Dhal Curry | Dhal Tadka | Ketti Paruppu

Dhal, sambhar, rasam ~ name any traditional South Indian recipe, it is comfort food. Simple, pure comfort food at its best. That might be the reason why I never bothered to click step by step recipes for the same... Every south Indian knows how to make the perfect sambar, the perfect rasam or the perfect paruppu. In fact the recipe is etched in their minds and they need no reference. Every family has their very own recipe, passing it over to the next generation and every girl follows her amma's recipe to the 'T' when she first enters the kitchen. I am no exception... My 32-page hand written amma's cookbook is my handy note when it comes to traditional south Indian recipes. This recipe is from that prized cookbook, my amma's recipe ~ one which everyone in the family loves.

Posting such easy South Indian curries never struck a cord in me until I got a request from a bachelor reader for basic recipes. Browsing through my recipe index, there was no hint of such basics and so I have decided to fill the gap. Also my huss has been asking me to post a step by step post for his favorite ketti paruppu and that added to the reason. On that note, believe me, let a man on his own for some months and he becomes a good cook, atleast he tries to. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my better other half would take to cooking, let alone ask recipes from me.

~*What U Need*~ Toor dhal/Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup Garlic cloves - 3 to 4 Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Hing powder - a pinch Salt For the tempering: Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Red chilli - 2 Curry leaves - 1 sprig Oil Onion - 1/2, finely chopped Tomato - 1/2, finely chopped Turmeric powder - a pinch Water - as desired

How I Made it:
Clean the toor dhal and pressure cook with garlic cloves, turmeric, hing, salt and water for 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to release and mash it (there should be some whole paruppu).

Heat oil in a kadai, add the mustard seeds, when spluttered, add urad dhal, split red chilli, curry leaves and fry till the dhal turns brown. Add the onions and saute. When done, add the tomatoes and fry well. Add a pinch of turmeric powder.

Add the mashed paruppu, add water to bring to desired consistency. Mix well and allow to boil. Season with salt and remove from flame.

Serve warm with white rice with a dollop of ghee (fresh ghee is the best).

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Hudson Canola Oil Giveaway ~ Winners Announced!!! Finally...

I am not gonna apologise cos this is the 2nd time that I am doing it and I know that what I did was just not right... I should have been prepared, prepared what to write, how to choose and by this time I should have been out with the winners. But things are just not right at my end. Everything seem to be falling apart and I just cannot find the spirit in me to blog as I did. But thats not a reason, a responsibility is a responsibility whatever might be the situation and a commitment given should be fulfilled.

I am sorry, truly to all who helped me with the event, the Dalmia group, the sponsors and specially to Shiv, who took all the pain talking to the sponsors and making the event a possibility, sorry for the delay in the roundup. Not to forget you all, thanks to all your support, the event was a great hit. With 274 entries, what else can I say. Thanks for all your support guys... You are the best.

There are 10 winners, all chosen by random.org, all of you will get a 1 litre canola oil and a GOODFOODMOOD cookbook and then there are awards by categories. So lets move on, BTW if you want to catch up on the entries received, click here. First with the awards,

I am not exaggerating here, but without her the event would never have been such a success. Of the 274 entries, 67 were hers and she needs an award just for that. Yes, thanks Priya of Yummy food for all your wonderful support and contribution!!!

Such a healthy vegetarian recipe with Ragi and so Sangeetha's Ragi Mudde wins in the Vegetarian category

Can you think of combining Palak and chicken but Asiya did...

Salads is what you need for this scorching heat and nothing can beat this healthy combo of Hetal's moong sprouts and peanuts.

Why not bake these healthy whole wheat tutti frutti cookies for ur kids, they will love it... All credits to Saraniya's cookies

Mint and lemon, perfect summer drink. Why not serve Nabanita's mint lemon juice for ur guests.

This may not be healthy, but this is one innovative cheesecake. I am totally in love with Amrita's Gulab Jamun Cheesecake and its a no-bake version too...

And now to the winners, *drumsroll*

Priya
Saraniya
Menaga
Nabanita
Shailaja
Sanoli
Laxmi
Shama
Asiya
Babitha
Congrats to all of you. Please send in ur email ids to myculinarytrialroom@gmail.com in 2 days time. We will get in touch with you for the prizes. Thanks again for all ur participation and support. Love and Hugs.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Stove top Pizza with seasoned kidney beans mash, veggies and cheese | HBC#1

Baking is therapeutic. Nothing can beat the self satisfaction that you feel when you see that bread or cake puffing up and getting that golden brown color. Not to forget the aroma of that fresh baked goodie wafting throughout your house. I have never been a part of any foodie groups and so when I first saw Priya akka's open invite for a baking challenge, I so wanted to join... Its all about baking, simple honest baking and that made me join the Home Baker's challenge, a group of friends who love baking, who have joined hands to learn and excel in baking, helping each other.. I am not sure how far I can journey with them but till now I am trying my level best to keep up with em.

For the first month's challenge, we were asked to make pizza. We were given recipes, we asked questions, there were friends to help us out and now everyone has come up with a gorgeous pizza creation. Just when I was all set to bake my pizza, my oven decided to give up on me and rather than me giving up on the pizza making part, I started browsing for stove top versions. After seeing this, I was confident enough to go on and so I made a stove-top pizza.

As for the toppings, I used some kidney beans, seasoned them with some italian herbs and pepper, mashed them really well and spread the mash on top of the pizza. I picked the idea from a tv cooking show, originally it was used as a filling for enchiladas. The topping was good, and paired well with all that cheese... On the whole the pizza was a hit, appa gave a thumbs up and so did amma. We had it for dinner, a medium sized pizza each with some cold mango juice.

~*What U Need*~ Recipe adapted from here For Pizza dough All purpose flour - 1 cup Active dried yeast - 1 tsp Warm water - 1/4 cup Salt - 1/2 tsp Canola / olive oil - 1 1/2 tbsp Seasoned kidney beans mash: Kidney beans - 1/2 cup Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped Green chilli - 1, finely chopped Chopped garlic - 1 tbsp Pizza sauce - 1/4 cup Italian seasoning - 1 tsp Pepper, salt - to season Oil Other toppings Onion, tomato rings Corn kernels - 1/4 cup Pizza Cheese - 1/2 - 1 cup

How I Made it:
The Pizza dough:
Mix the warm water and yeast in a small bowl to blend. Let stand until the yeast froth and gets activated, about 5 minutes. Mix the flour and salt, add oil and mix well. Add the yeast and mix till you form a dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil.

Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm area until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 hour. Punch the down dough and divide into 2 equal balls.

Seasoned kidney beans mash:
Soak the kidney beans overnight. Cook till soft, about 3 whistles in the pressure cooker. Heat oil in a kadai, add the chopped garlic. When the raw smell leaves add onion and saute till brown. Add the cooked kidney beans.

And followed by the pizza sauce and then the italian seasoning. Now start mashing it, if needed add a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a tawa till it is hot, then reduce the flame to low. Roll pizza dough and then transfer the hot tawa, cook covered for 5-7 mins till brown and crisp. Flip and spread the pizza sauce, kidney beans mash, veggies, cheese and cook covered for another 5 mins till the cheese is all melty and bubbly. Remove, slice and serve.

Serve warm with some aerated drink.

** Notes:
** The dough can be used immediately or stored airtight in the refrigerator for 1 day.
** You could keep the pizza simple by just topping it with onions, tomatoes and other veggies.
** Skip the veggie part, add two types of cheese of choice for a kids friendly margherita pizza.
** Sky is the limit for the list of toppings that can go on a pizza, so innovate.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Nutella Oatmeal | Happy Mother's day | Oats Recipes

What do you do when you have that last tablespoon of nutella??? you simply lick it off, atleast thats what I do... What do you do when you have that last tablespoon of nutella and your mum standing by the side ready to fight for that last serve??? You make a dish that could be shared between the two, like this oatmeal. Its easy, its too good and its a good way to sneak in nutella for breakfast.

BTW, advanced HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to all. I stay away for the system on weekends and so the early post. And do you know, I have started getting mother's day gifts too... from the huss ofcourse. It was a lovely glass cake pedestal last year which you have been seeing in many of my baking posts and this year some cookbooks which I have been eyeing for some time. And now to the hardest part, me gifting something to amma. There is nothing specific that she wants and that makes the gift-choosing part really hard. The only thing that she has been asking for, for a really really long time is the sizzling brownie from CCD and thats what am gonna get her and its definitely gonna be an eat-out night for us.

Now this oatmeal, I made this some time back when I made a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal for our my breakfast and amma refused her share. I had that final tbsp of nutella in my jar and so I made this for her. She loved it, to the core and said it was like eating dessert for breakfast and since then we have been making this. Not with the last tablespoon but with jars picked specifically for this. Amma loves having this for breakfast and this is what am planning for her mother's day breakfast.

And guys there's another news that I wanted to share... My apple walnut cake got featured in the Cooking doctor's first newsletter(it's a mother's day special too)... Thanks Jehanne for the mention, it is one of my proudest momemts. Friends, do check out her newsletter, its got some gorgeous pictures and awesome recipes.

~*What U Need*~ Quick Cooking Oats - 1 cup Nutella - 2 tbsp, heaped Milk - 1 cup Brown sugar or sugar - 3 tbsp Chocolate chips - as needed(optional) Nuts,apple slices, banana slices - to garnish

How I Made it:
Boil milk in a saucepan. Add oats and cook till done. Add sugar and cook till dissolved.

Add nutella and whisk till melted and combined. Once done, remove from flame. Pour into serving bowls and top with apple or banana slices, nuts or chocolate chips or another dollop of nutella when hot.

Serve hot or warm!!!

** My Notes:
** You could use almond or soy milk for a vegan version
** Some toasted almonds will add a great crunch.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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(Amma Cooks) Kambu Kozhukattai / Steamed Pearl Millet dumplings

Kambu or pearl millet is one of the age old cereals that was consumed by our villagers and one of the many cereals that have died with time, atleast with the urban folks. But time has changed and so has people. That which was avoided by the junkies, has now been re-visted and welcomed with open hands and hungry health-conscious tummies. Clean eating is becoming a ravage now and quinoa, pearl millet, fox millet and many more cereals in that line have found their way into the diet of many.

The tales of appa and amma were mostly entwined with them eating clean healthy food and us eating maggi, cheese and many more. Appa usually describes how their day started with kanji(fermented leftover rice) or kambu koozh and how full and energetic they felt throught the day and even after the day's hard work in the fields. I have heard similar stories from my grandfather too, nothing can beat hearing bed-time stories from your grandfather, with a full tummy, a chilly windy night, with the moon and the stars staring back at you. The star ladden night is a delight to watch at. I miss all those days, days which will never come back...

I can go on and on about my childhood days for pages and so lets stop here. That being said, let me tell you, I am not a clean eater and I can never be one. I eat everything that comes into the market and anything new grabs my attention and I can never sleep until I have tasted it atleast once. But I limit myself to once in a month and not more than that... Okay I know thats not good but in my case my stomach is the devil's workshop, it makes me eat all things nonsense... But it so happens that at times I too feel like eating clean. Not kambu koozh or ragi koozh but as of now I am keeping it to kozhukattais. Its easy and simple to make and makes a great breakfast or tea time snack.

~*What U Need*~ Kambu/Pearl millet - 1 cup Raw rice - 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut - 2 tbsp Jaggery - 1/42 cup Water - 1/4 + 1/4 cup Cardamom powder - a pinch Salt - a pinch

How I Made it:
Soak the pearl millet over night and the rice for 2 hours. Grind the pearl millet and rice together with 1/4 cup water till you get a not-so-coarse paste. Add water to the jaggery and heat till it melts. Strain to remove impurities. Return to the pan and heat till it boils. Add the shredded coconut and cook for 1 min. Next add in the ground paste and cook till the water evaporates or till the mixture forms a thick mass. Cool to room temperature, pinch lemom sized balls out of it squeeze to get your fingerprints all over the dumpling. Steam cook for 10-15 mins until non-sticky.

Serve with some flavored black coffee or karuppatti kaapi.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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Strawberry Oats smoothie | Easy Breakfast Recipes

Weekend grocery shopping is one thing I love... Not because its weekend but because shopping is therapeutic to me just like baking. And when it comes to exotic seasonal fruit shopping, its gala time for me. Especially the reddy red strawberries... Oh how I love seeing them stacked on a bed of fresh green leaves. Strawberries are at their best when in-season. Ripe, red, sweet and less tart. Off-season they are just the opposite, but that never stops me from grabbing a box or two every weekend.

The off-season berries are great for jams, preserves, ice-creams, tarts, curds or any other desserts. All you need is sugar to sweeten 'em up. As it goes, last week when I went grocery shopping, I saw them, they were red, ripe, big and juicy... I was surprised to see such juicy berries off-season and I didn't want somebody to tell me to grab a box. Added to that my niece was coming to visit us that weekend. She loves strawberries, anything strawberry to be specific and those juicy berries was everything that I needed.

I made some strawberry cupcakes to pack for her and the rest was blended into milkshakes, popsicles, some strawberry glee to top a simple milk pudding and then a glass of this strawberry oats smoothie.

~What U Need*~ Quick Cooking Oats - 5 tbsps Strawberries - 1/2 cup Chilled Milk - 2 cups Sugar / Honey - 1 tbsp Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp(optional)

How I Made it:
Dry roast the oats till light brown and a nutty aroma comes off. Blend to a smooth powder. Add the remaining ingredients and blend till smooth.

Serve chilled!!!

** My Notes:
** Always ripe and red berries.
** You could add a handful of nuts or chocolate chips too when serving.
** You can use a mixture of raspberry, blueberry and strawberry.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

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