Asian Slaw

How to make Asian Slaw

           The Coleslaw is a well known side, that is commonly found at cookouts and also served as an ingredient for barbecue sandwiches. Think of this Asian slaw, as a spicier cousin of the coleslaw. Crunchy vegetables & the chilled dressing makes it perfect for the summer. It makes a great side for any meal; especially so, for an Asian theme platter. I was quite tempted to try this recipe, when I saw it on The Washington Post and this has since been a regular in my kitchen, on many occasions. Sharing this crunchy recipe with my fellow bloggers at Sri Valli's CCChallenge.

Ingredients for 4 to 6 Servings:

2 Cups shredded Cabbage

2 Cups shredded Purple Cabbage

1 Cup shredded Carrots

1 small Onion, finely chopped

A handful of Cilantro leaves, chopped

Salt to taste

1/4 Tsp of crushed black pepper

1.5 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise

1 Tsp of Asian Sesame Oil

1/2 Tsp of Sriracha/Red-Chilli sauce

1/4 Tsp Sugar

1 Tbsp toasted, Sesame seeds

1 Tbsp of roasted, chopped Peanuts

Thakkali Dosai/Tomato Dosa

How to make Thakkali Dosai/Tomato Dosa

        How many times can you make the same old breakfast and dinner items, before someone in your family raises their voice and protests? In my home, that someone would be me :) When you have made all of the usual dishes and crave for something different to surprise your family, why not try this sweet and sour, tangy and spicy Dosa? Did you know, this Dosa needs no fermentation? Just grind and make your dosa's immediately and enjoy with this chutney.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

Raw rice - 1.5 cups
Ripe Tomatoes - 5 to 7 depending on sourness
Red gram dal/Tuar dal - 3 Tbsp
Tamarind - gooseberry sized
Red chilli - 3 to 5
Asafoetida - 1/8 Tsp
Salt to taste
1 Tsp of Sugar (Optional)
Oil - Enough to make dosa's

All Natural Orange-Lime Sorbet

How to make Orange-Lime Sorbet

         Last winter, we took a break from the sub-zero temperatures here & sneaked out to the Sunshine state, for a couple of days. It was an awesome trip - check out the pics, below. On our first day we ventured out to a local farm for Orange picking. We chose to pick a seedless variety of Navel oranges.  It was so much fun, strolling through the grove and taking in the fragrance of the Orange blossoms. Our day ended with a 4 x 4 ride through the 2500 acre estate. 

         As we departed on our ride into the farm, I had a feeling that the herd of cows were a bit restless, in anticipation of something; which proved to be right, later on. On our return trip, the driver handed each of us some oranges & asked us to throw the oranges out, for the cows to eat. That was the first time, I had heard of cows eating oranges. My 3 year old wasn't keen on parting with his orange, so I decided to lend a hand and feed a hungry cow. Little, did I know, what was going to happen next - my preschooler started yelling at the cow, who ate his orange - "Hey Cow!! Give me my orange!!" Not once, not twice; it went on for a few minutes - I bet he(cow) understood, what was being asked of him. You should have seen the look on that poor cow's face.... :)

Vengaya Kai Kari

How to make Vengaya Kai Kari (Semi cooked medley of Raw Mango & Cucumber with pearl onions)

        Vengaya Kai Kari in Tamil, literally means 'Onion - Vegetable Curry'. Now, I could really use your help with this one. The semi cooked veggies, make it crisp & crunchy; with a good bite to it, also keeping it rich in fiber. This can be eaten as a salad or served as a side with a meal platter. For a change, I will leave it to you, to decide how you want to classify this dish ;o) This is from my recipe diary, written down from a show of the late Chef Jacob. I've altered a few steps in the recipe, though. Sharing this recipe with Sri Valli's CCChallenge.

Palak Bahar (Sauteed vegetables on a bed of pureed spinach)

How to make Palak Bahar (Sauteed Vegetables on a bed of pureed Spinach)

          If  I were expecting company, I would probably pick something like this, to serve. The colorful sauteed vegetables, laid on a bed of pureed spinach has got to impress, with its beautiful & vibrant color contrasts. Serve with any unleavened bread or mildly flavored Pulao & you have a winner. This is a very versatile recipe - in the sense that, you can play with the vegetables used on top & still get a delightfully delicious entree, which can be served in 3 ways :)

         When I made this, the last time, my older one, decided to take only the pureed spinach & not the veggies. That reminded me of a story, that I had read, when I was a child. Here it goes - There once lived a poor man, with his pet goat and a parrot. He was in a financial crisis and had very few Paise/Cents on hand to feed all three of them. He went to the market, and after some careful consideration; came home with a water melon. He cut it up and ate the fruit, fed the rind to the goat and the seeds to the parrot. Problem solved! This entree could serve you in a similar way if need be.

Ingredients

Spinach - 2 medium bunches/10 oz - blanched
Carrots 2 medium - cut into thin diagonal slices
French beans 6 - cut into diamonds
1/4th of a Cauliflower- broken into florets
Green chillies - 1
Oil - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Ginger - 1 inch piece, chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, chopped
Onions - 1 large,  chopped
Tomato - 1, chopped
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 2 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - a few sprigs, chopped

Mini Rainbow Whoopie Pies

How to make Mini Rainbow Whoopie Pies

           Does anyone ever feel, they are wise enough? I am filled with awe when I see people who can be ever so certain about their choices in life; and I say this based entirely on my own self reflection (and not to belittle anybody), because at no point in time have I felt, that I know enough. When I think about my quest so far; it feels like, I'm still tripping all over in this astronomical ocean of life and often have the urge to question my everyday choices. When (at what age) & how does one gain satisfaction with what they know? Every choice is made based on the information at hand at that particular point of time in life. What seems right today, may not be the case down the line; even for the same scenario.When that's the case, how does one conclude that he's wise enough for his age? No matter how hard we try, we all have something more to learn; and to make that learning possible, we ought to be open & receptive. In short, all I want to put out there is - One can never know, enough and I take solace in this piece of wisdom by Socrates.....

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing"

         This is a delightful recipe that can be made along with your kids. Making rainbow colored whoopie pies can be time consuming & is best done with the help of tiny hands. Kids will love to assemble & decorate these sweet & delicious cakes/cookies/pies all in one.

Home-style Beetroot Kurma

How to make Beetroot Kurma/Beets simmered in a Coconut-Poppy seeds gravy

       You would all know about the popular Vegetable Kurma, that's commonly available in restaurants & also made at home on special occasions to accompany our Indian flat breads. But this vibrant, deep hued & unpretentious Kurma is not easily found outside, of our homes. Simple, but delicious - this Beetroot kurma can be served with Milk Poori, Roti or Paratha. This also makes your ordinary steamed rice, delectable & comforting. Even if beets are not your favorite, go ahead and try this version. Who knows - you might change your mind about this humble taproot, after all :)

      This is a home-style Kurma and is of a thinner consistency. If you prefer, you can reduce the amount of water used. Sharing my (joy) MIL's recipe with my friends at CCChallenge.

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