Kobbari Pacchadi

For the last day of this month long Blogging Marathon # 27, here is a humble and basic chutney from my kitchen.

It is very rare for me to make this coconut chutney at home. The reason is simple. I am very picky when it comes to the quality of coconut. We very rarely the coconut which doesn't smell or which is not dry. On the rare occasion we get good quality coconut, we tend to eat it raw with some jaggery. 

Ingredients - 

Fresh Coconut, shredded 1 cup
Green Chillies 4-5 (or to taste)
Tamarind pulp 1 tsp 
Salt as needed
Coriander leaves, few
Seasoning (Oil 2 tsp, Chana Dal 1 tsp, Urad Dal 1 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp, Asafoetida 2 pinches, Curry leaves few)


Kobbari Pacchadi

Method Of Preparation -

Grind all the ingredients adding as little of water as needed.

Prepare the seasoning - Heat Oil in a pan, add all the seasoning ingredients in the order mentioned. After the mustard seeds pop, remove from fire and transfer onto the chutney.

Mix well and serve with steaming hot rice or Ven Pongal.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Here is the list of recipes blogged this month in a glance..

Week 4 - Misc (Craft or Condiments)


Preparation Time 7-10 min
Makes 1 cup

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Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tamarind Date Chutney

Can you imagine any chaat without this amazing sweet and tangy chutney?? The first time I made this my older one was so on to it that she put it on anything and everything.

Simple to make but sounds like a huge chore! Here is the humble chutney for Day 6 Week 4 of BM #27.

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Posted by Harini R on Monday, April 29, 2013

Carrot Flower

Here is another flower, this time made out of carrots. My kids had loads of fun eating these carrot strips off of the flowers competing with each other!

I thought it was yet another great idea to make them gobble up carrots. What say?

I felt it was very easy to make and so my basic cutting and peeling skills were more than enough to get the desired result!!

So a carrot flower it is for Day 5 Week 4 of BM #27.

Ingredients - 

Carrots, as many as needed (1 carrot makes 1 flower)
Toothpick one for each flower

Method Of Preparation -

Choose a fresh, healthy and plump carrot. Wash the carrot and chop off both the ends. 

Peel the carrot length wise. We would need about 8-9 strips for 1 flower.


Carrot Flower process

Insert a small carrot chunk into a toothpick. This would be the anchor for the flower. 

Select 4 long carrot strips and 4 shorter ones.

Make a bow with the longer strip and pin it to the toothpick as shown in the picture. Pin 3 more long ones so that each of them is at right angles to the next one. 

Make a bow with the shorter strip and pin it to the toothpick so that it lies between 2 longer bows. Continue for the remaining 3 short strips.

Now it becomes an 8 petal flower. To close the open end of the toothpick at the top, fold a small carrot strip and pin it.

Place the flower on a bigger chunk of carrot or any other sturdy base and it would definitely make a center piece on a buffet table.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Preparation Time  5-7 min
Makes 1 flower

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Posted by Harini R on Sunday, April 28, 2013

Instant Tomato Chutney

I was getting really tired of having peanut Chutney as an accompaniment for Idli, Dosa etc. That was when my maternal aunt introduced me to this instant chutney. This has since become a staple at home!

Check out this humble chutney for Day 4 Week 4 of BM #27.

Ingredients - 

Onions , chopped 1 cup
Tomatoes, chopped 2-3 cups
Tamarind marble size, cleaned and stringed (Optional)
Salt and Red Chilli Powder as needed
Oil 1 tsp
Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp, Mustard seeds 1 tsp, Asafoetida 1/8 tsp)


Instant Tomato Chutney

Method Of Preparation -

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan. Saute the chopped onions until they are translucent. 

Add tomatoes and let them get mushy. Also add the tamarind. [Skip the tamarind if the tomatoes are sour]

After the tomatoes get mushy, remove from fire. Add salt and red chilli powder. Let it cool.

Grind to a fine paste and prepare the seasoning by heating oil, popping mustard seeds and adding asafoetida.

Mix in the seasoning into the chutney and serve.

It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. A great accompaniment for Idli, Dosa etc.  

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Preparation Time  15 min
Makes approx 1 1/2 cups

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Posted by Harini R on Saturday, April 27, 2013

Guacamole

Guacamole, according to Wiki, is an avocado based sauce originated in Mexico. It is used as a dip, condiment or salad ingredient.

In my mind, Guacamole is synonymous with Mexican food. We have been eating guacamole for a while now occasionally with chips or with Tacos. 

Recently we were introduced to a veggie bowl from Chipotle (a restaurant chain). And one of the ingredients happens to be this guacamole. 

I have since recreated this veggie bowl at home much to our delight! More of that recipe later but for now check out the version of guacamole which has been approved at home. 
So for Day 3 Week 4 of BM #27, here is the recipe.

Ingredients - 

Avocados 2 nos
Onions, finely chopped 1/4 cup
Tomatoes, finely chopped 1/4 - 1/2 cup
Garlic, minced 1-2 cloves
Jalapenos 1/2 - 1 (depends on the heat preference)
Salt as needed
Cumin Powder 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1/4 tsp (or as needed)
Cilantro / Coriander leaves finely chopped 1 Tbsp
Lime Juice 1 Tbsp 


Guacamole

Method Of Preparation -

Cut the Ripe Avocado, remove the seed and scoop out the pulp .

In a mixing bowl, mash the avocado pulp and mix all the other ingredients except tomato.

Mix well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mix in the chopped tomatoes just before serving.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Preparation Time 15 min
Makes about 1 cup

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Posted by Harini R on Friday, April 26, 2013

Annam Podi ~ Mixed Lentil Powder

Childhood summers in grandparent's place = amazing food + ripe mangoes + fun time with cousins, aunts and uncles. Therefore some of my childhood memories are definitely entwined with food. 

We used to visit our maternal grandparent's place mostly during summers and used to spend close to 90-100 days. Our kiddo gang was about 8-10 and we used to have loads of fun. I now cherish those memories and always urge my kids to have fun and save those memories for the future!

One of the mouth watering items is this Annam Podi combined with Rasam Rice. It used to be a typical combo for dinner. 

It looks like I was forever postponing to make this at home because I was skeptical to get horse gram :). I got this recipe from amma almost a decade back and it finds a place here only now. Needless to say, it always had a place in my memories!!
Check out this humble podi for Day 2 Week 4 of BM #27.

Ingredients - 

Toor Dal / Kandi Pappu 1/2 cup
Moong Dal / Pesara Pappu 1/2 cup
Horse Gram / Ulavalu 1/4 cup
Chana Dal / Senaga Pappu 1 Tbsp
Urad Dal / Minappappu 1 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Whole Red Chilies 2-3 (or as needed)
Salt 1 tsp (or as needed)


Annam Podi ~ Mixed Lentil Powder
Rasam Rice with Annam Podi in the background

Method Of Preparation -

Roast all the ingredients (of course except salt :) ) separately until they are golden brown and aromatic.

Let them cool and grind them into a semi coarse powder.

Store in an air tight container and serve it with steaming hot rice and ghee.

Our favorite combo is with Tomato Rasam and Rice.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Preparation Time 15 min 
Makes approx 1 1/2 cups

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The last week of this edition of Blogging Marathon is an attempt to showcase our artistic abilities. The theme says "food craft/art or miscellaneous recipes". I am no artist, but I have made an attempt to present this interesting craft idea which I thought was easy to do. 

I feel that these roses would make a very good decoration on a buffet table as a way of serving salads. What say?

I have looked at numerous videos on Youtube and after a couple of attempts, I got it to this shape. The fun part was my kids were looking on and were waiting to gobble up the cucumber slices and they were not mindful of the fact that I was tense about the end result! They were sure they would get to eat the cucumber slices whether I get the roses right or not!!

The sprinkles on the cucumber roses was my little one's idea. She loves those sugary and colorful sprinkles and was looking for a chance to gobble them (which I usually don't allow). She cleverly manipulated me into using it to garnish the roses so she would be able to have it her way. Master manipulators - these kids!!

Note  - These roses can be made out of carrots too. Just get hold of some plump carrots, slice them and soak them in hot water for a couple minutes so the slices soften up a little bit and follow the procedure below.

Ingredients - 

Cucumbers thinly sliced about 22-24
Sprinkles for garnish (optional)



Method Of Preparation -

Layer the cucumber slices as shown in the picture below. Place 1 slice then the other slice would be placed in the middle on the first slice and so on.

I layered about 11 slices. I guess you could use more but I felt 11 was a decent number to roll.



Start rolling like a carpet from one end to the other as shown in the picture. 



Hold the rolled slices and cut them into two halves.

Place the cut side down and arrange the slices and voila! they would resemble roses!!

Garnish with sprinkles for a colorful look. Don't they look professional??

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Preparation Time 15 min
Makes 2 roses

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Posted by Harini R on Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Baked Masala Vada

Here is a guilt free indulgence for a rainy day! I had bookmarked this almost 2 years back and I made it the other day. The most interesting addition to this was flax seeds. 

I found these to  be addictive and my older one confirms! Though my husband says he would have gladly gobbled up the deep fried version. Anyway this recipe is a winner (3-1). My older one made sure I promised to bake these often while the Dad put on a long face :).

Anyway here it is for Day 8 Week 3 of BM #27.

Ingredients - 

Chana Dal 1/2 cup
Toor Dal 1/2 cup
Flax Seeds 2 Tbsp
Onion finely chopped, 1/2 cup
Peanuts handful
Salt as needed
Ginger as needed
Green Chillies as needed
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Oil 1 Tbsp


Baked Masala Vada
 
Method Of Preparation -

Wash and soak Chana Dal and Toor Dal for 3-4 hours.

Drain and coarse grind the dals adding as little water as needed. Separately grind the flax seeds, green chillies and ginger to a fine paste. 

Mix the coarsely ground dals, flax seed mixture and coarsely chopped peanuts along with salt and baking powder. Fold in the finely chopped onions.

Mix well adding a little oil and the dough is ready. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line parchment paper on a baking tray and set aside.

Divide the dough into lime sized portions and flatten them into 1 cm thick discs or patties and place them on the baking tray. Spray oil on each of the patties and bake them for 35 min.

Flip them after about 25 min so they get browned evenly on both sides.

I broiled them for a couple of minutes for a crispier vadas.
I served them with tomato chutney and tea for the adults while the kiddo wanted strawberry milk.


Baked Masala Vada

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Preparation Time 15 min + Baking Time 35
Makes 18

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Coconut Water - Mixed Fruit Popsicle

I was thinking about making popsicles using coconut water and was cracking my brains as to what combo would be liked by the kids. And Voila! I saw a Facebook post with a combo which was interesting. I was skeptical initially but then I thought if not the older one, the younger one would definitely like this!

So I went ahead and made this, put it in the freezer and offered to the kids when they came back from school. Surprise !! Surprise!! My older one liked it better! 

Later on she figured out that it had banana and so was very upset. She was like, "Amma you are so mean, you tricked me into eating and also liking banana". Ultimately she had to agree that banana is not always yucky and that I always strive to feed them healthy stuff. That was how my job for the day was done!!

Check out this easy recipe for Day 7 Week 3 of BM #27.

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Posted by Harini R on Monday, April 22, 2013

Ragi Buttermilk

Here is a calcium rich drink which cools down body heat and is a fortifying drink on a hot summer day. This is the recipe I learnt from my MIL.

Growing up, I was never exposed to ragi in any form. Only in the later years my mom started using ragi in her kitchen. But apparently my MIL has been making this buttermilk since ages. Couple summers earlier, I tasted it back home and I made this a few times since.

My friend shared a different version of where the ragi flour is cooked and then mixed in buttermilk. My MIL says since the ragi flour is already sprouted and roasted, it need not be cooked.

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Posted by Harini R on Sunday, April 21, 2013

This is a delightful summer time coolant for the kids. My little one can have any coolant in the peak of winter looking at the piling snow :). 

But this time I thought of this slurpee instead of smoothie/juice as my older one who is a picky fruit eater said she would try it out too. In the end, our neighbors kids dropped by and licked (slurped?) off the slurpee!!

So let the kids enjoy the coolant while we check the recipe for Day 5 week 3 of BM #27.


Watermelon-Strawberry Slurpee

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Posted by Harini R on Saturday, April 20, 2013

Most of us start our day either with Tea or Coffee, right? Though it is an everyday drink, I felt I should record the masala chai we like it home. I am sure each family has a different way of making tea. 

But this Masala Chai is a perfect one to enjoy on a rainy evening, cuddled up on the sofa with a magazine or a book on hand!!

Sometimes I don't add water. I make tea with only milk for a richer taste. So here is the humble tea for day 4 week 3 of BM #27.


Masala Chai

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Posted by Harini R on Friday, April 19, 2013

Mixed Berry Smoothie

As we are still looking forward to some sunny weather, I pulled this recipe from my drafts from last summer when we were reeling under some high temperatures.

I made this for my little one who is a major fan of smoothies and juices in all its variety! She is more fond of chewing on crushed ice be it summer or winter!!

So cool it with this super tasty, easy to make smoothie for Day 3 Week 3 of BM #27.

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Posted by Harini R on Thursday, April 18, 2013

Shahi Falooda

I always thought that Falooda is some exotic dessert not meant for us mortals :). A few months back we were treated to this dessert at a friend's place and we were super impressed and I had to change my opinion! 

Ever since the first taste, we have treated scores of people and got them hooked to this delicious crowd pleaser!!

This dessert is so flexible that we can enjoy with as little ingredients as 3-4 or can make it as elaborate as 7-8 ingredients.

This would be perfect for a summer dessert. This coolant for day 2 week 3 of BM #27.

Ingredients - 

Basic ingredients -
Semiya Payasam/Vermicelli Kheer 1 cup
Basil Seeds/Sabja seeds/Tukmaria seeds, soaked 2 Tbsp
Roohafza (Rose syrup) 1 Tbsp
Ice cream 1 or 2 flavors (I used Vanilla only)
Almonds, Cashews, Pistachio chopped 2-3 Tbsp
Optional Ingredients - 
Jello , cubed 1/4 cup
Tutti Frutti 2 Tbsp


Shahi Falooda

Method Of Preparation -

In a tall glass, add 2-3 tablespoons of Semiya kheer, then layer the following as per preference - soaked basil seeds, ice cream, rose syrup, chopped nuts, jello and tutti frutti.

Gently mix and serve them chilled.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Preparation Time 10 min
Serves 2-3

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Onion Bajji

'Its raining, its pouring, the old man is snoring...'. That was my little one singing the rhyme in her style. S who was watching her sing got excited and asked me 'Mirchi Bajji ho jaye?' and so Mirchi Bajjis and Masala Chai for the Adults and these Onion Bajjis for the kids it was, on a rainy weekend evening.

But in the end S fried some green chillies and ate them along with the leftover onion bajjis and was going 'ooh' and 'aah'. I cannot imagine eating mirchi bajjis and then again fried mirchis with these ones too.

So for a rainy day her are some hot frietters for Day 1 Week 3 of BM #27.

Ingredients - 

Onions 2 nos (I used the yellow onions)
Besan/Chick pea flour/Senagapindi 1 cup (or as needed)Mirchi powder (Chilli Powder) 1/2 tsp (or as per taste)
Ajwain/Vaamu coarsely powdered 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Salt as per taste

Black Salt and Chaat Masala for Garnish
Oil for deep frying


*Optional Ingredients - Rice Flour 2 Tbsp, Baking Soda a pinch, any other flavor enhancer (chaat masala, garam masala etc) - I opted out of all these ingredients as I was making these for the kids.

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, make the Bajji batter (the batter should be slightly thick like Idli batter) with besan, water, ajwain powder, salt and mirchi powder. 



Peel the outer skin of the onions and slice them into circles taking care to keep all the layers intact in a proper circular shape.


Heat oil in a wok/kadai and when the oil is adequately hot, dip the onion slices in the batter making sure the batter coats the onion slice evenly. Gently slide in the oil and fry until golden brown.

Remove the golden brown bajjis onto kitchen paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Repeat until all the slices are done.

Typically it is served with some deep fried green chillies and a few chopped onions sprinkled with Black salt and/or Chaat Masala!


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Sending this to Srivalli's Kid's Delight series hosted by Pavani at Cooks Hideout.

Preparation Time 30 min
Serves 3-4

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Posted by Harini R on Tuesday, April 16, 2013


Most of you are probably aware that a few of us are running a Blogging Marathon with Traditional Dishes as this week's theme. In that context, this month's Indian Cooking Challenge was a boon in a way as the recipe also happens to be a traditional Kashmiri recipe.

This recipe more or less sounds like Annam Paravannam but for the addition of cinnamon, cloves and tutti-frutti. I somehow like the flavor of cinnamon and cloves in some of the sweets and so I was very happy to enjoy this sweet rice.  

Check out the recipe for Day 7 Week 2 of BM #27.

Ingredients - 

Basmati Rice 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup
Pistachio (chopped) 2-3 (I used Cashews)
Almond (chopped) 2-3
Candied fruits/ murabba / Tutti fruity 2 Tbsp
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 1"
Ghee 1 1/2 tsp
Cardamoms - 2 to 3
Milk - 1/4 cup
Yellow Food Color Pinch (I didn't use)
Saffron Strands few




Method Of Preparation -

Wash and soak the rice for 15 mins.

In a heated pan add 1/4 cup of sugar and about the same amount of water and boil to make syrup. Set aside.
In another heated pan add 1/2 tsp of ghee and roast all the dry fruits. Set aside. 

In another heated pan add ghee, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom.  When it starts giving out nice aroma add drained rice and 1/2 cup of water. Let it cook.

When the rice is almost cooked, add the sugar syrup and milk, yellow color (if using). Cover and cook in low heat.

Add half of the roasted nuts to the pan. When the rice is almost dry, sprinkle the soaked saffron strands.

When the rice is cooked, remove and garnish with rest of the nuts and tutti-frutti.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

Preparation Time 30 min
Serves 2-3

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Posted by Harini R on Monday, April 15, 2013
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