Kadalai curry

Chick peas in spicy kuruma / sivappu konda kadalai kulambu.

Kadala curry is more famous in Kerala, India. They serve kadala curry with aappam , idiappam and puttu as breakfast or dinner in their restaurants. This curry should be prepared with red channa dhal (black/red/ brown chick pea) only, to get a nice flavor. The dark channa has more nutrition and it is easy to sprout too. This Kerala kadala curry is different from Tamilnadu kadala kulambu and both tastes good. Some times I make this curry with rice, dosai, chapati also. Try this and enjoy!

Aappam with kadala curry.

Ingredients:

Red channa - 150 gm (1 cup)
thick coconut milk from can - 1/2 cup
(or) freshly shredded coconut - 1 cup
Red onion - 1
curry leaves - few
coriander leaves - a handful.
mint leaves - few
salt - to taste
coconut oil - 2 tbsp
bay leaf - 1
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

To grind:

Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
tomato - 2 (optional)
green chillies - 4
cumin - 1 tsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 3 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
cardamom - 4
cloves - 4
mace - a little bit
jathikkai (nutmeg) - a tiny bit
cinnamon - 1 inch
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Soak the channa for 5 hours in water. Keep it in a pressure cooker with enough water to immerse it. Add one more cup of water. bring it to one whistle and reduce flame, cook it for 10 minutes. We can cook it in stove top also, but it will take an hour.

In the mean time, heat 1 tsp oil in the kadai (wok). Add the cardamam, fennel, cumin, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, poppy seed (1/2 tsp) and fry for a second and take out. Immediately add the shredded coconut and fry till it gets mild red.Add the chilly powder, coriander powder and fry till raw smell goes.
If we are adding tomato, then fry the finely chopped tomato along with the coconut+powders till every thing gets cooked. Let cool. Grind along with the fried spices and green chillies.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Add bay leaf and fennel seeds.
Add the finely chopped onion,curry leaf, cilantro and mint leaves. After the onion turns golden brown , add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.
Now add the cooked channa (It is believed that we have to use the channa alone and discard the water, but I add the water) salt and put the prepared masala. Bring it to a boil.

In the mean time extract milk from 1 cup shredded coconut by adding warm water. Squeeze the first milk (first thick extract) and reserve it. Add 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup water and extract twice. Add this thin milk to the boiling gravy and keep closed in low heat for 10 minutes. After that add the thick milk and and Switch off immediately. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

Kadalai curry is ready!

Serving suggestions:

serve hot with aappam, puttu, dosai, rice, chapati.

Note:
Originally they don't add any tomato in this recipe in my home. But I have added tomato here. Without tomatoes the curry tastes sweet and more delicious.
Cooking time: 1 hour
I suggest using some canned coconut milk or coconut milk powder to make it easy:)

Radish raita

Radish is one of our most favorite vegetables. With its low calorie count and innumerable health benefits it stays as a good choice for salads, fresh juice, South Indian mullangi sambar, stuffed paratha, stir fry and also this COOL raitha. Whenever hubby sees this beautiful bunch of fresh radishes he will involuntarily pick some, that too the big white ones are his favorite. Having the radish in mullangi sambar is our usual, but this raitha holds good for summer. Enjoy this delicious raita and stay cool!

Ingredients:

Daikon Radish (long white) -1
fat free Indian plain yogurt (curd) - 1 cup
coconut oil - 1 tsp
mustard - 1/2 tsp
urid dhal (black gram lentil) - 1 tsp
curry leaf / cilantro - little
ginger - 1/2 inch
hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
salt - to taste

To grind:

Green chilly - 2
shredded coconut - 1 tsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Scrub and remove the skin of radish. Chop off the top and bottom, wash well. Shred it using the coarse teeth of a mandolin slicer (carrot shredder).
Heat oil in a wok. Let the mustard start splutter. Then add the urid dhal, hing, finely chopped ginger, curry leaf / cilantro (1 tsp) and saute till urid dhal gets mild red. Then add the shredded radish and saute for a few seconds. Sprinkle a tbsp of water and cook covered for 1 minute. The radish should be semi cooked.
Switch off and let it cool completely.
Grind the items mentioned above without water to a coarse paste.
Mix with the radish and add salt.
Then add the (very cold) plain desi yogurt and mix well.
Radish raitha is ready!

Serving suggestion:

Serve as side dish while serving any spicy hot curry with roti.

Note:

1.If we can get the radish with leaves, then saute both to make this raita.
Horse radish, daikon radish (Asian white radish), red radish can be used in this recipe. I have used daikon radish here.
2.Radish is a very good diuretic and rich in digestive enzymes.

Cabbage Vadai

Almost a generation back it was a culture to prepare some evening-snack along with coffee everyday. Nowadays with the availability of packaged snacks and nearby restaurants, that idea is slowly fading. Here is a vadai recipe my mom's sister shared with us long back. The basic batter is similar to the ulunthu vadai, with some vegetable touch. 'Adding some vegetables to the vadai batter' has always been in our tradition to stretch the quantity. May be our mom's had mastered this quick-fix techniques to cater a surprise guest. When I did this after marriage, it became my mother in law's favorite too.
Recipe source: My Gandhi chithi

Ingredients:

(For 18 medium size vadai)
Urid dhal (black gram lentil) - 1 cup
rice flour - 2 tbsp
corn Oil (for deep frying) - 200 ml
Cabbage (finely chopped) - 1 cup
green chilly - 4 (finely chopped)
ginger - 2 inch
cumin - 1 tsp
whole black pepper - 1 tbsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig

Method:

Wash the urid dhal thrice. Soak the urid dhal in cold water for 2 or 3 hours. (I suggest soaking it inside refrigerator, which makes the vadai to absorb less oil).
Grind it to a fine paste with salt and pepper. If needed add 1 or 2 tbsp water.

Take the batter in a mixing bowl. Taste and adjust the salt now.
Finely shred / chop the cabbage. Finely chop ginger, chillies too.
Mix the finely chopped cabbage, green chilly, curry leaf , cumin , rice flour with the batter.

Heat the oil in a wok. Wait till it reaches the hottest point. Reduce the flame to medium.

Wet a plastic sheet or banana leaf (small square). Take a small ball of batter , place it on the sheet, gently flatten it and make a small hole at the center.

Deep fry the vadai in medium to low heat till it gets the golden red color.

Drain the oil , take out and place on kitchen towel / multi holed basin to drain excess oil.

Cabbage vadai is ready!

Serving suggestions;

Serve with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup along with hot coffee or tea in the evening.
Also makes a good side dish with Idly, Venn pongal, sarkarai pongal etc.

Cauliflower masala fry.

Here is a cauliflower fry I usually make as side dish for chapati.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 (400 gm)
oil - 1/4 cup or little more
shallot onion - 4
garlic - 5 cloves
ginger - 1 inch
fennel seed(sombu)- 1 tsp
cinnamon - 1 inch
red chilly powder - 1  tsp
garam masal powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - to taste

Direction:

Wash the cauliflower and cut it into small pieces.
Mince the onion, ginger and garlic in a chopper.
Heat oil in a thick bottom wok.
Add fennel seeds, cinnamon.
When the fennel turns red, add the minced onion, ginger, garlic and saute for a few seconds.
Then add the chopped cauliflower and stir well.

Then put all the powders mentioned above and salt.
Cook covered in low flame till the cauliflower shrinks and raw smell vanishes.
Cauliflower fry is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) before serving.
Serve as side dish with roti , chapathi , sambar rice or curd rice.

Note:

The oil and spices in the recipe may seem more, but it will make the chapati interesting.
If prepared as side dish with rice , we can reduce the spice and oil.
The left over cauliflower masala can be used as stuffing to make gobi paratha.

Chicken cutlet

Chicken cutlet is a very good way to make someone start liking chicken. I prepare this with curd rice most of the time. But after seeing some friends having cutlets and kabob with chapati, I too started making that combo. Believe me, this makes a good side dish for chapathi along with a raitha. Also we can make chicken-rolls out of the left overs the next day. Here is how I make the chicken cutlet.

Main Ingredients:

Boneless skinless thigh - 1 lb (or 1/2 kg)
fennel seed - 1 tbsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp
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boiled potato - 3 (small)
shallot / onion - 10
green chilly - 4
cilantro - handful
mint leaf - 10 leaves
salt - as per taste

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other ingredients:
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
curry masala powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
powdered puffed channa dhal  or besan flour- 1/4 cup
-------------
egg - 1
water - 1 tbsp
salt - little
--------------
bread crumb - 1 cup
--------------
oil - 1 tbsp per batch.

Method:
Rinse and clean the chicken. Cut into medium size pieces.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and add fennel seeds.
As fennel gets mild red, add the chopped chicken with turmeric and salt.
Stir fry and cook till it gets tender (without moisture).
Let it cool.
Grind it with shallot, ginger, garlic, green chilly, cilantro, mint to a soft dough stage, without adding water.

Powder the puffed channna dhal (pottu kadalai) or just use the besan flour.
Cook the potato, peel and mash it finely by hand.

Prepare the bread crumbs and set aside on a wide plate. (I make my own breadcrumbs by powdering some bread and leaving them in hot oven / @ 200 F for 10 minutes).
Beat an egg with water and salt. Keep it in a wide bowl.

Mix the powders mentioned  above with dhal powder, ground chicken and mashed potato.

Heat a pan / tawa with 2 tbsp oil.
Make lemon size ball with the minced chicken, slightly flatten it.
Dip in egg, then in breadcrumb , bring it to oval shape.
Shallow fry both sides in medium heat.

Serving suggestion:

Serve as snack or side dish.
Chicken cutlet with tomato sauce is a good combo.

Makes 30 cutlets.
Preparation time: 30 minutes.
time taken to fry : 30 minutes.

Blueberry icecream

Last year we visited Maine, which is famous for its light house, harbor, cruise ride, whale and seal watching and beautiful scenery. Most of the novels by Stephen King are based on Maine, which is his native place and that makes me love this place more:) Also the Iron man novel / Iron giant movie and comics comes to our memory , as they involve few places here (That is one of my favorite comic book character till now). Blueberry ice cream is a popular dessert there, as the fruit grows abundant there. They make many dishes using blueberry.  After tasting their glorious antioxidant rich blueberry ice cream, I prepared the same and it tasted as good as the original.
Now I understand why I am raving more and more about Maine, here summer has started and every soul wants the cool weather to return soon:)
So here is my share of ice cream to soothe your eyes and cool the ambiance:)

Blueberry ice cream a special dessert in Maine.

Memory: Ice cream bowls bought on a garage sale for $5 (2011)...unopened box, very neat and cute. Love this!

Ingredients:

Blueberry - 2 cups
lemon - 1/4 fruit or strawberry - 4 number
condensed milk (sweetened 14 oz can) - 1 tin
whipped topping (8 oz pack) - 2

Method:

Wash the blueberries, strawberry (if any) pat dry. Coarsely puree them in a blender. Strawberry or lemon gives a tangy hint to the sweet blueberry, which I prefer personally. It is purely optional.

In a mixing bowl add the condensed milk, lemon juice (if used), 3/4 of the blueberry puree and fold in the whipped topping. Transfer to a lidded glass container suitable for freezing.
Add the left over blueberry puree little by little to give a swirl effect. Keep frozen for nearly 4 hours.
Garnish with some berries and serve.

Blueberry ice cream is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Makes nearly 15 big scoops.

Note:

1 large scoop will be less than 100 K cal (with low fat milk products).
Blueberry is an antioxidant rich fruit.
We can substitute frozen blueberries for fresh ones.

Home made Hot sauce

In our house, the spicy hot sauce is the best dipping sauce for any kabob or tandoori chicken. We both prefer the 'extra-hot' hot sauce over the original hot sauce, but that HOT version is not widely available. So I wanted to try my own. I got the hint of ingredients from the label and modified it according to my taste. It came out perfectly HOT and now this recipe is a keeper for me. Sharing this 'home made Xtra-hot hot sauce' recipe for all spice lovers.

Ingredients:

Red bell pepper - 1 (big)
Indian green chillies - 10
garlic - 4 cloves
onion - 1
oil - 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder  - 2 tbsp
salt - 2 tbsp
white distilled vinegar  - 1 cup
brown sugar or sugar - 2 tbsp

Method:

Saute the sliced onion, garlic, green chillies, red bell pepper together till they wilt. Let it cool completely.
Grind with 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno (optional), red chilly powder (or whole dry red chilly), sauteed ingredients, salt, brown sugar.
Add vinegar at the end and grind to a very smooth  paste (in more liquid state).
If needed add  (1/4 cup) more vinegar.

Note:
Do the whole process in well ventilated room to avoid sneezing:)
I cover my nose with a scarf to avoid inhaling any hot fumes :)
Preparing the hot sauce at home is very easy and worth the effort.
If not having jalapeno, red bell pepper, then just prepare this hot sauce with Indian green chillies and more dry red chilly powder. It will taste the same. But the bell pepper, jalapeno and green chillies add a strong spicy hot flavor.

Serving suggestion:   

Serve as dip with baked chicken, tandoori, kabob.