Author: Shoba

I am an analyst by day, star gazer by night, food blogger, fitness , travel and saree enthusiast in between. I am a die hard foodie and started documenting my learning based on feedback from friends and family. Hope you enjoy my blog and leave comments and feedback.
Festivals & Significance · Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings.

Significance of Ram Navami & Offerings – Sweet Panagam.

Shoba3 Comments
Panagam.
Panagam.

The festival of Sri Rama Navami marks the birthday celebrations of Lord Rama, an incarnate of Lord Vishnu. The main significance behind the celebration of this festival is that the character of Lord Rama signifies an ideal son, an upright husband, a righteous King, and a loving brother and even an ideal man, someone who follow the right path against all odds in life. He was also the true embodiment of humanity. So celebration of Sri Rama Navami is a special reminder of all the noble deeds or ideals for which Lord Rama symbolizes. So if we see it in true sense it is not only a festival to enjoy and have fun there are lot more things to be learnt. It is a celebration of goodness and its victory against all evils. Sacred places associated with Lord Rama, like Ayodhya, Ujjain and Rameshwaram, draw tens of thousands of devotees. In Rameshwaram, thousands take a ritual bath in the sea before worshipping at the Ramanathaswamy temple. There are also lots of Parayanams and satsangs where devotees get together to hear the story of Lord Rama and to sing bhajans in his praise.

One of the most popular offering to the Lord, on this day is the “Panagam”.  I remember my amma making Panagam and offering it to the Lord and then all of us having it and enjoying the sweet from the jaggery and the spice from the ginger…

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups of water.

1/4 cups of jaggery.

1 tsp Grated Ginger.(Originally use “Chukku” or Dried Ginger)

1 tsp powdered cardamom powder.

Dash of Ground Black Pepper.

PREPARATION:

  • In a vessel, dissolve the jaggery in the measured water and set on the stove on medium low.
  • Slowly add the chukku after mashing it with a mortar and pestle or simply use fresh zested ginger.
  • Add powdered cardamom powder and a dash of ground black pepper.
  • Stir in well and switch off.
  • Offer Naivedhyam to the Lord and sip sweet Panagam.

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No Need of Onions!!! · Sambar / Rasam / Kuzhambu Varieties.

Tangy Tomatillo Lemon Rasam.

Shoba6 Comments
Tangy Tomatillo Lemon Rasam.
Tangy Tomatillo Lemon Rasam.

Cold weather and rains always make me remember Comfort Foods….Foods that have been a part of our growing up, something that I always took for granted for a long long time. When I went to stay in the hostel for my Masters, I realised the warmth and love that goes in to the food our moms make for us. Nothing that I can have in restaurants can even come close to the lingering fragrance and warmth from food cooked at home with loving hands.

After a festival or function,we would crave for amma`s home made simple pathyam food to cleanse our systems.  I always loved her simple lemon rasam with Beans Curry or Chow Chow Kootu and Appalam. I am not so happy with the tomatoes here in the U.S, as I feel they lack tartness and tang. Yesterday when I saw tomatillos at the local produce store, I bought a pound or two, all the while imaging endless possibilities. Tomatillos can be stored in paper bags and kept in the refridgerator for around 2-3 weeks. The tomatillos have a protective outside husk. Remove the husk and wash before use. Tomatillos are used in many places in teh treatment of fever. I had to make this lemon rasam today, as its been pouring since morning and I suddenly yearned for amma`s cooking…

Tomatillos with husks...
Tomatillos with husks…Pic Courtesy Gourmetsleuth.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tomatillos or 1 Tomato

1  Jalapeno  slit vertically.

2 red chillies.

2 1/2  cups of water

4 spoons of cooked Toor dhal.

1 Inch Piece of Tamarind.

1 Tsp Rasam Powder

Hing

Curry Leaves.

1 Lemon.

Salt

Cilantro / Curry Leaves to Garnish.

PREPARATION:

  • Chop the tomatillos in to little pieces so it saves cooking time. Dilute the cooked toor dhal in the 2 1/2 cups of water and set aside.
  • In a kadai, add a spoon of ghee and when it is hot, add mustard. When the mustard splutters, add hing, curry leaves, red chillies, slit jalapenos, and finally the chopped tomatillos.
  • Allow to saute for a few minutes till the tomatillos are a little mushy.
  • Add 1 cup  of the dhal water at this stage and allow to simmer. Add salt, hing, Rasam powder and  turmeric.
  • After about ten  minutes, remove in a spoon, a few cooked pieces of tomatillos and crush them with a spoon in a cup. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of toor dhal water to the crushed tomatillos and pour it all back in to the kadai.
  • Allow the whole rasam to simmer and then switch off in about 15 minutes or so. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and curry leaves. Keep the rasam closed.
  • After the rasam has cooled down a bit,  squeeze the juice from the lemon and keep closed again until time to serve.
  • Serve HOT with Beans Poriyal or Pumpkin Poricha Kootu. Alu Fry is always the recommended option!!

NOTES:

  • The same rasam can be made with regular tomatoes too. I add a pinch of  tamarind to the dal water as it cooks.
  • Adjust the tartness based on the sourness of the Lemon/ lime etc.
  • For added taste,  you can zest the lemon a little bit after switching off the stove
  • Add a marble size of jaggery for added taste.

Let me know what you think! Did you try it?

Brisk Breakfast · Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings. · No Need of Onions!!!

Venn Pongal.

Shoba16 Comments
Piping hot Venn Pongal.
Piping hot Venn Pongal.

Venn Pongal is a traditional south indian speciality that I have grown up with.  It`s the main Naivedhyam or offering for Pongal – the harvest festival celebrated in the month of January in all parts of Tamil Nadu. Pongal is basically rice and moong dal cooked to perfection and seasoned with ginger, pepper and cummin. It`s also reminscant of the fragrance of rich ghee and roasted cashew nuts.

Every hotel in Tamil Nadu, makes the most awesome Pongal  – Vada –  Chutney. Pongal is served steaming hot in a scoop, with a side of coconut chutney, a cup of Sambar  and 2 fresh crips vadas on the side. My all time favourite Pongal was  at Hotel Arya Bhavan in Madurai, very near the Meenakshi Amman temple and at Hotel Saravana Bhavan at Usman Road, T.Nagar. It`s a breakfast item that I can have for breakfast, lunch and dinner…..!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of Raw Rice.

1/3 cup of Moong Dal

2 Tsp Ginger Grated.

A pinch of Hing.

Pinch of turmeric

Salt to taste.

4 1/2 Cups Water.

Seasoning:

2 Tsp  Jeera.

2 Tsp Whole Black Pepper.

Curry Leaves

3-4 spoons of Ghee.

5-6 pieces of Cashew.

PREPARATION:

  • Take a dry wok and add a few drops of ghee and lightly roast the moong dal. Move to a cooker vessel.
  • Wash the rice and add it to the moong dal.
  • Add a spoon of ghee  to a kadai and and when hot, add the ginger, hing and turmeric.
  • Add it to the rice and moong dal. Pour 4 1/2 cups water, add sufficient salt , cook for 1 whistle and keep on sim for 10 minutes.
  • Switch off the flame and when the pressure is released, mash the cooked rice and dal.
  • In a wide mouthed kadai, add 3 Tsbp ghee.
  • Season with cashew nuts, curry leaves, jeera and black pepper.
  • Allow it to saute for a few seconds and then add the cooked rice and moong dal.
  • At this point, If you feel that the Pongal looks dry, add 1/3 cup of milk and a spoon of ghee and stir it in.
  • This makes the Pongal rich, creamy and very moist.
  • Switch off stove and serve piping hot with Sambar/ Coconut Chutney/ Onion Tomato Chutney or Milagu Kuzhambu.


Serving steaming hot Pongal to “Think Spice – Think Pepper” event hosted by Divya Vikram of Dil Se and started by Sunita.

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Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings. · Sweets

Succulent Gulab Jamuns.

Shoba18 Comments
Succulent Gulab Jamuns.
Succulent Gulab Jamuns.

Gulab Jamuns should probably be one of the most popular and easy to make sweets with the current variety of mixes and fast fix instructions. There are a myraid of brands which offer the Gulab Jamun mixes, like Orkay, MTR, Gits, Ashirwaad etc. Some how my favourite has always been Orkay and Gits. Since Gits is more easily available in the U.S, its a sweet I make in a jiffy.

Diwali during my student days was always a flurry of activities like making Mixture, Ribbon Pakoda, Laddoo, Badam Halwa, and Gulab Jamuns amoung other things. Making the jamuns was some thing that amma would leave entirely to me….At that time Archana Sweets in T.Nagar, became very popular and introduced the Kala Jamun. I guess it was a variant of the regular jamuns, only denser in taste and not dripping in sugar syrup. Mom would buy it for us and we would enjoy it at home, nevertheless, there is a particular joy in partaking of sweets borne of out one`s one labour and preparation.

This week was my husband`s birthday and my daughter wanted me to make it for him. ….Secretly I knew, she wanted to have it so I immediately indulged her in this sweet temptation. This goes to those novices who are out there, trying this for the first time….Enjoy!!!

INGREDIENTS:

Gits Gulab Jamun Mix.

1 spoon sour cream.

3 spoons of water.

1 1/2 cup of sugar dissolved in 2 cups of water.

Pinch of Rose Essence.

Pinch of Cardamom Powder.

Saffron Strands.

PREPARATION:

  • The secret of this sweet is in the mixing of the dough. Empty contents of packet in to  a bowl. Mostly the instructions are to measure out the amount of powder and use 1/4`th of that quantity of water. In this case, all you need to use is a spoon of sour cream or thick yoghurt and then 2-3 spoons of water.
  • Make the dough in to a thick ball and keep covered for 10 minutes.
  • Now grease your palm and make little balls and set aside covered.
  • Meanwhile dissolve the sugar in the water and place it on the stove .
  • Add rose water, cardamom powder and allow to boil for about ten minutes and switch off.
  • Meanwhile add sufficient oil in a kadai and allow to the oil to heat well.
Frying in the oil.
Frying in the oil.
  • Slowly roll in the gulab jamun balls and aloow to fry the balls in oil.
  • Now set the fried jamuns in a little bowl for them to cool off for a few seconds.
Allow to cool for a couple seconds.
Allow to cool for a couple seconds.
  • Slowly add the fried jamuns in to the rose syrup and allow it to soak before serving it to your guests.
  • Makes 20 gulab jamuns.
  • ENJOY!!!
Jamuns in Sugar Syrup.
Jamuns in Sugar Syrup.

Serving Suggestion based on popular demand!!! – Hot Jamuns with Vanilla Ice Cream….Oh yes!  and let the fun times begin!!!

Jamuns with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Jamuns with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Milk Shakes

Instant Creamy Strawberry Milk Shake.

Shoba7 Comments
Creamy Strawberry Milk Shake.
Creamy Strawberry Milk Shake.

My favourite store Trader Joe`s had such a lovely huge box of fresh Organic Rose Red strawberries, t hat I could simply not resist picking up a box. My daughter me and keep popping now and then in to the kitchen and eating these delicious fruits. Suddenly S wanted to know If I could make her strawberry milk shake that she could have with a straw. I still had some ice cream and mascarpone cheese in the fridge. So I quickly whipped up this Strawberry Milk Shake.

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INGREDIENTS:

6 ripe strawberries.

1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream.

1 spoon Mascarpone Cheese.

1/2 cup Whole Milk.

A spoon of sugar depending on the sweetness of the strawberries.

PREPARATION:

  • Pop the washed strawberries and the ice cream in to the mixer and pulse it well.
  • Now add the sugar, mascarpone cheese and give it one more whip.
  • Now slowly add the required milk and carefully pulse it for a few seconds.
  • Creamy Strawberry Milk Shake is ready!!!

Sending this entry to FIC – PINK brainchild of Harinin of TongueTickers and hosted by Priya of Priya Easy ‘N’ Tasty Recipes.

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Easy LunchBox Series. · Kid Friendly Recipes. · Side Dishes for Rotis/Dosas/ Naan.

Madras Masal for Poori (Potatoes simmered in a besan gravy with ginger and chillies)

Shoba7 Comments
Madras Masal.
Madras Masal.

Madras Masal is probably the name I have heard people referring to this side dish and so the name stuck. Many hotels in Chennai like Woodlands Drive-In, Balajee Bhavan, Saravana Bhavan, Arya Bhavan etc, serve Pooris strictly to go with this Madras Poori Masal. This probably a watery version of the “Sago” that my friends in Karnataka are familiar with. Its spicy from the flavours of the ginger and the green chillies, but succulent from the potatoes, and all together, this sidh dish greatly enhances the taste of the poori that its had with.

My mom makes the best masal that I have ever had. There was this time that my mom was visiting us, and we decided to go out and have supper in the park, one lovely spring evening. Mom made the masal, and I quickly finished making the Pooris. We packed them in insulated food boxes and laden with picnic plates, spoons and ladles, we set out our spread n that lovely park. It was an amazing evening, sitting in that lovely California park, overlooking rolling greens dotted with specks of lavender and lush yellow, enjoying a meal cooked by mom with love….

INGREDIENTS:

5 potatoes cooked with salt  for one whistle in cooker .

1 onion sliced in to thin pieces.

7 green chillies finely chopped.( Use Serrano Peppers for added heat)

1 inch ginger chopped in to little pieces

Salt as accordingly

3 spoons of besan dissolved in 1/4 cup of water.

A pinch of turmeric.

Seasoning: Mustard, Curry Leaves, Channa Dal.

PREPARATION:

  • Mash the cooked potatoes and set aside.
  • In a kadai, add 2-3 spoons of oil and when hot, add bengal gram, curry leaves and the ginger, chopped chillies and the thinly sliced onions.
  • Allow the onions to get sauteed well and then add the mashed potatoes, salt and turmeric and allow to cook.
  • Now add 1/2 cup of water and let the mixture come together as one.
  • Finally add the besan dissolved in water to get a creamy finish.
  • Garnish with a dash of chopped cilantro and serve HOT with soft fluffy pooris.


Easy LunchBox Series. · Kid Friendly Recipes. · Snacks & Tiffin Items · Travel

Soft Fluffy Pooris – Comfort Foods!!!

Shoba9 Comments
Poori with Madras Masal.
Poori with Madras Masal.

Pooris are a favourite everywhere. My husband loves pooris and would welcome the idea If I could fnd a way to make it for him everyday!!! Pooris are a part of my childhood, as they are special sunday tiffin preps. Sunday evenings, with piping hot pooris and masal and a cup of coffee….They were also an easy day-ahead preperatory travel foods. Mom would make soft fluffy pooris and wrap them up in a layer of banana leaf and insulate them by wrapping them n newspapers – Just like in the hotels. Pooris are great with channa, masal, pickle and hey even sugar, when I was a little girl! My little one has it with Nutella or Apple Butter….

I am guessing the secret to make soft fluffy pooris is in the making of good dough thats well knead. And there is also this frying technique….Let`s go over it here. I also use a Poori Press that I bought from the Patels in Devon Avenue, Chicago for a mere 8 bucks. The best part of using the Poori Press is that even after frying 40 pooris, ,the oil stays clean and without a speck. Kneading the dough well, would anyway render soft pooris on using the manual belan or rolling pin.

Poori making in the Poori Press.
Poori making in the Poori Press.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 spoons of salt

Water as accordingly.

Oil to fry the Pooris.

PREPARATION:

  • Pour only sufficient water and knead the dough well to make a smooth ball.
  • The dough should not be sticky and not too dry too.
  • Cover and  keep for at least ten minutes, and roll in to small lime sized balls.
  • Use the Poori Press and make pooris which are uniform in texture and shape.
Rolled out Pooris ready to be fried.
Rolled out Pooris ready to be fried.
  • Pour out the oil in to the kadai, and allow it to heat. The oil should be hot but not smoke.
  • Gently slip in the poori and allow a second for it to cook. Gently press the poori with the back of the ladle and allow it to fluff.
  • Now turn over and allow to cook on the other side.
  • Drain out the excess oil and place the fried pooris in a container lined with kitchen tissue to wear out the excess oil.
  • Serve Hot with Madras Poori Masal.

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This is my entry for JFI-Wheat which is a brainchild of Mahanadi and hosted by RomaSpace.

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Easy LunchBox Series. · Rice Varieties. · Travel

Amma`s Easy ‘N’ Colourful Vegetable Pulav.

Shoba3 Comments
Colourful Vegetable Rice.
Colourful Vegetable Rice.

This was the Vegetble Rice that my mum used to make on those special sundays for lunch. Sunday mornings would be normally filled with strict timelines as all of us would want to have our oil baths and water would some times be restricted to specified times in the summer. A filling lunch of Amma`s Vegetable Rice, with Raita would always be something to look forward to. She always adds beetroot, which renders a special reddish tinge to the whole dish. It is very simple and easy and pretty much can be made with any vegetable thats available on hand.

I would cut the veggies in to little cubes for her,and this would make the whole thing very easy. It`s a wholesome, easy, colourful and filling lunch and I always pack it for long drives and potlucks!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of basmati rice cooked.

1 Medium Onion chopped in to little pieces.

1 cup of finely diced potatoes.

1 cup of cauliflower florets.

1 cup of finely chopped carrots.

1/2 cup of chopped beetroot.

1/2 cup of peas.

1/2 cup of beans.

A pinch of turmeric.

1 spoon of red chilli powder.

Garam Masala Powder to taste.

Salt

3 slices of bread. (Optional)

Chopped Corriander to garnish.

Jeera and Star Anise to season.

PREPARATION:

  • Keep the cooked basmati rice to cool so it does not get sticky with the starch.
  • Take a wide mouthed kadai and add 2 spoons of ghee/oil and allow to get hot. When done, add jeera, star anise and curry leaves and immediately add the chopped onions.
  • You could pre-cook the potatoes, carrots, beetroots and cauliflower in the microwave for 4 minutes to it saves cooking time on the stove.
  • When the onions are well cooked, add all the veggies.
  • Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and a little garam masala and mix well.
  • Keep the flame on medium and allow the veggies to get cooked well.
  • Cut the bread slices in to big squares and lightly fry them in a spoon of ghee. Set aside.
  • When the vegetables are cooked, add the basmati rice, salt, a little more garam masala and stir in well.
  • Finally add the fried bread pieces and mix it in and garnish with chopped corriander.
  • Serve Hot with mixed vegetable raitha.

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Chutneys / Thogayals & Podis.

Easy Coconut Chutney for Idli or Dosa.

Shoba15 Comments
Easy Coconut Chutney.
Easy Coconut Chutney.

I always love the Coconut Chutney served with Chinna Vengaya Oothappam at Murugan Idli Shop at T.Nagar and also the thick coconut chutney at Saravana Bhavan and Balaji Bhavan, both at T.Nagar. I always wonder, whats the secret ingredient that these people add to the chutney, that some times even without the requisite seasoning, it tastes heavenly…The Chinna Vengaya Oothappam at Murugan Idli Shop is an altogether different delicacy that requires a dedicated post, but for those who have no clue, its a thicker form of dosa, which has cut, fried shallots cooked in the dosa laced with ghee, and served with Coconut, Tomato and green chutney. YUM!!!

This weekend, was an experiement to recreate the magic of Murugan Idli Shop. I know I cant even begin to get close…but this is my version of my mom`s home made coconut chutney.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup of freshly scraped coconut.

4 Green chillies.

Salt

2 Tbsp of Dhaliya or PottuKadalai.

A piece of ginger.

A piece of tamarind.

Seasonings:

Mustard, Broken Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • Grind all the ingredients with a little water to form a smooth chutney like consistency.
  • Take a seasoning kadai, add a spoon of oil and when hot, add urad dhal, mustard, hing and curry leaves and when the mustard splutters, add it on the ground coconut chutney.
  • Serve with Idlis, Dosas, Pongal or Upma.
  • My mom loves to add 1-2 spoons of thick curd to the chutney to further enhance the taste.
  • Alternate the ginger, green chillies according to taste.
  • Goes very well with Dosa, Idlies and Pongal.

Gingerly passing on some chutney to Lets Go Nuts – Coconut event which is the brainchild of Aquadaze and hosted by Padmajha Suresh of Seduce Your Tastebuds.

Eggless Cakes · Kid Friendly Recipes.

Rose – Vanilla Marble Cake.

Shoba8 Comments
Rose Vanilla Marbe Cake.
Rose Vanilla Marbe Cake.

Wednesday was the surprise baby shower of one of my close friend, so I had voted on  making an eggless cake. There was this bottle of Organic Gulkhand that I had bought at the Global Foods store that was beckoning to me for a long long time.  I had wanted to make a Falooda, but some how the timing was not exactly working out too well!!!  I experimented with this Rose-Vanilla cake with no icing, as I some times feel that the taste of the icing, overpowers the aroma and taste of a cake. This cake was extremely moist and spongy and very tasty in its own right.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of All Purpose Flour.

1 3/4 cup Whole Milk .

1/2 cup Oil.

1 1/4 cup Sugar.

1 tsp  vanilla essence.

4 spoons of Organic Ghuklhand or Rose Essence.

1 Tsp Bakng Soda.

1 Tsp Baking Powder.

PREPARATION:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and line your cake pan with butter spray, butter, oil  or flour.
  • In a bowl, measure out the dry ingredients – Flour, Baking Soda, baking powder. Mix and keep ready.
  • In another mixing bowl, start with the millk and add oil, sugar, and pure vanilla extract and whisk well to dissolve any lumps. Take caution NOT to over mix as this may rob the cake of sponginess.
  • Remove a small portion of the readied vanilla batter to add the rose essence.
  • To this portionm  briskly mix in the ghulkhand or rose essence. If you find the ghuklhand a little thick, pop it in the microwave oven for a few minutes till it becomes a thick syrup!
  • Pour the plain vanilla batter on to the greased cake pan and now randomly pour the rose mixture on to this vanilla batter.
  • Use a toothpick and make little patterns on the cake batter to create a marble effect.
  • Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick thats inserted comes out clean.
  • Enjoy delicious Rose-Vanilla Marble Cake warm with ice cream!!!

Check out my Eggless Vanilla -Choclate -Orange Marble Cake on my previous posts.