Happy Tamil New Year!

        I wish all my readers Happy Tamil New Year!

Keerai Sundal with black-eyed peas and Kale

         Keerai sundal is usually made with more fibrous kind of spinach, which do not disintegrate easily upon cooking. Keerai sundal is made with Agathi keerai. I have not seen it in the market in the US. I decided to try this dish with Kale leaves. I guess it would work with Swiss chard too. Kale has thick fibrous stem which will not be good in this type of preparation so I cut out the stems and thick veins after washing the leaves. I was going to make black-eyed peas separately but thought I would try them together. They make a great pair. So, this recipe is for keeps.

Kale keerai with black-eyed peas Sundal

Ingredients:
Kale chopped  3 cups
dry black eyed peas 1/2 cup
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
urad dal 2 tsps
oil for tempering( sesame oil preferred)
asafoetida/ hing/ perungayam  1/4 tsp
cooking soda(optional)  a pinch
salt to taste
Dry grind:

fresh grated coconut   1 tbsp

red chillies  2-3

cumin/jeeragam  1/2 tsp

Method:
 1.Soak the black-eyed peas for 30 minutes. Drain the soaking water and cook with a little water and salt in a pressure cooker. The peas should be cooked but not mushy.
2.Grind grated coconut, red chillies and cumin in a mixer grinder without adding water.Pulse it so that it becomes a powder semi-wet.
3.Wash the Kale, remove the thick veins and stem. Chop the leaves medium fine. Add cooking soda and 1/2 cup water and cook on low heat with lid on. Stir from time to time adding more water(little by little) to cook as the water evaporates. It takes about 8-10 minutes to cook as the leaves are thick. When the Kale is cooked, let any water left evaporate by leaving it on simmer with lid off, takes about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
4. In a deep pan, heat oil and pop the mustard seeds, add the urad dal and  asafoetida. Once the dal turns red add the Kale, salt to taste and stir. Add the black eyed peas and the dry ground mixture. Mix well and take off heat.

   Kale keerai sundal with black-eyed peas is ready. It tastes great alone or with any south indian dish served with rice. Susvaad.

Ragda Patties

           Who would have thought that fast food could be healthy and taste this good? Ragda Patties is now on my 'love it' list. It is easy to make, tastes good, kids love it and it's healthy. Is it even real you ask? It is. I remember eating this first years back in Wadala Mumbai, made lovingly by a Gujju neighbor. After that I didn't get to taste this or make this until recently. I have often seen recipes of Ragda patties in many blogs and my friend makes this on a regular basis. I had in my memory the glorious first time experience in Mumbai. With that in mind, I decided to go with the flow and make it to suit my family's taste. It is quite a filling dish and although it is usually served as a snack food. It makes for a great dinner too.

Ragda Patties
Ingredients:
Ragda:
White vatana/ pigeon peas dried whole yellow peas 2cups
onion     1 big
cumin-corinader powder 1 1/2 tsps
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
chilli powder   1 tsp
salt to taste
jaggery  1/2 tsp
Oil  1 tsp

Patties:
potatoes  3 big
3 slices of whole wheat bread
salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying


Condiments:(store bought)
Tamarind-date chutney 1/2 cup
green chilli chutney    2 tbsps or per taste
garlic chutney (optional)/tomato-mint chutney as needed
fine sev for crunch  1/2 cup
Coriander leaves chopped  1/2 cup

Method:
Ragda:
1. Soak the peas / vatana at least 5-6 hours in water. Rinse and cook in a pressure cooker with water,turmeric powder and a little salt.
2. In a deep pan, heat a little oil and saute onions till translucent. Add the cooked peas, add the other ingredients for the Ragda and let cook together for 3-4 minutes. Take off heat and set aside.

Patties:
1. Dip the slices of bread in water and squeeze out the water completely.
2. Boil the potatoes along with the vatana / peas but separately. Peel and mash the potatoes.
3. Knead the potatoes and bread together, add salt as needed .
4. Make medallion size patties with this mixture.
5.Heat oil in a shallow frying pan ,shallow fry the patties on both sides till they are crisp on the outside and hold firm. Drain and  place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Assembly:
Place about 3-4 patties on a plate. Ladle a big spoonful of Ragda on each patties. Add a spoon full of tamarind date chutney,green chilli chutney and  garlic chutney. Finally top it with some crunchy sev, finely chopped coriander and serve. Susvaad.

Shree Rama Navami

          On the day of punarpusam nakshatra and navami, this month Shree Rama Navami is celebrated. I tell my kids simply that its Lord Rama's birthday. The special offering or neivedyam today are Neer mor, panagam, and soaked moong dal with citrus or raw mango.

Neer mor
Ingredients:
curd  1/2 cup
curry leaves 5-6
rock salt as needed
asafoetida  a big pinch
mustard seeds 1/4tsp
oil for tempering
juice of half lime/raw mango(finely diced)optional

Method:
1.Mix about 1 and half cups of water with the curd and pulse it till it incorporates well and the consistency is one of thin buttermilk.
2.Crush the curry leaves to release aroma and add to the buttermilk or neer mor.
3.Heat a little oil and pop the mustard seeds and then the asafoetida. Pour it in the neer mor.
4.Optional- if the butter milk is not at all sour then add the juice of lime or a few spoons finely diced raw mango.

Panagam
Ingredients:
Jaggery / raw sugar powdered 1/2 cup
Chukku/dry ginger powder 1/4 tsp
cardamom powder 1 tsp

Method:
1. Dissolve in 2 and half cups of water the jaggery completely, by stirring vigorously.
2. Add the dry ginger and cardomom powder, mix thoroughly and serve.

Vadai paruppu
Ingredients:
Moong dal/ payatham paruppu 4 tbsps
asafoetida  a big pinch
mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
raw mango finely diced 2 tsps
salt as needed
oil for tempering.


Method:
1.Soak the dal/paruppu in water for about half an hour.Drain the water.
2.Dissolve the asafoetida in about 1 tsp of water .Mix it with the paruppu.
3.Add the raw mango and salt.
4.Heat a little oil ina tempering pan, pop the mustard seeds and add to the dal/paruppu and serve.
  
          These are the three most important neivedyam/offering on Shree Rama Navami. Other than these, a payasam / kheer  or any sweet delicacy could be offered. Susvaad.   
 (pictures will be updated after neivedyam).

Chinna Vengaya Vatral Kuzhambu

        Chennai, still known as Madras is famous for various things. Among them is Chinna Vengayam or Madras sambar onions/ red onions. In US, we get them frozen or even fresh. For the real Madras onions, you have to have the mann vasanai (fragrance of the earth). In the vegetable markets in Madras, these onions are sold as close  to the place they came from. The vegetable vendors heap these on sack cloths on the ground. When you buy them although they appear dry, you get that distinct smell of just plucked freshness mixed with your own imagination of the future meal of onion sambhar or vatral kuzhambu. I honestly don't get that smell on the ones we get here in US, still I get them for the taste.
      My dad used to tell us stories of this amazing Vatral kuzhambu his grandma Ooramma made. The kuzhambu was made in kar chatti or stone pots, they retain heat longer and will allow the kuzhambu to reduce and thicken without burning. Vatral kuzhambu if made in the morning is eaten with appalam in the evening. Ooramma  made vatral kuzhambu to the consistency of honey, fiery hot and glistening with nalla ennai. In the evenings, she mixed rice with the kuzhambu and made rice balls of this kuzhambu sadam and gave each of her many grandchildren a few big rice balls to eat with appalam. My dad still gives me kuzhambu sadam this way, I love it.

     Whenever Vatral Kuzhambu is made, a good combination to make are kootu, keerai or any roast kari. As kids, this kuzhambu was served with paruppu saadam with nei and vegetable side dish, as it is spicy. As you grow up and get used to spiciness you could take it mixed with hot rice and kari.
    

Chinna Vengaya Vatral Kuzhambu


Ingredients:

Small Madras onions- 1 cup
sambar powder 2 heaped tsps
kadala paruppu / chana dal   1 tsp
mustard seeds   1 tsp
Venthayam / fenugreek seeds  3/4 tsp
curry leaves   a few
red chillies halved    2
Tamarind paste 1 1/2 tsps
Nalla ennai / sesame oil   2 tbsps
Rice flour 1 tsp
Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
jaggery 1 tiny piece(optional)
salt to taste

Method
1. Heat 2 tsps of oil in a thick bottomed pan, pop mustard seeds.Then add the chana dal and let it become red. Add the venthayam, let it  heat lightly , then add red chillies , asafoetida and curry leaves.
2. Add the onions and fry till translucent.
3. Some people add  the sambar powder at this stage and fry it a little bit, it is optional, you can add it to the    tamarind water. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 2 cups of water and add it to the pan. If not yet added then add the sambar powder next.
4. Let this mixture come to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium and let it gently boil for 10 minutes.
5. The kuzhambu thickens a little, if not then make a paste of the rice flour and water and add it to the kuzhambu. In a few minutes it thickens.
6. Now add a tsp of sesame oil/ nalla ennai to the the kuzhambu and jaggery and turn off heat.

 Serve it with steamy hot rice, a touch of nalla ennai and side dish of your choice or just plain sutta appalam (flame roasted papadom). Susvaad.

Kids say the darndest things...3

   I had told my son that his friend Nikhil might come to visit him during the weekend. I asked him not to mention it to his other friends, as Nikhil hardly had time to meet anyone else and they might feel left out. Next day, when he met one of his friends, he immediately turned to me and said,  "Amma, can I tell him the secret that Nikhil is coming? ". 

   After school, I was explaining to him the mistake he made in the morning. I told him he should ask me whether he can tell the secret and not include the secret in the same sentence. Without batting an eyelash, he nods to me okay I GOT it, " I should have said, COULD I tell him the secret that Nikhil is coming? ". Hmm...Boys!

             

Stuffed Vendakkai (Okra)

             It was off and on rainy/cloudy with a chance of fried food yesterday. When it rains outside, I crave for fried food. I didn't want the added calories and the conscience attack later. After a struggle in my mind whether to cook onion pakodas , bajjis and other sinful snacks. I came to a compromise, while hating my conscience that I would make a yummy roast vegetable with much less oil than deep fried. I didn't want an elobarate recipe too. I made up my mind on stuffed vendakkai  in a jiffy. My shortcut recipe was to use curry podi that I use for making roast veggies like potato, plaintains, colacasia (chepankizhangu) etc.

Curry podi / powder-

Ingredients:
kadala paruppu / chana dal 1 cup
ulutham paruppu  / urad dal  3/4 cup
red chillies    1 cup
dhaniya /coriander seeds  1 1/2 cups
tamarind gumball sized
asafoetida  2 tsps
salt to taste
oil to roast

Method
1.  Dry roast the dhaniya, kadala paruppu and ulutham paruppu.
2. heat a little oil and roast the red chillies.
3. Powder fine or coarse for texture all ingredients together in a mixer grinder. Add  only a little salt. When using the powder you can adjust the salt according to taste.
4. Let cool and store in an air-tight container in a dry place.

 This podi can be stored at room temperature for up to a month. Use it in almost all poriyals, kootu, roasts etc. It smells heavenly.

Stuffed Vendakkai

Ingredients:

Vendakkai / okra   12
curry podi 2 tsps
sambar powder 1 tsp
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
kadala maavu / besan flour  2 tbsps
salt to taste
Oil 3 tsps

Method:

1.Wash the vendakkai and dry it with a paper towel.
2. Cut the vendakkai lengthwise but not fully, just slit enough to hold some stuffing. Do not split it in half.
3. Mix all the powders mentioned in the ingredients .Using a spoon, stuff the dry mix in the vendakkai and set aside.
4. When every vendakkai is stuffed, heat oil in a wide mouthed saute pan.
5. When the oil is hot carefully place each vendakkai stuffing side down. Be very careful oil may splatter.
6. Let the stuffing side get seared (get a crisp golden brown coating). Sprinkle any leftover stuffing over and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to sim to medium and let steam cook for about 2 mins.
7. Remove lid, with a spatula or spoon turn the vendaikkai over gently to cook the other side. Put the lid on let cook 3 mins.
8. Now, remove lid and gently stir, taste for salt and add salt if required. Let cook till no moisture is left and take off heat.

Serve with hot steamy rice or chapatis. Susvaad.

365 Days of decluttering
 I have arrived at the conclusion that I am a self defeating perfectionist, when it comes to clutter. I either have to clean out everything until it is spotless or I don't do it at all. No wonder I am a clutter magnet. My wish is to break the habit and to get to a place where I can do a just enough job of clearing out junk, instead of minutely managing every shred of paper or thing that I pick. Easier said than done, It is a hard lesson to learn for a person like me.

Inji Thokku

               While blog surfing I chanced upon Cooking with Seeds -Fenugreek Seeds by SE, brainchild of Priya's easy n tasty recipes. South Indians depend on Vendhayam / fenugreek seeds in their meals to cool down in a tropical climate. It is so hot in the southern states throughout the year, that vendhayam is an essential part of the cooking. Vendhayam is not to be taken lightly, it is a potent seed, a little goes a long way. It has many uses like cooling the body internally, helps in digestion, reducing blood sugar, used to increase lactation in new moms and many more. Using it without proper guidance is not advisable due to its potency. Indians have been using fenugreek in their cooking for hundreds of years.So, it is safe to follow Indian cooking guidelines and usage in small quantities in daily cooking.

        I chose to make Inji thokku or Ginger chutney using fenugreek seeds. It is simple to prepare and spicy. It is usually used as a pickle, accompaniment to curd rice, in summer times.

Inji thokku 


Ingredients:
Fresh ginger finely chopped   2 cups
fenugreek seeds   1 1/2 tsps (exact)
green chilli   6
tamarind lemon size
or tamarind paste 1 tsp
red chilli   2
salt to taste
Gingelly oil (preferrably)      3 tbsps


Method:
1. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and red chillies in a saute pan for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the seeds.Let cool for a while, then make a fine powder using a spice grinder. Set aside.
2. Grind the ginger, green chillies and tamarind with salt(around 2 tsps or more)  in a mixer-grinder to a fine paste. Add as little water as possible. Adding it in small increments and pulsing the mixer will get the mixture into a smooth paste.
3. Heat the oil in a saute pan, add the ground paste and keep stirring.Let most of the water evaporate and the mixture leave the side of the pan.Keep stirring continuously (about 5 mins).Add the powder at this stage and mix thoroughly.Take off heat in 2 minutes.

 This thokku must cool completely before you store it in air-tight container.It will store nicely in the fridge for weeks.But, who is going to leave it there for so long. In our household, this thokku is eaten in a few days.
Caution: Spicy -a little thokku goes a long way. Susvaad.

Pagarkkai Curry

                   My husband loves pagarkkai / bitter gourd a lot.Whenever he shops for veggies, I can count on him to pick Pagarkkai. I love pagarkkai too but not as much as him. I started to adapt it to my taste. I make this curry with it which has so many different tastes with minimum of spices. The best thing about the curry is the final dish comes out shiny and dark, looks delicious.          

Pagarkkai Curry

Ingredients:

Pagarkkai / bittergourd    3

turmeric powder  1/2tsp

tamarind paste     1 tsp

red chilli powder  1/2 tsp

sambhar powder   1 tsp

powder jaggery / vellam   2 tsps

mustard seeds   1 tsp

urad dal / ulutham paruppu  2tsps

asafoetida  a pinch

oil 3tsp

salt to taste

Method

1. Cut the pagarkkai lengthwise into half. Remove the pulp and seeds. Cut the rest into tiny cubes.

2. Smear the pagarkkai with tamarind paste and turmeric powder .Set aside.

3.In a saute pan, heat a little oil and add the mustard seeds.When the mustard seeds sputter, add urad dal and  let it turn red.

4.Add the cut pagarkkai, saute a little then add the rest of the spice powders except jaggery.

5.Let it cook with lid on and heat simmered down.

5.When cooked add salt and stir.Add the jaggery and saute for a few seconds. Jaggery will give a sheen to the curry and also complement the bitterness.

      This curry tastes sweet for a second,then bitter, sour ,spicy hot and savory too. Thats something to achieve in one curry. Serve with rice or chapati. Susvaad.

Mushroom Semiya Upma

                     'She has gone and done it', my grandma would have said. She could not have imagined her granddaughter adding mushrooms to a traditional food like upma. Imagine serving it to a madisaar maami and mama. 'Please stay and have tiffin with us, I made mushroom semiya upma'. It would be fun to see their expression. I am letting my imagination run wild, just like the mushrooms in my upma.
                 Featuring my fridge last Friday, few wild mushrooms ran amok with their accomplices the lone bell pepper and scallions. I needed to think of a last chance dish to get them out of the fridge aka prison. Early Saturday morning, I planned to grocery shop and I didn't want them to taint my fresh new comers. So, out they came and turned a new leaf- Mushroom semiya upma.

Mushroom semiya upma
 (serves 4 )

Ingredients:
Mushrooms (any and all kinds) cleaned and diced  4
scallions diced     1/2 cup
bell pepper any color diced  1/2 cup
red chilli    1
green chilli     3 or 4
Semiya /Vermicilli broken  3 cups
ginger grated        2 tsps
curry leaves              a few
coriander a handful chopped
mustard seeds 1 tsp
urad dal / ulutham paruppu         1 tsp
chana dal  / kadala paruppu      1/2 tsp
asafoetida / hing    1/4 tsp
cashews broken in half  6
salt to taste
oil  3-4 tsps

Method
1. Roast dry the vermicilli till is slightly red. Set aside.
2. In a saute pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds sputter, add urad dal, chana dal, red chilli and cashews.Let them turn red.
3.Now add the diced mushrooms,scallions and bell pepper. Saute till they cook half way, about 2 mins.
4.Add the green chillies, ginger, hing, salt and curry leaves.
5.Add 8 cups of water and bring to boil.
6.Add the semiya to the boiling water while stirring. Keep stirring till the water is absorbed by the semiya.
7.When there is no more water left, switch off heat and add coriander leaves

 Serve hot. Those who love mushrooms on their pizza will definitely love it on their upma. Susvaad.

365 Days of decluttering- Day 13
 I am doing so good on the decluttering project. Our computer chair has been chucked out as it was in tatters. I have donated a few of my novels to the library. I have handed down my son's outgrown coat to my friend's son. If It had been the old me, I would have procrastinated all this. I have so much stationery that needs sorting, I think I will try and do it today. I would like to get rid of the the pens that don't write. That really ticks me off and just because I am reluctant to toss anything, I hold on to these. Today I will though. I used the galvanized bucket from Target to arrange the homework supplies for my kids before. I have one more of those in blue. I am thinking I will keep my home office stuff. Still there is a lot to be done, I am not there yet.
This day by day stuff helps a lot though.

My First Award, yay!

           I was pleasantly surprised when I learnt that I have been given two awards by Meena of Dakshin. Thank you Meena, it is a huge honor for me.

Rules for accepting these awards:
 1. Thank the person who presented you with this award.
2. Pass it on to one or many blogger friends.

I would like to pass this award to some of my blogger friends Sheetal, Priya and Chitchat. 

Congratulations!

Ash gourd-Capsicum Sabzi with Coriander Rotis

I know how to prepare ash gourd (white pumpkin) in a few different ways, all South Indian. Never had a North Indian sabzi, maybe not that popular a veggie there. I have seen bottle gourd prepared in different dishes.I decided to make a sabzi. I searched for recipes that I would be interested in but didn't find any. I did not know what I was going to make when I started, just was going with the basics.

I thought if the new sabzi is a flop, I at least needed something substantial to serve for lunch. So, I made coriander rotis and a carrot salad. Verdict in our house was 2 out of four. The kids did not like the sabzi. The rotis were a hit though. I wasn't surprised. I added a little more spice that usual to offset the blandness of ash gourd.This is the price I paid. I loved the sabzi though.

Ash gourd-Capsicum Sabzi

Ingredients:

Ash gourd finely diced   2 cups

capsicum(yellow,green)diced 1 cup

onion large diced    1

tomato diced     3

green chillies finely chopped  3

garam masala  1/2 tsp

coriander-cumin powder 1/2 tsp

cumin 1/4 tsp

salt to taste

oil  2-3 tsps

coriander leaves a few sprigs

Method:

1.In a wide mouthed saute pan, heat oil and add jeera.When it sputters add onion and fry till translucent.

2.Add the green chillies and capsicum and fry till it cooks a little, then add the tomatoes and stir fry till the raw smell of tomatoes is gone.

3.Add the diced ash gourd, and a little water, stir, cover and let cook for 5 minutes on a medium flame.

4.When the ashgourd is cooked it turns translucent. Add the spices and salt. Let them cook together without the lid.When most of the water evaporates then switch off heat.

5.Add coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis.

The capsicum and onion lend a sweet taste to an otherwise spicy sabzi.

Coriander Rotis

Ingredients:

Coriander leaves roughly chopped  2 cups

Whole wheat flour    3 cups

green chillies   3

ginger grated   2 tbsps

coriander-cumin powder  1tsp

hing 1/4  tsp

salt  1/2 tsp or to taste

oil  3 tsps

Method:

1.In a Mixer grinder, finely grind the coriander leaves, green chillies and ginger with a little water to a fine paste.

2.To the wheat flour add coriander-cumin powder, hing, salt and mix. Add the ground paste. Mix again thoroughly, add water slowly and knead to a firm dough. Let rest covered for a few minutes.

3.Take a lemon sized ball of the dough. Roll the dough into round shaped rotis.

4.On a heated griddle or a tawa roast the rotis till they are cooked on both sides.

5.Smear a little oil on the hot rotis and serve.

I served these with the sabzi and a simple carrot salad. It is just fresh grated carrots with a squeeze of lemon and salt. Susvaad.       

Let it snow ! Let it snow !

     The heavens opened up and said, "Let there be snow".We have been mauled over by snow here today.Let the pictures speak.

Rava Idli

            I realized late in life that I was a foodie.I found out my love for cooking and enjoying food is special and not everyone is so passionate about it as I am.Most often, I have to cook certain dishes a certain way or make all the side dishes that go together.I would look forward to a meal like some people look forward to a vacation.I am motivated when my husband says he can't wait to come home and eat what I had cooked for the day.My biggest triumph is my eldest son, I converted him from a picky eater to a kid who guesses what I made by the smells wafting from the kitchen.For a change, he says 'Amma, I can't wait to taste this'.
           During the snow storm, I was busy in the kitchen cooking up three different meals a day to keep occupied and also to enjoy being together at home with my family.Weekends are usually memorable because of the food and fun.I decided to make Rava Idlis for breakfast, something very easy to make but different from the regular breakfast of cereal and milk.After a little bit of snow shoveling, we all had hot steamy Idlis with coconut chutney and gunpowder.


Rava Idli makes 16 idlis

Ingredients:

Rava / Sooji / Semolina  2 cups
sour curd                        1 cup
(if the curd is not sour then add generous pinch of cooking soda to the batter )
mustard seeds                 1 tsp
urad dal                         3/4 tsp
chana dal/ kadala paruppu 1/2 tsp
cashews broken in half  16 at least
coriander leaves chopped a handful
green chillies(chopped)                   4
ginger finely chopped or grated 1 tbsp
ghee                          1 tbsp
oil                              2 tsps
salt to taste
adding grated veggies optional

Method:
1.Heat ghee in a saute pan, roast cashews, set aside and roast the rava till golden in color.Set aside.
2.Heat oil for tempering, add mustard seeds.After the mustard sputters, add the dals.Let the dals become golden brown.Add the green chillies and ginger
3.Switch off heat.Add the rava,curd and the tempered ingredients,salt and coriander leaves.
4.Only add enough water to bring the consistency to semi solid or that of thick but flowing pancake batter.
5.Let it rest for 10 minutes, as the rava absorbs the liquid and you may need to adjust the consistency with water.
6.Lightly smear the idli plates with oil,place one roasted cashew and pour the batter.One ladleful to just fill the well of the plate.
7.Steam in a idli cooker or pressure cooker without weights for 10 minutes of steady steam.
8.Take the idlies after they are steam subsides with a sharp edged spoon.The idlies should come out smoothly.
              Serve these idlis steamy hot with chutney of your choice or with spicy gunpowder(the edible one of course made with roasted,powdered dals,sesame seeds,red chillies and salt) or  this peanut-flax powder.I make my gunpowder at home with flaxseed instead of sesame seeds and the taste is the same,but it is heart healthy.Just store the powder in an airtight dark container in a dry place as it oxidizes easily. Susvaad.
               Day 3 Decluttered freezer.Used the frozen veggie patties to make lunch and threw out popsicles (left over,expired) and such.Also, tackled over the fridge clutter and outside the fridge clutter (too many magnets).Done.      

Kothamalli/Coriander leaves Thokku

         I get excited when I shop for vegetables.I squealed with joy when the sign said '3 for 99cents' in front of cilantro.I immediately thought thogayal  or thokku.The coriander leaves looked so green,fresh and smelled heavenly.
         Usually, I make a thogayal with roasted dal,red chillies ,mustard seeds,tamarind and salt.I wanted something a little different so I decided to look for Kothamalli thokku recipes and got the one I was looking for in Home Cook's Recipe's blog by Lavi.I can have thokku any way,on a sandwich or chapati as a spread or mixed with rice.
        I followed her recipe, with a 5 red chillies for medium spicy.It tastes delicious.Thanks Lavi.I sauteed my thokku just enough to get it into a ball.It isn't dry completely,I doubt that I will keep it for a few days.It will be eaten by tomorrow.We are having a snow storm here today in the East coast.We are home bound,cozy but we are always hungry.Lunch today is thokku with hot rice,potato-capsicum-onion poriyal and beet root poriyal/kari. Mm..mm,Susvaad!

        I have joined in for the 365 days of decluttering challenge started by Suzanne Sergis.I hope this challenge helps me and my family declutter and leaves room for better things in life.God knows life is busy enough when you have kids, I could do without clutter.Day One-I have decided to go through my closet and throw out/set aside for donation unused clothes today.      

Jeeraga-Milagu Rasam

        As I mentioned in my previous post, I am posting a recipe mentioned in the song 'Bhojanam seiya vaarungal'.
       Whenever anyone in my family has a cold, I make this rasam.When mixed with hot rice and had with a sutta appalam, it is indeed a comfort food.The ingredients are minimal, simple and serve a purpose.Cumin or Jeeragam as well as black pepper or milagu are both warming spices.Cumin helps in digestion and black pepper aids in enhance respiratory function and also acts like a cough reducer in small quantities.Ghee or clarified butter aids in digestion, bringing these useful spices to the cells faster.
      I have severe cold from yesterday  and have been either sipping piping hot rasam or having it with hot rice.It is definitely soothing my soul and healing my cold.

Vaikku miga rasikum (Rasam which wakes up your taste buds)
Jeeraga-Milagu Rasam


Ingredients
Jeera/cumin  1 tsp
milagu      1/2 tsp
red chilli    2
tuvar daal   1 tsp
tamarind paste 1 tsp
or extract from lemon size tamarind
curry leaves    a few
ghee 2 tsp
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1.In a saucepan, mix tamarind paste/extract with 3 cups of water.Bring to boil,let simmer until the raw smell of tamarind disappears.
2.Add tuvar dal,cumin,black pepper and one red chilli to a dry spice grinder and make a fine powder.
3.Mix the powder in a little water to make a paste and dissolve in the tamarind water.Add salt.
4.Let simmer,until the mixture starts to rise.Switch off heat.
5.In a saute or tempering pan,heat the ghee and add mustard seeds.After the mustard seeds sputter,add one halved red chilli and curry leaves.Pour it in the rasam.

      This rasam has more medicinal value than nutritive value.It has less ingredients but tastes very good with hot rice and sutta appalam(papad roasted over a open flame).Susvaad.

Kalyaana Bhojanam

      I am still not able to cook at home so I am not posting a recipe today.As I am posting this my niece is getting married in India.This is another one of the weddings I have missed since moving to USA. I wish to congratulate her on her wedding day.Many happy returns on this day and wish you  happiness in your married life ahead.

(actual image from my niece's wedding invitation)

     Thai Maasam/January is the start of marriage season in South India.After a gap of six months,there will be a lot of weddings celebrated.It is actually usually pleasant climate there at this time, pattu sarees and jewelery can actually be worn in comfort.

       For people in India, attending weddings and family functions have become a chore of late. For those of us away from our desh, we yearn for those very same gatherings.I have enjoyed a lot of these gatherings while growing up and miss them a lot.I enjoy dressing up,chatting,laughing and teasing.The music,crowd, the greeting, the noise, the overwhelming perfumes, the heat and the heady smell of perspiration (ok not those) are sourly missed.I love the thondai arukkum juice(sore throat giving) that they serve in the marriage halls and the dark, strong coffee that you always crave more of and which are served in great jugs.

      I miss the all important South Indian tiffin-kapi served early in the morning that the rest of the world find hard to understand. I miss the kalyana saapadu/bhojanam also called the pandi saapadu.I miss the upajaram -(saaptela-sappida vaango-nalla nidaana maa sapidungo).

      I miss the rituals that we have seen in many weddings but that always makes us tear up again and again.The relatives talking loudly over the sounds of the nadaswaram or light music.I miss seeing the brides family pulled in million directions and the brides father with that unique expression that only a girls father can have.I miss the little kids who are free of parental supervision, run free and eat and do anything they want.They are upto mischief all the time.Seniors getting a lot of attention and respect, loads of namaskarams and people to talk to.

        It is a not to be missed orchestra.I am all for the 3 days of wedding celebration for those who can afford it.When do we get the time to have so much fun in this fast moving times?Although, the cost of a 3 day wedding is too much for the bride's family.If weddings are a shared event then I am all for it.It is a memorable event for all invovled.

         The most memorable part of weddings in any culture would be the wedding feast.The success of a wedding lies in how well the guests were fed and taken care of.Mostly it is the most well planned part of the wedding.This reminds me of the wedding song in my marriage album - 'Bhojanam seiya vaarungal', some of the lyrics gives in detail the food that is served at South Indian weddings.My husband always says when he hears this song we will serve all these dishes at our sons wedding in the future(makes me smile).Lyrics include these dishes below.I have interpreted them for you as well as I am able to,some of them I am not so sure.I will try/attempt and give the recipes for these in the future in my blog.

Maanthayir pachadi (Mango curd side dish/relish,goes with the main meal),

thengai poo pachadi (grated coconut flakes relish),

Vellarikai Kichadi (cucumber relish/salad),

parangikkai pachadi (red pumpkin relish),

Vidha vidha maagave vatral appalam  (different kinds of fried sundried goodies),

paangulla kootu  (vegetable medley),

daangar pacchadi  (made with sour curds and besan flour),

pagarkkai kasakkal (made with bittergourd),

kathrikkai thuvatal (Brinjal fry),

vazhaikkai varuval (raw banana chips),

Vazhaipoo thuruval ( banana flower stir fry),

Kungurukku sugamana samba arisi yena  ( a special kind of rice),

mottha paruppum ( cooked thuvar dal),

puthurukku neyyum (clarified butter).

Bhojanam seiya varungal...(Welcome to partake of a feast)

Poritcha kuzhambu (vegetable sambhar made with coconutand roasted dals),

Pusinikkai sambhar (White pumpkin sambar),

Vendaikkai morkadhi ( fried Okra/ladies finger-coconut sour curd dish),

Vengaya sambar (small red madras onion sambhar),

Vaikku miga rasikum milagu jeera rasam (black pepper-cumin appetizer soup which will wake your mouth),

Madhuramaai irukum mysore rasamum (rasam made with a lot of powdered spices and coconut),

Paruppugal sertha paneer rasamum (Paneer is a special edible perfumed ingredient with unique scent, used in south indian marraiges, not be mistaken for the namesake cheese),

Venduvorkelaam veppan poo rasamum (fried neem flower rasam),

Kudikka miga rusikkum kottu rasamum ( tempered simple rasam made with red chillies,tastes delicious),

Soorya udhayampol seerum appalam ( papad that blooms like the rising sun in oil),

Sukla udhayyam pol jevv arisi karuvadam ( sun dried fryums that look like rising moon),

Akkara vadisal ( Iyengar sweet preparation with jaggery),

Sakkarai pongal (sweet made with riceand jaggery),

Sojji vadaiyudan (semolina vadai),

Nallaennai vadaiyum (vadai fried in sesame oil),

Thayir vadaiyum ( fried vadai soaked in tempered curd),

Paal poligalum ( dal and jaggery in a flat bread soaked in milk),

Anarasam adhirasam (jaggery and rice fried sweet),

Padir peniyudan ( sweet made of maida in the shape offine vermicelli),

Semiya halwa (vermicilli semisolid cake),

Jilebi ( fried sweet made of ground urad dal and soaked in sugar syrup),

Laddo (sweet made of besan flour and sugar syrup),

muthu muthai irukkum munthiri laadoo ( spherical sweet made of cashews)

rumyamai irukum rava ladoo (sweet semolina spherical sweets),

besha irukum besari ladoo (another sweet preparation),

Mysore pagudan ( square sweet made of besan flour sugar and clarified butter),

burfiyum serthu (coconut and sugar squares),

Bhojanam seiya varungal...raaja...Bhojanam seiya varungal.

Porikani vargangal (Fruits and berries),

Pachai nadam pazham (special type of fruit...I guess),

Then kadali pazhamum ( this is a commonly available banana) ,

Sevvazhai pazhamum (red banana),

Nenthiram pazhathudan (unripe plaintains ,the long variety),

Maambazha dhinusugal (varieties of mango),

Pala pazhathudan (jackfruit),

Annasi pazhamum (pineapple),

aadai parimalikkum aadai thayir vennai thangamal serthu (curd with butter and cream not removed),

Bagaalabathu (curd rice),

pala dhinusaana chithra annagalum (varieties of mixed rice preparations),

ranjithamagiya Inji oorugai ( ginger pickle),

vedukkena kadikum maavadu oorugai ( baby mango pickle that is crisp to bite),

pandiyil parimaarinaar (this is what they served at the feast),

paarthu parimaarinaar ( they served with a lot of attention to detail)...

Bhojanam seiya varungal.

 Now you may realize why I miss weddings so much,with this mouth-watering song I rest my case...Susvaad.

Happy Pongal

            Happy Pongal to all my readers!

Water water everywhere.......

      Dear readers,
          I have had the most draining first week of the new year.A frozen water pipe in the condo above mine had burst open on Monday ,Jan 4th and flooded my condo with water, literally everywhere.
I have been out of my home and living with friends for the past few days and will be out till next week.I have to get everything renovated at a moment's notice.Some of my personal property is ruined and most are in bad state.Hopefully I can get everything back to normal by the end of this month.
         Please send your prayers my way and wish me good luck.I'll be back to blogging in better shape in a while hopefully.

Kids say the darndest things...#2

                   My son got his haircut and got a lollipop after. As I watched him enjoy his lollipop he says, " Amma, you have to try this lollipop when you are six". I said, " Hmm,I'm never going to be six again in this lifetime".To that he replies," Sure you will,when you are 99, then you become hundred ,then you start over from zero". Oh sweet innocence, if only this happens...cutest thing I heard.