Happy Ugadi

Image source : http://amitkulkarni.info/pics/diwali-2005/diwali/P1010025.shtml

Wishing all my family & friends & my fellow bloggers a Happy Ugadi/Gudi Padva.
Krishnaarpanam

Kudamilagai-Pudina Thuvayal ( Capsicum-Mint fried chutney)

According to me any thuvayal with hot steaming rice and ghee is a comfort food. Unlike chutney, thuvayal is fried chutney i.e. the ingredients for the thuvayal are fried or sauted before grinding. Capsicum and mint together along with tamrind blends very well and nothing like thuvayal saadam with sutta arisi applam ( roasted rice pappad ).

Ingredients :

2 medium size capsicums chopped into big chunks
1 cup mint leaves washed
1 tsp. urad dal
5 - 6 red chillies ( add or reduce according to your specific heat )
gooseberry size tamrind
salt to taste
2 tsp. oil
A small lump of asafoetida or 1/2 tsp. asafoetida powder

Method :

1. In 1 tsp. of oil, fry the urad dal and dry red chillies till the dal turns pink. Remove and keep aside.

2. In another tsp. oil saute the capsicum till the outer skin of the capsicum is wilted and remove. If necessary add another teaspoon of oil and add the mint leaves and saute till the leaves turn into dark green and gives out a sweet aroma. Remove and cool everything.

3. Grind the urad dal-red chillies, capsicum, mint leaves, tamrind, asafoetida and salt together into a coarse paste without adding any water. If you find the paste is dry, then you can add a teaspoon or two of water and grind.

4. Serve this thuvayal with hot steaming rice and ghee ( clarified butter ) or as a dip for chips and vegetables.

This recipe goes to Srivalli's "Spicy Fiery Chutneys".


Krishnaarpanam

Aloo Moongdal

An aromatic aloo and moong dal providing carbohydrate and protein goes very well with chapathi and very suitable for kids as it is not very spicy.




Ingredients :

1 medium potato
1/2 cup moong dal
1 onion sliced
few curry leaves
2 green chillies
1/4 tsp. turmeric
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

For tempering :

1 tsp. Oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. jeera

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pressure pan, add mustard seed and jeera and when the seeds pop, add the curry leaves, green chillies and onion and saute for a few minutes.

2. Add potato, washed moong dal, salt and turmeric and 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 - 3 whistles.

3. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or rice.






Sending this entry to "Cooking For Kids" - Potato hosted by Deepa Hari of Simple Home Cooking and authored by Sharmi of Neivedyam




Krishnaarpanam

Kanda Bhaji ( Onion bhajias )

No words can describe the happiness one gets from consuming a hot plate of bhaji and a cup of hot elaichi chai on a rainy evening. Its been raining heavily in Florida and I can think of nothing to make but "Kanda bhaji". As a kid I grew up in Khadki in Pune where my grandfather used to bring hot onion bhajias from the road side vendors mostly every evening. The taste of these bhajias still lingers in my mouth and I have not had any like those after I left that place. The all time favourite bhajias are just what you want on a rainy evening.....

Ingredients :

2 large onions slices thinly
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. chilli powder ( less or more according to taste )
1 tsp. Dhania - jeera powder
1/2 tsp. ajwain ( carom seeds )
besan ( chickpea flour ) as required

Method :

1. Apply salt and turmeric to the sliced onion and keep aside for 15 - 20 mins. ( the onion along with salt will give out moisture enough to make the batter for bhajia )

2. Next mix in the chilli powder, dhania-jeera powder, ajwain and add besan little by little till the slices of onion can be held together to form bhajia.

3. Deep fry spoonfuls of bhajia in moderate hot oil till golden brown in colour and serve hot with choice of sauce or chutney or just a cup of tea.


Krishnaarpanam

Sathyanarayana Prasadam

Sathyaranarayana Pooja was more popular in Maharashtra than in the southern parts of India like Tamil nadu. But now a days this vrat and pooja is becoming popular there also. I never missed any prasad which was distributed by the friends or neighbours as one shouldn't miss it also if you know that there is a pooja going on. A teaspoon of this prasad given in small paper cups were not enough to satisfy the craving for this prasad. For me the prasad used to be a mystery as it had a flavour of the banana and yet I couldn't find any pieces of the fruit in there. Long before my marriage I started doing this pooja every month during the full moon day and the prasadam used to be plain Kesari. I always wanted the typical Maharashtrian flavour or the so called banana flavoured prasadam, which I mastered only a few years back. I wouldn't say mastered, but try to make the typical prasad.

Ingredients :

1 cup rava
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup ghee
1 cup milk
1 cup water
Cashews and raisins as per ones taste
1 tsp. cardamom powder

Method :

1. Mix the milk and water together and keep to boil.

2. Heat the ghee in a kadai, fry the cashews till pink and remove aside. In the same ghee, fry the raisins till they puff up and remove immediately and keep aside. Be careful not to burn the raisins else they will turn bitter.

3. In the same ghee add the rava and roast till light pink in colour.

4. Add the boiling milk-water mixture to the roasted rava and cook till all the moisture evaporates.

5. Add the sugar, smashed banana and keep stirring till the sugar dissolves in the rava and it becomes a dough like consistency.

6. Mix in the cardamom powder, fried cashews and raisins and Krishnaarpanam.

Krishnaarpanam

Vendhaya Maangai ( Fenugreek-Mango pickle )

The spring is in the air and the mango trees are full of flowers. We have started getting raw mangoes in the market and it makes my mouth water at their sight. One such instant Mango Pickle is this fenugreek-mango combination, which goes very well with thayir saadam (curd rice) or any other rice combo. Easy to prepare and could be consumed within hours of making it.



Ingredients :

1 raw mango cut into small cubes or chopped finely
1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds ( roasted till red and powdered finely )
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. asafoetida
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tbsp. oil
Salt to taste

Method :

1. Mix salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida to the chopped mango and keep aside for 1/2 hour.

2. Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and then remove from flame and while still hot add the chilli powder to the oil.

3. Add the fenugreek powder and hot oil mixture to the mango and mix well. Keep aside for 1/2 hour for the spices to blend with the mango and serve with curd rice.

This pickle stays fresh for 3 - 4 days in the refrigerator.

Krishnaarpanam

Cauliflower Milagu Pirattal ( Cauliflower Pepper Fry )

I'm back after a gap of mourning for my mother. I know, life has to go on and it does not stop on anyone's demise or non-existence. My mind has settled after accepting the fact that there is still lot more to see - good or bad and yet with courage.
I thank you all those who were with me and your words give me courage and help me put my foot forward in the journey of life.
Coming back to the blog world, Cauliflower Milagu ( pepper ) Pirattal ( fry ) was a dish which I had in a South Indian Restaurant in Chennai ( I forgot the name of the restaurant as it was a long time back ). This dish is a good accompaniment to any Rasam rice and my family enjoys it as a comfort food on a cold day with hot rasam and rice.


Ingredients :

1 cauliflower cut into florets of desired size
1 1/2 tsp. jeera-pepper crushed ( powder coarsely in the mixie )
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. urad dal
2 whole dry red chillies
few curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. ghee or oil

Method :

1. Wash the cauliflower florets well and pat dry with a kitchen towel.

2. Heat ghee or oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, after it splutters, add urad dal and red chillies and when the dal turns pink, add asafoetida, curry leaves and the crushed jeera - pepper. Fry for few seconds and add the cauliflower and the salt.

3. Saute the cauliflower well till all the spice coats and and cook covered on low flame till the cauliflower is cooked. Serve hot with rasam rice.




Sending this recipe to JFI - Cauliflower hosted by Mythreyee of Paajaka recipes and the event Jhiva For Ingredients was initiated by Mrs. Indira of Mahanadi.



Krishnaarpanam