Daily Archives: March 18, 2016

Panang kilanzgu kara podi

Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4 members

Description

Sprouts of Palm have always being in ample at home here at hubby dears place and back at moms place too. Always treated as a snack to munch and pass your time. Usually not liked but is there for you when in season. All they do is just boil it with salt and turmeric powder. Once on a visit to my father-in-laws elder brothers home. They offer me a powder form of snack with a spoon that looks fibrous too. Before I could taste, I asked my elder mother-in-law what it was and she’s like panam kilanzgu ( sprouts of Palm ). I took a mouth full not wanting to say no to it as it looked different. My eye brows raised as it was delicious. I immediately did take note of how it was made. My mother-in- law did make fun of me saying .. Chef does not know this simple village snack recipe.. Shame shame puppy Shame . At times we tend to focus on too many complicated things that are far away and beyond us forgetting the simple things which is what we are. This sure was an alerting call signaling me to focus more on our local simple food than the out of the box international fare. So holding on tight to our roots here is a simple, healthy snack from my home town Tirunelveli .

Sprouts of Palm seeds spicy powder

Ingredients	Quantity
Sprouts of Palm seeds	5
Dry red chillies	3
Garlic	1 flake peeled
Grated coconut	3/4 cup
Salt	to taste
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon

Method

Peel and wash the sprouts of Palm seeds.
Pressure cook for seven whistles adding water to immerse, salt to taste and turmeric powder.
Remove and drain. Cool completely. Peel the fibrous skin and chop to bite size pieces.
Pat dry the pieces making sure no moister is left.
In a food processor powder dry red chillies, grated coconut and garlic together with out adding water.
Mix well to get a coarse powder.
Top with the sprouts of Palm seeds pieces and powder further with out adding water.
Open the food processor lid, mix well with a spoon. Blitz again to mix well.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve as a snack.

Murg methi tikka masala

Preparation time : 25 minutes + 4 hours marination
Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
Serves : 6 members

Description

Social media. Now what about it ? The main reason for me to get in touch with my long lost relatives, friends and Unkown new social media friends too. The last “new social media friends” list is getting bigger day by day and Ayesha Nazreen is one such friend of mine. My sister-in-law wahitha was surprised on her trip to the USA when Ayesha enquired about me there. From then we have come a long way chatting, exchanging messages, recipes though not met in person yet. This recipe was one such that she passed over when I had fresh fenugreek grown in the back yard at home. The gravy was velvety oozing with North Indian flavors and the tang of curd used sure did justice to balance the dish well. I am waiting for my next try as here it’s very rare to get fresh fenugreek leaves. So I guess I have to grow them and give a try the old school way which makes it even the more glamorous. This recipe is for sure keeps as it adds oomph to your table. I realized how this dish makes me think of Nazreen when ever this dish pops up in mind. Then I was like.. Hey so this must be the very same thing, all those who cook or read your recipes must be going through too. Happy me as we all loved to be remembered and thought of for sure no matter what for good deeds.

Ingredients for the marinate

Ingredients	Quantity
Boneless chicken	1 kg
Red chilli powder	3 teaspoons
Ginger and garlic paste	1 teaspoon
Coriander powder	2 teaspoons
Cumin powder	1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder	1/2 teaspoon
Mint leaves	2 teaspoons
Salt	to taste

Ingredients to sauté and grind

Ingredients	Quantity
Onion	2 big chopped
Tomatoes	3 big chopped
Ginger and garlic paste	1 teaspoon
Fresh fenugreek leaves	1 cup full ( 1/2 bunch )
Coriander leaves	1/4 cup
Red chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Coriander powder	2 teaspoon
Pepper powder	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Curd	1/4 cup
Oil	2 tablespoons
Orange red Food colour	a pinch ( optional)

Other ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Oil	1 tablespoon
Heavy cream	1/4 cup

Method

Grind all the ingredients together mentioned under to marinate except for boneless chicken.
Marinate the boneless chicken in the ground paste for 3 to 4 hours .
In a kadai heat oil, add roughy chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Top with ginger and garlic paste,sauté for 5-7 mins to crisp. Add roughy chopped tomato.
When the tomato becomes mushy add 1/2 bunch of fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves , red chili powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, salt to taste, curd and red food colour.
Sauté well until oil floats on top. Remove from heat and cool completely. Blend to a smooth paste.
Preheat an oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grill the marinated chicken for 10 minutes over a greased baking tray.
Turn each chicken piece and grill further for another 5-8 minutes. Remove from grill and keep aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil, top with the ground masala paste. Mix well adding little water.
When it starts to boil add the grilled chicken and cook in low flame for 10 minutes until oil floats on top . Add heavy cream. Mix well.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with any type of roti, chapathis or poori.

Samai vegetable kolukattai

Preparation time : 20 minutes + over night soaking of millet’s
Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
Serves : 6 members

Description

I had no knowledge about millet’s and its benefits until recent when I went to a naturopathy hospital for a body detox where they used just millet’s for all meals. This sure was an awakening up grade to me. Took note of all the recipes from there and tried it out at home with results being great but a sure fail on the table with long faces. So all those recipes seem to be on rest in the hand written cook book as it is. But I was not ready to give up and what do I do with all the millets in my pantry. So every alternative day is a recipe trial day with millets keeping in mind it has to taste good and must be of an reinterpretation of any Indian main course that’s usually had for breakfast. This versatile kolukattai also is one such recipe that developed just like that in my mind. These novel tea time kolukattai’ are loaded with the Goodness of vegetables, dal and millet. It is a hard feat to come up with great vegetarian dishes for me. Here I some how cracked it, guess it was sheer fluke.. What ever let’s all celebrate the joy of healthy cooking by making this dish at all our homes.

Ingredients	Quantity
Little millet / samai arisi	2 cups
Moong dal	6 tablespoons
Whole pepper corns	2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds	2 teaspoons
salt	to taste
water	3 cups
onion	1 chopped
carrot	1 chopped
beans	4 chopped
cabbage	1/4 cup chopped
green peas	1/4 cup
Oil	1 tea spoon
mustard seeds	1/4 tea spoon
urad dal	1/4 tea spoon
curry leaves	few
Grated coconut	1 table spoon

Method for kolukattai

Wash and soak little millet in water overnight. Drain and grind to a coarse paste adding little water the next morning.
Dry roast moong dal to light golden in colour. Remove, cool completely and grind to a coarse powder with black pepper corns and cumin seeds.
Heat a non stick kadai with oil, add the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Once they splutter top with the powdered moong dal mix and sauté for a minute.
Add chopped vegetables and onion. Sauté with salt to taste till half cooked with a sprinkle of water.
Add the coconut and mix well. Pour the soaked ground little millet mixture with water and keep stirring till it gets to thick dough consistency in medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
Take out and roll into lime size balls and steam in a greased base for 8 to 10 minutes, like for idle or ediappam. Serve hot with chutney.

Chutney ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Coconut grated	3/4 cup
Fried dried red chillies	4
Tamarind	goose burry size ball
Salt	to taste
Water	very little
Small onions	1/2 hand

Method for chutney

Grind all ingredients together except for small onions to a coarse paste adding very little water.
Add the small onions and grind just to crush them coarsely. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove and serve with kolukattai.