Sharkkara Puttu/Sweet Puttu

Ever since Raaga,announced WBB-Express breakfast event,I've been thinking what I can cook for breakfast within 15 minutes!!I had lots of ideas in my mind,but couldn't really decide what to make.I had totally forgotten about it until I saw another one of Raaga's entry-Capsicum Upma for WBB.I knew I had to pull up my socks and come up with something ASAP!!I have already posted my favorite breakfast wonders in a jiffy-Gova polo and Upma-Phov.Suddenly,thought of this forgotten dish that amma used to make for us when we came back from school.Sharkkara/Jaggery/Godda puttu,is a sweet puttu made with a jaggery-coconut filling instead of the usual coconut filling.We loved it so much and whenever she made puttu for breakfast,we used to ask her for this.So she always had double work when she made puttu-normal puttu for appa and amma and sweet puttu for us,the little monsters;-)


I once made this for hubby,he said he had never tasted this before and it tasted delicious.Now he has asked me to make this whenever I make puttu;-),amma couldn't stop laughing when I told this to her!!But since its really simple and simply tasty(!),I have absolutely no worries!!This can be had as a snack too,whenever we feel hungry,its quite filling too.


Sharkkara Puttu

Ingredients

Puttu podi/powder or roasted rice flour - 1 cup
Grated coconut(preferably fresh)-1/2 cup
Grated Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp
Hot Water - as required

Method

Take a big pan and add the puttu powder.
Add 1 tbsp hot water at a time and mix well.
Do not add water at once,add little by little till the flour becomes moist.
Keep aside for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile,mix the coconut,jaggery and cardamom powder together.
In a Chiratta Puttu mould,or a normal mould,place the coconut jaggery filling first and then the moist puttu powder,finish with some more coconut-jaggery filling.
Close the lid.
Steam it by keeping the puttu maker on a pressure cooker or a regular puttu making vessel for 5 minutes.
Remove from mould carefully and serve hot!!


Check out the round-up here!!

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Appo/Appey & Molagapodi Appo

Appo/appey/ponganalu/paniyaram...this small wonder is called by so many names.Once you taste it,you are addicted to life.When I was in school,I used to ask amma to pack it as lunch whenever she made it(its another matter altogether that I always liked to take whatever is cooked for breakfast as my lunch,I disliked having cold rice during the lunch break).I used to be the butt of many jokes whenever I took this.When I was asked what this particular "Unniyappam" lookalike was,I said it is unniyappam made of dosa batter.My friends never understood what it really was,but had it from my lunch box nevertheless!!!Appo was made once in a week and it was our favorite breakfast.Me and my bro used to have competition as to who eats the maximum number of appos;-)although,given today's healthy eating syndrome we might keep a competition as to who is eating less;-)

Amma made appo using dosa batter,ground a little coarsely.As some of my friends put it,"if its the same batter for dosa and idli,why do you have to go through the tedious process of putting it into the unniyappa chatti and struggle with it?"amma had a cast iron pan and it was pretty difficult and time consuming to make these goodies-appo as well as unniyappams.But still she made it,seasoning it with oil the previous day..and tricks like that.Now its so easy,with the non-stick pan.Ma-in-law adds onions,ginger and green chillies to the batter to make appos more flavorful.With or without the extra ingredients,appos are a tasty treat anyday!!In Bangalore,for the first time I had appo from a street side shop..yes,the shop is opposite the supermarket M.K.Ahmed in Vijayanagar.If ever any of you get a chance,you know where to hit for the best appos after your amma's!!




Appo/appey/ponganalu/paniyaram

Ingredients

Urad dal - 1 cup
Idli rice/raw rice - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil,for frying the appos
Optional-finely chopped onions,ginger and green chillies.

Method

Soak urad dal and rice seperately for 2 hours.
Wash and grind urad dal to a smooth paste.
Grind rice to a slightly coarse paste(not very smooth,not very coarse).
Add salt,let it ferment overnight or for 8-10 hours.
Put the appo pan on flame and pour oil in the appo moulds.
Add the batter in each moulds,close with a lid.
Fry on low heat till it turns brown,turn over with a fork and cook till done.


Appo with Coconut chutney,Ripe papaya & Buns.

Molagapodi appo


I had some appo batter in the fridge and next day I thought of making Onion Uttapams.Suddenly thought of our dear Raagas Mini-Cocktail-Appeys and Voila!I knew what to make with the rest of the batter.We simply loved it Raaga!!So easy to make and so tasty too!!I have to make twice the amount of batter now solely to make these molagapodi yummies!!

Ingredients

Appo - I used about 15 appos for this
Coconut oil - 3 tbsp(you can also use gingelly oil)

Method

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the molaga podi/dosa podi. Mix well. Toss the appos in this mixture until each is well coated. Remove from the pan and serve.

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Eggless Apple Cake

Solving a riddle is fun,if you manage to solve the riddle,that is!!When I saw the announcement of Open Sesame 2,posted in TOI,I wondered how I missed OS1.Anyway,better late than never-did not waste any time and went to the site,chose my preferred box,that was box#1.Promptly,Siri sent me the riddle-

"A moniker in my name for a city
A phrase with me will make you cherished
I am so good for you in my utter simplicity
In Medical dictionary the fact so furnished

I am so famous in the world of bytes
Known for many aspects of usage
I am fat and rotund and make crunchy bites
My fame known from many religious traditions - right from the old age

Am, I forbidden? Or mystical ?
or the eternal giver of Youth
I consists of five internal carpels
Am good for good health of your mouth

I am as basic a fruit as you can think of
Or as hard if you dont try enough
If You eat me on a day to day basis
Then you dont have worry about anything - be it cold or dry cough."

I read it once and the word "forbidden" gave me a hint that it could be Apple.Tried to think the rest of the riddle matching it with Apple and it matched-Fat and rotund,Crunchy bites,Religious traditions,Cold&Cough-I really hoped that it was Apple and sent my reply to Siri and Bingo!!she said it was the right answer!!I was sooo soo excited!!I had to prepare a super duper dish with Apple.Had already prepared a Jam for MEC-Bottled,so was wondering what to make this time.A friend suggested that I make Apple Kheer,but I was not so sure about that.Kept the recipe of Kheer for another time and again scanned my cookbook.I saw a recipe for Eggless Apple cake and got very excited.At the back of my mind,I got warnings saying that since I am making it in the MW it wont have a brown crust etc etc.But I avoided all those warnings and went ahead with the recipe,and I am so glad I did!!

Eggless Apple cake with Apple Jam

Ingredients

1 apple - peeled & grated
Maida-1 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup(or more if required)

Method

Sift maida,baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and keep aside.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add grated apples and milk-beat again till mixed well.
Now fold the dry ingredients into this by adding 1 tbsp flour at a time.
Grease a MW proof dish with butter and pour the batter into it.
MW on 80% power for 8 minutes.
Leave in MW for another 5 minutes.
Serve with a dollop of Apple jam(optional).

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Microwaved Apple Jam ~ Step by Step Recipe

MEC-Cooking event by Srivalli is something I eagerly look forward to every month.I am more excited in waiting for the round-up rather than participating.Each month I wait for the round-up and the next theme.I loved the MEC-Snacks & MEC -Cakes.Love them all.This month the theme is "Bottled".Was wondering what to cook,searched all possible MW books for the same.Came across this Apple Jam recipe in Tarla Dalal's MW cookbook.Got the much needed push when I searched the blogosphere and saw that Uma has already cooked and posted it.Thanks Sri & Uma for this wonderful opportunity & the wonderful recipe!!

My ma-in-law used to make kilos of jams and squashes.She went to a canning class near their house and stocked different varieties of jams and squashes.Sadly,she stopped making them when the kids grew up and consumption of these items was very less.I still pester her to make those for me and she has promised to make them someday!! Once,I happened to see a Jam making recipe on a cookery show with step by step instructions.Have written down the recipe but never came around making it!!But when I saw this recipe,I was tempted to try it for one reason,the simplicity in making it.Top it with the MW cooking event and Voila!! I made my first jam..!!It tastes best with bread,but I loved having it just like that..hmmm!!finger licking good!!(even if I may say so myself!!)

Microwaved Apple Jam

Ingredients

Apple - 1(peeled and grated)
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp

Method

Combine the apple and sugar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes.


Remove from MW,mix well and MW again on high for 3 minutes.


Stir well,the consistency should be thick,if not done,keep again for 2 minutes.


Add the lemon juice-mix well.
Cool & store refrigerated.


Click here for the round-up!!

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Alambe Bhuthi - Mushroom Stir-fry

Alambe is the Konkani word for Mushroom and Bhuthi is stir fry.So this dish is a mushroom stir fry-Konkani-ishtyle.I've never been very fond of mushroom.Somehow the thought of eating a "fungus"always put me off-that was the word we used for mushroom in childhood-fungus!! Amma never used it in her kitchen,all the more reason for me not to like it.I was forced into eating this by my cousin Swetha when we went out for dinner.She forced,cajoled almost threatened me saying I was missing a tasty,edible fungus(again fungus!).Ok,thought of giving it a try,almost reluctantly.Had Chilly Mushrooms in Abad plaza,Ekm.I would be lying if I said I didn't like it;-)But I had to act pricey since I avoided it for so long.When asked,I said-hmm,its tasty(I loved it!!).But I realized I loved only that dish when I had mushrooms elsewhere.I preferred having only chilly mushroom and nothing else.

My second tryst with mushroom was after marriage.Contrary to our cuisine(Kerala GSB),hubby's side(South canara GSB) cooked mushroom in its various avatars.In fact,during mushroom season(I don't know if you can call it that,but still) it featured in the daily menu in different forms-Alambe ambat(gravy side dish),Alambe song(dry side dish),Alambe buthi(upkari form)-these are the dishes that I know of,the one which ma-in-law prepares.I am sure there are different variations to these in many cuisines.Of the lot,Buthi is the one which me and hubby love.It goes well with rice,chapathi,dosas and puri as well.Even though its dry,almost like a thoran.


Alambe Bhuthi

Ingredients

Alambe-Button Mushrooms - 1 packet(200gms)
Onions - 2 medium sized,finely chopped
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp(can use any other oil)
Salt to taste

For the masala

Grated coconut - 1/2 of one medium sized coconut
Red chillies - 4-5
Tamarind - 1 small channa size
Coriander - 1 tbsp

Method

Wash the mushrooms well and pat them dry.
Cut into four pieces(or six,depending on the size).
Put the ingredients for the masala in the mixie and grind well.
Do not add water,the masala should be dry-but ground well(like a dry chutney).
In a kadai,add the oil and fry half of the onions in it till it browns evenly.
Add rest of the onions and the mushrooms and mix well.
In a minute,the mushrooms will shrink in size and release water.
At this stage,add the masala,salt to taste and mix well.
When everything's mixed,close with a lid,simmer and let it cook.
Keep stirring in between.
When the mushroom gets coated with the masala and becomes dry,switch off the pan.
Pour a dash of coconut oil on top.
Serve hot.



Since this dish is incomplete without coconut I am sending this to AFAM-Coconut.A fruit a month is a monthly event started by Maheshwari of Beyond the usual and is hosted by Suganya of Tasty Palettes this month.Check out the round-up here!!

One of my favourite bloggers,Raaga suggested that I send this entry to JFI-Tamarind.So Alambe Bhuthi is off to JFI!!!

Jihva for ingredients-JFI is one of the most popular food events in the blogosphere.JFI is the brainchild of Indira of Mahanandi who started this event to celebrate and showcase a different natural ingredient every month.The chosen ingredient this month is Tamarind and it is hosted by Sig of Live to Eat this month.

Click here for the round-up!!

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Eggless Chocolate Brownies

Brownies makes me nostalgic,reminds me of my college days!!!When I was in my final year,a coffee shop opened near our college-Coffee Beanz.It was an all in one shop with food,beverages,ice-creams-even appam & stew adorning their menus.Me and my best friend M started to haunt this shop almost daily,yes daily!!Our order was almost always the same-2 cold coffees&2 brownies with ice-cream.God,even thinking about that makes me drool.They were so rich and yummy that one had to struggle to stop at one.We were not so diet conscious then,unlike todays's college going girls[;-)],we sometimes gave in to our temptation and ordered another one.I mean,who can resist those yummies with chocolate chips oozing out of them and garnished with walnuts?We couldn't!!

I've always wanted to prepare them at home,but the list of ingredients it had always puts me off.And half of the ingredients were not available here too.So we always bought it from outside whenever we felt like eating it.I have written down quite a few number of brownie recipes in my cookbook and have bookmarked many more.But never actually thought of making it.I was looking for a recipe in my book and came across this lovely brownie recipe which I had written down from Srivalli's blog.It has two recipes,one with eggs and one eggless.Moreoever,it required use of 1/2 a tin of milkmaid and I had some ready in my fridge remaining from the Chocolate cake recipe.They came out wonderful,only thing,a little less sweeter than we had expected.So if you want it sweeter,increase the amount of sugar.So brownies it is!!!
Eggless Chocolate Brownie with Banana

Ingredients

Maida - 1 cup
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Milkmaid- 200 gms (Half tin)
Butter - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt a pinch
Sugar - 2 tsp
Ripe Banana - 1 small one
Crushed Walnuts,Cashewnuts - about 2 tbsp

Method

Melt the butter in Microwavefor 1 minute. Mix in the milkmaid, blend it to a smooth paste using a blender.
Mash the banana well and mix to the above butter & milkmaid mix.Add sugar and blend again to get a smooth paste.
In another bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Then add to the butter mix and blend well.
Transfer the mix to a greased microwave safe dish.I used the wax paper which comes as the butter cover,so did not grease the pan.
Microwave this mix for 4 minutes. Let it rest in the microwave for a minute, then remove to the wire rack for another 2 minutes.
Brownies are ready to be savoured!!!

I had bookmarked this recipe on the day Sri had posted it(almost 2 months back) and also had written it down,just in case!!So this one goes to Bookmarked recipes event conducted by Ruth.Check out the round-up here!!

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Charmurya Upkari - Konkani Bhel

Charmuro/Murmura/Pori/Puffed rice/Bhel don't they shout aloud that they are from across the street?;-).So famous for the chaats that they are in..Charmuro is a favourite in our home.Amma is famous for her Charmurya laddoo(a sweet laddoo using charmuro and jaggery syrup) and Charmurya mixture,something which invariably finds a way into our travel bags on our way back to Chennai from Ekm.More so since its a favourite of my hubby!!I have never ventured into making any of charmuro specials because I really find the charmuro difficult to handle,they just don't stay in one place..like small kids;-)

I remember me and my hubby's first trip after marriage-To Udupi & Mangalore,to meet his granny,relatives and cousins.We were having an overload of good food,what with being the "newly married couple" tag attached to us.One such evening,we two,along with hubby's cousin J had an evening out in Udupi.We were in Car Street and J asked whether I would like to have charmurya upkari..I thought it must be the mixture that amma makes and said yes.There were small carts which had all those yummy ingredients lined up for the evening's chat sale.The speed with which the chatwala prepared it was extra ordinary,I couldn't even see what went into it!!He made a small paper cone,poured the upkari into it and added a dash of coconut oil.Hmm..I can even remember the distinct aroma it had.I should say we ordered at least 3 cones per person that day!!It was that yummy!!!



Charmurya Upkari

Ingredients

Charmuro/Puffed rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1 big,chopped finely
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp(or more according to one's taste)
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 3-4 tbsp,chopped finely
[Some people also add tomatoes,grated carrots,raw mangoes etc into it to enhance the taste,but here I have made the basic charmurya upkari]

Method

In a broad vessel,add the chopped onions,grated coconut and red chilly powder.
Add the coconut oil and mix well with your hands.
Add salt to taste.
Keep adding the charmuro and mix well.
When everything is mixed well,add the chopped coriander leaves and a dash of lime juice.
Serve immediately.

Charmurya Upkari goes to this month's MBP hosted by Sia of Monsoon Spice.I did my blog patrolling and came across this recipe in Shilpa's blog.As I mentioned in the recipe,I have made the basic recipe while Shilpa's is a special one,adding grated carrots, tomatoes, cucumber,peanuts etc.Check out her recipe here.

Eager to see the round-up?Click here!!

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Methi Chapathi & Tomato Bhaji

What do I make for dinner tonight? A thought which haunts me immediately after evening tea.Whenever I ask hubby what to cook,he says-just make anything!!!Hmmm...Chapathis are a big rescue though.But does it help really?No,actually.If its chapathi,what do I make to go with it?There are the usual suspects making their way into the plate along with chapathi-Dalithoy/Dal fry,Sambhar,Chole etc etc.But whats new? I do try to come up with a new dish,even though they look like distant cousins of the usual suspects;-).

Amma also has the same dilemma.For her,its an even more tougher choice since onions and garlic are not used in our home,in Ernakulam.Yeah,you heard me right.Whenever I tell this to someone,they are soooo surprised.I just tell them we were the lucky ones who were not affected when onion prices soared,hehe.Things are different now though.When I started my cooking adventures,onions found a way into my amma's kitchen.Of course I couldn't make Fried rice,Gobi manchurian,Paneer butter masala etc without onions and garlic.More so after our marriage.Hubby,who's a non-veg couldn't have survived in our home if these two(at least) were not included!!

Coming back to today's dish.As usual,I was scratching my head as to what to make along with chapathi."Why don't you make Tomato fry/bhaji?",hubby asked me.Tomato bhaji?,that was new to me.He said he had tasted this long back,in a Punjabi Dhaba."It has onions in it,green chillies,tomatoes,coriander leaves and I think some garam masala too"-hubby's version of the recipe.Tried and made this and he said it tasted great.For the chapathi,was thinking of making some new variety,but whenever I add something in the atta,hubby says I am adulterating the original chapathi.So I tried to make a subtle change in the usual chapathi,and that was adding Kasuri methi to the chapathi dough.It tasted great,without any adulteration!!!

Methi Chapathi

Ingredients

Wheat flour/Atta - 1 cup
Crushed pepper - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water to knead

Method

Take all the ingredients except water in a pan.
Add water little by little and make a soft dough.
You can add oil too,if required.
Keep aside for 1 hour.
Make chapathis and roast on a hot tawa.



Tomato Fry/Bhaji

Ingredients

Tomatoes - 2 big,diced
Onions - 1 medium,diced
Green chilly - 1,chopped finely
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp(you can add jeera instead of mustard)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves - 2-3 tbsp,chopped

Make a paste -

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp

Method

In a kadai,add the oil and splutter mustard(or jeera).
Add the curry leaves and green chilly.
Saute for a minute and then add diced onions.
When it becomes slightly pale,add the paste-mix well.
Add the tomatoes,salt to taste and about 1/4 cup water.
Let it boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes.
The bhaji should be semi-solid.
Garnish with coriander leaves.


Methi Chapathi goes to Srivalli's Roti mela.

My other entries for Roti mela-


Mangalore Buns,
Puran Poli,
Oats Chapathi.

Check out Roti Mela round-up-Part 1,Part 2

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Eggless Chocolate Cake with Mocha Icing

It is only 4 days since I posted last but it seems such a long time-I was getting withdrawal symptoms..wonder what blogging could do to me..!!!But as they say-I am loving it!!Last week was a busy one,with parents coming down,visit to tirupati and my bro staying back with us.Had a fab time with him,house seems so empty now;-(.

On Sunday,we had a small lunch party at home-me,hubby and bro-our friends Satheesh,Deepthi,their kiddo Vicky and Satheesh's amma.We celebrated their belated wedding anniversary,since all of us were out of station during that time.They were a tad surprised since cutting the cake was not mentioned before!!Had a fun time!!So here's the recipe for the cake I made for them!!
Eggless Chocolate cake with Mocha Icing
Recipe source -Nita Mehta's Ifb Microwave Cookbook

Ingredients

Maida/Flour-1 cup
Milkmaid - 1/2 tin
Milk - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar - 1 1/2 tbsp
Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
Baking soda - 3/4 tsp
Baking powder - 3/4 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

For the Mocha Glaze Icing

Cocoa powder - 4 tbsp
Softened butter - 4 tbsp
Coffee - 1 tsp
Icing sugar - 1 cup-sifted
Walnuts/Cashew/Badam - 2-3 tbsp,crushed

To Soak - 1/4 cup Coke

Method

For the Cake

Sift maida with cocoa powder,baking soda and baking powder-keep aside.
Mix sugar and butter,beat till fluffy.
Add milkmaid,beat well.
Add milk,vanilla essence and maida.
Beat well for 3-4 minutes till the mixture is smooth and light.
Transfer to a greased baking dish.
Microwave on 80% power for 8 minutes.
Let it cool.
Cut the cake into two and soak with coke( I did not cut the cake,just sprinkled coke all over the cake)

For the Icing

Microwave 4 tbsp water in a bowl for 1 minute.
Add coffee,cocoa and butter to it and mix well.
Gradually add the sifted icing sugar,mix well.
Glaze the cake with the icing and garnish with crushed dry fruits.
Refrigerate till the icing is set.
Serve with ice-cream.
Don't know what to do with the rest of the Milkmaid tin?Check out this!!!

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Top 10 Meme

I had been tagged for this Top 10 meme by Maya of Konkan world.Sorry Maya,I took so long to respond!!! I really wasn't sure whether I had top 10 photos to show off because I am not so sure of my photography skills.Anyway,I decided to do this now and I hope I can do justice to the title!!!

1.Peanut Masala

2.Pomegranate Salad


3.Beetroot Salad

4.Ambe Upkari


5.Mashed Potatoes


6.Channe ghashi-Mangalore style


7.Kellya ambat


8.Idli with coconut chutney


9.Moong dal Payasam


10.Eggless chocolate cake

Since this meme has been doing the rounds of blogosphere for a long time,I request anyone who has not been tagged to take up this Meme-thanks in advance!!!!

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Tirupati Laddoo

Back from Tirupati-had a great darshan,eventhough it was quite crowded(this time too).We have been going to Tirupati almost every year ever since I can remember.Every time we go, there are some changes made but one thing is constant-the rush-and it is growing and growing every year.The first time my parents went to Tirupati was after their wedding,in 1975.They say,during that time the entry was through the main gate,the front gopuram of the temple-a thing which is next to impossible now(unless you are a V.V.I.P).My hubby had never been there before and it was his first visit there after our marriage,in 2002.After we came out from the temple,the first thing he said was-"we stand in the queue for so long,but we cannot even start praying the moment we reach in front of the Lord because we are shoved away in a superfast motion by the volunteers".Something which we cannot help!!! I have found a solution for this problem-I start praying from my list(which I can assure is not a short one);-) the moment we enter the sanctum sanctorium,so by the time we reach in front of Lord Balaji,my list is over and I can pray with peace;-).This time,we had two darshans-one was Archananandara Seva and the other one was Kalyanothsavam.

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Haleeb ma Hal - Milk with Cardamom

What do you do when you come to know that something as simple as a cup of milk with cardamom is part of a particular cuisine?Simple,blog about it,right?I was just going through the link that Siri has provided for Middle eastern cuisine for AWED,to be honest-I was trying to pick up something very very simple.And what do I stumble upon?Something which is a part of our daily cuisine too!!I got very excited and started taking pictures of our cup of milk.Hubby was surprised and advised against posting about"a cup of milk" hehe.Check out the recipe here.

In fact,this Cardamom milk evoked a sense of nostalgia in me.This milk was a special naivedyam offering to Goddess Lakshmi in our temple in Ernakulam.One of the main poojaris in the temple stayed next door to us.On fridays,I used to wait for their call to get the milk in a small Thookkupaathram(stainless steel container).On special occasions and poojas at our place,amma used to make this milk.It tastes great warm,even better when it is slightly cold.We have a cup of milk without any flavoring every night.When I asked hubby whether he likes Cardamom milk his reply was negative,as usual.While I was making this milk,the wonderful aroma of cardamom was all over the place.He said he wouldn't mind a sip and finished off the whole cup!!
Cardamom helps the digestive system and is a spice greatly relied on in this country. Boiled with milk, cardamom helps to relax the body and is thought to calm the stomach, thus offering a good night's rest.

Haleeb ma Hal - Milk with cardamom

Ingredients

Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 2 tsp
Cardamom - 1 pod,crushed

Method

Pour the milk,sugar and cardamom in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes,or till the milk boils.
Close with a lid and keep aside for another 5 minutes.
Just before serving,strain the milk and pour into individual cups.
Serve when it is still warm.

Haleeb ma Hal -Milk with Cardamom goes to A.W.E.D-Middle Eastern cuisine an event conducted by Siri and DK.Check out the round-up here!!

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Oats chapathi & Easy Chole

Oats-One of the most nutritious grain, oats can often be tolerated by the growing numbers of people who have an allergy to wheat. Oatmeal and rolled oats do not go through any refining processes, so they are whole foods, losing none of their nutritional properties.Full of protein and minerals, oats help building strong bones, teeth and connective tissue and for boosting energy. They are easily digested and so are traditionally regarded as a good food for convalescence, particularly after childbirth, as they are also believed to tone the uterus. The digestive connection:-They provide dietary bulk, which improves the digestive process and prevents constipation or eases it if the condition already exists.The diabetic connection:Oats reduce the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream, stabilizing blood sugar levels which, in turn, may help diabetics.Cholesterol connection:Their soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol and generally boost cardiovascular health, lowering high blood pressure.

Other benefits:
Reduce cholesterol
Stabilise blood sugar levels
Soothing and tranquillizing
Build strong bones and teeth
Stimulate thyroid gland
Prevent constipation.

How to choose oats:
Choose express food harvest crunch white oats or rolled oats. Oats can be eaten raw or cooked, the best-known cooked recipe being porridge or in bread. Choose rolled oats and oatmeal that are available in health shops.[Source-Google]

Oats is a very healthy breakfast to have,but its an acquired taste.I initially did not like its taste.My elder bro used to make oats porridge and add so many things into it.Nuts,cut fruits,grated carrot,even Horlicks!!I once had it from his bowl and felt it tasted like a sweet pudding.Of course,oats is had best without any sweetening agent,but it tastes great if sugar/sugar substitute is added to it.We make it a point to have oats porridge at least once in a week.But we do have oats everyday,how?I add it to my chapathi.It makes me feel very happy that we have a very healthy dinner too!!

I made Chole along with Oats chapathi last night.But I was apprehensive to post my Chole recipe after seeing my blogger friends' authentic Chole recipes.Mine was nowhere near it in terms of authenticity.So I decided to call it Easy Chole!!Got the recipe from a dear friend S,its really easy to make and tasty too.

Oats Chapathi

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Oats - 3 tbsp
Crushed pepper - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water to knead

Method

Take all the ingredients except water in a pan.
Add water little by little and make a soft dough.
You can add oil too,if required.
Keep aside for 1 hour.
Make chapathis and roast on a hot tawa.
Easy Chole

Ingredients

Kabuli chana/Chickpeas - 200 gms
Salt to taste
[Soak the channa overnight or for 6 hrs and pressure cook with salt till done]
Onions - 2 big,finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium,finely chopped
[Fry onions in a little oil till brown,add the tomatoes and fry till mushy.Let it cool,grind to a smooth paste]
Green chilly - 1,finely chopped
Ginger chopped - 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Everest Chole masala - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp,finely chopped
Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp
Chat masala,garam masala - 1 tsp each[optional]
Oil - 2 tsp

Method

In a kadai pour oil and fry the onion-tomato paste for 2 minutes.
Add the green chilly and ginger,fry for a minute.
Add red chilly powder,coriander powder and chole masala and fry for 2 minutes.
When everything gets mixed well,add the cooked channa and mix well.
Let it boil,check the salt.
Add coriander leaves and kasuri methi and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Just before switching off,add the garam masala and chat masala[if adding] and let it boil.
Serve hot with oats chapathi.

When Srivalli announced the Roti mela,I thought very hard what to contribute.I did not get any recipe ideas and thought that this time,I wont be able to post anything for her.But hey,I've already posted Mangalore buns and Puran poli,so this is going to be my third entry for her.

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