Puliyodarai

Puliyodarai is also called tamarind rice and is an offering to gods in every perumal temples. Iyengar puliyodarai is considered to be the authentic puliyodarai. The temple style of preparing this rice is slightly different from the one that is prepared at home.

Ingredients:
Cooked white rice - 2 cups
Puliyodarai paste - 2tsps
Puliyodarai powder - 3tsps
Sesame oil -4tbls
Roasted peanuts - 3tbls (optional)


For puliyodarai paste:

Tamarind pulp -1/2 cup
Brown sugar -3 tlbs
Asafoetida -1tsp
Turmeric powder -1tsp
Green chillies -3 to 4
Red chillies -2(broken into two)
Mustard seeds - 2tsps
Black gram -2tsps
Curry leaves - few
Salt and oil -as required

Method:
Heat the mustard seeds with little oil in a frying pan. When it crackles add the black gram and fry till it turns brown. Then add the asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, green chillies, red chillies and curry leaves. Stir for few seconds. Then add the tamarind pulp, brown sugar and salt. Bring it to a boil and allow it to thicken. 

Note: Half cup of tamarind pulp can be extracted from one lemon sized tamarind.

For Puliyodarai powder:
Split chickpea -1tsp
Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds -2tsps
Sesame seeds -2tsps
Aniseed -1/2tsp
Red chillies -4to5

Toast everything separately without using oil. Cool and pulverise in a blender to a smooth powder.


To make puliyodarai:

Spread the cooked rice in a plate. Add the puliyodarai paste, puliyodarai powder and the sesame oil. Mix everything thoroughly. Garnish with peanuts.

Go with the flow

 This is an abstract painting in oil on canvas. When I started on this seascape I never knew how the outcome would be. My attempts at paintings abstracts have been different with every painting. Seascape is my favourite and I had no intention of spoiling it, so I just followed the flow of my mind. Finally I placed a surfer in the middle. The result was satisfactory for me.

Vermicelli halwa

 This sweet dish is easy to make and requires very few ingredients. It also requires very little sugar and clarified butter as compared to semolina halwa.

Ingredients:
Roasted vermicelli -2cups
Water - 4cups
Sugar -1/2 cup
Cardamom powder -2tsps
Clarified butter -3tblsp
Orange food colour - one pinch (optional)

Method:
Cook the vermicelli in two cups of water preferably in a pressure cooker. Heat the cooked vermicelli, sugar, clarified butter and colour in a thick bottomed vessel stirring continuously. The sugar will initially liquidise and slowly get absorbed with the vermicelli. Remove from heat and add cardamom powder.

Potato cutlet

This is an all-time favourite snack that can be served alone or sandwiched between two slices of bread. It can also be placed on phulkas(flat bread) along with tomato sauce and raw onion to make vegetable roll.

Ingredients:
Mashed cooked potatoes -2cups
Grated carrots -1tsp
Green chillies -2(finely chopped)
Crushed ginger -1tsp
Chopped coriander -2tsp
Onion -1(finely chopped)
Bread slices -2
Salt and oil - as required

Method:
Powder the bread slices in a blender. Combine everything to make stiff dough. Divide and roll out small balls out of it. Then flatten it. Toast on both sides using some oil over a hot griddle. Serve it with tomato sauce and onion.

Ven pongal

 Ven pongal, which is an offering to the gods in temples, also makes for an excellent breakfast. Ven pongal is made with mild spices like ginger and pepper corns and generous amount of clarified butter. As it is devoid of garlic and onion it is usually prepared during festival days and other auspicious occasions.

Ingredients:
Raw rice - 1cup
Yellow split green gram -1/4cup
Cashew nuts -3tsps
Clarified butter -1/2cup
Black pepper corns -1tsp
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Curry leaves -few
Asafoetida powder -1/4tsp
Crushed ginger -1tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Fry the cashew nuts with little clarified butter till brown. Keep it aside.
Dry roast the rice till it emits a nice aroma. Pressure cook it along with green gram till soft. Remove from the cooker. Add salt and mash it well while it is still hot.
Next, heat the balance clarified butter in a frying pan and fry the cumin seeds, black pepper, ginger, asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Mix it with the mashed rice. Garnish with fried cashew nuts.  
Note: One cup of roasted rice and a quarter cup of green gram can be cooked in three cups of water in a pressure cooker.

 

Crispy rings

 
This finger food is also known as onion rings that can be prepared fast with few ingredients.

Ingredients:
Big onions -3
Beaten curd -1/2 cup
All purpose powder (maida) - 2cups
Corn starch -1tsp
Baking powder -1tsp
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the onions into thick slices. Separate then into rings. Keep it aside.
Mix the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt to the beaten curd. The consistency should be gooey, not very thick and not very thin.
Dip each onion rings into this batter and deep fry it. Stack it like a cone and serve it with ketchup or green chutney.

Cheese balls

Cheese balls are easy to make and requires very few ingredients. Hence, it becomes an excellent finger food for guests.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat bread slices -few
Grated cheddar cheese - 1/2 cup
Green chillies -2(finely chopped)
Black pepper powder -1/2tsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Powder the bread slices in a blender. Combine everything and make small round balls using 1 to 2 teaspoons of water. Deep fry them in small batches of four or five.
Note: Heat the oil well initially, then keep it on low heat while frying.

Happy Pongal and Makar Sankranti

          

Makara Sankranti is celebrated throughout India under different names. It is Pongal in Tamilnadu, Makar Sankranti in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh,Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand , West Bengal and Rajasthan and Lohri in Punjab.
It is a day when the sun takes the trip towards the northern hemisphere.It also marks the end of winter season and the beginning of harvest season.

My tryst with real people -II

Doing a painting of real people in your life is really tough. The painting should resemble the real people in every respect, otherwise you can expect some criticism. Keeping that in my mind I have painted a picture of my son and daughter-in-law by the beach. Take a look.

Riot of purple colours

The beginning of December saw the blooming of Lilly magnolias in our garden. It was a pleasant sight to see these purple flowers on all the tips of the branches. A closer look resembled a canopy of flower arrangement. 

Lilly magnolias require very little water and are best for garden fencing. They attract birds and bees alike as these flowers stay on the branches for a longer time. From mid-January, the flowering of this shrub will be no decline, when I may have to focus on other flowering plants for taking pictures.

Sakarai pongal

There are many types of pongal like Ven pongal, Melagu pongal and pulli pongal. But Sakarai pongal is a sweet pongal, which is also an offering to the diety in many temples. Tamilians prepare this pongal during the thai pongal festival, which  extends from January 13-16 of the Gregorian calendar. This harvest festival coincides with Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India.

Ingredients:

1. Raw rice - 1cup
2. Yellow split green gram -1/4cup
3. Crushed jaggery -1cup
4. Raisins -2tsps
5. Cashew -2tsps
6. Clarified butter -1/cup
7. Cardamom powder -1tsp

Method:
Fry the cashew and raisins separately with little clarified butter. Keep it aside.
Dry roast the rice till it emits a nice aroma. Pressure cook it along with green gram till soft.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat the jaggery with few teaspoons of water. When it starts to dilute add the cooked rice, green gram and the clarified butter. Keep stirring it till it thickens to the consistency of jam. Remove from heat and add the cardamom powder. Garnish with fried cashew and raisins.

Note: One cup of roasted rice and a quarter cup of green gram can be cooked in three cups of water in a pressure cooker.

 

Quick rice fix

Want to make something different and light for dinner. Then try this quick rice fix, which tastes like vegetable pulao.

This rice can be prepared with any rice, but using long rice or basmati rice gives it extra flavour and taste.

Ingredients:
Cooked basmati rice -2cups
Garam masala powder -2tsps
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Blanched vegetables -1cup
(Blanched vegetables can include, green peas, carrot and cauliflower)
Onion -2
Capsicum -1/2(finely chopped)
Cashew -1/4 cup
Oil and salt -as required

Method:
Chop one onion finely and another one length wise. Fry the latter till it turns brown. Fry the cashew nuts also. Keep it aside. In a frying pan, fry the finely chopped onions for few minutes. Then add the garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt. Fry for few seconds. Next add the cooked rice, blanched vegetables and capsicum. Sauté everything. Garnish with browned onions and cashew nuts.

Serve it with green chutney and grilled cottage cheese.