Swaadhisht

Nendrampazha sweet

2011-10-20T16:34:00.001+05:30


Nendrampazha sweet

When we were school going children, my mother used to make different types of sweets, mostly with jaggery. I remember raagi dosai, wheat flour dosai etc. with jaggery (sweet dosai!). Nowadays, we seem to use a lot of white sugar which is not good for health. Jaggery retains its minerals, wikipedia says and my mother used to say that it is full of iron! I loved this sweet when I was young and love it even now! Now, to the recipe:

Nendrampazham/Kerala banana

Vellam/Jaggery/Gud

Elakkaai/Cardamom

Kraambu/Clove

Jaadikkai/Nutmeg

Ingredients:

1. 6 Ripe Nendrampazham (slightly blackened and soft ones)

2. 1/2 cup powdered or mashed jaggery

3. 1 tbsp. Ghee

4. Cardamom, clove, nutmeg powdered together - 1/4 tsp.

5. A pinch of salt

Method:

Cut the ripe bananas as shown in the picture.

Take a non-stick pan, pour the ghee and spread it to the whole pan with a ladle.

Put the cut pieces of banana and heat it in a slow flame, turning them often. Let them become slightly brown. Remember, the heat should be low. Keep it aside.

Put the jaggery with a quarter cup of water in the stove. After it dissolves (keep stirring with a spoon), strain it in a filter (tea filter will do) so that the sand or sugarcane pieces are removed. Add the pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp. of cardamom powder (if it is with sugar, make it 1/2 tsp.). Heat it again until it is thickened to one string consistency. Check it like this: Take a drop of the syrup in the spoon, leave it for a second to cool, touch it in the forefinger and check with the thumb as shown in the picture below. One string will be visible. It should be slightly thick. Don't burn your fingers!

Pour the thick syrup into the roasted banana pieces and mix it with the stove on.

Keep frying/turning the pieces for some more time, until it looks like it is in the first picture! Leave it to cool for a minute and then gobble up! I literally do it!

Cardamom powder mix: Take 2 tbs. of cardamom, 1 tsp. of clove and a small piece of nutmeg. Dry it (not roast, but just heat) in a pan. Take it out and when it is not very hot, grind it in a mixer with some sugar (1 tbs.). Store it in a tupperware/air tight SMALL container. The flavour is more when you add the other two ingredients with cardamom!

Try this sweet and remember to tell me if you like it or if you have any doubt or if I should make any improvement in my presentation!

P.S.: If you don't have jaggery or feel lazy to do the syrup, just sprinkle 1/4 cup or less (if you are not a sweet person!), after you fry the fruit for sometime. Keep stirring until the sugar blends with the fruit. This is very easy!

Mangalore and Madras Rasam!

2011-06-29T13:05:00.000+05:30

My friend Saritha, had asked for the recipe for Rasam and I thought I will give the recipe for Mangalore rasam. Alongwith that another type of rasam, which I do at home, often which is very easy to make too!

Now, to the ingredients for Mangalore rasam powder first:

Pepper/Milagu/Kaali mirch

Curry leaves/Kariveppilai/Kadi paththa

Asofoetida/Perungaayam/Hing

Cumin Seeds/Jeeragam/Jeera

Fenugreek seeds/Vendayam/Methi

Coriander Seeds/Dhania

Bengaluru Byadige menasu/Sigappu milagaai/Laal mirch

Now, to the Check list of the ingredients for the Mangalore rasam powder:

1. 100g. Red chillies or 150 g. Byadige menasu (the second one is not hot but gives red colour for the rasam!)

2. 4 tsp. Jeera

3. 4 tsp. Methi

4. 2 cups or 100 g. Dhania

5. 1 tsp. of Pepper

6. 1/2 inch piece of Hing

7. 8-10 twigs of Curry leaves

8. 1 tsp. of Coconut oil

Method:

In a hot kadai, pour oil. Add hing first. After it gets roasted, add Chilli, Dhania and curry leaves. After everything becomes crisp, keep them in a plate. Then in the hot kadai (whatever oil is there, is enough), roast Methi first, add Jeera and pepper later. Nothing should get burnt. You can roast one by one too. Pepper should be removed from the stove as soon as you hear one pepper bursting. Otherwise, it becomes bitter.

Powder them after they cool down - warm enough to be crisp, the powder will be smooth. If the ingredients become too cold, the powder will not be smooth.

Now, the recipe for Mangalore rasam:

Ingredients:

Tamarind/Puli/Imli

Jaggery/Vellam/Gud

Checklist for ingredients:

1. One small lemon size Tamarind

2. 1 tsp. Jaggery

3. 1 Tomato (if you add more tomatoes, the tamarind should be less)

4. 1 tbs. of Salt or according to your taste

5. 2 tbs. of cooked toor daal, which is mashed nicely

6. 4 cups of water

7. Coriander leaves

For garnishing:

1. 1 tsp. coconut oil

2. 1/2 tsp. mustard

3. 1/2 tsp. Jeera

4. Curry leaves

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in warm water. I keep the tamarind in a small vessel and keep it on the cooker lid and it becomes soft to take the juice when the rice in the cooker is ready!

2. Now, take the juice out of it and pour in a medium sized vessel. The tamarind water can be about 2 cups.

3. You can grind and add or add cut pieces of tomatoes, salt, jaggery and boil for nearly 10 mts.

4. Then add the cooked toor daal and 2 tbs. of Mangalore rasam powder. Mix it well with a ladle.

5. Add more water and coriander leaves. You can add curry leaves now itself or add it while garnishing.

6. As soon as it foams on top, remove the rasam from the stove. It should not boil with bubbles, then the flavour goes.

7. Now, for garnishing...take an iron ladle (if you don't have one, take a small kadai!), add the oil, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. After the mustard bursts, add curry leaves. My maami, whose rasam is famous in our family, just adds one or two tsp. of coconut oil and removes from the stove. No garnishing!

Now, for the Madras rasam:

Let me write this rasam in a short-cut method!

1 to 3 steps should be followed as written in the Mangalore rasam recipe. Add 2 tsp. of the saambaar powder and 1/2 inch piece of hing or 1/2 tsp. of hing powder also in the 3rd step (hing is not included in my saambaar powder but it is, in the Mangalore rasam powder!). Boil for 10 to 15 mts. Add 2 tbs. of cooked toor daal. Mix well. Add another 2 more cups of water and coriander leaves. Boil it till it foams on top and remove from fire and garnish!

Altogether the rasam will be around 1 ltr. Taste it, if you think that it is strong, add some more water. It should be a bit strong for mixing with rice and eating. It should be mild, for just drinking!

If you use old, dark coloured tamarind take less amount for soaking. If the tamarind is new (light in colour), take more.

Only garnishing is different for this. I always keep some rasam garnishing powder, which is done like this:

1. 1/4 cup Jeera

2. 1/4 cup or less, pepper

3. Curry leaves

Dry roast all the 3 ingredients...first jeera, then pepper... roast, after a minute add curry leaves and roast a bit more until the leaves are crisp. Powder it when it cools and store in a bottle.

For garnishing rasam, take 1 tsp. of ghee, add 1/2 tsp. of mustard and 1/4 tsp. of jeera. When it flutters, add a tsp. of the above pepper powder, mix it with a tsp. in the ladle itself and garnish immediately!

Madras rasam is ready!

I always add jaggery for tamarind based recipe. It reduces the too tangy taste of tamarind. And for most of other recipes, I add half tsp. at least of sugar. It acts like ajino-moto...blending together all the tastes!

Hope this recipe is easy to follow. If you have any doubts, feel free to ask me. I will be glad to clear the doubt!

Kaththarikkai (Brinjal) curry powder!

2011-06-17T00:56:00.005+05:30

Roasted ingredients for Kaththarikkai Curry Powder.

This recipe is for my niece, Apparna!

We call it Kaththarikkai curry powder, but actually this is just 'curry powder'! We can use this powder in any vegetable curry...add a half tsp. with our normal chilli powder, just for giving extra flavour or add just this powder...the taste changes! For Brinjal (kaththarikkai curry), this powder is a must!

Now, to the ingredients:

Red chilli/Sigappu milagaai/Laal mirch

Curry leaves/Kariveppilai/kadi paththa

Bangal gram/Kadalai paruppu/Chana daal

Asofoetida/Perungaayam/Hing

Coriander seeds/dhania

Check list of the ingredients:

1. 100 gms. Red Chillies

2. 1/2 cup Coriander seeds

3. 1/4 cup Bengal gram

4. 6-7 twigs of curry leaves.

5. 1/2 inch piece of Hing (you just pull out a piece...half marble size... from the softened hing, it is difficult to measure it!)

6. 2 tsp. of coconut oil (you can take 1 tsp. also)

Method:

In a kadai, heat the oil and drop a half an inch piece of Hing. After it is fried, add Bengal gram, roast a bit. Then add the Coriander, Chillies and Curry leaves. Roast it until everything is crisp. Powder it, after it cools down. Your curry powder is ready!

TIP: You can add this powder with some coconut, grind it and mix it in saambaar (araiththu vitta saambaar). Less daal should be used when you add coconut.

Edited to Add: The first picture is added now (18.6.11, 3.24 pm)!

Saambaar Podi - South Indian Style

2011-06-05T16:53:00.003+05:30

My friend, Kavita had asked for the recipe of our South Indian Saambaar powder, a couple of weeks back and I took my time to present it here! Hope this is easy to follow, Kavita!

First collect all the 10 ingredients:

1. 250g. Red chilli (long chilli is preferable)/Sigappu milagaai vattral/Laal mirchi
(No need to pluck the 'kaambu' - stalk which is supposed to be hottt!)

1 a. 100g. Kashmiri mirch or Bengaluru byadagi menasu (optional), to give colour!

2. 250g. Coriander seeds/Dhania
(We get slightly green coloured coriander seeds at Nilgiris stores. which smells better and fresh and so, I buy that).

3. 100g. Cumin seeds/Jeeragam/Jeera

4. 100g. Fenugreek/Vendayam/Methi

5. 100g. Mustard/Kadugu/Rai

6. 100g. Black Pepper/Milagu/Kaali mirch

7. 100g. Bengal gram/Kadalai paruppu/Chana daal

8. 100g. Tuvar daal/Tuvaram paruppu

9. 3-4 pieces Turmeric root/Manjal kizhangu/Haldi

10. A big bunch of Curry leaves/Kariveppilai/Kadi pattha

Your saambaar podi is ready!

Ingredients (Check list!):

1. 250g. Red chilli (long chilli is preferable)

1 A. 100g. Kashmiri mirchi or Bengaluru byadagi menasu (optional)

2. 250g. Coriander seeds

3. 100g. Cumin seeds

4. 100g. Fenugreek

5. 100g. Mustard

6. 100g. Black Pepper

7. 100g. Toor daal

8. 100g. Bengal gram

9. 3-4 pieces Turmeric root or 2 tbs. of turmeric powder to be mixed with the saambaar powder.

10. A big bunch of Curry leaves

Method:

Collect all the ingredients and dry them on a paper or tray in the sun. I keep everything in a huge aluminium tray, cover it with a thin cloth (tuck the edges under the tray) and dry it. We get many pigeons near our house and they are after the daal in the tray, so we cover it for this reason and to avoid dust!

I dry the curry leaves with the stem as shown in the picture separately because it take a bit more time to dry and mix it with the other ingredients later. Turmeric root should be mashed a bit or else the grinder machinewala might refuse to grind it - just break them with a Mortar & Pestle (too elaborate name in English, so click on this word to see the picture!). Please give me the Hindi name, I have forgotten!

If you don't get enough sunlight or if it is rainy season, you can slightly dry roast all the ingredients, one by one...just enough to dry it, not roast it. The powder will be better if the ingredients are dry and will last longer.

Kashmiri mirchi or byadige menasu is optional. I add it just to give colour to the powder/saambaar. You can increase this chilli more and the other one less, if you are not used to hot and spicy saambaar!

Send it to the dry grinding machine for powdering. When you bring back the powder, it will be hot. Don't cover the lid because the sweat from the hot powder will drip into the powder which might spoil the it in due course. Just cover it with a thin paper until it cools down and then store it in an airtight container (like a tupperware container...I was a dealer once, so the habit doesn't leave me for an opportunity to canvas!). I keep a small quantity, in a small bottle for daily usage so that the freshly ground smell does not leave the powder!

One more tip: We send a cup of tuvar daal in a small container separately to the machine. We ask the drygrinderwala to 'run' this daal through the machine to collect the remaining powder from the machine, which we use while making saambar (the ingredients we use here are too expensive...we can't leave the powder to the machinewala...I used to follow these things like a ritual until a few years back, now don't bother that much!).

2 table spoonfull of powder is enough for a litre of saambaar. You can increase or decrease the quantity as per your taste, gradually.

Hope this recipe is clear and easy to follow. I would be happy if you can give suggestions to improve my presentation.

Maagaali Kizhangu, Thayir Oorugai (Pickle)

2009-09-16T10:18:00.017+05:30

This pickle is my son's/my family's favourite and I was asked by many in the family to give the recipe for a long time and here it is.

Maagaali kizhangu (Decalepis root) pickle - this is a very famous pickle in South India. In Kannada, we call it Maagaali beru, in Tamil, Maagaali kizhangu. This is a root vegetable, which has got a very strong smell (flavour) which some people do not like and people who like the smell, love it. This pickle can be prepared in two types. Let me give you the pickle recipe in which curd is used. The photo of the maagaali kizhangu above, was taken after it was washed, so looks glossy!

This root is available in the vegetable markets during season, around May to September, I think. Trichi in Tamilnadu (as far as I know), is famous for this root vegetable. We have to select the roots by scratching the skin of the root. It should be tender and nearly white inside. If the root is not tender, it will not soften after we prepare the pickle. I bought 1 Kg. of this root. But after cleaning, I got only 3 cups of cut pieces. So I will give the ingredients for 3 cups of pieces.

First step:

Soak the roots in a tub of water for sometime. The mud, which is sticking, should come out. Then peel out the outer skin and drop them, one by one, immediately in a big vessel filled with water in which a half cup of butter milk is added. Butter milk prevents the root from becoming dark brown in colour.

Second step:

This root has got a stick-like thing in the center (thandu). So take a root from the water, slice it and cut into very small pieces, as shown in the photo. Throw away the stick. These pieces also should be dropped into another vessel with water and buttermilk. No need to measure the water in the vessel because we will throw away this water, later! Only this step will take more time.

Let me give you the list of the ingredients now, for the third step:

1. 3 Cups of cut pieces of the root

2. 1 Cup sea salt

3. 1 tsp. Turmeric (haldi) powder

4. 8 - 10 Green Chillies (sliced into two pieces - you can add more if you like)

5. 3 Tsp. Mustard seeds

6. 10 - 12 Red Chillies

7. 5 - 6 cups curd (no need for sour curd, if it is slightly sour also, no problem)

8. 3 Lemon (juice) - optional.

Third Step:

Measure the cut pieces of maagaali root. Put them in a vessel.

Grind/powder, Mustard seeds and Red Chillies in mixer. Now, add this powder and all the other ingredients into the vessel. If you add more chillies, please remember to add more salt. If you like lemon flavour, add the lemon juice also.

Mix well and store in a glass or non-corrosive (tupperware - I was a tupperware dealer and has got this habit of recommending it and it is good for storing pickle also, really!) bottle. I am storing it in an old 1 litre Horlicks bottle (I have got 2 for the past many years - old treasures!) for the past one year. I am not storing it in the fridge but it is still good. The curd has not become sour!

This root has got many ayurvedic properties and is used in preparing medicines, I believe.

Try it and let me know if you like it. I would also like to know if the way I write, is easy to follow.

Macaroni with Cheese and Tomoatoes

2009-06-21T20:07:00.000+05:30

I had prepared this dish 5-6 times and the youngsters liked it very much. This recipe is from an old paper cutting of Hindu newspaper dated September '07! I don't know why I did not try all these times! It is very easy to make. I used 'True' brand wheat macaroni and the taste was very good. I took the photograph before adding the cheese.!

Macaroni & Cheese (sans Cheese here!)

Now,the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 250 gms. Macaroni

2. 2 tbsp. Butter

3. 2 Medium sized onions, finely sliced

4. 2 Capsicums, finely sliced

5. 2 Tomatoes, finely sliced

6. 3 tbsp. Tomato Ketchup

7. 4-5 tbsp. Grated cheese (add more cheese to taste better!)

8. 2 tsp. chilli Flakes (warm 6-7 red chillies and grind it coarsely in the mixie)

9. 3 cups White sauce

10. 1 tsp. Oregano

11. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Method:

Boil 5-6 cups of water in a vessel. Add half tsp. of salt and a tsp. of any cooking oil. Add the macaroni and boil for 5 mts. The macaroni should not become very soft. Strain and keep aside.

Heat a tbsp. of butter in a frying pan and add onions. Fry for 2 mts. Add capsicums and fry for 2 mts. Switch off the fire.

Now prepare the white sauce in another vessel and keep it. If you prepare it very early, it becomes very thick and sticky.

Now, switch on the fire and add macaroni, tomato ketchup and white sauce to the onion and capsicums' pan. Add the tomatoes, chilli flakes, oregano, a tsp. of salt and a tsp. of pepper. (Taste it and see if the salt is enough!). Stir well. Cook on a low flame for 2 mts. Pour the mixture in a greased baking dish. Cover with grated cheese.

Bake it in a hot oven until the cheese turns into light brown. 180 degree C for the first 10 mts. and then 150 degree for another 10-15 mts.

Serve hot.

WHITE SAUCE:

Ingredients:

1. 2 tbsp. butter

2. 3 tbsp. Maida (Plain flour)

3. 3 cups milk

4. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Method:

Melt the butter in a flat pan. add the plain flour and keep stirring on a low flame, without browning it.

Add the milk gradually, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens. There should be no lumps. Add half tsp. of salt and half tsp. of pepper. The sauce can be made thin by adding more milk.

Preparation time for this recipe is very less. Any new cook can try this!

Comments are welcome!

Tomato sauce for Pasta

2009-06-21T17:53:00.003+05:30

I am doing this sauce for Pasta, for the past one year. Everyone seems to like the taste. I took recipes from different websites and created a sauce of my own! Now, to the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 2 Kg. Ripe Tomatoes

2. 2 nos. Medium sized onions, chopped finely

3. 4-5 flakes garlic, chopped finely

4. 1/2 bunch of spring onion (both bulbs and greens can be used), chopped finely

5. 1 Green Capsicum, chopped finely

6. 2 Carrots, chopped finely

7. 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Olive oil

8. 1 tbs. Oregano leaves

9. 1 tsp. Rosemary leaves

10. 2 Dried Bay leaves

11. 1 Stalk Celery, chopped finely

12. 1/2 Cup Basil leaves, chopped

13. 2 tbsp. Unsalted butter

14. 2 tbsp. Sea salt or according to taste

15. 1 - 2 tbsp. Freshly ground pepper

16. 1/2 tsp. Sugar

Method:

Boil water in a big vessel and immerse tomatoes, a few at a time and cover the vessel for 1-2 minutes. You can see a crack 0n the skin of the tomatoes. Keep cold water in another big vessel and take the hot tomatoes and drop them into it, one by one. You can use a ladle with holes for this purpose. When the tomatoes are a bit cold, remove the skin and keep them in a big plate/thaali. The second method is to keep the tomatoes in a glass bowl in the microwave 'high' for 3-4 mts. and then peel the skin. I follow the first method!

Heat the olive oil (fumes should not come) in a big non-stick vessel and add onion and garlic. Fry until soft and transparent, for 3-4 mts.

Add all the chopped vegetables and fry for 5 mts.

Add celery and basil leaves and fry for 2 mts. Add half quantity of the salt and pepper powder.

Now, put the tomatoes in a mixie, 2-3 at a time and grind just for half a minute, after removing the skin. It should not become watery. While removing the skin, take off the part of the tomato where the stem is connected because it will be a bit hard, with a sharp knife (hope, I am communicating what I think, correctly!). Pour them in to the vessel.

Leave it to boil for half an hour and then add the herbs, salt, pepper, bay leaves and butter. Butter is to remove the tangy acidic taste of the tomato. Taste and add more salt if you think so.

Boil for half an hour more or till the sauce thickens, in medium flame. The sauce should not be very watery or very thick.

When it cools down, you can store in an air-tight container in the fridge. The olive oil acts as a preservative and the sauce stays fresh for a week or two. You can take out the bay leaves, before storing.

This sauce has got vegetables also and so my son just boils pasta, adds this sauce to it and EAT!

Try this recipe and I would be happy to know if you liked it.

Ribbon Pakkoda/Oattu Pakkoda - South Indian/Tamil savoury - II

2009-03-09T10:52:00.000+05:30

I prepare this ribbon pakkoda in different ratios and the taste also varies accordingly:

Variation 1:

1. 4 cups Rice flour,

2. 1 and 1/2 cup fried gram flour.

You can grind both the rice and gram together in the outside machine or buy the flours and use them.

Variation 2:

1. 4 cups Rice flour,

2. 1 cup Bengal Gram flour,

3. 1/2 cup Urad Dhal flour. (the urad dhal should be roasted and ground in the mixie and and sieved).

Everything else is the same as per my previous (ribbon pakkoda) recipe. You can differentiate the taste in all the three methods!

Try these methods too and give me the feedback please!

Ribbon Pakkoda/Oattu pakkoda - South Indian/Tamil Savoury - I

2009-03-06T11:30:00.000+05:30

Ribbon Pakkoda (ரிப்பன் பக்கோடா)/Oattu pakkoda (ஓட்டுப் பக்கோடா):

This is a savoury from Tamilnadu, which is very tasty and easy to prepare:

4 cups Bengal gram flour,
2 cups Rice Flour,
1/2 cup Butter or ghee,
3 tsp. Salt (diluted in 2 tbsp. of water),
1 tsp. Asafoetida powder or solid hing diluted in some water.
3 tsp. Chilli Powder,
2/3 cups Oil for frying,
Enough water.

Dough:

Mix the flours with butter, nicely, with your fingertips. Add hing, chilli powder and salt water and mix again. (Retain some salt water. Taste the first batch of the snack and you can add some more, if salt is less). Then add some more water and mix till the dough is like the chapaathi dough. It should not be very stiff or soggy.

Method:

Make a ball out of the dough first and then stretch it a bit, so that it fits the Cookie Press - 'murukku achchu' (M.A.)(முறுக்கு அச்சு) and close the lid.

Pour oil in a kadai/pan and heat it. It should be very hot first. Then slow down the fire and press the dough in the M.A. into the hot oil. Press enough dough, till it covers the oil in the pan. One M.A. dough can be pressed approx. twice. If you press more, it will not get cooked properly. Now keep the fire 'medium'. When the ribbon is half cooked, turn it once. On the whole, it will take approx. 2-3 mts. for one ribbon to get cooked. When the bubbles die down, and the ribbon is golden brown, take it out and keep it in a drainer/paper napkin for a minute.

Once you start preparing this snack, don't stop, till the dough is finished. If the dough soaks for a long time, the snack will be very oily. Remember to keep the fire 'sightly high' while cooking.

Place some paper napkin or some brown paper in the storage container and store the snack. Nice crispy savoury is ready.

You can reduce the rice flour to 1 and a 1/2 cup too. This will be a bit softer for the teeth!

While pressing the dough into the oil, hold the stem of the M.A. in your left hand and press with the right hand. This machine is very easy to handle.

If you want to prepare more, don't add extra flour to this measure. Prepare a new dough. The dough should not soak for a long time.

Renu, this recipe is for you! Enjoy and give me the feed back!

P.S.: I have also added two more variations to this recipe

Baby corn subzi with coconut milk.

2008-10-18T11:47:00.000+05:30

Our family loves this subzi very much. I make this subzi on festival days/pooja days, when we are not supposed to use onion/garlic. It is very tasty and we can have it with chapaathis, pooris, pongal, idly or dosa. Now, the recipe:

Ingredients:

Serves 3-4 people.
1. 1 1/2 cups, Baby corns, cut into 2" long sliced pieces or round shaped pieces. Cook it slightly in microwave, if it is a bit hard and keep aside.
2. 200g. Tomatoes, chopped
3. 1 Medium sized coconut, grated. Grind it in a mixer with a cup of water, strain and keep aside the milk. This milk will be thick. Grind the squeezed coconut once or twice more, with 3-3 1/2 cups of water. Strain and keep this milk also, separately.
4. 1 tsp. Coconut/refined oil
5. 2 tsp. Coriander(dhania)
6. 2-3 Red Chillies
7. 1 1/2 tsp. Pepper
8. 2 tsp. Bengal gram
9. Curry leaves.

Fry no.5-9 items in oil and grind into a paste, with 1/2 cup of water. While frying, pepper should be added in the end.

10. 1 1/2 tsp. salt or as per your taste.

Method:

Cook chopped tomatoes and the ground masala paste for 5 mts. Add the thin coconut milk, which was taken while grinding second and third time. Let it come to a boil. Add the corn pieces now. Add salt. When the corn becomes soft, add the thick milk. Let it boil for 2 mts. If you boil for more then 2-3 mts. the coconut creamy tasty will not be there.

The subzi is ready to serve!

P.S.: You can use potatoes instead of baby corn too!

Walnut toffee!

2008-08-21T13:38:00.000+05:30

I tried this recipe once and it came out well. Here, in India, during the Navrathri pooja season, we get boxes of nuts as gifts. We can collect the walnuts from them and try this!!!

Ingredients:

10 whole walnuts - without shells
100 gms sugar
1 tsp. butter

Method:

Take the sugar in a small kadai and fry without water in a slow fire. Keep on stirring and the sugar will start melting slowly and turn brown in colour. Sugar caramel is ready now. Add the butter and stir for a few seconds. I like to add a pinch of salt also - salt enhances the taste of sweets! Some people do not like to add salt. Both ways are good. Switch off the fire.

Take the walnuts and dip in the caramel, one by one, with the help of a tooth pick. We should finish doing this when the caramel is hot. Line up in a greased plate. Let it cool down.

We can break the walnut into two halves and make two toffees in one nut too! Walnut has got a slight bitter taste. When it is coated with caramel, it tastes yummy!

We can try this with ghee roasted cashew nuts too! Children will love these toffees, I guarantee!!!

Ginger-lemon Sharbath - 100% health drink!

2008-08-20T12:39:00.000+05:30

This sharbath is my aunt's recipe. When I was young, I used to go to Mangalore to her place in the holidays. She is a very good cook and loved to feed people with different varieties of snacks, juices etc. Her house is very near to the Mangalore bus terminus and the railway station and our relatives from Madras or any other place, while visiting Mangalore or Udupi, first went to her place, chat with her, fill their stomach (literally!) and then leave. She remembered everybody's favorite dishes and prepared them whole heartedly. She used to make different types of sharbaths for the 11 am drink, which was served everyday! We love you, Chikkamma!

Now, the recipe:

Ingredients:

100 gms. raw ginger
2 cups lemon juice
3-4 cups jaggery or palm sugar
1 tsp. kaala namak (Black salt)

Method:

Clean the ginger and grind it in a mixer with some water. Filter it into a vessel, add some more water and grind and strain again. You can use 1-2 cups of water. Leave it like that for half an hour. The sediment will settle down. We have to use only the plain water for the sharbath.

Squeeze the cleaned lemons, after removing the seeds, with a squeezer, in a vessel. Normally, we add jaggery, twice the measure of lemon juice.

Mash the jaggery or palm sugar, add a cup of water and boil it for 5 mts. After the jaggery dissolves, filter it and put it back on the stove. The sand should be filtered. Let it boil for another 5 mts. It can be slightly syrupy. See to it that it doesn't thicken. Keep this aside.

Now pour the ginger water in a big vessel and bring it to a boil. Add the jaggery water. Add the kaala namak powder. Bring it to a boil. Switch off the stove and let it cool. Now, pour the lemon juice into it and mix for a minute. Your sharbath is ready now!

You can pour quarter measure of a glass of juice and add water and stir and serve!

P.S.: You can reduce the quantity of jaggery a little and add a tablespoon of honey, while mixing the sharbath. The 100% health drink is ready. Store the concentrated juice in the fridge. No need to add citric acid, if you are going to keep it in the fridge.

If you have a soda maker with you, add soda water and the children will love it! No more colas!

Papaya Bread!

2008-08-19T12:31:00.000+05:30

I baked this bread last Sunday and it was quite easy and very tasty! Want to give a try? Here, have the recipe:

Preparation time: 2 hours 45 mts.

For making one loaf, you need the following ingredients:

1 cup shredded firm papaya
1/2 cup butter or Margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups a purpose flour (Maida)
1 tsp.baking Powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice (I did not have this, so did without this, still, tasty!)
1/2 tsp. ground Ginger
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnut or cashew

Method:

Drain Papaya on paper towels.
Cream butter in a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed.
Gradually add sugar, beating well.
Add eggs or the flax meal mixture.
In another bowl, mix together the flour and all the other ingredients. Mix for 3 mts.
Stir in papaya, raisins and walnuts.
Spoon batter into a greased and floured 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
Bake in a pre-heated oven (350 F / 180 C) for 1 hour and 10 mts or until done.
Let cool in the pan for 10 mts. Remove and cool it completely on a wire rack.

P.S.: If you don't want to use eggs, use this mixture:
Grind in a mixer, 4 tbsp. of flaxmeal (flax seeds) and add 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 6 tbsp.water and add to the bread dough.

We can make banana bread also in this method!

Ref.: www.recipezaar.com

Daalimbe (Pomegrenate) Thambuli - Udupi Recipe

2008-07-28T18:10:00.000+05:30

Pomegranate/Daalimbe (ದಾಳಿಂಬೆ in Kannada, மாதுளம் பழம் in Tamil, अनार in Hindi) fruit has got medicinal properties. It has got blood purifying qualities and helps people with arthritis.

Every part of this plant is used in ayurvedic medicine - roots, leaves, seeds, skin of the fruit, etc. Normally we take this fruit in juice form. Try this thambuli with daalimbe/pomegranate skin:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Skin of daalimbe fruit - chopped
1/2 tsp. Cumin(Jeera) seeds
2-3 Green chilli
1/2 tsp. Ghee
1/2 cup Grated coconut
1/2 cup Curd
Salt to taste

Garnish:

1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
1/2 tsp. Mustard
Curry leaves (optional)

Method:

Fry the daalimbe peels, jeera and green chilli in ghee till the peel shrinks a bit. Grind this with coconut, in a mixer with some water (drinking water is better because we are not going to boil it again). After it becomes soft, add the curd and grind for a second. Pour in a vessel and add water till the thambuli is of dosa batter consistency. Garnish.

If you feel the thambuli is a bit bitter in taste, add 1/2 tsp. sugar and mix. Serve with rice or chapaathis.

Neerulli (Onion) Thambuli (Udupi Recipe)

2008-07-26T13:13:00.000+05:30

Neerulli (ನೀರುಳ್ಳಿ - in Kannada, வெங்காயம் in Tamil) thambuli is very tasty and can be had with plain rice or fried rice also and with chapaathis! Now, the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 Medium sized onions chopped,
2-3 Green chilli
1/2 cup Grated Coconut
1/2 cup Curd
1/2 tsp. refined oil or ghee
Salt, as per taste

Garnish:

1/2 tsp. Mustard
1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
Curry leaves

Method:

Fry the onion and green chilli in ghee or oil for a few minutes or till the onion is transparent. Grind with coconut and a little water, in a mixer till it is soft and add the curd and grind for a second. Pour in a vessel and add enough water to bring it to the dosa batter consistency. Or a bit more watery, if you feel so. Garnish and your onion thambuli is ready to serve.

Your comments are welcome!

Southekai Thambuli - Udupi Recipe

2008-07-25T13:48:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:

1/2 Southekai,
1-2 Green Chillies,
1/2 tsp. Cumin/jeera seeds,
3/4 cup Grated Coconut,
1/2 cup curd,
Salt as per your taste.
4-5 cups of water

Garnish:

1/2 tsp. Mustard,
2 Sprigs Curry leaves,
1 tsp. Coconut oil.

Remove the skin from southekai and cut into pieces after removing the seeds. Cook with green chilli and a pinch of sugar, in 2 cups of water. When cools down, grind this with coconut in a mixer. Add curd in the last round. Pour in a vessel and garnish. The consistency should be like dosa batter.

Second method:

You can make thambuli with just the soft part, after removing the seeds. No cooking, just grind everything like the earlier recipe and garnish. The hard part can be used for saambaar or majjige huli (ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ ಹುಳಿ)/more kuzhambu (மோர் குழம்பு)!

Kaake soppu (Wonderberry) Thambuli - Udupi recipe

2008-07-23T13:03:00.000+05:30

Kaake soppu (kaake soppu in Kannada - ಕಾಕೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು,, manaththakkali keerai in tamil - மணத்தக்காளி கீரை) is mostly taken in leaf or seed form when we have ulcers in our mouth. Any type of greens is good for health. Now kaake soppu thambuli recipe:

Ingredients:

1- 1 1/2 cups kaake soppu (just leaves)
2-3 Green Chillli
1/2 cup Coconut
1/2 cup Curd
1/2 tsp. Ghee
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar

Garnish:

1/2 tsp. Mustard
1/2 tsp. Coconut oil

Method:

Fry the leaves and green chilli for 2 mts. in ghee and a pinch of sugar. When it is cool, grind this and coconut with some water in a mixer. Add salt and curd and grind for a second. Pour in a vessel. Add water till it is like dosa batter or a bit more watery if you like. Garnish. Your kaakesoppu thambuli is ready.

Have it with rice or chapaathis. We call it as Green thambuli also!

Shunti (Ginger) thambuli - Udupi Recipe

2008-07-23T12:14:00.000+05:30

This thambuli will be tasty when we have slight indigestion or when we feel sick. The aroma of ginger (shunti in Kannada - ಶುಂಠಿ , Inji in Tamil - இஞ்சி)makes us feel hungry! I love the flavour of ginger, coriander and curry leaves. Now to Ginger Thambuli:

Ingredients:

1" piece Chopped Ginger
1-2 Green Chilli
1/2 cup Coconut
1/2 cup Curd
Salt as per your taste

Garnish:

1/2 tsp. Mustard
1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
Curry leaves

Method:

Grind ginger, chilli and coconut with 1/4 cup water nicely in a mixer. Add curd and grind for a second. Pour in a vessel and add salt. Add water till the thambuli is like dosa batter or a bit more watery, if you like. Garnish. Shunti thambuli is ready.

Serve with Rice or Chapaathis. Tell me whether you liked it, right?

Menthe (Fenugreek /Methi) Thambuli

2008-07-19T19:58:00.000+05:30

Today I will write about menthe (ಮೆಂತೆ) thambuli. Fenugreek thambuli. These seeds are very very good for our health. So we use them often in our recipes. Now, try this one:

Ingredients:

3/4 tsp. Fenugreek/methi seeds
1 Green chilli or 2 red chilli
1/2 cup Grated coconut
1/2 cup Curd
Salt to your taste

Garnish:

1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
1/2 tsp. Mustard
curry leaves

Method:

Dry roast fenugreek seeds in a kadai. Grind it with all the other ingredients. Grind with the curd, which is important. Otherwise the taste will change. Pour in a vessel and add water till it is of dosa batter consistency. Garnish.

Fenugreek/methi (வெந்தயம்) helps to digest food. Good for diabetics if taken in powder form in the morning - 1/2 tsp. with water or soak 1/2 tsp. methi in water, the night before and drink it, first thing in the morning. 1/2 tsp. seeds with buttermilk will contain diarrhoea. We garnish methi for saambaar and vaththal kuzhambu (வத்தல் குழம்பு)etc. It helps hair growth also. So use this seed in your cooking, wherever possible!

Feed me back with your comments please!

Koththambari soppu (coriander leaves) Thambuli

2008-07-19T14:29:00.000+05:30

This recipe is too easy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Chopped coriander leaves
1-2 Green chilli
1/2 tsp. Cumin/jeera seeds
1/4 cup Grated coconut
1/4 - 1/2 cup Curd
Salt to taste

Garnish:

1/2 tsp. Mustard
1/2 tsp. Coconut oil

Method:

Grind all the ingredients raw in a mixer with little water, first. Then add curd. Grind it for a second for blending everything. Pour in a vessel. Add water till thambuli is in dosa batter consistency. Garnish!

Ready to serve and goes well with rice or chapaathis.

Recipe - Thambuli, various types.

2008-07-16T19:15:00.000+05:30

I am from Udupi, Karnataka. Nowadays, we get all types of vegetables almost throughout the year. It was not like that in my grandma's days. During the monsoon season, it rained heavily, as if the sky opened up and poured water on us. We could not get out of the house often to buy vegetables and other things. I remember, our house had beams on the ceiling, inside our dining and Pooja rooms. Vegetables like southekai (yellow cucumber/ಸೌತೆಕಾಯಿ), raw banana (ಬಾಳೆಕಾಯಿ), onions in bunches, used to hang from the ropes - the southekai was tied in banana stems (ಬಾಳೆ ನಾರು) and tied to the beam, to hold them for months together. We use all parts of southekai - the skin and seeds also, in our recipes. Likewise, different ingredients, available in the kitchen, are used to make different types of thambuli, gojju(ಗೊಜ್ಜು)/chutney etc. And coconut tree will be there in each and every house! So, we use coconut, butter milk, curd etc. in a number of recipes. Grandma cooked, for months together, without going out for shopping for vegetables! Imagine us, cooking without fresh vegetables now!

Let me give you the recipes of different types of thambuli first. We can mix this with rice and eat. It will be tasty with chapaathis also. Please try them and let me know if you liked it!

***

Patlukai Thambuli - Udupi recipe!

2008-07-11T19:13:00.000+05:30

Patlukaai (ಪಟ್ಲುಕಾಯಿ)in Kannada and Pudalangaai (புடலங்காய்)in Tamil, thambuli is my son's favorite thambuli! This will taste a bit like our morekuzhambu (மோர்குழம்பு). We can have it with rice, chapaathis, dosai, adai etc. This is very easy to prepare. Now, the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Snakegourd (around 200 gms.)
2-3 Green chillies
1/2 Cup grated coconut
1/2 Cup normal curd (not sour curd)
Salt as per taste.

For garnishing:

1 Tsp. Coconut oil
1/2 Tsp. Mustard
Curry leaves

Method:

Cut the snake gourd into 2-3 pieces and pressure cook or cook directly till it is soft, with the green chillies and salt, in a cup of water. Let it cool. Grind it in a mixer (blender) with coconut. After it is soft, add curd. Blend for a second. Pour in a vessel. Add water till it is like dosa batter. If you want it still watery, you can add more water! Garnish! Finished!

Mixed vegetable soup!

2008-07-07T19:50:00.000+05:30

We always make soups very thin and watery. I am making a new type of soup, which is not very watery, but wholesome. We have 2 bowls for dinner and sometimes with a couple of phulka rotis and the stomach is full. Why don't you try this?

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Green gram dhal
8-10 Beans
2 medium sized Carrots
1/2 cup Cauliflower Florets
1 Baby Corn
2 tbs. Chopped Capsicum
1 handful of Chopped Cabbage
1 Medium sized Lemon
1- 1-1/2 tsp. Salt and a pinch of sugar and haldi, pepper powder.
Coriander

Garnish:

1 tbs. Oil or 1tsp. of butter
1/2 tsp. of Jeera
3 tsp. of Chopped onion
1 tsp. of Chopped garlic
1/2" Chopped Ginger

Method:

Cook the dhal in a cooker or in a vessel in which you are planning to make soup with a pinch of haldi (turmeric powder).

Chop all the vegetables into tiny pieces. You can cook them with a pinch of sugar and 1/2 cup water in the micro wave oven for 3 - 6 mts. to make it fast!
Or cook them with the dhal. Mash dhal a bit and add the vegetables and salt. Add water to your preference - slightly watery or more watery.

Now, take a small kadai, pour the oil/butter. Add the jeera. After a second, add garlic,ginger,onion etc. and fry till the onion is transparent. Mix it with the vegetable soup. Add the chopped coriander. Bring it to a boil. Switch off and add lemon juice. Sprinkle some pepper powder.

If you don't have enough vegetables, or all vegetables, don't worry. You can add anything, ignore any vegetable! Just Carrot and Beans or Peas also is OK.

The healthiest, tastiest soup is ready!

Got an idea, just now! Shall we add a glass of milk? Is it OK with lemon? YOU tell me please!

Gobi Manchurian!

2008-07-06T19:59:00.000+05:30

We did cauliflower manchurian for the evening snack today. Actually, my husband is the expert in preparing new dishes! And my son loves it! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 - 1/2 cups cauliflower- cut into small florets, (microwaved for 3 mts., if you have the oven - optional)

For the Batter:

Maida - 1-1/4 cup
Rice flour - 2 tbs.
Cornflour - 2 tbsp.
Green chilli, ginger, garlic paste - 1/2 tsp.
Salt - 1/2 tsp. or according to your taste
Optional: Orange food colour and a pinch of Ajino Moto

For the sauce:

Oil - 2 tbsp.
Tomato sauce - 4 tbsp.
Soya sauce - 1/2 tbsp.
Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Corn flour - 1 tbsp.
Green chilli, ginger, garlic paste - 1 tsp.
(If you have only ginger garlic paste, add some cut green chilli pieces)
Garlic chopped - 1 tbsp.
Ginger chopped - 1 tbsp.
Green chillies chopped, if you need it hot
Spring onions chopped - 3 tbsp.
One small onion, chopped
Salt - 1/2 tsp.

Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Mix the ingredients for the batter with 1-1/4 cup of water - or like bajji batter. If you like kadak (hard) cauliflower manchurian, add rice flour, otherwise leave it. Dip the cauliflower in the batter and deep fry in medium flame till crisp and golden in colour. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan, add all the chopped ingredients and fry for a second and keep it in a plate. Heat the remaining oil, add the ginger garlic paste, tomato sauce, chilli powder and salt. Fry a bit, add soya sauce and 1 tbsp. cornflour mixed in 1 cup of water. Simmer till slightly thick. Add the fried cauliflower pieces and the chopped ingredients, toss till the flowers(fritters) are well coated with the sauce and serve hot - immediately. Decorate with half fried onion pieces and chopped coriander leaves!

The cauliflower should be fried just before serving or they will lose their crispness. At home I fry the cauliflower on one side and my husband prepares the sauce on the other burner! We love to serve my son and my GRAND nieces Ashwini and Aishwarya who love manchurian!

Now, all of you try this and tell me if it is as tasty as you get in the restaurants! If you feed me back your comments, I will be very happy. Enjoy!

Rice flakes cake

2004-07-20T10:50:00.000+05:30

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice flakes (thin variety)
1 cup sugar
10 cashew nuts
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 cups milk
2tbs. ghee
10 nos. pista roasted in ghee
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
A pinch of salt (very little)

Method: Clean the rice flakes once and soak for 5 mts.
Soak the cashew in hot water for 15-20 mts.
Grind the cashew and rice flakes with milk
Grind the coconut with the remaining milk
Mix both the pastes and sugar and a bit of salt.
Start boiling this mixture with the ghee in a non-stick kadaai or vessel.
Keep stirring. The flame should not be very high.
Once the mixture starts leaving the edges of the vessel, add the cardamom powder and pista. The mixture should not become very hard. It can be a bit lose - it will start hardening in 5-10 mts. in the plate.
Pour in a plate with edges which is smeared with ghee.
Let it cool for 5 mts.
Make diamond or square pieces.

Enjoy the sweet!

Stuffed Capsicum Paratha!

2004-07-19T11:43:00.002+05:30

Ingredients: 4 capsicums, ½ cup paneer, ½ cup cooked and mashed rice, ½ cup mashed potato, 2 or 3 finely chopped green chillies, 1” piece ginger – finely chopped, ¼ cup grated coconut, 1 tsp. lime juice, 1 tsp. sugar, coriander leaves and salt to taste.

2 cups wheat flour, 2 tbsp. butter or oil, enough water to knead the flour for chapathi dough with enough salt and a tsp. of sugar.

Method: Make the chapathi dough and keep aside for half an hour at least.

For stuffing: Apply little oil on the capsicum hold it in a fork or grilling pin and roast it directly on the gas flame for a few seconds. The raw taste will be lesser in this method. Deseed and chop finely. Mix it with the other ingredients.

Make a ball from the dough and press it in the middle to make a cup like shape. Fill it with enough stuffing. Close the top and roll it slowly into parathas. Fry on a non stick pan applying butter/oil.

Serve them with pickle or any hot chutneys.

That's it!

Tip of the day: Capsicum is a good source of vitamin C, A and potassium and it should not be over cooked as it loses its flavour, colour and nutrients.