Kesar Badam, Fig & Honey Ice Cream revisited

Summer is in full swing and we are loving it..I love patio dining. The other day we ate at one of these Tapas bars.. lots of good Tapas, my kind of munchies, small portions but a variety of ingredient. We loved most of the Tapas except one- the one with Goat Cheese. That was the first time I was eating Goat Cheese. OMG, it did smell like Goat. I felt like I was sitting and eating with dozens of goats around me. The next time I come across Goat Cheese, I know my answer - "No, Thank you very much!!"
After the goaty Goat Cheese adventure there was not much space left in my tummy, though my tongue kept complaining about the 'goatiness' of the whole affair. What better way to wind up the day than home made Ice Cream. (We all love home made Ice Cream so much that I cannot eat Turkey Hill anymore, H-D is still a distant runner up :). This home made Ice cream is Mom-Certified, given that Mom is such a picky eater: I am a happy lark)

This time it was Fig and Honey and Kesar Badam.

Basic recipe is here  Also, I substituted Turbinado sugar for white sugar, the flavour was only awesome but I needed to use only about 8-10 tbsp of sugar rather than 10-12 tbsp. Less the better, Hooray to Turbinado Sugar.

Fig and Honey

Stage 1:
Refer to the basic recipe, reduce the quantity of sugar to 8 tbsp. Prepare the basic recipe as given and freeze till almost set.
Stage 2 :
Remove and beat in 2-3 tbsp of Honey and pureed dried figs. (Soak half a cup of dried figs in warm water for 20-30 minutes. Drain and puree it in a food processor.) Proceed with the recipe.


 Kesar Badam

Stage 1:
Add 1/4 tsp of saffron to the basic ice cream mixture, preferable before the milk is hot. Proceed with the recipe as given.
Stage 2:
Toast and chop 1/4 Cup of Almonds into very fine pieces. It should almost be half almond meal and half fine slivers. Stir into the mixture during the second stage. Follow the recipe.

Enjoy the summer :)

Soppina Chutney / Mixed greens Chutney

There are days when I do not want to use either the pressure cooker or our staple Toor Dal. Especially summers means an inherent preference for something light. On such days I go for dishes like Chutneys and Mosaru Shale. It does not need long hours in front of the stove. For Soppina Chutney, assorted greens can be used including Spinach, red spinach, Sorrel, Basale etc. Zucchini or Ridge gourd gives this chutney some texture and body.

We will need,
Spinach 1 lb (washed)
Sorrel, Basale, red Spinach etc  1 lb (washed)
Ridge Gourd or Zucchini   1 large (washed & roughly diced)
Onion   1 medium diced
Garlic 4-5 cloves
Green Chillies 5-8 (adjust according to taste)
Salt to taste
Peanut oil  3-4 tbsp
Lemon juice (optional)

Method:

• Heat half a  tbsp of oil in a thick bottom Kadai. Throw in the diced onion, garlic and green chillies. Toast it till the vegetables are golden in colour, about 10 minutes. Remove and set it aside.
• In the same Kadai, heat the remaining oil and throw in all greens and the ridge gourd/ zucchini. Cover and cook till the greens are wilted and the ridge gourd/ zuccchini is cooked, about 20 minutes.
• Allow the mixture too cool. Once cooled, transfer the mixture along with the toasted onions, garlic and green chillies to a food processor and pulse till the mixture comes together but still is chunky.
• Adjust salt and lemon juice if desired.Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Batani Usli Spiced green peas

Summer in right around the corner here in the East Coast.. Summer brings fresh local produce aka vegetables and fruits. It is like a huge celebration to see so many fresh vegetables. Now that fresh green peas has already started hitting the markets, it is definitely time to dish up some Usli- a winter favorite back home.

We will need,

Green Peas  3 cups
Onion  1 large
Garlic   3 cloves
Ginger  1/2"
Green Chilies   7-10 (depends on how spicy one likes )
Expeller pressed groundnut oil  4 tbsp
Cumin seeds    1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds  1/4 tsp
Curry leaves a handful
Fresh Coconut  1 cup (yes that is awfully lot! but it is required)
Salt and Lime juice to taste

Method: 

• Clean and wash the green peas and set it aside. 
• Combine onion, garlic, ginger and green chillies in a food processor and whiz it till chunky , think of Salasa like consistency.
• Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. Once it is hot throw in the mustard seeds, curry leaves followed by the onion garlic mixture. Cook till the mixture is almost golden. Keep stirring it often else it is stick to the bottom.
• Throw in the Green Peas, add a little water, cover and cook till the peas are almost cooked. 
• Toast the fenugreek seeds and Cumin on a hot skillet and crush it into a coarse powder. 
• Stir in the fenugreek powder, coconut and salt into the peas. Simmer till everything is combined. Say about 10-15 minutes.Adjust lime juice and remove from heat.
• Serve it with Akki rotti.

This recipe goes to the MLLA 36 hosted by aqua started by beloved Susan  

MLLA 35 Round up

Hosting MLLA 35 was a wonderful experience. Thanks a lot Susan for giving me this opportunity. All the 42 entries were exciting, each in its own way.  Different ingredients, different cooking styles, different cuisines but the end results always delightful. So here we go with the roundup. Such diversity amongst the entries, it was quite difficult to segregate them into groups, then I decided to go along the trodden path and style it like a restaurant menu.. Soups, Starters, Main Course, Sides and Dessert. So here we start with soups.

Raven Johnson's Hot and spicy Lentil soup is lentils and vegetables simmered with an array of spices, hardy and super comforting. Janet's Stew has colourful yams simmered with black beans in a medley of spices and orange juice, perfect for a rainy day.
Heather's 'Tuscan bean soup' is hardy sumptious and flavoured with balsamic vinegar.. Chick-flic, Tuscan Bean soup and the TV remote is what a gal needs!! Libby sends us a heart warming bowl of soup made with lentils, spinach, potatoes, tomatoes and herbs in her 'Kitchen Sink Soup.

Priya sends us 'oats crusted rajma balls' a delightful snack gorgeously served Kebab Style. Rajji 's 'Kala Channa Salad' is Cooked chickpeas spiked with Amchoor and a host of other spices, onions tomatoes gives this dish a 'Chat' like appeal. Mangocheeks innovative combination of lentils and chard wrapped in wonton skins to make cute potstickers. Akhella Deep fried Tofu, coated with mild seasonings like pepper, garlic and soy sauce good enough to seduce the tastebuds of the mightiest tofu-haters. Lakshmi sends us a perfect weekend breakfast of Idlis and crunchy Vada and Kanchipuram Idlis, which says heaven in one bite. Srivalli  presents an Indian twist on the baked beans on toast, this is spicy Rajma on smoothered between two slices of warm bread. Raksha offers the perfect evening snack, the well loved and appreciated 'Pakoda'. Harini's 'Channa Dal Fry' is something of a cross between the traditional south Indian Usli and the north Indian Channa Chat, it is a winner nevertheless. Valerie's unconventional humous is made of Edamame and Adzuki, a perfect accompaniment for fresh vegetables. Susan's 'Bindaetteok' is a pancake spiced with kimchi. Raji's 'Chole Bature' is one of the most popular street foods of north India, chickpeas simmered in spices served with crispy Bature. Adam Keen has sent us a 'vegan Spanish Tortilla'.I never imagined a vegan omlette like creation that can be so satisfying and packed with the goodness of soy and yeast. This Tortilla looks good for breafast-lunch-dinner-anything in between..
Nandita sends us beautiful pictures of the king of all Kannadiga meals, BBB is rather elaborate to make from scratch but worth every effort. Though BBB cannot be called a starter I am forced to include it here because other categories are full :) Vaishali sends us 'Bean Burgers'. It is the time for burgers, cute and adorable, these are a breeze to whip up.

Check out these sumptuous curries.
Priya's 'Green Tomato Kootu' is made with home grown green tomato which makes the dish tangy and great. Meghna sends us her forever comforting 'dal' to be served with steamed rice :). Kritika Very thoughtfully uses watermelon rind, combining it with Adzuki beans to end up with a delightful stew. Claire presents her rich vegan 'Makhani' gravy with soulful tofu to be served over Lemon rice. Harini sends us her 'Channa Dal over Rice' a hardy combination of tomatoes and split chickpeas. She has also sent us her Alu Ginger Pappu and Pindi Miriam which is a mixed vegetable and dal stew. Rupali combines the goodness of dal and spinach, can it sound more comforting than that!! Priya Sreeram's 'Cholar Dal' is channa dal in a spicy gravy spiked with coconut' a Bengali favorite. Valli sends over 'Gujarati Dal', a comforting combination of Dal and tomatoes…. Vanessa tempers her dal with fragrant fenugreek seeds to end up with 'Lentils with fenugreek seeds'. Renu sends us my favorite Kannadiga style Chickpeas preparation, what we call "Kadalekalu Huli", serve it up with 'Ragi Mudde'!!!

We also received some wonderful side dishes. Salads, pastas and what not! Here goes the side dishes. Janet sends us a summer salad.What says 'summer' better than starwberries? Here is a salad combining the season's best strawberries, Edamame and asparagus.She also sends us her Mango BBQ beans .Summer is almost here and so are BBQ Bean, this is the perfect marriage of Mangoes and beans BBQ style.
Caffettiera's 'Risi-e-pisi' is a creamy concoction of rice and peas an Italian comfort food with butter and Parmesan. Lubna's 'Kandi Podi' is a blend of spices that heats up the palate just enough to brighten up any meal. A must for Andhra style meals
Lisa's 'Refried Beans' is a definite crowd-pleaser loaded with spices including the unconventional asafotida. Abhirami sends us her 'Paruppu Thuvaiyal'. It is Moongdal toasted till fragrant, mixed with spices and ground into a chutney. Chitra's 'Black Urad Dal Rice' is rice cooked with roasted Urad Dal, fragrant and delectable. Richa has sent sauteed 'Cluster Beans' A popular dish down south this is cluster beans sauteed with some whole spices, tomatoes and lemon juice. Kalinda's 'Pasta-e-fagioli' is a super hit combination of beans and pasta with lots of spices.

Now for the desserts. Surprisingly enough there were only two entries on this

Raji's 'green Peas Kheer' is a heart warming mother's day presentation that is an absolute delight. Sravani celebrates her 50th post with Bobbatlu /Obbattu which has celebration all over.

And here are the winners...

Adam Keen
and the winner of the draw for the US resident is
Heather

Congrats Adam and Heather.. Thanks to all you folks for participation..I had a great time doing this round up. Hope you all had a nice time being part of MLLA 35.

My Legume Love Affair 35...

Three years ago, on a dull dreary day in the depth of harsh Eastern winter, I decided to convert my love for food into something more substantial..  How about sharing it? How about introducing my love to others? How about translating it to words? I always thought Food-Writing was sexy. Growing up in India, I collected that part of Sunday Times that featured glossy pictures of exotic foods and recipes. I borrowed my neighbors' Femina to peep into the recipes...I so much envied that guy Rahul Verma who wrote about street food in the Delhi edition of The Hindu. In fact I went out and tried a lot of his favorite vegetarian haunts.

So here I am, after three years, one sunny boy later I am still at it and enjoy it so much! Ever since I started blogging, My Legume Love Affair has been one of my favorite events and probably the most I have ever contributed. Not only was it so much more convenient to contribute because Legumes occupy such an important place on our table that we eat everyday, but also that Legumes are so versatile, be it appetizers, main course, desserts, sides or Curries. Legumes are always there. Now here is my opportunity to host this event. It has been a long wait, but definitely worth it.

For this event, 'Legume' is essentially 'fresh or dried beans, lentils, pulses, and/or the sometimes edible pods that contain these seeds, and derivative products like tofu or besan'. It does not include French legumes, which means any vegetable at all.  Legumes like tamarind, fenugreek, carob, peanuts, alfalfa, clover, peas,beans,lentil, lupins, mesquite, soy, peanuts are among some of the other edible plants in the legume family which ARE included in the event.

• All courses, cuisines and cultures are welcome. Vegan, vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes are welcome as long as 'Legumes' are the star ingredient and the entries are in English.Recipes calling for a spoonful of legumes is not acceptable.
• Multiple recipes are permitted but limited to 10 per participant but only one submission will be counted towards the random drawing. 
• Use of logo is optional 

• Recipes from archives can be accepted ONLY if updated and re-posted as current.
• Entries should be linked to this post and Susan's host lineup
• Recipes from those who do not blog are accepted and are eligible the participants to win a prize.

 Please send me your entry to kannada.cuisine@gmail.com with the subject line ' MLLA 35' before 4th June 2011.

• Your name
• Location (necessary but will not be published)
• Your blog name
• Name of the entry/recipe
• URL of your post
• An optional photograph of the final dish that is  preferably resized to 400 X 300 (in pixels) or 300 X 400 (in pixels)

•  Prizes

1) Whoopie Pies : Dozens of Mix 'em, Match 'em, Eat 'em Up Recipes by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell. This prize is offered by Susan without influence at her expense, and she will also absorb worldwide shipping charges.  F.T.C. Notice: Susan does not receive any compensation from Amazon.

2) Hurst Bean Box - A case of six bags of the winner's choice of Hurst Bean products, suitable for every diet, sponsored by Hurst Bean. (Due to shipping restrictions, this prize can only be awarded if the winner is a U.S. resident.) F.T.C. Notice: In May 2010, Susan, at her request, received two Hurst Bean complimentary products which are not available for purchase in her local markets. Susan does not generally accept free products from Hurst Bean nor is she financially compensated by them.

3) Drawing Structure - If the winner is a U.S. resident, she/he will be the recipient of both Prizes 1 and 2 above.  In the event that an international winner is drawn, a second drawing will be conducted from the U.S. pool of entrants to ensure that the Hurst Prize is awarded every month.  In these instances, the international winner will receive the book, and the U.S. winner will receive the Hurst Prize. 

Green Beans Palya

We are a big vegetable loving family! My gut is happy when I load it with Veggies.. Same with all my folks.I need at least 2 lbs / 1 kg of vegetable for Palya alone.So my effective weekly vegetable shopping means 7 * 2lb of vegetables.  Also we like our vegetables tender crisp, not soggy and shapeless. Therefore our option is limited to either Palya or Salads. So here is one of the most sought after Palya of our family. I used organic Green Beans and it was fantastic

Serves 6 || Per serving Calories| total 148 | Protein 4 |  fat 8.3 || Fiber 7 gm |

Green Beans  2 lbs
Expeller pressed Peanut Oil  2 tbsp
Urad Dal                1 tbsp
Channa Dal             1 tbsp
Hing                 a dash
Mustard Seeds    1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds      1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies (Byadagi)     4-5
Fresh grated coconut  1/2 cup

Salt to taste
Lemon Juice to taste

Method:

• Wash and clean the Green Beans. Trim the ends and chop it. Set it aside.
• Heat oil in a wok. Toss the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing. Once the spices crackle throw in the chillies, Urad dal, Channa dal. Toast till the dal is golden brown. 
• Throw in the Green Beans. Add about 1/4 cup of water. Cover and steam till the beans almost tender but still crisp.
• Toss in the coconut. Adjust salt and lemon juice. Cook for a few more minutes. Serve with hot rice.

Herekai Palya / Curried Ridge Gourd

It was Sriram Navami a couple of days back. As much as I remember Lord Rama on the occasion of his birthday, it is all about Panaka, Majjige and Kosambari. We did not celebrate the festival this time because my Grandmother was operated upon that day. We reserve the celebration for tomorrow. Thanks to Lord Rama my Grandmother is recuperating.

Back to Ramanavami. For me this occasion somehow brings back my school days. It was around Ramanavami that the results of Final exam would be announced. Many a years it would be right on the day of Ramanavami. On such days, we did set out to bring our Report Cards and en-route munch on Kosambari served ubiquitously by devotees of Lord Rama on the roadside, at temples etc . There would be tonnes of Kosambari, and liters of Panaka /Maggige. Some would taste soggy and sad, some bright, happy and a sheer delight to our senses. Eating the cold salad right under the early summer sun had a charm of its own. Ah! Wonder years, they were.
My Grandfather has a practice of taking us kids, his own and all the kids in the neighborhood, basically, who ever wanted to walk a milk to hear his stories and eat all the goodies he gave, to his farmland. There was a Banni tree and he did arrange for Kosambari-Panaka-Majjige routine there. The specialty of course was his story telling session. He was an expert and well loved story teller. So we kids would trek all the way to the farmland and listen to his stories, mostly related to Lord Rama and eat Kosambari served in 'Donne' a bowl make of dried leaves and drink utterly sweet Panaka and Buttermilk in stainless steel glasses. Of course there were no disposable plastic ware to choke our farms and farm animals!  After all the eating we did linger around trying to siphon off the end of the season 'Elachi kayi' / Ber fruit...By then all the 'Avarekai' would have gone, and we did wait for Mangoes. There were a few mango trees right next to the 'Banni' tree. It was my favorite place to hang out. I did climb one of the smaller trees and hoist myself on its lowest branch. (That would probably be about 7-8 feet from the ground!) I did be in heaven till the big-bad-red-ant got me!! The 'Raspuri' Mangoes from that tree used to be so sweet, so juicy, never had anything like that after the tree died.  Yes, it did after my Grandfather......

Now for some Herekai Palya...

We will need,

Herekai/ Ridge Gourd  1 big (about 1 lb)
Onion        1 small diced
Expeller pressed Peanut oil  1 tbsp
Hulipudi / Sambar Powder  1 tsp
Green Chillies  2 slit
Mustard Seeds   1/4 tsp
Cumin  Seeds 1/2 tsp
Hing a dash
Fennel Seeds  a generous Pinch
Salt to taste
Lime juice to taste

Method:

• Wash and clean Herekai. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the ridges and discard the same. Chop the Ridge Gourd set it aside.
• Heat oil in a wok, throw the mustard seeds. One they pop, follow with cumin and fennel seeds. After 5 second, throw in the Hing.
• Now add the diced onions and green chillies. Saute till the onions are soft.
• Throw in the Ridge gourd, a little salt and the Huli-Pudi. Cover and cook on low.
• Once the Ridge gourd is cooked, adjust salt and lime juice and remove from heat. serve it with rice or Chapatis.

Vegetable / Panner Biriyani

I love Fridays. Something magical about not having to prep break fast the following morning, wake up early morning the next day and pack lunch box etc etc. The very thought of not having to do all that means its a Friday. So Fridays put me in the mood to make something luxurious but not too laborious. What better than Biriyani! We love it so much that two of us end up finishing a potful meant for four! I keep kidding Honey that the minute we see Biriyani, the flexible sack our stomach is, grows bottomless.

We will need, (yields 2 servings)

Basmati rice  3/4 C
Onion      1 medium chopped
Fresh Mint / Fenugreek   1 generous cup
Tomato   1 medium chopped
Green chillies   3-4 slit
Red chilly powder 1 tsp
Dhania 1 tbsp
Cloves  4
Cinnamon 1/2 "
Garlic 3 cloves
Ginger 1/2 " piece
Ghee  3 tbsp
coriander chopped 
Choice of mixed vegetable, panner  -1- 2 cups  (I prefer 2 cups, but not many people like vegetables in every spoon of biriyani)



For the oggarane:
Fennel Seeds   1/2 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Mint leaves a handful
Cardamon  3-4
Marat Moggu 2-3
Star Anise 2
Kalhuvu  ( I do not know what it is called in English it is kind of a fungus) a small piece
Bay leaf 1


Method:

• Wash rice in multiple change of water, drain and soak it in 2 cups of water. Set it aside for at least 20 minutes.
• Combine red chilly powder, Dhania powder, cloves  cinnamon garlic ginger and coriander in a food processor and pulse till smooth. Set it aside.
   
• Heat ghee in a Handi or a thick bottomed pot. Throw in all the ingredients listed under Oggarane.

• Once the spices sizzle and are fragrant,throw in the onions, fresh mint/ fenugreek and green chillies. Saute till the onions are golden
• Throw in the tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are mushy and oil separates from the mixture.
• Stir in the ginger-garlic spice paste.Cook on low flame till the mixture is fragrant and oil separates from the mixture.
• Now stir in the other vegetables and cook for scant minute or two. Pour about 1.5 to 2 cups of water depending on the quality of rice. Increase heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Adjust salt and add lemon juice. 
• Drain the rice and gently add the rice to the vegetable mixture. Stir gently for a brief second. Cover and cook till the rice is done about 20 minutes.
• If using panner, open the rice mixture 15 minutes through the cooking.Toss the panner and cook the last 5-10 minutes on low heat

Shavige Payasa and Ugadi 2011

Ugadi 2011 was good. After a long long time, we had been to the temple on Ugadi had the 'Bevu-Bella' prasada there.  The cherry on the pie was the nice weather. So got to wear nice silk Saree and my little one got to wear his new Sherwani!
Food wise it was a toned down affair. We just had Carrot Palya, Beans Palya, sprouted Moon beans Kosambari, Chitranna, Payasa, Tovve and Tili Saaru...

Here is the recipe for Shavige Payasa...



Shavige /Vermicelli   1/4 Cup
Whole Milk    3 Cups
Ghee     2 tsp
Raisins  a handful
Cashews a handful
Saffron   a pinch
Cardamon 1/2 a pod
Sugar 1/4 cup  - more or less depending on your taste  (I used sugar on the raw)

Method:

•  Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a non-stick pot. Throw in the Vermicelli. Toast till golden.Set it aside. 
• Warm 1/4 cup of milk, throw in the saffron and let it soak for a while. 
• Once the vermicelli is slightly cooler, pour in the warm milk. Stir and set it on low flame. Stir frequently making sure the creamy film does not form on top.
• Once the milk is creamy and the Payasa is thicker, stir in the saffron, sugar and crushed cardamon. 
• Simmer till the Payasa is thick almost reduce to about 1.5 cups. Turn off the heat. Serve it at room temperature or chilled.

 

Kargalu

Winters in Karnataka is always mild. We have never seen a bone chilling winter! A shawl, a sweater or say a monkey cap is all we needed if we had get out early in the morning to fetch milk or something like that. My mother for instance never even owned a sweater till my father was posted to Northern part of the country where it does get a little colder. But that does not mean we southern Kannadigas don't have specialty winter time snacks! By all means we do.
Right around Sankranti, when the air is still nippy and the first rays of sun warms up your toes like a cup of hot filter coffee would, we make this deliciously crazy snack ...'Kargalu'. Its literal meaning is Kari + Kalu - Deep fry + beans. We love it and god has endowed us the potential to demolish bowls after bowls of Kargalu. My grand mother always used to make it. She does not any more. It is too taxing on her aging body. But MIL still makes it. And I am as happy as a lark.

We will need,

Avarekalu / Pappadi lilva/ Indian beans  - 1.5 cup
Roasted Peanuts   -hulled and split           1/2 -3/4 cup
Channa Dal                                              1/2 c
Dry red chillies  (Byadagi)                         2-3  
Curry leaves                                              a handful
Koshar Salt to taste
Chilly powder  to taste (optional)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Peanut Oil to deep fry

Method:

• Soak the avarekalu in cold water over night or for at least 4-6 hours. Drain and squeeze the beans out of the skin. Spread it out on a cookie sheet and air dry for about an hour or so. 
• Heat oil in a Kadai. Once the oil is hot and has ripples in it, lower a handful of beans into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. 
• Fry till the blisters appears on the beans and it turns golden in colour. Remove and drain on paper towels. Stir in a pinch of salt while it is still hot, that way the salt sticks to the beans. Repeat till all the beans are used up.
• Now heat a tbsp of oil in another Wok. Once hot throw in the red chillies and curry leaves. Once they stop sizzling throw in the Channa dal. Stir till the channa dal is fragrant and changes colour to a shade of golden yellow. Turn of the heat.
• While the  wok is still hot,  throw in the peanuts, fried beans and toss it well. Add salt, chilly powder and ground pepper to taste and toss. Allow it to cool and store it in an air tight jar. It stores very well for a few weeks. But that is if you are not me :)

Goes out to Treat to eyes series 2 hosted by Rumana @ spice Ur Senses

Kale Palya

Sugar free update: Well, Honey managed to stick to the sugar free diet for the past two weeks...Surprisingly he has lost 5.5 lbs... Yes! No exaggerations here. That was a pleasant surprise. Me :( There was this big bag of Snickers lying in the pantry from the last Halloween, I had to eat it. The craving used to strike me so hard and every time I walked past the pantry, i had to grab one. I finished the entire bag. Now, there is nothing much at home and hopefully I should go sugar free the next few weeks. In fact Honey's success is actually motivating me to go ahead in this direction.

So here is Kale from Suburban Organic It was fresh as it could be and gorgeous but Kale is not actually a familiar vegetable in my kitchen. Well what to do when you get something you have never tried before? Make a "Palya" out of it. We are a Palya loving family. So I went ahead with it.

We will need,

Kale 1/2 lb
Onion 1 big chopped into strips.
Dry red chillies / Bydagi 2-3
Expeller pressed Peanut oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Channa Dal 1 tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Hing a dash
Coconut grated 3-5 tbsp (Optional)

Method:

• Wash and clean Kale and chop it into ribbons. Put the Kale in pot with about 1/2 cup of water. Blanch till the kale has soften a bit but still kind of al dente... We dont want our Kale to look limp and mushy. Drain and set it aside
• Heat oil in a wok/ Kadai. Once hot, throw in the mustard seeds, Jeera, Hing,Channa dal, Urad Dal, Chillies in quick succession.
• 10 seconds after adding the chillies, throw in the onions, cook till onions are transparent. Add the blanched Kale.

• Stir adjust salt. Add the coconut if using. Cover and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Thank Leena for your cute award..

Kadalebeeja/ Shenga Unde Peanut clusters

Me and Honey have decided to go sugar-free for the next 2 may be 4 weeks. After reading so much about the effects of sugar on metabolism and after struggling to get back to pre-pregnancy weight both of us have decided to try going sugar free (for those of you wondering if a man puts on weight during his impending fatherhood- yes they do big time, in case of Honey almost as much as I did!). The only time we did eat sugar is on major festivals and that too in moderation. It has been three days and it looks like eternity. I never realized how much sugar we indeed consume on any given day. Shivratri was an occasion we had some sweets, a small Tambittu and a small Kadalebeeja Unde aka Shenga Unde. Sadly enough the next festival is so very far at Ugadi :(  I am so glad we cleared the biggest test. Last evening at a friends house we both refused Eclairs -the pillowy, chocolatey creamy eclairs.. Ah! we did it once and it sure feels good. Hope to keep on going.

We will need,

Peanuts  1 Cup
Jaggery   1/4  to 1/2 Cup  (I used about 1/4 )
Cardamon 2


Method

• Preheat oven at 350 F. Spread the peanuts on a single layer on a cookie sheet. Pop the peanuts in the oven for about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven, till the peanut are fragrant and slightly deeper in colour. Remove and cool
• Once the peanuts are cool enough to handle, spread them on a kitchen towel, cover it with another and rub it till the skin had fallen off the peanuts and they have broken into halves.
• Combine the Jaggery and about 2 tbsp of water in a thick bottom pot. Melt the Jaggery and filter the syrup if you suspect any impurities in the Jaggery (I did not and went ahead with the recipe).
• Crush the cardamon and toss it into the Jaggery. Bring the syrup to two thread consistency i.e. When you pinch the syrup between your wet thumb and forefinger, you can see at least two threads running between the fingers. 
• Quickly stir in the peanut halves. Stir to coat the syrup onto the peanuts. 
• Grease your palms and pat the peanuts into Ladoos, (The mixture will be crazy hot and it will scald) else, lift a little peanut mixture in a spoon and using another spoon, move the mixture on to a Parchment lined Baking sheet.
• Cool it till the mixture sets and then store it in an airtight jar.

Fasting or feasting: Tambittu for Shivratri..

Happy Shivratri folks..
Shivratri is supposed to be a day of fasting. But in my family, we love to feast on Shivratri. My grandmother- Ajji makes loads of goodies for the occasion. Tambittu, Kodbale, Kadalebeja Unde aka peanut clusters..etc. Generally I stay away from making Tambittu, but starting this year I am planning to make it for the occasion: it is all about setting the tradition for my sunny little boy!!
I called up Ajji last night and jotted down the recipe. And here we are some constrained Tambittu. The constraint being my coffee grinder which did not grind the rice to my desired consistency, But taste wise no complaints.

Here are some from last year courtesy Susheela Aunty..

We will need

Raw rice  1 Cup
Jaggery   about 1/2 -3/4 cup
Roasted Peanuts  1/2 Cup
Roasted channa dal / Kadalepappu  3 tbsp
Toasted Sesame Seeds        1 tbsp
Copra/ Kobbari  3 tbsp chopped
Cardamon 3 pods, seeds crushed.

Method:

• Heat a skillet and toast rice on it till the rice is fragrant and deep golden brown. Remove from heat and let it cool down.
• Combine the Roasted peanuts, channa dal, sesame seeds and copra in a large mixing bowl. Set it aside.
• Grind the cooled rice in a coffee grinder into a fine powder. The flour should resemble talcum powder.
• Stir in the flour into the nut-seed mixture.
• Heat the jaggery and a scant 1/4 cup water in a thick bottomed pot. Cook the mixture till the syrup reaches 'one thread' consistency i.e. you should be able to pinch the syrup between two wet fingers into a single thread.
• Pour the syrup at the edge of the the nut-rice mixture a tablespoon at a time. stir the mixture little at a time. Press it between your palms to make Laddus. Rest it on greased cookie sheet till it sets- an hour or so.
• Store in air tight box. It makes 5-6 lemon sized Tambittu.