurwa, so on & so forth.... Hmmmmmmmmmm 😥

It was ONLY AFTER KUKU, that I started cooking at home & realized to be proud about, that I actually knew cooking & I cooked good... My Nani(mom's mom/ajji) cooked good food with the limited ingredients she had... My mom of course was a very good cook who made simple vegetables to be loved to the core & despite we are not in talking terms AFTER KUKU I am grateful to have imbibed those cooking skills from her... The taste for food & the dedication with which one cooks in the kitchen.... I owe it all to her....

Bangalore is a paradise for food... Any cuisine you may wanna taste & relish, you have it around you... But that was not the case with Ranchi.... With Kuku we always had a cook at home to cook for us... Her name was Putul.... She cooked good Bihari food & that sufficed for Kuku.... When I came down to Ranchi, I just enjoyed all the food she cooked & went back to Bangalore to eat outside... 😝 However, LIFE AFTER KUKU changed much... I could not afford to keep a cook & there was no good food available outside too like it was in Bangalore... The limited good food joints was not affordable if it had to be a routine... Sooooo irrespective of my likings, I had to cook food at home, ONLY to realize, I could cook well... especially food from my native MANGALORE & regular food from BANGALORE.... They require lil more efforts as compared to the food of Ranchi... Food of Ranchi could be prepared in no time mostly cuz of the usage of masala powders... But Mangalorean food is prepared right from scratch... All the whole masalas must be sautéed first, then ground to pastes & then used which absorbs most of your cooking time... During the hot summer it feels all the more tedious... 

Now I had Gunda & my maid to taste everything I cooked & review it for me.... Struggling financially ever since Kuku was gone, I wanted my cooking of the most simple & sumptuous recipes, be catered to the people of Ranchi too... Cuz other than the native food here & the food influenced by Nepal, what they sold here in the name of SOUTH INDIAN FOOD was utter bullshit 💩.... ONLY people from its native can make out the difference... DOSAS out here made me wanna puke 🙊with the same kinda salty tasting thin layer of skin.... Real dosas are crisp with thick skin & or soft & fluffy.... While Mangalorean Idlis are soft as sponge & tasty to relish as is, without any accompaniments, your regular idlis across BHARAT is the same... Coarse & a lil diffi to be relished plain...  Mangalorean idlis can be savored with chutney OR sambar OR Mangalorean fish, chicken & mutton gravy...

Hence finally decided to make my attempt to cater these savories to the people of Ranchi through KUKU'S KOFFEE HOUSE with HOME COOKED FOOD for BULK DELIVERY...

Based on previously ordered menu, I would prepare the food with ample time, convenience & dedication to be delivered to your office or home parties, celebrations & small gatherings... Cuz food like idli, dosa, appam need time for fermentation which we Mangaloreans prefer through natural means with no addition of soda or eno... The rice needs to soak well for a minimum of 5-6 hours through the day & by night once the batter is ground, it needs to rest the night for the batter to naturally ferment in heat, which would be ready by morning... after which idlis & dosas can be prepared as & when required, when batter is stored in the refrigerator, which can go for many days... Hence an order to be executed, requires a minimum of ONE day... So always better if ordered a day prior to the PARTY OR GATHERING....

Every other detail can be discussed over a phone call before or while placing an order... If the schedule is full then I must be allowed the freedom to cater to your needs another day cuz IT IS JUST ME WHO IS COOKING.... 

The name KUKU's KOFFEE HOUSE is named behind my Kuku cuz after we were married, it was one of the things he wished to do... To set up a chain of restaurants for South Indian Food... So I dedicate this dream to him forever... 

I dedicate every breath to him too cuz whatever I am today is ONLY cuz of him... He brought me out of a Health Hazard, He gave me the love & respect a wife expects after being married, He gave me the love of father mother brother & a friend being my husband making me yearn for no other relationship other than him, He took care of me in illness & during my happy days with UNCONDITIONAL money luxuries & needs of life which most women in this world can ONLY dream of.... Now despite him not being around in blood & flesh, I still lead my life with the insurance money I received after his demise... So, I owe him my life completely with no doubts.... 

Today, if I am attempting KUKU'S KOFFE HOUSE, more than for financial help, it is to establish his name in his own place RANCHI, before I bid goodbye to this world.... That is my dream....

I have opened a Garments Shop at Bariatu Housing for menswear by the name ASRA APPARELS... Again that was started to keep his name going, more than for financial assistance... I have no much desires from life for luxuries of the world.... AFTER KUKU peace until my last breath is all I care about... So my desires are a lil being happy with all that I have in hand.... It's ONLY HIM that I yearn for now... Every moment Every day... I keep living on with a hope of catching up with him someday.... 😔

UNTIL NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!

Mackerel Fry (Mangalore Cuisine)

 Hello....

Been a while... Been cooking but could not find the time to record it... Just wanted to blog before the year ended... Hence here with a simple prep... Fish Fry from Mangalore.... Mackerels....

Jump To Recipe

It's a flavorful prep which tastes rich & seems divine with rice gruel.... (rice porridge) known as ganji in Mangalore, maadbaath in the North... Piping hot rice in its own water.... It's soul food.... yum 😋..... connected to our roots & ancestors... 

Let's get down to its prep....

Ingredients :

Mackerels - 4 (cleaned & washed in turmeric water & halved)

MARINATION - (in another bowl)

Salt - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Kitchen King Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

Tamarind Paste - 1 1/2 tsp

Coconut Oil - 2 tsp

Hot Water - 1 tbsp

MASALA - (Flavorful Add Ons)

Ginger - 1 1/2 " (fine chopped)

Green Chillis - 3 (fine chopped)

Onion - 1 large (fine chopped)

Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs full

Coconut Oil - 2 tbsps

Instructions :

1) Mix the ingredients under marination into a fine paste

2) Make tiny slits on the body of the fish to allow it to absorb the blend of spices

3 ) Now marinate the fish one by one gently  so that the spices adhere to them to soak in with time... minimum an hour

4) Leave the remaining spices (masala) as is

5) Now heat coconut oil in a pan... Place the fish pieces beside one another & shallow fry it on both the sides for a minimum of 3-4 minutes each side

(Do not over fry the fish cuz then they would turn hard... We want them to be cooked but retain its freshness & juices too)

6) Once done remove them & keep aside

7) Now to the remaining oil in the pan, add in green chilli + ginger fine chops & saute until fried lightly

8) Now add in the curry leaves + chopped onions & stir fry until onions are soft & blent well with the spices in the pan

9) Now add the remaining masala paste kept aside & stir fry them for a couple of minutes until the raw scent of the masala disappears

10) Once everything has seemingly blent, add in the fried fish & gently toss to mix... avoid breaking them into pieces... 

11) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

NOTES :

Than regular dry rice, it tastes divine when savored with the piping hot watery rice... ( you can sieve it a lil & use the water to prepare a piping hot drink to complement this meal)

    Just add in pestled green chilli + salt crystals... mix it well & allow it to boil once with a lil more hot water in order to saturate the starch.... Once done sieve & serve!

Below is a recipe card for someone looking for a quickie....

Here is a visual in action as a guide...

A humble request 🙏 to anybody who checks this recipe out.... 

Savor all those simple food our ancestors lived on & encourage your offspring to do so too... cuz when you do, your kids follow.... DO NOT LET YOURSELVES DEVIATE FROM YOUR SANTANI BHARATIYA ROOTS for a desire of unhealthy foreign foods.... CUZ YOUR ROOTS ARE YOUR STRENGTH.... if you undo them running behind unknown unhealthy stuffs, you weaken your generations than strengthen them....

UNTIL NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!

Fried Makhaana (Fried Lotus Seeds)

 Heya...

There was a lil something too... Thought would post it anyhow... It is just me journaling my preps for my own reference mainly cuz am forgetful of late... In the due course if it helps someone else too then what do I lose 💁

SO here it goes...

Ingredients :

Makhaana - 1 - 2 Cups

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Salt To Taste

Instructions :

Heat a wok well... lower the flame 

Now add the ghee... Allow it to settle for few seconds..

Now add the makhaana & stir fry... You would see the makhaana absorbing all the ghee...

Fry for a minute & sprinkle a dash of salt... Keep frying until they turn dark brown all around... Basically the makhaana must shrink in size turning crispy....

Once done, allow it to cool for 5 minutes & then store in an airtight container.... 

Very good midnight snack... 👌

Here's a quickie to the prep....

Have fun.... 😍

UNTIL NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!

Vanghibath - 1 (One Way Of Preparing)

 Hello There....

Am back soon enough to share a preparation that had been idling in my gallery... Awaiting a finishing touch before it got posted... And it's way too less that am on a spree... This time around it seems I was & wanted to make the most of it....

So here I am sharing with you ONE way of preparing VANGHIBATH (Brinjal Rice/Eggplant Rice) Basically A Karnataka Cuisine very popular in Bangalore, in particular; One way to savor the much disliked veggie by most of them since childhood.... However I grew up watching my mom LOVE this vegetable prepared with drumsticks as a curry or as a part of sambar... but growing up I still dislike this vegetable in curry or sambar... as a kid I hated the spread of the seeds of brinjal in a curry & called them GOLD COINS.... I love it in rice or pallya or fried prep... I see a difference despite it being the same vegetable & I don't understand that discrimination I personally developed towards it.... 🙆

Jump To Recipe

Ingredients :

FOR MASALA POWDER :

Red Masala Powder : Dry Red Chilies - Byadgi + Kumte (10-12)

                                        Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp

                                        Cumin Seeds - 1tsp

                                        Tamarind - 1/2 lemon sized

                                        Coconut - 1tbsp

Dry roast them separately... Cool it & dry grind it to coarse powder. Extra powder can be refrigerated for future use which can be used for any south Indian/Mangalore style pallya...

Vanghibath Powder : Sesame Seeds - 2tsp

                                        Urad dal - 2tsp

                                        Chana dal - 2tsp

                                        Cinnamon - 1 inch

                                        Cardamom - 1

                                        Cloves - 6

                                        Fennel Seeds - 2tsp

                                        Fenugreek Seeds - 1tsp

Dry roast & once cool, dry grind it into coarse powder & refrigerate the extra for future use...

Peanuts - 2 tbsp - dry roast & pestle it down to coarse chunk (use it all - no storage)

Brinjal - Any is okay (Purple is good with no seeds but green is also good) - Cut them to 1 inch                 pieces & soak them in water until usage to avoid oxidation

Rice - Any is okay (washed & pressure cooked with lil oil, well in advance so it isn't hot &                         sticky)

[1 Medium Sized Brinjal for 1 Cup Rice]

Cooking Oil - 2 tbsp

FOR SEASONING : Curry Leaves - 1 twig for 1 cup rice

                                      Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

                                      Hing/Asafetida - 1 tsp

                                      Urad dal - 1 tsp

                                      Green Chilli - 2-2 (slit lengthwise)

                                      Broken Dry Red Chili - 1

                                      Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tsp

Instructions :

1. Heat oil in a wok

2. Add seasoning one by one (mustard seeds + red chili + urad dal + hing + Green Chili + Curry leaves + ginger garlic paste)

3. Once done, add the brinjal pieces & stir fry on low to medium flame for sometime...

4. Then add pestled peanut crumbs. Stir fry for sometime

(Avoid brinjal chunks from turning mushy... No water as brinjal releases enough water required & stir carefully as to not break the pieces down... it gets cooked in the process of the prep, as much as required)

5. Now add salt + turmeric Powder & stir... 

6. Once done add the red masala powder + vanghibath powder (2 tsp each)

7. Stir fry for sometime & you would see all the oil & water gets absorbed

8. At this point add in the rice & mix them well, slowly...

9. Garnish with coriander leaves & a dash of sugar if not already added... it gives an edge to the prep

10. Serve hot with raita or fryems

Below is a step by step on visual...

For those who need just the recipe...

Do give it a try... And I will share another variant to this sooner....

UNTIL NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!