Day 7 - Blogging Marathon - Coconut Rice

Ok , here I am at the end of the blogging marathon. This time Im making Coconut Rice. Some people do not like the smell of the oil that emanates from this rice when it is being made. I just love it for the color of it and can have it with nothing along with it.

The ingredients for this rice will be readily available at home at any point of time.

• Scrapped fresh coconut - 2 cups
• Rice - 2 cups boiled and cooled
• Green chillies - 2 cut into small pieces
• Curry leaves and mustard seeds for tempering
• Salt for taste
• Oil

The method for making this peace loving dish is also simple

• Heat oil in a non stick pan.
• Add the tempering agents when the oil is hot.
• Add the green chillies followed by the scrapped coconut
• Saute this mixture in low flame and ensure that the flavour of coconut is retained
• To this add the cooled rice in batches. Adjust salt as per your taste and the quantity of rice you are adding

Coconut rice makes good option for kids lunch boxes. When I made this rice, I remembered my paati who used to love this rice. Miss you paati. Wish you was still around to taste the food I make.

I take this opportunity to thank my fellow runners and Srivalli for organising this marathon. Your comments and suggestions were my pillars of strength.

Okay, time to go on a trail to my fellow runners kitchen, wanna come along..

Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena

Day 6 - Blogging Marathon - Easy breezy breakfast.

Poha, is a very common breakfast in North India. In South India we make a different version of this. This was made one morning when we ran out of Dosa batter. I did not want to buy the batter from outside as my dad does not like the taste of it. We generally make the idli and dosa batter at home. Will write a detailed post about it later.

Very simle to make but tasty to eat. This poha needs very simple ingredients

• Poha - 1 cup
• Green Chillies - 1 cut into small pieces
• Groundnut - for granish
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt to taste.

This breezy breakfast can be made in the following way

• Wash the poha in running water and squeeze of excess water
• In a non stick frying pan , add a little oil
• When the oil is hot , add mustard seeds and groundnut
• Fry for a minute or so then add the washed poha
• Add salt and turmeric at this stage
• Keep tossing for a minute. Make sure the texture of poha is not destroyed

Your easy breakast is ready in a few minutes time. This can also be given as an evening snacks for children who come back from school. There are many variations that can be done to this simple dish. Will have to try them and soon blog about it.

Me gonna visit my fellow runners kitches..

Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena

Day 5 - Blogging Marathon - Vegetable Ghee Rice

Hi everybody, blogger actually did not support me for the past three days. One I was not able to upload pics and at times could not save the file and publish it. I was in the thought that Internet at home was bad, office network was no better. It took one whole day for me to upload the photos for this post.


Coming to the recipe for the day, its Vegetable Ghee Rice. I had made this today specially for my nephew who was visiting us. He does not like spicy food. It was a hit with him. He ate only this rice. My cousin sister in law and the others also liked it very much. I heard from her that the kids are still talking about this ghee rice.



These are the ingredients I used to make this wonderful ghee rice. I actually loved the aroma of the whole dish. It was mild and appetising

• 3 cups Basmati Rice ( soaked in water for 15 mins )
• 1 cup each of Beans, Carrot and Green peas ( ahhh I love them )
• 1 clove, 1 small stick of cinnamon , 1 bale leaf , 1 cardamom pod
• 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
• Salt to taste
• Ghee - generous quantity

I will explain how this ghee rice was made with the pictures below

• In the pressure cooker heat a little ghee and add the spice agents, followed by onions , green chillies and veggies.
• Saute them till half done. Add the basmati rice and fry them for a minute's time.
• Add water to the sauted mixture. The ratio I used for this rice is 1: 1.5. Ensure you add a little more water for the veggies also
• Add salt at this stage
• Bring the mixture to a boil and then add some more ghee to it.
• Pressure cook it for 3 whistles and then leave it to cool
• Use a fork to make the rice a little fluffy

This yummy rice is an excellent one pot meal and is well suited for a winter night dinner. I served it with onion - cucumber raitha and potato chips.

Okay, time to go on a trail to my fellow runners kitchen, wanna come along..

Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena

Menu for Tomorrow

We have my cousin sister in law visiting us tomorrow with her two kids and with her sister in law. I wanted to make something simple & less spicy since my nephew is not used to eat really really spicy food. So here goes the menu that I have decided for tomorrow.

• Vegetable ghee rice
• Rasam
• Potato Peas Curry
• Curd Rice
• Gulab Jamun with Ice cream

Will post the recipes along with the pics in the day s to come ...

Day 4 - Blogging Marathon - Peas Paneer Pulao

Yes Yes , I managed to post for 4 days in a row. This recipe is something close to my heart.I love the aroma of green peas in any rice. Every time I go to the market I definitely get them and try to incorporate them in some way in the cooking. Be it kichadi or any veggie subzi or curry, green peas will find its way. So much that if my dad sees green peas in any dish, he will immediately ask .. did you prepare this.

I just love them. I saw Divya's post on how to store (freeze) fresh green peas and felt happy that there are many people who love green peas like me. Be it a normal alu curry or even a cabbage curry, a handful of fresh peas definitely adds to the flavor and appeals to the eyes of the person who is gonna eat it. Add it to the salad you make your protein potion for the day is fulfilled. Plain boiled basmati rice along with a small amount of spice will not be appealing , just throw in some green peas, the color combination of fresh green against creamish white color of basmati rice will be loved by your cameras. My camera loves these yummy delectable combinations.

I somehow feel that the color combination of food that you serve is as important as the taste of the food. This reminds me , I have my cousin sister in law visiting us on Sunday along with her kids. I have the menu planned for them. Will post them along with the recipes after the marathon is done with.
Moving on to the day's recipe.. Its Peas Paneer Pulao. I prefer to call it like that rather than Paneer Peas pulao for reasons you know why.
Here are the ingredients that make this dish a yummy one.

• Basmati Rice - 2 cups
• Fresh green peas - 1 cup
• Paneer pieces - 8 - 10
• Green chillies - 2 ( slit length wise )
• Onion - 1 cut into thin slices
• Capsicum - 1 cut into think strips ( optional )
• Cloves, bayleaf, cinnamon stick, star anise ( as suited to individual taste) I prefer to have a mild flavor of spices
• Oil
• Salt to taste
• Cashew nuts and Raisins for garnishing ( optional )

So how do we make this recipe, follow the steps below and you will be left with your kitchen smelling good with its aroma

• Wash the basmati rice and let it soak for 10 mins
• Heat oil in a heavy bottom wok and add the spices listed
• Cook for a minutes time then add the sliced onions and capsicum
• Add the green peas and the rice along with the required water. Ratio for Basmati Rice is 1:1.5 ( add a little more for the veggies that you add)
• Bring the whole mixture to a boil and close it with a lid.
• Now transfer this to a electric cooker and switch it on
• In 15- 20 mins the peas paneer Pulao will be ready
• Serve it hot with some gravy and /or raitha

You can use the same method to make mixed veggie rice also. The picture here shows the finished dish in the electric cooker container. I was not able to take pictures after that.

Okay, time to go on a trail to my fellow runners kitchen, wanna come along..
Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena

Day 3 - Blogging Marathon - Kara Adai and Vellai Adai

Good morning friends,
Hope am the first person to come up with the recipe link today amongst the marathon runners. Today s post is about a little religious ritual that is followed by many ladies in TamilNadu. I am not sure about the other states, forgive me for that.
The first day of the tamil month Panguni is called Karadaiya Nombu. Karadaiyan Nombu, or Savitri Nonbu Vritham, is a Tamil observance in which married woman prays for the well being and long life of her husband. Karadaiyan Nombu 2011 date is March 15 and time of breaking of fast and to wear Saradu is from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM. It is observed on the particular day when the transition between the Tamil months Maasi and Panguni takes place. Karadai is the name of a unique nivedya (holy dish) prepared on this day. Nombu means Vratam or upvasam (fast).
Karadaiyan Nombu is observed in remembrance of the Satyvan – Savitri legend. A princess, Savitri through her unparalleled devotion saved her husband, Satyvan, from the clutches of death. This legend is very popular in India and there are several other observances based on this legend like the Vat Savitri Puja. Savitri Nonbu Vritham is observed at the exact time when Masi month ends and Panguni begins. On the Vratam day married women fast and break the fast by eating the Karadai preparation with butter. The preparation is known as Karadai nombu adai - the festival takes its name from the unique Kara Adai dish. It is believed that Savitri cooked such a dish and offered it to Lord Yama along with unmelted butter as a sort of thanksgiving for sparing her husband’s life.Another important ritual is the wearing of the Kaaradai nombu saradu, which is a yellow thread, around the neck.
The recipe am gonna share with you is how to make the Karadai mentioned above. There are two varieties of karadai, one is the sweet one and the other is the spicy one. It is also told that Savitri performed this viratham in the jungle. Hence she made the karadai with whatever she found in the jungle. The mail ingredient for this is Rice flour, which as per stories was given by ants in the forest to Savitri to prepare it.

Here are the ingredients you will need for the preparation of the Savory Adai.

• Rice Flour - 2 cups
• Karamani and Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 2 cut into small pieces
• Ginger - one small piece cut into small pieces
• Freshly scrapped coconut
• Oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves for tempering
• Salt to taste

Here is how we prepare the savory adai.

• Pressure cook the karamani and the tuvar dal
• Add some oil to a heavy bottomed wok
• When the oil is hot, add the tempering ingredients
• Followed by green chillies and ginger
• Add water to the mixture. The ratio for rice flour is 2:1
• Add the rice flour gradually and stir continuously. This is to avoid the formation of lumps
• Add the cooked karamani and Tuvar dal to the mixture along with coconut scrapping and curry leaves
• Keep stirring till you get a dough like consistency
• Take it off the heat and let it cool
• When it cools make small lemon sized balls out of the dough and make patties out of them.
• These patties needs to steamed . I used the Idli maker at home to steam them
• These savoury adais will be ready in 5 mins time.

Here are the ingredients you will need for the preparation of the Sweet Adai.

• Rice Flour - 2 cups
• Karamani and Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup
• Freshly scrapped coconut
• Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder a pinch

Here is how we prepare the sweet adai.

• Pressure cook the karamani and the tuvar dal
• Boil water in a heavy bottom wok. The ratio for Rice flour is 2:1
• Add the rice flour slowly. Ensure that there are no lumps forming
• Slowly add the powdered jaggery to this mixture.
• Add the cooked Karamani and Tuvar dal along with the coconut scrappings and cardamom powder
• Cook the dough in a low flame , till a dough like consistency is got
• Take the mixture off the flame and allow the dough to cool
• After it cools, take lemon sized balls and then make a patty out it.
• Steam them for 5 mins time and they are ready. I steam mine in the Idli maker at home

KARA ADAI

SWEET ADAI
One thing about this Adais is that you dont get to taste it when your making them, but the final output has the perfect taste. Be it the salt or jaggery its just perfect.

Here we go to our fellow runners kitchen to get a glimpse of what is cooking .. come on

Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Kamalika, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena

Day 2 - Blogging Marathon - Elumiche Sadham ( Lime Rice )

WOW, I am on the second day of the blogging marathon. It may sound silly to many bloggers out there, whose blogs make people drool, but for me it is a personal achievement for blogging after so many months , that too for the second day in the row.

This morning while checking mails, I saw Srivalli's mail coming in first of the marathon runners with the link of her recipe for Day 2 . I wish to be the first one to post during the course of the marathon. Let me try that with utmost sincerity.

Moving on to today's recipe. This is the most handy thing that you can do either when your fridge runs out of veggies or you have very less time to make lunch. Some of my friends do have Lemon rice for breakfast. I personally wanna have it for lunch along with potato curry and some salted potato chips. Heaven isn't it. Ask me to talk about food I can go on and on. Special thanks to my office lunch group( more about them in another post).
Here are the ingredients that go into this simple yet a fantabulous variety rice.

• Juice of 1 big lemon( keep in the microwave for 2 mins before you squeeze the juice, you will get a better yield)
• 2 cups of rice, boiled and cooled
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• Oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, bengal gram dal, urad dal for tempering
• Salt to taste

Let us start to make the eye catching lemon rice.

• Wash rice and cook it separately
• In a thick bottom wide pan add a little oil
• When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds followed by the bengal gram dal and Urad dal( I simply love the aroma when the tempering is made)
• Add a pinch of turmeric
• Saute the chopped green chillies in this tempering at a lower heat.
• Remove from fire and then add the Lemon juice and salt.
• To this mixture add the cooled rice little by little and mix well.
• Serve hot with Potato fry and chips.

Isn't it Yummy to look at ...

Ok here I go blog hopping to my fellow runners kitchen to see what is cooking there. Join me please

Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Kamalika, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Suma, Usha, Veena

Day 1 - Blogging Marathon - Mangai Sadham

Hello Blogging World ...
I have started running in the marathon, so that I post regularly. There are lot of food photos that are in my archive.
Being a part of this marathon will motivate me to post often unlike before.

I kick start this marathon with a yummy and tangy Mangai Sadham. In Chennai, we experience summer almost throughout the year. During peak summer time, mangoes are seen in abundant. That is the time when summer hols would have started and every household will be making pickles of all kinds and along with vadams. This is to get maximum benefit of the heat that will be scorching us. Mangoes always bring back sweet memories of school and college. Th0se are days when we used to get 4 pieces of mango with a little chilli and salt powder sprinkled on it for Re.1. Now we need to give Rs 10 for the same stuff in Ranganathan street.



Coming to the recipe of the day. Yes Mangai Sadham. The moment I think about it, I can feel the tanginess of the rice.

Here is what you will need to make this yummy dish

• 1 cup of rice - washed and steamed
• 1 Green Mango - scrapped
• 2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp of Coriander Powder
• Salt to taste.
• Oil, mustard, fenugreek seeds for tempering
• Cilantro for garnish

How do you make this Mangai Sadham. Here you go -

1. Boil the rice seperately and let it cool
2. In a heavy bottom wok , heat oil and add the tempering ingrediants
3. Add the scrapped mango to it and saute for 3 mins
4. Add the redchilli and coriander powder along with salt to the sauted green mango
5. Adjust salt as per taste. Remember that you need to add salt for the rice that you will be mixing with this.
6. When the raw smell of redchilli and coriander powder vanishes, take the wok off the stove and let it cool for a minute
7. To this add the cooled rice and mix well.
8. Check for salt and add accordingly
9. Garnish with cilantro and serve with raitha and potato chips.

I am actually waiting for peak summer when this dish will be more frequent than now.I get lovely aroma from my fellow runner's kitchen. Shall we peek in.. come on let us

Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Jay, Meena, Mina, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya, Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh,Saraswathi, Savithri, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Srivalli, Suma, Usha, Veena.

ai

Getting back to blogging with a marathon

Hi friends,

Its been a very very long time since I blogged. I would say it was office work or some domestic chores or just mere laziness that attributed to this absense from the blogosphere.

I am the last person to join the marathon.Inspite of Srivalli mentioning to send her mails by the 7th, I texted her this morning and asked if I can join the run. It was very sweet of her to accept me as one of the runners. Thanks Valli and the whole lot of runners who have accepted this late rabbit (err is it tortoise ) . I hope to be a regular blogger and to make more recipes in 2011 than in 2010.

My fellow runners are ...

Azeema
Bhagi
Champa
Sowmya
Gayathri Anand
Gayathri Kumar Harini
Jay
Minu
Meena
Pavani
Padma
PJ
Priya Mahadevan
PriyaSuresh
PriyaVaasu
Rujuta
Saraswathi
Santosh
Savitha
Shobana
Smitha
Srivalli
Suma
Usha
Veena

Will catch you guys with yummy rice recipes ...Happy blogging and cooking