July 4 weekend !

Here in NJ, the July 4 th weekend is one of the most awaited one . This year we didn't go anywhere far, but just enjoyed nearby places. I always wish to enjoy the first day of the weekend in a special manner. Sometimes I make his favorite meal or if there is enough time, we may go to a movie and restaurant... On that Friday,  we went to a restaurant called 'Nanking' for dinner. We usually buy one plate of everything and share. That day too we split up a plate of veg spring rolls and 'pad kee mao'.  It took more than an hour to see them in our table :) Other than that, this restaurant is strategically located near Kohl's and the ambiance is romantic. It would be a better choice for anyone who prefers a bar, but for people like us the buffet would be a good choice.

The next day had a rain forecast, so we went to a movie 'Transformers' in AMC NewBrunswick. Then we had a pizza buffet at Cici's. For dinner I made sambar rice and beans poriyal.
On Sunday we had a superb evening at 'State Fair' in Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ. (See below for photos). The world's largest traveling candy store amazed us. My hubby dear started collecting candy from almost every bin and filled a small basket. Though I cannot approve  his purchase, he has promised me to take that candy bag to share with all at his office :)
We enjoyed the petting zoo and feeding those cute animals was much entertaining for us. I enjoyed walking around in that bright light along with those happy faces :) and I loved that 'blooming onion fry'. We enjoyed some music and had a nice cheese pizza slice along with that onion fry.
We came home almost after midnight :) and that was one of the best fairs we have visited.
Monday became our movie day with Redbox movies (Hidden figures and Logan) and also some Netflix movies. As usual we had it like a house picnic and that was a beautiful day too.
On Tuesday hubby asked me to prepare some chicken biriyani and luckily it turned out very well within an hour. Hubby continuously watched movies as well as worked on something in laptop whenever possible :) I love the way we enjoyed that July 4 weekend , it was relaxing as well as entertaining :).
Here are some pics. to enjoy !

The Nanking restaurant

Pad kee mao

Cici's thin crust pineapple jalapeno pizza

Cici's salad

The State fair in Rutherford, NJ

Candy apple stall

Fries and burger stalls

A cooking show

Candy apples

Candy we bought ! I am sure hubby is sharing this with all his friends :)

World's largest traveling candy store

Candy ....candy ....candy !

More candy !

Wow !

Definitely this is a kid's dream come true :)

Lots of candy !

I have never seen this kind of candy before !

Hard candy section ! There are more than this !!!!

Carousel ....our most fav to look at !

Music concert along with dining !

Pretty donkey ....and there are many animals in petting zoo.

This seemed like the most favorite ride among teens...'The Enterprise'  ...only for those strong !

Hypnotic show

My favorite stall....the fries look like Indian style bajji...Love it !

We came here around 10 Pm and enjoyed some show and dinner !

Pizza with onion fries (what !)....Sunday July 2 !

July 4, Chicken Biriyani !

I could see happiness in every face during this season.  Even the grocery store was filled with people buying corn, burger buns, chicken and coke for their party.
Happy Independence day !

Note: After this mega eating festival days , my dear hubby has promised me to workout along with me 1 hour most days in a week :)  Let's see !

Happy Independence day USA !

Happy Independence day my dear USA !

We love you !

♥♥ Viki Xavier ♥♥

 Roadside America 2016

Mango Lassi

In India mango trees are common in most houses in villages. The mango leaf are used to decorate the house entrances to bring in good fortune. (Hope this brings 'green card' soon...right ! Good fortune for an NRI is quickly getting GC ...ha ha) . Unripe mango in curries and sambar is inevitable.
In my appa house we had a hybrid Neelam tree, which could bear fruit quickly. Since childhood,  I always wanted to grow a perennial mango tree like kilimooku (thothapuri) , real Neelam and a  pacharisi mango (பச்சரிசி மாங்காய்) variety but appa amma liked this quick tree and it was a gorgeous tree too.
Mango in USA is a luxury, which we got in this recent decade only :)
During the mango season, these fruits become the staple dessert in Indian's diet. In my view, the mango pulp that comes in tin is more suitable and easy for a quick lassi. By this way we can buy the required variety of mango pulp (like Kesar mango, alphonsa etc).
But anyways, preparing in the traditional way is good too. The mangoes suitable for lassi preparation are (my opinion only) Kesar, Alphonsa, Banganapalli, Mulgoa, Neelam (any mango without much fiber and more sweetness) . There are many good varieties along with the above in India . Here is an interesting pdf link to a wide variety of mangoes.

I prepare mango lassi using canned mango pulp only. Mango tins come in discounted price during season. In cold countries, the mango pulp can be stored easily in refrigerator after opening the can. Always transfer the mango pulp to glass bottles before keeping in fridge. Here comes the mango lassi recipe !

Mango lassi

Carry this mango lassi in disposable bottles for a picnic...

Mango pulp in tin

Ingredients:
Mango pulp - 1 cup (or) 2 medium size ripe mangoes.
Indian yogurt - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup (to taste)
water - 1 1/2 cup
cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
In a mixing bowl, whisk the whole milk yogurt and sugar using a whisk or in blender. Whisk it as finely as possible.  Add milk and whisk till frothy.
Add mango pulp (puree the mango), cardamom powder, required water.
Mix well.
Store in fridge upto 24 hours before serving or serve along with crushed little crushed ice as soon as prepared.
Mango lassi is ready !

Serving suggestion:
It can be served just like lemonade or any juice.
Adding water and ice should be limited, as this juice should be more thicker.

Iftar dinner 2

Last week we hosted an Iftar dinner for our friend Sunish and family. I prepared a simple dinner with ulunthu vadai as starter. Chicken biriyani, egg curry , chicken 65 and fish fry were for main course and carrot halwa, homemade kulfi icecream for dessert. I thoroughly enjoyed shopping and cooking for this day. While myself and Shaila were chatting and finishing up the frying processes and organizing the dinner, the men and the kids watched Jungle book and Trolls. It was a beautiful evening filled with laughter and happiness. I took a few 'food picture's only, as I always start enjoying the moments and miss the photo session part :) . Anyways here is some snaps from our Ifar dinner party.  Have a glance and enjoy :)

Starters - Ulunthu vadai, coconut chutney, green chutney, dates, watermelon, banana,  chikkis, mango lassi, coconut water

Iftar dinner - chicken biriyani, egg curry, chicken 65, kingfish fry, raitha

Dhum biriyani

Chicken dhum biriyani

Mango lassi

Preparing Carrot halwa 

My kitchen planner - Iftar dinner menu

Here is how I organized this dinner:

*I prepared urid dal batter for ulunthu vadai on the day before party, but added the onions and curry leaf before frying the vadai.

*Mango lassi and carrot halwa were also made the day before.

*I made the kulfi ice cream two days before the party.

*Chicken and fish were bought on the morning and marinated for preparing in the early evening. 

*The ginger garlic paste, green chutney, cilantro mint paste , curd fermentation, can be don 2 days before. This speeds up the briyani process.

*coconut chutney should be made as fresh as possible.

*I couldn't finish setting the table on time and it is a point to remember for any party before.

*Halal meat shopping can be tricky as my favorite shop was closed for the fasting days. So we have to plan it earlier.

*Chicken 65 can be marinated and kept refrigerated. But should be fried before serving for a better taste. Otherwise fried ones can be kept moist by folding in aluminum foil.

*King fish fry needs less than an hour of marination only.

*Here is my usual egg curry recipe and it's like a kuruma for briyani.

*I prepared everything in the 'least spice level' and it made me extremely happy find that it was a kid friendly food too. 

Hope you all like my post!

Enjoy cooking and I will come up again with another yummy post and sweet stories soon !

Iftar dinner 1

 Iftar dinner is a meal (a grand dinner) that is traditionally prepared by Muslims during the Ramadan month. Last weekend we were invited by our friend Mr. Sunsih to have Iftar dinner along with friends and family. Kids started playing and we all sat and had some interesting conversations. We could get an understanding of this festival and the way fasting is observed.  We were all  amazed at his wife's dedication on cooking that elaborate meal even while fasting. Each and every dish tasted perfect (It's really a big mystery how Mrs. Shaila had managed to prepare everything without tasting).  I am sure it is her concentration and love for cooking  that  has made this elaborate feast a success. Here is the list of dishes she has prepared for the Iftar dinner (noting them down, as far as I remember....). That's a vast menu and we enjoyed it totally !

Iftar dinner

Mutton Biriyani in North Kerala style

On the Iftar table :
Variety of fruits like date, pineapple, watermelon, grapes.
Channa salad
Mango milkshake
Veg cutlet
Chicken cutlet
Pathiri
puttu
Mutton biriyani
White rice
King fish fry
Shrimp curry
chicken curry
Vegetable kuruma
Paneer masala
Onion raitha
A flavorful milk tea
Payaasam


Thanks to Mr and Mrs Sunish we all had a wonderful evening !
Happy Ramadan all !

Beautiful words !

I saw this image in a link 'clipart kid' and found it beautiful .
It is a Bible verse and love the way the elephant smiles :)
This reminds me to pray for rain and a cool weather in India (especially Tamilnadu, as they are in need of water).
I wish everyone gets good rainfall and enough water !
We all need such beautiful words always !

Love,
Viki Xavier

Onion uthappam

Uthappam / oothappam is a typical Tamil dish, but celebrated all over India. I have seen many people eagerly buying this batter in Indian grocery stores. These batters come as 'ready to make' oothappam mix in dry form or wet batter (fridge isle). That is a very good idea too. But traditionally most of us make it using a few days old dosa batter. Baking soda is added to the dosa batter, just minutes before cooking. It makes the oothappam more porous and soft, just like the way it should be. If we are more concerned we can add 'enos fruit salt' also. The secret to any good idli, dosa, oothapam is bringing the batter to room temperature by leaving it in kitchen counter for few hours (say 2 - 3 hours in cold countries).  If our batter is very good, there won't be any need to add baking soda or fruit salt.  We can find out the fineness of the batter while making the first oothapam :) Click to see my vegetable uthappam too.

'Camp chef' brand cast iron 14 "pizza pan from ebay is the best tawa for dosa too.

Ingredients:

Dosa / idly batter - 2 cup
baking soda - 2 pinch
ghee - 2 tsp (or smart balance butterlike product)
sesame oil - 2 tbsp
onion - a handful for 1 dosa
green chilly - 1 finely chopped 
idly podi - 2 tbsp
curry leaf , cilantro - a handful

Method:

Take required quantity of sour idly batter from fridge. Add baking soda and mix the batter briskly for few times. Let it sit for 1 - 3 hours to bring to room temperature. 
Heat a dosa tawa. Coat the tawa with 2 drops of sesame oil . Sprinkle little water over it.
Using a clean cloth wipe the tawa.
Take a ladle of batter and pour it gently over the tawa and let it spread to a thick but small dosa (6 inch dia. approximately). Reduce the flame to medium heat.
Spread the finely chopped onion, chilly, curry leaf, cilantro over the uthappam. Pour some sesame oil + ghee around and over the dosa.
Strew a tsp idly milagai podi over the uthappam.
(Place a dome shaped lid to cover it. The uthappam should be cooked in that steam to get a spongy texture inside. This step is optional, but I prefer this)

// If needed ,  flip the uthappam and let it cook the other side for less than 30 seconds. Mostly it is not necessary to flip oothappam, as it gets cooked by that cover and steam//. Take out the dosa Again increase the flame, apply oil and repeat the above process to make as many uthappam as we need.

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot with Coconut chutney and sambar.
Once we start making the uthappam, we have to serve it immediately to get that true taste. 

Tips:

Batter : Add a tbsp of besan flour for  every cup of dosa batter to get a golden red uthappam.
Sour dosa batter can only give a delicious uthappam. If its not so, then add some desi yogurt/ buttermilk and leave for a few hours or start preparing immediately.

Apple capsicum chicken

We started liking brown rice after having it prepared by our friend Uma. After that I too bought a pack of brown rice and trying some new recipes. Brown rice cooked with rice is served as a  side in this recipe.  This chicken recipe is my very own creation. This is a less spicy version of chicken. The green apple makes the dish more tangy and delicious. Feel free to make this with any apple and vary the spice level as per taste.

Apple capsicum chicken with quinoa brown rice and broccoli 

Sautéed apple capsicum 

Baked chicken with apples and capsicum

enjoy !

To marinate:
Chicken (white meat) - 1 lb
salt - to taste (1 tsp)
pepper powder - 1 tsp
cumin powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
curry masala powder - 1/2 tsp
lemon juice - 1/2 fruit
olive oil - 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste (ginger -  2 inch + peeled garlic - 6 )

Cut the chicken white meat into small pieces.
Marinate with everything above for 1 - 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 F for 10 minutes.
Coat a baking tray with olive oil and spread the marinated pieces.
Bake for 15 minutes., check if its cooked (by slicing). Reduce heat to 350 and bake again for 5 minutes to get a golden red color.
Switch off, keep the baked chicken in an airtight container or just fold the aluminum foil to keep the moisture of the chicken (otherwise it gets dry).

Garnish:
Red capsicum - 1
green capsicum - 1
green apple - 1
olive oil - 1 tbsp
salt - to taste
lemon juce - 1/2 fruit
cilantro (chopped) - handful

Chop the apple and capsicums to small cubes.
Heat oil in a wok.
Gently sautée everything together along with salt and lemon juice for 2 minutes.
Mix this with the baked chicken, cilantro.
Bake again for 5 minutes at 350.

Apple capsicum chicken is ready!

Serve along with any sides like rice , vegetables .

More books .....

On the other day, I was discussing about books with one of my friends. We were talking how books are  replaced by others these days. Anything can be read in internet, but the feel of a paper book is different. Though it is bulky, it has limited browsing effects, it needs more physical space, I love collecting books. When talking about cook books, some think that blogs are replacing cook books. But I will never say so. Recipe blogs can never replace a well trusted generation old cook book. Books give us a nostalgic feel, they take us to our happy places. So I encourage buying books as much as reading a blog.

These are the dollar store gems I got recently. I am yet to finish reading them.  But the topics seemed interesting to me. They are sitting just next to me, while I am trying to find better ways to create good foods, better than my previous.

Happy Easter ! Happy Tamil New year ! Happy Vishu !

Crispy chickpeas in airfryer

One of my recent innovations is airfried channa. One day, I was about to make some sundal (chickpea salad) out of the soaked channa and suddenly got an idea and tried a bowl of this. Though its crispy , it wouldn't be hard like the store bought uppu kadalai.

Ingredients:
Chickpeas (channa / kondai kadalai) - 1 cup
olive oil / or any cooking oil - 1 tbsp
rice flour - 1 tbsp (optional)
pink Himalayan salt / salt - to taste (1 tsp)
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
curry masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Rinse and soak the white channa for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Drain the water.
Mix all other items given (salt, turmeric powder, rice flour, chili powder, oil, curry powder) using a spoon.
Preheat the airfryer to 400 F for 5 minutes (I do this while mixing the ingredients). Set the timer to  15 minutes.
My airfryer can handle 1 cup (presoaked quantity) of channa. So do it in batches, if needed.
Start the frying process. Airfry it for 5 minutes in maximum heat. Then reduce it to 375 and toss it and repeat for another 5 minutes. Take out , toss and repeat till it gets crispy.
Always keep watching after 10 minutes as it gets brown and hard if not tossed in between.

Take out. Spread over a broad plate and let cool. Then store it in airtight container.
Airfried channa is ready to snack on!

Snow day lunch

Snow days are expected eagerly by school kids and office goers, and we all know the reason...yes ! That's like another state holiday and people I know welcome it , track it.... get prepared for it ..... do a lot of snack shopping for it ,  get a lot of selfies in snow and totally enjoy it .....if there is power, water and heat and TV snow days become fun for all :)  Snow shoveling is another story and I don't wanna talk about it :)

Yesterday was a snow day for us . So I did some grocery shopping on the previous day just like all those who buy bread and milk just before snow :) 

 I made kingfish curry and fry along with rice and spinach while he was working. He saw me clicking pictures of that and to add fun, he posted that picture in his whatsapp and his friends too started sharing their platters and we enjoyed every moment of it :) Some had already finished lunch and couldn't get their pics here.  His friend Rahul had corn and peas salad, Cletus had crispy dosa, Sunish had traditional fish curry .... all look totally yummy ! Kudos all ! 

Here are a few platters for us all to enjoy !

Crispy Dosai and Sambar from Cletus ...looks yummy !

Fish curry from Sunish ...wow. I wonder how they brought this beautiful terracota pot here . looks delicious!

Here is our fish curry wih fish fry and spinach :)

 I guess next time we should plan ahead and get pics from all of our friends like a roundup :)
Have a beautiful day you all !

Saturday Lunch

This is the meal I prepared today for our lunch, while hubby is working in laptop.  Love the way it turned out colorful and very glad to see him exclaiming on seeing this.

Menu : White rice, paruppu kulambu, beans poriyal, jackfruit seed fry, beetroot raitha, appalam along with lemon pickle.

Amma's Kitchen

Ammas Kitchen is a restaurant in Iselin, NJ. We  came to know of this through one of his friends in office. So we decided to have dinner there on a weekend and we were surprised to see JJ's photos there. Almost all the items in the menu seems reasonably priced (one dollar idli, vadai ...wow) and looked yummy.
This is a typical SouthIndian / Tamil cuisine place. Amma's kitchen is situated inside the 'The Mall' in oak tree road. It seems like they have branches in 2 more locations in NJ.
I tried egg kothu parotta  and hubby got freshly made veechu parotta. Both were delicious and were of the same price (say $7), but still I feel that egg kothu parotta is worth the price as veechu parotta was very thin like a wafer and won't be enough for an adult  (so he had to buy two of them :) ).
I am sure it is worth a visit and will definitely satisfy the foodies of SouthIndia.
Here are some pics to enjoy !

Amma's Kitchen in NJ

My favorite egg kothu parotta

Hubby's choice ....freshly made veechu parotta.