Coriander Coconut Rice

This easy to prepare flavored rice is apt for both the busy and the lazy days when a quick meal is needed. Coriander adds a delicate flavor, the coconut imparts richness and a few spices takes the dish to another level!! It works wonders with leftover rice.

You need:

1. Cooked rice – 2 cups
2. Onion - 1 chopped
3. Tomato - 1 chopped
4. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
5. Jeera/cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
6. Ghee/oil - 2 teaspoons
7. Salt to taste
8. Grind following to a paste with little water
        A small bunch coriander leaves
        Green chillies – 4
        Garlic – 3 cloves
        Ginger – 1 inch piece
        Cinnamon – a small piece
        Coconut - 3 tablespoons, grated

Follow these steps...

1. Heat oil/ghee in a pan and put in the mustard and jeera
2. When they crackle add onions and sauté till transparent.
3. Add tomatoes and cook for a few minutes till almost soft.
4. Add the ground paste, salt and mix well.
5. Cook for a few minutes till the raw smell of the spices disappear.
6. Add a little water if this mixture is too dry.
7. Put in the cooked rice and mix well.
8. Reduce the flame, cover and cook for a few more minutes for the flavors to blend.

Serve hot with a pappad and raita of your choice.



Note:

If too much coriander is used, it will impart bitterness to the dish, so use it judiciously.

This simple recipe is for my event – Let’s Go Nuts - Coconut!

Keerla Sukke

Bamboo Shoots in Spicy Coconut!!

I have tasted bamboo shoots just once before and that was years ago and I can hardly recollect how it tasted.

Each time I go to the local market to buy veggies, I see heaps of bamboo shoots and always want to buy a few and try out a recipe. Actually I was not sure what to prepare with it until I saw a sweet and spicy bamboo recipe @ Aayi’s Recipes and so this time I got a few.

No one is fond of the ‘sweet version’ of any dish at home so I changed the original recipe a bit to suit our taste.

Bamboo belongs to the grass family and the shoots are the young new canes that are harvested before they are two week old or one foot tall. They are used in a wide range of dishes in the Asian cuisine.

Bamboo shoots can be considered ‘Heart friendly’ as they are low in fat and rich in fiber. Fiber, as we all know is, helps to keep the cholesterol in check. Moreover, they are rich in potassium. Potassium is ‘healthy heart mineral’, meaning it maintains the blood pressure and a steady heart rate! To top it all it has zero Cholesterol.

Apart from this they are rich in Lignin’s and phenolic acid. Lignin is a component of fiber and they exhibit anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties.

Phenolic acids have mild anti-inflammatory properties [Bamboo is used as to treat infections in Chinese medicine] and are potent anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are rquired to prevent cancer and blood vessel injury that can trigger arteriosclerosis.

It is also a good source of Protein, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Riboflavin, Niacin and Iron and a very good source of Vitamin C, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.

Wow!! So that makes Bamboo shoots a really healthy vegetable!!

Here we get bamboo shoots that are almost ready to use. Meaning, the outer sheaths are removed and only edible portion is sold. But they have to be peeled before cooking.

Moreover bamboo shoots can’t be eaten raw as they have a slightly bitter taste and are not digestible easily in the raw form.

Here comes the tasty recipe. The original recipe is here

You need :

1. Bamboo shoots – 2
2. Grated coconut - 5 tablespoons
3. Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
4. Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
5. Chilli powder - 2 teaspoon [use less for mildly spicy version]
6. Tamarind extract - 1 tablespoon, thick [or a small bit of tamarind soaked in a little warm water and extract the juice]
7. Mustard - 1/2 a teaspoon
8. Oil - 1/2 + 1 teaspoons
9. Salt to taste



Steps to cook:

1. Peel and chop the bamboo shoots
2. Pressure cook with a little water for 10 minutes or till soft.
3. In a pan heat 1/2 teaspoon oil and fry the coriander seeds and urad dhal, till the dhal turns brown.
4. Cool and powder along with the grated coconut, chilli powder. Add a little water if needed but don’t make it too watery.
5. In a pan heat the remaining oil and put in the mustard seeds
6. When they crackle, add the ground paste and sauté till the raw smell disappears.
7. Put in the cooked shoots and add salt and mix well.
8. Cook for another 2 minutes for the flavors to blend.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice/roti[Chapathi]



This spicy bamboo curry is off to join other delicacies @ Sia’s Monsoon Spice where she is hosting RCI-Udupi and Mangalore Cuisine

Since this is a coconut based dish, it also goes to my event – Let’s Go Nuts - Coconut!

A Celestial Event and Breakfast Shake

This week [22/07/2009] parts of Asia witnessed the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century.

As usual I started my day with the cooking and cleaning and as the time for the eclipse drew close it started turning dark, not as dark as night but definitely darker that the evenings would be, [I would call it near darkness] and I got excited for I too was going to witness a celestial event that is so rare and one which millions were eager to watch.

Dad had been watching the eclipse being telecasted live on TV and came online to tell me this. I liked the idea and tried tuning to any channel that had a broadcast on eclipse. But couldn’t find any.

So armed with my digicam I open the drapes of my bedroom window and what do I see!!! A beautiful silver semi-circle among the clouds. It was cloudy no doubt but the eclipse was definitely visible! I clicked a couple of shots and my excitement grew. Then within a few minutes the day got brighter signaling the eclipse was over.

Many parts in China witnessed a complete eclipse. I heard from my friend in Shanghai that they were in complete darkness of a couple of minutes.. Lucky guys!! But we live a little away from Shanghai so all we had was a partial eclipse but something is better than nothing rite!!



Talking of eclipses, they have always been a thing of fear and fantasy among the people from time immemorial.

There are so many myths and fables about eclipse and their impact on the humans and the earth. One famous fable is that a dragon-demon swallows the sun!! As kids maybe we liked the idea of a demon actually eating the sun but of course our textbooks chase away all our fantasies and teach us the realities.

Anyways, it is believed that during the eclipse the rays are harmful to us especially to pregnant women and children and they are mostly advised to stay indoors and if possible in a darkened room. Don’t know if this is a myth or a reality but people still continue to follow it as no one is willing to take chances with their unborn child.

On the other hand, some travel agencies offered charter flights to watch the eclipse from the air and the tickets cost a fortune. Call this business opportunity!!

Astrologers for their part have envisioned doom for the earth citing that there has always been a disaster in the months following an eclipse. Everything from a mini war, assasination/death of a nation’s leader, to tsunamis and earthquakes has been predicted.

For the astronomers and nature watchers this eclipse is a thing they have all been waiting for. Apart from the fact that it is the longest eclipse of this century, we will not be witnessing another one like this until the year 2132!!! This makes it all the more special.

I got a forwarded mail quoting the do’s and don’ts during the eclipse. And one prominent point was to abstain from eating and drinking any stuff. The reason-They may turn into toxins in the body during the eclipse time due to the radiations. This point was elaborated and cautioned – “Please observe this [abstain from drinking liquids], as they are even expecting a Tsunami because of the proximity of planets or something – if it can cause a tsunami to the earth imagine what it can cause to the liquid in our body!!”

When I was a little girl, I have heard people talking about ‘Dharbai’ a dry grass to be used during the eclipse. The dry grass/straw also called Dharbam or Agrostis linearis was cut into small bits and put into each container which food stuffs were stored. Water that was stored for drinking also had a piece of this grass floating on it. I was told that this grass prevents food spoilage during the eclipse. At that time I did not understand what was being said so I just accepted it

Yesterday I remembered this and looked up for ‘Dharbai’ on the net and found so many interesting facts on it. It is also called ‘Holy grass’ and in one of the websites, the writer quotes that it has certain properties that make it valuable. It is said to absorb radiations from the atmosphere! Maybe is the reason why they use it in food stuffs during eclipse. But what happens when you don’t use it? I don’t know coz there are so many people out there who may have never heard of this grass!!

Anyway, on that day I had a very early breakfast [a cheese sandwich] with a cup of coffee, [not because the mail had cautioned me not to eat or drink during the eclipse, but for the plain fact that I woke up hungry], and witnessed the amazing celestial event. After all the excitement died down I was hungry [again!] but was in no mood to cook breakfast. I wanted something easy, filling and refreshing and thus was born my breakfast shake. I just put in some of the things I had and blended it together and enjoyed it.

You need:

Banana - 1 roughly chopped
Milk – 150 ml, cold
Almonds – 5
Condensed milk – 1 tablespoon

Powder the almonds.
Put in the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend till frothy
Pour into a glass and relish it immediately!!



Note:

The condensed milk and the banana were sweet enough so I did not add sugar. You may add sugar / honey if needed

I drizzled sweetened chocolate condensed milk for extra flavor and color.

Open Sesame Roundup

June’s edition of Think Spice was hosted in my blog and the spice I selected was sesame seeds. Here is an assortment of dishes that used this wonderful spice.

Starters / Snacks

Sharmin’s Til Pitha is a delicacy from Assam which is generally made only on special occasions.



Need a delicacy from the Malaysian cuisine? Try Sudha’s Deep Fried Sesame Balls which is famous tea time snack and a delicacy during the Chinese new year celebration.



Sara sends in Sesame Chicken Satay which she has prepared a number of times after watching it on a food network. Serve this as a starter or as a main course.



Dips

We love to have tasty dips with our snacks and here is one such dip that is tasty and can be prepared from the scratch and its exquisite taste is from 2 special ingredients. Want to know what they are? Nupur lets out her secret in Baba Ghanouj




Main courses

We have 3 versions of sesame seed rice

EC has a flavorful Ellu Hora that is sure to delight your senses.



Ellorai from Shanthi to please your palett.



And, PJ’s Sesame Seed Flavored Rice, a recipe that she got from her mom



When you want a quick and lite breakfast/lunch yet expect it to be nutritious and something kids will like, then u have PJ’s Sesame-Vegetable Noodle



A flavorful breakfast/snack from PJ Ellu Sevai that can be prepared in an instant.




Veggies!!!

Srilakshmi prepared the signature dish of Hyderabad - Bahara Baingan. She loves brinjal and says this dish has a heavenly taste!!



Life takes sudden turns when least expected!! The same happened to Srilakshmi, in cooking that is. She and her room mate started off to prepare aloo kurma but landed up with Capsicum Masala



Pari has her family favorite Okra in Poppy and Sesame Seeds which can be served as a side or just eaten plain without rice/roti coz its so delicious!



Stuffed Green Chillies Curry from Usha Rao is a curry that can be prepared in 10 minutes!!



Graziana’s String Beans with Sesame Seeds can be served as a main course as well.



Needn’t travel to Morroco to taste their dishes coz Paritha has her Sesame Roasted Potatoes, a Moroccan dish, which tastes heavenly and is a breeze to prepare.



Priya’s Bokchoy Stir Fry is an utterly delicious dish that goes well with plain rice and can be prepared in 5 minutes!!




Baked goodies

Sesame seeds never fail to find their place in baked goodies and here are some classic examples.

Bindhya’s Garlicky Potato Buns are for those who want a quick bite that can be prepared with minimal fuss.



Priya has grouped together a whole bunch of healthy stuff in her - Savory Sesame and Spinach Buns. It makes a quick dinner with a creamy dip and a soup or can be taken along for picnics.



Another delight from Priya - A Morrocon one - Khobz, whose taste enhanced by the use sesame seeds and it a good accompaniment for vegetable soups.



Spice mixes

Spice mixes are a part and parcel of a south indian meal. Srivalli’s Chutney Powder with Curry Leaves, Coriander Leaves & Sesame Seeds is a lovely version of spice mix that is different from the lentil based spice mixes.



If you want a lentil based spice mix try PJ’s Sesame Seed Spice Mix which has lentils and sesame seeds with a hint of garlic.



Yet another spice mix from Jaya - Sesame Peanut Chutney, a dining staple in her household.




Desserts

Don’t we all love to finish off a meal with a dessert. Well, here they are,..

Niveditha’s Sesame Seeds Poli, a sweet from North Karnataka.



Ellu Urundai from PJ is so easy that you have a dessert ready by the time you say its name!!



If you want to prepare 10 sesame dishes, here is one for you, Ramki’s 10 Simple Sesame Recipes



Having feasted your senses on all these goodies, here is some food for thought. PJ’s Tit-Bit’s gives you some interesting informations about sesame seeds.

I had a great time hosting, cooking and compiling this wonderful event. Hope you too enjoyed these scrumptious dishes. Do try them out. Happy Cooking!!!

Sesame Seeds - Tit-Bits!

I would like to share with you some tit-bits about the symbol of immortality…

Sesame seed [Gingelly Seeds/Til/Ellu/Nuvulu] is one nutrient rich spice that everyone likes to use. Sesame seeds are one of the oldest condiments on earth and are being used in a variety of ways.

There are a varieties of sesame seeds like the white, black, brown and even red colored sesame seeds.

The Nutritive Value per 100gms

          1. Energy – 563 Kcal
          2. Protein – 18.3 gms
          3. Fat – 43.3 gms
          4. Fiber – 2.9 gms
          5. Carbohydrates – 25gms
          6. Iron – 9.3 mg
          7. Calcium - 1450 mg
          8. Phosphorus – 570 mg
          9. Carotene - 60 micrograms
          10. Thiamin - 1.01 mg
          11. Riboflavin - 0.34 mg
          12. Niacin – 4.4 mg
          13. Choline – 2.24 mg
          14. Oxalic acid - 1700 mg

Sesame seeds are hulled to remove the oxalic acid [around 2-3%]. Oxalic acid interferes with the calcium absorption and hence it better be removed. It also gives a bitter flavor.

If you are buying sesame seed oil, look for the one with a dark amber color. The lighter colored ones may be adulterated with some other oil. Store them in a cool place away from sunlight or in a refrigerator. In a refrigerator the oil may turn cloudy, but not to worry, they return to the original color once they reach room temperature.

How to increase shelf-life - Sesame seeds are brimming with oil and turn rancid quickly. So it is better to buy small quantities and store them in an air tight container.
          Never be tempted to leave them in the pantry with the packaging. I have left them like that and in a months time they either turned rancid or I found wormies in them. Here is a secret what my Mom shared with me,..
          Once you bring them home, you just have to do one small thing to extend their shelf-life and to bring out their nutty flavor.
          Heat a pan and put in the sesame seeds. On a low heat toss them around the pan till they just start crackling. Switch off the heat and spread them on a plate. Don’t leave them too long in the pan, else they will taste bitter. If you feel the popping is annoying, just hold a meshed lid to shield you from the pan. Don’t close the pan with a fitting lid as the steam will turn the seeds soggy.
          When cool, store in an airtight container.

Alternatively, buy pre-toasted seeds, skip the toasting step and store in an airtight jar.

You can also refrigerate the seeds or freeze them and they stay good for more than 6 months.

Toasting these seeds has another interesting use as well. You can toss them over salads, rice or stir fries and you will be taking the dish to another level.

Thats it Folks! Happy Sesaming!

Dumplings!

Take-Away’s were a dream to me when I first landed here. But after a while I found out [with the help of my friends ofcourse] that there are a few vegetarian options in a few places!!

One such place is the ‘Da Niang Dumpling’. Da Niang means granny in Chinese and it is one of the most popular restaurants here. It is always full and to get a seat during weekends is a really a big deal.

This famous chain restaurant was started in 1996 and have a number of branches in various provinces. Apart from the many varieties of dumplings, it is famous for its tasty fillings of ‘three delicacies’. The 3 delicacy fillings will have various veggies in combo with meat and seafood. The one I can savour is a filling of – celery, mushroom and tofu. Apart from dumplings they also serve soups, cod dishes and assorted delicacies.

They follow the ‘more sales-less profit’ strategy and it clearly reflects in their pricing. The veggie platter I buy is 2.5RMB for 6 pieces and I can take out 2 portions for 5 RMB which is really filling.

Just because the pricing is less it does’nt mean the place has no standards. The restaurant is neat and clean and has courteous waitresses.

Everytime I pass by that restaurant I can’t resist my temptation to buy one, so last night I got my usual 3 filling delicacy and had a hearty yet light and filling dinner.

The take-away is frozen dumplings packed with a sachet of vinegar and a sachet of chilli paste. Bring them home, boil a pan of water and put in the dumplings, wait for them to cook. Meanwhile empty the sachets in a bowl and mix. Remove the dumpling from the pan and enjoy it with vinegar-chilli sauce!!

Would you like to have a bite???

Pico De Gallo

This is from Mexico.. Yes, after a very long time I am blogging about an international dish. It’s not that I am against international cuisine, it’s just that I keep blogging about the ‘everyday recipes’ that I don’t find time to try out other cuisines.

So what made me try this dish, you may ask. The scorching heat! I didn’t feel like having a spicy or even a non spicy side dish with Chapatti for lunch so I prepare Pico De Gallo as a side. The meal was fulfilling and I loved it.

If you are still wondering what I am talking about, you can rest. This is not any super duper dish. It’s a refreshing salad that is best when served chilled and takes just a few minutes to prepare.

You need:

1. Tomato - 2, deseeded and chopped finely
2. Onion - 1 small, chopped finely
3. Green chillies - 2 chopped
4. Lemon juice to salt
5. Salt to taste
6. A handful of coriander leaves to garnish

And the Steps:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl[except coriander leaves] and chill before serving!! Garnish with coriander leaves.

Yes, just one step!! This is the easiest salad ever. By now you must have understood that this is our Tomato onion salad with a Spanish name!!! Pica De Gallo is nothing but a fresh condiment made with tomatoes, onion and jalapeños. Sometimes lemon juice, coriander leaves, cucumber and radish may be used.



Did you know that Pico De Gallo means rooster beak in Spanish! Why the name ‘rooster beak’?? Some say that its is because of the use of beak shaped red chiilies. Other say its was originally eaten by hand using the thumb and fore finger and this action resembled the pecking of the rooster. Some all believe that it is a colloquial term for chicken feed as the condiments are finely chopped resembling the food given to chickens. What ever maybe the cause for such a name, it sure does taste great!!!

Sesame Vegetable Noodles

Sunday is the day I hate to spend in the kitchen. Its a day meant to be lazy or go outing. But, hunger never takes a day off and I am forced to cook something or the other and hence its always a quick dish on weekends. This week we planned to take our lil angel to the zoo to show her the ‘real’ animals. She has been reading from her alphabet book and can recognize almost all the animals from it. She was excited at the prospect of seeing the animals. She is always eager to go out and enjoy her self. Enjoyment for her is running around the street without holding my hands and singing to her self some tune she makes up, waving to people who say Hai or Bye and most important of all not being told to sit in her crib!!!

So, since we planned to go out, I wanted a quick fix and all that came to my mind was noodles. With the seasonal veggies or any veggie at hand and tossing in a few tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds, a nutritious yet quick meal is ready.

You need:

1. Wheat noodles - 1 pack
2. Veggies – 1 cup, chopped [I used carrot, beans, boiled corn, potato]
3. Spring onions - 2 tablespoons, finely chopped
4. Spring onion greens - 1 tablespoon, finely chopped
5. Capsicum - 1/2, chopped
6. Garlic - 2 pods, chopped
7. Ginger - 1/2 a teaspoon, grated
8. Tomato - 1 small, chopped
9. Onion-1 small, chopped
10. Soya sauce - 1 teaspoon
11. Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
12. Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
13. Sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon, toasted
14. Sesame seed oil - 1 teaspoon
15. Salt to taste


Steps to follow

1. Microwave the veggies [I used carrots, beans and potato] for 5 minutes or until soft. Alternatively you can pressure cook the veggies.
2. Similarly fill a large bowl with water and put in the noodles and microwave for 5 minutes or till done. Alternatively you can use a pan filled with water and boil the noodles till done. Drain the noodles and run it under cold water and keep aside.
3. Heat a pan with oil and put in the jeera
4. When it crackles, add the onion, garlic, spring onions and ginger and sauté till the onion is soft.
5. Add the capsicum and stir for a minute and then put in the tomatoes.
6. Cook till the tomato is mushy.
7. Add the soya sauce and chilli powder, cooked veggies, boiled corn and mix well and let it cook till the raw smell of chilli powder disappears, around 2 minutes.
8. Add salt. [But remember that the soya sauce also contains salt so check before you add salt to the dish]
9. Put in the cooked noodles and mix well.
10. Stir for 2 minutes and remove from flame.
11. Keep aside 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and put in the rest to the noodles and stir.
12. Just before serving garnish with spring onion greens and the remaining sesame seeds.



Relish the healthy noodles…..

This breakfast dish is also for my event Think Spice -Think Sesame Seeds!

Anyways, lil angel had a nice time in the zoo for she saw all the animals pictured in her alphabet book except the elephant but I don’t think she minded that. After a long walk around the zoo and the playing games in the park nearby, lil angel fell asleep on the way home.

Ellu Sevai

Summer holidays are always fun - I mean when we are kids. No rushing to school, packed lunches, loads of homework!!!! I always used to look forward to the summer holidays. Mom and Dad would take me to my grandparent’s place where I used to stay till the end of the vacation. After spending a couple of days with me, my parents would return home and that’s when the ‘real’ holidays would begin.

Since I can do as I please in my grandparents place, there was not fixed time to wake up. Most of the days I would wake up when grandpa was ready to leave for work and he would smile and ask me to get up so that I can have breakfast. That’s when I would realize the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen.

Food was the best apart of staying in grandma place coz she will never be bored of cooking varieties of dishes for me. Apart from this you are always pampered by grandparents and you can get all what you want – loads of bikkis, chocolates, comics, toys, what not! My mom used to jokingly complain that her Dad had never been like this with her and my grandpa would laugh and reply that she was his daughter and not grand daughter!!! Grandchildren always have a special place in their heart!!!

Now coming back to the goodies, grandma would never tire and keep preparing one dish or the other to be served. Sometimes she would ask me what I want for evening snacks and sometimes it would be her choice. Just like her I would never get bored of savoring her dishes.

One day after a nap, I woke up to the wonderful fragrance of sesame seeds and immediately recognized that she had prepared my favorite Sevai and had made it with several flavorings.

There was plain sevai, Lemon Sevai, curd sevai, Sevai soaking in melted jaggery and of course the Ellu Sevai [sesame flavoured sweet sevai] that was giving out such a lovely aroma.

I don’t know how I was able to eat all the goodies that she prepared each day but I guess that made my grandma happy. I really miss those wonderful and lazy holidays.

My grandma is over 70 now but when she hears that we are coming there her she is always ready with an array of dishes and grandpa always jokes that grandma can suddenly find energy to cook so many varieties when she knows we are coming to visit her.

Now for the recipe. Ellu sevai can be prepared in a jiffy if you have plain rice sevai at hand..

You need:

1. Rice Sevai
2. Jaggery
3. Roasted Sesame seeds
4. Ghee

And the steps:

1. Spread the rice sevai on a plate.
2. In a mixer powder equal quantities of powdered jaggery and sesame seeds
3. Mix this powder with the rice sevai.
4. Drizzle generous quantity of ghee over the ellu sevai and serve.



You will definitely be taken off the ground by the wonderful aroma from the ghee and sesame powder.. I am drooling right now..

The quantity of jaggery and sesame seeds depends on the amount of rice sevai you are using and also on the personal taste. I like it with equal quantity of jaggery and sesame seeds while my mom prefers a less sweet version. So I leave it to your choice.

This breakfast dish is for my event Think Spice - Think Sesame Seeds!

Let's Go Nuts! - Event Announcement

Lets Go Nuts - the brain child of Aqua makes a pit-stop at Seduce Your Tastebuds this month.

I am hosting a tropical nut. Need any clues? Ok here it comes... A nut that was first named by Portuguese explorers especially the sailors of Vasco da Gama. You must have guessed by now!! No?? Ok more clues - This nut was named so coz the Spanish explorers thought it looked like a monkey [because of its hairy resemblance]. Still no? Now for the last clue - It’s a nut with a sweet tasting liquid it in.. Yes, yes, you guessed it rite - I am talking about - COCONUT

Coconut tree, which is said to have been present from ancient times, belongs to the palm family and almost all the parts are useful in culinary and non culinary areas which is clear from this saying – He who plants a coconut tree plants food and drink, vessels and clothing, a heat source, habitation for himself and a heritage for his children — A South Seas saying, from Norman Van Aken's The Great Exotic Fruit Book.

Coconut provides a nutritious source of meat, juice, milk, and oil. Coconut is classified as a ‘funtional food’ as it provides many health benefits. It is highly nutritious providing fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Coconut is used in many cuisines and in some countries esp. the tropics, they form the heart of the cuisine.

Apart from the culinary uses coconut palm finds its use in traditional medicine and is used to protect/cure a wide range of ailments.

Coconut oil which was once shunned by many due to its high saturated fatty acid content is now coming into limelight as it has been proved that the fat in coconut oil is a unique and different from most all other fats and possesses many health giving properties.

Coconut water [also known as Tender coconut water] is a cooling drink that quenches the thirst of hundreds in summer. The tender sap can be eaten as such as a snack.

Coconut milk lends its richness to various curries and also used as a drink.

So let’s go nuts with coconut this month. Prepare any dish with coconut[fresh / desiccated] / coconut cream / coconut milk / tender coconut water or any other form of coconut]. Let it be the major ingredient of the dish so as to highlight the theme.

Only Vegetarian posts please. Eggs are allowed if they are a part of baked goodies.

Old entries are accepted. All you have to do is repost it this month with a link to this announcement. Multiple entries are welcome.

Mail your entries to seduceurtastebuds@gmail.com with the subject line as ‘Let’s go nuts..’ and with the following details

1. You name
2. Blog name
3. Recipe name
4. URL to the recipe
5. A photo of your creation in JPG format….

The last date to send in your entries is July 31st, 2009.

I am sure it is going to rain coconuts in your kitchen this month... Happy cooking!!!!

SESAME SEED SPICE MIX

As we all know, sesame seeds are used in a variety of ways and here is a tasty spice mix with a sesame flavor. Paired with plain rice and ghee, it is a dish to relish. Prepare this spice mix in small batches and store in an airtight container and when you are too lazy to cook for yourself or in a hurry, just use this flavourful spice mix and your lunch is ready. You can serve this spice mix and rice as such or pair it up with a veggie stirfry, pappad and raita for a complete meal.

Though I have used other spices and lentils, sesame’s characteristic flavor is predominant.

You need:

1. Sesame seeds[White] - 1 cup, roasted
2. Gram dhal - 1/4 cup
3. Urad dhal - 1/4 cup
4. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
5. Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
6. Red chillies - 5
7. Garlic pods – 5, crushed
8. Oil - 1 teaspoon
9. Salt to taste



Now here are the steps:

1. Heat oil in a pan[medium flame] and put in Bengal gram and urad dhal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies and fry till the dhals brown and take care that they do not burn. Remove from fire and cool.
2. In the same pan put in the garlic and toss around for some time till they start turning light brown. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Grind the dhal-mixture to a coarse powder and add garlic and sesame seeds.
4. Give it a few shots in the mixer -just a few seconds each.
5. Remove to a plate,add salt and mix well
6. Store in an airtight container.



Note:
If the sesame seeds + garlic are ground for longer periods, they either form a ball or become pasty, so just give them a few shots for a few seconds till they are coarsely ground

This spice mix is for my event Think Spice - Think Sesame Seeds!