How to talk to little Girls

An article to make you think. Check out this Link I found from Shilpa's Twitter

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-gir_b_882510.html?ref=fb&src=sp

But I think if nobody notices a girls looks then she may feel a little depressed no? OK we have to dress to satisify ourselves first, but engayo idikkidhu.

Coconut Chutney - 1

This is a simple chutney which goes with Dosa, Idly, bajji's, bondas, upmas etc..

Ingredients:
Coconut - 1/2 grated
Pottukadalai (Puffed Chana Dal) - 1/4 cup or lesser
Green chillies - 4 (adjust according to the ehat level and your prefernce)
salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
udad dal - 1 tsp
mustard - 1 tsp
perungayam pdr - 1/4 tsp
chopped onions 1 tbsp (two or three sambhar onions)
Curry leaves 1 -  2 sprigs

Procedure:
In the mixie jar, put the pottukadalai and chilli first. then add the grated coconut. Whirr a few times. then add water and grind to coarse consistency.  Add salt to taste. Keep in a bowl.
If you are using ammikal (grinding stone) First grind the chillies with salt, add coconut little by little and grind to paste. lastly add the pottukadali and grind till the pottukadalai is grainy (like coarse rawa). remove paste from the grinding stone, wash and keep the water aside.
Traditionally, the tadka is poured into the chutney, covered for a while and then mixed. In my place, the chutney is poured in the tadka in a kadai and heated till the whole is hot not boiling. You can choose yourself.
So lets come to the thaalichifying.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard, let it splutter, add udad dal, curry leaves, perungayam powder, onions. let onions brown. add the chutney to the tadka, mix well. Keep on flame till the whole is hot. Do not allow to Boil. Check for salt and chilli and adjust before serving.

Tomato Rice

This is a regular in my house. I got this recipe from Mallika Badrinaths cook book. These kind of rice dishes were a lifesaver for me when I was working full time. I used to make double or triple the amount of the tomato masala mix and freeze in portions. Next time I just had to remember to take it out of the freezer the previous night. Morning only make rice, mix and keep in MW bowl for hubby and daughter to eat for lunch take my portion to office and I am raring to go. Add some pappads or eggs or potato chips or for die hard nonveggies chicken fry. The pappads can be fried the previous night ( I used to schedule pooris the previous night so I didnt have to heat the oil twice (arent I clever ?). OK  enough patting myself on the back, here's the recipe:

Tomato Rice and Fried Egg

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 4 Chopped.
Onions - 1 or 2 Finely chopped
Green chillies - 2 nos slit vertically
Peas - 1/4 - 1/2 cup (I use frozen)
Curry Leaves - 1 -2 sprigs
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Perungayam podi - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp or 1 " cube butter (just for the fragrance)
Rice - 1 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Procedure:
Cook Rice till done but not mushy. I use rice cooker. If you use pressure cooker you can make the masala when the pressure is returning to normal. If you are doubling or tripling start as soon as you put the rice to cook.
Chop tomatoes and let them start cooking first in a separate pan or nuke in the microwave along with a little salt and the green peas till mushy. Meanwhile chop onions, heat kadai, add oil, add chana dal, udad dal, and then the mustard. when the mustard pops add the hing and add chopped onions immediately. Add a little salt (remember the salt in the tomatoes) and the green chillies , sautee till golden reduce flame if it is on high at this stage, add turmeric and chilli powder, stirr well till chilli powder is fragrant mayne 40 secs. add cooked tomatoes and green peas. simmer for a few mins for the flavours to blend. Check for salt, sourness, and chilli. add garam masala. Add ghee or butter now. Mix well, add cooked rice or add to the cooked rice depending on which vessel is bigger. Switch off the flame. Mix gently but thoroughly to distribute the tomato masala evenly with the rice. Finis.

This is a good picnic food also. If you are going with staunch veggies as your guests, add paneer cubes fried till golden just before mixing the rice, it will look real swanky, but of course the name of the dish will be paneer tomato rice. (Grin)

Dil Se..: Show Me Your Dosa!

Dil Se..: Show Me Your Dosa!

Edited to add :
Hello everybody actually somebody tell me whats happening. I sent my recipe to this event, and below there was this tab telling me to link to that post. So I thought OK lets try this also. Lo and behold there was a screen with a line with html coding. You know there's a reason I didn't take computer engineering. When I see all those codes and all I freak out. anyway I decided to be brave and clicked add or ok or something I forgot. and next time I checked my blog this post is there. Ayoo nyan onnum cheydilla . enakku onnum theriyaadhu nekku thilisuledhu, nanage goththilla, mujhe maalum nahin , Ana Ma maalum I think I know this phrase in Bengali also but I will not take any risk. and no link has appeared where I wanted ( Carrot Corriander Whole Wheat Dosa) Hmph. Well anyway, if we try only we will know. try try untill you succeed - thats my mantra. Blogger here I come. Wish me luck sister bloggers.

PS: Please check out my recipe at that event site also. I will send more entries inshaallah.

Muttacose Muttai Poriyal (Cabbage Egg Fry)

This is one eezipeezi dish which can be made fast as cabbage takes very little time to process and also to cook. we can have it as a side dish for rice & curry or as a dish with chappaties. For a healthier version, use less oil and only eggwhites. All the fat in the egg is in the yolk. Whites contain most of the proteins.

Ingredients:
Cabbage - chopped - 3 cups (around half a head of a small cabbage)
Onion - 1 big chopped
Jeera - 1 tsp
Sonf - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1-2 sprigs
Eggs - 2 - 3
salt to taste
chilli powder 1/2 - 1 tsp as per heat tolerance
Green Chilli - chopped fine - Optional
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp.
Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a pan, add jeera and sonf. let them splutter. add curry leaves, onions and green chilli. add salt and sautee till onion is translucent. Add turmeric pdr, stir. Add chopped cabbage and stir well. add water around 1/2 cup or so and let it cook till cabbage is tender. By the the water should dry up. Otherwise increase the flame and allow the water to dry up. Add chilli powder and stir to mix well. Next add eggs. Mix well on medium flame till eggs are cooked. Serve Hot.

The same can be made without eggs also.

Hint: When adding eggs to any dish first break into a seperate cup and then add. Then you can avoid adding a bad egg and spoiling the entire dish.

 I am sending this for Anyone can cook - 26 series and Iftar Moments Hijri 1432 by Ayeesha at Taste of Pearl City. I am also sending this to Let’s Cook Series #6 ~ Subzis for Rotis by tickling palates.

Black-eyed Peas Curry

Black-eyed Peas Curry

Black-eyed Peas - 1.5 cups.
Onions - chopped  - 1 big
Tomatoes - Chopped - 2 nos
Tamarind paste 1 tsp or extract from lime sized amount.
Green Chillies - 2 slit vertically
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Corriander masala powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
Hing Powder (Perungayam Asafoetida) - 1/4 tsp or two shakes from the dabba
Salt to taste
Corrander leaves chopped - for garnish
Coconut Milk from two tablespoons of powder  (Optional)
Mustard - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (Methi, Vendhayam)- 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

Cook Peas with salt and turmeric powder till soft in pressure cooker or outside. If you plan ahead, you can soak them overnight. I soak them 1 kilo at a time and portion them in baggies in the freezer, so for me one whistle from the pressure cooker is enough.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard, Fenugreek seeds, hing, curry leaves in that order. Add chopped onions and stir till light brown. add tomatoes, salt, and spice powders. sautee till tomatoes are well cooked.Add cooked peas and tamarind paste. simmer for ten mins. Add coconut milk if using.simmer for another five mins. Garnish with corriander leaves. Serve with rice or roties. The black-eyed peas are rich in protien and fibre and if you limit the oil and coconut milk, this makes a lowfat, healthy side dish for rice & chappaties.

 I am sending this for Anyone can cook - 26 series and Iftar Moments Hijri 1432 by Ayeesha at Taste of Pearl City and to Cook it Healthy - Proteinicious by Good Food.

Potato Curry

Looks like I will be having internet connection for another few days. I thought of not posting but manasu kekkalai. On the home front things are quite chaotic but slowly coming to order. Hopefully I will be able to organise everything withing five or six days.
Today I made a simple potato curry to go with Chappaties. I thought why not post it, something dosen't have to be complicated to be tasty. So here goes:

Potato Curry

Potatoes - 3 fist sized (My fist)
Onion - big  - 1 nos Chopped fine
Tomato - 2 nos Chopped
Green Chillies - 2 slit vertically
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Corriander masala powder - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Corrander leaves chopped - for garnish
Mustard - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

Cook Potatoes with skin till done in pressure cooker or otherwise. Peel and cut into medium size pieces.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, wait till it pops, add curry leaves, chopped onions, green chillies, salt and sautee till onions start turning golden in colour. add chilli powder, corriander masala powder and stir alittle. add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are mushy. Add water if necessary. Add potato pieces, enough water to make gravy as desired (thick or thin as per your preference). Simmer for around ten mins. Add corriander leaves. Serve.

I am sending this for Anyone can cook - 26 series and Iftar Moments Hijri 1432 by Ayesha at Taste of Pearl City.