Moms World - Pulliyodarai Chadam (Tamarind Rice)

Tamarind is a popular rice recipe of South India. This recipe I learnt from my mother. I like this recipe for its spiciness and tanginess. The paste can be stored for many days in the refrigerator if cooked with proper care. Here it goes!

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 kg Basmati Rice
2 medium lime sized tamarind
7 Dry Red Chillies
2 stem Curry leaves
1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tbsp Urad Dal
1 tbsp Chana Dal
1/2 tsp Asafoetida
2 tbsp Groundnuts
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
5 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Preparation
1. Cook the rice in a pressure cooker. Remove from the cooker and spread it on a plate to cool. Add one tbsp oil to the same.
2. Soak tamarind in water for 1/2 an hour. Squeeze the same and separate the pulp water.
3. Put 4 tbsp oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, 5 red chillies, curry leaves, groundnut and asafoetida and wait till it becomes brown.
4. Then add tamarind pulp water along with salt and turmeric powder. Bring it to boil and wait for the oil to separate. The consistency should be thick.
5. Roast coriander seeds, urad dal, chana dal and remaining 2 dry red chillies and grind the same in the mixer.
6. Remove the thick paste from the gas and add the ground powder to the same.
7. Add this paste to the rice according to your taste and keep the rest in a refrigerator.
8. Add salt if required.
9. Serve with chips.

Delicious!!!!

Moms World - Spicy Chana Dal Chutney

With their sweet and nutty flavor, Chana Dal or Gram Dal are the most popular dal in India.  They're made from splitting a small relative of the chickpea in half.  They're a dull yellow and are renown for causing flatulence, which Indians try to counter by adding asafoetida to the dish.

This chutney can be had along with Dosa, Idli, Parantha, Bhajjis, Vada and if made with thick consistency can be used as bread spread.

Serves 3

Ingredients
1/2 Coconut, grated
1 tbsp Chana Dal
2 Dry Red Chillies
1 Green Chilli
1 pinch Asafoetida
1 very small ball of Tamarind
Salt to taste
2 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation
1. Roast Chana dal, red chillies and green chilli in a pan with 1 tsp oil.
2. Blend the roasted mixture along with grated coconut, tamarind and salt in a mixer. Remove in a bowl and keep aside.
3. Prepare the tempering by heating one 1 tsp oil and frying mustard seeds in it.
4. When mustard seeds start crackling, add the same to the mixture in the bowl.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: Use red chilli and green chilli according to how spicy you want the chutney.

A Perfect Bite...: The wonderful world of food in Fiction

A Perfect Bite...: The wonderful world of food in Fiction: "I read every scrap of food writing I can lay my hands on. I spend a small fortune on books and periodicals on cooking monthly. And food book..."

Vegetable Paneer Burger

A veggie burger is a hamburger-style patty. Burgers are often served with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup. 

Due to my recent pregnancy and delivery, I am not allowed to eat outside food. I had a strong craving for burgers and hence thought of trying one at home. I realised that burgers are healthy when made home. Below is the recipe I tried and trust me they turned out to be amazing. Try it and let me know how you found it to be.

Serves 8

Ingredients
1 cup boiled Vegetables (carrots, capsicum, french beans)
3 medium boiled Potatoes
1 cup boiled Peas
200 gms frozen Paneer
4 brown Bread slices
1/3 tsp Green Chilli-Ginger paste
1/3 tsp Lemon juice
1/8 tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste
Brown Bread Crumbs
Oil

Filling
Few Cucumber slices
Tomato slices
Tomato ketchup
Low fat Mayonnaise
4 slices Cheese

Burgers
8 burger buns

Preparation
1. Boil all vegetables, potatoes and peas in the pressure cooker. Mash them together and keep aside. 
2. Thaw the paneer and crumble the same. 
3. Dip the bread slices in water for few seconds and squeeze out the water. 
4. Mix the mashed mixture, crumbled paneer, bread paste, lemon juice, garam masala, green chilli-ginger paste and salt and shape into small flattened rounds. 
5. Sprinkle bread crumbs all over. 
6. Cook on a tawa with oil (you can also deep fry the same).

To Serve
1. Cut each bun horizontally and heat slightly on tawa (both sides).
2. Spread little tomato ketchup and mayonnaise on the lower half.
3. Please vegetable cutlet on the top.
4. Cut one cheese slice diagonally and use one triangle.
5. Put a few cucumber slices and one tomato slice on top.
6. Cover with upper half of bun.
7. Repeat with other buns & cutlets.
8. Serve hot with a toothpick in centre to hold the burger together.

Note: I used olive oil. 

I kept the vegetables & peas in the cooker without water for one whistle. I cut and kept the potatoes in the same cooker around the vegetable vessel in the water i put for the cooker. 

If the mixture becomes soggy, add little bread crumbs and mix.

Yummy Yummy!!!