Navaratri Celebrations - 2011

Building Golu Steps

Navrathri Golu
















Manjal-Kumkum








Prasadams/Neivedyams


~ Rava Kesari (Sooji Halwa)


~ Karuppu Kondaikadali Sundal( Black Channa Sundal)


~Kondaikadali Sundal (Chickpea Sundal)


~kadalaparuppu chundal (Split Channa Dal Sundal)

Flower Arrangements

A peek into my pantry

My kitchen pantry photos from photo archives.

~ kitchen pantry

Broccoli Parupu Usili

 Same receipe as Kaaramani Parupu usili

Ingredients

Broccoli       - 1 bunch including the stem  (2-3 cups chopped)

Channa dhal - 1/2 cup or

             mixed dhal (channa: toor) soaked

Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili       - 2

Turmeric        - 1/4 tsp

Salt

To Temper

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad Dhal        - 1 tsp

Broken  Chili   - 1

Hing                - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves   - few

  

 Method

        Chop the Broccoli into tiny florets. Briefly drop them in boiling water and fish it out. Coarsely grind channa dhal and red chili with little salt. Microwave the ground mixture for 1-2 minutes or steam it in idli cooker. Once it cools down, give few pulses in the mixer to crumble. Add turmeric and salt to the florets and cook till it become tender. Take oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds, urad dhal, hing, broken chili and curry leaves. Add cooked broccoli to the pan and give a nice stir. Finally add the crumbled dhal and chili powder. Toss it well and cook in simmer for few more minutes. Serve hot with rice and sambar.

Sweet Potato Fries

 

  Sweet Potato also called as Yam in some parts of US does not belong to the Yam family. It’s one of the Top10 Superfoods and high in Potassium (higher content than a Banana), Beta Carotene and Vitamin A.
Sweet Potato is a part of our regular diet. I simply microwave the sweet potato or bake it in the oven. Just for a change, I made it like finger fries that can be eaten with rice or as a snack. 

Ingredients:

    Sweet Potato - 2

    Chili powder - 1 tsp

    Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp

Seasoning:-

    Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

    Cumin seeds    - 1/2 tsp

    Curry Leaves   - few

    Broken Chili    - 1

    Hing

    Salt

Method:

            

              Peel and cut the sweet potato lengthwise (2"). Briefly boil the potatoes in salted boiling water and drain it. Keep oil in a pan. Add the seasoning ingredients. Once the seeds splutter, add the parboiled potatoes, chili powder, Coriander powder, hing and salt. Toss it gently and cook the potatoes for few minutes.

Javarisi (Sabudhana) Vathal

The following post is from my archives. Last summer, I made Javarisi vathal in our patio and took it for my mom and sister when we went to INDIA for summer vacation.

INGREDIENTS:

Javarisi/Saboodhana - 1 cup
Green chili - 2
Rice Flour - 1 ½ tbs
Lemon Juice - ½ lemon
Hing/Asafedita - ½ tsp
Water - 6 ½ cups
Salt - 1 tbs



METHOD:
        Soak  Javarisi  with enough water overnight. Grind green chili with little salt. Salt keeps the color green , otherwise chili paste becomes dark. Drain out the excess water from Javarisi. Boil water in a pressure cooker without the lid. Once the water boils, add  Javarisi, salt and chili paste. Mix the rice flour in half a cup of water and make a paste. Add the paste and hing to  Javarisi  and let it cook till the koozh becomes thick but pouring consistency. Add lemon juice at the end. Spread a white cloth (veshti) or a clean plastic sheet on your patio. Spoon the Koozh on to the sheet.



Let it dry in sun for a day or two.  Store the dried vathal in an airtight container. Deep fry them in oil and enjoy it with hot rice and vathakulambhu.

Masala Dosa

 

Dal Vadai Morkuzhambhu

Ingredients:

Thick Yogurt             - 3 cups

Green chilies              - 4

Grated Coconut         - 1 tbs

Ginger                       - 2 small pieces

Soaked Channa Dal   - 2 tbs
Jeera                          - 1 tsp

Cashew                      - few (optional)
Salt

Tempering:

Dry Red Chilies         - 2 broken

Mustard Seeds           - 1 tsp

Urad Dal                    - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves             -  few

Hing                           -pinch
Onion Vadagam         -1 (optional)

Method:

              Grind Green Chilies, Jeera, Coconut, Ginger, Dal and Cashew to a paste. Take yogurt in a big bowl and whisk gently to make a smooth liquid. Add turmeric and the ground paste to the yogurt and blend it well. Pour the yogurt mixture in a heavy bottomed saucepan and let it cook in simmer. Once it gently started to boil add the Dal Vadas to the gravy. Switch off the stove. Heat oil in a kadai and do the tempering and add it to the yogurt mixture.



   Notes: You can make this gravy with vegetables like Okra or White Pumpkin.  Boil the vegetables in little water with salt and turmeric and add it to the gravy.

     Serve morkuzhambhu with white rice and chembu(taro root) fry. Yummy!

Swiss Chard Poriyal

Swiss Chard Poriyal

Ingredients:

         Swiss Chard       -  1 Bunch (Cleaned & Chopped)
         Onion                 -  1 Chopped
         Red Chili            -  2  Broken
         Hing                   - 1/4  tsp
         Mustard Seeds   - 1 tsp
         Urad Dal            - 1 tsp
         Curry Leaves      - few
         Grated Coconut  - 2 tbs
         Salt

Method :
                   Heat oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds and Urad Dal. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add broken red chili , curry leaves , hing and onion. Once the onion is cooked, add the chopped greens and salt. Let it cook till the greens become tender. Garnish with grated coconut.
                   Serve with Rice , Sambar and Papad.
       
       

       

Swiss Chard with Channa Dal

Swiss Chard  Channa Dal

Spring Beauty from my Garden

Nutrient Rich Swiss Chard

Getting shower

Ready to cook

Ingredients

    Channa Dal               - 2 cups
    Swiss Chard             - 1 bunch
    Onion                       - 1 big
    Tomato                    - 3
    Green Chili               - 4
    Garlic-Ginger Paste  - 2 tbs
    Red Chili Powder     - 1 tbs
    Coriander Powder   - 1 tbs
    Amchur Powder      - 1 tsp
    Garam Masala
          Powder             - 1 tsp
    Turmeric                  - 1/2 tsp
    Potato                     -  2 small boiled , cubed
    Salt
    Butter                      - 1 tbs
    Kasoori Methi         - 1 tbs


Method :

              Pressure cook Channa Dal with 4 cups of water with little turmeric. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the chopped onion and green chilies to the pan. Saute them well. Add garlic-ginger paste . Once the raw smell goes, add tomatoes and salt. Once the tomatoes are well cooked and oil starts to ooze out to the sides, add the chopped Swiss Chard . Let it cook for few minutes and then add all the powders to the gravy.  Once the pressure is released, take out the Dal and add it to the gravy along with the boiled potatoes. Add more water if necessary. Add butter and crushed kasoori methi  at the end and switch off the stove.

Yummy Dal

Roti, Dal and Raita - Our Dinner Today

Red Bell Pepper and Tomato Chutney

This is a modified version of my previous post on Bell Pepper Chutney.

Ingredients


Red Bell Pepper - 2
Tomato - 2-3
Green Chilies - 3
Garlic cloves - 2
Corriander leaves- handful
Salt

Tempering

Mustard seeds
Urad Dhal
Channa Dhal
Curry Leaves
Hing



~Bell Pepper and Garlic


Method

Wash the bell peppers, pat them dry and cut into pieces. Heat oil in a pan and roast the bell peppers along with garlic. Add chopped tomatoes to the pan and saute until the veggies become soft. Meanwhile heat oil in a seperate pan and add all the tempering ingredients. Grind the pepper-tomato mix in a blender , add the tempered seasonings and salt to the last pulse. Serve with Dosas or Idlis.



~Red Bell Pepper and Tomato Chutney




~ Dosa, Idli Milagaipodi, Sambar, Chutney, Ellupodi ~ Our Breakfast Today

Roasted Red Pepper & Kalamata Olives Salad

Ingredients

Red Bell Pepper
Kalamata olives - pitted
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Salt to taste

Method

Place the peppers on a baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the peppers and broil them in the cooking (gas/electric) range. Once you see blackened spots all over, take the peppers out and let it cool. Cover the peppers or place them in a Ziploc bag. Once it cools down, peel the skin (skin slips off very easily). Slice the pepper into long strips. Warm the olive oil briefly and add the seasonings to the oil. Combine the roasted peppers, olives and the seasoned olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Eat it just as a salad or add it to your sandwiches or pasta.

Payatham Parupu/Moong Dal Payasam

I made Moong Dal Payasam on valentines day, a sweet treat for my loved ones.

Ingredients:

Pasipayaru (Moong Dal) - 1 cup
Jaggery / Vellam             - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
                                           (Depending on the sweetness of the vellam)
Milk                                - 4 cups
Cardomom powder         - 1 tsp
Cashews                         -  few
Ghee                               - 2 tbs
Coconut pieces               -  few

Method :

Dry roast  moong dal until you get a nice aroma. Make sure not to burn the dal. Meanwhile melt the jaggery in little water, filter any impurities and keep it aside. Pressure cook the dal in 3 cups of water for one whistle. If the dal is still aldente, cook in simmer with the lid open. Gently mash it with the back of the laddle and add the melted jaggery to the dal. Give a nice stir . Reduce the flame and add the milk slowly. Let it cook for some time. Add cardomom powder and garnish with the ghee roasted cashews and tiny coconut pieces for the crunch.

Kaaramani (Yard long Bean/Chori) Parupu Usili

Ingredients

Yard long Beans - 1 bunch (2-3 cups chopped)
Channa dhal - 1/2 cup or mixed dhals(channa:toor)soaked
Red Chili - 2
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt

To Temper

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1 tsp
Broken Red Chili - 1
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few




Method
Coarsely grind channa dhal and red chili with little salt. Microwave the ground mixture for 1-2 minutes or you can steam it in idli cooker. Once it cools down, give few pulses in the mixer to crumble. Add turmeric and salt to the beans and cook with sprinkles of water and keep it aside. Take oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds, urad dhal, hing and curry leaves. Add cooked beans to the pan and give a nice stir. Finally add the crumbled dhal , stir well and cook in simmer for few minutes.

Serve with hot rice and sambar.