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.

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.

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.