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.

Once in a while....

On a Netflix marathon Saturday, a pizza lunch from Dominos....Our favorite pineapple jalapeno pizza with chicken wings :) .

I found this mango habanero sauce as more appetizing than any other sauce we usually buy.

Cooked rice Vadagam (leftover) in dehydrator

In Tamilnadu, the leftover rice would be preserved by soaking it in water and served as next day's breakfast along with pickle (not my favorite till now and hence I used to carry a pack of biscuits in my handbag years ago and sometimes I would accept that  too if served with love.....Anything tastes better if given with love :) ).  Some people would cook the old rice with fresh rice the next day and the whole rice will get the old rice flavor, and it is not ok. Some would put the rice in fridge and would give it a . makeover to give lemon rice or puli rice the next day (that's a better idea, as food stays safer). But I won't recommend it for lunch packs in hot regions (we can have it home).  In colder countries it is not a major issue. The old rice stays good for at least 3 days in fridge (why 3 days? ...because it is the food blogger's way of telling it. But I know some people who would cook rice one day and use it the whole week. It tastes good too. Everything depends on the weather).
Leftover rice vadagam was not my mother's idea either. But I started making this kind of vadagam occasionally, using leftover rice  and my hubby likes all kinds of vadagam. But here in US, there won't be much leftovers as we all cook precisely for a tiny family. Then also, I got some leftovers the other day and prepared vadagam (fryums / fritters) using dehydrator. So if anyone is totally in love with vadagams, then they should cook one more cup of  rice and try my recipe. It tastes just like koozh vadagam.
Here is my recipe for 'spicy leftover rice vadagam'. Here I have used a dehydrator and it took just 12 hours to dry. Sundrying is a better way too.

Blend together cooked rice , shallot, green chili, cumin,, curry leaf,  hing, salt .

My idiyappam squeezer 

Squeeze it on a plate of dehydrator (over a cloth)

Switch on in high mode.

It would be ready in 10 - 12 hours. 

Put them in a dry plate and let air dry for 1 more day.

Store in ziplock bags

Vadagam after frying in oil

Ingredients:
Cooked rice - 2 cups
shallot - 2
green chili - 2
salt - 1/2 tsp
hing - a pinch
cumin - 1/2 tsp
curry leaf - few

Method:
If there is leftover rice, keep it in fridge or start making the recipe immediately.  Do not soak it in water or keep in room temperature (for making vadagam).
Using a blender, finely grind all the above.
Fit a star mould in  a murukku squeezer (idiyappam maker) .
Spread a clean cloth on dehydrator plates. Squeeze the vadagam batter (see photo).
Close the lid and set it in high.
It may take 12 hours to dry.
Spray little water in the back of the cloth and peel the dried vadagams.
Keep on a clean dry plate and air dry for a day or continue drying in a dehydrator for another 6 hours.
Remove and store in airtight containers.

Serving suggestion:
Before serving, heat required oil in a wok. Deep fry the vadagams in small batches.
It fries very quickly. Take out and place on kitchen paper towels.
Serve as side dish (like papads / appalam) along with sambar rice or any rice.
The fries are served as snack also.

Chicken noodle soup

Recently I bought this cookery book, "From Mama's table to mine"  by Mr. Bobby Deen in a nearby dollar store. He is the son of my beloved celebrity chef, Ms. Paula Deen. The original price was $39 but it was on sale that day and I consider myself lucky to get it for a dollar. I love the way the recipes are modified for reduced calorie consumption with added nutrition. His recipes are focused on healthy foods without changing the taste.
This is one of the best books I have ever bought and one day I tried Bobby's chicken noodle soup. My version is a little more spicy and Indianized. But for more accuracy and his ingenious tips , one must definitely buy this book. I prepared this chicken noodle soup using the ingredients I had at hand. I love the way it turned out. To my surprise my hubby too likes it very much and asked me to keep a portion for his lunch box too. I am glad that I have learned something new and good.
Try this and let me know !

Ingredients:
Chicken with bones - 1/2 lb (200 gm)
noodle - Top ramen 1 pack
chicken stock - 2 cups
olive oil - 1 tbsp
butter - 1 tbsp
bay leaf - 2
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
whole black pepper - 1 tbsp
cumin - 1 tsp
sea salt - to taste
Vegetables:
red onion - 1
green chili - 2
garlic - 5 cloves
carrot - 1 (100 gm)
celery - 2 sticks
spring onion (scallion) - 2
cilantro - handful
tomato - 1 (100 gm)

Method:
Chop the carrot, celery , onion , garlic to small cubes. (I used Vidalia onion chopper for this step).
Mince the green chilies, cilantro, green onion.  Keep them all aside.
Chop the chicken to small cubes (1 inch size). I requested the butcher to chop the chicken for soup and got it absolutely right.

Heat oil + butter in a pressure cooker (3 liter or bigger).
Add bay leaf. Then goes the onion, garlic together. Saute in medium heat for 1 minute.
Then add all the chopped vegetables.
Saute till onion turns soft. Then add the chicken pieces, minced spring onion, cilantro, green chili.
Add crushed pepper + cumin , turmeric,  salt and saute everything together for 3 more minutes.
Add finely chopped tomato.
Pour the chicken stock (store bought). Bring to a boil.
Close the lid. Put on the pressure valve.
Cook for 5 whistles and switch off.
After the pressure reduces, open the lid.
Keep the flame at low.
Break a pack of noodles and add to the boiling soup.
Cook for 3 minutes or till noodles get cooked.
Switch off.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Chicken noodle soup is ready !

Serving suggestion:
Makes 4 to 5 servings.
Serve along with croutons or bread.

How to make raisin from grapes ?

Homemade raisins and dry fruits are made possible by using an equipment called dehydrator. Dehydrators come handy when sun-drying process becomes almost impossible in some places. Also this method is more hygienic (no dust) and convenient too. In India, sundried foods are prepared during summer and it is like a family event in many homes :) Still I remember how I used to enjoy making vadagams (papad), vatral etc along with my amma and her friends. I will make a separate post for that soon. Sundried papads made in open terraces in India are really hygienic (as people handle it with utmost care), environment friendly and lot of fun to prepare too.  But many of us in the cold countries have to trust a dehydrator to preserve the homegrown vegetables, herbs and fruits. The power consumption of dehydrators should not discourage anyone from using it. Because the absence of chemicals in manufacturing process justifies that cost and also the power cost is negligible. Here is an interesting page on cost of dehydrated food.
Though I was amazed at the possibilities of using a dehydrator at home, I never thought of buying one, till I saw it on sale in ALDI last year. I got this for less than $ 14 and I am delighted with that purchase, because I have used this many times to make delicious raisins, vadagams and dried vegetables (vatral) .

The dehydrator from ALDI and the raisin I made in that.

Homemade cloth base for dehydrator plates

Raisins made in dehydrator

store it in airtight container at room temperature.

Kesari made using homemade raisin

Ingredients:
Seedless grapes - 1 kg

Method:
The dehydrator is an equipment (see photo), that would have a heating coil at the base and some plates with holes stacked above it. The center hole and the holes in the plate facilitates the hot air circulation.
I covered the plates using a new thin cotton cloth and cut out the center holes for aeration. But that is not necessary, if the grapes are larger.
First rinse the grapes thoroughly (thrice or more times). Remove the stems.
Pat dry using a clean cloth.
Place on all the plates of the dehydrator (evenly spaced).
Arrange the plates over the coil.
Switch on at maximum heat.
It may take nearly 2 to 3 days for drying the grapes to a hard stage.
I always run the dehydrator when I am at home and switch it off while sleeping. But many people run it continuously and it gets dried in 24 hours for them.
Finally place all the dried raisins in a single plate and continue drying for 6 more hours if needed.
Dry it till it turns more harder than store bought to ensure longevity (as we are not adding any chemicals to preserve them).

Note:
Before we use it any recipe (raw) we can soak a handful of raisin in few tsp of water and puff them in microwave. It will get the same softness like store bought.
I use this in many desserts, oats and fruit cake.
Making raisins is a good way to turn sour grapes to sweeter ones.
Buy the organic grapes (optional) during season at a lesser price and enjoy perfect raisins throughout the year.
yields : 2 cups raisins

French fries in air fryer

If there is a contest between all 'the world's most favorite foods' , then I am sure French fries will win that crown.  From kids to grandparents, I have never seen anyone saying no to it. But with the rise of calorie consciousness, everybody wants this to be inside their calorie limit.  In those moments our airfryer comes as the helping hand. It won't be too much, if I say airfryers and French fries are made for each other. Of all the recipes I made using the airfryer, Potato fries came absolutely the same like oil fried.
I couldn't believe the results I got. I have used russet potatoes, as it is more starchy and it is believed to produce the best French fries. Here is an interesting link to know more about different varieties of potatoes.

Preparing an authentic French fry is like an art. It has many steps and here is how pros do it.

I have my own version for airfried potatoes and I am sure it gives a perfect fry, which tastes more similar to oil fried ones.

Air fried French fries

Ingredients:
Russet potato - 1 (large)
Himalayan pink salt (or) sea salt - 1/8 tsp
turmeric powder - a pinch
extra virgin olive oil - 1 tsp

Method:
Preheat the airfryer for 5 minutes at 400 F.
Rinse the potato and remove the skin.
Slice it into long strips of 1/3 inch thickness.
Put in a bowl and add other ingredients.
Mix well.
Put this in the airfryer basket.
Cook at 400 F for 5 minutes, take out and toss well.
Start cooking again at 350 F for 5 more minutes.
Check every 3 minutes and mine got ready by 8 minutes.
The potato will become crispy on outside and soft inside.
It will get a golden color with a hint of mild red in some spots.  That is the perfect stage.
Take out and enjoy while it is hot.

Note:
This fries tastes much similar to restaurant made (while hot). It gets soft , if left outside for more time.  But it can be made crispier again using airfryer.