Gongura Thugayal

This is a famous dish from Andhra. But this is kind of popular in our house (even though it is not commonly made in Tamil Nadu) since my dad and aunts were raised in Tirupathi. So this is a common dish prepared in our household!!

I can never forget whenever my aunt visited us she always used to bring a big jar of this. We all love her gongura thugayal. I remember once she got this when she came for my cousin’s wedding and one other cousin of mine just ate this ”as is” (without even bothering to eat the food at the wedding)!!
So this will give you an idea as to how great this thugayal is!!
Select the Gongura leaves that have red stem. The ones with the red stem are supposed to be the good ones.

Things needed for making this –

Gongura - a bunch
Coriander seeds tstsp Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Red Chillies – 5
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp

Take a tsp of oil and fry all the spices and let it cool. Wash the leaves and drain the water. Take a tsp oil and add the leaves to. Close it with a lid and fry it often (till it is nicely cooked). Let this cool. Grind the spices and the leaves together.
Take ½ tsp oil and add mustard to it. Let it splutter. Add this to the gongura paste.
Serve this with rice and ghee.

Baked Rotini Pasta

I was introduced to the world of pasta by my husband when I came here. I remember the first time he took me to Olive Garden I hardly ate a morsel....all I had was salad for dinner!!
Then one day he made Pasta for me (Indianized way though!!) and that was the start of it...there after whenever we went out for dinner..it was always to an Italian Restaurant (being Vegetarian ..we get lot of Veggie options here)!! Now I try to improvise it (I try to make it authentic and some how do not like the Indianized form!!) and make different varieties of it.

The one I love is the Baked Pasta with Alfredo sauce.
But this recipe is for Tomato based Baked Rotini pasta (you can make this with Penne, Farfalle or Manicotti too) –

Rotini Pasta – 3 Cups
15 Broccoli florets (2 small bunch)
1 Zucchini (yellow or green) – cut into 2 inch piece
2 Bell Pepper (Capsicum -one red and one yellow) – cut into 2 inch piece
Peas – 3 tbs
Beans – Handful – cut into 1 inch pieces
Bread Crumbs
Cheese Shredded Parmesan
Tomato based sauce


Take water in a pan and let it boil. Add salt and Pasta to it when it reaches the boiling point and boil it for 5 -8 minutes (it must be cooked al dente – it means “that Pasta is cooked to the "tender crisp" phase - still offering resistance to the bite, but cooked through.”).
Transfer the Pasta to a colander and drain the water from it.
Take 3 tbs of olive oil and warm it. Now add the vegetables and sauté. They should not become soggy. They should stay firm.
Add the pasta to the vegetables and mix it well. Now add the pasta sauce and stir it for few more minutes.
Pre heat the oven to 350 Deg.
Take a baking tray or corelle ware which is oven safe. Pour half of the Veggie Pasta mix and then add shredded parmesan cheese. Spread another layer of pasta sauce and the remaining veggie pasta. Top it with more cheese and spread the bread crumbs.
Bake this in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve it with bread.

Kuzhi Paniyaram

This is a recipe famous in Chettinad. When you think of Chettinad...all one thinks of is
tasty and spicy cuisine ...but it is popular for its beautiful mansions too.

Today I am going to present the recipe for making Kuzhi Paniyaram. I had this for the
first time when my perima made it for me. It was yummy and delicious.

After I got married and came here my friend used to make it all the time. I used to get to
eat it whenever she made it!! This kindled my spirit to make it and during one of my trip
to India my perima gave that skillet (the paniyarakal) which she was using to make the
paniyaram. The one I use is a traditional one and not a non stick. For my friends here who
do not have this Paniyarakal ..you can check it out at Amazon (Pancake Puffs Cast Iron Set). If you guys are in Chennai or visiting Chennai make sure to try this at Sri Krishna Sweets ...I love the way they make it there,....Now getting to the recipe.

I make it with the left over Dosa/ Idli batter.

Ingredients -

3  Green chillies

1 Inch Ginger finely grated

1 Small Onion finely chopped

3 TBS Grated Carrot

Curry leaves

1 tsp Mustard

Oil

Take a tsp of oil and add mustard. Let it splutter. Add the onions, curry leaves and the green chillies. Saute for couple of minutes (this need not be fried until it turns golden). Add the grated

carrots. Add this to the batter.

Take the skillet and add oil into each mould. This should be cooked in medium flame.

When the oil is heated. Add the batter to each mould.

When it is done (turns golden brown)..flip it over to the other side using a fork (I do not have the stick that comes with it hence had to use fork!!) and add some oil to it. Less oil can be added if the skillet is non-stick.

Serve it with onion tomato chutney. The yummy kuzhi paniyaram is ready to be served.

Bread Upma

This summer has been very pleasant in Mid West. It is raining atleast couple of days in a week!!

Varuna bhagavan has been very kind to the mankind - "Aayi Mayai Kanna..... in the month of Aadi".

It is one of these days ...when it rains you want eat something hot and spicy. I was pondering what to make ....when my mind drifted off to my school days. It was a rainy day (which is rare in Chennai!!) and we were attending the last class for the day and reluctantly listening to our history teacher...who on earth wants to listen to what she is saying...it is raining and we wanted to play in the puddles/make paper boats ...rather than listening about British rule in India!! Amma had informed that she will have the bread upma ready for us when we get back from school. Eagerly waited for the last bell to go (for enjoying the rains as well as the bread upma).
It is always nice to enjoy memories from childhood.I got off the couch to make bread upma for myself on another rainy day!!
Ingredients:
Bread Slices 8
Curry leaves – few
Red Bell Pepper – ½
Onion small – 1
Green Bell Pepper – ½ Peas Frozen 1 tbsp
Potato Small size – 2
Mustard – ½ tsp
Urad Dhal – ½ tsp

Dice the vegetables and keep before starting the bread upma. Steam the potatoes and peas in the microwave.
Cut the corners of the bread and keep it aside. Cut the bread into pieces.
Take 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard, urad dhal and curry leaves. Saute the onions until they turn brown. Now add the bell peppers and fry for some more time. Add the boiled peas and potatoes (after draining the water). Also add little bit of salt (note: the bread has enough salt..so just add more salt for better taste). Add the cut bread pieces. Sprinkle water if needed. Add the crust at the end and fry for some more time. Serve it with tomato ketchup.

Rain brings happiness to our lives...makes us dance to the tune of the rain drops!!

Karamani (Black Eyed Bean) Milagu Kuyambhu

We had a hearty lunch at one of our friends house and was wondering what to cook for dinner. I was lazying around after the delightful (as well as heavy) lunch and my favorite movie "shall we dance" was about to start (I own a DVD too of this and I have watched it upmteen number of times... but still I never liked to miss it whenever it is telecasted on TV,,,some movies you never get bored of....and this one is like that!!).

Then the idea struck...how about karamani milagu kuyambhu?? It will be nice to have this after an elaborate lunch. Luckily I had some karamani soaked for making sundal and that came handy!!

Ingredients for making this

Karamani ( 2 tbs soaked in hot water)
Tamarind Lemon Size
Milagu (black pepper) 1 - 1 1/2 tsp
Red Chillies - 3
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Toor Dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Asafoetida - 1 small piece (or 1 pinch powder)

Soak the tamarind in water.
Soak the karamani (black eyed beans) in water for couple of hours.
Take a tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients except black eyed beans and curry leaves.
Let it cool and grind it well (powdery form).
Take a tsp of oil and add mustard. Let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and the soaked black eyed (after draining the water). Add the tamarind water and let it boil. Now add the powder to this boiling tamarind water and allow it to cook for couple of minutes.

Now the Karamani Milagu Kuyambhu is ready to be served. It goes well with rice and compliment sutta applam (Applam roasted on gas or microwave) with it.

Since this did not take too long... finished it in a jiffy and enjoyed my fav movie "Shall we dance"!!

Carrot Pulao

My son was very fussy one day and refused to eat anything. He likes carrots hence decided to make this …a last try to make him eat something. I always make this when I call people over for dinner…my friends generally like this since it is different from the ones we always eat (peas pulao, capsicum rice). So they find this different and also like the way I make it.
A nice way to introduce carrots for kids who do not like it .

Ingredients for making Carrot rice

1 Cup Basmathi or Raw rice (as per your taste)
Carrots 3 Big (grated)
Onions 1 medium size (finely chopped)
Curry leaves
Cinnamom 1 inch
Bay Leaf – 1
Cloves – 3 to 4 Cardomom - 4
Cashew few
Masala powder – Heat a tsp of oil and roast Jeera, dhaniya, red chillies and coconut (dry coconut is a better choice or nicely fry the fresh coconut till it turns brown)

Cook rice and keep aside. It should come separated and should not be sticky. I prefer to cook the rice in microwave. It is fast and easy. Generally prefer adding the cinnamom, bay leaf and cloves as is (without grinding it – since the taste of the carrot rice turns different..but leave it as per your taste buds).
Take 2 tbs of oil and ghee – add the curry leaves, broken cashews ,a tsp of Jeera, bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon stick.
Now add the onions and fry till it becomes transparent. Add the grated carrots and fry it until the raw smell is gone. Add salt and the masala powder and fry it for some time. Now add the rice and mix it well.
Carrot rice is ready to be served. Compliment it with plain yoghurt or onion raitha.
My son loved it.

Curry Leaves (Karuveppilai) Thugayal

I will be engrossed downloading music or chatting with a friend and Amma will have some errand for me. Poi konjam karuvepillai peruchindu vaa ma (She will ask me to get Karuvepilai (curry leaves) from the garden )...here we just get it out of the refrigerator…back in India this plant is very much part of every one’s back yard.

These leaves have a nice aroma and as I write the recipe for this ...am being carried away virtually to our backyard...I can recollect the smell of the fresh leaves even as I right the recipe for it.

Even as I start writing the recipe for this…my mouth is watering!! I love this thugayal.
Now, getting to the ingredients for it –
Bunch of fresh Karuvepilai (Curry leaves)
2 tsp Urad Dhal
1 tsp Channa Dhal
1 inch of Ginger
4 to 6 – Red Chillies
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp dry coconut
2 marble size tamarind
Pinch of Perungayam (Asafoetida)



Take a tsp of oil and fry all the spices and add the freshly washed Curry leaves and toss it at the end. Let this cool.
Grind it in the mixer. Add salt to this paste.

The Curry Leaves (Karuvepilai) thugayal is ready to be served.
Eat this with rice and lot of ghee…

Akkaravadisal

This is one of my favorite desert …right from my childhood. I never liked the much loved Payasam (made out of sugar and milk or vermicelli payasam). I used to call this brown payasam (it gets the color from jaggery). Whenever there was a special occasion this used to be one of the items and I loved it (still do).
There is a special significance to this dish -
We all know about Kothai, the daughter of Periazhwar, the only woman azhwar out of the 12. Sri Bashykarar (Sri Ramanuja) went to Thirumalincholai to do mangalasasanam for Azhagar. He was reciting Nachiyar Thirumozhi Pasasuram and while reciting “Narunarum pozhil mAlirunchOli nambikku nAnnooru thadAvil vennai vAinErindhu parAvivaiththEnnooru thadA niraindha akkAravadisil sonnEnAruthiruvudaiyAn endru vandhu evai kollungolO?”
Sri Bashyakarar realized that though Andal made a vow to make Nooru (100) Thada Vennai (Butter) and Nooru (100) Thada Akkaravadisal for Azhagar she could not make her dream come true as mentioned in her pasuram since she united with Sri Ranganatha even before making that happen. Hence, Sri Bashyakarar decided to make Sri Andal’s wishes come true by doing that for Thirumalincholai malai Azhagar. So that makes this dish even more special …isn’t it.


Ingredients –
Rice – ½ Cup
Moong Dhal – 1 Tb Spoon (oru karandi)
Jaggery – 1 Cup Powdered (or 6 to 8 pieces depending upon the taste)
Milk – 6 – 8 Vitamin D Milk (full cream) Cups
Saffron dissolved in milk
Cardamom, Cashew and Raisins
Traditionally we make this in vengala uruli (thick bottom vessel) by boiling the rice and milk together. However, I am going to write it the way we make it in these modern days!!
Wash the rice with water. Pressure cook the rice with 5 cups of milk up to 5 whistles.
Take a tsp of ghee and roast the cardamom in it and let it cool. Powder this and keep aside.
Take 2 tsp of ghee and roast the cashew and the raisins and keep it aside.
After the pressure is released take the rice cooked in milk and mash it well to a paste. If you feel that it is in the semi-solid state and add 2 -3 more cups of milk. Take a heavy bottom pan and add the contents and let it boil. Add the powdered Jaggery to it and boil for some more time.
Finally add the saffron, cardamom and the nuts.
Akkaravadisal is ready for serving. Enjoy this yummy desert. It can be served hot or cold.


I wanted to start my blog with a sweet note....will post more in another couple of days!!