05 September, 2007

Akki Shavige with Rasayana & Menthe Chutney

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Akki Shavige with Rasayana & Menthe Chutney

She was sleeping soundly, smiling in her sleep while she dreamt of chasing colourful butterflies in garden. When the persistent sun shone brightly on her face, little girl with pigtails sighed and snuggled back under the covers, blissfully embracing slumber. The mild caress of heavenly aroma coming from kitchen nudged her gently to open her heavy eyelids. Dragging her feet on cool marble floor with her favourite doll tucked under one arm and blinking her eyes to the golden glow of sunshine streaming from high ventilator and windows, she blissfully inhaled the wonderful aroma of ground coffee beans and spices. The sight of her mother with long hair tied in a loose knot adorned with pearls of water, standing in kitchen stirred the feeling of love and happiness. She ran and hugged her mother inhaling the heady perfume of her herbal soap and shampoo. Mother gently lifted her daughter planting kisses on her daughter’s blushed chubby cheeks and placed her away from heat, close to window where she could see the world waking up to the glorious sunshine. As her mother churned delicious food in lightening speed, little girl watched her dad entering the kitchen with special device to make one of her favourite food. As her dad and mom smiled at each other knowingly, little girl sat on the floor cross legged with a twinkle in her eyes as she watched her dad rotate the noodles presser which turned the steaming rice dough into thin, stringy white noodles. She smiled brightly at her parents looking over the food, simple home food, food that made her happy and content.


Yes, I am talking about my favourite breakfast item, Rice Semige/Shavige. Also known as Sevai or Santhakai in Tamil and Idiappam or Noolappam in Malayalam, Shavige is made from rice and coconut in my native Mangalore and it is usually served with sweetened coconut milk and spicy chutney or sambar. This was the only time when my mother would allow my dad to help her in kitchen as it required an extra pair of helping hand to make these stringy rice noodles. While my mom inserted the steaming balls of rice dough in the Sevai container and rotated the plate kept under the container collecting Shavige, dad would quickly rotate the sturdy handle in clock-wise direction. This Shavige Presser although might look like something out of medieval torture device to some people is a must device in every house-hold in Mangalore. Back in my Ajji’s house she had wooden Shavige Presser which looks quite different to what we have now. Instead of rotating the handle, the wooden one would press down the dough like hand water pumps in rural India. Unlike my Ajji and Amma, I use simple Chakkli Presser to make Shavige. Chakkli presser works fine for two growling tummies and moreover it’s quite easy to clean. But I must add that rotating Shavige Presser is equlivalent to working out those muscles in gym, so will not get enough of arm exercise when using Chakkli press ;)


Akki Shavige with Menthe/Methi Chutney and Baale Hannu Rasayana is my contribution to this month’s RCI-Karnataka hosted by our blog queen Asha of Foodie’s Hope and also to this month’s JFI-Banana hosted by lovely Mandira of Ahaar.


Akki Shavige (Rice Noodles)
Prep Time: 30 mins (excluding soaking time)
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice
1 cup Fresh/Frozen Coconut
2 tbsp Oil, preferably Coconut Oil
Salt to taste
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Akki Shavige

Method:
Wash and soak rice in 2 cups of water for 4-5 hours or overnight.
Drain and grind this rice with grated coconut and salt to taste adding little water at a time to very smooth paste. Note that there shouldn’t be any lumps and the paste should be silky smooth. Usually my Ajji and Amma make very thin batter of buttermilk consistency but I grind it to Dosa batter consistency which works fine for me.
Apply coconut oil to heavy bottomed kadai/wok covering it well. Pour the batter in this wok and keep mixing this batter in medium flame till all the water evaporates and it turns to a thick lump of dough.
Switch off the gas and start making big lemon sized balls by applying little cold water to stop it from sticking to your hand.
Steam cook these rice balls in a steamer or pressure cooker without putting its weight for about 10 minutes.
Place two steaming rice balls in Shavige presser or Chakkli maker and press the noodles. Place these noodles in a banana leaf or wet cloth and let it cool. This noodle needs to be cooled down to hold their shape. Serve these noodles with Chutney, sweetened Coconut Milk or Sambar. You can also make Tamarind or Lemon Rice Noodles with the leftovers.
Check Shilpa or Aayi's Recipes and Manjula of Dalitoy's recipes for Shavige where they use Shavige Press here and here. And also check here for Viji of Vcuisine's recipe for Vella, Lemon and Ulundhu Sevai using Chakkli Press.

My Ajji and Amma usually served Akki Shavige with Sweetened Coconut Milk or Rasayana and Menthe Chutney. Rasayana (Rasa means Juice/essence/flavour/taste in Sanskrit) is basically a sweetened coconut milk mixed with chopped Bananas or Mangoes depending on seasonal availability of fruits. Freshly extracted Coconut milk is flavoured with Jaggery and pinch of Cardamom and made wholesome by adding chopped bananas or mangoes.


Rasayana (Banana in Sweetened Coconut Milk)
Prep Time: 20-25 mins
Cooking Time: -
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup Bananas, quartered and sliced
1½ cup freshly extracted Coconut Milk (big no-no to Canned Coconut milk)
1-2 tbsp grated Jaggery, adjust according to taste
2 Green Cardamoms, skins removed and seeds crushed
1 tsp roasted Sesame Seeds (Optional)
Small pinch of Salt


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Rasayana

Method:
Dissolve grated Jaggery in coconut milk and mix all the ingredients.
Serve cold with Akki Shavige or drink as it is.


Variation:
You can use ripe sweet mango in place of bananas.
Replace coconut milk with milk and add 2-3 tbsp of banana or mango puree to give it thick base.



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Akki Shavige with Rasayana & Menthe Chutney

Methi/Fenugreek seeds are one of the most importance spices in Mangalorean cuisine. My Ajji would soak few methi seeds in buttermilk and make us drink after heavy meals as methi is good for digestion. Read more about benefits of Methi here and here. Menthe Chutney is one dish which is full of different flavours. Bitter methi is ground with creamy coconut and spicy chilli and then cooked with dash of jaggery to give it little sweet flavour.


Menthe Chuteny (Methi Seeds Chuteny)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 mins
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
1 tsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds
1 cup grated Fresh/Frozen Coconut
3-4 Dry Red Chillies
1-2 tbsp Jaggery, adjust acc to taste
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Salt to taste
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Menthe Chutney

Method:
Dry roast methi and broken red chillies in a pan for around 1 minute till you get nice aroma of roasted methi.
Grind sautéed spices with coconut adding little water at a time to smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, hing and curry leaves.
Once mustard starts to pop and sputter, add ground paste, jaggery, salt to taste and ½ cup of water.
Cook it on a low flame for 10-15 minutes stirring in between. Serve hot with steamed rice or akki shavige.

97 comments:

  1. Sia what a fabulous entry. Akki sevige looks so pure white. Menthey chutney is so delicious, I have to try it. Rasayana looks yum yum.

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  2. Sia I am totally in love with your recipe for RCI, great entry and lotsa of hard work also is involved in it. I liked the way you wrote it...but in that menthe chutney you said 1 cup of coconut seeds, I guess thats typing mistake...I am assuming it is grated coconut, right!

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  3. OH MY!! Sia, I was just typing my LASIK post for Aroma and I got tired and thought I will check the reader. Boy,I was in for a treat!:)
    Shavige looks great, and Menthya chutney is colorful and Rasayana is cherry on top.Thank you so much:)
    Even if it's not for RCI K, you should post more like these.Just a joy to look at them all,like sitting in mom's kitchen floor on Chape`,you know!!:D
    Thanks again.Hugs.I am posting a B & W photo of formerly blind me ,at Aroma shortly! HeHe!

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  4. I love idiyappom with any kind of curry. In kerala mostly they serrve with coconut milk with sugar, but i like it with cury
    Your look delicious

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  5. Shavige looks good, Sia. I so identify with that girl you describe, that could be me, especially waking up to the smell of coffee. I have always loved coffee. We call this Shevai. We had the traditional one growing up. Now, I make this in the chakli press. Still god and my kids love watching me press them through the moulds. Some things don't change.

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  6. Forgot to add, we serve it with rasayana , too. The menthe chutney is new to me. will try it out soon!

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  7. Sia, that looks absolutely divine. I love sevai too and thanks for the detailed recipe. I get by with the frozen ones mostly.

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  8. OMG Sia,
    Are you a writer too? I just love the way you tell your stories in your posts.
    I love idiyappam but have never made it myself; the process is too elaborate for me.So who helped you make your idiyappam?
    You make your own coconut milk too??? I wish you had those emoticons here. I don't even know what to say!
    Is that tomato juice in that glass there? I love that thali of yours. I have never heard of methi chutney before. Yours looks great!
    I am off now:-)

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  9. hmmmm... what a wonderful breakfast and story:) oh i miss my mom's sevai made from the wooden press. It does taste so different.

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  10. Akki Shavige...I haven't had/made that in so long! Great entry for RCI

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  11. You have a way with yr words Sia :). I love sevai. It is kinda difficult if u do it alone. Beautiful entry. Milk in silver glows...

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  12. it's so great to see these traditional recipes, sia. you could send the rasayana to mandira for JFI.

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  13. Sevei(as I call it) looks superb. My favorite combo is sevei and mango pickle with generous pour of coconut oil on top.

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  14. Sia, this was such a lovely post! I loved the lil' story about Mom.....you really made me emotional with that one, dear! have no words to describe my feelings, each word felt so true.....I love Shavige!! and i have to try the menthe chutney too!

    hugs to you for this, i second Ashakka, more such posts, plz :).

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  15. Hi Sia,
    Every thing looks awesome!!

    - Jayashree Anil

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  16. Well, when I was wondering if this was our good ole idiayappam, there u re explaining it :)But generally we dont go through so much of process...we make the dough with rice flour,salt and hot water and while steaming,some sprinkle some grated coconut in between the noodles and some dont..lots of similarities isn't it ?:)

    Shn

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  17. Sia you awakened my memories too. I used to loooove shevai with ros (coconut milk) or rasayana. This is exactly what I had planned for RCI too but your effort is sheer perfection.

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  18. Hey, Shavige is all my all time fav. I usually prefer it with chutney, but Konkanis love it with sweetened coconut milk. You have some fabulous sides with it....Lovely...

    Uhh..I want to eat this now.....

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  19. What do you call a person who writes comment first and reads the post later??? Stupid me....
    I saw that picture with banana rasayana and reddish chutney and thought they were something different(yes, menthe chutney is different, I have never tasted it before, will have to make it sometime).....

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  20. Sia,

    This is too much,boy love the akki shavige, we used to make it similar,had a different kind of equipment where my grandmon would stand on it and then like gold cute little strings would be formed.we usually made puliyogare.

    Sia you should seriously try writing a book, i can't wait to read what the next line would be in your post.
    good job girl, good to see you in action

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  21. What a beautiful post!! i wish I could share... errr.. eat this all by myself!! I have never tasted this :(
    Awesome pix too!

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  22. Supriya, it's always a delight to visit you and read your tales of childhood bliss :) That beautiful plate looks like bliss to me! Since you say it's a big no-no to canned coconut, I might have to try my hand at grating a fresh one just to make that yummy rasayana. The rice noodles look so soft and fluffy, and the chutney, well... could taste that right off the screen! It all looks delicious! Thanks for sharing :)

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  23. Beautifully written Sia! I could actually picture the whole event in front of me :) Shavige looks so white and inviting...the pictures are just awesome! Would love to read more of such recipes and stories :)

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  24. Sia, what a fantastic entry. Love Sandavai with coconut milk, nothing can beat that. The methi chutney looks great too. I have the Sandavai press but does not get worked enough, you sure need an extra pair of heads to press it all out.

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  25. execllent entry kane!rashi chalo kandtu nanu madavu rashi dina attu. ena magalige shavige andre saaku rashi kushi inda thintlu. enage weekend ega full busy aidu. ok bye kane sigguva :)

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  26. Hi Sups , I always like the introduction in your posts. Very well written :)
    The shavige is so fine and white.Must be tasting gr8. Other dishes look good too,they are new to me. Nice entry :)

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  27. Sia, Lovely entry. I love akki savige esp my MIL makes it very nicely. They are absolute yum.

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  28. Sia, lovely sevai and with good combinations. Do you use raw rice for this sevail. If so, try next time with boiled rice (idli one), you will like the taste more and nutritious too. The methi seeds chutney is so interesting and will try soon. Lovely entries. Viji

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  29. Excellent recipe Sia! Time consuming, but perfect! Your mom and grand mom made the batter thinner so that it is easy to press! I have made these some 20 years back with the coconut milk you have shown! later I learnt two more methods, which I'll soon share with all of you! Some times for an urgent breakfast I also use the ready made rice noodles.
    Lovely authentic recipe! Has inspired me to prepare soon!

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  30. Sia,

    I LOVE semige, I have been working on my mangalore entry too and thought of semige but went another route.. more on that on my blog soon..

    Your rasayana and chutney looks great. We usually have the coconut milk (sweet) or my mom makes semige chitranna (savory). I prefer with the rasa myself.

    Great recipe.. good tip on the chakli press instead of the typical semige press.

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  31. oh man, idiyappam.... my fav... beautiful entries sup... that rasayana looks yum....

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  32. beautiful beautiful
    beautiful

    nice pics and awesome choice of dish :) so glad i dropped by :)

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  33. hey sia.. idu nagu tumba fav.. ilov.. i was thinking of doing it this weekend.. lovely.. plate is so inviting..

    hey mente chutney is new to me..i just had mente menasinakaayi...shud try it..lovely presentation..thnx for sharing

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  34. I didn't know I could use a chakkli press... always use the instant stuff... lovely shevayya rassu Sia :-) love it

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  35. @madhu,
    thank u dear:) i am glad u liked them all:)

    @padma,
    thanks girl for pointing out my typo. by mistake i didn't save part of my post and had to re-write again.

    @ashakka,
    glad u enjoyed it and let me warn u this is just my 1st post for RCI;)
    i am with u. now i am staying away from all pizzas n burgers and cooking very traditinal and authentic recipes. the joy of creating something like this cannot be described.
    n i am on my way to aroma to checkout ur b&w rock star pic;)

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  36. @happy cook,
    thank u n welcome to spice corner.

    @vee,
    yeah, somethings never change:) although maggi did takeover akki shevai for while growing up we do go back to authentic traditional recipes . kids love watching how fresh noodles are made. little did i know its not an easy task to cook for so many people @home( i grew up in a joint family for first 7 yrs of my life)
    methe chutney is my ajji's recipe. do let me know ehn u try it.
    by the way i have planted turmeric roots in big pot. thanks for ur tip.

    @laavanyas,
    i have tried frozen sevai and its pretty close to what we make. i tried making fresh sevai just for the fun of learning and cooking:)

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  37. @tbc,
    girl stop it:) i am blushing here.
    u r right, u need extra helping hand when making sevai. i dragged my hubby from couch when cooking this;)
    for rasayana we need freshly sqeezed coconut. i have tried using canned one and just hated it. canned ones have very strange taste so i use them only when i can cook or heat them.
    n thats a rasberry juice.methi chutney is my granny's recipe which i absolutely love.

    @latha,
    glad u enjoyed it dear:) ur mom use wooden press? we have usual metal press at home.

    @roopa,
    thank u dear:)

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  38. @suganya,
    thank u:) it wouldn't have been possible if i had to do it alone. i have very efficient assistent chef @home who shares equal enthu and passion for food:)
    and oh! thats coconut milk in brass:)

    @bee,
    u guys r back from ur trip? i guess u must have been dozing while reading mu blog;) or else u wouldn't have missed JFI logo i attached there;)

    @manjula,
    i never had sevai with pickle n coconut oil. will give it a try next time i make this.

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  39. I am planning to make idiyappam this weekend and here you are explaining the whole lengthy process. While quite similar to ours, it's still a bit different. I haven't heard of methi chutney before. Are you are a good story teller as well :)

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  40. Nice lyrical intro and appetising food, haven't had much of an appetite these past two weeks but yours has me salivating - now I just need someone to make this for me!

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  41. @musical,
    awww dear, i will surely post more such recipes for u:)

    @jayashree,
    thank u dear:)

    @mishy,
    there is difference in cooking shavige and idiyappam. while u press noodles and then steam, we first steam the rice balls and then press noodles.

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  42. @ashwini,
    thats a huge compliment dear:) i will look forward to ur post on shavige and gorgeous pic as well:)

    @shilpa,
    LOL...i too have done samething before and got right kick from bloggers for not reading the post;)

    @sreelu,
    thats new kind of sevai presser i am hearing. i have not tasted sevai puliyogare sree. now i am craving for it. yummm...
    me n writing a book??? good lord girl. what gave u that impression. u r too sweet to say that. i am glad u enjoy reading my post. i am honoured:)

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  43. @mansi,
    drop in anytime u like girln i will make this for u. u can check any kerala or indian stores in ur area for frozen sevai.

    @linda,
    awwww...u r making me blush;)
    u can use frozen coconut to extract coconut milk. do let me know if u try these recipes:)

    @tee,
    glad u enjoyed the post. i will surely post more such traditional recipes for u:)

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  44. what a beautiful post sweetie! sweet words and tasty dishes, makes such a beautiful combo. want to try ur rasayana, i make a similar dish but with regular milk.
    menthe chutney looks yum, slurrrrp!

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  45. We mallus just add hot water to rice flour and press it out. The chutney looks delicious.

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  46. Hey sups,
    This looks so yummy! I got the shavige press from india last time. I finally used to a month back. The trial went fine, so I'm planning to make the shavige and do a post soon :-)
    Your shavige looks yummy! Nevr had it wiht menthe chutney. We usually make lime semiya and a sweet podi with it.
    I love the description and story in the beginning! Make u feel so nostalgic isnt't it! Remined me of Chitra B Divakaruni and her descriptions :-)
    Hugs
    Latha

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  47. sia, you need to put a summary of your post at the end, for lazy folks like us.

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  48. I loved your vwriting, could picture it you know

    I also loved the recipe, could you post a pic of chakki presser ? I don't know what it is.

    Rasayana not only looks good, I liked the name too, it means Chemistry in Sanskrit, anything particular in Kannad ?

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  49. Sia this is gorgeous. I just love shavige. Hv always eaten it with cocnut milk. yummmy !! i just feel like biting into the screen.

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  50. Sia, I have always loved your food and now I'm in love with your writing. Really, I enjoyed it so much. All the dishes look yummy especially the rasayana.

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  51. hey this is a nice entry.the sevige is looking good i will try this.

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  52. Sia, each of these recipes are a treat in themselves and so unique and the pics are just lovely as usual....loved the menthe chutney...will have to pass over the akki shavige since i dont have a chakki press at the moment:(

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  53. You know how much I adore your food.

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  54. sounds like a very delicious post Sia!! Never heard of methi chutney. the plate looks nice. the combinations make me hungry. the rasayana is out of this world.

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  55. Hai, Hai! Sia
    Simply beautiful!

    Reminds me of the song:
    "Killing me softly ... (with the food)"
    (just kidding)

    Shared this with Manashi (my better half) and she wants to make it - Lucky Me!

    and we even have the Shevayn Press!
    :-)
    Awesome! Thank you for sharing.
    lets not discuss the coconut in the recipe - I'll just go for a long run before and after I gorge myself on this Shevayn and Ros!
    arun

    www.arunshanbhag.com

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  56. Sia -
    Trust a guy to skip all the writing and dash straight to the food! :-)

    Well, I read the intro during my second pass and - WoW - so beautifully written. I was particularly thrilled by reference to "blushed chubby cheeks" ... . heee heeee! cute!

    oh yes, at home we boys were 'recruited' to do the "pressing" using the traditional press. And since we grew up in a joint family, we had a lot of dough balls to press!

    Oh what fun! :-)

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  57. Thats a great entry Sia and a wonderful presentation too. We call it Idiappam and I have never prepared it myself as I thought it was too complicated to cook.my friends say it would turn out to be a bit hard..
    can we make it with rice flour??

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  58. wow...your iddiyappam looks heavenly... yum... great spread!!! i like yur recipe also for iddiyappma...its different to the rice flour one i know... will give it a shot... as usual, yur pics make my mouth water!!

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  59. Sia...lovely writeup...and the dishes of course are mouth watering...you have real talent taking so much pain in creating such a wonderful post..

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  60. Hi Sia,
    I am Bookmarking menthey chutney recipe. Awesome Post...In Tamil we call this dish as sevai.(Idiyappam).
    Your version looks nice.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  61. The first part of the post...... have you written it yourself??? You deserve an award for that! Fantastic clean words and I was seeing the whole scene in front of my eyes! :)

    And wiht a breakfast this lavish... i am going to enjoy a good slumber post breakfast!! So when r u inviting me to your home ;)

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  62. aawwww...wonderful post and equally lovely entries.

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  63. Sia, great entry, looks great and now I want to make it this weekend :)

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  64. sia.. i loved that story...very good flow.. and that sevai yum! my eyes used to and still do twinkle when i look at it.. the instant ones are no match to the real deal...

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  65. Love the platter.
    Akki shavige looks so yum.
    We had Mangalorean neighbors and they used to make this shavige. I thought, shavige is dried.
    Also, bangalore rasayna is different than your version.

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  66. What a touching introduction.... So true for most of us. Our childhood memories always but always has to do with our parents..
    Nice entry.

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  67. Wow....This is looking excellent Sia.....Love this recipe... Very tempting....YUM!.....beautiful pictures...Great recipes....

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  68. Akki shavige looks like Idi appam of kerala...love it ! Looks like there is some similarity in some of the dishes we make. So yummy dishes.
    I had passed on " The power of schmooze Award " to you. Did you check it out ? if not , have a look here http://simplyspicy.blogspot.com/2007/08/fish-in-coconut-milk-gravy.html

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  69. Very nice work for rice noodles we made it as same but we use wheat flour and made wheat flour noodles and we make sweet when we use it. One thing is new you made coconut milk and add Jaggery in it we always use sugar with it. This is very creative idea of making chutney form methi seeds. Never heard about this but it’s absolutely looks delicious and also healthy too.

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  70. @ISG,
    i wanted to get sevai press but thought its not worth getting it all the way from india for just 2 of us:)

    @roopa,
    u surely seems to be getting busier girl:) take care...

    @archu,
    thanks dear:) do try chutney n rasayana. chutney is my fav one with dosa or just plain curd rice

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  71. @lakshmi,
    thanks girl. my shavige dont come out as good as my mom's or atte's:)

    @viji,
    we do use boiled rice also and that time we dont add coconut. its just plain rice shavige.

    @latha,
    u r right latha, we need to grind the batter inti very smooth paste so that when u press the noodles it will not block any holes in the container.

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  72. @archana,
    i am all ears(or eyes;) to hear what u gonna post for RCI. my mom makes shavige chitranna too, love it with a big spoon of curds:)

    @sig,
    thanks girl:) u r on a mission to post all yummies ur mom made han?

    @nags,
    thank u and a warm welcome to my corner:)

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  73. @sushma,
    my ajji used to make menthe chutney and its a family recipe. so no wonder u r not aware of this recipe:)

    @raaga,
    u get different shaped plates in chakkli press. i used the the one which is used to make shevai for chats.

    @jyo,
    do post ur recipe jyo. i know that some people use rice flour and some press noodles n then steam them. it will be nice to learn how u make sevai.

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  74. @sra,
    why no appetite? hope u r keeping well...

    @richa,
    being a mangalorean i cant resist coconut in any dish;) we make it with milk when we r short of time to make fresh coconut milk.

    @gini,
    yeah, there is a difference in the method used to make idiyappam and rice shavige. if i am right first the noodles is pressed and then steamed for idiyappam where as we steam rice dough and then press noodles for shavige.

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  75. @latha,
    lucky u to have ur own shavige press:) will look forward to ur recipe dear:) pls forgive my ignorance, whi is Chitra B Divakaruni ?

    @bee,
    aha!!! now thats a good idea;) many ppl like will be benefited while commenting;) LOL...

    @san,
    i have given a link to the pic of chakkli presser in my post san. anyways, here it is. u will get it for around 300/- from india.
    rasa means juice in kannada. here it referes to coconut milk...

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  76. @pooja,
    alas, only if we had some kind of technology where we can really taste what we see on screen;) a warm welcome to spice corner dear:)

    @kribha,
    awww... i am blushing here dear:) glad u enjoyed my memories and food.

    @ramya,
    thank u girl and do let me know hw u like it:)

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  77. @priyanka,
    thank u my dear:) do check for dry or frozen shavige in indian shop close by. i am sure u will get a pack of shavige. if not, just come over to my place:)

    @cynth,
    tell me...tell me more abt that;)
    thanks my dear:)

    @sharmi,
    menthe chutney is our family recipe, learnt it from my granny:) i am glad u liked all the dishes dear.

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  78. @arun,
    LOL... lucky u that manasi is ready to press some fresh noodles for u:) it takes lot of bribe and promises from my hubby to make this;)
    abt coconut in food, ah!!! i run half an hour before n after having food;)
    i am glad u enjoyed reading my memories:) i too grew up in a joint family for first 7 yrs of my life and i remember all boys fighting with one another to press shavige:D that was real fun watching my cousin brothers enjoy some task in kitchen;)

    @prema,
    idiyappam is bit different from shavige prema. addition of coconut makes it smooth and soft and it remains soft for long time. so for the soft noodles, use coconut while gringing rice. i did find it little hard to master in the begining. i got it lucky for the 2nd time n now i make it once in 40 days or something like that. i have never made shavige using rice flour but i have seen in different blogs where the recipe calls for rice flour.

    @rachna,
    thanks dear. i haven't made shavige using rice flour...i want to try it next time when i make this:)

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  79. @srivalli,
    thats very sweet of u to say that. i know only a blogger will understand the effort and pain we take to post a recipe:)

    @MT,
    i am really glad u liked the menthe chutney recipe dear. its a family recipe which i learnt from my granny:)

    @coffee,
    what do u mean by i have written those lines? ;) LOL... i guess the love and fondness we have for some food when growing up brings out the writer(if i may say so) hidden inside. i just have to close my eyes to feel the heat in my mom's kitchen from steamer, the smell of spices ground and the joy of watching my mom n dad churn the food i love the most:) mmm... bliss!!!
    well, u r always invited anytime n day to our home. but promise me that u will make those awesome Sambhaaryu Shaak for me...;)

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  80. @sunita,
    thanks dear:)

    @mandira,
    thank u dear:) so did u make this for the weekend?

    @rajitha,
    i totally agree with u. instant one can never match the freshness and taste of fresh sevai. i am glad to know u enjoyed the post dear:)

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  81. @suma,
    thanks dear:) so u have tasted mangalorean shavige then? i guess the dried shavige u r talking abt is the instant ones which u use for making sevai upma and payasam. is there something called as bangalore rasayana also? now i am really interesed in knowing that. do post the recipe if u have one.

    @kamini,
    i strongly belive that our parents and grandparents shape our personality. so many memories of our childhood is associated with food be it the raw and sweet mangoes we had in summer or the food cooked by mom or grandmom:) for me each and every food has some story behind it. i am glad u enjoyed my post and let me welcome u to my little corner:)

    @sukanya,
    thank u my dear:) i hope u do give it a try someday:)

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  82. @pravs,
    yes dear. its quite similar the way it looks but there is a difference in the way its cooked:) being close to kerala, mangalorean food and kerala cuisine have many similarites:)
    thanks for the award dear:) i have posted abt it in my previous post.

    @kajal,
    wheat noodles??? u must post the recipe dear as wheat noodles is obviously healthier one. its very common to use jaggery in south india in place of sugar. i remember my granny using jaggery in coffee in place of sugar as its more healthier than sugar. do try methi chutney and i hope u loke it as much as we do:)

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  83. I know very lil about karnataka cuisine, ur blog is making me learn a lot. Every thing looks sooo delicious.

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  84. Sia
    What an amazing entry!!
    gosh so many recipes and so many wonderful posts i missed when i am on holiday!!
    but now i am back and ready to try these wonderful dishes asap!!

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  85. Hi Sia,

    Lovely blog! Akki shavige is something i love..but i use the ready made ones and steam them :-)

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  86. oiy! sia yellide? hope you are doing fine girl!

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  87. Hi Sups,

    Fine and hope so the same....Hey Akki shavige looks white and soft...i got the press from India...i need to prepare often from now....wonderful recipes...still we are not out from homesick and jetlag...once i'm,will start blogging regularly..takecare..bye dear...

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  88. Sorry.. I guess my previous comment went into the wrong session.. noticed it as soon as I posted it. I lost my mind looking at the yummy pics I guess :)

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  89. Sia, the dish is absolutely tempting. I have not heard abt the chutney before, but plan to try it out.

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  90. I want to try rasayana this time.

    this post is totally rocking!!!

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  91. Sia- I've got to tell you that you are one of my favorite blogs - not only do you have delicious recipes, but your stories and so beautiful!

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  92. @shivapriya,
    i am glad to know that my blog is able to give a glimpse of rich kannadiga cuisine dear:)

    @padmaja,
    thank u my dear:) hopw u had gr8 time away from all hustle bustle:)

    @anu,
    a warm welcome to spice corner:) well, readymades ones do come in handy but in tastewise it cannot match the homemade shavige :) try it in small quantity at first and see how it goes:)

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  93. @roopa,
    sorry girl for not keeping in touch. was very busy with office work:)

    @usha,
    glad to see u back:) i hope u getover with ur jetlag and start blogging soon. u were very badly missed by us:)

    @chetana,
    welcome to my corner and thank u for ur compliments:)

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  94. @meena,
    LOL...no worries girl:)

    @timepass,
    thank u and do let me know how u like it:)

    @swapna,
    thanks my dear:) u can use mango in place of banana when making rasayana.

    @jaden,
    thats very sweet of u jaden:) i must tell u whenever i see new posts in ur blog, i just stop all other things and comeover to read ur posts:) ur posts never failed to bring smile on my face:)

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  95. Hi Sia,

    Great to see 95 comments for this post. Your way of expression and inputs from everyone who participated in the comments made this post worth reading.

    By the way, we have developed an innovative Automatic Sevai Cooker, called the SevaiMagik. Please visit www.sevaimagic.com for more info.

    Cheers,and keep up the good work:-)

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  96. I loved the way the everything looks. Just wanted to eat it :) . Are you from Mangalore, btw ?

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Namaste! I am Sia and welcome to Monsoon Spice, my virtual home. Thank you for all your comments, inputs and feedback. I really appreciate the valuable time you spent browsing through my recipe repertoire.

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