RECREATING FROM 'JUGALBANDI'

I saw the Tried and tasted almost as soon as it was announced.And deciding to try something from Jugalbandi .Two wonderful people,Jai and Bee create magic on their blog.What beautiful descriptions and photographs!!No,this is not mere flattery,you can see all of this if you hop over to their blog .

I am a great fan of their works and always wanted to try out something from their creation but somehow kept putting it off due to one reason or the other.Tried and tasted announced and now,no more excuses.

Drooling over their yummy recipes I almost forgot I had to try out something from their blog.When it finally dawned that it was time I decided what to prepare, it was 30th September.

I settled on Carrot [Gajar] Halwa coz it was one of the easiest and had all the ingredients ready in the pantry.I prepared it as per their direction,but left out just one ingredient- Green cardamom.I am one of those rare person who runs at the thought of eating anything having cardamom.



Delicious!!! This is the word I would descibe the halwa.Yes , it was definitely mouth-watering and I'm very happy that in spite of my fact that it was my first try in making carrot halwa,it turned out very well.I'm posting this after scrapping out the final bits of gajar halwa! :)

WHAT A BREAKFAST !

Waking up late this weekend,I was wondering what mom would prepare that morning.I suddenly realised that I had to send an entry WBB Combi Breakfast .


I hurried to the kitchen to see what I could prepare.Luckily my lil angel was fast asleep and I had time for myself.

I examined the refrigerator and saw dosa batter,a few veggies and apples.Thoughtfully I entered the kitchen and saw a jar of peanut smiling at me.

Then came the spark to prepare an easy and healthy breakfast.I set about chopping veggies and get things ready.I glanced at the clock and it was past 9.30am.Tummy rumbling and with moms help I prepared an easy breakfast of veggie uthappam with peanut chutney and sambar and apple milkshake.

The breakfast prepared and me drooling over it,I still had one task to finish.The most important of them all.If you are guessing that I was at the table relishing the yummy stuff,then you are absolutely wrong.I still didn't photograph the stuff I prepared.

I set the table and ran to pick up my cam and switched it on but to my utter shock it said'change batteries'.I usually have a spare set ready for times like this but today of all days,that too was used.Sighing,I put it on charge and waited with my eyes on the breakfast.

Luckily,it was a quick recharger and the batteries were charged in half an hour and I was set to finish my task.I heard a sweet gurgle and knew my lil angel was up and ready for her 'breakfast'. Putting down the cam, I satisfied her needs and was back to the work I had started nearly 2 hours ago.

Finally.....The snap taken and cam put away I hurriedly gobbled up the now cold breakfast but felt a deep sense of satisfaction that I had a simple breakfast to send in for WBB.



What you see here is

Tomato onion uthappam
Sambar and peanut chutney
Apple milkshake

Uthappam / Toamto Onion Uthapam

It is a dosa like dish prepared using dosa batter but looks more like a pancake . It can be eaten as such or with toppings like tomato,onion,veggies,cheese,paneer.Just let your imagination fly…



You need:



Dosa batter
Veggies or toppings of your choice .I used finely chopped tomato and oniona nd coriander leaves as garnish.

1.Heat a griddle and spread the dosa batter in a thick pancake form.
2.Drizzle oil and cook both sides till brown. This is plain uthappam.





3.If you are planning to make an utappam with a topping ,spread the batter and wait till small bubbles appear on the surface.
4.Spread the topping of your choice and press gently with the spatula.
5.Flip it over and cook for a few seconds .[Don't let the toppings char. ]
6.Serve hot with sambar and chutney

.

APPLE MILKSHAKE

As usual,an easy to prepare milkshake.

You need:

Apple - 1
Cold milk- 200ml
Honey - 2 teaspoon

1.Peel core and chop apple.
2.Put the apple in a mixie jar and add little milk and blend.
3.When the apple is completely mashed ,add the remaining milk and honey.
4.Add a pinch of cinnamon if you like and serve.

Sambar

A south Indian specialitiy that goes with breakfast items like idli,dosa,vadai and with rice.

You need:
Pearl onions- 1 cup
Drumstick - 1 cut into 1" pieces
Toor dhal-1 1/2 cups
Sambar powder-3 teaspoons
Tomato -1
Red chillies-2
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few
Fenugreek seeds-1/4 teaspoon
Salt-To taste
Oil-2 teaspoons

1.Soak tamarind in a little hot water and extract thick juice.[1/4 cup approx.]
2.Steam the drumstick till done .[The drumstick pieces should be cooked and firm and should not split open when touched ].
3.Boil the toor dhal with sufficient water along with tomato.When done mash the dhal and tomato.
4.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard,asafoetida,mustard,curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, chillies and saute.
5.Add onions and saute till golden brown. Add the boiled drumstick pieces.
6.Next add the tamarind extract and salt.Simmer till the juice reduces to half.
7.Stir in sambar powder ,mashed toor dhal and add a little water if it is too thick.
8.Bring to a boil and stir for 4-5 minutes
9.Remove from heat and serve with dosa,uthappam,vadai or over warm rice and ghee.


Other vegetables can also be used like radish,brinjal,ladies finger,white pumpkin,carrot,chow-chow,potato,beans,capsicum.Mixed veggie sambar -beans,carrot,cauliflower,carrot and peas make a good combination.

Stir fry brinjal,ladies finger in oil before adding tamarind juice.Other veggies can be boiled and added.

PEANUT CHUTNEY

When the routine coconut chutney turns boring,this peanut chutney is a welcome relief.

You need:

Peanuts,roasted - 1 cup
Coconut,grated,2 teaspoons
Green chillies - 2
Curry leaves - a few
Tamarind- a small bit
Salt to taste


Seasoning:

Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal ,split -1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few
Oil -2 teaspoons



1.Grind all the ingredints without adding water for a few minutes.
2.Add water little by little and continue grinding.
3.The chutney should not be too smooth.
4.Remove to a serving dish.
5.Heat oil and add the seasoning items and when they splutter and dhal turns brown,pour over the chutney.
6.Mix well and serve.

Herb Lemonade

There are plenty of basil shrubs in my garden and I really don't know how they spread so much that I sometimes feel I have a mini basil garden!!

So,when herb mania-basil was announced,I was happy I had the herb in plenty but unfortunately,I could not send my entry.But my 'lucky' basil has now found its place in AFAM:Lemon in Herb lemonade.

Updated 11/8/2011 - This also goes to Reva @ Kaarasaaram who is hosting my event Herbs and Flowers in my platter with the theme - Basil

If you are bored with the usual lemonade,this one is for you.I assure you that it will leave you refreshed.

You need:

For herb syrup:

Fresh basil - 2 cups packed
Water -2 cups water
Sugar -1 cup
Lemon zest- a few strips

1.Lightly crush the basil and bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan.
2.Stir until sugar is dissolved and bring to a boil.[Don't let it boil for too long].Remove from heat
3.Let it stand covered for an hour.
4.Strain syrup through a sieve and discard the solids. This syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for a week


The basil syrup was not green as I had expected,so I removed the lemon zest and put the liquid along with the basil in blender and gave it a go for a few minutes and then strained it.The result was a 'really dark' green syrup!


For the herb lemonade:

Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Herb syrup - According to taste
Chilled water

Ice cubes [Optional]

Stir together all ingredients [except ice cubes] in a large pitcher, then pour into glasses half filled with ice.Another way to serve is preparing the herb lemonade without the ice and chill before serving.

 This photograph has the basil syrup in the background and the herb lemonade.When I was plucking the basil for the syrup,these beautiful blue flowers shone in the morning light and I made them a part of this photograph.

Bon Appetit...

KOTHIMIRA PERUGU PACHADI

Newly weds are frequently invited for feasts by the relatives and we were no exception.The visit to my SIL's place is unforgettable!!Since we were invited to stayed with them for a couple of days,I was delighted at the thought of tasting some awesome Andra dishes.

On our arrival,after the routine enquires of well-being,we were served breakfast.Hungry that I was,I was drooling at the sumptuous spread on the table.Plate laid-out and waiting for the dishes to appear on it,I waited to be served.

Fluffy and hot iddlis,3 varieties of chutnies,chappathi,Veggie Kurma,..... and before I could complete my inspection,I was served iddlis and a beautifully red chutney dripping with oil!!How yumm it looked.

The first bite brought tears to my eyes.Thanks to the spicy Andra red chilli chutney.Coughing and teary-eyed I looked at my hubby who seemed to be enjoying the breakfast and even failed to notice my plight!For a girl who is used to using a couple of chillies in the dishes,this chutney proved too much.

SIL noticed my misery and put an end to it in her further preparations and saved my tears!!Any time I hear the word Andra cuisine,all I can recollect is the fiery red chilli chutney!!!

But what I am going to prepare for the RCI Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine is not the chutney that made me cry,but a subtler flavor that I love, made using an ingredient I adore!!!

Kothimira[Coriander] perugu[Curd] pachadi is a kind of chutney/raita that goes well with all types of briyanis.It is also very simple to prepare and when you run short of veggies for raita ,this one comes in handy.

You need:

Coriander leaves,cleaned - 1 cup

Coconut,grated-1/4 cup

Green chillies-2

Thick curds - 2 cups or a little extra

Salt- to taste

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Jeera-1 teaspoon

Urad dhal,split - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves- a few

Red chilli,broken into bits - 2

Oil -2 teaspoons

1.Grind coriander leaves,coconut,green chillies to a fine paste.Do not add water but ,sprinkle water if required.

2.Beat the curd well.

3.Transfer the ground paste to a serving dish and add the beaten curd,salt and mix well.Adjust the curd to suit your taste.

4.Heat oil and add mustard seeds and when they crackle, add urad dhal, jeera,red chilli bits,curry leaves and pour over the curd mixture after the dhal turns brown.

5.Mix well and serve with rice of your choice.

ELL URUNDAI

I love black.My wardrobe is full of black saries,salwars and tops.All the embroidery work/zaris, paintings show out so well on black and makes the dress[and me ;)] attractive.Many of my family elders believe that black should not be worn on auspicious days hence I end up getting one black dress of my choice and another 'colourful' dress of their choice!!!

When I wanted to send in a recipe for Color in food event ,

I was curious to know about the color I adore! So,here is what I learnt about the gorgeous color - Black.....

Black is the absence of color and is believed to be a color of silence and concealing.Black is also one of the boldest, most powerful colors.

Do you wana look slim and sleek?[Well,we all do,don't we!]Then its time to go in for some black dresses cos black is visually slimming.Black also makes other colors appear brighter.

Though black is a symbol of mourning in western culture,it is sometimes worn by youngsters to potray an air of mystery around them.

Language of Black can be seen in phrases like Black tie - formal attire,Black belt -martial arts expert,men in black - government agents ,Black box - equipment or apparatus ,pitch black - dark as night etc.

Black has no gender-specific qualities at all and is used equally by both males and females, and often for formal occasions—the timeless “little black dress” for women, and the traditional black tuxedo for men.

Well,is there black in food?Of course.....Here is 'ELL URUNDAI' made from black sesame seeds.This is the easiest sweet dish I have ever come across and here is the recipe for an iron rich sweet.

You need:
Black sesame seeds - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup, powdered
Cardamom powder - a pinch [Optional]

1.Check for impurities in the sesame seeds and powder finely.It will be a little lumpy but nothing to worry.
2.Mix sesame seed powder,jaggery and cardamom powder so that there are no lumps.
3.Shape into balls of desired shape.[The greasiness from the sesame seed is sufficient, hence no need to add ghee/oil]

This recipes also goes to Sweet series - Chikki and Laddu

RAVA LADDOO

This is one sweet that my grandpa loves.So,this time when we went to visit my grandparents,mom made these yummy laddoos for him.Since I was asking her for this recipe dad dutifully took a snap an sent it to me along with the recipe from mom.I wanted to post this earlier but somehow kept postponing it.So posting it now for sweet series - Chikki and Laddu

You need:

Rava [Suji] -1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup or lesser
Fried Cashews
Raisins
Cardamom powder - A pinch

1.Dry roast rava on low heat,but don't let it brown.
2.Let it cool and powder finely.
3.Powder the sugar and mix rava and sugar.
4.Put in the cashes ,raisins,cardamom powder.
5.Mix all the ingredients.
6.Melt ghee .
7.Make a well in the rava mixture and pour a little ghee into it.
8.Mix it with the surrounding rava and make balls of desired size.
9.Repeat this by adding ghee-a little at a time .[Take care while using hot ghee. ]
10.Store in a container.

UMBRIAN CIPOLLATA

What is the very first thing that comes to your mind when you think of onion soup?? French onion soup, right?!

Italy has its version on onion soup called UMBRIAN CIPOLLATA which is stewed onion soup with tomatoes.

When I was looking for some Italian recipes DK's AWED Italiano, I came upon this one and found it to be simple but was a little hesitant to plunge into it as I was not sure how it would turn out becoz I just had the recipe and didn't know how the end product would look like.

Anyway,I tried to experiment and finally prepared it.

You need:

1/4 kilo onions finely sliced
20 ml olive oil
50 ml tomato sauce
Salt & pepper
Bread slices,toasted

1.Heat the oil in a pot over a low flame and saute the onions till they wilt but does not brown.

2.Then stir in the tomato sauce, cover, and simmer the pot for at least an hour, checking it occasionally and adding small amounts of water to keep it from drying out.

3.When the onions begin to fall apart, remove from fire and serve .

When I the soup was simmerring I kept adding water to prevent the tomato sauce from drying out and finally landed up with watery sauce.The instruction in the recipe said 'serve it over the toasted bread'.My soup was no way near to serving on toasted bread.So I used this as a dip and drank the remaining soup.

Luckily,I tasted the soup before adding salt.There was enough of it from the tomato sauce so I just added pepper powder.

Bruschetta

Many Italian dishes are quick and easy and here is the easiest of them all - BRUSCHETTA.All you need is a few slices of bread,olive oil,tomtoes and a few spices.

Born in the 15th century in Central Italy,it is grilled bread rubbed with garlic topped with olive oil and salt and pepper .It has undergone lots of changes that you can find topping like veggies ,meat,cheese etc.This can be served as an appetizer or a snack

I tried it for the very first time for DK's AWED Italiano cos I just could not miss her event. This is my version of bruschetta.

You need:

Bread slices-4
Olive oil/Garlic butter-2 tablespoons
Tomatoes-2 finely chopped
Basil leaves- to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

1.Toast the bread slices
2.Brush with olive oil / garlic butter.
3.Top with chopped tomatoes and sprinkle salt and pepper
4.Garnish with chopped basil and serve.
Isn't that easy!

Forgotten Flavors From The Land Of Nectar

When one hears about the cuisines of Tamilnadu,Chettinad Cuisine pops up first.But there is another flavor that has long been forgotten.

There was a glorious cuisine that was a famous fare almost 200 years ago. The other cuisines took over and this wonderful and healthy cuisine has been sent to the rear and over the years became history.

Re-introducing the Cuisine of Kongunad - The cuisine from the land of nectar.....

Kongunad is the homeland of the Tamilians and dates back to the 8th centuary AD.It comprised of Palani, Dharapuram, Karur, Namakkal, Thiruchengodu, Erode,Selam,Dharmapuri, Coimbatore, Avinasi, Nilgiris,Pollachi and Udumalpet [All these places are in Tamilnadu-South India]

Before I start off with the menu,a word about the lesser-known freedom fighters from the kongu soil.

Two brave men - Theeran Chinnamalai and Tiruppur Kumaran have given their share to the freedom struggle.

Theeran Chinnamalai [1576 - 1805] is said to have made the freedom struggle a people's movement.Historians say he adopted the guerilla warfare against the invaders.He took part in three important battles and in the final battle he was betrayed by his cook and he was hanged to death.

Tiruppur Kumaran[1904-1932] ] born in Chennimalai [Erode district] was one of the youngest in the freedom movement taking Gandhi's way at a very young age.Kumaran died from injuries sustained from a Police assault during a protest march against the British and died holding the flag of India.He is considered a martyr by the people of Tamilnadu and is referred to as 'Kodi Katha Kumaran' meaning kumaran who saved the flag.

Now coming to the cuisine part,Kongunadu cuisine is extensive for the simple reason that kongunadu covers a vast area.

This cuisine does not involve marinating and has its own nativity and style.The use of turmeric,groundnut paste to curries give it a unique texture and flavor.This is a very healthy cuisine owing to the use of millets, pulses, sesame and less amounts of oil and spices.

Some of the delicacies include arisi paruppu sadham[Rice-Dhal dish],ell urundai[Sweet sesame balls],urulaikilangu curry[Potato stir fry],Paruppu urundai kulambu[Lentil dumpling in sambar],Venn pongal[Yet another rice pulse combo,a common breaskfast dish],Dosai,Nellikkai chaaru[Gooseberry soup],murungakkai sambar[Drumstick sambar],Vaazhapoo Kootu[Banana blossom kootu],Pachapuli rasam[no-cook rasam] etc and a host of non veg dishes.

So here is a typical lunch menu from the Land of nectar- Presenting,

Arisi Paruppu sadham - A delicious onepot meal of rice and lentils

Urulaikkizhangu Curry - Spicy potato curry

Ell Urundai - Sesame seed balls.a dessert in a jiffy.

More - Spiced buttermilk



Kollu rasam - Healthy horsegram soup / rasam.

Kollu paruppu podi - Tasty spicemix to go with steamed rice

Kollu kadaiyal - Mashed and seasoned horsegram

 Will update more from kongu cuisine as I post new recipes.So come back and check :)

Bon Appetit...

URULAIKKIZHANGU CURRY

An easy to prepare vegetable that goes well with rice dishes.

You need:

Potato - 4

Garlic - 2 pods crushed

Red Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon[Adjust to taste]

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Curry leaves - a few

Oil-1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

1.Boil potaotes ,peel and cube.

2.Heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves and crushed garlic pods.

3.After a minute add the potato cubes,turmeric powder,red chilli powder,salt.

4.Stir so that the flavours blend,cook for a few minutes.

5.Remove from fire and serve.

MORE

More is nothing but buttermilk.This is usually served as a welcome drink in tamil homes or taken along with lunch.

It is served as such or seasoned.There are two ways of preparing more.

One is-Preparing buttermilk adding twice the amount of water to curd .Add salt.Green chillies,a piece of ginger and a few curry leaves are ground to a fine paste and mixed with the buttermilk.It is seasoned with mustard,a pinch of asafoetida.

The second method is preparing buttermilk.Add salt.Heat oil and season with mustard,a pinch of asafoetida,slit green chillies and curry leaves. Sometimes the green chillies are removed before serving.

Arisi Paruppu Sadham

This is a rice lentil combo dish which forms a meal by itself.This healthy and tasty dish can be served with vegetables and/or crispies.A wholesome meal from Kongunad cuisine

You need:

Rice -1 cup

Toor dhal -1/2 cup

Tomato -2 chopped

Onion - 1 sliced

Garlic - 5 pods

Mustard - 1 teaspoon

Jeera- 1 teaspoon

Gram dhal - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies - 4 slit

Curry leaves - a few

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Ghee -1 tablespoon

Oil - 2 tablespooons

Salt to taste

1.Wash rice and dhal and keep aside.

2.Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard,jeera,gram dhal and fry till it splutters and the dhal turns brown.

3.Add onion and fry till translucent.

4.Next the garlic ,tomatoes,chillies and turmeric powder,curry leaves,green chillies. Cook till the tomatoes start getting mushy.
5.Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.[If you want a mushy rice add extra water.]

6.Put in the rice ,dhal and salt and mix well.

7.Close the pressure cooker and put on the weight and cook for 15 minutes or till done.

8.Before serving drizzle ghee over the rice and serve hot.

 

Bon Appetit...

Ell Urundai | No Cook Sweet sesame balls

This is the easiest and simplest sweet dish I have ever come across and here is the recipe for an iron rich sweet.By simple I mean it need so cooking!!!!!

This is a dessert from the Kongunad cuisine....

You need:

Black sesame seeds - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1/2 cup powdered

Cardamom powder - a pinch [Optional]

1.Check for impurities in the sesame seeds and powder finely.It will be a little lumpy but nothing to worry.

2.Mix sesame seed powder,jaggery and cardamom powder so that there are no lumps.

3.Shape into balls of desired shape.[The greasiness from the sesame seed is sufficient, hence no need to add ghee/oil]

Bon Appetit...