St. Mary's Islands

St. Mary's Islands also known as Coconut Island, are a set of four small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi, Karnataka, India. They are known for their distinctive geological formation of columnar basaltic lava
Scientific studies indicate that the basalt of the St. Mary's Islands was formed by sub-aerial subvolcanic activity, because at that time Madagascar was attached to India. The rifting of Madagascar took place around 88 Mya.

pandava cave kadri

pandava cave kadri near jogimut

Nellitheertha Cave Temple

Nellitheertha Cave Temple  is dedicated to the Indian deity Sri Somanatheshwara, or Shiva. The temple dates back to at least 1487 CE.
To the right of the temple is a natural cave, about 200 metres (660 ft) long. Access is restricted, forcing visitors to crawl in on their knees. Inside, there is a lake and a Shiva Lingam.
It is believed that the cave in Nellitheertha was used by Sage Jabali to perform a penance to appease Lord Durga Parameshwari. Lord Durga appeared in front of Sage Jabali and assured him that she would kill the demon Arunasura. She later took the shape of a wasp and killed Arunasura on the banks of the river Nandini. At that place today is a beautiful temple of Lord Durgaparameshwari and the place is very well known as Kateel.

Lord Durga also assured Sage Jabali that Shiva, Vishnu and Durga herself would grace that region and that there would be temples to worship all three of them in the vicinity. One can find a Vishnu temple near Nellitheertha at a place called Kompadavu. Lord Durga is worshipped in a place called Muchur, again near Nellitheertha. And Lord Shiva made Nellitheertha his abode

 

Jamalabad Fort

Jamalabad fort, located 8 km north of Beltangadi town, (65 km from Mangalore) is 1700 ft above sea level and was formerly called Narasimha Ghada, which refers to the granite hill on which the fort is built. It is also referred locally as 'Jamalagadda' or 'Gadaikallu'.
The fort was built by Tipu Sultan in 1794 and named after his mother, Jamalabee. He decided to built a fort there, as he was impressed by the facilities it provided for the construction of an impregnable fortThe fort is said to have been built over the ruins of an older structure.
The fort is inaccessible other than via a narrow path, with nearly 1876 steps to the fort that are cut out of the granite hill and lead all the way to the top through the fort to the summit. This would mean that a small but well armed group could indefinitely block a much larger force from entering the fort.
Inside the citadel there is only one tank to store water. There are the remains of a single cannon on the hillock. Nothing much of the fort remains but hints of the fort wall with parapets. In addition, there is also an unmanned microwave repeater station on top of the hill.
The fort was captured by the British in 1799 during the 4th Mysore war. Legend has it that those out of favour with Tipu were hurled down the edge to their death. (Such 'Tipu drop's are a feature in most hill-top forts built by Tipu.)
These days, Jamalabad is a trekking destination, with the climb up to the fort being classified as 'medium difficulty level' and the top of the structure offering good views of the surrounding landscape and the Kudremukh range.
At the base of the hill is a forest check post where visitors have to pay a nominal entry fee. Visitors should carry plenty of water since there is no potable fresh water available on top. The nearest town with any communication and medical facilities is Belthangady. (Beltangadi)
Officially entry to the fort is restricted to between 6am to 6pm. Overnight stay at the fort is prohibited. The hillock has only one room on top of it. It is not considered a tourist attraction but is a good destination for enthusiastic trekkers.

Manjarabad Fort

The Manjarabad Fort is located just outside Sakleshpura. This fort is reputed to have been constructed by Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore as a strategic defensive location as it commands the approach to the plateau beyond. It is constructed at a height of 3420 feet above sea level with stone and mud in the form of an 8-pointed star with a large moat around it as you see in this Google Earth Image. The fort is constructed in a nice location above a hill and is not visible from the main road. We need to ask the locals for the way to go up. My cab driver was well versed with the area, so i did not had to ask anyone. After a short muddy path uphill, there are a fleet of 250 stairs to the fortified walls.
The wall of the fort spans the entire hill and one can have a glimpse even when climbing the stairs. After the stairs, there is a muddy road with walls on either side and the path turns narrow and zig-zag as we move along. This is a very good defensive strategy so that the enemy, not knowing what lay ahead can be attacked by surprise. This kind of construction can be found in forts like Daulatabad (Maharashtra) as well. After passing around 100 metres further, we reach the main entrance of the fort.

Coral Island near Mangalore

Netrani (also known as Pigeon Island) is a tiny island in the Arabian Sea.  It is situated approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) from the temple town of Murudeshwara.
The clear waters and rich marine life around the island make for superlative diving - Visibility around the island is usually in the 15-20 metre range. The dive sites are from 10 to 30 metre deep, and consist of coral reefs on the eastern side of the island and rock walls on the west and north western side of the island. Expect to mingle with schools of Barracuda, Jacks, Snappers, Red tooth trigger fish, Indian Banner fish, large shark- like Cobia, Groupers, Honeycomb Moray Eels, Puffer fish, Napoleon Wrasse.
Due to recently imposed security restrictions, official permits need to be arranged for diving at the island. Divers booking for the trip will need to provide us with their names and passport numbers, and will need to carry their passports with them. Indian citizens will need to provide details of any government photo identity card such as driving license, which they will need to carry along with them.
This island offers diving suitable for professionals. The island adjacent to Netrani is used by the Indian navy for target practice. One could see empty shells rusting around Netrani and adjacent island. It is not recommended to visit Netrani without permission.
The best time to visit is between December and January. The resort stops taking tourists for snorkeling and scuba diving during June-September because the sea becomes rough.

Mangalore

Mangalore is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in the southwestern corner of Karnataka.Mangalore is located at 12°-52’N latitude and 74°-49’E longitude. It developed as a port on the Arabian Sea – to this day it remains one of the major ports of India. Lying on the backwaters formed by the Netravati and Gurupura rivers, hree National Highways viz., NH-17 linking Panvel and Kanyakumari, NH-48 linking Mangalore and Bangalore, NH-13 linking Mangalore and Solapur pass through the city. A domestic Airport is located at Bajpe, which is 15 km from city connecting it to Mumbai and Bangalore. Mangalore is also linked by rail to all major cities of India and is also having all weather harbor.it has long been a roadstead along the Malabar Coast. Its port handles 75% of India’s coffee exports and the bulk of its cashew nuts. Mangalore is known for its beaches, temples and industries. There are several languages spoken, including Tulu, Konkani, Kannada, and Beary. The landscape is dominated by the characteristic coconut palms accompanying rolling hills and streams flowing into the sea and dotted with tiled-roof buildings, topped with the well-known Mangalore tiles made from the local hard red clay and typically walled with laterite blocks. Older houses are commonly found with elaborate woodwork.
The topography of the city is from plain to undulating with four hilly regions natural valleys within the city. The ambient temperature varies minimum from 17°c to a maximum 37°c. There is a heavy rain fall of about 4000mm per annum of which about 90% received in the monsoon months June – September. The relative humidity is generally very high reaching saturation levels during the monsoon months. The geology of the city is characterized by hard laterite in hilly tracts and sandy soil near seashore. Its port handles 75% of India’s coffee exports and the bulk of its cashew nuts.
Mangalore is known for its beaches, temples and industries. There are several languages spoken, including Tulu, Konkani, Kannada, and Beary. The landscape is dominated by the characteristic coconut palms accompanying rolling hills and streams flowing into the sea and dotted with tiled-roof buildings, topped with the well-known Mangalore tiles made from the local hard red clay and typically walled with laterite blocks. Older houses are commonly found with elaborate woodwork.

For more info clicl: http://mangalore.co.nr/

PAV BHAJI

Ingredients

• 6 Pav (buns)
• Butter to shallow fry

For Bhaji

1. Vegetables ( Beans, Carrots, Cauliflower, Peas, Potato ) each 1/4 cup boiled
2. Butter - 2 tsp
3. Pavbhaji masala - 3 tsp
4. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Dhaniya powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric a pinch
9. Salt to taste
10. Water - 1 cup s were boiled)
11. Garlic crushed
12. Lemon juice - 1 tsp

To Garnish

• Onion finely chopped
• Small pieces of lemon
• Tomato
• Capsicum

Method

1. Mixed vegetables place it in the pressure cooker till done
2. Grind once in the blender coarsely
3. Heat butter in a pan
4. Add garlice, mashed vegetables
5. Add pavbhaji masala, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, dhaniya powder, jeera powder
6. Bring to boil on low flame till gravy is thick, Stir well oftenly
7. Add lemon juice stir

For Pavs

1. Slit pavs horizontally leaving one edge attached.
2. Preheat griddle, grease butter and roast pavs (just like bread) on both the sides

Serve hot with bhaji, a pieces of lemon and chopped onion, tomato, capsicum

Batata Vada / Aloo Bonda

Ingredients

Potatos / Aloo - 6
Gram flour / Besan - 2 cups

Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 2 - 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Green chillies - 2/3(finely chopped)
Curry leaves - 1 stalk
urad dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves

Method

• Boiled and peel potatos, mash it


• Take a small pan heat 1 tsp oil


• Add mustard seeds when they splutter


• Add urad dal, turmeric powder, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies fry for few minutes till done


• Mix these into the potatos and mix well


• Add salt, lemon juice and corinader leaves. Mix well jsut like dough


• Make small balls of mashed potato mixture


• Take a bowl add gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, salt and water


• The batter should not be too watery or too thick


• Heat oil in a wok


• Now dip each ball in the batter, deep fry all the vadas until golden


• Remove on a paper towel and drain. Batata Vadas are ready

serve with green chutney

VADA PAV

Method

1. Heat griddle / tawa grease the butter & shallow fry the pav on the both sides. Remove & keep aside
2. grease the green chilli chutney on the other side. Aagain another side grease chutney powder. In between the pav, place the vada.

Dabeli

Ingredients for Dabeli Masala

• Red chillies / Bhaydgi - 5
• Coriander seeds / Dhaniya - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon / chakke - 2 piece small
• Cloves / Lavanga - 2
• Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Method for powder

• Roast all the ingredients and make a fine powder in a blender
• Store it in the airtight box

For filling ingredients

• Potato - 2 big size boiled and mashed
• Jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Dabeli powder - 2 tsp
• Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
• Sweet tamarind chutney
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tsbn

Method

• Heat oil in a pan add the jeera seeds, when they crackle add masala powder, hing and potato and salt and 1/3 cup of water and sweet chutney mix well on low flame
• Cool them and make a small patties and keep aside

Ingredients to serve

• Pav / Dinner rolls - cut in to halves
• Onions, finely chopped - 1 cup
• Pomegranate seeds fresh - 1 cup
• Peanuts (salted) - 1/2 cup
• Nylon sev / fine sev - 1 cup
• Coriander leaves , chopped - 1/4 cup
• Sweet tamarind chutney
• Green chutney

Method

• Sliced halves pav arrange in the pig flat pan using little butter and roast little bit and keep aside
• Take a plate and arrange the pav and one portion of filling place it into pav
• Top of the onions, pomegranate seeds, peanuts, sweet chutney, green chutney and sev and coriander leaves looks like vada pav and serve

Fried Banana Chips

 

Ingredients

Serves: 6

• 5 small unripe (green) bananas
• oil for frying
• salt to taste

• Preparation method

  Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 30 mins
  1.

  Peel the bananas using a knife, as they are not ripe and will not peel like a yellow banana. Slice into chips.

  2.

  Heat the oil in a heavy deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the banana chips into the hot oil, and fry until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oil, and drain on paper napkins. Pat off the excess oil, and season with salt. Serve immediately.
   

Kabuli Chane Chawal Balls

 

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 100 g basmati rice
• 1 tbsp veg/sunflower oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and very finely chopped
• 400 gm, kabuli chane, soaked overnight and boiled
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• ½ tsp degi mirch
• salt and pepper
•  

  Preparation method

  Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 55 mins
  1.

  Put the rice in a saucepan, add 240 ml water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer very gently for 10–15 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.

  2.

  Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft. Stir in the garlic and chilli, and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped tomatoes.

  3.

  Put the chane in a bowl and mash with a potato masher until fairly smooth, or purée in a food processor. Add the onion mixture, rice, egg yolk, coriander, paprika, and season to taste. Mix together well. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each into a ball.

  4.

  Deep fry these balls and serve. If using oven, preheat it to 180ºC. Place the balls on a greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until beginning to brown, turning them over carefully halfway through the cooking. Serve hot with chutney.

Gobhi Mutter Masala

 

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 275g frozen peas
• 200g cauliflower florets
• 1 teaspoon salt
•  

  Preparation method

  Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins
  1.

  Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place the cumin seeds and mustard seeds in the hot oil. Cook and stir until the seeds begin to pop. Mix in the peas and cauliflower. Season with salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue cooking 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Baked Shakarkandi with Ginger and Honey

 

Ingredients

Serves: 12

• 9 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 170g honey
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons walnut oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•  

  Preparation method

  Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 40 mins
  1.

  Coat potatoes with oil and all the seasonings. Heat a pan over medium heat. Cook potatoes, till they turn soft and wilt. Take care to turn them so both sides cook equally. Alternatively, to bake, preheat oven to 200 C.

  2.

  Transfer to a large baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

  3.

  Turn the mixture over to expose the pieces from the bottom of the pan. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelised on the outside.

Baked stuffed tomatoes

 

Ingredients

Serves: 6

• 6 slices bacon
• 6 medium tomatoes
• 85g chopped green capsicum
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 50g cubed bread crumbs (croutons)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 sprigs parsley
•  

  Preparation method

  Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 25 mins
  1.

  Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease an 18x28cm (7x11 in) baking dish.

  2.

  Place bacon in a frying pan. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain off fat, chop and set aside.

  3.

  While bacon is cooking, wash tomatoes and slice off stem ends. Gently scoop out pulp, leaving a 2cm deep wall. Finely chop pulp and place one third of it in a medium bowl. Discard remaining pulp, or reserve for another use.

  4.

  Stir bacon, green capsicum, Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt and pepper into tomato pulp. Spoon an equal amount of mixture into each hollowed out tomato. Place stuffed tomatoes into prepared baking dish.

  5.

  Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until heated through. Garnish with parsley sprigs.
  Tip: This is such a versatile dish - serve for breakfast with bhurji (scrambled eggs), for lunch with a salad, or as an appetizer.
  

Stuffed Gobhi Parathas

 

Ingredients

Makes: 2

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pomegrante seeds(anardana)
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp mango powder(amchoor)
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp fresh ginger (crushed)
• 1 sprig coriander leaves
• 1 cup grated cauliflower
• 1/4 tsp ajwain seeds (optional)
• vegetable oil

• Preparation method

  Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 10 mins
  1.Knead the wheat flour with water and salt and divide it into 4 balls as shown in the picture. 
  2.Shred the cauliflower and place it in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients as shown. 
  3.Lightly dip a wheat flour ball into some white flour and flatten it with a rolling pin. 
  4.Place half of the cauliflower mixture on this dough as shown. 
  5.Roll out another wheat flour ball separately.
  6.Place this on top of the first one and close the sides as shown. 
  7.Slowly flatten this paratha out with a rolling pin.
  8.

  Place it on a frying pan,cook each side for 2 minutes.

  9.

  Add 2 drops on oil and fry each side. 

  10.Serve with plain curd.

   
   

Vegetable Oatmeal

 

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 2 cups Oatmeal
• To cook Water
• 150 gms Carrots
• 150 gms Runner beans
• 50 gms Green peas (shelled)
• 1 large size Onions
• Half tsp Garlic paste
• Half tbsp Ginger paste
• Half tsp Mustard seeds
• Quarter tsp Turmeric powder
• Half tsp Red Chillies powder
• Half tsp Garam masala powder
• Quarter tsp Black pepper
• To taste Salt
• 3 tbsp Cooking Oil
• To garnish Coriander leaves

• Preparation method

  Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 20 mins
  1.

  Wash the vegetables (Carrots, Runner beans, Green peas, Onions) and cut them into small cubes.

  2.

  Heat 2 cups of water in a non-stick saucepot. Once the water starts boiling add the vegetables (Carrots, Runner beans, Green peas) and half tsp of salt and quarter tsp of black pepper to it. Boil it in open till the water is completely dried off. Keep it aside and let it cool.

  3.

  Heat 2 cups of water in a non-stick saucepot. Cook Oatmeal in 2 cups of water in a non-stick saucepan. Boil it in open till the water is completely dried off. Keep it aside and let it cool.

  4.

  Heat 3 tbsp of cooking oil in a non-stick frying pan. Once the oil is heated add Mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. After that add ginger and garlic paste to it and stir fry until it turns light brown. Then add the diced onions to that and cook until it turns golden brown.

  5.

  Add Turmeric powder, Red Chili powder and Garam masala powder to the sauted onions. Cook for 1 min and then add the boiled vegetables and oatmeal into it. Add salt as per taste. Stir for 1 min and remove it from flame.

  6.

  Remove the cooked oatmeal vegetable dish into a serving bowl and garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
   

Navratan Korma - Vegetables,Fruits & Nuts in Rich Gravy

Ingredients:

Green chili 1 minced
Ginger Garlic paste 1 spoon
Onion 1 large head grated
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Food color optional(I didn't use them)
Garam masala powder 1/2 spoon
Almonds/Cashew nuts paste 1/4 cup
Ghee few spoons
Cottage cheese/panir fried 1 cup
Carrots
Beans
Cauliflower
Peas
Bell peppers
Turnips
Beets
Apples
Pineapple
Mangoes
Cherry
Tomatoes
Cashew nuts - fried
Raisins - fried
Cilantro to garnish.

Method:

Heat a large wok, add ghee. Add chili, ginger-garlic paste and onion to it. Fry real good, till the raw odor is gone, add salt, turemric, chili and garam masala powder.

Followed by nuts paste. Prepare a thick gravy. Add vegetables, cover and cook till tender.

Dum Aaloo

 

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 1/2 kg Aaloo(medium size)
• 4 big onions (grinded)
• 1 cup tomato puree or tomatoes grinded
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1tsp jeera
• 1 tsp haldi powder
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp degi mirch
• 1+1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1+1/2 tsp dhania powder
• salt to taste
• 15 gms ginger
• 4tbsp Ghee
•  

  Preparation method

  Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 25 mins
  1.

  Method:- Boil the potatoes (Power boil 1 whistle,high fire) Don't steam -peel them and then scoop from top and hollow them .Deep fry and then prick them with fork. Then put paneer masala .

  2.

  Gravy:- gren chillies and onions are to be grinded.grind the tomatoes also, take a karahi. put ghee,add jeera. now cook the onions in the ghee. Add haldi, garam masala, salt, red chilli powder,dhania powder,degi mirch. Now add curd and tomatoes (grinded).cook it and after sometime add one and half cup water.cook well (on slow fire ,covered). Now add aaloo in it. serve with coriander leaves on top.