Side dish for chapathi - Part 5

Here comes the fifth part of the Vegetarian side dish for Chapathi event. My heartfelt thanks for my friends who made this event a great success by their delicious entries and nice comments . Enjoy !

Besan curry from Saritha of My kitchen's aroma.
Cabbage curry Saritha of My kitchen's aroma

Thanks Saritha.

Sashi of Sashi's recipes presents the following.
Kadai Paneer
Kadai Okra
Channa Masala
Potato Peas Masala

Thanks Sashi.

Alu Channa Tarkari from Shaista Tabrez of Mix calculations.

Shalini Venkatesh has emailed me these yummy recipes. I posted them in my blog on behalf of her.
Aachari Bindhi
Mixed dhal

Thanks Shalini.

The below recipes are from Shama of Easy 2 cook recipes.
Capsicum Tofu masala
cabbage kurma
Baby cabbage gravy

Thanks Shama.
Not only the above, next slide is completely dedicated to Shama's cuisines.

The following entries are also from Shama of Easy 2 cook recipes.
Cauliflower manchurian
Paneer cashew masala
Mushroom masala
spicy potato curry
Paneer potato masala
Coconut milk potato apple gravy
Cauliflower Kurma
Red channa dhal kurma
Tomato kurma
Corn Kurma
Mixed vegetable kurma
Kadala curry

Thanks Shama !

Dry curry from Shanthi Krishnakumar's cook book.

Thanks Shanthi mam.

Paneer Burji from Sheba of Art Food and Travel chronicles.

Thanks Sheba.

Aloo Dum from Shoba Shrinivasan of Anubhavati - Tastes from my kitchen.

Thanks Shoba.

Sireesha of Mom's recipes has presented us the following entries.
Kadhai Bhindi
Matki Chi usal /Moth Beans curry
Navaratna Kurma

Thanks Sireesha.

Sonal Parsai of khane ke shaukeen has sent us the below dishes.
Dum Aloo Kashmiri
Gobi Korma
Sweet and Sour Bitter Melon / karela Fry
Moong Ka Mogar/ Stir Fried Moong Dal

Thanks Sonal.

Dal makhani from Sowmya of Creative saga

Thanks Sowmya.

Sreevalli of Ammaji Recipes has sent the following entries.
Cream Tofu Gravy
Pindi Miriyam

Thanks SreeValli.

SriLakshmi of Annapurna has made the event more gracious with the below entries.
Vegetable Sagu
Chole
Stuffed Capsicum
Shahi Paneer
Methi Aloo
Low Cal Malai Kofta
Kadai Paneer
Capsicum Masala
Baingan Bharta
Potato Curry

Thanks Sri Lakshmi.

Sudha of Malaysian Delicacies presents the following yummy entries.
Cream lentils
Vegetable Dalca
Amritsari Style Dal

Thanks Sudha.

Shahi Paneer from Sunanda of Sunandha's Kitchen.

Thanks Sunanda.

The following dishes are from Supriya of Queen of my kitchen
Bharli Vangi (Maharashtrian style)
Moong Dal Kofta curry

Thanks Supriya.

Sushma Mallya of Authentic Food delights presents the following delicacies.
Paneer Tikka Masala
Rich & Creamy Jain Paneer Makhani
Jatpat subzi

Thanks Sushma.

Trendsetters of Palates and Palettes have sent us the below entries.
Dal Makhani
Ennai Kathirikkai (Stuffed eggplant curry)

Thank you Trendsetters.

Medley Masala Curry from Uma of Telugu Ruchi.

Thanks Uma.

The below entries are from Usha nandhini of Usha Nandhini's recipes.
Stir-fried Cauliflower and Spinach
Tender Coconut Curry
Dal Fry
Paneer Kurma
Lauki Kofta
Muttar Paneer Kheema

Thanks Usha.


Next comes the entries from Vidhas of Appetizing recipes.

Potato Kurma
Double beans gravy
Roti and Rajma
Okhra subzi
kadhi Pakodi
Peanut masala
Mix veg kurma
Baingain ka Bhartha
Tinda Subzi
Jack fruit subzi

Cabbage and Peas curry from Valarmathi of Simple and Yummy recipes.

Vidhya Iyer has presented the following entries.

Channa masala.
Bengan Bartha.
Mattar paneer masala.
Green peas masala
Palak paneer.
Dhum aloo
Dhal

Thanks Vidhya.

Next comes the entries from me, Viki of Viki's kitchen.

Green gram curry
Pattani kurma
Mushroom pepper curry
Channa masala
Poori kilangu masala

Thank you all of you for devoting your precious time to participate in the Side dish for chapathi event. You all made it success.

Happy cooking friends. Enjoy blogging!

Side dish for chapthi (Non veg) Round up !

Hello friends!
I am glad to release the round up for the event 'Side dish for chapathi' conducted by me.
The result is as follows:
Total entries are 384.
(Vegetarian entries = 332 and Non vegetarian entries = 52)

My sincere thanks to all those participants who have sent their kitchen treasures to the event. Also I thank those visitors who make the event more enjoyable by their sweet comments.

I have clubbed the entries in a possible alphabetic manner and releasing the round up in 6 episodes . Out of which, one episode is purely dedicated to non-vegetarian items for your convenience.

My apologies for my delayed acknowledgments and replies due to some personal reason. Please excuse and point me out if I can do anything better.
I have tried my best to check and publish all the entries. But my apologies if something got missed. Do drop a comment and I will do the needful.
(event mail id: vikiskitchen@gmail.com)

I am dedicating this event to all the foodies out there.

Here comes the round up with all those adorable pictures and recipes.

First I am releasing the 'Side dish for chapathi (Non veg)' roundup.
I assure you that we will be getting the complete round up within this week.

Here comes the non veg entries for the side dish for chapathi event.

Enjoy the round up and Happy cooking !

Mullan Vattichathu from Ann of A Delighted foodie.

Thanks Ann.

Chicken salna from Divya Vikram of Dilse.

Thanks Divya.

karahi chicken from Faiza Ali's kitchen.
Phaal from Faiza Ali's kitchen.

Thanks Faiza.

Egg cube curry from Renuga And Gayathri of Ideas for a wonderful homemaker.

Thanks Renuga.

Easy chicken kozumbu (a chicken gravy) from Gita of Gita's kitchen.

Thanks Gita.

Marinated Mutton curry from Kavitha of Kavithavin kaimanam.
Kung Pao Chicken from Kavitha of Kavithavin kaimanam.

Thanks Kavitha.

Hyderabadi Chicken Curry from Mythreyi Dilip of Recipes from my kitchen.
Chicken Tikka from Mythreyi Dilip of Recipes from my kitchen.

Thanks Mythreyi.

Pappu's Chinese Chicken from Pappu of Cooking with Swarna.

Tomato Pepper Fish gravy from Pappu of Cooking with Swarna.
Thanks Pappu.

Cauliflower egg stir fry from Pooja of Pooja's kitchen.

Thanks Pooja.

Paneer Butter Masala from Pavithra of Dishes from my kitchen.

Thanks Pavithra.

Fish curry From Radhika vasanth of Sourashtra kitchen.

Thanks Radhika.

Green Chicken Kuruma from Sanghi of Sanghi's tasty bites.
Spicy Mutton Curry from Sanghi of Sanghi's tasty bites.
Classic Chicken Curry from Sanghi of Sanghi's tasty bites.

Thanks Sanghi.

The following are contributed by Sapthanaa.

pepper mutton masala from Sapthanaa Balachander of Passion4cooking.
egg thakkali thokku from Sapthanaa Balachander of Passion4cooking.

Egg masala from Sapthanaa Balachander of Passion4cooking.
chilli chicken (srilankan) from Sapthanaa Balachander of Passion4cooking.
Chilli chicken manchurian from Sapthanaa Balachander of Passion4cooking.
Chicken Chukka Fry from Sapthanaa Balachander of Passion4cooking.

Thanks Sapathanaa.

The following recipes are from Sapthanaa Balachander of Passion4cooking.

Crab Curry

crab pirattal

saunf chicken

Egg burji (1)

Fish masala

Pepper crab

Mutton Kheema


kheema kofta curry

Mutton kurma

Pepper chicken

kashmiri Mutton liver masala

Mutton Stew

Thanks Sapthanaa.

Mutton Keema from Saraswathy Balakrishnan of Taste of Saras' kitchen.

Thanks Saraswathy.

Rogan gosh from Saritha of My kitchen aroma.

Thanks Saritha.

Egg curry from Shama of Easy to cook recipes.

Thanks Shama.

Egg in Mint Gravy from Srivalli of Ammaji recipes.

Thanks Srivalli.

Chicken curry from Sudha of Malaysian delicacies.
Chicken Madrasa from Sudha of Malaysian delicacies.
Kari Kapitan from Sudha of Malaysian delicacies.
Fish Curry from Sudha of Malaysian delicacies.
Nyonya Fish Curry from Sudha of Malaysian delicacies.

Thanks Sudha.

Egg Omlette Curry from Sunanda Dey of Sunanda's kitchen.

Thanks Sunanda.


Chicken ularthu from Varsha of Will-o'-the- wisp.

Thanks Varsha.

Indian Prawn Curry from Vijitha Shyam of A foodie n her cooking hat.

Thanks Vijitha.


Chicken salna for parotta from Viki of Viki's kitchen.

Ginger chicken from Viki of Viki's kitchen.
Mutton sukka varuval from Viki of Viki's kitchen.

Note:
As per many of my friends' requests I am accepting lateral entries from today.
So if you are eager to include any of your recipes here , please drop the URL of your post in the comment column. I will be glad to accept them as lateral entries.
There is no time line for that.
Non bloggers can send it to my mail id: vikiskitchen@gmail.com

Barley soup

Barley is a cereal loaded with larger amount of fiber.
We generally get 3.98 gms of fiber from 1 cup of oatmeal, whereas the same 1 cup of barley provides us 13.6 gm of fiber.
So the addition of barley in our diet will help us to get more fiber and hence a healthy digestive system. But beware too much of anything is not good.
So let's keep in mind barley is a good diuretic too.

Here is a low calorie soup made from barley and vegetables.


Ingredients:
Uncooked Barley - 1/2 cup
onion - 2 tbsp
garlic - 2 tbsp (crushed)
Green beans - 10
cabbage - 1/2 cup (shredded)
carrot - 1
Tomato - 2
Button mushroom - 4
Pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste.
olive oil - 1 tsp
Wheat flour - 1 tsp

Method:
Wash and clean the barley. Soak it in water for 2 hours. Then cook till it becomes soft.

Heat a pan with olive oil. Saute the crushed garlic and onion.

Then add the chopped vegetables and let them cook in 1 cup of water.

Now add all the vegetables to the cooked barley , salt and add water to get the soup consistency.

Dissolve the wheat flour in 1/2 cup of water and add it to the soup and let it come to a boil.

Switch off. No need to add cream.
Barley soup is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve hot with pepper. Makes nearly 500ml of soup.
Makes a complete meal if served with some protein rich sandwich.

Approximate calorie calculation:
Barley uncooked 1/2 c = 200 K cal
olive oil 1 tsp = 40 K cal
Vegetable soup 1 cup = 56 K cal (we have 2 cups= 112)

Total is nearly 352 K cal from the entire dish.

Individual calorie courtesy : http://www.livestrong.com/

Event:

Pasta Soup:


The barley soup and pasta soup goes to Sireesha's Soup N juice event.

Entries through email .

This post is dedicated to Ms.Shalini Venkatesh who emailed me the following recipes to participate in the 'Side dish for chapathi' event.

I appreciate the effort taken by Shalini to take part in this event.
Thanks a lot Shalini.

1.Achaari Bhindi:


















To be ground into a powder:

2 tbsp Toor dal, few whole black peppercorns and little salt to taste.

Ingredients:

1 Onion Chopped (medium)
1 Tomato chopped (medium)
20 nos lady fingers cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 tsp haldi
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp kasuri methi
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chole masala

Method:
Take lady finger, trim the edges and cut into 2 pieces. Grind toor dal, pepper, little salt to fine powder in dry grinder.

Slit ladies' finger from between and stuff this dry powder. Keep in microwave proof dish and cook in microwave for 5-6 mts with lid till soft.

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onion, saute. Add tomato, salt, red chilli powder, haldi, chole masala, garam masala from table 2 and saute till raw smell has gone. Add cooked bhindi, toss till masala coats bhindi completely on sim flame for 2-3 mts. Switch off. Garnish with dhaniya and serve hot with flatbreads of your choice.

If you do not have microwave, steam lady finger in pressure cooker till soft but firm. Take care to not make it mushy.


2.Mixed Dhal:






Ingredients:
100 g Toovar dal
100 g Chana dal
100 g Black dhall whole
100 g Masoor dal (split)
100 g Moong dal
100 g Green dal whole
1 Tomato (big) chopped
1 Green chilli slit
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
½ tsp Haldi powder
½ tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Jeera (cumin)
2 stick Coriander chopped
1 stick Curry leaves
¾ tsp Red chilli powder (or to taste)

Method:

Soak all dals together overnight. In the morning, pressure cook for 2 whistles and keep aside. Take a pan, add oil, jeera seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves, tomato, green chilli and saute. Add salt, haldi, red chilli powder, garam masala and saute. When oil leaves the sides, add cooked dal along with little water and boil till thick consistency. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Serve hot with rotis or white rice and aloo fry.

Repost:

I am reposting the following recipes for the Side dish for chapathi event.

Vegetarian entries:
Green gram curry

Pattani kuruma

Mushroom pepper curry

Channa masala

Poori kilangu masala

Non vegetarian entries:
Ginger chicken

Mutton sukka varuval

Chicken salna

All are welcome to send their entries for the Side dish for chapathi event on or before 15 September, 2009.

Cheers,
Viki.

Poondu Kulambu

Poondu means Garlic. Poondu kulambu is another famous curry prepared in South India.
It is a spicy curry prepared with a lot of tamarind and garlic. Mostly this poondu kulambu can be served like vatral kulambu after the sambar rice.
One can buy this this authentic poondu kulambu in sachets and bottles by popular brands in most Indian grocery shops.

Spicy poondu kulambu served over piping hot rice along with a simple cabbage poriyal and applam can make a perfect homely dinner..Isn't it:)

Poondu Kuzhambu

Poondu kulambu . (Photo updated July 2013).

Poondu kulambu / Garlic spicy tamarind curry / Poodu puli kulambu :

Ingredients
Garlic - 2 full (20 pearls)
sesame oil- 3 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Tamarind - 1 lemon size
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
chilli powder- 1 tsp (optional)
Kulambu milagai thool - 3 tbsp
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
fenugreek seed- 1/4 tsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig
chopped Red onion or shallot - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 big
salt - to taste
jaggery - 1 tsp

Method:
Extract juice from tamarind. Mix the chilly powder , kulambu milagai thool , Turmeric powder ,salt, and mix well. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan .
Add the mustard seeds ,cumin and fenugreek seeds.
Let the mustard pop. Sprinkle the asafoetida.

Now put the curry leaves , onion and saute till the onion turns brown.
Then add the chopped tomato and let it mash completely.

Skin the garlic . Put the garlic along with tomato and saute well.

Then pour the tamarind extract and let it come to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium.
Wait till the kulambu becomes a thick gravy and oil starts showing off.

Add a small piece of jaggery and switch off flame.

Serving suggestions:
It can be served as a side dish for rice, chapathi and curd rice.
Goes fine with hot rice and pappad.
This can be preserved even outside refrigerator for 3 - 4 days(If oil is used liberally and handled with hygiene).
So this can be used for travel food packages.
Poondu kulambu can be safely refrigerated for a month.

Note:
*Click to seekulambu milagai thool recipe.
*Kulambu milagai thool can be replaced by the folowing mixture:
coriander powder 2 tsp + sambar powder 1tsp + idly podi 2 tbsp

Mutton Chukka Varuval .

Mutton chukka varuval is a famous dry curry prepared in the restaurants of TamilNadu , India. Chukka means dry curry.
It gets its gorgeous brown or almost a blackish red color due to the stir fry procedure. This dish will not have any mint leaf or cilantro . But the main flavor comes from the loads of onion and curry leaf.
It is my dad's favorite and he never fails to buy us this incredible chukka along with parotta , whenever he goes to Tuticorin.

It is a famous dish in chettinad cuisine also. But I am narrating my native method here.



Goat dry curry / mutton stir fry / mutton sukka varuval:

Ingredients:
To pressure cook:
Goat meat (mutton) - 1 lb (1/2 kg)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Shallot onion - 5
Garlic - 5 pearls
water - to immerse the meat.

To grind:
Ginger - 3 inch
garlic - 6 pearls
fennel seed (sombu) - 1 tsp
Black pepper - 2 tbsp
cumin - 1 tsp

Others:
Red onion - 2 (big)
Tomato - 2
cinnamon - 2 inch,
clove - 5
bay leaf - 2
Salt - to taste
sesame Oil - 1/2 cup
curry leaf - 2 sprig
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
Shakthi curry masal powder - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp (to sprinkle at last)

Method:
1.Cut the meat into small pieces. Wash and clean the meat.
Add all the items given to pressure cook together and cook till we get a whistle. Then reduce flame and cook for 15 minutes.
After the pressure gets released , check if the mutton is cooked.

2. Heat oil in a wok. Add cinnamon, clove and bay leaf.
Then add the finely chopped onion and fry till it becomes red.
Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.
Then goes the tomato and fry till oil gets separated.

3.Now add all the powders , salt along with the water in the cooked meat , except the the mutton.Stir the mixture continuously till the masala becomes almost dry.

4.Then add the cooked mutton and stir fry until the fry becomes a dry curry.

Mutton chukka varuval is ready !

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with chapathi, parotta chalna or rice.
Sprinkling some lime juice and garnishing with curry leaves makes the dish more flavorful.

Note:
Addition of 1/4 tsp meat tenderizer powder while pressure cooking , makes the meat very tender and juicy.


Event:


Mutton Chukka Varuval goes a 'Side dish for chapathi', an event hosted by me.
Rush your entries before September 15, 2009.

Kulambu milagai thool

The word kulambu milagai thool brings me the memories of the days when people rush towards the grinding mill with their big size vessels with handle (the vessel is called thookku pathiram in Tamil) filled with sundried spices at least once a month. Even though my mom had a different version of making the powder / mixture...I started using this powder recently. It is the basic powder for many delicious South Indian curries.

Kulambu milagai thool is an all purpose curry powder used in many Indian houses. It is similar to the sambar powder except for some ingredients and the large amount of dry red chilly.
This powder can be used in making puli kulambu,kara kulambu, vatha kulambu, meen (fish) kulambu or any non vegetarian curry.

Kuzhambu mil'agai thool / All purpose curry powder



Ingredients:
(Multiply the below ratio to get bulk quantity. If you are interested in grinding large quantities in a mill, then sun drying the below items is the best idea.)
Dry red chilly - 2 cup
coriander seed - 1 cup
cumin - 1/4 cup
Black pepper - 1/4 cup
Asafoetida - tiny piece (1/4 inch cube)
Channa dhal - 1/4 cup
fenugreek (venthayam) - 1 tsp
Curry leaf - 2 brigs

Method:
Dry roast all the items given above individually .
Roast the curry leaves till it looses all the moisture.
Let it cool completely.
Grind to a fine powder using a coffee grinder / Indian mixer.
Spread it to cool again.
Store in an airtight container for use.
No need to refrigerate it.

Ginger chicken (Indian version)

Ginger chicken is a chinese dish. Sometime before, I tasted this chicken dish in a restaurant in Tuticorin (TN, India) with more Indian touch. It was so tangy and spicy drenched with all that ginger .
Here I should mention, Tuticorin is famous for exotic non vegetarian food.
I tried many permutations and combination to arrive at a formula to make this.
So here is my version of ginger chicken.




Ingredients:
Chicken (boneless) - 1 lb (1/2 kg)
Ginger - 50 gm
clove - 5
cinnamon - 1 inch
black pepper - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Red color - 3 drops
Salt - to taste
egg - 1
lemon - (1 juice)
plain Indian yogurt - 4 tbsp
AP flour / maida - 1 tbsp
oil - To deep fry

Method:
Cut the chicken into small cubes.
Grind the ginger to a fine paste along with cinnamon, cloves, salt and black pepper. Marinate the chicken with all items given above except the oil for 2 hrs or overnight in fridge.

Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the marinated chicken pieces till it is completely cooked. keep aside.

To Temper (finishing touch):
Onion - 1 (big)
oil - 1 tbsp
salt - to taste (3/4 tsp)
curry leaf - 1 sprig
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1
slivered ginger - a handful

Cut the onion into thin long pieces.
Heat a wok with a tbsp oil.
Add the onion and fry for a while till it gets half cooked.
Then put the curry leaf, salt, chilli powder, the fried chicken and mix well.

Put off stove.
Squeeze the lime juice and add the finely slivered ginger pieces. Check for salt.
Mix well and serve hot.

Serving suggestion:
This is a dry curry.
Goes well with chapathi, roti and rice.
Serves 6 people.

Event:




Ginger chicken goes as the 'Side dish for chapathi', an event hosted by me.
Rush your entries before September 15, 2009.

Garlic milk

How about a drink that fights the bad cholesterol , provides immunity and puts you to a good night sleep? Here is it, prepared in viki's kitchen to make you all fall in love with milk.
This is a medicinal drink prepared with garlic and milk. Surprisingly the presence of garlic will not be felt in that milk and I am sure every one will like it.
Sending this recipe to Sanghi's FIL - Milk event. Grab it before it gets cold:)

Poondu paal / garlic milk:



Ingredients:
Milk - 2 cups
sugar / palm crystalline sugar (panai karkandu) - 3 tbsp
Garlic - 6 pearls

Method:
Boil the milk . Add finely sliced garlic along with sugar and cook till the garlic becomes soft.

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot as bed time milk. The left out garlic should be consumed.
Good for reducing the body fat and bad cholesterol.
Helps lactating mothers , improves immunity, cures allergies, cold and to control blood pressure .

Reposts

The following entries are for Sanghi's FIL - Milk event.

Milk Porridge:


Paal payasam:



The below entry is for EC's WYF: Breakfast event.

Venn Pongal:















This carrot cake goes to Raaji's Anniversary special cake event.

Carrot cake (Easter theme):


Sending the below dinner for the Cooking for guest event by Rak's Kitchen.

A Simple Pizza dinner:


I am reposting the following sweets for the Festive food event conducted by Purva and Priti.
Sesame ladoo and mothagam are prepared during the Vinayagar Chathurthi festival. Click the links below to read more.

Sesame Ladoo



Mothagam (kolukkattai):


Wishing you all a very happy Vinayagar Chathurthi!

Aval vellam

Aval vellam is a special offering prepared during Saraswathi pooja and Krishna Jeyanthi. Because of its simplicity , we can prepare this sweet in just 10 minutes.
I am sending this sweet dish to Shanthi's State special event on behalf of TamilNadu and Purva's Festive food event for krishna Jeyanthi.



Ingredients:
Poha / beaten rice / aval (thicker variety)- 1 1/4 cup
vellam / jaggery / brown sugar - 3/4 cup
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
cashew - 10
cardamom - 3
Raisin - 10
almond slices - 10

Method:
Wash and clean the poha. Soak it for 3 minutes and drain the water completely.
Take 1/2 cup of water in a wok and heat it along with the jaggery.
As the jaggery dissolves, filter and remove the impurities.
Again heat it to achieve a thicker solution called one string consistency.
(One string consistency means, if you take the stirring spoon out of the jaggery solution and if you can get a thing string dripping as the last drop , it is called so).
Mix the poha, cashews, shredded coconut, powdered cardamom, raisin , almond and stir well.
Immediately switch off the flame.
Aval vellam is ready!

Note:
We can roast the nuts and raisins in ghee before adding. But I stick to the more simpler old version.

Serving suggestions:
In my home town, this sweet is served as a starter snack during festive occasions as soon as the guest arrives.
Serves 4 people.

Murungakkai masala poriyal

Drumstick is a very common vegetable in India. That too in the southern India, we cannot see a home garden without the drumstick tree. All the parts of the tree are of medicinal value. More over who can deny the taste of the sambar and curry made out of those freshly plucked drumsticks. So it is the favorite tree for many Indian housewives.Here I should mention, if we go on plucking the leaves of the tree it will not yield much drumsticks during the season. So it is a good idea to grow another tree also for our 'keerai' (greens) purpose.

Back home, my mom grew a big drumstick tree for our vegetable need and one small tree to reap the greens:) .
Even now the trees are serving the neighborhood along with some tales on mom's gardening and cooking skills.
Yeah, that is the gift we get by planting trees.....

During my 8 th standard summer vacation, Mom taught me to prepare this murungakkai masala koottu as my first dish....though I cannot tell u about my improper shaped hard dosas:) .Slowly I learned more dishes during that vacation .
I remember me announcing occasional kitchen holidays for mom from bed coffee to night dinner without allowing her to enter the kitchen, though everyone other than mom described those food as harassment:)

Shama's 'First cooked food' inspired me to cook this murungakkai masala and I am sending this to her event. Moreover this is my favorite side dish too.

Drumstick masala fry / murungakkai curry masala koottu



Ingredients:
Drumstick - 3 (choose green, flexible and succulent ones)
salt - to taste (1/4 tsp)
curry leaf - 1 sprig
fennel - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
coriander powder - 3 tsp
Red chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
oil - 1 tsp
To grind:
Onion - 1/2
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
cumin - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Cut the drumstick into 3 inch long pieces and slightly slit in one end.
Grind the items given to a coarse paste.
Heat oil in a wok.
Add fennel seed and let it get red. Now put the curry leaf.
Then add the drumstick pieces along with all the powders and masala paste.
Add salt , 1 cup water and cook covered till it becomes tender .
The curry should be like a very thick / dry gravy.
Drumstick masala is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with sambar / rasam / curd rice .

How to eat drumstick ?
Gently scoop out the fleshy part with small spoon / fork and eat.
If in home feel free to scoop with hand and chew them gently without swallowing the outer skin. That is the real way to enjoy murungakkai:)
It is a very common dish in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin of TN , India.

Its Award time !!!

Hope it is raining awards now and I have received the kreative blogger award from many of you.
Thanks a ton to Suparna, Ramya, Anu, Sarah, Chithra, Ganga, Ann for sharing this award with me!!! This means a lot to me friends. I feel honored.



The rules for the Kreativ Blogger award is as follows:-
1.You must mention the person who has given you the award.
2.Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3.Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
4.Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5.Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
6.Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7.Leave a comment on each of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

As I have already posted my MeMe in the previous post, I am going straight to the QA part.

1. What is your current obsession?
Blogging, physical fitness, wanna get us green card.

2. What are you wearing today?
T shirt and casual pant.

3. What’s for dinner?
Puttu , sugar, green gram chundal.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?
Grocery.

5. What are you listening to right now?
Tamil movie song from the website ....Raaga.com

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
They are so sweet.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Near my hubby's office and to a church , so that I can walk every day to attend the mass.

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Cotton dresses, Lots of water, curd rice + pickle ,uninterrupted power supply.

9. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
Will wear a blue jean and my favorite pink tops.

10. Which language do you want to learn?
Just like Suparna told...the language of animals and birds:)

11. Who do you want to meet right now?
Jesus,  dad, Dr.Abdul Kalam.

12. What is your favorite color?
Lilac, purple.

13. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My wedding saree.

14. What is your dream job?
Want to take care of orphaned children and elderly people.

15. What’s your favourite magazine?
Vikatan , Thina thanthi, some comics .

16. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Will buy some dress for my hubby.

17. Where do you love to go for vacation with your loved ones!!!
Jamaica, Alaska :) and..... the list is endless.

18. Who are your style icons?
Always changes. First it was my mother and now, I can't even recognize...

19. Describe your personal style?
Simple and love to merge with where I live.

20. What are you going to do after this?
Take bath:)

21. What are your favorite movies?
A lot.. You can see my profile for the answer. I like fairy tales:)

22. What inspires you?
Good people, knowledge.

23. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Smile, a good hair cut, trim body.

24. Coffee or tea?
BOTH.

25. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
It depends... sometimes a shopping for anything will make me feel good..he he.
Online shopping, sweets, a call to my brothers, talking with hubby will make me alright.

26. What is the meaning of your name?
My official name means ,'Goddess who relieves the pain of others' also it is the name of Lord Ganesha.

27. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
Only three...huh...
moisturizer, perfume, comb and a lot....

28. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Rasgulla, Jangiri, dark Chocolate cake.

29. Favorite Season?
Winter.

30.Whats your pet name?
Viki.

31. What do you try to cook when you have cooking blues (When you feel real lazy to cook some thing)?
I will have some semi cooked food like noodles or any frozen food .


The rules are: Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

I have been searching a long time to see if anyone has not been tagged. But I can't find one:(
So I would like to share this award and tag every one who makes a comment here. So please feel free to accept the awards.

Cheers,
Viki.

Announcing an event ... 'Side dish for chapathi'

Indians make many kinds of flat breads namely roti, chapathi (chapati), naan, paratha, parotta etc., using wheat flour. Spicy curries are served as side dish.

The side dish for those flat breads play a major role in the dinning table. If you cannot make a delicious side dish, then the whole lot of bread will remain untouched. It is always a trouble for me to choose a perfect match for my roties.

So I decided to host an event 'Side dish for chapathi' , that can help many .

I invite you all to bring out your amazing side dishes to make the event a great success.




Here are some rules:
1) Make any side dish that suits Roti / chapathi/ naan/ paratha/ parotta / any flat bread / fried flat bread (poori) and post the same in your blog . No need to describe the roti procedure. But you can send the whole spread too.

Link back to this announcement. Feel free to use the logo.
You can send in your entries from the archive also, provided they are re-posted for this event between Aug 5 and Sep 5, 2009.

2)Multiple entries are always welcome. All edible ingredients are accepted.
The choice is endless. I will be glad if the side dish is more authentic . You can post some famous side dish of your region / state too. But you can post any dish of your choice also.

3)you can send your entries to vikiskitchen@gmail.com and the Subject as 'Side dish for chapathi' with the following details.

Your Name:
Recipe Name:
Recipe URL:
Attach a picture of the dish. Non bloggers can send their entries with the recipe details and picture if any to my email account.

Send it on or before September 15 , 2009.

Looking forward for your delectable dishes.....

Cheers,
Viki.

Rava Ladoo

Rava laddu / ladoo is a classic Indian sweet prepared during auspicious occasions and festivals.
There are many ways to prepare it. The standard way is to roast and grind the ravai (sooji) and to make balls using hot ghee.
Those ladoos will last long for a month also. I associate the rava ladoo with my chithi (my dad's brother's wife) . It is her habit to prepare snacks at home if she visits some one special.... mostly me:) She makes it in the authentic way using ghee and I will discuss it afterward... may be 'Rava ladoo - part 2'.

But our subconscious mind can never allow us to use such a bulk quantity of ghee, even though the tongue begs for it:) So here is a lesser fat version . Hope you all like it.




Ingredients:
Rava / sooji / semolina - 2 cups
Shredded coconut - 1 cup
sugar - 1 1/2 cup
water - 1 cup
cardamom - 5
raisin - 20
Cashew nut - 20
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method :
1.Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a wok.
Fry the cashews and raisins till the cashews turn golden. Keep aside.

2.In the same wok add the remaining ghee and fry the rava till it becomes loosen and fragrant.
Transfer to a plate and keep aside.

3.Now put the shredded coconut and dry roast it till it starts to get mild golden color. Transfer it to the rava plate.

4. Pour 1 cup water to the wok along with the sugar and heat till it gets one thread consistency. (One thread consistency: If you scoop the syrup and pour back using a spoon, the last drop will drip like a single elongated drop).

5.Immediately add the rava and mix well. Put off flame and let it become a thick dough.

6. Add the powdered cardamom, fried cashew , raisin and mix well. Let it get cool (warm) so that we can touch.
Take a lemon size portion and make balls .

Rava ladoo is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as dessert or snack. Makes 20 ladoos.
Store in airtight container . It will last for 2 days without refrigeration and more than a week if refrigerated.

I am not sure of the longevity of these snacks , as they vanish as soon as I make:)

Mushroom pepper curry - A village treat !

Mushrooms are always associated with rain . If you have lived in a country side , then you will think of  that spread of white mushrooms that bloom after a rain. (keep in mind that only a few mushrooms are edible and it needs some experience to identify them).
Mushrooms are my fantasies since childhood.I have always wondered and asked many people how these tiny soft umbrellas shoot up the next morning after a heavy rain. Our maid Lakshmi told me that the lightning brings the seeds of mushroom to earth (!) or it is the mysterious plant that live for a day indicating some fast life philosophy and a lot of stories....even thrillers too:)
I would get up in the morning after those lightning nights and run to our garden to see if any umbrella has sprung up. On seeing my love for them Lakshmi brought us a lot of mushrooms, which she collected in the woods. Mom, cooked it like a spicy curry as per Lakshmi's idea .Those were like treats to me. Nothing can beat the fragrance of those fresh hand picked mushrooms.
In course of time I learned that these are a kind of fungi that grows if the moisture / humidity reaches a saturation point along with some protein rich environment.Moreover all the mushrooms are not edible. Some are poisonous too.

Ok...Whatever the scientific fact it may be... even now I consider the mushrooms as tiny little gifts from heaven that travels through lightning:) I want it to remain that way only.

Mushroom pepper curry (village style):



Ingredients:
Button Mushroom - 20
coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
garlic paste - 1 tsp
tomato - 1
salt - to taste
oil - 1 tbsp
Red Onion - 1/2
fennel seed - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Green chilly - 2

To grind:
puffed channa dhal - 1 tbsp
Shallot onion - 4
black pepper - 1 tbsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Put the mushroom in a wide vessel and wash it in water thrice to remove any impurities.
Drain the water completely. Pat dry it with paper towel.Don't squeeze it.
Chop it in lengthwise and keep aside.
Grind the items given.
Heat oil in a wok.
Add the fennel seeds and let it get red in color.
Then add the chopped onion , curry leaf, green chilly and saute well.
Then add the garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
Now put the finely chopped tomatoes and saute till the oil separates.
Then goes the mushroom along with all the powders , salt and ground mixture.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Mushroom pepper curry is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with paratha, roti or any bread.
Goes very well with piping hot cooked rice too.

Facts:
The nutrient content is very high for all the edible mushrooms and they are considered as one of the natural medicines for cancer and heart disease.
Mushrooms helps in reducing our cholesterol level and boosts the immune system.
A Serving in alternate days will definitely help us keep a good health.
Cook the mushrooms as early as you buy bring them home. It will start to rot in one day after coming home.
There are some poisonous varieties also. So have a thorough knowledge before going for a mushroom pick-up.

An award:
Yesterday I received a cute award from Ramya of Simple vegetarian Recipes. I am speechless. Thanks Ramya ! Your award inspires me to do more.



The rules for this award are :
1. You must mention the person who has given you the award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

Well .. I don't know , if it will be interesting. Here are some facts about me.

1)We are living in USA and my mother tongue is Tamil. I love English movies, especially the documentary, cartoons and non-violent movies :)

2)Passionate to visit Churches . I am eager to know about all other religions too.

3)I love to learn different cultures and cuisines. Gardening and watching flowers , birds etc are my leisure time activities.

4)I like various hair cuts , exercise and keep myself updated.

5)My drawback is my fully developed taste buds that crave for all those fried items I see:)

6)I love blogging and the entire blogging community keeps me lively.

7)More concerned about ecology, environment , pollution, protecting fauna and flora of our Earth.

I want to pass this award to all, but as per the rules I have to select just 7 people....So passing these to the following friends .

1)Sashi of Sashi's Tasty bites.

2)SriLakshmi of AnnaPurna.

3)Ganga of My favorite foods.

4)Rebecca of Chow and chatter.

5)Suparna of Food Fascination.

6)Aysha of Life Today.

7) Kalyani of kalyani's kitchen.

Congrats Friends!

A simple dinner !

With the arrival of the summer we can see the markets flooding with all the nature's best produce and colorful vegetables. Some weeks before we found a semi home made pizza with zero trans fat and lesser fat-cheese in the frozen food section. From then on, it became our routine to make a colorful dinner on weekends with that store bought frozen pizza topped with our homely choices along with the natural sides and fresh fruits as desserts.

After my last post on dinner etiquette , my eagerness to find the various modes to eat certain food has gone wild . So wanted to share about the facts on food that has to be eaten with fingers:)

What is a finger food?
Finger food is food eaten with the hands without using any knife, fork, chopsticks, or other utensils.
In some cultures, food is almost always eaten with the hands.
Exampe: 1.Ethiopian cuisine, food is eaten by rolling various dishes by Injera bread.
2. Indian food (roti, rice, dosa) is mostly eaten with hands .(we can use a fork if rice is served with meat and veggies . Use a spoon if served like soup consistency ).

Examples of generally accepted finger food: (courtesy - wikipedia)
Miniature beef pies, sausage rolls, sausages on sticks, cheese and olives on sticks, chicken drumsticks or wings, spring rolls, miniature quiches, samosas, onion bhajis, potato wedges, vol au vents, risotto balls, pizza, cookies, crackers, hot dogs, fruit and bread.

So our pizza is definitely a finger food and we can have it comfortably with all that sides and drinks. Enjoy the platter with your hands:)
\


Starter:
Fresh broccoli - 1/2 head.
Trim and wash the broccoli florets.
Pat dry with a kitchen towel.
Arrange on baking tray along with pizza and bake for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle lemon juice and salt.
Serve as starter.

Main course:
Healthy slice of pizza without trans fat topped with low fat cheese.
Top with Red, green and yellow bell pepper along with onion , mushroom , olives etc.
Grease a baking sheet with olive oil and bake according to directions.
I used a brand called 'Ellios' from Shop rite.

Sides:
Sweet corn broiled over direct fire , seasoned with lemon and salt.

Drink:
I could not focus more on nutrients here.
The irresistible choice for us is a caffine free zero calorie coke.
We can have a natural choice like lemonade also.

Dessert:
Served a banana , few cherries and a peach as dessert for every one.



Sending this spread to Yasmeen's Well balanced 3 course meal event. Hope it suits the theme.

Vaazhai poo vadai .

Mostly I love to write about my mom, food and culture as the anecdote for every post. But for a change I am eager to occasionally include a few thoughts on dinning , hosting and food related thoughts.
OK... I know many are thinking...What is the relationship between a plantain flower vadai and dining etiquette? Nothing , but it can be served as good starter dish in a dinner. That's it :)

Some basic definitions:
Formal dining : A properly planned dinner arranged in a theme , hosted by someone. Food cooked and served by trained professionals. Guests attend it with proper invitation and suggestions (adults only / kids only / dress code etc.,).
Informal dining (Any culture):A dinner hosted for family and friends. The hostess prepares and serves food with a little voluntary help from guests. The host can ask for specific food allergies while inviting the guest.


Table etiquette (Formal and Informal dining):

First lets see the well known basic Do 's' and Don't 's'.

1.Do stay in your seat till the dinner is over. Use the restroom before sitting down.
Sit according to the waiter's directions (if any).

2.Sit straight on the chair , with both feet on the floor. Don't clutch your legs around the table leg or stretch your legs wide. Keep arms on lap while waiting.

3.Don't lean backwards by tilting and playing with the chair. Don't play with spoon or vessels.

4.Wait for the food to be served.

5.Try a little bit of everything on your plate unless you have a severe allergy. You can avoid a serving by a 'No , thanks' and not a long story on why you hate it. You can choose and have the food in a buffet. But don't discuss your aversion on a served dish. This will definitely hurt the hostess if she has prepared it.

6.Take small but required portion at a time . Don't over crowd your plate.

7.Talk with people on either side of you. Don't shout across the table.

8. Do not eat too fast or too slow while everyone is waiting to get up.

9.Ask for things to be passed with a please, thanks etc. Meanwhile do not reach in front of someone.

10.Do not pick up the dropped silverware, food or napkins.
(to be contd....)

Look forward for more tips in the upcoming posts.
Hope you all like it.

Vaazhai poo vadai / plantain flower vadai :
Recipe source: My Gandhi chithi , she did this for us and taught my mom this recipe, when she visited us.
Vaazhai poo vadai is one of the most favorite tea time snack for many of us. It has a pleasant earthy flavor induced by the plantain flower . The toughest part is to clean the flowers before using. You can click here to see how to clean the banana flowers .

Ingredients:
Channa dhal /kadalai paruppu /Bengal gram - 1 cup
Chopped banana flower - 2 cups
salt - to taste
ginger - 1 inch
onion (chopped) - 1/2 cup
curry leaves- 1 sprig
fennel seed - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
cooking oil-250 ml. (for deep frying)

Preparation:
Clean the banana flower and chop it coarsely.
Soak the dhal for 1 hour in water.
Take out a handful of soaked dhal and keep aside.(This gives a wonderful crispy texture to the vadai.)
Grind the dhal with salt , ginger and fennel seed without water.
Add the left over dhal,coarse dhal mixture,chopped onions,chopped banana flower and curry leaves and mix well .
Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
Take a small ball of the mixture (in the size of a lemon), slightly flatten in the palm of your hand then place in the hot oil .
Deep fry on both sides to a golden brown color to mild red color.
Remove the vadai , drain oil by placing over a tissue paper.

Serving suggestions:
Makes 15 big size 'vaalai poo' vadai.
Serve hot with Coconut chutney or Tomato ketchup.

Pineapple Rasam

There is a popular belief that , 'We can check any person's cooking skill with the taste of the rasam they make'. Because even though the rasam may seem a very easy item to make, it needs a lot of care and patience.
One can master the art of preparing an authentic rasam by keeping the following in mind.
1. Don't boil the rasam after adding salt. Put off flame on seeing the bubbles / froth.
2. Don't use black or old tamarind.
3. Use freshly ground rasam powder and fresh ingredients to get a more healthy rasam.

A rasam made with pineapple will definitely sound classic to any Rasam fan.
Like all the rasams , pineapple rasam also helps in digestion. Some nutrients present in the pineapple is believed to reduce the body fat to some extent.
So here is a super healthy rasam made with all the freshness of pineapple.



Ingredients:
Tamarind - a strawberry size
pineapple - 1 cup (chopped)
cooked toor dhal - 3 tbsp
water - 3 cups
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
fenugreek seed - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chilly - 2 (torn into pieces)
curry leaves - 1 sprig
cilantro - 1 tbsp (chopped)
salt - to taste
oil /ghee - 1 tsp
garlic - 4 pearls

To roast and grind:
Coriander seed - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp
Black peppercorn - 1 tsp
Dry red chilly - 1


Method:
Step 1.
Grind the tomato with 3/4 cup of pineapple coarsely.
Soak tamarind in hot water , filter and extract juice using 2 cups of water.
Take a vessel and add the tamarind extract,Turmeric powder, mashed dhal, mashed tomato + pineapple in it.
Start heating the vessel.
Roast the items given and grind along with fresh garlic pods.
Add this rasam powder also to the above vessel and bring it to a boil.
Switch off flame once it comes to a boil.
Now add salt to taste.
Step 2:
Heat oil / ghee in a pan.
Add mustard seeds , fenugreek seeds and allow them to splutter .
Add some asafoetida (hing), cilantro, red chillies and curry leaves.
Run the seasoning over the hot rasam.
Step 3:
Finely chop the rest of the pineapple and sprinkle over the rasam.
Close the vessel tightly to retain the flavor.

Pineapple rasam is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot with plain steamed rice or simply in cups to drink.
Having a cup of rasam after lunch or dinner is highly recommended for good health.

Puliyotharai

'Puli saatham' , the name itself has the power to make any one drool. There are so many variations in making a puli saatham.
In Tirunelveli (TamilNad, India) ,we call it as Puliyotharai. The main variation is the addition of garlic and its roasted ingredients .Moreover we have the habit of using pure chekku Nallennai otherwise called Virgin Sesame oil for the pulihora and dosai.
After tasting the dosas and Puliyotharai made with that virgin sesame (gingelly) oil we cannot satisfy our taste buds with the branded gingelly oil.
Still I remember the vacations amma and chithi making Puliyotharai for our temple visits. The post brings me the memories of our vacations in Tiruchendur resorts (a beach side village famous for its Lord Murugan Temple) and the long train journeys to Madras:) Mom used to pack the puliyotharai in broiled banana leaves.(Placing the banana leaf over the fire for a few seconds make it flexible to pack food). I have always wondered if the aroma of the puliyotharai comes from the banana leaf or by the gingelly oil:) But now I am sure it is by the love of the person who prepares it:)
Anyways here goes the recipe for Puliyotharai.

Other names: Puliyodharai / Tamarind rice / Puli saatham / Pulihora.


Ingredients:
Raw ponni rice (Pacharisi) / Basmati rice - 1.5 cup (300 gm)
Salt - 1 tsp (to taste)
Tamarind - a lemon size ball
Gingelly oil - 4 tbsp (2 tbsp per cup of rice)
Garlic - 10 pearls (must)
Channa dhal - 1 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Unroasted Ground nut - a handful
Cashew nut - 15
Dry red chilly - 4
Curry leaf - a sprig.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida (perungayam)- a pinch

To roast and powder afresh:
fenugreek seed (venthayam) - 1/2 tsp
mustard seed - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tsp

Cooking the rice:
Cook the rice with 1/2 tsp salt and ample water .
Drain the excess water. Spread the cooked rice in a wide plate (thambalam) and let it cool completely.

Puliyotharai powder:
Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok and fry the fenugreek seed and mustard till we get nice aroma.
Cool and powder it in a hand mortar / blender.

Puli kaachal (Tamarind masala):
Heat 1 tbsp gingelly oil in a wok. Fry the ground nut, cashew nut separately and keep aside.
Again heat the remaining oil in the same wok.
Add mustard, Channa dhal, red chillies (torn into bits),curry leaf , asafoetida and fry well till mustard pops.
Then add the peeled garlic and stir till the garlic starts turning golden.
Extract juice from tamarind using 1 cup of water and pour the juice into the wok.
Now put the Turmeric powder , salt and boil till the oil starts showing.
Then add the freshly grind powder. Turn off heat.
Puli kaachal is ready. We can store it in refrigerator for further use also.

Puliyotharai preparation:
Sprinkle the roasted nuts over the cooked rice.
Add the puli kaachal to the cooked rice little by little and mix well till it tastes good (not too sour).
Puliyotharai is ready!
Keep the remaining gravy refrigerated for further use.

Serving suggestions:
Serve as main course lunch / dinner / breakfast.
Serves 2 adults.
The best side dishes can be the crispy masal vadai and thengai thovaiyal (thick coconut chutney) or simply with potato chips.
It goes well with hard boiled eggs too.

Note:
Tamarind rice cooked in this manner can stay fresh for nearly 3 days without refrigerator. So it can be packed as a best packed food for a long journey, if we prefer home made food.
If packed for a long journey , make separate parcels for every time use. Do not mix the touched food along with fresh one. Do not keep coconut chutney for the journey as it will get spoiled soon. Care should be taken not to touch the food with hand / wet spoon while cooking , if we need a long shelf life.

Tomato sweet

After posting the 'Tamil Muslim's wedding Biryani' , I wanted to explain about the side dishes. (Yes, the biryani preparation varies from state to state and there can be a lot of variations).
Tomato sweet explained here is authentically known as Thakkali thithippu in Tamil. Thakkali means Tomato and Thithippu means sweet . It is an unique side dish served with Biryani in Tamil-Muslim festivals. Many a time I had the opportunity to taste this sweet brought by my mother's friend. The aunt tells us that the Tomato sweet can pacify the heat of biryani and will help in digestion. Mom got many recipes from that aunt and thereafter my mom too started making her yummy dishes in our house:) One among those is the drool worthy sweet, the Thakkali thithippu




Ingredients:
Ripe Vine Tomato (nattu thakkali)- 5 (1/2 kg)
Sugar - 1/4 kg
cardamom - 5
cashew nut - 10
Kismis / Raisin - 10
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Rose essence - 2 drops (must)
Water

Method:
Put all the whole tomatoes in a wide vessel.
Pour water to immerse the tomatoes.
Cover and cook till the tomato starts cracking.
Put off fire and let the fruits get cool.
Then peel off the skin and discard.
Grind the pulp into a fine puree.
Now heat a wide vessel with 1 tbsp ghee.
Fry the cashews , raisins and keep aside.
In the same vessel pour the puree and sugar .
Let them boil to get a thick consistency.
Now add the fried cashew, raisins and powdered cardamom.
Turn off heat.
Add 2 drops of rose essence and mix well.
(I have seen a lot of rose petals strewn over the sweet in the marriage feasts).
Tomato sweet is ready !

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with Biryani or simply like a jam with bread.

Note:
I have given the original measurements for sugar , just like I make. But you can vary that with Zero calorie sugars. But I am not sure of the results.