ABOUT BLOODGROUPS

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Blood type and Rh How many people have it? O + 40 % O - 7 % A + 34 % A - 6 % B + 8 % B - 1 % AB + 3 % AB - 1 % Does Your Blood Type Reveal Your Personality? According to a Japanese institute that does research on blood types, there are certain personality traits that seem to match up with certain blood types. How do you rate? TYPE O You want to be a leader, and when you see something you want, you keep striving until you achieve your goal. You are a trend-setter, loyal, passionate, and self-confident. Your weaknesses include vanity and jealously and a tendency to be too competitive. TYPE A You like harmony, peace and organization. You work well with others, and are sensitive, patient and affectionate. Among your weaknesses are stubbornness and an inability to relax. TYPE B You're a rugged individualist, who's straightforward and likes to do things your own way. Creative and flexible, you adapt easily to any situation. But your insistence on being independent can sometimes go too far and become a weakness. TYPE AB Cool and controlled, you're generally well liked and always put people at ease. You're a natural entertainer who's tactful and fair. But you're standoffish, blunt, and have difficulty making decisions. MOST IMPORTANT INFO NOW: You Can Receive If Your Type Is O- O+ B- B+ A- A+ AB- AB+ AB+ YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES AB- YES YES YES YES A+ YES YES YES YES A- YES YES B+ YES YES YES YES B- YES YES O+ YES YES O- YES

AAMTI (Lentils cooked in Maharashtrian style)

AAMTI (Lentils cooked in Maharashtrian style)
My mother-in law usually cooks plain toor dal with a little salt and asafetida for the morning to be mixed with the rice and ghee and the same dal(varan) is converted into the most mouth-watering Aamti for dinner.

Ingredients
Toor dal – 1 cup
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green chilies – 3-4
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Asafetida – ½ tsp
Dried Kokam(Amsul) – 1-2 pieces
A small piece of jaggery (optional)
Maharashtrian Goda masala or garam masala – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves for garnish
Oil – 2 tsps

Method
Soak the toor dal for around half an hour. Rinse the toor dal well and then Pressure cook the dal with a pinch of asafetida and ½ a teaspoon of turmeric powder till soft. Remove from the cooker and mash it.
Finely chop the onion, tomatoes and chilies.
In a kadhai (wok), heat 2 teaspoons of oil, add the mustard seeds and when they start to crackle, add cumin seeds, the Dried kokam(amsul), asafetida and turmeric powder.

Add the green chillies and curry leaves and let it fry, now add the Onions and fry until transparent, Add the chopped tomato pieces and fry again till tomato pieces turn soft. Add the mashed dal, mix well and then add 1 cup water. Stir and cook on a high flame till you see the Aamti simmering. Once it starts to simmer, reduce the flame and add salt, jaggery and goda masala. Mix well and allow it to simmer for a while. Your Aamti is ready, Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve it with plain rice, or chappatis.
You can add Brinjals or drumsticks to the above recipe.

Kerala Iyers

Hi Members,
The advantage of being a Kerala Iyer or a Pattar as we are so called in Kerala is that we get the best of both worlds...I mean Tamilnadu and Kerala, as we are normally from the border areas. this also goes for the cuisine.
The pattars have always enjoyed a wider fare......
Breakfast or tiffin includes idly(steamed rice cakes), dosai (a pancake made from a batter of rice) and lentils crisp fried on a pan, vada(deep fried doughnuts made from a batter of lentils), pongal (a mish mash of rice and lentils boiled together and seasoned with ghee, cashew nuts, pepper and cummin seed), uppuma(cooked semolina seasoned in oil with mustard, pepper, cummin seed and dry lentils.) and also a typical Kerala breakfast may be puttu, which is rice powder and grated coconut steam cooked together, idli and sambar, dosai and chutney, idiappam (string hoppers), or the most delicious of them all, the appam. Appam is a kind of pan cake made of rice flour fermented with a small amount of toddy (fermented sap of the coconut palm) which is circular in shape, rather like a flying saucer, edged with a crisp lacy frill. It is eaten with vegetable stew. Kanji (rice gruel) and payaru (green gram), kappa (Topioca) are traditional favourites of Keralites.
Just talking of food makes your mouth water......the white fresh coconut grated on top of the puttu and the crunchy banana chips and jackfruit chips fried in pure coconut oil can anyday give the Mc Donalds French fries a run for their money.
I remember my grandmother always doing all her cooking in coconut oil. and never remember my grandparents suffering from cholestrol or heart ailments or blood pressure, they were very healthy, had a balanced diet, never short of anything.....they both went on to live their grand old age and died of old age minus sickness.
My grandma used to say that coconut oil was natural and very good for health. why, she used to even fry the papadams and crunchy vadaams in coconut oil and wow what it used to taste.
Memories...........ohhhh so good.....

Verum Arishi Adai (Only Rice Adai)

Hi Members,
Coming abroad changes a lot of things....it makes you crave for our Indian food, specially the home food which we actually never cared for or appreciated about.
Here is the recipe for Verum Arishi Adai which is slowly slipping out of our lives.
My grandmother used to dish out some of the most crispy and tasty verum arishi adais.

Verum arishi adais.
Ingredients
one cup boiled rice
a small quart of raw rice
salt
fresh grated coconut
a teaspoon of edible coconut oil

Method
Verum arishi adai is also known as kal kanji dosai.(kal as in stone)
You have to soak par boiled rice one cup and a small quart of raw rice. then grind this into a fine paste, add some salt and fresh grated coconut.
Now take a kadhai(pan) and pour one cup water, take 3/4ths of the batter and stir with the water in the kadhai on a low flame till u get a slight kanji like taste. , add a teaspoon pf the coconut oil.
Tip :Mind you, the flame should be very low and u should keep constantly stirring lest it form lumps
The reason we take only 3/4ths of the batter is, incase the consistency becomes very watery u will have the 1/4 batter to mix with it. Then as usual u must pur some oil on a tava and pour the batter of verum arishi adai and cook it both sides until crisp.
Tip : You cannot roll it like the conventional dosai on the tava....it will be like how we make maida or rava dosai.so u must pur it on a round shape without leaviong much gaps and then try to shape it on the tava.q1qj
It can be served with some coconut chutney or molagapodi (popularly known as gunpowder).
This preparation is very good for health, very easy to digest and lip-smackingly tasty.

This journey will continue.....and there will be recipes galore....until then chao

HAAQ - A Spinach Curry

HAAQ
Haaq means Spinach or Greens in Kashmir. This is a simple everyday Kashmiri dish. It is very nutritious and the fennel gives the dish a completely different flavor. Kashmiris use Mustard Oil and using Mustard oil gives a more authentic taste to the dish.
Ingredients
Spinach – 1 bunch
Ginger – a small piece
Green chilies – 1-2 (as per spice required)
Dried Red chilies - 1-2 (Use Kashmiri Chilles which are less in spice and give a very red color)
Crushed fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Oil – 1tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method
Clean and wash the Spinach and chop them into pieces and keep aside. Dry roast fennel seeds and Keep aside. You can alternatively use roasted fennel seeds. In a Kadhai(wok), add oil, Once the oil is hot, add a pinch of asafetida, the roasted fennel seeds, red chilies, green chilies, and ginger and fry till you see the red chillies become plump and the green chillies change the color. Now add the chopped spinach, Add salt as required and cook covered. Once the spinach is cooked. Mix well and Serve hot with Chappati or Rice.

Note : Reduce the number of chillies as per spice required.

Poem - THE WORLD IS MINE

Hi Members,
I received this lovely poem as a forward and I couldnt help but share it with you'll
Please read on and thank god for all that he has given us.

The World is Mine

Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman.And wished I were as beautiful.When suddenly she rose to leave,I saw her hobble down the aisle.She had one leg and wore a crutch.But as she passed, she passed a smile.Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.I have two legs; the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy.The lad who sold it had such charm.I talked with him, he seemed so glad.If I were late, it'd do no harm.And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you,you've been so kind.It's nice to talk with folks like you.You see," he said, "I'm blind."Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.I have two eyes; the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,I saw a child I knew.He stood and watched the others play,but he did not know what to do.I stopped a moment and then I said,"Why don't you join them dear?"He looked ahead without a word.I forgot, he couldn't hear.Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.I have two ears; the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go.With eyes to see the sunset's glow.With ears to hear what I'd know.Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

NEIVEDYAM RECIPES FOR GANESH CHATURTHI

The Ganesh Chaturthi festival is starting from the 18th of September, so here are some Neivedyam recipes which are usually prepared as a neivedyam(prasadam), these are the lords favourites.

These are the items prepared in Kerala Iyer / Tamil Brahmin households.
Vella Kozhakattai
This recipe is prepared on Vinayaka Chathurthi day.
Rice Flour - 1 cup
Coconut scraping - 1 cup
Jaggery (gur) - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tea spoon
Method
Boil half cup of water with a pinch of salt and mix rice flour
Stir well, remove from fire
Keep a deep pan on fire with coconut scraping and jaggery
Stir well and remove after it leaves the sides of the pan; keep it aside for cooling
Knead the rice flour mixed with hot water and make small cups with the dough
Make small balls with coconut scraping and jaggery (Purnam)
Keep the purnam balls inside the cup of rice dough ;close the cups
Arrange the Kozhakattai (5-6)in a plate and steam cook in a cooker for 10 minutes
Serve hot
Tips : The same preparation can be made as savoury by Keeping any cooked vegetable (Aloo subji) or any paruppu usili as poornam inside the cup of rice dough

Ellu Kozhakattai
Ingredients
For Dough
2 cups rice flour
1 tbsp oil
A pinch of salt
For Filling
1 cup white sesame seeds
1 cup jaggery (powdered)
1 tbsp ghee
Method
Prepare a dough as for Vella Kozhakattai, and set aside. Roast sesame seeds till pink. Grind to a fine powder along with jaggery. Add ghee and mix well. Now take a small portion of dough and with greased palms, pat into a disc. Put a small portion of filling in the centre. Fold over the edges and make a half circle. Press the edges well. Similarly make all Kozhakattais and steam.

Ammini Kozhakattai
Ingredients
5 cups rice flour (rice shouldbe soaked for six hours, drained& pounded into fine flour)
1/2 coconut (shelled & chopped fine) salt to taste
For Seasoning
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp black gram dal
2 red chillies 8 green chillies(cleaned & chopped)
2 sprigs curry leaves(cleaned & chopped)
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
Method
Heat oil in a heavy pan and add mustard seeds, black gram dal, red chillies and asafoetida powder. When brown, add green chillies and curry leaves. Fry for a minute and add 4 1/2 cups water and salt. When water boils, add rice flour and coconut pieces. Cook on a low fire, stirring continuously till batter leaves sides of the pan. Cool and form tiny balls. Steam till done.

ROSSOGOLLA (Cheese Dumplings in sugar syrup)

ROSSOGOLLA (Cheese Dumplings in sugar syrup)
We call these cheese dumplings in syrup as Rasgulla, but the dish is actually called Rossogolla by the Bengalis. It is said that Bengalis have a sweet tooth and sweets form a part of their daily meal. They are famous for their Rasgullas, which I am ashamed to admit, I always bought in tins. Bengali is such a sweet language that people say that when a Bengali speaks, it sounds like as if he has a Rossogulla stuffed in his mouth, so here is a tribute to all the Bengalis, bongs as they are fondly known as, Do try this at home, It tastes very good when it is fresh, but for those who are lazy you can always enjoy this sweet out of a tin.
Ingredients
Milk - 1 litre
Citric acid - 1/2 tsp.or juice of one lemon
Sugar – 1 ½ cups
Water – 4 cups
Semolina (Suji /Rava) – 1 tsp
Rose water - 2-3 drops

Method
Heat the milk and bring to boil. Cool the milk for a couple of hours. Remove the cream layer. Reheat the milk and bring to a boil. Add the citric acid dissolved in some water or alternatively squeeze the juice of a lemon. Stir slowly till the milk is fully curdled. Keep as it is for 5 minutes. When water has separated pour the whey onto a muslin cloth. Squeeze out the water, tie the muslin cloth with the whey and hang for about three hours.

Meanwhile heat the sugar and water in a wide sauce pan. Bring to a boil. To make the sugar syrup (Refer to my post on how to make sugar syrup under the Sweets section of my blog.)

Now, Strain the milk through a muslin cloth. The curdled milk is known as Chenna. This settles on top of the cloth and the water escapes through the cloth. Now wash the chenna in the cloth under cold running water. Press out the excess water and remove in a wide plate.
Take the Chenna in a dish and knead very well. Add sooji and knead again for about fifteen minutes very thoroughly if necessary using both hands.Gently knead into a soft dough. Now make small round shaped balls out of the kneaded chenna mixture.
Add the balls one by one into the sugar syrup. Reduce heat and boil for about half hour on a low flame. Allow to cool. Remove the rossogollas in a bowl one by one. Pour over the syrup. Add rose water. Serve it cool.

PARIPPU PRADHAMAN PAYASAM / SPLIT YELLOW MOONG LENTIL PAYASAM WITH COCONUT MILK

PARIPPU PRADHAMAN PAYASAM (SPLIT YELLOW MOONG LENTIL PAYASAM WITH COCONUT MILK)

Parippu Pradhaman is one of the special payasams made during festivals/ weddings etc. This is yet another Kerala special dessert.
This Payasam is also known as Cherupayar Payasam. Cherupayar is yellow moong dal or  Split Yellow moong lentil.

Parippu means Dal and Pradhaman means the first one. In South India we serve the dessert first. It marks sweet beginnings. 

This can be made with Moong dal(Split Yellow moong lentils) or Chana Dal /Kadala Parippu (Bengal gram dal) 

But my amma, uses the Yellow split lentil (yellow moong dal/ paitham paruppu/cheru payaru). This lentil is usually considered as lighter to digest than other lentils. 

It is given to young children and old people and doesn’t cause much gas. It is considered very good for health. Even when people are recovering from sicknesses Doctors advise the usage of this lentil. We can easily say that here is nutritious dessert, good for health and very tasty.

Ingredients

Split Yellow lentil (yellow moong dal/ paitham paruppu/cheru payaru) – ¾ th Cup
Soft Jaggery (Vellam/sarkkara) – 1 Cup
Fresh coconut grated without brown skin - 4 cups (for coconut milk as per note)
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Cardamom – 1 tsp
Cashew nuts – 1 tbsp
Coconut pieces sliced into thin slivers and roasted in ghee– 1 tbsp
Ginger powder (Chukku Podi) – A pinch (optional), use if you like the taste.

Method
Take Three-fourth cup of the yellow split dal (moong dal). And roast it on a slow fire, until it turns a little pink in color (mind u it mustn’t get burnt)
Wash and clean as you do usually.
Pressure cook it for one whistle until the dal becomes soft (don’t over cook it otherwise the dal will get terribly mashed. 

(If not confident about the pressure cooker u can cook it in a vessel separately)
Now, take one cup of soft Jaggery (vellam/sarkkara) in an Urali. Add water and bring the jaggery to boil. Boil mixture to one thread consistency.
Now add the cooked dal to the jaggery-mix. The cooked dal will have some water, be sure to pour it with the water as the dal water has a lot of nutritive value.
Add some more water if required and allow the mixture to simmer, so that the dal gets sweet.
Now add the coconut milk. 

Add one cup of coconut milk, in this case, add the third milk of the coconut first, allow it to boil, 

then add the second milk, again allow it to boil, and then lastly the first milk (which is the thickest milk) and boil for sometime. Remove from fire.
In a small pan. take some ghee, fry the Coconut pieces sliced into thin slivers, cashewnuts, and cardamom powder and pour on top of the Payasam.
You can also add a pinch of Ginger powder (chukku podi) for the added taste.

Serving Instructions

Enjoy this hot before or after a meal. 

TIPS

• Either you can use Ready made coconut milk or make it fresh.
• If using the fresh coconut milk 
• To make fresh Coconut milk, you have to soak 4 cups scrapped coconut (do not use the brown skin), in 2 cups boiling hot water, keep aside, covered, for 2-3 hours.
• Strain, but save water. Grind coconut to a very fine paste, add back drained water and blend again till a milky texture is got. Drain and keep this milk aside. This is the rich coconut milk or 1st milk.
• Grind the residual coconut again with 3 cups warm water, drain, and keep milk aside. This is the medium or coconut milk or 2nd milk.
• Add 2 cups warm water to the residual coconut, grind again and strain milk. Now the residue does not have much strength. This extract is the thin coconut milk or 3rd milk.
• The above procedure will produce a total of approximately 7 cups of coconut milk, of three different grades. If differently graded milk is not asked for in recipe, one may combine all the three extracts and get just one medium consistency coconut milk.
• Refrigerated it will last for 2 days, or freeze into cubes and store in freezer bags, using as required.
• If using ready made Coconut milk / coconut milk powder
• Use it as it is at the time of adding the coconut milk in the recipe. It does save you the strain of grinding, squeezing, straining the coconut pulp to get the coconut milk, which saves a lot of work, but one things' for sure nothing can beat the taste of the payasams made in the traditional manner.

VARIATIONS

• You can use Brown Sugar or Palm sugar(Karupetti) instead of jaggery

PAL ADA PRADHAMAN

PAL ADA PRADHAMAN
Ingredients:
Rice Flour -1 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp.
Sugar - 1 tbsp.
Soft jaggery grated or crushed – 1 cup
Fresh coconut grated without brown skin -4 cups
(for coconut milk as per note)
Ginger powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Banana leaf squares (approximately 6-7 inches)
Method:
Make a thick batter of Rice flour, water and 1/2 tbsp. melted ghee.
Batter should coat back of spoon when poured.
Warm leaf a bit over fire; spread a ladleful batter over it.Leave a side margin to avoid over running.
Roll and secure with twine, if required.
Place rolls in a perforated compartment of a steamer.Pour water to boil in the lower compartment, fix shut.
Put on fire; allow to cook for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from fire, cool and untie.
Peel and cut into small pieces. Your Ada is ready
Dissolve 1/2 cup water and jaggery, strain into deep vessel.
Boil mixture to one thread consistency.
Add pieces of the Ada and the first milk of the coconut milk.Cook and simmer till reduced to 3/4 in volume.
Add the second milk of the coconut milk, stir.
Add sugar, stir to dissolve, and allow to boil.
Simmer and cook, stirring frequently till thickened.
Dissolve cumin, cardamom, ginger powders in 1/2 cup thin milk.
Add to mixture, allow to simmer, till thickened.
If too thick, one may add some thin milk, and bring to a boil.
Check sweetness, every time the coconut milk is added, and adjust sugar if required.
Serve hot.
Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 10-12 servings
Shelflife: 1 day

Notes:
1. Rice flour: To make excellent pradhaman, wash, soak rice for 10 minutes, drain, and spread over a clean cloth to dry for 1 hour. Grind to a fine powder in a mill or grinder, sieve and use for the Ada's to be put in your pradhaman.
2. Coconut milk: Of different grades.
Soak 4 cups scrapped coconut (do not use the brown skin), in 2 cups boiling hot water, keep aside, covered, for 2-3 hours.
Strain, but save water. Grind coconut to a very fine paste, add back drained water and blend again till a milky texture is got. Drain and keep this milk aside. This is the rich coconut milk or 1st milk.
Grind the residual coconut again with 3 cups warm water, drain, and keep milk aside. This is the medium or coconut milk or 2nd milk.
Add 2 cups warm water to the residual coconut, grind again and strain milk. Now the residue does not have much strength. This extract is the thin coconut milk or 3rd milk.
The above procedure will produce a total of approximately 7 cups of coconut milk, of three different grades. If differently graded milk is not asked for in recipe, one may combine all the three extracts and get just one medium consistency coconut milk.
Refrigerated it will last for 2 days, or freeze into cubes and store in freezer bags, using as required.
This is the traditional method of making the Pal Ada Pradhaman.

Tip : Nowadays, we get the Ada(Rice flour strips) and Coconut milk in the market, which makes the work easier and faster. In,case you are using coconut milk from a Tetrapak then there is no first, second and third milk, but if you want to make the Pradhaman thin, take some coconut milk in a cup and pour some hot water and make it thin to add in the end, this, has to be done if the Pradhaman becomes too thick.

Hope you enjoy this sweet dish.