Green Chilli / Pachai Milagai Sambar

For vegetarian, meals is incomplete without Sambar. I learned this receipe from my friend Mrs. Vanitha. She prepared this delicious Sambar for lunch. Though there are many variations in sambar, it is different from regular ones, its very spicy and yet mouth watering. I am sure, trust me.

Ingredients :

Chow Chow - 1 no
Drumstick-1no
Thoor dhall - 1/4 cup
Small onions - 10 no
Turmeric Powder - ¼ tsp
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp
Green Chillis - 8 nos (slit in corner)
Jeera - ¼ tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Aniseed - ½ tsp
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Salt - for taste

Method :

• Grind the coconut & aniseed together into smooth paste and keep it aside.


• Now pressure cook thoor dhall with jeera & turmeric powder and keep it aside.


• Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, crackle mustard seeds and then add the chow chow, drumstick (can add any veggies you want) and small onions, g.chillies slit and saute for a while.


• Now add cooked thoor dhall to veggie and cover the lid until the veggie cook in low flame.


• After few minutes add tamarind pulp, asafoetida, salt.


• If it’s too thick, you can add some water to thin.
  When the sambar start boiling, add the coconut and aniseed ground paste immediately & boil for few minutes. switch off the stove.


• Now last but not least, let me tell you my little tip to make any sambar to be more flavoured, i.e., add a tsp of ghee, fresh curry leaves & coriander leaves to the hot sambar.
  

And there you are.... Aroma rich Sambar is ready to serve with rice & potato fry :) Enjoy eating. :)

Kuska Briyani

Kuska is nothing but Briyani without veggie. In all it takes around 15 minutes to prepare, so this could be a possible lunch menu for those working women to save morning busy hours. In a month at least twice I pack this food for lunch. I, especially, like this to cook often as it is easy and also the aroma of Mint and Coriander, filling my kitchen, which would tempt anyone to try and taste.

Ingredients :

Basmati rice – 1 cup
Green chillies – 2
Sliced onion - 1 (thinly sliced)
Tomato - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Star anise - 1
Cloves - 1
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Cardamom - 1
Cashew - few
Bay leaf - 1 no
Coconut milk – 1 cup
water - 1/4 cup
Ginger& Garlic paste – 1tsp
Butter/ghee – 3 tsp
Oil – 2 tsp
Mint leaves - 2 springs
Coriander leaves – 2 springs

Method :

Wash and soak basmati rice in coconut milk for 15 minutes. In a pressure pan heat ghee & oil, add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom, star anise, cloves and allow them to splutter. Now add chopped onion, tomato and green chillies fry until golden brown. Add ginger & garlic paste until the raw smell is gone. After a few seconds, add chopped coriander and mint leaves and sauté it for while. At this stage add soaked basmati rice in coconut milk with 1/4 cup of water. Add salt for taste & mix well.

Close the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle & then leave it for 5 minutes in low flame until any excess water remain. Switch it off .Take care not to overcook.

Awesome kuska briyani is ready. Serve hot with your choice of kurma or onion / cucumber raita.

Mysore Pak

I like sweets very much and eat a lot. I just like the sweet smell especially those of the mixed sweet smell from the sweet stall & just wonder how they are make those sweets which are eye catchy and colourful. Whenever I come across those stalls, I tell myself that I should try to make those sweets in my kitchen.

So I started it to a give a try one last month, i.e., Mysore Pak, A deliciously rich, sweet Mysore Pak dish of Karnataka, a southern state of India. At first, I did not had much hope on how it would taste like, but it came out good ummmmm.......:)

So let’s get started, Here are the steps / way I followed to make Mysore Pak.

Ingredients :

Besan Flour -1 cup
Sugar - 1cup
Ghee - 1cup
Water - ¼ cup
Cardamom powder - optional

Method :

In a heavy bottomed vessel or a nonstick pan add a tsp of ghee & fry the besan flour for 5 mins till the raw smell goes away .Take it out from heat & keep aside.In another pan pour ½ cup ghee & just melt it and add to the besan flour without lumps.This gives nice blended with ghee flavour. Cover the sugar with water & make Sugar syrup is of 1 string consistency, this add it to the besan mixer ,reaches dosa batter consistency.Now add the remaining ½ cup ghee little by little keep non-stop stirring it in medium flame till it becomes slight thick & mixture starts leaving edges and looks a bit dry, add cardamom (optional). Now switch off the flame , pour it into a greased plate and flatten. Allow to set & makes out a desired shapes.

Enjoy eating …. melts in the mouth with the ghee smell..I am happy at the first attempt hooooooo...