Neer Mor-Mildy spiced butter milk[Easy summer recipes]

Chennai summer is worse!I do not have the heart to get out of my home apart from the time I leave for work!And a week back I got dehydrated!I was someone who always told others than one should take enough liquids during the summer but I fell sick!completely got dehydrated and it took me a while to come back to normalcy…The husband got bottles and bottles of juice rich in electrolytes and I kept myself hydrated…It has been sometime since I drank tender coconut water…Oh yes that tells me that it has been sometime that the son and I went for a weekend morning walk to marina beach!So the point I wanted to tell is drink as much of water you could or drink buttermilk that helps your body to be hydrated!Even in office I have replaced my coffee with butter milk!

I associate neer mor with ramanavami…We make neer mor and panagam as  neivedhyam to Lord Rama…Here is an easy recipe :)Make it and relish the taste…

 

 

You will need?

Thick curd/ butter milk-1 cup

green chilies-1 inch piece

ginger-1 inch piece(wash and peel the skin,roughly chop it)

asafetida-1 tsp

salt-as required

coriander leaves-2 tsp(leaves alone finely chopped and washed)

How to make?

In a mixie add chopped ginger,chili,asafetida and salt and grind it well.

Then add the curd and grind it for a minute…If you feel concentrate add 1/2 cup water and mix it well.finally top it with coriander leaves.

Chill it in refrigerator and serve it cool.

 

 

Notes:

Instead of grinding ginger and green chilies you can add it as chopped ones!

Mango pickle[Easy pickle recipe,summer recipe]

It has been sometime I blogged!I wish I blog often :)Summer has already on its peak and chennai is always unique for its scorching heat!I never wish to get out of the home during weekends and like to stay in my cozy cocoon!Also I am just trying to avoid my time in kitchen(who will wish to slog in the suffocating heat!) and try to wrap it with easy peasy recipes!Also there are some seasonal things you get it during summer and I wanted to make best use of it!

 

Made some vadams(the post is due!),got maavadu for 4 times and converted into excellent maa vadus with spices :)Started making potato fryums(it is drying in the open space and ones it comes out well,a blog would be posted ;)yesterday got a big tangy raw mango!I was skeptical whether to make manga paruppu(mango cooked with dals and spiced up with flavourful spices) but the husband likes pickles and I decided to make this easy pickle!Can be preserved for a week,if refrigerated!

 

 

You will need:-

Raw mango-1  big sized

Red chili powder-2 tsp(or as per your need)

Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

asafetida –1 tsp

oil-2 tsp

salt-1tsp or as per the need

 

How do I make?

Wash the mango well and pat it dry

cut it into fine pieces..If you cut it into small pieces it looks good and appalling

In a vessel put the finely chopped mango pieces,asafetida and salt

In a wok add oil and wait till it get heated…Add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle and immediately pour it over the mango pieces…Mix the contents well…Voila!awesome mango pickle is all ready to be served!Goes well with curd rice!

Back from hibernation :)Beat the heat with tomato juice

Whew!For a while I have been away from actions!ask me the reason?Not anything in particular!When juggling between work and life takes most of my time,I would like to spend the remaining time with my 2.6 yrs old boy!He keeps me run all during the weekends and I put him to sleep to write this blog!

What would you love to do when the tomato prices are unbelievably cheap?I tend to go crazy and buy kilos and kilos…The same thing happened this time as well…Made tomato thokku for some 10 times(all vanish within minutes I made the same),next came the yummy jam,dosa ,juice…I have tried only such for now but yes would explore quite other tomato dishes soon…I have plans to make tomato puree and store it(will post it once I do it)…

Tomato juice always made me go “No please”,but my husband likes it and so I told myself “Why not give a try” and then this post arrived.

What you need for this juice?

Ripe pulpy tomatoes-4?(medium sized)

Sugar-as per your sweetness level

salt-a pinch

pepper powder-a pinch

How do I make?

It is as simple as I type…Wash the tomatoes well,roughly chop it…Put it in a blender..Add sugar and blend well…You can even add some  ice if you need(I skipped it though)…Put the ground mixture in a sieve and strain it well so that seeds are filtered…Finally add a pinch of salt and pepper powder and serve :)

It is such an easy recipe that you could make in a jiffy :)Try and let me know how it turned.

 

Mylai food fest 2014

Thanks to FB and Sridhar for letting all of us about this Mylai fest...This fest is about Mylapore and its history...You also have kolam and other competitions conducted as a part of this event..People display their beautiful arts and it is definitely an eye candy.

This event is organized by Sundaram finance and for the first time I was there!yippee...

The food fest street was too crowded...Perhaps today is the last day of the event and perhaps it is a holiday as well...We did not have  space to walk and people pushed us :)But still we kept going just for the sake that we need to enjoy the fest :)

First we started with paal kozhakattai :)steamed rice flour dumpling in rich milk :)It was real yum :)

The next on the plate was keerai vadai :)first time I ate it as I always  loathe greens :)It was yummy too...especially the tangy tomato chutney!awe yummy :)

The next choice was mangalore bonda...It was too soft and accompanied with coconut chutney...It is one of the best dishes of the fest...

We then had dhahi vadai(yet another good dish),cauliflower bajji,carrot halwa,sweet and savoury paniyaram,spring roll and sago bonda(another yummy dish)...

Finally ended it with fresh cut fruits and paneer soda from Viji cool drinks..The goli paneer soda was too good!

If you are wondering what the cost of each dish would be?Then I tell you,it is Rs20 to Rs30 maximum... okeyish quantity…

The dishes were good and clean.And it was a different experience indeed!

Felt I was in VV puram bangalore(where you have a street devoted to food)...

I wish event like this should be organized often so that we would get a chance to try different dishes and relish the same...Kudos to Mylai fest and looking forward for next year :)

Sakkarapongal/Paal Pongal[Festival sweet recipes]-The pressure cooker way!

Been sometime since I blogged.Completely held up with my professional and personal life :)I make ready made mixes,pastes during weekend so I that could make my food in a  jiffy during the hustling bustling weekdays :)Planning menu the before day and cutting veggies beforehand helps me a lot!So I was not able to capture any dishes that I made and since I do not want my blog to go to hibernation,I was checking my drafts and yes got the sakkarapongal :)
Be in Friday or any other auspicious day,I opt to make this sweet pongal as it is hassle free :)The one recipe that I am so confident and it is definitely a never fail recipe for me after trying it for some many times.


Ingredients:

rice	1 cup
Boiled milk	2 cups
Raw milk(not boiled)	2 cups
water	1 to 1.5 cups
Jaggery	1 cup(nicely grated)
raisins and cashews	1 tsp"(roasted in the ghee)

Method:
1.Put the rice in a the cooker and wash it well…Drain the water…Add  2 cups of   of the raw(not boiled) milk plus 1 cup of water and pressure cook it for 5 whistles..Wait till the pressure releases.
2.Once the pressure is released,open the cooker and smash the contents well with a ladle.Smashing the content is important as we want the sweet pongal to be gooey :)
3.Switch on the stove place the cooker and add 2 cups of boiled milk and mix the contents well..
4.When the mixture starts to boil add the grated jaggery and simmer the stove till the jaggery melts..
5.Once the jaggery completely melts,turn the flame to high and mix the contents well…
6.Add the roasted cashews and raisins and mix it well…When it attains the semi solid consistency,switch off the stove as it would turn solid once it gets cooled.
7.Serve it with a dollop of ghee and enjoy the sweet ambrosia.

Notes:
I have heard from people making it with moong dal and using water instead of milk…Have not tried it though!
You can add or subtract the jaggery quantity as per your sweetness.
You can also add cardamom powder to pongal

Kadalaiparuppu sundal/Channa dal sundal-Sundal recipes

Kadalaiparuppu sundal is  a must menu during varalakshmi pooja at my MIL’s home…She does not change the sundal menu and by default it should be kadala paruppu sundal…My mom makes sundals extremely so well and as usual I called her and asked her for tips and she gave me the most useful tip about kadala paruppu sundal and here it is…Kadala paruppu gets cooked so fast and so you do not have to soak it and you can wash once and directly put it in cooker for 1 whistle or you can soak the split channa dal and drain water again put it in a wok along with water and let it cook for few minutes.,.Make sure you switch the stove off in advance so that it does not go mushy…I follow the firt tip of not soaking it and cooking directly in the cooker.You can follow any of the way.

Ingredients:

Kadala paruppu	1 cup
scraped coconut	1/4 cup
oil	1 tsp
mustard seeds	1/2 tsp
curry leaves	a spring
asafetida	2 generous pinches
dry red chili	2 roughly broken

Method:

1.Wash the kadala paruppu well and put it in a cooker and add enough water till the paruppu gets immersed.Cook it for 1 whistle.
2.After that cool and drain the water and keep the cooked kadala paruppu ready.

3.In a wok add oil and once it gets hot add mustard seeds and wait for it to crackle.Then add dry red chili,curry leaves,asafetida,cooked kadala paruppu and salt and mix it well.,..

4.Wait till you find no traces of water in the kadalaparuppu and stir it for a couple of minutes in medium flame…Finally add the scraped coconut..Give it a quick stir and switch the stove off…Yummy sundal is ready.


Notes:

Instead of cooking in cooker you can directly cook in wok.The choice is yours.
You can even add grated carrort and mango at the end.

Mosambi/Sathukudi juice-[Easy juice recipe]

My mom is a great fan of sathukudi juice :)She always insist me to have it for breakfast or during the mid day :)I was never a great fan till few days back but all of a sudden I started to drink this juice like something…It is so very good for health and it provides energy to you…

 

Ingredients:

Mosambi	3 medium sized
salt	a pinch
sugar	1 tsp or as per your need
pepper powder	a pinch
water	1/4 cup

 

 

 

Method:

1.Cut mosambi into 2 halves.If you are not using the juicer to extract the juice then remove the seeds and peel the outer green skin…ensure that the white skin is also removed..

2.In a blender put the flesh of the fruit sans seeds,sugar,very small quantity of water,a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper powder and nicely blend it..

3.Using a strainer,strain the juice and enjoy the taste.If you feel it is too concentrated then add water and mix well and serve.

 

 

 

Notes:

You can use chilled water while blending and enjoy the cool mosambi juice.

serve immediately after making it else it will taste bitter.

You can top ice cubes too

Adding pepper powder and salt is purely optional

If you have the mosambi juice extractor,you can very well use it extract the juice and then add all the ingredients in the blender to get the frothy appearance.