Ginger Chutney ஜீரணசக்தி தரும் சுவையான இஞ்சி சட்னி

 This sweet ginger chutney is a sweet delicious way to stay healthy. This chutney is believed to enhance digestion, reduce bloating , reduce pitham, (as per Indian home remedy).

we love this chutney very much. I make this along with dosai, idli at least once or twice a month.

Ingredients: (for four scoops / 4 people)

Ginger - 4 inch

Red onion - 1

Channa dal - 3 tsp

Dry red chili - 3

Sesame oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind - 2 inch

Jaggery (brown sugar) - a marble size small piece (see video)

water - 2 tbsp

Tempering:

Sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seed - 1 tsp

curry leaf - 1 sprig

hing - a pinch

Method:

Peel the onion and slice it lengthwise.

Peel the ginger and slice it in to big chunks (don't cut in small pieces, as it may taste bitter).

Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a pan.

Add 3 tsp channa dal

As the dal gets mild red color, add the dry red chilies.Saute for 30 secs and take them out.

Retain the oil.

In the same pan, add the onion + ginger.

Saute till onion turns soft (not brown).

Switch off.

Add 1/2 tsp cumin, tamarind, salt, jaggery. 

Let cool.

Add to small jar in mixie jar and grind finely using 3 tbsp water.

Pour this to a serving bowl

Tempering:

Heat a pan with 1 tbsp sesame oil

Add 1 tsp mustard seeds.

When mustard starts crackling, add curry leaf, and a pinch of hing.

Pour this over the chutney. Mix well.

Ginger chutney is ready !

Serving suggestion:

Serve as side dish with idli, dosa or any rice dish.

Include it while having bigger feasts like briyani.

Basic White bread in Bread maker machine

'Happiness is homemade'. If you truly believe in this line , then try this homemade white bread and fall in love with home baked soft breads. After trying this homemade bread I have decided to make our own bread always. 

Advantages of making homemade bread are

 1. Less expensive 2. Great hobby 3. Nice aroma in the house 4. Makes your spouse fall in love with you again, LOL, 5. Ingredients are easy to buy 6. Less or no preservatives.

7. We can customize our breads too. 8. makes us look like a genius . LOL.

I have been using a Cuisinart brand (vertical model) bread maker machine since 2020. 

Always save the instruction booklets and recipe booklets for any appliance you buy. That will help in the long run.

Ingredients:

(Medium loaf 1.5 LB size)

Water - 1 cup + 2 Tbsp

Unsalted Butter - 2 Tbsp +1 Tsp

Sugar - 2 Tsp

Salt - 1 1/4 Tsp

All Purpose Flour - 3 Cups

Non fat dry milk - 1/4 cup 

Yeast - 1 Tsp

(Active dry / Instant yeast / bread machine yeast)

My handy recipe for White bread

Bread stored in container

Method:

Warm the water to lukewarm temperature (in cold countries).

Melt the butter.

Add all the items in the order mentioned.

Choose the bread type - here we choose white bread.

Choose the size - for this recipe, we choose 1 1/2 LB

Choose the shade - we are choosing a dark crust.

Press start. We need not do anything from this stage.

It will take 3.5 hrs (almost).

There will be kneading and 3 times of Rising.

In between the machine will ask , if we want to add any ingredients.

If we want we can add any additives like raisin or any other items as per recipe.

After all 3 rises, It will ask us to remove the paddle.

If we are removing the paddle, then take the dough, knead well using hands and shape like bread and place inside the pan. Then press start.

But removing the paddle is OPTIONAL. I won't recommend removing the paddle.

we can remove the paddle after the bread is baked (and cooled).

So I recommend baking uninterrupted.

After the baking is done, remove the bread. 

Cool in wire racks and slice.

Store in air tight containers and enjoy with butter or as sandwich.

Servings suggestions:

Makes 1.5 Lb loaf of bread

சக்கரைப்பொங்கல் Fast and Tasty Chakkara Pongal

Dear friends,

Wishing all a happy and prosperous Pongal ,

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 200 gm

Moong dal - 2 Tbsp

Water - 3 cups

Milk - 1 to 1.5 cups

Jaggery - 250 gm

Cardamom - 7

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Cashew , Raisin - handful

Method:

Rinse the rice and dal together.

Pressure cook them together with 3 cups of water.

In Instant pot , touch the pressure cook button and set to 5 mins.

If cooking in stove top pressure cooker, after one whistle comes , lower the heat and cook for 5 mins.

Switch off.

After the pressure is settled down, open the lid and mash the rice + dal using a spatula.

Add milk 1- 1.5 cups.

Mix well.

Start heating the cooker by setting it to 'saute' mode in Instant pot or 'sim' in stove.

Add jaggery pieces to a vessel, add 1 cup water and let it dissolve,

Add the jaggery solution to rice (discard the residue at bottom).

If the jaggery is pure (without sand), we can directly add it to cooker (see video).

Set presure to 1 min in Instant pot or cook in low flame with lid on for 5 mins. Let the jaggery melt.

Open lid after pressure settles down.

In a separate pan, heat 3 tbsp ghee. Fry the cashew, raisin add to rice.

Powder the cardamom and add this to rice.

Mix well.

Saute for 5 mins and switch off.

Sarkarai pongal in Instant pot is ready !