Coconut Rice/Thengai Saadham

Simple and yet delicious easy breezy variety rice item to make.I love doing it on a busy weekday, served with coriander or coconut chutney.


Ingredients

Cooked Rice - 1 1/2 cup
Shredded Coconut - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts - 10
Peanuts - 2 tbsp (roasted)
Red chillies - 6
Curry leaves - as needed
Salt - as needed

Method

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and roast cashew nuts and peanuts separately until golden brown.Keep it aside.In the same pan, add 1 tbsp ghee and fry mustard seeds,urad dal,red chillies and curry leaves.Once they are fried, add coconut to the pan and saute until it is slightly brown.Add salt to this mixture.In a bowl, add cooked rice and fluff it with a fork.Add coconut mixture,cashewnuts,peanuts to the rice and mix it with a fork.Serve it hot with spicy coriander or coconut chutney.

Mutton Pepper fry

This weekend went pretty well.I had participated in the local expo for handcrafted/handmade items over the weekend.Went pretty well and sold almost all my pieces.Got order for some the pieces aswell..:D.Felt so happy that my hard work was appreciated.You can view some of my collections at Beyond The Beads.Secondly, had attended a pool party afterwards and won a prize..yippe.. and the the day ended with great food and friends.Sunday was a lazy day with a bit of shopping and leftover food.Anyways ,now to the point, this mutton recipe again shared by my dear friend S.This spicy dish has all the good things to impress someone who loves spicy food..:D


Ingredients

Mutton - 2lbs
Small onion - 1 bag ( 1 cup sliced)
Onion - 1 (sliced)
Pepper - 1 1/2 tbsp
Coriander - cumin powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Garlic - 6 cloves (minced)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (minced)
Coconut oil - 2tbsp
Curry leaves - as needed
Salt - as needed

Method

Mix mutton,sliced onion,ginger, garlic,salt,turmeric,garam masala,coriander - cumin powder and pepper very well.Pressure cook this with 1/2 cup water for 3 whistles.In a heavy bottomed pan, heat coconut oil.Saute small onion and curry leaves.Add cooked mutton mixture to this.Cook till the gravy is almost dry.Serve hot with rice or roti.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I came across this recipe while reading a cooking magazine from the library.I liked the picture so much, i had to try it.so wrote it down in a piece of paper.Unfortunately forgot write down the magazine's name.But I am pretty positive it is "Taste by 2" magazine.I followed the recipe as it is except for sesame seeds as i didn't have any.




Ingredients

Lemon juice - 1/3 cup
Olive oil - 5tsp
Parsley - 2 springs, stem removed
Garlic - 1 tsp , minced
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp (ground)
Cayenne pepper - 1/4tsp
Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp , coarsley ground
Chickpeas - 2 cans (15oz),rinsed and drained
Roasted sweet red pepper = 1 cup, drained
Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup , toasted
Pita bread - As needed, warmed and cut into wedges.

Method

In a food processor,combine the first 8 ingredients.Cover and process until blended.Add peas and red pepper.Cover and process until smooth.Transfer to a small bowl, stir in sesame seeds.Serve with warm pita wedges.

Puliyodarai

One of my treasured recipe...

Ingredients

Gingely oil - 2tbsp
Tmaraind paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
Peanuts - 20 (skinned and dry roasted)
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Channa dal - 2tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Whole red chillies - 5
Vellam/Jaggaery - 2tsp
Perungayam/Asafoedita - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as needed


Dry roast and powder

Red chillies - 15
Vendhayam/Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp
Sesame seeds - 2tsp
Curry leaves - 5


Method

Mix tamarind paste in 1 cup of water.Dry roast and powder the ingredients listed under.In apn, heat gingely oil and fry mustard seeds,urad dal,channa dal,red chillies.Now add red chilli powder,turmeric powder,asafoedita,powdered mixture,salt and tamarind.Let it boil until the oil separates.Now add jaggery and roasted peanuts to this and keep it heat for 2 minutes.Now switch off the heat.You can store this mix in the refrigetor for weeks.Take required amount of puliyodarai mix to make puliyodarai.







Thanks Sangeeth,Padma and Illatharasi and Suheefor these lovely awards.Really appreciate it!

Cooking With Ram - Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ram, my 4 year old boy, loves to cook.I know....:D.Whenever i am cooking, he comes and put step stool near to the counter and stands on it.His most favourite thing about cooking is stirring.In his own words "stirring is coopking".Yeap, he can't say "cook" only "coopk".So when i decided to bake these cookies with my leftover chocolate chips, i made sure to tag him along.He was so happy and start mixing the dough.When i wanted to take pictures, he wouldn't even look at the camera, That busy .After so many request, got a smile from him.Wouldn't take my suggestions during the process..:(.After the first batch of cookies out of the oven, my Ram was long gone..:)

I followed the recipe from Ghirardelli's website.The cookies came out delicious and bit soft.Perfect combo for a glass of cold milk.

Very busy

No pictures Amma!

Finally a smile...

No..i wanna do it my way amma!

Chocolate chip Cookies

Semiya/Vermicelli Uppuma

Another easy breezy breakfast to enjoy..My mom used make this as an evening snack as well.

Ingredients

Semiya - 1 cup
Ghee - 3tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1/2tsp
Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 8
Ginger - 1 tsp (grated,optional)
Curry leaves - a few
Shredded coconut - 3tbsp
Salt - as needed
Hot Water - 1 3/4 cup

Method

In a pan heat 2 tbsp of ghee and fry semiya until golden brown and keep it aside.In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry mustard seeds, urad dal,channa dal,red chillies,ginger and curry leaves.Add semiya and saute for few minutes.Add hot water and salt.Keep stirring and do not let it stick to the bottom of the pan.When semiya is cooked , add coconut.Serve it hot.

A friendship day to remember and Fish in coconut milk gravy

Yesterday, on Friendship day, S took over the house and gave a day off for me from my usual duties.While i went out shopping, he cooked his special mutton biryani for me.So when i came back tired from shopping (?) delicious hot biryani was waiting for me.Thanks to dear S for being a true friend and Hubby and for making the day special.




I clicked this picture before i left the house, as he was chopping up....




Mutton biryani with onion raita...


Fish in Coconut Milk Gravy



Ingredients

King Fish pieces - 2 lbs
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Red Onion - 1( finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 (finely chopped) (or use 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes from a can)
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 3 (slit)
Coconut milk - 1 cup (i used store brought)
Jeera - 1/4tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Tamarind water - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - 1 string
Salt - as needed


Method


Heat coconut oil and fry curry leaves,jeera,green chillies, garlic, onion, tomato very well.Then add red chilli and tumeric powder and saute well.Now add fish, tamarind and salt.Cook till fish is fully cooked.Now add coconut milk and switch off the heat soon.Do not let it boil.Enjoy it with rice.