Together for 76 years

   My mother-in law and father-in-law        
        

 Today is a special day for our family as my in laws are celebrating their 76th wedding anniversary.  Today, both of them will be entering the 77th year of togetherness. From this day, the entire year is ahead for us to celebrate their diamond jubilee. One can call it platinum jubilee too. It is not important to just name it as diamond or platinum. The life they have lived together is very important for us because there is much to learn from them. For this very reason, I had dedicated my book - “veetu saapadu" to them.
My father-in law is 98 years old and my mother-in-law is 92 years old. They got married in 1940. My father-in-law lost his father, when he was barely 5 years old. His father was a gold medallist from the Gundiy college of Engineering -Madras (now Anna University). He built the Yakara Bridge in plaghat (Kerala). It still stands there strong. We remember him every time we pass through that bridge. My father-in-law was brought up by his father's brother, who was a great doctor (known as Dr Vaidyanath Iyer) in Trichur. However, my father-in law was destined for a job in railways, which forced him to travel all over India. My father-in law’s pillar of support was his mother who lost her husband at the age of twenty two. However, she passed away at the ripe age of 78.
I  must say that my father-in-law is patience personified. This quality makes him close to everybody. He knows many things about the pre-independence period. In fact, he is a store house of information, like our history books. I came to know more about my grandfather (my dad's dad,-the first Indian to get F R A S) from him.
My mother-in-law is also a store house of information. She can speak at length  about the entire family she knew for four generations with ease. In fact, her memory is so sharp that she can recollect her days as small child even today. More important is that she always carries a smile with her. This is infectious and makes her dear to everybody.

                    My brother-in-law with his wife

 Interestingly, today is also the wedding day of my brother-in-law (my husband's elder brother and my in-laws first son). Today, they will be celebrating their 33nd wedding anniversary along with my in-laws. just the way they were celebrating all their wedding anniversaries for the last 32 years.  My brother-in-law and my co-sister are happy go lucky types, which makes them special.
I wish both the couples keep celebrating their wedding days together like this for many more years.
 

Cup idli

There are many types of idli like Kanchipuram idli, kadabu idli and stuffed idli. Cup idli is another idli, where idli batter is steamed in cups generally used for baking cakes. When presented with small pieces of vegetables, it looks attractive, besides being healthy. This is again another tiffin to bring kids to the table to eat good food.

Ingredients:

Idli batter - 4cups
Chopped vegetables - 1/2 cup
Red chutney - 2tsps
Oil for greasing
Cup cake moulds

 
Method:
Grease the cup cakes moulds. Pour the idli batter in each and steam it till done. Remove from the cup and arrange in a plate. Spread little red chutney on each idli. Decorate with the chopped vegetables. I have used capsicum and carrot to decorate it.

Simple side dish

 

Cook up a tasty dish using all the left over vegetables.This recipe uses cauliflower, carrot and potato, besides onion in its preparations. It tastes great with flat breads. However, it can also serve as side dish for sambhar and rasam rice. 

Ingredients:
Chopped cauliflower - 1 cup
Chopped carrot - 1/2 cup
Chopped potato - 1/2 cup
Choped onion - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Coriander powder - 1tsp
Chilli powder - 1tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Curry leaves  -few
Salt and oil - as required
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:
In a frying pan, temper mustard seeds in little oil. Add the onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions turn transparent. Then add the vegetables  and all the  powders. Saute well. Add one cup of water and salt. Close and cook till the vegetables become soft. Open and cook to dry up any residue of water. Garnish with coriander leaves.  

Baked rice

This rice, which is loaded with spinach, baby corn and colourful capsicums is a meal in itself. Cooked long rice is drenched in white sauce and placed between a layer of blanched spinanch and baby corn and capsicums in different colours. Then it is drizzled with a layer of grated cheese and baked to perfection.

Ingredients:

Blanched and chopped spinanch - 1/2 cup
Blanched and chopped baby corn - 1/2 cup
Cooked long rice- 3cups
Chopped mixed capsicums - 2cups (red, green & yellow)
Chili flakes - 1tsp
Black pepper powder - 1tsp
Tomato sauce - 2tsps
Grated cheese - 1cup
All purpose flour - 2tsps
Cold milk  -2cups
Olive oil - 2tsps
Salt to taste

Method:
Smear little salt to the capsicum and baby corn . Keep it aside.
Dry toast the flour till it changes colour. Remove from heat and add the milk. Cook on low flame stirring continuously till it thickens. Cool for a while. Then, add half the cheese, salt, pepper powder and tomato sauce. Keep this sauce aside.

                                         before baking
 
Grease an oven proof dish. Arrange the blanched spinach and baby corn in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the chilli flakes over it. Top it with cooked rice. Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the rice. Then arrange the capsicums over it. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over it.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 30-35 minutes.  

Tomato broken wheat

This is ideal for breakfast or even for a light dinner.  It also tastes great when accompanied with some stir fried vegetables. It is made with Indian samba broken wheat, which has high fiber and a low Glycemic index. This kitchadi is excellent for diabetics.

Ingredients:

Samba broken wheat – 1 cup

Onion -1

Tomato -2

Turmeric powder -1 tsp

Sambhar powder- 1 tsp

Sugar- 1 tsp (optional)

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Curry leaves-few  

Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tsp

Salt and oil - as required

                           Samba broken wheat

Method:

Puree the tomato in blender. Keep it aside.  Heat a frying pan and crackle the mustard seeds with one teaspoon of oil. Add the onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions turn brown. Stir in the turmeric powder and Sambhar powder in quick succession. Fry for few seconds.   Then add the tomato puree, salt, sugar and two cups of water. When it begins to boil, add the broken wheat. Close and cook till it is done. Alternatively, you can place everything in a pressure cooker and cook for few minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

   

Mini tiffin

There are a few kids who are fuzzy about eating. For them food must be presented in a different way. It must be colourful and some sweet items must be included to entice them into eating. Fruits, like cherries, mango, grapes and pineapple not only look colourful on the plate but also adds some nutrition to breakfast. Here I have made a simple tiffin using mini idli and fresh pineapple pieces.

Ingredients:
Idli batter - 1cup
Dosa podi - 2tsps
Powdered sugar -1tsp
Clarified butter -1tsp
Fresh pineapple pieces - few

                                                         mini idli mould
Method:
Prepare mini idlis using the mini idli mould. Combine dosa podi, sugar and clarified butter. Smear this mixture on both the sides of the idle. Arrange it neatly on a plate. Circle it with fresh pineapple pieces.

Note:
Pineapple can be substituted with other seasonal fruits of your choice.
For dosa batter recipe refer my onion carrot pancake recipe. For dosai podi recipe refer podi dosa recipe.

Cottage cheese in spinach gravy

 This famous dish is served in most restaurants as palak paneer. It is high on calcium and low on calories. A 100 gram of spinach provides just 23 calories and the same quantity of low fat cottage cheese provides 71 calories. This mildly spiced gravy goes well with flat breads.

Ingredients:
Low fat cottage cheese -100gm
Spinach greens -200gms
Green chillies -2 to 3
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Coriander leaves -1/2cup
 Finely chopped onion -1cup
Salt and oil -as required

Method:
Toast the cottage cheese on both sides in little oil. Cut it into small cubes. Keep it aside.
Wash and chop the spinach. Add salt and green chillies and cook in 1 cup of water.
Cool and puree it along with the chopped coriander leaves. Keep it aside.
In a frying pan, heat little oil and fry the cumin seeds. Then, add the chopped onions and fry. When the onions become translucent add the pureed spinach and cottage cheese. Simmer for few seconds.

Note: Chopped garlic can also added along with onions to give that restaurant flavour.