Dearest Friend......Good Bye?!!!!!

Never in my wildest dreams thought I would post this.  My hands are shaking and I am sobbing inside and out as I type this.   I am not going to correct any gramatical mistakes, because that was your job in this blog.  How much you were proud of this blog.  WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY.............Sanjeev??????

I can't tpe any more.  I wanted to do this before I say a final good bye to you.  May you rest in PEACE.
Please come back to us from your slumber....... your are occupied in every nook and corner of our house.  I want to ask you soooo many questions.  

To family and friends:  If you know this wonderful person, please leave a message for him.  He reads this space every single day.

1965 - 2010
When ~ How ~ Why??????? We will never know.......

Thank You !  Thank You!  Thank You!

Vazhaikai / Plaintain Podimas

 

Ingredients:
Vazhaikai / Plaintain - 2
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green chilles - 2-3 chopped
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Assafetida - 1/4 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:
Cut plaintain into halves and cook till tender with enough water.  You can also presure cook it for 3 -4 whistles. Let it cool, peel the skin and grate it. 
Heat oil in a pan splutter mustard seeds.  Add urad dal and fry till golden brown.
Now add the green chillies, curry leaves, ginger and asafetida.  Add the grated plaintain, turmeric powder, salt and gently mix.  Make sure not to mush the plaintain while mixing.
Cook for 2 minutes. Add the coconut and lemon juice and mix well.

Microwave Cooking - Mixed Fruit Kesari

Ingredients:

Rava / Sooji - 1 cup
Mixed Fruits - 1 1/2 cups cut into small pieces
I used Apple, Pear, Banana, Pineapple and Mango
Skim Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 to 1 cup
Ghee - 4 TBSP
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Pinch of saffron
Nuts and raisins for garnishing


Method:

1. In a microwave safe bowl mix together rava and 2TBSP ghee.  Roast on high power for 1 minute.
2. Remove and mix it well and cook for another 1 minute.  Transfer it to a plate.
3. In the same bowl, place all the cut fruits and cook for 1 minute.  Mix well and add the sugar and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Now add the milk, saffron and cardamom powder and mix well.  Cook on high for 3 minutes.
5. Add the roasted rava and the remaing 2 TBSP of ghee and mix throughly and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
6. Garnish with roasted nuts and raisins.

Notes:  I used turbinado / Raw sugar.  If the kesari is too stiff, add more milk and ghee.

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Awards

I got my first tag award from Meena  couple of week ago.  Thank You!  Now as a rule, I need to pass it on  to seven bloggers.  So the award goes to:

Gulmohar

Siddhi

Nithu Bala

Lavanya

Padhu

Sowmya

Krishnaveni

The second rule for this award is to post one or more of my favorite pictures.  I took this picture on a beautiful summer evening when nature put on her best show while the sun was setting.  This is our back yard.

Thank You to each and every one for visiting my blog!

MULTIGRAIN - Apple ~ Cinnamon Pancake

Ingredients:
Trader Joe's Multigrain Baking & Pancake Mix - 2 cups
(you can use any pancake mix)
Milk - 1 cup
Grated Apple - 1/2 cup
Ground Flax seed Meal - 1 TBSP
Corn starch - 1 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
Pure vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp (Optional)

Method:
Combine all the ingredients until smooth.  If the batter is too thick, add more milk.  Heat a non-stick pan or a griddle and pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake in the center of the pan. Slightly shake the pan to spread the batter.  Cook till the edges are brown.  Flip it over and cook till its done.  Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.
I also used some chocolate chips in this pancake.

This goes to Priya's Pancake Event and to Suma's JHIVA - Breakfast event created by Indira.

Pudhina / Mint Vadai

On a popular demand, presenting the recipe for Pudhina Vadai.  Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
Yellow split peas - 1/2 cup
Green split peas - 1/2 cup
(you can also use plain channa dal / kadalai paruupu, if you can't get these dals)
Toor dal - 1/4 cup
Urad dal - 2 TBSP
Pudhina / Mint leaves - 1 cup
Green chilles - 3-4
Red chillis - 3-4
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Few curry leaves
Salt - to taste
Oil for frying.

Method:
Saok all the dals in enough water for 2 hours.
Wash the mint leaves throughly.
Drain the soaked dal.
First, grind a fistful of dal with red chillies, green chillies, ginger, asafetida, curry leaves and salt till smooth.
Then add the remaining dal and grind it coarsely.  Finally, add the mint leaves and grind till everything comes together.  Try not add any water while grinding.  If the dough is too thick, you can sprinke some water while grinding.
Take a lemon sized dough and flatten into small disks and fry them in hot oil till golden brown.

Sending this to MLLA 21 hosted by Mirch Masala.

Happy New Year

Wishing Everyone A Very Happy 

Ugadi

Happy Gudi Padwa

 Our Ugadi Dinner: Sambar Sadam, Thayir Sadam, Brown aval Payasam, Pudhina Vadai and Ugadi Pachadi

Adhirasam / Ariselu

Adhirasam is a traditional tamil sweet delicacy made of rice flour and jaggery.  It is prepared during religious functions and for festivals.  This month's challange for Indian Cooking Challange started by Srivalli is to make adhirasam / ariselu. 

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
cardamom - 1/4 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
water - 1/2 cup
oil for frying

Method:
Melt the grated jaggery in 1/2 cup of water.  Strain the impurities.
Boil the jaggery water and add cardamom powder and sesame seed. 
Add the rice flour and mix well till it turns in to a soft dough.
Heat oil in a pan.  Take a lemon sized dough and make round disks on a greased plastic sheet. I used a small zip lock bag.
Deep fry the disks till golden brown.

Notes:
I followed recipe # 2. 
I did not add the coconut as per the recipe. 
I added the sesame seeds in the dough itself.
By the adding of sesame seeds, it tasted more like vella chedai that we make for Krishna Jayanthy.

Broccoli - Panner Masala

Ingredients:

Cubed Panner - 1 cup
Broccoli - 1 cup cut into florets
Onion - 1 roughly chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves
Tomato paste - 2 TBSP
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
Kasori Methi -1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 TBSP


Method:

1. Grind the onion and garlic with little water in to a smooth paste.
2. Heat oil in  a pan and add the ground onion-garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste.  Add a cup of water and mix well.
4. Add the garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, kasori methi and salt.
5. Now add the cut broccoli and mix well.  Cook till the broccoli is tender.
6. Add the heavy cream and let it come to a boil and add the panner.  Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes or untill the gravy thickens. 
7. Serve hot with pulav, roti or naan.      

Broccoli - Panner Masala ~ Peas Pulav

Catanisella Lunga 28

 You say Whaat?   

I say Holy Macaroni!!!

or is it Masala Macaroni

Ingredients: 

Cantanisella Lunga - 1 cup (cooked and drained as per the instructions on the box)

You can use any kind of macaroni or pasta

For the sauce:

Onion - 1 medium thinly sliced

Garlic - 2 cloves sliced

Baby spinach - 1/2 cup

Green and Red peppers - 1/2 cup cut into thin strips

Grated carrots - 1/2 cup

 Diced tomatoes - 3/4 cup ( Fresh or canned)

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Red chilli pepper - 1 tsp

Fresh panner - 1/2 cup

Cilanto / Fresh coriander, mint leaves and kasoori methi - 1 tsp each chopped

Salt - to taste

Olive oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Hear oil in a large skillet.  Add the sliced garlic and the onion.  Saute for a minute.
Now add the peppers and cook for another minute or so.  Do not over cook.
Now add the spinach and the grated carrots and mix well .  Cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the diced tomatoes, spices and salt.  Stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add the scrambled  panner, chopped herbs and mix well.
Add the cooked macaroni and toss the sauce throughly to coat.

Serve hot.

This goes to Pasta Party hosted by Jyoti and to Sowmya's cooking with pasta event.

Kathirikkai / Brinjal / Eggplant Curry

Ingredients:

Small eggplants / Brinjal - 1 lb
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3-4 TBSP
Roast the following in 1 tsp of oil and make a coarse powder
Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
Channa dal / Kadalai paruppu - 2 TBSP
Red chillies - 5-6 or to taste
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Few curry leaves

Method:
Cut the eggplants in to long thick wedges.  Heat 2 TBSP of oil in a large skillet and add mustard seeds.  Add urad dal and fry until golden brown.  Add the cut eggplants, turmeric powder, asafetida and salt.  Mix well.  Cover the skillet and cook till it's half done.  Do not fully cook the eggplants.

Half Cooked

Now add the powdered spice mix and coat the eggplants gently.  Add the remaining oil and stir carefully with out mushing it.  Add more oil if necessary.  Cover and cook till tender.  Serve hot with rice or as a side dish.

Sending this to:
Anitha's Vegetable Marathon
 RV's Cooking with Seeds - Coriander seeds started by Priya.

Onion Rava Dosai

Ingredients: 

Rava / Sooji - 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
AP flour / maida - 1/2 cup
Corn flour - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - chopped
Onions - chopped
Green chillies - chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp grated
Fresh coriander / kothamalli / Cilantro - chopped
Salt - to taste
Oil

Method:

Combine all the flours with enough water in to a thin batter.   Add cumin seeds, ginger, chopped green chillies, chopped curry leaves and salt.  Mix well.  Leave it for 1/2 hour.   Heat non-stick skillet / tawa / dasai kal on high and spread some oil.  Sprinkle some chopped onion and cilantro.  Pour the batter from outwards spreading  towards inside covering the onions.  Do not spread the batter like regular dosa.  Pour 1tsp oil around the edge.  Let it cook until crisp.  You don't need to flip the dosa.

Variation:
To make Ragi rava dosai, mix 1/4 cup of ragi flour to the batter.

Ragi Rava Dosai with Millagai podi

Spinach and Ridge Gourd Sambar

Ingredients:
Cooked toor dal - 1 cup
Spinach - 1 cup (chopped)
Ridge gourd / Peerkkangai - 1 cup (peeled and cut into slices)
Tamarind - lemon sized
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 TBSP
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red chillies - 2-3 broken
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida - small pinch
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out the extract.
2. Heat oil in a vessel and add the mustard , fenugreek seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add  channa dal and fry till golden brown.
4. Add the vegetables and saute for a minute.
5. Add the tamarind extract along with 1-2 cups of water.
6. Add sambar powder, salt and asafetida.  Let it boil for 10 minutes.
7. Add the cooked toor dal and bring it to a boil.  Serve hot with rice.  

This goes to Divya's Healing Foods Events started by Siri.

Spicy Potato Roast

Look at these teeny-tiny potatoes, I picked up from my favorite store Trader Joe's.

And look what I made out of them.

Roasting

And Ta-Da

Spicy Potato Roast

Ingredients

Potatoes - 1 lb
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal / ulutham paruppu - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 TBSP
Dry roast the following ingredients and make a fine powder
Coriander seeds / dhania - 2 TBSP
channa dal / kadalai paruppu -  1 TBSP
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds / Jeeragam - 1 tsp
Dry red chilli - 3-4 (according to your taste)

Method
Wash and peel the potatoes.  If you are using the teeny-tiney ones use stove top for boiling.
Heat oil in a large skillet and add mustard seeds.  Now add urad dal and fry till golden brown.  Add curry leaves, turmeric powder and asafetida.  Add the peeled potatoes, salt and mix well.  Now add the ground spice powder and coat the potatoes well.  Make sure not to break the potatoes while mixing.  Cook the potatoes in low flame, stirring occasionally until brown.  Serve hot.

Enjoy!!!

Gobi / Cauliflower Manchurian ~ Baked

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 cut into bite size florets
Green pepper - 1 cut into big chunks
Green onions - 2 TBSP chopped

For the batter:

Baked Cauliflower

Rice flour - 2 TBSP
Corn flour - 2 TBSP
Corn meal - 2 TBSP
Corn starch - 1 TBSP
All Purpose flour - 1 TBSP
salt - to taste
Black pepper - to taste
Water - for mixing
(This is purely my own version for the batter)

For the sauce:
Ginger - 1 TBSP grated
Garlic - 2 cloves chopped
Green chillies - 2 chopped
Tomato ketchup - 4 TBSP
Red chilli sauce - 4 TBSP or to taste
White vinegar - 2 tsp
Soy sauce - 4 TBSP or to taste
Corn starch - 2 TBSP
Water - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Wash the cauliflower florets and semi boil them in hot water for 2 minutes.  Strain and pat dry. (Alternatively you can cook the cauliflower in the microwave for 2 minutes)
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingrediants from the batter list with enough water to make a thick batter.
3. Mix in the cauliflower and coat the batter evenly.
4. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spread the coated cauliflower and spary with coooking spray.
5. Bake until brown.  Make sure to flip the cauliflower half way through.
6. While it's baking, prepare the sauce.
7. Heat oil in skillet and fry the chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic.
8. Add the green pepper and green onion and fry for 30 seconds.  Do not over cook the green peppers. 
9. Now add the ketchup, red chilli sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, corn starch and salt mix well.
10. Add 1/2 cup of water.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
11. Add the baked cauliflower to the sauce and mix throughly.
12. Garnish with chopped green onions.
13. Serve immediately.

Adjust the spice level according to your taste.