Dal Payasam

Ingredients

Moong Dal
Jaggery
Freshly ground coconut

Seasoning

Ghee
Cashewnuts
Elaichi
Dry grapes

1. Pressure cook the moong dal. Mash it nicely to make it to pulp consistency.
2. Powder jaggery.
3. Place a thick bottomed pan on the stove, add the jaggery and a little amount of water.
4. When the jaggery melts and the liquid starts boiling, add the mashed moong dal and the freshly ground coconut.
5. Stir constantly so that the dal doesn't form into clumps. Let the liquid simmer until it reaches uniform consistency. Remove it from the stove.
6. Heat a kadai, add Ghee, elaichi, generous amounts of cashew and raisins. Roast till the cashew turns golden. Add it to the liquid.

Payasam is ready to be served. This payasam can be served hot as well cold. Unlike other sweets, this has lots of nutritional value.

Sweet Corn Potato Salad

Boiled potato - 4
Boiled sweet corn - 1 cup
Onion (medium) - 2 (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 2 (finely cut)
Salt and jeera powder - t0 taste
Procedure

1. Break the potatoes into uneven pieces
2. Add sweet corn, onion, and chillies
3. Add salt and jeera powder
4. Mix well (by tossing the bowl) without injuring the potatoes or sweet corn ;)

A variation of the above recipe would be to omit the jeera powder and add white sauce. You can top it will little oregano... Goes well with toasted bread.

Lemon Rasam

Items needed:
Green chillies - as needed
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Tomatoes - 2 tomatoes (finely cut)
Turmeric powder - as needed
Asafoetida - as per taste
Salt - as needed
Lemon juice - as needed
Boiled and well-mashed tuar dhal - 2 tablespoons
Coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon (finely chopped)
Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Procedure:

1. Take enough water and add the first six ingredients. The base ingredient for this is water; so the quantity of water you take should be just about the same as the quantity of the rasam you desire. The rasam derives the spicy flavor from green chillies. Be generous and add a tad more. The heat of chillies will be beautifully offset by the zest of lemon.
2. Let the water (rasam ;) boil for 15 minutes or so; all the raw flavors should have disappeared.
3. Now add the boiled dhal and let the rasam boil for 2 more minutes.
4. Roast cumin seeds in hot ghee and pour into the rasam. Garnish with coriander seeds.
5. Allow a standing time of around 5 minutes; now add the lemon juice.

Serve with hot rice. Can be had as a soup as well.

Minutes of Meeting :-)

Minutes of Meeting

Meeting Called by: Thinners Club

Date: Apr 9th, 2010

Attendees: Gayathri, Meena, Shanthi, Sumithra

This was an impromptu meeting called by the Thinners Club to have “Dairy Milk Silk – Fruits & Nuts”.

The idea was initiated by Gayathri. The treasurer, Sumithra, suggested that four of us can share the expenses. This was approved by the SPOC, Meena immediately.

Funds were collected and Shanthi took the responsibility of going to Mcrennett and get the Dairy Milk. Though the price exceeded the budget, it was approved by the members.

Had a nice time with Dairy Milk Silk and with usual chit-chats!!

Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized capsicums
• 4 tomatoes
• 4 onions
• 5 medium sized potatoes (boiled, peeled, and mashed)
• 2 carrots
• 1 cup peas
• Few flowrets of cauliflower
• Coriander leaves
• Lemon juice
• Pav bhaji masala

Preparation:

1. Finely chop cauliflower, capsicums, and carrots. Boil for one whistle. Open the lid immediately; this will prevent the veggies from getting discolored.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry onions, till pinkish.
3. Add tomatoes, cook till they are soft. Add Pav Bhaji masala, and let it cook for some time.
4. Add the boiled veggies, mix well.
5. Add the mashed potatoes, mix well.
6. Add salt, lemon juice and coriander leaves.
7. Let it cook on low flame for 5-7 mins.
8. Serve with pav.

Tip: Everest Pav Bhaji masala gives the best flavour.

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients:

Watermelon - 500 gms

Condensed milk - 1/2 a tin

Procedure:

1. Deseed the melon and blend it well using a hand-held blender.


2. Mix well with condensed milk, and blend again.


3. Pour into a freezer-friendly box, and freeze well for around 4 hours.

It's now ready to be consumed. Cut into small bite-size pieces and serve...

The more patient ones can do another round of blending, freezing... Well, I wouldn't!

Disclaimer: Haven't tried this recipe thus far. Read it somewhere, and thought it was too cool for summer. Try it and out and let me if it's worth trying ;)

Pavakkai (Bitter Gourd) Curry

Try the following Bitter Gourd Curry which is not bitter!!

Ingredients:

• Bitter Gourd - 1/4 Kg
• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 2
• Chilli Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Dhaniya Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Turmeric Powder - a pinch
• Oil - 5 teaspoons
  
• Salt - to taste
• Tamarind Juice - to taste
• Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urid Dhal - 1 teaspoon
• Bengal Gram - 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

• Slice Bitter Gourd to circular pieces.
• Add turmeric powder and boil with water.
• Once the pieces are semi-cooked, drain the water.
• In a pan, heat the oil.
• Add mustard seeds, urid dhal, bengal gram.
• Once the mustard sputters, add chopped onions and tomatoes.
• Saute till the onions become transparent and then add the boiled Bitter Gourd pieces.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhaniya powder, and tamarind juice.
• Simmer and keep stirring for 15-20 minutes.

Can be served with Rice.

MUSHROOM MUTTAR (PEAS) MASALA

Ingredients
• 1 & 1/2 cups green peas (Mutter)
• 200gms mushrooms
• 2 onions
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 8 to 10 cashewnut for paste
• 4 tbsp oil
• Salt To Taste

Preparation:

* Clean, wash and cut the mushrooms into medium pieces and chop onions finely.
* Heat oil in pan. Sauté onions till golden brown.
* Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 1/2 a minute.
* Add tomatoes and cook till oil leaves the sides.
* Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt and cook for 2 minutes.
* Lastly make a fine paste of the cashew nuts with enough water l and add it to the pan. Add one more cup of water and bring it to boil.
* Add the muttar (green peas) and mushrooms and cook till the peas are fully cooked. Once done, serve the mushroom mutttar with rice or roti.

Aam Panna

Ingredients:
1. 1 medium size raw mango
2. 1 cup mint leaves
3. Salt
4. Black Salt
5. Jeera powder

Method:

1. Peel and slice the raw mango.
2. Add plenty of water and pressure cook.
3. Once it cools down, mash mango in the water and filter it.
4. Grind the mint leaves with some water, filter and add to the mango water mixture.
5. Add salt, balck salt and jeera powder.
6. Add more water if required.
7. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Tip: You may also add some sugar for a sweet and sour taste.

Instant Pickle

Check out this blog:
http://theyumblog.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/vegetable-pickle/

Contains many more such exciting recipes...