ALL ABOUT THOKKU & PUDINA THOKKU PICKLE/ MINT LEAVES THOKKU

ALL ABOUT THOKKU

All tamilians know what a thokku is and what is it’s significance in their lives. Thokku is halfway between a thogayal and a pickle. It has a longer shelf life like a pickle and there is no coconut used in the recipe.

Just like in a thogayal/thuvayal, chopped/grated vegetables are blended to a paste with spices, but without adding water. The water content in the vegetables are also reduced by slow cooking. This helps in preserving the thokku and giving it a longer shelf life. The thokku can be kept out of the refrigerator for a week after it is made and after that for over a month in the refrigerator.

Thokku can be used as a dip, spread, or a pickle. You can eat it with Bread, Chappatis, dosa, upma and curd rice or eat it mixed with hot rice and ghee.

Almost all vegetables without too much water content can be turned into Thokkus. Experiment with exotic vegetables as long as you remain true to the spirit of the recipe.

When using sour stuff as the base, you need not add tamarind.

To make your thokku have a longer shelf life:

• Use fresh vegetables.
• Wash and completely dry vegetables, bottles and spoons.
• Never use a wet spoon or your bare hands to touch the thokku. Even a tiny bit of water can spoil it.
• Aluminum, plastic or brass vessels react with the acid in thokku and should be avoided. Use glass / stainless steel / porcelain jars.
• Salt always has moisture in it. So dry roast it / dry it in sun for a day before using it.
• Refrigerate thokku to make them last much longer.
• Have a layer of oil over thokku to seal the surface.
• Mix in a pinch of preservatives like sodium benzoate / citric acid to make your thokku last longer.

Here is a tasty and refreshing recipe of The Mint leaves Thokku

PUDINA THOKKU PICKLE/ MINT LEAVES THOKKU

Ingredients

Pudina Leaves – 1 bunch

Tamarind Paste – 1 tsp

Gingelly Oil / Any edible vegetable oil -  5 tbsps

Udad dal – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp

Red Chilly - 4

Asafoetida – ½ tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Method

Dry roast the Udad, Red chillies, Fenugreek seeds and grind into a fine powder. Keep aside.

Wash the pudinah leaves well and fry in 2 tsps oil till it is reduced, dry and changed its color. Cool and grind it coarse in a mixie.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and when it begins to crackle, add in the ground powders and fry for half a minute, it shouldn’t become black, then add the tamarind paste and cook for a minute, after this add the coarsely ground mint leaves, and salt as per taste. Mix it all well. Keep stirring continuously till the water evaporates and it becomes one uniform mixture. After a while you will see the oil separates from the mixture and floats on top. This is the indication that it is done. Put off the gas and let it cool and enjoy it as a dip, spread or a pickle.

CHOW CHOW KOOTU (CHAYOTE / BANGALORE KATRIKKAI IN COCONUT GRAVY)

CHOW CHOW KOOTU (CHAYOTE / BANGALORE KATRIKKAI IN COCONUT GRAVY)While growing up in Mumbai I had never ever had this vegetable and when I moved to Singapore I saw an abundance of this vegetable. As usual I asked the Indian Grocery shop person what's this and how it is cooked. Now, most pf the guys who work for the Indian shop are from the villages of India and know a lot about cooking and our South Indian traditional dishes. The guy said, "Just make a kootu with it". So i bought the Chayote thinking to myself hope it turns out well. 

Chayote belongs to the Gourd family along with melons, cucumbers and squash. 

Chayote in India is locally known as Chow Chow (Doesn't that sound like a pet name). It's also known as Bangalore Katrikkai (Eggplants/Aubergines from a place called Bangalore in India).



For those unfamiliar about this vegetable, some info on it
Chayote/Chow Chow/ Bangalore Katrikkai is light green in color, usually pear shaped and sometimes has wrinkles. In Singapore I sometimes see thorn like structures growing at the base of the Chayote. It's a good source of amino acids and vitamin C.
The leaves and fruit have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties, and a tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and to dissolve kidney stones.
(Some info courtesy :Wikipedia)

With health benefits to add on, I decided to cook it in the below manner. I must say that it turned out yummy and from then on this is on our vegetables shopping list too. Do try and let me know how you like it.

Ingredients

Chow Chow - 1

Yellow split Moong dal – ½ cup

Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp

Red chillies – 2-3 nos.

Curry leaves – 5-6

Udad dal – 1 tbsp

Mustard – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Method

Peel the chow chow and cut into square chunks. Keep aside. Rinse out the moong dal well. In a vessel, mix washed moong dal and little amount of water. Add turmeric powder. Cook it until almost done, add in the chayote, pour ½ cup water and cook until the chayote is soft and the moong dal is totally mashed. Chayote cooks very quickly.  Add salt as per taste at this stage, as sometimes if you add salt to the moong dal it may not cook or take time to cook.

Grind the red chillies(1-2nos), Cumin seeds and coconut to a fine paste in a blender and add to the cooked chayote and dal mixture.

Heat the oil. Add mustard seeds and udad dal and when it crackles add the curry leaves and one red chilly and pour it on the cooked chayote. 

Enjoy this Chow chow kootu with Chappatis or hot rice and pappads.

TIPS

• Diabetics and Weight watchers, can avoid the coconut.

VARIATIONS

• You can add Onion and Tomato to this recipe if avoiding coconut, to give it a good flavor. In case adding Onion and tomato, add oil, fry the Onions, one transparent, add the tomatoes and cook until squashy before adding the chayote in the above recipe, This will infuse all the flavors into the chayote while cooking.

MINT PULAV

MINT PULAV

I went for my grocery shopping this weekend and saw a green fresh bundle of mint leaves waiting for me to pick it. I couldn’t resist. It’s scorching hot these days…global warming and all, so I thought I would make something exotic to drink with the Mint, as Mint is cooling and refreshing during summers.....

We come home pretty late sometimes after work and usually frequent this Pure vegetarian Bachelor’s joint @ Serangoon. This joint is open until late and when we reached there at about 10.45pm he told me to try the variety rice for the day, which turned out to be very tasty, when I asked him what rice was that bang came the answer, “Budinaah Rice”(Pudina Rice). Instead of making just Pudina rice I thought why not make Pudina Pulav (Mint Pulav). Since I had the perfectly fresh and beautiful Mint leaves waiting for me in my refrigerator I thought why not let my family taste this wonderful variety rice, so here is my refreshingly inviting Mint rice, sorry didn’t keep any mint leaves for the garnish in the enthusiasm to get that perfect balance in taste.

Ingredients

Mint leaves – 1 bunch

Long grained Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Onions – 2

Green peas – 1 cup

French Beans – 1/2 cup

Carrots – 1/2 cup

Corns – 1/2 cup

Green Chilly paste – 1-2 teaspoons (depending on how spicy the paste is or how much spice you like)

Ginger paste – 2 teaspoons

Bay leaves – 2

Star Anise – 1

Cinnamon sticks – 1

Big Elaichi (Badi Elaichi) – 1

Small Elaichi - 1

Clove – 1

Cumin Seeds – 1 tbsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Pulav Masala – 2 tsps

Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsps

Oil – 2 tbsps

Salt as per taste

Method

Take the bunch of mint leaves and pluck out only the leaves and if you find the stem attachedto the leaf very tender you can use that also, but if the stems are thick please don’t use. Rinse it well under running water in a colander and keep aside for the water to drain. Meanwhile Rinse out 2 cups of long grained Basmati rice and then soak it for a while in water

Now take the mint leaves, green chilly paste, ginger paste, a pinch of salt and blend to fine consistency in a mixie / blender without adding water.

Now take a wok, put 2 tablespoons of oil, once the oil is heated add in the Bay leaves, Star Anise, Cinnamon stick, Big elaichi, small elaichi, clove and the cumin seeds, once you see the cumin getting fried, add in a pinch of Asafetida(I always like to asafetida in my dishes as it has property to remove gases and in this recipe we have legumes so it is good to add some), the Garam masala, the puav masala and fry for a minute. Now add in the finely chopped onions and sauté until transparent. The onion should look shrunk and well fried. Now, add in the mint-green chilly-ginger paste and sauté well. The color of the paste when fried well becomes slightly light. Ensure that you don’t burn the masala as then the pulav won’t taste so good. Once, the mint masala turns into a lighter color. Add in the vegetables(instead of the fresh vegetables mentioned above you can use 1 ½ cups of frozen mixed vegetables, but I can tell you fresh vegetables taste better thanthe frozen ones) and sauté until the green peas turn into a lighter green, then add in the rinsed and soaked Basmati rice without any water and sauté for 2-3 minutes adding salt as per the taste and mixing everything well. Once this is done you can put this in a rice cooker and add water according to finger level consistency for example when you put your finger in you will know how much rice is there, that much water has to be added or alternatively add water until the rice is completely immersed and there is another cup of water on top. The water level has to be perfect for a perfect pulav, now switch on the rice cooker and keep to cook position. I always use the electric rice cooker for pulav in Singapore but you can make it in a non stick wok by closing the lid and keeping the gas on a low flame. Either way it cooks well. Once the rice cooks, give it a light stir so that everything mixes well without breaking the grains of rice Put the lid back and let it stand for another five minutes. Then turn off the plug.Garnish with coriander / mint leaves.Serve hot. If you want to decorate it some more you can even garnish it with freshly grated paneer.Enjoy the refreshing Mint pulav with any gravy of your choice or just with Papad, pickle and raita, It’s a complete meal.

I would like to send my Mint pulav to

Sara’s Cooking with seeds : Cumin seeds event , since I am using Cumin seeds in this dish

And since it has green peas and beans, I am sending this to Susan’s My legume Love affair 23 Event

And since the main ingredient is Mint (green), this also goes to Preeti’s Green Gourmet Event

GOBI 65 - RESTAURANT STYLE

GOBI 65

What is Gobi 65 and how did it get its name? Is it a North Indian dish or is it an Indo-Chinese fusion recipe coz it tastes and looks a lot like Gobi Manchurian or is it South Indian. I am sure it is not a North Indian recipe, because I never saw this on the Menu card in restaurants in Mumbai while growing up. The recipe does resemble an Indo-chinese fusion, but no….there are a lot of Indian ingredients in it….Surprised as you maybe this recipe has emerged from South India, where a dish called Chicken 65 became immensely popular and the Gobi 65 is a vegetarian twist to it. The anecdotal theories as to how they stumbled upon this name are many. Some say the 65 represents the 65 separate ingredients in the dish. Some say that a restaurant in Chennai came up with this dish and as it became popular with these signature 65 dishes the fever caught on. Some say that the dish was the 65^th dish on the menu card and as people started ordering for it on a regular basis the name of the dish changed to this. Whatever be the theories, but as the saying goes, “Call the rose by any other name and it smells just as sweet”…and so it is for this dish. It’s such an exotic looking and tasting dish that you can surprise your guests or hubby with it. I had a few guests at home and I was pondering over what to cook. I was bored of cooking the same things over and over again. I was quite fancied by the look and taste of the Gobi 65 in a restaurant here in Singapore, so I thought why not try it and started searching for recipes desperately over the internet but none that I found were near to what I had at the restaurant, I would call them Gobi pakodas but not Gobi 65 as they didn’t have the masala. Here is the complete recipe of the Gobi 65.

Ingredients:      

Cauliflower – 1 big

Corn starch - 2 tbsp

All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 tbsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsps

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Chili powder -2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Light Soya sauce - 2 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp (I don’t like garlic in my cooking, but for those who enjoy you can add ginger-garlic paste)

Saffron Color – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Onions – 2 nos

Capsicum – 1 (big size)

Fresh Coriander leaves – 2 tbsps

Oil for frying

Salt as per taste

Method

Pluck the florets of the cauliflower and rinse well under running water in a colander. Heat a big pan of water, drop in the florets, ¼ spoon of turmeric powder and 2 pinches of salt. If there are any worms they will come floating to the surface, if that happens, throw the water and redo the process. Now cook the Cauliflower florets in boiling water, the florets must be half cooked, don’t cook until soft, they should be only semi-cooked. Now remove them from the heat and drop it through a colander to drain all the water. Keep aside. Now in a big salad mixing bowl, Take the two heaped tablespoons of All purpose flour, add Corn starch, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Chili powder, Light Soya sauce(Dark soya sauce gives a very dark color to the dish, we want a reddish color so please use light soya sauce. Soya sauce is only for flavor and helps greatly in the marinating process), Ginger paste, saffron, and salt as per taste (Soya sauce is salty so taste and add salt accordingly. Mix all the ingredients well by adding water (just like we make a batter for bhajiya’s, the batter shouldn’t be very watery). Drop in the semi-cooked cauliflower florets in the batter and mix well. Let it marinate for a while. Marinating imparts better taste to the end product. You can marinate it for a few hours. For example if you are making this for dinner marinate it in the afternoon itself. It will taste awesome!!!as all the masala enters the florets. Now heat oil in a pan, when the oil is heated, drop the florets like pakodas(bhajiyas) one by one. Keep the flame low while dropping and let it get cooked slowly and properly in the oil. When the florets are golden brown in color remove from the fire and drain on a kitchen towel. 

Once all the florets are done in this fashion the next step comes into place and i.e the masala for the Gobi 65. Restaurants serve them in this fashion.

Take a pan, add one tablespoon oil, add a teaspoon of cumin seeds and when they fry, add in the onions and cook until transparent, then add in the capsicum chopped into chunky square pieces, add some salt and toss well, don’t over cook the capsicum, it should just be sautéed for about 5 minutes, then add in the fried cauliflower florets and toss well and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot and enjoy the lovely restaurant style Gobi 65. 

ASOKA HALWA/ ASHOKA HALWA/ THE SOUTH INDIAN MOONG KA HALWA

ASOKA HALWA/ ASHOKA HALWA/ THE SOUTH INDIAN MOONG KA HALWA

I had Asoka halwa or is it Ashoka halwa in a restaurant in Singapore and was instantaneously in love with this sweet. I bought a few small boxes(about 2 tablespoons in each box), but it wasn’t enough to satisfy the sweet indulgence of the family so I thought why not try making it at home and thus started my search for the perfect Asoka halwa recipe. I found a no-fail recipe on the internet and decided to follow suit and got the perfect Asoka halwa. Asoka halwa is the south Indian version of the North Indian moong ka halwa. Ashoka halwa is famous in the Thanjavur district of Tamilnadu. I don’t know where this halwa got its name from. The best part is that this halwa is made from yellow moong dal which provides high protein and is easily digestible.

Ingredients

Yellow split lentil (moong dal/ paitham paruppu) -1 cup

Sugar - 2 to 2.5 cups

Ghee - 1 cup (upto 1.5 cups)

Whole wheat flour (atta) - 0.5 cup

All purpose flour (maida) - 0.5 cup

Milk - 1 tbsp

Red food coloring - few drops

Saffron - a big pinch

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

Soak saffron in 1 tbsp of milk, add food colouring and cardamom powder. Keep aside.

Rinse the yellow split lentil nicely and soak it for about half an hour. Pressure cook it with about 3 cups of water till soft. Mash till smooth or else use a hand blender to make a smooth paste. Mix sugar with this paste.

In a non-stick wok, heat one cup of ghee in a pan, add the wheat flour and all purpose flour. Stir until there are no lumps. Keep stirring on a low-medium flame until there's a nice aroma and it turns golden.

Now add the yellow split lentil + sugar mixture and stir well until well cooked, add the milk mixture and stir well and cook for a few more minutes until the halwa leaves the sides of the pan. Ashoka Halwa is now ready to serve. Serve garnished with nuts or just like that. Try the south Indian moong ka halwa.

AGATHI KEERAI THUVARAN / PORIYAL

AGATHI KEERAI THUVARAN / PORIYAL

Agathi Keerai is classified under the green leafy vegetables category. For those who are not familiar with this green, Agathi Keerai is also known as;

Hummingbird Tree Leaves or West Indian pea tree.

Botanical Name: Sesbania grandiflora

Agathi keerai is used in cooking in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam , mainly in the South east Asia pacific regions wherein its widely grown and eaten.

There are two kinds of West Indian Pea tree - one with red flowers and the other with white flowers. It’s the white flower West Indian Pea Tree that’s suitable for cooking.

My grandma used to say that Agathi keerai which is also known as “Aathu keerai” at my home has cooling properties and she used to insist on eating our greens without making a fuss when we were kids.

Eating Agathi keerai has a lot of benefits -

It is a tonic

It is cooling

It helps in digestion

It will cure ulcers in the stomach

It is a laxative

It balances pitta and kapha

It is an antidote for poisons

It is good for fever

It cures insanity

It is a very satvic food

Crushed leaves are applied to sprains and bruises of all kinds.

A tea made from the leaves is believed to have antibiotic, anti-thelmintic(a medication capable of causing the evacuation of parasitic intestinal worms), antitumour and contraceptive properties.

The principal medicinal effects are due to the trees’ astringency, hence it is used against inflammation, venom and other poisons, bacterial infections and tumors.

The bark is considered as a tonic and an antipyretic, a remedy for gastric troubles, colic with diarrhoea and dysentery.

A bark decoction is taken orally to treat fever and diabetes.

Juice of flowers put in the eyes is said to relieve dimness of vision.

The leaves also have medicinal value and are reported to cure night blindness in cattle.

In India, all plant parts are reputed to cure night blindness.

The root is a well-known medicine for malaria.

Root juices are used for poultices and the leaves are applied for rheumatism, swellings, bruises and itching.

For systemic disorders, decoctions are taken internally.

Root resin, mixed with honey, is taken orally for phlegm and root juices are taken as an expectorant.

Sinus congestion is reduced by taking a flower decoction.

Agathi keerai is very good when mixed with milk and boiled and then made into curd and that made into buttermilk if taken twice a day all female related problems like white discharge, vaginal discharge with odour, over heat etc.can be solved.

This is not advised during medication, since it will reduce the power of medicine.

You can read more about the benefits by clicking on the link below.

http://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/ayurvedaanddiet/Herbal-Plants/Hummingbird-Tree-Leaves.asp

Although its bitter in taste, don’t you think we need to eat this occasionally considering the health benefits associated with it.

Here is a wonderful Kerala recipe of the

“Aathu Keerai” / “Agathi Keerai”

Ingredients

Agathi Keerai – 1 bunch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Udad dal - 1 tsp

Green chillies – 2-3

Red chillies – 1 broken into 2 halves

Turmeric -1/4 tsp

Asafetida (Hing) - a small pinch

Cooked Toor dal – 2 tbsps

Freshly grated Coconut – 1-2 tbsps

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp (Prefer coconut oil)

Salt as per taste.

Method

Remove the Agathi leaves from its stem. There’s one easy way to do this. Hold the stem between your thumb and index finger and slide down de-stemming the leaves. Rinse well under running water in a colander. Chop the leaves into small pieces. Keep aside

In a Kadhai (wok), Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil, when it is hot, Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to crackle, Add udad dal and the red chillies, when the udad dal becomes slightly pink, add the green chillies and fry well, Add the chopped Agathi keerai leaves. Add turmeric, asafetida and salt, stir and close with lid and cook on low flame till it is cooked. Once it’s cooked add in the 2 tbsps of cooked tuvar dal, stir well, wait until the water drains completely and then add in the freshly grated coconut and stir fry till everything is mixed well.

Serve hot with Rice and Rasam.

I would like to send this dish to SWC-Cooking with greens event hosted by my blogger friend Sowmya.

CRISPY BITTERGOURD CURRY

CRISPY BITTERGOURD CURRY

Bitter gourd, I think everybody gets finicky about this vegetable sometime or the other. Its not something people happily buy from the grocery store. It’s more like people think about the health benefits of eating this vegetable. Bitter gourd when cooked in different styles changes the dynamics of the taste and could be well loved by the kids. I made a paste of Rice flour and Urad flour and spices and threw in the bitter gourds and fried them and lo and behold there was a crispy delight waiting at the table and my kids loved it and so did my husband and I didn’t know how fast it flew off my table. The secret of the crispiness lies in the Urad flour. Urad flour has a quality which makes everything extra crisp and the flour in itself has a different taste which enhances the taste of the batter.

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd – ½ kilo
Rice flour – 5 tbsp

Urad flour(White lentil flour) – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Cumin powder -1tsp

Sambhar powder – 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder:1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Salt as per taste
Oil for deep frying
Method

Cut the bitter gourd in thin semicircle and sprinkle salt and leave it for about an hour
after an hour squeeze out the moisture
In a bowl, take Rice flour, urad flour, add turmeric powder, Red chilly powder, cumin powder, sambhar powder and asafoetida and make a paste, now throw in the bitter gourd rings and mix well.

Heat the oil in a kadai, when the oil is hot drop in the bitter gourds and deep fry them until reddish brown.

Enjoy this crispy delight with Sambar rice.

RICE PUTTU (STEAMED RICE CAKE)

RICE PUTTU (STEAMED RICE CAKE)

I was so tired of having the usual fare, I thought why not try something different. I had never made Rice Puttu at home. Puttu can be made with Rice/ Wheat/ Ragi(Millet).I would love to share with you’ll the recipe of the traditional Rice Puttu.

Rice Puttu is one of the traditional breakfast items of Kerala. It is a steam cooked delight.There is absolutely no oil used in making Puttu, it is only made by steaming rice and coconut in layers.

Traditionally Puttu is made out of rice soaked and ground into a coarse flour and is cylindrical in shape. Nowadays Indian grocery stores sell Instant puttu mix (ready made puttu mix), so life has become easier for first time Puttu makers like me.

Freshly grated coconut is used liberally to enhance the flavor and taste of the Puttu. Rice and coconut are alternately layered either in a bamboo shoot or any other wooden tube or sometimes in the coconut shell. The more natural the equipments used to make the Puttu the tastier it is. Nowadays Puttu can be made in a Puttu maker which is a cylindrical shaped steamer. The utensil used to cook puttu is called Puttukutti. If you don’t have a puttu maker/puttukutti you can use a idili mould to cook it .It would be nice If you can make it in the puttu maker, I didn’t have one so I used Idli moulds to make mine.

The steaming hot Puttu emanates a lovely aroma of steamed rice and coconut which is totally irresistible.

The puttu is nutritious, healthy, filling and the best part is it is bland therefore it is light on the stomach. That does not mean you will be hungry soon. Puttu served with its accompaniments is heavier than a meal. Puttu is traditionally served with Konda kadalai Curry or Cherupayaru Curry (Paccha Payaru Sundal/Green Gram/Moong dal Curry).

It is also served with Ripe banana, Jaggery or Stew. In Singapore and Malaysia Puttu is generally had with Brown Sugar (which is bright orange in color and widely available in these countries.) See the picture on the right.

My Srilankan friend says Puttu is a hot favorite breakfast item in Srilanka.

I also had Puttu in Thailand. When I was on my way to Pattaya from Bangkok, on the way, there were these vendors selling eatables(homemade delicacies) on a cycle. Some of our friend’s reside in Thailand and they insisted on us to try this dish that is served in a bamboo shoot, they assured me that it is 100% vegetarian and when the guy opens the bamboo shoot and serves it to us….what could it be but our Puttu with some jaggery and freshly grated coconut and we washed it down with some cool Thai coconut water, they are cool as they are kept in thermocol boxes filled with ice. It was a memorable experience for me. Iam glad we rented a car and didn’t go by bus to Pattaya from Bangkok.

Puttu is eaten in India, Srilanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Isn’t that interesting.

Do check out the recipe, try it out and enjoy this delightful dish.

Ingredients
1 cup - Rice flour
1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut
Pinch of salt
Water as required
Method

In a pan, add rice flour and dry roast lightly. Keep stirring continuously. Take care not to burn the powder. Slowly the color of the rice flour will change indicating its done. Cool the powder. To the rice powder, add a pinch of salt, mix well and rub in with the rice flour. Sprinkle this water on the rice flour, little at a time and with and mix the flour.

When the mixture holds together when pressed into your fist and at the same time can fall apart when pressed lightly you will know that now is the correct consistency for steaming.

If the consistency is not good, sprinkle some more water. Make balls of the rice flour with some freshly grated coconut inside. Steam cook for about 6 minutes. You can see on the plate in the picture the balls of Rice flour and some of the balls I have cut into half and sprinkled freshly grated coconut on top. I served Puttu with freshly grated coconut, brown sugar and coconut milk. It was very very tasty.

Tips: When re-heating Puttu use a steamer to make it soft again before serving.

GOSMALLI SUNDAL(CHANA DAL SUNDAL/KADALA PARUPPU SUNDAL)

GOSMALLI SUNDAL(CHANA DAL SUNDAL/KADALA PARUPPU SUNDAL)

Its Navaratri time !!!!! and time for Sundals. Each day one Sundal is prepared to know more about it please refer to the Sundal Menu in the article below.

This sundal is an all time favorite and can be made in a jiffy without the pre-planned soaking that is associated with the other Sundals(pulses). It is also distributed as Prasad in temples.

Ingredients
Kadalai Paruppu (Chana dal/ Bengal gram) - 250 grams
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Udad dal - 1 tsp
Green chillies – 3-4
Red chillies – 1-2 broken into 2 halves
Turmeric -1/4 tsp
Asafetida (Hing) - a small pinch
Freshly grated Coconut – 1-2 tbsps
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves – a sprig
Coriander leaves for garnish
Method
Soak the Bengal Gram in water for 2-3 hours, rinse out well, add some turmeric powder and half a cup of water and pressure cook it for about 3-4 whistles. Don’t throw the water in which the chana dal has been boiled as it contains a lot of nutrients. Keep the boiled chana dal aside.
In a Kadhai (wok), Add oil, when it is hot, Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to crackle, Add udad dal and the red chillies, when the udad dal becomes slightly pink, add the green chillies and the curry leaves and fry well, now add in the boiled Chana dal and turmeric, asafetida and salt. Mix well. Cover the kadhai with a lid. Don’t add water, The boiled chana already has some water, so let it cook. Once all the water is soaked up Add freshly grated coconut and some coriander leaves and mix well.
Serve hot with Rice and Rasam or enjoy it as it is.

I would like to send this to Festive Food Event of Navarathri hosted by Lakshmi of Taste of Mysore

and

Srivalli’s JFI – Festivals – Navarathri/Dassera Event

BISI BELA HULI ANNA / BISI BELE BHAT (BBB) / SAMBAR SADAM

BISI BELA HULI ANNA / BISI BELE BATH (BBB) / SAMBAR SADAM
One Pot meals are the need of the hour. What we must remember when we make one pot meals is not only the simplicity of the dish but how much nutrition it packs into the meal.
Bisi Bele Huli Anna as it is known in Karnataka or Bisi bele bath/ bhaath as it is known colloquially, is a Rice dish combined with lentils(for protein), vegetables, Tamarind and spices, making it a One pot meal fulfilling the nutritional needs of the body.
This dish is said to have originated in the Mysore Palace and from there spread across the other states. Every state has it's own recipe of BBB.
In Tamilnadu, we call it "Sambar Sadam". The Bisi Bele Bath/Bhaat (BBB) has many variations, Every state, every house has it's own variations to the dish and the masala blend as well. 

I will share with you my version of the recipe. Whenever I cooked this for my guests they relished it. 

My recipe is the marriage of 2 states. 

Nothing can beat the comfort of eating a hot and simmering plate of BBB drizzled with ghee with a batch of pappadams.  Enjoy!!!

Ingredients
Raw Rice – 2 cups
Toor daal – 1 cup
Drumsticks – 1 stick
Onions – 2
Tomatoes - 1
Potatoes – 1 cup diced

Carrots - 1 cup diced

French Beans - 1 cup diced

Green Peas - 1/2 a cup
Raw Banana – 1
Brinjal – 1-2 slit vertical
Tamarind – lemon sized ball soaked in water
Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coriander leaves to garnish
Ghee to drizzle on top of the servings
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt as per taste
Oil

For Masala
Freshly grated coconut -3-4tbsps
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies -3-4
Peppercorns – ½ tsp
Fenugreek – ½ tsp
Onion – ½ an onion chopped / you can alternatively use 2 small onions (shallots/chinna vengayam)

Method
Rinse and soak the Rice for about 5 -7 minutes.
Wash the toor daal and add 1 1/2 cups of water to it. Cook it in a pressure cooker. up to 3 whistles.  Keep aside.

Now Prepare the wet Masala - Roast all the ingredients stated above in the Wet masala and grind into a thick paste using a little water at a time. Keep this masala aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, urad dal and Fenugreek seeds for the tempering. Once the mustard starts to crackle, add in the  curry leaves. 

Now Add the onions and fry till transparent.

Then add the tomatoes, cook until squashy, followed by adding the rest of the vegetables and the wet masala, add in 3-4 tablespoons of concentrated tamarind juice, Asafetida & Salt and Mix all well.

Fry for about 5-7 minutes till you hear a sizzling sound. 

Now add the soaked rice and mix well and sauté for about 5 minutes,  Check for salt and the Tamarind taste at this time, If you feel the need to adjust, kindly do so at this point. 

Pressure cook this until 3 whistles or you can also cook it in the pan, cook covered until the rice and vegetables are done. Add the cooked toor dal, mix well , cook the dish for another 5-7 minutes and then garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with papads, add a dollop of ghee on top while serving. 

VARIATIONS

• You can use Green Peas, Fresh Edmame, Capsicum or any vegetables of your choice. 
• BBB in Karnataka comes with additional spices like Cinammon, clove, nutmeg, poppy seeds etc. 
• You can fry Cashewnuts in ghee and add it to the BBB as a rich and exotic garnish 

TIPS

• If you don't have fresh Vegetables, You can add 1 cup Frozen vegetables too and follow the recipe as abpve  Here we get the combination of  (carrots, beans, & green peas) & Sometimes corn as well. 
• You can add the half cooked toor dal and cook it alongwith the rice, but here the toor dal doesn't get cooked well, hence I add the toor dal after it gets cooked. 

I would like to send this exotic Karnataka delight to Sheetal of Sweety-My Kitchen for the SWC-Karnataka Event that she is hosting in her blog.

AVNIAVITTAM AND CHAKARA PONGAL, BEANS CURRY AND CUCUMBER TOMATO PACHADI

AVNIAVITTAM
Today is Rakshabandhan(Rakhi Poornima) and today is also Avniavittam(for the Yajurvedis) celebrated in South India by the Brahmins. On this day, the male members who wear the sacred thread change into a new one. This ritual is known as Upakarma which means Beginning. The sacred thread is known as Poonal, Jahnva, Janeyu, Yagnopaveetam. Offerings of water using a Pancha patra udrani (A special vessel with a special spoon, usually found in all brahmin houses) are made to the ancient Rishis, there are prescribed procedures and mantras to be chanted, this ritual is usually conducted by the family priest or the head of the family who has immense knowledge of the Vedas.
Yagnopaveetam has three threads, each consisting of three strands. These threads represent: Goddess Gayatri (Goddess of mind), Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of word) and Goddess Savitri (Goddess of deed).

One of the important features if this festival is chanting of the “Gayatri Mantras”.
It is said that, chanting Gayatri Mantra can make you feel warm in the coldest of winters.
This mantra contains the spirit and energy of all the mantras.
There is a traditional saying in Sanskrit;
“Gayantam traayate yasmaat Gayatri'tyadhiyate. (This means Whoever sings 'Gayatri' is protected”)

Usually on the Avniavittam day the Gayatri japam is recited 108 times by the Male members of the family.
Below is the Gayatri mantra;
“OM BHUR-BHUVAH-SUVAH
TAT-SAVITUR-VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI
DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT “

Which means : (meaning explained below),
We meditate (Dhimahi) on the Spiritual Effulgence (Bhargas) of that Adorable Supreme Divine Reality (Varenyam Devasya), the Source or Projector (Savitur) of the three phenomenal world planes, the gross or physical (Bhuh), the subtle or psychical (Bhuvah), and the potential or causal (Suvah), both macrocosmically (externally) and microcosmically (internally). May that Supreme Divine Being (Tat) stimulate (Prachodayat) our (Nah) intelligence (Dhiyah), so that we may realize the Supreme Truth.

Festival At home.........
The Female members have to wake up early, take bath, sanctify the house and the courtyard, draw Kolam inside and outside the house and start cooking for the lord without tasting the food. The food is offered to the Lord, this procedure is called “Neivedhyam” after which the food is served to the male members after they complete the rituals.

There is a comic line for this festival that goes “Avniavittam Komanam, Pullai Porandhal Shobhanam” which means that this festival has more relevance to the male and the family that has a son (heir to the family), is considered lucky. This festival holds relevance to the males and implicates that a son is a heir to the family.

The food cooked for Avniavittam is special (No onions or garlic are used in the cooking) and it is served on a fresh green banana leaf.
It consists of ;
Rice, Paruppu, Ghee, Sambhar, Rasam, Beans or Cabbage Poriyal(Curry/Podutuval), Kootu, Avial(Mixed vegetables), Pachadi, Chakara Pongal/ Payasam, Paruppu vadai, Pappadams, Banana chips(salted and sweet).Of course no Brahmin meal is complete without the yogurt and there are yet a lot of things that are part of the menu, but these days with single unit families, a lot of things have disappeared but I have tried to retain the staple things onto my menu and strive hard to celebrate every festival as these are the memories that we give our children....so I cooked up a storm......Saddhi chapadu(as they say) and served it all on a Banana Leaf......for that wave of nostalgia....


Here is a recipe of the Chakara Pongal
CHAKARA PONGAL (SWEET PONGAL) There are many ways to make this dish, some use yellow split lentil(moong dal) also in the recipe. But this is a quick and easy recipe, which my mom makes and always a hit at my home.
Ingredients
Raw rice – 1 ½ cup
Jaggery – 1cup
Ghee- 2-3 tbsps
Cashewnuts – 2 tbsps
Raisins - 2 tbsps
Cardamoms – 5
Method
First cook the raw rice as usual. Keep aside. Now in a wok, add 2 tbsps ghee, add in the cashewnuts, raisins and cardamom powder and fry until slightly pink. Now add in the jaggery and about 1 cup water. Wait till the jaggery melts, if there are any lumps crush it with the back of a spatula. When the liquid starts to froth, Add in the cooked rice and stir well with the jaggery syrup. Keep on a low flame. Keep stirring once every 2 mins. As the jaggery starts to thicken, the mixture will become uniform. Add one tbsp of ghee and stir. You will notice that the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pain. This indicates that it is done. If you cook more than this, the rice will become crispy. Mix well, transfer to a silver vessel. Keep a basil leaf (Basil leaf is also known as “Haripriya”(liked by the Lord), read about Tulsi in my blog) on top and offer as Neivedhyam to God. After that serve hot. Enjoy this South Indian delicacy.

BEANS PORIYAL
We call it Beans podutuval at home and some call it beans curry or beans poriyal.
Ingredients
French Beans – ½ kilo
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Udad dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies – 1-2
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Turemric powder – 1 tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt as per taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Method
Chop the Beans into small pieces, rinse in a colander and keep aside. Heat the oil in a wok and add the mustard seeds, when they start to splutter add the udad dal, when they are slightly pink add in the chillies broken into 2 pieces and fry for a minute. Now add the chopped French beans, turmeric powder, salt to taste and asafetida and mix well, Cook closed with a lid on a low flame and let it cook in its own juices. Open after about 3-4 minutes. Add some water if required. Cook till it is done. Once the beans are dry, add the grated coconut and mix well and cook for another 2 minutes till you get the faint aroma of the coconut. Serve hot with, rice and Sambhar / Rasam (Click on this link for the recipe in my blog)

and Cucumber – Tomato Pachadi for you;

CUCUMBER – TOMATO PACHADI
Ingredients
Cucumber - 1
Ripe red & juicy tomatoes – 2
Curry leaves – A sprig
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Fresh Thick Yogurt – 5-6 big heaped tbsps
Salt as per taste
Vegetable cooking oil – 1 tbsp
Method
Peel and chop the cucumber into small pieces, Chop the Tomatoes into small pieces also.
Put the chopped vegetables in a bowl, Add thick yogurt and salt as per taste and mix well.
Now in a small pan, take one tablespoon of cooking oil, Add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, when the mustard seeds start to splutter, add a pinch of asafetida and the curry leaves, just fry a bit and pour this into the bowl. Mix well and serve with rice and curries.
You can find the recipe for Cabbage Poriyal and Avial here. (Click on the name which is a link to the recipe in my blog)

SWEET POTATO PODIMAS (Mashed Sweet Potato curry)

SWEET POTATO PODIMAS (Mashed Sweet Potato curry)
Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin A, C, B6 and Beta carotene. This is one sweet vegetable that a diabetic can eat.
Do read about the health benefits of eating Sweet potatoes.
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-sweet-potato-2119.html
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes – 5-6
Coconut – 1-2 tbsp
Green Chillies – 3-4
Ginger - a small piece
Asafetida – pinch
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard -1 tsp
Udad dal – 1 tsp
Chana dal -1 tsp
Curry leaves – a sprig
Coriander leaves for garnish
Freshly grated coconut for garnish
Method
Wash, boil and peel the sweet potatoes. Mash them and keep it aside. Grind the coconut, ginger and chilly into a coarse paste in a dry blender without adding any water.
In a Kadhai (wok), heat some oil add mustard, when the mustard begins to crackle add the udad dal and chana dal, when the dals turn slightly pinkish, add the grounded coconut paste, add asafetida, salt and the curry leaves. Roast until you get the aroma of coconut, Add the mashed sweet potatoes and mix well, Check for salt, Add salt at this point if required and mix well. Let this cook for a few minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut. Mix well and serve.

On the left is a picture of the Sweet Potato Plant(@Singapore Zoo) clicked by me. To see more pictures clicked by me do visit my Hobbies and Craft Blog (click on this link)