UAE to India To KSA

OK it is finalised. Hubs got a good offer in Saudi. We will be going to India then after two or three months for the visas and we will be in Jeddah. I have to empty the pantry along with a hundred million other things. My heart is heavy as I leave UAE after nearly Thirteen years and on the other hand our life ahead looks rosy because of the better opportunities. The internet connection will be cut off in a few days time. I am not sure whether I will have internet in India but I will try blog inbetween, otherwise only after two or three months.Wish me Luck.

Malai Methi Matar Paneer Masala

I had this impressive sounding dish at a star hotel (Sheraton) (Ahem!) in Dubai when one of our uber rich relatives daughter got married and we went to the reception. It was my third experience in a 5 star hotel and first in Dubai. When my provincial self could take my eyes off the Decor and the bride’s jewelry, there was the food spread out in fancy whatamacallit's with those Bunsen burners at the bottom. I really wished I had a bovine digestive system at that time.......Anyway there was this absolutely creamy looking paneer dish with such a long name. My daughter was in a paneer crazy phase at that time and she loved it. I thought AHA a perfect dish to fatten up my skinny girl. So I went home and due to the helpful long name giving a hint to all the ingredients in it, I set upon experimenting to get the smooth texture of the gravy and the taste. So tan ta dain here I present the result which my Hubby assures me has the same taste.

Ingredients: (Serves three to four)
Paneer -  200 g ( I use frozen )
Peas (I use frozen) - 1 cup
Onions - 2 Big nos
Tomatoes - Three Nos
Green Chilies - 2 Nos
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 Tbsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp ( I used Malli Masala)
garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp or more if you like the flavour.
Malai (Milk Cream) - 2 - 3 Tbsp
Oil - as reqd

Heat a kadai. Add around half to one cup oil. Fry the paneer cubes till edges go golden in colour. Drain on a paper towel. Parboil peas with a little salt. Meanwhile chop onions tomatoes and green chilies’ and keep separately. Pour away all but around 1 - 2 tbsp of oil. Keep kadai back on the heat. Add chopped onions and green chilies’. Sautee till onions are browned. lower heat, add ginger garlic paste and stir a little till the raw smell goes. then add salt, chilli powder , coriander powder, turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder. then add chopped tomatoes and stirr well till the tomatoes are cooked and the oil separates.
Cool a little and use a blender to puree the masala. If it is an occasion you can strain the puree through a sieve, but I have full faith in my mixie and we need the fiber so I dont do it. Pour the puree back into the kadai, rinse and put away the jar. Let it simmer. Be careful if it boils it will splatter and you have to clean the stove and everything near it. add the paneer, green peas and mix well. Crush kasuri methi between your palms and add that also to the gravy.  Check for salt, add the rest of the garam masala. Just before serving, add slightly beaten cream mix well to distribute uniformly. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaf and serve with chappati, parotta, roomali roti or Naan.

P.S. 1: When reheating leftovers don’t bring to boil or the cream will separate giving it a curdled look.
P.S. 2: Reduce till the gravy is dry. Crumble the paneer and use as stuffing for samosas the next evening as a snack.
For healthy version, use nonstick to shallow fry the paneer, use low fat yoghurt (drain whey in a strainer) instead of milk cream.

Beetroot Poriyal



Beetroot Poriyal Mixed with Curd Rice Yum!

 Ingredients: (Serves 2 to 3)

Beetroot - 1 slightly bigger than a tennis ball
Onion (Big) - 1
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Sonf - 1 stp
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Salt 1/2 - 3/4 tsp or more to taste
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - 2 Tbsp (Optional)

Grate beetroot on the coarse grater, chop onion finely. Heat Oil in a Kadai add mustard seeds, jeera seeds and sonf seeds. When they splutter add curry leaves. Add onions and sautee till it starts becoming golden. add salt and grated beetroot. Stir till well mixed. Add a little water if necessary and cook on low flame till beetroot is tender (it will take max ten mins). Add chilli powder in the end, turn the heat up, and stir well till raw smell of chilli powder goes. add grated coconut and stir again. Take off the heat. Serve with Rice (Dal, Sambhar, etc). Goes well with Curd Rice.

I am entering this for Anyone Can Cook Series - 25 by Umm Mymoonah of Taste of Pearl City
http://tasteofpearlcity.blogspot.com/2011/07/any-one-can-cook-series-25.html

Flowers of India

I came accross this site and found it quite fascinating.
http://www.flowersofindia.in/index.html

It is like walking through some botanical garden without the fresh air ofcourse. Next time in India I will surely pay attention to the roadside trees and flowers. Also make a compulsory visit to TVM zoo atleast. I remember walking home from school on lanes carpeted with gulmohar flowers in B'lore.

Melagu Jeeraka Podi (Pepper Cumin Powder)



Melagu Jeeraga Podi

 This is one of the powders that is prepared regularly in our family. This is used for omelettes, sprinkled on boiled eggs, to add kick to curries, etc. It is very simple to prepare but adds a zing to whatever curry you add it to.
Ingredients:
Pepper corns (Black) - 1/2 cup
Jeera (Whole) - 1/2 cup
Salt - 2tsps.

Roast pepper on low to medium flame in a dry kadai till hot. Be careful not to burn. Do the same with jeera also. When both are cool powder till fine in a mixie. Store in an airtight container. I mostly make enough for one months use.

Traditional Malli Masala Powder (Corriander Masala Powder)

Malli Masala Powder

This is the basic Masala powder used in most of the households in my native place (Puliangudi) and sorrounding areas. I have never made this masala having the good fortune to have my Mother or my Mother in law always send enough quantity to tide over through somebody or the other coming to UAE. But I had noted down the proportions when newly married so that it will be of use just in case. The Corriander seeds have to be ground really finely. I have heard that it is passed though the mill two time to ensure fine powder.

This powder is used in everything, sambhar, veg curries, nonveg curries except rasams. Well here goes the ingredients list.

Corriander Seeds - 1 Kg
Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 100 g
Sonf Seeds (Sombu) - 100 g
Turmeric Pieces - 100 g

Clean Well and dry thoroughly under the sun. Powder fine.Seive and store in air tight dabbas. When we were in Bangalore, we did not have a ready supply and we had to prepare this at home. When the weather was very wet and cold, I remember my Mother used to lightly roast everything till hot, allow to cool and then send to the mill for powdering. I used to pound the manjal into small bits in the ural with the olakkai.

We can substitute this in the recipes as follows -
2 heaped tbsp of Malli Masala = 2 level tbsp of corriander powder + 0.5 tsp jeera powder + 0.5 tsp of turmeric powder + 0.25 tsp of sonf powder or use sonf for the tempering.

There was a masala powder called Madras Curry Masala Powder in Green tins available in Lulu Hypermarket here in UAE which came close to the Malli Masala Powder prepared in my Native Place.

அட கொடுமையே தமிழ் எழுத தெரியாமலே தமிழ் எழுதிகிறேன் பிளாக்கர் வாழ்க I pressed the transliterate button and see what happened. Wow. Please be patient with me I am going to try again . இந்த நாள் வரை எனக்கு இந்த மசாலா தயார் செய்த என் அம்மாவுக்கும், என் மாமிக்கும் நன்றி .

Because I always lived outside Tamil Nadu, I had to learn to read tamil by myself using self help books, I can write but I always mix up the nas and las. This is great.

Fathima 

Great July Beginning

Hello everybody, my recipe for simple chilli idli has been selected to feature for this week's Any one can cook series 23 by Taste of Pearl City. I am so excited and so happy.

Its a great beginning for July and I always like happy beginnings and happy endings.

Fathima