Karuppu Ulundhu Sundal

How to make Karuppu Ulundhu Sundal / Whole Black Lentil Snack

         When Navarathri comes around, the first things that cross my mind are Golu, Paatu, Pattu, Sundal & a goody bag of auspicious stuff, along with a one rupee coin :o)  Every house we visit will serve a bowl of warm Sundal. Although delicious, the kids could only eat so many bowls of Sundal. So we would take home the remaining Prasadham to share with our families.

                Navarathri brings along its own share of sweet memories from childhood. It is probably the only time of the year when kids are invited with respect/importance; by grown ups, who normally wouldn't have anything to say to you; except "Where's your Amma"? or "Where's your Patti"? I would come home from school; eager to dress up in pattu pavaadai's & wear some real jewelry (finally!!) and go to almost every house on our street to see their seven or nine step arrangements of beautiful dolls & idols; that are strategically organized in to groups & categories.  Kids, mostly girls would be asked to sing songs in praise of the gods & goddesses. The funny part is, when a girl is singing, there would be so much activity going on around her; It almost feels like no one is paying attention to her song. So much for the respect, I thought we were getting...LOL!!

                 This was probably my first Sundal recipe that was written down in my recipe diary, when I only knew, how to eat :)

Vaazhaipoo Thirattu / Plantain Flower Curry

How to make Vaazhaipoo Thirattu

            Here is a mildly spiced, home style south-indian curry made with fresh plantain flowers and pearl onions, spiced with black sesame seeds & pepper corns that give this curry the dark earthy color & flavors. If you like, you can add about 1/4 cup of coconut milk towards the end & finish off, for a creamier version. 

             If the plantain flower is a new ingredient in your kitchen, please make sure, you check my notes on how to clean it; before you begin. 

'Spreads' Cookie Bars

How to bake quick & easy Cookie bars 

             Although, I like to challenge myself in the kitchen with a tad bit of time consuming, intricate and difficult recipes; there are times when I prefer to keep things quick & simple - so I can do a few more dishes, rather than slave over one item in the given amount of time. Recipes like this one from Ms. Ree Drummond -The Pioneer Woman, which was jotted down in my recipe diary; is just what I needed when company was coming over for a few days. That way, this batch of cookie bars will keep everyone will have something to snack on, anytime of the day; which gives me time to focus on other preparations :o) You can easily double or triple this recipe for a bigger event/crowd. Just dump, spread & bake the dough - it can't get easier than that. 

           These cookie bars are barely sweetened by the brown sugar, but the semi-sweet molten chocolate on the top takes the sweetness up a notch to balance it along with your favorite toppings. Even if you are making a small batch, you can have multiple toppings to suit your needs, like I did. My older one, wanted m&m's. My younger one is a 'sprinkles' fan & I fell in love with slices on snickers on top. These cookie bars, are quite soft, but the toppings you use; adds depth to its texture and can make the top layer - crunchy / nutty / chewy / sticky, as you like it.

               

Uppu Elumichai Oorugai / Pickled Lemon

How to make Uppu Elumichai Oorugai / Pickled Lemon

         At first sight, this may not seem like a pickle at all. The ingredients are lemon, ginger, green chillies and salt. That's it!! No preservatives, oil or chilli powder are required. As you can guess, most of the heat comes from the green chillies. Salt and the citric acid from the lemons are the only (natural) preservatives here. This pickle makes an excellent side for sambhar rice, curd rice, as a treatment for morning sickness or just cos' you want to suck on something sour. 

         This one pot - one shot, home style recipe comes from my MIL - to - my recipe diary - to - you. This pickle can stay good, for months together under refrigeration and will taste great. The longer the ingredients swim in its own juices, the better they will taste. That's when, the heat of the chillies get on to the lemon, the sourness from the lemon juice gets into the chillies, and the ginger absorbs some of the sourness from the lemons. Scroll down to see a picture of the pickle, after three weeks of storage. Anybody can make this pickle - No special skills or expertise  needed; so go ahead and try this hassle free method of preserving a few lemons this time. Who know this could give you the confidence to make other complicated pickles too ;o)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of bite sized chunks of  fresh lemon (about 3 to 4 lemons)

1 cup chopped, Mango ginger or Ginger

2 Tbsp salt, preferably rock salt

7 to 10 slit or chopped green chilies (about 1/4 cup)
a few fresh green peppercorns (optional)

Upside Down Peach Cake (Low Fat & Egg less)

How to bake an Upside Down Peach Cake

         What would you bake for someone on their anniversary; that is egg less, healthy, and low fat ? Well, luckily I came across this recipe in a big book of luscious low fat cooking, called Great Good Food by Julee Rosso.

         Last week was the 46th wedding anniversary of my in-laws, I can't imagine what that must be like. Every passing year seems like an achievement for some of us. They say - 'With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone'. I just hope, I am the first kind ;o)

         Getting back to the cake, I had to serve this cake to friends & family with my fingers crossed, because, I hadn't tasted it and had no clue if it was fit for the occasion. Delightedly, the whole cake disappeared within minutes of cutting the first slice. I managed to grab a piece, so I could write this post. My favorite part of this cake are the peaches on the top with the caramelized brown sugar. Serve this with a whipped cream topping if you like & enjoy your treat, guilt free. Sharing this recipe with my friends over at CCChallenge.

Ingredients for 8 to 12 servings:

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 cups peeled, pitted & sliced fresh peaches (about 3 peaches)

1 Tbsp ground/chopped crystallized ginger ( I used "inji murabba")

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

vegetable oil, to grease the pan

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

up to 5 Tbsp of buttermilk as needed to get the batter to pouring consistency

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pappa al Pomodoro / Roasted Tomato Soup

How to make Pappa al Pomodoro (Roasted Tomato Soup)

        We love roasted tomato soup, anytime of the year. I knew, there was no stopping me, when I saw a similar recipe in the bon appetit magazine. I made a few changes to suit the Indian palate & Voilà! It was a so... good & a big hit with my family. Serve a large bowl of this soup for a meal by itself or serve along with a tasty sandwich. 

         Pappa al Pomodoro is a hearty & thick Tuscan tomato-bread soup typically prepared with fresh tomatoes, bread, olive oil, garlic, basil, and various other fresh ingredients. The soup equivalent of dipping your bread into tomato sauce. This rustic dish is a summer comfort food. 

Total time - 1 hour

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 lbs of ripe & juicy tomatoes, cored & quartered

6 to 8 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

6 Tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more

sea salt

freshly ground pepper corns

1/2 Tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp Dry chilli flakes

1/4 loaf of country-style bread, crust removed, torn into 2" pieces (about 1.5 cups), divided

3 cups of water

Chocolate Bars with Walnut & Marshmallow Topping

How to bake Chocolate Bars with Walnut & Marshmallow Topping

         I have a happy announcement to make...... Today, I received an opportunity to share a recipe on Radio Zindagi for the Tamil listeners in the VA, MD & DC region. If you happened to listen to the show, where I gave step by step instructions for baking Coconut Macaroons, I would love to hear from you and get your suggestions & feedback about the show, please leave a comment about it.

       My kids love baked chocolate goodies so much, that they like to browse my cookbooks & pick up recipes for us to bake together. Depending on their level of patience, they will help me out (or not :o). Its hard for us to bear the withdrawal of the goodness of chocolate, for too many days at a stretch; so we end up baking something chocolaty at the first chance, we get. 

        Do you agree with - "Once a foodie, always a foodie" ? So, the foodie in me grabbed a book called Chocolate Divine Indulgence at a book fair. This book has a ton of chocolate recipes (including this one), all of which make small batches. I personally prefer recipes that make a small batch of goodies; that way I get to try a variety of recipes frequently & also, not have a ton of  leftovers. I'm pleased to share this bitter sweet recipe with my friends at CCChallenge.

Difficulty level - 1

Preparation: 20 mins + 1 hour to chill

Ingredients for 12 to 14 bars:

1/2 Cup (120 g) salted butter

1/2 Cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Cup (200 g) firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 Cup (75 g) all-purpose (plain) flour

1/2 Cup (120 ml) milk

1 Tsp vanilla extract (essence)

1 Cup (120 g) coarsely chopped marshmallows

1 Cup (120 g) coarsely chopped walnuts

1 Cup (180 g) dark chocolate chips

Coconut Macaroons

How to make Coconut Macaroons (six ingredients only)

                If you are looking to bake something sweet, in under thirty minutes, you gotta try these chewy macaroons. With just six ingredients, you can whip this baby up in no time & make your friends & family happy. You don't even need to beat the egg whites for these macaroons. Although I'm not a fan of coconut sweets, I thought I would bake these for my in laws & hubby; that's why I chose to add no frills (check notes below) to these beauties. I knew, I had to eat at least one, to write about it, but to my surprise, I had gobbled up a couple of these, as soon they came out of the oven. The whole house was smelling divine from these coconut delights - who could resist that ? I am sharing this simple, yet delicious recipe, I found at the back of Baker's sweetened coconut flakes pack, with my friends over at CCChallenge. 

Easy mix - Easy bake - Easy serve - Easily gone!! 

Grilled Brie, Pear and Jalapeno Jam Sandwich

How to make a Grilled Brie, Pear and Jalapeno Jam Sandwich

    

        This is a one of a kind sandwich, which has a variety of flavors & texture to it. Brie is a very rich and creamy cheese which goes great with the crunchy fresh fruit and also balances the heat from the hot & sweet Jalapeno jam. If you have access to Granny smith apples; that makes one heck of a sandwich. It's bound to keep you satisfied for hours, while also pleasing your taste buds. This recipe was jotted down in my dairy a long time ago - I'm happy to finally share this flavorful recipe with you & my friends at CCChallenge.

Ingredients:

Multi-grain/Whole Wheat bread
Brie Cheese
Pear or Granny smith slices
Jalapeno pepper Jam (Recipe here)
Unsalted softened butter/margarine

Optional gadget:
Panini press/Sandwich maker

Hot & Sweet Jalapeno Jam

How to make Hot & Sweet Jalapeno Jam

           Jalapeno jellies and jams are typically made with too much sugar and/or added bell peppers, which cuts down on the heat of these fiery Mexican peppers. So, I came up with this version of Jalapeno jam to satisfy my taste buds; which gets a kick from the heat of this peppery Jalapeno jam. You only need a few minutes to make this jam and it goes with a lot of your favorite foods. You could use it on plain toast, sandwiches or serve as a snack along with crackers & cheese. Go ahead and whip this up; your taste buds might just sing you, a Gracias song :)

Ingredients for 10 oz of Jam

5 large Jalapenos 

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/8 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp powder Pectin (ex: Ball)

1 to 2 drops of green food color (Optional)