Venn Pongal, Kathrikai Gotsu and Coconut Milk Payasam

With the beginning of the Adi month, I receive email reminders from my in-laws about the different auspicious dates and food associated with each. This definitely brings some spice to the daily routine and prompts me to break away from my regular menu. I recently made pongal, gotsu and coconut milk payasam and it was really yummy. I heard my hubby thank his dad profusely for sending these emails which lead to my culinary presentations before the god and finally end up in his tummy:D. On the first day of Adi you are support to make coconut milk payasam and feed your husband, which I did. To add to the festive spirit I made the classic combination of venn pongal and kathrikai gotsu and it was all very satisfying and yummy. Here go the recipes -

I had previously posted the recipe for Venn Pongal here.

Gotsu :

Ingredients:

1. Onion - 1 large finely chopped
2. Tomatoes - 2 chopped
3. Brinjal - 6/7 small ones chopped
4. Tamarind pulp - 1 cup
5. Oil - 1 tsp
6. Mustard - 1 tsp
7. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
8. Hing - 1/4 tsp
9. Curry leaves - 10
10. Red chillies - 4
11. Sambhar powder - 1/2 tsp
    
12. Salt
    

Directions:

1. Heat oil and temper the mustard, curry leaves, turmeric, sambhar powder and red chillies and add hing to it.
2. Add the onions and saute till golden brown. Then add tomatoes and cook till soft.
3. Add the brinjal and cook for 10 mins.
   
4. Add some water and the tamarind, salt and cook till the brinjal is soft. Serve hot with pongal.

Coconut payasam:

Ingredients:

1. Coconut milk - 1 can
2. Fresh or frozen shredded coconut - 1 cup
3. Jaggery - 1 cup
4. Elaichi powder - 1 tsp
5. Ghee - 1 tsp
6. Cashews - 2 tsps
7. Kismis - 2 tsps

Directions:

1. Bring the coconut milk to a boil and add the coconut and jaggery to it. Heat till they all blend well and turn off the gas.
2. Add elachi powder.
3. Fry the cashews and kismis in the ghee and add to the payasam. Enjoy steaming hot!
   

Chocolate Cake With Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Ganache Icing

This cake I made for my darling hubby's birthday who is slowly getting converted to a choc-a-holic...Well good for me and it only works in my favor to push him over the edge on this one into chocolate bliss, being a chocolate lover myself. Many thanks to Nupur of OneHotStove for this recipe. I followed it closely except I had to add 1/2 a cup less of water and all her other directions were perfect:) This chocolate cake recipe is definitely a keeper and I hope to make it many many more times.
I kep some of the raspberry filling aside before it thickened , it use it as a side sauce for the cake and its tarness matched the chocolate perfectly. Fresh raspberries only make the deal sweeter:)

Almond Cake With Strawberry Filling and Almond Flavored Whipped Icing

I made this cake for my friend Vindhya's birthday following my yearly ritual. The cake layer could have definitely been software and more moist and I am on the look out for the perfect sponge cake recipe that I can hack at for birthday cake. For this cake, I pretty much used the standard vanialla cake recipe and added almond essence to the cake as well as the whipped cream. The filling was fresh strawberries. Hopefully I will find the recipe I am looking for soon:) For decoration, I topped the cake with slivered almonds and strawberries.

Tomato Rice

I make tomato rice in two different ways and here is the recipe for both -

Recipe 1: This is a very very simple recipe with few ingredients. I had tasted this at my sister-in-law's place and loved the simplicity of the fresh flavors.

Ingredients:

1. Oil - 2 tsps
2. Urad dal - 2tsps
3. Chana dal - 2 tsps
4. Curry leaves - 10
5. Fresh ginger garlic paste - 1.5 tsp
6. Tomatoes - 7/8 chopped
7. Cooked rice - 3 cups
8. Salt
9. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
10. hing - 1/2 tsp
    

Directions:

1. Heat the oil and temper mustard seeds. Add the urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, haldi, hing and sautee until the daals are golden brown.
2. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, chilli powder and cook with lid closed until they disintegrate and become a uniform gravy-like consistency.
4. Add the rice and mix in. Steam until the flavors are well blended.
   

Recipe 2: This is a slightly more elaborate recipe that Renuka and I used to make as roommates. Definitely more fun than the previous because it has aloo:)


Ingredients:

1. Oil - 2 tsps
2. Urad dal - 2tsps
3. Chana dal - 2 tsps
4. Curry leaves - 10
5. Garlic - 7/8 cloves chopped
6. Potato - 1 big, chopped into small cubes
   
7. Tomatoes paste - 3 tbsps
   
8. Cooked rice - 3 cups
9. Salt
10. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
11. Hing - 1/2 tsp
12. Jeera Dhania powder - 1 tsp
13. Rasam powder - 1/2 tsp
14. Corriander - 1/2 cup chopped
    

Directions:

1. heat the oil and temper the mustard seed. Add urad dal, chana dal, garlic, curry leaves, haldi, hing and fry until the dals and garlic is golden browns.
2. Add the chopped potatoes and fry until the potatoes are wel done and crisp.
3. Add the tomato paste, salt, red chilli powder, jeera dhania powder, rasam powder and add 2 spoons of water and cook until the raw smell of the tomato paste goes away.
4. Add the rice and mix. Steam until well blended and garnish with cilantro.

Note: Tomato rice is an easy dish for picnics and potluck and you can enjoy it with chips.

Alu - 65

This is an amazingly simple recipe that my friend Renuka introduced me to during my recent trip to Chicago. It is a shortcut recipe which cooks really quick because you use tater tots instead of taking raw alu and cooking it. This recipe is slightly high on salt but it is yum yum yummy. Thanks Renu!

Ingredients:

1. Tater tots - 1/2 a bag
2. Olive oil - 2 tsps
3. Garlic - 7-8 pods chopped
4. Green chillies - 3-4 chopped
   
5. Soy sauce or mushroom - 3 tbsps (you can use low sodium)
6. Red chillie paste - 2 tsps
7. Cilantro - 2 tbsps chopped
8. Lemon - 1/2

Directions:

1. Thaw the tater tots and bake them at 350 for 20 mins. Then broil then to make then darker in color.
2. Heat the olive oil and add the garlic and chillies until the garlic turns brown.
3. Add the tater tots, soy sauce, chilli paste and sautee on high heat until the potatoes are coated well with the sauce.
4. Garnish with chopped cilantra and lemon juice and enjoy!
   

Paneer and Vegetable Tikka

I have tried paneer and veggies barbecue a couple of times now and I think I have the marinade perfected:). I use two different marinades - one tandoori and one mint. If I don't have a grill I have also tried to bake and then broil in the oven and it comes out just as fine. I use paneer, capsicum (all colors), yellow onion, zucchini and any combination of these will taste good. Here are the recipes -

Tandoori Marinade:

Ingredients:

1. Yogurt - 3 cups
2. Fresh ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
3. Fresh garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
4. Tandoori masala - 3 tsps
5. Jeera dhania powder - 1 tsp
6. Garam masala - 1/4th tsp
7. Salt
8. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
9. Haldi - 1/4th tsp

Directions:

Mix all the above ingredients and beat the yogurt until smooth. Add paneer and veggies and store in a ziploc bag. Refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor. Right before setting on the grill, sprinkle salt and tandoori masala for added flavor. After grilling sprinkle lemon juice.

You can also create a dry tandoori marinade with the same ingredients and by skipping the yogurt. You can also add some kasoori methi for added flavour.


Mint Marinade:

Ingredients:

1. Mint leaves - 1 bunch
2. Corriander leaves - 2 bunches
3. Green chillies - 3/4
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece
5. Salt
6. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
7. Water - enough to make the paste fine
   

Directions:

Grind all the above ingredients into a fine paste and coat the paneer ad veggies evenly with it. Refrigerate for a couple of hours and then grill. Sprinkle with lime and sale before serving. Yogurt can also be added to this marinade if desired.

Sabudana Khichdi

This is a Maharashtrian staple for days when you are fasting. Although I never understood how it is called fasting with such high carb diet on the day, but I am not complaining:). This is my mom's recipe and I sometimes combine a little ghee with oil to make it healthier but nothing can beat the taste and flavour when it is cooked in ghee. We eat it with raw green or red chillies and a little salt. Others eat it with yogurt.

Ingredients:

1. Sabudana - 3 cups (wash in water and soak with a little water overnight)
   
2. Potatoes - 2, sliced into small pieces
   
3. Roasted peanut powder - 1.5 cup
4. Green chillies - 7/8 chopped
5. Ghee - 2 tsps
6. Jeera - 1.2 tsp
7. Milk - 1/2 cup
8. Salt
9. Sugar - 1/4th tsp
10. Lemon - 1/2
    

Directions:

1. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the jeera and chillies. Roast until done and add the sliced potatoes.
2. Add some salt to the potatoes and cook until well roasted.
3. Add the sabudana, peanut powder, salt and sugar and mix in. Add a little of the milk to soften if required.
4. Mix well and cook until it steams well. Sprinkle lemon juice and enjoy with chillies or yogurt.
   

Tawa Pulao

This is supposedly a roadside recipe popular in Mumbai. I have never heard of it before this and never ate it before but it sounded quick and interesting. I think the pav bhaji masala makes all the difference and gives it a unique taste. So I tried it out. I used this recipe as a reference. I just added onions, tomatoes and carrot because that is all I had at hand but you can add any number of veggies to this dish and make it healthier. This is some thing I would make when I have leftover rice and some veggies that I want to get rid of:)

Ingredients:

1. Cooked basmati rice - 2 cups
2. Onion - 1 chopped
3. Tomatoes - Chopped 1 cup
   
4. Carrot - 3 julienne cut
5. Beans - Chopped into 1/2 inch long pieces, 1 cup
6. Potatoes - 1/2 cup small cubes
   
7. Peas - 1 cup
8. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
9. Pav bhaji masala - 2 tsps
10. Oil - 1 tsp
11. Jeera - 1 tsp
12. Cardamom - 2 pods
13. Cloves - 3
14. Cinnamon - 1/2 inch long
15. Bay leaf - 1
16. Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
17. Corriander - chopped 1/2 cup
18. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
    
19. Salt
    

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, jeera and sautee until you can smell the spices.
2. Add the onions and cook until golden brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste and cook for a min. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are well done.
   
3. Add the veggies and salt and cook until the veggies are done. You can microwave the potatoes in advance to cook it fast.
4. Add the pav bhaji masala and rice and mix well.
   
5. Garnish with corriander and lemon juice. and enjoy with boondi raita.
   

Adai

I was inspired by Sindhu's lunch last week and ended up making adai over the weekend. I used Sindhu's base recipes and added tweaks that my mom-in-law uses. The result was very nutritious and yummy. Btw I know this is a really bad picture but its better than nothing:) ...Here is the recipe -

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Toor dal - 3/4th cup
3. Chana dal - 3/4th cup
4. Urad dal - 1 cup
5. Red chillies - 8-10
6. Hing - 1 tsp
7. Ginger - 1inch piece
8. Curry Leaves - 10
9. Coarsely crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
10. Grated carrot - 1 cup
11. Chopped cabbage - 1.5 cup
12. Salt
    

Directions:

1. Soak the 4 dals for 2-3 hours. Grind them to a fine paste along with 8 red chillies, hing, ginger and salt.
2. Add the cabbage, carrot, chopped curry leaves, black pepper, chopped red chillies (remaining 2).
3. Spread on a flat pan like dosas and cook on either side. Add a little oil if required. This adai tastes good by itself or with any of the usual dosa chutneys. We at it with ginger pickle and it was awesome.

These days I have acquired a new hobby of making jewelery. I have a friend who shares my passion for jewelery and its great fun to shop for beads and make stuff to match the clothes we have:). Here are some samples of what I have made so far -

Tomato Pappu

I had made this dish last night and my friend really liked it. It is a very simple Andhra dal that can be eaten hot with white rice or rotis. I didn't take a pic but will update this post with a pic next time I make it.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups toor dal
   
2. Methi seeds - 1 tsp
3. Haldi - 1 tsp
4. Tomatoes - 3 or 4 chopped
   
5. Garlic - 3 pods chopped
   
6. Jeera dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Green chillies - 1 chopped finely
9. Dried red chillies - 2
10. Corriander leaves - a handful, finely chopped
11. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
12. Salt
13. Oil - 1 tbsp
14. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
15. Curry leaves - 8-10
16. Asafoetida - 2 pinches
    

Directions:

1. Pressure cook the toor dal with 1/2 tsp of methi seeds and 1/2 tsp of haldi until it is soft. Mash it until it is of an even consistency
2. Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and let them sputter. Then add the garlic, curry leaves, green chillies, red chillies, remaining methi seeds and hing (in this order) and let the ingrediets fry until you can smell all the aromas.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and sautee until they are mushy and fully cooked.
4. Add the jeera dhania powder, red chilly powder, salt and dal and cook until well mixed. Add a little water if you want the dal to be runnier.
5. Top off with lemon juice and corriander before serving. The smells in the kitchen will draw everyone to it once it is done:)