Jack as Tikki

This dish was actually a makeshift arrangement done for raw jack fruit poriyal. I was intending to do the poriyal. And in the process I actually found that I made it a little extra tender and my folks at home wouldn't go for it. Now enough of the prelude and let me just straight go into the recipe.

Ingredients:
Raw Jack Fruit - one medium sized
Onions - 2 ( 1 finely chopped)
Tomato - 1
Green Chillies -2
green coriander - 1 cup (finely chopped)
Ginger- Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala -1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Gram Flour - 1/2 cup
Corn Flour - 3 tsp
Salt - to taste
Bread Crumbs
Oil

Method:
In a pressure cooker boil the deskinned and cubed raw jack fruit with turmeric powder, half of the chilli powder, and little salt. One whistle should do as the tendency of the jack fruit is to cook faster. In a pan add oil and saute the onions, ginger garlic paste and tomatoes. Add the powders as well. When everything is mixed and comes to a thick dough like consistency remove from fire and add the gram flour, corn flour, finely chopped onions and coriander leaves. Now make this into a ball and flatten it and coat it with bread crumbs and using a tava or a sauce pan roast it on both sides till golden brown adding oil. You definitely will need two ladles to toss it. Let me know if tasted good at your place as well. Mine did and made me post it quite after a very long time!!! Hoping to be back soon with something more exciting!!!

A Foodblogger’s Meme Around the World

Tony has tagged for this simple great meme, thanks Tony. Here goes mine:

1. Please list three recipes you have recently bookmarked from foodblogs to try:

1. Pushpa's Strawberry Chocolate Upside Down Cake.
2. Daily Blog Girl Priya's Gobi Paratha
3. Saffron Trail's surpRICE Patties

2. A foodblog in your vicinity:

1. Gluttony is no sin

3. A foodblog (or more) located far from you:

Too many to write about, most of them are miles away!

4. A foodblog (or several) you have discovered recently (where did you find it?):

Saffron Trail ( Dont remember where i found it)

5. Any people or bloggers you want to tag with this meme?

Tony has already done the honours! Anybody who wants to take up can do it from here!

Vaadu Maanga / Maa Vadu / Tender Mangoes

Vaadu Maanga urugai can be had with plain curd rice or even just with plain rice. The early summer season is the season for these tender mangoes. Made this pickle over the weekend.

Things required:

Tender Mangoes ( Round) - 1 Kilo
Red Chillies ( Dried) - 30
Mustard - 50 gms
Salt - To taste
Castor Oil - To coat the tender mangoes.

Method:

First rinse the tender mangoes with plenty of water and then dry them in shade. Wipe off till dry then put then in a big container. Pour castor oil and nicely shake the container so that the tender mangoes get coated. Soak the redchillies for about 15 mins, then grind them to a paste along with mustard and salt. Add this paste to the mangoes and let them marinate for about 4 days.

Javarsi Vadaam ( Sago Papads)

Summer seasons were leisure seasons once upon a time, meaning during school and college days... of course it still is for those who are in that stage. But whatever be it, summer cannot pass through without making vatthals, vadams and maanga urugais...

This weekend I made some vadu manga/ maa vaddu / tender mango pickles and javarasi vadam/ sago papad.

I shall post the reciepe of the javarasi vadam here and then the vadu maanga in my next post.

Things required:

Javarasi / Sago ( Preferrably Big Ones) - 2 Kilo
Green Chillies - 1/2 Kilo
Salt - to taste
Lime - 10 nos.

Method:

Soak the sago over night with lots of water. Grind green chillies and salt add lime juice and keep aside. Put the sago in a big vessel and put it on the stove stirring occasionally. Remove from fire when it is thickened to a gravy state. Add the chilly paste and stir well. Let it cool. Now take a small laddle and pour it on a plastic sheet in an open place under the direct sun. Let it dry for one complete day. This is now ready to eat when deep fried in oil. This yummy tangy tasting vadaam can only be home made, because the store bought ones are very plain tasting.

The Javarasi Kuzh ( the pre vadam )

The Dried Vaadam



The Vaadam in the oil





The fried Vadam With Rice Sambar and Vadu Maanga!
The ultimate combo...

Green Juice!

Image Courtesy


Come summer and one needs to go to grab a glass of juice of some fruit...just to keep you going...
but this juice is not just related to summer but to health.


Image Courtesy

Oh No! Anything that tastes good is not good for health and vice versa!
But, VOILA! , this one does taste good and is unbelievably good for health, chk here and here too

Now to the making of juice, first day when I prepered it for my FIL, I didn't even dare to smell it for the fear of it...but what a waste! I had been missing the goodness of it till this day! Wow, its got a sweet fresh taste that tastes really good for an empty stomach in the morning.So refreshing that your day goes great!

Ingredients:

Wheat Grass : 1 Pkt. ( Approx. 100 gms)
Water : Desired ( Recommended 100 ml)

Method:

Wash the wheat grass and chop them and put them in a blender. Add little water and blend till smooth. Strain and serve this green elixir!


Variations:

Fresh Ginger or lime or even slices of carrots or apples can be added to the blender along with Wheat Grass.

This is my contribution to WHB to Kalyn's Kitchen.

PS: Will post my home grown wheat grass shortly!!!

BL - 4

Friday Samyal, today I would even call it an experimental samayal. Today's menu was a bit lengthy. Time taken (including the fusion payasam) was only 1 hour and 30 mins. Now back to the menu then to the recipies. Aloo Methi ( Spicier Version), Palakai Poriyal ( Green Jack Fruit Curry), Cabbage and Carrot Poriyal, Drumstick Sambar.

Tried all these in a totally different way:

Drumstick Sambar:

Let me not go by the ingredients and the method seperately, it goes hand in hand today for this receipe like my samayal itself ;)

Boil 1 inch drumstick(10 Nos), Big Chunks of Onion(1), Chopped Tomatoes (2) with sambar podi and salt. When 3/4th done add tamarind paste and let it boil for 3 mins then add the mashed thuvar dhall and remove from fire in 5 mins. Tadka if needed, it tastes good even without that. Dont forget add some ghee if you like it.

Aloo Methi:

Ingredients:

Aloo - 4
Methi Leaves - 2 bunches
Onions - 1 big (sliced)
Sambar Podi - 1 Spoon
Salt - To taste
Oil - To saute

Method:

Wash and chop the methi leaves. In a kadai heat some oil / ghee and add the onions and saute till transparent, now add the chopped methi leaves and the potatoes ( I used them with the skins) I had cut one potato into 4 pieces. Add the sambar powder and salt and some water and close it. When done remove the lid and saute for some more time for the raw smell to go. The Spicy Aloo Methi is done!



Palakai Poriyal( Green Jack Fruit Poriyal)

Ingredients:

Palakai - 1
Sambar Podi - 2 Tbs
Garlic - 1 pod
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Salt to taste
Oil to saute

Method:

Almost same like Aloo methi, instead of onions first fry the crushed ginger and garlic and then add the green jack fruit. Add water in plenty when compared to the aloo methi. Dont cook with the lid. When dry its done!

Cabbage Carrot Poriyal:

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 1/4 Kilo
Carrot - 1
Salt - to taste
Oil,Mustard, for Tadka
Red Chillies(Dry)

Method:

Tadka and add the very thinly sliced cabbage and carrot and saute for while, then add salt and saute. Sprinkle water if required, else just saute it. Remove form fire when half done.

All of them served with steaming rice is an awesome combo! Do try and let me know...

Pasta Payasam - Fusion Cooking

Pasta Payasam:






I was thinking for a while and thought that I would contribute this Pasta Payasam for Hooked on Heat's Fusion Cooking.


Ingredients:

Shell Shaped Pasta - 1 Cup
Milk - 2 Cups
Water - 1 Cup
Sugar - 3 Spoons
Badam Mix(Any Brand) - 2 Spoons
Badam - To Garnish


The Pasta I used:






Method:

Boil the pastas in 1 cup of water and when half done add the milk and sugar and keep stirrig it. Add the Badam Mix and stir for a while and remove from fire. Transfer it into a serving bowl and garnish it with badam.

This simple payasam can be made in a jiffy and tastes very different than our ususal paysams with the taste of Badam milk.

Badams are rich in Calcium and is supposed to be the healthiest in the Nuts Family.
I did not use cashews or ghee and consider this to be one of the healthiest paysams I've ever created!


Can be served hot or cold.

PS: Will take sometime to take good photographs!

BL - 3

Parrupu Urundai Kulambu one of my fav. kulambu but I had always thought it was a very time consuming kulambu and never tried it. Today i got up a little early than the usual and was bored with regular sambars and kulambus and wanted to make this for a change. Wow what a surprise, it consumes lesser time than any other kulambu!...
Made vendakkai kari to accompany the kulambu and a rasam as usual.

Parrupu Urundai Kulambu:

Ingredients:

Thoor Dhall - 2 Cups
Dry Red Chillies - 7-8 pods
Tamarind Paste - 3 Tbs
Sambar Podi - 2 Tbs
Salt - To taste

Method:

Soak the dhall for abt half an hour and grind them with the red chillies, remember not to add water. While the dhall is being soaked, boil the tamarind paste with 4 cups of water, add sambar podi and salt. Now check whether the raw smell of sambar podi has gone, but the kulambu got to be thinner. Make small balls out of the ground dhall and slowly put it in the kulambu. Now simmer and cover it with a lid. Remove from fire in abt 5 to 7 mins. Parrupu urundai kulambu is ready.

Update: The dhall should be ground coarsely. The kulambu should be boiling when u add the urundai. Else it will break.

Vendakkai Curry / Poriyal:

Ingredients:
Ladies Finger - 1/4 Kilo
Small Onions - 4 pods
Garlic( Optional) - 1 Pod
Dry Red Chillies - 3 Pods
Oil, Mustard - for tadka
Salt to Taste
Curd - 1 Tbs

Method:

Slit the okra into two and chop it finely. Chop the small onions too. After tempering add the red chillies, onions and crushed garlic, once done add the chopped okra and fry till half done. Now add salt and just before removing add a spoon of thick curd.

Tips that I follow while making this poriyal:

# Wash the Okra and dry with a towel before cutting.
# Adding the salt when half done.
# Adding a dash of curd at the end.
# Not stirring it too often.

All these to make the Okra not be kula kulapa...;)

Though this combo was not deadly, it was Ok...

Now on Parrupu Urundai Kulambu will be made quite often. This is quite and easy one ,t hough mom's recipie is a detailed one and a delicious one too... may be will post it on sometime later.

QCM 2

Yesterday I got up a little late than the usual and wanted to cook something in no time and carry it for lunch... i remembered the parrupu sadham that mom used to pack for me, which will have thakkali, garlic etc., but today i thot i wanted something else with the same kind of taste... then i got into this spicy parupu sadham.

Ingredients:
Rice : 1 Cup
Thoor Dhall : 1/2 Cup
Small Onions : 5 to 6
Sambar Podi : 1 Tbs
Salt : As required
Ghee : For frying onions and to add after cooking

Method:

Wash the rice and dhall and keep it aside. Saute the onions till translucent and add the sambar podi and salt and fry for a min and then add the washed rice and dhall and pressure cook it till done. Add a dollop of ghee and your done...

Can be eaten as it is without anything or can be served with plain curds.

Trust me it was just awesome!