Vermicelli veggies upma

Roasted Vermicelli(Semiya) - 2 cups
Ghee or butter - 5 tbsp
Onion(medium) - 1 no
Peas,beans and carrot chopped - 1.5 cups
Green chillies - 2 nos
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - A few
Salt - As reqd
Water - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup


Chop onion, ginger and green chillies into small pieces.Heat 3 tbsp ghee or butter in the kadai.
Add mustard seeds and when they crackle, add chopped onions, green chillies, dry red chillies, ginger and curry leaves.Fry, till the onions turn brown.Add the peas ,beans, carrots mixture. fry for 1-2 mins, sauting frequently.Once its 3/4 cooked,Add water along with sugar and salt.Veggies shld not be fully cooked,3/4th cooked enhances the taste.U can use frozen veggies to save time.Allow it to boil.When it starts to boil, add fried vermicelli, stirring continuously.Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame, till vermicelli is soft and almost all water has dried up. Add coconut and stir for 2 mins.
Serve hot with sugar or pickle. Healthy breakfast ready in 15 mins.This Upma is for Raaga for WBB Express Breakfast Event....

Palappam and Egg in coconut milk curry

There's an old saying like "Eat breakfast like a king".Its true,always begin your day energetically with healthy breakfast.A balanced breakfast should be fat free,which supplies a protein,fiber and other nutrients.Breakfast is like 'Waking up to healthy start.Avoid the temptation to be a breakfast skipper like 1.If u have no time : Build a breakfast that are ready to eat or take little preparation time like fresh and canned fruits, milk, yogurt, cheese, instant breakfast mixes.2.Take it to go:Try celery stuffed with peanut butter , fruits or vegetable juices,sandwiches. Drink juice. Something is better than nothing. Have some bread or crackers later in the morning. There's no evidence that skipping meals will help you lose weight. In fact, studies show that most people who skip breakfast tend to eat more later in the day. Some even select more caloric ally-dense foods than those who eat breakfast.
When Mansi announced Balanced breakfast this month.I thought giving two birds in a shot like same with srivalli's Dosa mela.Here's my post to both events Kerala's special breakfast Palappam and Mutta thegapal curry(Egg in coconut milk gravy).Its quite delicious and easy to make.


Palappam
For kappi/kurukku
Combine 1/4cup of sooji(rava) /Rice flour with some hot water on stove top to create a gooey mixture.Keep aside.
For batter
Rice flour 2cups
(Use palappam podi or slightly fried normal rice flour)
Coconut milk 1.5cup
Yeast 1tsp(dissolved in some lukewarm water with 1tsp sugar,keep for 15 mins to rise)
Salt

After making the above kappi/kurukku.Mix rest if the items ie rice flour,yeast dissolved,coconut milk.Leave overnight to ferment.Keep in warm place or Preheat the bake oven at 200F for 5 mins.Switch off the oven,keep the palappam batter inside oven.Morning just before making appams,add warm milk if batter is thick,it should be slightly watery than dosa batter.Place appachatti on stovetop in med flame.Take a scoop of the batter and drop it into the appachatti. Hold the two handles of the appachatti and give it a quick twirl to spread the batter around. Do it once ,dont make two twirls, the edges get too thick and wont get proper laces. Cover and leave on for about 4 min.Repeat the same.Serve hot with Egg curry ,coconut milk or any curry of ur choice.


Here's simple Egg in coconut milk gravy for Palappam.
Eggs 3
Onion chopped 1cup
Tomato chopped 1
Green chillies chopped 3
Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Coriander powder 1tsp
Coconut milk 1/2cup
Rice flour 1tsp
Oil 1tbsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Salt

Boil eggs,Cut into halves and keep aside.Heat oil in pan,add mustard seeds,when it pops up,add red chillies,curry leaves.Add ginger-garlic paste,onions,fry it till raw smell goes and onions are translucent.Add green chillies chopped and saute.Add tomatoes and rest of the spices ,saute.Add some water.Let it boil for few mins,till raw smell of spies goes off.Add salt,now add eggs,coconut milk.Don't break the eggs .Stir carefully.If the gravy is too watery,add 1tsp rice flour mixed in 1/4cup of water.Cook in simmer,till the gravy thickens.Rice flour act as thickening agent.Remove from flame and keep for 10 mins covered,so that eggs absorbs spices.Serve hot with Appams or Idiyappam.

Lemon Dry fruits nuts Biscotti

I love Foodnetwork,one among my fav is "Giada De Laurentiis's Everyday Italian".Once i saw her Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti.Inspired by her biscotti,i decided to make a try with the ingredients with me.
In Italian, the word "biscotto" means "biscuit" or "cookie." More specifically, biscotti are named according to their original method of baking. The root words "bis" and "cotto" literally mean "twice" and "baked." Biscotti are first baked in a loaf, then sliced and toasted. This second trip to the oven draws off moisture, and results in a crisp, dry texture, and a long shelf life. There are many different varieties of biscotti, with some being cake-like in texture, while some are very crisp and dry. Traditionally, Biscotti were almond-flavored because almonds were plentiful. Biscotti are available in a myriad of different flavors like chocolate, hazelnut , dried red cherries, raisins, cinnamon, fennel or poppy seeds, allspice, mace, citrus zest, ground toasted nuts, mini dark or white chocolate chips. Popular today is to dip one side in melted chocolate.Their unique texture makes them perfect to dunk in your coffee or tea, or wine after dinner.Because of the baking process, Biscotti have a very long life may be 6 months.No need to refrigerate biscotti , store them in an airtight container.if they lose their crispness, simply toast them in a low oven (250 degrees) for a few minutes until they’re crunchy again. If they’re too hard or dry, place them on low power setting in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften them up.Here's My style of Biscotti..
Lemon Dryfruits Nuts Biscotti


Ingredients...
All purpose flour 1.5cup
Whole wheat flour 1.5cup
Softened butter 3tbsp
(for healthier version,add olive oil)
Baking powder 1tsp
Finely grated zest of 2 medium lemons
Sugar 3/4cup
Vanilla extract 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 2tsp
Eggs 2
(for healthier version,add eggs whites only)
salt 1/4tsp
Cashew,pistachio,pecans 1/2cup
Dates ,deseeded and chopped 8 nos
Tuuti frutti 1/4tsp
Dried apricots 1/4cup

Method..
Preheat oven to 350F.In a bowl seive flours , baking powder and salt,Add nuts and dried fruits and stir well to mix.In a large bowl,beat sugar,butter ,vanilla,lemon zest and lemon juice still creamy and fluffy.Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix well.Scoop the dough into a lightly floured surface.Divide into two parts,shape it into a log about 9" long - transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment and flatten until it is about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.Place the logs of dough on the baking sheet, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. With the palm of your hand, press down gently to flatten the logs. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the logs are well risen and have spread to about double their size. The logs are done when, pressed with a fingertip, they feel firm. Place the pan on a rack to cool the logs completely. cut the log into 1/2" to 3/4" thick diagonal slices.Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. It isn't necessary to leave space between them. Bake the biscotti for about 15 or 20 minutes or until they are dry and lightly golden.Remember, they will continue to crisp up as they cool. Cool on the pan on a rack.
Store the cooled biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a air tight container. Sending this Biscotti Jhiva for ingredients : Lime/Lemon

Chemeen Peera

Chemmen is the most popular seafood in the World especially in Kerala.Prawns /shrimps are very healthy choice of food as they are extremely good source of protein, and very low in fat as well as calories. They also contain high level of vitamin that are essential for healthy skin, bones and teeth.In kerala,many variety of dishes are made with prawns,like Chemmen Theeyal,Chemmen Roast,Prawns Biriyani,Chemmen Vada...options are endless.Recently one of my friend made Chemmen Peera .Though I'm keralite,i wasn't aware that 'peera' can be made with Prawns also. Usually I make Meen peera with Smelt (Neetholi)or Sardines(Mathi).'Peera' is fish cooked with spices and coconut mix.Its an authentic kerala style dish with all spices ,coconut and curry leaves and which no masala is used. I'm sending to Radhika for JFI: Onion event.
Ingredients...
Prawns 1 lb
Grated Coconut 1/2cup
Red chilly powder 2-3tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Green chillies 5 nos
Shallots(small onions)15
Ginger 1inch piece
Curry leaves 1sprig
Coconut oil 3tsp
Salt to taste
Method...
Clean the prawns thoroughly,it should be peeled and deveined.Cut shallots into thin slices.Chop green chillies and ginger.In a pan ,put prawns,shallots,grated coconut,Green chilly,ginger,red chilly powder,turmeric powder,curry leaves,2tsp of coconut oil,salt.Cover it and cook for 15-20 Min's.Sprinkle some water if needed.Don't add too much water, coz prawns has moisture content .Once all water is evaporated,remove from flame.Add 1tsp of coconut oil and curry leaves at the end.Peera made in 'Man chatti' /Earthen pot taste more good than normal kadai's.If u don't like coconut oil,use any Vegetable oil.

Kerala Porota and Chicken Roast

The Spice Garden of India,Kerala got its name from the word "Kera" means coconut.A land full of coconut trees,an imp ingredient in the cuisine.The preferred medium of cooking is coconut oil.In cooking,kerala is a paradise of seafood ,with lots of spices,condiments,rich in colorand texture ,flavour and aroma .Cooking a meal is known as 'pachakam' in malayalam.Kochulli(shallots),kodumpuli(cocum),coconut,cardamom and other spices makes the cuisine spicy,tangy and lip smacking.'Karimeen' or 'Pearl spotted fish 'delicious and expensive fish in kerala.Rice,coconut and curry leaves includes the vital part in cooking.Kerala Porota is one of the popular dish in "Thattukadas"(Open resturants on road sides in kerala) which is the mallu version for 'Dhaba'.Porota is a (flaky pastry like ) multilayered flat bread , made with maida.Making them in thattukada style includes long labour and time consuming.Normally while making at home,its limited to strerching the maida balls into thin layer like chappati and rolling it into twisted circles as shown in the pic.I tried from Annita's My treasure My pleasure. ,it was very tasty n came out really well ,for my future reference,i have written the recipe here.


Kerala Porota
Ingredients for making Dough...
Maida - 2 cups
Luke warm Water - as needed to prepare the dough
Veg Oil/Dalda - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Method...
Step 1.Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead the dough together thoroughly just like you prepare chappathi/roti dough.Keep it for 1 hr..covered with a wet muslin cloth or keep it in an air tight container.Otherise the top of the dough may become dry.
Step 2.Divide the dough into 10 equal portions of size a little less than tennis ball.
Step 3.Take a portion and apply some oil on it.In a flat surface apply oil again and roll out the portion to the maximum .(Make it as thin as possible both length wise and width wise..no need to be worried about the shape..eventhough it breaks in between..its fine..Our objective is to make it as thin as possible..)You can use a rolling pin for this one also.We are doing this instead of the excessive beating required to prepare porotta.Apply a little more oil over the rolled dough.Using both hands make pleates on the rolled dough(just like saree pleates) starting from one end.
Step 5.Then holding at one end of the pleated dough ,rotate it just like a spiral.Keep aside.See the picture below.


Step 6.Repeat the above procedure for each portions and keep it aside.(Its not as difficult as you read the recipe)Again use wet muslin cloth to cover it or keep it in an air tight container. Step 7.Heat a sauce pan until medium hot.Roll out each portion just like roti,but not soo thin.Porotta should be a medium thick.Remember do not apply any flour on it.You can apply some oil/ghee if you like.Cook each roti with a little butter/ghee for 1 or 2 minutes,turning frequently ,until speckled brown and firm.Keep the cooked porotta in an aluminium foil or in air tight container.
Step 8.When 3 or 4 porottas are done,place them in a flat surface and holding them between hands ,beat the hands together.(Just like clapping,but 3-4 porottas are between).do not beat them soo hard such as you break the porottas..:)We are doing this,just to seperate the different layers.Though a time consuming process,its very easy to prepare.


For side dish, i made Mishmash's Chicken Roast


The actual recipe asks for shallots and freshly grounded pepper..Here i made slight variations like 2lbs of chicken, Red onions and Store brought pepper powder...Even then the chicken roast tasted awesome.....

This is my entry to Jyothsna's RCI: Kerala.

Nankatai - Vanilla Butter cookies

Nankatai is a usual biscuit available in all bakeries in India,also known as Benne Biscuits in different places.These rich and cute shortbreads cookies are in two variations like sugar or savory ones with salt and cumin seeds,comes in different flavours like almonds,kesar,cardamom,vanilla and also spicy ones.After coming here in US,found many types of cookies like chocolate,ginger,intalian biscotti and more.But i love the simple n elegent tea cookies in India. Small crispy cookies dipped in tea taste awesome!!!isn't....I searched a lot in Indian stores,couldnt find.Finally made myself.This is the first cookie in tried,i gotta a problem whenever i try it,my cookies always burn at the bottom,while the top part remains uncooked and white.Adding butter is also important,My first set of cookies was a flop coz of more butter,while baking, the cookies started to spread and became flat.I made the second set of dough carefully with little butter,it was nice.They look so good,here goes the second set of cookies toSusan for the Eat Christmas Cookies event in Food Blogga.

Ingredients..
Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup
Granulated Sugar - 1/2 cup
Softened Butter - 5-6 tbsps (approx)
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence 1tsp
Almonds spitted (for garnishing)
Method:
1.Mix all purpose flour,baking powder,sugar and vanilla essence.
2. Add butter a little at a time and knead the dough into a nice soft ball.
3.Keepthe dough for a couple of hours.
4.Preheat the oven to 180 degree F
5. Divide the dough into small round balls and flatten them on the top with your fingers,place half splitted almonds on top of cookies.
6. Bake for 15 mins or until the bottom starts to turn slightly brownish.
7. Let cool and store in a air tight container.

Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu

Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu/Bottlegourd Masala Dal is one of our fav dish ,healthy n easy to make.I was thinking about cooking something different for Linda's amazing event of JFI: Toor Dal,finally I'm rushing at the last minute with my entry.Toor dal has a mild, nutty flavor & cooked as a routine Indian dish which is rich in Vitamin B1,protein,dietary fiber and minerals.Bottle gourd is a common vegetable in India,an yellowish green vegetable, having the shape of a bottle. It has white pulp, with white seeds embedded in spongy flesh.Known as 'sorakkai' in Tamil,Chorakka in Malayalam,Sorakkaya in telugu and lauki in Hindi.I dont know how 's known in kannada.Bottle gourd is eaten as cooked ,it gives a feeling of relaxation after eating it.Its rich in essential minerals, iron, protein ,trace elements and fibre.Its a nice sidedish for rice and roti.Yesterday i had it along with Rice ,Inji- poondu Kulambu ,Vazakkai poriyal and carrot Kosumbari. I'll post the other recipes later.


Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu

Ingredients

Sorakkai/Bottlegourd 1/2cup

Toor dal 1cup

Tomato 1

Onion 1

Green chilli 2

Cumin powder 1tsp

Coriender powder 2tsp

Red chilli powder 2tsp

turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Cliantro 1/3cup

Ginger a slice

Garlic 2 cloves

Oil 1tsp

Salt

Method

Boil the toor dal in the pressure cooker for 2-3whistles with salt and turmeric powder.Mash it into smooth paste.In the blender, grind together1/2 onions chopped, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, tomatoes, cumin seeds, coriander powder and the red chili powder. Slice the other onion finely and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion. When the onions are turning a little brown, add the ground masala and fry around 15-20 minutes. All the water should have evaporated and the paste should be dry. Now add the boiled dal to it and add a little water if u need gravy. Add salt to taste. Boil for a while till you get the required consistency.Plz note fry the masala well.

Dates Apple Smoothie

"Smoothie" means something smooth.Smoothies were invented in the 1960’s as a healthy alternative to milkshakes,made from all natural fruits, making them of course naturally healthy.A blended and chilled beverage made from fresh fruit and nuts. It is sometimes blended with crushed ice, frozen fruit, frozen yogurt or fat free milk.I was scratching my brain these days thinking about what to send to Chandrika's event in this nov AFAM Dates ,finally ended up in these delicious healthy smoothie.Calorie content in 1cup of smoothie is 1 Fruit Smoothie contains 125 cal,1 Fruit Smoothie (wid.fat-free milk) contains 205 cal,1 Fruit Smoothie (wid.fat-free yogurt) contains 220 cal.Of course u all know about these cute and wrinkly yumm dates are high in iron, potassium, fiber and a bunch o’ vitamins, no fat or cholesterol.I love the combo of dates with almonds, crunchy nuts with milk ,apple n dates...
Ingredients
Low fat milk 4cups
Apple 1big
Dates 10 deseeded
Vanilla extract 1/2tsp
Ice cubes(optional)
Sugar 2tsp(optional)
Method

• Soak deseeded dates in 1cup of warm water for half an hour.
• Peel the apple skin ,finely chop into small pieces.
• Blend dates,apple,milk and vanilla extract till u get a smooth n frothy drink.Freeze your fruit beforehand, smoothie will stay colder and be thicker . U can add ice cubes ,if u need chilled one.Instead of milk,vanilla ice creams or fat free yogurt can be used .Add sugar ,if u need more sweet.i didt add,as dates and apple makes enough sweet.
• Garnish with chopped almonds.

Baigan Ka BHURR-taah

Although from south,i prefer having northindian dishes in restaurants mostly panner or chole dishes .Frankly speaking ,haven't heard about this bringal dish till my marriage.This is the second dish i got from my 's' cooking class,first one was palak dal.He used to cook all these while he was a bachelor...now interested in criticising my cooking...Now coming Baigan Ka Bharta...or BHURR-taah (pronounced like) ..here ingredients are roughly mashed while doing dish, roasted bringal with smokey spicy flavour,basically a Bhihari dish.Even bringal haters like me would like this.First time after making this,i couldn't identify whether it has bringal in it...I actually made this for sending to Rci bihar event,i couldn't make it within time.Now this is my entry to Suganya of Tasty Palettes for her wonderful Vegan Ventures this month.

Ingredients

Bringal/Egg plant 1 big
Onion 1 finely chopped
Cooked Green peas 1/3cup
Green chilli 2 slit
Garlic 2 clove chopped
Ginger 1 inch size minced
Tomato 1 finely chopped
Garam masala powder 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp
Cumin powder 1/2tsp
Coriender powder 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 1/2tsp
Oil 2tsp
Salt
Cilantro
Method

• Firstly prick the egg plant nicely with fork all over.Roast it in open flame ,its gives the nice smokey flavour or broil/bake it in bake oven for about 20 mins,till the skin starts charring.Turn it to another side after 10 mins so that its evenly cooked.i usually bake coz roasting in direct flame is bit complicated.Once its roasted,let it cool down for a while.Peel off the skin and mashed it roughly with fork.If u need a nice paste,blend it.
• Heat up oil ,add chopped ginger-garlic ,saute for a min.Throw down chopped onions and green chillies,fry for another few more mins till they are golden brown.
• Add red chili powder,cumin powder,coriander powder,masala powder,turmeric powder saute for a min.Add chopped tomatoes,cook it they are soft.
• Now add mashed egg plants and cooked green peas with 2 tbsp water ,cook in low flame for about 10 mins covered,so that all blend together.


• Stir occasionally.Remove from flame ,add lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.Goes well with chappati or naan.

Inji curry-A sweet n sour ginger chutney

All keralties are very fond of this,a must dish in onam sadya . Known in different names such as Pulinji,Inji curry.what ever be the name ,its bascially a Sweet n sour ginger sauce.Main ingredients are Tamarind{puli} and Ginger {inji},hence the name.Ginger has a vital part in Indian cooking,aromatic, pungent and spicy, adds a special flavor and zest to stir fries and many fruit and vegetable dishes.Its a dietary supplement, shown to clean and thin the blood thus positively affecting the heart and almost every other organ in the body.Try to add grated ginger than paste in cooking coz grated gives much more flavour and maximum benefits.Now coming back to dish,Inji curry can be served as a side dish for meal.Goes well with rice and any curries,also with dosa /idli.Even though its a kerala dish,every malayalee has a unique style in preparing this,which varies from places within kerala.In northern kerala,coconut and coriender powder is added.Here goes my amma's style...

Inji curry
Ingredients
Fresh ginger minced 1 cup
( plz note ,not ginger paste,crushed ones)
Green chilles finely chopped 15
Tamarind 3-4 inch piece of ginger(size of small lemon)
Red chilli powder 3/4tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Curry leaves a few
Fenugreek seeds 1tsp
Jaggery 2tsp
Salt
Gingely oil 2tsp
(use any refined oil )

Method
Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water for about 15 mins and extract the thick juice and keep aside.Dry roast fenugreek seeds,powder it and keep aside.Heat oil in thick bottomed pan,add mustard seeds,then curry leaves.Now add crushed ginger and finely chopped green chillies and fry till golden brown.Add tamarind paste,chilli powder,salt .Bring it to boil,keep the flame on medium.It will around 10 to 15 min to get rid of the raw smell of tamarind and to get a thick sauce.Now add jaggery,allow it to boil.Add according to ur need of sweetness in Injicurry.Once its reaches a thick consistency and oil starts floating on the surface,remove from heat.Inji curry gets thicker once its cool down.Store in glass or ceramic containers for long life,keep in fridge.This same can be used to make Instant Puliyogare .This is my entry toThink Spice..Think Ginger Event hosted by Sunita .

A Healthy Breakfast

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.~ Adelle DavisThis is an old proverb, a well said fact.Eat to live ,not live to eat.I'm not a diet person but a bit health conscious .Even though many people say like they are on diet,that never happens.The one meal we should never skip is breakfast, yet this is the meal that most people omit. Eating something for breakfast is critical because it gives us the energy we need to start your day .Skipping breakfast increases our hunger,leads to consume more foods ,like junk foods.Here's simple ,but healthy breakfast with bread..


Bread Upma
Ingredients..
Bread 5slices
Onion 1/4cup
Frozen peas,carrot 1/3cup
Tomato 1
Roasted peanuts 5(optional)
oil 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Urad dal 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Garam masala 1/2tsp
Redchilli powder 1/2tsp
salt to taste
Cliantro

Method..
In a Pan,heat oil,splutter mustard seeds.Add urad dal,cumin seeds,peanuts and saute for few min.Be careful not to burn them.Now add chopped onions and saute till golden brown.Throw chopped tomatoes ,saute will they are cooked.Add peas and carrots and fry .If needed sprinkle water .Once veggies are cooked,add turmeric powder,red chilli,garam masala,salt,cliantro and saute.In the mean while,put bread in a mixer and make fine bread crumbs.Recently i found that bread crumbs is more tasty than bread pieces for upma.Finally add bread crumbs to the fried veggies and mix well.Saute for few Min's in low flame.serve hot.This is my entry to WYF: Diet Food hosted by Hima of SnackORama .

Sweet Appam

Happy Navaratri!!!!!

"Ayigiri Nandhini Nandhitha Medhini
Viswa Vinodhini Nandhanuthe
Girivara Vindhya Sirodhini Vasini
Vishnu Vilasini Jishnunuthe
Baghavathy He Sithi Kanda Kudumbhini
Boori Kudumbhini Boorikruthe
Jaya Jaya He Mahishasura Mardhini
Ramyaka Bardhini Sailasuthe."Navaratri is dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi/Durga,the "Goddess of Learning" and considered as personification of courage,strength and power.Its a festival of nine days,last three days are more scared than others,they are called Durgashtami, Mahanavami and Vijayadasami.In my house in kerala ,during the durashtami day in the evening ,a ceremony called "Poojavaipu" is performed.Books ,musical instruments are placed before the goddess ,"Golu" is kept in golu padi,decorated with flowers and other decorative items.Idols of God,Goddess and other mythological characters are placed on padi and pujas are performed.
The following day, Mahanavami, is totally devoted to the worship of Saraswathi. Pooja is performed both in the morning and in the evening and many more items such as rice, payasam, thirali,vada,appam etc are offered to Devi.During our childhood days,we love this festival than other,coz as studies are suspended during the puja days.On the Vijayadasami day after a Puja in the morning, the books and implements are removed and this ceremony is called `Puja Eduppu'. The time for the break up of the puja marks the beginning of learning and work. In our house,we write "Om Sri Ganapataye namaha" on rice , particularly the children, and read a few sentences from books. Its a day to begin new ventures, business or education as it is an auspicious day and assures one of success. On Vijayadasami, toddlers are taught their first alphabet ,ceremony is conducted in all temples,its known as "Ezhuthiniruth".

Sweet Appam
Ingredients....
Rice flour /wheat flour1cup
Sugar/jaggery 1/4cup
Coconut 1/2cup
Cardamom 1/2tsp
Banana 1 ripe
Refined oil for frying
Method..
1.Mix well the riceflour with cardamom,coconut and sugar.
2.Mash banana well with hand,add along with above items.
3.Sprinkle water to mix,make a thick batter like that of vada batter
4.Heat oil in a pan,take small balls flatten it with fingers in a oilpaper/banana leaves.
5.Deep fry them till they are golden brown or pour batter in appam pan.
U can use wheat flour also.Maida is generally not used on festivals.I used riceflour here.
Instead of sugar,jaggery can be used like melt jaggery in 3-4tsp of warm water,strain for impurities .mix this along with rest of the ingredients.Jaggery i found here is not that good taste ,so i used sugar.
This is my entry to Saraswati pooja/Navaratri under the event RCI-Tamilfestivals hosted by Viji and also to JFS:Dassera/Diwali hosted by Vee

An EGG Wonder!!!!!

When Bee and Jai announced their event named Click and the theme is Eggs,i was wondering and thinking to do something creatively.Recently i did fabric painting in t-shirt,From that got an idea about pencil drawing in eggs ...Eiffel Tower ,Paris in an egg .....sounds nice.I used Fujifilm S5500 camera,4 megapixels in automode ,taken in dimlight.

Arattikaya Palakura Pulusu/Raw Plantain palak curry

'Arattikaya Palakura Pulusu' as the name indicates, a curry made with plantain n palak,basically an Andhra dish.when i was thinking about what to post in JFI:Banana event,my 's' suggested this dish coz this is one of his favourite...specially plantain..he ask to put plantain in all curries .... our family mention this curry as "Valliyoor kuravu pulusu".actually no one knows why such a name and from where they got.He says like this dish is bascially from valliyoor ( a place in tamilnadu)made with kuravu (spinach)...anyway whatever it is,dish is very tasty n healthy.Any type of spinach can be used,i have tried with methi leaves(fenugreek leaves)also.Plantains, also known as “potatoes of the air” or “cooking bananas here.Its of great nutritional value, has a rare combination of energy value, tissue-building elements, protein, vitamins and minerals and spinach is rich in vitamin C and A.This is my entry to JFI:Banana hosted by Mandira ofAhaar.

Ingredients

Arattikaya / Raw plantain 1 no
palak 1 bunch
Tamarind pulp 5 table sp

For masala

Coconut 1/2 cup
Garlic pods 2
Shallots 3 nos /red onion 1/4
Red chilly powder 4tsp
Jeera powder 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For seasoning

Gingely oil/Refined oil 1tsp
Musturd seeds 1tsp
Curry leaves 5 nos
Red chillies 2 nos

Method

Cook plantain and palak with enough salt .Grind masala items finely.In a saucepan,add cooked plantain,palak,masala,tamarind pulp and water (depends on how much gravy needed),salt and mix well.cook for 5 mins..I usually use gingely oil for seasoning,which enchanes flavour to the curry.U can use any refined oil.In a pan,add oil,musturd seeds.when it pops ,add red chillies and curry leaves.Add seasoning to the gravy.Serve hot with rice.

Vinayaka Chaturthi

Vinayaka chaturthi or Ganesh chaturthi is an occasion of the birthday of Lord Ganesh,who has elephant head and human body."Vinayakan ",as the name indicates,is the Lord of beginning and Lord of obstacles,he's the "destroyer of sorrows and remover of obstacles" ,honoured with affection at the start of any ritual or ceremony and invoked as the "Patron of Letters" at the beginning of any writing.Ganesha has two Siddhis ,Siddhi (success) and Riddhi (prosperity). Wherever there is Vinayakan, there is Success and Prosperity.On the day of chaturthi,we decorate our house by drawing "kolams" with riceflour,flowers,mavela thoram at door step, make a clay idol of lord and decorate it with sandal , kumkum and a very special aurgampul malai( a type of grass,which is very special to lord) and a beautiful umbrella is placed behind the idol.Then idol is placed in plantain leaf or mandap.Then at the evening puja is performed by chanting "Ganesha Sahasranamam". Ganesha is very fond of sweets,therefore payasam,modhakam or kozhukattai ,sundal ,fruits and other sweets are offered.After 2 days,the idol is immersed in sea.we usually immersed the idol in river near our house.

Kozhukattai and sundal was my "naivedhyam".Grandma is my greatest inspiration in cooking.Most of my recipes are her contribution.Same in the case of "kozhukattai" also.Those who had no steam cooker or iddli set like me,can try this... forgot to bring from india...I'm searching for one, for last few months..hmmm couldt find....... search is still goin on ... when i was wondering 'how to cook modhakam',grandma gave me this simple version of kozhukattai,cooking in boiling water......i'd like to share with u...

Kozhukattai

Ingredients...

Rice 1cup

Jaggery or sugar 1/2cup (change to ur need)

coconut 1/4cup

cardamom 3

water less than 1/4cup

method...

Mix riceflour,grated jaggery,cococnut together.sprinkle some water if nesscery to mix the ingredients.Make small balls or rice dumplings and keep aside.In a saucepan,boil 2 cups of water.when water started boiling,put rice balls in it.cook for 10-15min.

Chickpeas Sundal

Ingredients.

Chickpeas 1 1/2cup

Grated coconut 3tsp

Salt 1tsp

Musturdseeds 1/4tsp

Urad dal 1/4 tsp

Red chillies 4 -5

curry leaves 5 -6

Asafoetida 1 pinch

Method..

Soak chickpeas overnight or atleast 8 hours before making sundal.Wash n pressure cook peas with salt for one whistle.Decant the water and let it stand for few mintutes.In a kadai,heat up the oil,musturd seeds,urad dal.redchillies,curryleaves and asafoetida.Remove from heat,now add cooked peas and coconut .stir to mix well.

Tips..

Instead of grated coconut,dry coconut or copra chopped can also be used.

This is my entry toEvent for Ganeshchaturthi hosted by LathaThe'yum'blog

RCI: Karnataka's Chitranna and Tomato Saaru

This is my first entry to a food event. Happy to begin with" Karnataka Cuisine".A few months back,i was in "Garden City" Bangalore, where i got an opportunity to explore the taste of typical cuisine which is characterised by the distinct textures, flavours and tastes. Karnataka is a unique blend of tradition and modernity.
"Nimbehannu Chitranna" is one of my favourite dish ,commonly known as Lemon Rice a tasty ,healthy n easy dish which can be made even with leftover rice.i usually prefer to make this for my hubby for lunch packets.As we are more concerned about health ,just try this .Lemon is rich in Vitamin C is vital to the function of strong immune system . Rice is easy to digest, naturally sodium and cholesterol-free, with only a trace of fat. It's an important source of vitamin B1 and encourages stable blood sugar levels.
Ingredients...
Rice 2cups
Lime juice 2tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
cumin seeds 1tsp
Urad dal 1tsp
Channa dal 1tsp
Moorng dal 1tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Red chillies 3-4
A small piece of ginger crushed
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Peanuts 8-10
oil 1tsp
Salt as required
Coconut grated(optional for garnishing)
Method....
Cook rice in pressure cooker in ratio 1 : 1.25 ( ie 1cup of rice : 1.25cups of water)
Heat oil and add dals,mustard seeds,curry leaves,cumin seeds,redchillies,peanuts and ginger.
When the dals turn brown,add the turmeric and ginger.Fry for another minute till the mustard crackles.
Now add the lime juice and reduce heat.Heat through and remove.Mix this with rice as required and add salt to taste.
Tomato Saaru

"Sarru" is a Karnataka dish ,Usually known as "Rasam " in southindia,which is prepared almost daily in indianhouseholds.Its also known as "Indian Spicy Soup".Spices added in rasam is benefical to health,it helps to cure stomatitis, indigestion, gastric irritability.
Ingredients...
Toor dal 3/4cup
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
oil 1/2stp
Tomatoes 2 ,cut into small pieces
Tamarind juice 1-2 tsp
Jaggery 1tsp
Rasam powder 1-2 tsp
Coriander leaves
salt to taste
For seasoning....

Ghee 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1tsp
Asafoetida 1pinch
Curry leaves
Method...
Cook toor dal in a pressure cooker with salt ,turmeric and oil.Mash well and keep aside.
Grind tomatoes into a paste or put rasam powder,tomato pieces,jaggery in a pan ,add water and boil to 10-12 min.Remove from heat.
Heat ghee in a pan,add seasonings,when it starts to spilt,stir into the rasam.Garnish with coriander leaves.