Seduce Your Tastebuds

Sweet Poha-A tasty dish for kids on childrens day..

2009-11-14T08:04:00.014+08:00

This is another super easy dish that mom made today.It remained me of my childhood days when mom would prepare this for me.Today she prepared it for lil angel.

Serve this as a snack for your kids when they return home from school and watch them gobble it up and ask for more.

Three simple ingredients,3 simple steps yet it is a nutrition storehouse!!!Full of Iron and flavor,this takes just 5 minutes to prepare!!!Can you believe that!!!

Poha/aval/pressed rice ,jaggery and coconut weave a magical taste around this dish.It is a great dish for people with anemia as aval and jaggery are good sources of Iron.Sugar is replaced with jaggery and makes this snack all the more tasty and nutritious.Since it has zero[added] oil it is suitable for all ages and is easy to digest.

With so much of goodness in a dish and that too so easy to prepare,I just can't keep it to myself.So sending this to Food for 7 stages of life:Kids special hosted by two lovely bloggers Sudeshana and Radhika.

You need:

Aval/poha/beaten rice - 1 cup
Coconut,grated
Jaggery,powdered
Cardamom powder- a pinch[optional]

Wash the aval in a colander and transfer into a bowl.
Put in the coconut[the quantity is purely at your discretion],jaggery[according to taste] and cardamom.
Mix gently and serve.

Note:

There are two varieties of Aval - the thick and thin varieties.

If you are using the thin variety, wash the aval in a colander and use immediately.If you let it stand too long,it will get soggy.

If using the thick variety,wash aval and put in a vessel.Sprinkle a little water,cover and let it stand for 10 minutes or till it is soft.Then use it in the recipe.

Happy cooking....

Kande pohe-A Maharastiran Delight....

2009-11-13T19:55:00.016+08:00

Mumbai is well known as the most populous city in the world.Another well known fact is the scrumptious food that is offers.From the chaats to the traditional dishes,Mumbai cuisine is famous for its hot and spicy dishes.Yes,I have prepared a Mumbai special today.

Lakshmi Venkatesh of Kitchen chronicles has chosen Mumbai food for this months edition of RCI.Regional cuisine of India or RCI is an event started by Lakshmi Krishnan of Veggie cuisine which glorifies the rich culinary treasures of all parts on India.

I was wondering what to prepare and luckily Laksmi[kitchen chronicles] has provided a huge list of Mumbai food and made my selection process easy.

Kande pohe is a Maharastrian breakfast dish that can also be served as a snack with tea.It is pretty simple to prepare and equally delicious.

I browsed various sites for the recipe and each one had different versions.Some used green peas,some lemon juice and I also found one with garam masala.Since I don't have any locals to turn to for reference,I came up with this version after going through several methods.

You need:

Poha/pohe/pressed rice/beaten rice/aval - 1 cup
Onion - 1 large,sliced
Green chillies- 1 chopped
Potato-1 small,peeled and finely chopped
Coconut - 2 tablespoons,grated
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few
Asafoetida-a pinch
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Oil-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

In a microwave safe dish cook the chopped potato till done.[it will take around 6-8 minutes.].This can also be done on the stove top.
Take the pohe in a colander and wash with water.Let it drain.
Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard and jeera.
When it splutters put in onions,curry leaves,green chillies.
Saute onions till transparent and put in asafoetida and turmeric powder.
Add the pohe,cooked potato,salt, mix well and cook for two minutes.
Serve garnished with grated coconut.

Note:

There are two varities of Poha - the thick and thin varieties.

If you are using the thin variety, wash the poha in a colander and use immediately.Wash only when you are ready to prepare the dish and have cooked the potato,chopped the onions and chillies.If you let is stand for too long,it will get soggy.

If using the thick variety,wash poha and put in a vessel.Sprinkle a little water,cover and let it stand for 10 minutes or till it is soft.Then use it in the recipe.

Sudesana of Cook like a bong has chosen Turmeric for this months edition of Think spice.As you must be aware, it is a wonderful event started by Sunita of Sunita's world.So sending it across to her event as well.

Happy cooking...

Gulab Jamuns for ICC

2009-11-11T22:03:00.003+08:00

This morning I decided to spend a few days at mom's place.Armed with a couple of bags and 2 litres of milk[!!!!] I landed at her door steps.I was excited.This excitement has been surging within me for a couple of days and was about to be unleashed.

When Lil angel was asleep this afternoon I sped into the kitchen to explore the unknown waters,errr,i mean to prepare Gulab jamuns .If you are thinking I am talking about cricket,you are mistaken!Srivalli started the Indian cooking challenge fondly called ICC.

It is a cooking challenge where members try out different Indian dishes each month and this month the chosen recipe is Gulab jamun.So by now you would have guessed why I came home with so much of milk.Yes,we have to make this recipe from the scratch.

When I was a kid,I have seen mom preparing Khova for different sweets and I would stand next to her taking in the yummy fragrance and looking forward to the final dish!She would heat milk in a large vessel and put in a small stainless steel cup[to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom/getting burnt] and let the milk boil and stir once in a while till the milk thickened to the khova consistency.

Then she would prepare different sweets with it and the one that she made most often was Gulab jamun.I love these sweet wonders and nowadays I prepare this with ready mix.But Srivalli's challenge was really challenging as I just enrolled myself this month and I am ready to go on a vacation and have just a few days to prepare this dish and that too with a sick lil angel at home.

Fortunately lil angel is getting better and I thought today is my chance to prepare this dish.Mom helped me with making the sugar syrup while I made the khova and the jamuns.

I followed the procedure form the YUM blog.I got 24 jamuns from this recipe.

Ingredients:

Khova – 11/2 cups/ 1 recipe

Maida – 1 cup

Sugar – 3 cups (if you want excess syrup i.e floating jamuns increase by a cup)

Water – 1 cup (increase if you’re increasing sugar)

Cooking Soda – 3 pinches

Cardamom – 4 pods

Saffron leaves – a few

Oil – 1 cup (for deep frying)

Method:

1. Combine sugar and water in a flat bottomed broad pan and simmer on a low heat until sugar dissolves. Add cardamom powder and saffron leaves and remove from fire.

2. Knead khova, maida and soda and quickly shape into balls.

3. Heat oil on a medium flame. Fry the jamuns till golden brown over a low to medium flame, keeping oil temperature uniform. Oil should not smoke.

4. Drain the jamuns and soak in the warm sugar syrup.Serve the jamuns after half an hour.

Tips:

You will achieve correct consistency for jamun syrup when 3 cups of sugar dissolves 1 cup water over low heat.
Only when the syrup is ready, mix the jamun dough.
Since the dough has soda, if its kept aside the jamuns will disperse while frying and will not hold well.

Right temperature of oil of utmost importance to get soft jamuns.

Never refrigerate jamuns. Jamuns when refrigerated will shrink and become hard.

Jamuns will stay fresh for 4 days when stored in air tight containers.

If you like you can add two drops of rose essence to the syrup to make it Gulab jamun

This is the procedure and the tips as given to us and I have not changed it one bit!I just made one small addition though.

I added 2 teaspoons of milk[to remove impurities] to the sugar syrup as it started boiling, strained it and then added cardamom and saffron strands.

When I made the first batch,the jamuns started to crack when I was frying them and only then did I realize that I had not rolled the balls well.I rectified this in the next batch and got wonderfully shaped jamuns.Since it took a long time to prepare this and the want of enough sunlight to click a pic[ and I had to do it all before lil angel woke up from her beauty sleep],I am posting the pic of the first batch which looks a little 'out of shape' but tasted divine.

As I am writing this post,I am savoring these sweet little delights.Each bite is sinfully delicious and I am not a bit worried about those extra calories,fat and whatever....[All that is for later though :)].Right now its pure pleasure.....

Sprouts at home..

2009-11-09T13:26:00.000+08:00

Sprouts are well known for their nutritive benefits.They are sometimes referred to as wonder foods.

Sprouts are an inexpensive method of obtaining concentrates sources of vitamins,minerals and enzymes.It is also the safest way to get the maximum nutritional benefit devoid of contamination and harmful chemicals/pesticides.

Apart from nutritional aspect,sprouts have other benefits as well.On sprouting,the grains develop better digestibility and increased nutritive value.

They supply food in the predigested form,meaning,the food has already been worked upon by enzymes thereby making it easy to digest.Starches are converted into simple sugars,proteins are broken down to amino acids and amides and fats and oils are converted into simple fatty acids by the action of various enzymes.

While whole bean is considered to be gas producing and shunned by many,the sprouting process gets rid of this quality to a maximum level.

Consuming sprouts avoids constipation as it contains lots fiber and water.

Last week I made Moong sprouts at home after a long gap.Though I get loads of varieties at the farmers market and the fact that it is very inexpensive,I wanted to make them at home for a change.

Moong sprouts have a greater nutritional advantage over the dried green gram/whole moong.The water content of sprouted moong is higher than the dreid one and the ascorbic acid content increases by many folds.There is also an increase in protein and sodium content.The increase in amounts of vitamins and minerals along with the sodium content contributes to the easy digestibility of these sprouts.

Making sprouts at home is very easy.

Soak the moong bean overnight.
The next morning,drain the water and tie it in a muslin cloth[or any thin cloth] .Put in tnto an vessel and leave it in a dark corner.
The next day you can see the spouts emerging.Ideally the sprouts can be twice the length of the moong bean.Remove from the cloth and use as required.

Simple isn't it!!!!!

Sending this simple entry to My legume love affair[MMLA]- 17th edition,hosted by Sra of 'When my soup came alive'.MMLA is an event started by Susan of The well seasoned cook.

Carbohydrates-Part 1

2009-11-06T21:05:00.000+08:00

The first nutrient that is to be demystified is Carbohydrates.I have tried to put it into simple terms and since nutrition is a vast topic,I will just talk about the important and interesting facts and I also plan to give some sample menus at the end of each topic as well..Happy reading....

* Carbohydrates are a class of energy yielding substances that include

-Starch
-Glucose
-Cane sugar
-Milk
-Sugar etc.

* Carbohydrates from the cereals form the chief source of energy. Food grains, roots and tuber are mainly composed of starch- a complex carbohydrate. Simple sugars like cane sugar and glucose are pure carbohydrates.

* Starches when consumed are digested and release glucose that provides energy to the body

* There is no difference between the starches derived from different sources.

* Besides the digestible carbohydrates there are some non digestible carbohydrates that we like to have in our diet- Yes, Dietary fiber…Dietary fiber or unavailable carbohydrates in technical terms, is one kind of carbohydrate.

Functions of carbohydrates

1. Provide energy

Any type of carbohydrate that we take in is broken down to glucose which is the primary source of energy for the body.

2. Sparing the use of proteins for energy

Though carbohydrates are the major sources of energy, in times of fasting or staying without food/carbohydrates for a longer period, the proteins which are essential for body building turn to become energy providers thereby hindering tissue development.

3. Breakdown of fatty acids and preventing ketosis

When there is an inadequate supply of carbohydrates, fats may also be used as an energy source and the breakdown of fats leads to the formation of ‘ketone bodies’ in the blood which is leads to a dangerous condition called ‘ketosis’.One of the ways to diagnose Ketosis is by the odors on the breath and in the urine.To prevent ketosis we need to take at least 50-100 grams of carbohydrates per day in our diet.

4. Flavor and Sweeteners

Apart from the major role of being the energy provider, carbohydrates also have a less important role as a sweetener. Different sugars vary in their degree of sweetness.

5. Dietary fiber

Sometimes called a ‘dieter’s boon’ is essential for everyone. It includes

§ Cellulose

§ Hemicellulose

§ Pectins

§ Gums

§ Lignins

Ø Though dietary fiber does not contribute to the nutritive value of the food stuff, it is necessary to provide the bulk in the diet

Ø Lack of dietary fiber in the diet is mainly due to the use of refined foods which leads to constipation and increases the chances of colon cancer

Ø Dietary fiber is very beneficial as they lower blood cholesterol, blood glucose[essential in diabetic control].

Ø Generous portions of vegetables, green leafy vegetables, fruits,unrefined cereals are to be included in the menu to achieve a diet sufficient in dietary fiber.

Stay tuned for more facts on Carbohydrates....

Recipe Junction

2009-11-06T13:50:00.014+08:00

Have an ingredient at hand and wondering what to prepare with it?Look no further,here are all the recipes from my blog for you to try.

Also browse through some articles related to health,laugh at my culinary disaster and read some notes on nutrition,savor the takeaways and explore some restaurants.....

CEREALS

RICE
[Includes rice,basmathi,brown rice,forbidden rice]

Tomato Rice
Peas Pulao
Saffron Rice
Coriander coconut rice
Sesame seed flavored rice
Mintleaves Briyani
Lemon flavored rice
Spicy channa pulao
Simple coconut rice
Curry leaf flavored rice # 1
Curry leaf flavored rice # 2
Pepper flavored rice
Carrot rice
Fusion rice
Capsicum rice
Ridgegourd rice
Garlic rice
Brown rice phirni
Forbidden rice pudding

RICE FLOUR

Processed rice flour for snacks
Sweet kaduvu/Kozhukattai
Kaara kaduvu / savory kozhukattai

PRESSED RICE /POHA/AVAL

Kande pohe
Aval upma
Curd aval

PUFFED RICE

Bhel puri

WHEAT FLOUR

Masala poori
Poori
Mooli paratha
Chilli chapathi
Chapathi wrap
Coriander paratha
Veggie chapathi
Nutri Chapathi
Wheat flour dosai
Meethi paratha
Tit-bits

WHEAT RAWA

Wheat rava idli
Wheat rava upma

WHITE RAWA

Rava idli
Rava kesari
Rava ladoo

SAGO

Sabudana kitchidi

OATS

Instant oats dosa
Insant Oats halwa

BUCKWHEAT

Buckwheat noodles with veggies

RAGI

Ragi sevai
Ragi porridge

MAIDA

Eggless chocolate cake[Microwave]

BREAD

Bread upma
Bread pizza sandwich
Bruschetta
Bread thayir vadai

RICE SEVAI

Rice sevai
Lemon sevai
Ellu sevai

NOODLES

Garlic noodles
Sesame vegetable noodles

SEMIYA / VERMICELLI

Semiya payasa

PASTA

Cheesy pasta

PULSES / LEGUMES

Sprouts at home
Rajma sundal
Blackbean salad
Gram dhal sundal
Peanut chutney
Groundnut sundal
Amma's Huli
Easy dhal
Sambar
Groundnut gravy
Pachai payaru kadaiyal
Tomato onion chutney with lentils
Kaalu chutney
Chole
Paruppu rasam
Ulundhu vadai
Ambaday

GRAM FLOUR

Boondhi
Bajji
Onion pakoda

TOFU

Tofu bhurju
Fried tofu fingers with black magic dip

RICE-PULSE COMBO

Kuzhi paniyaram
Ven pongal
Adai
Onion roast
Uthappam
Masala dosai
Idli upma
Idli
Bisi bele huli anna
Arisi paruppu sadham
Tovvay anna and gojju
Puttu and kadala curry

VEGETABLES

Capsicum soup
Broccoli soup
Umbrain cipollata
Nellikkai thokku
Bittergourd crisps
Bittergourd stir-fry
Spicy brinjal curry
Potato masal
Purple cabbage stir fry
Easy potato curry
Spicy mushroom stir-fry
Keerla sukke
Pico de gallo
Simple pumpkin stir-fry
Japanese daikon salad
Oh ee mu chim
Carotte rapees
Cauliflower stir-fry
Hash browns
Aloo Gobi masala
Potato and peas masal
Uruai kizhangu kaara curry
Manathakkali vatral
Potato crisps
Sundakkai vatral
Ennai kathirikkai
Coriander chutney
Green coconut chutney
Tomato gravy
Tomato chutney # 1
Tomato chutney # 2
Ridgegourd peel chutney
Tomato onion chutney
Gajar ka halwa

GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES

Keerai kadaiyal

FRUITS

Mango milkshake
Instant mango pickle
Kiwi salsa
Kiwi cucumber lassi
Kiwi raita
Kiwi marmalade
Kiwi banana shake
Aqua fresca
Orange flavored gojju
Mashed sapota with milk
Stewed apple
Yiner hangzao lianzi geng
Banana in rich coconut sauce
Water melon slush
Jackfruit payasa

NUTS

Coconut milk
Coconut payasa
Coconut chutney
Green coconut chutney

SPICES

Dry curry leaves at home..
Curry leaf powder
Sesame chutney
Sesame seed spice mix
Ell urundai
Red chilli chutney
Garlic pickle
Garlic kuzhambu
Mil's instant rasam
Masala pappad
Vata tea
Jeeraga kashayam
Baby brinjal in tangy sauce
Rasam powder
Sambar powder

HERBS

TULSI / HOLY BASIL

Herb lemonade

FLOWERS

Vazhapoo vadai
Vazhapoo porriyal

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS

MILK

Gulab jamun
Instant milk halwa
Breakfast shake
Strawberry banana mlkshake
Strawberry Milkshake
Apple milkshake
Banana milkshake
Haal obittu
Happala karadha payasa

CURD/YOGHURT/BUTTERMILK

Capsicum raita
Cucumber raita
Nellikkai raita
Beetroot raita
Boondhi raita
Banana raita
Udhin hittu raita
Tomato raita
Pancha ratna raita
Thayir vadai
Kothamira perugu pachadi
Carrot raita
Lentil dumplings in spicy yoghurt gravy
More Kuzhambu
Spiced buttermilk
Cucumber buttermilk
More
Fruity yoghurt # 1
Curd rice

TEA/COFFEE/GREEN TEA

Ginger tea
Japanese green tea sorbet

BASICS

Tips for super soft and fluffy chapathi

ARTICLES

NUTRITION / HEALTH / FOOD RELATED ARTICLES

Carbohydrates Part 1
Nutrients-What and why?!
Kiwi fruits
Sesame seeds
Tips to make children eat better
Weaning-Importannce,tips and a few recipe ideas
Forgotton flavors from the land of nectar
Nutmeg-Grandma's remedy
Green wonder
Microwave basics
Spice or medicine
Food and mood
Going bananas
A coincidence?!!

RESTAURANT / TAKE-AWAY REVIEWS

Huo guo
Dumpling
Tang hu lu
Pheni
Puttu

MISC

Deepavali
Mangala Gowri habba
Chinese wedding
Best of the year 2008
Kitchen treasures
My kitchen buddies
Masal dosa and the way of life
Saga of sago vada

Happy browsing....

Kuzhi paniyaram-A taste of Chettinad

2009-11-05T21:00:00.000+08:00

A few years ago,when I was in college,I was invited for lunch by Aunty T.She is an excellent cook who can make varieties of dishes in a jiffy.Both of us learn Veena under my dad and did our graduation together.Though she is very elder to me,Aunty T and me would discuss some common topics,the first one [after music] would be-Cooking!

It so happened that one day I asked her to lend me a few cookery books so that I can write them down to try later.She has a vast collection of cookery books and is an expert baker.The topic turned to cakes and she promised to bake a cake for me or rather teach me[orally] how to bake a cake.That turned to be an invitation to lunch too.

She taught me to bake an egg-less marble cake and I was astonished at the ease of preparation.While the cake was in the oven she served me a scrumptious lunch.Later, after the cake was done,it was time to taste it and I loved every bite!

Soon she came out with a tray of Kuzhi paniyaram and a cup of tea.That's when I was introduced to the taste of Chettinad.

Chettinad is a region in Tamilnadu,South India and this region is well known for its cuisine,temples and mansions!!!

Its cuisine is well known all over and its famous for its spicy dishes.It makes uses of several spices resulting in an aromatic array of dishes.Chettinad is a very dry region and banking on this aspect,the cuisine also has many varieties of sun dried meat and salted vegetables.

When EC announced the WYF event - Specialty foods,the first dish that came to my mind was Kuzhi paniyaram,a speciality dish from Chettinad.Kuzhi paniyaram either be both sweet or savory and here is the savory version for EC's WYF:Speciality food event

You need:

Leftover idli / dosa batter - 1 cup
Onion-1 chopped
Green chillies - 2 ,finely chopped
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard-1/2 a teaspoon
Jeera-1/2 a teaspoon
Gram dha;-1/2 a teaspoon
Urad dhal-1/2 a teaspoon
Oil- as required.

Here is what you will have to do....

Take the batter in a bowl and put in chopped onion,green chillies,curry leaves and keep aside.The batter should neither be too thick or too watery.
Heat a little oil in a small pan and put in mustard,jeera,gram dhal,urad dhal and when it splutters and the dhal turns brown,pour it into the batter bowl.Mix well.
Heat a kuzhi paniyaram pan[shown in pic 1] and pour 1/2 a teaspoon oil into each depression.The quantity of oil depends on the size of the depression.
When it is hot,pour a tablespoon or so of the batter [depending on the size of the depression as in pic 2]
Wait for a few minutes till the sides shrink a little signaling that one side has been cooked.
Use a spoon/knife/steel skewer to turn over the paniyaram[pic 3]
After a few minutes ,when the other side has been cooked to golden brown,remove from paniyara pan
Serve as a snack with Tomato onion chutney

A few tips for a tasty snack...

- If the pan is 'seasoned'[meaning used often] paniyaram is very easy to turn over as it will not get stuck to the sides.
-If the first batch gets stuck,carefully remove from heat and let it cool.Soak the cool pan in a large basin of water,clean well and use again brushing a little extra oil.
- Instead of using metal/clay pans,non stick pans can be used for a fat free snack.
- If you don't like green chillies getting into the way while savoring these delicious bites,use chilli powder instead.
- If you prepare this ahead of serving time,just reheat for a few seconds in a microwave and serve.

A small word of caution,the metal pan gets very hot on using for a long time i.e when you prepare many batches, so handle with care,use a gloves to be on the safer side.

Happy cooking...

Nutrients – what and why?!

2009-11-03T23:57:00.003+08:00

Everyone is talking about nutrition. People are becoming so health conscious that when a group of people meet, at one point or the other, their conversation turns to food and all you can hear is about the foods that are fattening or the food that is helps you slim down,the calories in a food,who advised what ..the list is endless. But not everyone who is so conscious about their intake is really aware of what they talk, meaning, the terms they use-calories,fat,protein and so on just seems to be ‘terms’ without them actually knowing what they really mean.

If you are wondering why I am talking about this all of a sudden ,then I must tell you what prompted me to write this post. A couple of days back, I was chatting with a close friend of mine. The topic steered towards blogging and my friend jokingly remarked that I seemed to have forgotten that I am a Dietitian since I just blog recipes! That set me thinking and now I plan to share some stuff which I think everyone will like to know-Yes,its about the nutrients..

My future posts in this series which I would like to call ‘Nutrients-Demystified’ is a small attempt to provide light to those words[which I was talking about earlier] that are making waves among us..

I am sure this series is going to bring back a lot of memories from my collage days but I assure you that this series will not be too technical like classroom theory, but more of stuffs that we can relate to…

Now just a small intro about nutrients….

Nutrients are the chemical substance present in the food that we eat and they are present in all the foods we consume and in varying proportions, some being rich in one or more nutrients while the other may lack it or have it in minute quantities.

There are quite a few foodstuffs that provide only one nutrient – like sugars which provide only carbohydrate while ghee provides only fat.

Depending on the concentration the nutrients are classified as

Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats

These three are also called proximate principles. These 3 nutrients form the main energy source for the body upon oxidation. Along with water, the proximate principles form the bulk in the diet.

Another group of nutrients-Vitamins and minerals ,are also very essential for the role they play in regulating the metabolism and the usage of the proximate principles. They are not energy sources but are equally important.

In order to survive, we need all these nutrients in varying amounts, to live, grow and thrive.Hence the diet must be well balanced so as to provide a proper balance of nutrients. Not only that, the diet must also be eaten in a sufficient quantity daily to get the proper supply of nutrients for proper body functions…

Does all this seem confusing? Worry not. The first nutrient is just about to be demystified in my next post….

Tofu Bhurji-A protein powerhouse...

2009-11-01T16:54:00.016+08:00

Almost everyday this summer, I made my way to the farmers market to buy vegetables.Since the vegetables are so fresh I didn't have the mind to buy them in bulk and stock them up.I preferred to treat my eyes and palette with farm fresh vegetables everyday.

Each time I go there,I can see the lady at the tofu stand look at me.Sometimes I think she is just looking at me coz I am the only 'foreigner lady' in that locality,sometimes I would feel she is looking at me amused as to what a foreigner is doing at the local market instead of going to the mall,other days I would think that she is waiting for me to come and buy her tofu.Well,this is just my imagination and God knows what she is really thinking when she sees me.

Then one fine day I decided to go to her stand to get Tofu.I have tasted tofu in restaurants but never prepared a dish with it at home.I made my way to her stand,past all the vegetable stalls,the meat counter and fish tanks and got a cube of Tofu.It cost just 1RMB for a cube weighing approximately 200g!![That's really cheap you know]

I got it home and MIL looked at me with a big question mark on her face.I said I was not sure what I am going to prepare with it but got it anyway.I drained it and placed the chopping board over it and a few more grocery jars on it[to drain the remaining water] and that's when the idea of bhurji struck me.

Bhurji is the Indianized version of scramble and this tofu scramble is a great treat for vegetarians and Vegans.

It is popularly believed that Tofu is bland but its this very fact that makes it all the more interesting.It blends with any dish into which it is incorporated and 'takes-in' those flavors!!Tofu is loaded with protein and has tons of health benefits.

Simple and easy to prepare Tofu Bhurji-just for you..

You need:

Tofu – 200 grams
Tomato – 1 small,chopped
Onion-1 small,chopped
Colored bell pepper -1/4 cup chopped [I used red and green]
Boiled peas[optional]
Oil- 2 teaspoon
Jeera/cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder-1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste-1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Drain tofu and place a chopping board over it and top it with some heavy weight object .[This is to drain the remaining water.Water tends to spoil the taste of the dish].Let it remain as such till the water is fully drained.
Crumble the tofu in a bowl and put in the ingredients from 8-13.
Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in pan and put in jeera.
When it splutters,put in onion and sauté till transparent.
Put in tomato and bell pepper.
Cook till tomato is soft.
Add the tofu mixture,boiled peas and mix well.
Cook for another 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
Serve warm garnished with coriander leaves.

This bhurji can be served as a side dish with Roti/Chapathi or as a snack.

Sending this to Sara'sSay cheese event.Thanks Sara for letting me know about this wonderful event!

Also sending this healthy entry to My legume love affair- 17th edition,hosted by Sra of 'When my soup came alive'.MMLA is an event started by Susan of The well seasoned cook.It was only when I going through Sra's announcement page that I learnt that Tofu recipes are also accepted!!!

Few more awards....

2009-10-31T18:07:00.004+08:00

Pari of Foodelicious has passed on these awards to me..Thanks a lot Pari,you made my day!!!

I share this with all my blogging buddies!!!

Read my guest post at Srivalli's-Spice Your life...

2009-10-30T17:49:00.008+08:00

Providing adequate nutrition for children can be a daunting task for mothers especially if the children are picky eaters.Mom's all over the world are sharing their tips and tricks to feed their children with healthy and appealing foods.

One fine day Srivalli, [of Cooking for all seasons,who also writes another wonderful blog called Spice your life] and me were chatting about blogging and the topic turned to nutrition and when I mentioned I was a dietitian ,she asked me if I could do a guest post.I readily agreed but due to some unforeseen reasons the article that was to be sent got delayed.

I finally got it done yesterday and she has been so prompt in putting it up on her blog.I invite you to read about Nutrition for children @ Spice your life,where you can also find great recipes for kids,bacholer recipes and articles onDiabetes.

Thanks Srivalli for this opportunity..

Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2- Nutrients- Functions and sources

Capsicum raita

2009-10-29T18:44:00.000+08:00

By now you must be aware of my love for yogurt.I like it in any form and the enjoy it as raita with rice varieties.Sometimes I like to savor the raita chilled just by itself.Total bliss!!!

Here is one of my favorite raita that can be whipped up in a jiffy..

You need:

Capsicum/Bell pepper - 1 medium sized,finely chopped.
[I used green and red to add color to the dish]
Yogurt / Curd - 2 cups,thick
Salt - to taste

Seasoning :

Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Jeera-1 teaspoon
Red chillies- 2 ,broken into bits
Oil- 2 teaspoons

Beat the curd with salt and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and put in the seasonings and wait for it to splutter.
Add the capsicum and reduce the flame and saute for a few seconds.If you like the capsicum crunchy,pour it over the curd after sauteing it for a few seconds.Else sprinkle a little water and cook till it is is soft and pour over the curd.
Mix well and serve with a rice dish of your choice.

Happy cooking,

Tomato rice

2009-10-27T12:30:00.000+08:00

I was surprised when I noticed that I had not made a post on tomato flavored rice.It is one of the easiest rice dishes and can be prepared in two ways.Best of all,one of the methods uses up leftover rice and saves us the trouble of thinking out ways to use it.

If you have leftover rice from the previous days dinner, put it in a bowl and leave in the fridge till you decide to make any dish with it.Doing so will keep the rice grains separate and you are sure to end up with a lovely looking flavored rice.

Today's tomato rice is an easy way to use up leftover rice.

You need:

Cooked rice,[grains sepreate]-2 cups
Tomato-3 ,ripe ,chopped
Onion-2 medium sized,sliced
Garlic-2 pods,sliced
Red chillies-3/Red chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Curry leaves-a few
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Channa dhal-1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder- a pinch
Roasted peanuts-1 teaspoon[optional]
Salt to taste
Oil-2 teaspoons

Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard,channa dhal,asafoetida powder,curry leaves and wait for it to splutter.
Add the onion,garlic,red chillies once the dhal turns brown and saute till the onion turns transparent.
Put in the tomatoes,turmeric powder .If using chilli powder,add it at this stage.
Cook till tomatoes are mushy.Stir in between.
If it the mixture is too dry,add a few teaspoons of water.
Put in the cooked rice,salt and mix well.
Take care that the rice does not get mushy.
Add the roasted peanuts and remove from heat.

For other varieties of rice dishes check out Rendezvous with rice ,where you can find 20 different dishes to seduce your taste-buds.

Happy cooking....

Twists in the tale-Nellikai thokku

2009-10-25T06:57:00.000+08:00

Nature gave us a bounty-again-this year.The gooseberry tree in MIL's backyard was so full,with every branch laden with juicy gooseberries.We found them right from the bark of tree upto the top-most branch!!Here is a glimpse of the tree with the succulent fruits.

With so many gooseberries I did not know what to do.Each day morning we found so many of them on the ground that we thought it was a waste to let them remain on the trees and I planned to cook something with it.

These are called 'Ara nellikkai',in Tamil[a South Indian language].They have a unique shape-like a star and are smaller to when compared to the round gooseberry.Unlike its counterpart[Amla,nellikkai],this one is very sour and I have heard a lot of people say they tend to catch a cold or end up with a sore throat after eating even a single fruit.So I was not prepared to eat them as such.

So the next thought was to prepare Gooseberry flavored rice but then MIL was not sure if it would taste good and on second thoughts I changed my priority.

Then I planned to make Nellikkai Pachadi-Yoghurt flavored with gooseberry,but then I already have that in the blog,and I wanted to prepare a new dish.

Finally I settled for gooseberry pickle .I didn't know the method.Mom to the rescue,once again.I set off with her directions.

I pressure cooked them for 10 minutes with a plan to cook them to a stage where I can cut it to pieces and remove the seeds.I put the cooker on the stove and happily forgot about it when lil angel wanted me to play with her.I was so engrossed with the dolls when suddenly MIL asked me what I was cooking.

I ran to the kitchen to remove the cooker from the stovetop and noticed the time and I found that I had cooked it for 15 minutes!After the pressure went down,I opened the lid to find the gooseberries mushy and deseeded!

I had no option to make this thokku which was so yum that I could not believe my tastebuds coz this is my very first attempt in pickle/thokku making.SIL who dropped by for the weekend appreciated it and relished it with curd rice.

With plans to make flavored rice,dismissing the idea of pachadi,settling on pickle,I finally made this thooku!!!

For this delicious and quick thokku you need:

Nellikkai/Gooseberries-20 no.s

Mustard-1/2 a teaspoon + 1/2 a teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds-1/2 a teaspoon

Sesame seed oil-3 tablespoons

Asafoetida powder-a pinch

Red chilli powder-2 teaspoons

Salt to taste

Pressure cook the gooseberries for 10-15 minutes.
Remove and discard the seeds and mash.
Dry roast 1/2 a teaspoon mustard and fenugreek seeds,powder and keep aside.
Heat sesame seed oil,and put in mustard and asafoetida,mashed gooseberries,chilli powder,mustard-fenugreek powder,salt.
Cook for more than 10 minutes on low heat till the oil oozes from the sides.
Cool and store in sterilized jars.

Note:

This tastes best if sesame oil is used.In case you don't have this,use any cooking oil.

Adjust the red chilli powder to suit your taste.

Happy cooking...

Garlic Noodles for Taste and Create

2009-10-23T12:52:00.001+08:00

For this months edition of Taste and create,I was paired with Marthe of Culinary Delights.

Taste and create is a monthly blogging event where we are paired with another blogger and prepare dishes from the partner's blog.It is an event started by Nicole of For the love of food to appreciate the dishes from another blog and share our thoughts about the dish we prepared.If you would like to join the fun,sign up for next month's edition.

As I was telling you,I was paired with Marthe. True to the name, it is a delight to browse Marthe's blog which has lots and lots of baked goodies and I was literally drooling.Then it struck me that I don't have an oven,so I had to look for some other dish.I found this Garlic noodles recipe and immediately bookmarked it.Since I am a vegetarian I have omitted the oyster sauce but stuck to the other ingredients.

It was really easy to prepare.I was skeptical if the amount of garlic would be over-powering,but it was just right.Here is the garlic noodles that I created from Marthe's blog.

You need:

Chinese noodles- 1 pack
Red onion-1,chopped
Garlic-4 cloves,minced
Salted butter-2 tablespoons
Light brown sugar-2 teaspoons
Soy sauce-1 teaspoon

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the pack.[I cooked the noodles in a pan of water and drained it completely].
In a small bowl combine soy sauce and brown sugar.Keep aside.[I added a little water to make a thin paste.]
Heat a pan with butter and put in the onion and garlic.Stir so that it does not burn.Cook for a minute.
Add the noodles and the sauce mixture and mix well.
Remove from heat and serve hot.

This is an easy breezy dish and I am sure to prepare it again when I need a quick breakfast.The next time I will reduce the quantity of brown sugar as I found it a little too sweet for my liking but lil angel loved it!!!

Down the memory lane -Deepavali

2009-10-20T16:56:00.001+08:00

After a wonderful Deepavali and a break for 2 days,I am back to share some memories.

Each and every festival brings back fondest memories and inevitably they are from my childhood.Then I feel it would have been so nice if I never grew up.Well,somethings can only be dreamt of...

This Deepavali too,got back some childhood memories.I was in middle school and we were in a colony exclusive for the company staffs .So naturally there was a whole bunch of naughty kids around every block.Most of us went to the same school and during the trip between home and school we used to talk about everything other than studies.

Two months before Deepavali we would discuss about the dresses that parents would get for us and the number of dresses each one would get would be the highlight.Then came the other important one-crackers.

In dad's company,they would distribute lists for crackers two to three months ahead of deepavali and we can place orders.A committee would go directly to Sivakasi[a town in Tamil nadu,South India, which is famous for manufacturing crackers and fireworks] and buy themat nominal rates distribute it a few weeks before Deepavali.

Once dad brings home the forms,I would get busy filling them out and urge dad it give it ASAP.The next day in the bus or when we assemble to play,we would discuss what each one had ordered.Most of us would revise the list a couple of times before feeling contented.

After the list is given,the wait to see the crackers is a real torture.It would feel like each day is crawling.How I would wished they would give the crackers the same day the list is handed over.Then on the D-day I would force dad to take me to the distribution center as early as possible so that I can get all that I had ordered.Dad would try to explain to me that since the orders were placed,we were sure to get everything even if we go late.But I could never wait.

When we came home from with the crackers ,the first thing I would do was to admire all the crackers and fireworks and rush off to inform my friends.I know this sounds so silly but in those days these were the things that got me excited.Simple issues that mattered the most!!

Mom would then get ready to prepare sweets and savories for the festival.I have never known mom to buy these from the store.She would start the preparations a few days before the actual festival.Sometimes she would even help her friends in the preparations.I would eagerly stand around to get a few nibbles.The aroma from the kitchen would be bewitching.

On the eve of Deepavali the lil ones in our block would gather and pile up the crackers and fireworks and start the celebration!What fun!The whole area would be filled with shrieks and laughter and in the haze we would catch a glimpse of our parents whose watchful eyes followed our every move.

Then there used to be a sort of contest-to see who gets up the first[earliest] to start the fireworks on Deepavali day.Each one of us would strive to be the first.On that particular day no coaxing would be required to get me out of bed.

After the customary bath and prayer at the early hours, I would rush out and invariably find a couple of my friends standing outside our garden,waiting for me!Then we would start again with all the fireworks with one of our parents standing around supervising to see what we are up to.

After breakfast, mom would send me out with packets of homemade goodies to distribute to all our friends and neighbors.I would happily oblige as it was one of the chances to flaunt the new dresses.My friends too would bring home the sweets and savories and I would gobble up so many of them.[I had no worry of putting on weight or thoughts that I would get a toothache or any other botheration.But now each and every morsel got to be watched!]

Each and every year I recall these happy moments.This year I am in India in my parents home and lil angel and me spent a lovely Deepavali with my parents.Hubby was not able to join us and we did miss him.Anyways,lil angel and me dressed in traditional Indian clothing,enjoyed the lovely food that mom had prepared and in the evening burst crackers and fireworks.Here is a glimpse of the crackers and fireworks.....

For a couple of hours I was a child and needless to say this is one of the memorable Deepavali I had.

Now comming to the most important part-Lunch!!!!Feast your eyes on this...

The lunch menu-

1.Semiya Payasa
2.Rice and dhal
3.Beans stir-fry
4.Drumstick-ambaday palidha
5.Saaru
6.Chitranna
7.Ambaday

The sweets and savories that she made were

1.Gulab jamun
2.Thatta murukku
3.Thenguzhal.

[I will post these recipes soon]

I am sure everyone out there would have had an equally great Deepavali!!!!I will be back tomorrow with another recipe..

Brown rice phirni

2009-10-17T08:15:00.001+08:00

With every home filled with people in gorgeous dresses,tons of sweets and savories and of course the lights and sounds of crackers and fireworks,brightly lit homes[Wondering why?-Its Diwali-The festival of lights, in India] here is an easy breezy dessert that you can prepare today or just about any day...

This is another recipe that was in the forgotten treasure, but since I had some brown rice at hand ,I used it instead of the regular rice.A microwave version and hence no pains or worries about the cooking cooking time or phirni getting burnt or the need for frequent stirring.

Even when your home is filled with guests you can chat with them and yet whip up this simple and flavorful dessert and sit back to enjoy the compliments.

Phirni is a North Indian dessert ,also thought to be brought to India from the middle east and Pakistan.It is also spelt 'Firni' and is nothing but rice pudding with the basic ingredients being milk,rice flour and sugar.There are umpteen variations with different flavors like badam[almond].saffron,rose,strawberry etc.Mine has a hint of saffron....

You need :

Brown rice-1/4 cup
Milk-3 cups
Sugar-less than 1/4 cup
Ghee-1 teaspoon
Dark raisins and golden raisins - a few to garnish
Saffron - a few strands

Soak the rice for 2 hours[even if you are using the regular rice] and using very little water grind it into a smooth paste.Take care not to make it watery.
Soak the saffron stands in a tablespoon of warm milk,rub it and keep it aside.
In a deep microwave proof dish take a teaspoon of ghee and put in the raisins.
Mix to coat and microwave on 80% power for a minute or till they puff up.Drain from ghee and keep aside.
In the same vessel put in milk and ground rice.Mix well
Microwave on 80% power ,uncovered for 5 minutes.Stir with a wire whisk after every minute to avoid lump formation.If lumps do form be sure to break them.
Add sugar,soaked saffron and mix well.
Microwave on 80% power ,uncovered for 3 minutes,stirring at the end of every minute.It will be a little thick now.
Mix well and cool.
Serve garnished with raisins.

Note:

The cooking time will vary.Hence start checking if it has thickened every minute from step 8.
If the ground paste is watery,it will take more time to thicken.
You can add powdered cardamom at the final minute of cooking.
Can also be garnish with rose petals/fried nuts
Serve warm / chilled

With is simple dessert comes my heartfelt wishes to all my blogging buddies,friends,visitors and well-wishers -

' A happy,colorful and safe Diwali [Deepavali]' :)

May the festival of lights bring new rays of happiness, joy & prosperity....

The tale of two cakes....

2009-10-16T08:00:00.002+08:00

More than a year ago,when I was looking for an egg-less cake recipe,I came across Vandhana's Egg-less microwave chocolate cake recipe and decided to make it as she had mentioned it would take just 7 minutes to bake it!!!

I put together the ingredients[I just made a small addition of a tablespoon of chopped cashews] and was about to start the baking process when that lil voice in me suggested I try a small one first instead of baking a large one.I took a small glass bowl,poured a little batter,shoved it into the microwave and set the timer.At the same time someone chose to ring the door bell.When I was about to answer one of the hundred questions the salesman at the door managed to ask me in a second,I smelt something burning.[No points for guessing where it came from....].Leaving the terror struck salesman at the door I shot off to the kitchen to find smoke bellowing through the vent in the microwave oven.I switched of the power supply but didn't have the guts to open the microwave.I thought that was the last of the microwave and wondered what to tell mom.

Mom too rushed in and calmly opened the microwave.This was how the cake looked at the end of just 3 minutes in the microwave.The bowl was cracked and the cake burnt.

The disaster cake

After half an hour,I decided to try it once more in another microwave proof vessel and poured in half the batter and kept aside the remaining half-just in-case this one also got burnt.

This time I reduced the power to 60% and timed it for 8 minutes.Now the smoky kitchen was replaced by a drool-worthy aroma and I could hardly wait to taste it.I let it stand in the microwave for a few minutes.

Meanwhile,I decided to bake the other half on the stove.Years ago when I was in school,mom got an 'oven' that could bake cakes on the stove top.It has 2 layers.The bottom one has to be filled with sand and on the upper layer there is large pan and small cups for cupcakes.Mom used to bake cakes for me with this one and I wanted to use it .So the batter was distributed between the pan and the cups.In this method,the baking time was around 20 minutes.I had to check frequently if it was baked as I have never used this method.

The batter ready to be baked[left],Cake fresh out of the microwave[upper Right],Delicious cake ready to be served[Bottom right]

Finally I got 9 cupcakes and 2 large cakes.The taste was good but I wished I could do some icing.Lack of time lead me to serve them as such.Nevertheless the cakes were appreciated by my parents.Yes,I had baked it for my parents wedding anniversary last year.[Yes you read it right,I did say- last year!].All these days it was in my drafts and finally I decided to post it today as it is hubby's B'day and here I am miles away from him.I would have baked this cake for him today but now am virtually sending it across to him :)

For this delicious eggless chocolate cake you need:

Maida/All purpose flour - 1 and 2/3 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Cooking Oil- a little less than 1/2 a cup
Milk - 1/3 cup(cold milk)
Curd - 1 cup
Cocoa - 3 tablespoons
Drinking chocolate-3 tablespoons
Soda bi-carb - 1 level teaspoon
Cashew nuts-1 tablespoon ,chopped

Sieve together maida and soda bi carb.
Toss the nuts in a little maida and remove the excess flour and keep the nuts aside.
In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients and make a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into a greased microwave proof bowl[The batter should be up-to 1/4 level of the bowl only]
Microwave on 60% power for 8 minutes.To check if the cake is done,insert a skewer into the cake,if it comes out clean,the cake is done.
Let it stand in the microwave for 2 minutes.Take it out and let it cool a bit.
Cut and serve!!

Note-The timings may vary hence start checking if the cake is done from the 5th minute itself.

Try it out and let me know how it turned out....

Bittergourd crisps

2009-10-15T08:42:00.001+08:00

Yet another family favorite.As I had mentioned in my post on Bitter gourd stir fry ,we love this vegetable so much that I always have a couple of these in stock.Whenever hubby wants two vegetable curries with lunch,this is the easiest to prepare.

Even though it is a deep fried curry,we just cant stop eating them!!!

You need:

Bittergourd -1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder to taste
Oil for deep frying

Heat oil in a pan.
Meanwhile wash,pat dry and slice the bittergourd into thin circles.It there are seeds remove them .
When the oil is hot,fry them in batches till brown.
Remove from oil with a slotted spoon onto a bowl lined with a paper towel.
When the whole lot has been fried,transfer them to bowl and sprinkle salt and red chilli powder.
Toss and serve.

Sometimes we finish this off first,even before we start the meal coz they are so irresistibly!!!

Spicy brinjal curry

2009-10-14T09:45:00.000+08:00

I like brinjal/ eggplant in a few dishes only-say, like Ennai kathirikkai or the stir fry that mom prepares.It's just so-so in sambar.I don't get the small variety here, just the long Chinese brinjal. Hence ennai kathirikkai is out of question. I tried this recipe with the Chinese variety and it was not as tasty as it ought to be. So not trying it any more.

Amma's stir fry has a yummy lentil powder that is added and tastes best as a side dish but I love to mix it to piping hot steamed rice with a dollop of ghee.. Absolute delight to the taste buds. Hubby too likes mom's version of stir-fry and does not prefer any other dish with brinjal..

Recently I wanted to try a variation in that stir-fry and came up with this one. I was skeptical if he would like it or not. But I did have had the guts to pack it up for his lunch box one day and never even mentioned that there was another variety of brinjal stir-fry in it. Usually hubby calls during lunch to talk to lil angel ,but that day he didn't call.I was getting anxious but didn't have the courage to ask him about the dish.

Even when he returned from work, he didn't mention anything so I thought maybe he was too busy to have lunch or he was away from office and had to eat outside [these two things happen often!!].

Then came the dinner time and I had prepared dosai. When he just got started with the meal, out of the blue, he said-'Hey that brinjal curry u packed today was really good'.I literally wanted to jump with joy. What’s more, he even asked if there was any leftover curry from the lunch!!! I happily heated the remaining curry and served it to him. Dosa with brinjal curry! That too from a person who prefers to stick on to certain combination's in food like Poori and masal,chapathi and kurma and of course Masala dosa with Sambar and chutney!What better compliment can I get!!!

Then I knew that this stir-fry had really impressed him so much and from then I prepare this regularly. Now here is the recipe...

You need:

Brinjal - 1 large or 10 small ones
Tomato- 1 small
Onion-1 small
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon[or grate - ginger -1 cm piece + 2 cloves garlic]
Chilli powder-1 ½ teaspoons[adjust to taste]
Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Mustard-1/2 a teaspoon
Jeera/cumin seeds-1/2 a teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few
Asafoetida powder- a pinch
Oil-2 teaspoons
Salt to taste

1. Trim the edges of brinjal and cut into even sized pieces.If u are using the small ones cut it wedges.Keep it aside in a bowl of water.
2. Chop tomatoes and onion.
3. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard and jeera.
4. When it crackles,add asafoetida,curry leaves,ginger garlic paste and onion
5. Sauté till the onions are transparent.
6. Add tomato and cook till soft and mushy.
7. Add the chilli powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder and mix well.Cook for a minute.
8. Drain the brinjal and put into the pan
9. Mix well to coat the masala.
10. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
11. Remove lid and stir once in a while.If it is too dry,add some water[just a few teaspoons will do]
12. Add salt and cook uncovered till brinjal is soft.
13. Serve hot as a side dish with rice.

An award and a meme...

2009-10-13T16:55:00.007+08:00

Nivedita of Nivedita's Kitchen has passed on 'Your blog is over the top' award.Thanks a lot Nivedita,you made my day!!

This award goes with a fun meme which is passed onto 6 of ur favorite blogs and which has to be answered with only one word.

Here is the meme part:

Where is ur cell phone : Near me
Ur hair:black
Ur mother: Manjula
Ur father: Rao
Ur fav food: Fruits
Ur dream last night:None
Ur fav drink:Rose milk
Ur dream:Study
Ur hobby:Reading
Ur fear:Dogs
Where do u want to be in 6 yrs:Anywhere
Where were u last night:home
Where did u grow up:Tamil nadu
Last thing u did: shopping :)
Ur t.v:Off
Ur pets:Fishes
Ur friends:many
Ur life:Contented
Ur mood:Relaxed
Missing some one:Hubby ;)
Vehicle:No
Something u r not wearing: wrist watch
Ur fav store:Times square
Ur fav color: Black
When was the last time u laughed:an hour ago
Last time u cried: Forgot
Ur best friend:Lil angel
One place I go over and over:Parks
One person who emails me regularly: Nivedita
Fav place to eat: Dining Table

Passing it on to :

Pavithra
Prathiba
EC
Preethi
Kamala
Ambika

Baby potatoes with fenugreek

2009-10-12T08:54:00.002+08:00

This post has been in my draft for more than 6 months and somehow missed my attention.
Last April,we visited the temple town- Madurai in South India.

We stayed there for a couple of days and one evening we visited the famous Meenakshi amman temple.It is one of the biggest temples in India and its history dates back to the early AD!The architectural beauty is beyond words and it takes a long time to see all the parts of this massive and large temple.

When we were retuning to our hotel,we passed by plenty of small shops selling everything from bangles and bindis to dresses and electronic items.

My eyes immediately fell on a row of small shops that sold used books and guess the first book that I saw!Fusion Food-Vegetarian Special by Komal Taneja.I picked it up and browsed though the recipes and true to is title it had fusion recipes from all over the globe and just below it I found Tarla dalal's-'Forever young diet' book.It was my lucky day but hubby could not hide his amusement.I picked up these two book that looked brand new and wondered what kind of person might have sold them to a used book dealer.Well, that is none of my business,isn't it..

Hubby hurried me into the car worried that I might start looking for more books as he and lil angel were tired and hungry but the enthusiasm in finding these two books renewed my energy level.

After I came home,this baby potato and fenugreek recipe was the first one I tried out.Catch a glimpse of that book and on it is my version of the dish.

I altered the recipe slightly and here it is..

You need:

Baby potato with skin -500grams
Fenugreek leaves-500 grams
Mustard leaves-1/2 teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Ajwain/Carom seeds-1/2 teaspoons
Red chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Oil-1 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Wash the potatoes and pressure cook them until done but not mushy.Peel if required.
Wash and chop the fenugreek leaves.
Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard,jeera and carom seeds.
When it splutters add the turmeric powder and put in the fenugreek leaves.Stir once in a while.
Cook leaves till almost done,add red chilli powder,salt and potatoes.Mix well.
Cover and cook for a few minutes.Stir in between.
Serve hot with steamed rice.

Doesn't it look delicious!!!!

Note:

For best taste,use fresh fenugreek leaves
If you don't have baby potatoes,cube the usual potatoes and follow the recipe
In case you don't want to pressure cook the potatoes,start from step 3-you can add the potatoes to the pan with the seasonings and sprinkle water to cook the potatoes.When the potatoes are 80% done,add fenugreek leaves and cook till potatoes and green are soft.

Mango Milkshake

2009-10-11T08:00:00.001+08:00

Mango,as we all know, is a tropical fruit that is sometimes referred to as 'apple of the tropics'.Mango is used throughout the world in creating various culinary delights.

Mango is one fruit bursting with nutrients.The vitamin contents of the fruit varies with the variety ,maturity of the fruit.When the mango is green ,the vitamin C content is higher.As the fruit ripens,the Vitamin A [Beta carotene] content increases.

A chilled mango milkshake is perfect for a hot day...Very simple,as usual, but mighty refreshing.

You need:

Mango Pulp from 1/2 a mango[big]
Chilled Milk-2oo ml
Sugar/honey-optional

Blend all the ingredients and serve chilled.

I play around with the quantity of the ingredients. Sometimes I add very less mango pulp and more milk and vice versa.Sometimes I add crushed ice while bending and most of the time leave out the sweeter[sugar/honey] as they taste great even without it.

Come and take a sip of my mango milkshake garnished with grated chocolate...

Masala Poori

2009-10-10T09:24:00.001+08:00

Poori is a favorite dish at home and it finds its place on the table almost every week.This week I wanted a change and prepared masala poori.

It actually involves no extra work but the taste is excellent.Lil angel is fond of this poori and hence I prepared this for Srivalli's Kid's Delight event...

You need:

Whole wheat flour-2 cups + 1/4 cup for dusting

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Sesame seeds-1 tablespoon[I used black]

Jeera/cumin seeds-1 teaspoon

Chilli powder/garam masala- 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Take a large bowl and put in all the ingredients.
Mix well and add water [little by little] and knead to a firm dough.
Pinch out small balls and roll out small circles.Dust a little flour if needed.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the pooris till they are golden brown on both sides.
Drain and serve hot with potato masal.

Mini masala pooris served with potato masal for my lil angel

Dry curry leaves at home,the microwave way..

2009-10-09T12:24:00.000+08:00

When hubby visited an Indian store a few days ago,he got me a pack of curry leaves,dried one that is, and I almost fainted when I saw the price tag.100grams of dried curry leaves cost 15 RMB!!!

I recollected the curry leaf trees in mom's backyard.Any time mom wants them for a dish,she would go to the backyard and grab a handful,wash them and use it in the dish.But,here I had to pay a fortune for them...

I had to make a quick trip to India and whenI reached home I went to our backyard to have a look at those fragrant trees. There they stood,tall and lush,dancing gracefully to the tunes of the gentle breeze.There were 3 big trees and a few saplings around them.I almost jumped with joy.

Our backyard with curry leaf trees.

Before I returned back I wanted to take some with me.The previous time mom had prepared a batch of dry curry leaved to carry with me.She had sun dried them and had said it was a tedious process.

This time I didn't want to trouble her so thought I would dry them in the microwave.I had read about drying herbs in the book that came with the microwave.The method and timing were not mentioned in the book and I had to experiment.

Here is what I did,follow these instructions and you can dry them at home instead of paying a ransom....

Pluck the curry leaves from the trees and wash them well.
Drain well and spread them out on a clean cloth.
Pat dry if needed.
Once it is completely dry,take a handful and spread it on a glass plate and microwave on 80% power for approximately 1 and a half minutes.
Remove from microwave and spread it on another plate.
Once cool store in an airtight container.
Repeat for the remaining curry leaves.

My first batch of dried curry leaves

Note :

Once you microwave them start checking the leaves after the end on the first minute.Increase the timing in steps of 10 seconds.At first the leaves will be a little moist and later start turning crisp.
The timing will depend on the power level and also on the amount of curry leaves in each batch.
The leaves must be spread in a single layer and if it is heaped ,it turns soggy.
Once the leaves are slightly crisp,remove from the microwave and spread them on a plate.Soon they will turn crisp,else microwave for a few more seconds.
If they crackle in the microwave,it means the leaves are not dry enough.Pat dry and microwave.

The most remarkable thing in this process is that the leaves remain as green as the fresh ones! Hard to believe?Take a look ...

The dried curry leaves from the store was very pale and not very fragrant.This home made version was green and aromatic and very crisp.This is one of interesting uses of microwave.The dried curry leaves can be used in the same way we use the fresh one.

Sending this simple method across to MEC-Fresh produce hosted by Suma of Veggie platter.Microwave easy cooking,MEC,as it is known is the brainchild of Srivalli of Cooking for all seasons.

Is curry leaf new to you?Here are some titbit's that might interest you .....

Curry leaves are called sweet neem leaves /Black neem leaves.
Its botanical name is Murraya koenigii.
It is also known as karuveppilai,Karibevina soppu,Keddiappala,Kari patta,Bhursunga,Patra,Kadhi patta,Mithlo limdo,Karapincha.
It is native to India
The leaves are used in seasoning and are valued for the taste and aroma they impart to the dish.
They are also used in Ayurvedic medicine and are known to have anti diabetic,antioxidant, anti microbial,anti inflamtory properties.They are also know to keep hair shiny,long and healthy.