TAMIL CUISINE!

Vanakkam!!(Hello or Namaste in Tamil) Hope you all had a great Vishu celebration and welcomed the New year with joy!!:)



I am so happy to participate in this 'Regional Cuisines of India' event, Lakshmi K from 'Veggie Cuisine's brain child, which showcases each state of India and her cuisine.We are beginning with Tamil Nadu this month.Rumba nandri Lakshmi K!:))




Here we go....




Situated in the southernmost part of India, Tamil Nadu is referred to as the 'cradle of the Dravidian culture', the ancient Indian culture distinguished for its unique languages, customs and architecture. The culturally rich temples with their towering gopurams (gateways), intricate stone carvings, evocative music, classical dances, Tirukkural(oldest book of wisdom!) and, of course, the cuisine! Tamil Nadu provides us a wide variety of delicacies, both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian,though most food in Tamil Nadu consists of grains, lentils, rice and vegetables.Spices are added to give a distinctive taste to this cuisine.(info:Wikipedia)




I chose most of these recipes from this book which is written by Ranee Kuttaiah,a Coorgi,who is a short story writer,Culinary adviser for a group of 5 star hotels in India, who lived in Tamil Nadu for many years.These recipes are quite authentic,and are delicious as you can see.So, let's cook some of them....


Murukku:
(Spiral flour snacks)

My all time favorite snack,which is also called Chaklis in Karnataka.They are made of rice and dal flour and lightly spiced and fried,makes a great crunch munch with Coffee or Tea!
You need:2 cups of rice flour,1/4 cup Urad dal, 2 tbsp softened butter,salt,2 tsp Cumin seeds,2 tsp Sesame seeds,1 tsp dry red chilli flakes.Chakli or Murukku apparatus like this or a cookie press.
To make them:
1. Roast Urad dal until reddish,cool and powder.Heat oil to deep fry at 375F.
2. Add Urad dal powder to all the other ingredients,mix well.Add enough water to make a stiff dough.It should be thick enough to roll into a tube to insert into chakli mold.Do not make it soft or your chakli will not be crisp.
3. Using a star plate,stuff the dough in the mold and squeeze out round wheel shape on a plastic.When the oil is hot enough,carefully drop chaklis in to the oil and fry until crisp.
4. Drain on paper towels and cool before you store.I used the same dough with just round holes to make the other kind.Enjoy with coffee or tea.


Poosanikai Mor kozhambu:
(White Pumpkin/Lauki/Bottle gourd in Yogurt sauce)
One of my favorite gravies,this sauce made with yogurt,Pumpkin and spices makes a fabulous lunch with rice and papads.This recipe is similar to what we call Majjige saaru in Karnataka.I use fat free sour cream for this which makes it creamy and tangy without adding the additional fat!


You Need:
3 cups of white pumpkin(Ash Gourd),cut into cubes and boiled with turmeric powder and salt till soft, 1 1/2 cups of sour yogurt or fat-free sour cream, well beaten.
To grind: 1/4 cup grated fresh coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2-3 green chillies, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp uncooked rice grains, 2 tsp yellow roasted gram (pottu kadalai).
For tempering:
1 tbsp oil and ghee, 1/4 tsp each mustard and Fenugreek seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, 1-2 broken dry red chillies,few curry leaves and I like to add few garlic ,peeled and chopped as well.
How to make it:
1. Grind coconut, cumin seeds, chillies ,yellow gram and raw rice. Keep aside.
2. Mix the well beaten sour cream in 1 1/2 cups of water and add the ground masala.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and put the mustard,fenugreek seeds along with the rest of the seasoning into the hot oil.When they are reddish,add 1/4 cup water and turn down the heat to low.
4. Add the yogurt mixture with the cooked pumpkin, and let it to simmer for 1/2 an hr or more.
NOTE: NEVER boil as curd and water will separate or will curdle. In case this happens, immediately add 1/2 cup of cold milk. It may just save this dish.(advice from the author!)


Madurai Kozhi Khozhambu:
(Madurai Chicken Curry)
Madurai,a beautiful town which has the most magnificent Hindu Temples you could ever see, also brings the most delicious regional cuisine.This is one of them,enjoy!:)


You Need:
2 lbs chicken breasts, cleaned and cut into small pieces,1/4 tsp turmeric powder,salt to taste.
To grind: 1/4 grated coconut, 1 tsp aniseeds (saunf), 1 tsp peppercorns, 2 dry red chillies,1/2 tsp paprika, 1" piece of ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp roasted gram (pottu kadalai), 1/4 tsp turmeric powder,2 plum tomatoes and 2 tsp coriander seeds.
For seasoning: 2tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp bengal gram dal(chana dal), 1 onion, finely chopped, few curry leaves,1-2 dry red chillies.
How to make it:
1. Rub 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and salt on the chicken pieces and keep aside.
2. Heat the oil/ghee in the pressure pan,put in mustard seeds and chana dal.When reddish,then add the onions,curry leaves, chillies , chicken pieces ,stir-fry and add the ground masala.
5. Fry on a low heat for a while. Then fry on a high heat by adding a little water from time to time to prevent scorching the bottom (I know what you are thinking now!;p) of the PAN!
6. When the masala turns a rich shade of red, turn down the heat,add a cup wateror more to make the gravy,mix and pressure cook for 3 minutes or so.Adjust the salt and add the cilantro.
7. The gravy should be medium thick to serve with rice or Idiyappam.


Idiyappam:
(Steamed Rice noodles)
I had made this easy soft and white rice noodles once,thought I would make it again which goes fabulously with any spicy gravy.I must say I was little confused about whether Idiyappam is a Kerala dish or Tamilian! I googled many times and found that both states make Idiyappam!Please don't blame me if it's not Tamilian!!:D


How to make it:
1. Boil 1 cup water with 1/2 tsp and 1 tsp oil.Turn down the heat to low and add about 3/4-1 cup rice flour or as much as it takes to make a stiff dough.
2. Mix well and cover with a lid,leave it on heat for 3 mins.Turn off the heat,cool.
3. Make a thick roll of rice flour ,stuff into the Chakli press like above for Murukku but with a plate with several small round holes.Squeeze out the noodles on to idli plate ready to be steamed.
4. Heat the pressure cooker with water,place the plate inside the cooker and steam on high heat for 10-12 mins like you do for Idlies without the weight on the lid.
5. Open the cooker,take the plate out.Transfer the cooked noodles on to a serving plate and garnish with cilantro,coconut gratings,salt and pepper if needed.
6. Serve with any veg or non-veg Kozhambu or gravy.Enjoy!:)


Sweet Pongal:
(Sweet delicacy of rice and dal)
Time for dessert!!:) When I think of Tamil Nadu ,I think of "Pongal"!!Here it is, a delicious blend of Moong dal,rice,sweetened with Jaggery,flavored with cardamom,saffron and clove and garnished with Almonds and Raisins!:))


You Need:
1 cup rice,1/2 cup Moong dal,1/2 cup or more Jaggery or sugar,1 tsp Cardamom pd, 2 cloves,powdered, 1tbsp Raisins,1 tbsp Almonds or Cashews,2 cups or more milk with pinch of Saffron.2 tbsp ghee or butter.
How to make it:
1. Heat Ghee or butter in a pressure pan,add raisins and Almonds,fry until they puff up,take them out and keep them aside.
2. Add moong dal and fry until golden.Add milk with Saffron,sugar or Jaggery and bring it to boil,turned down the heat.Add rice and pressure cook on low heat.
3. Open and add all the flavorings and cook the pongal down until thick and shiny on top.Add fries raisins and Almonds.Serve warm or chilled.
Easy Microwave way:
Cook rice first and cool.Microwave all the others including fried Moong dal until dal is soft,add cooked rice,MW again to reduce it to thick mixture.Add fries Raisins and Almonds and mix well!!

Thank you for all these delectable dishes Tamil Nadu and for your beautiful Temples and Tirukkural, a book of Wisdom, the oldest text of India!!:))

Tirukkural: the great poetic work by saint Tiru Valluvar, embodies values that are ever relevant and unchanging. The greatest classic of the Tamil language, it dates back anywhere between 2 BC and 8 AD. It comprises two parts, 'Tiru' and 'Kural': 'Tiru' can mean sacred, as well as beautiful, and 'Kural' means concise.More here.

About wealth, he says:

"He is poor though a millionaire
Who neither gives nor spends." ~ Kural: 1005

Wasn't that delightful to be in Tamil Nadu this month?! Now watch out for JFI Greens next week. Until then my dear folks,be good!!:)


My veggie patch!
Watch this veggie patch we created in my backyard in a sunny spot, 1 1/2 ft feet above the ground and about 8x4 ft. wide, filled with rich soil and organic manure.I did get some early red radishes already but will begin to plant Tomato etc from next week.As they grow ,I will update late in the Summer in one single post!:)

WINTER MUNCHIES !!

Hello everybody, we have a warm winter going on in here in North Carolina Piedmont but cold is moving in!:D Oh well! here are some winter munchies to enjoy the cold weather while it lasts anyway.Some veg Sankranti dishes and some are non-Indian(HUH! broke my promise already!:D) non-vegetarian! Go ahead, pick your choice,smile and enjoy.Life is too short to be sad,worried and deathly skinny folks!!:D

This week's Menu:
Sankranti Goodies:Coconut-Carrot Burfi,Savory Pongal, Kanda Pakode with Raita.
Mediterranean/Middle East Falafel in Pita,(akin to Indian Dal vada)
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade Sauce.
And,Susan's Fettuccine Alfredo and Linda's Sixteen Bean Soup and others at 'Aroma'!

Some dishes I made for Sankranti last Sunday:
Sankrathi is also celebrated as a beginning of Harvest season.My both grandparents' celebrate it grandly as they are land owners.We didn't with as much enthusiasm at my parents' home though.My grandfather always teased my father who was a District Judge as "he gets his harvest every month anyway,so he doesn't have to celebrate Sankranthi!":D Only if he knew how hard my father worked for that "monthly harvest!" Here in US,Diwali and Shiv Ratri are the only two festivals we are really interested!:)

Coconut-Carrot Burfi:


How To:Add 1 cup grated Carrots,2 cups Coconut,2 cups milk,boil until milk reduces to half.Add in 1 cup or more sugar,boil until thick.Drizzle in 2-3 tbsp Ghee as it leaves the sides of the pan and looks lumpy.Add 1 tsp Cardamom pd,mix and put into a greased plate and flatten. Sprinkle and press toasted Almond slivers on top and cut into 10-12 squares.

Savory Pongal/Ven Pongal:


Heat 1/2 tbsp each oil and ghee,add 1 bay leaf,1 red chilli, pounded masala,saute for a min.Add 1/2 cup Masoor(Red Lentils) or Moong dal saute until it's reddish.Add 1 cup long grain rice saute for a min and add about 3cups of water,1 chopped Tomato,turmeric,boil for 5mins and reduce heat to simmer.Cover and cook until done,or you can microwave all.Add salt,cilantro,toasted Cashew nuts and mix well.
Masala:Toast 1" cinnamon(Dalchini),2 dry red chillies,4-6 Peppercorns,4 cloves,2 tsp Cumin seeds,1/2 tsp Mustard seeds lightly and pound coarsely.


Serve: with Yogurt-cucumber-carrot raita and Onion Pakoras.

Note:I used Masoor dal (instead of Moong dal which is traditional dal to use in Pongal),it gives the dish a nice pinkish color.You can also cook rice and dal seperately in the microwave and then season it and mix well.Cooking both together sometimes makes it mushy similar to Rissotto.It's up to you.

Erulli(Onion)Pakodas (Kanda Pakode):

Cut 2 big Vidalia onions into thick slices.Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and let it sit for 20mins.Squeeze the onion slices,discard water and put it in a bowl.Sprinkle 1 cup Besan(Chickpea Flour),1 tbsp rice flour,1 tbsp cornstarch,chilli flakes or 2 green chillies,cilantro,1 tsp cumin seeds,1 tsp pounded coriander seeds,1/2 Ajwain seeds,1/2 tsp baking soda to the onion and mix well squeezing the onions to release the water,adjust the salt.Don't add water unless it's too dry.If it's too wet,add little more besan just enough to cling to the Onion slices.Less water you use,crisper the Pakoras will be!


To Fry:Heat oil to 375F, take a fork and drop onion slices in clumps into the oil and deep fry until crisp and golden.
(Took the photo under the artificial light,excuse me for not so good pic!;D)

Falafel served in Pita bread stuffed with salad and Tahini sauce:
A very popular Middle Eastern snack,Falafel is also a national street dish of Israel as I have heard like our own Vada Pav! A snack full of beans,spiced,ground and fried and served with different fillings depending on the country you are serving these,very tasty on a cold day!:)

Recipe sounds very much like Indian Chanadal Masala Vada with a Fava and Chole beans twist,doesn't it?!:)) Tastes great too,make them when you have time and enjoy!!

You Need:

1 cup dried fava beans or Baby Lima,1/2 cup dried chickpeas(canned or frozen will do fine too and quicker but dried and soaked taste better),soak overnight,peel the skin,1 small onion minced,2 tbsp each cilantro and parsley,1 tsp garlic powder,1 tbsp cracked wheat and Corn meal,1/2 tsp cooking soda,1/4 tsp Baking powder,salt,1 tsp cumin pd,1 tsp or more dry red chilli flakes,1 tbsp or more corn starch,2 tbsp or less water or milk only if needed.




Tahini Sauce:Toast 1/4 cup Sesame seeds,and grind with salt,hot sauce and some olive or Canola oil to a smooth pourable paste like ketchup.

Salad:Shredded Lettuce,sliced Tomatoes,Cucumber,sliced red sweet onions,lemon juice or sour cream or anything you like to fill.




NOTE:
1. If you don't have Fava beans,you can add any beans like Lima,Navy etc.I used dry baby Lima beans,since I don't know how Fava beans look like!:D When googled,they do look similar to baby Lima beans but I am not sure they are the same as Lima beans.
2. Also addition of corn meal and cracked wheat to Falafel are optional.It gives that extra crunch but not absolutely necessary! You can also wrap these in warm tortillas too,sounds really good!I will do that next time I make Falafel for my family!:)

How To:



Drain both the beans and put them in a blender. Add all the ingredients above except milk,blend until you get a coarse paste.Add a little water or milk if needed, mix until you get a thick dough.Take it out into a bowl.Adjust the salt and spices.







Make medium sized balls and press a little to flatten and deep fry in hot 375F oil until reddish and crisp both sides, Drain on paper towels.Cool.Do not fry too much,it gets very crispy if you do.Softer Falafel is better fill in the Pita.




To Serve: Take a warm Pita,layer with lettuce and others,place one or two Falafel in the middle and drizzle with Tahini Sauce or any other chutney you like as well.To warm Pita,cover them with foil and heat in the oven for 15-20mins at 350F.Use thicker and deep pocket Pita to use for Falafel.

That's one tasty meal in itself rather than a snack. Enjoy!!

CRAB CAKES WITH SPICY REMOULADE:
We as a family usually like very few sea food dishes because of the fishy smell but these crab cakes with spicy sauce tastes so good,it's our favorite!You don't get that fishy smell if you use premium crab meat.We always order Crab cakes in the restaurant for appetizers and love it.I wanted to try and make these at home,so here they are. They taste great!!

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes:


How To:



Mix 1/2 lb Jumbo lump Crab meat,1 egg,1 tbsp Dijon mustard or brown grainy mustard,2-3 tbsp Mayonnaise,2 tbsp minced onion,1 tsp garlic pd,few dashes hot sauce,2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce,1 tbsp dry or fresh chopped parsley,2-4 tbsp bread crumbs,3 tbsp minced red bell pepper,salt and pepper gently just until combined.





Sprinkle 2tbsp or more corn starch if is not binding well and you will get a cohesive lump.Divide into four portions and roll gently into balle and press to flatten.Chill covered in the fridge for about 1hr.Take them out and shallow fry in hot 375F oil both sides until golden.Serve with spicy Remoulade sauce.





For my version of spicy Remoulade Sauce: mix 1/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise,1 tbsp sour cream,hot sauce as much as you want,salt and pepper,1/2tsp garlic pd,1/2 tsp mustard pd,minced chives and parsley to taste.Mix well and chill until needed.Do not keep it outside if you add raw egg yolk.



(Optional additions: minced onion,Anchovies,1 egg yolk,minced scallions.I didn't add all these to my sauce but you could if you like!)

Fettucine Alfredo With Chicken and Broccoli:
Sixteen Bean Soup:
Susan in Italy of "Porcini Chronicles" has posted a Alfredo sauce and Linda of "out of the garden" has a 16 Bean soup, both of which I have re-produced adding some additional ingredients.You can also see Southern style Banana Pudding and Elvis's fav. sandwiches,Spicy Chana,16 Bean masala at 'Aroma'!:)

Since the start of new year,many of my blog buddies have launched their own monthly blog events which makes me very happy and eager to contribute. So I decided to open "Aroma!", a separate blog just to post dishes for these events so I can contribute more frequently than my "weekly" post at FH. I will link those dishes here too so you can click on them to go to "Aroma!" and take a look if you like!:))

In addition, you might also enjoy these very Indian winter munchies from my previous posts!






SPINACH PAKORAS













STUFFED MIRCHI BAJJIS(CUBANOS FRITTERS/TEMPURAS)












SAGO VADAS(TAPIOCA FRITTERS) WITH COCONUT-MINT CHUTNEY











See you all next week with JFI-GINGER dish my friends!:)

My Summer Harvest 2009 with Ridge Gourd Masala and Ridge Gourd Chutney

Happy Sankranthi/Shankranthi/Pongal to all of you

Sweet beginning:
I made these with 2 Gits Gulab Jamun mix packs (funny ad) following the instructions. I never tried making Jamuns with scratch (with flour, sugar and milk powder etc) at home so far, may be one day I will try! My kids love these oval shaped Jamuns. I make less syrup with lot less sugar than required as we don't like the syrup too sweet and without any extra garnish. Jamuns soak up all the syrup and plump up. Usually round Jamuns are served in a katori/bowl floating in Syrup, sometimes garnished with Cardamom pd, grated coconut etc but we love it simple. Just pick each one up with a fork, gobble the whole Jamun is the way to go ie if I make them smaller!! :D

Well...
as some of you know, I started posting my Summer veggie patch from my backyard every August/September since 2006 . I take photos of them as I plant, sow the veg. seeds and I take photos of their progress through out the Summer. Usually we pull out all the plants and clean up for the Fall every year around September/October once the temp starts to go south.
Because I didn't blog since last July, here is my belated post of 2009 Summer garden post. I didn't buy any new Indian veg. seeds last year, used whatever I had leftover from the year before. Indian vegetable seeds are available here & here and here (for Curry leaves plants) and here for Asian vegetables to order if you are interested in planting the garden this Summer.

Here is the beginning with prepared veggie patch: (click on the pics to enlarge)
I start planting the little store bought plants at the end of May and sow the seeds only after mid June ie after the ground heats up a little to help the seeds to sprout. Some herb pots survived from last year re grew nicely like Mint, Chives, Balm Lemon and Rosemary. I bought more herbs to plant like Thyme, Thai Basil, Oregano, Garlic Chives etc.

In July and August:
You can see Japanese purple Eggplants, Okra, Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchinis, Broad Beans (sweet peas pods), Plum Tomatoes and of course, my pride and joy, Indian Ridge Gourds grown from seeds. Just 2 healthy ridge gourd plants which occupied half the deck gave me so many Ridge gourds that I went crazy cooking with them every other day which made my kids very mad and they now have a second new "kill that darn vegetable plant" plan right after my beloved Eggplants! Hahaha!!!

Indian Snake gourd (Padavala kayi), Cayenne chillies, Bottle Gourd, Prickly seedless Cucumber (Mullu Soutekayi), Amaranth leaves and more Ridge Gourds!! Unfortunately, I didn't get many Snake gourds until almost August and that too just two puny little things, I will post what I cooked with those later. Don't know why but I am finding it hard to grow Snake Gourds unlike other gourds. Cayenne peppers are beautiful to look at and get aplenty but not much heat or flavor. I prefer to grow Thai chillies or Tabasco chillies like I did last year. Those little ones are fiery and also I don't need too many of those to add to dishes to make it deliciously flavorful. I freeze Thai chillies for Winter to use to make chutneys.

September, time to clean up already!!
At this time of the month, my kids are literally tearing their hair out just looking at my collection of veggies because they know what's coming for dinner for days from now on until they are all gone and I am grinning from from ear to ear! :D
Did you see the identical conjoined twin Cayenne pepper brothers/sisters in the last photo?

Luxuriously grown Curry leaves plant:
Plant grows to up a tree in India and in Florida (because of the hot weather all year round) if planted this in the ground, so such luck for the rest of us in other states. (Here is a good YouTube video to watch)
It was a blazing Summer for us in NC this year. So this former 5" Curry leaf plant I potted last year has grown up to a 5 feet now! As soon as the temp. went up to 70F, we put the pot out on the deck. Now as the Fall temp dropped, it's inside the kitchen, still exposed to Sunlight but with minimum of 68F. I clipped off the top by about 5" to get the plant bushy and I am also using the bottom branches for cooking but very sparingly. We might have to re-pot the plant to a larger container next Spring. You can see the same curry leaves plant as it was last year, here.
Here is some info about how to grow and maintain Curry leaves plant. I read that USDA has banned or restricted all curry leaves plants in US! We used to get these little plants in Indian stores and from the (linked sites above) nurseries where I buy the Indian vegetable seeds.

Ridge Gourd Masala (Heerekayi palya) and spicy Ridge Gourd Chutney with my home grown Ridge Gourds, curry leaves, Tomatoes and cayenne red chilli peppers:

Ridge Gourd masala/Heerekayi palya:
Here is tasty Ridge Gourd dish to go with Dosas, Rice rottis or Chapatis. Palya is a Kannada word used generally for a semi dry masala dish with thick gravy and sometimes for dry dish as in potato masala we make for stuffing the Masala dosa.

You need:
3 or 4 fresh tender Ridge gourds (peel the ridges off with a peeler, wash and chop the veg into 1" cubes), 1/2 tsp Turmeric, enough salt, 1 Tomato chopped (I used 4 cherry tomatoes I grew), 1/4 tsp Tamarind paste, chopped Cilantro for garnish and 1 tsp ghee. Dry roast and powder these masala:
1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds, 1 tbsp dry coconut, 2 tsp Chana dal (Bengal gram), 2-3 dry red chillies, 2 cloves and 1 tsp raw rice (to thicken the sauce).
Tempering:
2 tsp oil, 1 tsp Mustard seeds, few curry leaves, pinches of Hing (asafoetida), 1 onion, chopped,.

To make the dish:

1. Heat oil in a big kadai and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing and add onion, saute until they are soft.
2. Add Turmeric, tomato, little salt, fry for 3 mins. Add all the Ridge gourd pieces, fry for 3 mins.
Add 1/4 cup water, cover the dish, lower the heat and cook for about 5 mins or until vegs are almost cooked.
3. Add tamarind paste and powdered masala, enough salt. Stir and cook for a while. Add more water only if needed since Rodge gourds have lot of water in them if they are fresh.
4. Adjust the spices, add cilantro and ghee, cook until you get thick sauce. Tastes better the next day. Serve hot with any of the bread I mentioned above.

Roasted Ridge Gourd and coconut Chutney:
I love this spicy chutney with rice rottis or you can it with plain rice topped with little ghee as well. It's a simple but tasty chutney I came up with this dish based on regular veg stir fry but made into a chutney. When you have about 7 to 8 Ridge gourds at the same time, you just have to get creative with recipes and cook multiple dishes with the same veggie!! Here is another one.

You need:

1. Peel the Ridges off of the 2-3 gourds, cut into cubes. Slice a few fresh green or ripe red chillies, 1/4 cup cubed fresh coconut.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tsp Coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds, 1 tbsp Chana dal, stir for few seconds. Then add few curry leaves, 3 tbsp Cilantro leaves or 1 tbsp tender Cilantro stems, sliced chillies, coconut pieces, saute for 2 more mins until they get some reddish color.
3. Add Ridge gourd pieces, some salt, saute until gourd is soft and cooked dry. Do not cover to cook it but keep stirring until it's soft and all the water evaporates. Take off the heat.
4. Let it cool a little. Add everything to a blender with 1/4 tsp tamarind paste, some salt if needed. Grind these to a smooth paste. Try not to add water if possible. Take out in a bowl.
Season with 2 tsp oil, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp Urad dal, 1-2 dry red chillies and more curry leaves if you like it, let it splutter. Add to the chutney and mix to serve.

********************************************************************************************************
Chicken curry with Yogurt;
from "Daily Musings" blog. Thanks for the delicious recipe Indo, loved it!
My kids love any dish with chicken. My daughter went back to college last Sunday for second semester of freshman class. As soon as I saw this recipe in Indo's blog last week, I thought I will make it for them before she left (had to make it with just some paprika for heat for kids without any green chillies in this dish although I know it tastes lot better with fresh green chillies added). We relished it of course with some plain rice and few Naans!

Movies:
I rented a animated movie called "Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs" which was really funny and enjoyable. Usually I prefer not to watch kids movies but after watching "Up", I am slowly warming up to the idea! :D
Another movie I watched and forgot to mention last week was "Men who stare at the Goats" which was hilarious. Highly recommend it to watch.

Books:
Btw, I bought a Kindle 2 reader from Amazon, loving it and it's so easy on the eyes to read books now and also kindle edition books are cheaper to buy and instant download too. But some books are collectible like these 2 below, so I still buy a few for my book collection. I downloaded all 4 books of "Twilight" series on Kindle though, even saw first 2 Twilight movies!! Beautiful romantic story, which girl doesn't want to be loved, adored and fought over by a Vampire and a Werewolf?! HeHe!! I can dream, can't I?

I read "Push" by Sapphire few months ago, which is made into a movie "Precious" now (which I love to see). Book is about incest and a young girl's struggle to survive. Book is shockingly disturbing to read but it IS "life" for some girls in this senseless cruel World with no support or choice. Makes you appreciate your own carefree childhood and teenage years!! When we were kids getting spanked on our backsides occasionally by our parents was a "real big tragedy" for some of us. We all should read this book if we really want to know what "real tragedy" is!!

Another book I read from Oprah's book club "Say you're one of them" by Uwem Akpan.
More heart breaking stories about lives of kids in Africa but wonderfully written which includes 5 short stories. I would say read both of them if you can take it but be warned! You don't wanna make yourself sad, get a headache and cry the whole day!

Okay, that's a long post (as usual!) for this week. No idea what I am going post for next week at all. Seems like my brain has frozen too these days along with icy cold weather!! Anyways, Y'all have a great rest of the week and have fun! :))

Mughlai Dum Aloo,Lazeez Kulche,Tofu Masala, Murg Nizam and fiesta Salsa in Vegan Taco!

Spring is almost here at last! YAY!
Although it rained the whole "birthday" weekend and next 2 days too without a break, it was warm enough and now the temp is in the upper 60s, lawn is green, trees are full of white blossoms and ready for green leaves, birds are chirping, Geese are flying back to the Lake and colorful flowers everywhere. It's wonderful and hopefully, old man Winter will be gone forever or at least until next November! :)

About Lucknow:
We are visiting Lucknow for RCI this month. I am not familiar with Lucknowi cuisine much and I am assuming here that most Mughlai dishes are included in popular Lucknowi cuisine.
"Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, located in what was historically known as the Awadh region. Lucknow has always been a multicultural city. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history. Lucknow is popularly known as the The City of Nawabs. It is also known as the "Golden City of the East", "Shiraz-i-Hind" and "The Constantinople of India." Info from WIKIPEDIA.

Mughlai Dum Aloo, Tofu Masala and Lazeez Kulche:
(I had cooked all these and made this post ready to go before kids birthdays came. I knew I would be too tired to cook anything immediately after the b'days! ;D)
These recipes are mostly adapted from Nita Mehta's "Mughlai Khana" cookbook with my changes to the recipes to suit my taste. "Dum" is method where you place all the meat or veggies along with spices in a pot, covered tightly and cooked in their juices on lower heat for a long time on the stove top or in the oven. "Lazeez" literally means "delicious" in Hindi and Urdu, Kulcha is similar to Naan without the tear shape and softer.

To make Dum Aloo:
We usually "Dum" the spices, tomato sauce and Potatoes in this dish but if you don't have the time, you can cook on the stove top, tastes equally good.

Prepare baby Aloos first:
10 round small baby Potatoes,(canned is okay too, easy to saute. If using fresh, cook in the Microwave until they are halfway cooked, dry and saute until you get golden crust)
1-2 tbsp oil to saute or shallow fry, 1/2 tsp salt.
Heat oil in a flat non-stick pan, add potatoes and saute until they are cooked with a reddish crust on top.Add some salt. Keep them aside.
Next, grind the nuts and spices to paste:
3 tbsp of mixed nuts (Pumpkin seeds, Cashews and Walnuts)
1 tbsp Poppy seeds,
1/2 tsp cumin seeds pd.
1/2 tsp Garam masala,
Roast the nuts, poppy seeds and cumin lightly and grind all these mixed Nuts, spices with garam masala and some hot water to a smooth thick paste and keep it aside.

For seasoning:
1 tbsp oil+1 tsp Butter,
2 onions, grated or finely chopped,
1" grated Ginger,
1/2 cup Tomato sauce,
1/2 tsp Paprika or Deghi chilli pd,
enough salt and 1 cup or more of water.

Dum in the oven!

Finally;
1. Heat oil and butter in a deep heavy cast iron pan or Le Crueset or any heavy pan, fry onion until soft and has a bit of reddish color, add ginger, saute for a minute and then add Tomato sauce.
3. Stir fry until you see the sauce thicken and it leaves the sides of the pan. Add paprika, salt and water, simmer for 5 mins.
4. Add Potatoes and nut paste, mix well and cover the pan (Dum) and put it the oven at 300F for about 30-50 mins. Take it out. Adjust the spices and you are ready to go! :)

Tofu masala:
Tofu masala dish is nothing but cubed extra firm Tofu added to the same Aloo Dum gravy above without the Potatoes. You can use Paneer too. My daughter loves Tofu, so I just took out some gravy from Aloo Dum and added Tofu, heated gently for her. You don't need to "Dum" this dish. Great for everybody, specially for women, as Tofu is a excellent source of Protein. My son hates Tofu though! :D

Lazeez Kulche:
Kulchas are similar to Naan without the elongated shape and are much softer. You can stuff them to bake them or just press the onions etc to bake or bake without ant spices at all for plain Kulche.
You can also cook the Kulche on the stove top on a tava/griddle instead of baking, which gives them a softer texture than baked Kulche.

You need: Makes about 6-8
2 1/2 cups Plain flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp Baking powder,
2 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp yogurt,1/2 warm cup milk.
1/2 tsp Yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tsp sugar.
Filling:
1 sweet onion, finely chopped, mixed with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp crushed Ajwain, 1/4 tsp chilli pd, few mint leaves chopped. Keep aside. (saute onion until soft if you don't want the raw onion taste)
Topping:
few tbsp of chopped cilantro.

To bake Kulche:
1. Warm water to 90F and add yeast and sugar, keep aside for 5 mins.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients first and add oil, yogurt and mix. Now add yeast mixture, mix well. 3. Add enough warm milk, mix and knead to a soft but non-sticky dough. Add more water if you need to make the dough pliable if it's too dry.
4. Brush oil on the dough, cover and keep it in the warm place for 30mins. After it swells up, punch down, divide the dough to 7-8 balls.
5. Roll out into 3-4" circle and add 1-2 tbsps of onion filling, cover and roll out or press with your hand again to 5" circle, about 1/4" thick gently. Place them on a cookie sheet, brush some oil on top of each Kulcha, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 5 mins.

Preheat the oven to the maximum or to 550F and pretend it's a "Tandoor!" ;D

6. Bake Kulchas 2 at a time for about 3-6mins or until slightly golden or you see dark spots on top. Take them out, place them on the cooling rack, immediately sprinkle chopped Cilantro on them. Or cook them on the stove top on a tava and press cilantro etc on top.
7. When cooled, keep them in the Tortilla warmer until you need them. You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven quickly just before serving.

Murgh Nizam:
"Royal Chicken" or "Chicken fit for a king" is a delicious dish with spices, Raisins and mixed Nuts paste which gives a great aroma and creamy texture to the sauce. Delicious to eat with Naan or soft Kulchas. Photo isn't that great but it's super delicious, as my kids said! :)

You need:
about 2 lbs of dark and white meat chicken, cut into 2" pieces,
Seasoning:
2 tbsp oil, 2 onions chopped, 3 tbsp Ginger paste, 1 tbsp Garlic paste, 2-3 green chillies sliced, 1/2 tsp Turmeric, 1/4 tsp Chilli pd and salt.
Grind these coarsely:
1/4 cup Almonds, 2 tbsp Sesame seeds, 1/4 cup Coconut, fresh or desiccated, 1/2 tsp Cardamom seeds, 1/2 cup Yogurt or sour cream, pinch of Saffron pd or few strands of Saffron.
Garnish:
1 tsp oil or ghee to roast 2 tbsp Cashews, 1 tbsp Raisins,
1 tsp Garam Masala, chopped Cilantro and mint leaves, 1 tbsp Lemon juice.
To make:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil, add onion and fry until reddish. Add ginger and garlic paste, fry for a minute. Add green chillies, chilli pd, salt and turmeric. Lower the heat.
2. Add coarsely ground Nuts+Yogurt paste, stir fry on low heat until the sauce is thick. Add chicken pieces and stir until chicken is whitish for 3 mins.
3. Add 1 cup or more of water, simmer for 30 mins or until chicken is cooked and sauce is thickish. Adjust the salt, and heat.
4. Garnish with cilantro, Mint, roasted Cashews and raisins, garam masala. Squeeze lemon juice if needed and serve with Kulche.

Fiesta Salsa with Cucumber,Avocado and the kitchen sink!!
Of course most of you know how to make Salsa! This is my version. Salsa is favorite for light Summer lunch, specially when I get loads of homegrown veggies from my veggie patch! In Winter, I rely on store bought fresh and canned veggies! :)

Mix all these and chill in the fridge for one hour and serve on the side with Doritos, Tortilla chips, inside the Tacos, Quesadillas, Enchiladas etc. for healthy and delicious snack.
Peel and chop 1 large cucumber, 1 Avocado, 3 Plum Tomatoes, 1/4 red onion, 1/2 cup Corn (canned is okay), 1/4 cup red bell pepper, 1 Jalapeno seeded and minced, 1/4 cup canned Red beans, 2 tbsp Cilantro, 1 garlic minced, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder (get Mexican cumin seeds if you can which a different smoky flavor than our Indian cumin seeds), salt, few drizzles of honey (optional) and 2 tbsp Lemon juice. Dig in with a spoon and enjoy!

A Vegan Taco!
A Mexican delight; I made my vegan Taco with Organic Wheat Tortilla, canned Organic Re-fried black beans, Fresh fiesta salsa and drizzled with Taco sauce! If I wasn't making this dish Vegan, I would add grated Jack or Cheddar cheese and sour cream in there too! Even my daughter, who usually doesn't like veggies, loved this Taco and ate this with me for lunch. So delicious with sweetish Wheat Tortilla, nutritious beans and mouthful of crunchy, tangy, hot and sweet Salsa for refreshing lunch!

To make Taco:
1. Take a Wheat Tortilla, warm it either in the Microwave for a min or heat it on a pan both sides just until soft, not crisp. Place it on a plate.

2. Heat 3-4 tbsp of refried black beans, layer it on half of the Tortilla bottom thickly, drizzle some Taco sauce or sprinkle some Taco seasoning.
3. Take a big ladleful of fiesta Salsa, layer on top of the Refried beans and fold the half of Tortilla over and serve as lunch immediately. Slurp! :)

Note: if you don't have canned refried beans, just mash soft cooked red, Kidney or black beans with salt, few chilli flakes, cumin pd, lemon juice until coarse paste and fry in a pan with some oil until thickish paste. Enjoy.

Here are the logos, links and hosts of these events. My thanks to all the event hosts fot taking time! :)

Mughlai Dum Aloo, Tofu Masala with Lazeez Kulche, go to Lavi of "Home cooked recipes", who is guest hosting "RCI-Lucknowi Cuisine" this month, an event started by LakshmiK.

Murg Nizam, goes to JZ of "dessert Pro", who is guest hosting "Go Nuts-Almonds" this month, an event started by Aquadaze.

Vegan Mexican Tacos, goes to Vaishali of "It's a Vegan World" to her event "It's a Vegan World-Mexican".

Cucumber-Avocado Fiesta Salsa, goes to Neha of "Tasty recipes" who is guest hosting "AFAM-Cucumber", an event started by Maheswari.

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A quick last minute addition for "Tried and Tasted"!

Ven Pongal and Gosthu, a delicious traditional Tamilnadu combo from Suganya's "Tasty Palettes" blog is my choice to "Tried and Tasted-Tasty Palettes", an event Sweatha of "tastyCurryleaf" is guest hosting this month and this event is started by Zlamushka of "Burnt Mouth" blog. Thanks ladies, enjoy hosting! :)

Ven Pongal with Gosthu:
Very tasty combo to have for lunch and nutritious too, thanks for the delicious recipes Suganya. Only change I made was to add Chana dal to Gosthu instead of Moong dal since Ven Pongal already has Moong dal in it. We make a similar Gosthu/Gojju in Karnataka and is called "Kadale Huli" made with Chana dal, Brinjal, Tomato and Potato to serve as a side dish with Dose.

Movies I watched:

"Rachel getting married"
Good movie to watch with family dynamics and drama, ups and downs and all that. Ann Hathaway was nominated for Oscar for playing the role of Kim, Rachel's sister in this movie, who comes home from rehab for a weekend to attend her sister's wedding.
"The boy with striped Pajamas"
I am sure not many have heard of this movie. I just picked it up out of curiosity. Glad I did!
It's heart wrenching and I almost teared up in the end. It's about a 8 yr old German boy who makes friends with another 8 yr old Jewish boy imprisoned in a concentration camp along with his father and others like him. They develop a innocent friendship and what happens in the end is shocking, saddens you and makes you very angry at the same time at the society which let something like this take place in the past! I know this is just a movie based on a fictional book but still....
"MILK"
Most of you know the story already. My heart goes out to the all the gay community. They still don't have equal rights even after all the struggles for so long. Hope they succeed and at least have the right to get married legally like the rest of us. If you have seen the movie, you know where the phrase "Twinky defense" comes from! :P

Have wonderful week and weekend, see you all later! :)