Orange Peel Pachadi/Chutney

How to make Orange Peel Pachadi/Chutney

          The skin/peel of many fruits and vegetables can be used to cook a variety of dishes. It's one way to use up the nutrients & fiber, which would otherwise go to waste. Once you try cooking with the peels, you will discover that, it takes the dish to a whole new level. In some households, the peels are simply cooked as an economic choice. Either way, I'm all in when it comes to cooking with peels. Here's an aromatic, lip-smacking Pachadi, which can be made using the peel of a Navel Orange or Kamala Orange. No matter which variety you use; make sure the peel is thick & fleshy. Organic is best; if unavailable, use a Veggie wash to remove any pesticide residue.

           In the Tamil language, there is a phrase called 'Arusuvai Unavu', which means 'Six Flavors'. A good Tamil feast is supposed to include six flavors into it. Those six flavors being - 

Inippu - Sweet - ex: sugar, starchy foods

Pulippu - Sour - ex: citrus fruits, buttermilk

Uvarppu - Salty - ex: all salty foods

Kaarppu - Pungent/Hot - ex: peppers, ginger

Kasappu - Bitter - ex: bitter gourd, neem flowers

Thuvarppu - Astringent - ex: pomegranate, betel leaves

           This recipe is definitely one of those dishes, which has all six of the flavors in it. Our daily schedules are so hectic, many, do not even have time for a decent sit-down meal; leave alone a six-flavor meal; the best we can do is to incorporate a six-flavor dish when possible. We are, what we eat, after all!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 Cup of chopped Orange peel (Navel Orange or Kamala Orange) 

1 Tbsp, Tamarind Paste or about 1 Cup of Tamarind extract

1 Tbsp, crushed Jaggery

2 Tbsp of Oil

1 Tsp, Mustard seeds

1/8 Tsp, Asafoetida/Hing

1/8 Tsp, Turmeric powder

A sprig of Curry leaves

About a Cup of water

Salt to taste

To roast in oil & grind:

1/2 Tbsp, broken Urad dal

1 or 2, dry red chillies

Chopped or grated Coconut, about 1 Tbsp

Uthappam Batter

How to make the Uthappam Batter

          Not many of us are aware that the Uthappam batter is different from the Dosa batter. We tend to make Uthappam's with our ordinary Idli/Dosa batter. And that's not bad either, until you try the real Uthappam. A few years ago, I was blissfully ignorant of the same! Then I gave this recipe a try from a Mallika Badrinath's cookbook. My better half - the connoisseur of my kitchen, gave it a double thumbs up saying that it tasted just like it would, in a good south indian restaurant. It has since become a regular for our weeknight dinners. There are no limits to how many varieties of Uthappam can be made, just by switching the toppings. The picture below doesn't do justice to the Uthappam, You should try it for yourself to really know how good it is. Try Thakkali kai thuvayal, Tomato Coconut Sambhar & Thengai-Pottukadalai Chutney to accompany your uthappams. Sharing this spongy recipe with my friends at CCChallenge.

Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings:

Raw rice - 2 Cups

Par boiled rice/Idli rice - 2 Cups

Black gram dal/Urad dal - 1/2 Cup

Red gram dal/Toor Dal - 1/4 Cup

Fenugreek seeds/Vendhayam/Methi seeds - 1 Tsp

Salt to taste

Oil as needed

2 to 3 Onions - finely chopped

4 to 6 Green chillies - finely sliced

Coriander leaves - finely chopped (Optional)

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

How to bake Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

       Happy Valentines Day!! Most of us, already know that we could better off without some of our daily habits. Yet, we prefer to go about our life with in our comfort zones. Be it, taking a different route than usual; changing our parking spot; or cutting down on our caffeine. Although most of our habits are harmless; mine wasn't. If there is a time of the day, that i eagerly await; it was my evening tea/chai time. I don't remember exactly when, I turned into an addict from a casual  tea drinker.

        My cuppa tea was my getaway from all the craziness in my life. Me, my piping hot mug of desi chai & a favorite TV show or a book.  It was a sacred ritual for me. Everything else had to wait; be it the chores, kids or anything else. I started believing that, my mug of caffeine could make my day better. Even my better half had learnt, (through trial and error) not to ask for any favors until I was done with my ritual!! 

        Although, i had known for a few years that my afternoon tea had a detrimental influence on me - It never hit me, that I had an option to quit. My main concern was the significant trouble i had falling asleep. Yet, I attempted in vain to adapt myself to my cup of chai, by altering the quantity, and the time of the day. The changes would only help initially, but caffeine still had the same properties. Decaff just wouldn't cut it for me. So, I finally decided to cold turkey and have been clean for more than month now. I could call it my impromptu new year resolution :)

Ingredients for about 50 cookies:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 egg

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

About 50 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Mamidikaya Pappu/Dal with Green Mango

How to make Mamidikaya Pappu/Dal with Green Mango

        Does anyone ever think, they are addicted to something? Not usually! Unless there comes a time when you are deprived of that one thing & your mind is constantly thinking about how good it would be, if you could get your hands on it right now. Aren't I right? One of my friend, often says - You can do anything you want, as long as you don't get addicted to that habit.

      For so many years, I was under the impression - that I had no addictions; but I'm glad that it finally dawned on me that I was, in fact an addict!!! I recently decided to go cold turkey and have been quite successful so far. I have a few more days to go, and then I can declare myself as 'clean'!! And by the way, until my next post - I'll just leave you guys hanging.........Come back soon to find out more :)

Ingredients:

Sour raw Mango, peeled & cubed - 1 no:

Red gram dal - 1 Cup

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Salt - to taste

Red chilli powder/Paprika - 1/2 Tsp

chopped, Coriander leaves - 2 Tbsp

For seasoning:

Sesame oil & Ghee mixed - 2 Tbsp (Can skip ghee, if vegan)

Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Black gram dal - 1 Tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Green chillies - 2 no:s, finely chopped

Grated ginger/Ginger paste - 1 Tsp

1 whole Red chilli/Slit Green chilli - for garnishing

Ezhu Kari Kuzhambu/Kootu

How to make Ezhu Kari Kuzhambu (Sambhar with seven vegetables)

          This less known accompaniment for Thiruvathirai Kali and Ven Pongal is exclusively prepared by Amma on the day of  Pongal, which is served with Ven Pongal for breakfast, but is also carried over for lunch and served with steamed rice. This lip smacking gravy has been cooking in my family for many years and comes from my recipe diary. Although this gravy is typically made quite thick; you can thin it out like a Sambhar, if you like. Sharing this family recipe with you & my friends at CCChallenge - A cooking from cookbook event started by Sri Valli.

Amma's Idli Milagai Podi

How to make Idli Milagai Podi/Spiced Chutney powder

       

           One of the top must have's in a Tamil household, is the all time favorite - Idli Milagai Podi. Some use this crunchy spiced powder, only when they don't have the time or energy to make any accompaniments for their breakfast (Idli or Dosa); while for others this is a must have, even if there are a variety of Chutneys or Sambhar. This is my mom's recipe, which is made with Sesame seeds, most of the time to make it even more healthier. You can also make this, without Sesame seeds. Sharing this family recipe with my friends & SriValli via CCChallenge.

                

Thakkali Kai Thuvayal

How to make Thakkali Kai/Green Tomato Chutney

         One of the perks of summer is; you can have your very own vegetable garden. If you have a green thumb, that is! If not, you need to have really nice in-laws like mine; who are all thumbs, that are green too :) You know where I'm going with this, by now. While my in-laws visited us last summer, they started a vegetable garden & tomatoes were top on the list of must have's. Eventually, when summer ended; there were quite a few tomatoes that were unripe & didn't have anymore favorable conditions to ripen either. After waiting for a few weeks - I finally concluded that, it's time for me to use those green tomatoes and decided to make a Thuvayal/Chutney this time. Its a sour & spicy chutney that goes great with your Idli, Uthappam, savory Kuzhi Paniyaram, Rawa Pongal, Masala Dosa & Bonda. Sending this slightly adapted recipe from Meenakshi Ammal's cookbook to Sri Valli's CCChallenge #15.

Healthy Lentil / Daal Soup

How to make Lentil / Daal Soup

          Seasoned with salt & pepper, hot soups make excellent starters. A simple soup can fill your heart & soul during cold weather. Go ahead & try this golden yellow soup, made with the most common ingredients, from your pantry and you got yourself a comfort food, although you didn't have to spend hours, in the kitchen. 

Shimla Mirch Ka Kairsas

How to make Shimla Mirch Ka Kairsas (Goan Cuisine)

             Craving for something tangy, sweet & sour; with crunchy nuts in every bite? Then, this should be on your list of foods, to try. The flavors in this dish and the combination of ingredients were unusually new & unique; well, at least for my family. This zesty and colorful dish is from the Hindu Cuisine of Goa. No onions or garlic are used and the fusion of the ground masala, along with the roasted nuts & the tanginess of the tamarind, makes it a delectable accompaniment. Go ahead and give it a try. You might surprise yourself !!

Banana Nut Bread/Muffins

How to make Banana Nut Bread/Muffins (with step-by step pictorials)

            I love baking; but what I love even more, is baking quick breads, muffins & loafs, far more than baking cakes and other sweet treats; simply because of their drastic difference in nutritive value. When it comes to feeding our families; don't we always want the best for them? This is one such recipe, that will please all your loved ones. No special gadgets needed, healthy for all, and best of all - an excellent way to use up your over-ripe bananas, that no one wants to eat at home. 

         I sit here, reminiscing of the good old days -whenever we were stuck with over-ripe bananas at home; I would wait impatiently for the eager cows/calves to pay us a visit. Although I'm sure they love the tasty treat; myself & the kids love the opportunity to get up close to these sweet creatures, & a chance to pet them. It's a win-win for everyone. But this recipe is another way to a 'win-win'; to win the love of your family & friends.

INGREDIENTS:

Dry Ingredients:

1 Cup all purpose flour/Maida

3/4 Cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp Cinnamon (powder)

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Nutmeg (powder)

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Sugar/Raw Cane Sugar

Wet Ingredients:

2 Eggs

3 Tbsp Yogurt

1/4 Cup Vegetable/Canola Oil

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

4 Well Ripe Bananas, Mashed

Additional Ingredients:

1 to 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar for topping

1/2 Cup broken/chopped Walnuts