Lime Sevai and Some Laughter

Lime sevai is a quick and light dish fit for any meal of the day. The following ingredients serve about 3 -4 people.

 

Ingredients required :
Rice Vermicelli / Sevai - about 5 OZ / 150 gms
Juice from 2 small limes (lemon juice can be substituted)
For tadka -
2 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp peanuts, 1 tsp chanadal & mustard seeds each, few curry leaves, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 5 Red chillies broken into little bits (green chillies can be substituted but the quantity depends upon the heat preferred)
1 tsp salt
About a Tbsp of finely chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

The cooking part:
Heat about a quart / 4 cups of water in a sauce pan. (Water quantity should be more than required to cook the sevai). Break the sevai into bits. Or skip this step and do it after it is cooked. When the water starts to boil, add the sevai and cook it till it is done. (It took me about three minutes to cook the above mentioned quantity). It is very easy to overcook the sevai and ruin the dish. Paying close attention while cooking sevai is recommended. Immediately drain the sevai (or the sevai keeps cooking) and keep aside. Now heat oil in a pan and add the peanuts, chanadal and mustard seeds. When the peanuts and chanadal turn reddish, add red chillies, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Stir once and turn off the stove. Then add the drained sevai, salt and cilantro. Mix well. (If not done initially, the long strands of sevai can be broken with a spatula while stirring). Serve hot.

And now for the laughter part - recently M's nephew forwarded this mail -'Murder of English'. Some of these are hilarious and I thought of sharing them. If you haven't heard them before, enjoy. Since English is not the primary language spoken at homes across India and people come from different backgrounds, such funny incidents do happen. BTW, the following incidents are said to be true ones. Once again, this is just for fun and not to judge / ridicule anyone.

Some leave applications:
1. 'Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one -week leave'.
2. 'As my mother-in-law has expired and I am only one responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave'.
3. Leave letter from an employee who was performing the 'mundan' ceremony of his 10 year old son - 'As I want to shave my son's head, please leave me for two days'.
4. Leave letter from an employee who was performing his daughter's wedding - 'As I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week's leave'.
5. Another employee applying for half day leave - 'Since I 've to go to the cremation ground at 10'o clock and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave'.
6. 'I am suffering from fever, please declare one day holiday'.
7. 'My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home, I may be granted leave'.

Leave letters to the head master:
8. 'As I am studying in this school, I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today'.
9. 'As my head ache is paining, please grant me leave for the day'.

Covering notes:
10. 'I am enclosed herewith...'
11. 'Dear sir,: with reference to the above, please refer to my below.'

Letter writing:
12. 'I am well here and hope you are also in the same well'.

A candidate's job application:
'13. This has reference to your advertisement calling for a 'Typist and an Accountant - Male or Female".. As I am both (!!) for the past several years and I can handle both with good experience, I am applying for the post. :) :) :)

I thought 13th one was the best.

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Chayote Payasam / Seema Vankaya Payasam

 

Source: My own, inspired by sorakaya payasam.
Chayote payasam was an experiment on M's birthday which turned into a delectable experience. When I prepared sorakaya payasam for the first time, the idea of substituting chayote in the recipe struck. I knew it would work since chayote has a delicate sweet flavor and I was not wrong. At last, I could make this last month and it was a hit among our guests. As M's nephew mentioned, it was very unique and a special treat though the preparation was quite simple and quick.

Ingredients required:
1 Small chayote (or 1 cup of grated chayote)
Sugar as needed
2-3 cups of whole milk 10 oz evaporated milk (or add one more cup of milk)
a pinch of cardamom powder
2 Tbsp ghee
1 Tbsp of raisins and cashews

The cooking part:
Peel and quarter the chayote, remove the center core and grate it. Fry the grated chayote using a Tbsp of ghee for about five minutes on low - medium heat. Add the milk and cook the chayote till it is done. Keep stirring in between. Then goes in the evaporated milk, sugar and cardamom powder. Cook till all the sugar is melted and turn off the stove. In another small pan, heat a tbsp of ghee and add cashews and raisins to it. When cashews turn slightly brown and raisins become plump, remove the pan from heat and add the contents of the pan to the cooked chayote payasam. Tastes good warm or cold. 

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Methi Chole

 

Methi Chole = a protein packed, mouth watering side dish. Give it a try, if you haven't already. When I came across this recipe thru other blogs, I had to try it because of my methi - love. I am glad that I did. It seems to be a Rajasthani dish. Though I am not sure, I am assuming a Marwari connection because of the absence of onion & garlic and usage of ghee in the recipe. Of course, I have tweaked the recipe to suit my taste buds.  

Ingredients:  
1 cup Kabuli chana / garbanzo beans 
1 bunch of methi leaves / fenugreek greens - leaves plucked and chopped roughly 
One each: tomato & onion - chopped 
2 tbsp. besan / chick pea powder  
1 tsp chili powder 
1 & 1/2 tsp salt 
1 tsp chana masala powder 
1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
For tadka /popu: 
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
 a little asafoetida (hing)  

The 'how' part:  
* Soak the chana overnight and cook it with enough water in a pressure cooker.  
* Heat oil in a wok/saute pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle and turn brown, add asafoetda and turmeric powder. Then add onion and fry till it turns translucent. 
* Next add tomato and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add methi leaves. Keep frying till the tomato turns mushy.  
* Unlike other chole recipes, the besan (not the ground chole) takes care of the gravy part in this version. Add 3-4 Tbsp of water to the besan and make a paste. Pass this through a sieve and add it to the veggies. 
* Then add the cooked chana, chili powder, salt, chana masala powder and a cup of water. Let it simmer for about ten minutes and turn off the stove.  
* Serve warm with rotis. Post a Comment

Happy Ugadi

Virodhi nama samvathsaraadi subhakankshalu. Post a comment

Kala Chana Sprouts Salad

• A tadka of mustard seeds, chanadal, curry leaves and red & green chillies.
• Addition of a cup of kala chana sprouts, a finely chopped tomato & onion each, a grated carrot and salt to taste.
• Mixing & sauteing the ingredients for a couple of minutes.
• Adding a tbs of lemon juice or accordingly.

These simple steps would result in a protein rich snack / meal.

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Methi Thepla With Cucumber Raita

Though the smell of the thepla dough reminds me of the face pack (besan+yogurt+turmeric) I ocassionaly use, The theplas are nothing to complain about. They are ideal to take on picnics or long journeys. These rotis from the state of Gujarat are softer than the usual ones. The yogurt content keeps them softer for longer periods unlike the rotis prepared with the flour available here. That's enough reason to try them out if you haven't done so. They can be served with a spicy pickle and some yogurt. 



Ingredients to make 15 methi theplas:
A small bunch of methi leaves / fenugreek greens (or about 3 cups of leaves)
 3 cups atta* + some for dusting
1/2 cup besan / chickpea flour
Scant 1.5 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp each - chilipowder, cumin seeds, salt
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp ghee / oil (optional)
Oil to fry
(* Wheat flour used to make rotis, usually available in Indian grocery stores.)

Method:
Pinch the methi leaves and discard the stalks. Wash and roughly chop the leaves. Combine all the ingredients except the yogurt & the oil (used to fry) in a bowl and mix well. Add the yogurt gradually as you make the dough. The dough should be soft but easy to roll into a ball. Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 15 balls or make lemon sized balls. Coat them with flour and press slightly to flatten them. Roll each into a thin circle of about 5 inches diameter, flouring the board as necessary. Heat a tava (cast iron, flat griddle) or a shallow frying pan over medium heat. Place the rolled thepla on the pan and cook until the surface appears bubbly. Turn around and add 1/2 tsp oil around the edges and the surface. Press the edges down with a spatula to cook evenly. As soon as the brown spots appear, the thepla is done. Repeat the process. For a detalied pictorial presentation of how to make rotis, look here. 



Cucumber raita:
I served these methi theplas with cucumber raita which can be prepared in a jiffy.This refreshing, cool cucumber raita is simple to make and can be a nice accompaniment to any meal. Raita recipe: Whisk about 2 cups of yogurt slightly. Grate a peeled & deseeded small cucumber. Add about 1/2 cup of grated cucumber, a tsp each of salt and cumin powder to the yogurt and stir well. Use it immediately or refrigerate until used. 



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Subzis for Siri: Methi - Aloo / Fenugreek Greens With Potatoes

What do you do when you prepare a subzi like this to go with roti and the 'other adult' is sulking because it is dry. You give the 'other adult' a choice of either finishing it without a word or to toil in the kitchen to prepare something new . Obviously, the smart adult selects the first option. If this has happened that many times more than you can count on your fingers, then probably it's time to change your strategy. Of course you are considerate and don't want to hurt the feelings of the 'other adult'. Isn't it? So, next step is to steal the big idea from North Indian style subzis. Add onion, tomatoes & some spices and dump some liquid if you need more gravy. Voila, you will end up with a rasedar subzi like the following one, which the 'other adult" thoroughly enjoys. Apart from that light banter which do happens some times at our home, rasedar aloo methi is a favorite side dish of mine to pair with rotis. This quick and easy subzi is a mixture of creamy potatoes and aromartic fenugreek greens with a subtle hint of tanginess from the robust tomatoes. Ingredients list: 3 potatoes - peeled & chopped into cubes 1 bunch of methi leaves - pinch the leaves & discard the stalks, wash and roughly chop (or 1 cup firmly packed leaves, If methi flavor seems strong) 2 each - chopped onions and tomatoes 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp finely grated ginger / ginger paste A pinch turmeric powder Salt to taste For tadka: 1 Tbsp oil and 1 tsp cumin seeds Note: 1/2 tsp garam masala can also be added to the above recipe. The cooking part: Heat oil in a kadai / pan and add grated ginger and cumin seeds to it. When they slightly brown, add turmeric powder & chopped onions and fry them till they turn translucent. Then the tomatoes go in. When they turn slightly mush, add potatoes, methi leaves and about a cup of water. Cook till potatoes are done. Add some more water if needed. The subzi should not be dry or watery but in between as in the picture. Add salt and chili powder to the cooked vegetables and mix well. Simmer for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove. Serve hot with rotis. Post a Comment So far on 'Subzis for Siri' series Sprouted Peas - Potato subzi

Almond Flavored Semolina / Rava Payasam

When we were kids, we would eagerly wait for the friday prasadam. My mom prepared / still prepares a prasdam* that day and usually it would be a payasam. The creamy, rich payasam which draws the attention of the kids and adults alike and an easy craft for the cooks. This nutritious and nurturing Indian porridge would be prepared with a cereal / bean / vegetable / nuts simmered in milk until it reaches a creamy consistency & raisins and nuts accentuating at the end. Ofcourse, what payasam is prepared depends upon the availability, ocassion and the whim of the cook. My mother and Mother-in-Law each have their own stock of payasam recipes. This one is from my MIL, which is good for nursing mothers. *Prasadam - the food offered to gods after pooja (prayers) by Hindus is usually vegetarian though dairy products are allowed owing to their habit of lacto vegetarianism. Ingredients for generous, six servings: Semolina - 1/4 cup Milk - 4 cups Sugar - 1/2 cup or according to taste or artificial sweetener MTR badam mix powder - 1 Tbsp Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp 1 tsp each -ghee, raisins & cashews The Cooking part: Roast the semolina till it starts to change it's hue and keep it aside. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a non stick sauce pan. When it is hot, add the semolina slowly and keep stirring till the semolina is incorporated into the milk with out forming any lumps. Keep cooking the semolina on medium flame till it is done, stirring once or twice in between. When cooked, each semolina grain swells a liitle and becomes transparent. Then add sugar, badam mix powder and cardamom powder to the milk mixture and keep cooking till the sugar melts. When sugar melts, turn off the stove. Heat ghee in a small pan and roast cashews in it. When they turn golden brown, remove and add the raisins to the same ghee. When the raisins turn plump, remove them. Add the roasted cashew, raisins along with the ghee to the payasam and stir. Can be served hot or cold. Tips from my kitchen: Rava payasam gets thicker after cooling and so, add more milk than required. Adding badam mix powder is optional but it gives a delicious flavor to the payasam. For diabetics, omit the sugar and use artificial sweetener before serving. Usually, I add 1 gm packet of splenda for a serving. This goes to Sharmi's Cooking for kids - Milk / Milk Products event hosted by Preety of Preety's kitchen. & 'Rice/Wheat Sweets & Diabetic Friendly Sweets' - hosted by Mythreyee of 'Paajaka Recipes'. Post a Comment Other related posts here:

Split Green Pea - Methi Dal

"Peas porridge hot, Peas porridge cold, Peas porridge in the pot nine days old, Some like it hot, Some like it cold." Porridge with peas sounded so preposterous when I heard the above rhyme for the first time. Ofcourse, I was a kid then. It never occured to me to ask an adult about the meaning of the poem. The only peas I knew about were the green peas / matar. I was told by some one at that time that porridge is the equivalent version of Indian payasam. I added this & that and simply assumed that the poem is talking about some sweet green peas stuff. It was beyond my comprehension how the guys ate the stuff and that too when it was nine days old when unrefrigerated food gets spoiled the next day. I decided that the people who ate it must be some big wierds or junglees. I know now what the rhyme is about and also that matar kheer is a real dish prepared in India. "Never assume anything' is the lesson learnt. :) Coming to present tense from past, I picked up a packet of split green peas recently, when I was in a rush to check out. Earler, a Gujarati woman at an Indian store told me that they prefer whole toor dal to split ones because of the taste. I had that in mind and erred that these peas are the same one. When we got home, M saw the packet and asked why did I buy green chana dal. Not wanting to admit the mistake, I told him that I was going to prepare dal. As a South Indian, the first thing that pops into mind whenever I come across some new bean/dal is sambhar / pappu. I went along and made pappu/dal with it adding some methi and it's taste was unique. Though the split green peas look exactly like chanadal (except for the color), they are really not related to chanadal or toordal. A comforting dal preparation to go with hot steamed rice and pleasantly different for toor dal addicted palate. Ingredients required to serve 2: 1/2 cup green split peas 1 cup chopped methi leaves 1 tomato finely chopped 1 onion finely chopped 2 small green chillies, finely chopped 1/4 tsp turmeric powder Tamarind puree - 2 Tbsp (Soak a big marble sized tamarind in water or put the tamarind with a little water in the microwave for a couple of minutes and squeeze the puree) 1 tsp each - Salt & Chili powder For tadka - 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp each mustard seeds, cumin seeds, a pinch asafoetida How to cook: Wash the spilt green peas and discard the water. Place the split green peas, chopped tomato, methi leaves, chillies & turmeric powder with a cup of water in a pressure cooker and cook till you hear 4 -5 whistles. When the valve pressure is gone, remove the dal. Mean while heat the oil in a saute pan and add the tadka ingredients. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the onion and fry till it turns transslucent. Add the cooked dal, salt, chili powder, tamarind puree to the sauteed onions and mix well. Simmer the dal for about ten minutes more and turn off the stove. Serve with rice / rotis. Post a Comment

Kala Chana Sambhar

Though the South Indian Sambhar is associtated with toordal / lentils, other beans can be substituted to prepare this spicy side dish. Of course, using different beans means bringing their signature flavors and own oomphs to a dish. In this recipe, the star is the nutritious chana with an earthly flavor. I have gone with the kala chana - the dark complexioned sister of Kabuli chana (Garbanzo beans) for this wholesome, spicy dish.

Ingredients to serve 4 - 6:
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup kalachana
1.5 tsp salt
Thick tamarind puree - 2 tbsp
Powdered jaggery - 1 to 2 Tbsp
1/4 cup fresh coconut (dry coconut / copra can be substituted)
Ingredients to fry:
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 one inch cinnamon pieces
2 small petals of raathi puvvu / stone flower / daagad phool (optional. I happen to use them while preparing all spice powders) 10 red chillies
Ingredients for tadka:
2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves

Cooking:

• Soak the kalachana over night or for at least 6 hours. They will swell and you would have about a cup of chana. Pressure cook the chana. Though they can be cooked on stovetop, it would take longer. Put the cooked chana in a colander and rinse them with fresh water.
• Fry all those ingredients mentioned in the list and keep aside.
• Take half of the cooked chana, fried ingredients, coconut and grind into a paste using water.
• Mean while, heat oil in a kadai / pan and add tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When mustard seeds start to pop, add onions and fry till they turn translucent. Then add tomatoes and saute them till they turn mush. Then add chana, ground paste, tamarind, jaggery and salt to the onion- tomato mixture. Next add water. Adjust the quantity of water to get a consistency of sambhar. Also keep in mind that it thickens a little after cooking. Taste and adjust the quantities of salt, jaggery and tamarind if needed.
• Simmer the sambhar for about 10 minutes and turn off the stove.
• Serve hot with rice and a little ghee.

Recipe Source : Smt. Rajya Lakshmi, my beloved mother-in-law.

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