Garlic Butter Asparagus

Ingredients

Asparagus - 1 bunch
Unsalter Butter- 1 tbs
Garlic cloves - 2 minced
Spice Powder - 1/4 tsp (Cumin, Black Pepper,Corriander seeds and chili flakes)
Salt

Method.

Wash and trim the asparagus. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped garlic and saute for a minute. Add asparagus spears and toss well to coat. Sprinkle spice powder and salt. Cook until the asparagus is tender.

Serve hot.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato - 1 (large)
Rice Flour - 1/2 a cup
Sugar - 2 tbs
Cardamom - 1/4 tsp
Heavy Cream
or Milk - 1/4 cup

Method

Microwave the sweet potatoes at Potato setting (8-32 oz) or microwave it for 4-5 minutes. Mash the potatoes with a fork. Add in the rice flour and cardamom powder. Combine the ingredients well. Dissolve sugar in heavy cream and slowly add to the rice-potato mixture. The consistency should be like cookie dough not like a pancake batter. Roll out the dough in rectangular shape. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.




Heat a nonstick griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Place the shaped pancakes on the pan. Pour clarified butter around the corner of each pancake as you do for dosa. Fry one side for a minute, turn it over and fry for another minute.


Serve it warm.




More than my kids, Mr.B enjoyed it so much. When I started making it, Mr.B told me not to compel him to eat as he is not a big fan of sweet potato. But he was the one who had it the most.

Handvo

I will post the recipe soon.

Oondhiyu minus Muthia

I used valor(avaraikai)in this recipe. Authentic recipe calls for surti papdi, sweet potato and eggplant.

Ingredients

Valor(Avaraikai) - 2 cups
Eggplant - 6 (small- Purple ones)
Potato - 2 (cut in Chunks)
Onion - 1
Surti Papdi Beans - Handful (frozen)
Garlic-Ginger paste - 2 tbs
Green chilli - 4 (minced finely or paste)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Jaggery - bit
lemon juice - 1/2 a lemon
Corriander Leaves - 2 tbs (chopped)
Salt to taste



Method

Wash and string the beans. Don't break the beans. Heat oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds, Ajwain, Curry leaves and Hing. Once the Mustard seeds splutter add the onion and fry till soft. Add Garlic-Ginger Paste, minced green chili , chili powder, cumin-corriander powder. Add the vegetables and salt. Add grated coconut and jaggery . Cover and cook the vegetables in very low flame. Squeeze lemon juice at the end and garnish with chopped corriander leaves.

Serve hot with Roti and Dal.

Last weekend , I made oondhiyu again. This time I made with valor, plantain, sweet potato, papdi beans and no eggplant. I didn't add coconut and jaggery. It came out good too.

Jasmine , Cindrella and a Thank You Note

Good friend of us sent these lovely fragrant flowers, when Mr.B visited
Dallas. They are such a lovely couple. We felt so rejuvanated whever we visited them . I wish they live here in NJ so we can visit them often.






Traditional Silk Skirt weaved with fairy tale story Cindrella.






Thank you my friend for the lovely flowers and other goodies. My daughter really enjoyed wearing the flowers in her hair , clad in pattu pavadai(long silk skirt).

Sprouted Black Channa Chundal

Ingredients

Black Channa - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Red chilies - 1
Curry Leaves - few
Grated coconut - 2 tbs (optional)
Hing - pinch
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp (optional)
salt to taste

Method

Soak the dry black channa overnight in enough water. Next day, drain the water and keep the channa in a sprout maker or in a colander for a day or two. Sprinkle water now and then to keep the channa wet while sprouting.





Pressure cook the channa with water and little salt . Just keep for one whistle. Once the pressure is released , drain the water. Keep oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds , add red chillies, curry leaves and hing. Add cooked channa to the pan. Add freshly grated coconut and mix it well with the seasonings.

Enjoy it as a morning or an evening snack.