Sprouting Madness

I will be making atleast one type of sprouts everyweek. Summer is almost over but I am hoping California weather will help me with my sprouting even in winter. We will see!

This week target- Mung beans, Ragi and Wheat. Will post the update soon.

Too many things going on...

Just not finding time to blog with lot of stuff going on .... However found time to bake a Chocolate chip banana cake with white chocolate shavings on top for R. :) Hopefully will blog in detail soon ! See ya till then.

Going down the memory lane with Jackie !

Chakka Chips (Jackfruit Chips) - My entry to JFI hosted by Jugalbandi

The word Jackfruit or Chakka as we call it, takes me down the memory lane. My grandparents who lived in a remote village (Kidangoor) in Kerala, had farms that grew coconut , rubber , jackfruit and various other trees. Summer vacation means going to Thatha / Paati's ( Grandpa / Grandma) place. My sister, our cousins and I used to have a great time .. storytelling, playing in waters, going around the farm with Thatha. Oh and we used to have cows ( actually my dad says thatha even had elephants, well I was not so lucky to see them).

Coming back to Chakka, my thatha had someone go up the Jackfruit tree to get all the ripe ones and even the unripe ones for cooking. And then it was the royal chakka time - well more like a ritual I would say. While we kids ran around, all the ladies of the house got to business. Hands moisturised with coconut oil, a huge knife,few old newspapers and a cloth were the tools required to get to the sweet goodness. One would not think of this as something fun. But let me tell you, nobody in the room would have cared any less - it was the mid day gossip time for the women!

For this month JFI, it is Jackfruit , hosted by Jugalbandi. The day I came to know this , I have been thinking about various delicacies that my amma prepares - Chakka Thoran ( A dry curry prepared using the unripe fruit) , Chakka Kuru Thoran (A dry curry made of the seeds from Jackfruit), Chakka Puzhukku ( A side dish made from the unripe fruit), Chakka Mezhukuperatti (a variation of dry curry), Chakka Varrati (Jam) and Chakka Payasam (Sweet Porridge).

Well, for some reason , I was not comfortable buying the canned version in brine or sugar syrup. I know that is closest we can get to Jackfruit being in the US , but I chose to cherish my memories sipping a hot cup of masala chai (Tea) and a plate of Chakka Chips (that I got from India this time). :)

Dedicated to my beloved Thatha (most lovable and adorable person) and my dear Paati. Will always miss you...

Banana Almond Cake - A Healthy Treat !

Who says cakes cannot be made healthy ? And who says healthy cakes do not taste good or they do not come out soft and fluffy ?

Fresh Baked Cake out of the oven...

Soft , moist and fluffy ....

Want to sink your teeth into this wholesome goodness ? Recipe will be posted soon !

Mildly Spiced Buttermilk Oatmeal and Memories !

I had previously written on Oats and its goodness. To be very honest , I had trouble keeping up with my resolution of having Oatmeal for breakfast. Not having any fancy for sweet , having something sweet for breakfast is far from possible. Try I did , but gulping down my throat was morning battle everyday.

Then this happened ....

I stumbled upon a lovely blog and I instantly liked it . Reason - I could so very well relate and appreciate everything Dr. Nandita had written. I tried one of her Oatmeal recipe for breakfast. And let me confess , it was so good , I have been having it not only for breakfast but sometimes even for dinner when I yearn for something light for my tummy.

Well , I did not have any intentions to blog about this, as the recipe is already in Saffron Trail and Iam way too lazy to reiterate. :) Last night I was chatting with my sister and I happened to talk about this Oatmeal ( as I was slurrping away to glory ) . And it so happened that the taste of this dish was very similar to the vadam dough ( Vadam mavu or Koozhu ) that my amma used to perpare in our summer holidays.

Well you know the rest --- all the nostalgia began ... about how we used to gobble up the koozhu even before it could get promoted to the next step of being a vadam , we also used to fight about who will guard the vadams (from crows) when it was getting dried up in the mottamadi (terrace) . Let alone scaring away the crows the reality is we used to be busy eating the half dried vadam ( Yummo ! ). Oh boy... will those days ever come back ?!

So here Iam with my heart filled with lot of happy memories, writing about oats. The recipe is pretty much the same as given in Saffron Trail except a few additions of spices - Added chilli powder and a pinch of hing(asafoetida) .

This post is dedicated to my little darling sister who is my best friend and a budding (first) Doctor of our family. Love you and miss you sweetie ! ****************

Recipe: Mildly Spiced Buttermilk Oatmeal

Ingredients

1/2 cup of Old Fashioned Oats ( I used Quaker Brand)

1 to 1.25 cup of water

Spices: A pinch of Turmeric powder , chilli powder and Hing(asafoetida).

Salt to your taste

Tbspn of green peas / corn or any small cut veggie of your choice.

Method

Take a saucepan and add all of the ingredients above.

Heat on high for 5 minutes or until the oats is fully cooked . ( I don't allow it to go soggy , so i take it when it is just about done).

Turn off the gas . Add 1-2 Tbspn of buttermilk. Enjoy it with a spicy pickle . Vadu Manga goes very well with this.

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Isn't it amazing how food not only fills your tummy , pleases your palate but brings back all those happy memories . Enjoy !

This my entry to WBB#12 hosted by Trupti.

Keerai Molagootal - A Family Classic and our all time favourite

(A Spinach stew, blended in Coconut , lentils and spices )

It is funny how mother nature reminds us the law of Karma .. sometimes through very trivial things.

I have been very unfair and shown extreme emotions towards this dish. There were days when I threw tantrums and drove my amma crazy when she lovingly packed my lunch with Keerai Molagootal sadam. Well a day came when I had to eat it EVERY SINGLE DAY without uttering a word . Oh , what else a newly wed Bahu ( Daughter in law ) could do other than to impress her MIL . Not only did I have to embrace the hard fact that my MIL could come up with molagootal from any vegetable under the sun but also to pleasingly sing praises for it ! :)

After an interesting welcome to the world of molagootal, I started to love this classic dish and is now often made at my home. Believe me this is such a tasty , versatile 3 step dish , you wouldn't want to miss it for the world ! This is one of those authentic delicacies which is an often occurance in Indian homes but hardly finds its way to any fancy resturant.

When Indira from Mahanandi announced JFI-WBB Event: Green Leafy Vegetables , I couldn't think of better way to pay tribute to Molagootal. Folks , presenting to you my family treasure and a wonderful recipe which NOW is close to my heart - Keerai (Spinach) Molakootal which is actually combination of two words Molagu (Spices)+ Kootu (Stew). This is NOT made very spicy . The idea is to have a fiery side dish . It is always presentated with its better half - Thogayal ( Chamanthi ) or chutney. :)
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Recipe:

Ingredients:

Spinach - 2 bunches

Coconut - 3/4 cup

Cumin Seeds - 2 teaspoons

Red Chillies - 3 ( 2 for grinding and 1 for seasoning )

Urad Dal - 2 teaspoons

Toor Dal - 1 Cup

Salt and Turmeric Powder to taste

Method

Step 1:
Pressure cook 1 cup of Toor Dal.

Step 2

While step 1 is in progress :
Wash and finely chop the spinach .
Add salt and turmeric powder
Add little water ( just a sprinkle ) and steam cook it till the greens get tender. ( You can also boil it. ) Mash the Keerai and keep aside. Alternatively , you can pulse it in the mixer . ( Do not make it to a smooth paste . Just a coarse grind will do.

Step 3:
Last but not the least !
Fry 1 teaspoon of Urad dal and red chillies.
Grind 3/4 cup of coconut , 2 teaspoon of cumin seeds along with the fried urad dal and chillies

And for the grand finale...

Mix the ground paste and the cooked dal with the greens. Boil for a minute just to blend the flavours. Finally a simple seasoning - Fry a teaspoon of mustard seeds , couple of red chillies and curry leaves . Add it to the bowl full of steaming goodness.

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Enjoy it with steamed rice and a spicy pickle or chutney . Crispy Pappadums also add wonders !

Note:
This can be prepared with any vegetable.
My MIL also sometimes uses moong dal instead of Toor dal and boy , it adds a special taste.
Molagootal needs to have a consistency thicker than sambhar . Add water only if it is required.
This is very special and unique in a way , that it belongs to both Tamil cusine and Kerala Cusine (mostly done by Kerala Iyers and Palakkad Vasis).

Easy to make , quick and versatile dish that satisfies your taste buds ! Enjoy....

Snack at your finger snap - Fresh Green Sundal (Pacha Sundal)

A truth just dawned on me -

My productivity , performance & creativity is at its best when I have limited resources!

This I think holds good in all aspects of life. Lets just take some instances - At work , I have 8 hours to deliver a brain racking report which on an average takes 16 hours of work as opposed to I have 1 week at hand , I guarantee to give my best written report in the former scenario . The same holds when it comes to preparing for an exam . Oh you have no clue - HOW MUCH , my brain can take in, exactly few hours before the exam! .

It is the same story when it comes to cooking . I noticed that when my refrigerator is filled with veggies and my pantry has all possible ingredients that one could think of , I end up abandoning them and going to a resturant ! Yes - Iam that bad sometimes . Well , when I am under pressure to empty my pantry ( usually when we go out of town and Oh.. Iam dead against WASTAGE) , I promise myself to be good and think of various ways to cook with what I have at hand.

This morning when all I had was few tomatoes , onions and frozen Soycutash , I ended up making a sundal. Sundal is something we both never get bored . It is easy to make , healthy , tasty and flexible ( You can modify as you like , you can never go wrong ) need I say more ? :)

Recipe in a snap ...
1.5 cup of Soycutash (It is a mix of sweet corn, Edamame Beans and Red bell pepper)
Salt to suit your taste
Chilli powder (1/2tsp)
1/4 tsp of Amchur ( Dried Mango Powder)
Finely chopped red onions (1/2 onion or 1 shallot)
Finely chopped tomatoes ( 1 small )
chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp lemon juice ( if needed - Amchur gives some tang , so you can skip either of the two or if you dare add both !)

Method ( Do I even need to write ? ) :)
Microwave the Soycutash for 2 minutes . Add all the ingredients , mix well and enjoy . It is good as a snack or even as side dish for your main course .

Oh well , some might think , whats the big deal .. it is just sundal . Well .. call me crazy , but Iam in love with veggies , cooking and Iam a freak when it comes to GOOD EATING !

Tomato & Basil - The Perfect Marriage !

Tomato - Basil Rasam (My entry to Jihva for Tomatoes)

They say marriages are made in Heaven , but I believe that this marriage was made in Italy - well , at least to my knowledge , and ofcourse thanks to the hoopla created on Food Network / media about Italian cusine .

We do admire Italian cusine (minus the hype) and it occured to my hubby the other day that Tomato and Basil IS a magical combination - just the two of them . Have you tasted the Pizza Margherita , or just Tomato Basil Sandwich or any Pasta with Tomato Basil ? Do you notice what we did -Iam sure you would agree with me , Tomato and Basil are made for each other ! :)

Well ...so why not add a twist to the ...one and only , the unbeatable and queen of comfort food - our good old Rasam and make it Tomato Basil Rasam ? Considering the diversity and variety of Indian cooking , somewhere , in some corner of my home country , Iam sure this Tomato - Basil (Basil aka Holy Tulasi) Rasam exists .

There are some foods that just emanates - comfort and pleases the palate. It is like having a shoulder to cry on . Rasam is one such dish that we always count on - when we need a break from the life's rat race , a break from a stressful day or just a simple meal to give a break to our poor digestive system which most of us forget (also needs rest) . Rasam also is a quick home remedy for common colds , fever and the likes. Well , Iam not going to conclude raving about the ingredients , before peeking at what they have to offer - Did you know this ?

So Folks , here I come with my super simple Rasam with a Twist , my entry to Jihva for Tomatoes.

Recipe: Tomato-Basil Rasam

Starring...

2 ripe and juicy Roma Tomatoes
Fresh Basil leaves - 5 leaves ( depending on how strong you like the flavour )
Fresh squeezed Tamarind juice (from lemon sized tamarind)
1/2 cup Toor Dal
Salt to your Taste
Turmeric Powder
1.5 tsp of powdered Jaggery (my secret ingredient)
1 tbsp Rasam Powder ( Home made is what I use ,but you also get this in Indian Groceries )

For Seasoning:
2 Red Chillies
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1tsp Mustard seeds
1/4tsp of Hing (Asafoetida)
1-2 sprigs of curry leaves
1 tsp of minced garlic (optional)
1tsp of Ghee or Canola oil
Finely Chopped Coriander leaves (added at last)

Now the magic begins...

Pressure cook Tool Dal . Mash it and keep separate.
Heat a tsp of oil / ghee - add the mustard seeds , cumin seeds , chopped curry leaves , Hing , minced garlic (optional). Once the seeds splutter , add the chopped tomatoes and fry for a minute . Add the squeezed tamarind juice , salt , turmeric powder, Jaggery and Rasam powder. Allow the mixture to boil for 10 minutes , until all flavours get absorbed and the raw smell of spices vanish... ( Add water if the tamarind juice is thick ). Once all the spices and flavour is well incorporated , add the mashed toor dal. Add the basil leaves and boil for a minute . Switch off the stove once bubbles foam up . Add chopped coriander leaves and close the lid. Aromatic and flavourful rasam is ready to be slurrrrrped or also can be had with plain rice and pappad!

Note to Readers:
You can also add the seasoning at the end which means you can start with adding tamarind juice / tomatoes and spices and follow the same procedure as above. Add the seasoning (tadka) after you switch off the gas .
This is my first food blog entry . I wanted to take more pictures of the beautiful ingredients and also few steps in the cooking process , but I never got done and I apologise. On this note , my hats off to those passionate food bloggers who take the time and effort to showcase their recipes.