THE BIRYANI LAPSE

A friend, H, called me today morning and asked for a biryani recipe ..and I told him, it's right there on my blog..check it out.  But when I got online and checked out my blog, I couldnt find the recipe anywhere in here..hmm..now where did that go?I was sure that I had posted it since I remembered typing the recipe and taking a few pictures.  And then I looked into my drafts(unpublished posts), and there it was!
My poor biryani recipe..It had been languishing there for the past one year or so..I had forgotten all about it! And the images were all gone..no trace of that too!
So I dusted it up..and am now posting sans my pictures. Since I love pictures ..I have just added some random images.Will post my own pics hopefully by next week(when I've had time to make biryani !)
Exploring my drafts section threw up a whole lot of surprises..There were  at least 4 or 5 unfinished posts in there..Will have to dust them all up and post again.. not today though..


So, Biriyani...The word throws open a whole wide world!
Malabar biryani, thalasseri biryani, hyderabadi biryani,nizams biryani, kashmiri biryani, sindhi , iranian, madurai style, bhatkal biryani,chennnai biryani, Kabsa biryani, mandi biryani...the head spins!!
Let's stick to the traditional Malabar Mutton biryani today, ok?


A word before we start cooking. These tips are never there in any cookbooks..no one tells you about these things when they give you recipes.  It's okay if you don't use these tiny little tips and just make the biryani according to the bare bones of the recipe. You will still end up with a fine tasty dish.  But just once, when you have the time and patience, do use all the finer points I am mentioning below,  and I guarantee  that you will have made a dish fit for kings!! 
 The main point to be noted is that the rice you use should be of the best quality, the older it is , and the more fragrance it has in it's uncooked state, the better biriyani you get.

We use Kaima rice, or Jeerakasala rice instead of basmati rice.  This small grained rice is what is used in the malabar regions like Thalasseri or Calicut.  It has a much better flavour and aroma than basmati .  Soak the rice in water for ten to thiry minutes before, then drain and use as needed in the recipe.
Do not stint on ghee. The more ghee you add, the more softer your rice will be.  Some people use half the quantity of ghee mixed with an equal amount of either dalda or oil, which I think is more healthier..not for our body, for our monthly budget!hehe..when you eat biriyani, leave all thoughts of health and calories locked up somewhere else!

When you make the masala , the ingredients you use should be as fresh as possible. The meat you buy should be tender and fresh.Marinate the meat in the ground paste with curd for at least an hour in the fridge.  Curd helps in tenderising the meat ..but make sure that the curd you use is not too sour.
 Make fresh garam masala by taking 6 cardamoms, 2" piece cinnamon, 5 cloves, 1 tbsp cumin, itbsp whole peppercorns, and heating on low flame on a small pan. Powder in a small mixie. If you are using readymade garam masala, please heat over a low flame..this enhances the flavour and releases the aroma of the spices.

Above all, Biryani should be served piping hot. Ghee tends to solidify the cooler it gets, and then the biryani will feel very thick and heavy while eating.  But if you serve it hot, (not warm!..piping,reeeeally hot!)then  your biryani will feel lighter and softer. 
All these things I 've been writing...don't feel daunted and put off your biriyani making to another day. I tend to be a bit passionate about cooking..and as every mallu foodie knows..making a good biriyani is the pinnacle of Kerala traditional cooking.

MALABAR MUTTON   BIRYANI

Ingredients:

For ghee rice:

Rice                           1 kg

Water                       7 cups

(if rice is 1 kg, it shoud be about 4 cups-coffee mug or milkmaid tins.water to cook rice should be a little leser than double that...i.e.,4x2=8, therefore use less than 8. )

limejuice                   1 tsp

Salt                           1 tsp 

Ghee                         8-10 tbsp

cardamom,clove and cinnamon two three each.

For the masala

Mutton                     1 kg

Onions sliced thin     800 gm

Garam masala         3-4 tbsp

Tomato sliced             3-4

Grind together for marinade:

Green Chilli            10-12

Ginger garlic              25 gm

Coriander leaves      a handful

Mint leaves              a handful

Curd                           1/2 cup

For garnish:

Onions  finely sliced   2

Ghee                            4 tbsp

Cashewnuts                  10

Kismis                           5-6

sugar                             a pinch

Method:

1.  Heat ghee, and saute onions with sugar  till golden and crisp.  

Add nuts and kismis, saute and keep aside for garnishing.t brown in color. Keep  aside  for garnishing the biryani.

2.  Heat  the  ghee,  and saute the rice on a medium flame about 20 minutes.  While the rice is getting fried, in a separate vessel, boil  water with the spices, lime juice and salt. Once the rice is opaque and golden in colour,  add the boiling water, close lid and cook on a medium to low flame for about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat and leave it for another 10 minutes, without opening the lid.

   3.  Now, heat a pressure cooker or a heavy bottom pan, add  ghee.

4.  Add the sliced onions and sauté till it  is all limp , soft, and pale in colour. This takes about ten to fifteen minutes.. 

5.  Add the tomato pieces and sauté well.Add a tablespoon of garam masala and mix well. 

6.  Now add the marinated  mutton, coriander and mint leaves.  Close the lid and cook for about 5-7 whistles or half an hour on medium flame.. Do not add any extra water. 

 7.  Once you open the lid, there will be some gravy. Cook on a low flame till the gravy thickens a little.

    8.   Take a deep heavy bottom pan(baking dish, or a nonstick  pan or you can layer into an electrical rice cooker) spread a layer of ghee rice ,sprinkle a few pinches of garam masala(tiny pinches, with a light hand..too much of garam masala will ruin your biryani),a tablespoon of ghee,coriander leaves chopped (again, just a little bit) then spread a layer of the mutton masala, rice again on top. 

You can have as many layers as you want, but the top should always be rice. 

9.  Garnish and cover with a well fitting lid.

 10.      Heat an iron tawa on high flame and keep the biriyani vessel on top of it for about 15 minutes. Turn off heat, and leave it for another 15 minutes. This is for the dum and helps all the flavors blend well with the rice and the meat. The tawa is used so that there is no straight contact with the vessel and this minimises the risk of the biriyani getting burnt on the bottom.  Alternatively, you can keep it in a hot oven(160c) or the electrical rice cooker in it;s keep warm mode. 

Biryani is usually served with raita , pappads, and  pickles.

BEING A BIG LAZYBONES

Forgive me..it's been ramadan..I've been busy with a hundred and one jobs that need doing..I don't know where the time flies...I just can't resist....simply must bore you people with an account of my typical ramadan day.

@3 AM..
At the unearthly hour of 3am in the night(when it's the best part of snuggling deep into your quilt and your dreams are at their most exciting point...TTTRRRRIIINNGTG....TRRIINNNGGG...the alarm rips through the chill night..but I snuggle deeper into my quilt..(who wants to wake up at that time??)N (my hubby) gives me a shove ..Resh..wake up..it's time to get Suhoor (a predawn meal we have during ramadan) for us..."mmm..yess..just five more minutes..then I'll get up" N keeps poking and prodding me till 3.30am when I finally give up and roll out of bed and into the kitchen..all bleary eyed.
Getting the food ready( this meal varies from house to house..for us, suhoor means steamed bananas and steamed rice cake-puttumpazhampuzhungiyathum-in local speak..along with hot tea) for the kids and hubby takes about ten to twenty minutes only..then begins the process of waking up the rest of my family(including hubby dearest, who promptly turned over to sleep the minute i left the bed..MEN!!) who are equally adept at clinging onto their precious sleep .Finally by 4 am, all are sitting around the table having their foodand trudging back to bed after the morning namaz(prayers)..while I am clearing the table and washing up, which gets done by around 5.15.
Now comes the hard part...the kids have to get up by 6 am if they have to be ready for the schoolbus (which comes around by 6.45am)..so if i go to bed now..it's a sure bet that I won't be able to wake up on time ...so that means 45 minutes of sitting around in the dark, twiddling my thumbs..while I would much rather be sleeping(sigh!)
So i sit at the computer and surf the web till 6am.
@6AM
Wake the kids up, poke and prod them..cajole them into uniforms, walk them to the busstop..and back home by 7 am.
@7AM
Wide awake now..No point in going to bed..so, I start cleaning the house,putting it back in order .
@8AM
I walk into the kitchen and start preparing food for Iftaar -the evening meal, which is when we break our fast. Samosa, Unnakka, Dateballs, meatballs, kababs, pies..anything goes..Pathiri(thin soft rotis made from rice flour ) and Mutton Kurma are my husband's and kids' favorite dish..this is mandatory for everyday of Ramadan.
@1.30PM
Work in the kitchen finally gets over ..and I have a quick bath, pray and run around doing other chores(like picking up the laundry and drycleaning, buying vegetables and groceries, etc,etc etc...)
@3.45PM
The kids come home and it's bedlam for the next twenty minutes!
A long list of complaints ..fights..tears..playground stories..an assignment ..a project has to be done...umma..listen...all three want to talk at once..and I am in a hurry to get them out of sweaty uniforms and socks..Make them wash up..and change ..then checking their bags and books for homework and stuff...playing with them in the garden..till the arabic tutor comes
@5PM
Prayers ( in relative peace) since the kids are studying with their arabic tutor, then into the kitchen again for last minute adjustments to food.
@6PM
The kids are back from the tutor and racing to play outside..and I am racing against the clock now. Have to get them ready for going to the mosque with their dad by 6.20pm.
My husband started this new routine this year..of going to the nearby mosque to break their fast with some water and dates , offer prayers there, and then come home for a propermeal. It's been a good idea..the boys have been really enjoying doing grownup things, and learning how to do things in the proper traditional way
@6.30PM
They are all back home , by which time I have also broken my fast with water and dates and offered evening namaz(prayer) So we all sit around the dining table, eating the meal I have prepared.
@7PM
Like storm clouds gathering, I can feel a headache creeping up ..By the time I finish clearing the table and cleaning up..I'm all tired and drained..All I want to do is curl up in a corner and sleep which is exactly what I do for the next one hour.
@ 8pm
Wake up again, do namaz(prayers) ,put the kids to bed, and get a drink for N and myself..put my feet up and chat for ten fifteen minutes..by whichtime I'm nodding off again..(and so does N !!) ..So, by around
@9PM
we both wearily drag our tired bodies into bed and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
till it starts again....

PATHIRI
Ingredients

2 cups Rice powder(Roasted)
3 cups water
salt -as required

Method

1. Boil the water. Add salt .

2. Add the flour to the boiling water and stir well in a simmering flame.

3. Cover the dough and keep it to cool.

4. Once it has partially cooled knead the dough thoroughly, wetting your hands freuently with a little water. Make sure that no lumps are formed inside.

5. Make small lemon sized ballsfrom the dough .

6. Dust the balls in some rice flour and roll it out using a roller pin.

7. Heat a tawa till smoking hot. Keep the pathiri on it and flip it to the other side once the pathiri starts forming bubbles, like a phulka. Press the pathiri occasionally so that it will become soft and layered.

8. Once both the sides are done, remove it from the tawa.


Tip:
After each pathiri...wipe clean the tawa with a dry cloth so that the charred flour doesn't stick to the next one.

Serve pathiris either dipped in medium hot coconut milk or with coconut milk on the side as an accompaniment

J2, my second son, had a dental checkup yesterday. The dentist said that his baby tooth in front had to come off , since the permanent tooth had started coming out from under that. So if we didn't remove the baby tooth, it would be growing lopsided...
So off it came, in under a minute, and since it was already wobbling a bit, J2 did'nt kick up a big fuss...my, he sure is growing up!!

He was peeved only about one thing..".Umma, that was my favorite tooth!!"
"what?you have a favorite tooth?for what reason?"
"well...I used to play with that tooth whenever i got bored..flicking it back and forth..it used to provide me with loads of entertainment....."......
Children!!
I thought I'd share a typical spicy mallu fish curry recipe today with you all...
which is also J2's favorite curry too!!

NAADAN MALLU FISH CURRY

Ingredients

Fish ( cubed)
(salmon or pomfret) 250 gms
Dried red chillies 15
Or Red chilli powder 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves a stalk
Shallots or onions
sliced thin 100 gms
Tomato chopped 1 large
Green chilly slit 2 or 3
Kodampuli 1 or 2 pieces
(kodampuli is kokam or dry mangosteen..)
Coconut oil 4-5 tbsps
ginger crushed 1 tbsp








Method

1. Take a pan (preferably earthenware, or clay) and heat.

2. Pour oil, add mustard and fenugreek seeds. When it starts spluttering, add curry leaves.

3. Add onions, green chillies,and ginger. Saute well.

4. When onions are wilted,add tomato slices, and saute again for 2 minutes.

5. Grind together the red chilly, turmeric powder and a few fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds.along with 1 tbsp water. (this step is optional..but if you do grind, it will increase the flavour of the curry and make it thicker)

6. Add the ground masala to the pan, mix well, and add the fish pieces and the kodampuli.

7. Cover, and boil till the fish is cooked, and the curry is not too watery.

8. Serve hot with rice, or puttu , or appams.

Tip:
If you pour one tsp of coconut oil onto the curry just before serving(when steaming hot) that would increase the flavour even more.

MY FIRST COOKERY CLASS

Hello..long time no see and all that...
I've been so busy these past few weeks...then my computer went kaput...Isn't that reason enough for me being a lazybones? Then , one of my friends, M, asked me if I could do a cooking class at the YWCA..I was unsure at first..but M persisted..and finally, I decided to do it!
So, next week, on 8th july,2009, I will be doing my first ever cooking demonstration in front of a large crowd of well heeled ladies..many of them light years ahead of me in experience and age..you can imagine the jitters they're giving me..Hopefully I won't make a complete mess of things..!!
After a lengthy discussion with M, we decided to make Alleesa(Haleem) , Kaaypola, and Dark Fantasy pudding.
Haleem is a middle Eastern dish, traditionally made in Pakistan, the Gulf, Dubai, Hyderabad, etc.
Alleesa, as we mallu muslims call it, is a porridge like dish made from wheat.


Normally made bland, with a side serving of sugar and chicken / mutton kurma, here in Muvattupuzha, we like it spicy.There's one more thing that differentiates our Alleesa from Haleem. Since we mallus love our coconuts, we just can't resist adding thick coconut milk to this.
This is the recipe I am giving you today ..
HALEEM aka ALLEESA

Ingredients:

Onion, sliced thin 2
Gingergarlic paste 1tbsp
Green chilly, slit 4
Salt 1 tsp
Coconut Oil 4 tbsp
Garam Masala** 2tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Chilly powder 2 tsp
Tomato 1
Broken Wheat 1 cup
Chicken 250 gm
(preferably 2 leg pieces)
Coconut 1/2
Ghee 2tsp
Shallots /button onions 5-6
Curry leaves a stalk
Coriander leaves a handful


Method:

1. Soak wheat in water (2 cups) for at least two hours.Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat oil. Add onion, gingergarlic paste, green chillies and tomato(chopped). Add salt and saute well.

3. After 5 minutes of sauting, add all the spices.
(turmeric, chilly, garam masala)

4. Saute till well cooked , add chicken pieces and wheat. Mix well .

5. Add coconut milk (2nd pressing)*. Cook in pressure cooker on high flame till first whistle sounds. Then lower heat to simmer. Turn flame off after 5 minutes.

6. After ten minutes, open cooker, add coconut milk( first pressing)*. Heat again till it starts boiling. Turn off flame before it boils too much.

7. Serve haleem into a shallow dish.

8. Splutter curryleaves and shallots in ghee till crisp, then pour onto haleem or alleesa as a garnish. Serve hot.


* Take the half coconut, grate and add 1 cup water. Blend in a blender/mixie, then strain and keep aside. This is the first pressing coconut milk.
Take the same grated coconut from the strainer, add 1 and a half cups water again to this, blend and strain seperately. This is the second pressing coconut milk.

** Garam masala -how to make at home.
Take equal quantity ( 25 gms each) of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorn, and cumin seeds in a shallow nonstick pan. Heat on low flame for a minute , stirring with a spoon all the while. Powder in a dry mixie, and voila! you have your very own Garam masala!
This can also be used to enhance flavours for moghlai dishes like biryani, curries, pulaos, etc.

MONSOON TALES

The monsoon is here! Yippeee!!

For as long as I can remember, it always rains here (in Kerala) on the first day of school. There we would be standing at the bus stop with our new uniforms and new stuff, and Bam!! It would rain. drenching us..school bags and shoes and all.. After a a few years of this, we got the hang of it, and we would remember to take umbrellas or raincoats along. Nobody really liked raincoats… we considered them childish, and preferred the more grown up and dignified umbrella. In those days, there were very few colored umbrellas available, and those that were, used to be very expensive. So what some of us creative geniuses (including yours truly!ahem!) used to do was..we would do some art work on those dull black umbrellas like paint on it with fabric paint(they were all the rage then!) or stick sequins or funny buttons….do colorful embroidery….etc.

I remember that our classroom corners were allotted for drying the umbrellas and there used to be at least twenty umbrellas all opened up and parked to dry, so we could safely stow them inside our bags. Those were lovely days.. My school was a convent in an Anglo Indian colony at Kollam…right next to the seashore. From our class rooms, we could see the waves crashing thunderously onto the beach…it would be all dark and damp inside the room(half the time, the lights would never work..) such a cozy and drowsy atmosphere that created.. While the teacher droned on about ab squared plus xyz , sodium hydrochloride, manganese, or the Sepoy Mutiny, half of us would either be sleeping, or the other half would be staring dreamily out at the sheets of rain and the waves outside our windows!!

But.. I digress here. I wanted to talk about this year’s monsoon, and then I went into flashback mode and started talking about the monsoons of about 20 years ago!

This year, it started raining heavily in May itself.. This was quite unusual, since May is peak summer season normally. It rained all through the first three weeks of May, then stopped. Mind you, it was not the normal monsoon type rain also..just rain in fits and starts..totally unpredictable. The monsoon here is a nonstop serenade of raindrops from early morning to night with some short breaks thrown in..

This year, as usual, I went shopping with the kids for school supplies in late May. Basically, all we needed to buy were a pencil box, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and umbrellas since the school provides the rest (lovely no? school bags, notebooks, text books, shoes uniforms, everything is taken care of by the school authorities) I decided to let them have a free hand in selection of their stuff, and so I told J1, J2 and J3 that they could decide what they wanted, provided they stay within a budget. Left to myself, I would have finished that shopping within 15 minutes…but no, Mrs. Smart Mom had to do this. Never again!!

Pencils, box, etc were dealt with and finished in 1 hour..(wow! A miracle!) but umbrellas…my God..(or, as I would say, Ya Allah!) it took them a solid two hours to make a final decision on the type of umbrellas they wanted! I can’t blame them too much, though… there was such a wide variety of kiddies umbrellas available.. In different colors and shapes, stylish prints…what not! I myself was bewildered by the vast selection available for kids nowadays.

J2 and J3 would decide on one umbrella, and then, when I would turn my attention to J1 , they would change their minds and grab at another umbrella which seemed even more interesting. J1 was not very happy at having to select the type of umbrellas that his brother and sister preferred . He felt they were too childish, and wanted something more grownup. According to him, “ my umbrella should be special, Umma, one that no one else has..it should have colour, but not the bright ones like J2’s red striped one, or J3’s yellow umbrella with Tweety simpering on it’s crown! “ Phew!

Add to those three nitpicking brats a shopful of other nitpicking brats, all preparing for schooldays…and you have a madhouse filled with screaming, crying kids and parents..(yes!parents do cry and scream when they get desperate!)

Finally, after a solid two hours of scrounging through that huge shop, I found THE UMBRELLA! It was a deep midnight blue one, with shadings of soft brown, like a night sky, with stars twinkling at scattered points all around it. It looked very stylish and different from all the normal garishly colored kiddies umbrellas. If you pushed a button on it’s handle, it’s tip would start glowing as well as the tips all round the bottom half. Best of all, it fitted into my budget of Rs. 150 for each umbrella.

J3 was soo excited that she wouldshow everyone she met that day her new umbrella and she’d insist on telling them the whole story of how she chose for herself, and about J1’s grand grown up umbrella(!)

( I have a small confession to make myself.. I ended up buying a lovely umbrella for myself too!)

So then we were all eagerly waiting for the first rains as well as the first day of school.. when it dawned …all bright and sunny!

When people all around were happy that it had not rained that day and made a mess of roads, new uniforms…we were totally disappointed at not being able to use our fancy new umbrellas! It hadn’t rained at all this first week, and the kids were getting restless.

“ Umma..why doesn’t it rain? When are we going to use our new umbrellas?”

Today morning dawned all sunny as usual…no even more sunnier than usual. The glare of sunlight was so blinding that I started getting a headache. By afternoon, I was complaining to N, “ This is getting ridiculous!when will the monsoon come? I ‘m starting to hate the sun!” And N just smiled and said,” you’re worse than the kids! Be patient..it will come. It’s a bit late..but it will surely come within this week.”

About fifteen minutes later, the skies darken , there’s a chill wind blowing..and the temperature drops rapidly. Still no rain..but the sky looks promising..It’s all cloudy and dark..filled with moisture. Another fifteen minutes of tensed waiting, and the Gods decide to smile on us. It’s raining ..raining raining…Giant sheets of water drop out of the sky all at the same time, as if someone poked a pin into a giant water balloon!

YYAAYYY!!

The kids come back home all drenched(they hadn’t taken umbrellas since it wasn’t raining when they left) and with huge grins plastered on their faces!

“umma..can we go out and splash in the puddles with our umbrellas?

Umma, could you help me make paper boats to float in the rain water?”

I am literally drenched with suggestions of how to enjoy this grand rain…

But I’m no longer listening…I’m walking in the rain with my new umbrella, and breathing in the warm earthy smell that wafts up into the air with the first rains….

PEPPER CHICKEN

Ingredients:

Chicken 500 gm
Pepper powder 2 tbsp
(Preferably freshly powdered)
Turmeric powder 2 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Ginger crushed 2 tsp
Tomato sliced thin 1
Onion /shallots 200 gm
(2 onions /15-20 shallots)
Green chilly slit 2
Curry Leaves
Coconut Oil 5 tbsp
Salt to Taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut the chicken into small pieces.


2. Mix all the spices and keep aside 2 tsp of this to use in the masala later.

3. Rub the rest of spices mixed onto the chicken pieces and marinate for 2 to 4 hours in refrigerator.

4. Heat oil , saute chicken pieces in this till half cooked.Remove chicken from pan and keep aside.

5. Sauté onion, green chillies , ginger and tomato till soft.

6. Add chicken and the rest of the ingredients.
Saute well on high flame till well blended.

7. Garnish with fried curry leaves , serve piping hot with chapatis, parathas, or any type of bread.

Tip:Use a tbsp of curd for the marinade. Makes the chicken really soft.
Such a perfect dish for a rainy day...

CHANGE AGAIN..

Yet another change in the style of my blog..sorry for the frequent changes..The thing is...I was just not content with the earlier one...This one looks more neat..no?
Time drags when you're waiting for something eagerly..in my case, I'm waiting for school to reopen...the kids' school..i.e. I'm at my wit's end trying to find things for the kids to do.


If I hear one more "I'm booored.." ..I swear I'm going to scream!My kids are basically quite nice, with a little bit of naughtiness thrown in..(a spadeful, actually!)But..too much of a good thing is no good.. So here I stand..pulling my hair out,trying to keep my home clean and fresh, trying to be a sweet mom...(and failing!)planning sneaky ways on how to grab a moment's peace from the three mini tornadoes...Poor things, they're as fed up of me as I am of them. Good thing school reopens on June 1st, 2009.

They're all excited about their new stuff.New text books, all covered in fresh new brown paper,new pencils, new bags, new pencil boxes, new umbrellas..(it took them more than an hour to decide which ones to buy!)(Give me patience, Lord!)

Me too, I am so excited about their going to school...aaah..the peace and quiet!!



I was thinking of posting a recipe for a nice stir fry which I normally have with chapatis or parathas. Easy to make, light and nutricious, it looks great too.

VENDAKKA MASALA
a.k.a., OKRA MASALA

Ingredients

Lady finger 100 gms chopped finely
Shallots
or button onions 4 nos. chopped
Oil 2-3 tbsp
Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Salt 1/2 or 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 3 tsp
Curry leaves 1 stalk

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan, add shallots and okra.

2. Saute well on high flame for a minute, then add all the spices and curry leaves.

Saute again on high flame for another 2 minutes till

SUMMER IS HERE

Summer is upon us and the heat is unbearable . It's like an oven out there. The minute I step out of my cool house, ( which is very cool due to the fact that we have built it according to the traditional Kerala style which allows for a lot of air circulation, etc.,) the heat hits me in the face like a slap. Not at all discouraged, I still venture out ,thinking that as a hardy true blue mallu, I ought to be able to handle such trifling things as a little heat.
Famous last words!!

I should have just stayed home. By the time I reached home after two three hours, I was literally wilting! The minute I reached home, I changed out of my sticky and sweaty clothes, and dashed into the kitchen to make my lunch. I knew just the perfect antidote for the summer heat!
Curd rice!
Easy to make and soo yummy! Healthy too. So good for my diet also. So here I am , comfortably ensconced in my cooool room,watching a movie with a bowl of curd rice and a large chilled glass of watermelon juice by my side.
Aaaahhh...bliss...!

CURD RICE

Ingredients:

Curd 1 cup
Cooked rice 2 -3 cups
Asafoetida a pinch
Salt to taste
Shallots /Button onions chopped 5-6 nos.
Greenchillies slit 2
Red chillies 1
Curry leaves 1 stalk
Coriander leaves/cilantro a few
Ginger crushed a pinch
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Oil/ghee 2 tsp
Method:

1. Mix together the cooked (should not be hot),salt, green chillies and asafoetida together, and keep in the fridge to chill.


2. Heat a pan, add oil, splutter the mustard seeds. Turn heat to low.

3. Add the curry leaves, shallots, and the red chilly. Saute for a minute and turn off the flame.

4. Add this to the rice along with chopped cilantro.

5. Chill and serve cold with a dash of red chilli powder and cilantro as garnish. Optional.

Tip: If you want to add more richness and taste , add 1 tbsp of fresh cream to the rice along with curd. Not recommended if you're dieting, though!!

SOLD MY CAR!

Isold my little red car (Alto Lxi) yesterday.According to N, it was time we sold it, before it's price goes crashing down. O.K., fine, we had been talking about this for the past six months on and of, but it still was a wrench to see it being driven off by some other guy!
So what? you might say- What's the big deal about such a tiny car? But it was special to me, sentimental fool that I am..It was my very first car- my very own!
So great was my agitation (which I had carefully hidden bebeath a pokerface)that, instead of pouring dosa(pancake) batter onto the hot griddle, I poured sambar (curry!) on it!!Can you imagine? N was in splits, laughing and teasing me about that!!
Anyway,now that my depression has worn off, we are on the lookout for my new car(so much more fun than greiving ,no?)Hopefully, by this time next month, I 'll be tooling around in a shiny new swift! Toodle-oo!


DOSA AND SAMBAR
Ingredients:

Dosa-
Pachari (raw plain rice) 1 cup
Rose Ari(parboiled red rice) 1 cup
Ponni ari(Iddli rice) 1 cup
Uzhunnu(black gram dal) 1 cup
Boiled rice 1 tbsp
Salt 2 tsp
Sugar a pinch
Sodabicarb 1/2 tsp
Water as needed

Method:

1. Soak all the rices and dal overnight.

2. Put all ingredients in a blender or grinder. Add just enough water so it can be ground well.

3. Grind for at least 20 to 30 minutes till everything is well blended and the batter is thick.

4. Remove to a covered container and leave for fermenting .( at least 6-8 hours)

5. Heat a griddle, pour one spoonful of batter onto this, then spread out in circular motions till you have a flat pancake.


6. When golden in colour, add half a tsp of ghee, spread on it, and remove from griddle.

7. Serve hot with sambar ,chutney,or....have you tried chicken curry with this?just great!!


SAMBAR :

Ingredients:
toor dal 1 cup
onion, chopped 1
tomato, chopped 1
drumsticks, chopped 2
Brinjal ,chopped 2(eggplant)
Carrot , chopped 1
Potato ,chopped 1
Green chilli ,slit 5
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
coriander powder 1tsp
Asafoetida powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.
Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves a handful(cilantro leaves)
Cumin seeds 1 tbsp
oil 2 Tbsp
mustard seeds 1tbsp
red chillies 3
curry leaves 10
A pinch of asafoetida/hing

Method:
1. Cook the dal with turmeric, onion and 1 cup water until soft & mushy and keep aside.


2. Add the chopped vegetables and some more water, if needed, and cook till tender. You could use a pressure cooker..saves time.

3. Add the powders & mix well. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the tamarind paste. Cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Heat oil, add mustear, let int splutter, then add curryleaves, red chilly, and a pinch of asafoetida.

5. Add to sambar,along with coriander leaves, stir, boil, then serve steaming hot.

AND LIFE GOES ON...

Life goes on...pretty much as usual.. still on my diet...(sigh) ..with occasional lapses (ummm..okay...not occasional...make that every two days...but what can I do when that choclate cake grins wickedly at me?)
hmmm..then, I started going for yoga...the day after i started, the instructor informed us that she would be on a vacation for the next one week, so please come back in a week's time....boohooo...think of my state..I had stretched all my muscles and my whole body was a mass of aches , which might have eased of if I had been able to continue uninterrupted...but now...
I could do it at home..no?Ugh..don't get me started on that story...The minute I change into my sweats and roll out my yoga mat, someone will ring the doorbell or the phone starts ringing. Sheesh!I think the whole world is in on this conspiracy to not let me slim down!!
One motivation for me to lose a few kilograms is this....the other day, me eldest,Junaid was sitting and watching me get all dressed up to go for a party, and I asked him.."why so quiet?what are you thinking da?" and he replied.."Umma, you look so beautiful when you get dressed like that...but you need to be a bit more thin..that would make you so glamorous!"OOOf!Out of the mouths of babes....what words come tripping out!glamour, indeed!Then I decide...if not fo me, let me do this for him....so here's to you , my darling junu...let's see if you can motivate me to lose afew kilos!~

Today, I'm posting this easy recipe for American chopsuey...an instant hit with the young and old alike..I must say that it's one of my star creations...it looks so colorful!!

AMERICAN CHOPSUEY

Ingredients:

noodles 1/2 packet
Cornflour 2 tbsp
Oil to deepfry
Onion 1 chopped
Capsicum 1/2 sliced as thin strips
Carrot 1/2 sliced as thin strips
Garlic 1 tbsp chopped
Ginger a pinch
celery 1 tbsp chopped
Cabbage 2 tbsp shredded thin
Chicken 1 breast piece or
other boneless piece cut as thin strips
Water 2 cups
Ketchup 1 tbsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp
salt 1/2 tsp
sugar a pinch
Ajinomoto a pinch
Egg 1

Method:

1. Boil and drain noodles. Spread on a flat surface and sprinkle 1tbsp of the cornflour onto the noodles.

2. Deep fry in hot oil till golden in colour and crisp. Keep in an airtight box.

3. Saute all the vegetables in 2 tbsp oil. When soft, add all other ingredients except cornflour. Boil.

4. When chicken pieces are well cooked (5 minutes)add cornflour. Let it thicken a bit, then turn off heat.

5. Just before serving, fry the egg (bull's eye).

6. To serve, arrange the fried noodles on a platter, pour steaming hot sauce over this, then place th fried egg on top. Serve immediately.

Tip:
1. You could fry the noodles a day before if you want...just make sure you keep it in an airtight box, so it will still be crunchy.
2. The ajinomoto is optional,if you want, you can add half a chickenstock cube. I also add a dash of red chilli powder to make it more palatable for us Indians!

MY HUSBAND..MY DIARY..

When I became a teenager, my mother gifted me with a tiny little diary with it's own little lock and key. She told me to write a daily journal ..told me to vent my frustrations ,anger and irritations on those pages. My mother taught me that my diary is me-my innermost soul, no holds barred...no secrets. Then she told me to read what I had written, and think, with a clear mind-did I do wrong?was I right?Should I have done things differently? If so, can I change things and situations for the better?
During those turbulent teenage years, those diaries were the best anchors I could have..they were the mirrors of my soul.i found I could lash out at anyone I wanted, in private, without losing my dignity,or hurting any one's feelings.They taught me to be ladylike. They helped me when I felt sad. I just had to read back a few pages to see how blessed I was and see that things were not as bad as they seemed. I never forgot a single moment of my life.

Over the years, I graduated from that tiny little diary to big notebooks, chockful of funny stories, sad moments, angry outbursts..silly crushes...what not!!

And then I got I got married.My diary writing went into over drive!!My emotions were fluctuating wildly in the highs and lows of my first love!!There were so many pages of syrupy simpering quotes about my dashing new husband.
Then came the many problems of two totally different people settling into a life together after the honeymoon period- Ugh!so many pages were filled with the things about him that irritated me!
Pregnancy-babies...I got so busy that I almost stopped writing. Almost..not fully....Because there were moments which were so intensely beautiful , they made me reach for pen and diary so I would never again forget those moments..
There was a time, when I would fill the pages with my fury at sitting at home, fat, with three kids, no chance to be footloose and fancy free...When I started using the D word in my writing..That should be around the 7th year of marriage(yes!!there really truly is a seven year itch!)My life was at it's lowest point..every little thing seemed to set us off into a bout of quarrelling...One day, after penning some angry words in myn diary, I started reading back...and I kept on till I reached my very first diary..( yes!I still have all my diaries...they're kept in a highly classified vault!won't tell you where!)They made me sit up and take stock of my life.And I realised that for the past few years, my behaviour and affection to my husband had been steadily going downhill...in all aspects, I was doing the wrong things..as a daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, mother, wife, aunt,cousin , friend...as a woman...I was not upto the mark. I was not the person I was before.So I decided to change...to make an effort to be a better person,to be more patient, not to let the little things rile me up,to be more understanding to make the extra effort to love all who are my family and friends.I learnt to compromise and adjust
In six months time, we were back on track!


When my attitude changed, so did his..And one fine day, I picked up the box that contained all my diaries(all 11 of them!)and asked him if he wanted to read them. (after 8 years of being married...)Till that day, no one else had read my diaries, so he was properly respectful of them.We crossed an important milestone that day. I had learnt to trust him fully and he understood that I trusted him totally now. Eight years of living together and three kids-and you know what? Our love story started only then!And he also changed so much..he started talking more about his life, his dreams..he started opening up fully. We found that we basically have the same ideas and views.And he became my diary. I could pour out my anger, fears, my joy, my dreams..my wishes ,and know that my feelings and thoughts are safe with him. He comforted me when I was sad, cautioned me when I was reckless, soothed my fears, laughed along with me,sheared my wonder ...in short..he became better than my diary!

It is now the tenth year of our marriage..and I find that I no longer write in my diary.
My husband is my diary.

MUTTON ULARTH

Ingredients:

Mutton- 1kg
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Button Onions 250 gms
Curry leaves 2-3 stalks
Dry red chillies 6-8 nos.
Green chilly 2-3 nos.
Ginger garlic crush1tbsp
Coconut OIl 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds(powdered)2tsp
Salt to taste
Water 1 cup

Method:

1. Crush dry red chillies ,onions, ginger garlic coarsely.

2. Rub meat with turmeric, salt and coconut oil and leave for 10 minutes.

3. Add all the ingredients and cover and cook till meat is soft and there is a thick gravy. Serve piping hot with chapathi, appam, bread...etc.

This one is my husband's favorite and his mom's recipe.Really great taste.
We sometimes substitute potato, or beef or chicken for the mutton..tastes great then also!!

IT'S BEEN A BAD START FOR MY NEW YEAR..

This year has started badly for me...no.the first week was okay..a whirlwind round of parties and weddings...but then, on the 6th, my father in law was admitted to the hospital in an emergency situation..he was in the intensive care unit for a week, then transferred to another hospital, where he still is..
the whole family (all 8 of us...we're a single unit)have rallied around, and we have been living our lives around the hospital..then my niece started complaining of stomach pains..which turned out to be a large ovarian cyst..so she had to have an emergency operation..all of us have been dispirited and tired these past few days...so my husband, running on very little sleep managed to bust his car on a post day before yesterday..thankfully, he wasn't hurt...

thinking about all this, I was quite scared to drive my car, and decided to be more careful(since we'd been having a slew of bad luck)And what should happen? you guessed it right! I had a run in with a biker yesterday morning...Thankfully, nothing much happened..There i was, toodling alng, when a biker cuts into my lane, and goes right under my car!You can just imagine my state!I jumped out of the car, saw that he was okay, then started bawling....boo hooo...All my pent up fear and thoughts of bad luck and releif that I didn't kill him....made me cry..
Net result?finally the guy who I knocked over had to comfort me, saying, It's ok...no problem,I'm fine...see, You didn't hurt me..no hard feelings!!OOOf!!what a day!
So now, here we are, all still flitting between hospitals, hoping that things will take a turn for the better...Just not in a mood for blogging or posting a recipe, but still...


CHEEMATO SOUP

Ingredients:

Tomatoes chopped 2 medium size
Carrots chopped 3 medium size
Water 5 cups
Onion chopped 1
Pumpkin/cabbage/capsicum 1 cup(optional )
Chicken stock cube 1
Cheese slice 2 or cheese spread 3 tbsp
Pepper as needed
Basil or oregano 1 tsp




Method:

1. Put onion, tomatoe,carrot and other veggies if you are using them, along with water in a pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes or till you hear 4 or 5 whistles.

2. Cool, then blend in a blender till there are no chunks floating around.

3. Pour into a saucepan, add the stock cube (powdered),pepper, and cheese.Heat till the soup is thick and the cheese has melted.

4. Serve hot with bread croutons.

RECIPE FOR A HAPPY YEAR

Take twelve complete months.
Clean them of all bitterness, hate and envy.
Cut them into 29, 30, or 31 pieces,
but do not cook them all at the same time.
Prepare one day at a time, with the following ingredients:
a pinch of patience, a pinch of courage, a pinch of work.
Add to each day one part hope, faithfulness, and kindness.
Mix well with one part prayer, one part meditation,
and one part application.
Season with a portion of good spirits, a pinch of happiness,
a little action, and a good measure of humour.
Place everything in a vessel of love.
Cook well on the flame of radiant happiness.
Garnish with a smile and serve abundantly.

Hi!! hope you all have a great year ahead..me too!!
I've prepared a long list of resolutions for myself for the coming year...want to hear?
1. Be more patient with my kids. Don't yell all the time!!
2. Start my morning walks again(I started today!!)
3. Go for yoga.
4. Diet...Diet..Diet..Lose at least 10 kgs this year..
5. Experiment more with food.
6. Learn sewing .
7. Do more crafts with the children.
8. Plant a tree every month in some public place.
9. Be more eco friendly..Stop using plastic.
10. Save water.

I think that's enough for now...let's see how I manage..eh?
Today morning..I've been whizzing around my house giving it a good cleaning and dusting. Every single corner is now squeaky clean...just waiting to start the new year all clean and clutterfree!!
Was planning to start my heavy duty diet tomorrow...and then my friend S, drops in with a blueberry cheesecake as a new year gift!!!
Sheesh!!Have ruthlessly divided the cake into portions for the kids and my old watchman(let him grow fat!!hahaha!!)and a portion for my neighbor too!!
there!!wasn't I good!!I didn't touch a single piece!!

BATTER FRIED PRAWNS

Ingredients:

500 gm prawns
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp crushed green chillies
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp maida(flour)
3 tbsp cornflour
1 egg white
a pinch of soda bicarb
a pinch of baking powder
2 tbsp Spring onion/celery finely chopped
Oil to deep fry



Method:

1. Shell and devein prawns, leaving the tails on.

2. Mix together crushed garlic, green chillies, oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Add prawns and Refrigerate for two hours.

3. Mix flour, baking powder, cornflour, whipped egg white, sodabicarb, and enough water to make a thick batter.

4. Heat oil till smoking, then put low flame.

5. Holding the prawns by the tails, dip in batter, then drop into hot oil.

6. Fry until golden, turning once. Drain. Serve hot with spring onions chopped sprinkled on top as a garnish and with shezuan sauce.


SHEZUAN SAUCE:

Mix together tomato ketchup 4 tbsp, chillisauce 2 tbsp, vinegar 1 tsp, chopped spring onions, chopped green chillies 1/2 tsp, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of ajinomoto. Heat in a saucepan till well blended, cool, and serve with prawns.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!