POTATO PODIMAS (Mashed Potato curry)

POTATO PODIMAS (Mashed Potato curry)
This is a Sunday special in most Keralaiyer homes. The mashed potato curry goes well with the Small onions(shallots) sambhar. This combination is so deadly that once you have tried it, it will become a Sunday special in your house too. Its very fast to cook and good to eat.

Ingredients
Potatoes – 5-6
Green Chillies – 3-4
Red chillies - 2
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 potatoes. Mash them and keep it aside.
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 red chillies, let it become plump, now add asafetida, curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies, finely grated ginger, and salt and then add the mashed potatoes. Mix well, check for salt, if less add now and mix. Let this cook for a few minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut. Mix well and serve.

Variation to this recipe

• You can grind the green chillies, ginger and coconut into a dry paste in a mixie without adding water. Follow the above method, once the red chillies become plump, add asafetida, curry leaves and then the dry masala mix that you grinded in the mixie, add salt, roast for a while, until the coconut starts emanating a fine aroma, then add the mashed potatoes and mix, let it cook for a while, then garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
• You can also squeeze some lemon juice in the end and mix well for a different taste.
  

CHINNA VENGAYA SAMBHAR (Sambhar prepared with shallots)

CHINNA VENGAYA SAMBHAR (Sambhar prepared with shallots)
Most Kerala-iyer and Tamil-iyer homes prepare this sambhar as a weekend special. Since Brahmins don’t usually eat much onions, Any dish prepared with onions becomes a special item. The small onions are known for their strong flavor and taste. They are known as Chinna Vengayam or Madras Vengayam and in English they are known as shallots.(Refer to the picture of shallots on your right).
The sambhar tastes even better when it gets leftover and eaten the next day. As the essence of the onions enter the sambhar and it tastes heavenly. This sambhar tastes good when eaten with Potato podimas.
(Refer to my blog for the recipe of potato podimas)

Ingredients
Small Onions (Chinna Vengayam/ Madras Vengayam/ Shallots) – 250 gms
Tamarind - lemon size
Toor dal - 3/4 cup
Sambhar powder - 2 tbsps
Salt as per taste
Oil
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Udad dal – ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – a sprig
Finely chopped Coriander leaves for garnish
Freshly grated coconut – 3-4 tbsps

Method
Soak tamarind in one cup of water. Peel the small onions and wash them well. Keep aside. Pressure cook, the Toor dal until soft. Mash well. Keep aside.
In a pan, take 1 tbsp oil, when hot, add the peeled, washed and drained onion and fry it well till it is transparent. Now add salt, Sambhar powder and curry leaves and fry for 1-2 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind well and strain out the juice and add to the fried onions. Add 2- 3 cups of water and let it simmer till the raw smell of the tamarind disappears. Then add the mashed toor dal, Simmer till thick, check for spices, add some more if required and mix.
In a pan, heat one tablespoon of oil, add mustard seeds, when they begin to crackle, add the udad dal and fenugreek seeds and when the dals turns slightly pinkish, Add the freshly grated coconut. Roast the coconut until it is pink and you get the fine aroma of roasted coconut, Add this to your sambhar and finally garnish with Coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice, ghee and potato podimas. Enjoy the sambhar

Note: Don’t add asafetida to this recipe as you will loose the aroma of the onions, this was told to me by one grand-aunt who was an expert in cooking.

HEALTHY JUICES FOR A HEALTHY LIVING

HEALTHY JUICES FOR A HEALTHY LIVING
Different combinations of fruits to be made into juice for health benefits.


Carrot + Ginger + Apple - Boost and cleanse our system.

Apple + Cucumber + Celery - Prevent cancer, reduce cholestrol, and improve stomach upset and headache.

Tomato + Carrot + Apple- Improve skin complexion and bad breath.

Bitter gourd + Apple + Milk- Avoid bad breath and reduce internal body heat.

Orange+ Ginger + Cucumber- Improve Skin texture and moisture and reduce body heat.

Pineapple + Apple + Watermelon- To dispel excess salts, nourishes the bladder and kidney.


Apple + Cucumber + Kiwi- To improve skin complexion.

Pear & Banana- To regulates sugar content.


Carrot + Apple + Pear + Mango - Clear body heat, counteracts toxicity, decreased blood pressure and fight oxidization.


Honeydew + Grape + Watermelon + Milk- Rich in vitamin C + Vitamin B2 that increase cell activity and strengthen body immunity.


Papaya + Pineapple + Milk - Rich in vitamin C, E, Iron. Improve skin complexion and metabolism.


Banana + Pineapple + Milk- Rich in vitamin with nutritious and prevent constipation.

GONGURA CHUTNEY

GONGURA CHUTNEY

This recipe is an addition to my collection thanks to my friend Srilatha(who hails from Andhra Pradesh) and who also enjoys cooking just like me. Since I had never had Gongura Leaves in my whole life, I was a little skeptical, but once I tasted the recipe, I was hooked.

The Gongura leaves have a very sour taste. The leaves have a very high iron content. The sour taste of Sorrel is due to the acid oxalate of potash it contains; It also contains tartaric and tannic acids. This gives them their acid flavour and medicinal and dietetic properties. They have been employed from the most distant time as a salad in the western countries and we Indians use it in our cuisine to prepare our curries, dals and pickles.

(To read more about the Red Sorrel or Gongura please refer to the Health section of My Blog.)

Here is the recipe for
GONGURA CHUTNEY

Ingredients
1 Bunch of Gongura leaves
2 onions
5 tbsp cooking oil
5-6 green chillies
2 red chillies split in half
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
A marble size ball of tamarind
1 tbsp red chilly powder (if required)
1 tbsp coriander powder (roasted and powdered) – for added taste
1 tbsp jeera powder (roasted and powdered) – for added taste
Salt to taste.
a pinch of asafetida.
Method
Separate gongura leaves from the stems and wash the leaves throughly. Spread the leaves on a towel for removing the moisture off the leaves. If the gongura leaves are big cut into halves, else use them as such. Chop one big onion.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a kadhai and add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, once they are slightly fried add the ball of tamarind, the asafoetida, red chillies and green chillies and fry till u can see the green chillies change colour. To this, add your onions till transparent. Now add Gongura leaves, mix well, Add salt and keep mixing, you can even cover the kadhai till the leaves loose volume and as you mix the leaves with onions the color of the leaves changes.

Cook for 2-3 minutes. Till you see the water completely drain out and the leaves and the spices become one mix. Keep it on a plate for it to cool.

Once it cools down. Grind the mixture in a mixie to a paste(if the paste is not too fine also no problem, if the spices are just crushed and blended with the leaves is more than enough), Infact that gives a better taste like how our grandmothers used to grind on a stone. While you are grinding taste the mixture if more salt or spice (red chilly powder) is required and add if necessary.

While grinding add 1 tbsp coriander powder (roasted and powdered) and 1 tbsp jeera powder (roasted and powdered) – for added taste. This according to Srilatha adds a further punch to the chutney.

Chop the other onion into fine pieces.Once u can see that the mixture is ground remove and add the chopped onion raw.

Now in a Kadhai take the rest of the oil, once the oils is heated add the ground mixture which has the raw chopped onions mixed inside and sauté for a while till the oil enters the mixture and it gets cooked alongwith it. This is done to preserve the chutney for a longer time. This chutney can be kept in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

The chutney will have the half cooked and slightly crisp raw onions which are a delight while eating, because as the days pass the half raw onion starts marinating in the chutney.

One thing that me and Srilatha agree upon are, the taste of the chutney keeps changing. I think it gets tastier and tastier with age.

This chutney can be served with rice or chappati.
You can just mix this chutney with hot rice and some ghee or oil and eat with pappadams.

Its truly heavenly. The sour taste is tantalizing to the taste buds.

Tip : Gongura leaves have a sour taste and tend to absorb the spices and salt easily so don’t get scared with the number of chillies, but if you are skeptical, add a little and then u can always add red chilly powder.

PARUPPU URUNDAI KOZHAMBU (LENTIL DUMPLINGS IN GRAVY)

Here is the recipe for the Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu. This is a recipe from Tamilnadu but also made by our Kerala Iyers. The Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu tastes so good that it can be eaten just with hot rice and some Ghee, no need of any vegetable to accompany it. You could say it is the kofta of south india. This according to me is one of the trickiest of dishes and needs a lot of patience and repeated trials for it to come out perfect. I have tired to give the recipe in such a way that it would'nt fail even for beginners.
Usually Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu is made only with Toor Dal as the main ingredient but in this recipe I have used Chana Dal also as using chana dal makes the urundai more tasty. Also using soaked raw rice instead of rice flour will enhance the taste even further, but for convenience and speed even rice flour can be used as I have mentioned in my recipe. Please do try this recipe and let me know how it comes.

Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu (Lentil Dumplings in Gravy)
Ingredients:
For the Paruppu Urundai:
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Chana dal -1/2 cup
Raw Rice - 2 tbsps (soaked along with the dals or u can also use 1 tsp rice flour later while making the balls, rice is a binding agent.)
3 - 4 red chilies or as per taste and as per how spicy your red chilly is.
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
A bit of asafoetida
Mustard seeds (rai) - 1/2 tsp.
grated coconut - ¼ of a full coconut
Oil - 4 tsp
Salt to taste
Note : Coconut and rice flour or rice serve as binding agents and hold the balls together.
For Kozhambu:
lemon sized tamarind - 1
Sambhar powder - 2 tbsp.
Red Chillies - 3 - 4
Oil - 3 tbsp
A few curry leaves
Mustard seeds (rai) - 1/2 tsp
Udad Dad (Ulatham paruppu) - 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds (mendhiyam) - 1/2 tsp.
1 tsp. asafoetida
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish.
Method:
For the Paruppu Urundai:
Soak the toor dal and chana dal together alongwith the rice (if u r using raw rice) for atleast 1 hr. Drain the dals and the rice and grind them to a coarse firm paste along with red chilies, turmeric, asafoetida and salt.
Heat oil in a kadai, splutter some mustard seeds. Then add the dal paste and saute till the paste changes its color. ( Note : See that the dal does not lose its water content completely. It should still be a paste).
Allow the mixture to cool a bit.
Then add the grated coconut and the rice flour (if u r not using rice)and mix well. Make small light balls from the mixture and keep aside. Note that you don’t press the balls too much.

Tip: If you are afraid that the balls will break in the kuzhambu, u can make the balls and steam cook it for a while. Keep the balls on an idli stand and steam cook for 5-7 minutes. This is a sure shot method for your paruppu urundai kozhambu to be a hit.

For the kozhambu:
Heat oil in a vessel. Add the mustard seeds, udad dal and fenugreek seeds. When they splutter, and red chilies and fry.
Next add curry leaves, asafoetida and sambhar powder and mix well till the masala gets coated with oil.
Extract a thick juice from the tamarind and add the juice to the above. Add salt, allow to boil till the raw smell of the tamarind is lost.
Add the dal balls one by one to the above and cook for a few minutes till the balls start floating on top.
If you have steam cooked the balls then after steam cooking it, add the balls one by one and let it to boil with the kuzhambu for another 5 minutes.
Finally garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with hot rice and any vegetable of your choice.
Note: If the balls are too many and too close together, they will break up so ensure that the gravy is not too less.
The urundais or balls can be put in Rasam or Morkozhambu also. Some people like to add onions to this recipe, it is their desire if they want to add, but onions should not be added if the balls are to be used in Morkozhambu. Also it is mandatory to steam the balls before u add to the Morkozhambu as the mor(buttermilk) cannot be cooked like the other kozhambu.
Please do try this mouth watering recipe.

BATATA VADA (Potato Vada) AND VADA PAV (Pav Stuffed With Potato Vada)

BATATA VADA
Batata Vada is made in different states of India, but nothing can beat the authentic taste of batata vada’s made in Maharashtra. In south, the batata vadas is known as Uralakazhangu Bonda in Tamil or (Potato bonda). The recipe varies slightly in the south from the Bombay recipe. I think any person who comes to Bombay from any part of the world, will be totally hooked to the Vada-Pav (which is a Bombay dish or rather we can say a Bombay street food). The Vada Pav is nothing but A pav (bun) stuffed with chutneys and batata vada) Its very tasty and filling. Its something that is totally irresistible. Usually garlic is added in the batata vada, but my recipe is without garlic, but if you like the flavor of garlic, you can always add some garlic and make a paste along with the ginger and green-chilly. Here is the recipe of the Batata vada, Vada Pav and Vada Pav my style. Do try this yummy dish out.

Ingredients
Potatoes - 6-8
Green chilies – 4-5
Ginger - 1 small piece
Finely chopped Coriander leaves
Gram Flour (Besan) – 2 cups
Turmeric powder – 1tsp
Red chilly powder – 1tsp
Oil for frying,
Asafetida – 2 pinches
Salt as per taste
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Method
Boil the potatoes, Peel and mash the potatoes with your hands. It should be mashed in such a way that its slightly chunky and not completely mashed. Keep Aside.
Grind ginger and green chilies together into a paste. Keep aside.
In a Kadhai (wok), take 1 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and when they begin to crackle, add the cumin seeds and the ginger - green chili paste, a pinch of asafetida, now add the mashed potatoes, add turmeric powder, salt according to taste and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Check for salt. If the taste is okay keep aside. Allow to cool down. Once the mixture has cooled down, make balls of the mixture and keep aside.
In a separate bowl, take the gram flour, add salt, red chilly powder and a pinch of asafetida and mix well. Add water and mix, there shouldn’t be any lumps in the mixture.The batter should be in the consistency of the dosa batter (not too watery or too thick.). To test take some batter in a spoon and drop it inside the batter. It should flow like a ribbon inside the batter.
Now in a Kadhai (wok), heat some oil. To check if oil is properly heated, drop some batter in the oil. If the batter immediately turns soild and float on the surface of the oil, the oil is ready. The oil should not be too hot, else the vadas will become dark from the outside before they are actually done from the inside.
Now dip each ball in the batter, letting the excess batter drip off and slowly add to the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the kadhai, else the temperature of the oil reduces which in turn slows down the frying process. Deep fry all the vadas until golden in color. Remove on a paper towel and drain. Your Batata Vadas are ready.

VADA PAV
Pav is a freshly baked bun. If pav is no available, you can use any other unsweetened bun or even bread. We use freshly baked French loaves in Singapore, as we don’t get unsweetened pavs. Cut the French loaf into equal pieces and then split them in the middle. Now add Coriander chutney, Dry Lasoon chutney, sweet tamarind chutney and freshly chopped onions if you like. Place the Vada inside and serve hot.

VADA PAV my style*****

With the left over gram flour batter, I usually drop boondis in the hot oil, through a spoon with holes in it. I get fresh, crispy boondis. I also fry green chillies in the oil and keep aside the fried green chillies mixed with some salt. Split open the pav, Add the chutneys of your choice, finely chopped onions, a pinch of chaat masala, the freshly fried boondis and then place the vada, close the pav and indulge in this tongue tickling Vada pao with a bite of the fried chillies.

What more can a person ask on a rainy day or any day for that matter. Vada-pao is like a complete meal.

(Refer to the Chutneys and Sauces section of my blog for the recipes of Coriander chutney, Dry Lasoon Chutney and Sweet Tamarind Chutney)

Doing yoga for one day will increase your life by ten days’

Doing yoga for one day will increase your life by ten days’
Thursday June 28 2007 20:37 IST
Kamini Mathai
http://www.newindpress.com/sunday/sundayitems.asp?id=SEL20070628111113&eTitle=Living&rLink=0
More secrets to long life from Dr Asana Andiappan
Dr Asana Andiappan never wears footwear, a watch, or a ring. He does not eat solid or cooked food (he lives on fruit juice… “one day cucumber, one day orange”). Never goes to hospital (not even to visit a sick relative). Does not wear glasses. Practices yoga every single day without exception (even if he is on a train, he does it in the passage way or on the platform). And the 80-year-old yoga master got his BA Music degree just this year (a fact he is really proud of because he has been practicing hard for the exam every morning between 6 and 7). Andiappan is now onto his next mission in life — to make sure physical education masters are not allowed to teach yoga in schools. In fact, Andiappan, now the president of the Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Association, stood in the Vrksasana (tree pose) for an entire day, along with other teachers and students of yoga, to protest the new government order. He’s still fighting the case.

Andiappan credits everything to his exercise regime. “Doing yoga for one day will increase your life by ten days,” says Andiappan, who lives on the ground floor of his base yoga centre in Anna Nagar, Chennai. “I do three hours of yoga a day. I know I am going to live to the age of 110. No doubt about that.”

Andiappan learned yoga at the age of 20 and says that he toured with his master and “performed” at various cities. It was at a yoga conference in Mumbai that he was nicknamed ‘Asana’ Andiappan by the other yoga professisonals because of his ability to do 100 asanas in ten minutes, something he can still do, he says.

A few years later, Andiappan donned a black underwear, twisted into a complicated variant of the ek pada asana pose, got himself photographed, plastered posters of it all over Chennai and the “asana” Andiappan brand of yoga was born. At the age of 80 he remains the mascot for Asana Andiappan College of Yoga and Research Centre and has not relinquished that. Today, he has centres in Chennai, one in every district in Tamil Nadu, as well as centres in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, England and Germany. He’s roped in the whole family — while his son manages the Hong Kong centre, his wife has joined him on the posters to make women feel at home, and his son in-law helps him run the business in Chennai.

Andiappan says that most schools of yoga only teach the basic asanas and then move on to pranayama and meditation, skipping the more complicated postures. But Andiappan says that’s why he has decided to specialise in asanas which he feels is the most important aspect of yoga. “There are lakhs of asanas,” he insists. “Yet, most other than the basics are ignored.”

As for why he never goes to a hospital, he says it is to maintain his brand image. “I am a VIP. People recognise me. I have not had any illness in the last 50 years, not even a fever. If I go to a hospital, people will think I am lying about the benefits of yoga.”

Live long, live healthy
Asana Andiappan’s tips for longevity and well-being

Wake up before sunrise. Andiappan wakes up at 4 am.

As soon as you wake up, drink one litre of room temperature water and then make yourself vomit. “It washes your stomach clean.”

After that, have a bath. Only then must you embark on your asanas. “The bath lubricates the system.”

The older you grow the less you must eat. “You must rest your digestive system if you want to live longer.”

Eat only sattvik food. In other words, be a vegetarian. You can do yoga only four hours after food.

Do not eat after sun set. “I believe that if you do not eat at night, you will live longer.”

Pranayama or breathing exercises must be done at the beginning and end of a yoga session.

Don’t try and stop your vices (smoking, alcohol etc) before you start yoga. “Yoga will ease you out of your vices.”

Do your yoga everyday. The asanas you need to do everyday are — Pavana mukta asana (where you twist and turn every joint from the fingers to the neck and toes). “There are 45 positions, which you can do in 45 seconds.”

Surya namaskara: Sun salutation Viparita karani: An inverted pose, where you lie on your back, with your legs perpendicular to your torso. “This, in my opinion, is the most useful asana as I feel it is best for overall well-being.”

Sarvangasana: Literally means a pose for all the parts of the body.

Ardhasirasana: Half headstand

Breathing: Deep breathing (breathe in fast, breathe out slow), breathe in through left and out through right and then in through right and out through left.

HYDERABADI CUISINE

THE RICH HYDERABADI CUISINE
Hyderabad – The capital of Andhra Pradesh.
History
It was founded in the late 16th century by the Qutab Shahi dynasty, a line of rulers known for their beautiful "monuments, mosque and mistresses". In 1589, Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah decided to shift his capital from Golconda to the banks of river Musi. Consequently, a city adorned with magnificent palaces and mosques, embodying a style of architecture that was unique to the place - the domes and minarets dressed with splendid stucco ornamentation - was born. In 1724 taking advantage of the waning Mughal Empire the viceroy of Hyderabad Asaf Jah, declared Hyderabad as an independent State and founded his own dynasty. So begun the dynasty of the Nizams of Hyderabad, a dynasty that would, for seven generations, rule the kingdom, a dynasty whose scions would be included among the "richest men in the world", a dynasty under which traditions and customs of Islam flourished and a dynasty under whom Hyderabad developed into a focus for arts, culture and learning and the centre of Muslim India. The Nizams held sway over Hyderabad until 1948, when the State was merged with the Indian Union.
Cuisine
A state located in the south of India influenced by the north Indian and Mughlai cuisine.
When u talk of the rich Mughlai or Nawabi food we cant forget the Hyderabadi cuisine which is unique, a fusion between the north and the south. A rich marriage of 2 cuisines. The word "Nawabi" is as synonymous with the Hyderabadi cuisine as "Shahi" is with Lucknowi. These terms conjure delicacies that are rich in taste and texture with mouth-watering aromas. Hyderabad's 400-year-old culinary history, like its culture, is unmatched by any other state in India. In fact Hyderabad was known for the spectacular way its aristocracy entertained. Of all the Muslim cuisine, Hyderabad is never complete without the mention of the "Shahi Dastarkhan". The Dastarkhan is the Dining place where the food is served and eaten. It is normally a low chowki for the dining table and cotton mattresses for squatting and bolsters for the back rest. The Dastarkhan holds a place of reverence in every household. The Cuisine of Hyderabad has been influenced by various regional and religious cuisines, both Indian and Foreign, despite which it has been able to create an identity of its own. It has also been able to contribute towards making Indian cuisine popular world wide. The "Biryani" from this cuisine is one such example. What makes the Hyderabadi Cuisine special is the use of special ingredients, carefully chosen and cooked to the right degree. The food is very rich, spicy and aromatic, to match their lifestyles. They use plenty of whole spices, Whole cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon are daily used spices to flavour their dishes, also used abundantly are are the key flavours of coconut, tamarind, peanuts, cashwenuts, sesame seeds and chilly(which is used in abundance in the entire Andhra Pradesh). Some exotic ingredients significant to this type of cooking include tamarind flowers, drumstick flowers and leaves, and rosella leaves(rosella is a sour herb which enhances the taste of dishes. It looks like spinach it is also known as Lal Ambari in Hindi). Their style of cooking is also unique, the food is usually slow cooked. It is cooked on Dum. Dum pukht refers to a slow method of cooking food. ''Dum'' means steam and ''dum pukht'' literally means to choke off the steam. The food is placed in a pot, usually made of clay, and dough is used to create a tight seal to prevent steam from escaping. The food is slowly cooked in its own juices and steam, allowing herbs and spices to fully infuse the meat or rice, preserving the nutritional elements at the same time.
Most of their dishes are cooked on a handi (Shallow wide flat bottomed). You could easily say that handis are their favourite cooking vessel. The Masalas or the rich blend of herbs, spices and condiments give the dishes a base, or what is popularly known as "Gravy". Some of these blends are a well-kept secret that pass only down the family line or from the Ustad(Teacher) to his Shagird(Pupil). The head cooks or the "Khansas" were an asset to the household, and were treated with due respect. The "Kebabs" in Hyderabad need a special mention, the "Shammi Kebab" is one such popular dish. The Kebabs are originally from Greece!! The Hyderabadi meal is never complete without the bread from the kilns of the local bakers. The breads from this cuisine are equally popular, be it rich "Sheermal" or "lukmi" (bread stuffed with savory mince meat). Bread is not only an accompaniment to the meal but also forms a base for a popular sweet dish "Double Ka Meetha".

Though most of their fare is non vegetarian, The Hyderabadi cuisine also offers a lot of mouthwatering dishes for vegetarians. It is the only cuisine of the sub-continent that can boast of a major vegetarian element which has much to do with the local influences. Considering that the elite of the erstwhile Hyderabad state came from the north of India and was almost entirely Muslim, this is a little surprising. The nation's vegetarians, of course, stand to gain by it And so do we as my blog is dedicated to vegetarianism and vegetarian cooking.
There is 'Bagara Baingan', a rich spicy preparation of brinjals and Mirchi-ka-salan (Mirch-ka-sabu), a preparation of chillies in a creamy gravy. Apart form these, the 'Tomato Qoot' is an aromatic puree of tomato with flavorings and 'Shahi Dahi Vadas' which are lentil dumplings in Youghurt sauce.
On the dessert menu, Hyderabad is famous for double-ka-meetha (a bread and cashew nut pudding) also known as Shahi Tukda, Badam-ki-Jhab (marzipan or a candy), Another popular sweet dish is the 'Qubani-ka-Meetha' which is a stewed apricot dessert and 'Dil-e-Firdaus', a rich, milk-based sweet are widely eaten. During the festival day of Id-ul-Fitr, it is traditional to serve 'Sheer Korma', the delicious 'Kheer', made with 'Sevian', dried fruits and dates. Apart from these delectable desserts, one can also enjoy a wide variety of fruits like Mangoes, 'Anabshahi' grapes, custard apples, etc. Their sweet dishes are also quite unique and rich. Sweet dishes usually include milk as a major ingredient.

After consuming such rich food, we come to an end of this gastronomic journey with a 'Paan'. Which aids in digestion and serves as a mouth freshner.

Refer to Vegetarian Hyderabadi dishes like the Rumali Roti in my blog

DIFFERENT TYPES OF RANGOLI OR KOLAM

DIFFERENT TYPES OF RANGOLI OR KOLAM
Before we go to the different types of Rangolis or kolam lets have a brief introduction of what the rangolis is and also the when, why and where of it. This article intends to bring to you'll the Evolution of the Rangoli or Kolam.

What is Rangoli?
'Rangoli' is a sanskrit word which means a creative expression of art through the use of color.
When,Why and How is Rangoli applied?
In ancient India, rangolis were used to decorate the entrances of homes, a floor-painting which provided a warm and colourful welcome to visitors.
In a rangoli, powdered colors are sprinkled on cleaned and dusted floors to form decorations. The colored powder is usually applied 'freehand' by letting it run from the gap formed by pinching the thumb and the forefinger. One important point is that the entire pattern must be an unbroken line, with no gaps to be left anywhere for evil spirits to enter and thus are they prevented from entering the inside of the home.
In Indian culture, all guests and visitors occupy a very special place, It is said “ Atithi Devo Bhava” (Guest is equal to God) and a rangoli is an expression of this warm hospitality.
The Diwali festival is widely celebrated with rangoli, since at this time, people visit each other's homes to exchange greetings and sweets. It is a tradition to paint a Rangoli at the entrance of one's home during Diwali. This is done because it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi visits well-lit and decorated homes on Diwali to bless its members. Therefore, people make colorful Rangolis to welcome this benign Goddess and to usher in the New Year with color in their life. Rangoli also has a religious significance, enhancing the beauty of the surroundings and spreading joy and happiness all around. Women learn to make Rangolis from an early age and it is almost like a family heirloom passed through the ages. Rangoli Patterns are usually designed to resemble Nature like Peacocks, flowers, swans, mangos and creepers. Traditionally the colors were derived from natural sources like barks of trees, flowers and roots. However today they are synthetically manufactured. Besides that a host of other ingredients like rice, chili, turmeric, cereal and pulses too are used to further enhance the beauty of the Rangoli and to create a 3-D effect. Rangolis can be vivid three-dimensional art complete with shadings or they can be the traditional plain, yet as beautiful, two-dimensional designs.

What is a Kolam?
In the South of India Rangoli is known as Kolam. Kolams are thought to bestow prosperity to the homes. For special occasions limestone and red brick powder to contrast are also used. Though kolams are usually done with dry rice flour, for longevity, dilute rice paste or even paints are also used. Modern interpretations have accommodated chalk, and the latest "technology" in kolams are actually vinyl stickers (that defeat the original purpose). When people get married, the ritual kolam patterns created for the occasion can stretch all the way down the street. Patterns are often passed on generation to generation, mother to daughter.


Rangoli in front of house during Pongal
Kolam is not so flamboyant as its other Indian contemporary, Rangoli, which is extremely colorful. However, the beauty of a kolam, bordered with blood-red "kaavi" (red brick paste) is also considered exceptional.
Evolution of the Rangoli(Kolam)
Techniques have evolved over time and now the use of the cone, sieve and funnel are popular. A few very talented artists actually throw the color, and the end results are stunning works of art. The materials can be virtually anything that fancies the rangoli maker, but more traditionally it is 'chiroli' marble dust to which pigments have been added. Finely ground maize (corn) flour which has been subsequently 'dyed', grass and gravel have also been used. Petals of flowers, grains and pulses have been used to form attractive and unusual designs.There have been some innovations in the Rangoli making it look more exotic and increasing the aesthetic beauty of the Rangoli. Some of the rare varieties are the floating rangoli, 3-D kolam, funnel kolam, stencil kolam, portrait kolam and bubble kolam

Floating Rangolis/Kolams
What is a floating Rangoli? This is a new and interesting concept in Rangoli. It was discovered by some artistic people that water kept in a large Urn or Urali(a traditionally used wide mouthed flat & thick & flat bottomed pan vessel usually used for cooking (can be metal or made of Terracota or clay also) also becomes a surface for putting rangolis. So the powder is dropped in an artistic way on this surface to make patterns, Colors added give the picture beauty. Even Flowers can be added. But there is one condition though, the Urn or Urali cannot be moved or shaken for if it is shaken then the entire work of art is mixed with the water. As the powder or flowers float in the water they are called as floating rangolis.
The powders used for floating rangolis are not the usual rangoli powders that are available in the market as they may dissolve in the water so a different type of powder has to be used which will easily float in the water. A different base is used to make these rangoli powders, If the base is light like saw dust, it can be used to make floating rangoli on the surface of stagnant water. If a rangoli is to be made on water, the color should preferably be insoluble in water. I guess, Rangoli competitions held all over India have spurted the youth to discover new and innovative ways of applying Rangoli, Thus, giving it a whole new dimension.
Here’s an interesting read on floating rangolis (excerpts from an article in the newspaper):
Those days have gone when Rangoli used to be done with simple dots and a free hand. After years of practice, an artist in Rajkot has come up with varieties of 'Rangoli' that has left even the president of India stunned during his visit to Rajkot.
Rangoli on water, under water and in the middle of water is something that artist Pradeep Dave is an expert at. This year, he tried something new and has balanced a Rangoli on Peacock's feathers. But what has taken everyone by surprise is the Rangoli that balances itself on air.According to Dave, this is not magic but a fine combination of Art and Science. Dave has not taken any formal education on making Rangoli but it was just through practice and the application of Science that has help him through his various experiments of making varieties of Rangoli. It was in 1986 that he first made a Rangoli inside water. Then after years of practice he could make it on surface of water and after three years of research he could finally do it in middle of water.
According to Dave, doing Rangoli at the bottom of water is easy, but doing it on the surface of water is the toughest job because the entire Rangoli is done without help of any support or base drawing. A Rangoli in water takes a minimum of eight to nine hours depending upon the detailing of the drawing. This New Year, Dave has made a total of 13 varieties of Rangoli. "After three years of reasearch I was successful in making a rangoli between water.According to science, things either flow or sink in water.But this rangoli neither flows nor sinks.I have named it Trishanku. Every year, I try to make a new rangoli," said Dave. One can see a Taj Mahal inside water or a portrait of Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Amitabh Bachchhan and even Narendra Modi. Where the Taj Mahal took around 27 hours for Dave to complete the portraits have taken some 20 hours each. A Rangoli done in the shape of a carpet can be easily misunderstood as a real one. Dave knows some 45 different types of Rangoli, which includes on the walls and even on the roof. Rangoli done inside water can remain intact for around 15 days if preserved properly. Dave made a rangoli of the president of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam inside water , during his visit to Rajkot, he was not only surprised but was stunned to see a fine combination of art and science. The rangolis made by Dave have been kept open for public and every day a large number of people flock his residence to see these rangolis. Some could not believe even with their naked eyes that the rangoli has been done with the help of gypsum colours or a poster placed inside the water. "These are very good.It is so difficult to make an ordinary rangoli and we wonder how he has made a rangoli on water," said Disha Mehta, a visitor. "I never thought that it is possible to make a rangoli inside water.It is good. All colours and shades are also very nice," said Beena Joshi, another visitor. According to Dave, there is no technique but simple rules of science that he follows. All that he uses is gypsum colours and oil for making rangoli inside water. While the Rangoli placed on feather and in air is done with extremely fine colours that weighs less that the feathers. Dave through his art now aims to enter his name in the Limca books of Records and Guinness Book of World Records. (ANI)


3-D Rangolis/Kolams
3-dimensional. A graphic display of depth, width, and height. There are several ways to make a rangoli like using colored petals of flowers arranged on ground OR on still water. Rangoli is also drawn on sticky hot wax using sandy powders (where it is impossible to swipe the color powder once it is filled) and immersed under shallow water to get the 3D magnified effect. Some artists use the 3-D effect for borders alone while others create beautiful designs using grains and beads entirely. Coloured powder can be directly used for fancy decorations, but for detailed work, generally the material is a coarse grained powder base into which colors are mixed. The base is chosen to be coarse so that it can be gripped well and sprinkled with good control. The base can be sand, marble dust, saw dust brick dust or other materials. The colors generally are very fine pigment podwers like gulal/aabir available for Holi or colors (mentioned above) specially sold for rangoli in South India. Various day to day colored powders like indigo used for cloth staining, spices like turmeric, chili, rawa, rice flour, flour of wheat etc are also variously used. Powder colors can be simply mixed into the base. If the base is light like saw dust, it can be used to make floating rangoli on the surface of stagnant water. Sometimes saw-dust or sand is soaked into waterbased color and dried to give various tints. However that probably cannot be used on water. If a rangoli is to be made on water, the color should preferably be insoluble in water.

Funnel Rangolis/Kolams
If you find it hard to make diwali rangoli designs with hand, use a small nozzled funnel, control the flow of the filled rangoli with thumb or middle finger, and make desired designs easily. Do not use pure colours without rangoli in this way because they will not fall through easily. If you find it hard to make diwali rangoli designs with hand, use a small nozzled funnel, control the flow of the filled rangoli with thumb or middle finger, and make desired designs easily. Do not use pure colours without rangoli in this way because they will not fall through easily.

Tibetan Sand Painting or Mandala Sand Painting
This Floor Painting style is a part of Tibetan Tantric Art tradition. The Tibetans call it dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means "mandala of colored powders." Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks. The heartbreaking part of this ritual is that after days of determined hard work and perseverance the very monks who work on these paintings have to destroy them. The beginning of mandala sand painting is an auspicious occasion which is marked by a ceremonial ritual. In this opening ceremony the lamas, or Tibetan priests, gather in front of the painting the site and call forth the supreme power of goodness. This is done by the means of chanting, music, and mantra recitation. In the first day of the painting process the outline of the painting is drawn on a wooden board. In the consequent days the outlines are layersed with different colored sands. The sand is poured from a metal funnel called chak-pur. This funnel is an important part of the tradition too. The monks involved in the apintings hold a funnel in their hand and run a metal rod on its surface. The vibrations caused by the metal rod makes the sand flow like water from the funnel mouth. These paintings follow the prescribed Mandala motifs. A Mandala is a symbolic geometric pattern, which is a metaphysical or symbolical representation of the cosmos, a microcosm of the universe from the human perspective. The center of the Mandala can be used as the focal point of meditation. In fact the complex but symmetric web of structures around the center draws one’s eyes towards the focal point. Make dots on the ground using a small amount of flour. Connect the dots by using small amounts of flour to trickle between your thumb and forefinger but for children or people who find it difficult to use hands to do it or aren’t familiar with making rangoli before u can use a large funnel and tap the flour out of the end of the funnel to make the line. There are many items you can use to make a funnel, depending on your resources. For example:- Rework a sundae spoon by bending the handle inwards to form a funnel or tube, scoop the sand using the spoon side and tilt it to pour the sand through the tube. - Or glue a straw to a sundae spoon flaring it out into the spoon so that it catches all the sand in the spoon. - Or fashion your own sand painting tool out of soft metal like tin or aluminium or plastic or wood.

MAKE YOUR OWN RANGOLI
1. Choose a simple design and the appropriate colours.
2. You will need the following basic ingredients: A hard board of size 30 × 30 cm; Pencil/Chalk; Ruler; Spoons; Small funnel, with a very thin spout; sieve;
3. For even spreading, make a small cone or tube, and at the tip place a thin sieve/gauze. This will help considerably in even spreading of colours and minimise wastage. A stiff paper cone is ideal for margins, dots and borders.
4. Buy rangoli colours from Indian shops or from India. Alternatively, make them yourself.
5. Spread the colours by hand, tube or cone as necessary to make your rangoli.
P.S. I made a mention of the Tibetan Sand paintings as the Funnel Kolam is an idea inspired by this.

Bubble Rangoli/Bubble Kolam
Kolam as connected bubbles
The trick is to use the symmetry of the kolam. The typical symmetry used is the cyclic symmetry, as shown in the above figure. This is also the most complex and the most impressive one, apart from being the most common (the others are reflection symmetry between the halves). This reduces the problem of remembering the whole kolam, to one of remembering just one quarter of it. Of course, nothing stops us from creating a completely asymmetrical one, but I haven't seen it in daily use (maybe I should explore more of that, now that it is easy with this program).
I think this symmetry part has been used extensively by the kolam creators. But, this is not enough. You need more patterns to make kolam drawing as simple as connecting points with line. If you see the above figure, I've specifically shaded the closed areas that contain the dots ('Pullie' in Tamil). This way you can see clearly that a kolam is just a connected network of many 'bubbles' (if you can call these shaded parts so). This is important because, this way you only have to join different dots creatively, and the regulation part of weaving the curve around them could be automated. This is not to say that joining dots is easy, because traditionally only certain dot-connections are considered beautiful. You are free to explore, but don't blame me, if your mom gives an indifferent glance to your masterpiece. The above are some frequent and pleasing connections of dots.
You can see the connecting lines in green in the above figure. The darker shaded bubbles, is only to highlight that, if a dot is connected to one or more dots, the bubble will be connected similarly. I have highlighted one vertex each for degree 1,2,3 and 4.

Stencil Rangolis
This craft involves the cutting of an intricate stencil depicting scenes ... the use of this paper stencil is then made in creating a rangoli. The stencil Rangoli is a welcome addition for those people who don’t know how to put Rangoli or who have never attempted to do it but still want the real effect of a Rangoli. Since you are using colors it still stands as an ideal source of colorful welcome to the festive celebrations. For the beginners who want a beautiful rangoli can do so by getting themselves a rangoli color-and-stencil kit, now easily available, also available are roller stencils just put the color or plain white rangoli powder inside the pipe of the roller whose one side is open and one side is closed and roll it on the floor for beautiful patterns.

Portrait Rangoli
Portrait Rangoli means, portraits of people drawn with rangoli powders, it can be Portraits of Gods, people sometimes inanimate objects or nature. Portrait Rangoli looks very realistic and is more like a drawing on paper. We can see some portrait rangoli on the streets, where artists paint pictures of God on the pavement and collect money for their art.

Rangoli has evolved into many a beautiful forms. If any of the readers know of any more different types of rangoli please do share with me.

ENNAI KATHRIKAI (Brinjals stuffed with masala powder)

Here is the Recipe of Ennai Kathrikai. This is basically a Chettinaad dish( A Tamilnadu speciality). There are people who love brinjals and there are people who cant stand brinjals. This recipe is for both the categories. Sometimes, brinjal when cooked in a different style can taste totally different, Brinjal has a quality which many vegetables don’t have. It has a tenderness and easily absorbs the spices in, this totally changes the taste of the humble brinjal also known as Eggplant and Aubergines.
ENNAI KATHRIKAI
(Brinjals stuffed with masala powder)
Serves : Four
Time Required : 40 minutes

Ingredients :
350 gms small brinjals
9 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds

For the masala powder :
6 dry red chillies
3 tsp coriander seeds
11/2 tsp chana dal
11/2 tsp urad dal
¼ coconut
11/2 tsp salt
a pinch (hing) asafetida

To prepare the masala powder :
Heat two tsp oil in a frying pan. Fry the red chillies, coriander seeds and the dals to a reddish brown colour. Keep aside. Grate the coconut and fry in two tsp oil to a reddish brown colour. Powder the fried chillies and coriander seeds with the salt. Add the fried dals and fried coconut. Powder once again. Add asafetida. Mix well and keep the masala powder aside.
Cut the stems and slit the brinjals into four, taking care that the brinjals do not get cut into four pieces. Stuff each brinjal with a little of the prepared masala powder.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds, When they splutter, add the stuffed brinjals. Sprinkle a little water, if necessary. (If the brinjals are very tender, there is no need for water. Cover and cook till very soft, truning the brinjals quite often. If the brinjals are not very tender and have seeds, soak a marble sized ball of tamarind in half cup water, extract the pulp and sprinkle this tamarind pulp, instead of water, over the brinjals.

Nutritive value of each serving :
Calories : 178 kcal
Proteins : 1.8 g
Fat : 16.7 g
Minerals : 0.4 g
Fibre : 1.6 g
Carbohydrates : 5.0 g