CARROT PEERA PATTICHATHU | CARROT WITH COCONUT

Recipe adapted from: Modern Kerala Dishes-Mrs K.M Mathew
Ingredients

1. Carrot -cut into 2" long, thin strips)- 1 cup
2. Grated coconut-3/4 cup
3. Shallots-sliced-1/4 cup
4. Green chilies-chopped-1 tsp ( or to taste)
5. Ginger chopped-1/4 tsp
6. Kudampuli /Kokum- 1 small piece
7. Curry leaves- few
8. Salt to taste
9. Coconut oil- 1 to 2 tsp
10. Water -as required

Method

• Coarsely grind together grated coconut and shallots.
• In a pan or manchatti ,combine together sliced carrot,coconut mixture and the remaining ingredients.Sprinkle water as required.
• Cover and cook until done and it is almost dry.
• Serve with rice.

Homemade Curd / Homemade Yogurt

         

               I was not happy about feeding my little one with packed curd. I tried different ways for preparing curd at home but always ended up with problems like greasy texture / milk curdling / not getting it set properly because of climate conditions here - ah i really had a tough time.

            Later one day in our phone conversation my mom told me that its not something magic its only the perfect temperature of milk while mixing the curd is important. I tried to prepare the same way i presented here, touch-wood its perfect every time then on.

Ingredients:

Milk - 6 cups (I used 2% milk)
Curd / Yogurt - 1/2 cup (in room temperature)


Method:

• Boil the milk. Note that when the foam rises reduce the flame to low and allow to boil the milk for 5 minutes and then switch off stove.

• Keep your curd outside to bring that to room temperature. let the milk sit in the same bowl and reduce its temperature to warm (it took me half-n-hour).

• Take a plate and pour a table spoon of milk. immerse your little finger and feel the temperature. (remember that you should be able to handle the warmness of milk and that is the best temperature to mix curd).

• Pour the milk in the right temperature to a air-tight container, add curd and mix well with a spoon for 2 minutes stirring in clock wise direction. Close the container.

• Switch on the light in your conventional oven and place the container below the light(This helps in building heat inside). Close the oven and let it sit for 4 to 5 hours to set(I let it sit for the whole night). In places like india we can keep the curd just on the counter top near gas stove because of the naturally perfect temperature availability.

• Remove the container and move to your refrigerator to set for 1 hour.

• Your curd / Yogurt is ready to slice or scoop :)

Note:

• I use 2% milk at home so have used the same here. I gave try with whole milk and skimmed milk too. I got the best results with both so its up to you to choose the type of milk.
• Curd I used here is from the old stock of curd but it works with store curd because my first curd cycle started by using store curd only.
• Its very important to add curd in room temperature.
• If you can handle the milk heat when you immerse your finger immediately after pouring a spoon full to a plate, then it means its perfect temperature. I do not have food temperature checking machine to give you right temperature when the curd need to be added but I will update in later days.

Spinach Stem Salad (Ispanak Kökü Salatası)

After using spinach leaves in various dishes (you can find some here) or boreks (and here), saving the stems for other dishes and  salads is very common. There are many ways of cooking with spinach stems and here I will be sharing the most common--and healthy, if you ask me--two ways of making salads. Leaves? I used them in a not-so-healthy way and made spinach mushroom etouffee, inspired by the menu of YATS restaurant in Indy!  


Salad #1 Spinach stem salad with olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic

spinach stems (use as many bunches or pounds as you wish or you have in hand)
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
lemon juice or vinegar of your choice
salt

-Trim the stems so that they will remain intact.
-Wash the stems really really well.
-Steam stems in a basket over boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted but not soggy. Blanch in cold water. Rinse.
-Place them on a plate and sprinkle with minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and salt. Dress to your taste



Salad #2 Spinach stem salad with yogurt

2 bunches of spinach stems (or use as many bunches or pounds as you wish or you have in hand)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
1-2 tsp olive oil
salt
pepper

-Trim the stems so that they will remain intact.
-Wash the stems really really well.
-Steam stems in a basket over boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted but not soggy. Blanch in cold water. Rinse.
-In a broad pan heat olive oil.
-Add onion and garlic and stir until soft for ~5 minutes.
-Add steamed stems and stir until heated for 1-2 minutes.
-Add salt and pepper.
-Serve with a gallop of yogurt, or even better with garlicy yougurt (1 small clove of garlic minced well and mixed with yogurt) and a slice of crusty bread. Perfect lunch!

Holi Special ~ Thandai

Thandai is a wonderful cold refreshing and healthy flavored milk that is traditionally prepared during the Holi festival. Thandai is  made especially when the hot, dry summer winds blow through the region leaving everything and everybody parched. This thirst-quencher is tasty and cooling. The festival of Holi is never complete without the regular dose of different variants of thandai. Thandai is a mixture of almond, fennel seeds, melon seeds, cardamom, saffron, poppy seeds, rose water, pepper, milk and sugar.

Ingredients : 

Almonds- 1/4 cup
Blanched Melon Seeds - 1 tbsp.
Soaked Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus) – 2 tbsp
Whole Fat Milk – 500 ml.
Peppercorns – 3
Fennel Seeds (Saunf) – ½ tsp
Cardamom (Elaichi) - 2
Sugar – 150 gm.
Rose water – 1 tsp
Saffron Strands -Few
Method :

Heat the milk ,then add sugar.  Stir it till sugar dissolves completely and remove from flame. Add Saffron Strands.  Allow the milk to cool to room temperature.

Blend almonds, cashew nuts, melon seeds, soaked poppy seeds to a smooth paste.

Grind the fennel seeds, pepper corns and cardamom into fine powder. Add the powder ,paste to the boiled milk, mix well.

Let it refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to 6 hours.

Strain the drink, add rose water and mix.

Lip Smacking Thandai is ready......

Sending this to sizzling Tastebud's "Summer Splash" event

Chicken Thokku

               Every time I cook something with chicken or plan to prepare some gravy, I want that to taste different but still satisfying my hubby. This was one such try again. Eventually I was left licking my pan because of the taste :). It gets thicker sometime after cooking, so goes well with roti/naan.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1-1/2 Lb / 500 Grams (Cut to your required size)
Onion - 1-1/2 cups (Finely chopped)
Tomato - 2/3 cup (Finely chopped)
Green chilli - 2 no's
Garlic - 4 pods (Finely chopped)
Ginger - 1/2 inch sized (Finely chopped)
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1-1/2 tablespoons
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1-1/2 teaspoons
Water - 1-1/4 cups
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Salt - as needed

Method:

• Heat oil, add fennel seeds, ginger and garlic to release its smell.

• Add onions-let it cook till they are transparent and slightly brown.

• Add Chilli powder, Coriander powder and saute to let its raw smell go away.

• Add tomato and cook till they are soft.

• Add cleaned and washed Chicken with salt, saute until meat turns to white colour(half cook). keep the lid closed for fast cooking.

• Add water with garam masala and allow to boil on medium flame or until chicken is well cooked.

• The gravy will get thicker as it cools down. you can serve chicken thokku for roti/dosa/rice too.

CHICKPEA AND SPINACH TIKKI / PATTIES

Makes : 12 nos
Ingredients

1. Chickpeas- 1 cup
2. Ginger -chopped- 1 inch piece
3. Garlic- chopped- 4 cloves
4. Green chilies -chopped- 2 nos( or to taste)
5. Onion -chopped-1/4 cup
6. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
7. Kashmiri chili powder-1/4 to 1/2 tsp
8. Cumin powder-1/4 tsp
9. Garam masala-1/2 tsp
10. Spinach-chopped-1 cup
11. All purpose flour-1 tbsp
12. Water- as required
13. Bread crumbs- as required
14. Oil - for frying

Method

• Soak chickpeas overnight or for 6 to 8 hrs and cook until soft.Allow it to cool slightly and mash it well.Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan ,add ginger,garlic and green chilies.saute for few seconds.
• Add chopped onion and saute till it turns translucent.
• Reduce the flame to low and add turmeric ,kashmiri chili ,cumin and garam masala powder.Saute for few seconds.
• Add chopped spinach and salt to taste.Mix well until combined and cook until it is almost dry.Allow this to cool slightly.
• In a mixing bowl add prepared spinach and mashed chickpeas.Mix well using a wooden spatula until combined.
• Combine all purpose flour and water to form a thin batter.Keep aside.
• Form lemon sized balls out of the chickpeas- spinach mixture and flatten it using your finger tips.Dip this in the prepared batter and evenly coat with bread crumbs.
• Heat 2  tsp oil in a non stick pan and shallow fry the patties/tikkis until golden brown,carefully turning once in between.Drizzle more oil on top during frying( if required).

SPINACH PULAV | PALAK PULAV

Ingredients

1. Basmati Rice- 1 cup 
2. Cumin seeds-1/4 tsp
3. Cardamom- 2 nos
4. Cloves- 2 nos
5. Bay leaf- 1 no
6. Cinnamon stick- 1" piece
7. Cashew nuts- 6 to 8 nos
8. Green chili-chopped- 1/2 tsp (or to taste)
9. Onion -chopped-1/4 cup
10. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
11. Kashmiri chili powder-1/4 tsp
12. Garam masala-1/2 tsp
13. Oil
14. Water- 1 tbsp ( if required)
15. Salt to taste

For Masala paste

1. Spinach- 1/2 a bunch or 1 cup (packed)
2. Ginger-1/2 inch piece
3. Garlic-3 to 4 small cloves
4. Grated coconut- 1 tbsp

Method

• Cook rice until it is 3/4 th done.Allow it to cool completely.Keep aside.
• Next blanch the spinach.For this bring a pot of water to boil over high heat.Add the washed spinach.Let it cook for 2 minutes.Drain and allow it to cool slightly.Puree the prepared spinach along with the rest of the ingredients for the masala paste( i.e ginger,garlic and grated coconut).Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan ,add cumin seeds and let it splutter.Now add cardamom,cloves,bay leaf and cinnamon stick.Saute for few seconds.
• Add cashew nuts and saute for few seconds.
• Now add green chili and onion,saute till onion turns translucent.
• Next add the masala paste ,turmeric powder,kashmiri chili powder,garam masala and salt to taste.Saute till oil separates.
• Add the cooked rice and mix gently until combined.( sprinkle 1 or 2  tbsp water if you feel the rice is a bit dry)Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over low flame.Keep covered for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Pongal / Ven-Pongal

              There is a small hotel in Sowcarpet area in Chennai named "Krishna Prasad". The line for dosa, idli and pongal on Sundays reach the end of the street.. North Indians in Sowcarpet lineup for parcel. My family also fell for the pongal from that hotel. We die for that pongal and Katti chutney because no where else it tastes sooooooo good.  Infact this time when I went for my vacation, my dad woke up early on Sunday morning and rushed to buy that pongal for me. 

              My mom never gets this recipe right, she always ends up making it like parippu sadam.  After my marriage, my MIL taught me to prepare pongal. And when I taught my mom the same, she was so happy that she is getting it perfect now :). This is a very healthy dish for kids too.

             

Ingredients:

Raw Rice / Pacharisi - 1 cup (i use biriyani rice / sonamasoori rice - both works well)

Moong dal - 1/4 cup

Ginger - 1 Inch sized (finely chopped)

Curry leaves - 5 no's

Cashew nut - 10 no's

Whole pepper corn - 1-1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Ghee - 1 tablespoon

Oil - 1-1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida - 1/2 teaspoon

Water - 3 cups

Method:

• Wash rice and dal(until clear water runs) and soak them for 10 minutes.

• Heat oil and ghee together, add ginger and saute for few seconds.

• Add Curry leaves, Cashewnut, Pepper corn, Cumin seeds, Asafoetida and saute till cashew roasts.

• Now add water with salt and let the water boil.

• Add rice, mix well, check for salt and let it boil again.

• Once water starts boiling after adding rice, close the cooker and pressure cook upto 3 whistles.

• Open the cooker when the pressure is down and mix well(Mash them with back side of your laddle if it doesn't look mashed)

• One pot meal - Pongal is ready to serve with hot Sambar or Chutney.

Note:

• We can dry roast rice and dal and then add to pressure cooker when water boils.
• Water requirement is 1:2(for 1 cup rice its 2 cups of water), and then always add 1 extra cup for any number of rice measurements you take.
• We can use ghee / oil depending on your choice.
• We can also roast cashew in the end and add that finally after pongal is cooked.
• We can adjust water requirement according to the cooking consistency of rice used as it varies.

Am Happy to link this to Hasna's event...