Ribbon Pakoda | Ola/Ottu Pakoda | Ribbon Murukku | Nada Thenkuzhal

Ribbon shaped fritters prepared from besan flour

Not many of you would need an intro to this lovely snack ! You might have always seen your mom or granny prepare this for Diwali or Janmashtami & just munching them as such is a delight on it's own :) It is also a very common snack/fritter in the South Indian bakeries. At times, on lazy days, we used to have them as an accompaniment to rasam sadam when cooking elaborate meals with poriyals & kootu were not in picture. Have you tried them that way? If not, do take a chance. You would love them. As a matter of fact, they taste awesome with sambar sadam too ! Very easy to make, just mix all the ingredients together & fry them in hot steaming oil. Voila, your fritters are ready. Now let's take a peep on the ingredients that needs to go in for the dough :)

Recipe Source: Ma

I Took: 40 minutes

Serves: 3-4 cups

I Used:

Besan Flour	-	1 cup
Butter	-	2 tsp
Red Chilly powder	-	1 tsp
Black Sesame Seeds	-	1 tsp
Asafoetida	-	1 tsp
Oil	-	For deep frying
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. In a bowl mix together the besan flour, butter (softened), red chilly powder, black sesame seeds, asafoetida & salt 
2. Add water little by little & mix together to make a soft yet firm & non-sticky dough. It should not be watery & almost like the chapathi dough
3. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai to deep fry. Grease with oil the string hopper/idiyappam mould with the ribbon pakoda disc on. Fill the mould with the dough 
4. Press the dough onto the hot oil in circular motion to form a single layer. Do not overcrowd as it will not ensure even & fast cooking
5. Fry them until the sizzling (shh) sound ceases. Turn over to the other side & fry again till the sizzling ceases 
6. Drain the excess oil onto a tissue paper & cool completely. Continue the same process with the remaining dough

Store in airtight container and enjoy them over a cuppa chai !

Notes:

• If the sesame seeds are too big, then they might get stuck in the disc & you will not get the desired shape. If then, pulse them in the mixie before adding to the dough. This ensures that they are fine enough to get through the holes of the disc
• If you like the pepper flavour you can add ½ tsp freshly ground pepper. Again make sure they are fine enough to get through the holes of the disc
• Originally dalda is used in the preparation of this pakoda, but considering the side effects on health I used butter instead !

Cheers,

Chitz

Coorgi Chicken Curry with homemade Coorgi Masala Powder | Coorg Style Chicken Curry

Chicken prepared in Coorgi style with freshly ground Masala & sauteed onions

Each of us have our own unique ways of celebrating our special days. Some do it with sweet, some with wine & yet others would be out in the wild :D We do it with chicken, but now you guys would not be surprised as I have already mentioned many a times of our undying & dedicated love for this lovely ingredient. And for those of who are asking what's special today, it's Deeps' birthday. Though he did not want any celebration a.k.a indication that he is older by a year, I wanted to do prepare something simple yet not the regular kind of food for our lunch today. He is not a great fan of sweets nor cakes. so I resorted to our all time favorite, chicken. I did not want to try something very new for the fear of something going wrong somewhere, hence decided on this simple & flavorful Coorgi style chicken curry. 

I had already prepared this awesome gravy (adapted from Sinful Curry) 2-3 times before & every time it received a good review, by Deeps as well as some guests to whom we served this :) So I paired it up with the subtle yet lovely Peas pulav & wrapped it up with a rich creamy custard fruit salad with ice cream. Both mind & tummy full & satisfied :D And coming to the recipe it was originally for pork, but since the strong flavors & the simplicity of the recipe pulled me towards it, I had to replace it with chicken. And also this authentic recipe requires Kanchampuli, the Coorg special vinegar prepared from Gambooge, but since I did not have neither the extract nor the whole Gambooge I used our normal tamarind & extracted the pulp & used it. So nothing else would stop you now from trying out this. Enjoy :)

Recipe Source: Sinful Curry

I Took: 40 minutes + 2 hour(marination)

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Used:

For Coorgi Masala powder:

Coriander seeds  - 3 tbsp Pepper  - 1 tsp Cumin seeds  - ½ tsp Mustard - ¼ tsp Cinnamon  - An inch piece Cloves  - 4 no Green cardamom  - 2 no

To Marinate:

Chicken  - ½ kg Coorgi Masala powder  - 2 tbsp Red chili powder  - 1 ½ tsp Turmeric powder  - ¼ tsp Tamarind Extract - 1 tbsp (Refer notes) Salt - As Needed

To Saute:

Onions	-	1 medium sized - sliced
Shallots	-	5 nos - sliced
Ginger-Garlic Paste	-	1 tbsp
Coorgi Masala powder	-	2 tsp
Mustard seeds	-	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	-	A sprig
Coriander leaves	-	To Garnish
Oil	-	2 tbsp

The Way:

1. In a pan dry roast (without oil) the spices under 'For Coorgi Masala powder' until they turn brown & the aroma of the spices come out. Allow it to cool & then grind it to a fine powder in a mixie. Keep aside
2. Clean & cut the chicken into small or desirable sized pieces. Marinate it with the ingredients under 'To Marinate' & refrigerate them for 1-2 hours
3. Cook the marinated chicken with ¼ cup of water until done. Alternately you can pressure cook the chicken for a whistle or two as well
4. In a pan, heat oil. Splutter mustards & curry leaves. Add shallots & onions and saute them nicely till they turn deep brown. Take care not to burn
5. Add ginger-garlic paste & fry till the raw smell goes off. Now add coorgi masala powder & give a stir
6. Now add the cooked chicken pieces & cook on low flame until they are mixed well & the gravy thickens to your desired consistency. You can also let it dry completely if preferred
7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Serve with Jeera Rice/Peas Pulav/Coconut Milk Rice or Roti/Appam/Idiyappam !

Notes:

• The original recipe calls for Kanchampuli (the Coorg vinegar extracted from kachampuli or gambooge), but since I did not have it I used normal Tamarind
• The original recipe is for Pork, since I do not eat it I used chicken instead

Cheers,

Chitz

Kathirikai Kara Kulambu | Kathirikai Masala Kuzhambu | Spicy Brinjal Curry with Coconut

Spicy Gravy with Brinjal & Coconut-Poppy seed paste

I am very picky about this particular veggie brinjal. I do not enjoy all the dishes prepared with it. For me to like them, they should not have their inherent taste, rather their flavor has to be enhanced with some added ingredients like coconut or lentils :D I am sure that there are many out there who would second me on that. Rather than the simple & normal Brinjal fry or Kathirikai Murungakkai poriyal, I would prefer some more elaborate preparations like Kathirikai Gosthu or Kathirikai Kara Kuzhambu. This is yet another tasty lip smacking preparation of my mom's. Usually she finds ways to avoid coconut but when her Son-In-Law is in town she goes about with the extra indulgence by including coconut. So I actually get to enjoy her preparation when Deeps is at home. Since it is both his & my favorite I prepare this often at our place too. This is very easy to make & makes you have an extra helping of rice too ;)

Recipe Source: Ma

I Took: 40 minutes

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Used:

Brinjal - 4 medium sized  Onion - 1 medium sized - chopped Tomato - 1 medium sized - chopped Tamarind - Lemon sized Red Chilly powder - 2 tsp Coriander powder - 2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Grated coconut - ¼ cup Poppy Seeds/Khus Khus - 1 ½ tsp Mustard - ¼ tsp Fenugreek - ¼ tsp Curry leaves - A sprig Coriander leaves - 3-4 sprigs Oil - 1 tbsp Salt - As Needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the brinjal in water & cut them into 2 inch long & 1 inch thick pieces and keep them immersed in water till use
2. Soak tamarind in ¼ cup water for 15-20 minutes & extract the pulp
3. Grind together coconut & poppy seeds to a fine paste with ¼ cup of water. Keep this aside
4. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard. Add fenugreek. When they start to turn colour, add the onions & saute till they turn transparent and start to change colour
5. Then add the cut brinjals & saute for 3-4 minutes till the oil coats the brinjals and they slowly start to shrivel. Now add the tomatoes & fry till they get mushy
6. Add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder & salt. Saute well till the raw smell goes off
7. Add the tamarind juice, curry leaves & 2 cups of water. Allow it to cook in medium flame until the brinjals are cooked
8. Now add the ground coconut paste & give it a stir. Allow it on low flame for a minute or so & then remove from heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Serve hot with rice !

Cheers,

Chitz

Raspberry Iced Tea | Raspberry Ice Tea Recipe

Hi mates, so I am back after my short vacation trip to Venice & Pisa. It was really hot at this time of the year there & I have had its effects too, the nasty tan ;) But we did have a great time there walking around the entire city through the calle (alleyways) & travelling in their water boats, which by the way is their main mode of transportation like the bus & train in other cities !! And not to forget the exquisite cuisine, we experienced sea food at its heights there with a wide variety to choose, ranging from lobsters & king crabs to squids & giant prawns & the local sole fish. All contended & tummy & heart filled, I reached back with a slight fever & cold. So not much of cooking happening now. It's just some hot kashayam brewing & light food to munch on, so I am utilizing that to post an iced tea recipe that has been in my drafts for quite some time now :)

Raspberry is one fruit that I find very difficult to eat as such :D But it's benefits are too great to ignore this fruit - antioxidant rich, fights cancer & even increases metabolism rate & cuts down that extra fat :) So I decided to somehow include it in our diet. That's when the google search yielded this beautiful Iced tea recipe. And Deeps is a die hard fan of iced tea or any drink of the tea & coffee family & that made me all the more excited to try this awesome drink. It's pretty simple to brew up & a lip smacking drink when served chilled with ice cubes. Sip it over while you munch your evening cookies & you will definitely want to make more soon :)

I Took: 20 minutes

Serves: 5-6 glasses

I Used:

Raspberry	-	2 cups
Sugar	-	⅓ cup
Water	-	4 cups
Tea Bags	-	5 tea bags

The Way:

1. In a saucepan bring 2 cups of water & the raspberries to a boil. Reduce the heat & allow it to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Then strain it & discard the pulp. Keep aside
2. In another saucepan bring 2 cups of water to a boil.Stir in sugar until dissolved
3. Remove from heat. Add the tea bags & steep for 5-8 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Alternately you can add tea dust or leaves too. If then, strain the tea leaves/dust
4. Add the raspberry juice to the tea mixture. Chill them in refrigerator for 3-4 hours & serve with ice

Cheers,

Chitz

Chinese Almond Cookies - Baking Partner Challenge #13

Here comes yet another beautiful challenge from the Baking Partners. This time it's cookies from around the world & I chose to go Chinese with these beautiful Almond cookies. I have baked Ameretti cookies (Italian) before, so I was sure that this would also be acceptable to our taste buds. And as I had expected this tasted crunchy & great with the lovely almond flavor. It's very easy to make & I found the method quite similar to the Indian flat bread 'Chapathi/Roti' :) Try this out as your yummy tea time snack !

Recipe from here

Makes: 8-12 cookies

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 1 hour
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes

I Used:

All purpose flour	-	¾ cup + 1 tbsp
Butter	-	4 tbsp
Sugar	-	¼ cup
Almond paste	-	2 ½ tbsp
Baking powder	-	½ tsp
Vanila Essence	-	½ tsp
Grated lemon zest	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	¼ tsp
Egg	-	1 tbsp
Beaten egg white	-	of 1 egg
Almonds	-	8-12 no

The Way:

1. In a large bowl sift together all purpose flour, baking powder & salt together. For even mixing sift for two or three times
2. Beat the egg nicely & keep aside
3. In another wide bowl cream the butter until pale yellow. You can use an electric mixer or whisk. I used whisk
4. Add ¼ cup sugar, almond paste, lemon zest & amaretto (or vanilla essence) & mix until it is smooth & lump free
5. Now add about one third of the beaten egg and mix well. Now gradually add the flour & mix well until everything is fully incorporated. Use hands instead of whisk while incorporating flour
6. Transfer the dough into a parchment paper & refrigerate it for about an hour
7. Preheat the oven to 175 degree C in conventional mode. Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
8. Once the dough is chilled, prep your working surface with 1 tbsp of sugar. Roll the dough over the sugar and then make small balls out of it (like you do for Indian flatbread or chapathi)
9. Flatten out the balls into cookie shapes of your desired diameter & thickness using your palm. Place them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets
10. Brush each cookie lightly with beaten egg white and press a whole or chopped almond into the center of each 
11. Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges
12. Remove the baked cookies from the oven and allow to cool  to room temperature before serving

Notes:

Almond paste is nothing but powdered almond. Grind around 15-20 almonds in a mixie to get the above mentioned almond paste

Cheers,

Chitz

Simple Tur Dal Tadka | Pappu South Indian Style

Tur Dal & tomatoes tempered with Indian tadka

My idea of comfort food? That which takes me less time, I say less than half an hour to prepare & that which leaves me & my stomach (at times waistline too;)) happy. This is one of that kind for me. When I am very hungry or very lazy I can make this, rasam & a simple stir fry & enjoy the meal contentedly :) Usually I would have dal with rice as the first course & then dal+rasam with rice as my second course ! That's the kinda combination that makes me go gaga about :) So let's see how this simple tadka a.k.a pappu can be made.

Recipe Source: Ma

I Took: 30 minutes

Serves: 2 persons

I Used:

Tur Dal	-	½ cup
Tomato	-	1 no - medium sized
Tamarind	-	A bluberry sized
Garlic	-	3 cloves
Green Chilly	-	2 no
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

To Temper:

Mustard - ½ tsp Urad Dal - 2 tsp Red Chilly - 2-3 no Asafoetida - ½ tsp Curry leaf - A sprig Oil - 1 tbsp

The Way:

1. Soak tur dal in water for 20-30 minutes
2. In a pressure cooker add the tur dal, diced tomato, tamarind, crushed garlic, slited green chilly, turmeric powder & salt. Add enough water & pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or until the dal is done
3. Mash the cooked dal well
4. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard. Add the remaining ingredients under 'To Temper' & fry well. Take care not to burn 
5. Add the tempering to the mashed dal & mix well

Serve with rotis or steamed rice

Cheers,

Chitz

Vazhakka Payar Upperi | Kaya Achinga Mezhukkupuratti | Long Beans & Raw Plantain Stir Fry

 I am always in love with this veggie Achinga Payaru. It's called by different names in different parts of the world like Thattai Payar or Long beans or String beans. Make a simple stir fry out of it & it would just taste awesome with steamed rice & a kootan/gravy. Or have it as a side for the night kanji/rice porridge, that would also taste divine ! I learned this combination stir fry from my Mil. It's very easy to make & healthy & tasty too.. So let's see how it's done !

Recipe Source: Mil

Serves: 2~3 persons

I Took: 25 minutes

I Used:

Long Beans/Achinga Payar	-	1 cup - cut into long pieces
Raw Plantain/Vazhakka	-	1 cup - diced
Green Chilly	-	2 no
Curry leaves	-	A sprig
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Oil	-	2 tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard. Add slited green chilly & saute
2. Add the diced raw plantain & saute for a minute or two
3. Add the cut long beans & curry leaves & salt, mix well. Cook covered over medium fire till the vegetables are done. Give an occasional stir to make sure they do not get burned

Pair up with steamed rice & a gravy of your choice or rice porridge.

Cheers,

Chitz