Side Dishes for Rotis/Dosas/ Naan.

Dhingri Josh ( Mushrooms in a simple tomato base!)

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One of my most favourite preparations are either with paneer or with mushrooms. Its always a pleasure to cook with mushrooms as they have their own texture and taste and render a different taste to the dish itself. When I came across Raghavan Iyer`s 660 curries in my local library I was literally overjoyed. I did never find the time to try so many of my favourites in his book, as we were busy with our move . This is one of his dishes that I love and relish. Its a very simple preparation yet, very elegant and a great accompaniment with naan bread or rotis.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Pound Brown Cremini Mushrooms or White Button Mushrooms.

1 Tsp Jeera.

1 Tsp ShahiJeera.

1 Tsp Powdered Cardamom.

3 Bay Leaves.

2 Cinnamon Sticks ( Yes it might feel like a bit too much!)

2 Red Chillies.

1 Medium Onion Finely chopped.

1 Tbsp Ginger Paste.

1 Tbsp Garlic Paste.

3 Medium Vine Tomatoes chopped finely.

1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder.

1 tsp Sugar.

1/2 Tsp Punjabi Garam Masala.

Salt to taste.

PREPARATION:

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet and when the oil is hot, add the seasonings – Jeera, ShahiJeera, Bay leaves, Cinnamom Sticks, and the ground elaichi. Wait for a couple of minutes until all the spices are well fried and then add the chopped onions.
  • Stir fry the onions for a couple of minutes until they are browned a little nad then follow up with the ginger and garlic paste. Let the raw pastes fry in the oil until all the raw smell is gone.
  • Keep on stirring to make sure that they do not burn in the oil. Now add the chopped tomatoes aliong with the juices and stir it in. Also add the red chilli powder and salt. Keep stirring the tomatoes for a couple more minutes stirring occasionally until the oil starts to separate. this should approximately take about 6-7 minutes.
  • Pour about 1/2 cup of water and deglaze the bottom of the pan and simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes on a medium low flame , uintil the water is absorbed in to the curry and the oil starts seperating again.
  • Now add another 1/2 cup of water to the pan and follow with the mushrooms. Add the sugar and mix well and cook covered stirring ocassioanlly until the mushrooms are cooked soft and tender but not rubbery.
  • Add a handful of chopped green onions and cilantro and serve hot.
Brisk Breakfast · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Healthy Murungai Ilai Adai/Drumstick Leaf Adai ( A savoury pancake made with brown rice and drumstick leaves)

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My earliest love for the Moringa/Drumstick Plant was probably from when I was a little kid. Our home in Chennai had all sorts of plans and flowers – Coconut Trees, Mango Trees, Lemon tree, banana plant, drumstick or Moringa Tree, lovely fragrant roses, hibiscus and jasmine. I sometimes wonder how I left all of them to come to live in apartments in the midst of the whirlpool of city life. My earliest games were always cooking in the backyard, under the cool branches of the mango tree.We would make our “food” and serve them on coconut shells , fashion  mud pies with mud and water, eat on fresh green banana leaf that I would tear off the plant, much to the chagrin of my parents. We would pretend that it was our home, make a little “idol” of our “God” and offer fresh flowers to “Him”…Sometimes if its too hot, Appa would get the gardener to cut off some tender coconuts for us, and we would enjoy our afternoons this way. Lovely lazy summers. I sometimes miss those days of my childhood…

Amma made Muringa Yelai Adai pretty often as I can remember as  her raw materials for this dish were all available all the time! We would all help her in the laborious task of separating the tender leaves from the stem . She always said that Moringa leaves were very good for health and would make Adai or a kootu. My favourite part was having it hot with a dollop of butter,to enjoy portions of adai soaked in melted butter. My sunday was made!!! Moringa Leaves are the most nutritious of the plant itself asa they are loaded with Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, ProVitamin A, Beta Carotene, and protien.

Nutrients Common food Moringa Leaves
Vitamin A Carrot 1.8 mg 6.8 mg
Calcium Milk 120 mg 440 mg
Potassium Banana 88 mg 259 mg
Protein Yogurt 3.1 g 6.7 g
Vitamin C Orange 30 mg 220 mg

Its interesting to see that the drumstick leaves have 4-5 times more of these vitamins as compared to the most common source. Which explains, why I seek them out in Indian stores, take out the tender leaves, with the help of my daughter, all the time reliving my childhood stories with her….

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup idli Rice.

1/2 Cup Brown Rice.

1/2 Cup Cracked Wheat.

A handful of urad dhal.

1 Cup Drumstick Leaves packed.

1/4 Cup Fresh Coconut Grated.

Salt to taste.

Hing.

PREPARATION:

  • Soak the brown rice and the idli rice along with the urad dhal and cracked wheat for about 3-4 hours.
  • Remove the drumstick leaves from the stalks and dunk them in to a bowl of cold water and give them a good wash. Set aside to drain in a collander.
  • Grind the brown rice, idli rice,cracked wheat  and urad dhal with water to make a slightly gritty batter.
  • Add salt, hing, coconut and give it a quick pulse.
  • Transfer to a shallow bowl and add water to adjust the consistency.
  • Now add the washed drumstick leaves to the batter and mix it all in.
  • Take your cast iron tava and smear it with a little gingely oil.
  • Pour out the batter almost like an adai – not too thin and drizzle a little oil on all sides.
  • Cook the adai on medium heat on both sides and serve HOT with a dollop of butter.
  • Peace Out!!!

 

Sweets

Pineapple Kesari – My favourite from Sangeetha Restaurants!

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There have been multiple posts from Anubhavati having so many sweet dishes as these days I seem to be having a sweet tooth. This spring summer there has been an abundance of pineapples in the farmers market and I really could not resist making this sweet that I love, that I remember from my banking days! There was this Sangeetha Restaurant opposite my work place and we all loved their quick lunch to-go packs. They would have a little coriander rice, some raitha, a roti, a dry cauliflower subzi and then a little smear of this amazing sweet fragrant pineapple kesari. I would long to have a little more but then it was a quick lunch after all! Somedays our craving would get so much, that me and M would go and enjoy a cup of this kesari in the evenings. I do attribute a couple pounds that I had put on, just because of this sweet, Its really that addictive.  The other sweet that I loved was the Dumrote Halwa from Surya Sweets, but we`ll save that post for another day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Rava.

2  Cups Sugar.

2 1/2 Cups Water.

3/4 Cup Pineapple finely chopped.

1 Tsp Pineapple Essence.

Yellow Food Colouring.

3 Tbsp Ghee.

Handful of broken cashews and raisins.

PREPARATION:

  1. The very first step in the preparation of pineapple kesari is choosing a ripe fragrant sweet pineapple. Make sure that its ripe by turning over the pineapple and checking the base. More often than not, its a lovely orangish yellow colour and very sweet smelling. Now cut out the skin and the fleshy parts and chop in to pieces. Measure out 3/4 cup of finely chopped pieces, mix this with about 2 tbsp  of sugar and set aside.
  2.  In a clean heavy bottomed vessel, add 2 tsp of ghee and lightly roast the cashews and the raisins. Drain out the fried cashews and raisins .
  3. At this point,  add the one cup of rava and lightly roast it until its well coated with the ghee.
  4. Simultaneously boil 2 1/2  cups of water and slowly add it in to the kadai,making sure to remove all the lumps and stirring continously.
  5. Using a whisk, and considerably bringing down the heat to low, bring the mixture together and cover and cook for a couple minutes say for around 3-4 minutes.
  6. Now when the rava has cooked add the sugar and mix it in well. At the same time add the chopped pineapple pieces without the water content.
  7. The entire mixture in the kadai will get lumpy and watery but keep mixing. Add 2 spoons of ghee, pineapple essence and mix these well.
  8. Cover and cook for another couple minutes say around 4-5 minutes or so. Switch off the stove when you get the soft dripping consistency. I prefer my kesari to be soft and dripping rather than hard.
  9. Garnish with the fried cahsews and raisins and serve HOT!

HINTS:

The most important part of making any kesari is that you have to wait until all of the rava/semolina has been cooked in the water and THEN add the sugar. When you add the sugar before the rava is cooked, the end result is almost uncooked rava and that is not a pleasant tasting. 

Using a whisk for mixing the rava and the sugar has also been helpful in completely blotting out all the clots in the kesari. Keeping the flame on low is also vital as you would require the semolina to slow cook and hence bring out the essence of the dish.

 

 

Jams/ Preserves.

Homemade Luscious Mango Jam.

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Hot summer day? Warm breeze, schools closed for vacations and what comes to your minds – Sweet, lusciuous mangoes stacked high on the roadside pavements smelling so ripe and waiting to be eaten. Banganapalli mangoes crowd the streets of Madras in every nook and corner and many days when Amma buys it and arranges it in the fruit bowl on the table, one loses the appetite to eat lunch or dinner. There cannot be anything more inviting than sucking on these ripe sweet fibrous fruits and taking in all the sweetness in has to offer in one heady mouthful.

Street Vendors selling Mangoes – Image Courtesy The Hindu.

This particular day we had to attend a family wedding and I realised I had a bunch of mangoes and I couldnt bear to see them wasted so I decided to make Mango Jam at S insistence. I already make Blackberry Jam, Peach Jam, Strawberry Jam every year to see me through the long winters so I decided I had to make Mango Jam. Imagine all the flavour packaged to have for another season!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Mangoes with all the flesh removed or 2 Cups Mango Pulp.

3/4 Cup Water.

2 Cups Sugar.

3 Tbsp Lemon Juice.

1 Tsp Lemon Zest.

3-4 Cloves.

PREPARATION:

  • Take a juicy ripe mango and remove the skin. With a knife remove the flesh from either sides and make in to a pulp by remoiving all the fleshy parts..
  • Measure out the mango pulp and set aside.
  • It is very imperative that you taste the mango to measure out the sweetness, tartness etc of the ripe mangoes.
  • There are so many varieties of mangoes like Alphonso, Banganapalli, Malgova, Rumani etc. Each of them have various levels of sweet and that is important in deciding the amount of sugar that goes in.
  • Take a wok and add a little water and add the mango pulp allowing it to cook for about 5-6 minutes.
  • The most important ingredient that helps in the jam setting is the Pectin available in lemons and limes.
  • Now add the measured quantity of sugar about 1 1/2 Cups to 2 Cups depending on the sweetness of the mangoes.
  • Add 1 1/2 cups and first, test the sweetness and add more if you need to. Add the cloves and the lemon zest to the pan.
  • Keep the heat on medium  and keep stirring every couple minutes to make sure that the mango jam does not get burnt.
  • You will require at least 25-35 minutes depending on the quantity that is being made, kind of stove etc.
  • Do not attempt to reduce the amount of sugar as sugar and pectin are required in the right quantities for the proper setting of the jam.
  • After about 30 minutes switch off the stove and let it sit.
  • To test if the jam is done, place a plate in the freezer for a couple of minutes, remove it and quickly and try to spread the jam on the back of the plate.
  • If it spreads as a layer on the plate and can be pushed with your finger, then its set.
  • Empty on to a clean glass mason jar and store air tight.
  • Enjoy delicious mango jam on a warm toasted bread and savour the sweetness, tartness and freshness from the citrus zest all in one glorious burst.
  • Spread it over a warm roti and pack it for your kiddie lunch, melt it with a little vinegar and orange juice to make your own salad dressing!!!
  • You own home made jam with no high fructose corn syrup, no chemicals, artificial preserves or xantham gum! Your own jar of  mango goodness preserved for your loved ones.

 Mango Recipes in Anubhavati:

Side Dishes for Rotis/Dosas/ Naan.

Rassedar Lobia.

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In the subject matter of nutrition perhaps the least understood are is protien. There is the eternal quest for foods high in protien and how to add them in to our everyday diet. Whey do we need protein?

A protein is a com plex structure that is made up of smaller units called amino acids. Amino acids are molecules made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur. There are 22 different ones in nature that are used in our bodies to make protein. These proteins make up our organs, bones, tendons, ligaments and blood, and also many of our hormones (insulin, growth hormone), our immune system, our neurotransmitters and all of the enzymes of metabolism, digestion and detoxification.

As a result of the normal wear and tear of daily living the proteins that make up these structures break down and have to be repaired or replaced. If one does not get enough daily high quality dietary protein, these structures do not get repaired. And, if one is trying to increase fitness, strength, endurance or power, the athlete needs increased quantities of quality protein to enhance his existing structure. If he does not one gets diminishing energy, mental irritability, lack of training effect, poor sleep, injury, and illness.

In our experience very few people are getting enough daily quality protein to maintain optimum health and performance. Protein is the key nutrient for recovery and longevity.

Lobia or Black Eyed Peas is an excellent source of protein specially for vegetarians. One serving of black-eyed peas contains 70 calories, making it a low-calorie option when served without additional condiments.  Each serving also contains three grams of protein. The beans do not contain any fat or cholesterol.

As with all legumes, black-eyed peas are very good fiber sources, providing 4 grams or 16% of the recommended daily value. There are two types of dietary fiber:  soluble and insoluble. Beans contain mostly soluble fiber, which can help decrease blood cholesterol levels and therefore may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Soluble fiber may also help patients with diabetes maintain improved blood sugar levels because the fiber helps to slow the rate of absorption of carbohydrate.  It is also a rich source of pottasium, sodium, iron and zinc. I had picked up a couple packs at Whole Foods lasst weekend and I was determined to use it a least twice a week towards my protien intake. This is a simple satvik preparation of Lobia without much oil or too much ingredients, inspired from 1000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 Cups Lobia or Black EYes Peas.

3 Cups Water.

Salt to taste.

Oil.

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1 Tbsp Ginger Paste.

1/2 tsp Garlic Paste.

1 Green Chilli.

2 Tomatoes Finely chopped.

1/2 cup chopped cilantro.

1 Tbsp Ground Dhania Powder.

2 tsp Kasuri methi.

1/2 tsp Ground Cumin Powder.

1/4 Tsp trurmeric Powder.

1/4 tsp garam masala powder.

1/2 Cup thick Yoghurt.

PREPARATION:

  • If you are using dried black eyes peas, then soak it in water overnight and pressure cook it in salt  for one or two whistles. Allow the steam to escape and then remove from the cooker and set aside.Make sure that the beans have cooked well in the pressure else cook it for a couple more minutes.
  • Next we prepare the sauce base – add oil to a heavy kadai and when its hot enough, add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle and fry in the oil. Quickly add the ginger, garlic, and sliced green chilies and stir fry for a couple more minutes.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and the cilantro and cook for about 5-7 minutes until its well cooked and all the waters evaporate. Now add the dry powders – dhania powder, kasuri methi, cumin powder and turmeric and incorporate the powders into the mushy tomatoes and stir in well. This should be done for a minute or two.
  • Now reduce the flame to a medium low and slowly add the thick curd to the kadai, stirring the kadai constantly to prevent the curd from breaking up in the heat.
  • Remove the sauce from the kadai, set aside and add the boiled soft and creamy lobia or balck eyed peas to the kadai, without too much of the water in which it was cooked, Reserve this water on the side.
  • When the peas have warmed up well, add the prepared sauce and the reserved water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Add only as much water as needed. Simmer the gravy on slow flame for  15 minutes or so. It is important to keep the flame low so the flavours of the sauces permeate the lobia slowly and enhance the flavours of the dish.
  • Sprinkle garam masala and chopped cilantro and switch off the flame and keep covered until its ready to be served.
  • Serve Rassedar Lobia with Paranthas or Rotis.
Snacks & Tiffin Items

Under 20 minutes – Sweet Corn & Alu Tikkis.

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Today was one of those days when I actually “craved” for chat foods! I had to have anything that could even  remotely be categorised under “chat”! I check my pantry and I was out of puffed rice..else I could have made Bhel Puri/Jhaalmuri. No time for pani puris and there was too much prep work needed for Channa Chat. Uncheck!  Not enough boiled potatoes to make regular cutlets, but I remembered watching a TV show where the host used corn to make some sort of a patty for a burger. I turned to dear Sanjeev Kapoor for help and he did not disappoint me…These fast fix Makki Aur Alu ki Tikki were super easy and super yuummmmmmyyyyy!!! Make this evening for your family before they come home and let me know what they thought of it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 Cup Sweet Corn.

1 Medium Potatoe boiled soft.

1 Tsp Jeera Seeds.

1 Tsp Saunf

1 Green Chilli chopped fine

1 Tbsp Ginger chopped fine.

1 Medium Onion chopped fine.

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder.

3/4 Tsp Red Chilli Powder.

3/4 Tsp Garam Masala.

1 Tsp Dhania Powder.

2 Tsp Chat Masala.

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice.

1/2 Cup + 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs.

Salt to taste.

Oil to deep fry/shallow fry.

PREPARATION:

  • Keep all the ingredients ready at hand before starting the prep as the whole process hardly takes more than 20 minutes. Its a wonderful quick fix snack for you and your family with ingredients that are always at hand.
  • In a kadai, add a spoon of oil and when its hot,  season with jeera and saunf. When they sizzle, add the green chillies and the ginger and allow them to get fried in the oil.
  • Follow with the chopped onions and mix it around and immediately add the sweet corn kernels.
  • Now add all the dry masala powders except the chat masala  – Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Garam Masala and dhania powder. We add the powders at this point as we want the powders to part cook in the heat of the kadai.
  • Mix for a couple more minutes and switch off the stove.
  • Transfer to a mini food processor or a mixer and add the 1/2 cup of bread crumbs.  The bread crumbs allow the flavours to mix in and acts as a binding agent. Keep the remaining bread crumbs for dredging the tikkis before you fry them.
  • When they are almost well pulsed add a smal bunch of chopped corriander leaves, the lemon juice and the chat masala.
  • At this point add the boiled potatoe ( optional) and mix it in.
  • When they come together to form a homogenous mixture , empty on to a clean dry bowl.
  • The mixture has to be thick and not sticky. If you feel there is still moisture left over, add a little more bread crumbs, but adjust the salt accordingly.

  • Using your palms, make out little patties , dunk them in to the bread crumbs and shallow fry them on  your dosa pan.
  • Optionally, you could deep fry them in oil.

  • Make a serving base of  micro greens, finely julienned cabbage and carrots and add a dash of lemon juice and chat masala for that extra crunch.
  • Place warm cutlets over the salad base and enjoy with a side of Tomato Ketchup or Sweet Tamarind Chutney.
  • Makes about 10 medium sized tikkis.

HINTS:

  1. You can omit out the potatoes completely. I had one boiled potatoe already in my refrigerator so I wanted to use it.
  2. When you use the sweet corn that is frozen , keep it out for at least 30 minutes before you use it.
  3. ELse transfer to a microwave for about 2-3 minutes and transfer to a kitchen tissue so all the extra moisture is absorbed. This would make your cooking on the stove top faster.
Side Dishes for Rotis/Dosas/ Naan.

Khatta Meeta Choley. (Garbanzo Beans cooked in a tangy tamarind gravy)

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Punjabi Channa Masala has always been a favourite dish close to my heart, and we make it very often as a prepare ahead party dish and a dish to take for long travels by train and by road. Its always a pleasure to travel by train from one city to the other, with family, having loved ones meet you at the station and take auto rickshaws to their respecive homes.   I miss those days of train journeys overnight, packing our clothes  with great gusto, and of course the food. Amma always used to make soft parathas and Onion Thokku  for train travel as it keeps without spoiling . She would have spent hours frying the onion thokku in a kadai slathered in oil.  I loved this version with the meetha from the imli sweet chutney. Almost reminded me of the green ragada gravy that I have always wanted to have in the bangalore roadside stall, but never ever got approval for!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medium sized Onion coarsely chopped.

6 cloves of garlic chopped.

4 Dried Red Chullies.

3 pieces of ginger each 2 inch long and 1/2 inch thick.

1 Tsp jeera.

2 Tbsp Dhania Powder.

2 Tsp Salt.

2 Tsp Sugar.

1 Tsp Ground Fennel Seeds or Saunf.

1/2 Tsp Ground Turmeric.

1/2 Tsp Ground Cardamom Powder.

3 Cups Garbanzo beans or chickpeas or White Channa Cooked.

2 Tsp Tamarind Concentrate.

2 Tbsp Sweet Tamarind Chutney.

A hndful of chopped cilantro.

PREPARATION:

  • Soak the white channa for about 6-8 hours and cook with a little salt in the pressure cooker for about 2-3 whistles. Set aside.
  • In a mixer jar, combine the onion, garlic, red chilies and the ginger and pulsed until well mixed. Add a tad of oil if you need to.
  • In a  large skillet, heat the 2 tsp of ghee and add the jeera and wait until it sizzles for a couple of seconds. Now add the pulsed mixture in to the hot oil and stir fry for about 6-7 minutes until the paste has become almost reddish brown. This is the base of this gravy dish.
  • Stir in the dhania powder, salt, sugar, fennel powder, turmeric, and ground cardamom and mix until the spices are cooked. At this point make sure that the spices are well mixed but not burnt.
  • When the raw smell leaves, add the cooked channa along with the water and mix in well. Add the tamarind paste and the sweet tamarind chutney and you will find that the channa gravy becomes a dull brown color.
  • At this point check the gravy for sweet and spice and salt . If the sweet is too much, add a little bit of red chilli powder to adjust the taste
  • Keep stirring and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat at this point and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
  • Stir in the cilantro and serve hot with Tiranga  Pulav and a slice of lemon and a garnish of chopped onions.
  • This dish is best the DAY AFTER as the spices all settle down and come together in this dish.

 

Side Dishes for Rotis/Dosas/ Naan.

Navratan Korma ( Vegetable Medley cooked in a Creamy Korma sauce of cashews, raisins and coconut milk)

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Life is all about experiences, and learnings from such encounters, and moving on to become better and more fulfilled. We see so many people, read so mnay books, by varied authors, but only a few of them create lasting impression in our minds. One such poem was “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference”…I read these lines over and over and over again and from then on, I have learnt to NEVER regret any decision in my life. The best option would always be to find out what to do next and how to move on.

When my eyes chanced on Raghavan Iyer`s 660 Curries in my local library, I was excited! It`s been a dream to lay my hands on that book, just like Ive been waiting to read ” The Mainland China Cookbook” for a long long time!  I liked the little anecdotes by the author in all his little posts in the book. All his recipes have his  underlying love and passion for his cooking! I tried a couple of recipes from his book and this particular one was partially inspired by his version and I must say it was almost close to the restaurant version – only much more delicuous and wholesome and much less greasy!!! Navratan means “9 gems” , and this dish has mughlai roots, so I am guessing it gets its name from the ingredients that go in to making the dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Cauliflower Florettes.

1 Cup Potatoes Cooked.

1 Cup Baby Corn.

1/2 Cup Peas.

1/2 Cup Corn.

1 Medium Onion.

1 Medium Tomato.

1 CUp Milk.( Or 1/2 Cup Milk + 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk for richness)

Spices:

3-4 Cloves.

1 Bay Leaf.

1 Tsp Cardamom Powdered.

1/4 Cup Cashews.

1/4 Cup Raisins.

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder.

1/2 Tsp Punjabi Garam Masala.

1/4 Tsp Turmeric.

2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste.

1 Tsp Sugar.

1 Tsp Kasuri Methi.

PREPARATION:

  • Cube all the vegetables in to slightly bigger cubes say and all of them in to a stock pot. Add a little salt and let them slowly boil together. When they are done drain the vegetables but save the water in which the veggies are cooked. Set aside.
  • In a flat bottomed kadai add 2 tsp of oil and when its hot season it with a dash of cumin seeds., When the seeds have spluttered, add the roughly chopped onions and follow up with ginger garlic paste, raisins, cashews, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom powder. Cover and cook in medium low heat until the nuts and the onions have browned. Now add the diced tomatoes and cook for a couple more minutes.
  • Slowly add the reserved water which was used to cook the veggies and let this deglaze the kadai and remove all the spices sticking to the pan.
  • Switch off  the heat in another 3-4 minutes and set aside. Transfer to a mixer jar and puree to a smooth paste adding the 1/2 cup of milk.
  • To this add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and punjabi garam masala and pulse it for a few more seconds.
  • Take the same kadai and add a spoon of oil and season with jeera. Now add the cooked veggies and give it a quick swirl.
  • Add the pureed paste and to this addd the spoon of sugar and mix it well.
  • Adjust the consistency, add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk ( or coconut milk) check salt and  wait until it starts boiling. Add crushed kasuri methi.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with Butter Naan / Phulkas.
  • I served mine with Cucumber Raitha and a cup of fresh sweet corn hashed with a pinch of chat masala and kala namak!
Chutneys / Thogayals & Podis.

Fingerlicking Tart Tomato Chutney.

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One of the best things about south indian food is its spread of chutneys and gravies and other accompaniements. Every region in India have their own version of hundreds of dishes. As far as chutneys go, almost every home in Tamil Nadu must have their own spin on chutneys. My quest is for finding somany different ways of cooking this lycopene filled tomato – so fleshy and juicy, sweet yet tart and pretty much a fruit in every style of indian cooking. When Madhuri poster her spin, I was a goner. I had to make it the vvery same day and I loved the crunchiness of the coconuts thrown in at the end! Simply fingerlicking delicious. Yes, its that good!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medium Onion,

3 Beefsteak/ Heirloom/ Roma or 5 Indian tomatoes.

3 Pods of Garlic.

2-3 Red Chillies to suit your spice buds.

Lime sized ball of tamrind.

2 Tbsp of Jeera  seeds.

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder.

Salt to taste

Oil.

A fistful of cleaned and chopped corrinader leaves.

Temper With:

1 Tsp Oil.

1 Tsp Mustard Seeds.

Curry Leaves.

Pinch of hing.

PREPARATION:

  • Heat 2 Tsp oil in a wok and add the cumin seeds. Allow trhem to splutter.
  • Add the finely chopped onions and then the turmeric powder. Saute for a couple minutes until they onions turn translucent and begin to sweat.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, garlic pods, red chillies, and the tamarind and cook unitl the tomatoes turn mushy and reduces to pulp. By now all the ingredients would have cooked well and marinated in the wok.
  • Remove from the flame and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
  • Now tranfer to a mixer jar and give it a quick pulse.
  • Finally add the grated coconut and spin for a few pulses. I preferred the coconuts bits to be crunchy and hence never ground to a smooth paste.
  • Temper with the ingredients mentioned and mix them all in.
  • Deliocious tart and crunchy chutney is ready!
  • and yes…thank you, I know you loved it. Leave your thoughts for me!
Sambar / Rasam / Kuzhambu Varieties.

Sweet & Tart Pineapple Rasam. ( Tamarind Broth simmered with sweet pineapple chunks and spices)

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My all time favorite fruits have always been Pineapples and Jackfruits, and they will always remain so. I am guessing its something to do with my olfactory senses and maybe its colour! Every time I smell fully ripe pineapples or jackfruits, I must must have them right away. Growing up in T.Nagar and having my roots in Palakkad must definitely have something to do with this favouritism I am guessing. Whenever little sis S and me used to go to Pondy Bazzar or shopping anywhere near RMKV or Pothys, its an unwritten rule to buy cleanly sliced pineapple pieces,and tart mango slices  generously hashed with fiery red spicy chilly powder and salt and spices and wrapped with juices flowing ,in pages of last month`s tamil magazine. The other vendor would have his ripe jackfruits wrapped in a green banana leaf and believe me or not, buying these fruits and relishing them in the hot and breezy summer evenings would give us more pleasure than any dress or salwar bought after hours of seiving through shelves of stacked clothes!

On my first job at the bank, we would have Sangeetha Restaurants right opposite our branch and lunches would always be Sangeetha Quick Lunch consisting of little portions of pulav, side dish, raitha, and Pineapple Kesari, in bright bright yellow! I cannot even begin to explain how much I love their Pineapple Kesari.. It was an amazing feeling to eat your favorite fruit in your favourite dessert! Now thats a post for another day, but today I made Pineapple Rasam, rich with the sweetness of the pineapples, tart from the tamarind broth, and earthy from the cilantro. There is something about Pineapple and Cilantro, they are great together in a Pineapple salsa as much as they are in a candle fragrance!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Ripe diced pineapples.

3 Cups Thin Tamarind Water.

1 1/2 Tsp Rasam Powder.

1 – 1 1/2 Tsp Jaggery.

1/4 Cup Cooked Toor Dhal.

A few drops of Pineapple Essence.

Chopped Cilantro.

Hing.

Salt to taste.

Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds,

Curry Leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • Take a flat bottomed vessel and add the pieces of chopped pineapple and let it sit for a couple minute.s.  Take about 5-6 pieces and grind to a smooth paste with water and add this paste to the tamarind water.
  • Place the vessel over the stove and allow the jaggery to cook in the tamarind water.
  •  Add salt,hing,  jaggery, turmeric, rasam powder, cilantro and curry leaves and let it simmer and reduce a bit.
  • Take the cooked toor dhal and add about a cup of water and mash and mix it well until its a thin dhal water.
  • Add this dhal water to the reduced rasam and check for salt and sweetness.
  • Depending on the brand of jaggery and the sweetness and tartness in the pineapple, add a little more jaggery if needed.
  • Enhance the flavour and aroma of the pineapple by adding a couple drops of pineapple essence. You can omit this step if you want to.
  • When the rasam froth up, add chopped cilantro, remove from the stove and keep covered until ready to serve.
  • You will enjoy the aroma of sweet ,cooked pineapple combined with the intense citrusy earthy smell of the chopped corriander leaves.