Something Special- Ennai kathirikai Kozhambu

It isn't special everyday and today I consider special because of my all time favourite dish. Yeah, its Ennai Kathirikai Kozhambu ( Oily Brinjal Gravy). After my mother came, I didn't have any opportunity to cook.

How nice it is when mother had the chance to taste daughter's cooking.So I decided to take the control over kitchen.Here is the recipe:



Ingredients:

Kathirikai/Brinjal - 6-7 ( slit in to four)
Sessame oil/nalla ennai - 4 tsp
Tamarind - Size of big lemon

Seasoning:

Mustard - 1 spn
Toor Dal/Toor parupu - 1 spn
Chana dal/Kalla parupu - 1 spn
Urad dal/Uluntham parupu - 1 spn
Long red chilli/Molagavathal - 2
Asafoetida/Perungayam -1/2 spn


Fry & Grind:

Channa dal/Kalla parupu - 1 spn
Coriander seeds/Daniya - 1 spn
Long red Chilli - 3
Pepper/Milagu - 5
Fenugreek seeds/Vendayam - 1/2 spn
Coconut - 1 spn
Jeera - 1spn
Ginger - 1/2 piece

Fry these in Sessame oil and grind in to paste.

Method:

1) Take the pulp from the tamarind and keep it aside.
2) In sessame oil, add all the ingredients from the seasoning and put the brinjal and let it fry for 5 -8 mts.
3) After that, add the pulp from the tamarind and salt. Let it boil for 8-10 mts.
4) Once the gravy is thick, add the grinded mixture and boil for 5 mts.
5) Garnish with Curry leaves.

Yummy & Hot Ennai Kathirikai is ready...Mom, lets eat...!!!

Aval Bisibelabath in 1001 Quickie Breakfasts

Thanks to Ramki to include my recipe in 1001 Quickie Breakfast.

Keera Morkootu

Keera Morkootu is one of my mother's specialty. I tried to imitate her style, but as you know, mother's recipe is always unique. The recipe as follows

Ingredients:

Spinach - a bunch
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Buttermilk - As needed

To Grind:

Coconut - 3 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 3


Tempering:

Mustard - 1 tsp

Method:

1) Separately cook Spinach and Dal.
2) Once it is cooked, let it boil for 5-8 mts and then put the grinded thing with this and boil for 8 mts till it gets semi liquid.
3) After that, add the butter milk to make it little bit thick like the consistency in this picture.
4) Then, in a small kadai , with oil ,put the mustard and wait till it splutters and pout it in the kadai.

Its easy and healthy recipe too. You can make it in 4 steps and takes about 10-15 mts totally.

Method:

Pulikachal - Making of Tamarind Rice from the Scratch

Tamarind rice is one of the famous mixed rice in the region of south India. It has the sour taste.This recipe can be refrigerated for many days.Puliyodare is particularly known to be a specialty of the Iyengar community, and some of the best puliyodare can be found in South Indian Sri Vaishnava temples, associated with the Iyengar community.


Recipe as follows:


Ingredients:

Tamarind - 200 gms
Sesame oil/Nalla ennai - 200 gms
Mustard - 2 tsp
Chana Dal - 3 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Peanuts/Kadalai - 5 tsp
Vendayam/Fenugreek - 5-6
Long red chillies/Molagavathal - 10
Turmeric Powder/Manja podi- 1 heep spn
salt
Curry Leaves - The more the better
Asfoetida - as Needed

Dry powder:-

The following ingredients are to be fried in sesame oil/Nalla ennai and make a dry powder.

Long red chilli/Molagavathal - 15
Channa dal - 1/4 cup
Coriander Seeds/Daniya - 1/4 cup
Pepper/Molagu - 6


Method:

1)In a kadai with Sesame oil/Nala ennai, add mustards and wait till it splluters.
2) Add Channa dal,
Urad Dal,
Peanuts and fry for 5 mts,
Fenugreek seeds/Vendayam,
Long Red Chillies- 10
Turmeric Powder,
Extract juice from Tamarind,( When extracting the juice, you should make sure
the juice is thick)
Salt,

It should boil for 10-15 mts.
3)Add the dry powder, curry leaves and asafoetida and let it boil for 10 mts till it becomes thick .

Its time for Valaikappu/Seemandam - Baby Shower

Yeah! Its is the month of Valaikappu/Seemandam :-) Well, to be simple in American terms, its Baby Shower. My parents have come to visit us and the function went on superb. Lunch was prepared by mom and myself did all the help I could do. Everybody contributed for this , even my hubby too :-)

The main dishes were Sakarai pongal ,Puli sadam ( Tamarind Rice), Thengai Rice ( Coconut rice), Thayir Sadam ( Curd Rice),Avial ( Mixed vegetables curry), Pickles , Chips and for desert its vanila,chocolate,strawberry ice cream.

Morning it all started with Valaikkapu, inserting all the bangles in the hand. 19 in one hand and 20 in another hand. Then, we all started to a near by temple called Arsha Vidyalaya Gurukulam in Saylorsburg and for two hours happened Seemandam. From the ganapathy slogam to the stage of Allamuttu , everything happened successfully. Atlast, its lunch time and as expected , guests enjoyed the food.

What's for Breakfast- Aloo Poha

Everyday its usual cereals for breakfast. So, just for thought I planned to do Aloo poha which takes equal time as cereals with little bit effort.
Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
Thick poha - 3 cups
Potato - 1( thinly sliced)
Green chillies - 2-3 chopped finely
Ginger - 1/2 spn
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
Coconut - 3-4 tsp
Lemon - 2 tsp
Coriander
Mustard,jeera - 1 spn each

Method:
1) Soak thick poha in water for 10 mts and drain the water.
2) In a kadai with oil, add mustard ,jeera and wait till it splutters. Add Green chillies,ginger, turmeric and potatoes and fry for 5-10 mts.
3) After that add the poha ,coconut with salt

Garnish with lemon juice and coriander. Easy Yummy poha is ready in just three steps.

Simple yet delicious Kuzhiapam!!!

The recipe will follow:

Kuzhiapam can be done in different ways. But taking the time factor and simplicity, it is done very simple by taking the remaining batter of Idly.

Ingredients:
Remaining batter of idly
Onions- 1/2 cup
ginger- 1/2 spn
Green chillies- 2-3 chopped finely
Salt
Asafoetida - a pinch
Mustard - 1/2 spn

Method:
1)In a kadai with oil, add mustard and wait till it splutters.
2) Add green chillies,ginger and onions,asafoetida and fry till they are translucent.
3) Mix it with batter.

Once the batter is ready, pour it in the kuzhiappam vessel. Ta-Daaaa!! Its ready.