Mor Kuzhambu

My favorite festival will always be Thai Pongal. While a lot of people enjoy Diwali for the lights and the joy, I will always cherish the humble Thai Pongal just for the lunch spread enjoyed by the entire family. It is the same menu at my grandmom's in Chennai every year. Two types of pongal, Yam kara kozhambu, potato roast, Mor kozhambu (with vadai), rasam, two types of vadai and ofcourse payasam. So afternoons on 14 January every year was spent in "post prandial coma". And then round 2 begins with the leftovers. I love the mor kuzhambu along with the soaked vadai.

Mor Kuzhambu is a pan-India dish. With slight variations, there is a version in each state. It is the kadhi of South India.

There are many versions some where the spices are roasted first, some where there is more of chana dal. My version is adapted  from Mallika Badrinath cookbook.

You can use a range of vegetables. Please refer notes. I have made it vegetable-free.

Ingredients:

Sour curd - 3 cups

Turmeric powder - 1/2 t

Salt to taste

Grind to a paste

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Green Chillies - 7

Dry Red Chillies - 7

Coriander seeds (dhania) - 1.5 t

Jeera - 1 T

Tuar Dal - 1T (soak in water for 1 hour)

Roasted gram dall - 1T (pottukadalai)

Seasoning

Mustard seeds - 1t

Fenugreek (methi / vendayam) - 1/4t

Curry leaves

Method:

1. Grind the items given under "to grind" to a sooth paste.

2. Beat the curd with turmeric and salt and blend in the paste. Add some water to make it thin.

3. Bring to a boil.

4. Heat oil in a seasoning pan and add items to season. 

5. When the seasoning splutters, add to the mor kuzhambu and switch off.

Notes:

• If you are adding vegetables, then precook them and add in step 3. Vegetables that go well are ladys finger/vendakkai, seppankizhangu/ yam / arbi etc. Avoid vegetables like brinjal. The root vegetables need to be boiled and added. Lady's finger should be deep fried and added in the end.
• You can add medu vadai or small medu bondas. Check out the recipe here. Fry them ahead and soak them well before serving the mor kuzhambu.
• You can also roast the items given under "to grind" except the coconut. This will give a different flavor to the mor kuzhambu.

BisiBele Bath (Sambar Rice)

When Little A started school, I was hoping that her exposure to lunch boxes from other homes will open up opportunities for expanding her food chain. When her teacher proudly told me that they dont allow kids to share snacks / lunches I was disappointed. (apparently it was for hygiene and allergy reasons). I wish she had  seen "lunch-times" at my school. 

 I guess most of us would remember those times when we would wait to see what others have brought for lunch. We did not have air-conditioned lunch halls. Instead we had an open field where groups of us would have invisible territories where we gather around to open those stainless steel / Milton hot boxes. Lunch would always be a shared affair wherein you get to taste stuff that arent usually made at home or made differently in other homes. Bittergourd chips from L's home, Potato roast from B's lunch box, Peanut kuzhambu from P's mom, Chocolate cake from D and a range for other cuisines opened the doors for future foodies.  

I believe the experience made us appreciate cuisines, respect food cultures and also be tolerant to food preferences. Sadly Little A would get to experience this only on playdates and parties. 

I still recreate some of my friend's lunch box dishes at home for that touch of nostalgia. I was hunting for the recipe for Bisi Bele Bath which my friend G's mom had made for a pot-luck lunch almost 12 years ago. I landed on the recipe from Food Connoisseur authored by R another friend of mine - who had fallen for the same delectable dish. I have adapted the recipe with minor changes to suit our taste.

Bisi Bele Bath is a medley of rice, dal and vegetables along with spices. The dish has its origins in Karnataka and like any other popular dish has its own local twists.

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup  ( I use Thai Jasmine rice for flavor. But ponni rice is also fine).
Tuar Dal – 3/4 cup

Peanuts - 1TSambar Onion or Shallots - 15 - 20, Peel and slice (refer notes)
Tomato - 1
Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup (I have used 1 carrot, 1 potato, 3-4 green beans, 1/4 cup green peas) Refer notes
Sambar Powder - 2T
Tamarind - lemon sized - soak and extract pulp
Salt to taste
Turmeric – 1 pinch

Ghee – 2T
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig

For the masala

Corriander seed -6T
Dried Red chilly - 15-20
Channa Dal - 2T
Asafoetida - 1 pinch (around 1/4t)
Fenugreek - 1t
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cloves - 2
Black Peppercorns - 1t
Garlic - 2

Marathi Moggu - 1
Grated coconut - 3T (refer notes)

Ghee - 1t

Method

1. Wash and soak the rice and dal together along with the peanuts.

2. Pressure cook the rice, dal and peanuts in 6 cups of water along with a pinch of turmeric.

3. When the rice-dal is cooking, prepare the masala. 

4. Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a kadai and add all the masala ingredients one by one except coconut. When the spices have browned add the grated coconut and fry till it is brown. Cool and grind to a coarse powder. 

5. Heat ghee in a large pressure pan / kadai. Add the curry leaves and onions and fry well.

6. Add the mixed vegetables and fry well.

7. Add the tomatoes and turmeric and mix well.

8. Add sambar powder and tamarind pulp along with a cup of water and bring to a boil.

9. Take two tablespoons of the ground masala and mix with water to make a paste.

10. Add the paste to the vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer and allow the vegetable to be cooked till soft(you can pressure cook for 1 whistle at this stage). 

11. Mash the rice-dal and add it to the boiling vegetables. Add salt and mix well. 

12. Taste and adjust spice and salt. If less spicy add some more masala paste and mix well. Add a cup of water if it is too thick bring to a boil and mix well.

13. Switch off the stove and add a dollop of ghee on top. (highly recommended)

14. Serve hot with appalam and pickle.

Notes:

• The masala powder can be made in bulk and stored in the fridge. But the flavor will not be the same when it is 2-3 weeks old. I normally make it fresh when I have guests and use the leftover powder for a quick weekday lunch.

• You can use a wide range of vegetables like Raw banana, drumstick (recommended), radish, avarakkai etc. Don't overload the vegetables. It should be more of rice-dal with a sprinkling of vegetables in every bite. 

• Small Onions / Pearl Onions / Shallots gives the dish a wonderful flavor. If you do not get them, then substitute with 1 big onion. Some people add them whole but I dont like finding them in my food. So I have sliced them.

• Traditionally Kopparai (Dry coconut) is used for Bisi Bele Bath. If you have them, then do use it instead of grated coconut as it takes the dish to another level. 

• BisiBele Bath should be gooey. It should not be dry. If you find it dry, then adjust water at step 12. 

• You can also garnish with cashew nuts roasted in ghee.

• Do not skimp on the ghee as BisiBele bath is not for the calorie conscious. Even without the ghee its not going to be low calorie. So go ahead and indulge :-)

• It usually is a dark brown color but the shades may differ depending on the quality of tamarind used.
• Always serve it hot with a dollop of ghee.

Healthy Brown Capsicum Rice

On hot summer days (which is infact everyday in Penang!) I normally prefer making one-pot lunches. Meals that are simple to make, wholesome in combining grains / lentils /veggies and involves just one pot to wash up. One such easy meal is the Simple Capsicum rice. You can make the spice powder in advance and store it (I normally make these spice powders in bulk and store them in my refrigerator) and voila - the entire meal would take just under 30 minutes to prepare.

This recipe is adapted from Sailus Food - a delectable blog with a variety of recipes.  I have made this with brown rice to give a nutritious twist. Brown Rice is one of my new finds and it took a while for me to get the grips on the water ratio and cooking times. It is a bit on the chewy side and I doubt if small kids would like the texture but it suits well for the Indian mixed rice dishes. If you are health conscious - then do give it a try. It is filling and is much more nutritious than polished rice as the outer husk is still on and therefore adds a lot of fibre to your meals. For more details on the nutrition value of brown rice check out these pages. If you do not have brown rice - simply substitute with regular white rice or basmati.

Capsicum Rice

Ingredients:

Brown Rice - 1 cup (washed and cooked with 3 cups of water on stove top / pressure cooked as per instructions on packet)

Capsicum - 1 - sliced or chopped

Onion - 1 sliced 

Roasted Peanuts - 1 T

Salt to taste

Spice Powder:

Red Chilly - 5-6

Dhania (Coriander seeds) - 1T

Cumin Seeds - 1t

Broken Urad dal - 1T

Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

Curry leaves - 1 handful

Roasted Peanuts - 2T

Ghee - 1/2t

To Season

Mustard Seeds - 1t

Curry Leaves - a handful

Ghee / Oil - 1 t

Method:

1. Spice Powder - Heat ghee in a pan and roast cumin seeds, urad dal, red chillies, dhania, cinnamon and curry leaves together. Once they turn golden, add the roasted peanuts and mix well. Grind to a coarse powder.

2. Heat ghee / oil in a big pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.

3. Add the sliced onions and fry till they turn pink

4. Add the capsicum and fry until they are  cooked but are still crunchy. 

5. Add salt and mix well. If you taste it at this stage, the capsicum should be a bit salty.

6. Add the rice, spice powder and mix well. Taste and adjust salt. 

7. Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve with raitha.

Notes:

•  If you are not sure about the salt quantity, then add the salt while cooking the rice and omit while frying the vegetables.
• Store excess spice powder in a tightly lidded jar in the fridge. Use within a month.
• If you are making this for kids - then use basmati rice and increase the quantity of ghee for added flavor

Mac & Squash - A Creamy Pasta with Roasted Squash

A lot of kids here live on the traditional American Mac and Cheese. Its nothing but macroni (pasta) in a cheese sauce. Its rich and heavy and more of a junk food than an Italian entree. I have always wanted to make a healthier version of the Mac and Cheese and what better choice than the nutrient rich yellow squash. The kids cannot figure out the vegetable and would love the rich and creamy taste. Just think of it as Mac and Cheese with more character :-).

 I had some squash leftover after making "poosanikkai sambar" for the Pongal festival last week. If you are in India, then squash is nothing but yellow pumpkin ("manjal poosanikkai). This is a simple recipe made with just roasted squash. You can use any type of pasta but it goes well with macroni or penne as these shapes can hold the sauce well.

MACRONI IN A ROASTED SQUASH SAUCE

Ingredients:

1/4 kg of Squash
1 cup of uncooked pasta (macroni or penne)
3 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup Milk (I have used full cream)
1 teaspoon Red Chilly powder or paprika
1/2 teaspoon Parsley flakes for garnishing (optional)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut the squash into thick slices without the skin.
2. Heat butter in a pan and  gently roast the slices until they brown a little and turn soft.
3. Remove from heat, cool and blend into a smooth paste.
4. While the squash is cooling, cook pasta as per package instructions. (heat a pot of water until boiling. Add a teaspoon of salt and pasta along with a teaspoon of olive oil and cook till its soft but not squishy or sticky. It should be of the texture popularly known as "al dente" or to be firm but not hard).
5. In the same pan used for roasting, heat the remaining butter. Add the minced garlic and mix well.
6. Add the squash paste with a little water (you can use the water used for cooking pasta) and heat gently.
7. Add the chilly / paprika powder and salt and mix well
8. Add the milk and continue heating gently.
9. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Heat until the pasta is well coated with salt. If you find the dish getting dry/thick, add some more water or milk.
10. Taste and adjust salt.
11. Garnish with parsley or chilli flakes.
12. Serve hot with garlic bread.

Notes:

1. Grated Cheese can be used for garnishing.
2. Adjust the milk to build the right consistency for the pasta.
3. You can substitute cream instead of the milk but that would make the dish very rich.
4.  You can carrots while roasting for a different twist.
5. For an Indianized verison, add a pinch of garam masala along with the red chilly powder.

Spicy Japanese Soba Noodles with Vegetables

One of my favorite hobbies is to look around supermarket aisles curious about the variety of food products that are out there. I make it a point to get something that is new to me - it may be a type of pasta or a bottle of exotic sauce or herbs. I normally buy new ones in smaller quantities as I run the risk of it being shunned by the husband and daughter resulting in me eating the entire thing. (which may or may not be a good deal depending on how the dish turns out!).

There are a lot of things (the good ones) that I have discovered recently which are now regulars in my pantry. For example Tomatoes - pureed and chopped in a can .I used to balk at that idea before. Why go for canned when you have fresh tomatoes ? But some recipes do require it and no amount of boiling and grinding may sometimes replace opening a can of tomato puree. Vietnamese Rice Paper - I know the name sounds a bit off. But trust me this is one keeper. (recipe coming soon!), Peanut butter, Nutella, dried parsley, pasta sauces. the list keeps getting longer with every supermarket visit. 

One such discovery is the Japanese Soba noodles. I have heard my SIL who lives there talk about it. So was eager to try it and when I found a small packet, I immediately got it home. I have no clue on what the brand name is as it is in Japanese.

Soba Noodles is one of the most popular noodles and staple foods in Japan. Its made of buckwheat (soba means buckwheat in Japanese) - a healthy grain. Soba noodles are served cold with just soy sauce or as a salad or hot in a bowl of soup.

We do not enjoy cold noodles at home so that was ruled out. I made it for lunch one day and used my usual vegetable noodles recipe for it.

The noodles by itself has a pleasant and wholesome taste and flavor. It would work out well for a cold salad as well. May be the next time I will make it into a salad.

This is a simple recipe and if you do not get Japanese soba noodles, substitute for normal noodles (not the instant variety) or egg noodles.

SPICY JAPANESE SOBA NOODLES WITH VEGETABLES

Ingredients:

1 packet Japanese Soba Noodles
1 Carrot,
1/2 Cabbage.
1 Capsicum
1/2 cup Bean Sprouts (optional)
2 - 3 Spring onions
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp finely shredded ginger
3 red chillies or 3 sliced green chillies
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Green chilli sauce (optional)
1 T sesame oil (or gingelly oil)
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil a big pot of water. Add salt and the raw noodles and cook until the noodles are soft. Drain, wash in cold water and spread on a large plate. You can mix some oil if you think the noodles might stick together.
2.Heat oil in a wok or a pan until high heat.
3. Add the chillis, ginger and garlic until the flavors are added to the oil.
4. Add the cabbage, carrots and capsicum along with the spring onion whites. Fry until the raw smell goes but the vegetables should remain crunchy. (The high heat helps with this). Add the bean sprouts and mix well.
5. Add the soy sauce and green chilli sauce (if using) and mix well. Add the salt. (Remember that the soy sauce is also salty. So add just a bit for the vegetables.)
6. Toss in the noodles and mix well. Garnish with spring onion greens.
7. Serve hot or cold.

Notes:

• If making with normal noodles, you can also add some vinegar and pepper while cooking the vegetables.
• For the non-vegetarians, you can add shredded omlette or pre-cooked chicken finely shredded.
• I had some leftover and I chilled it in the refrigerator for a cold salad next day.
• Any excess cooked noodles can be used in any clear soups.

Mysore Rasam

Move away Nigellas and Jamie Oliver!

One of the first cookbooks that I had bought was Meenakshi Ammal's Samaithu Paar (Meenakshi Ammal's Cook and See). It is was first published in the year 1951 (wow!) and has been in circulation for more than 60 years. I have the Tamil edition though it is available in many languages.

                                 

The book had no glossy pictures. Infact its black and white and looks like a photocopy. I bought it for the primary reason that it covered the basics of cooking such as making rice, rough diagrams of cooking utensils etc. Yes. I was such a novice at cooking when I got married that I could not differentiate between dals and had to use the instruction manual that came with my pressure cooker. My disastrous experiences - with filter coffee powder mistaken as instant cofee, misjudged quantity of upma and pooris that were mistaken for papadams and chana dal misidentified as tuar dal and used for sambar - are stuff that will be retold in my house for ages to come. They will never let me live it down.

The book is written in a way that emulates how your grandmother / mother might instruct you. The dishes are vegetarian and what one would find in a typical South Indian household (with a touch of Iyer/Iyengar cuisine). 

Each recipe comes with easy instructions and multiple variations as well. Most of my daily cooking was and continues to be adapted from this book. A versatile book, one that I would recommend to be a part of every cook's library and a gift for every novice cook. It may not be a pretty coffee table book, but is an ideal   "ready reckon er. "

One of my favorite recipes from this book is Mysore Rasam. A delectable twist to the mundane rasam, it uses coconut along with the other usual inhabitants in rasam powder. 

Like all spice mixes, this rasam tastes awesome when the powder is ground fresh. But for the sake of conveniences, I have adapted the powder to stay in my fridge for a month. There is no mention of storage instructions in the book and I realized that its because the author would not have seen a refrigerator!!.

MYSORE RASAM

Recipe Source: Meenakshi Ammal Samaithu Paar cookbook

Ingredients:

Tuar Dal - 1/4 cup, cooked and mashed

Tamarind - 1 gooseberry sized piece

Tomato - 1
Garlic - 2 pieces, smashed

Ghee - 1 t

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 t

Cumin - 1/4 t

Asafoetida - a pinch

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Coriander Leaves - 1 sprig with the stem

Mysore Rasam Powder: 

Red Chilly - 6 or 7
Gram Dal - 1 1/2 t
Dhania (Coriander seeds) - 1 T
Black Pepper - 5 or 6
Grated Coconut - 1 T
Ghee - 1t

Method:

For the Rasam Powder

1. Roast all the ingredients except coconut under "Spice Mix" with a teaspoon of ghee. Just before switching off the stove, add the coconut and roast till brown.

2. Cool and Grind to a slightly coarse powder. This can be made in bulk and stored in the fridge.

For the Rasam



1. Add water to the tamarind and extract the paste. I zap it in the microwave along with the water for a minute and then extract the paste. Its easier that way.
2. Take the tamarind extract in a saucepan and add 1/2 cup of water to it.
3. Add the cut tomatoes and smashed garlic and add the chilly powder and salt. You can also add a bit of your regular rasam powder but that's optional.
4. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring to a boil. Add the tuar dal and mix well.
5. Add a teaspoon of water to 1 to 2 tablespoon of the ground spice powder and add to the rasam. Bring to a boil.
6. In a small pan heat some ghee and add the mustard, cumin, asafoetida. Once it crackles, add it to the boiling rasam.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and remove from fire.

Notes:

1. Unlike the regular rasam, the mysore rasam contains coconut and hence cannot be left outside overnight.
2. Making the tadka (final seasoning) with ghee enhances the flavor of the rasam.
3. Just before placing the saucepan on the stove, taste the rasam and adjust spice or salt.

Note: This is not a paid review. 

Vegetable Fried Rice

Chinese Cuisine has been a favorite at our home from my childhood and luckily PK shares the same passion for oriental food.  From my toddler days "fried rice and chicken manchurian" has been a regular food especially at restaurants such as China House and Chung King (I believe the latter exists even today ).

This recipe for Veg Fried Rice is purely from memory picked up from the days when my amma used to make this as a special treat on days such as the first day of my summer holidays or on birthdays. I still remember the elaborate preparations taken by finely chopping vegetables and boiling the rice to the right level in a huge vessel. It is much simpler today and can be made in a jiffy with my Braun chopper and the rice cooker.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups of Basmati Rice
1 cup  finely chopped carrot
1 cup  shredded cabbage
1 cup diced capsicum
2 tbsp sweet corn kernels - boiled (optional)
6-7 spring onions chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
3-4 red chillies
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp sesame oil / vegetable oil
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp green chilly sauce
1 tsp vinegar
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method:
1. Wash and parboil the rice until it is just short of well done. I use the rice cooker with the ratio of 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. Add some salt and a dash of lime juice and few drops of oil. The rice has to be cooked but should remain as separate grains. If you are not sure of the rice cooker technique, just boil the rice in lots of water with salt and lemon juice. Test the rice after 5 minutes. It should be cooked "al dente" i,e in a biteable consistency. Once done, spread on a plate and allow it to cool.

2.In a deep pan, heat up two tbsp oil (I use sesame oil as it gives a lovely oriental fragrance to the food. You can use any other cooking oil). 3. Add the shredded red chillies, garlic and ginger and fry for a minute. 4. Now add the white parts of the spring onion and fry a little. 5. Add the chopped veggies one after another and cook until it is half done. 6. Add the salt (remember that the rice has also been cooked with salt. so adjust accordingly), pepper, vinegar, soya sauce and chilly sauce and saute well for a minute. 7. Slowly add the rice coating it well until all the rice and vegetables are combined. 8. Garnish with the remaining spring onion.

Serve hot with Chilly Baby Corn.