April 28, 2008
· Filed under Mutton, Side Dish · Tagged Beef, Milagu, Mutton, Pepper
After spending a whole week thinking what I should submit as my entry to Jihva for Love (JFI event) hosted by Jigyasa and Pratibha, I have finally decided. It is Milagu Curry!!!
Every time I decide to do it or even think about the dish, I remember my dear amma feeding me with all her love. As a child I was giving my amma a hard time time eating any food. My amma would take a handful of rice and take me in her hand and would roam around 3 or 4 streets just trying to get that in my mouth. 
. But thanks to her wonderful cooking and the love she has in surplus, I turned out to be a food lover.
This dish is very special to me because, I have tasted it in my Petha’s (grandma) kitchen, my amma’s kitchen, and now in my mine. When I feed this to my daughter, I just think if she would carry on this recipe into her kitchen.
I dedicate this entry to my mom’s unconditional love which i can never measure against anything.she is so dear to me and “amma i miss u so much!!” She never had any time for herself and devoted everything for me, my brother, my dad, her work, our home and the list goes on…if i can do anything for her right now, that would be, giving her some rest and enter our kitchen and cook a warm hearty meal for her…But I guess that would never happen, cause every time i visit my home, I am treated like a princess and kitchen is off limits for me.. she would never let me step into her kitchen and always loves to pamper me..!!
Dear Amma, This one is for you. This is my gift for you on your birthday this month (May 17th)..Happy Birthday Mummy!!!
Ingredients:
- Boneless Mutton/Beef-1lbs.
- Jeera/Cumin-2 Tbsps.
- Grounded Black Pepper-2 Tbsps.
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp.
- Sesame Oil/Nallennai-2 Tbsps.
Preparation:
- Wash the boneless mutton pieces thoroughly.
- Add salt, turmeric powder, half of Jeera, half of the pepper to about 3 cups of water and add the mutton to it.
- Pressure cook it well for at least 10 whistles.
- Let it cool and open it.
- Remove about 3/4 soup from the mutton. Serve it hot for your little ones.
- Keep the 1/4 soup and mutton aside.
- Take a hot wok, add the oil to it.
- when hot, add the remaining jeera and pepper to it.Also add the cooked mutton with 1/4 soup to it.
- Keep in medium heat and let all the water evaporate.
- Serve it with rice or roll it inside chappathis and Serve.Enjoy!!
April 25, 2008
· Filed under Rice Varieties
Tamarind Rice…Saying it makes my mouth water. My DH’s favorite dish when combined with Potato in any form . All who are expecting will not say no this mixed rice. it is a perfect blend of hot, tangy taste. It is almost equivalent to a bite of a green mango piece in salt and chilli powder..!! Here goes the simple recipe.
Ingredients:
- Tamarind water made by mixing a lemon sized tamarind in 2 cups of water and remove all the tamarind pulp.
- Oil-1 Tbsp
- Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida- 1/2 tsp.
- Gram Dal-2 Tbsp
- Urad Dal-2 Tbsp.
- Dried Red chilli-1 or 2
- Salt to taste
- Chilli powder-1tsp
- Rice-2 cups.
- Curry leaves 1twig.
Preparation:
- Add Salt and chilli powder to the tamarind water and mix it well. Keep it aside.
- Dry roast half of gram dal and urad dal and powder it coarsely. keep it aside.
- Take oil in the hot wok.
- Add the Fenugreek, Asafoetida and Curry leaves when the oil is hot.
- Also add the left over urad dal, gram dal, and red chilli.
- Now add the tamarind water to the wok and let it boil..once it starts to boil, let it simmer into a thick consistency.
- Add the powdered Urad dal and Gram dal.
- Mix it well.
- Cook the rice separately in the ratio of 1:2 (1 cup rice, 2 cups water).
- let it cool.
- Add the rice to the thick gravy called Pulikaichal( can be used as side dish for curd rice). Mix it well.
- Serve it hot with potato podimas.
Enjoy the hearty meal!
April 6, 2008
· Filed under Chicken, Side Dish
Ingredients:
- Boneless Chicken-1 pound.
- Curd-1 cup.
- Lemon-1/2
- Chilli powder-1 tsp
- Turmericc-1/4 tsp
- Dhania powder-1 tsp
- Garam Masala-1/2 tsp
- Salt-to taste
- Ginger-1 inch piece(ground)
- Garlic-4-6 cloves(ground)
- oil-2 Tbsp.
Preparation:
- Wash the Chicken thoroughly and wrap them in a tissue so that it is deprived of any water content.
- Take a bowl and add Chilli powder,Turmeric,Dhania, Garam masala, Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon.
- Take the curd and filter the whey using muslin cloth and deprive it off any moisture content.
- Add the curd to the bowl.
- Take the Ground Ginger and garlic and squeeze out the juice and add the dry paste to the bowl.
- Then add the chicken to this mixture and mix it thoroughly.
- Marinate it in the fridge overnight.
- Take some wooden skewers and pierce the chicken pieces into it and leave a reasonable gap between each piece.
- Arrange them on the oven tray.Brush them with oil.
- place the tray on the bottom rack and set the oven to Bake at 500 degree Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
- Take it out after 15 minutes and turn them over and brush more oil.
- Bake them again for 5 minutes.
- Set the oven from Bake to Broil and leave it for 10 minutes.
- Take the chicken out and Serve it as appetizer or side dish.
April 6, 2008
· Filed under Garlic, rasam vagaigal
Today, I made Garlic Rasam and Chicken Tikka for our Lunch. The main reason behind it is that, this would be my entry to JFI: Garlic. This is an awesome combination for a sunday afternoon. You can read all the interesting facts about Garlic in this page.
Ingredients:
- Garlic-6 to 8 Cloves, peeled and crushed
- Tamarind-One Lime sized qty.
- Water-3 to 4 cups.
- Salt to taste
- Jeera/Cumin-1/2 tsp
- Pepper-1/2 tsp
- Mustard-1/4 tsp
- Turmeric-2 pinches.
- Curry leaves-2 twigs.
- Oil-1tsp.
Preparation:
- Dissolve the tamarind in water and filter out the pulp.
- Take a saucepan, pour the tamarind water.
- put the crushed garlic and salt as per taste to it and boil it for 5 minutes.
- Then add the Jeera and the Pepper powder,Turmeric pwd to it and let it sim for 2 minutes.
- Once bubbles start forming on the sides(like froth), switch it off.
- Take a separate pan and pour the oil in it.
- once hot, splutter the mustard seeds and add curry leaves to it.
- pour this mixture over the Switched off Rasam and garnish it.
- Serve it with rice or can serve as a soup.
Relax and Enjoy!! This is my first entry for JFI: Garlic.
April 6, 2008
· Filed under Uncategorized
History of Garlic:
History shows that garlic dates back to 4000 BC and is native to Central Asia. The word garlic comes from Old English garleac, meaning “spear leek” and is part of the lily family. This pungent bulbous herb has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region and used generously as a seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Egyptians worshipped garlic and placed clay models of garlic bulbs in the tomb of Tutankhamen. And, of course, folklore holds that garlic repels vampires, protects against the Evil Eye, and warded off jealous nymphs said to terrorize pregnant women and engaged maidens. Garlic was so highly regarded that it was even used as currency. Last but not least, garlic is also known for its aphrodisiacal properties, which have been extolled through the ages in literature, cooking recipes, and medical journals.
Garlic has not always enjoyed the popularity and widespread acceptance found today. It was socially frowned upon in the United States until the first quarter of the twentieth century. Up until that time, garlic was found almost exclusively in ethnic dishes in working-class neighborhoods. Quaint diner slang of the 1920’s referred to garlic as Bronx vanilla, halitosis, and Italian perfume. But, by 1940, America had finally recognized its value and embraced garlic. Americans consume more than 250 million pounds of garlic annually.
Healthy aspect of Garlic:
Garlic has long been considered an herbal wonder drug, used to protect against plague by monks of the Middle Ages to treating the cold and common flu today. Hippocrates used garlic vapors to treat cervical cancer, and garlic poultices were placed on wounds during World War II as an inexpensive, and apparently quite effective replacement for antibiotics, which were scarce during wartime.
Modern science is beginning to substantiate the medicinal properties of garlic. Studies have shown garlic can control acne, suppress the growth of tumors, and is a potent antioxidant good for cardiovascular health. Other studies show garlic can reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol and is a good blood-thinning agent to avoid blood clots that could lead to heart attack or stroke.
It is generally agreed that the stronger the taste of a clove of garlic, the higher the sulphur content greater the medicinal value. Some people have suggested that organically grown garlic has higher sulphur content, and a greater benefit to health.
Allicin and diallyl sulphides are the two main medical ingredients that produce the garlic health benefits. Garlic contains only 4 calories per clove.
Garlic in My Cooking:
Garlic is my most favorite ingredient in cooking. It can change the taste of a dish instantly. The one item I shop in bulk and is always in my pantry is Garlic. Another reason I use Garlic is because it lowers the cholesterol, so whenever there is usage of coconut in my recipes there will be Garlic as an added ingredient.
I am very happy to contribute to JFI’s Garlic event and this is my first entry ever in the food blog world. you can learn all about JFI here. Mathy Kandasamy is hosting the JFI event with Garlic as ingredient.
My Entry for JFI is Poondu/Garlic Rasam. Please feel free to leave your comments. Thanks and Enjoy!!
April 3, 2008
· Filed under Daikon, Mullangi, Kozhambu vagaigal, Vegetables, carrot · Tagged curry, dal, Sambar, Sambhar
Sambar is one of my favorites. it goes well with anything. Be it rice or chappathi or uppma or vada or idli or dosa..the list goes on and on.It is one of first recipe that i learned from my mom when i was a kid..whenever she used to be out of station, i occupied the kitchen and made sambhar and chicken gravy. My two great fans were my dad and my brother.
So lets get to the recipe:
Ingredients:
- Toor dal-1/4 cup
- Jeera/cumin seeds-1 tsp
- Garlic-3-4 pods.
- Turmeric pwd-1/2 tsp
- Mullangi/Daikon-1 medium sized one.(can be substituted with eggplant,carrot,drumsticks,green mango)
- Onion-1 medium sized
- Tomatoes-1 or 2 medium sized.(suit to ur taste)
- Oil-2 tsp
- Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida- 1/4 tsp
- Fenugreek-1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves-2 twigs
- Chilli powder-1 tbsp
- Dania powder-1tbsp.
- Salt to taste.
Preparation:
- Add about 1 and quarter cups of water to toor dal, turmeric, jeera,and garlic and pressure cook them together for about 6 whistles.if you are making it as a side for ven pongal/ idli then pressure cook for 4 whistles.
- mash it and keep it aside.
- Take a wok, add oil.
- when it is hot, sputter the mustard seeds.
- Add Fenugreek, asafoetida and curry leaves.fry them a little.
- then add Onions which are chopped(lengthwise if is for onion sambar).
- fry till they turn translucent.
- Add the vegetable of your choice.I added Mullangi/Daikon cut into semicircle shapes.
- Add tomatoes.
- add salt, chilli powder and dania powder.
- Let it cook in the juice from tomato and oil for about 5 minutes.close the wok and let it cook stirring in between.
- Add a little water and let them cook again by covering it with a lid.
- After about 10-15 minutes, add the mashed dal.(if making for Idli/Pongal don’t mash it)
- mix it and let it cook for a few more minutes. You can add more water to it and let it boil.
- Serve it hot with rice.
Sambar is very nutritious, specially if u add moong dal. you can also add 2 vegetables at a time.Happy Cooking!!
