Pineapple Sathumadu

Pineapple Sathumadu was not known to me until I tasted it in one function. It was so tasty and I imagined that it would be very difficult to make. I wanted to attempt but feared what if it might not turn good. Finally, ended up with courage and tried at home. Now my hubby is in love with it and used to ask every sunday to make it. Nowadays, Whenever we go for Vegetable shopping, Pineapple is a must in my list J

Cooking time : 20 min

Preparation time : 10 min

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

Pineapple (chopped into pieces)	½ cup +3 heaped tbsp
Tomato	1
Raw Kuzhambu Podi(optional, see notes)	1 tsp
Toor dal	1/8 cup
Salt	As needed
Green Chilly	1
Ginger	1 “ piece
Hing	1/8 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Oil	½ tsp
Turmeric	¼ tsp
Coriander leaves	For garnishing

Method:

·                      In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they splutter add chopped tomato and ½ cup chopped pineapple pieces , salt, Kuzhambu podi(if using), hing and turmeric and ¾ cup water. Let it cook until soft.

·                     Grind 3 tbsp pineapple, g.chilly, ginger into a smooth paste.Pressure cook toor dal and mash once pressure releases.

·                     Add the paste to sathumadu, toor dal and 2 cups water.

·                     Switch off when it turns frothy.

·                     Garnish with coriander leaves.

·                     Serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes:

·                     If you do not have Kuzhambu podi, replace it with 1/ tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp red chilly powder.

·                     This Sathumadu can be had as a soup by itself.

Yellow Pumpkin(Parangikkai) Masiyal

Pumpkin is one of my favorite Veggie ever since my childhood. I particularly like the mild sweetness in the vegetable. I learnt the recipe of Pumpkin masiyal from my mom and since this is a NO GRIND kuzhambu, this is one of my first attempts when I learnt cooking. This yummy kuzhambu is heavenly with rice topped with ghee.

Cooking time : 20 min

Preparation time : 10 min

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

Pumpkin (chopped thinly like small fries)	1&1/2 cup
Tamarind	A small gooseberry size
Red Chilly	2
Green Chilly	2 or 3
Fenugreek seeds(Vendayam)	¾ tsp
Hing	1/8 tsp
Urad Dal	¼ tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Toor dal	¼ cup
Salt	As needed
Oil	½ tsp
Turmeric	¼ tsp
Coriander leaves	For garnishing

Method:

·                      Wash and chop the pumpkin into thin slice(like we do for French fries but smaller in size). Pressure cook toor dal and mash once the pressure releases.

·                     Extract 1 cup water from tamarind. In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and when they splutter , add chillies, vendayam(fenugreek), urad dal and fry till turns golden brown.

·                     Add Pumpkin pieces, tamarind water, turmeric and salt and allow the pumpkin to cook. It won’t take long so have an eye else it will become mushy.

·                     Now add the mashed dal and boil for five minutes in low flame. You can add a tsp of rice flour mixed with water if the kuzhambu is watery.

·                     Serve hot with steamed rice and ghee.

Rava Upma (With Veggies)

Rava Upma is called a lazy dish by me since I make this whenever I do not have the mood to cook anything. Its quick , ‘fatafat’ tiffin and adding chopped vegetables makes it healthy and flavourful. Here I have tried to adapt the taste according to my son’s taste buds but you can also adapt as per your wish. Now here is the recipe of yummy Rava upma.

Cooking time : 20 min

Preparation time : 10 min

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Rava(Cream of wheat)	1 cup
Chopped vegetables (carrot, potato, beans)	1 cup
Potato	1 very small
Green peas	1 handful
Ginger	½ tsp
Green chillies	2
Red Chilly	1
Salt	As needed
Ghee	1 tbsp + 1tsp
Water	3 cups
Hing	1/8 tsp
Coriander leaves/fried cashews	For garnishing/1 tbsp
Curry leaves	few
Oil/ghee	1 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Channa dal	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp

Method:

•  Wash and chop all the vegetables, green chillies and ginger and keep aside. Keep the potatoes immersed in water to avoid discoloration.

• Heat a pan, add 1tsp ghee and roast the rava in low to meadium flame until nice aroma arises. Do not burn the rava.Keep aside.
• If You are going to use cashews, Fry them and keep aside.

• Heat the same pan and add a tbsp ghee and mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add channa dal, urad dal, green chillies, red chilly, hing and ginger piece. Fry until dal turns golden brown.

• Now add all the vegetables and little salt and give a good stir. Add 3 cups water and close the pan. Add the salt and let the vegetables get cooked completely.

• Add curry leaves and mix well.
• Once the vegetables are cooked, simmer the flame and add rava slowly while mixing with the other hand to avoid lumps. Mix until it becomes a solid mass. Add finally 1 more tbsp of ghee and give a good mix.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chutney/ Sugar.

Notes:

• You can add a small tomato in this to increase the flavor. If adding, add after tempering dal and chillies and fry until mushy before adding other vegetables.
• Do not over cook the vegetables so that they get mashed.
• Also do not change the colour of the rava while frying as the upma will not come out white in color.

French Fries

French fries reminds me of only Mc Donalds when I stayed in India. But later after moving to Canada, I wanted to try it out at home and it was a complete success. My son loves potatoes of all the veggies and if this the snack for that day he just stands beside me while I prepare and keeps monitoring. Please make this simple recipe at home and sweep off your loved ones’ feet!

Prep time: 1 hr

 Cooking time: 15 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Potatoes	4 big
Oil	For deep frying
Salt	As needed
Red chilly powder	2 tsp

Method:

• Wash the potatoes, Chop them length wise like sticks and freeze them for an hour. Alternatively, you can immerse them in ICE COLD WATER for 1 hour.

• Heat a wide pan and add oil for frying. When it’s hot, add the potatoes and fry till the shh sound ceases(it should not turn golden brown). Drain in kitchen towel. Let it cool. The potatoes would be soft.

• Again heat the oil and keep the flame medium high. Add the already fried potatoes until brown and crisp.

• Meanwhile, in a plate mix red chilly powder and salt .

• Drain The fries kitchen towel and gently toss in the salt mix and serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Notes:

• Immersing potatoes in cold water / freezing them extracts all the extra starch and also ensures that the potatoes don’t stick to one another.
• You can chop them before hand and keep them frozen until use.
• Always fry in low- medium flame for the first round.

Brinjal Pulippu Kootu

Pulippu kootu is an authentic Tam-Brahm Recipe . It is made on auspicious occasions and not only this kootu tastes good as a main dish but also goes well as a side dish. It is quick, easy to make and yummy to eat. Now here goes the recipe:

Cooking time : 15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Brinjal	4 small
Tamarind	Small Gooseberry size
Salt	As needed
Channa dal	1/8 cup
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Water	1 cup
Turmeric	¼ tsp

To grind:

Channa dal	1 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Red Chilly	2
Hing	1/4 tsp or 1 small piece
Oil	½ tsp

Method:

• Wash the brinjal, Chop into byte size pieces and keep immersed in water until use. Extract tamarind water (about 1 cup) from gooseberry size tamarind.
• Pressure cook channa dal in ½ cup water for about 5 whistles. Once pressure subsides mash it well with a ladle.

• Heat a pain, add oil and roast the ingredients mentioned under “to grind”until golden brown. After cooling down, grind to a smooth paste by adding little water.

• Heat a kadai, add oil and mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Now add chopped brinjal and fry for a minute.

• Add tamarind water and allow it to boil for about 3-4 minutes. Now add the cooked dal, salt and allow the brinjal to get cooked completely.

• Finally add the ground paste and boil in low flame for three minutes and switch off. Serve with hot rice.

Notes:

• You can use Chow chow (chayote)or white pumpkin(winter melon) instead of brinjal.
• If using solid hing(ketti perungayam), fry while roasting the other ingredients and grind.