Madras Rasam

Ingredients:


Thoor Dal 1 cup
Turmeric 1 pinch
Oil-4tbsp
Tamarind extract - 1/2 cup or tamarind concentrate - 3tbsp
Jaggery - 2tbsp
Tomato puree - 1 cup
MTR Madras Rasam Powder - 3tbsps
Mustard 1tsp
Jeera -1/2tsp
Curry leaves - 3 sticks
coriander leaves (finely shopped) - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Water - 5 cups
ghee (optional) - 3tbsp
menthi seeds - 1/4 tsp
red chillies 4 nos.



Method:

1. Pressure cook dal: In a pressure cooker add dal(wash the dal & use), 2 cups of water, pinch of turmeric & 1 tbsp of oil. Cook for 3 whistles. Then remove from flame, allow it too cool.


2. Put a small pan on medium heat, add tamarind paste or concentrate, jaggery & tomato puree. Let it cook for 7mins. Now add Madras rasam powder & allow it to cook for 3 more mins so that it thickens (Seen in pic). Remove from flame & keep it aside this gojju.


3. Once the cooked dal is cooled smash the dal using hand blender or Mixer.
4. Take a deep vessel. Put it on Medium Hi heat. Now add the smashed dal. Add 3 cups of water. Allow it to boil for sometime. Now add Salt to taste, the gojju prepared previously. Allow it to continue to boil.
5. 
   Take a small pan take oil or ghee on medium low heat, once oil/ghee is heated add mustard and jeera. Once mustard splits now add curry leaves, red chillies, menthi seeds. Fry well. Once done remove from flame & add it to the boiling dal.
6. Add the chopped coriander and allow it to further simmer for 4-5 mins. If you desire the rasam on thick consistency allow it to boil for some more mins. Else the thickness can be altered by adding more water & boiling for few mins.
7. Serve hot with hot rice & ghee.
   

My Water Painting

Puliogare

Ingredients:

Rice 2 cups
Tamarind 1 lemon size (if using Tamarind concentrate - 3 tbsp
Jaggery 1/4 cup (make into small pieces)
Oil 1/4 cup
mustard 2 tsp
ground nuts 1/2 cup
urad dhal 2 tbsp
basin dhal 2 tbsp
curry leaves 1/4 cup
red chillies 5 nos.
dry coconut graded - 1.2 cup
sesame seeds - 2tbsp
pulogrey powder 3tbsp
hing small pinch (optional)
coriander leaves - shopped finely 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash & soak tamarin in hot water for 15-20mins.
2. Cook rice by adding 4 cups of water. Take care not to add excess water or over cook so that it doesn't become too mashy.
3. Take a tava or skillet dry fry sesame seeds till it turns golden. Remove it from heat & cool it. Once cooled make powder out of it. Keep aside
4. Take a tava or skillet put it on medium heat. Take the soaked tamarin, extract puree and pour into the tave. Add jaggery. Allow it to boil on medium heat till it thickens like a sticky paste. It will take around 20mins. Once it thickens, remove from heat & keep aside.
5. Heat a tava add oil. Add mustard. After mustard starts cracking now add ground nuts. Fry the groundnut on medium heat till it turn into golden brown. Now add urad dhal & basin dhal. After it is fried. Now add Curry leaves & Red Chillies. Fry it for a min & remove off from heat. Keep aside.
6. Take the cooked rice in a big & broad mixing boul. Allow it to cool for sometime. Once it's cooled now add Salt to taste, Tamrin paste, Puliogare powder, grated coconut, powdered sesame seeds & Oil fried mixture. Toss the rice & mix well till all the ingredients mix evenly.
7. Garnish with chopped Corriander leaves.

Suggestion: Serve Puliogare with curds.

Serves: 4

Pesara Pappu Payasam (Moong Dal Payasam / Hesaru bele payasa)

Ingredients:

Pesara Pappu (Moong dhal) - 2 cup
Jaggery - 2 cups (break into small pieces)
Fresh grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Poppy seeds (soaked 15mins in hot water) - 2 tb. sps.

Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Dry grapes - 1/4 cup
Green elachi - 8 nos. (powdered well)
Ghee - 4 tb. sps.
Turmeric - pinch
Water 2 1/2 cups



Method:

1. In a skillet or tawa add 1 tb. spoon of ghee and roast Pesara pappu on low heat till it turn reddish brown.
2. In a skillet now add the remaining ghee & fry cashew nuts & dry grapes till the cashew nuts turn golden brown.
3. Grind to a paste the coconut, poppy seeds ( strain the water off) and 1/4 cup cashew nuts.
4. In a pressure cooker add the roasted pesara pappu, 2 cups water, pinch of turmeric. Pressure cook for just 2 whistles.
5. In a thick bottom vessel add 1/2 glass of water and add the jaggery. On medium heat melt the jaggery. Let the jaggery boil for 5 mins. on medium.
6. Now add the pressure cooked moong dhal in the boiling jaggery & mix well. Now add Milk.
7. Allow it to simmer & cook well for 10 mins. Now add the coconut,cashew nuts & poppy seeds paste. Continue to cook for 5 mins.
8. If the consistency is too thick more milk can me added as desired.
9. Turn off the heat. Now mix with elachi. Garnish it with ghee, Cashew nuts & drygrapes

Intro

Off late I have been spending a lot of time cooking and learning to cook which I have never cooked before. I wish my mom was here to taste my yummy food.... Miss u mom.

I love to share my recipes here.

Trying to figure out what to write in my first blog post :)

It's 12th June '08 I created my first blog and started posting.

I came to US 9 months back. It's from then I learnt what is boredom. My life in India was way different, a busy life working and studying. And offcourse enjoying Namma Bengalooru.

I started this blog for lot of many reasons, mostly to pen down my experiences my life has given me. And also to kill my free time ;)

I will be back with more soon.