Maa Inji urugai ( Mango Ginger pickle)

Maa Inji or Mango ginger may not be a familiar spice for many. It is easily available in southindia and tastes milder than ginger. This simple pickle tastes great with curd rice. This is my entry for Sunita’s think spice think ginger event! 🙂

Ingredients

• Maa inji – 1/4 kg
• Green chillies – 4 nos
• Lemon – 2 nos
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt – 1 teaspoon
• Vinegar – 1 cup (optional)
• Fresh green pepper – 100 gms (optional)

Method

1. Wash peel and cut the maa inji into thin rounds. Wash and dry the green peppercorns.
2. Cut the green chillies into pieces. Take out the lemon juice. ( you can also slice to thin pieces and add)
3. Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Store in a airtight container in the fridge. Use after a day.

Vinegar is required only if you want to make large quantities and preserve for many months. I have not added pepper as it was not available in the market.

The season for maa inji and green milagu( pepper) is from september to january.

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Thalara Karamedu (Vegetables in Toor dal based Gravy)

Thalara Karamedu (kariamudu) is an iyengar recipe. Lady finger (Vendaikkai), Brinjal (Kathirikkai) and Raw plantain (Vazhaikkai) are the three vegetables that are used to make this gravy. This combination of vegetables is very important to this recipe. I’m sending this to Linda’s JFI- Toordal , Suganya’s Vegan Ventures and Easycrafts Powerless event! Since Sra has ruled out Lentil based Gravys I cannot send it to hers (though this was the initial plan).

I finally convinced Lakshmi (my boss) to send one recipe for three events. 😀

I prepared this while in Chennai as a side dish for Phulkas. This curry tastes great with rice also. Lakshmi and Satish loved the colour and flavour of the curry very much.

Ingredients

• Lady finger – 6 nos
• Brinjal – 1 medium sized
• Plantain – 1/2
• Toordal – 1/2 cup
• Tamarind – lemon sized
• Redchillies – 2 nos
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tea spoon
• Hing – 1/4 teaspoon
• Oil – 2 teaspoons
• Curry leaves – 1 twig
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash and cut the vegetables to 1 inch slices.
2. Soak tamarind in warm water and take out 3 cups of thin water.
3. Wash and pressure cook the toor dal with 2 cups of water.
4. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. When it crackles add redchilli pieces.
5. When redchillies are brown, add curry leaves and the vegetables.
6. Add turmeric and hing powder. Stir for a few minutes.
7. Add the tamarind water, cover and cook on a medium flame till the vegetables are soft.
8. Mash the toordal and add to the cooked vegetables. Add salt and simmer for 3 minutes.
9. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

I served it with puffed phulkas made by Lakshmi! 🙂

Update: Those of who who missed the weekend post with a cute pic of our babies, head here.

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The Definition of Cute

Outing on a Newspaper while Anna cleans the Pots – Budgerigar Babies @ our home in Bangalore

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I became powerless making these Stuffed Gobi Parathas

The whole month of november I wanted to cook from other blogs! But then I get tempted to participate in the various events. Hosts of our events are so funny! Srivalli says I want something cooked in MW! Easycraft says don’t touch any electrical device! Sra wants grindless gravies and Suganya says no to milk and butter! Bee says when you cook it should look beautiful! Nothing less than a traditional feast would do for Meeta and Zlamuksha wants the food to be gift wrapped! Ginger is a must for Sunita! Sangeetha wants khana from a Bihari Ghar!

Have I gone mad! Not at all! Just listing the few events I like to participate so that I need not visit Asha’s blog and get scared seeing her spookytacular halloween post! 😀

For Easycrafts powerless event I decided to cook something for breakfast so that I need not use the electrical bulb! 🙂 Thanks for hosting the event easycrafts! 🙂

Stuffed Gobi Parathas

Ingredients

• Wheat flour – 2 cups
• Salt to taste
• Ghee 1 teaspoon

For the filling

• Cauli flower – 1 medium sized
• Onion – 1 medium sized
• Coriander leaves – 2 twigs
• Greenchillies – 3 nos
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Ghee 3 teaspoons
• Oil – 2 teaspoons

Method

1. Mix the wheat flour with salt, ghee and required amount of water to make a stiff dough*.
2. Wash and cut the cauliflower into 1 inch flowerets. finely chop the onions, greenchillies and coriander.
3. Heat oil in a kadai, add the onions, coriander leaves and green chillies. Saute for a minute and add the cauliflower.
4. Add salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Sprinkle some water and cover and cook on a medium flame.
5. Once the cauliflower is soft, open a cook till the curry becomes dry.Allow to cool for 10 minutes**.
6. Make 2 inch balls out of the dough and roll using a little flour. Roll the outer edges thin leaving the center slightly thick to make a 8 inch circle.
7. Place some curry in the center close and press the edges to seal as shown in picture. Smear some flour and roll lightly to form a circle.
8. Cook both sides on a tawa over a medium flame till brown spots appear. apply 1/2 teaspoon ghee for each paratha.
9. Serve with curds and pickle.

*The flour should be stiff as the curry will be moist.

**The cauli flower should be well cooked. Rolling will be easier if the curry is cool.

I will be away at chennai with my daughter and son in law till 17th. I will come back and check all your posts. Have a great weekend and please, please leave your lovely comments! 🙂

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Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu (Toor dal dumplings in sambhar)

I was so excited when Linda announced Toor dal as the ingredient for JFI this month! 🙂 We use this dal almost everyday and I have already posted so many recipes using toor dal!

But then for the event I definitely wanted to post something exclusive, a recipe that a lot of people have been looking for. So I decided on this recipe as my entry for JFI Toordal hosted by Linda of Out of the Garden. Thanks for hosting the event Linda! 🙂 My MW version of this recipe is published in Tupperware Cook book! 🙂

Ingredients

For the dumplings

• Toor dal – 1 cup
• Red chillies – 3 nos
• Coriander leaves – 4 twigs
• Salt – to taste

For the sambhar(gravy)

• Tamarind – lemon sized ball
• Sambhar powder – 2 teaspoons
• Hing – 1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the toordal for 1 hour. Drain well and grind to a thick paste with salt and red chillies.
2. Wash and chop the coriander and mix with the toordal paste.
3. Soak tamarind in hot water for some time and take out the pulp to make 3 cups of tamarind juice. You can also use tamarind pulp stored in freezer.
4. Take the tamarind juice in a thick bottomed pan. Add hing, sambhar powder, turmeric powder and salt to tamarind juice and boil on a medium flame.
5. Make 2 inch balls out of the toordal paste and add 1 ball at a time to the boiling tamarind water (sambhar).
6. Once the ball rises up add one more ball. Remove the balls as they rise up and keep in another container.
7. After cooking all the balls this way, add all the balls to the sambhar again and cook for 5 minutes on a low flame.
8. Your sambhar is ready to be served with rice or rotis.

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MW curry with Tandoori masala and Eggless Chocolate almond fudge for my annivesary

Last sunday Nov 4th was my wedding anniversary. Last year we visited Ghati Subramanya temple with Lakshmi and Satish and had lunch at US Pizza. But this year it was on a Sunday. I knew all the restaurants will be very crowded even if we book our tables in advance. My son wanted Raaga’s pizza and Pineapple juice for breakfast. I was  not in the mood to try some thing new, so I made a simple pizza with base from Nilgiris.
For lunch I prepared Chocolate Almond Fudge and Ghee rice with a Potato Baby Corn Curry.This simple breakfast and lunch took so much time as the phones never stopped ringing, with friends and relatives calling to wish us! 🙂 So I could not post these recipes as planned on 4th.

Pizza with Veggie toppings

Ghee Rice with Potato Baby Corn Curry

The Potato Baby Corn curry is my entry for Srivalli’s MW event. I am amazed at the energy and enthusiasm of Srivalli who hosts the event every month and manages her work, blog and home with elan! Thanks for hosting and hats of to you dear! 🙂

Potato babycorn curry with Tandoori masala

Ingredients

• Potato – 1/2 kg
• Baby corn – 1/4 kg

To be mixed for the marinade

• Fresh cream – 1 tablespoon
• Oil – 1 tablespoon
• Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons
• Jeera powder – 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste.

Method

1. Wash peel and dice potatoes to 1 inch pieces.
2. Place baby corn and potatoes in a MW safe container, cover and MW high for 6 minutes.
3. Mix all ingredients for the marinade and add to the cooked potatoes and babycorn. leave for 15 minutes to soak.
4. Spread the marinated potato and baby corn on a flat glass MW safe container and MW high for 10 minutes stirring twice in between.

The potato and babycorn are usually arranged on skewers and barbequed on a grill. I changed the method for the MW event and the curry was fantastic. Even those who do not have convection oven can prepare this.

Potato Baby Corn Curry

Almond Chocolate Fudge

Eggless chocolate almond fudge

After reading a lot about veganism in Kumuda’s blog, I decided to atleast stop using eggs at home. So I took this eggless recipe from my handwritten note book.

Ingredients

• Maida – 1 cup
• Cocoa powder – 1/2 cup
• Sugar – 3/4 cup
• Butter – 3/4 cup
• Milk powder – 1/2 cup
• Milk – 1/2 cup
• Curd – 1 table spoon
• Almonds – 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
• Baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Baking soda – 1/4 teaspoon
• Almond essence – 1 teaspoon(optional)

Method

1. Powder the sugar. Mix all ingredients to form a smooth cake batter.
2. Spread on a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degree centigrade.
3. You can MW high for six minutes if you do not have convection mode. You can spoon into muffin moulds to make cup cakes too.

TIPS

• Cakes with lot of fruits taste good when baked on low temperature for longer duration than quick baking in high temperature.
• Do not leave the cake in oven once it is baked as the cake will become dry.
• To check if the cake is baked insert a knife and if the knife comes out clean then the cake is done.
• Cake batter should be slightly thicker than idli batter. If it is too thick add little milk. If it is thin add a little flour.
• Curd and baking soda act as leavening agents which is a must for eggless cakes.

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Mixture of 10 savouries for Deepavali and Our Entries for JFI – Festive Series

Today is Dhanteras! Happy Dhanteras to all!!:) May The Goddess Shower Her choicest Blessing On all!!

A big THANKS to my visitors for leaving thanks message after successfully trying my recipes for the festival!:) Soon I will post the names of my non blogger fans who repeatedly visit my blog and leave their valuable comments!

A big HUGS and THANKYOU to my blogger friends who unfailingly leave their valuable comments!:)These comments are very encouraging and gives happiness beyond measure!:)

After Diwali I will post only three recipes per week. I am planning to visit all the blogs and try my favourite recipes!:)With out any further delay I will give you the recipe for my famous mixture!

My mothers mixture is very famous for the colour and taste! I learnt to prepare following smallest instructions from her. I have been preparing this mixture every deepavali since 25  years. Hope all my visitors find the method easy to follow! Fry the savouries following the sequence below for easy preparation and best results.

1 cup = 125ml. Total oil required for the quantities I have mentioned will be around 300 ml.

Omapodi (Sev)

Ingredients

• Kadalai maavu (besan) – 1 cup
• Rice flour – 1/4 cup
• Ghee – 2 teaspoons
• Salt – a pinch
• Hing – a pinch
• Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Heat oil in a kadai on a medium flame. Mix the ingredients for sev with a little water to form a smooth batter. The consistency should be between idli batter and chapathi dough.
2. Fill the sev press with batter and press into hot oil. Reduce the flame to low. Cook both sides till the sound subsides. Drain well and repeat the procedure with the remaining batter.
3. Keep the flame high while pressing the sev and reduce the flame to medium or low while cooking. This will ensure a golden colour to your mixture.

Ribbon Pakoda

Ingredients

• Kadalai maavu (besan) – 3/4 cup
• Rice flour – 1/2 cup
• Ghee – 2 teaspoons
• Salt – a pinch
• Hing – a pinch
• Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Mix the ingredients for the ribbon pakoda with little water and make the batter while the last omapodi is being fried.
2. Fill the ribbon pakoda press with the batter and prepare the pakodas following same procedure like omapodi.
3. Drain well and break into small pieces. Mix with the omapodi.

Aloo chips(sticks)

Ingredients

• Potato – 2 medium sized
• Use the same oil to fry.

Method

1. Wash peel and cut the potato into thin fingers as shown in the picture.
2. Keep in water with a pinch of turmeric for 5 minutes. Drain and spread on a dry cotton towel.
3. Fry in hot oil stirring continously. Keep the flame between medium to low so that the chips does’nt become dark.
4. Drain and remove from oil when the sound subsides.

Maida diamonds

Ingredients

1. Maida – 3/4 cup
2. Ghee – 2 teaspoons
3. Salt – a pinch
4. Continue frying in the same oil.

Method

1. Mix maida, ghee and salt with little water to make a thick dough.
2. Roll into thin rounds and cut into diamonds with a zigzag cutter.
3. Fry in hot oil till done. Drain and remove from oil.

Cashew nuts- 1 cup

Fry the cashew nuts in a steel strainer with handle as shown in picture or rub with little ghee and MW high for 2 minutes stirring in between.

Groundnuts – 1 cup

Fry the ground nuts in a steel strainer with handle as shown in picture or rub with little ghee and MW high for 3 minutes stirring in between.

Curry leaves- 2 twigs

Wash and wipe the curry leaves. Fry in oil using a steel strainer with handle.

Bhoondi

Ingredients

• Kadalai maavu (besan) – 3/4 cup
• Rice flour – 1/4 cup
• Salt – a pinch
• Hing – a pinch
• Fry using same oil

Method

1. Make bhoondis following the method shown in bhoondi laddoo.

Aval (Poha)- 1 cup

Fry the aval last using the steel strainer with handle on high flame so that the aval puffs immediately. Fry 2 tablespoons at a time.

How to proceed

Mix all the above savouries on a large butter paper. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper powder or chilli powder.

Savouries mixture, dry fruit mixture and the following sweets are our entries for Vee’s JFI festive Series

1. Icecream cake
2. Bhoondi laddoo
3. Godhumai halwa
4. Mysoor pak
5. Poori laddoo
6. Antu unde (Dry friut laddoo)
7. Paal cake
8. Theratti paal
9. Milk Chocolate
10. Damroot

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