tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215252672024-03-07T01:13:45.028-08:00Green Green ChutneyVices of a novice cookreshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-34329999773249350862008-03-31T08:38:00.000-07:002008-12-12T20:32:34.908-08:00Baingan bartha pasta, why not?<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183932286982048338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklIqxNdv2qiEOtDKomdIxb2tjHUstvN2XuQuJYSdvA-xI2WDp9T0VaXt9HBkX2F4B2fKUq1D3o6oIp5BcSiUeGTOYbGcKunxVrwfpkodyn6wPUjjsrgUsLXlaOxDR3oHNXqfEBw/s400/DSC04240.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Two weeks back I glanced upon Rachel Ray gleefully mashing up roasted eggplants and cherry tomatoes for a pasta dish. A few days back at the grocery store my little girl squealed with delight when she saw the shiny purple eggplants and I remembered Ray’s pasta. Yesterday after going through her recipe I was thinking of ways to sneak in some heat into the dish to satisfy our spice-craving tongues and it came to me, why not marry Italian to Indian and see what happens. So that’s how it all happened. <a href="http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/roasted-pasta-alla-norma-roasted-tomato-eggplant-garlic-pasta/">This</a> plus <a href="http://deepann.wordpress.com/2006/06/28/baingan-ka-bartha/">this </a>and little tweaks here and there and you get this smoky, tangy, silky eggplant with pasta, simple as that.<br /><br /><br />Fettucine : half of a 12 0z pack<br />One large eggplant<br />One onion, thinly sliced<br />Four tomatoes, cubed<br />Two or three green chillies, sliced ( I used 1 jalapeno pepper as I had no green chillies, works great)<br />Two cloves of garlic, crushed<br />one inch piece of ginger crushed<br />chilly powder: 2 tsp<br />corriander powder: 3tsp<br />turmeric powder: ½ tsp<br />olive oil : 2 T<br />zest and juice of half of a lime<br /><br />You are going to need just half of the cooked bartha as a sauce for the pasta, so you can store the other half for a later meal. The pasta dish yields four full servings.<br /><br />Roast the eggplant. You can bake it in an oven at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until the eggplant collapse, grill or roast it on a grill or gas flame . I roasted the eggplant over the gas flame. Make several piercing all over eggplant and place it directly on the gas or grill flame. Keep turning it around frequently and make sure it is roasted evenly. Halfway through the process you may want to make deep cuts length wise along the bulkier bottom part of the eggplant so that the insides gets cooked. Once roasted, keep aside. Peel off the skin once it has cooled off and mash well.<br /><br />Heat oil in a large sauce pan, saute the garlic and ginger just until their flavors come out, add the onions and sauté till golden brown. Now add the chilly powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and fry the masala till the raw smell is gone. Add tomatoes and let it cook till soft. Add the eggplant and cook on low heat stirring often. Once the bartha is done remember to keep aside half of it before mixing in the pasta .Bring a large pot of water to boil , add the pasta and cook to desired tenderness. Drain and add the pasta to the bartha immediately. Mix well. You can garnish it with minced fresh ginger or cilantro. </div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-43448269762672909682008-03-12T20:59:00.000-07:002008-12-12T20:32:35.446-08:00Veeshi pathiri with spicy chicken fry : a slice of Malabar<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177076033091523698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRAHoyOKlZ6vHMU_yTUTYii2W0E8eDKg6wwN0-B130mM5co6ngVxBpotRqZQ_dV8VAXMhHYNvpKbQK8vPireUHAhZeAmcAGlCLlY8csPJTIyc-zVV0wLLd4YGsPsafmXdfeYc40w/s400/DSC03956.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><div><div><br /><div><em>Pathiri </em>is the common term for the myriad varieties of bread in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mappila">mappila</a> cuisine. <em>Veeshuka</em> means <em>to sway, to swirl</em> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayalam_language">Malayalam</a>,<em> veesh</em>i is its past form, and veeshi pathiri is a pathiri made by swirling the pan. Isn’t food the most scrumptious way to learn a new language?<br /><br />To make these delicate, melt-in-your-mouth pathiris, besides rice, salt and water, you need a good non-stick pan and a willingness to have fun. A fine grain variety of rice which is shorter than the basmati variety and generally called ‘biriyani rice’ is used to make these pathiris in kerala. In the US I use the readily available basmati rice and is pleased with the results. Making these pathiris is a breeze if you get used to it- pour, swirl, cover, lift up. I marvel at those cooks from pre-nonstick age who swirled heavy pots called <a href="http://myinjimanga.blogspot.com/2006/08/uruli.html">urulis</a> to make these pathiris. For breakfast these pathiris are generally paired with a sweet dressing made of ripe bananas, milk and sugar-mash the bananas , add stir in milk and sugar and pour over the pathiris. They go very well with any dry curry too.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177075530580350050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNaAW3Qu4qEc0wZd0Fq9RWuuEI_OBef0UKD9OwXnab1i0GPKqpe4iWoeofEfOwiXpluY4WBFqdY9sZBP7XJ3evkcpDkx1U4WZ2YTw4JcCXfwkssxS0XEUs5FB_B9Vl-9u6Bm8Sw/s320/DSC03963.JPG" border="0" /><br />Soak the rice in luke warm water for three hours, and then grind to a fine watery batter adding enough salt, and a pinch of cardamom powder for some extra flavor. This has to be a really diluted thin batter for the pathiris to be thin.</div><br /><div>Pour a small ladle full of this batter on a heated non-stick pan and swirl the pan quickly so that the batter coats all over. Gaps in between are perfectly fine, so let go of the urge to fill up the gaps. Doing so will only do more harm and make the pathiris thicker. It is also important to use just enough batter to form a thin coating. Once the pan is coated with batter cover with a lid and let it cook for thirty seconds or so. Since the batter is so thin it takes just a few seconds to cook, and when you find the edges curling up it is time to remove the pathiri from the pan. You may use a spatula or spoon to remove them if you feel confident, but the easiest way to take them off without breaking them is with your hand. Lift up an edge carefully, and then gently fold it over twice so that you have a small triangle and place it on the serving dish. Folding them will also prevent them from sticking together. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Spicy chicken fry</span></strong></span><span style="color:#990000;">:</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"><br /> </div></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177074130421011522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuO0ZJXykWg-kzc0QCu0neLaUfj8uvLN8Iw-UIsFpqkagQdNqdFqmvqcFELg9I4DbK8oFdsQV7nj4ZHHX4Izo0rWYA9ChSrjaru3RVzCOPGAr1wvRBuMaw_HCKEv55vdrs5ekqQ/s400/DSC03972.JPG" border="0" /><br />This is another lip-smacking recipe from my <a href="http://greenchutney.blogspot.com/2006/06/what-handful-of-dates-can-do-to-simple.html">aunt Jiya </a>and it goes really well with veeshi pathiri. This is not a very elegant dish to look at, but it more than makes up with its taste. Chicken pieces are boiled with spices and then shallow fried in the gravy, and after all this handling the chicken naturally falls apart into crisp bits and pieces smothered with spices, and that is the secret of its oomph.<br /><br />Chicken, cut into serving size pieces, cleaned, and washed: 1lb<br />Onion, chopped: 1<br />Red chilly powder: 1/2T<br />Corriander powder: ½ T<br />Turmeric powder: ½ tsp<br />Fennel powder: ½ tsp<br />Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp<br />Curry leaves , a few<br />Oil- 4 T<br />Salt<br />Fresh cilantro for garnishing<br /><br />Pressure cook the chicken with all the ingredients except the onions and curry leaves for two whistles, or cover and cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken is just done. Try to use as little water as possible. Once done, take out the chicken pieces and keep the gravy aside. Heat oil in a kadai or a heavy pan, and shallow fry the chicken pieces until well browned. Remove them. Add the onions and curry leaves to the kadai or pan, and sauté till the onions start to turn golden brown. Now pour the gravy from boiling the chicken into the pan and simmer till it reduces into a thick paste, add the chicken pieces back into the pan and stir fry till all the gravy dries up and coats the chicken pieces. Serve hot. </div></div></div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-29282881553347014242008-02-29T12:16:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:36.461-08:00Beyond borders: Couscous from MoroccoAs I was walking towards the computer ready to type this recipe out, I heard an enthusiastic cook on the TV saying over a bean salad "one of the best ways to enjoy cultures is through food". I can't agree more with that unknown cook, the ingredients used, the methods of cooking and the way in which the food is served all hint at unique cultural traits.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172457170907013218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnCBmqoyW636f7hc8f9rifMu1jJ1GeefxDKaAZubJria7vKwu_vSppCYvFJwxOeSmBoqcTLJDXWhVzLq5Y6Ct8k8I30fTtvG_PdEbxc-kjrGl2LXO4mcme0B7ywNR8KXxbQh7xQ/s400/DSC03785.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couscous">Couscous</a> is a very versatile semolina product, made by coarsely grinding the semolina wheat and then coating it with fine wheat powder. This cereal is the staple food of North africa, and can be used in many ways, as a main dish served with meat or vegetable sauce or as a dessert. It goes back to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berber_people">Berber</a> people, and has been mentioned in a 13th century <a href="http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Andalusian/andalusian8.htm">cookbook</a> as a recipe known all <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKKevMXkiVolOM6WyoyZwG1IXPdKg-mYZ0rmVFv7A_MFaAtzcrxQhcmZjrsAEe9ZzrUZSuvsy80GNLDk7hmLzOBe6BgfFvJkLPbc-uyUhfqwPMthFM8a3o7pfxENEqjQXHHmAXA/s1600-h/DSC03770.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172456883144204370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKKevMXkiVolOM6WyoyZwG1IXPdKg-mYZ0rmVFv7A_MFaAtzcrxQhcmZjrsAEe9ZzrUZSuvsy80GNLDk7hmLzOBe6BgfFvJkLPbc-uyUhfqwPMthFM8a3o7pfxENEqjQXHHmAXA/s200/DSC03770.JPG" border="0" /></a>over the world. I first came across this dish at a Moroccon friend's place. She served it with a full-flavored meat sauce on a beautiful large platter, and six of us gathered around the platter and ate from the same platter with our hands moving over the food in harmony.Even more than the fluffiness of the grain or the soft buttery vegetables in the sauce, it was that act of eating out of the same dish that fascinated me. Eating from a single plate is very common in the African and middle-eastern cultures irrespective of relegion even to this day, with the entire family gathering around the large platter for the main meals everyday. I was aware of this custom in islamic culture, and can recollect seeing old photos of wedding feasts, called<em> supras</em>, from back home in India where biriyani is served in large platters and groups of people sit around each dish and eat from it. In my country we have lost this tradition, and coming from a place where food touched by someone's hand is considered as unfit to be eaten, I did feel hesitant to dig into the food with all the hands moving around it. Midway through the meal, I noticed how all the butternut squash pieces in the sauce had silently walked over to my side of the dish after I mentioned that I loved its buttery taste, and that undid all my self-conciousness. </p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4pyuj8s4noYNUvbfBiGd3iekfFMmWWPKSNXH04EKwJ1WZ48ZPjf-3wbOJwNvu7AEv_06-CJ3g19KvKwvbkUJ6qcyKWl37Ksccr7mkcsH-SWmfSdkTXvLJa7tMhR8rIHG9wFd8Q/s1600-h/DSC03671.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172456118640025650" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4pyuj8s4noYNUvbfBiGd3iekfFMmWWPKSNXH04EKwJ1WZ48ZPjf-3wbOJwNvu7AEv_06-CJ3g19KvKwvbkUJ6qcyKWl37Ksccr7mkcsH-SWmfSdkTXvLJa7tMhR8rIHG9wFd8Q/s200/DSC03671.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZthRfCUM2lti9FHofXNJJxvEq_lyJG7_xKqZvZr3uy_x-HVKpnN16tQMbisCH9TWLZqGG3CyKCjZ0yNnBY8Cp1YjutVYTfjJMRT_mdxkCdxz0CvUsqiVW97UyXGkLRyVIqHdGQ/s1600-h/DSC03681.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172456294733684802" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZthRfCUM2lti9FHofXNJJxvEq_lyJG7_xKqZvZr3uy_x-HVKpnN16tQMbisCH9TWLZqGG3CyKCjZ0yNnBY8Cp1YjutVYTfjJMRT_mdxkCdxz0CvUsqiVW97UyXGkLRyVIqHdGQ/s200/DSC03681.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">couscous served in a pretty Moroccon platter<br /></span></em><p>Meat or chicken and vegetables are stewed in a large pot over which the couscous is placed to steam absorbing the flavour from the sauce. To get the grains fluffy , it is taken out of the steamer twice, cooled down, rubbed with oil and water and then placed back on the steamer. Precooked couscous which requires considerably less time is available in most of the middle eastern and meditteranean markets in the US. I used my <em>keralawala</em> steamer meant for adas and idiyappams, using the base which is meant to boil water in as the sauce pot. </p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172455697733230626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxC2Eh9sRHJssjlOhz_UqyvCRIxlwwx4MwuuIwnzCvAmbrvaGhG4O32K8ZlrNDUkpQz0Y7ixx16tpct7nrpqLd6_dQJGjaQceLHZRt4ArakUqgL9pL4YVcGVMOP2-uoxp72a0Ug/s200/DSC03778.JPG" border="0" /><br />Shall we try?</div><div><br /><div></div><div>couscous: 3 cups </div><div>one whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces</div><div>onion:1 </div><div>tomato: 5 </div><div>carrot: 4</div><div>butternut squash: half of a squash</div><div>zucchini: 2</div><div>quarter of a cabbage </div><div>turnip : 2<br />parsley, chopped : 1 cup </div><div>cilantro, chopped : 1/2 cup </div><div>olive oil : 1/2 cup +2T</div><div>turmeric: 1/4 tsp </div><div>cinnamon powder: 1T</div><div>freshly ground black pepper: 2 tsp </div><div>ghee: 2T</div><div>grated fresh ginger: 2 tsp </div><div>salt </div><div></div><div></div><div>Brown the chicken pieces in a pan and set aside. (Alternatively, you can omit this and broil the chicken in the end to give them that roasted look). Chop the onions into large pieces. Crush 4 tomatoes , and cut the remaining one into two halves. Cut the zucchini , squash, carrots and turnips into halves. </div><br /><div>In the bottom part of the steamer, mix together the browned chicken pieces, onions, crushed tomatoes, grated ginger, parsley, cilantro, turmeric powder, pepper powder, cinnamon powder, salt, 1 table spoon ghee, 1/2 cup of olive oil, and salt. Place the pot on the stove and cook uncovered.Meanwhile , in a large tray mix couscous with half a cup of cold water and a table spoon of olive oil. Work up the moisture thoroughly into the couscous with your hand. Arrange the top part of the steamer on the sauce pot, and place all the couscous in the top part. Let it cook uncovered till you see a steady steam coming out through the couscous- about 15 to twenty minutes. Give the couscous a stir just once ir twice during the steaming. </div><br /><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172455534524473362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEs-37gpud4qrUVs_-0_LNZtegSmrcxIeovcUGGxSObllvB5MS3nRwy7T5EYSEbas318kuLcRzwDuqIJvlTq-AELyyEbonU6_09aOjrCypQuOhIJ0ty_8e5T3GLsjLSUAzboOO0g/s200/DSC03773.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Now remove the couscous into the tray and quickly sprinkle about half a cup of cold water and salt and mix well with your hand. Let it cool down for a few minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables to the sauce. Mix one table spoon of olive oil into the couscous and place it back over the sauce pot for the second steaming. Cook for another fifteen minutes.</div><br /><div>In the serving platter, layer the couscous evenly.Then pour half of the liquid over it.Place the chicken pieces in the centre, and the vegetables around the chicken. Pour the remaning liquid from the sauce into a bowl and serve along with the couscous. This makes around four generous serving. Live, give and love!</div></div></div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-87229119040232699982008-02-25T07:41:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:36.801-08:00Red-red pineapple chicken<div>I like to imagine the hot oil whispering to the red chilly powder " I would like to do to you what spring does to the cherry trees" and the chilly powder blushing to a deeper red while I cook this curry, well atleast on days I can afford the luxury of thinking of Neruda and all while trying to keep pace with a fast growing 10 month old. The rest of the days I make this curry because it is bold enough to make an appealing meal paired with roti or rice with no other sides, and also because it's just easy. There's a wee little too much oil used in this curry, and that's where it gets it lipsmacking taste.You can use fresh tomatos instead of the paste, but it's the tomato paste along with chilly powder sauteed in oil that gives the dish the deep red color.And with the tiny bursts of sweetness from pineapple bits every now and then in the fiery curry, you might be inspired to create poetry of your own.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170950689763973026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1jfEf5Tkz4do2JODIBj-LGINy_s2C2XlqixDIP0vOkYFx3JOc2cbdSOnOfWYUq_ZXphqe4PF1DODOaeBlsrz4bi39_OpSNN7A-vBMtsHlLW8QfDq8LBqGVcsKPKSEUirc13V2Q/s400/DSC03703.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>chicken breast, cut into small pices: 1 lb<br /><div>a quarter of an onion, sliced </div><div>ginger-garlic paste : 1 tsp </div><div>red chilly powder: 2 heaped tsp </div><div>tomato paste: 3 tsp </div><div>oil: around 5T</div><div>salt </div><div>cilantro, chopped: 1/4 cup</div><div>pineapple cut into tiny pieces: 1T</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Wash and drain the chicken. Heat oil , and add the red chilly powder and salt, and let the chilly powder cook until it gives out a deep red colour, this should take around 45 seconds to a minute. Keep stirring to prevent the powder from burning. Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste and saute till it is golden brown. Now add the tomato paste, cilantro and chicken , mix well, cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is done. Make sure you stir it now and then to avoid burning.Once the chicken is done, add the pineapple pieces , mix and serve.</div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-38711878157258428452008-02-20T10:38:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:37.625-08:00Tuna balls stuffed with cheddar cheese<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU1Wf6hTKARALz6rsrQD8hFXEu4EA0XRega-I3Y1QxgiZWj5WjRLLZq7lJCbt8XoD5Sty7jtyMooY7BmaWyucTSyBqDMgmherqZR7898UXu5gaZ4JydU9Ab3Q0ER7pVD4Qa5swA/s1600-h/DSC03661.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169151115646817890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU1Wf6hTKARALz6rsrQD8hFXEu4EA0XRega-I3Y1QxgiZWj5WjRLLZq7lJCbt8XoD5Sty7jtyMooY7BmaWyucTSyBqDMgmherqZR7898UXu5gaZ4JydU9Ab3Q0ER7pVD4Qa5swA/s400/DSC03661.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQexiQjaHr2I4nYNXWhKmwSpdxNOI27FbGSWO-vDmzi6K11jqOiT6kV6d5VVoDeltVrRLrlPB_Xwm6dLU1jen3SMAK7jLqn9U1U5ZOpVD5d6C0XtPMUhRqxNJGSU06U-PBdpEEUg/s1600-h/DSC03661.JPG"></a><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="left">Like tuna? Looking for an easy appetizer? Here's something that might work for you. Deep fried tuna balls with fresh herbs and a touch of golden cheddar cheese in the centre, and when arranged on your favourite platter with a dipping sauce, they are a visual treat too. Perfect to win over your guests right away. The hardest part of these tiny balls is in shaping and stuffing the balls so you can roll the balls a day or two ahead and dip and fry them on the day of the party. I use cheddar cheese because i love it, and also because i love it and so on. Actually, since very little cheese is used as stuffing a strong tasting cheese is needed to stand out amidst the taste of herbs. You can also choose to do away with the cheese stuffing and simply have tuna balls.</div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="left">One six ounce can of tuna<br />green chilli: 2</div><div align="left">1/4 cup chopped cilantro </div><div align="left">an inch piece of ginger </div><div align="left">salt </div><div align="left">1 egg white, lightly beaten </div><div align="left">half a cup of bread crumbs or more.</div><div align="left">1 slice of cheddar cheese<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169146275218675266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvUMPWB_bf6zERbXk7eIeXT_xjGUFZH6cGWukEhUyr8fAEQ8mOXzxqMOznrgXFB84Yjs92jyeNNnX81Xn7YFTjn4Gf0zVKQjP7aayGkADJOAtZbTFWzyYL8rBxDsI5AUS92gV9g/s320/DSC03645.JPG" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>shape, stuff, roll, dip- having fun</em></span><br /></div><div>Grind together all the ingredients except the tuna, and then add the tuna and pulse it three or four times. Now for the shaping and stuffing. Cutting the cheese into tiny cubes will make them easier to work with. Take a lime sized amount of tuna mix and shape into a small circle on your hand, place the cheese bits on the center and fold over from all sides covering the cheese completely. Gently shape into a ball, dip in the egg white and then coat the crumbs all over the ball. Deep fry and serve with your favourite dip. One can of tuna will give you roughly about 8 to 9 stuffed balls and 10 to 11 tuna balls without stuffing.</div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169144406907901490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxiWMS7YvF6_p-cyuRPJU6APx_TWNwaAlpJNHOcdHgDyZgEWmt3hk5WZgc2LJBO4DweP2P7t6r0uxC1LzBaBFXEDJqMaMgAU5E67-FoFebfFnfV3rBUKZ4r4teubGbE7hlcZQ8g/s400/DSC03580.JPG" border="0" /> <em>Tuna balls with rava coating<br /></em><br /><div>I replaced the bread crumbs with rava or sooji once just for the heck of it. The result was a very crisp coating. Rava doesn't do a good job of covering up the tuna balls well and oil swept into almost all of the balls. Not a pretty sight, the coating however was crisper and stayed so for a longer time than the bread crumbs coating. My favourite? If you plan to eat them within an hour or so definitely go for bread crumbs. If you want them to stay crisp for a longer time and don't mind the extra oil sweeping into the fish try the rava coating. Either way, these tiny balls are delightful.</div></div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-89354137775875442112008-02-15T09:31:00.001-08:002008-12-12T20:32:37.692-08:00Mango-avocado chutney<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDM4pq80oepwj0Fcop6Kzc93Ny1IYrsVbNnTPTY9rjIe7Jyzhdg_bHAKseDoIKrSzh_7DW09TUSZCP_cQPxNP9nu5QELkfFt9Hycw344GVow7GzhCCRiT4sFvoaPqa3E85qqUGA/s1600-h/DSC03615.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167268270703728162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDM4pq80oepwj0Fcop6Kzc93Ny1IYrsVbNnTPTY9rjIe7Jyzhdg_bHAKseDoIKrSzh_7DW09TUSZCP_cQPxNP9nu5QELkfFt9Hycw344GVow7GzhCCRiT4sFvoaPqa3E85qqUGA/s400/DSC03615.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br />Avocado brings in its richness, while raw mango gives it its sourness, jalapeno and cilantro livens things up while small onion adds a zing.Guacamole with raw-mango in it or chutney with avocado in it- choose any label you want for this tangy mix of food cultures, you might find yourself making it often. Pair it with upma or crisp dosa and it becomes a creamy rich chutney, dip a chip into it and it turns into an interesting guacamole and to top it all it is just so easy to make.</div><div></div><div>Blend to a fine paste half of a firm raw mango after peeling off the skin , half of an avocado , half of an jalapeno pepper, an inch piece of ginger , one small onion , 1/4 cup chopped cilantro , a squeeze of lime and salt . Enjoy.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-81737267212909751332008-02-14T15:17:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:38.035-08:00Semiya Biriyani<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmVFHMyM4_iNQfQyafYGycRfQaz2jbu4C60Q7GcQr55vFgecCBy7RwyuuB-qSkPkLqfIrFH8fIzRP5LbxiYwm-ZPSEQEJWRXq6R9blzM9XCW3CIyFCwE9cu3JBC_hcnUayE-eRw/s1600-h/DSC03600.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166995497330759186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmVFHMyM4_iNQfQyafYGycRfQaz2jbu4C60Q7GcQr55vFgecCBy7RwyuuB-qSkPkLqfIrFH8fIzRP5LbxiYwm-ZPSEQEJWRXq6R9blzM9XCW3CIyFCwE9cu3JBC_hcnUayE-eRw/s200/DSC03600.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>Thin strands of vermicelli delicately curling over tender chicken pieces and sending up wafts of spices- does that interest you? Try semiya biriyani as a snack or as a meal. This must be the most loved snack in our home, it marked all our special days, and turned many ordinary days into special ones.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Thin roasted vermicelli : 200 grams </div><div>Chicken breast halves, cut into fairly thin strips: 4</div></div><div><div>Onion, sliced: 1</div><div>Tomato, cubed : 1 </div><div>Green chilli, crushed: 4 medium seized </div><div>Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp </div><div>Chilly powder: 1 tsp </div><div>corriander powder: 2 tsp </div><div>turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp </div><div>garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp </div><div>cinnamon: 1 inch stick </div><div>clove: 3 </div><div>cardamom: 1</div><div>cilantro, chopped: 2T</div><div>oil: 3T</div><div>ghee: 2 tsp W</div><div>Water : 1 cup</div><div>salt<br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166992447903978978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuxatmfcykvKQ1Dog5EKpuj7cIf6E4YYW_Vp56zgOZ5eLFPpOm_XVbqDp0aoLd6fnEQ-SFfR_qlg9Fd-H2UNreqpaM9ux-bhjs4eRwPcndNcgyGoFWBd67SftEcoHlvoLD7AgOw/s400/DSC03592.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><br /><div>Heat oil in a large pot, add onions, crushed green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and saute till the onions are transparent.Add all the powdered spices, mix well and fry them up till they give you all their flavors. In goes the chopped tomato, chicken strips, and salt and cook till the chicken is done. Pour a little hot water if needed.</div><br /><div>Meanwhile heat the ghee in a thick pan or kadai and add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves to it. Pour a cup of water and when it gets to boil add the vermicelli one handful at a time stirring carefully to prevent the vermicelli from getting too mushy. Once its cooked gently stir in the vermicelli to the chicken masala and garnish with cilantro and serve hot.</div><br /><div>You can spread out the cooked vermicelli on a tray and let it cool for a while before adding to the masala. This helps them from getting too mashed up.</div></div></div></div></div></div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-79348620632034371522008-02-11T11:36:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:38.853-08:00Mellow yellow curry : Pumpkin in yogurt curry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE-rj6vJRM1JcIPfz3hjhzEWxpZxgA_06Pqp66vOaWv1RgjkTN5466SQrNJYz1nRRmo8UNBuKeze3UvDwXaHpi3s58aW4_BtPX8ljLrb9bT_55_5zkwz4Jlstvnl5xpL2AajYEg/s1600-h/DSC03550.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165809566666020178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE-rj6vJRM1JcIPfz3hjhzEWxpZxgA_06Pqp66vOaWv1RgjkTN5466SQrNJYz1nRRmo8UNBuKeze3UvDwXaHpi3s58aW4_BtPX8ljLrb9bT_55_5zkwz4Jlstvnl5xpL2AajYEg/s320/DSC03550.JPG" border="0" /></a> The basic mooru kaachiyathu recipe goes like this. Beat the yogurt well and keep aside. Make a tadka of a sliceof onion, one clove of garlic sliced, jeera, one or two dry red chillies, curry leaves, a pinch of turmeric. Add the tadka to the beaten yogurt with a little salt and mix. Alternatively you can pour the yogurt into the tadka while it is cooking, and heat up the yogurt . Make sure you reduce the heat to low before adding the yogurt to the pot to prevent the yogurt from curdling. Today, I tried pumpkin with this basic curry and was surprised by the result. The mild sweetness of pumpkin really goes well with the sour yogurt, and coupled with a spicy eggplant curry, the meal was a treat for the tastebuds.<br />For pumpkin mooru kaachiyathu : cut the pumpkin into small pieces and boil in just enough water to cover the pieces,with a crushed green chilli and a pinch of turmeric. Make a tadka as above and pour into the pumpkin. Then add the yogurt too and mix well. A sweet-sour seesaw for your tongue is ready.reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-10730051279319027822008-02-08T11:23:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:39.076-08:00Moong bean with raw plantain<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KlLBocJ2kW3Nc1QKXrsPNoag-XEzz89NIufg6RaMRz5pXNdW132Vc24dBpN7UgWcb5hLJ0eC9yeGDNhjZT2Ch9Q4H3_8qSdmKzUa6IrIDWdYxaJgkNxW8fxrADtXcJpzfzr_hA/s1600-h/DSC03468.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164693778684159730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KlLBocJ2kW3Nc1QKXrsPNoag-XEzz89NIufg6RaMRz5pXNdW132Vc24dBpN7UgWcb5hLJ0eC9yeGDNhjZT2Ch9Q4H3_8qSdmKzUa6IrIDWdYxaJgkNxW8fxrADtXcJpzfzr_hA/s400/DSC03468.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><br /><br /><div>This is a thick curry , which usually plays the side role on our lunch plates back home, with a thinner fish, dal or yougurt based curry as the lead star. Nothing fancy about this wholesome curry, be it in the ingredients or in the cooking. I think 'rustic' would be an apt word to describe it. </div><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D_CNPjINLcaFWlXxK8JNBsjJL_bKxosz6MhuKLQ6H4WKWRbNrnN8CTIVs0Q-IRrwidDUrGwd87RVVTzanWrmD1AnR-9kWLvR_os5TTyxzzgH8l-lh2QQ1qTVR1iAFS0xw8dSDg/s1600-h/DSC03423.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164693576820696802" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D_CNPjINLcaFWlXxK8JNBsjJL_bKxosz6MhuKLQ6H4WKWRbNrnN8CTIVs0Q-IRrwidDUrGwd87RVVTzanWrmD1AnR-9kWLvR_os5TTyxzzgH8l-lh2QQ1qTVR1iAFS0xw8dSDg/s200/DSC03423.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>One raw plantain, cubed<br />1/4 cup moon beans , soaked for half an hour<br />Shredded coconut, 2 T<br />2 green chillies<br />Jeera , 1/4 tsp<br />Garlic , 1 clove<br />salt<br /><br />Put the plantains and moong beans in a pressure cooker and pour enough water just to cover them(soaking the dal is not necessary, but it makes the dal a whole lot softer). Pressure cook on medium to high heat until two whistles and then cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Grind coconut, chillies, jeera and garlic coarsely, and add to the cooked dal and plantain with enough salt, and bring it to a boil. There, your very rustic plantain-dal curry is ready.<br /><br />If you are a fish-fanatic like me, you can add some small fishto this curry. Back home, my mom usually adds cuttle fish or sardines, and it simply lifts up the curry to another level. Clean up the fish and place it on top of the plantain-dal in the cooker and cook as explained above. After cooking, carefully take out the fish and remove the flesh from the bones , discard the bones and mash up the fish into the mixture nicely. I used canned sardines this time to cut off the picking fish part. All you have to do is to mash the canned sardines with a fork and add to the cooked curry .</div></div></div></div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-8469839007238491872008-02-03T16:35:00.002-08:002008-12-12T20:32:39.386-08:00What is Indian curry leaf doing in Chinese Chilli Chicken?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc9O0Zk2Su_AGhLYOnqgnoidu4dr_tKNrOqb2bTZ-y-naLN1-dxWv4_sdkk_pIS8yHYgIinMcqq6-25HwV7EJabSbAjzw2J4euDNQUd46wiJABD_-SJbiARoGWxGyc-te61PjJQ/s1600-h/DSC03265.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162930333831898770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc9O0Zk2Su_AGhLYOnqgnoidu4dr_tKNrOqb2bTZ-y-naLN1-dxWv4_sdkk_pIS8yHYgIinMcqq6-25HwV7EJabSbAjzw2J4euDNQUd46wiJABD_-SJbiARoGWxGyc-te61PjJQ/s400/DSC03265.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_Tree">Curry leaf </a>and Chinese- I know the words by themselves look odd when put next to each other in a sentence. But seriously, how long can you stick to a recipe without adding something of your own to the dish? My mother's version of chilli chicken has plenty of curry leaves swimming in the gravy, and yes, these aromatic leaves make the curry all the more exciting. </div><div></div><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Ingredients </div><div>12 small pieces of chicken </div><div>One large onion, chopped </div><div>Green chillis, 5 or6 , slit lengthwise</div><div>5 or 6 plumb cloves of garlic , sliced</div><div>an inch piece of ginger, minced </div><div>curry leaf, 2 sprigs </div><div>chopped spring onions, 1 T</div><div>freshly crushed black pepper, 1 tsp </div><div>soy sauce , 2 or 3 t</div><div>corn flour mixed in a little cold water, 2 tsp </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162929573622687362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjRvWoKAldJXaawDBPg98W9eKxNBhL6eAYHOvSIKha34pA15y_IDzFZi_s03t2HXs0Lw6CCxdbSGs9pKUxEr_P49kk0Wo3Oy5g1HTsy9l8pgR3DBJBuWHlirOKFkknv71gKvgMw/s320/DSC03245.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Let's get to the stove now.</div><div>Place the chicken pieces in a pot, and add enough water to cover. Add two tablespoons of soy sauce , cover and cook until the chicken is just done. Take out the chicken pieces from the liquid , and reserve the liquid. Heat oil in a kadai or wok, add the chicken pieces (be careful, the water in the chicken and hot oil together will give you some drama here) and let them brown nicely. Remove the chicken from the wok, and add the garlic and ginger. Once the garlic turns soft, add the green chillies , onions and curry leaves,and cook on high heat. Once the onions and chillies start to wilt , add the spring onions and pepper powder. Bring the browned chicken pieces back to the wok, stir fry for a minute or two and then pour the liquid. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium pour the cornflour mix and let it cook until the gravy is thickened. This not-so-chinese curry goes well with fried rice and plain rice and even roti.</div></div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-29629717779096596832008-01-23T16:24:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:39.539-08:00Easy-dinner : foil-wrapped baked salmon and penne with vegetables<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfFF0AwGRN1M9Cb41glBx69gJw_5VJi7B31alSXRStFTkf1GJ5tNjRGqFA481yD6KQzJOLl3-_6pY0z8K7hYVXZYmUJpMWvC646TWRd52bnDYAzUTiRXeALAQgRrTNJNEgrMcmQ/s1600-h/DSC03113.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160653490063910258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfFF0AwGRN1M9Cb41glBx69gJw_5VJi7B31alSXRStFTkf1GJ5tNjRGqFA481yD6KQzJOLl3-_6pY0z8K7hYVXZYmUJpMWvC646TWRd52bnDYAzUTiRXeALAQgRrTNJNEgrMcmQ/s320/DSC03113.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>These days I am on the look for simple and healthy recipes that doesn't need a lot of watching over the pot. This baked salmon and pasta dinner meets all the requirements and tastes wonderful too.</div><br /><div></div><div>Wash and pat dry the salmon fillets. Mix together fresh parsley or rosemary or any herb you fancy(fresh herbs give the best results), minced garlic, a little lime or lemon juice, a pinch of freshly crushed black pepper, salt and rub it on the salmon fillets. Add a dab of butter on each fillet and wrap each fillet in foil. Place then on a baking dish and bake in apre-heated oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. This way the fish remains flavorful and very tender. Time saver tip : line the baking dish with foil so that juices running out of the wraps will not mess up your dish. I usually marinate the fish fillets in the morning, cover them in foil and leave them in the fridge. </div><div></div><br /><div>Pasta :</div><div>One cup penne pasta</div><div>1 zucchini, sliced </div><div>1 cup white mushrooms, sliced</div><div>1 large tomato, diced and crushed </div><div>1 clove garlic, minced </div><div>1 spring onion, chopped</div><div>a pinch of crushed dry chilli</div><div>a little parsley, chopped </div><div>Olive oil , 1 tablespoon </div><br /><div></div><div>Cook and drain the pasta. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large pan, add minced garlic and dry chilli flakes, throw in the mushrooms and spring onion and leave it until the mushrooms are fairly done. Now add the tomato and salt and simmer for three to four minutes. In goes the zucchini and parsley, and when the zucchini is done -this should take just two or three minutes- add the drained pasta and mix well and serve hot.</div><br /><br /><div></div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-89691181278386840502008-01-23T09:51:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:39.758-08:00Colours for your baby: Avocado and Cherry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPplw635-p7mcCRUmWtTc20hyphenhypheny991NhqCOVww_r9DPPK6tEQ_dhtYpfKFGIqWVUPMzrI0H4qpYo0N6o1ltoJFHSCplSR4IQVweZFupELAamPt9bKSErZED43XPyVPT7XiFvwix8A/s1600-h/DSC03135.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158752636322947442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPplw635-p7mcCRUmWtTc20hyphenhypheny991NhqCOVww_r9DPPK6tEQ_dhtYpfKFGIqWVUPMzrI0H4qpYo0N6o1ltoJFHSCplSR4IQVweZFupELAamPt9bKSErZED43XPyVPT7XiFvwix8A/s400/DSC03135.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:85%;">Purple for breakfast and green for lunch</span></em><br /><br /><br /><div>Bring in the colours to your babies your diet - that's an easy way to make sure baby gets a variety of food and help you from setting into a pattern feeding your baby the same old food everyday. I didn't think of avocado as a feasible baby food until I came across this <a href="http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/avocadobabyfoodrecipes.html">site</a>. High in fat and calories avocados are a boon to babies who are busy all day climbing stairs and crawling all over the house. They can be served as such or mixed with other fruits. Cut the avocado into halves, remove the seed, scoop out the flesh and mash it with a fork. You can wrap the other half in a plastic foil and store in the fridge for a day or two and mash it when needed. To make watery fruit and vegetables puree thicker and easier to feed, add a spoon ful of mashed avocado.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This week we got some sweet juicy cherries. Last evening my other-half fed our baby a cherry from his hand, and she eagerly ate it all up and clamoured for more. What relief when baby asks for food! Today morning she had pureed cherries with oatmeal cereal for breakfast, and made it known that she really likes this new food with a toothless grin. To puree cherries remove the seeds and cut the flesh into small bits. Add a little water and simmer it until its soft, and mash it up with a spoon or use the blender. To detect allergic reactions to new food, make sure you introduce them one at a time. (<a href="http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/allergy.htm">More on food allergies</a>.) Have a colourful day!</div>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-55364178091561307412008-01-21T10:58:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:40.368-08:00Fiery Tales : Moluttathu with kappa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBr2mJZK3gsPKQAH2Dq7Rj0CV19SpFusNus4zhQR4q9VrVl749DGzyNNnif9wRZ0CyKi4qY7DK59UGko78E6Xi_WIKjnbws1V2U4nWGLzt1Nrouu54xHZhXRc3PwMBSScd0ytlQ/s1600-h/DSC03071.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158055572461062914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBr2mJZK3gsPKQAH2Dq7Rj0CV19SpFusNus4zhQR4q9VrVl749DGzyNNnif9wRZ0CyKi4qY7DK59UGko78E6Xi_WIKjnbws1V2U4nWGLzt1Nrouu54xHZhXRc3PwMBSScd0ytlQ/s200/DSC03071.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Thankfully, recreating the tastes of home doesn't always mean hours spent in the kitchen chopping, slicing, stirring and watching over the pot. This fish curry, endearingly called Moluttathu or Moliyar ( molaku meaning chilly) around Malabar region is so easy to make and such a tease for your tongue that it is a daily fare in most of the homes around the region. A yellow coconut based curry, a red moluttathu, two or three sides of colorful vegetables, our lunches back home always have been colorful.This curry can be made with a wide variety of fish, but smaller fish like sardine, mackeral, silver belly fish are more commonly used.<br /></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak84FtpyXlYHxEYH-WbM9L8qq08S3VTKhvDnzhDqkCjgSq_lVWwlYxcolk-UB07UB_uaJrT_H28pdlIiTwjkH14kxp7e_tA3eMyhz2okTK5htmenHDdqhNBBXy8DRuRNTCTPK_w/s1600-h/DSC03075.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_PzkF6y2mF0q-Hwm5RcBG5UGWvHQGlmJKVziruYDtJoV-4UoCpA1DlWSfPC07n00N5im7IgZ68qvve4YhVVfAo-7KUqx0zGkl0GoRBa1fZBpfgToMUL-5NRebnFuPnnBXefI8g/s1600-h/DSC03081.JPG"></a>Ingredients :<br /><br />Half an onion , sliced <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLE3ksS6XT-zuACMr_xnk7cLrhO32TqOPcFzjlsKoj51eNkTYva3lEwp6wQLIMC40fwknDk6pL7HV6zXoxdaH-Qz8I-zvAGdRPpOOeGKA-dZiVvajP4nOX7ar55Q6ksIbwai3Jg/s1600-h/DSC03075.JPG"></a><br />One tomato, sliced<br />An inch piece of ginger, crushed<br />One or two cloves of garlic, crushed </div><div align="left">One green chilli, slit length wise </div><div align="left">Two teaspoons chilli powder </div><div align="left">Half teaspoon turmeric powder </div><div align="left">A pinch of powdered fennel seeds </div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4j1Qrloe8uHguGoi_tm3v4fFj9jnVUDrcTJr8dMH7-2CE9kf1QJMZaGotniRpwjFMtGQy68qFeVVxxA_QgXjuAgup4Ikg36I_xr4DYhK2CIRmbO6pefDj2qDwKoRgozVfAnEdw/s1600-h/DSC03080.JPG"></a>Salt<br /></div><div align="left">fish of your choice </div><div align="left">juice of a lemon sized piece of tamarind<br /><br />Simply put together all these, except the fish and the tamarind juice in a sauce pan or pot , mix it up nicely with your hand giving it a squeeze or two, pour the tamarind juice and bring it to a boil. Add the fish pieces, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Make a tadka of fenugreek seeds, one or two small red onions sliced and curry leaves, and pour it over the curry. That's it, no grinding, no sauteing, no stirring. Enjoy the curry with a rice-dal combination, or with kappa.<br /><br />Today we had <em>mullan moluttathu</em> and <em><a href="http://greenchutney.blogspot.com/2006/02/yucca-root-with-fish-curry-kappa-meen.html">kappa</a></em> for lunch. Mullan (silver belly fish)being a small bony fish, you actually spend more time picking up the delicate flesh from the bones and eating the dish than cooking the curry; perfect for a day when you don't want to spend too much of your time and energy in the kitchen and yet want a nostalgia inducing meal.<br /><br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158047923124308674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4d6M-5YYpVetF87K2Hx4ehJ71OvmGl8RbnenYPyHpoQ-8HwdCcEYvHQM8g1vxsTSHSnEwLvB95b2UEG25YvwogduBIgh50ycqjLtmaxzOmXfMgL7qBf265m5K6y-ZIM_bNEvug/s200/DSC03107.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p align="left"><em>Mullan or Silver belly fish<br /></em><br /><br />A fiery fish curry and kappa, my entry for <a href="http://currybazaar.blogspot.com/2007/12/announcing-rci-cuisine-of-kerala.html">RCI: cuisine of kerala event</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158036902238227042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuLXKOnwxH6juQxFileXRvItHkEwgun4xFVhncK0syyHN-MRDYZUO1jnDKAtZigdPAGiH6ZnQzAZr5ZXYxLBROiMKndjpCIamLZm7iMh-AmBwl3QMf0vuASaIkfQAsuoYlCyAsg/s400/DSC03091.JPG" border="0" />reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-15195812805081494702008-01-18T10:27:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:32:40.769-08:00Warming up<div align="center">It's been too long a break. Long enough to make me feel like a newcomer into food blogging :) <a href="http://myinjimanga.blogspot.com/2008/01/personal-note-on-blogging.html">She</a> gave me the push I badly needed to get back to food-blogging. Her piggy bank story inspires me, but even more than that the sheer joy with which she shares her recipes and their stories warms me up. Keep going, girl!<br /><br />Years back, watching my friend's newborn snuggle up resting his teenyweeny face on her breast, I was hit by a painful yearning to become a mom. A few months back, watching my mom carefully feed my baby her first solid food, nature or love or whatever it was struck again and am already looking forward to becoming a grandma:). Where I come from, homemade rice cereal called<em> kurukku</em> is given as the first solid food to babies because it's easy to digest, and generally a brownish variety of rice called <em>navara ari</em> is preferred for its higher nutritional value. My little girl was five and a half months old when she first tasted it- a spoonful the first day, a little more the next day, and a little more, thus my mom got her eating almost half a cup of rice kurukku thrice a day by the time baby and I had to come back to the U.S. Grandma magic, you see. She also packed finely powdered and roasted rice, ragi/muthari and wheat, doing all the work by herself to make sure her grandchild's food stays fresh.<br /><br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156910272186943234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUwM-oW088SqvpdVeeJCcIcE9ZPayrbY0kL_EoIRudX98MiAhXsSXHPTxmKXaC8cFFNKWn9uNdzVM4LMfV7u1nMyWWG6GHye7lU1Yf3Z_ytCCZGzsOzLO1VHO66235EKxKV0Rqg/s320/DSC03019.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><em>navara ari<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br />Rice (or ragi or wheat) is soaked in water for an hour, drained well and finely powdered in small quantities. This is then slowly roasted over low heat in a thick-bottomed pan to ensure no moisture is trapped. Carefully made, these powdered grains stay good for months in the fridge, and it is common practise to make and store these powdered grains in larger quantities. Mix about a quarter cup of this powdered grain in one cup of water and bring to a boil in a heavy- bottomed pan. Once it gets boiling reduce the heat to low and cook till it becomes a smooth and fairly thick paste, stirring all the time to avoid cleaning up a messy pan. If her kurukku is watery my girl thinks it is some game and starts blowing rasperries as I try to feed her, so I make sure it is thick enough. Back home a dash of salt and ghee is added to these kurukkus. If you would rather<a href="http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/saltinbabyfood.htm"> keep the salt away </a>from your baby, a ripe fruit like banana or apple can be added to make these more appealing for your little gourmet. I sometimes use <a href="http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/11/26/jaggery-gur-bellam-sugarcane-and-palm/">coconut jaggery </a>too, by simply melting a tiny bit of jaggery in hot water and passing it through a sieve to remove any coarse lump, and then adding it to the pan.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156909816920409842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7v9GobabVB9buDSmx1Yi2pKM-YrW-3PHM-O8WIXfGHM7QLq48rZvmZ4_7pR7cpiHaK5rlruBBZ08bPOVgEQMEY8TNuqRcyDBqM5fsoShA-PL0bCjdYOoHWEAEbol_hKeP8siqQ/s320/DSC03025.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">coconut jaggery</span></em><br /><br /></p><a href="http://www.cpcri.ernet.in/faqpht1.htm">This page </a>says "Sweet coconut toddy is boiled to 1100C to 1200C and allowed to cool for solidification This so­lidified material is coconut jaggery or ‘gur’."<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156908975106819810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgnyZ-A4pU6NXopPnX6yHEJBQS6rFllCZD7BqBt36hy2UR-vPPtz9v5DDLij7YFFYuum0rEC7XK9vtszM_kYVvhugkpbK3t4jf9jNlpDqtFrGYOdkm-CA4MVAeCfQvZaufPAgMw/s320/DSC03039.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />...and then my princess feasted on <em>navara ari kurukku</em> and a steamed nectarine, kissed me, and fell asleep.reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-84640949358005053732007-03-04T16:32:00.000-08:002007-03-04T17:03:46.109-08:00Yahoo! India Content Theft- Our voices countI join the protest against yahoo! India's content theft.<br /><br />Su of <a href="http://suryagayatri.blogspot.com/">Suryagayathr</a>i writes, <br />"Yahoo! India plagiarised contents from several blogs when Yahoo! launched their Malayalam portal. The giant corporation hasn't yet owned up to their responsibilitynor did they apologize to the bloggers. When accused, they silently removed the contents. This is not acceptable. We need an apology!" (<a href="http://suryagayatri.blogspot.com/2007/03/my-protest-against-plagiarisation-of.html">read more </a>)<br /><br />Listen to other voices:<br /><br /><a href="http://kariveppila.blogspot.com/2007/03/protest-against-plagiarisation-of-yahoo.html">Protest against plagiarisation of Yahoo ! യാഹൂവിന്റെ ചോരണമാരണത്തില് പ്രതിഷേധം</a>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1150761235514125002006-06-19T16:07:00.000-07:002006-06-19T18:52:49.300-07:00How can I hold a moon beam in my hands?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT0345.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/400/PICT0345.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br />Shilpa from <a href="http://www.aayisrecipes.com/">Aayi's recipes </a>tagged me with the meme <em>10 Things I miss the most from my mom's cooking</em> and BDSN from <a href="http://tastecorner.blogspot.com/">Taste Corner </a>tagged me with <em>10 Dishes I miss the most</em>. It made sense to me to combine the memes, and so here's my list<br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">10 Dishes that I miss the most from my mom's kitchen</span> : (not in any order)<br /><br />The single line from the song from the movie Sound of Music is playing continously in my head now <em>How do you hold a moon beam in your hand </em>:)<br /><br />1. <a href="http://greenchutney.blogspot.com/2006/01/vellappam-fish-molly.html">Fish Molly </a>: a coconut milk based fish curry which combines a trace of tanginess from the tamarind and sweet richness of fresh coconut milk .<br /><br />2. <span style="color:#663300;">Ripe plantain halwa</span>: well ripe plaintain is mashed and cooked with ghee and sugar . Having no preservatives in it, this home made halwa won't keep good for more than a week, well it can't last longer than a week in our home anyways :)<br /><br />3. <em><span style="color:#666600;">Neeriya pathiri</span></em> : A very traditional Malabari rice-roti , that's rolled out so thin that it's almost transparent.<br /><br />4.<span style="color:#003300;"> </span><em><span style="color:#003300;">Puttu</span> :</em> Her puttu is what puttu ought to be, so soft yet firm enough to hold its shape.<br /><br />5.<span style="color:#336666;"> Drumstick leaf- jackfruit seed curry</span>: simply good!<br /><br />6.<span style="color:#993300;"> Semiya Biriyani</span>: This is one snack that has been in my home since I can remember, thin strands of vermicelli and shredded chicken cooked with spices.<br /><br />7. <span style="color:#009900;">Her Chai</span>: early morning, half awake me, newspaper, mom with chai - that's home for me.<br /><br />8. <span style="color:#333399;">Kadukka nirachathu / stuffed and fried mussels</span>: a cup of tea, a plate of kadukka nirachathu and the music of rain - all smiles<br /><br />9.<span style="color:#663366;"> Drumstick- shrimp-jackfruit curry</span>: yes, am an ardent fan of the drumstick tree. This curry is eaten with plain rice.<br /><br />10. I don't want to fill this space , because <em>How can I hold a moon beam in my hands?<br /></em>blame it on the song!<br /><br />This was fun for me Shilpa and BDSN, Thanks for sharing this experience !<br />And , now that you have kindled all my culinary memories, I am off to my home tomorrow for a two months vacation. Adios Friends! Eat well and Be well!reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1150080938356958682006-06-11T19:54:00.000-07:002006-06-11T20:11:43.583-07:00Sweet-tart Panha and calvin n hobbes : making summer memories<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/DSC00016.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/400/DSC00016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The first time I heard about panha was from Nupur’s <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2006/03/x-is-for-xtra-refreshing-panha.html">One hot stove</a>. <em>A drink made out of raw mangoes, </em>my curiosity was piqued. Two weeks back, while sharing summer stories with my friend who hails from U.P, this drink came up again- <em>back home we beat the summer heat with sweet panha</em>, she had said. So the next time we got raw mangoes from Indian store,we didn't think twice about what to do with it. We wanted to try some of the juice without the loaded sugar, and decided to make a sweet panha and a tart panha, and also some summer memories.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">recipe<br /></span>Raw mango : 1<br />Jaggery : 1 small piece<br />Flavoring of your choice: ¼ t (cardamom, cumin or if you are feeling very adventurous go ahead and add your favourite spice. I am thinking of using ginger the next time we make panha)<br />Fresh Mint<br /><br />Pressure cook the mango in about 2 cups of water for three to four whistles. If you are not using a pressure cooker simply boil the mango with enough water until the mango is thoroughly cooked and fall apart easily.<br />Remove the skin and seed, add powdered cumin or cardamom or your choice of flavoring, and mash the pulp well.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc66cc;">Sweet panha</span>: process the pulp with jaggery in a blender until the jaggery melts, add enough cold water and serve chilled with a little freshly chopped mint. You may want to adjust the sweetness to your taste. My friend suggests adding just a pinch of salt to the sweet drink to bring out its sweetness.<br /><br /><span style="color:#999900;">Tart panha</span>: add about a teaspoon of scrapped jaggery, a pinch of salt , and a dash of chat masala to the prepared pulp, pour enough water , chill and serve.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/400/DSC00020.jpg" border="0" /></p><p></p><p><br />Looking for the perfect accompaniment for this refreshing sweet-tart drink? Trust me; you can’t do better than delightful and astounding Calvin n Hobbes.</p>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1149201644818503882006-06-01T15:32:00.000-07:002006-06-01T15:54:38.183-07:00What a handful of dates can do to a simple curry<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT1079.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/400/PICT1079.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />My aunt <em>Jiya</em> is one cook whom I never get tired watching. There is a graceful rhythm in the way she goes about her job in the kitchen, whether sorting vegetables or marinating meat or grinding spices. As a child I have stood by her stove for hours, as she stirred and sautéed with such tender attention to the nuances of tastes and textures, for the simple pleasure of watching her create each dish, and the spoonfuls of affection she offers me in between.<br />Last time I went to her home in Kerala, she served us this chicken curry, the first mouthful of it was enough for me to fall in love with its creamy, well-balanced taste. There was a certain delicateness in the taste that I could not place.<br />“What’s in it? I had asked.<br />“Guess and tell me”<br />“ hmm. Coconut certainly, and then either cashew or poppy seeds, but there’s something else too..what’s it?”<br />“just some dates” her eyes twinkled.<br /><br />Dates in a chicken curry, it would have sounded weird to me if I had heard the recipe before tasting it, one tasting of her curry was enough to change my perceptions. Since then I have cooked this many times, and shared it with many friends and watched a few hearts falling in love with it. So here’s the recipe, from my aunt.<br /><br />Chicken pieces : 2 lb<br />Onion, sliced: 1<br />Ginger paste: 1 tsp<br />Garlic paste: 1 tsp<br />Tomato: 1 medium sized<br />Green chilli : 2or 3<br />Red chilli powder : 2 tsp<br />Coriander powder(roasted) 2 tsp<br />Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp<br />Cilantro, chopped: ¼ cup<br />Curry leaf : 4-6<br />Oil : 2 T<br />Salt<br />Hot water : 1 cup<br /><br />Cashewnuts,(raw): 2 T<br />Coconut: 2T<br />Dates: 3 to 4<br /><br />Grind cashews, coconut and dates together to a smooth paste and keep aside.<br /><br />Heat oil in a pot, and add ginger-garlic paste, crushed green chillies, sliced onions, curry leaves and cilantro. Fry till the onion is transparent.<br /><br />Now add the three powders; turmeric-red chilli-corriander and sauté on low heat for about a minute and a half to release their flavors.<br /><br />Then add the chopped tomato pieces and keep cooking till the tomatoes lose their shape, give out their essence completely and merge with the spice to form one tantalizing entity. I need a chicken curry recipe, not philosophy you say? Fine. Then simply fry the tomatoes till they are all mashed up into a gravy.<br /><br />Add chicken, water and salt. Mix well , cover and let it cook. You might want to check once or twice in between to see if there’s enough water.<br /><br />Once the chicken is cooked, pour the coconut-cashew-dates paste and bring the curry to a boil. Remove , and serve hot. This curry goes very well with rotis and breads.<br /><br />I am taking a bowl of this chicken curry to <a href="http://anthonyskitchen.blogspot.com/">Anthony's curry mela </a>that he puts together so diligently , every week!reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1148509208347465122006-05-24T15:10:00.000-07:002006-05-24T19:17:00.950-07:00Picnic at the park with hot boiled peanuts<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT1457.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/400/PICT1457.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Drive through any southern US state and you are bound to see road side boiled peanuts stands with home made signboards announcing their ware in creative spelling: <em><span style="color:#ff6600;">hot Bolld P-nuts</span></em>. An all time favorite southern snack, these hot spicy peanuts bring people together in a close circle around the big burbling pot. I had always wanted to get a taste of this southern tradition, and luckily one evening last winter we saw a man selling “<em>haat baald Peanuts</em>” from his pickup van in Wal-Mart parking lot. ‘<em>ya’ll want more’</em> he had said as he handed me a bag, and he was right. Later that evening hubby and I had such fun eating them, biting on their tough skin first to open them, popping in the plumb nuts and slurping the salty juice in the shells. Last weekend we got a bag of raw shelled peanuts from the local farmer’s market, and decided to make our own. <br /><br />We combed through sites to get a recipe, and finally built one taking tips from here and there. Almost all the recipes suggested boiling the peanuts for two to three hours, some even said eight hours of boiling. What’s a pressure cooker for? We asked and decided to go ahead with our pressure cooked peanuts. The nuts were soft and filled up their shells, and the juice spicy enough to satisfy our Indian taste buds; it was another evening of slurp, slurp, slurp. A cold sweet drink, and your favorite comics will be perfect companions to these salty nuts.<br /><br />Peanuts, raw: 2 lb<br />Salt : 1 cup<br />Crushed dry red chili: 1 tablespoon<br /><br />Wash the peanuts thoroughly, and soak them in warm water for an hour or two. Put them in the pressure cooker with the salt and chilies, cover with enough water, close the lid, and cook on high heat for three to four whistles. Reduce the heat to low, and let it cook for an hour. Have them while they are hot.<br /><br />This is what I am taking to Meena’s <a href="http://www.hookedonheat.com/2006/05/05/from-my-rasoi-5-picnic-at-the-park-or-anywhere-else/">picnic in the park, </a>so rollup your sleeves , set aside your table manners and get ready to slurp:)reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1148064597476818912006-05-19T11:43:00.000-07:002006-05-19T11:58:14.946-07:00No guilt, no mess, full of flavors, fibres and fun<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT1636.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1636.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Say that fast, full of flavors flibers and flun, full of favors flibers and flan.<br /></em></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Roasted salmon fillets</span> :<br />Think omega 3 fatty acids, or simply think taste.<br />Marinate the fillets in your favourite seasonings for twenty minutes. I used lime juice-crushed green chilli-cilantro paste – ginger-garlic paste – salt for a fillet , and lime juice-red chilli powder-turmeric-ginger-garlic paste and salt for the other. Smear a teaspoon of oil on both sides, and place them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cook the fish in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, turning once half way through, broil each side for five minutes to get the fish nicely browned.<br />...and you know that everytime you see wild salmons offered at a reasonable price, you have to grab them, right?<br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Oven roasted vegetables:<br /></span><br />I used broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower, a few slices of red onion and a clove of garlic. Don’t panic about the garlic, once roasted it loses its pungent smell and tastes slightly sweet and nutty, amazing transformation eh , it’s like putting the garlic in Calvin’s transmogrifrier.(yeah been reading too much comics lately)<br />Pre heat oven to 400F.<br />Drizzle one or two teaspoons of olive oil over the vegetables, add a dash of salt, toss to coat, spread on a baking sheet and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like to add the broccolis and cauliflowers some 20 minutes later, as they take much less time to cook. Enjoy the slightly caramelized vegetables with flavor filled salmon, and pat yourself for being so good to your body.reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1146176998020030462006-04-27T15:12:00.000-07:002006-04-27T15:29:58.033-07:00a side dish not to be sidelined<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT1521.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/400/PICT1521.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:85%;">A ball of rice with cabbage, now another with split mung dal and then a big ball with carrots and beans</span></em><br /><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em> </p><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><p><br /></span>Varavu/ upperi/ thoran</em> are simple, no-fuss side dishes made with a variety of vegetables. A typical kerala lunch will include one or two varavu along with the main curries. Carrot, cabbage, beans, beetroot, spinach, raw plaintain, radish, drumstick leaf....so goes the list of vegetables that can be cooked into a varavu. The spices vary depending upon the vegetable you are using; the basic cooking method remains the same. The most difficult part of this dish is in chopping the vegetables, and so cabbage easily wins the popularity contests of varavu. </p><p> </p><p><br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Cabbage varavu</span></p><p>Cabbage, chopped: 1 cup<br />One or two slices of red onion<br />Green chilli/ dry red chilli : 1<br />Mustard seeds: ¼ tsp<br />Cumin seeds: ¼ tsp<br />Oil : 2 t<br />Salt<br /><br />Oil-mustard seeds- cumin seeds – dry red chili- cabbage-salt-stir-cover-cook on low heat for 5 minutes- done!<br />Variants :<br />A pinch of turmeric will get you a nice sunny varavu. You can also add a little urad dal or nuts to the tadka for an extra crunch. Some like to add a little, about 1 T, of fresh coconut to this varavu just before taking off heat.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Carrot-beans duet<br /></span>This is one of my favorites.<br /><br />Carrots and beans , cut into thin strips: 1 cup<br />Red onion, coarsely ground : 2 T<br />Garlic , minced: 1 clove<br />Fennel seeds , crushed : a pinch<br />Mustard seeds: 1/ 4 tsp<br />Dry red chilli: 1<br />Salt<br />Oil: 2 tsp<br /><br />Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, let splutter tim tim timtimtim. Add the onion paste minced garlic, and dry red chili: cook until it turns slightly brown in color.<br />Now let the carrot-bean strips tumble down into the pan, mix well to coat the strips with onion-garlic paste. Sprinkle salt, and cook uncovered on low flame for about 5 minutes, or till desired tenderness. I like to add a dash of crushed fennel seed at the end, to lift up the flavors.<br /></p>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1145545147993054932006-04-20T07:19:00.000-07:002006-04-24T13:40:44.243-07:00Kerala ishtyle mutton ishtu and aripathiri<p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1358.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Mutton Stew /Mutton ishtu</span><br /><br />Aroma of <span style="color:#009900;">fresh</span> herbs and whole spices, tanginess of lime, mellow sweetness of coconut milk: this stew combines amazing flavors into one tantalizing dish. No more words, dive into a world of <span style="color:#999900;">goodness</span>.<br /><br />Mutton pieces, with bones : 2 lb<br />Coconut Milk: 1 cup<br />Green chilli : 3-4 medium sized <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT1334.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/200/PICT1334.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Onion , sliced: a quarter<br />Ginger paste: 1 t<br />Garlic paste: 1t<br />Potato, cut into large pieces : 1<br />Cilantro, chopped: 1 cup<br />Mint, chopped: ¼ cup<br />Cinnamon : 3 to 4small sticks<br />Cardamom: 3-4<br />Clove: 3<br />Fenugreek: ¼ t<br />Corriander powder (roasted): 1t<br />Lime: 1<br />Hot water: 2 to 3 cups<br />Oil: 2T<br />Salt<br /><br /><br />Heat oil in a pressure cooker: add fenugreek seeds and fry for a minute.<br /><br />Now cinnamon, cardamom and cloves to the hot oil, and fry till their <span style="color:#999900;">aroma </span>seeps out.<br /></span><br />Throw in the onions, ginger-garlic, green chilies, coriander powder, mint leaves and half of the cilantro. Stir,stir,stir for two minutes so that the coriander powder doesn’t stick to the bottom. A lovely aroma should hit your nostrils now, re<span style="color:#000000;">mind</span>ing you to Thank Someone for such <span style="color:#ff9900;">small pleasures</span> in life.<br /><br />Add potato and mutton and cook them in the mixture for three to four minutes. <span style="color:#ff6666;">Now</span> pour hot water, add enough salt, cover the cooker and let cook till it gives two whistles. You may whistle along with the cooker, if you please. Turn down the heat to low and cook for a good 45 minutes to 1 hour. This slow cooking under pressure gets the meat to a soft, buttery <span style="color:#666666;">texture</span> that goes so well with the coconut milk in this curry. Turn off the heat, let the cooker cool down and <span style="color:#009900;">open</span> the lid. Pour the coconut milk, and bring to a quick boil. Remove from heat, add rest of the cilantro, and lime <span style="color:#993300;">juice </span>and your stew is ready to be sapped up. <span style="color:#ff6666;">Thank God</span> for such pleasures!<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1360.jpg" border="0" /><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Rice roti / Ari pathiri<br /></span><br />As I have mentioned <a href="http://greenchutney.blogspot.com/2006/01/vellappam-fish-molly.html">earlier</a>, Keralites have gazillion ways of eating rice. Pathiri, though mostly made out of rice, can be compared to the roti of north Indian cuisine. There is a delightful <span style="color:#9999ff;">variety </span>of pathiris, some plain, some stuffed, and some layered and steamed. This recipe is for the basic pathiri with variant names like aripathiri /ari aracha pathiri/ arichu chutta pathiri / thadicha pathiri .Traditionally, soaked rice is stone ground into a thick buttery paste , and pathiris are shaped out of this dough with hands directly onto the hot pan. An art, nothing less. With no <span style="color:#663300;">stone grinder</span> here, we simply make a fairly thick batter in our meek food processer, and pour it out into the pan. A poor substitute, you say? The pathiris turn out to be pretty good though, and would almost pass out as the authentic one. <em>Almost</em>, stresses the dissatisfied pathiri connoisseur in me;)<br /><br />The trick in getting these pathiris real <span style="color:#ffcc00;">soft </span>is in the rice you use and in soaking it in boiling water. I stick to Ponni rice, since that is what my mother and her <span style="color:#cc0000;">mother</span> and so on have been using to make perfect pathiris. Dipping hot pathiris one by one as they come from the pan in coconut milk is a grand touch to this dish, adding a mellow taste to them. I did not follow it as the <span style="color:#663366;">curry</span> is a coconut milk based one, and the fat content on the can’s nutrition label always <span style="color:#990000;">stirs</span> up a fear somewhere.<br /><br /><br />Okay stop talking, just give me the <span style="color:#ff6600;">recipe</span>:<br /><br />Ponni parboiledRice, washed, drained : 2 cups<br />Salt<br /><br />Bring a large pot of water to rolling boil, and take the pot off heat.<br /><br />Add the washed rice , cover and keep aside for 45 minutes. After this hot water soaking the rice should look like cooked on the outside, but should have a <span style="color:#3366ff;">bite </span>to it.<br /><br />Drain excess water. Add salt and blend the rice into a smooth paste <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT1351.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/200/PICT1351.jpg" border="0" /></a>adding a little, about ½ to 1 cup of water. Try adding the water little by little , so that you <span style="color:#ff0000;">can </span>get your blender going using as little water as possible.<br /><br />Heat a thick pan. Pour a ladle full of batter, and let it spread out on its own into a thick circle. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and cook fo<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT1352.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/200/PICT1352.jpg" border="0" /></a>r another two minutes. Once this side is fairly cooked, gently press on the rotis with a spatula so that little bubbles <span style="color:#ffcc00;">rise </span>up, turn over the roti again and repeat the process on this side too. This is to make sure the pathiris thoroughly cooked inside. Your pathiri is done. Tear a piece gently, dip into your stew and enjoy <span style="color:#993300;">bliss</span>. </p>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1144786436952608062006-04-11T13:10:00.000-07:002006-04-12T13:20:50.950-07:00Fusion gone wrong<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/1600/PICT1292.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1292.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Chicken pot pie, with their golden crust and rich gravy slowly oozing out, has always tempted me. The only halal pot pie we could find was a frozen product from Canada. A bite, and then grand disillusionment. The gravy tasted of maida and margarine, and the crust was soggy with a strange aftertaste. Yet, the temptation remained in my mind. <a href="www.hookedonheat.com">Meenakshi</a>'s fusion theme inspired me to try out an Indian version of pot pie.<br /><br />Leafing through a cookbook, a recipe for country style pot pie with baking powder biscuits instead of the regular pie crust caught my eyes. Spiced up chicken curry with crisp biscuits, that can't go wrong, I thought. Maybe I could shape the biscuits into a henna pattern. Excitement. Little did I know that a greater disillusionment awaited me.<br /><br />For the filling I made butter chicken curry and added vegetables for that pot pie feeling, so far so good;just before I poured in the sour cream sauce a little voice from within told me to add some tandoori masala too, for that color and extra oomph. And I obeyed the voice. Mistake no. 1? Two teaspoons of baking powder for a cup of flour, said the recipe for the biscuits and I followed it .Mistake no.2 ? Or did I accidentally add more baking powder? <em>Biiiig mistake</em>.<br /><br />How did it turn out? Awful.<br /><br />The biscuits tasted like baking powder, they were crisp and fluffy and all, but tasted simply like a mouthful of baking powder. The stuffing proved that when playing with spices, there has to be a balance- throw in tandoori masala to a perfectly spiced up curry and you get something you don't want to swallow. It was 'modified' into a pretty decent curry the next day, but the biscuits had to be thrown away. I was not willing to see the little birds that come by our home everyday turn into baking powder biscuits, hence resisted the temptation to save the biscuits for the birds.<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1268.jpg" border="0" /><br />Such hopes! Such disaster! Life!reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1143340465859671152006-03-25T18:16:00.000-08:002006-03-28T11:43:48.310-08:00A meal in 30 minutes<img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1183.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />The idea delighted me, after all we have survived grad school and several such quick meals. So I set up the timer and set to cook a 30 minutes lunch today. The timer reminded me to keep going and not fuss over the details, and added to my fun. The secret of such quick meals,I think besides planning ahead, is in multitasking - that ability to catch up with your friend on phone while filing your nails and doing laundry. The fish had a rich buttery taste, and was complimented by the refreshing mint-lime pasta salad, and with hummus and a slice or two of toasted pita bread, it was a meal with a zeal.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Shallow fried whiting</span><br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1186.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />For this dish I altered a pan-sauteed whiting recipe I found in a Fannie Farmer cook book, the original recipe was lighter with the fillets sauteed and served in their own juice.<br />whiting fillets : 3<br />Seafood breader (or plain flour will do ) : 1/3cup<br />Lime: 1<br />Butter : 2t<br />oil: 2 t<br />Freshly ground pepper : 1 t<br />Salt<br /><br />Wash, and pat dry the fish fillets. Sprinkle salt and pepper, and dust the fillets with the flour. Heat oil and 1 t of butter in a pan. Add the fish and brown on both the sides (about two minutes). Cover, and cook on low heat until the fish is done, about 12 minutes.( I turned my attention to the pasta dressing here). Gently remove the fillets from the pan. Add the remaning butter to the pan and once the foam subsides add one teaspoon of flour to the butter, stir for a couple of seconds and pour milk, stirring continuosly to form a creamy sauce. Add juice of one lime after taking the pan off heat and mix well. Pour the sauce on the fillets and serve immediately.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Cilantro-lime pasta salad </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1165.jpg" border="0" /><br />Pasta with a tinge of India, you could say. I substituted the regular parsley with cilantro in this salad for a twist, and also because my companion is not very fond of parsley.<br />Pasta ( any pasta that will hold a very light sauce, I used tri color rotini): 2/3 cup<br />Olive oil: 1 T<br />Dry red chilli : 2<br />Cilantro, finely chopped: 1/2 cup<br />Cucumber, deseeded, finely chopped: 1/2 cup<br />Lime: 1<br />Salt<br /><br />Cook the pasta in plenty of water and a dash of salt. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and add crushed red chilli, stir fry for a few seconds, add chopped cilantro and remove from heat; adding cilantro to the hot oil brings out its flavor. Squeeze the juice of a lime into the salad bowl, add salt, cucumber, cooked pasta. Pour the oil dressing over this and toss well.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Hummus</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1189.jpg" border="0" /><br />Canned chickpeas: 1</p><p>Tahini : 1 to 2 t</p><p>Garlic: 1 clove </p><p>Half of a lime</p><p>Salt </p><p>Blend all this together into a coarse paste, adding a little water if needed. Serve with a dash of olive oil and sumak.<br />Tagged with: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/IMBB24">IMBB24</a> + <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/30Minutes">30Minutes</a><br /></p>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21525267.post-1143228481717865652006-03-24T10:30:00.000-08:002006-03-25T09:35:09.323-08:00With gratitudeI recently realized how big a role food blogs have started to play in our life when I made our grocery list,<em> iddli rava, methi leaf, tomatillo...</em> a whole lot of new items. "<em>Iddli rava</em>"? my life partner had exclaimed, "<em>you know what, Indira makes iddlis with iddli rava, I have to try it</em>" I had replied. New ingredients, new tips , new methods and some never heard before dishes, my culinary universe is rapidly expanding . This post is a feedback on some of the recipes I tried, and loved.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://kariveppila.blogspot.com/2006/03/blog-post_21.html">Su's Chutney powder</a><br />I love the chutney powder served with iddli and doshas in restaurants, and always stock my pantry with MTR chutney powder. Not anymore. <a href="http://suryagayatri.blogspot.com/">Su,</a> a fellow Malayalam blogger shared her simple and delicious chutney powder recipe. I didn't know making chutney powder was so easy! Do check out her<a href="http://kariveppila.blogspot.com/"> food blog </a>for more such no fuss recipes.<br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1207.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://towardsabettertomorrow.blogspot.com/2006/03/besan-cheela-vegetarian-omelette.html">Besan Cheela </a>from<a href="http://towardsabettertomorrow.blogspot.com/"> Kay </a><br />Kay's vegetarian omelettes rescued me from succumbing to the temptation of pizza for lunch one busy day.Easy, tasty and nutritious-everything I wanted my lunch to be.<br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT1086.jpg" border="0" /><br /></p><p></p><p><br /><a href="http://selfstyledchef.blogspot.com/2006/02/milk-puris.html">Milk puris </a>from <a href="http://selfstyledchef.blogspot.com/">self-styled chef</a><br />They were just awesome, the puris crumbling and melting in my mouth. I may not make them often, but once in a while these puris will lift up our spirits.<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7684/1940/320/PICT0684.jpg" border="0" /> </p><br /><p></p><p>Thank You!</p>reshmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08446884844313331004noreply@blogger.com14