Navaratri

Diwali Treats - Badam Halwa and Mixture

Mor Kutaan (Buttermilk Soup)

You will need : Vegetable of your choice - 1 cup (I used sweet potato) White pumpkin or Arbi (coloccasia) are favourites Curd - 1 1/2 cup sour Salt to taste Chana dal, urad dal, rice, tuvar dal - 1 1/2 tbsp together soak in water coconut grated - 1/2 cup fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp lightly roasted red chillies - 2 mustard seeds - 1 tsp curry leaves - 1 spring turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Oi - 1 tbsp Add water to the curd and whisk well and bring to a watery consistency. Add turmeric and chopped vegetable either cooked or cook with curd. Grind coconut, fenugreek seeds and red chillies and dals well and add to the buttermilk. Bring everything to a boil and add salt to taste. Heat oil to a pan when hot add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilli and curry leaves. Add to the gravy. You can substitute red chillies and fenugreek seeds with cumin seeds, green chillies, ginger, garlic as per taste in any combination. I normally dont prefer to add garlic with this gravy and just tried it once.

Ganesh Chaturthi Treats...

Kadhi

All time favorite... soul food. Sour Curd / Yogurt - 2 cups Water - 1 cup approx to liquidify the curd to lightly thick buttermilk Gram Flour / Besan - 3 tbsp Ginger green chilli paste - 1 tbsp Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - to taste Sugar - 2 tbsp (or to taste) For Tempering: Oil / Ghee - 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp (optional) Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional) Cloves and Cinnamon - 2 and 1" stick Cilantro and Curry leaves - 2 tbsp chopped finely Dry red chillies - 2 (optional) Whisk curd well and add water to form a thick liquid consistenty. Add gram flour and mix well ensuring no lumps are formed. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil on medium flame till done and the gram flour is cooked well. Heat oil in a pan add the ingredients of tempering fry for few seconds and add to the kadhi. Serve with rice.

Masala Khichadi

Food for the Soul - Khicadi! You will need : Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp Bay leaves - 2 Cinnamon - 1" stick Cloves - 3-4 Peppercorns - 1/2 tsp Peanuts - 2 tsp Ginger - Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp Green Chilles - 2 tsp chopped Onion - 1 chopped finely Tomato - 1 chopped Other veggies - handful carrot, potato, peas (optional) Ghee / Oil - 2tsp Rice - 1 cup Tuvar Dal - 1/2 cup Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Coriander Leaves - 2 tsp Cook the rice and dal together in a pressure cooker upto 3 whistle with 4 1/2 cups of water. Keep aside. In a pan heat ghee or oil, when hot add the cumin seeds and other spices and peanuts. Stir for few minutes. Add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and onion. Stir and cook for few minutes and then add the tomatoes and mixed veggies. Add salt, turmeric powder and garam masala. cook till the veggies are done. Add the cooked rice and dal, water if required mix well and cook covered till done. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Kadhi and papad!!

Unpalatable Sabudana Khichadi

I was sooo bored yesterday to cook something... so thought of wrapping up the day with some easy enough tiffin sabudana khichadi... made some chapatis and subzi for the next day dabba... But didnt soak the sabudana well so ... unfortunately the khichadi never turned well... never realised could throw that away and eat the food prepared for the next day... and cook something else..... Wonder why brains get soo rotten sometimes!!

Dhokla or Khaman Dhokla

Not sure which is the right term.. But after nth time of trying i got this one right finally :-) I used to often indulge in Dhoklas and other snacks from our favorite BhelPuri Corner. Also tried preparing it with all the possible recipes that used to come on TV but never got this one right... Havnt tried the Dhokla mix yet...... as its not a favorite regular snack. This is how close I could get to the street shop dhokla... I just added double quantity of gram flour (Besan) to my existing idli batter and some spices and eno salt.. and it truned really great. I normally end up having some left over of idli batter which normally doesnt make good idlis nor dosas... so dhokla does the trick..

The Difference

A friend had invited me for Dinner... and the first question she asked me was what is a difference between and Iyer and an Iyengar. Then.. I just replied saying they have different religious practices what makes them a little different than the other. Actually I really dont know the difference too well?? And just left it there....and we had different conversations..

But occassionally I sit to wonder what promted her that question?? That was really weird and wonder what made her ask me this? Very often now and then this question comes to my mind now... and its been really long that i have been in touch with her and dont really feel like asking her why did she even ask me this....

I do know there is a little categorization over here in the USA about being a brahmin and a non (read it non vegeterian and other religious practices.... these are the only few difference I am aware of....) But what promted her to ask me this question.. now it kind of bothers me on and off!! wonder why??

I have never really gone that deep in to knowing different castes and sub castes as there are just too many to know of... and having come from a cosmopolitan city mumbai where you come accross people all around the country who speak different languages and have different practices we pay very less attention to the caste creed and religion factor..... Just basic differentiation that I am aware of would be the language, probably eating habits and religious practices. But when you come from the same state you would be able to distinguish between the minor differences within the state which is a lot difficult to distinguish as a country!!

Its too foolish.... but it does make me inquisite to go deep and find out more about my culture. Its not just about hinduism now but about being an Indian, Tamil , Brahmin, Pallakad.....Iyer brought up in Mumbai!!! :-) :-):-) It cant be more diverse than this!! :-) :-) some more that I know of would be sama veda, yajur veda, vaishnavites, shivaites, dravidians ......

I was just watching this movie Flavors... its another movie based on an NRI life... liked and started realting myself to the girl Sangita in the movie :-) Just sit to wonder is my life so similar to hers?? To an extend yes it is... but have the same questions.... There are lot of women who choose to be at home and are very happy about it.. but why does society look upon them so much.... Every person from kids to aunts ask me what do you do the whole day at home? Its ok to answer these questions during your initial days of marriage when people are curious and would like to know how life on the other end and how different it is? But even after three years of marriage if yo have to listen to the same stuff it kind of gets annoying... even a college going teenager asking me that...... what do you aunts do at home the whole day?? why is it that young women as homemakers are not acceptable?? Dont you get bored?? I am so tired of this question by now.... tell me something new?? I am actually short of time after my household chores and studies.. i need more time for my studies..... my evening just pass by with cooking, working out, spending time with family and then dinner, dishes and finally some time for studies... again during the day cleaning up , and yes do get time to study but again orkutting, facebooking, chatting with parents, news are important too...

I sit to wonder I am not really bored at home and have ample stuffs to do but why the person on the other end is soo concerned..... Do you think you wanna do something more in life?

Well for now this is it.... I used to work back in india and it did take a while for me to get used to the lifestyle change after the initial days of fun, new place, new activities.... but i guess that true for every individual who goes through this change in life....

I sure miss the social life I had back in India....... but i have got used to my life here now.... not sure what more is in store for me....

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji...the name itself is soo tempting and mouth watering. I normally don't make this preparation as its a spicy dish though wholesome. I had all the ingredients to make a perfect pav bhaji wihtout a pav bhaji masala :-) Thought of trying to make one without the masala.... used the subzi masala I had and some garam masala for some extra spice and some grounded fennel seeds and carrom seeds. And the taste was very close to a perfect pav bhaji. Though it did aggravate my stomach as I am not supposed to eat such spicy oily foods.. But its ok to indulge occassionally.... :-) doesn't apply to me actually.....

Vegetable - 2 small potatoes, 1 1/2 cup cauliflower, 1 carrot, 1 cup peas boiled or steamed with some salt

Onion - 1 big chopped finely

Capsicum / Bell Pepper - 1 chopped

Tomato - Puree - 4-5 boiled , peel and pureed

Pav Bhaji Masala - 2 -3 tbsp (I substituted some subzi masala , garam masala and 1 tsp ground fennel and pinch carom seeds )

Garlic Paste / crushed - 6-7 cloves

Coriander - garnish

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp

Oil / Butter / Ghee - 2 tbsp butter preferrably :-)

Heat oil in a pan, splutter some cumin seeds, add red chilli powder and 3/4th of the garlic paste. Stir well for few minutes. Add onions and bell peppers and cook till transperant. Now add the tomato puree and cook till the raw smell goes. Now add the mixed veggies preferably add after mashing well and the rest of the leftover garlic paste. Add salt, black pepper powder and pav bhaji masala. Cook for few minutes till done. Garnish with coriander leaves and dollops of butter :-) Enjoy with bread, pav or chapati... But I somehow still prefer Tava Pulav to pav bhaji :-)

Todays menu is going to be Beetroot rice and onion capsicum rice. This is the first time I am goign to try this recipe. Will make a note of that if it turns out to be good and different... But my favorite is always curd rice :-)

Sarso ka Saag (Mustard Greens)

Mustard Greens have a little bitter strong flavor. Have tried this recipe two three times jsut got it right this time. Truly had a very similar taste to palak panner :-) inspite of the strong flavor these leaves have...

Mustard Greens - 1/2 bunch

Moong Dal - 2 tsp

Garam Masala - 2 tsp

Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cloves / lavang - 2

ginger garlic - minced 2 tbsp

salt - to taste

turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Onion - 1 medium grated

potato cubes - handful baked - optional

I Pressure cook mustard greens with ginger garlic, cloves, moong dal and little garam masala. Once cool blend it to a smooth paste.

In a kadhai add oil / ghee splutter cumin seed and add onions. Fry till light brown add chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala, little coriander powder can also be added. mix well for 2-3 min and then add the greens. stir well and close it with a lid and simmer for 10-15 min till done.

Served with Makki ki roti. Didnt turn well it tasted very similar to a rice dosa preparation called varum arasi dosai.. tastes better with chapati or rice...

Have some more greens left would just make a stir fry veg with it....

Summer is here and its beautiful outside....It rained a bit in the morning and its the perfect weather now went for a stroll too... saw a red color parrot! havnt seen that one around before :)

Today I had some interesting breakfast to make and quite enjoyed it.. We regularly have eggs, bread or oats for breakfast normally prefer boiled or poached eggs. Occassionally I make omlet. today i made some grilled onion, tomato, ... spices and eggs.. turned out really well. Coupled that with Orange and Mango Smoothie Yippee... planning to make veggie pattie and grilled veggies for dinner.... gonna use my broil for the 1st time.. lets see how that turns out..... have some leftover mambayam kutam and rice for lunch.. but super excited for the dinner. now back to studies...

havnt blogged since a year.... tired of posting recipes realise there are lot more better cooks here and prefer to read blog than blog myself..... i visit often my blog and often feel need to update them and make it better.... but its a year dont feel like posting recipes anymore.....