Jolada mudde - Bassaru, Palya ~~Karnataka recipes

A warm and comfort platter for a Sunday lunch or a hearty dinner on a chilly evening, this combination of north and south Karnataka's delicacies will make your mouth water wanting for more!

Jolada mudde/ Jowar ball is not so different to cook compared to ragi ball though the taste is so very different. Jowar balls are a popular part of the platter in every North Canara's households. Jowar balls are usually served with a spicy curry.

Bassaru is made from the filtered stock from cooked dill leaves with lentils and once filtered, the remaining residue is made in to palya/stir fry. Bassaru- Palya is popularly made in Mysore and Mandya.

This platter is a perfect comfort home-food and it is light on your tummy even though you eat a ball of cooked Jowar flour! I have always loved Jowar balls since it is a part of my favorite childhood memories. I tasted Jolada mudde for the first time in my Aunty's place where my little brother and I spent our summer vacations. She cooked excellent North Canara food and she used to distribute each morsel to every one of us sitting around her. Her kaituttu (morsel served from hand to hand) is the best ever food I have eaten in my entire life. That's a lot of memories.. Anyway, back to Jowar ball - It is a healthy, tasty and perfect choice if you are in mood for a pure North Canara food.

Coming to Bassaru- Palya, they make a perfect combination with Ragi balls and Jowar balls. They are spicy, tangy and keep you smacking your lips for a long time. Bassaru and palya are (again) a healthy choice because the filtered stock is boiled again with ground spices which kind of acts as an appetizer. Palya is milder than bassaru and you can modify as you desire. I have prepared exactly how my mom prepares though there are a lot of versions to Bassaru. Hope you like this version too! :)

(Calories per serving of Jowar ball (45 gms), bassaru(1 cup), palya (45 grams) and broken wheat cooked (1 cup))

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	400		Calories
Fat	3		%
Carbohydrates	80		%
Dietary Fiber	16		%
Sodium	1		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	0		%
Calcium	2		%
Iron	14		%
Protein	31		Grams
Sugar	1		Grams

Ingredients
For Bassaru and Palya: Any Lentil(I used Toor dal) 2 tablespoons Dill leaves chopped 2 cups Horse gram or any legumes(optional) 2 tablespoons Water  As needed Salt to taste Sambar powder 1 teaspoon Oil 2 teaspoons Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon Chana dal 1/2 teaspoon Urad dal 1/2 teaspoon
For Jolada mudde:
Water	1 & 1/4 cup (divided)
Jowar flour	1 &1/2 cups
Salt	a pinch
Oil	1/2 teaspoon

To Grind:
Copra chopped or grated	1/4 cup
Onion chopped	1 whole
Red Chillies	5
Coriander leaves	a small bunch
Garlic cloves	2-3 cloves
Jeera/Cumin seeds	2 teaspoons
Tamarind	small lemon size

Bassaru:

Pressure cook Toor dal, washed and chopped dill leaves and horse gram with enough water. You can also add green beans.
Grind together the ingredients under "To Grind" table along with a tablespoon of ingredients that were pressure cooked.

Filter the pressure cooked ingredients. Add the ground mixture to the filtered stock and bring it to boil.

Add salt and boil it for another 5 minutes. I forgot to temper it  but you can temper Bassaru with mustard seeds and chopped garlic. 

Palya: 

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add chana dal and Urad dal. 

Once Urad dal turns brownish, add cooked dal, dill leaves and horse gram and fry for a minute.

Add salt and sambar powder and fry for few more minutes. Serve hot.

Jolada Mudde:

Boil a cup of water in a pan/Aluminium vessel. Add a pinch of salt and oil. Bring to boil.

Mix 1/4 cup of Jowar flour with 1/2 cup of water and make thick paste. Add it to the boiling water and stir well. Simmer the flame.

Once the mixture starts boiling, Add the remaining flour and cover with a lid. Cook for at least 7-8 minutes under low flame.

Stir well till there are no lumps and cover again. Cook for another 3 minutes. Make balls and serve piping hot.

* I forgot to temper Bassaru. Try tempering it with mustard seeds and garlic. It tastes so good.

* You can add chopped onions and greenchillies for palya instaed of sambar powder. I did this to save some time.

* You can add green beans for bassaru and palya. Tastes even better.

* I have served dishes with cooked cracked wheat. It reduces the carbohydrate level of this rich thali. 

Wheat Sprout Usli/Stir fry

A delicious, spicy and very nutritious dish that can be eaten as a salad or as a side dish with our popular south Indian lunch/dinner.

Wheat sprouts are more in nutrient density than regular wheat. When you sprout wheat for 3-4 days, most of the carbohydrate in wheat is converted to natural sugars making it a healthier option. The vitamin E content can increase 300%, vitamin C increase 600%, and the B vitamins have been found to increase from 20% to 1200%, with B17, the ‘anti-cancer vitamin’ 100% more than in unsprouted seed. The protein content increases by 300% in the third day of sprouting, compared to the unsprouted wheat seed.
(Info source: http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au)

Wheat and Sprouted wheat

Also, wheat sprouts are a healthy option for people with Diabetes. It controls blood sugar levels and keeps cholesterol levels to minimum. Make sure the wheat is soaked for at least 3 days and should be washed everyday. You can either wait for the sprouts to grow a little long if you want it to be less chewy, but I prefer 1/8" of growth. For me, wheat sprouts is an important part of my weight loss diet. A simple serving keeps me full for at least 4-5 hours. You can actually eat the sprouts raw but cooking them will make digestion easier. You can add the sprouts in soups, toss them in your salad, even add them to any vegetable stir fry or eat alone as a morning cereal. Here is a simple recipe that I prepare regularly.

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	99		Calories
Fat	1		%
Carbohydrates	7		%
Dietary Fiber	2		%
Sodium	0		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	2		%
Calcium	1		%
Iron	6		%
Potassium	2		%
Protein	4		Grams
Sugar	0		Grams

Ingredients
Wheat Sprouts	1 cup
Water	to sprinkle
Salt	as per taste
Curry leaves	a handful
Oil	2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds	1/2 teaspoon

To Grind:
Coconut chopped or grated	1/2 cup
Green chillies	2
Coriander leaves	a small bunch
Ginger grated	1 teaspoon
Garlic	2-3 cloves

• Chop the coconut to small pieces.
• Grind the ingredients listed under "to grind" with little or no water. 
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add coriander leaves.

• Add the wheat sprouts, sprinkle some water and cover the lid. Cook for 6-7 minutes.
• Keep mixing every few minutes and simmer when the sprouts look transparent. Check if the sprouts are cooked enough and soft.
• Add the ground mixture and salt. mix well. Cover the lid and fry for another 3-4 minutes until the raw coconut smell is gone. Serve hot.

• The sprouts will be a little chewy no matter how long you cook. So, if you want it to be soft and not at all chewy, grind the sprouts to pieces (Just a spin in your mixer will do) and then cook them.
• You can skip the coconut if you want. Also, you can add cooked veggies while frying for a mix veggie sprouts stir fry.