Chow Chow (Chayote Squash) Thogayal

Parents have the most innovative ways of feeding kids what kids presume as “not nice” vegetables. Chayote Squash or Chow chow is one of those vegetables that I disliked tremendously for much of my “cooking free” life, but have grown to like it now that I seem to spend half my life in the kitchen! Chow chow goes into a kootu, makes a decent a dry vegetable sauteed with coconut gratings and is well hidden inside a thogayal. So well hidden that as a child I never realized that the thogayal with a greenish tinge served as parippu thogayal had a whole chow chow inside it!

Ingredients

• Chayote Squash (Chow Chow) – 1 cup (cut into cubes)
• Toor dal – 1 cup
• Red chilli – 1 no
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Hing – a small piece
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Parboil the Chow Chow.
2. Heat 1 table spoon oil and fry toor dal, red chilli and hing till golden, stirring continously.
3. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.
4. Add salt and grind everything to a smooth thick paste of spoonable consistency adding  water if required.

Serve with steaming rice and ghee.

Chow chow Thogayal – for the Recipe Marathon

Fellow recipe marathoners:

DK, Siri, Srivalli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii
Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya M, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Viji, , Kamalika,Pavani, Roochi, Karuna

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Capsicum Thogayal

I have to admit that I turn into a lazy bum in the kitchen when I see my mom. If I am visiting Bangalore, I pig out on her food. If she’s visiting Chennai, I cook may be one dish which is invaribaly a bake, and get her to cook the rest. What amma cooks not just tastes good, it look good, smells good, and everything about it is insanely delicious.

One among the awesome dishes that have found their way to my stomach is this Red Capsicum Thogayal that she made on the side to go with dosas. They are divine! They don’t have much in them besides basic ingredients that we use for almost all thogayals and yet they are so unique and so flavourful that I am salivating at the memory of having this sometime back at Bangalore!   

Ingredients

• Capsicum – 3/4 cup (finely chopped) 
• Urad dal – 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli – 2 to 3 nos.  
• Hing – a small piece
• Salt to taste
• Oil – 1tsp

For Tadka

• Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Oil – 1 tsp

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add Urad dal followed by Red chillies and hing.  Saute until the urad dal turns golden.
2.  Add the chopped capsicum. Cover and cook on a low flame until the capsicum is done. 
3. Add salt and take off the flame. Set aside to cool. Pulse everything in to thogayal of spoonable consistency. 
4. Heat oil for the tadka, splutter the mustard seeds and fry the curry leaves. Add this to the  thogayal. 

Serve capsicum thogayal as a side dish for dosa, rava dosa, rava idli or rotis. 

Capsicum Thogayal – for the Recipe Marathon.

Fellow recipe marathoners:

DK, Siri, Srivalli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii
Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya M, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Viji, , Kamalika, Pavani

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Inspire – Get Inspired – Stay Inspired! And what is happenning at Tussauds?

The most used word in the past few days in the blogosphere is INSPIRE !! But before I write about people who inspire me, I would like to share my thoughts about a news item that disturbed me a lot.

Tussauds is a world famous museum of wax statues of famous personalities in London. Around two weeks back there was a news item on TV where many Indians who visited the museum expressed there displeasure over Mahathma Gandhi’s wax statue being placed near a garbage bin.

I have never seen garbage bins being placed in the main display area in any museums or art galleries I have visited. Visitors are usually not allowed to carry eatables or smoke in such places. These measures are taken to protect the exhibits from collecting dust. Usually a garbage bin may be placed in a remote corner near rest rooms. Wax being a very sensitive surface will require extra care. I wonder where is the need to have a garbage bin along with the exhibits in this world famous museum!! Just imagine the plight of the artist who created a beautiful replica of the Mahathma! The statue of Mahathma is the property of the Tussauds authorities. What can one say of people who do not value their own invaluable possessions? How can we expect such people to understand the greatness of the Mahathma?

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Black night shade ( Manathakkali) keerai Thogayal

Ingredients

• Black night shade leaves/ greens(Manthakkali keerai)- 1 cup tightly packed
• Grated coconut – 2 tablespoons
• Urad dal – 2 tablespoons
• Hing – a small piece
• Red chillies – 2 nos
• Oil – 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste

Method

1. Wash and drain the Keerai.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it crackles add urad dal, red chillies and hing. Fry till golden brown.
3. Add the keerai and coconut and saute till dry for 2 minutes.
4. Allow to cool. Add salt, little water and grind to a smooth chutney.

Black night shade greens are good for all stomach ailments. You can serve this thogayal with rice or as a side dish for dosa. It can be easily grown in the kitchen garden.

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Our very dear blogger friends Asha, Siri, Kamala and Swati have felicitated our blog with Inspiration award! It is great pleasure and honour to receive this award from all of you! A big thank you and Hugs to Asha, Siri, Kamala and Swati!! 🙂

Some famous personalities and my teachers have inspired and influenced me to a great extent!

* Mrs.Janardhan was the school principal when I was studying at Keyes High School at Secunderabad. She had a soft and husky voice and we have never seen her scold or punish any student. All the students used to assemble for morning prayers and keep talking, but only till we see our principal. Once we see her get out of her room and walk towards the assembly there will be pin drop silence! She commanded that kind of respect! We should understand the difference between commanding and demanding respect! I always feel inspired and motivated when I think of this great person! 🙂
* Another teacher who influenced me much was our math teacher, Ms. Ammani John. Those days the prescribed text books were available only in Telugu and English medium students had to follow books by other authors. Since our teacher did not want us to miss out on any sum that might appear in the final question paper, she used to translate and dictate all the sums from the prescribed telugu text book and see that we work them out in the class itself. I used to marvel at her dedication! Translating and dictating all the sums to every class, everyday, year after year! Amazing!! My dear ma’am has inspired me do give my best shot, whatever I do!
* Mr. Moge was our HOD when I was doing my B.Com. Once he calculated the amount of time and money spent to educate every student. He said that if women are not allowed to use this education for building the economy, it is such a national waste! That day I understood that God has bestowed upon each one of us, some talent and we should use it for a productive purpose!
* Other great personalities who always inspire me are Mahathma Gandhi, Mother Teresa , Dr. C. Rajagopalachari

I am passing on this award to all food bloggers who successfully completed the recipe marathon! So the award goes to,

* Dear Siri and Dhivya who pamper me with their love! 🙂
* Mela queen Srivalli , for her energy! 🙂
* Cute Raaga, her recipes are a part of my weekly menu! 🙂
* Bhags, who can cook and blog delicious recipes from a hotel room! 🙂
* Dear Swati, I feel I know her since ages! 🙂
* Arundathi, Ranji and Divya , I would love to know more about these bloggers who are laks great friends! 🙂
* My dearest daughter Lakshmi, Who makes me feel complete! 🙂
* Two more bloggers, I like to pass on this award are my BFF Asha, not a day passes with out thinking about you dear! 🙂 Bharathy who is always there to help and made me popular as lathamma! 🙂

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