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Sunday, June 23, 2013

roasting ground nut


When I was studying in school daily in the evening we used hear a music "tan--tan--tanatan-tan-tan--.. sarat sarat-- tan-tan-tanatan-- sarat-..." as soon as I hear the sound used to run out of the house with a coin.
For what? to buy roasted pea nuts. ground nut is also called pea nut.
The music is played on iron kadai with iron ladle by the peanut seller. The seller used to have a push cart and a stove with a iron kadai on it. The peanuts coated with salt is kept in another wide mouthed container.
The kadai is half filled with sand. The seller then add peanuts ( ground nuts ) with or without shell into kadai and constantly stirring the sand with ladle thus making the music. The nuts get roasted uniformly with nice aroma.
The music is played to draw the attention of the people around. He used to make a cone and pack roasted nuts in it.
Whenever I roast peanuts without shell in a kadai I couldn't get that aroma!!
Last week I bought fresh ground nuts from market. I washed the shells to remove the mud sticking to it. Then cooked in a cooker. Rest of the washed ground nuts dried little bit. So it will not taste good if its boiled.

I took around 10 to 15 in a microwave safe bowl.


Microwaved it for 2 minutes at maximum power stting.
Wow! I didn't expect!! the nuts were roasted uniformly and got that same aroma of peanut seller's.


Some of the nuts which were still fresh inside gave a boiled taste.
Whenever I used to roast peanuts without shell by microwave it took around 3 and a half minutes.
And also in between had to be stirred for uniform roasting.

Carrot Payasam

#CarrotPayasam : #Carrot payasam tastes very good and I prepared over an Induction stove.
The carrot should be fresh to get the natural taste and flavour.

Carrot Payasam




Ingredients :

Ingredients :
1/3 cupCarrot grated
1 cupMilk
1 Tsp heapedCustard powder
1/4 cupSugar [ adjust ]
2 TspCucumber or melon seeds

Method :
Boil milk in a vessel and keep aside.
Save 2 Tbsp of milk in a small bowl and allow to cool down.
Keep another flat bottomed stainless steel vessel over the induction stove.
Keep temperature setting to 120.
Add carrot and stir with a ladle.
Saute till it becomes soft.
Do not over cook and the carrot should retain its original color.
Add sugar and keep stirring.
Water comes out of carrot and melts the sugar.
 and pour rest of the milk into the vessel with carrot.
Mix well.
Set temperature setting to 500 and let it boil for 5 minutes.
Keep stirring at regular intervals.
After 5 minutes reduce the setting to 120.
Dissolve custard powder with the saved milk in a small bowl.
Add into the simmering payasam and stir continuously till the payasam becomes shiny and attains porridge consistency.
Transfer into a serving bowl.
Garnish with cucumber seeds or melon seeds.
Carrot Payasam Carrot Payasam

Enjoy when its hot.
It also tastes good when chilled also.



You might like to try
Broken Wheat Payasam
Broken Wheat Payasam
Carrot Thinai Payasam [ Carrot Foxtail millet Payasam ]
Carrot Thinai Payasam
Amaranth Payasam 1
Amaranth Payasam 1
Aval Paal Payasam
Aval Paal Payasam
Thinai Payasam 4
Thinai Payasam 4

For variety of Dishes

Recipe Index

Friday, June 21, 2013

Tulsi Rice

#TulsiRice : #Tulsi - #HolyBasil is a small shrub usually grown by people in India at their court yard or back yard in a specially made platform called thulasi maadam and is worshipped by Hindus.
It is a herb with strong tasty leaves with an aroma and all parts of tulsi are used in Ayurveda to cure many diseases.
Tulsi plant

Generally after rains we could see small tulsi plants grow abuntantly in our garden and on road sides also.
Last year when we set up our home at Raipur the monsoon had just then started.
After rains we found two small tulsi sapplings and allowed them to grow.
Now we have three big tulsi and 2 small tulsi from seeds of older one.

Tulsi plant

Daily we used to take 10 to 15 leaves in the morning before morning cuppa.
After the rains lots of tender leaves appeared and became bushy. So in order to consume more leaves I tried tulsi rice yesterday. It was very tasty with nice aroma of tulsi and pepper.
Now to the recipe

Tulsi Rice


Ingredients :
Raw rice                            : 1/2 cup
Tulsi                                  : 1 cup
Cumin seeds                      : 1 tsp
Cashew nuts                      : 4 or 5
Onion                                : 1 medium size
Carrot chopped                 : 1 Tbsp
Green peas                        : 2 Tbsp
Pepper powder                  : 1/2 tsp
Salt                                    : 3/4 tsp [ adjust ]
Gingelly oil                         : 4 tsp


Method :
Wash tulsi leaves well and chop nicely.
Take washed rice in a pressure cooker.
Add 1 cup of water and close the lid with weight on.
Keep on HIGH for 3 whistles.
Allow the steam to completely go off and then open.


Immediately transfer into a wide mouthed basin.
Add two tsp of oil and keep under fan to cool down.

Now thinly slice onion length wise.

Boil carrot and green peas with enough salt till soft.
Transfer into a bowl. Keep aside.

Keep a kadai on a stove over slow flame with 2 tsp of oil.
When the oil is hot add cumin seeds.
After it splutters add cashew nut piece and roast till it becomes golden color.
Then add onions and saute well.

Now add cooked carrot and green peas.
Saute for a minute.

Add tulsi leaves, salt and pepper powder.


Then add the rice also.


Mix well. Turn off the stove and transfer into a serving bowl.
Do not keep on fire for a long time after adding tulsi leaves.

Tulsi Rice

Have with a side dish of your choice.







Other tasty mixed rice varieties you might like to try :
Thengai sadham [ coconut rice ] Thengai murungaikeerai sadham [ coconut murungaikeerai rice ] Karuveppilai sadham [ curry leaf rice ] Kuthiraivaali coriander rice Rice varieties



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Mullangi Keerai Thuvatal - Radish Leaves Curry

#MullangiKeeraiThuvatal  #RadishLeavesCurry : #Radish is an edible root vegetable generally available in the market with leaves.
I have seen many people discard the leaves as soon as they buy in the market and take away only the vegetable.
But the #radishleaves [ #mullangikeerai ] are also edible and packed with essential nutrients.
I usually prepare #thuvatal ( #curry / #stirfry ) with these crunchy leaves.

Radish leaves stir fry

Ingredients :
Radish leaves           : one bunch.

Radish leaves

Onion                    : 1 small size, chop nicely
Spring Onion          : 1 or 2, chop nicely
Red chilly                : 1
Mustard seeds         : 1/2 tsp
Black gram dhal      : 1/2 tsp
Salt                         : to taste
Oil                           : 1/2 tsp
Coconut scrap           : 2 tsp

Method :

Radish with leaves

Leaves and tender stems are edible.
Clean and wash thoroughly two or three times.
Thinly chop the leaves and stems.
Keep aside.
Chop onion nicely and break red chilly into small pieces.

Radish leaves, spring onion washed and chopped

Keep a kadai on slow flame with half a tsp of oil.
When oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds.
After it splutters add broken red chilly.
Then add black gram dhal ( urad dhal ).
When dhal turns golden color add onion.
Saute onions and spring onion well.
Now add chopped leaves and add salt also.

Radish leaves stir fry getting ready

Mix well and close the kadai with a lid.
Allow the leaves to cook well.
Do not over cook. The leaves should retain its color and crunchiness.
Open the lid and stir well till the water evaporate.
Add coconut scrapings and mix well.
Transfer into a serving bowl.

Radish Leaves Stir Fry


A very good side dish for sambar rice ( Hot white rice mixed with sambar )

and rasam rice ( Hot white rice mixed with rasam )

.







Other recipes you might like to try

Knolkhol stir fry
Knolkhol stir fry
Murungaikeerai thuvatal
Murungaikeerai thuvatal
Muttaikos Poriyal [ Cabbage Stir Fry ]
Cabbage Stir Fry
Kothavarangai Paruppu Usili [ Cluster Beans Lentil Masala Curry ]
Cluster Beans Lentil Masala Curry
Cauliflower Poriyal
Cauliflower Poriyal

Stirfry/Poriyal

Curry Index

Variety of Dishes for Lunch

Recipe Index

kesari

#Kesari : Kesari is one of  the easiest sweets made at homes.
I used to make kesari whenever I melt butter to prepare ghee.

Kesari

Ingredients :
Rawa ( sooji )                            : 1/3 cup
Sugar                                       : 1/3 cup heaped
Ghee                                         : 3 tsp ( can add more also )
Cardamom powder                     : 1/2 tsp ( optional )
Cashew                                      : 4 ( optional )
Water                                        : 1 cup
Kesari ( red ) color                      : a pinch
Salt                                           : a pinch

Method :
Take ghee in a wide mouthed heavy bottom vessel.
Heat on slow flame.
Add rawa and roast well till it gives out aroma and slightly turns to golden color.

In another vessel heat one cup of water.
Once rawa is roasted well add the boiling water and keep stirring.
Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of kesari ( red ) color.


Rawa gets cooked within minutes.
Now add sugar and keep stirring.


Kesari is ready when it leaves the surface of the vessel and rolls like a ball.
Add cardamom powder and stir well.

Kesari

Transfer onto a greased plate.
Sprinkle few drops of ghee on kesari and spread well with a flat spoon.
Garnish with roasted cashews.
Cut into pieces with a clean and dry knife.

Note : A drop of rose essence can be added instead of cardamom powder to get different aroma.

Enjoy kesari when its hot.
It also tastes good when it cools down.

Other sweets you may like to try




You might also like to try

rasagulla
rasagulla
Dulce de leche [ Milk candy ]
milk candy
Instant Doodh Peda
Instant peda
Molded Chocolate
dark chocolate
aval kesari
aval kesari
cocoa chocolate
cocoa chocolate

For other sweet recipes

Sweet

For other Desserts

Desserts

For other recipes

Recipe Index