PEPPER RASAM

Climate has become very chill suddenly in Chennai and I was having sore throat from yesterday. Was thinking what to do with it. My mother in law always suggests having black pepper Rasam if any one is having common cold and coughs at home and believe me its effective also. Normally this is the season when you are easily caught by cold because of climate change. So here is how I made this rasam which is called as Milagu Sathamdaum in typical Iyengar Language.


Pepper Rasam (Milagu Rasam)

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serving: 4 persons

Ingredients

For Rasam

Tamarind (Imali)-a small lemon size (soaked in warm water)

Tomatoes-2

Salt-to taste

Red Gram Dal-1/4 cup (Washed and soaked in water nearly ½ an hour)

For Rasam Powder

Red gram dal-6tsp

Black Pepper-3-4tsp

Red Chilies-4-5

Cumin seed-1/2 tsp

For Seasoning

Ghee-1/2 tsp

Green Chili-1

Mustard seed (Rai dana)-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves (curry patta)

Asafetida-1/2 tsp

For Garnishing

Coriander leaves

Method

• First we will prepare pepper rasam powder.

• In a pan dry roast red gram dal along with black pepper, red chilies, and cumin seed till it turns to light pink color.

• Remove it from pan and allow it to get cool down.

• Then put all this in a mixer jar and grind it like a powder

• Keep aside.

• Boil the soaked dal in cooker with sufficient water.

• Grind tamarind with one tomato.

• Filter this puree nicely.

• Add another cup of water in this.

• Cut another tomato in cubes and put this in tomato tamarind puree.

• Take a wide mouth pan and put the puree in this.

• Boil this puree with required salt.

• Once it starts boiling and the raw smell of tomatoes goes off add the rasam powder what we have made in our earlier steps,

• Boil if for another a couple of minute.

• Then take the cook dal and mashed it very nicely.

• Add this dal in rasam and keep low the gas flame.

• Allow rasam to get set with froth and wait till 1-2 boil comes.

• Take it off from flame.

• Now heat ghee in a seasoning pan and put all season items.

• Then add this season in rasam.

• Garnish with coriander leaves.

• Serve with hot rice.

BADAM KI KHEER (BADAM PAYASAM)

At my home we prepare sweets for at least twice a week. Some time my MIL prepares or some time me. Last week on I prepared BADAM KHEER which got over in half an hour and I did not get chance to take a picture of it. Today my FIL has asked me to prepare again the same so this time I took snap of it before serving this. So here is this


BADAM KHEER (BADAM PAYASAM)

Preparation Time-20 min

Cooking Time-30 min

Serves- 4 Persons

Ingredients

Almond (Badam) - 1 cup (soaked in warm water for ½ an hour)

Whole Milk-4 cups

Sugar-1 ½ cups

Cardamom-3-4 (Powdered)

Almond flakes-2 tabs

Raisine-2 tabs

Ghee-1 tsp

Method

• Remove skin of almonds and coarsely grind it.

• If you want you can add little milk also while grinding.

• Now take a heavy bottom pan.

• Add milk in this and bring it boil.

• Once milk starts getting add almond paste in this.

• While steering it add sugar in this.

• Keep steering this till it is thick enough.

• Now add cardamom powder and almond flake in this.

• Take it off from flame.

• Now heat a frying pan and add ghee in this.

• Fry raisin in this and add in kheer.

• Serve chill.

BRINJAL DRY CURRY

Here is one of dry brinjal curry recipe which is ofenly prepared at my in law house.

Brinjal Dry Curry (in Tamil Iyengar style)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serving: 4 persons

Ingredients

Brinjal(Egg plant)-250 grams(small size)

Oil-2 tsp

Mustard-1 tsp

Broken Black Gram (Urad) Dal-1/2 tsp

Asafetida (Hing)-a pinch

Curry leaves-5-6

Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp

Salt-to taste

For Masala

Black Gram (Channa) Dal-3 tsp

Coriander Seed-6 tsp

Dry Red Chilies- 6-7

Oil-1 tsp

Method

• Wash and cut the brinjal (egg plant) in 1” inch cube size.

• Heat a pan put one tsp oil.

• Put all masala items in that and fry it till the nice roast smell reaches to your nostril.

• Remove it from pan and allow it to get cool down.

• Once it is cooled then grind this in mixer like powder and keep aside.

• Now in same pan heat the remain oil.

• Add mustard seed, broken black gram dal, curry leaves and asafetida powder in this.

• Allow mustard seed to crack.

• Then add brinjal in this along with turmeric powder and salt.

• Once brinjal is cooked add the prepared powdered masala and mix well.

• Fry it for couple of minutes.

• Serve hot with rice.

TIPS

• Don’t keep the cut brinjal for long duration because it turns to black color.

MIXED DAL CHUTNEY (HEALTY OPTION)

Mixed Dal Chutney is one of my husband’s all time favourite. I and he both are on diet these days and mostly eating Wheat Rava Upma (Dalia) and this chutney goes very well with this. Since the chutney is made without coconut that is why it is healthy version.



MIXED DAL CHUTNEY

Preparation Time-10 min

Cooking Time-5 min

Serves- 4 Persons

Ingredients:

Pigeon peas (Toor Dal) - 2 tabs

Whole Black Gram (Urad dal)-2tbs

Bengal Gram Dal (Channa Dal)-2 tabs

Dry red chillies-5-6 (Or as per your taste)

Asafoetida powder-a pinch

Tamato-2 (medium size)

Oil-2tsp

Salt –as per taste

Mustard seeds- ½ tsp

Curry leaves-few

Method:

• Heat a pan and put one tea spoon of oil into it.

• Then put Bengal gram dal and fry it till its half roast.

• After Gram dal turns little red in colour, add Black gram and pigeon peas along with red chillies into it.

• Fry all these till a nice roast smell reaches your nostrils and then remove it off the stove.

• Cut tomato into half and put into same kadai and fry it till it become tender and loses its raw smell.

• Allow everything to cool down.

• Then put dal and chillies into mixer and grind it till it turn to granular powder , add tomato salt and asafoetida into it and again grind it till it to paste .

• You may not add any water since tomato shall add to texture.

• Now season the chutney with mustard seed and curry leaves or it can be served as it is.

• This can be a best side dish with dosa, idli, rice, roti or upma.



Health tips:

Since the chutney does not contain coconut it would be best for people with diabetes/ Cholesterol. Dal of course is a protein rich diet.

BITTER GUARD CURRY

Bitter Melon or Guard is rarely liked by any one only because of its taste. I was also allergic to this vegetable during my school days. I remember whenever this will be in lunch I will stay away from the lunch. After I grown up then I understood the importance of bitter melon. For knowing more about Bitter Guard just go through this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon


By this time you have understood that I am going to write down a recipe which is made out of bitter guard. So here is:-

Bitter Guard Curry with Gram Dal

Preparation time: 10 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time-15-20 minutes (Approximately)

Serve -4 Persons

INGREDIENTS

Bitter Guard-200 grams

Bengal Gram Dal-1/2 cup (soaked in water for ½ an hour)

Oil-2 tabs

Cumin seeds- 1tsp

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Onion-2 (Finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste-2 tsp

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Salt-to taste

Coriander powder-2 tsp

Chilli Powder-1-2 tsp or to taste

Tomatoes-2 (Finely chopped)

Curry leaves-few

Gram Masala-1/2 tsp

Method

• Cut bitter guard in 2-3 inches length (I have used baby bitter guard).

• Now wash the gram dal and put it in cooker along with cut and washed bitter guard, salt and turmeric powder.

• Cook it in medium heat for 5 minutes or till you get 2-3 whistle.

• Now take another pan and heat oil in this.

• Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves in this.

• Allow it to sizzle.

• Now add chopped onion in this and fry till it turns to golden brown colour.

• Now add ginger garlic paste along with all dry masalas and fry till it leaves fat from it.

• Now add chopped tomatoes and mix well.

• Cook till tomatoes are done.

• Now add boiled bitter guard and gram dal in this.

• Allow it to boil for 5 minutes.

• Serve it with hot rice or chappati.

THATTAI (VERY POPULAR SOUTH INDIAN SNACKS)

South Indian snacks are very popular in whole India. The verity of snacks items are made with rice here since rice takes major part of diet here. I love Murukku, Thattai, and Athirasam but before wedding I didn’t know how to make these. After wedding I started learning all these from my MIL and I am still learning. Recently got chance to learn from her how to make Thattai and it came out very well. Here is what my MIL has thought me:-


THATTAI

Preparation time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time-45 minutes-1 hours (Approximately)

Makes-50 medium size numbers of Thattai

INGREDIENTS

Rice Flour-2 cups

Black Gram (Urad Dal) Flour-4 tabs

Grated Coconut-6 tabs

Toor Dal or Gram Dal-4-6 tabs (Soaked in water before one hour)

Sesame Seeds-2 tabs

Coconut Oil-2 tabs

Unsalted Butter-2 tabs

Crushed Pepper Corn-4 tabs

Red Chilli Powder- 2 tsp or as you required

Salt- to taste

Asafoetida powder- 1 tsp

Curry leaves-few

Oil- for deep frying

Method

• Take a mixing bowl.

• Put rice flour, black gram flour and salt. Mix well.

• Now add grated coconut, soaked dal, sesame seeds. Butter, crushed pepper corn, red chilli powder, curry leaves and asafoetida powder.

• Mix all this well.

• By sprinkling some water to flour, make soft dough from it but it should not be watery.

• Now heat a pan and put oil in this for deep frying.

• Take a thin cleaned cloth or plastic paper.

• Wipe your fingers with a drop of coconut oil.

• Take a small lemon size ball of prepared dough.

• Keep this on the one side of edge of cloth or plastic paper and closed it with other side of edge.

• Now press this by your hand or a wide base vessel to make small circle.

• Fry this in hot oil in medium heat till it is cooked well.

• Remove on kitchen tissues for excess oil.

• Cool and store in air tight container.



MY TIPS

• For making black gram dal flour take 5-6 tabs of whole or split dal and dry roast in a pan and make fine powder in mixer.

• I have used pepper and red chilli powder for this you can use any of these as you like.

BUNDI RAITHA

Raitha is most common side dish in north India. It is popular with the combination of any kind of stuffed parathas or roti, pulao and Briyani.I make many kind of raitha but Bundi raitha with cherry tomatoes is one of my all time favourite. So thought of sharing this with all of you.

Bundi & Cherry Tomatoes Raitha

Preparation time: 5 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 10-15 minutes (Approximately)

Serve-6 persons

INGREDIENTS

Thick Curd-2 cups

Bundi-1 ¼ cups

Cherry Tomatoes-10-12

Salt-to taste

Cumin Seeds-2 tsp

Dry Red Chillies-4

Sugar-2-3 tsp

Coriander Leaves-2 tsp

Method

• Grind in mixer, or mix well by spoon, by adding sugar salt in curd.

• Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

• Now take a serving bowl and pour mixed curd in this along with cherry tomatoes and bundi.

• Now heat a pan and dry roast cumin seeds and chillies.

• Grind it to a fine powder then add this to raitha.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with anything you like.

RASAGULLA (CELEBRATING MY 100th POST)

Oh my God, I can’t believe this, I am writing 100th post today. It was 7th December 2009 night around 10.30 pm when my husband called me in front of laptop and showed me a blog in the name of http://www.shubhaskitchen.blogspot.com, but I could not know what it is because I was new to blogger world. I asked him what it is??? Then he told me that it is for me and he wants me to write my recipe in blog and see today I am writing my 100th post.


I would like to thank, my husband for giving all time support to me and, all my blogger friends for their wonderful comments and suggestions. I am celebrating my 100th post with one of my family favourite sweet Rasgulla.So here is how I made it:-

RASGULLA

Preparation time: 25 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 1 hrs 15 minutes (Approximately)

Makes nearly 15 medium size rasagulla

INGREDIENTS

Whole Milk-1 ½ litre

Way water-1cup or (Lemon-1 or Vinegar-2 tabs)

Sugar-3 cups

Water-5cups

Rose water-1 tsp

Method

• Take a wide mouth vessel and boil milk in this.

• Bring milk to boil then take it off from flame.

• Allow it to get cool down.

• Now remove the cream from the top of milk and heat again.

• Meanwhile if you are using lemon juice or vinegar for curdling the milk then mix it with a cup of water.

• Once milk starts boiling then reduce the heat and start adding way water or lemon juice or vinegar into it.

• You will see that milk will start curdling and water will get separated from it.

• Once you see that milk is completely curdled and water is transparent then remove it from heat.

• Filter the curdled milk (Chenna) in a muslin cloth and pour one glass normal water into it.

• Squeeze out water completely from it by pressing between your hands.

• Hang it for another half an hour to drain out water completely if any left out.

• Now remove chenna from cloth and knead it well (I have used food processor for this)

• The proper chenna for rasagulla will not stick to your palm and also you can make small balls from it very easily if you have knead well.

• Now make the desired size of balls from it and keep aside.

• Take another wide mouth pan and mix sugar and water in this.

• Bring it to boil. Once it starts boiling then adds the chenna balls into it.

• Boil in high flame for 10 minutes then in medium flame for 20 minutes.

• The balls will turn double in size after properly cooked.

• The another method of checking rasagulla is that if you press rasagulla by your fingers it will come immediately to original shape once you take off your finger.

MY TIPS

• For making rasagulla you need to maintain same temperature in all the time for that you mix 4 tabs all purpose flour into water and sprinkle it continuously if boils starts coming down.

• Try to use way water for curdling milk because it results softer chenna.

• The way water can be used for making curry and chapatti also.