Thakkali Kootu / Tomato Kootu

Quick meal??? The first thing that comes to my mind is this kootu with steaming hot rice... This one is a life saver as it takes very few ingredients, not much preparation and the meal is very comforting and tasty...

Coconut Oil–how is it made / Coconut to Coconut Oil

Some items to me are just go to shop and buy, but I always love food factory shows. I watch a show called "Food Factory" in discovery and love it.. I had a live experience of how a product is made. Love to visit some places like Krispy Kreme Donuts where we see the factory of making donuts from shaping the doughnuts, to proofing the doughnuts to frying and glazing it. Next is the beautiful local hotels here in India where we can see the food getting cooked from where we order. Today we are going to be seeing my tour of “oil press” where coconut is made to coconut oil.

Kuthiraivali Milagu Jeera Adai–Barnyard Millet Adai–Millet Recipes

Hope you all have enjoyed my Arisi Adai which is made with Parboiled rice. I saw a similar recipe here using Kuthiraivali (Barnyard Millet) and immediately tried it. I did make a few changes to the original recipe and we loved this adai.. Make sure you have the tawa on medium to medium high or the adai will become hard. You need to enjoy this adai piping hot.. You can serve this as-is. We enjoyed it with Coriander Coconut Chutney (recipe coming soon). The flavor of the pepper, coconut in this adai is amazing.. This recipe will give 6 adais of medium size.

Karchikaya / Sweet Somas (Somasi)–Diwali Sweets

A delicious sweet that is prepared for Diwali.. This recipe will make 12 - 16 medium sized somasi and there will extra filling, that you can eat as is or as a stuffing for parathas..  This is a traditional sweet!!!

Ada Pradhaman–Kerala

Come and travel with me to Kerala - Called as the "God's Own Country"... Kerala is a coastal state which has the highest literacy rate and lowest positive population growth rate in India. The state also has the highest human development index in the country. Kerala is very popular for the Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, cloves, cumin, Tea and seafood. It is very picturesque and beautiful place with a beautiful coast, many coconut trees and fertile greenery. The Cuisine of Kerala is linked to its richness to its history and culture. Rice and Tapioca are also popular. Coming to today’s recipe, it is a sweet dish made with ada, coconut milk and jaggery.. This delicacy is made during the Onam festival. Onam is a festival of harvest celebrated in Kerala and is celebrated during September. The flavor of coconut milk, jaggery and the aromatic spices are so heavenly. I got this recipe from a few places online… This is like the payasam we make for festivals and marriages. Loved the taste and was so excited to have made this authentic dish..

Goan Style Paneer

Goa is a coastal state of India along the Western region, located along the Arabian Sea and has beautiful beaches and historic sites. Goa is the smallest state in India by size and is the fourth smallest by population. Although it is the smallest state, it has the highest GDP per capita. Goa’s history goes back 20,000 – 30,000 years.. From wiki – “Goa's history goes back 20,000–30,000 years. The rock art engravings exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India.^[9]:p.254Upper Paleolithic or Mesolithic rock art engravings have been found on the bank of the river Kushavati at Usgalimal.^[10] Petroglyphs, cones, stone-axe, and choppers dating to 10,000 years ago have been found in many places in Goa, such as Kazur, Mauxim, and the Mandovi-Zuari basin.^[11] Evidence of Palaeolithic life is seen at Dabolim, Adkon, Shigao, Fatorpa, Arli, Maulinguinim, Diwar, Sanguem, Pilerne, and Aquem-Margaon etc. Difficulty in carbon dating the laterite rock compounds poses a problem for determining the exact time period.^[”The cuisine is highly influenced by the Hindu origin, but has high impact from the Portuguese with their colonization for about 400 hundred years. Seafood is a big part of Goan cuisine. Staple foods are rice and fish with strong spices and intense flavors. I got this recipe from here and made very few changes.. This recipe has its sourness from tamarind, distinct flavor of the coconut milk and delicious taste of paneer..

Pavakkai Pitlai (பாவைக்காய் பிட்லை)

Pavakkai Pitlai is a type of Sambar. Pavakkai is Bitter gourd and is one of the healthy vegetables out there. This recipe tastes best when served hot with rice.

Thengai Podi (தேங்காய் போடி)–Coconut Powder

Coconut Powder / Thengai Podi is a powder made with coconut, lentils and red chili. It is a quickie that can be done in less than 5 minutes with all the Ingredients available in most pantries. It can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for a month. Mix this with hot rice and a dollop of ghee or coconut oil and it is a great quick dinner. This goes for this month's Vegan Thursdays

Eggless Pina colada Cupcakes–Eggless Pineapple Cupcakes

This is a delicious and exotic cake with bursting pineapple flavor.. Gayathri announced Pina Colada cake for this month's Eggless Baking Group.. I did not use the original recipe, but got the recipe from Priya and it was easy and delicious.. Thanks to Priya for her quick reply.. This makes 12 - 14 cupcakes..

Coconut Chutney (தேங்காய் சட்னி)

Accompaniments are so important part of the menu.. So much that it can transform a simple and boring breakfast to a tasty and yummy one.. This is so true with this very delicious coconut chutney which is a quick and easy recipe that is served as a side with many South Indian tiffin or snack items. It is a good side for idli, dosa, bonda, vadai etc. This is my dish for this month's Vegan Thursdays

Thengai Paal Payasam

Thengai (Coconut) Paal (Milk) Payasam is a payasam variety which is made on Aadi pandigai – the first day of the Aadi month which was yesterday this year. A very unique and flavorful payasam which can be done in a jiffy.. Do not boil the thengai paal for long as it may curdle, but cook until the raw flavor goes away. 

Suyyan

Suyyan is a sweet vadai that is made with ulutham parupu batter stuffed with thengai pooranam. It tastes amazing and best when served both hot and at room temperature.

Kathirikkai Rasavaangi (கத்திரிக்காய் ரசவாங்கி)

Kathirikkai rasavaangi is a type of sambar with a fancier name. It is a very simple recipe and can be done with ease if you have done any sambar before. It tastes best when served hot with potato veg.

Coconut Cookies (தேங்காய் குக்கீஸ்)

Coconut cookie is an interesting, quick and easy cookie to make. It can also be called as biscuit. If you do not have fine grated coconut, then pulse the coconut in the mixie for 10 one second pulses. I got this recipe from here. Basic quantity is same quantity of sugar, coconut and butter and twice the quantity of flour.

Kaaradaiyan Nombu Vella Adai (காரடையான் நோம்பு வெல்ல அடை)

Karadayan Nombu is a festival celebrated in TamilNadu. There are two types of Vadai and this one is the sweeter one. More details of this festival is given below and now for some tips and tricks that I learnt - If the hands are sticky while making the adai, use little sesame oil or very little water and rub between the palms. Also wash hands in between to remove stickiness completely. Color will become more dull between the steamed adai and non-steamed adai and there will be a shine on the steamed ones. DO NOT EAT CURD ON KARADAYAN NOMBU DAY. This year the festival is coming tomorrow (14.3.2013). Here you go for the delicious sweet -

Eggless Drømmekage fra Brovst / Eggless Danish Dream Cake

A cake with a difference is the first opinion I had when I saw this cake announced by Gayathri for this month's Eggless Baking Group Challenge. This was suggested by Meena. It is not easy to substitute recipes that have 4 eggs, but I got ideas from Archana. The cake needs to be done in steps and finally an assemble needs to be done. Do not forget to make the topping as the first step as it is very important to add it immediately once the cake is baked. You need to use a 9 inch square pan for this recipe. The original recipe is from here and followed it exactly except for substituting the eggs. This cake is from the Brovst region of Denmark.

Pooshanikkai Mor Kootu

How much ever we eat outside, the best food we enjoy when we are sick or back from a long journey or when we have eaten many times outside is homemade simple food. These simple foods taste just out of the world and are never boring.. This kootu is one such recipe.. Simple, homey, comforting and so much healthy.

Ingredients
Pooshanikkai / White Pumpkin – 3 cups (cubed 1 inch big)
Green chili – 8
Turmeric – A pinch
Salt – 1 ¼ tea spoons
Oil – ½ tea spoon
Cumin Seeds – 1 ½ tea spoons
Curd – 1 cup
Rice – 1 tea spoon
Asafetida – ¼ tea spoon
Curry Leaves – 10
Mustard Seeds – ½ tea spoon
Ulutham Parupu / Urad Dal – 1 tea spoon
Red Chili – 1
Coconut - 1/4 cup

Method
Soak rice for 30 minutes..
Grind coconut, cumin, green chili, rice (soaked) to a paste
Boil the pooshanikkai with turmeric in microwave for 5 minutes. Add very little water.
Mix curd with the grinded mixture, boiled pumpkin and add salt and asafetida well and bring this to a boil
Heat a small pan and add oil and when hot add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add the ulutham parupu and when the parupu turn golden, add curry leaves and red chili and sauté for 10 seconds and add it to the kootu
Now the pooshanikkai mor kootu is ready to be served..

Sending this to Serve it - original recipes, Simple and in Season, EP - Asafetida and Fennel Seeds, Julie's page, Dish Name starts with P, SIC#3, Anu's page, Herbs on Saturday, Serve it, Denny's page, Siri’s Anniversary Event, CWS - Urad Dal, Priya's page,



 

Dry Fruits Burfi / Khajur Pak / Dates Roll

How about a sweet which is so healthy, so delicious, so quick, so easy and looks so good!! All are true about this dates roll. Imagine a sweet with no sugar (of course dates has sweetness) and very very little ghee… I got this recipe from here and many very little changes. I wanted to add this sweet for Diwali on my blog and am very happy to include it in the BM under Kids – delight – healthy makeover.

Ingredients
Dates - 350 grams
Raisins - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 2 table spoons
Chopped Nuts - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 3 table spoons
Poppy Seeds - 1 table spoon
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tea spoon
Nutmeg (grated) - A pinch
Edible Camphor - A pinch (optional)

Method
Puree the raisins and set aside. You can also chop it fine.
Heat a table spoon ghee in a pan and add a table spoon of coconut and then poppy seeds.
Roast for just a little until there is little color change.
Add the chopped dates and raisins and cook on low heat till it gets little tender and mushy..
Keep stirring to ensure that it does burn. Add cardamom powder, nutmeg and edible camphor and remove from heat.
Let it cool
Wrap the rolling pin with plastic wrap and the rolling board with ziploc as it will stick very badly
Roll it with hand by pressing to a thin layer.
You can also apply little ghee in the palms and press it with the palm to make to a thin sheet. I made it with my hands.
spread the nuts over the rolled dates sheet and press the nuts a little to ensure that they are stuck on the dates sheet.
Now roll the dates sheet to a tight cylinder making sure that it is a tight cylinder to a log..
Cut into small pieces and the dry fruits burfi is ready
Roll them on dry coconut for extra garnish and elegance.



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Paneer Chettinad

Paneer is a type of cheese from milk. Paneer by itself has less flavor but has the capacity to absorb flavors well. This dish unlike most paneer dishes is done with both North Indian and South Indian spices. The flavors are very different and interesting. It goes very well with chapathi, roti, kulcha or pulao. I got this recipe from here.  The key in getting the best in this recipe is the fresh masala. This dish is not commonly found in restaurant menus, but this recipe is so flavorful and also simple – this one is a keeper.

Thengai Thuvayal (Coconut Thuvayal)

A very authentic and yummy dish which can be prepared very quickly and is a great accompaniment. Mix it with rice and eat with vadam and you have a very simple and tasty menu on board. How about accompanying this with curd rice or sambar rice or rasam rice – it just adds tons of flavor.. We at home love this thuvayal and am happy to share this simple and homey dish..

Ingredients
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Ulutham Parupu / Urad Dal - 1/3 cup
Kadalai Parupu / Channa Dal - 1/3 cup
Red Chili - 12 (adjust to taste)
Asafetida - 1/4 tea spoon
Salt - 3/4 tea spoon
Oil - 1 tea spoon (preferably coconut oil)
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
Water - 1/4 cup + As needed
Method
Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup warm water
Heat oil in a pan and add kadalai parupu and ulutham parupu and sauté until golden brown
Add the red chili and sauté for another minute
Remove from heat to a plate to cool
In the same pan, add the coconut and slightly toast (not much)
In a blender, add the parupu, coconut, asafetida, salt and soaked tamarind (without water) and blend until all are close to a powder. Now add the water in which the tamarind was soaking and blend well. Add more water as needed and blend to a paste. If you are going to store this for later use, then add little more water as the parupu will absorb a lot of water when rested
Serve on room temperature. At the time of serving, you can also add a tea spoon or so of water if it is too dry. Enjoy this yummy thuvayal.
This will keep at least for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.


Points to note (about Coconut from www.coconutresearchcenter.org) - 
In traditional medicine around the world coconut is used to treat a wide variety of health problems including the following: abscesses, asthma, baldness, bronchitis, bruises, burns, colds, constipation, cough, dropsy, dysentery, earache, fever, flu, gingivitis, gonorrhea, irregular or painful menstruation, jaundice, kidney stones, lice, malnutrition, nausea, rash, scabies, scurvy, skin infections, sore throat, swelling, syphilis, toothache, tuberculosis, tumors, typhoid, ulcers, upset stomach, weakness, and wounds. While coconut possesses many health benefits due to its fiber and nutritional content, it's the oil that makes it a truly remarkable food and medicine.
Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, it is now known that the fat in coconut oil is a unique and different from most all other fats and possesses many health giving properties. It is now gaining long overdue recognition as a nutritious health food.
Coconut oil has been described as "the healthiest oil on earth." That's quite a remarkable statement. What makes coconut oil so good? What makes it different from all other oils, especially other saturated fats?
The difference is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of molecules called fatty acids. Too much mention, please visit the website for lot more information!!!!

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