Happy Mahashivaratri!!!

Wish you all a very Happy Mahashivaratri!!!!

On this day lakhs of people worship Lord Shiva, at temples and worship offering prayers. Devotees chant the mantram 'Om Namah Shivaya'. In the temple they will perform 1008 milk pot abhishekam to Lord Shiva. Also poojas are done 4 times during night in the temples till next morning. People fast on this day and also do not sleep whole day including night by doing bhajans offering prayer. Some people do not eat rice and tiffen they eat fruits and milk.

Youngsters play and watch movies and be awake whole nite called Jagaran.

Curd Rice

MCC - http://justurs.blogspot.com/2009/02/magnificent-click-contest-2009.html

Pacha Kozhambu

Pacha Kozhambu (Raw sambar) is a traditional sambar done without dal. It is very simple and tasty. It can be prepared quickly without use of gas stove.

Ingredients
Cucumber - 1no
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Red chilli(dry) - 2 nos
Tamarind - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida - 1 pinch
Mustard - 1 tspn
Oil - 2 tspns
Salt to taste
Preparation Method
Wash, remove skin and chop cucumber into small pieces.
In a kadai, add 1tspn oil and fry urad dal and dry red chilli till brown.
Now add fried urad dal, red chilli, tamarind, grated coconut and grind to fine paste in mixie.
In a vessel add the chopped cucumber and this grinded paste and mix well.
If its too thick add little water.
In a pan, add oil and mustard wait till it splutters and add asafotida.
Mix it with Kozhambu.

Pacha Kozhambu is ready it can be served with rice.

MCC - http://justurs.blogspot.com/2009/02/magnificent-click-contest-2009.html

Vegetable Semia Vermicilli Upma !

An easy and quick breakfast/tiffen is semia upma. It is also called rice vermicilli.

Ingredients
Semia (Rice vermicilli) - 2 cups
Water - 5 cups
Carrot - 1no
Beans - 10nos
Potato - 2nos
Bengal gram - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Aasafotida - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - 10nos
Oil - 4 tspns
Green chilli - 2 nos
Coriander leaves - 1 tspn chopped
Salt

Preparation Method
Crush the semia to small pieces.

Wash and chop the vegetables into small pieces.
Boil water in a vessel add 1 tspn oil and 1 tspn salt.
When water boiling add semia and boil for 3mins. If u leave for more time it will become soft.
Then filter it and keep aside so all water is drained.
Now in a kadai, add oil, mustard, asafotida and wait till it spulters.
Add bengal gram and wait till its brown. Add green chilli and saute.
Add the vegetables, curry leaves and cook for sometime.
Now add cooked semia and little salt.

Cook for few mins and off the stove.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Semia Upma is ready.

Variations

1. Add onion and grated coconut

2. Add turmeric and lemon
3. Also just only with chopped capsicum

Thenga Boli

This is a traditional sweet done on New year and on many occasions like wedding. In kannada its called Kai Holige. I am giving recipe made with coconut which is very tasty.

Ingredients
Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 cup
Rava small (Chiroti Sooji) - 1 cup
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn
Grated thenga (coconut) - 1 1/2 cups
Jaggery (Vellam) - 1 1/2 cups powdered
Cardamom (Elaichi) - 1 tspn powdered
Oil - 1/2 cup
Preparation Method
In a bowl Mix maida,rava, turmeric with little water to make soft dough.
Now add oil and kneed well.
Leave it for 1 hour.
For stuffing (Puran)

In a kadai, put grated coconut and add powdered jaggery and mix well in low flame keep stirring it. When it mixes well and becomes thick add cardamom powder and mix. Remove from stove.
Take small balls of the dough spread a little and stuff this sweet mixture and close all sides
Spread like chapathi slowly with little oil by hand.
Heat a pan put boli and cook both sides till brown in low flame.


Thenga Boli is ready serve with ghee.

Poori

Poori (Puri) is one of the famous breakfast/tiffin in India. This is prepared from wheat flour.

Ingredients
Wheat Flour - 2 cups
All purpose flour (Maida) - 1/4 cup
Cooking oil - 4 tspns
Oil for deep fry
Salt
Water as requried
Preparation Method
In a bowl mix both flour, oil and salt with slight water
Make a soft dough like for chapathi
Make small balls and spread smaller to the size of chapathi
Heat oil in a kadai medium-low heat
When its coming to smoking hot slowly drop the dough in kadai and slightly press it with spatula(jara)
Once its fried it will rise then turn on reverse side and fry for few seconds
Remove it on absorbent paper

Poori can be served with Potato masala, Channa masala or
Potato sagu - http://simplysara07.blogspot.com/2008/11/potato-sagu.html

Health

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Sweet Chutney(Tamarind)

Sweet Chutney is a multi purpose chutney used as a side dish for many chaats like samosa, bhel puri, etc.....

Ingredients

Thick Tamarind water - 2 cups
Jaggery - 2 tspns
Seedless Dates - 6 nos
Grind dates and jaggery with little water in mixie to a fine paste
Salt a pinch.

Method

In a vessel add tamarind water, salt with the paste and allow it to boil well till its semi-solid paste. Stir occasionally.

Allow it to cool store in a container and use.

Note - If dates are not available you can just do it with tamarind water and jaggery.

Cabbage with Jackfruit seed Kootu

A different style of cabbage kootu with Jackfruit seeds tastes very delicious.

Ingredients
Cabbage - 1 no(medium)
Jackfruit seeds - 10 nos
Toor Dal - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 2 cups
Dry red chilli - 4 nos
Cumin (Jeera) - 2 tspns
Curry leaves - 15nos
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1 tspn
Urad dal - 1 tspn
Salt


Preparation Method
Cook toor dal in pressure cooker and keep separately.
Chop cabbage into small pieces.
Wash jackfruit seeds remove skin and cut into 2 pieces.
In a thick bottom vessel, add cabbage and jackfruit seeds add little water, turmeric and salt. Allow it to cook in low flame.
Grind grated coconut, dry red chilli and jeera.
Once cabbage is cooked add this grinded mixture and boil.
Then add toor dal,and curry leaves and boil
Season it with oil, mustard and urad dal.

Cabbage Kootu is ready. It can be served with rice or chapathi.

Lemon Rice with Leftover Rice!

Lemon Rice is one of the Coloured Rice which is easy to cook. done on many occasions. The lemon(limon) gives tangy taste.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup

Groundnuts - 1/2 cup

Oil - 2 tspns

Mustard - 1 tspn

Bengal gram - 1 tspn

Green chilli - 2 nos - Chopped

Turmeric pwdr - 1/4 tspn

Lemon - 1 no Medium Size

Curry leaves

Salt

Preparation method:

Cook rice with water little less than the usual in order to avoid sticky texture. Allow the rice to come to room temperature.

In the mean while

Heat oil in a curved pan. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add bengal gram, groundnuts and turmeric powder. Saute till bengal gram turns light brown.

Add Chopped Green Chilli / Curry Leaves and stir fry a little.

Turn the stove off.

Add the above mixure to rice, Squeeze Lemon and Mix well and allow it to settle for a while so that the taste of Lemon/ Chilli and Salt to gets obsorbed into the rice .

Lemon rice is ready to serve. This can be served with fried papads and vadams.

Variations:

1. You can also add onions. Stir Fry finely chopped onions along with the above mixture prior to adding Rice.

2. Stir fry grated coconut and green chilli along with the spluttered mustard and Bengal Gram, Peanuts.

Green Chutney

Green Chutney is a multi purpose chutney used in many dishes. It can be spread for bread/sandwiches, chaats, etc.

Coriander leaves(cilantro) - 1 cup

Pudina(Mint leaves) - few
Green chilli - 3 nos (as per taste)

Grind in mixie to a fine paste.



Green chutney is ready. It can be stored in a container for about a week.

KIDNEY BEANS(RAJMA)

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and, yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Pepper Rasam

I was thinking which recipe from my list I should post next for my readers. When I also added “simple” to this thought, what came to my mind immediately is RASAM. Though various kinds of Rasams are being made, one simple, easy to make yet famous one is Spicy Pepper Rasam. This is my real favourite dish which you can have as a starter with Fried Papads as appetizer.

Ingredients
Tamarind water- 1 cup
Water - 4 cups
Black pepper - 1 tspn
Cumin(Jeera) - 2 tspns
Toor dal - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tspn
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Curry Leaves - 10nos
Salt
Tomato and garlic (Optional)I have not used.

Preparation Method

Cook toor dal in cooker.
Grind pepper and cumin in mixie to fine powder
In a vessel, add tamarind water, plain water and pepper jeera powder
Allow it to boil till raw smell goes
Now take toor dal add little water to it and blend well
Add it to tamarind water and boil well
Add curry leaves and salt
Season it with ghee, oil and mustard
Check on salt once you season with ghee salt will reduce. Add little before serving if required.

Pepper rasam is ready to serve with rice. This is very tasty to drink and very good for digestion says my granny. This is also good recipe for rainy season.

Variation - For quick rasam you can skip adding dal and keep the rest of the recipe same.

Paal Payasam

Paal Payasam is popular in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is a traditional sweet done on weddings and festivals.

Ingredients
Milk - 1/2 Litre
Rice - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Condensed milk -1/2 cup(optional)
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Cardamom powder(Elaichi) - 1 tspn
Ghee - 1 tspn
Cashew and raisins - 2 tspns

Preparation Method
In a vessel, keep milk in low flame.
Wash rice and add to the milk.
Keep a close watch so its not over cooked and burnt. Stir frequently.
Once rice is cooked in milk if it is too thick in consistency add little water. Since it will become thick later.
Add sugar and stir.
Add condensed milk(Optional I used milkmaid)

Allow it to boil and become thick in consistency
Add cardamom powder
Fry cashews and raisins in ghee and garnish it.

This is very tasty you can serve hot or chilled.

This is also famous in latin america called Aroz con leche with slight variation by adding cinamon.

Vengaya Sambar(Onion Sambar)

A yummy mouth watering Vengaya sambar(onion sambar) with vendakka poriyal or beans poriyal combination is very tasty.

Ingredients

Onion - 2nos (Big)

Toor dal - 1 cup

Curry leaves - 2 tspns

Oil - 5 tspns

Tamarind - 1 lemon size

Jaggery - 1 small piece
Salt

For masala(grinding)

Coriander seeds (daniya) - 2 tablespoon

Dry red chilli - 4 nos

Kadala parap(Bengal gram) - 2 tspn

Urad dal - 1 tspn

Venthayam(Methi seeds) - 1/4 tspn

Grated coconut - 2 cups
Cinamon (pattai) - 1 small piece
Preparation methodSoak tamarind in hot water for few mins and squeeze it.
Chop onions to medium size pieces.
In a Kadai, add 2 tspns oil and fry the above masala ingredients without coconut till dal is brown. Add coconut while grinding in mixie and grind it to a fine paste with little water.
In the same kadai, add 2 tspns of oil add onion and saute till soft. Add little salt.
Cook the toor dal and keep ready.
Keep a vessel on stove and add tamarind water. Now add onion to this and allow it to boil.
Add the grinded masala to it and boil.
Add curry leaves
Add dal mix well and allow it to boil. Add water if necessary.
Add salt
Add jaggery for taste. Stir well and boil.
Season it with mustard.

Vengaya Sambar is ready to serve. It can be served with idlis, dosai or rice.

CURD RICE

CURD RICE IS VERY DELICIOUS. IN SOUTH INDIA MOST OF US END THEIR DINNER OR LUNCH WITH CURD RICE. THIS IS GOOD FOR REDUCING THE ILL EFFECTS OF SPICY FOODS.


INGREDIENTS
RICE - 1 CUP
CURDS - 1 CUP
MILK - 1CUP
POMAGRANATE - 1/2 CUP
MUSTARD - 1/2 TSPN
OIL - 2 TSPNS
SALT

METHOD
COOK RICE LITTLE SOFT BY KEEPING 1/2 CUP EXTRA WATER. ALLOW IT TO COOL.

SEASON THE RICE WITH SPLUTTERED MUSTARD SEEDS.

NOW MIX SALT, MILK AND CURDS, POMOGRANETS TO THE RICE AND MIX WELL.
BEFORE SERVING YOU MAY GARNISH WITH ADDITIONAL POMOGRANATE ON TOP.

TASTY CURD RICE IS READY TO SERVE.

ALTERNATE MIXINGS -

1. SEEDLESS GRAPES AND CASHEWS.

2. FINELY CHOPED RAW MANGOES

3. WITH GREEN CHILLI, GINGER, CORIANDER LEAVES AND CURRY LEAVES

TIP:

FOR RICH TASTE AND THICK CURD RICE, YOU MAY POUR THE HOME MADE YOGURT TO THE CLEAN WHITE CLOTH, MAKE A BALL LIKE, TIE IT TIGHT AND HANG IT INSIDE YOUR FRIDGE. KEEP A BOWL BELOW FOR THE EXCESS WATER TO GET COLLECTED. AFTER COUPLE OF HOURS THICK CURD WILL BE READY TO USE.

Rice Adai(Dosa)

It is called Verum Arasi Adai in tamil. A different in taste. This is simple, tasty and easy to prepare.

Ingredients
Boiled rice - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt

Method
Soak boiled rice in water for 6 - 8 hours
Grind in mixie with grated coconut to smooth paste
Add salt and leave for 3-4 hrs for fermentation
Then pour batter on skillet like dosa
Cook on reverse side also.

Rice Adai is ready to serve. This can be served with coconut chutney or onion chutney.

PS - If batter is leftover can be kept in fridge and used.

CAPSICUM BATH

A TASTY CAPSICUM RICE. MUST TRY.........


INGREDIENTS
RICE - 1 CUP
CAPSICUM - 2NOS
POTATO - 1 NO
TOMATO - 1 NO (CHOP ALL VEGE INTO SMALL PIECES)
CURRY POWDER - 4 TSPNS (VANGIBATH POWDER)
MUSTARD - 1/2 TSPN
OIL - 4 TSPNS
SALT
PREPARATION METHOD
COOK RICE AND KEEP IT SEPARATELY
IN A PAN ADD OIL, MUSTARD. ALLOW IT TO SPULTER.
ADD TOMATO AND SAUTE
ADD POTATO AND CAPSICUM AND SAUTE
ADD SALT
ONCE THE VEGETABLES IS COOKED ADD CURRY POWDER AND COOK TILL RAW SMELL GOES THEN MIX WITH THE RICE.

SERVE CAPSICUM RICE WITH RAITHA OR PAPAD.

VARIATION - INSTEAD OF TOMATO CAN USE ONION.

MIXED DAL

This is a gravy and side dish cooked with Bengal gram, Moong dal and Tor dal (Lentils)

INGREDIENTS
Bengal gram - 1/2 cup
Moong dal and Toor dal - 1 1/2 cups(Mixed)
Onion - 2 nos
Tomato - 2 nos
Red chilli powder - 2 tspns
Oil- 2 tsps
Mustard - 1 tspn
Cumin(jeera) - 1 tspn

Coriander leaves (cilantro) - 2 tspns
Green chillies - 2nos (optional)

Salt

PREPARATION METHOD

Wash and cook dal together in cooker.

Chop onion and tomato to medium size.

Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard and jeera. Saute for few mins.

Add onion and saute until soft.

Add tomato and saute until it cooks.

Add salt.

Now add ready dal and mix well.

Add chilli powder.

Add little water if required.(Do not add more water as it should be semi-liquid)

Allow it to boil (check for salt and add if required)

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Also can squeeze a lemon(optional).

Dal is ready to serve.

Serve hot with chapathi or rice.

Dishes prepared on pongal for lunch

Cooking on auspicious/festival days are prepared without onion and garlic. So for the recipes with onion you can omit that and prepare.

To read more about Pongal click here.

Sakkarai Pongal

Steamed Rice
Paruppu
Kootu

Poriyal

Any veggie Sambar



Rasam

Dal Vada



 

Happy Pongal!!!!!

Happy Pongal and Makara Sankranthi!!!!

Bogi Pongal is on 13th January 2009
Pongal is on 14th January 2009
Kanum/Mattu Pongal is on 15th January 2009

Pongal is a harvest festival for Tamilians. This festival is celebrated by all Hindus in South India called Tamilians. Pongal means overflowing.......They cook rice mixed with jaggery and milk which is very delicious. While cooking they allow it to overflow. In villages they cook in open place near temple. Group of people cook together and pray to god for the prosperity. Decorate house with kolams.

Celebrate this festival with family buying new clothes and enjoying. Children love to munch sugarcane.

In Karnataka it is called Makara Sankranthi. They have customs of distributing till seeds mixed with jaggery, ground nuts, dry coconut and sweetened jeera. They also make sugar candies in different designs like round, chariot, birds, etc which is yummy.

Traditional method of preparing pongal

Ingredients
Rice – 2 cups
Green gram(Moong dal) – ½ cup
Jaggery - 3 cups
Ghee – ½ cup
Cashews and Raisins – 6 each
Water – 6 cups
Milk – 1 cup
Grated coconut – 1 cup

Preparation Method
Keep the Oven clean with kolam (design)
Add Milk in a vengala panai (Bronze pot)
Tie the Manjal Kombu(Turmeric plant) to the Panai(pot).
Wash rice and green gram(moong dal). Add it to panai with water.
Rice and green gram to be cooked soft.
Keep a separate vessel with little water and add jaggery. Once it is dissolved, filter the mud particles and make the liquid to form little thick in consistency.(If u like more sweet you can add more jaggery) Now add it to cooked rice and mix well. Allow it to boil well for some time in medium flame. Keep stirring.
Keep kadai in oven and add Ghee. After it is hot add Cashew and raisins. once its brown. Remove from fire and garnish to pongal.

Sweet Pongal or Sakkare Pongal is ready to serve. It is offered as Nyvedyam to Lord SURYA BHAGAVAN on this day.

Simple Method of preparing Pongal

Cook rice and moong dal in cooker till soft so keep additional water. In a bowl keep little water and add jaggery to it. once its dissolved, filter it in a strainer. Now mix the cooked rice and dal mixture to jaggery and cook well. Keep it in a low flame. Add ghee for taste.

Garnish with fried cashews and raisins in ghee.

Quick pongal is ready to serve.

Vaikunta Ekadasi

7th January is Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrated by Hindus all over the world.

Lakhs of people visit Venkateshwara temple(Perumal), Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy temple, Ranganathar temple and many more. Temples are opened early morning on this day. It is very popular in Tirupathi and Srirangam. People wait for long hours and all the temples are crowded. Many of them fast on this day.

The belief says "Doors of Heaven (Swarga Vaasal) will open"

Beans Poriyal (Curry)

Beans poriyal(Curry) is a side dish cooked under low flame with coconut. It can be prepared easily on any day or for any occasion. It is very tasteful. This is mostly prepared for festivals and marraiges.

 

Ingredients

Beans - 250 gms
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Bengal gram - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Asafotida(hing) - 1 pinch
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Sugar - 1 tspn
Green chilli - 2nos
Curry leaves - 6 nos
Oil - 2tspns
Salt to taste

Preparation Method Wash, clean and pat dry beans.
Chop it into small pieces.
Heat a pan, put oil add mustard once it splutters add asafotida
Add Bengal gram and wait till its brown
Add the chopped beans
Add little water for it to cook
Add curry leaves
Add sugar (Sugar is added for not changing the colour of the vegetable while cooking) Add salt and turmeric Grind in mixie grated coconut with green chillies
Cook under low flame once its cooked with no water left add grinded coconut
Mix well and cook for 5mins.
Now its ready to serve.

Its a good combination for Sambar and rasam rice.

Masala Vada

A tasty snack mixed with lentils and onion then deep fried. This can also be prepared anytime for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

A great idea on a rainy day….

A great combination with Puliyogare (Tamarind rice) …………

Ingredients
Bengal gram(Yellow lentils) – 2 cups
Onion – 2 nos big
Fennel (saunf) – 1 tspn
Curry leaves – 4 tspns
Green chilli – 2 nos
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method
Soak Bengal gram in water for 3- 4 hours
Cut the onions, chillies and curry leaves into small pieces
Now wash the Bengal gram and grind it to coarse paste(not smooth) without adding much water
Add chopped onions, chillies, curry leaves, salt and saunf to the paste.
Mix well and make lemon size balls
Heat the oil in a pan
Press slowly and drop in oil
Deep fry on both sides till brown

Take it on a tissue paper for 5mins to absorb excess oil

Serve hot as it is or with tomato ketchup or coconut chutney

Happy NEw Year 2009!!!

I Wish all readers a very happy,prosperous, wealthy, success and peaceful

New Year 2009.

COCONUT RICE

COCONUT RICE IS A TRADITIONAL MIXED RICE DONE IN SOUTH INDIA.THIS DISH IS DONE WITH FRESH GRATED COCONUT.

IT CAN BE DONE WITH LEFTOVER RICE TOO.

INGREDIENTS

RICE - 1 CUP
GRATED COCONUT - 2 CUPS
URAD DHAL - 1 TSP
MUSTARD - 1/2 TSP
ASAFOTIDA - 1 PINCH
RED CHILLI(DRY) - 2 NOS
CURRY LEAVES
OIL - 2 TSPN
SALT



PREPARATION METHOD

COOK THE RICE AND KEEP SEPARATELY
IN A PAN PUT OIL AFTER ITS HOT PUT MUSTARD
ADD AESAFOTIDA
ADD RED CHILLIES
ADD SPLIT URAD DHAL AND WAIT TILL BROWN
ADD CURRY LEAVES
ADD GRATED COCONUT AND SAUTE FOR 5MINS
ADD SALT
THEN MIX WITH RICE

Another version of Coconut rice recipe click here 

SERVE HOT WITH FRIED PAPADS AND VADAMS

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you. 

Gods Pharmacy! - 1

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Cucumber Salad

This Salad is very easy to prepare and tastes different.

Ingredients

Cucumber - 1no
Grated coconut - 4 tspns
Sunflower oil or olive oil - 1tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Split Urad dal - 1/2 tspn (optional)
Asafotida - 1 pinch
Coriander leaves (cilantro) - 2 tspns

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Wash and remove the skin of the Cucumber.

Cut the cucumber in small pieces
In a bowl, add the cucumber, grated coconut, salt.
In a pan, heat the oil, add mustard and asafotida
Add split urad dal and wait till its brown.
Then add this to the salad and mix.
Garnish with coriander leaves(cilantro) and serve.

Merry Christmas