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Roasted Poha Chivda | No Fry Poha Chivda

By: Ramya
19 October 2025 at 07:34

Learn how to make Roasted Poha Chivda recipe with a detailed video tutorial and step by step photos. This easy, crunchy and flavorful Indian snack is made without frying - it's light, guilt-free and perfect for Diwali or just tea-time munching! Poha Chivda is a classic Indian snack made with flattened rice, nuts and mild...

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The post Roasted Poha Chivda | No Fry Poha Chivda appeared first on Cooking From Heart.

Avocado Dip recipe

3 June 2025 at 12:01
What do you do when all the avocados are ripe at once? You make dip and store it :-) There are many variations to the avocado dip, here is my version. Ingredients: 5 ripe avocados2 Tbsp lime juiceSalt and pepper to taste.2 Tbsp olive oilHow to Make Avocado Dip:Mash the avocados: Scoop the flesh of ripe avocados into a bowl and mash with a fork,  potato masher or a food

Banana bread recipe - with beets and carrots!

23 March 2025 at 17:15
This bread has banana, grated carrots ands beets, and you can't tell! Its comes out so moist, delicious, rich and healthy! I love how this cake turned out, it is filled with so much healthy stuff, that its literally guilt free to devour. Some variations of tried and tested banana cakes -  my go-to banana bread recipe and multigrain bread recipe50 minutes - including bake

DIBBA ROTTE

9 May 2021 at 21:47

      An irresistible savory cake with a crispy exterior like Dosa and a soft interior like an Idli, yes I’m talking about this classic Andhra Breakfast DIBBA ROTTE. Serve this delicious Dibba rotte with Aavakaya, chutney, or sambar, this recipe is filling and absolutely delicious. Dibba rotte is a classic recipe that is very easy to make and a total crowd-pleaser.

 

       

           Traditionally Dibba rotte is made with freshly ground Idli batter, and Idli Rava or Rice Rava is used here. The Telugu-speaking regions use Idli Rava for their Idli batter instead of parboiled rice/uppudu biyyam. The coarse texture of the Rava gives it’s signature crisp exterior and granular soft interior. I bet once you try this, you’ll end up making Dibba rotte every time you make Idli batter. And the good part is you needn’t ferment the batter, just add the tempering to it and make Dibba rotte right away. But we have tried making it with fermented batter and the beautiful sour notes adds more magic. Now to get the perfect color and crunch, the key is to use a heavy cast-iron Kadai/pan. Let the Dibba rotte cook on low flame for longer to get the irresistible crunchy exterior.

        I have learnt making this dish from my best friend who hails from Machilipatnam and they make it quite regularly. I remember tasting this dish at her home and I fell in love with the dish instantly and I’m telling you if you are a person who loves slightly crispy bits in the bottom of the pan(like me) in dishes like upma, then this is just for you.

What is Dibba rotte and how to make it?

      The word Dibba means plump or fat and rotte means bread/flatbread. And traditionally rice Rava or Idli Rava is used instead of rice. As throughout Telugu-speaking regions, Idli is made with Rice Rava or Idli Rava, the granular idli texture is just irresistible.

        First, we need to soak the Urad dal and later grind it to a fine consistency, and then we add soaked rice Rava/Idli Rava to this batter. You can let this batter ferment to make idlis or use it to make Dibba rotte instantly. You can take a portion of this batter and add a simple tempering to the batter, using mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chili paste. If you are making for younger kids, you can skip green chilies or omit them.

       Traditionally we use a heavy and shallow cast-iron Kadai or brass Kadai(itthadi ginne) to make this Dibba rotte. But any thick bottomed pan will work, just make sure to keep an eye on Dibba rotte and it’s not burning. Our goal is to achieve a golden-brown crispy exterior and cook through completely. While making spread light cooking oil on the Kadai and then pour the batter. Cover the pan and cook on a slow flame until it turns crispy on the bottom. Flip it through and cook until done. Then Serve hot Dibba rotte with pickle or chutney of your choice. Ginger chutney makes a great combination with this.

More names of Dibba rotte

   This Dibba rotte is also known as Dibba rotti or minapa rotti in some parts of Telugu-speaking regions.

Serving suggestions 

       Dibba rotte is traditionally cut in wedges and served as you get to taste the outside crusty exterior and the soft fluffy texture inside. The taste is not like that of idli as there is no sourness in the batter (since the batter is not fermented), but you can make it with fermented batter too. The crisp texture is what makes the dish more interesting.

    This Dibba rotte is a savory cake and has a similar color, shape, and texture. One of the reasons why people call it Andhra cake and most loved by kids. Serve with your favorite pickle or chutney or Podi of your choice. But I’d recommend you try with Ginger chutney.

So what all Ingredients do we need?

   All you need to make this dish is idli batter. So, you can use your favorite idli recipe. To make the Andhra way, use urad dal and idli Rava. You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe:

  • urad dal – either whole or split. 
  • Rice Rava or idli Rava – Look for idli Rava in your nearby Indian grocery stores. The key for its signature granular crispy exterior is Idli Rava. 
  • Fenugreek seeds – Helps indigestion
  • Salt
  • Tempering – Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies, ginger, curry leaves.

Please check out more delicious festive treats and tea-time snacks from my blog.

Chegodilu

Odappalu

Makka garelu

Palm jaggery whole wheat biscuits

Perugu wada

Vegan millet cutlet

Vegan potstickers

Let’s get into the recipe now

Print

DIBBA ROTTE

Dibba Rotte is a classic Andhra dish made of Idli batter. It has an irresistible crispy exterior and fluffy interior.
Course Breakfast, Lunch box recipes
Cuisine Andhra
Keyword healthy breakfast, plant based, vegan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Soaking time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Author Shravani Abhishek

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet or wok

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Urad dal
  • 1 cup Idli rava
  • ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • Salt to taste

Tempering

  • 1 tbsp Cooking oil
  • ½ tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1 tsp Green chili paste
  • ½ tsp Minced ginger

Instructions

Let's prep for the batter

  • Wash and soak the Urad dal + fenugreek seeds and Idli rava separately for 3-4 hours.
  • Drain the water from the urad dal and reserve about 2 cups of soaking water. Grind the urad dal+fenugreek seeds into soft and smooth paste by adding little water.
  • Transfer the ground urad dal paste to a mixing bowl, and to this add drained idli rava. Add salt to taste and mix it well with your hand.

It's tempering time

  • Heat a small tadka pan, add oil and once its hot add in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, minced ginger, green chili paste and torn curry leaves. Let it splutter for a minute.
  • Turn off the heat and add this tempering to the Idli batter and give it a good mix.

Let's make some dibba rotte now!!

  • Heat a thick Cast iron kadai or Appam pan, and add oil and let it heat for a minute.
  • Now add in 1-1½ cups ladleful of batter into the pan, let it sizzle for a minute of medium heat.
  • Lower the heat to low flame, cover the pan and cook for 15 mins until it turns crispy on the bottom. Insert a clean knife or spoon and see if its cooked, it should come out clean.
  • Now flip the Dibba rotte and cook it for another 5-10 mins. Do not cover the pan at this time.
  • Turn off the heat, remove the dibba rotte on a plate, cut into wedges and serve with chutney, podi or pickle of your choice.

Notes

  • There is no need to ferment it, you can make Dibba rotte as soon as you grind the batter. But feel free to use the fermented idli batter too, the sourness adds a nice flavor profile to the Dibba rotte. 
  • If you are using wet grinder or blender, make sure to add water in increments to make a soft, fluffy and smooth batter.
  • I would recommend you to use a cast iron kadai or appam pan to get irresistible crispy exterior. 

If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . 

The post DIBBA ROTTE appeared first on mycurryveda.

KANDA GADDA BAKSHALU

8 March 2021 at 03:10

Kanda gadda bakshalu is an authentic sweet potato stuffed flatbread savored on Maha Shivaratri in the Telangana region. These Bakshalu have an utterly creamy, healthy and divine sweet potato stuffing, and my kid absolutely loved it. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fibervitamins, and minerals. Additionally, they support Healthy Vision, enhance Brain Function and Boost Your Immune System.

Sweet potatoes have a dense fiber composition, and it satiates the hunger for longer periods. Hence, in Indian subcontinent we widely use it as fasting food. On Maha Shivaratri, majority of devotees observe a special fast consisting largely of fruits along with plenty of water and milk which keeps them hydrated. And sweet potatoes are fast friendly, filling and healthy. So these Bakshalu makes a great recipe to make on this coming Maha Shivaratri.

Significance of Maha Shivaratri

The festival of ‘Maha Shivaratri’ which literally translates to ‘the greatest night of Shiva’ is one of the most revered Hindu festivals across the Indian subcontinent. The Temples across the nation witness an outpour of devotees who gather around the Shiva Linga with their abundant offerings to appease Lord Shiva. Prayers and vigils go on throughout the night of Maha shivaratri. But what makes the festival special is its characteristic fasting or the Maha Shivaratri Vratam. The vratam marks a very high significance for every Shiva devotee, with some opting to even go on fasting through the day without a single drop of water. But majority of the devotees observe a special fast consisting largely of fruits along with plenty of water and milk which keeps them hydrated.

What are Bakshalu?

Bakshalu are a traditional delicacy, that we make on festivals or special occasions as an offering to the deity. These bakshalu are stuffed flatbreads, which can be made sweet or savory. In the Telangana region, Bakshalu are a traditional dessert or sweet and it has various stuffings. And stuffings like chana dal, moong dal, sesame seeds, sweet potato, Kova, etc. are used.

Now call this bakshalu poli or Holige, obbattu, bobbatlu, burelu, polelu, vedmi, boli this one dish has many names and avatars across diverse India.

In certain regions of Telangana, people call these Kanda gadda bakshalu as Mouram gadda polelu or mouram gadda bakshalu. This Kanda gadda bakshalu are specially prepared for the Maha Shivaratri festival for the kids, as they are fasting friendly and filling too. 

Ingredients needed for Kanda gadda bakshalu

  • Kanda gadda – Sweet potatoes, they are also known by Mouram gadda, Ratnapuri gadda in the Telangana region. 
  • Jaggery / Sugar – As sweet potatoes alone are sweet enough, we will be using minimal amount of sweetener.
  • Cardamom – this is completely optional
  • Whole wheat flour – You can also use Maida / All purpose flour instead.
  • Oil
  • Ghee

How to prepare this Kanda gadda bakshalu?

 Like every other flatbread, this bakshalu can be either made with Maida/all-purpose flour or Whole wheat flour. And I like to use whole wheat personally as it’s more healthy and that’s what I have grown up eating. So if you prefer using All purpose flour or maida please feel free to use it according to your convenience.

Stuffing – First step steam the sweet potatoes, later mash them with jaggery / sugar, and keep them aside.

Now the kind of sweet potatoes we get in India are quite fibrous and stays firm when boiled or steamed. They doesn’t require any further cooking after steaming them. You can just steam/boil them, peel the skin, mash them with jaggery powder/sugar.

And as I’m staying in the US, the sweet potatoes, which I get here are quite soft, when I steam/boil them they turn very mushy. Hence, I cook the mashed sweet potatoes slightly until they turn firm.

Dough – This bakshalu can be made with two kinds of dough, One is the wet dough that has been soaked in oil for hours and the other is a semi-hard dough that we regularly use to make roti. If you are using slightly firm sweet potatoes that we get in India, I would recommend you to use the firm dough. And if you are using the American variety of sweet potatoes then go for the wet dough.

Is this recipe VEGAN ?

You can skip the ghee part while roasting the Bakshalu or stuffed flatbread to make it vegan-friendly. If you have Gluten-intolerance, please substitute the whole wheat flour with gluten free flour to make these Bakshalu.

Serving suggestion

These Kanda gadda bakshalu/polelu are  traditionally served with warm milk. But a simple drizzle of ghee on warm Bakshalu is good enough for savoring.

Checkout more traditional festive foods and more Telangana delicacies.

Godhuma thalikala payasam

Pappu bakshalu

Nuvvula bakshalu

Vadapappu bellam panakam

Godhuma Nooka sheera

Shegala payasam

Sattu Pindi

Print

KANDA GADDA BAKSHALU

A divine sweet potato stuffed flatbread, which are utterly delicious, healthy and filling. Makes it a perfect fasting friendly food.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Indian, Telangana
Keyword Bakshalu, Stuffed flatbreads, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 10 Servings
Author Shravani Abhishek

Equipment

  • Griddle
  • Steamer

Ingredients

Stuffing

  • 3 Sweet potatoes
  • cup Jaggery powder
  • ¼ tsp Cardamom powder

Dough

  • cup Whole wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • ½ cup Water *more as needed to make pliable dough

Instructions

Stuffing

  • Heat a steamer, add water in the pan and place the sweet potatoes cut into discs on the steamer rack.
  • Cover the pan and let the sweet potatoes steam until they are soft and mushy. It may take around 15 min. Turn off the heat and let them cool down to room temperature.
  • Later peel the skin of sweet potatoes, mash them and add cardamom powder, jaggery powder/sugar as per your taste preference.
  • If the stuffing is too wet, then cook the mashed sweet potatoes on medium flame until it turns firm.
  • Later divide the stuffing into 10 equal portions, roll them into a ball and keep aside.

Dough

  • In a mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour/APF , tsp of oil and water. Bring everything together and knead until it is soft and pliable.
  • Add 2 tbsp oil and keep it covered for 2 hours. Let it remain soaked in oil. The more it rests in oil the more softer the bakshalu will be.

Let's prepare some KANDA GADDA BAKSHALU now !!

  • Take a silicon sheet/ziploc bag/banana leaf, grease the surface. Take handful of dough and place it.
  • Grease your fingers with oil and flatten the dough with your fingers to form a small circle.
  • Place a small ball of sweet potato stuffing in the center and seal it on all sides forming a small ball.
  • Now flatten the ball with the stuffing inside to form a thin Baksham.

Roasting the KANDA GADDA BAKSHALU

  • Grease the tawa slightly with ghee and heat it. Now invert the silicon mat/ziploc bag/banana leaf with the Baksham over the tawa. After a few seconds, gently remove the silicon mat/ziploc bag/banana leaf.
  • Now cook the Baksham both the sides until golden brown on medium heat.
    Once cooked, apply ghee all over the surface and remove from heat. Now Kanda gadda baksham is ready to be served. Enjoy it warm.

Serving suggestions

  • Serve hot Kanda Gadda bakshalu with some warm milk or drizzled with ghee.

Notes

  • If you are using the American variety of sweet potatoes, they tend to turn mushy or sticky when steamed/boiled. So cook the stuffing on medium flame until it turns slightly firm.

 If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . Also follow @taste.of.telangana on Instagram for more traditional recipes, culture and stories.

The post KANDA GADDA BAKSHALU appeared first on mycurryveda.

BANKA LADDU

20 February 2021 at 19:39

Banka laddu, made using edible gum resin (banka/gond), cashews, almonds, khajoor, and all the wintery goodness. A quintessential winter food, which is utmost divine, delicious and nourishing which keeps you warm in chilly winters. These energy balls are rich in calories and nutrients and hence ideal for kids and the elderly. Also, these are given to Lactating or postpartum mothers to regain strength, helps in speedy recovery and provides nutrition. Hence these laddus are more of a medicinal confection than indulgent food.

What is Banka or Gond ?

Banka or Gond is an edible gum collected from hardened sap sourced from wild-growing acacia plants. Banka is a Telugu(more in Telangana) term for glue or gum substances, hence the name. 

Edible gum has a lot of medicinal value. It not only cures heat-stroke yet it even combats constipation, improves the health of skin and hair along with increasing our overall immunity. My grandmother used to say that winter is the perfect time when your body has the maximum capacity in absorbing calcium. And this edible gum helps in soothing inflammation, lubricates joints, and reduces joint stiffness caused by arthritis. Besides protecting against cold, gond is used to heal wounds. It is also known to treat cardiovascular ailments and chronic kidney diseases. 

More about Banka laddu

 Banka laddu or Dinkache ladoo or Gond Ke laddu, as the name suggests are prepared with Gond or Edible Gum. It is a popular sweet, that is made in Many regions across India during winters. 

The recipe I’m sharing here is an heirloom recipe that has been passed down from many generations. And our version of Edible gum laddu calls Dry Fruits, Nuts, Seeds, and lots of ghee. This laddu is usually looked at and served as a medicinal food rather than a delicacy. Hence it is mostly served with a glass of warm milk first thing in the morning. 

These nourishing energy balls are considered very healthy to consume in Winters due to their rich ingredients which are warm and keeps our body protected from the chilly winters. Also, these are made for postpartum mothers or lactating mothers, which helps to keep the body warm and helps in lactation. These Banka laddus are great nutritious snacks for kids and toddlers, as they are rich in iron, calcium, and protein.

Ingredients needed for Banka laddu

  • Banka / Gond –  Edible gum sourced from the Acacia plant. It is quite odorless and tasteless. 
  • Nuts – Nuts are the essential part of these laddus and I have used Cashews, marking nut, Pistachios, and walnuts here. 
  • Dried fruits – Traditionally we use khajoor powder(dried dates powder), as I could not find the dried dates here, I used Medjool dates instead.
  • Ghee – Ghee acts as the binding agent here, so do not skip on the ghee. It adds richness, flavor, and essential nutrition to the ladoo.
  • Seeds – I have used Almonds and Melon seeds here. You can also add poppy seeds for extra nuttiness and richness. 
  • Dry Coconut – We add a little amount of dried coconut here, which adds a lovely coconut flavor and nutrition.
  • Spices – We are going to add Ginger powder(sonti podi/ saunth), pepper powder, and Nutmeg. They provide flavor and helps in providing warmth to our bodies. 
  • Sugar / Jaggery 

How to make these Banka laddus?

 With diverse cultures and cuisines across India, the foods have regional influence and hence it varies with each region. You can see many Gond ke laddu recipes on the internet, where some add whole wheat flour, and some just use dried fruits and nuts. Unlike many recipes of Gond ke laddu you find on the internet, we don’t roast or puff of gond crystals. Instead, we just grind them as is, and we do not roast any ingredient too, just powder up everything and add piping hot ghee to shape the laddus. 

Check out more delicious desserts and Indian sweets from my blog.

Sunnundalu

Shakkarpara

Motichoor laddu

Shegala payasam

Sabudana payasam

Palm jaggery whole wheat biscuits

Penilu

Badusha

Print

BANKA LADDU

A quintessential winter laddu made of edible gum, dry fruits, nuts, seeds, ghee and jaggery.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Indian, Telangana
Keyword Laddu, Vegetarian, Winter special
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 25 Laddus
Author Shravani Abhishek

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Saucepan

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Banka or Edible Gum
  • 1 cup Cashews
  • ½ cup Almonds
  • ½ cup Khajoor or Dried dates or use medjool dates
  • ¼ cup Dried coconut
  • ¼ cup Pistachios
  • ¼ cup Walnuts optional
  • ¼ cup Jeedi palukulu or Marking nuts optional
  • ¼ cup Melon seeds optional
  • 1 cup Jaggery powder Or use powdered sugar
  • 1 cup Ghee

Spices

  • 1 tsp Pepper powder
  • 1 tbsp Sonti podi or ginger powder
  • 2 pinches Nutmeg powder

Instructions

Preparing laddu base

  • Grind the cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts to a fine powder and add it a large mixing bowl.
  • Now grind the dried dates to a fine powder and add it to the mixing bowl.
    Notes : If using medjool dates, just chop them up, grind to a smooth paste and fry the date paste in ghee for 4-5 mins until it loses its raw smell and turns into a lump.
  • Now grind the dried coconut, marking nuts, melon seeds separately and add it to the mixing bowl.
  • Now the crucial ingredient, Banka or Gond or edible gum Add it to the blending jar and grind to a fine powder. And transfer this powder to the mixing bowl.
  • Time to add in pepper powder, sonti podi or ginger powder, ground nutmeg, jaggery powder to the mixing bowl with all ground nuts and seeds. Give everything a really good mix.

Heating the ghee

  • Now heat a saucepan, add ghee and bring it to a smoking hot point. Turn off the heat.

Let's roll some BANKA LADDUS now!!

  • Take 3 cups of laddu base ie., all the powders to a smaller mixing bowl, make a well in the center and add few tbsps of piping hot ghee.
  • Start bringing the laddu mixture and ghee together, and try to bring everything together to a tight sticky dough consistency.
  • When the laddu mixture is still hot and pliable, take a heaped size portion of it in a spoon or in your palms. Roll the mixture and Shape in a round laddu. 
    Note : In case the laddu mixture is too hot intolerable, then do wait for some minutes. Avoid burning your hands. If the mixture does not hold shape, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of hot ghee.
  • Place the rolled laddus onto a wide plate, and repeat the process for the remaining laddu mixture.
  • Leave the rolled laddus to dry overnight or 4-5 hours at room temperature.

Storage instructions

  • Transfer the dried banka laddus to a clean and dry Airtight container. These laddus stay good upto 6 weeks.

Serving suggestions

  • Serve laddu with a warm glass of milk or just as is.

Notes

  • If you cannot find dried dates, use medjool dates instead, just chop them up, grind to a smooth paste and fry the date paste in ghee for 4-5 mins until it loses its raw smell and turns into a lump.

 If you’ve tried this recipe, please share your valuable feedback in the comments below. Also you can Tag your photo and share it with #mycurryveda on Instagram @mycurryveda  or on Facebook . Also follow @taste.of.telangana on Instagram for more traditional recipes, culture and stories.

The post BANKA LADDU appeared first on mycurryveda.

Chocolate & Puffed Rice Balls

By: Rapti B
5 August 2022 at 08:53
Crunchy homemade chocolate balls filled with the goodness of nuts. These chocolate and puffed rice balls are great for lunchboxes, snack time and midnight munchies (if you are like me!) I often see people complaining about the ‘sagas’ written in a recipe blog. The common point in all these complaints is that ‘a recipe blog should have only the recipe’.…
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