Kathirikai Paal Curry/ Curried Eggplant in Coconut milk

How to make Kathirikai Paal Curry 

                This recipe has been in my recipe diary for many years now and has finally made it to the blog. Thanks to the influence my recent trip to Srilanka has had on me for dishes made with coconut milk. Let us talk more about my trip in a later post. I have had a love affair with coconut milk since childhood. The sweet, creamy & delicious milk is hard to resist after all. Let's jump straight to the recipe before I go way off topic here. A little bit of this milk can make a world of difference to your dish. Do try this recipe & enjoy.

Ingredients (3 servings):

small violet brinjals, sliced - 5 no:s

chopped onions - 1 no:

curry leaves - a few

chopped tomatoes - 1 no:

ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

thick coconut milk - 1/4 cup

oil - 1 tbsp

mustard seeds, cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp each.

red chili powder/paprika - to taste

salt - to taste

Stovetop method:

• Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil, add mustard, cumin seeds & curry leaves. Once the mustard pops, add the chopped onions & saute until translucent.
• Add chopped tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste & let cook for a couple of minutes & follow with turmeric powder, red chili powder & salt. Add the sliced brinjals and half a cup of water, cover & let the brinjals cook until tender, but not mushy.

• Finally, add the coconut milk (thick milk) & let simmer for a couple of minutes, before you serve it with rice, roti or even dosa.

Sharing this with my fellow bloggers at CCC #57 Aug Week 3. Have a look around, you might like some of their recipes too.

Easy Rawa Kesari

How to make easy Rawa Kesari 

              It just dawned upon me that there are many basic easy recipes that are missing from my blog like the humble Kesari. So here goes an easy method that doesn't require technical stirring & standing next to it for a long time for the dish to be complete. This recipe was inspired by the Rawa Pongal recipe by Mrs. Revathi Shanmugam. The technique is a little different here though. One important thing to note - If the rawa & the sugar water are not piping hot while mixing, it might get sticky & lumpy. My recipe makes a mildly sweet Kesari. You can increase the sugar to 1 cup if you like it sweeter. So here's a quick recipe for you to try this Navrathri season or just any time of the year.

Ingredients for about 6 servings:

          For the sugar syrup

·  3/4 cup sugar

·  1.5 cups water

·  1/8 tsp, cardamom/elaichi powder

·  a pinch of salt

  

  For roasting the rava

·  1/4 cup or 4 tbsp ghee

·  1/2 cup rawa /sooji

·  8-10 cashew-nuts, broken

.  1 tbsp, raisins (optional)

Easy Rawa Kesari

Stovetop method:

• Take a heavy bottom pan or a pressure cooker and add the water, sugar, cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt. You can add saffron or food coloring if desired. Light the stove & let it heat. 
• Set another pan on the stove over medium heat. Add in the ghee, cashew-nuts and the rawa and fry until golden & aromatic. The ghee will initially bubble up on the sides of the pan during roasting. Keep stirring and take care not to let it burn.

• We will be working simultaneously using two stoves - when the sugar mixture comes to a rolling boil, the rawa will also be roasted. If the sugar mixture starts boiling before the rawa is roasted, just put the sugar mixture on simmer.
• When the sugar mixture comes to a rolling boil, we are ready to add in the rawa. Carefully add in the roasted hot rawa slowly into the boiling sugar water mixture, taking care not to let the hot liquid splash on you. Immediately after adding rawa, mix well and cover the pan/cooker with the lid and switch off the heat. (If there are any vents on the lid, make sure you cover them with a kitchen towel or use the weight if using a pressure cooker – so we do not let the steam escape. 

• Keep it covered tightly for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, open and mix the Kesari well. The rawa would have absorbed all the moisture and swelled up, glistening with ghee and totally lump free.
• The Kesari is best served warm or at room temperature. You can store the Kesari in the fridge for up to a week.

Sharing this recipe from my diary with my fellow bloggers at SriValli's CCC #49 Sep Week 4.

Murungai Keerai Pori Arisi Poriyal

How to make Moringa/Drumstick leaves stir fry

           While I was making this authentic keerai poriyal today, it brought back memories from my high school days. I was living with my grandparents for a few years... when all of a sudden, I was asked to fly solo for the very first time, with no time to prep. One fine day, my grandma had to attend a gathering and could not finish her cooking in time for grandpa. That Sunday, the responsibility of making this dish fell upon me. Having never made it myself; nobody to help me; no cookbooks or the internet (Gosh! I don't know how we lived back then) it took me a long long time & multiple attempts to get it right. 

            You probably wouldn't understand what the big fuss was all about - since you haven't met my grandpa a.k.a the food critique of the family, who also happened to be short tempered. Him being an ardent fan of the greens was definitely not working in my favor either, if I messed up the dish. I was sure that he would be able to pinpoint exactly what was missing in my cooking. To sum it all up, my first product was plain steamed greens with salt....Yikes!! Then I added the grated coconut, gave it a stir and turned off the stove again (second end product). Only to realize it was still missing something. After closing my eyes to imagine what a keerai poriyal looked like the last time I ate it, I made a tempering with mustard, urad dal & chillies and added to the cooked greens. 

            

               Although I wanted to be nowhere near the critique to hear his review, It was a situation that I was inescapable from. You see, in those days it was tradition to stand beside the person eating & serve them the food until they were done with the four (or six) course meal. After some nail-biting and heart palpitations, grandpa finally said that he liked it and ate all of it. I was surprised that he liked it and I was curious to taste it to see what was good with the overcooked keerai. He was not to be blamed for eating all of it, cos' between cooking, cooking & re-cooking, I ended up tasting so many times that there was barely any keerai poriyal for thatha to eat. LOL!!! Anyways, I was just glad that the stressful ordeal was finally over and I had learned how to make the keerai poriyal. 

            Hope you guys enjoyed reading about my very first cooking failure (turned) success. Note: This recipe can also be made without the roasted rice powder, but adding it, gives your final product a good texture & some crunchiness while eating. So, here you go - a very old recipe from my recipe diary. Sharing this story & recipe with my fellow bloggers at Sri Valli's CCC #48 Sep Week 3. 

Ingredients for 2 to 3 servings:

2 cups of drumstick leaves - picked, washed & drained

1/2 an onion, chopped (optional)

2 tbsp, grated coconut

1/2 tbsp, oil

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp, mustard seeds

1 tsp, broken urad dal

1 dry red chilli, broken

To fry & powder coarsely:

1 tbsp, raw rice, pacha arisi

1/2 tbsp, bengal gram dal/kadalai paruppu

1/2 tsp, black peppercorns (if you like it hot)

1/2 tsp, oil

Stovetop method:

• Pick the drumstick leaves, without any thick stems. Rinse & wash a couple of times and let drain.

• Heat a mini pan/kadai, add 1/2 tsp of oil and add all the ingredients to fry & powder coarsely. Let cool & powder. Do not powder finely.

• Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a kadai/wok, add the mustard seeds, broken urad dal, and broken red chilli. When they are all fried, add onions & saute with a little salt for quick cooking. 
• When onions are translucent, add the washed greens and salt, give it a stirring, cover & cook on low to medium heat for about three minutes.

• When the leaves are cooked, add grated coconut and the powdered ingredients - mix, let sit for another minute and turn off the heat.
• Serve with any south Indian meal platter. (We had it with raw mango sambhar & steamed rice.)

Inippu Pidi Kozhukattai / Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai

How to make Inippu Pidi Kozhukattai / Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai

             Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai (also known as Vella kozhukattai or Inippu kozhukattai) is one of the traditional kozhukattai varieties that is the easiest & quickest you can make. These are like sweetened rice dumplings made with lentils, coconut, and jaggery. You can make these with store bought rice flour / kozhukattai flour /idiyappam flour. 

             As the name indicates, these kozhukattais are shaped with the grip of hands (Pidi) which gives them a rather distinct shape with finger impressions on them. For those who haven't tried making kozhukattai’s before, you can start with this one, as your chances of going wrong with this recipe are close to none. 

             Not only can this be made during Ganesh Chathurthi, but also as an evening snack for your family. It’s a perfectly healthy snack for kids since it is steamed. It is also gluten and dairy free. I learned this kozhukattai from my MIL & it comes from my recipe diary just for you.

Ingredients :

Rice flour - 3/4 cup

Powdered Jaggery/Palm Sugar - 1 cup

Grated Coconut- 1/2 cup

Salt - a pinch

Kadalai paruppu/Bengal gram dal - 1/4 cup (soaked in water for 20 mins)

Elakkai/Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Cashew nuts, broken - 1 tbsp

Sesame/Gingelly oil - 2 tbsp

Water - as needed

Stove top method:

• In a bowl, add the rice flour, salt, coconut, soaked bengal gram dal, cashew nuts and cardamom powder; mix dry & set aside.

• Heat a thick bottomed pan with the jaggery and add about a 1/4 cup of water to it and make a thin syrup. When all the jaggery melts, filter it for impurities and pour it back into the pan.
• Heat the pan with filtered thin syrup add oil, stir & add the rice flour mixture in installments stirring it in-between to ensure there are no lumps for about a minute. If the liquid is not enough for the flour, sprinkle some water until you get a thick dough consistency, that does not stick to your fingers.

• Turn off the heat & transfer to a bowl & keep covered (so it doesn't dry). Lightly dip your fingers in gingelly oil when you make bite sized balls or oval-shaped kozhukattai's with your finger impressions on it.

• Grease idli plates or any other container & arrange the kozhukattai's in a single layer, steam them for about 12 minutes on medium heat. 
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

• If the liquid is not enough for the flour, sprinkle some water until you get a thick dough consistency, that does not stick to your fingers.
• You can substitute moong dal for bengal gram dal and Karupatti (dark palm sugar) or brown sugar for jaggery.
• It can also be made without using any oil if needed but can be a little dry with cracked texture.
• If refrigerated, steam for few minutes, so it turns soft prior to serving.

Sharing this recipe with my fellow bloggers at Sri Valli's CCC #47 August Week 4.

Varutha Arisi Sojji / Roasted Rice Upma

How to make Varutha Arisi Sojji / Roasted Rice Upma

            Most households probably get around to making two or three kinds of upma's - semiya upma, arisi rava upma & wheat rava upma. This was new to me when my MIL made this for dinner the first time. Her story behind this goes like this - during her childhood days, her mom used to make this as a quick and low-cost meal to serve a large family living on a budget. 

            This can be a lunch box recipe (stays fresh) or can be breakfast/dinner. This can be served with Milagai podi, Chutneys/Thuvayals, Sambhar, or Gothsu. This family (MIL) recipe comes from my recipe diary & is being shared with SriValli's CCC#46 July week #4.

Ingredients for 3 servings:

Pacharisi/Raw rice - 1.5 cups

Paasiparuppu/Green gram dal - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

Crushed black pepper  - 1 tsp

Water - 1 cup (for dal) + as needed to cook your rice

[ I used, 1(rice) : 3(water) ratio ]

For thalippu/tempering:

Oil - 2 tbsp

1/2 Tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp, kadalai paruppu/bengal gram dal

Dry red chilies - 3, broken

1 tsp, jeera/cumin seeds

a pinch of asafoetida powder

a sprig of curry leaves

Stove top method:

• Dry roast the dal & rice separately in a dry kadai/pan, until slightly golden, crisp & aromatic.
• Heat the oil in a large cooker/kadai and add the ingredients listed for tempering one by one & fry for a few seconds, taking care not to burn them.
• Pour the required amount of water for the dal & rice to cook, add salt & let it come to a boil.
• When the water begins to boil, add the roasted rice, and dal. Cover & let cook on medium until rice & dal are cooked soft. (If using pressure cooker, use the weight & let cook for about 10 minutes or 2 whistles)
• Sprinkle crushed pepper powder, add grated coconut, give it a stir and turn off the heat. 
• Serve hot with Kathirikai gothsu or try any of these thuvayals or chutneys.

Mangai Sadham / Mango Rice

How to make Mango Rice/Mangai Sadham

            Manga sadham/Mango rice is one of the lip smacking rice of the south. This recipe brings back nostalgic childhood memories. Sneaking up to the terrace when the adults are busy taking an afternoon nap - find the biggest green mango that you can reach - pluck - take a bite - wait for it & make a sour face literally. On other occasions, it would be sliced and sprinkled with salt & paprika for a sour & spicy treat.

            The sourness of the rice will depend on how sour your mango is.  Serving this with Karivepillai thayir pachadi a.k.a Curry leaves raitha. The two flavors play well together.If you are a skeptic about the combo, try it before you dismiss the idea. 

Ingredients for 4 servings

1 large unripe/green mango
1 cup uncooked rice, cooked but not mushy
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 Tsp, chili powder
2 dry red chilies, broken
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida powder
a sprig of curry leaves
1/4 Tsp turmeric powder
1/4 Tsp roasted & powdered fenugreek seeds (optional)
Salt to taste

Stove top method:

•  Fluff the cooked rice gently, mix in a tbsp of sesame oil & spread the rice on a plate and let it cool. 
• Grate the mango, peeled or unpeeled.Heat remaining oil in a pan and when it's hot, add mustard seeds and fry for 30 seconds.Add curry leaves, dry red chilies and asafoetida powder cook for a minute. Add turmeric powder, fenugreek powder (if using),  grated mango, salt, and cook for a few minutes on medium heat, until the raw smell of the chili powder is gone.
• Turn off the heat, add the cooled rice and mix gently. Check seasoning & serve with papad & curry leaves raitha.

Goji Berry-Almond-Date Power Balls (No Cook Recipe)

How to make Goji Berry-Almond-Date Power Balls

              The talk and use of goji berries have been on the rise lately upon hearing about its super powers. Here is a no sugar added, all natural, gluten free, vegan, zero cooking, paleo, nutrient rich recipe that is healthy and tasty enough for your taste buds. I feel good about this recipe as it uses purely natural sweeteners (dates, goji berries & raisins) and has some crunch and satiety value in it, so we can enjoy a nutritious snack when hunger strikes.

              They’re thought to help prevent premature aging, boost the immune system, have benefits for diabetes and protect against heart disease and cancer. Goji berries could interact with some drugs, so talk with your doctor first. Otherwise, it's probably safe to eat goji berries in moderation. Please use at your own discretion. Research implies the following health benefits of goji berries:

• Very Nutritious
• Excellent Source of Antioxidants
• May Have Anti-Aging Benefits
• May Help Prevent Cancer Growth
• May Improve Blood Sugar Control
• May Boost Energy Levels
• May Help You Lose Weight
• May Improve Cholesterol Levels
• May Help Boost the Immune System

               

Ingredients for 10 to 15 balls:

dried Goji berries - 1 cup

pitted Dates - 1 cup

raw Almonds - 1 cup

Pumpkin seeds - 1 tbsp (optional)

Cardamom powder/Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp

No cook directions:

• Wash the goji berries to remove impurities & dry them off.
• Coarsely powder the almonds in any kind of food processor. Transfer the contents into a mixing bowl.
• Next, pulverize the goji berries into powder. Transfer into the bowl.

• Grind the dates, as much as you can. Add it to the mixing bowl.
• Add other ingredients powdered or whole to the mixing bowl. Stir/mix thoroughly and make into balls.
• Store in an airtight container & enjoy your nutritious snack when hunger strikes.

Notes:

• You can try substituting other nuts, dry fruits and seeds as needed to make your own combination.

            This recipe was noted down from a health based tv show and is from my recipe diary. Sharing the joy with my fellow bloggers at Sri Valli's CCC # 43 - April Week 5.

Cabbage Capsicum Rice

How to make Cabbage Capsicum Rice

            Here is a really no fuss, quick lunch box recipe, I had noted down from a tv show.  The flavor & color of the rice will vary slightly based on the kind/color of cabbage & capsicum used in the recipe. Check out my pictures below for an idea. It really doesn't need an accompaniment, but its totally upto you, what you serve it with. Sending this quick recipe to my fellow bloggers at CCC # 42: March Week 4.

Ingredients for about 3 servings -

Basmati rice - 1 cup, soaked for 20 mins
Water - 1.5 cups

Cabbage - 250 gms, shredded

Capsicum/bell pepper - 1, cut into strips

Onion - 1, sliced

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 Tbsp

Krambu/Cloves - a few

Elakkai/Cardamom - 2 no:s

Pattai/Cinnamon - 1 whole

Green chillies - 3 no:s, slit

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

fried cashews (optional) - about 6 no:s

Stove top method-

• Heat a kadai with oil, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom; saute for a minute on medium low & add green chillies, onions - saute until golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste & saute on low, preferably covered (so it doesn't splatter) until the raw smell disappears.
• Add the capsicum & cabbage on high heat, saute for about a minute. Add the drained rice, 1.5 cups of water & salt. Stir, cover and cook for about 10 minutes on medium low heat. When the rice is cooked soft, top it with fried cashews & serve with any raitha, curry, papad or just plain.

Poosanikai/Pumpkin Chutney

How to make Poosanikai/Pumpkin Chutney

          I bet we all get tired of the same old chutney varieties. I also like to incorporate  vegetables other than onions & tomatoes into my chutneys. So here's one version of the pumpkin chutney, which tastes more like poosanikai paruppu thuvayal, if you know what paruppu thuvayal  (dal chutney) tastes like. That recipe is for another post, cos' I have a story to go with it. This recipe is from one of Mallika Badrinath's cookbook's - Chutney Varieties; and is being shared with my groupies at - CCC# 40: January -- Week 4.

Ingredients for about 2 to 4 servings:

Chopped yellow Pumpkin/Poosanikai - 2 cups

Dry red chillies- 4 no:

Oil - 3 tsps

Kadalai paruppu/Bengal gram dal- 1.5 tbps

Thuvaram paruppu/Toor dal - 1.5 tbps

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Urad dal - 1/4 tsp

Stove top Method:

1. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan & fry the red chillies, toor dal, bengal gram dal until it turns golden brown & crisp.
2. Transfer the roasted ingredients to a plate.
3. Heat the pan again with a tsp of oil, add the chopped pumpkin pieces & roast for a few seconds & sprinkling some water, cover & cook until soft.
4. Powder the roasted ingredients from step one with salt & then add the roasted pumpkin pieces. Grind to a coarse chutney.
5. Heat a tsp of oil, add the mustard seeds, when mustard splutters add urad dal & curry leaves, fry for a few seconds, until crisp. Season the chutney with this & serve with idli, dosa or rice.

Kathirikai Rasavangi (eggplants cooked with toor dal & tamarind)

How to make Kathirikai/Brinjal Rasavangi

The "Samaithu Paar" books by S. Meenakshi Ammal were the first cookbooks my mom bought for me, to take with me into my newly wedded life. At that time, I had no clue how important these books were going to be for me, when I was all alone & far away from mom with no clue on how to cook. Boy! Some of the recipes truly saved my day during my first year of marriage. Especially, when I found that my hubby had been cooking for a few years and was a more experienced & better cook than me. Through trial & error, the recipes in the book taught me how to cook some traditional/homestyle recipes. Rest assured, you will be seeing quite a few recipes from this series throughout the year in my space. Sharing this healthy homestyle recipe with my friends at Valli's CCC# 40: January -- Week 2. The ingredients in this recipe reminds me of this delicious Paavakkai Pitlay, somehow.  

Ingredients:

350 gms of tender eggplants/kathirikai, sliced
3/4th cup Toor dal/Red gram dal - pressure cooked until soft
1 lime sized ball of tamarind, juice extracted
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

2 tbsp, oil

To roast & grind:

2 tbsp Kadalai paruppu/Bengal gram

3 tbsp coriander seed

6 dried red chillies

4 tbsp grated coconut

1 tbsp, oil

For tempering:

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp ulutham paruppu/black gram dal

1/8th tsp asafoetida powder

a sprig of curry leaves
2 red chillies

1 tbsp, oil

Stove top method:

• Using a thick bottom pan, roast the bengal gram dal, coriander seeds, red chillies and grated coconut using a little oil, until crisp & aromatic. Let cool & powder finely & keep aside.
• Cut the eggplant into slices. Heat oil and saute the eggplant in it for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until its almost cooked.
•  Add the tamarind water to the eggplants and add enough additional water to cover. Add salt to taste and the turmeric powder, and bring to a simmer until the eggplant is tender.
• Add the cooked toor dal and add the spice powder previously prepared, mix well & bring to a rolling boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
• In another pan, heat some oil and add the mustard seeds. Allow them to pop, then add the urad dal and asafoetida powder. As the urad dal turns golden add the curry leaves, remove from the heat and add to the rasavangi. 
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes:

• Ash gourd can be used instead of eggplant. Use 2.5 cups chopped ash gourd, cook it in plain water and add the tamarind water to the cooked gourd.
• Dried beans can also be cooked and used with either Eggplant or Ash Gourd Rasavangi.

Spiced Watermelon Juice

How to make Spiced Watermelon Juice

            Watermelon juice is good enough, without any additives. If you are tired of the same old sweetened juice; here's a watermelon juice with a kick that you are sure to love. The chaat masala, black salt, white pepper powder & lemon juice in this juice, tones down the sweetness of the fruit & add different flavors to make it more interesting to your palate. This was the first juice, that I ever learnt how to make; probably during middle school years, probably from one of my friend's mom. 

               I prefer to drink the juice with the pulp, for added fiber in my diet. If you prefer, you can filter the pulp out & get a crisp & clear juice to quench your thirst. My first pic, shows juice without pulp & my second pic, shows juice with the pulp. Take note that the pulp tends to stay on top. Sharing this quick & easy recipe, with my friends over at CCC #37 :September Week 3.

Makes 1 tall glass

3 cups watermelon, cubed

Lemon Juice -1/2 tsp

Chaat masala - 1/4 tsp

Black salt - 1/4 tsp

White pepper powder - 1/8 tsp

Sugar - if needed

Ice cubes (optional)

Method:

• In a blender, add the watermelon cubes & blend well, without adding any water. Add the chaat masala, black salt, white pepper powder, lemon juice & sugar if needed; 
• Pour the watermelon juice in tall glass. add ice cubes if desired.
• Garnish with some mint leaves & serve cold.

Kalyana Maangai Oorugai / Instant Mango Pickle

How to make Kalyana Maangai Oorugai / Instant Mango Pickle

                    This was the first pickle I learnt how to make - its that simple. If you have ever tasted this pickle (probably at a south indian wedding feast); it's just too hard to resist making this spicy instant pickle (unless raw mangoes are out of season). They are so easy to make, yet so satisfying with curd rice. The shelf life is about a week in the refrigerator, so plan accordingly, unless you are willing to share it ;o) Sharing this quick & delicious pickle from my recipe book with my friends at CCC# 34: July - Week 4.

Ingredients:

1 Raw (Sour/Unripe) Mango - Chopped very fine

Red Chilli powder - 3/4th to 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/8 Tsp

Salt to taste

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 Tsp

For Tadka/Tempering:

Sesame Oil - 3 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

1 or 2 dry red Chillies, broken

Asafoetida powder- 1/4 Tsp

Stove Top Method:

• Wash the Mango - slice, julienne & chop as finely as possible and transfer to a bowl. 

•  Dry roast the Fenugreek seeds until aromatic & golden (do not burn). Pound them with mortar and a pestle and set aside. 
• To the finely chopped Mango, add the pounded Fenugreek powder, red Chilli powder, Salt & Turmeric powder.

• Heat a mini kadai/wok with Sesame oil on low-medium heat - add the Mustard seeds. When they splutter, add broken red chilli and Asafoetida powder. Turn the heat off, once the chilli is fried and pour the Oil onto the bowl with the Mango and spices. 
• Toss or mix in with a clean, dry spoon. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Serve with Curd/Yogurt rice or with your favorite meal.

Notes:

• Use the Mango along with the skin.
• Take care not to burn the fenugreek seeds, as they will turn very bitter, if  burnt.
• Refrigerate, store in a glass container, tightly covered and use within a week's time.