Muttai Omelet Kuzhambu (Egg Omelet Gravy)

Muttai Omelet Kuzhambu (Egg Omelet Gravy)
Those who love eggs will be excited to taste different recipes of eggs. I have tried to make gravy with the omelets. I have heard that in some parts of Tamilnadu this gravy is a usual one. I was not able to gather any authentic recipe of the same. So I have made a trial. The gravy turned out good. So you people can certainly give the recipe a try. An easy and handy recipe when we are short of vegetables or time.

Ingredients for the omelets
Eggs -4
Minced onion -1/2 cup
Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
Chopped green chili -1
Salt to taste

There are different ways of making this omlette. If you have time and patience it can be baked in the oven. As my readers know, I am allergic of using my oven; I made the omelets in my dosa pan. The thing to be noted while making the omelets is that it should be made thick.
Another way is to pour the mix in kuzhi paniyaram moulds and make egg paniyarams.
Easiest is the regular way of making omelets but little thicker. If you make like this or bake then after making cut into small pieces and keep aside
Ingredients for the gravy
Small onion -20 or chopped big onion -2
Garlic -20
Tomato -2

Tamarind –little (as shown) (too much of tamarind will not be good)
Sambar powder-2 teaspoons
Coriander powder- 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon
Curry leaf –little
For seasoning
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Fenugreek-1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little
Procedure to make the gravy
The gravy is the normal puli kuzhambu that we make. But for the beginners sake I repeat.
Mix the tamarind and the salt needed in two to two and half cups of water.
Drain it and keep aside
Keep the kadai in the stove
Pour 1 table spoon of gingili oil or any other oil you use for cooking
Season the gravy with the items given for seasoning
Add the onion, garlic and tomato pieces one by one and sauté well for 5 minutes in medium fire
Now add the salt tamarind water into the kadai
After one boil add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
Keep the stove in medium fire
Cook for 10 minutes
When the gravy has turned to half the quantity add the cut omlette pieces.
Cook for 3 more minutes
Remember that the omelet pieces will become little big after boiling
So make the pieces little smaller.
Heat the gravy before serving

Clementine Christmas Cookies

Happy holidays everyone!

For about 40 cookies (depending on their thickness and the size of your cookie cutters)

• 250 g (2 cups) flour
• 200 g (1 cup) sugar
• 125 g (1/2 cup or just over 1 stick) butter
• 1 clementine
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 or 2 egg yolks

1. Cut the butter in small pieces and allow it to warm up to room temperature (you can use a microwave for a few seconds).
2. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Rub the ingredients between your hands to obtain a uniform "sand."
3. Squeeze the clementine. Add half of the juice to the flour mix and briefly kneed with your hands. Add more juice as needed to obtain a shiny, elastic dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Shape dough into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Roll the dough down to 3 or 4 millimeters. Cut out shapes. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet (or use parchment paper). Lightly brush each cookie with egg yolk.
5. Bake in a 360ºF (180ºC) oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Keep an eye on the cookies as they will rapidly change color. Uneven oven temperature and uneven cookie thickness will make them cook more or less rapidly.
6. Let the cookies cool down and enjoy, or store in a metal box for later.
   

Chestnut stuffing

When I see fresh chestnuts at the farmer's market or in the produce aisle, I can't resist: I buy a bag. They remind me of the "chestnut fair" ("la vogue des marrons"), a traveling carnival that takes place every fall atop the Croix Rousse hill in Lyon. Amidst the noisy, flashy rides and cotton candy vendors are fire-roasted chestnut vendors. They roast fresh chestnuts from Ardèche, the nearby producing region, in big barrels over a crackling and smoking wood fire. They serve the hot, blackened chestnuts in cones made of newspaper. You warm up your hands by holding the cone for a few minutes, then shell the chestnuts one by one, trying not to burn your fingers, and eat them while still steamy. What a treat.

Chestnuts also remind me of Christmas meals. Chestnut-stuffed roast turkey, served with sautéed apples and more chestnuts, is one of the traditional Christmas dishes in my family. Here is a recipe for the stuffing, adapted from my 1991 Larousse de la Cuisine.

The recipe is for a 9-lb (4-kg) turkey. Since this attempt was just for fun (and for the 4 of us), I didn't buy a whole turkey but two drumsticks, and baked the stuffing (or dressing, rather) around them. The turkey pieces were simply seasoned with salt and pepper and brushed with sunflower oil. I baked them for about one hour at 350ºF (180ºC), adding the dressing about 20 minutes before the end.

• one bag fresh chestnuts (1.6 lbs or 740 g)
• 4 strips bacon, diced
  
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 thin, boneless pork chop (about 1/3 lb or 150 g), diced
  
• 1 apple (Pink Lady for example), thinly sliced
  
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, 2 whole cloves, 1 pinch ground cinnamon

1. Cut a cross into each chestnut with a sharp, pointy knife.
2. Roast the chestnuts on a cookie sheet, cross facing up, in a 450ºF (230ºC) oven for about 30 minutes. Let them cool down a little then peel them (use your hands to break the shells and remove them). Crumble the chestnuts between your hands or chop them coarsely with a chef's knife.
   
3. Fry the diced bacon and chopped onion in a pan for a few minutes.
   
4. Add the diced pork and cook for a few more minutes.
   
5. Add the apple slices. Season with salt and spices. Toss well. Cook for a few minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and toss in the crumbled chestnuts.
7. Use as turkey or chicken stuffing, or bake separately as dressing for 20 minutes.
   

Karuppatti Paniyaram and Elai Mavu

Pillayar Nombu is fast approaching and many of my young readers want the recipe for this and Elai mavu. Elai mavu is karuppatti paniyaram mavu without water. As I go to nagarathar sangam, I don’t usually make this at home. But for the sake of my readers, I learnt it from my mom this week when I went to chettinad to attend a function. So there are no photos attached.
Ingredients
Raw rice -2 cups
Black jaggerry (powdered)-1 ½ cups (karuppatti) if you don’t get karuppatti in you area then try with vellam
Procedure
Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain and dry in a paper for 20 minutes and dry grind it in a mixie.Here in India we sieve the flour in a fine siever half and remaining half in medium siever.If you don’t have siever just finely grind and keep. Now powder the karuppatti and add ¼ cup water and keep in the kadai. Once the jaggerry gets melted and gets hot switch off. No need of any string consistency. If the pagu start boiling switch off. Wait for 2 minutes and then add the pagu to the flour and mix in the consistency of chappathi mavu. If there is ecess pagu it can be used for thirattu paal.Dont pour all the pagu atonce. slowly add. Sometimes there will be excess.
This flour can be made in advance and refrigerated. So make it the day before itself.
Karuppatti paniyaram
Take the paniyaram mavu in a bowl and mix it in the consistency in between idly and dosai batter. Keep a small flat kadai in the stove and with a proper ladle pour one ladle into the oil when the oil is hot. Allow some seconds to cook then with the ladle slowly pour little oil in the kadai on top of the paniyaram. Now the paniyaram will get nice border. Turn side and cook for a minute and remove from the kadai draining the excess oil from the paniyaram. After taking out wait for a minute and break one paniyaram and see to check wether it is fried well.If not fry little longer.

Potato gratin with bacon

A beautiful potato dish came out of the oven yesterday night, all steamy an bubbly. We took a few bites, then a few more, and we would have eaten the whole dish if it wasn't for this blog. I wanted to take a picture but there wasn't enough light... Now this cold leftover doesn't look half as nice as the dish did yesterday, but hopefully it gives you an idea... The potatoes literally melted in our mouths. Yum!

Serves 2
(prep time: 10 minutes, cooking time: 1 hour)

• 4 big Yukon gold potatoes
• 4 strips bacon
• 1/2 big yellow onion
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
  
• 1 tsp butter
• about 1 cup whole milk
• about 4 oz. (100 g) gruyère cheese
• salt, pepper, nutmeg

1. Peel the potatoes, rinse them and slice them. Dice the bacon. Chop the onion. Place all in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Toss well.
3. Rub a glass or ceramic oven-safe dish with garlic (here's my dish). (Discard what remains of the garlic clove.)
4. Butter the dish, then throw in the potatoes and gently shake the dish from left to right to arrange the potatoes in an even layer.
5. Pour the milk.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes at 360ºF (180ºC).
7. Take out of the oven momentarily and grate gruyère cheese on top. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes or so, checking from time to time until the cheese forms a nice, golden crust.
8. Eat with a side of escarole salad.

Kathirikkai Sadam (Brinjal Rice)

There are different ways of doing this item. I too used to do it in a laborious way until I tasted a very tasty and easy recipe in Sathya’s house. Sathya my neighbor who may be known to my readers through my blog on sathya aunty’s rasam is good in cooking and provides me with some interesting recipes.
When we are short of much vegetables or time or interest, then this is an excellent choice. The same recipe can be used for capsicum and some other vegetables also. Try out with some more vegetable available in your area. Kopra or dried coconut is best suited for this recipe. Here in India only in Andhra we get this easily. If kopra is not available grated coconut can be used and sauted well.

Ingredients
Cooked rice-2 cups (don’t over cook .cook like you cook for tamarind or lemon rice)
Brinjal -1/4 kg
Tomato-1
Onion-1
Curry leaf –little
Coriander leaf –little
Ingredients for the masal powder
Red chilies -10
Coconut-2 table spoons or kopra
Urudh dhal-2 table spoons
Channa dhal ( kadalai paruppu)-2 table spoons
Dhania (coriander seeds)-1 teaspoon
Cinnamon-a small piece
Clove-2
Fenugreek ( vendayam )-1/2 teaspoon
Procedure to make the powder
In little ghee or oil first roast the chilies and keep apart. Then sauté everything adding one by one in the order in which it is given. No need to fry it till red. Switch off when you feel it is roasted. In a mixie powder it and store it.
Procedure
Keep the kadai in the stove. In a table spoon of oil and ghee mixed, season with a small piece of cinnamon, clove and curry leaf. Add the minced tomato and onion and sauté. Add the brinjal pieces too and sauté in low fire adding salt and turmeric powder. Make sure that brinjal pieces don’t get over cooked. Stay near the stove and sauté. If necessary sprinkle some water. If you close the kadai for a minute, it will get cooked fast. Once you feel that the brinjal pieces are cooked, add the masal powder and mix well. Mean time transfer the rice to a flat bowl. Add little ghee or oil and little salt to the rice and allow it to cool. Once you feel the rice is not very hot add the rice into the kadai or the brinjal into the vessel and mix well in such a way that the rice or brinjal pieces do not get smashed. Garnish with coriander leaves. Heat the rice in a microwave or kadai while serving
You can prepare this powder in lots during weekends and can store .Then making this rice will only be a few minutes job.

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Soup du Jour

I love soup. It's my favorite comfort food in all seasons. And I love making soup as much as I like to eat it. What I find fascinating is that no two soups are ever alike. Mixing vegetables is very much like mixing colors, except that, contrary to paint, the soups' flavor combinations are as interesting and varied as their hues.

I'm starting a little series, called "soup du jour", where I'll tell you what vegetables went in my soup that day. I hope this will give you some ideas. The process is almost always the same: I sauté some onions (and sometimes leeks) in butter; add whatever other vegetables I happen to have handy; cover with water; add salt, pepper, bay leaves and thyme; and simmer for about 30 minutes (or cook in a pressure cooker, like this one, for about 10 minutes). I usually mix blend my soups (that's how my kids like them best), but some soups are excellent when left chunky. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf and thyme before mixing blending.

Today's soup:

• 1 tsp butter
  
• 1/2 large yellow onion
• 1 bunch celery (stalks and leaves)
• 3 large carrots
• 3 Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme
• salt, freshly ground black pepper

The Intangible Cultural Heritage

Interesting news from the U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today. 46 elements were inscribed today on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Among them:

France - The gastronomic meal of the French - The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions. It is a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking. The gastronomic meal emphasizes togetherness, the pleasure of taste, and the balance between human beings and the products of nature. Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a constantly growing repertoire of recipes; the purchase of good, preferably local products whose flavours go well together; the pairing of food with wine; the setting of a beautiful table; and specific actions during consumption, such as smelling and tasting items at the table. The gastronomic meal should respect a fixed structure, commencing with an apéritif (drinks before the meal) and ending with liqueurs, containing in between at least four successive courses, namely a starter, fish and/or meat with vegetables, cheese and dessert. Individuals called gastronomes who possess deep knowledge of the tradition and preserve its memory watch over the living practice of the rites, thus contributing to their oral and/or written transmission, in particular to younger generations. The gastronomic meal draws circles of family and friends closer together and, more generally, strengthens social ties.

Chettinad Kozhi Pattani Masala ( Chettinad Chicken And Green Peas Masala)

Now days Chicken has become a major item under the non veg category cooked at home. Many of us are on the look out for some different recipe. Children also get bored by the same kind of dish prepared. I too try to find out different recipes to cook chicken. I blog the recipe which impress me. This preparation is a light alteration to one fish masala item shown in a Malayalam channel .I am not sure, but I remember it to be Kairali TV
This recipe though little time consuming tastes very different from the usual ones we prepare. Green peas always tastes good with chicken. This gravy goes well with both rice and Tiffin items.

Ingredients
Chicken boneless – 500 gms
Green peas – 100 gms
Chopped onion -2
Chopped tomato-2
Green chilli-2
Coconut milk -1 cup (1/2 coconut grated and squeezed) or (4 tablespoons tinned coconut milk mixed in ½ cup water)
Coriander leaves –A bunch

Masala Items
Ginger paste-1 teaspoon
Garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Garam masala -1 teaspoon
Chili powder -1 table spoon
Coriander powder- 2 tablespoon
Cumin powder-1 teaspoon
Pepper powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

For Marinating
Corn flour -1 tablespoon
Egg white -1 egg
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Pepper powder -1 teaspoon
Salt -1 teaspoon
Method
Cut the chicken pieces into small ones. Mix the items given for marinating in egg white and marinate the chicken pieces for 30 minutes. Meantime keep the other items for the gravy ready. After 30 minutes in 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil fry the chicken pieces that are marinated. No need to deep fry. Fry for 5 minutes in medium fire. Fry all the pieces and keep aside.

For the gravy, keep a kadai in the stove.
In the oil used for frying the chicken , pour 2 table spoons and season the gravy with 3 pieces of cinnamon, 2 cardamom and 2 pieces of bay leaf.
Add the chopped onion and green chilies in the oil and fry till they get golden brown.
Now add turmeric powder and then pepper powder. Sauté for a minute.
Add garlic paste and then ginger paste and sauté.
Add the tomatoes and sauté till they get smashed.
Add chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder all one by one keeping the fire in medium.
Now add the green peas also into the kadai and mix well.
Add ½ cup water and the salt needed and cook for 5 minutes so that the peas can get cooked.
Pour the coconut milk into the kadai and when the mixture boils add the fried chicken pieces.
If you feel that the consistency is very thick then little bit more of coconut milk or water can be added.
Check for the taste and if anything is missing, it can be added.
If you find the gravy too hot, a tablespoon of tomato sauce can be added. It depends on ones taste. In our house we all like the tomato sauce taste. So I added a table spoon of it.
Finally add the chopped fresh coriander leaves.

What to substitute for bouillon cube

Being away from my source of bouillon cube has been a curse for many years. I had to wait for my next trip to France to buy some, or I had to add the little package to my wish list when my parents visited. This was one of the last items I decided I could only get there. (As a new immigrant I used to load my luggage with all sorts of things, but little by little I found my way around my local store's aisles and discovered substitutes for all these goodies.)

A box would last me nearly a year, so I always had supplies for the few recipes in which bouillon cubes seemed irreplaceable, like this beef and carrot stew. I would use them very sparingly. But one day... months away from any trip to/from my bouillon cube paradise, I used the last cube in the box. Oh, horror! What was I going to do!!! The safety net was gone.

Rather than despair, I read the list of ingredients on the side of the box, in hopes that I would be able to come up with an equivalent mix of spices. Here's what I read:

Maggi's Kub Or ingredients:

• salt, flavor enhancers, hydrogenated palm oil, natural flavors (wheat, soy), sugar, onion, glucose syrup, citric acid, garlic, coriander seeds; pepper, cloves, celery, and bay leaf extracts, preservatives.

I started realizing that there really wasn't any need to wait for a trip half way around the world to flavor my stews and soups! Half of the ingredients didn't need to be part of any recipe (flavor enhancers? Palm oil? Preservatives?). The other half (the actual spices) was widely available in California. So here is what I tried in my next beef and carrot stew, plus a few other meat or vegetable-only dishes.

Replacement for 1 bouillon cube:

• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1/2 fresh yellow onion, chopped
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, peeled, halved, stem removed
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh or dried thyme
• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp whole celery seeds, crushed
• 2 whole cloves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

It turned out beautifully every time. I didn't need to rely on scarce supplies anymore, and my dishes had become 100% natural.

And this is how the curse became a blessing :-)

PS: I sill love Kub Ors and recommend them if you can find them!

Aattu Ratham Poriyal (lamb blood curry)

The sight of the goat blood in the meat shop kept like a pudding in bowls used to frighten me. I never imagined making a curry out of it. But during my last visit to chettinad, my periamma whom I have already mentioned to be great cook asked me to try this and blog the recipe. She told me the recipe also. She told me that the curry will not have any smell. This Sunday the lady who comes once or twice a month from the nearby village and helps me in cleaning the house, fish tank, car etc came. I asked her about the goat blood. She said that they people buy and cook it. So I took her to the shop to buy it. There were some 6 or 7 bowls of jelly like red thing in front itself. I asked for one .The man in the shop asked me is it enough? I asked the cost .He told 15 Rs. I was surprised and got one bowl more. The lady who came with me told that they would have added salt in the bowl and should be careful while adding salt to the curry. As per the recipe my periamma gave, I first washed the thing nicely. In a kadai in 4 cups of water boiled the blood till they turned like liver. Allowed it to cool and then cut into small pieces. I prepared it as per the recipe. I never told my daughter what it was. While eating she told me ‘amma the liver is very soft today' The curry did not have any non veg smell and was good.

Ingredients
Goat or lamb blood -2 bowls
Small onion minced -30 or big onion minced -1 or 2
Garlic chopped –little
Curry leaf –little
Grated coconut -2 table spoons
Green chili -8 minced
Procedure
Wash and cook the blood in a kadai in 4 cups of water till it turns like liver. Allow it to cool. Then cut them into small pieces .

In a kadai in one teaspoon of oil season the curry with a teaspoon of fennel seed and little curry leaf. Sauté the minced onion and garlic and chilies for 5 minutes. Now add the cut pieces too and mix well. Check for the salt taste and add the salt needed and cook for 5 to 6 minutes without adding water .There will be little water in the boiled pieces. Finally add the grated coconut and mix well. The fry goes well with both sambar and curd rice.
I have not browsed the medicinal value of this goat blood. If my readers can find time to do so please send it to me .I will add on to the blog.

Nenju Elumbu Soup or Maarkandam soup ( Lamb Rib bone soup)

When we were young On Sunday’s at 11 in the morning either we will have aattu managai , eeral soup or this nenju elumbu soup. Now all have become calorie conscious and don’t want to go to the mutton shop itself. But the medicinal value of these soups can never be replaced by any other food.
Nenjelumbu soup does not contain much fat and those who access a mutton shop to get this can can surely give this soup a try. The soup is very good when we are suffering from cold or recovering from any illness. The soup alone can be taken in a bowl and be given to kids right from the 18 month old baby.
All at home are suffering from cold due to change of climate. So I thought of making this soup. I always prefer this to chicken soup as I feel that chicken soup if taken in large quantity leads to dry cough . For the bad cold we are having, the soup was really heavenly. After taking the soup there was a great relief. So I immediately thought of sharing the recipe with my readers

Ingredients
Nenju elumbu -200gms (If not available lamb bones can be replaced)
Small onion-10 or big onion (medium size-1 )
Small tomato -1
Rice washed water-2 cups (optional) For grinding
Pepper corns-1 teaspoon
Small jeera -1 teaspoon
Dhania or dry Malli -1 ½ teaspoon
Red chili -1
Procedure
Before cooking the rice for the day, wash it and soak for 5 minutes. Drain the water and keep ready. Put the nenjelumbu, onion ,tomato and very little salt along with a teaspoon of turmeric powder in the cooker. Add the rice washed water also and cook for 10 minutes . Grind the items to be grinded in the small jar. Once the pressure goes open the cooker and add the grinded powder and allow the soup to boil for 5 minutes. There should be 4 cups of soup for this quantity ofnenjuelumbu. Dont add too much or too little water. If soup is less, water can be added and check for the correct hotness and salt. While cooking this checking is very important. If you want the soup to be little more hot, add little more milagu jeeraga powder. I hope all will have this pepper jeera powder stock at home to be used for omelet or rasam. Salt also can be added according to taste. After 5 to 6 minutes switch off the stove. Serve the soup hot. Garnish with coriander leaves while serving.

Poondu Thuvaiyal or Chutney (Side dish with garlic)

In many parts of Tamilnadu this side dish is very popular and which is not so in chettinad.My neighbors used to tell that they have to make few idly’s more if they have poondu chutney. I always had a feel that the chutney will have excess garlic flavor which will make us embarrassing while we go out due to its odd smell. So I never bothered to try it. But one of my neighbors insisted me to try this at least once. She is very dedicated in cooking that she hand grinds it each time. I told her that I can’t do so. She asked me to grind it at least in the mixi and taste. My next doubt was how much garlic I can peel to have a good amount of chutney. Garlic costs Rs 250 a kg now. Though that is not a matter to be bothered for we people, we always use less of a thing when it is off season.
I should really agree that it was delicious and mouth watering . My younger one loved it and asked me why I never used to do that chutney. I told this recipe to my elder daughter in US and she too loved it. She gets peeled big garlic there and finds it very easy to do this chutney when in a hurry. Bachelors there can buy and store the peeled garlic in the fridge and can use the chutney as a side dish for frozen chapatti as well. Little chutney will be enough for 3 or 4 idly’s. The qty of chutney will be less as the ingredients are less.
Ingredients
Whole garlic -2 or 3
Tomato -2 (medium size)
Red chili -3 or 4 (according to taste)
For seasoning
Oil (gingerly if available) – 1 table spoon
Mustard -1 teaspoon
Broken urudh dhal -1 teaspoon
Curry leaf –little
Procedure
The procedure is very simple. Note that no onions are used. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Keep the kadai in the stove. In little oil sauté the chilies first and remove it from the oil. Then sauté the garlic and tomatoes nicely till the garlic gets almost cooked. Finally add the salt needed and allow the mix to cool. Once it cools grind it nicely in the small jar. Even after grinding if there are small pieces of garlic inside don’t bother. It will be tasty as a whole. After removing it from the mixi season the chutney and pour it on top of the chutny and mix well till the oil gets mixed nicely into the whole chutney.

Thenkuzhal Mavu Or Murukku Mavu

Deepavali is fast approaching and the thought of what to make at home for deepavali will be running in everybody’s mind now. Whatever snack we buy outside can’t compromise the home made thenkuzhal or murukku. Chettinad snacks are very famous especially thenkuzhal, Kai murukku, Cheeppu cheedai, Mavurundai, Managolam etc.
There is difference between thenkuzhal and Kai murukku and their mavu, but for the readers sake I have mentioned as thenkuzhal or murukku as same since many know thenkuzhal as murukku only. Now days we never make Kai murukku at home and no need to bother about that. The specialty of chettinad thenkuzhal is that it won’t turn red but at the same time will be very crispy. Many are doubtful of the exact proportions and I hope the blog will be useful for those who can manage to find a mill to grind the mavu.

Ingredients
Rice -7 uzhakku or 7 cups
Broken urudh dhal -2 cups (whole urudh dhal won’t get roasted fast)

Procedure
Procedure is more important than proportions. No need to wash the rice and dry it under the sun.
Take 2 soft towels. I use eerizhai thundu or Co-optex towel. Wet the towel nicely and squeeze out the water. Take handful rice and clean it nicely with the towel and put it in a paper under the fan. Likewise clean the entire rice. Use different parts of the towel for each handful. Allow the rice to dry nicely. It will dry fast as you have not washed the rice.
The next important thing is how to roast the urudh dhal
Put the frying pan in the stove. Keep the stove in low fire. Add a handful or two of urudh dhal and roast in low fire for 5 minutes. The urudh dhal should be roasted in such a way that it should never get red at the same time be well roasted. Likewise roast the whole urudh dhal. The two cups has to be divided into 5 portions for roasting. Allow the urudh dhal to cool and mix it with the rice and take it to the mill for grinding.
While going to the mill take with you 2 cups of rice also. The thenkuzhal mavu in the mill should be grinded only after grinding rice flour or somebody else’s murukku mavu. So if you don’t see the person in the line not grinding either of these you grind the rice which you have brought. If the Thenkuzhal mavu is grinded after grinding wheat flour or ragi, it will spoil the murukku you are making.
Once the mavu is ready, things are simple .Just add enough water and salt and mix the flour. Put it in the kuzhal or press and make murukku. In chettinad we don’t add anything else to the mavu. If desired little chili powder can be added for kara murukku. No need omam or jeeragam. Those things will make the murukku burst or crack in the oil and cause danger. Enjoy the crispy murukku with family

Poorana Kozhukattai (Vinayaga Chathurthi Special)

When we were small ,the first thing that will come to our mind about chathurthi is the sweet poorna kuzhakattai and sundal that will be made in all houses and will be distributed among the neighbouring houses on that day. We used to compare the softness of the kozhukattai made in different houses.

Though I love poorna kuzhakattai,I used to make modagam which is more favourite to vinayagar. But this year I wanted to share this recipe with my readers. For the last one week the Tv channels in Tamilnadu are telecasting the kozhukattai preparation as vinayaga chathurthi is this weekend. One recipe given by an experienced old lady (Forgot to note her name) in podigai Tv samayal sandegangal was really impressive. I tried the recipe today and it came out perfect. I think it is very easy and can never go wrong. The kozhukattai turned out very soft

Ingredients

Raw rice -200 gms (1 uzhakku) (Here we get mavu pacharisi)

Powdered jaggery-1/2 cup

grated coconut-1/2 cup

Cardomom-2

Ghee -2 teaspoon

Gingelly oil-1 tablespoon

Method

Soak the rice for an hour.Grind it well in a mixie.The batter can be watery. After grinding add 1/4 teaspoon salt and a teaspoon gingelly oil into the batter.The batter can be like dosa batter.

Keep a kadai in the stove. Boil 3/4 cup water and pour the grounded batter into the water and stir nicely.The batter will turn like a ball in a minute or two. Switch off the stove. Divide the batter into three portions and knead it into a smooth ball.make it into a single ball and cover it with a wet tissue or cloth.

Now for the coconut poornam , Keep the kadai in the stove.pour 1/4 cup water. Add the jaggerry into the water. Once the jaggerry dissolves, strain the jaggerry using a filter to remove impurities. wash the kadai and pour back the jaggerry and boil till it turns sticky. In medium fire it can be boiled for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add the coconut,ghee and the powdered cardamom and stir well till there is not much water content. Don't keep the coconut for a long tome in the stove. Switch off with in two minutes else the coconut will get roasted. Now the poornam is ready.

Now we have to make the kozhukattai and keep the poornam inside. In tamilnadu lot of ready made achu is available. But if you dont have achu also no problem. The batter will listen to your needs. Make small balls.spread it into flat thin circles as shown or make small kinnams as shown. little bit gingelly oil can also be used for spreading. Youngsters today will do a better work of making different shapes than us. Keep the poornam inside and cover nicely.If you make the first type stick the ends nicely.

Steam the kozhukattai in idly pot or stand. Remember you have to put a cloth or tissue on the idly plate before steaming else the steam from below will change the colour of the kozhukattai.

Chettinattu Kozhi Kuzhambu ( chettinad chicken gravy(without cocunut) )

Chicken gravy is one item which can be used as a side dish for many food items like chapati, roti, nan, idly or dosa.It will be excellent for rice also. But many of us now don't want to use coconut to make gravy since we grow calorie conscious day by day. Moreover the food items using coconut will not stay good for long. and cannot be stored for a longer period. chettinad dishes usually dont contain too much of coconut.They make tasty gravy without using much coconut.
This recipe of chicken gravy will give you the gravy needed without the use of coconut.Before leaving US I wanted to freeze some food . I did not want to use coconut for freezing. I followed this recipe and the gravy turned out awesome. I come to know that every time they thaw the frozen gravy, It is fresh and good.
For chicken gravy it is always better to use fresh chicken and not the frozen one that people in US get from the stores. When I was there my son-in-law used to get chicken from local Halal shop which was good like the one we get in India. Those who stay abroad can try getting fresh chicken like this if there is a chance to do so.

Ingredients
chicken -2 pounds or 750 gms
small onion-20 or chopped big onion-1
tomato-1 medium size
Garlic-10 pods
Mint leaf-little (if you have stock)
curry leaf-little
Tamarind paste -1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves- a bunch (for garnishing)
For marination
Kuzhambu milagai thool-1 tablespoon or chili powder-2 teaspoon
Coriander powder-1 table spoon
Thick curd-1 tablespoon
turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
ginger garlic paste-2 teaspoons
salt-1 table spoon (as needed)
Masal for grinding
Big onion-2 (US onion-2 Indian-4)
Tomato-2 (Us tomato-2 Indian-4)
green chili-2
Cashews-8
Kas kas- 1 teaspoon or pottukadalai-1 tablespoon
Cinnamon-1 small piece
clove-2
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
For seasoning
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
mint leaf,curry leaf -little (if you have stock)
Cinnamon-small piece
bay leaf-small piece
clove-2
Cinnamon- a small piece

Method
cut the chicken into small pieces,wash well and marinate with the item given in for marination and keep aside for an hour. If you cant wait no problem you can start cooking within 20 minutes.
Keep a kadai in the stove. In one teaspoon of oil saute the items for the masal.First add the chili,then cashews, fennel seeds and kas kas , and wait till they turn little red. Now add the onion and then tomato pieces and saute well for 5 to 6 minutes. Allow it to cool and then grind it to a smooth paste in a mixi.
Keep the cooker in the stove.In one table spoon of oil season the chicken gravy with the items given in'to season'. saute the small onion or the chopped big onion and tomato. Add the marinated chicken pieces also and saute well for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of water . Mix everything well and cook in medium fire for 7 to 10 minutes (cooking time depends on the chicken quality and the fitness of the cooker you use). however don't cook for more than 10 minutes. open the cooker once the pressure goes and add the grinded masal along with the tamarind paste and allow the gravy to boil for 5 minutes. check for the taste.I f anything is missing you can add now.The cashews and the kas kas or pottukadalai in the masal will make the gravy thicker as it boils. Switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves (don't add coriander leaves if you intend to freeze the gravy).Coriander leaves will add much taste to the gravy. Those who don't want the gravy to have any sourness,tamarind can be avoided.But tamarind will help the gravy to stay fresh for a longer time. little bit tamarind is enough.

Vazhakkai kola urundai (vegetarian version of kheema balls with plantain)

I am back to my sweet home after a 5 month stay in US. Definitely missing my grandson 24/7. I need 3 or 4 separate blogs to share my experiences abroad.I was really astonished to see the interest of our guys there in cooking.
After coming home I attended few weddings and collected some rare recipes from the famous chettinad cooks being engaged for the wedding.I will slowly share them with my readers.
The first in the list is the vazhakkai kola urundai,this is a real substitute of the mutton kheema balls for the vegetarians.Those who drool over the kheema balls can have an alternate vegetarian item.
Ingredients
Vazhakkai (medium size) -1
small onion-5
garlic-5
kas kas-1 teaspoon
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
pottukadalai -3 tablespoons ( should be increased according to the size of the vazhakkai)
cashews -8
green chilli-2
red chilli-2
grated cocunut-2 tablespoons
ginger- 1 inch piece
clove-2
cinamon-a small piece



Procedure
cut the vazhakkai into round pieces as shown and cook well. once it cools remove the skin and smash the pieces nicely using hand.
Keep the kadai in the stove. Pour 1 teaspoon oil.Add cinamon and clove first. Then add onion,garlic,chilli,red chilli,ginger and saute. Now add pottukadalai,kas kas and cashews and roast them in low fire. Once pottukadalai and cashews become pink add the grated cocunut and saute till that too become little red.allow everything to cool. Then grind them to a smooth paste in the mixi. Dont add too much water. If by any chance it turns watery add a hand full of pottukadai and grind. Transfer the grinded items into a bowl. Add the smashed vazhakkai and the salt needed and mix well. Check for the taste. If salt or hotness is missing add chilli powder or salt.
Now the dough is ready for frying. Keep a small kadai in the stove. Add the oil required for frying. Make the dough into small balls and fry in medium fire till they turn golden brown. Dont touch the balls till they get cooked . once they seem to be cooked you can turn sides else there is a chance of balls getting broken.
Your veg version of kheema balls are ready. Serve hot along with tomato sauce and get all the name and fame from your loved ones

Blessed with a Baby Girl

A big 'Hi' to all the readers after a long time (exactly after one year ;) ). I am happy to informu all that we have been blessed with a baby girl on May 14th, 2010. Had severe Nausea till 5th month and went under C-section.....etc etc. This one year passed like one week for me. Hope ll be able to blog regularly soon.

Strawberry Apricot Jam

If I had truly-French breakfasts, the way my grandparents used to have them, I would start my days with a big bowl of café au lait and dip tartines de confiture in it. The coffee would be freshly ground and brewed and would diffuse its delicious smell all around the house. I would add a dash of milk (and maybe drop one or two sugar cubes) in it and stir mechanically while listening to Radio France news. The tartines would be warm strips of fresh baguette, or better yet ficelle (a thinner, crispier version of the famous French bread), layered with butter and home-made jam. I would love the flavors and textures of bread soaked in coffee and coffee infused with butter and jam.

But I don't live in France, so forget the fresh ficelle bought every morning at the boulangerie just down the street. Caffeine makes my heart race, I don't like milk all that much, and I can't stand the sight of wet bread crumbs and melted butter floating in my beverage. For some reason I don't like the flavor combination of butter and jam either. (How odd! They're made for each other!) So my not-so-French breakfast consists of light black tea instead, and slices of whole wheat walnut bread, toasted and spread with either butter or jam, which I carefully keep away from my tea.

I mostly eat store-bought Bonne Maman jam, but there's nothing like home-made jam. And unless you own fruit trees that produce pounds and pounds of fruits every summer, you don't have to embark on a day-long adventure of making pounds and pounds of jam. A few jars are enough. And it doesn't take that long.

Here is a strawberry-apricot jam recipe inspired by the excellent jam recipes of my Larousse de la cuisine.

For 3 or 4 Jars
(I'm using 13-oz, i.e. 370-g, jars.)

• 2 lb (or 1 kg) organic fruits (about 1/3 apricot, 2/3 strawberries)
• 2 lb (or 1 kg) sugar (you can use gelling sugar or add fruit pectin but this is optional if you don't mind a slightly runny jam)
• 1 organic lemon

Day 1

Prepare the fruits as follows:

1. Rinse the apricots and strawberries, and cut them in 4 or 8 pieces, discarding the pits and stems.
2. Place the fruit pieces in a glass container. Pour the sugar over them. Close the lid and shake well to coat.
3. Leave in a cool place overnight.

Day 2

Clean 4 glass jars and their lids in warm, soapy water, then sterilize them for 5 minutes in a large, covered pot of boiling water. Let them dry on a clean kitchen towel.

Cook the jam in several iterations (simmering the fruits, then their juice alone, three times in a row), as follows:

1. Pour the sugared fruits and all the juice from the glass container in a heavy-bottom pot.
2. Stir in the lemon juice.
3. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar.
4. Use a metal skimmer spoon to temporarily remove the fruits from the pot. Reserve the fruits, and simmer the juice for 5 minutes.
5. Pour the fruits back into the pot; simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Skim the fruits out (reserve); simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Do steps 5 and 6 one more time (so total, the fruits have simmered for 15 minutes and the juice for 30 minutes). Stir in the fruits one last time and turn off the heat.
   
8. Ladle the hot jam in the jars (you can use a jam funnel to work cleanly. Otherwise, simply wipe the jars with a damp paper towel if jam spills on the outside of the jar). Close the lids tightly. As the jam cools down and the air above it contracts, you will hear the lids pop. (There needs to be enough air, but not too much, between the jam and the lid. If you pour jam all the way to the base of the jar's screw, you should be fine.)
9. Label the jars with the name of the fruits and the preparation date. Store in your pantry or kitchen closet for up to a year. Once a jar is open (or if the lid didn't pop), keep refrigerated.

Godumbai Rava Uppuma (Wheat Rava Uppuma )

I am back to blogging after the short break as we are somewhat to a schedule.Still grinding idly batter on a regular basis is difficult. As I regularly have idly batter,I never make any uppuma. But now a days atleast twice in a week we have to make this. I never make bombay rava (white) uppuma (kitchadi) though I love to have it as it is difficult to digest. So the only option was wheat rava and to my surprise,I found that everybody loved it.My daughter wanted me to blog the recipe so that she can make it after I leave. This recipe will be very useful for the bachelors who cannot have idly batter all the time. Those who want to avoid rice and want to have wheat can also go for this. This is an excellent food for diabetic patients.

Ingredients

Broken wheat rava (nicely broken) 2 cups

onion minced - 1 cup

green chillies-6

Frozen vegetables or fresh carrot,beans and peas - 1/2 cup (optional)

grated cocunut-1 table spoon (optional)

For seasoning

Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon

channa dhal-1 table spoon

curry leaf-little

Procedure

keep the pressure cooker in the stove.In two table spoons of oil season the uppuma with the items given in 'to season'.Saute the onions and green chillies for 2 minutes.Now add the rava also and saute for a minute in medium fire.Add 4 cups of water.1:2 is the ratio of water to rava.Immediately add the salt needed. Remember that after cooking it will be like 2 cups of rice cooked.So add the salt necessary for that quantity. Close the cooker.make sure that the stove is in low fire. Switch off the stove after 10 minutes.Wait for the pressure to be released.if you are sure that the bottom is not burnt ,add the frozen vegetable (cooked for 3 minutes in water) or the fresh vegetables cooked well now. Mix everything nicely. If you feel that the bottom is burnt mix in such a way that you don't reach the burnt part. Add the grated coconut also along with the vegetables.If the fire is low the bottom will never get burnt.Vegetables and coconut is optional.The uppuma will be very tasty without these also.

I Used this brand of Wheat Rava.I think that all other brands will be equally good.

Beef with carrots

My great-grandmother–my mom's mom's mom–called it "bœuf mode". It is a traditional French braised beef dish, one that belongs to the so-called "cuisine bourgeoise" ("simple and of good taste", as Larousse puts it). The recipe is so classic it's in the dictionary: "larded beef cooked with onions and carrots".

My mother learned the recipe from her grandmother when she was a teenager. Over the years, she made a few adjustments. For example she started using a different cut of meat after talking to her friend's dad, who was a butcher (the original cut was more fibrous). She cooks the meat in one piece and slices it once cooked, while her grandmother cooked it in cubes. The sauce is not as thick nor as spicy as my mom remembers it from her childhood. Even the name has changed: my mom calls it "bœuf aux carottes" (beef with carrots) rather than "bœuf mode". But one thing remains: it is the family's favorite comfort food. Every morsel of meat, every slice of carrot melts in the mouth. It is absolutely delicious.

Here is how my mom (and I) prepare it:

Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour (pressure cooker) or 2 hours (regular pot)

• 2-3 lb boneless beef chuck roast¹ ("paleron")
• about 12 carrots (2-3 per person), sliced²
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme, and 3 sprigs parsley, tied together ("bouquet garni")
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube³
• 1-2 cups dry white wine (e.g. Pino Grigio or Chardonnay)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil (or other mild-flavored oil recommended for high heat)

1. Heat the oil and butter in a pressure cooker ("cocotte minute"). Add the chopped onion and stir for about 2 minutes until translucent.
2. Add the beef roast and brown on all sides.
3. Add the carrots, garlic, herbs, white wine, and bouillon cube. Close the pressure cooker and set it to its higher pressure level (mine has two levels, one for vegetables and one for meats).
4. When the pressure cooker whistles, turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (If you are using a regular pot, simmer for 2 hours, lid on.)

You might have some left-over meat. Eat it cold with Dijon mustard.

¹ local, organic, 100% grass-fed beef if you can
² there is this funny controversy in my family about how the carrots should be cut. Some (on my mom's side of the family) swear they should be sliced while others (on my dad's side of the family) prefer them julienned (cut into thin strips). Whoever cooks chooses their favorite carrot shape.
³ my favorite bouillon cube is KUB OR by Maggi but unfortunately it isn't sold in the U.S.

Coxinha: the beloved queen of Brazilian salgadinhos

Brazilian salgados or salgadinhos - savory little snacks you can eat at any time of the day you are not hungry enough for a complete meal - comprise dozens of categories, such as empada (also called empadinha), risoles, pastel, quibe, esfiha, croquete, bolinha de queijo, enrolado, folhado, pão de batata, and their several variations (i.e., most of them can be prepared with different fillings). But coxinhas are among the favorite ones. They can be found in nearly all lanchonetes and padarias in Brazil and were very popular at birthday parties some time ago.  

The name coxinha derives from the snack’s peculiar drop shape, mocking a chicken drumstick (which, in Portuguese, is curiously called “coxa” [= thigh] only when referring to chickens; the chicken thigh is called sobrecoxa...). The golden, crispy exterior of this salgadinho surrounds a layer of soft dough filled with lightly seasoned, moist shredded chicken. Some people love to eat them dotting each bite with some good hot red pepper sauce.

The major “secret” to prepare coxinhas is patience. It takes a while to mold them, especially if it’s your first time. Be careful not to let the filling touch the edges of the dough disc, and make sure it is well sealed around the filling, or it will crack open when fried. Coxinhas can be molded as big, individual pieces (virtually a meal), or bite-sized. 

The cooked dough is very easy to prepare, as well as the filling. The dough can also be used to make other salgadinhos, such as risoles (half-moon shapped) and bolinhas de queijo (cheese balls). Use fine bread crumbs (grind some panko in the processor, if you wish) to bread them and, instead of dropping them in the egg white, dip your hand in it and use it spread a layer of egg white on the surface of coxinhas before tossing them in the breadcrumbs.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Coxinha de frango

(mock chicken drumsticks)

Dough

2 cups chicken stock

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp powdered milk

2 Tbsp butter (room temperature)

1 tsp salt

1. Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

2. Cook in a heavy pan, over medium heat, stirring constantly until the dough forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan (make sure there are not wet spots in the dough).

3. Let it cool and use to mold the coxinhas. 

Filling

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp grated onion

1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp colorau or anatto powder

2 boneless chicken breast halves

1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 Tbsp finely chopped scallion

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cook chicken in about 3 cups water. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid to prepare the dough.

2. Finely shred chicken.

3. Heat oil in a saucepan, add onion, then garlic and then colorau. Fry until golden brown.

4. Add shredded chicken and about 3 Tbsp cooking liquid - the chicken should be moist, but not runny.

5. Turn off the heat and add chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Molding and frying

1 egg white

1 cup plain panko, finely ground, or fine breadcrumbs

2-3 cups vegetable oil, for frying

1. Take a portion of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll it out manually or with a rolling pin into a disk about 1/4 in. thick.

2. Place a teaspoonful of filling at the center - be careful not to let the filling touch the edges of the dough. Carefully mold the dough around the filling forming a bundle.

3. Twist the excess dough on top and remove it to obtain a drop shape.

4. Smooth the surface, if necessary, to correct any imperfections. Make sure the filling is well sealed into the dough.

5. Wet your hand in the egg white and spread a thin layer on the coxinha surface and dip in breadcrumbs.

6. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Let drain on paper towels.