Amla buttermilk

Today I read in a Tamil E-newspaper about an Indian festival associated with Amla, Goddess Lakshmi, a golden amla rain, gold buying tradition and more importantly CHARITY. It is called Akshaya trityai. So I wanted to make a post on the Amla, which Indians consider as a holy fruit. The festival comes around the peak of Indian summer and it will definitely remind us to take more amla, which can make people fit for the weather. Amla (Indian gooseberry / nellikkai), has innumerable medicinal benefits. Click this link to read the medicinal value of Amla. I prepare this buttermilk often with breakfast during summers. Enjoy this drink at any time to get more healthy, beautiful and of course wealthy too, as per the belief.

Ingredients: (2 cups)
amla - 4
fat free buttermilk - 1 cup
water 1 cup
cumin - 1/2 tsp
curry leaf - few.
salt - 2 pinches

Method:

De-freeze the amla or wash and clean the fresh gooseberries.
Remove the seed and slice the amla. Pulse it in a blender along with little water and extract juice. Repeat extraction thrice.
Mix the juice with buttermilk, salt, cumin and chopped curry leaves.
Amla more is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as healthy drink with breakfast or at any time.

Pomegranate pulav

Pomegranate pulav is more famous among people who cannot take spicy hot dishes. This pulav goes well with any spicy non veg curry or paneer makhani. This is more like a 'sweetish ghee rice' topped with pomegranate or Kashmiri pulav . After tasting it in a restaurant I tried it at home to bring back that taste. This is a very forgiving dish and anyways we will get an amazing pulav. I am pleased with the outcome and we both enjoyed it to the core. Hope you all like it too. Enjoy :)

Pomegranate pulav served with lamb curry and onion raitha.

Ingredients:

(for 2 people)
Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup
ghee / butter - 3 tbsp (1 tbsp for 1/2 cup rice)
pomegranate fruit - 1/2 cup
cashew nut - 10 (halved)
almond - 4 (thinly sliced)
onion - 1/2 cup
(thinly sliced lengthwise)
green chilly - 2 (halved)
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
cilantro + mint leaf - a handful

saffron - few strands.
milk - 1 tbsp

Spices:

cinnamon - 1 inch
cloves - 2
cardamom - 2
star aniseed - 1
fennel - 1 tsp
bay leaf - 2

Method:

Wash the rice thrice. Soak the rice for 30 minutes.
Cook it with more water (5 cups)and 1 tsp salt , till it is 3/4 th done (cooked but very firm).
Immediately pour over a strainer / colander and remove the water.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the cashews + slivered almond till they turn golden. Keep aside. Add the remaining ghee and put all the spices except the saffron. Immediately add the finely sliced onion, little salt + sugar (1/4 tsp each) and saute till it turns mild red.
Then put the ginger garlic paste, chillies and saute for 30 seconds.

Add the rice and mix without breaking the rice. Soak the saffron in milk while cooking.  Garnish with soaked saffron + milk , finely chopped cilantro+mint, fried nuts.  Reduce the heat and cook covered for a few minutes .Keep aside.

Choose a very ripe seedless pomegranate.
Take out the red fruits (fleshy seeds) alone and keep aside.

Before serving, bring the pulav to piping hot by microwaving or dum process (placing over a hot tawa). Remove from heat and add the pomegranate, mix well.

Pomegranate pulav is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Pomegranate pulao can be served with spicy Indian lamb curry (mutton kulambu) or mutton sukka varuval or kheema curry or simply with a raitha.
A glass of mango lassie with this combination is common.
The pulav should be tasty all by itself, but not spicy hot.
Avoid reheating after adding pomegranate, as it will affect the pulav's color.

Lemon pickle

I never thought of preparing a big batch of pickle at home, as hubby always buys many kinds of pickles from the Indian grocery stores and moreover I am not a big fan of store bought pickles. I used to prepare a small quantity of lemon pickle and finish off soon. I was kind of afraid to make that big batch of lemon pickles at home because of lesser Sunlight.
Then one fine day, I prepared this lemon pickle last year after talking with a friend (Mrs.Aruna Satya). She said that her mom made it for her without sun-drying and I got that clue and wanted to try immediately. I couldn't follow her recipe, as I wanted to prepare my mother's special oil-less Lemon pickle recipe, which I had enjoyed so much. Mom used to make this lemon pickle using our home grown lemons. We had a big 'Malta lime' tree in the backyard and that tree would yield sacks of bigger lemon and we would enjoy them as lemonade, lemon rice, leaf podi and pickles along with our neighbors. At that time mom would make extremely big batches of these pickles for our aunts and family friends. I tried her recipe while living in Madras and it was so good. Here I added a few drops of vinegar to the same as I need to keep them for a long time. It was a wonderful process and I enjoyed that fresh lemon smell all over the house for days together. I am more delighted to see my hubby checking it everyday, if it has soaked or not, just like a kid:) From then on, hubby stopped buying pickles from the stores and I am happy with the oil-less home made pickle:)

Ingredients: (see the process for measurement)
Lemon -

sea salt (கல் உப்பு) -

red chilly powder -
mustard / kadugu- 1 tbsp (for 5 lemons)
fenugreek / methi/ venthayam - 1/2 tbsp (for 5 lemons)
green chillies - 2 chillies for 1 lemon

Method:

Wash the lemons, green chillies and pat dry.  Do this in the evening and let it dry overnight. Then in the morning, cut the lemon into 1.5 inch size triangular pieces or squares and slit the chillies.

Measure the  pieces using a dry tumbler / cup. Add salt to the lemon. (sea salt: lemon - 1:4), (1:6 for fine table salt: lemon). Mix the lemon, salt, chillies by shaking well. Keep the mixture in a porcelain jar (china clay jaadi). keep it under hot sun for from morning to evening, without closing the lid. Take care that no sand or dirt falls on it. we can place a mesh cover or tie a fine muslin cloth over the vessel too. In the evening shake it well and bring inside home and keep it closed after it cools down.
Repeat placing under hot sun for 2 more days.
Now the pickles could have turned a little pale and started soaking.

Take dry red chilly powder in ratio, chilly powder: lemon measure= 1 : 5.

On the 4th day dry roast the mustard till it cracks. Dry roast the fenugreek (venthayam / methi) till it turns red and flavorful. Powder them together.
Add the chilly powder, mustard, methi powder to the soaked pickle and mix well with a clean dry spatula. Keep in sunlight for the whole day . Close the lid portion by tying a muslin cloth (prevents drying of pickle) and place the porcelain lid over it . Then store it in a clean dry shelf. Never touch the pickles by hand, as we may need to keep the pickle safely for an year.

How to make the lemon pickle in colder countries?

As we can't allow the pickle to soak under Sun in colder countries, add 1/2 tsp of vinegar to every cup of chopped lemon and place the container open inside the house. Let them soak for 2 days and on the 3rd day add the powders and keep them open for 2 more days. Stir every evening and on the 4 th day , store it in an air tight container and preserve safely as instructed above.

Serving suggestions:

This pickle will remain good in the room temperature for many years, if handled with care.
Adding green chillies is optional only.
This pickle can be used without tempering also. But if needed, take the required amount of pickle for a week and keep aside. Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a dry wok and splutter a tsp of mustard seeds, the add a tbsp of channa dhal, curry leaves and pour over the pickle.
Serve with any rice or roti.

Chicken Tikka masala

Chicken Tikka masala is an Indian dish much favored by all who can't take the heat of other Indian dishes. In restaurants they make it with a little sweetish touch to satisfy the customers. I have narrated a basic Indian Tikka recipe here. This recipe is a good option for dieters who are eager to reduce the frying process and looking for some 'side dish for chapathi'.

Chicken tikka.

chicken tikka - Indian grilled chicken

Tikka masala - Chicken tikka in gravy.

Ingredients:

(For Tikka)

Boneless chicken - 1 lb (1/2 kg)
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
salt - 1 tbsp
thick Indian yogurt - 1/2 cup
oil / butter - 2 tbsp  (optional)
turmeric - 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

(Gravy / Masala)

Tomato - 5
(or) tomato puree - 1 cup
onion (chopped)- 1 cup
bay leaf - 2
cinnamon - 2 inch
garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
cumin powder - 1 tsp
cashew / almond - 5
oil / butter - 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
salt - as per taste.

Method:

Wash and clean the meat. Cut chicken into 1.5 inch size cubes.
Blend the masalas listed under Tikka together in a mixing bowl.
Keep the chicken pieces marinated in that masala for 1 hour (room temp.) or overnight inside the refrigerator.

Soak the bamboo skewers in water more than 1 hour.

Thread the pieces in the skewer with a little spacing. Bake them in oven at 350 deg C for 20 mins one side. Then flip and bake for 10 mins. Then broil it both sides.
(Instead the pieces can be grilled or deep fried also).

Take out and remove from skewers. Keep aside.

Chicken tikka is ready!

We can serve them simply as a snack or side dish or stuffing inside chapati rolls,  without the gravy.

Tikka masala:

Saute the onion in very little oil till it gets golden brown. Keep aside.
(We can mw or boil the onions in 1/4 cup of water instead).
Boil the chopped tomatoes with 1/4 cup water.
Let them cool and grind along with cashews.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Put the bay leaves, cinnamon stick . Then add the ginger garlic paste, stir well and add the ground masala. Add any left over marination too.
Put the red chilly powder, garam masala, salt, cumin powder, turmeric powder and close with a lid. Let them boil in minimum heat till the raw smell vanishes.
Then finally add the chicken tikka and mix well. Switch off after the gravy gets thick.
Garnish with finely chopped cilantro + mint leaves.

Chicken tikka masala is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as side dish with chapathi / roti/ parotta.
Goes well with cumin rice or any pulav.

Note:

We can reduce the oil content in this recipe and we won't see much difference.
We can add a tbsp of sugar to the masala and reduce the chilly powder, if the guest can't take the hot chilly taste.

Easter Greetings !

Wishing all my readers and friends a blessed Holy week and a Joyful Easter.

(Image courtesy : 'Graphics fairy'. Thank you my fairy! ).

May all the prayers be answered
and everyone feels the Lord's presence
on Easter and always
Wishing all a Peaceful and Blessed Easter.

Enjoy and have lots of fun!

Thengai paal payasam (coconut milk kheer)

Wishing all my friends and readers a bright and prosperous , Happy Tamil New year! The Tamil month Chithirai starts on April 14 and it is celebrated by Tamil people as the beginning of Tamil New year. The name of this new year is 'Kara' year.

Let's start the new year with a milky white payasam made of coconut.

We have some coconut trees in my  father's house. I cannot remember us buying coconut from shops in those days. Mom would arrange a man to pluck all the matured coconuts in a regular time interval and the tender coconuts go as snack for us:) One fine day, mom's friend Mrs.Noohu aunty visited us and she taught us to make coconut kheer. Aunty used to say it as 'paachoru' (paal choru means milk+rice). Our maid scrapped lot of coconuts and we made a big batch of this kheer for all of us (Ours , Aunty's, my friend's and maid's family). It was so delicious that I have never tasted anything like that before:) Now we need not struggle much....just open a can of coconut milk and ta...da...the kheer is ready! I tried to bring out her's and it was 90% success. My rice started to get cooked, but her's was firm and bit chewy, which is the correct stage. Anyways recording the recipe for my future reference.

Ingredients:

Coconut - 1 (small)
(or) coconut milk - 1 cup thick + 1 cup thin.
basmati rice - 1 cup
sugar - 1 cup
rose essence - 2 drops
almond, cashew - few.

Method:

Extract milk from coconut using 2 cups of water. Shred the coconut. Divide the water into 3 parts and extract thrice. Keep the first extract (thick milk) separate. keep the thin milks together.
Wash the basmati rice and drain water completely.
Boil sugar to get a 2 string consistency. Add the rice and stir carefully. After a few minutes add the thin milk and cook the rice. The rice will get cooked and become chewy but not mushy, because of the sugar syrup. This is the correct stage. At the same time it may become thick and start leaving the edges. Put the chopped cashew, slivered almonds and mix well. Pour the thick milk and stir again to get a thicker consistency, and switch off before the rice gets soft.
After switching off add a drop of rose essence.
coconut milk payasam is ready!

Serving suggestion:

Serve warm or chilled as dessert.
Prepare 1/5 of the above quantity for 2 people.

Awards and a me-me:)

Deepa of Hamaree Rasoi and Sonali Pradhan of Only fish recipes have presented me the following awards. Thank you friends!. I am excited to get these bunch of awards and I am honored.

That lovely package includes a me-me too. I have to say seven facts about me. Click here to read more about me.

7 facts about me:

1.Basically I am a happy person. I thank God for everything I get and thoroughly enjoy whatever I do i.e., from vegetable chopping to laundry:) I strongly believe in God's protection and respect all others beliefs too.

2.Talking with my relatives over phone is a great entertainment / moral support for me. I like to get updates from my entire family frequently. I consider each and every person I meet as a book and try to learn something good from them. This helps me a lot.

3.I get satisfied with simple foods. But this blog is helping me to cook more varieties.  Though I have been enjoying the culinary art from my early teens, my skills got polished only after starting this blog and by my audience's comments. I enjoy reading other food blogger's anecdotes / story behind that recipe.

4.I like to cook colorful foods like Hyderabadi biryani, chaat items,  raitha (Indian yogurt salad) etc. Traditional Indian cooking fascinates me much. Buying cook-books, cooking utensils / tools is my favorite.

5.I like listening to melodies and Tamil movie songs. I prefer hearing the songs than watching the videos. Walking 1 hour a day is a must for me. Sewing is my new craze.

6. I love perfumes,room freshener, agarbathis, potpourris that smells like roses or sandal or flowery. Roses, jasmine, blue hydrangeas, Lilly, lotus (there is a long list) are my favorite flowers:) Recently I bought a dry flower art/ painting and I adore it. Even watching the flower 'images' in Google makes me high:)

7.Friday nights are my best favorite time. Mostly We enjoy our weekends sitting inside our house:) with some English movies along with pizza, popcorn, coke:)

I am happy to share my awards with the following friends.
Divya, Ciccia,Bhuvaneshwari Ramanathan, Jaleela Kamal, Swathi, Priya, Tina, Chitra Sendhil, Panchpakwan, Kala , Valar Siva.

Friends! Please accept this and I am eagerly waiting to read about you all. Thank You!

Congrats dearies!

Others bloggers or not : If you have some interesting facts to share about you, please feel free  and start writing about you (in your blog or in my comment section). I will publish it for you.  Anyways blog is where we can enjoy writing all about us and here is me waiting to hear from you:)