Thenu's Kitchen

Lock and Lock Storage basket

2012-01-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

It is time to reorganize the closets.
This storage basket from Lock and Lock comes to the rescue.
It is stackable and comes in bright white color. I like the unique
stackable design. Compact and Cute. The stacked baskets stay stable.
I liked it because it is not like a typical rectangular enclosed box. The half
open design makes it easy to see the contents. Perfect for towels,
stationaries. I have ordered more stackables . I wish it comes in different colors too.

Ganesha Chaturthi 2011

2011-12-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

Celebrating the 'Blessings'

2011-12-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

The original plan was to surprise my love with his favorite items.. basically one item per year of marriage.. but it did not materialize as the smarty boy 'sniffed' it out.. I did not want him to wait for too long so I ended up making fewer items than planned..
To my joy, DH rated most of them the best! The paruppu Usili topped his ratings. Boy! Was I glad to get that right! Usili is his all time favorite and Usili is also the one that left me wondering a few months back, "will I ever get this right?". Now I am an expert.. hehe..
I always wanted to present the items in the 'South Indian Thali' format like in the restaurants and here it is. In under 3 hrs the items were ready and we had a sumptuous private party at home.

The items were Vege Pulao, Pachai Avarai Kathirikai Puli kulambu, Kudai Milagai Moru kulambu, Masala Egg, Cauliflower fry, Keerai Poriyal, Beans Paruppu Usili, Poondu Rasam, ofcourse plain rice and other condiments. Oh yeah baby... he did get a touchy touchy senti card from his beloved wife and darling child. ;)

Let me seal this post with a thanks to my beloved:
I thank the Almighty for his unfailing mercy to let us cherish our blessings.
Best wishes to all readers too!

CookPlus Vitamin Wok

2011-12-24T17:53:00.000-08:00

Lock and Lock carries this beautiful CookPlus Vitamin Wok.
A 11 inch pan in bright red - I love it. With the right depth it doubles as a sauce pan too. The little hole at the handlehelps dissipate heat which is very cool (literally). It is not too heavy nor too light, just the way I like. (Hey it rhymes!).

It comes in 2 more colors too. I think yellow and Blue but red is my favorite. Firey and Spicy - It kicks it up a notch. :)

Borosilicate Rectangular Glass Container

2011-12-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

This Glass container from Lock and Lock is a darling!

High quality glass. The snap lid that locks on four sides makes life easier to open/close them.

The lid locks in place and the container is air tight. The lid has a beautiful engraving.

Perfect for lunch containers or to store leftovers. It is microwave, dishwasher, freezer safe.

I prefer this one over my old pyrex glass containers with those damned lids that I always dread to fight against!

Lock n Lock Boroseal Borosilicate Round Glass containers

2011-11-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

These Glass containers from Lock and Lock are simply great!
Very good quality glass. The snap lid that locks on four sides makes it easy to open/close.
The lid locks in place and the container is air tight. The lid has a beautiful engraving.
Perfect for lunch containers or store leftovers. It is microwave, dishwasher, freezer safe.
I prefer this one over my old pyrex glass containers with those annoying lids - I dont have
to fight with those lids anymore now that I have these containers.

Flip Top Storage Box

2011-11-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

YAY! I am excited about my flip top containers that I got from the Lock and Lock Today.
It is a two way flip top. The smaller one is for pouring and
the bigger one accomodates measuring cups. Perfect size for pancake mix, sugar on the countertop.
The slender size occupies less space yet holds good volume.
I like that the sides are ribbed for extra grip. Good design!
The flip tops make it easy to open/close.
No more tug of war with the lids. It just snaps on/off. I am going to order
few more to spice up my pantry. Uniform containers always are appealing.

Nice cookplus sauce pan

2011-11-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

What you see above is a cookplus brand sauce pan carried by Lock and Lock.
I am pleased with it's light weight and the easy grip handle.
The handle is silicone coated and nice bright yellow.
The pan comes with a lid which I prefer very much.
The knob on the lid helps use the lid as a bowl when overturned. Cute idea!

Oh and then if you are into chopsticks,the knob has 2 small holes in it to hold them.
The pouring spout is another convenience. It has measurements too.
I am going to put this pan to good use.
Here I come, cookplus speedcook sauce pan!!

Idli - 2

2011-05-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

idli rice - 2 cups

methi - 1 tsp
water - 4 cups (soak the above for 5 hrs & grind with cooked rice - 1/2 cup )
urad dal - 1 cup
water 2 cups (soak the above for 3 hrs)
grind well and mix. ferment overnight

Valakai Kudai Milagai Seeraga Kulambu

2011-05-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

oil+mustard+sombu+pattai+seeragam (kala)+seeragam+curry leaves+onion(2)+salt+turmeric+3 bell pepper (baji type)+valakai+tomato(1.5)+ 1 tsp paprika+0.5tsp red chilly pdr+4 tsp dhania pdr+0.5 tsp cumin pdr+1/4 cup of grated coconut pdr+3 cups of water+5 whistles

Aappam - 2 (ஆப்பம் )

2011-01-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

This is my mom's recipe. She does not add aval or coconut milk but just makes delicious aappams with the very basic ingredients!! I used to gulp 10 or so in one sitting. She will serve it with freshly made sweetened coconut milk from coconuts plucked from our backyard! We used to have a small plate of pickles by the side to taste in between.. the pickles will wake up the taste buds and the next bite of appam dipped in sweet milk will taste heavenly. Oh the good old days!!

Well here is the ratio:

Idly Rice (Parboiled) - 1 measure

Raw Rice - 1 measure

Urad Dhal - 1/4 measure

Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp

Soak all of the above in about 3 cups of water for atleast 4 to 6 hours.
Then grind them into a thin fine batter for about 40 mins.
The batter must be watery.
Add salt and allow the batter to ferment overnight (or about 12 hrs min).
Just before making aapams, add a pinch of baking soda (optional) and 1 tbsp of sugar (optional again) to the batter and mix it gently.
Test the consistency of the batter and add more water if needed.
Do not over mix the batter- that will make the aerated batter lose the trapped air.
To avoid that, it is better to adjust the batter consistency before it ferments
The batter must be runny.. enough to coat the tava with a thin layer.
Now heat the aapam tava preferably non-stick
Since I have electric coils and no gas stove, I recently tried with the 8 inch omellette pan. It works wonders!
Pour the batter and swirl the pan in circular motion so the batter coats the sides of the pan and
the excess batter runs down to the center forming a porous spongy center with semi crispy lacy edges
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium flame for another min or until the aapam sides peel off the pan
The steam/water that drips from the lid will add enough moisture to the center to make it spongy
You need not turn the aapam
Just transfer the aapam to a dish and repeat the procedure for subsequent aapams
Serve the aapams hot with Sweetened Coconut milk (milk + sugar) or Vegetable Kuruma

Quinoa (Keenwa) Kichidi

2011-01-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

Quinoa is a protein packed food.
I shall drop a detailed write up on the tips and tricks to cook a perfect Quinoa, in the coming days.. little hardpressed for time now..

Anyways, my chicken scribbles on the recipe before I forget: ;)

Wash the Quinoa really well for "atleast" three times
Since the seeds are tiny, use a fine strainer to wash them (a coffee strainer would do)
Cook 1/4 cup of Quinoa in 1- 1/4th cup of water with 1 tsp of salt, for 20 mins in medium heat uncovered
Once the craters form, simmer the stove for lowest possible flame (you may even switch it off if the quinoa has very very little water) for 10 more mins covered
Do not worry if your cooked Quinoa is not fluffy.. it is very forgiving unlike some humans (ROFL!).. just store your 'messed up' Quinoa in the fridge for an hour or so to make the seeds (yes seeds.. becoz Quinoa is not a grain like some might think.. it is nothing but seeds.. protein rich seeds) grainy and separate
Fluff the Quinoa with a fork to separate the seeds
The rest of the recipe is same as any kichidi.. anyways let me elaborate on that for your convenience.. oh my God.. why am I so verbose Today?!!
Sprinkle little salt over 1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrot
Steam the vegetables for 5 minutes in a microwave steamer
If you don't have one, use an idly cooker or vessel..
Set aside the vegetables
In a hot pan add 3 tsp of oil
when the oil is hot enough, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds
Allow the seeds to splutter
Add 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of urid dhal, 1 tsp of chana dhal, 1 spring of curry leaves, 1 long green chilly finely chopped
Stri once and add 1/2 red onion finely chopped
Sprinkle some salt to the onions and saute the contents till the onions turn translucent
BE MINDFUL of the salt you add.. as you have already added some into the quinoa and some in the vegetables..
Toss in a handful of raw peanuts to the mixture
Fry the peanuts for a minute
Add a pinch of turmeric powder
Now add the steamed vegetables
Stir the contents till the vegetables are slightly sauteed
Now add the cooked (porbably chilled) Quinoa
Fry the contents for 3 to 4 minutes on low-medium flame
Adjust the salt
Sprinkle a pinch of any 'rice paruppu (dhal) podi' or rice garlic podi' for an extra zing.. This is optional and adds a personal touch.. my DH LOVES it!
OPTIONAL: sprinkle 1 tsp of fine ground flaxseeds.. (This is a trial and error operation.. try it and see if your family is upto the risk. :) )
Another optional add on is squeezing few drops of lemon juice before serving
Serve the Quinoa as is or with pickle or chutney.. as you would serve any kichidi
Happy Cooking! Healthy Eating! Alrie.. I am shutting down my voice (chatter) box. ;) See ya, folks!

Oats Flaxseeds Instant Dosa

2011-01-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

What can I say.. an unopened box of 'Quick 1-minute Oats' has been taunting me for the whole week and
this is what my crazy mind came up with. ;) "Oats Dosa with Flaxseeds!"
This must be the dosa of the Utopians.. LOL All of it's ingredients are 'The Best' of their kind.
Well.. welll.. what else can I say about a dosa made with Whole Oats, Whole Wheat, and now hold your breath.. FLAXSEEDS!
And.. it takes just about 5 minutes to prepare the batter!!!!

Makes about 5 small dosas
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Rolled Oats (the quick oats kind)
1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp Fine Ground Flaxseeds
1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt

Gently beat all of the above ingredients in a bowl using an electric hand mixer for 3 minutes
Just before making dosa, add a handful of finely choped onions and stir the batter
Optional: You may add a pinch of Baking Powder, few curry leaves and finely chopped green chillies
Heat the dosa tava (pan) and pour 2 small ladles of batter
Let the batter spread on its own into a circle
Cover the dosa and cook on medium-low flame for 2 minutes
Optional: You may add few drops of (preferably, olive) oil along the sides of the dosa
Flip the dosa over and cook the other side for another 2 minutes covered
Delicious Oats Dosa is ready to be served!
This innovative dosa needs no side dish. Yet sugar or curry goes well with it too.

ENJOY your nutritious dosa!!

CousCous Kichidi (Upma)

2011-01-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

Makes about 2 small servings

Sprinkle a pinch of salt over 1/2 cup of frozen peas-carrots and steam it in a steamer for 5 minutes & set aside
Heat 3 tsp of olive oil (I use extra light) in a pan
Temper the oil with 1 tsp of mustard seeds
When the seeds splutter add 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp of chana dhal, 1/2 tsp of urad dhal, 1 coarsely crushed garlic pod, 1 spring of curry leaves, and a pinch of hing
Stir the contents once and add 1 tbsp of peanuts and 1 green chilly finely chopped
Fry the peanuts for couple of minutes
Add 1/4 red onion finely chopped
Optional: Add 2 tsp of finely ground flaxseeds
Add some salt and a pinch of turmeric
Saute the onions till they turn translucent
Add the steamed vegetables and saute the contents for couple more minutes
Add 1 and 1/2 cup of water
Adjust salt - it should be slightly salty
Cover the pan and let the water come to a boil
Toss in 1/2 cup of couscous
Stir the contents well and cover the pan again
Let it cook for 2 minutes on medium flame
By now most of the water would be evaporated and craters will begin to form
Switch off the flame and let it stand covered on stove for 3 more minutes
Now remove the pan from the heat, leave it covered and undisturbed for 8 more minutes
When it is time, gently fluff it with a fork till the grains separate
Optional: You may drizzle few drops of lemon juice before serving
Delicious and Nutritious CousCous Kichidi is ready to be served!
Serve it hot or cold as is.. or with pickle or any gravy

Flaxseed Balls

2010-12-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

By now, you would have realized that I have been bitten by the 'Flaxseeds bug'.LOL

Yeah this is an outcome of the bug bite. I should say an yummy outcome, infact. Well worry not, because what I am about to explain is nothing but the authentic black sesame balls (Ell Urundai), only incorporating the right amount of flaxseeds into the recipe. If you love Ell Urundai, you will love this one too.. because it tastes the same even after adding the flaxseeds.

Ingredients: (for about 9 medium sized balls)

2/3 cup of Black Sesame Seeds
2/3 cup of Grated Jaggery
1/3 cup of Ground FlaxSeeds

Recipe:

Dry roast the black sesame seeds on low flame for a minute
When you hear the seeds crackling add the grated jaggery and stir for half a minute
Do not let the jaggery melt
Toss in the flaxseeds and stir for few more seconds
Transfer the contents into a mixie
Add 1 cardamom seed (I discard the outer shell and use just the seeds.. as my dear husband does not like the feel of the shell in mouth) and give it couple of runs just to mix them all
The mixture should be slightly grainy so you get a nice crunch in every bite
Transfer the contents to a bowl and make balls by tightly pressing them with your bare hand
If the mixture is very dry, you may sprinkle few drops of water to the flour
The oil from the sesame seeds and the semi wet jaggery is enough though to bind the flour into a ball when you press them hard when they are still hot.
When stored in airtight container and refrigerated, the balls would be still fresh for many days
Sesame seed is very nutritious in itself. That along with the iron in jaggery and the many benefits of flaxseeds is enough reasons to stock this delight and serve as daily snack to picky eaters or food lovers.
I may increase the flaxseed proportion a little in future attempts.. I shall keep you posted on the threshold of my dear husband's ability to palate the flaxseeds in these disguised balls. Stay tuned!

Non Stick Vermicelli or Semiya Kichidi (சேமியா கிச்சடி)

2010-12-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

An easy tiffin / snack. Here is the sure recipe for that perfect non stick semiya kichidi.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a non stick pan and roast 1 cup of semiya (vermicelli) for 1 minute on medium flame and set aside
Boil 3 cups of water with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of oil for 3 minutes
Toss the roasted semiya into the boiling water and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes uncovered
Drain the water and wash the cooked semiya gently in running COLD tap water
This ensures that the semiya will remain separate. Else God forbid, you may end up with the dreaded mushy kichidi. LOL.
Steam 1 cup of frozen 'peas and carrot' in microwave for 5 minutes. You may sprinkle some salt while steaming the vegetables.
Scoop out the seeds and liquid from 1 small tomato, wash the tomato well, cube it and set aside
This step ensures that the kichidi will not get soggy with the tomato juice but you still get the slight tangy taste from the tomato
In a nonstock pan, heat 2 tsp of oil and season the oil with 1tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 3 chopped green chillies, 1 coarsely crushed garlic pod, 1 spring of curry leaves, a pinch of hing, a handful of cashewnuts, a handful of peanuts
Toss in 1 finely chopped medium red onion and saute the onion till they turn translucent
Sprinkle some salt, a pinch of turmeric powder
Toss the steamed vegetables and tomato cubes
Saute the contents for another minute
Toss the drained and cooled vermicelli
Stir the contents well and adjust salt
Simmer the stove to lowest flame and cover the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes
Garnish with a handful of cilantro leaves and optionally you may squeeze little lemon juice before serving
Serve it hot with Coconut chutney or lemon pickle

Moong Dosa with Flaxseeds (பாசிப்பருப்பு அடை)

2010-12-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

This is a very easy dosa. No fermentation, No mess. All you need is a minimum of 3 hrs notice to soak the dhals. Perfect for a snack or tiffin. Just use a mixie to grind. The given measurement will make 10 mini thin tasty dosas.

Soak 1 cup of split moong dhal (பாசி பருப்பு ) and 1/2 cup of raw rice (பச்சரிசி ) in 2.5 cups of water for minimum of 3 hrs
Optional: you may soak 3 red chillies (deseed them if you want) along with the dhals
Grind the dhals (and red chillies if any) using the drained water into a fine paste
If you are grinding with red chillies, coarse grinding the chillies will give nice texture to the dosa
Add salt per taste and adjust the batter consistency similar to regular dosa batter
Make dosa the regular way.. that is spread from center to the sides in circular motion
Optional: You may sprinkle a pinch of finely ground flaxseeds like you sprinkle onion for onion dosa
Optional: OR..You may mix 1 tbsp of finely ground flaxseeds to the batter and make the dosas too
Add few drops of oil along the sides
The dosa will take few seconds more than regular dosa to get the nice brown color
Once the bottom is evenly colored, flip the dosa and cook for few more seconds
The flipped side will not color like the previous side but that is normal
Thin dosas will come out soft whereas thick ones will taste like adai. Just go with your preference
This dosa goes well with idli podi or any spicy gravy or spicy sambar

VARIATIONS:

You may season oil with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chopped onion, red chillies, curry leaves and mix with the batter and make dosa
You may add 1tbsp of finely powdered jaggery to the batter (instead of soaking and grinding red chillies along with the dhals) and make sweet dosa as a snack. Make sure you add very very little salt in this case.

Poondu Kulambu - 2 (பூண்டு குழம்பு)

2010-12-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

Courtesy: My friend Bhuvana. :)

Masala Podi:

Dry roast the following one by one separately. It is enough if you roast them for a few seconds.. do not brown them.

Dhania - 1 measure
Red chillies - 3 measures (about 20)
Chana dhal - Half measure
Toor dhal - Half measure
Pepper - Half of a quarter measure
Methi Seeds (Vendhayam) - Half of a quarter measure
Idli Rice (Parboiled Rice) - Quarter measure
Cumin Seeds - Half measure

Grind the above with some Turmeric Powder (if your 1 measure is equal to 1 cup, then you may add 4 tsp of turmeric. This adds color to the curry, so you may use your discretion with respect to the quantity)
Store the masala in an airtight container, prefereably stored in the refrigerator to increase the shelf life.

Curry Recipe:

Soak 1 small lemon size tamarind in water for few minutes and extract about half a cup of tamarind pulp/juice. Set it aside.
Grind 2 small onions, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 3 tbsp of the ground masala into a fine paste and set aside. You may add water while grinding.
Heat 4 tsp of oil in a non stick pan
Temper the oil with 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 0.5 tsp of methi seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves
Toss in about 15 pearl onions finely chopped
Saute the onions well till they turn light brown
Toss in about 15 to 20 garlic pods and saute them well
Pour the ground masala, 2 cups of water and the extracted tamarind juice
Add 1 tbsp of salt (per taste, actually)
Cover and cook the curry in medium flame for about 15 to 20 minutes
The curry must be of medium thickness
The wonderful aroma will announce that the delicious poondu kulambu is all ready to be served.

I hereby thank my friend Bhuvana who 'showed me the curry' - it was a wonderful evening.. two friends chatting and cooking together.. reminiscing on old times.. you get the drift, right? ;)
Hope you enjoy her (mom's) authentic recipe.. Oh about the masala you stored in the fridge.. stay tuned.. Bhuvana has many uses for it that I am trying to learn and share with you folks. :)

Briyani

2010-11-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

Quinoa Puliyodharai

2010-11-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

Lemon Quinoa (Keen-Wa)

2010-11-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

Brinjal Gravy

2010-11-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Slit each brinjal just upto the stem so the brinjal stays intact as a whole piece
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and saute the brinjals for couple of minutes
Sprinkle little salt over the brinjals
Cover and simmer this pan while you prepare the masala for the dish
Keep an eye on the brinjals.. stir occasionally.. saute till the skins char a little
Set aside when done

While the brinjals are getting cooked,

Heat 3 tsp of oil in another pan
Season the oil with 5 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 tsp of fennel seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves
Add 1 medium red onion finely chopped
Add little salt
Saute the onions till they brown slightly
Add a pinch of turmeric powder

While the onions are being sauted, grind the following into a fine paste:

1/2 red onion finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic
1 inch peeled ginger
1 tsp of cumin seeds
6 tsps of grated coconut
Once the onions are turning brown, add the above ground mixture
Saute the contents well till oil oozes out.
Add the sauted Brinjals and stir for 2 minutes so the masala coats well
While they are being sauted, Grind 2 medium tomatoes to a fine paste and add to the pan
Saute for 3 minutes till the raw smell of tomatoes vanish
Add 1 tsp of red chilly powder, 2 tsp of coriander powder
Adjust salt
Transfer the contents to a pressure cooker
Add 1.5 cups of water
Pressure cook the contents for 1 whistle or about 8 minutes
Delicious gravy is ready to serve
Optional: Just before serving (while gravy is hot) adding 1 tsp of ginely oil (nallennai) will take the flavor to a different level
This gravy goes well with Chapathi, Dosa, Idli or even plain rice
You may substitute the brinjals with mushroom, potato, chicken, drumstick, or cauliflower

Bombay Sambar

2010-11-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

This is a very delicious yet an easy side dish for tiffins that comes in handy.. it is a life saver when you have sudden guests. It takes hardly 30 minutes. My mom makes this delicious curry for idlis and I devour like anything!! And I have no idea why it is called Bombay Sambar. ;) Should I call it 'Mumbai' Sambar?!! ROFL!

Grind 2 tbsp of grated coconut and 2 tbsp of dalia (pottu kadalai or roasted chana) into a fine powder. You may add little water too while grinding. Set aside this powder. If made into a paste, add extra water and make it into a semi liquid and set aside, else it will form lumps when you add it to the curry at the end.
Heat 3 tsp of oil in a pan
Season the oil with 1tsp of mustard seeds
When the seeds splutter, add 1tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of fennel seeds (sauf or sombu), 1 spring of curry leaves and stir for a second
Add 3 long green chillies (slit lengthwise), 5 gralic pods slit lengthwise and saute for couple of seconds
Add 1 large onion slit lengthwise (like you chop for briyani..) and add little salt
Saute the onion till it is semi translucent. The onions must be crunchy in this sambar so do not over cook them now.. the onion willl play the role of vegetable here. :)
Add a pinch of turmeric powder and stir the contents
Add 3 large tomatoes finely chopped and saute the contents for about 6 to 8 mins covered
The tomatoes will become soft and wlel cooked
At this point, add the coconut-dalia mixture
Add 3 to 4 cups of water, adjust salt and cook uncovered for 20 minutes
The sambar must be little thicker in consistency.. more like a kulambu than a runny sambar
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with Idli, Dosa or Chapati / Wheat dosa.. it goes well with any tiffin

Whole Wheat Dosa

2010-10-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

A very simple and nutritious dosa in whole wheat flour.

To make 5 dosas:
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1.5 cups of water
salt per taste
optional: 1 tbsp of curd
optional: 1 tbsp of rice flour

Blend the above using an electric mixer into a smooth batter with no lumps.
You may even mix it with bare hands - my mom used to do so! But I can never get that smooth texture so I employ the electric mixer. Just stir up the contents on moderate speed for 2 mins or till no lumps. Set aside for 15 mins minimum.

You may season the batter if eating with no side dish:
Heat 1 tsp of oil and season it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of chana dhal, 1 tsp of urad dhal, 1 spring of curry leaves, 1 red chilly (broken into small pieces).
Now toss the seasonings into the batter and give it a stir.

Heat the dosa tava and pour the batter and make circles like you do for regular dosa.
Optional: Add a tsp of oil around the edges
Cover and cook for a minute
Flip the dosa and cook the other side uncovered for another minute.

Serve hot with a side dish or as is (if the batter is seasoned).
Kids may love it with sugar too.

Vegetable Kurma

2010-10-25T22:05:00.001-07:00

Saute 1 cup of cubed vegetables, little salt in few tsps of oil for 5 minutes
Cover and cook the veges on medium flame till veges are half done or aldente

While the veges are cooking,

Grind 2 tbsp of grated coconut, 2 tbsp of roasted cashews into a fine paste and set aside
Take another pan and heat 3 tsp of oil
Season it with 5 cloves, 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 1 tsp o cumin seeds, 1 tsp of fennel seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, 3 green chillies slit lengthwise
Add 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste and saute all till the raw smell vanishes
Toss in the steaming vegetables and give them a quick stir
Add 1 tsp of coriander (dhania) powder, pinch of turmeric powder
Stir for a minute
Add the coconut-cashew paste (you may substitute the cashews with kasakasa.. )
Saute the contents for a minute so the cashews get cooked a little
Add 2 cups of water and give them a good stir
Cover and cook the kurma for 15 minutes on medium flame
Serve hot with Chapati, Roti , Paratha, Idli or Dosa

Bombay Chutney

2010-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

An easy side dish for Idli / Dosa.

Mix 1/2 cup of Besan (Chana flour) in 1/2 cup of water and set aside
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan
Temper it with 1tsp of mustard seeds, 1tsp of chana dhal, 1tsp of urid dhal, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, a pinch of hing
Add around 10 garlic pods, slit lengthwise
Add 3 green chillies slit lengthwise
Optional: Add 1tsp of ginger-garlic paste and stir for a minute
Add 1 big red onion finely chopped
Saute the contents with a little salt till onions brown slightly
Add a pinch of turmeric and saute for a minute
Add 1 big tomato finely chopped
Saute them till tomatoes are well cooked
Now add the Besan flour mix and keep stirring continuously to avoid any lumps
Add 1/2 cup of water and taste test the dish for salt and spices
If the salt and spices are at teh desired level, simmer the contents in low-med flame till the gravy turns lttle thick and shiny
This ensuresthat the besan is well cooked
Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot with Soft Idli or Crispy Dosa

Peas Pulao

2010-09-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Soak 1 cup of rice in equal amount of water for about 20 mins
Heat 1 tsp of butter and 3 tsp of oil in a pan
Season it with 6 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 4 cardamoms, 1 spring of curry leaves, 1 tsp of fennel seeds, 2 long green chilly slit lengthwise
Add 2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste and saute well till raw smell disappears
Add 1 red onion finely chopped and salt per taste
Saute the contents till onions turn translucent
Add 1 cup of frozen peas (carrots/beans is fine too)
Add 1/2 tsp of any briyani/pulav masala
Add 1 tsp of pepper powder
Add 1/4 tsp of cumin powder
Saute all till the peas is half done (about 3 mins or so)
Now drain and save the water from the rice
Add the drained rice and stir for 2 more mins
You may add 1 tsp of oil at this stage - optional
Add 1 handful of cilantro leaves (and optional: mint leaves if any)
Add the drained water PLUS 1 cup of water
Taste test the water for salt and spices. Add salt/pepper accordingly
Optional: Add 1 tbsp of whipping cream or coconut milk
Cover the pan with an airtight lid and leave on medium flame for 6 minutes
When you see craters forming in the surface, that is an indication that almost all water is gone
Now simmer the stove to the lowest possible flame and leave it on for 10 minutes
Serve hot with raita or any spicy curry as side or even as is
Tasty pulav is ready in just under 30 mins!

BisibelaBath

2010-09-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Red color is due to the Beets I added.. :) But I swear this is BisibelaBath. LOL!

To roast in 1/2 tsp of oil: (add in the given order, giving few seconds gap before adding another)

- 1 tbsp of Dhania
- 2 long Red Chillies
- 1 tsp of Chana dhal
- 3/4 tsp of Urid dhal
- 1/4 tsp of Cumin seeds
- 1/8th tsp of Methi seeds
- 4 curry leaves
- a pinch of Hing
- 1 tbsp of Dried Coconut powder (or Copra)

Grind the above to a fine powder and set aside.
Soak a gooseberry size tamarind in little water and squeeze the juice, and set aside
Pressure cook 1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 cup of Toor dhal with 4 cups of water for 5 whistles
(water ratio is roughly 3+ times the rice+dhal quantity)
Cube all the desired vegetables into big pieces
The vegetable selection can be anything like Potato, Carrots, Beets, Cho-Cho, White pumpkin, Beans
In a pressure pan, heat 3 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of ghee
Season it with 1tsp of mustard seeds
When the seeds splutter, add 1 spring of curry leaves, 2 red Chillies
Add about 10 pearl onions (or 1/4 red onion finely chopped)
Saute the onions till translucent
Add salt per taste
Add the cubed vegetables and saute till they are half done
Now pour the tamarind paste, the ground powder and stir well
Add the cooked dhal-rice mixture into the pan
Add about 1/2 cup of warm water* and pressure cook the contents again for couple of whistles
*Use your discretion to add extra water..
Garnish with cilantro leaves and optionally a tsp of ghee and serve hot with raita

Pudalangai Paruppu Kootu

2010-09-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Soak 1 handful of Chana dhal in enough water for about 2 hours
Cook the dhal in microwave for 10 minutes. The dhal should be cooked but not mushy
Slit open the Snake gourd (Pudalangai), scoop out and discard the white seedy part
Chop the vegetable into thin bite slice pieces
Heat oil in a pan and temper it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds, curry leaves, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, pinch of hing
Add 1 red onion finely chopped and saute till translucent
Add about 3 finely minced garlic pods
Add salt per taste and a pinch of Turmeric powder (haldi)
Add the vegetables and saute till they are almost done
Add 1 tsp of red chilly powder and saute for 5 more minutes
Now add the cooked chana dhal
Optionally you may add 1/2 cup of water to adjust the consistency
Cover and cook for 15 minutes
Optional: Sprinkle 1 tbsp of coconut powder and leave for 2 more minutes
Serve with Bread or Roti or Rice or as plain side

Bachelor Rasam

2010-09-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

This is a literally under 10 mins Rasam.
Ideal for busy moms or hungry bachelors. :)

Okay.. here is the catch.. you got to have cooked Toor dhal and the store bought masalas.
While all of you know about the store bought rasam powders/paste, what is new that I want to share with you? Well, it is the mix and match recipe I follow that brings about a "I can't believe it is instant rasam" feel.
No grinding, No cutting.. Just toss in all ingredients for a delicious Rasam in under 10 minutes. You may even drink it as soup for cold reliefs.

Always stock some cooked Toor dhal in the fridge. It keeps fresh for atleast a week
You need 777 Garlic Rasam Paste and Sakthi Rasam powder (or any Rasam powder..)
Soak 1 inch Tamarind piece in little water and squeeze the juice (or use 1 tsp of tamarind paste)
In a pan heat 1 tsp of oil, season it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 2 red chillies, 1 spring of curry leaves, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, and a pinch of hing
Keep the stove in low flame and add 2 tsp of garlic rasam paste
Saute the paste in low heat and add the tamarind water
Add 1 tsp of Rasam powder, 4 tbsp of toor dhal
Add 2 cups of water, and salt per taste
Let it simmer in medium heat till froth begins to collect at the sides
Toss in a handful of cilantro leaves and let it come together for 2 more minutes
You may (optionally) add 1 more spring of curry leaves at the end
Serve hot with hot plain rice and scrambled eggs (According to my son, "No Rasam is complete without scrambled eggs". Yes, that is his own words this Morning after a jiffy Rasam I made in 10 minutes on demand. :) )

Thayir Kuruma (Thayir Aloo Kurma)

2010-09-25T22:19:00.000-07:00

Boil about 4 potatoes (pressure cook) , peel and cube them into big pieces
Grind 1/2 red onion and 1 tbsp of KasaKasa into a fine paste and set aside
Heat 3 tsp of oil in a pan
Season it with 1 inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 1 tsp of Fennel seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves
Add 2 long green chillies slit lengthwise
Add 2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste and saute all well in low flame
Add 1/2 red onion finely chopped. Add a pinch of salt and Saute till the onion browns
Add the ground onion paste, a pinch of Turmeric powder (Haldi) and saute well till oil oozes out
Add 1 tsp of red chilly powder, 2 tsp of dhania powder and saute for a minute
Add the cubed Alu and stir well till the masala coats the potatoes
Add 1 cup of water, cover and cook for 7 minutes
When the water comes to a boil, simmer the stove
Beat 1 tbsp of curd in 3 tbsp of water
Add the beaten curd to the curry slowly and simmer for another 5 minutes
It is important to keep the flame low anytime you add buttermilk or milk to the curries so the milk/curd will not break down and disintegrate
Add raw curry leaves at teh end for additional aroma
Serve hot with Rotis or Idli/Dosa or even plain rice

Aval Upma

2010-09-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Delicious Aval Upma in 10 minutes!

An easy/quick life saver it is. Be it sudden guests or sudden hunger, got Aval? You got yourself a feast.

Soak 1 cup of Aval (preferably the think ones) in just enough water to immerse it for about 5 minutes
Drain the excess water without squeezing the poha (Aval). Squeezing might make the Aval unhappy
In a pan heat about 2 tsp of oil and season it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds
Allow it to crackle (a trick my DH is yet to learn!! )
Add a spring of curry leaves, 1 tsp of urid dhal, 1tsp of chana dhal, a pinch of hing
Optional: add broken cashews, peanuts and roast them for a minute
Add 1 long green chilly, finely sliced
Add thinly chopped red onions (1/2 medium size onion or about 10 pearl onions)
Add salt per taste and a pinch of turmeric powder
Saute the onions till they turn translucent (Do not brown them. Onions must remain crunchy)
Now toss the soaked Poha and stir for few mins on low flame
The Aval must be well coated with the oil and turn yellow
Sprinkle coriander leaves and remove from the stove
Serve hot with raita or as is
Optional: you may squeeze some lemon juice (very little) for a different flavor

Happy Vinayagar Chaturthi!

2010-09-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Ganesa Chaturthi, Folks!

I made 3 varieties of Sweet kolukattai and 1 Kara kozhukattai along with Ellu urundai and Aval urundai.
The dishes came out so good that within minutes my folks employed themselves as the proxy of Pillaiyar and consumed them all in one go!

I know.. I know.. The recipes are long due from last chaturthi... I shall post the recipes soon. :-)

Bok Choy Mushroom Stir Fry

2010-07-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

There is not much variation from the Bokchoy Eggplant Stir Fry.

Take 4 baby bok choys and peel the leafs as shown in the pic. Do not chop them.
Chop 7 garlic pods into large chunks
Chop 1 red onion into larger pieces as shown
Chop about 8 mushrooms into larger chunks
In a thick pan, heat about 6 tsp of oil (liberal oil)
Toss the garlic and stir fry for less than a minute
Toss the red onions and sprinkle some salt
Immediately add the mushroom and saute for a minute
Add 2 tsp of Soy Sauce, 1 tsp of Red Chilly paste, a pinch of sugar(optional)
Stir them for 30 seconds
Now add the Bok Choy leafs and keep stirring on high flame for a minute
The leaves will wilt lightly and the stem portion of the bok choy will be half cooked
Bok Choy Stir fry is ready to serve
Serve hot with Plain rice or as is
Do not add water while cooking as mushroom and bok choy leaves enough water
Also do not saute red onions too much.
All vegetables should be crunchy or 'Al dente' (firm but not hard)

Easy Kidney Beans Cooker Curry

2010-01-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Take a small pressure cooker pan and heat it for couple of minutes
add 3tsp of oil to the pan and season the oil with 1 tsp of mustard seeds
after the seeds splutter add 1 tsp of fennel seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, 1/4 tsp of methi seeds
add 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste and saute well in low flame
toss in about 10 or 15 garlic pods and saute them along
once the garlic is tanslucent, add chopped onion (1 big size onion or 20 pearl onions) and saute until light brown
tomato is optional.. if adding add at this stage and saute well
sprinkle salt, 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of red chilly powder, 2 tsp of dhania powder, 1 tsp of curry powder (optional)
add 1 can of red kidney beans. just add the beans alone..drain the water and discard. (if using fresh beans, soak it in water the previous night and add.. u may want to cook for more whistles though..)
saute the beans for couple more minutes so the masala coats them well and the preservative smell fades off
add tamarind juice (soak a goose berry size tamarind in little water for few minutes and squeeze it to extract the juice)
add 2 cups of water (adjust water per desired consistency.. the trick is to add quarter cup of water more than the desired consistency)
add 2 to 3 tbsp of canned coconut milk (if preserving per my tip, use 2 or 3 cubes)
stir well and adjust the salt and spices per taste
pressure cook the curry for 2 whistles
delicious red kidney beans cooker curry is ready in minutes
serve hot with rice or dosa or rotis

Methu Vada ( மெது வடை )

2009-11-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

My friend Deepa is a great cook. She used to make time consuming items with no fuss! The way she carries herself will send out psuedo signal that any dish she makes is a 1-2-3 done type. Last week she made so many items and one of which is my favorite Methu Vada. And she gave me couple of great tips like adding green chillies at the end and refrigerate for few minutes... My son who is notorious for his picky eating, loved her vadas like anything. Now that she has set the bar high, I was inspired..made vadas right after the next day..yet I dare not to ask my son to compare with Deepa Aunty's vadas..

But it came out well indeed and he ate with no complaints - he seemed to like it based on the way he gulped them. ;-)

Soak 1/2 cup of Urad dhal for atleast 8 hrs.
Drain the water and grind it in a blender to a smooth batter
Sprinkle very little water in the course of grinding
More water will ruin the vada shape & texture
At the end, add 1 green chilly, 1/4 tsp pepper, salt per taste and grind again
The pepper may be coarse - that is intended. Just make sure the chillies are shredded well
In a handheld electronic mixer (that you use to beat eggs / cake mix..) beat the batter for 2 minutes on low speed - this is a tip I remembered reading elsewhere! - this step will aerate your batter
To find if the batter is well aerated, just drop a small pea sized ball of the batter in a bowl of water. If it sinks right away, batter needs to be aerated. If it floats, it is well aerated. Aeration will yield fluffy soft vadas.
You can even beat the batter with your hands for couple of minutes to provide the necessary aeration
Now refrigerate the batter for 10 to 15 minutes minimum
Add a handfull of finely chopped red onions to the batter and add salt if needed
Add 2 chopped curry leaves to the batter
Heat a pan of oil - keep it in medium flame
To check if the oil is hot enough, drop a small pea sized batter in the hot oil - if it sizzles and rises to the top immediately, oil is good to go
Wet your hands in cold water, gently scoop the batter with your bare fingers, and roll up into a ball and gently make a hole using your thumb, drop it into the oil
In couple of minutes, flip the vada unside down and let it fry until both sides turn golden brown
Drop the vadas minimum 3 in a batch and using a peforated laddle scoop them all onto a paper towel to absorb the excess oil
Serve hot with chutney
To keep the vadas crisp for few hours, you may either preheat the oven to 250 degrees - turn it off and keep the vadas in OR just keep a steel plate on the hot oil pan (after frying) and place the vadas over the plate and cover up with another plate

A reader asked if we can refrigerate the batter and use for latter. Initially my response was "it may not taste good.." But Today (02/14/10) I made methu vadas with a day old batter. Oh Boy! it still tasted so fresh and soft and tasty. So yes, my friends! in my experience u can save it for atleast a day and still make heavenly vadas.

Moru Kulambu - 2

2009-10-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

As mentioned earlier, Moru kulambu has hundreds of variations. Here is another one - this is by far by most favorite variation. Fewer ingredients and supreme taste.

Soak 2 tsp of raw rice, 2 tsp of toor dhal, 1 tsp of cumin seeds in 1/4 cup of water for atleast 30 mins
Skim sour curd and make about 3 cups of buttermilk
Add 3 slit green chillies, a pinch of turmeric powder into the buttermilk and set aside
Saute suran (Senai Kilangu - preferably frozen - to minimise cooking time) in 3 tsp of oil until vege is well cooked. Sprinkle some salt, turmeric powder to the vege while sauteing and set aside once cooked
Fine grind the soaked grains along with 1/4 cup of grated coconut
Mix the ground paste into the buttermilk and adjust the salt per taste
In a hot pan, add 2 tsp of oil and season it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds
When the seeds splutter, lower the heat, and add 1 spring of curry leaves, 3 red chillies, sauted vegetables
Maintain a low heat and gradually add the buttermilk mixture to the pan
Stir frequenlty to avoid disintegration of the curd
Let the mixture simmer on low heat until froth collects on the sides - may take about 10 to 15 minutes
Serve hot or cold with plain steaming rice

Cabbage Kadalai Paruppu Kootu ( முட்டைகோஸ் கடலை பருப்பு கூட்டு )

2009-09-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is my husband's favorite dish. Although I call it kadalai paruppu kootu, I do it in a very different way than the usual - I had to customise the original way according to my DH's taste buds..

Soak abt 1/4 cup of Chana dhal in water for atleast 40 minutes and microwave the dhal for 20 minutes or until the dhal is soft but not mushy. Add little salt just couple of minutes it is done and cook further. You should be able to crush the dhal between your fingers but it must retain its shape otherwise. Once cooked, drain all the water and transfer the dhal to a perforated container or strainera and run some cold water over it - this is to prevent the dhals from breaking down when sauted along with the cabbage
Heat 4 tsp of oil in a non-stick pan and season it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, pinch of hing
Add 1 very coarsely crushed garlic, 1 medium onion finely chopped and saute well until the onions turn translucent
Sprinkle little salt (as cabbage has mineral salt in it, always add a little less upfront just to be sure), 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and stir well
Now add 1 medium sized cabbage that is finely chopped and saute all for about 30 mins on medium flame
Do not add water as cabbage leaves water when cooked and you will not get the desired taste and consistency if you add water. You may sprinkle some water if you prefer.
Add 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder and saute all for 10 more minutes
Test for salt and add more if you want
When the cabbage is almost done and the raw smell of red chilly is gone, add 1 tsp of any rice dhal podi (I go with 777 ganesa brand dhal powder - butu any of your favorite would do) and stir well
This is the secret ingredient - well not any more a secret ;-) (kinda like Victoria's Secret - I never understood what is that secret, whatsoever, when.. well you get the picture!) that will make the poriyal get the kootu texture - kinda blends all the ingredients together and adds nice flavor
Stir for 5 more minutes and add the cold cooked chana dhal
Saute them all for another 5 mins so the chana dhal gets a chance to get to know the other folks in the mix
Serve hot or cold with plain rice or as a side with any rasam

Moru Kulambu ( மோர் குழம்பு )

2009-09-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

This is one of those dishes that has thousands of variations. If you gather up 10 people in a room and ask them how they would make moru kolambu, I bet you would end up with ten different recipes! And this mild buttermilk curry is my most favorite item in south indian thali. And this is the most simplest yet delicious dish.

Steam the vegetables with little salt in a microwaveable steamer
You may also boil them in a pan the traditional way or pressure cook it - I hate to throw away the water after boiling the veges for fear of losing the vitamins/minerals or over cook it..I have a steamer that works wonders..just 5 to 7 mins in microwave is all it takes..
You can add vegetables like Cho-Cho, White Pumpkin, Okra, Senai kilangu (suran.) - any bland vegetable goes well with this kolambu.
If adding Okra, saute it well in little oil until the goey stuff disappears and the vegetable is dry and well cooked
Soak the following in enough water to immerse them for about 30 mins:

1 tsp of Toor Dhal
1 tsp of Chana dhal
1/4 tsp of Dhania or Coriander Seeds
1/4 tsp of Raw Rice
1/4 tsp of Cumin Seeds
1 Red Chilly

Skim 1 cup of curd with 1 cup of water and very little salt (your veges have some salt already)
The curd must be void of all lumps and sour curd is preferred. Just leave it out of the fridge for few hours if you don't have sour curd
Grind the soaked spices along with 1 green chilly, 2 tbsp of grated coconut (or 4 1-inch coconut pieces) into a fine paste
Now in a pan pour the buttermilk and add 1/4 tsp of turmeric, 1 spring of curry leaves, ground paste, cooked vegetables and mix well
Check for salt and adjust the salt & consistency of the kolambu. The given water /curd ratio is precise though
Now heat the contant on medium low flame for about 10 mins until froth appears
Do not heat the kolambu on high flame - that will make the curd break and water will separate out.
Once froth appears, remove the pan from heat.
Do a tadka (season the hot oil with 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 red chilly) and pour it over the kulambu
Serve hot or cold with plain white rice and any spicy side dish or poriyal
Note: do not reheat this kolambu - it will taste good even when cold. If you prefer, just warm the rice and add the curry instead of reheating the curry directly.

Kothamalli Pulav ( கொத்தமல்லி pulav )

2009-09-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Soak 1 1/4 cup of rice in equal measure of waterWhile it is soaking prepare the veges/ingredients for the pulav
Peel about 10 pearl onions (if pearl onions are not available, go with regular red onions - about 1/2 of a medium onion - chop into wide long pieces)
Chop 1/2 cup of beans, 10 baby carrots into bite size pieces
Grind 3 garlic pods, 1 inch of ginger, 1 handful of cilantro leaves, 1 green chilly into a fine paste
Heat 5 tsp of oil in a non-stick pan
When oil is hot enough, season it with 5 cloves, 2 small cinnamon sticks, 2 bay leaves, 2 cardomoms
Add the ginger-garlic-cilantro-chilly paste and saute on low flame until the green color turns dark green - but do not burn/char the paste. This step is key - saute well otherwise the leaves will infuse the raw smell into the pulav
Add the pearl onions and saute until they turn translucent
Add 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
Add the vegetables and saute them too for 5 mins
Add salt per taste
You may add beetroot too but if adding chop just 1 beets into big pieces and wash once and then add. Otherwise the pulav will be red in color.
Add 1/2 cup of cilantro leaves (do not grind these)
Saute well until leaves wilt
Add 1/2 tsp of any briyani masala (I use Priya Briyani Powder) and stir well
Add 1 cube of frozen coconut milk
Add 1 1/2 cup of water and stir until the milk cube melts
Add the soaked rice without draining the water
Stir once and adjust the salt
Cover the pan with a tight glass lid and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes
Do not open the lid at any time. The water will evaporate and craters will form and that is the indication that the rice is 90% done
Turn down the heat to the lowest possible flame and simmer it for another 10 mins with the lid still closed
Turn off the stove and leave the pan on the same burner for another 5 mins
A nice flavor will announce that the pulav is ready to be served
Serve it hot with Raita

Paruppu Thogaiyal (பருப்பு தொகையல்)

2009-09-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is my Mom's recipe. She is a great cook and I love this especially with Rasam.

Dry roast 1/2 cup of Toor dhal and 2 long red chillies in medium flame for about 6 mins until the lentils turn golden brown.
Make sure you do not burn the lentils
Keep stirring constantly to dissipate the heat evenly over the surface
You will get nice aroma when the lentils are quite roasted
Turn off the stove and transfer the lentils to another pan to stop further cooking
Once the lentils cool down, grind them along with 5 1-inch coconut pieces (or about 1/2 cup of grated coconut) and 1/2 of a small garlic pod (yes, add it raw - it gives a great flavor - but add very small piece and yes ofcourse adding garlic is optional), and salt (per taste) into a grainy paste.
The thogaiyal should be slightly grainy but not too coarse or too fine
This is an easy protein rich side that goes well with Rasam or Vathal Kolambu
You can have it with just plain rice and oil/ghee or have it as a side for rasam.
Very simple and tasty delight, it is!

Some variations are you might add a little tamarind (raw) while grinding. You may also substitute Moong dhal or Chana dhal for Toor dhal and tickle your palate.

Potato Masala Kulambu

2009-09-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

No tomato, No green chilly, No dhania powder, No garam masala..Very few ingredients and great taste.Use red potatoes preferably. Baby red potatoes are even better.

Quarter 10 small potatoes and boil them in a pan with a bit of salt (if possible, do not use pressure cooker. It really makes a difference boiling potatoes this way..so if you have the time, avoid cooker for this curry)
When the potatoes are soft and can be easily poked by a knife, transfer them to a bowl, peel them & set aside
Peel about 10 garlic pods and grind it with 1 inch of ginger to a fine paste
Grind about 5 1-inch pieces of coconut, 1/4 cup of dalia with a little water into a fine paste and set aside
Heat the pan and add 3 tsp of oil
When oil is hot, season it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds. Allow the seeds to splutter and then add 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute well without burning the spices
Add 1 large onions chopped and saute until the onions, paste turn brown. Use medium-low flame
Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and toss in the peeled potatoes
Saute well until the masala coats the potatoes and it will look like 'poriyal' or side dish at this point
Mash up 1 or 2 potato pieces in the pan with the laddle to add flavor to the curry (this is optional)
Add 1 tsp of red chilly powder and stir well
Add the coconut-dalia paste and stir for 2 to 3 minutes
Now add about 4 cups of water (adjust as per your desired consistency) and mix well
Let it come to a boil (about 5 mins) in a medium flame
Note: Do not boil it for a long time after adding the coconut
Serve it hot with pretty much anything. This is a versatile curry that goes equally good with rice as well as roti or idli.

Idli / Dosa Sambar (இட்லி / தோசை சாம்பார்)

2009-09-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

This is an easy sambar that tastes so divine with idli and dosa. You can put pretty much any vegetable you like to the sambar and each vege would sure justify it's addition to the recipe. You can make this sambar with Toor dhal or Moong dhal.
No grinding the masala..No fuss..just a quick cooker method. Ideal for working moms. My son just came from his playdate now and as he entered he was screaming, "I smell dhal..I got to have it right now!" I served it with dosa and he loved it. (Partly because he was on a BRAT diet for the past 2 days after a mild stomach flu attack. ;-) ..) But trust me it will taste good anytime of the day. Although this goes well with Tiffins, you can have it with rice too. Just thicken the sambar if intended for rice.

Makes about 5 cups

In a small pressure cooker, add 3 tsp of oil
When oil is hot, temper it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds
When seeds splutter, add 1 green chilly slit lengthwise, a pinch of hing, a spring of curry leaves, 1 crushed garlic pod, 1/2 tsp of methi seeds, in the specified order
Do not brown the methi seeds, it will become bitter
Add 1 medium onion chopped lengthwise (The onions must not be thinly chopped..make it little bigger pieces)
Saute just until it is slightly translucent. Do not over saute..we need to be able to bite into the onions.
Now add any vegetable you like..just chop them all into large cubes. Some veges that go very well with this recipe are green beans, carrots, brinjals, cho-cho, white pumpkin, squash, potato. Some non-compatible veges are okra, spinach, cauliflower.. you can add these too but they would alter the taste distinctively.
Saute for just couple of minutes
Add 1 meduim size tomato chopped into large pieces
Add salt per taste, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and stir once
Add 1/2 cup of tamarind extract (soak a lemon szed tamarind in half cup of water for 10 mins and extract the juice)
Stir for a minute and add 1 tbsp of any sambar powder - I use 777 Madras Sambar powder
Mix well and add 3 cups of water
Add 1 cup of cooked toor dhal (or moong dhal). You may also add 1/2 cup of uncooked toor dhal..I happened to have cooked dhal and it tastes much better this way.
Mix the contents well. Adjust salt.
Pressure cook it (with weight on) for 15 minutes or until 1 whistle on medium high flame
Serve hot with Idli or Dosa or Plain rice

Vendhaya Kulambu ( வெந்தய குழம்பு )

2009-09-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple curry that will take about 25 mins in all to prepare. The methi seeds you add in tempering gives an unique flavor to the curry and hence the name 'vendhaya kolambu'. This is very similar to puli kulambu except for the methi seeds addition. Make sure to add lots of garlic as they play a good role in the curry too. This curry keeps good in fridge for more than 2 days too in cold regions. This is my all time favorite from my mom's cooking.

Makes about 5 servings

In a hot pan, add 3 tsp of oil. When oil is hot enough, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of chana dhal, 1 tsp of urid dhal, 1 spring of curry leaves, a pinch of hing and 1 tsp of methi seeds in the order specified
Do not add brown the methi seeds as they will turn very bitter otherwise. Same way add the above ingredients one by one, making sure each spice is sauted for few seconds before the next spice follows it
Now add 1 big onion (finely chopped) and saute until onions brown a little.
Add a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, about 15 garlic pods and saute until garlics are translucent
Add 1 big tomato finely chopped to the pan and saute until oil leaves the sides
You may cover and cook the tomatoes if you wish. Stir occasionally though
Now add 1 tsp of red chilly powder, 3 tsp of dhania powder, more salt per taste and stir for a minute
Add 1/2 cup of tamarind juice extracted from saoked tamarind or add 1tbsp of tamarind paste
Add 2 cups of water and cover and cook for 10 minutes with occasional stirring
Once the curry comes to a boil, add 1 cube of cocount milk or 1 tbsp of grated coconut
Bring the curry to a boil again (might take about 5 mins in low flame)
Serve hot or cold with plain rice. Some may like it with Idli/Dosa too.

Bagara Baingan - Brinjal Curry

2009-09-04T14:31:00.001-07:00

In medium heat, roast well a little less than 1/4 cup of peanuts in 1 tsp of oil (more peanuts or sesame seeds will actually ruin the curry..so go easy on them)
Add 1/8th cup of white sesame seeds and roast to a slight golden color
Now add 1/4 cup of grated coconut and roast for few seconds
Grind the above into a grainy paste adding very little water (do not make it too fine, it has got to be slightly grainy - that adds nice texture to the curry)
Cut the eggplants (small brinjals) in such a way that the stem remains intact and the brinjals remain wholesome
Deep fry them in hot oil for few seconds so the eggplants are 90% cooked and set them aside
In a different pan, add 3 tsp of oil, when oil is hot enough, add 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 cardomoms, 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp of methi seeds, a pinch of hing, 1 spring of curry leaves in the order given, one by one
Add 1 medium red onion finely sliced and saute all with a little salt until the onions turn sightly brown
Add 1/4 tsp of turmeric & 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste and saute well
When the ginger paste is void of all raw odor, add 1 tbsp of cumin powder, 1 tbsp of dhania powder, 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder and fry for a minute
You may sprinkle drops of water to prevent the spices from burning
Once the spices are well sauted, add 2 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil (This will take about 3 mins)
Add the grainy coconut-sesame-peanut paste and stir occasionally to prevent charring for about 5 mins on medium flame
Now cover the pan with a tight lid and cook on the same medium heat until oil oozes out with occasional stirring (might take about 5 to 8 mins)
Add about 1/2 cup of tamarind juice (soak 1 small gooseberry size tamarind in water for few minutes and squeeze out the juice)
Optional: Some may prefer to add little (1 tsp) of jaggery or sugar at this point.. It doesn't cut it for me in this particular curry..but that is just me
Stir well and adjust the salt, cover and cook for another 5 mins on medium flame
Once again when oil oozes out, add the fried brinjals and simmer for about 15 minutes ( or until the brinjals are well done ) on lowest possible flame
Serve hot with any pulav/briyani or just plain rice or roti

Mysore rasam

2009-08-27T22:31:00.001-07:00

Pressure cook 1/2 cup of dhal in 1 and half cup of water for 4 whistles and set aside.
1. Roast the below in few drops of ghee on low flame until slighlty brown:
1 tsp of coriander seeds
1 tsp of toor dhal
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds (optional)
1 or 2 long red chilly
1/2 tsp of pepper
2. After roasting, add 1 and a half tsp of grated coconut or a 1 inch coconut piece to the above spices and grind to a fine paste.
3. Soak about a big gooseberry size tamarind in water for few minutes and squeeze out the tamarind juice.
4. In a pan, add the tamarind juice, 1 large tomato finely chopped, salt, 1 tsp of turmeric and a spring of curry leaves and bring the mixture to a boil or until the tamarind is void of its raw flavor.
5. Add the ground paste, cooked toor dhal (must be about 1 and a half cup after cooking) to the boiling tamarind water. You may add about 2 more cups of water depending on the consistency you want.
6. Lower the flame and let it simmer until froth collects on the sides of the pan. Do not let it to a rolling boil.
7. When froths form, remove the pan from heat. In another pan, heat 1 tsp of oil.
8. When the oil is hot enough, temper it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, 1 red chilly (optional), 1 coarsely crushed garlic pod and toss the seasoning into the rasam.
9. Garnish with few cilantro leaves. It is not only for garnishing but cilantro is a good source of iron. So include it wherever you can in your diet.
Your Mysore Rasam is ready to serve. Serve hot as a soup or with plain hot rice. It is a sure comfort food for common cold and digestion.
Alternatively, you may use 1 tbsp of coconut milk instead of the grated coconut. If doing so, add the coconut less paste first and let it cook on low flame for couple of mins. Then add the milk and let it froth. That way, you won't be cooking the milk for long time than is required and also get the masala/spices cooked enough. This rasam is usually little thicker than other rasams.

This time, I did 'thalicha paruppu' (season the dhal with sauteed onions, green chilly, red chilly) and added a cup of it to the rasam instead of plain dhal. That added some extra flavor and Tamil loved it. Try it if you have any left over seasoned toor dhal. You may love it too.

French Toast

2009-08-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

This is a very easy breakfast or snack for kids. I loved it as a kid and love it as a mom with the same passion. The toast will be extra soft and little sweet and heavenly.

Well, I have no clue why it is called 'French Toast'. All I know is that this is an excellent way to disguise that egg if yours is an 'I-hate-egg' kid. So should we call it the "I can't believe it is egg' Toast?!

In a bowl beat an egg, 1 tbsp of milk (whole milk preferably), a pinch of salt, 1stp of sugar (for those sweet tooths..add more sugar to your taste..2 or 3 tsp but not more guys)
This mixture will be just enough to coat 3 slices of bread.

Just place one slice at a time into this bowl for 20 seconds and flip it and leave for another 20 secs so both sides soak up enough egg coating.

Now in a hot pan or griddle, melt a tsp of butter and toast this slice on both sides for about 3o secs or until they turn golden brown as in the picture above. Repeat the procedure for the rest of the slices.

Serve hot/cold with maple syrup or as is. Use whole wheat bread to make it extra nutritious. Egg has the complete protein our body needs. So try to include it in your kids' diet as much as possible.

Pudalangai Moru Kootu (புடலங்காய் மோர் கூட்டு)

2009-08-27T22:27:00.001-07:00

Cut the snake gourd ( 1 long) and scoop & discard the seeds. Chop the gourd into small pieces.
Boil the vegetable in sufficient water (do not add more water. just add water till the veges are fully immersed..Add salt when the vege is half done - if you add at the very beginning, vege will take longer time to cook) until the vege is done
While it is cooking, Grind 1 and half tbsp of grated coconut, 1 green chilly, 1/4 tsp raw rice, 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds, 3 curry leaves into a smooth paste
Once the vege is done, do not drain the excess water, add this coconut paste to the vegetable and let it come to a boil (may table abt 3 to 4 mins)
Now lower the flame and let the boiling slows down
While the kootu is settling, beat 1 tbsp of curd with 1 tbsp od water into a buttermilk consistency
Add this buttermilk to the kootu and let it simmer in the lowest flame for 2 to 3 mins - keep stirring to prevent the curd from breaking down. If you prefer, you may skip the curd and instead add more coconut paste.
Turn off the heat and immediately take the pan off the stove so the cooking stops right there.
Now heat a separate pan, add 1 tsp of oil. When oil is hot enough, season it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds. When it splutters add 1 spring of curry leaves, 1 red chilly(optional) .
Pour this seasoning over the kootu
Serve hot with rice. Do not reheat this kootu if you add curd.

Sri Ganesa Chaturthi (விநாயகர் சதுர்த்தி)

2009-08-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

....................................................................

Sweet Kolukattai (இனிப்பு கொழுக்கட்டை)

2009-08-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

1/3 cup of rice flour/puttu podi
1/3 cup of coconut
1/3 cup of jaggery
1/4 tsp of cardomom powder

Sundal (சுண்டல்)

2009-08-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

For convenience I generally use canned garbazo beans for sundal. If you prefer, you may soak the chana the previous night and pressure cook it with a little salt & water.The chana should not be mashy so do not over cook it. That is one other reason I go with canned beans..
If using canned garbanzo, drain the liquid and wash them gently thrice to get rid of the preservatice smell. Drain the water gently and set the beans aside
In a hot pan add 1 tsp of oil and season it with 1 spring of curry leaves, pinch of hing, 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tsp of urid dhal, 1 tsp of chana dhal, 2 red chillies (broken into small pieces), half green chilly (optional), 1/4 of medium onion finely sliced (you may use peral onions too)
Saute until onions go translucent (do not brown them)
Sprinkle very little salt as the canned/cooked garbanzo has enough salt already
Now add the cooked garbanzo and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the contents get incorporated and the beans get an even oil coating
Cover the pan and cook for an additional 5 mins on very low flame
Optional: Add 1 tbsp of grated coconut powder, stir for 1 minute
Serve hot as a snack

Pasi Paruppu Payasam (பாசி பருப்பு பாயசம்)

2009-08-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

2/3 cup of milk
1/3 cup of Moong dhal, roasted in ghee
1/3 cup of water
2/3 cup of jaggery
nuts

Aval Urundai (அவல் உருண்டை)

2009-08-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is an easy sweet you can make in less than 10 mins. I always include this as Neivedhyam for Vinayagar Chaturthi not only for it's no-brainer recipe but for it's status as Lord Ganesha's favorite dish and it's unparalleled taste. For kids with sweet tooth, this is a sure keeper.

Makes about 5 balls

Just soak 1/3 cup of thin poha in 1/3 cup of water for 5 minutes
While it soaks, in a bowl add 1/3 cup of grated coconut (store bought is also fine but fresh one is preferred. If you do not have a grater, just grind the coconut to a coarse powder in a mixie)
Add 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tsp of grated jaggery
Add very little salt (less than a pinch - little salt brings out the sweetness more)
Add 1/4 tsp of cardomom powder (builds a nice aroma. but go easy on the amount if you don't like cardomom smell)
Now gently squeeze the poha and add it to the bowl (Do not press hard as it will mash up the poha. You have added only less amount of water so a gentle squeeze is enough to elliminate the excess water so you can make balls
Now mix up the contents in the bowl and make even sized balls
Once the balls are made, in a plate spread some grated coconut (about 2 tbsp) & thinly sliced almonds/pistas or any nuts.
Roll the balls over them so the outer surface gets coated with the coconuts and nuts for additional flavor (this is optional.)
The Aval Urundais are ready to be served
This sweet and soft balls are good to keep in fridge for couple of days and tastes even more delicious when chilled

Kara Kolukattai

2009-08-23T15:32:00.001-07:00

Cabbage Kofta Curry

2009-08-03T19:28:00.001-07:00

Makes about 5 servings
Kofta:

Soak 1/4 cup of chana dhal in little water for about 2 hrs
Microwave the dhal for about 4 mins. The dhal must be 90% cooked.
(you may even directly cook the dhal without soaking. Just that it takes only 4 mins in the microwave if it is well soaked)
Finely chop 1/2 of a small size cabbage
In a vessel with just enough water to cover the cabbage, add very little salt and cook the cabbage, dhal together for about 5 mins on high flame
Drain all the water and save it for the curry
Squeeze out any extra water. The cabbage must be as dry as possible and soft at the same time. If the cabbage is not soft enough, just pulse it in a mixie once. It must not become a paste but should be in a state where you must be able to make balls
Mix some salt (little), 1 finely chopped green chilly, 1/4 tsp of kala jeera (black cumin seeds), 1 tbsp of chana besan flour, 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder and make a nice dough
Adjust the spice and salt
Now make small lemon sized kofta balls out of the cabbage dough
You will be able to make about 8 to 10 koftas
Deep fry them in oil until the koftas turn golden brown
Set them aside

Curry:

In a hot pan add 3 tsp of oil and temper with 1 tsp of kala jeera, 1tsp of curry leaves, 1 tsp of mustard seeds
Add 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped and saute until the onions turn light brown
Add a bit of salt (as you will be adding salt in various steps, carefully ration the salt in every step), 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and stir once
Add 1 tsp of red chilly powder, 2 tsp of dhania powder, 1/4 tsp of cumin powder and stir well for 1 minute
Now add the drained cabbage water (about 1.5 cups ) and mix well
In a cup mix 3 tbsp of curd, 2 tsp of water and make buttermilk
Add this buttermilk to the curry and reduce the flame to medium and stir continuously so the curd won't break down
Once the gravy is coming together, stop stirring and allow the gravy to come to a boil
It may take about 5 to 7 mins
Now add the fried koftas. Cover and simmer the pan for another 7 mins in low flame
If the gravy is watery, thicken it up using dhalia powder or fried cashew nut powder. But if you go with the given measurements, it will turn out perfect.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with Chapathi or Dosa/Idli

Oats Upma

2009-08-02T21:58:00.001-07:00

Makes about just ONE serving
Oats is not a new comer to our kitchen. Karthik and I, being devoted fans to oatmeal, it has become a permanent resident, so to speak. But it is yet an alien to Tamil, my 'no-goey-meal-please' husband. Ever since I learnt about the goodness of Oats and Flaxseeds, it is hard to stop pester/traumatise him with a bag full of those goodies. I spotted this '5 grain hot cereal with Rolled Oats and Flaxseeds' pack and can't resist the urge to welcome it to my pantry. After days of waiting, one fine day, Tamil settled for a deal to try them for breakfast as a porridge with buttermilk & salt. Out of the blue moon, last night he suggested, "why not make Upma out of Oats?" That sounded feasible. He even pitched in with the tips - soak the oats instead of cook in boiling water and end up in a goey stuff. Can't wait till breakfast the next morning..so we decided to venture in the kitchen and try it for dinner. He absolutely loved it! He loved the chewy texture and upma tasted divine - he certified it as "tastier than regular rava upma". So here is to all those 'Oat haters'..Now hail, "I can't believe it is Oats" and enjoy this savory dish.
Ingredients:
whole rolled oats - 1/4 cup
water - 1/4 cup
frozen peas-carrots - 1/4 cup
onion - 1/2 medium size, finely chopped
green chilly - 1 long, finely sliced
ginger - 1/4 inch piece, diced into bits
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
peanuts - 1 tbsp
To season:
oil - 2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
chana dhal - 1 tsp
urid dhal - 1 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 4
salt - 1/4 tsp
Procedure:

Soak the rolled oats in water for about 3 mins
While it is soaking, cut your onion, green chilly, ginger
In a hot pan, add 2 tsp of oil, season it with mustard seeds, chana dhal, urid dhal, cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves, ginger, raw peanuts (you can add them as is or coarsely crush them and add) and saute until chana dhal, peanuts are golden brown and crispy. Do not brown them all.
Now add the onions and saute until they turn translucent
sprinkle some salt, turmeric powder
Add the vegetables (I added frozen peas and carrot - they cook very quick) and saute well
When the veges are done, (you may cobver and cook if they are not frozen), drain the oats really well and add them to the pan. Do not squeeze the oats though. It will get mushy.
Saute the oats for about 3 mins with frequent stirring. You may sprinlke the drained water now and then, to get the oats cooked. Cover and cook for another minute on really low flame.
Adjust salt and serve hot as is or with any chutney/chai/tea.
This is a healthy, tasty, easy breakfast for those 'no-no to oats' eaters.

Just in case, you wonder: The Oats pack I used is Bob's Red Mill 5 grain Hot cereal. It contains Oats, Wheat, Barley, Rye, Triticale & Flaxseeds. Never attempt this Upma with instant oats.

Murungai Masala

2009-08-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Kara Kathirikai

2009-07-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Slit about 15 small Indian eggplants or brinjals keeping the stem intact as shown in the picture
Deep fry them in hot oil in batches of 5 for about half a minute and set aside
It is enough if you cook the brinjals to 70%. You will again saute these after you stuff them with the masala. So need not fry them for long.

Masala:

In a hot pan add 3 tsp of oil and fry the following in low flame until all spices are fried well but not burnt:

3 Red chillies
1/2 tbsp of Dhania
1 1/2 tbsp of Urid dhal
1 1/2 tbsp of Chana dhal
1/4 tsp of Methi seeds
1/2 tbsp of Cumin Seeds
1 inch of Tamarind piece dipped in water for a minute
2 garlic pods
5 curry leaves
1/4 tsp of Turmeric powder
Salt per taste

Grind the above spices into a fine powder and set aside.

Note: You can use this curry powder to make quick gravies too. You may also consume this as rice podi or idli podi! Just add oil and adjust salt per taste if using as podi.

Procedure:

Now add water little by little to this masala powder and make it into a soft paste. Do not add more water. You should be able to scoop the masala in a spoon and stuff it inside the brinjals.
If you add very little water, your paste will be too thick and that will not get cooked . SO take care to make the paste into soft, pliable paste.
Same way check for salt once you make the paste.
Now stuff this paste into the half cooked (fried) brinjals
In a hot pan, add 2 tbsp of oil
Place the stuffed eggplants and cover the pan with a tight lid
Cover and cook the eggplants in a low flame for about 25 mins
Throughout the 25 mins, turn the eggplants every 3 or 4 minutes so all the sides get evenly cooked
Finally when the eggplants are done, sprinkle some salt (very very little) over the brinjals so give the skin some extra flavor
Serve hot with Rice or as a side for Rasam

Poondu Kulambu (பூண்டு குழம்பு)

2009-07-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

This is a very popular tasty south indian curry and the main ingredients, garlic and curry leaves are known for their medicinal values.

Soak 1 lemon size tamarind in water for few minutes and extract the juice
In a hot pan add 1tsp of oil, fry about 25 curry leaves and keep it aside
In the same pan, add 1tsp of oil and fry about 30 garlic pods and set it aside
Grind the fried curry leaves, 20 of the garlic pods into a fine paste. You may add little water while grinding. Save few curry leaves to garnish at the end if you wish.
In the same pan, add 3 tsp of oil, season it with 1tsp of mustard seeds, 1tsp of cumin seeds, 1/4tsp of methi seeds, 5 red chillies
Now add 1 cup of finely chopped onion and fry until onion turns translucent
Add some salt and fry 1 finely chopped tomato until oil separates
Add about 10 garlic pods that you had fried earlier and stir well
Add 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1tsp of red chilly powder, 2 tsp of dhania powder and cook the spices on low heat for a minute
Do not burn the spices, add the tamarind extract
Let the curry cook until the tamarind does not smell raw. It may take about 4 r 5 mins on medium heat
Now add the garlic - curry leaves paste
The curry would turn green now. Add water (about 1 cup) to make the curry to the desired consistency
Bring the curry to a boil (may take about 6 mins) and the curry would be brown by now.
The curry is ready at this point. Serve hot or cold with rice or even dosa/idli.
The curry keeps well in fridge for about a week as no coconut is added

Coconut Chutney

2009-07-24T16:29:00.001-07:00

This is a very basic, simple yet tasty chutney.
Ingredients:

8 one inch coconut pieces
1/4 cup daliya or Pottukadalai ( Thanks to Tom - corrected the typo)
1 green chilly
4 cashews
1/4 inch ginger (skin peeled)
1/4 inch tamarind
1 garlic pod
1 handful of cilantro leaves
salt per taste

Procedure: Grind all the above with little water to a grainy paste. In a hot pan, add 1tsp of oil and temper it with 1tsp of mustard seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, 2 red chilly, 1 tsp of cumin seeds. Add the seasoned oil to the chutney. Serve as a side with Dosa or Idli.

Easy Idli

2009-07-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

For those who frown upon grinding, you don't have to give up your love for home made idli. Here is a very simple, easy way to get that soft 'maligapoo' idli steam in your kitchen without ever touching your wet grinder. The first time I did, the idli came out very soft it was almost tempting to forego the 'idli from scratch' recipe. There was just a slight taste difference between idli from ground batter & this batter out of ready flours. The urad dhal may taste a bit raw, if you are not too particular, that is no big deal. Given the convenience it is worth the compromise. But since I have the time & energy, my personal preference is to the traditional recipe. However, this alternate recipe will come in handy at times - no doubt about it.

Mix 1 cup Urad dhal Flour, 1 1/2 cup Idli Rava, approximately 2 cups of water in a bowl
Cover the batter and allow it to ferment overnight
If you live in a cold place, leave the batter in the oven
It may not ferment as good as the batter made by grinding, but thats ok
Add 2 tsp of Oil, Salt to taste and mix well
The batter should not be too thick - idli will turn out soft if the batter is thin (thicker than dosa batter, though)
In the idli pan steam the idlies for 10 mins
Serve hot with Chutney and/or Sambar

Mushroom Fry

2009-07-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

Makes about 2 servings
Masala:
1/4 tsp of red chilly powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp of any curry masala powder
1/4 tsp of any fry masala powder
1/4 tsp of salt
Mix all of them together and set aside.

Preparation:
Fine grind 3 pearl onions, 2 garlic pods and set aside.
Chop 10 button mushrooms into small pieces and set aside.

Procedure:

In a hot pan add 4 tsp of oil, when oil is hot enough, season it with 5 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, a spring of curry leaves, 1/4 tsp of fennel seeds.
Add the onion paste and fry for few seconds in low flame
Add the masala powders and stir for few more seconds. The outcome of this easy dish is entirely dependant on how well you saute the masala and how well you DONT burn the same. So do it in low flame.
Now add the mushrooms and stir until the mushroom is well coated with the masala
Cover and cook on medium flame for about 6 minutes. You may need to stir them every 2 minutes to prevent charring.
No need to add water as mushrooms leave a lot of water upon covered cooking.
Once the mushroom is cooked, add 1/2 tsp of any rice dhall powder, a pinch of Amchur powder, 1/4 tsp of sugar and stir well and cook uncovered for 4 more minutes or until all the water evaporates and mushrooms look yummy as in the picture above.
You may follow the same procedure to make valakai varuval, potato, yam, caulifower but do not add amchur powder, dhal powder, sugar at the end.
Serve fresh with any rice, chapathi or roti.

Karthik loves it with ghee rice.

Whole Moong Dosa (Pesarattu)

2009-07-08T11:12:00.001-07:00

Makes about 12 dosa
This is a very easy tiffin item. And all the more healthy. It is made with whole moong dhal and if you make it with sprouted moong, it is highly nutritious. For some of us, this may be an acquired taste but it is worthy. No need to ferment the batter. With the right side dish, this is a very tasty dosa and an andhra special. Ginger Chutney aka Allam chutney & Coconut Chutney make the best sides for this item.

Soak 1 cup of whole green moong dhal, 1/2 cup of raw rice in enough water for atleast 6 hours. I soak them overnight. You may even sprout grains (I did mine).
Drain the water and grind the grains with 3 tsp of chopped onion, 1 inch ginger, 1 green chilly, 1 tsp cumin seeds, salt per taste
Let the batter be a fine paste and that of regular dosa consistency
Pour the batter onto a hot non stick pan and spread like you make regular dosa with a laddle
Drizzle drops of oil to the sides and sprinkle chopped onion, cilantro leaves over the dosa
When the bottom side is golden brown , flip the dosa and leave for few seconds
Remove the dosa and serve hot with Ginger Chutney and Coconut Chutney
If you serve the same dosa with Upma inside, it is called Chairman Dosa!

With the given proportion, you can make crispy as well as soft dosas perfectly. For crispy dosa, spread the batter very thinly and leave for an additional minute on stove.

Ginger Chutney

2009-07-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Makes about 3 servings

Soak 1 big gooseberry sized tamarind in little water. Optionally, to soften the tamarind, you may microwave this mixture for 15 seconds.
Shred 1 small cube of jaggery
Take 3 inches of ginger and cube them into small pieces
In a hot pan add 3tsp of oil
When the oil is hot enough, add 1/4 tsp of methi seeds, 1tsp of mustard seeds, 2 tsp of urid dhal, 2 springs of curry leaves, pinch of hing, 2 red chillies and stir for few seconds until urid dhal is light golden brown. Do not fry for too long else the spices would burn.
Strain and save the oil. Set the spices in a mixie jar.
To the same jar, add shredded jaggery, soaked tamarind, salt per taste, ginger cubes and grind to a fine paste
Now add the strained oil to this mixture and stir well
If you like some texture, you may save some fried urid dhal, mustards along with the oil and add at the end
This is a tasty chutney that goes well with curd rice, idli, dosa, pesarattu/moong dosa
I made it less spicy. Feel free to add more red chillies to make it wild & spicy.

String Bean Stir Fry

2009-06-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

Bok Choy, Eggplant Stir Fry

2009-06-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Makes about 3 servings
BokChoy is my husband's favorite vegetable and it is very nutritious too. Above all very easy to cook.

Make a concoction of the following:

2 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of stir fry sauce
a pinch of salt
1 tsp of red chilly paste

Cut the BokChoy stalks into diagonal slices, and leaves into small strips
Cut one long egg plant into large pieces
Mince 4 garlic cloves
Slice a small red onion into big pieces
Heat a pan/wok and add 2tsp of oil
Fry the onions and set them aside
Add the garlic to the remaining oil, stir it for few seconds without burning them
Toss the cut bokchoy stalks first and stor for couple of minutes
Toss the eggplants and stir them for couple more minutes
Now add the bokchoy leaves and stir until the leaves wilt a little
Add the soy sauce mix and give it a quick stir
Cover and cook for 2 to 4 minutes
When the eggplants are done, add the sauted onions
Sprinkle little sugar if you prefer and serve hot as a side
Some sauce in the dish is desirable so don't make it too dry
You dont need to add water as bok choy leaves enough water when sauteed..and thats the reason I add saute the onions and add them separately - so onions dont get all soggy
You may add any stir fry vegetable to this bunch..just make sure you add the hard veges first so they get a head start on getting cooked. Some suitable veges/items are Tofu, Carrots, snap peas, broccoli, zucchini
You may add ginger along with garlic or use it instead of garlic.

Ridge Gourd Chutney (பீர்க்கங்காய் சட்னி)

2009-06-08T20:37:00.001-07:00

Makes about 4 cups

Fry the following in little oil for couple of minutes & grind to a fine paste along with a goose berry size tamarind : 3tsp of urid dhal, 1tsp of cumin seeds, 1tsp of mustard seeds, 2 red chillies, 1 green chilly, a pinch of hing, 1 garlic, 1/4tsp of methi seeds
In the same pan add 1tsp of oil and fry 1 medium finely chopped red onion until it browns
Add little salt (like half the intended salt quantity as you will add the rest to the veges while frying them) and little turmeric to onion as you fry
Add the onion to the ground masala and grind again to a fine paste and set aside
In the same pan, add 2tsp of oil again and fry finely chopped ridge gourd (with skin) until the veg turns little soft (like 1 long ridge gourd..)
Add little salt to the veges and cover and cook until the veges are done
The veges will leave a lot of water just stir occasionally until most of the water evaporates (I know you may loose some nutrition in the process.. :( ..)
Now grind the veges separately to a fine paste and mix it with the onion-masala paste
You may season the chutney again with mustards, curry leaves, red chillies or serve as is
Serve fresh or chilled with Dosa, Chapathi or plain rice
This is a nice chutney alternative for people who like to avoid coconutsin chutney but desire the same consistency
Another variation of this chutney is to fry 1 medium size tomato in oil and grind it along with the onion. In that case you may need to forego tamarind or use it very sparingly.

Ridge Gourd Poriyal (பீர்க்கங்காய் பொரியல்)

2009-06-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Scrape the outer ridges slightly (do not scrape all the skin - just remove the sharp edges ) and wash the gourd (The below recipe is for 2 long gourds - this will make about 4 generous servings)
Slit the gourd lengthwise and remove the seeds by scooping them out with a spoon
Now chop the gourd into small pieces
In a pan heat 1 tbsp of oil and season it with 1tsp of mustard seeds
When the seeds splutter, add 1tsp of cumin seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, a pinch of hing
Add finely chopped onions (about 1 medium onion) and saute until translucent. Do not brown the onions
Toss in the chopped gourds and saute for 5 mins
Add some salt and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, 1tsp of red chilly powder and fry the contents for couple more mins
Cover the pan and cook on medium flame for 15 mins stirring occasionally every 5 mins
No need to add water as the vegetable will leave enough water by itself. You may sprinkle few drops time to time if you find the pan too dry
Optional: Add 2 tbsp of grated coconut or 1 tsp of dhal powder (any rice podi would do) and fry them all for couple more mins
Optional: Some prefer to add 1/4 tsp of sugar at the end
The dhal powder if using, will make the dish very tasty and kinda incorporate the spices & veges together. Coconut has its own great taste. You may skip these ingredients as well and the dish will still be tasty. The only caveat is sometimes the gourd will be bitter by iteself and ruin the efforts no matter what..some say, that you could taste a bit of it raw and figure out..I have never tried that way..I just get away by luck!

Sweet Sesame Balls (எள்ளுருண்டை)

2009-06-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is my husband's favorite. And an easy to make sweet.

Cilantro Chutney (கொத்தமல்லி சட்னி)

2009-05-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

The recipe is the same as Mint Chutney (புதினா சட்னி)
Just use cilantro leaves in place of mint leaves (pure commonsense ;-) )

Mushroom Gobi

2009-05-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

Servings about 4

Make a concoction of the following:

coriander powder - 4tsp
red chilly powder - 1tsp
turmeric powder - 1tsp
little water to mix the above - about 4tsp..

In a pan heat about 4tsp of oil
Season the oil with 1tsp of cumin seeds
When the seeds splutter add a pinch of hing, 1 bay leaf, a spring of curry leaves, 1 long green chilly deseeded and slit lengthwise
Add 2tsp of grated ginger and stir for few seconds without burning the ginger
Now pour the masala concoction and stir until oil oozes from the sides
Add salt (per taste)
Add the chopped caulifower florets (about 1 cup) and chopped mushrooms (3 button mushrooms chopped)
Stir so that the masala coats the pieces really well
Cover and cook for 5 minutes
Stir the pieces without breaking them and check for salt and add if needed more. Add a sprinkle of water if the pan is too dry (mushrooms leave lot of water so usually the pan won't dry that quick)
Add 1 tsp of Amchur or mango powder and stir once
Cover and cook for another 5 mins or until the florets are tender/cooked
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with naan or chapathi or wheat dosa

Spicy Mushroom Idly Kurma - Coconut Free Gravy

2009-03-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Black Eyed Bean Vada

2009-02-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

A Valentines Day Special (more on the occasion here)

The recipe is the same as this Masala Vada but varies just by the main ingredient. Use Black Eyed Pea in lieu of Chana dhal. This is my friend and great cook Latha Muni's unique idea. Tamil liked it the other day when she made these so I did this Today for the occasion. And yes, he liked it Today too. :-)

Brinjal Cashew Curry

2009-01-14T18:29:00.000-08:00

This is a regular masala kulambu with just a slight variation to the masala.
Easy to prepare and deliciously spicy to taste. Goes well with rice, dosa, idly.

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and season it with 5 cloves, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, curry leaves
Add 1 chopped Onion and fry until it browns slightly
Add 1 full clove of garlic sliced lengthwise and fry until translucent
Add 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt per taste
Add about 8 brinjals quartered and fry them well
Add 2 chopped Tomatoes and fry for a min and cover and cook until tomato is pretty much done
Add 1 Tbsp of coriander powder and 2 tsp of red chilly powder, 1/2 tsp of paprika powder and stir well for a min
Add 3 cups of water (adjust water at your discretion) and cover and cook for about 10 mins
In the meantime, fine grind 1tsp of raw peanuts (skin removed), 1tsp of dhalia, 6 cashews, 4 small pieces of coconut, optionally 1tsp of fried white sesame seeds - no need to add water
You can even use coconut milk (2 tbsp) in lieu of coconut pieces
Add this powder to the gravy, adjust salt/spice per taste, cover and cook for another 7 mins
When the gravy is of desired consistency garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot with rice/dosa/idli

Easy Pudhina Thokku Pulav

2008-12-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

Makes about 3 servings
This is one of those Marie Curie moment - where you 'accidentally' invent something. ;)
I wanted to make some pulav but ran out of mint (pudhina) and cilantro leaves. As I was scanning my pantry, the 777 podhina thokku pickle caught my eyes. A little makeover and here it is - the tasty 'Podhina Thokku Pulav'.

Soak 1 cup of basmati rice in 1 cup of water and prep your veges
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan
Temper with 1tsp of mustard seeds, 0.5tsp of cumin seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, 1 long green chilly slit lengthwise, 3 red chillies
Saute 1/2 large red onion finely chopped until they turn translucent
Add about 6 mushrooms sliced and saute for few minutes
Add 1/4 cup of cut green beans
Fry them all until mushroom is slightly cooked
Here comes the unusual ingredient: pudhina thokku pickle. Add 2 tsps of it
Stir the contents until the veges are coated with the thokku
Add the rice along with the water
Adjust salt - your thokku has a lot of salt so you need not add any. If at all you have to, use a pinch of kosher salt if you have
Add 1.25 cups of water and stir again
Toss a handful of fried onions (optional)
Cover the pan and cook on medium flame for about 8 minutes
Then turn down the flame to the lowest possible and simmer it for another 10minutes. Do not open the lid in between.
Serve hot with raita and pickle
You can give the same treatment to your leftover mint chutney and make quick and easy tasty pulav in about 20 mins

Butter Paneer Masala

2008-12-01T18:16:00.001-08:00

Murungai Mushroom Masaal Kulambu

2008-11-18T17:46:00.001-08:00

Servings about 3
This is a result of my curiosity.. a fusion of few different recipes and here it is - a new tasty gravy. Tamil came from work and said it tasted ultimate and he enjoyed his lunch. :) He has no idea what he has gotten himself into - this item is going to be a regular in my kitchen until he begs to differ. ;)

Fine grind abt 10 one inch coconut pieces, 1 garlic pod, 1/4tsp of fennel seeds.
In a hot pan add oil and season it with cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves, fennel seeds, 1 long slitted green chilly, 1 coarsely crushed garlic pod
Add 1 large finely chopped red onion and saute until it turns light brown
Add the drumsticks (I used frozen) and fry until raw smell goes away
Add 1tsp of red chilly powder, 2 tsp of coriander powder, 1/4tsp of cumin powder, salt per taste
Optional: Add 1/4tsp of paprika powder or 1/4tsp of curry powder
Stir well and fry for a min
Add the quartered mushrooms and fry for couple of minutes
Add the coconut paste and fry for 1 minute as we have the raw garlic and fennels in the paste
Add 1 cup of water
Adjust salt per taste
Toss a handful of cilantro leaves
Pressure cook for 1 whistle on medium flame (takes about 10 mins)
Serve hot with rice or Idli/Dosa

You can vary the veges. Potato, Brinjal, Suran (Senai kilangu or Sepankilangu) are few of the many combos I could think of.

Vegetable Gravy

2008-11-17T14:13:00.001-08:00

The gravy base is the same as that of my Mattar Paneer. I have just added Carrots, Mushroom, Cauliflower, Broccoli to the gravy. :) So enjoy a nutritious gravy with Chapathi/Roti. Just steam the broccoli and add it after you switch off the stove. Nothing as horrible tasting as a mushy broccoli and as tasty as a crunchy broccoli. Yes, broccoli is tasty. :) We love it.

Vazhaipoo Kulambu in 10 mins

2008-11-17T13:42:00.001-08:00

An easy yet delicious dish. This is one versatile gravy which readily welcomes an array of vegetables. If prepared with Valaipoo, it will taste just like Chicken gravy.

Peel the vazhaipoo until you reach the tender flowers that are deep inside the blossom.
Discard the ripen flowers - use them for a poriyal.
Chop the very tender florets and the inner core.
This inner core is most delicious and this is what that gives the non veg flavor.
Fine grind abt 10 one inch coconut pieces or set aside abt 5tbsp of coconut paste
In a hot pan add oil and season it with the usuals - curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon etc
Add 1 large finely chopped red onion and saute until light brown
Add 1 slit long green chilly
Add 1tsp of red chilly powder, 2 tsp of coriander powder, 1/4tsp of cumin powder, 1/4tsp of paprika powder, salt per taste
Stir well and fry for a min
Add the florets and fry for couple of minutes
Add the coconut paste with 1 cup of water
Adjust salt per taste
Toss a handful of cilantro leaves
Pressure cook for 1 whistle on medium flame
Serve hot with rice or Dosa/Idli

You can substitute the banana florets with chicken, cauliflower, vazhakai (plantain). Since you will be using only the tender florets, it is relatively easy to clean up - just remove the stamen. Remember, do not use the ripen florets - save them to prepare valaipoo poriyal , if you have the time and patience to clean them up. ;-)

Aloo Rasam

2008-08-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Makes about 2 servings

This is some unique recipe I got from an old magazine. It tastes very good. The sour and slightly spicy blend gives it the unique taste. If you like moru kulambu, you will like this Aloo rasam. It is simple to do and involves no onions and tomatoes. Very mild yet tasty.

To grind:
15 springs of coriander leaves
1 long green chilly - deseeded
15 half inch coconut pieces or 2 tbsp of grated coconut
8 cashews
1tsp poppy seeds (kasa kasa)
1 spring of mint (pudhina ) leaves
pinch of turmeric, salt

Pressure cook/boil the potato and chop it into small pieces
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan
Season the oil with 1tsp of cumin seeds, 1tsp of mustard seeds, curry leaves
Fry 1tbsp of ginger-garlic paste
Add the chopped (cooked) potato pieces and saute
Add a handful of cilantro leaves
Add the ground coconut paste
Saute for couple of mins to get rid of the raw masala smell
Add 1.5 cups of water
Add the curd mix
Add 1tsp of red chilly powder
Bring the mixture to a boil (might take about 5 mins)
Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with hot plain rice

Gobi Pepper Fry

2008-08-14T21:13:00.001-07:00

Thakkali Kulambu (Tomato)

2008-08-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Makes about 3 servings
This is my favorite gravy from my mom's cooking. She makes this delicious gravy for dosa / idly. She will use fresh coconut from our backyard and oh gosh! it used to taste heavenly. We call it 'Thick Takkali kolambu' back at home.

Heat 2tsp of gingely oil in a non-stick pan
Temper it with 1tsp mustard seeds, 1tsp cumin seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves
Alternatively, you may season vegetable oil with whole garam masala and follow the below steps. If using garam masala, do not use it with gingely oil..use veg or extra light olive oil instead.
Add about 20 whole pearl onions or 1 large onion finely chopped and saute until translucent
Add 10 garlic pods and saute them too
Add 1tbsp of ginger-garlic paste and saute well
Add about 4 large ripe tomatoes finely chopped and saute until oil leaves by the sides
Add 1 tsp red chilly powder, 2 tsp dhania powder, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, salt per taste and cook the gravy for 10 minutes with occasional stirring. You may sprinkle water every now and then
Once the masala is well cooked, Add 2 or 3 tbsp of coconut paste.
Alternatively, You may add 1/2 cup of coconut milk
If you wish to avoid coconuts, mix 2tsp of dhalia (pottukadalai) powder in 1tbsp of water and add to the gravy instead - it compromises the taste a little but still good.
Or, lessen the coconut and compliment it with 4 roasted cashews while grinding the coconut to a paste.
Add 2.5 cups of water, stir well
Cover and cook for 15 mins on low flame
Garnish with cilantro leaves
Serve with hot rice or idlies or dosas

Easy Aloo Kurma

2008-08-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Aloo Paratha

2008-08-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

Peerkangai Poriyal

2008-08-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Keerai Murungai Sambar

2008-08-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Beans Poriyal

2008-08-06T21:33:00.001-07:00

Tomato Rose

2008-08-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my dentist Manisha Gosh who showed me how to make a rose out of a Tomato peel, few years back. Oh, She is a nice person. I just thought I would publish that garnishing tip here. What you see above is a beautiful rose that you can eat. ;)
Just peel the tomato using a serrated knife into a half inch wide roll starting from the top to the very end - going around the tomato. Go slow so the peel wont cut off. It should be one single piece. Now just roll the peel like a cone and turn it upside down and there it is - your edible rose.
I made masala egg and garnished it with this rose before serving.

Sujatha to the rescue

2008-08-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

When it comes to chapathi, I am a pillsbury fan. After the ban on pillsbury atta flour and some other Indian brands, I had to go with Golden Temple atta and for sometime with Whole foods stone ground atta. To my relief Sujatha whole wheat atta is now available in some Indian stores in my area. What a relief!

And yes, dinner Tonight is Chapathi with Channa Masala. Tamil liked the chapathies. I loved seeing them puff up like poories and most importantly they stayed soft longer than their Golden Temple counter parts.

Lemon Rice

2008-08-03T21:57:00.001-07:00

Detailed recipe will follow in few days.
For now just a gist:
2.5 cups: 4.5 cups water. 5 whistles
2 red chillies, 3 green chillies,
4 limes (or 3 limes and few squirts of lemon concentrate)
order to season:
red chillies, mustard seeds, cumin, channa, peanuts, cashews, urid, hing, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, turmeric, lemon juice, salt, rice

Mysore Pauk's Cousin

2008-08-02T16:15:00.001-07:00

What shall I name it..Mysore Barfi?!

This morning I dreamt of making Mysore Pak and it turned out awesome (ofcourse in my dream). With that confidence and enthusiasm I tried this for real. Oh boy! sometimes dreams and reality are total strangers like Truth and Casey Anthony. I wish the truth is out in that disturbing case. Let me get back to our topic.

Whenever I think of Mysore Pak, I always turn down the mere idea of making it at home. But Today with all that dream and what not, I just started to make this with full confidence.The recipe I had was great and everything went as planned but just that I didnt have a good hand in hand co-ordination while I had to add the hot oil and stir simultaneously. So, Let me confess. This is 'supposed to be' Mysore Pauk. But I ended up with its 'yet to be recognized cousin Mysore Barfi'- something tasting like Mysore pauk (well closely) but texture wise reminding a barfi.. A bit too brittle. Karthik's verdict: "Not Good".

I just wanted to share my 1st attempt to make a Mysore pauk with you my folks. ;-) That said, I will attempt again in the near future to conquer this master dish. I think I know where I went wrong with the procedure.. I shall post the recipe when I qualify to do so - ie make the mysore pauk the way it should look and taste atleast once. ;)

Poori & Aloo Masala

2008-07-28T22:16:00.003-07:00

Makes about 10 poories

Poori:

Take 1 cup of whole wheat flour in a bowl
Optional: Add 1/2tsp of sooji or fine rava. This helps the poori stay puffed up for a little more time. If you add more, this will harden the poori. So go easy on it.
Add little salt and about 1/4 cup of water and knead the dough to make a pliable dough
The dough must be little harder than what you make for chapathi
Coat the dough with 1tsp of oil and rest it for 20 to 30 mins
Make small balls and using a rolling pin roll them into small circles
Heat some oil in a sauce pan
Drop the rolled dough circles one at a time
Slowly press the frying dough with the back of a perforated laddle and give little circular motion
This will help the poori puff up like pillows
Quickly flip the poori to the other side and remove from heat
Each poori may take about 2 to 3 secs to be done
Serve hot with Aloo Masala

Aloo Masala:

Pressure cook 4 medium potatoes for 2 whistles
The potatoes must be well cooked but not mushy
In a pan heat 1 tsp of oil and season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dhal - 1/2 tsp each
Add little hing, little ginger, 5 green chillies slit lengthwise, a spring of curry leaves and saute for few seconds
Saute 1 large onion chopped lengthwise until translucent
Add little salt, 1 tsp of turmeric powder
Chop the boiled potatoes into small chunks and add them
Add a handfull of cilantro leaves
Optional: Add 1 handful of frozen peas and/or fried cashews
Add 3 tbsp of water and cook the masala for 5 to 7 mins
Simple yet delicious Aloo masala is ready to serve

Tomato Pulav

2008-07-28T22:16:00.001-07:00

Makes about 6 servings

Wash and Soak 2 cups of rice in 2 cups of water for about 30 mins
In a hot non stick pan, pour 2tsp of oil and temper with 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, curry leaves, little fennel seeds
Add long slices of 1 medium size red onion and saute until light brown
Add a pinch of salt and 1Tbsp ginger garlic paste, 3 green chillies slit in the middle, 1/2tsp of turmeric powder and saute
Add 5 medium size tomatoes chopped lengthwise
Saute until oil oozes out
Optional: Add 1tsp of red chilly powder
Optional: Add little tamarind juice (about a goose berry size tamarind soaked and pulp extracted)
Optional: Add about 10 to 15 fried cashews/peanuts
Add a handful of cilantro leaves
Add 1.5 cups of water and adjust salt/spice per taste
Now add the soaked rice without draining
Mix well and cover and cook in medium flame
After about 10 mins, you can see craters in the pan. Now reduce the flame to the min possible and slow cook for another 10 mins
Garnish and serve with raita (curd flavored with raw onions, green chillies etc)

Masala Egg

2008-07-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Just a 5 min makeover will make the boring hardboiled eggs into a gorgeous gourmet. Offlate this is my son's favorite.

Hardboil 4 eggs for about 17 mins
Deshell and cut them in halves as shown above
Fine grind 3 pearl onions, 3 garlic cloves
To the paste, add 1/2tsp red chilly powder, 1/2tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp curry powder, 1/4tsp garam masala powder, turmeric powder, salt per taste. Mix them all well and set aside
In a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and saute 4 finely chopped pearl onions, the ground paste and saute well in low flame
Optional: Saute a handful of leafy green cabbage (finely sliced)
Add 1/4 small tomato (finely chopped) (or 1tsp of tomato paste)
When it is well cooked, place the egg halves over the masala so that the yolks touch the bottom of the pan
Alternatively, you can chop the eggs into small chunks instead of halves like here
Leave them for 3 to 4 mins on low flame
Move the eggs carefully around the pan so the masala doesnt stick to the bottom from time to time
Slightly coat the egg whites with the masala using the spatula while it cooks
Remove the eggs and garnish with coriander leaves and serve as a side

Sweet Pongal

2008-07-25T10:50:00.001-07:00

Makes about 6 servings

Rice : Moong dhal: Water : Milk : Jaggery ratio is as follows:
1 cup rice : 1/2 cup dhal : 4 cups water : 1/2 cup milk : 1.5 cups jaggery
Wash and Pressure cook rice and dhal for 6 whistles
Roast a little of cashews, raisins, pistas, any other nut, tiny cubes of coconut in little ghee and set aside
Powder a bit of sugar and 2 whole cardomoms and set aside
In a small mouthed pan, transfer the cooked rice and stir and mash in low flame
Add the milk and keep stirring until the milk is absorbed by the rice
Toss the nuts and rasins
Add the jaggery and stir until it melts and gives a smooth texture to the pongal
Add the cardomom powder for flavor
You may also add edible camphors (karkandu)
Lastly add teeny tiny bit of pepper poder & salt to enhance the taste
NOTE: the salt/pepper should be very very less that one could barely taste it.
The coconut bits will be a nice hidden treat in this dish

Kothavaranga Paruppu Usili

2008-07-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

Makes about 3 servings
This is my dear husband's all time favorite. I just learnt this and thanks to SK for sharing this recipe.

Soak a little more than 1/4 cup of Chana dhal for 3 hrs in water
Grind the drained dhal with 1 green chilly, 1 red chilly, little salt, pinch of hing to a not so coarse - not so smooth paste
Chop the kothavarakai (cluster beans) into quarter inch pieces (about 2 cups) and cook them in very little water along with little salt.
While it cooks, steam the dhal paste in a idly vessel or steamer for about 10 mins
Break the steamed dhal into tiny chunks
In a pan heat 2 tsp of oil and season with 1tsp of mustard seeds and a bit of hing
When the seeds splutter, add the broken chunks of dhal and roast it on low flame for 2 to 3 mins
Add the cooked and drained beans and stir continuously for another 5 mins or so
Add one or two tsp of oil as and when needed
Delicious paruppu usili is ready
You can use other bean varieties too to make this usili
Serve with more kulambu or sambar

Avarakkai Poriyal

2008-07-22T22:17:00.001-07:00

Makes about 4 servings

Use tender broad beans that has little or no seeds
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and season it with 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1tsp of mustard seeds
Saute 15 finely chopped pearl onions
When the onions turn translucent, add the chopped avarakai (pattai avarai or broad beans)
Add little salt and 0.5tsp of turmeric powder
Saute the vegetable for 5 to 10 mins
Add 1 tsp of red chilly powder and stir well
Sprinkle water from time to time and saute the veges until cooked
It would take little longer to cook for this veg. So cover and cook with occasional stirring and water sprinkles to avoid charring
While it cooks, coarsely grind 3 tbsp of raw peeled peanuts
The peanuts should be very chunky
When the vege is almost done, add this chunky peanuts and stir well
Cook for another 5 mins with constant stirring
Serve hot or cold with white rice or curd rice or as a side to main course
You can use shredded coconut in lieu of peanuts

Rajma Masala

2008-07-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

Makes about 4 servings

In a pan heat 3 tsp of oil and season with 1tsp of cumin seeds
When the seeds splutter, add 1 medium red onion finely chopped
Saute the onions with little salt until they turn light brown
Add 1tsp of garam masala powder and saute for another 2 mins
Add 3 big tomatoes finely chopped and saute all really well
Transfer the contents to a blender. Let it cool
Blend them all to a smooth mixtureYou can also use tomato puree or sauce. I used Ragu sauce. If using, while the sauteed onion is cooling off, in the same pan saute 1 cup of tomato paste (or Ragu pasta sauce) in low flame for about 8 mins and add the ground onion
Transfer the ground mixture to the pan and stir well
Add 1 green chilly chopped
Add 1.5tsp of coriander powder, 1tsp of red chilly powder
Add the canned redkidney beans (rajma)
You may also add cooked rajma with the rajma water (You have to soak the beans overnight and pressure cook)
Add 2 cups of water, 1tsp of fenugreek leaves powder (kasoori methi)
Cover & cook for 15 mins in medium flame with occasional stir
Optional: Add 1tsp of butter and simmer for another 2 mins
Garnish with cilantro paste
Serve hot with Chapati or Roti

Preserving Coconut Milk - Tips

2008-07-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

.........

For most working families with limited time to cook, making fresh coconut milk from scratch from a whole coconut is too laborious a process, especially when it can be easily substituted with canned or bottled unsweetened coconut milk.

But the problem with using such canned products is the shelf life after opening is just few days. And with the increasing awareness of cholesterol, you dont want to chow down the whole can a week just because it would expire. Expiry of health outweighs expiry of this can afterall. ;)

I typically use just 1 tbsp of milk for certain recipes like Briyani or specific curries and I often go with cashews/yogurt in lieu of coconut milk. So my consumption is like 1 can twice a month or so.

It just occured to me that I can preserve this can of milk in an unique way.

Just fill out an ice cube tray with this milk and freeze it for a day. Then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag (zip loc). There it is for you to use as and when needed. Just toss in a cube or two when your recipe calls for 'the coconut milk'.

One noteworthy tip I could throw in here is: The cubes will melt as soon as you take them out of the freezer. So no need to thaw them before use. They are ever ready to jump into your hot pan.

The can will contain the cream of the milk at the top and watery at the bottom. While spooning into the tray, you may want to freeze the cream separately if you wish. I filled haf of each cube with the cream and half with the watery milk.

Basic Upma

2008-07-18T09:57:00.001-07:00

Makes about 2 servings
This is a dish that is very basic in Indian cuisine. But it doesnt hurt to post the recipe. :) For starters this may be a good guide though.

In a pan heat 3 tsp of oil and season it with 1 tsp of mustard seeds
When the seeds crackle, add 1 tbsp of channa dhal, 1tsp of urid dhal, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 spring of curry leaves, very little hing
Add 3 small pieces of ginger (diced), 1 tbsp of raw peanuts (peeled) and/or 5 cashews broken into bits and roast them all without browning
Add 1 medium red onion finely chopped and saute until translucent. Do not brown them
Add 3 cups of water
Add 1tsp of salt. (You may adjust salt per taste - it must be slightly salty)
Stir well and let the water come to a boil. It may take about 4 mins or so
Add cilantro leaves to the pan
Now in one hand keep stirring the water in circular motion while you slow and steadily pour 3/4th cup of Upma Rava ( need not roast - you may roast beforehand if you wish)
The upma rava must be poured slowly like rain drizzling and you have to be continuously stirring to avoid lumps
Keep stirring the upma until most of the water evaporates
Add 1tsp of oil at the end and stir couple more times
Serve hot with chutney or sambar
Tips: Keep some hot water handy so if the water is not enough while you pour the rava in, you may add little by little. Same way keep some rava too handy if water is more. But the ratio given in this recipe is precise.