Seasons Greetings!

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..a short break!

Happy to announce the Birth of our Precious Little Angel... :) :) :) 

And...am taking a short break from my blogs!

Thank you very much for your continuous support. See you soon! 

Kambu Dosai/ Pearl Millet Dosai

Ingredients

Kambu-1cup

Raw rice/Basmati rice-1cup

Methi seeds/Vendhayam-1teaspoon

Urad dal-6tablespoons

Salt 

Method

Wash n soak the rice and Kambu together for 5-6 hours.

Wash n soak the urad dal and methi seeds together for 2 hours.

Grind the soaked items with enough water to a nice batter. Add enough salt, mix it well and let it ferment for 8 hours. 

You can add water to thin the batter (if necessary) and make dosa as we do for the usual dosa.

Drizzle oil on the dosa, flip it over..

Healthy and aromatic dosa is ready to serve.

Any spicy chutney or tangy kuzhambu will make the perfect combination with this kambu dosai.

Kambu dosai and Manathakkalikkai pulikuzhambu

Brinjal Gravy/Katharikkai Chops

Ingredients

Small brinjals-8

Chopped onion-1/4cup

Chopped tomato-1/4cup

Green chilly-1

Cilantro- to garnish

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon

Chilly powder-11/2teaspoon

Sugar-1/4teaspoon

Salt

Oil 

To grind

Coconut -3tablespoons

Coriander seeds-1tablespoon

Method

Chop the onions, tomatoes into small pieces. 

Grind the coconut and coriander seeds with very little water to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the onions and sauté.
Add the tomatoes after the onions become transparent and cook until the tomatoes become mushy.
Now add the turmeric and chilly powder, give it a nice stir.

Wash, pat-dry and remove the stem of the brinjals and make a deep "+" mark in each of them. Stuff the coconut paste in each brinjal..

Then add them to the onion-tomato masala..

Saute the brinjals for 2-3 minutes, then add the remaining coconut paste..

Add enough water and salt and let it boil nicely.

Once the brinjals are soft and the gravy reaches your desired consistency, switch off the stove, add the sugar and cilantro.

Simple and delicious brinjal chops is ready to serve. It goes well with roti as well as rice.

Easy Murukku/Easy and Quick Maida Murukku & Diwali Wishes!

Ingredients

Maida/All purpose flour-1/2kg

Ajwain seeds/Omam-2teaspoon

White sesame seeds-2tablespoons

Hing/Asafoetida-1/4teaspoon

Salt

Water-120 to 150ml

Hot Oil-2tablespoons

Oil-to deep fry

Method

Sieve the maida/all purpose flour and steam it in a steamer/idli cooker for 5 to 10 minutes or a nice aroma emanates.

The steamed flour would be a tight mass. Let it cool completely, then rub it with your fingers.

Add the omam, sesame seeds, hing and salt. 

Add water little by little and knead it into a soft dough. Add 2 tablespoons of hot oil to the dough and knead it. Keep it covered.

Heat enough oil to deep fry the murukku.

Put the dough into the murukku press/chakli press and press them into circular spirals.

Drop the murukku's carefully into hot oil, fry until both the sides turn golden in color.
Take them out and keep it on the paper towel.

 Quick and crunchy murukku is ready. Store the murukku's in airtight containers and enjoy!

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Wish you all a very happy Diwali!

~~~

Lemon Rice - Version 2

Ingredients

Cooked rice-2 cups

Lemon-1

Crushed Ginger-Garlic-1tablespoon

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Red chillies-4 (adjust to taste)

Green chilly-1

Channa dal-1teaspoon

Urad dal-1teaspoon

Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon

Cilantro-to garnish

Sugar-1/2teaspoon

Salt

Oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Let them pop up.

Add the crushed ginger-garlic and sauté for 30 seconds(till the raw smell has gone)

Then add the turmeric powder, broken red chillies, slit green chilly. 

Add the lemon juice after a minute and put off the stove. 

Let the pan sit on the stove for a minute, then take it out from the stove.

Now add the rice to the lemon juice mixture, add enough salt and 1/2teaspoon of sugar. Mix everything well. 

Now heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a small pan, add the channa and urad dal, fry them till it turns golden in color. 

Add it to the rice and give it a quick mix. 

Finally add the cilantro and the tangy and tasty lemon rice is ready.  Its great food for picnics and trips. 

Since we are frying the dal separately and adding it at the final step, they remain crunchy and enhances the taste. Adding ginger-garlic is also a new tip to me. This is my M-in-law's recipe.

Spring Onion Stir-fry/Vengaayathaal Poriyal

Ingredients

Spring Onion/Green onion/Scallions/Vengaaya thaal - 2 small bunches

Chopped onion-1tablespoon

Green chilly-2 (adjust to taste)

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Channa dal-1/2teaspoon

Urad dal-1/2teaspoon

Grated coconut-2 teaspoons

Salt

Oil 

Method

Trim the edges of the spring onions and wash them. 

 Chop the spring onion into small pieces. Keep the onions-green chillies ready.

 Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the channa and urad dale, fry till they become golden in color. Add the chopped onions-green chillies, sauté until the onions become transparent. Add the chopped spring onions.

Continue sautéing for a few more minutes on medium heat. Spring onion wilt and shrink  very fast, then add enough salt..

 ..and grated coconut. Mix everything well and put off the stove.

Quick and yummy stir fry is ready to serve.

It goes well with white rice or with Sambar-rasam-curd rice as well as roti.

Onion Puffs

Ingredients for the stuffing

Thinly sliced onion-1

Cumin seeds-1/2teaspoon

Curry masala powder-1teaspoon

Chopped cilantro-1tablespoon

Salt

oil

Puff pastry sheets

Milk-1tablespoon

Method

Thaw the pastry sheet according to the instructions on the pack.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.

Add the sliced onions and sauté on medium heat. 

Once they are transparent, add the salt and curry powder, give it a quick mix and switch off the stove.

Finally add the cilantro and let it cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Cut the pastry sheets into desired shape.

Keep the stuffing in each sheet. 

Brush some water on the edges of the pastry sheet, and seal the edges.

Brush the sealed pastry with milk, and keep them on a lined baking sheet. 

Bake the pastry in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Flaky and delicious quick tea time snacks is ready!

Jack Fruit Seed Stir-fry/Palakottai Aviyal

I buy Jack fruit at least once before the summer ends! This time (as usual) the fruit was not that sweet, but got some good quantity of jack fruit seeds. Was disappointed about the fruit and left the seeds to dry for 2-3 days! ;) Co-incidentaly I saw this recipe and prepared it. This is a nice variation to the usual pala kottai sambar or stir fry.

Ingredients

Pala kottai/Jack fruit seeds-1cup

Onion-1

Tomato-1

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Coconut oil-2teaspoons

Salt

To grind

Coconut-2tablespoons

Chilly powder-11/2teaspoons(adjust to your spice level)

Turmeric powder-1/4teaspoon

Cumin seeds-1teaspoon

Pepper corns-7

Curry leaves- few

Method

If the jack fruit seeds are fresh, you can skip this step. Mine were little dry, so I boiled them for 5 minutes. 

Grind the coconut-chilly powder-turmeric powder-curry leaves-cumin seeds-pepper corns with little water to a fine paste.

Heat coconut oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them pop-up. Add thinly sliced onions and fry till they become transparent. Add the chopped tomato and cook until tomatoes become mushy.

Add the (pre cooked or fresh)jack fruit seeds and fry for a while.

Now add the masala paste..

Mix everything nicely and cook on medium heat for 5 more minutes.

Delicious Jack fruit seed stir fry is ready to serve. Goes well with rice as well as roti.
Recipe Inspiration: Here

Wheat-Quinoa & Brown Rice Dosai

Ingredients

Wheat/Godumai-1/2cup

Quinoa-1/2cup

Brown rice-1/4cup

Urad dal-1/4cup

Methi seeds-1/2teaspoon

Method

Gather all the ingredients..

Wash and soak wheat-quinoa-brown rice and methi seeds for 4 to 5 hours.
Wash and soak the urad dal for 11/2hours.

Grind all the ingredients into a smooth batter, add enough salt, mix it.

Keep it in a warm place for 8 to 10 hours.

Fermented batter..

Add water (if necessary) and make dosai as we do for regular dosai. Healthy and tasty dosa are ready to serve.

Enjoy it with your favorite side dish.

We had it with Channa masala and coconut chutney.