Sweet Pongal/Venn pongal/Menasina gojju(red pepper curry)

Pongal Delicacies...

Sweet Pongal/Venn Pongal/Red pepper gojju....

Pongal!!! reminds us of harvest, fresh grain and great food. This three-day harvest festival is celebrated every year in Magha, from the 13th to the 15th of January. The word 'pongal' refers to the dish of sweet rice prepared on this occasion. The festival is celebrated widely in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The time of the festival is of great importance to all Hindus, as it corresponds to the solar equinox when the days begin to lengthen and the nights begin to wane.
Bhogali Bihu of Assam could be regarded as the matching counterpart of the Tamil Pongal festival.The nightlong feast with family and friends along with the preparation of traditional Assamese goodies, and the early morning worship of the Indian god of fire - Agni, are some of the major highlights of this festival. In W Bengal, it is celebrated in the form of a festival cum fair called Ganga Sagar Mela.However, this fair is not confined to the Bengalis only as people from all over India come to visit the Ganga Sagar with the belief that a dip in the holy bank will absolve them of their sins.In Punjab and its neighbouring states, this day is celebrated, as Lohri. It marks the coming of spring and the approaching end of winter. Fires are lit as dusk approaches. Arrangement for feasts among family and friends and gatherings around the sacred bonfire, and an exchange of greetings and pleasantries mark the festival celebration here. (courtesy:www.theholidayspot.com)

No matter which state, the common factor which makes the festival so special is the special food which is prepared. Here are 3 such authentic pongal recipes which are very simple and can be made any time of the year. It is rich and nutricious.

Sweet Pongal/Jaggery Rice:
You need
1cup long grain rice
1/4 cup split moong dal
3/4 cup jaggery/optional you can use brown sugar
1tsp freshly ground cardamom seeds
ghee 1/4 cup.
Garnish: nuts of your choice fried in ghee
To make: lightly fry the rice and moong dall with a tsp of clarified butter/ghee till nice aroma comes. Boil them together till soft but not mushy. In a thick pan, add jaggery with 1/2 cup water and bring it to a boil. when the jaggery melts, add the cardamom powder and mix well. Now add the boiled rice dal mixture and mix well. keep stirring the mixture for about 7-10minutes till the desired consistency is obtained. Finally add the remaining ghee and garnish with nuts of your choice.. Voila.. Sweet delicious pongal is ready...

Spicy Pongal/?Venn pongal/Khara pongal:
You need
1cup long grain rice
1/4 cup split moong dal
1tsp whole black pepper corns
1tsp jeera
ghee 1/4 cup.
1tsp cashews
To make: lightly fry the rice and moong dall with a tsp of clarified butter/ghee till nice ma comes. Boil them together till soft.
In a pan, add ghee, when it is heated, add jeera and black pepper corns and cashews.. Now add the rice dal mixture and salt and mix well. I personally like the mixture not too watery, so when I boil I dont add much water.
To go with this, is the traditional red pepper curry/Menasinakai gojju..

Red Pepper curry/Gojju: You need
1 fresh red bell pepper/optional can use green pepper or combination of red and green
tamarind paste 1tbsp
jaggery -piece of a lemon
oil-2tbsp
2 cups water
seasoning: mustard, hing, jeera, curry leaves and dried red chillies 2
Gojju powder: 3tsp
To make: heat oil in a pan, add all the seasonings till they mix well. Now add the pepper and mix for 5minutes till the pepper softens. Now add 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. Add tamarind paste, gojju powder and jaggery and mix well. Add salt based on your taste and in a medium flame boil the mixture till desired consistency is obtained. This goes very well with pongal or rice of any kind...

Here is the recipe for the traditonal gojju powder
channa dale-11/2 tsp urad dal-11/2 tsp fenugreek seeds/menthya-1/2 tblsp hing-1 small grannule dhania-1tblsp jeera-3/4 tsp red chilles-6 to 8 til-1tsp cinnamon/dalchini-1'' piece Fry the ingredients in a tsp of oil till nice aroma comes and grind it to a fine powder..

Okra fry/Okra Sambhar/Okra in yogurt.....

Okra Fry....

Okra Sambhar....

Okra is a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid
For best cooking results, okra should be fresh (not frozen). The pods should be small (3 inches or so long), or the okra becomes tough and stringy. If forced to use frozen okra, remove as much of the moisture as possible before cooking by spreading on a paper towel, or patting it dry after it thaws, etc.
"Avoid cooking okra in pans made of iron, copper or brass for their chemical properties turns the fruit black
Here are some of the authentic South Indian Okra delicacies which are simple and yummy...

Okra Fry:
2cups chopped okra/Bendekai
1tsp red chilly powder/paprika
salt as needed
oil 2tbsp
1tsp mustard seeds
Method: In a pan, heat oil, add the mustard seeds till it splutters.. Now add the chopped okra and fry till all the moisture is gone and it starts getting crispier..(Tip: avoid mixing continuously as this will make the fry sticky).. When its crispy.. add chilly powder and salt and mix well.
This can be served with chapati/bread/rice or eaten as it is....

Okra Sambhar:
2cups okra chopped into big chunks
2tbsp toor dall (boiled)
tamarind paste 1tsp
sambhar powder 2 tsp)
1tsp jaggery
Seasoning: oil, mustard seeds, hing, jeera
For garnish: Cilantro
Method: In a pan, add the oil and seasonings.. Now add the chopped okra and fry lightly till the okra is coated with oil and becomes soft but holds its shape..
Now add the boiled dal with water, tamarind paste, jaggery and sambhar powder and mixwell. Boil with a closed lid for 5min till it comes to a boil..
Now add cilantro and salt and mix well.
This can be served with boiled rice....

Okra in Yogurt:
1cup chopped okra (microwave it till it gets soft and loses its rawness)
1cup yogurt(beat it lightly)
Grind: 2tbsp fresh coconut, 1tsp toor dal, 1 tsp jeera, 1tsp red chilly powder, 1/2inch ginger root, 1tsp black pepper) to a fine paste...

Method:In a pan heat 2tsp oil, add hing andmustar seeds.. Now add the boiled okra and fry for 2mins.. Now add the ground paste and mix well for 4mins..
Finally add the yogurt and salt and turn off the heat..
Serve this with rice...

Usli Chaat with a refreshing Carrot Cooler....

Usli is a quick all time favourite snack in Bangalore.. I remember the Usli given as prasadam during Ganesh Chaturthi.. the taste was unforgettable.. Loaded with protein with spice and a touch of lime tingle your taste buds..
Here is a variation of usli which has a tang of Chaat as well and hence "Usli Chaat"..
What more healthier than washing this off with a refreshing Carrot Cooler....

For Usli you need:
2cups Matki (you can use any combination of pulses soaked and sprouted)--parboil it till soft but not mushy
1 big red onion
1 small cucumber
2tsp tamarind date chutney
1 cup peanuts roasted and coarsly crushed
juice of lemon
salt
green chillies 4 chopped
cilantro 2twigs
1tsp chat masala
oil 2tsp

Procedure:

in a pan add oil, when heated add curry leaves, green chillies and half the onions. Add turmeric and fry till translucent and switch off the heat..
Boil the matki till it is soft but firm.. Drain the water if any.. now mix the left over onion, cucumber and peanut powder.. To this add chat masala and juice of lemon and salt and mix well. Finally add the cooled fried onion mixture and mix well and serve immediatly...

Carrot Juice:
3large juicy carrots (peeled)
1/2 inch ginger root
1tsp honey..
Blend the above adding 1/2 cup water and strain.. Serve it with crushed ice (optional)...

Mysore Tomato Rasam & Seasame Peanut Powder (Uchellina Pudi)

Every south indian meal is incomplete without this delicious tangy soup called "Rasam"..The variety is also varied, whether it is the lemon rasam, pepper rasam, pineapple rasam, dal rasam or mysore tomato rasam the flavour is unique and preparation lies in its simple ingredients and lots of boiling...
I have always found the rasam to be more tasty when I boil it for a long time. maybe because the flavours blend in the water base well..This is by far the most simplest dish and goes with plain rice..
The rasam powder is available in all the indian grocery stores by various manufacturers.. However, I like to make this powder once every 2 weeks since it is very simple and the flavours remain fresh..
My favourite aid to this rasam is the authentic brahmin Uchellina Pudi( black seasame spiced powder).. I love the flavour of this spiced powder with rasam rice...
Here is what you need:

Seasame peanut powder:
1 cup peanuts( roasted and preferable deskinned)
1/2 cup Black seasame seeds (dry roasted)
1/2 cup curry leaves( in a tsp of oil fry these leaves till they get crispy)
1tbsp dhania/coriender seeds( fry it with a drop of oil)
a handfull of red chillies ( I love it spicy so i used more)
1tsp jeera
salt

To do;
Roast all the ingredients separately till a nice smell comes (do not over roast)..Grind everything to a fine powder adding salt..

Simple isnt it?..

Now for the Mysore Tomato Rasam:
1/2 cup tuar dal
2 ripe tomatoes
1tsp tamarind paste
To season:
1tsp ghee, 1 twig curry leaves, mustard seeds, jeera and hing

Rasam powder:

Red chillies (equal proportion of bydage & Kashmiri Red chillies) : 2 cupsDhania Seeds : 2 cupsJeera + Pepper corns (together) : 1/2 cup (1/4 + 1/4)Methi seeds + Mustard seeds(together) : 1/4 cup1twig curry leaves
Method:
Take a kadai with 1tsp of oil. Roast each ingredient separately for 2-3minutes till crispy and aromatic..Cool them and grind them into a fine powder and store..

To make Rasam:
Pressure cook tuar dal and tomatoes with a pinch of turmeric and a tsp of oil with 3cups of water..
In a vessel, add the cooked dal mixture and boil for 2minutes. To this add 3tsp rasam powder, salt and the tamarind paste and mix well. Now close the lid and let it come to a boil..
Meanwhile in a kadai prepare the seasonings with pure ghee and add it to the boiling rasam..

Seasame Lemon Rice/Yellina Chitranna

A simple breakfast or brunch to me needs to be fulfilling tasty & easy to prepare.. One of my most favourite quick rice is the seasame lime rice which is little different than the regular lemon/lime rice with an added flavour of seasame.. I love the the flavour of seasame..

Here is how you make it:

You will need

2 cups of left over/fresh cooked long grain rice.

2tbsp peanut oil/seasame oil if you like

4 green chillies

1/2 green pepper chopped

For tadka/seasoning: mustard seeds 1tsp, peanuts 1tsp, curry leaves a twig, urad dal 1tsp, turmeric 1/2 tsp

seasame seeds-1/4 cup(roast it dry in a pan till it pops and powder this coarsely..

juice of lime/lemon

Method:

Spread the cooked rice in a flat pan or a plate so that the granules separate..

In a pan, add oil and add all the seasonings..Add cut green chillies, turmeric and green pepper and mix well. close the lid for 3mins till the pepper is well cooked..

Allow this to cool a little and mix this to the rice. Add salt and mix the seasame powder well. Finally add the juice of lemon and mix well and serve..

Adding seasame powder enhances the flavour of this rice...

Chocolate-Peanut butter Samosas....

Chocolate
For some it's an aphrodisiac, for others an addiction. It's Britain's favourite comfort food and one of the most commonly given presents. Chocolate has many forms and uses, and a long association with pleasure - and guilt (as quoted in BBC...)

Legend says that the Chocolate was the gift of God...The cacao tree was supposedly brought to mankind by Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god who taught mortals how to make a drink from it
Whether it is cocoa, dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate.. the flavour is divine..
Here is a recipe which is a little unusual but nevertheless delicious and another way of indulging into this gift from god with a savoury companion served in a cute little chocolate cups & maple syrup/honey....


You Need:
spring roll wraps/puff pastry sheets thawed and cut into rectangular strips...
choco chips-1/2cup
peanut butter-1/2 cup
oil to fry
To serve
chocolate cups which are edible (you can find it in any grocery store)
maple syrup/honey...

Method:
First microwave the choco chips till it melts.. if doing it on a stove top, make sure you melt these chips stirring avoiding getting burnt..
Mix peanut butter to this melted chocolate ganache.This will serve as a filling to our samosas..
If using a spring roll wrap.. thaw these wraps, cut it into 2" rectangular strips. place a tbsp
of filling and roll it gently to resemble a samosa.
If using puff pastry.. thaw the sheets, add some all purpose flour and roll out , cut it into recangular strips and follow the same procedure..
Deep fry these samosas and serve with maple syrup/honey....


Tip: if you dont have choco chips, you can mix nutella or any other choco syrup to a thick chunky peanut butter..
(This will be my entry to the JFI Chocolate.....)

Restaurant Style Navaratna Kurma

Whenever I think of a rich fruit based dish,, one dish which stands out is the Nine Gems Kurma also called the "Navaratna Kurma".. This dish is a combination of flavour, richness & simplicity.. The blend of vegetables with fruits in a rich broth makes this extra special..
I have tried varieties of recipes to prepare this dish as my mytaste buds.. One which stands out and one which I personally love is below:


You Need
boiled Mixed vegetables -1cup ( I have used water based veggies without strong colors like chayote, knool coll, potato & white pumpkin)
1onion chopped
1tomato chopped
1 apple chopped
1 slice pineapple cut into chunks (if you find crushed canned pineapple, you can use 2tbsps)
6-7 white grapes
tooty frooty/cherries 1/2 cup
Fried panner cubes-1/2cup
garam masala 1tsp
red chillie powder 1/2tsp
ginger powder or fresh ginger 1tbsp

Grind to a fine powder
2tsp poppyseeds
3cardamom pods

Grind to a fine paste with 1/2 cup milk
10 deskinned almonds

Method:
In a pan, add 2tbsp oil.. when heated, add onions and fry till translucent.. To this add the ginger powder and fry for 2mins.. Now add the tomatoes and mix well.. Add salt and close the lid for
2mins till the tomatoes cook well.
Meanwhile boil/microwave the mixed veggies till tender.
Now add the fruits to the onion tomato mixture and mix well. Apples cook very fast. Add the almond paste and the masalas and boil till the flavours blend. Add the boiled veggies and panner and mix well till the right consistency is attained.. Garnish with grated paneer and enjoy...

"Fruit & Nut Halwa"!!!!

Going Nuts with a Nut.........
Delicious Fruit & Nut halwa..

Almond is called the "King of nuts"..This nut is almost used in a varitey of cuisines, oils, soaps, creams, therapies etc etc..
I wanted to use this nut in one of my favourite sweet treats.. which is the authentic "Bombay Halwa"..I used to indulge in the sweet often, wrapped in a flimsy plastic wrap and colorfully chewy this halwa is divine in its taste...
Here is one version of this halwa which is very simple to prepare and uses a combination of fresh fruit & ofcourse the Nuts....

To Prepare this, you need:
1can mixed fruits (I have used peach, pineapple, cheeries, apple)
1/2cup maida
1/4 cup corn flour
1cup water
1/2 cup melted butter/ghee
1tsp fresh cardamon powder
Nuts: sunflower seeds/melon seeds, slivered almonds--1/2 cup
sugar 1cup
food color:optional

Method:
In a thick bottom pan, add sugar and 1/4 cup water and boil till the sugar melts.. Mix corn flour, maida with the rest of the water till no lumps are formed and add this to the sugar mixture and keep stirring in a medium heat..Now add the fresh fruit and 1/4 cup butter and keep stirring for 7-8 minutes to make sure it doesnt stick to the pan.. Now add the cardamom powder, the nuts and the remaining butter along with the food color and mix well and stir for another 3-4 minutes till the butter leaves the sides of the pan and the mixture becomes like a thick mass.
Grease a plate and spread the mixture with a spatula.. Garnish with nuts of your choice..When it is cooled. cut it into chunks and wrap it into individual treats in a plastic film..
This serves as an excellent gift during festivals..

Menasina Kootu/Broccolli Black Pepper Kootu

Pepper is believed to have many medicinal properties...Pepper loses flavour and aroma through evaporation, so airtight storage helps preserve pepper's original spiciness longer. Once ground, pepper's aromatics can evaporate quickly; most culinary sources recommend grinding whole peppercorns immediately before use for this reason. Handheld pepper mills (or "pepper grinders"), which mechanically grind or crush whole peppercorns, are used for this, sometimes instead of pepper shakers, dispensers of pre-ground pepper.

Pepper kootu is one of the traditional recipes during the winter months.. This is very nutritious and can be used with a combination of vegetables..I have used brocolli and tomatoes as the base vegetable for this kootu which makes it even more healthy..

What you need:

Brocolli florets(1cup)
2tomatoes chopped
cooked & mashed toor dall (1/2 cup)
milk 1cup
1tsp honey/little jaggery
oil 2tsp
seasonings: mustard, curry leaves, hing

To dry fry and grind

2tbsp coriender seeds
2tsp black pepper corns
3dried red chillies
1tsp jeera

Method:
In a pan add the seasonings with oil.. Now add the brocolli and tomatoes , 1/2cup water and boil the vegetables for a few minutes till they r well cooked.. Now add the boiled and mashed dall and mix well.
Now add the dry ground masala, salt and mix well..Add 1cup milk , honey and close the lid and boil the kootu for another 5minutes till all the flavours blend and the consisstency is right..
Serve this with hot rice or chapatis...

Microwave cooking tips:

Tip: The entire dish can be prepared in less than 10minutes in a microwave.. You can precook the toor dall ahead and add or dry grind 2tbsp toor dall which has been fried lightly for 2mins . Add this dal powder with the cooked vegetables and microwave adding water and milk.Make sure you stir the mixture every 2minutes once the masala and milk is added to the boiled veggies...

Tip 2: It is always helpful to fry toor/channa dal lightly till nice aroma comes and grind it into a fine /coarse powder and store. This will be very handy in microwave sambhars/rasam/any other gravies with a dal base. This will cook much faster and the consistency can be very well adjusted..

"Masala Chunky Potatoes"

Potato is the most versatile vegetable which is filled with carbs & energy.. The creativity with this wonder vegetable is amazing...Whether it is fried/boiled/baked it tastes divine and very filling..
Here is a very unique spicy masala aloo which is simple to make & very tasty with a unique flavour..
I found this recipe from a Regional cook book and I have tweaked to create my own version of this recipe ..

Here is what you need:
3 medium sized potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)
a big tomato chopped
chopped coriender leaves to garnish..

To fry and grind
3tbsp coriender seeds
3tsp saunf/fennel seeds
2tsp jeera
1/4 tsp pepper
3 dried red chillies

Other masalas:
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2tbsp oil
salt
1/2 cup milk

Method:

fry all the ingredients to fry with a tsp of oil till nice aroma comes and dry grind it into a fine powder..
Heat oil in a pan and add a tsp of fennel. Now add the potato chunks, turmeric powder and fry for a fw minutes till the oil coats the potatoes.. Now add the ground powder and mix well till the potatoes are coated.Add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup milk, salt and close the lid. After 6-7 minutes the potatoes will be fully cooked with the spices and tomatoes.. garnish with cilantro and serve with hot chapatis..