Groundnut Chutney

Hello all,

Here is a recipe for a tasty chutney that can be served along with idli, dosa, and rice.

Ingredients:

1. Roasted ground nuts - 100gms
2. Grated Coconut - 30 gms
3. Dry red chillies - 1 or 2
4. Tamarind - 2 chick pea size
5. Garlic pods - 2
6. Small onion - 1
7. Salt as per taste
8. Water - 2 tablespoons for grinding

Method of Preparation:

• Grind all the ingredients together and add water based on your preference towards consistency.

Other variations:

• You can add tempered mustard seeds and urad dhal along with curry leaves
• You can also just grind roasted groundnuts with salt, dry red chillies and a garlic pod , while skipping rest of the ingredients in this recipe for a simpler version.
• You can skip just the coconut and try it out too.😊

Random Thoughts - 2

• Whether you react or respond, you are responsible for how you act or what you say.

• Sometimes the choice is between success with rusted mind or struggles with a pure heart.

• When money/ power/ success gets to the head, people often do not realize who they become.

• Sometimes, the morale to watch your weight and what you eat is those lovely dresses. 😇😁

• Being single doesn't always mean that they chose to stay free of responsibilities, rather to be more responsible all by themselves!

Drumstick Leaves Fried Rice - Indian Version

Here is an other simple, quick and yet a nutritious meal recipe for those busy mornings.
This can be packed for lunch as well.
You can have this with side dishes like papads, gobi manchurian, soup, rasam, chips, murukku, etc.

Total time taken: 10 minutes (excluding the time for cleaning the leaves)

Ingredients:

1. Oil - 1 tablespoon for sauting
2. Mustard seeds, Urad dhal and Channa dhal - 1.5 teaspoon each (for sauting)
3. Dry red chillies - 4
4. Onion - 1 medium size - chopped
5. Garlic pods - 2-3 (skin peeled off and chopped finely)
6. Murungai keerai (Drumstick leaves) - 2 cups
7. Salt -as per taste
8. Roasted Ground nut - 2 tablespoons
9. Cooked Rice - 1 cup
10. Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
11. Ghee - 0.5 tablespoon

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a kadai or pan.
2. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3. Add urad dhal and chana dhal saute till golden brown.
4. Add the dry red chillies and chopped onion. Saute till onions turn translucent.
5. Add the garlic pods and saute well. 
6. Add the drumstick leaves and saute well. Cover with lid and let it cook in low flame for 2 minutes.
7. Add salt and roasted ground nut. Mix well.
8. Cover again and let it cook well for 2-3 minutes. Add 1-2 teaspoons of water only if required. Water is not required since the green leaves leave enough water to get cooked.
9. Once the leaves are cooked, add the rice to this mixture followed by pepper powder.
10. Mix well and taste to adjust salt if required. Keep mixing well and turn off the flame after 1-2 minutes.
11. Now, mix in the ghee and serve hot for a yummilicious meal.😍

I am extra happy with the quality of the photo despite being clicked in a jiffy moment and also because of being able to post the recipe in my way (11:11 = 11 ingredients and 11 steps). 😁

Happy Monday folks!!

Paneer Kurma

I am back with the simple recipe for Paneer kurma which tastes really good with chapathi, poori, rice.
This can be used as a side dish for pulao as well.

Ingredients:

1. Paneer slices - 200 gms
2. Coconut - 1/2 cup - grated
3. Tomatoes - 4 - cut into cubes
4. Onions - 100 gms - sliced
5. Cashew - 10 no.s
6. Fennel seeds, Jeera and Pepper - 1 teaspoon each
7. Cloves - 4
8. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
9. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
10. Curry leaves
11. Chillies - 2 green and 1 dry red
12. Turmeric powder - 2 pinches
13. Garam masala - 1.5 tablespoons
14. Oil - for sauting
15. Salt - as per taste
16. Water - 2 glasses

Method of Preparation:

1. Grind the tomatoes, 80 gms of onion, coconut, chillies, jeera, pepper and fennel seeds
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a thick bottomed pan
3. Add the cinnamon and cloves, saute them
4. Add 20gms of sliced onion and saute well
5. Add curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste. Saute well till the raw smell goes off.
6. Add the ground mixture from step 1, followed by turmeric powder and saute well.
7. Add water followed by salt, mix well and close the pan.
8. Let it cook well in closed pan.
9. Grind the cashews to a nice paste with a tablespoon of water and keep aside.
10. Add garam masala powder, mix well and close the pan again with a lid.
11. Let the gravy boil for 2 mins in low flame.
12. Add the paneer and ground cashew paste. Mix well.
13. Close the vessel and let the gravy sit in low flame for 2 minutes before turning the flame off.

நினைவுகள்

As part of my journey of life, I have begun to appreciate the memories of the good things from the past and realized that those are not painful anymore for the present but are only treasures.

Memories are even more special than the moments, for the moments may end/ change while the memories stay within you!

Part of growing up or old is to comprehend a lot of things in a different light that looked otherwise when you were quite young. Though the definition for young age/ old age/ grown up, etc. varies among us, the realizations and transformations are inevitable.


உதிர்ந்து போன பூவிதழ்களாய்

சிதறிச்செல்லும்

நினைவுகளைப் பற்றி

பொக்கிஷமாய்ப்

பாதுகாக்கிறேன்

என்

இதயம் என்னும் புத்தகத்துள் !!



Attempt at translation to English:

I treasure the memories

In my book called 'heart'

For they wither/ scatter away

Like those flowers..



P.S.:
This poem was written in 2016 when I was probably going through the transition.. :)

Nutty Millets Paayasam

Helllo everyone!!

Happy to mark the first entry of the year with a sweet note :)

This is the 2nd time I prepared 'Paayasam' in my life so far and it turned out to be just awesommeeee even without ghee. 😍😋😋😋😀

• The measures given will produce 2 small glasses of 'paayasam' and the total time required is 15-20 minutes.
• You can adjust the water/ milk ratio as per your preferences/ requirements.
• You can also roast the dry fruits including the usual cashews and raisins in ghee and add to the paayasam as the last step.

Ingredients:

1. Kambu Semiya (Pearl Millet Vermicelli) from Anil brand - 50 gms (1 cup approx.)
2. Milk -1 cup
3. Water - 2 cups
4. Dry fruits (I added dates, pista, badam, black raisins)
5. Sugar - 5 tablespoons

Method of Preparation:

1. Dry roast the semiya in a kadai or pan till the nice aroma comes up (when the strands turn pale brown in color)
2. Add milk to a heavy bottom pan followed by the roasted semiya and keep the flame low
3. Stir for 2-3 minutes and add the water. Keep stir frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the vessel
4. Now, mix in the sugar and add the dates.
5. Stir frequently allowing the ingredients to get cooked well.
6. Add chopped pista, badam and black raisins. Stir well and let it cook for 5 more minutes.

P.S.:
I also found out with this recipe that the dates cooked in milk with sugar is a heavenly and divinely in taste. 🙌😁😇