Pineapple fried rice is one of the most favorite items of any mall goers in USA. So I think it is popular all over the world. Thai foods can be made into vegan, vegetarian , eggetarian , pescatarian, or any hardcore non vegetarian dish. Also its spice levels can vary from zero to 1-5 and also sweetish. That kind of flexibility has made it an all around champion among food lovers.
This Pineapple Thai fried rice is my hubby's favorite. I prepare his most favorites if it's his wfh day. Otherwise I would just pack a regular lemon rice or puli rice :)
So during Valentine's Day weekend I made this yummy Thai Pineapple fried rice for us and we loved it very much.
Sharing this yummy recipe for you all !
Disclaimer: My Thai pineapple rice tasted just like a mall bought or a restaurant made version. Hence I thought this is a very good recipe to share. Otherwise my knowledge on Thai foods is negligible . LOL.
I have used some sauces here. But instead we can just use Duck sauce or Thai sweet chili sause (for sweetness) mix with regular walmart Soy sauce. This combo too can do the same mall flavored yummy version.
I have used Thai Jasmine Lucky rice. We can use any Jasmine rice.
I have used the leaf of an onion which I am growing in our house (saves a few bucks. LOL).
I have used ordinary pepper powder only.
Ingredients:
Jasmine rice - 3/4 cup
Tofu - 2 cups cubed
Cashew - 2 tbsp
White onion - 1/2
Red bell pepper - 1/4
Spring onion - 1
Zucchini - 1/2
Pineapple (fresh) - 1 cup
Sesame oil - 4 tbsp
Crushed chili flakes - 1 tsp
Dry seasoning:
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Sugar - 2.5 tsp
White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry powder - 1 tsp
Coconut milk powder - 1 tsp
Liquid seasoning:
Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Oyster sauce or. fish sauce - 2 tbsp
Method:
Cube the onion, bell pepper, Zucchini. Keep aside.
Chop the green onion leaf and keep aside for garnishing.
Cube the pineapple (use fresh only) into 1 inch size cubes. Keep aside.
Cut the tofu into 1 inch size cubes.
Spread it on a paper towel (for 1 hour) to dry.
Add a tsp of sesame oil in a pan. Shallow fry the cashews crispy and red. Keep aside.
In the same pan fry the tofu after removing excess moisture.
Soak the rice for 10 mins.
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil.
Add rice. Cook for 10 mins (should be firm but cooked).
Drain water. Rinse in cold water and keep aside on a plate and let it cool completely.
Or keep the cooked rice in fridge for a day (it is better).
Heat a frying pan with 2 tbsp sesame oil.
Add onion and saute for few seconds (just one or 2 stirring is enough, to keep the onion crispy and fresh).
Add the zucchini, bellpepper, stir fry for 1 minute.
Add chopped pineapple, tofu and mix well.
Add the liquid seasoning we mixed. Stir once.
Add the dry seasoning mix we prepared above. Stir well and mix it thoroughly.
Now add the crushed chili flakes and mix well.
Add 3 cups of cooked rice and mix well in high heat.
Also add the fried cashews.
Sprinkle the chopped spring onion , stir fry together in high heat.
Mochai - Val dal / Field Beans or Hyacinth Beans. A tamarind based curry famous in Tirunelveli of Tamilnadu, India. This curry is poured over rice on everyone's plate. It should be mixed with hands and enjoyed as main course meal during lunch or dinner. This rice and curry is accompanied with some vegetable curries or appalam. This is a spicy curry.
Ingredients: Mochai kottai / val dhal - 3/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Coriander powder - 3 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Red chili powder - 1 tsp water - 2 cups salt - 2 tsp
Small Brinjal - 2 Tomato - 1 Tamarind - small lime size
Note: (If you are using the fresh beans then just start from the method. otherwise go for pre soaking.) Preparation:
Dry roast the mochai kottai, till u see dark spots on the outer layer and a nice aroma. (takes 5 mins) Then rinse it with water twice. Add water till it gets well immersed. Soak for an hour (just 15 mins is enough).
While it is soaking, start cooking the other stuffs or make the side dish or rice.
Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract juice using 2 cups of water.
Pressure cook: This mochai kottai can be cooked in stove top too, but it takes nearly an hour. It is also common to soak this dal overnight instead of dry roasting it. (dry roasting makes this curry more yummy).
So to save fuel, we are Pressure cooking it.
In stove top pressure cooker, let it make one whistle. Then reduce flame and cook for 5 minutes.
Instant pot:
In electric pressure cooker, touch the 'pressure cook' button. Set time to 5 mins.
It will be ready within 15 mins.
Method:
After cooking the mochai kottai, add turmeric, salt, chili powder, coriander powder and keep aside.
Cut the eggplant / brinjal into long size pieces.
Chop the tomato finely. Heat oil in a pan. Crackle mustard seeds , add fenugreek seeds , curry leaves and asafoetida. Add the cut chopped onion, brinjal and fry till eggplant gets semi cooked (wilt). Then add the mochai kottai with masalas, Mix well.
Add the tamarind juice.
Let it boil till the raw smell of tamarind vanishes.
Add the prepared coconut masala and cook covered (5 mins).
Cook till the vegetables become tender.
Switch off and serve hot. Yummy Mochai kottai kulambu is ready. Serving suggestions: Makes 3 cups of thick spicy Puli kulambu. It can be served for 4 people. Serve hot with steamed rice and and any vegetable side dish or with egg omelet.
A dal curry paruppu koottu with chow chow and a spicy chutney using it's peel (chow chow thol thogayal).
Today we are going to using the whole humble chow chow (except the seed).
This is an excellent yummy dal based curry I prepare often using the chayote that is available all around the year in USA at the same price always. We just love this simple dal along with the peel chutney with piping hot rice. This is my very own recipe. Hope you all love this combo.
Dry red chili - 2 Curry leaf - 1 sprig Onion (chopped) - 1
Tomato - 2 Tuvaram paruppu (Toor dal) - 1/4 cup turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp hing - 1/8 tsp salt - to taste To grind: Coconut - 3 tbsp cumin - 1 tsp green chilly - 3
Method: Rinse the dal.
Pressure cook it with turmeric 1/2 tsp and hing a pinch.
(After 1 whistle reduce heat and cook for 10 mins or in electric cooker Instant pot, set pressure cook time to 10 mins and it will be cooked soft).
keep aside.
While cooking dal,
Peel the chow chow and reserve the peels for making chutney (recipe below).
Discard the seed in the center.
Cube the chow chow.
In a wok heat 2 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds, channa dal and let the mustard crack. Then add chopped onion, curry leaves, chopped dry red chili. Saute till onion turns soft.
Add the chopped tomato and cook till soft.
Add 1 tsp salt.
Now add the chopped chow chow and the sauted onion mixture to the cooked dal in pressure cooker.
Grind coconut, green chilly, cumin to a coarse paste.
Add this mixture also to the chow chow.
Mix well.
Pressure cook again. After getting 1 whistle reduce heat and cook for 5 mins and switch off.In Instantpot, set pressure cook to 5 mins.
Once pressure is reduced, open , mix well. Check and add more salt if needed.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Chow chow paruppu koottu is ready !
Serving suggestion: Serve as curry over rice or as side dish with chapti or any rice.
Chow Chow Thol Thogayal
Ingredients. For chow chow thol thogayal:
Peels from 2 chow chow Sesame oil - 2 tbsp Mustard - 1 tsp urid dal / channa dal - 1 tbsp Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Dry red chili - 2
Tamarind - 2 inch size
Garlic - 1 clove Cumin - 1/2 tsp
hing - a pinch salt - 1/2 tsp
Method:
Rinse the chow chow and peel the skin.
Use the chow chow for making a curry.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard, as it starts crackle, add urid dal.
Then add the dry red chili and other items.
Fry few seconds. Once red chili gets crispy , take it out. Let other things stay in the pan.
(this helps in lesser spicy fumes, If you can tolerate spicy smell, then no need to take out the chilies).
Add the peel of chow chow.
Saute and cook covered for 5 mins in low heat.
Let cool.
Grind to a thick chutney without adding water (few drops is ok).
Chow chow thol chutney is ready.
If needed garnish with fried mustard seasoning (I save some seasoning while doing for paruppu koottu and add to chutney).
Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with rice, curd rice or idli dosai.
Having some cookie dough or cookie at hand is a great blessing for a quick breakfast or snack. Here is one of my favorite cookie recipes. I love adding some chocolate chips for myself, while it's a raisin oats cookie for my hubby.
This Oats cookies loaded with walnut and raisin or chocolate chip is a yummy cookie I baked recently and often. Kindly try this recipe and let me know how much happiness this simple recipe creates,
Happy Easter !
Oats Walnut Raisin cookies (40 cookies)
Dry Ingredients
All-purpose flour - 2 cups
Cinnamon powder - 1.5 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Wet ingredients:
Unsalted butter, softened - 1 cup (2 stick)
White sugar - 1 cup
Brown sugar packed - 1 cup
Eggs - 2
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
others:
Oats - 3 cups (old fashion or quick)
Raisin - 3/4 cup
Chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup
(Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup)
Method:
Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy ( 2 to 3 minutes).
Add eggs, vanilla. Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Add oats , raisin, walnut. If desired add some chocolate chips too.
Mix thoroughly.
If the dough is unrollable, then Cover the bowl and chill dough in the refrigerator for nearly 1 hour.
But I start baking immediately (in small batches for the week).
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Coat two baking trays with little oil or butter.
Roll the cookie dough into small lime size balls, and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
This cookie spreads a lot and gets bigger while baking. So remember to give enough space between while baking.
Using a spatula or our hands flatten each cookie (slightly to 2 inch dia).
Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown around the edges and centers are nearly set, 8 to 10 minutes.
If we want it to be harder , then bake for 11 mins.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in air tight containers.
How to store:
Keep the excess batter in fridge for 1 week and use as per need. Or this stays safe in freezer longer (3 months - I haven't tested this ). I keep it in fridge and bake everything within 10 days.
Basic Avocado toast has only 3 ingredients. Few slices of bread , Pink salt (any salt) and an avocado.
Avocado is one of the healthiest fruits in the world. In my experience, this miraculous fruit helps in improving vision, this fruit when eaten regularly for 3 months (half fruit , 3-4 days per week), will give us a beautiful radiant skin, reduces tanning (black spot on skin will disappear), gives us more strength after workout, reduces interest in snacking, and hence helps in low calorie diet.
If mixed with 3-4 days / week of 30 mins or more walking (aerobics) , this fruit reduces bad cholesterol and has helped me to reduce weight and get in shape.
This fruit elevates our happy hormones. Make us feel happy.
This is a wonderful fruit and I am glad that I started including this in my diet.
If you are reading this, kindly spend money on this fruit and this is truly a healthy food.
Also I am more interested in finding and journaling healthy foods in my youtube channel. If you find my videos helpful, kindly give it a 'Like' and 'Subscribe' to my channel. This will encourage me to work more on this topic. Thanks !
Here is my video on how to make avocado toast and how to serve it as a platter for lunch or breakfast.
Ulunthu Kali is a highly energetic food, rich in protein and vitamins. This kaLi is given to girls who have reached puberty for nearly 16 days. Also this is prepared every month to strengthen the reproductive system of females and bones and muscles of everyone in the family. Urid dal helps in strengthening the bones too. So this has been in the diet of Tamil people since many generations.
This is recommended to prepare as breakfast. I love this kali very much. My mom used to prepare this for me and I remember how much efforts she would put in this preparation. When a girl attains maturity physically, it is a custom in my hometown to celebrate it like a festival of 16 days. All relatives would prepare some good foods for the family and would bring gifts. This is called seer (gifts). The girls understand the love poured by her relatives at that time. From that day, she would be treated like a woman and grown ups would teach her how to dress, how to act with some maturity, how to mingle with men and how to live safe.
Ulunthu kali and uncooked eggs , sesame oil are the staple for the young women at that stage. This is not just a food for young women, it is consumed by the whole family once or twice as breakfast every month as it is totally yummy and healthy.
People used to dry roast and grind whole black urid dal into powder and store it in big eversilver containers. I have shown in this recipe how to make it without powdering. In fact, my version is much healthier as it involves soaking the urid. It is a tradition to make this kali using palm jaggery, but I have used jaggery today.
Ingredients:
Whole Black gram - 1 cup Methi - 1 tsp Rice - 1/4 cup Jaggery - 1 cup Garlic - 1 Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp per serving
Method:
Wash and soak black gram and Methi seeds together in water overnight (10 hours).
In the morning add 1/4 cup rice (any uncooked rice) to the urid dal and soak for 30 mins or more. Grind the soaked black gram with methi seeds to a fine paste. Heat 2 cups of water .
Add chopped garlic and let it cook for 5 mins.
Add jaggery and let it dissolve. The add the urid dal paste, mix well. After the black gram gets cooked , the raw smell will disappear it will start leaving the vessel like haalwa. Then add 2 tbsp sesame oil and mix well. Ulunthangali is ready. Serving suggestions: Garnish each serving with a tsp of Sesame oil and Serve hot as breakfast.