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 !

Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco, California.
Photographed by R.

An Awestriking Beauty...

A Manmade Wonder...

And our favorite place when we are in need of peace and quiet...

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.

"Light" Weekend Reading ...

Two Articles that I came across and that made sense ...

1- I wonder if Resturants that serve food have anything called " Conscience " ? Read on

2- Everyone knows this and tired of hearing it again. But Iam not tired of spreading good word. Who knows .. some soul somewhere may get inspired. Read on

OATS - Yukky to Yummy !

While we all know OATS is great for health , most of us dislike the bland taste of Oats. And goes beyond saying that I also fall under this category. I read an entry in a foodblog (which I adore) and got highly inspired to CHOOSE to start liking oats . And as a first step ( which I hope to make it a habit ) today I had oats cereals at work. It was not that bad - warm and satisfying ! I thought I will spread the good word about OATS to you all again .

Why don't we all take baby steps towards start liking this God gifted grain and start our day with it !

Going Back to my roots...

Settling in a new country is an experience by itself , especially when it is soon after marriage. Unlike home , where there is ' been there and done that ' people advising you on the Dos and Don'ts when you start afresh in a new family , here it is all self learning by experience.

When I came to this country, we had our own trials and triumphs in various aspects of life. Especially when it came to setting up kitchen it was a saga by itself. Neither had I been in kitchen before marriage nor did my hubby had any wisdom to impart.

My kitchen practices have gone through several makeovers and pitfalls and finally there are some things that has become a ritual. To name a few pitfalls - My only grocery shop was Albertsons ( most expensive ! ) , Going out to eat was a routine , Frozen food had always some place in my freezer. Well.. these definetely changed and now as I constantly look for areas to improve and hone my homemaking skills , I find myself going back to my roots - things that my amma advised me as a little kid is coming into reality after self realisation.

So what's new in my kitchen ?


1.Go Organic.

2.Seasonal Cooking.

3.No bulk buying and stocking.



....... Will ramble on these topics soon. :)

Welcome to my Dining Table !

I remember those good old days as a little girl , when my sister and I came home from school , my paatima greeted us with a hot cup of Nutra-amul ( I hope I spelt right...our favourite cocoa of those days ). Then it was play time until amma and appa got back from work. After which - freshen up , prayers and homework till amma's delicious dinner invites us to the dinner table.

This was the most important part of our day - dinner time . Everything that happened during the day from things as silly as getting into fight with my benchmate ( well.. not so silly at that time ! ) , to the exams... teachers and all possible things under the sun and that mattered !

Well.. sometimes when I look back - this simple , comforting routine made me what Iam today. Sharing my feelings ( anything from silly to serious ) with folks close to my heart was never difficult , on the contrary it was one thing where I found solace and peace .

These days when life is so mechanical , and when Iam miles and miles away from my folks I have started to feel the void . Sure we have phone , email and the likes , but do I really get my childhood dinner time with my folks ?

So here Iam, to share with people close to my heart , all those unspoken crazy feelings and random childlike thoughts that never dies in me . Folks , Buckle up and enjoy the ride !

Iam sure my hubby cannot agree more to what I said , simply put - This is just another platform for a nonstop nonsense to rattle away her thoughts ! :)