Happy Pongal!!!!!

Happy Pongal and Makara Sankranthi!!!!

Bogi Pongal is on 13th January 2009
Pongal is on 14th January 2009
Kanum/Mattu Pongal is on 15th January 2009

Pongal is a harvest festival for Tamilians. This festival is celebrated by all Hindus in South India called Tamilians. Pongal means overflowing.......They cook rice mixed with jaggery and milk which is very delicious. While cooking they allow it to overflow. In villages they cook in open place near temple. Group of people cook together and pray to god for the prosperity. Decorate house with kolams.

Celebrate this festival with family buying new clothes and enjoying. Children love to munch sugarcane.

In Karnataka it is called Makara Sankranthi. They have customs of distributing till seeds mixed with jaggery, ground nuts, dry coconut and sweetened jeera. They also make sugar candies in different designs like round, chariot, birds, etc which is yummy.

Traditional method of preparing pongal

Ingredients
Rice – 2 cups
Green gram(Moong dal) – ½ cup
Jaggery - 3 cups
Ghee – ½ cup
Cashews and Raisins – 6 each
Water – 6 cups
Milk – 1 cup
Grated coconut – 1 cup

Preparation Method
Keep the Oven clean with kolam (design)
Add Milk in a vengala panai (Bronze pot)
Tie the Manjal Kombu(Turmeric plant) to the Panai(pot).
Wash rice and green gram(moong dal). Add it to panai with water.
Rice and green gram to be cooked soft.
Keep a separate vessel with little water and add jaggery. Once it is dissolved, filter the mud particles and make the liquid to form little thick in consistency.(If u like more sweet you can add more jaggery) Now add it to cooked rice and mix well. Allow it to boil well for some time in medium flame. Keep stirring.
Keep kadai in oven and add Ghee. After it is hot add Cashew and raisins. once its brown. Remove from fire and garnish to pongal.

Sweet Pongal or Sakkare Pongal is ready to serve. It is offered as Nyvedyam to Lord SURYA BHAGAVAN on this day.

Simple Method of preparing Pongal

Cook rice and moong dal in cooker till soft so keep additional water. In a bowl keep little water and add jaggery to it. once its dissolved, filter it in a strainer. Now mix the cooked rice and dal mixture to jaggery and cook well. Keep it in a low flame. Add ghee for taste.

Garnish with fried cashews and raisins in ghee.

Quick pongal is ready to serve.

Vaikunta Ekadasi

7th January is Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrated by Hindus all over the world.

Lakhs of people visit Venkateshwara temple(Perumal), Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy temple, Ranganathar temple and many more. Temples are opened early morning on this day. It is very popular in Tirupathi and Srirangam. People wait for long hours and all the temples are crowded. Many of them fast on this day.

The belief says "Doors of Heaven (Swarga Vaasal) will open"

Beans Poriyal (Curry)

Beans poriyal(Curry) is a side dish cooked under low flame with coconut. It can be prepared easily on any day or for any occasion. It is very tasteful. This is mostly prepared for festivals and marraiges.

 

Ingredients

Beans - 250 gms
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Bengal gram - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Asafotida(hing) - 1 pinch
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Sugar - 1 tspn
Green chilli - 2nos
Curry leaves - 6 nos
Oil - 2tspns
Salt to taste

Preparation Method Wash, clean and pat dry beans.
Chop it into small pieces.
Heat a pan, put oil add mustard once it splutters add asafotida
Add Bengal gram and wait till its brown
Add the chopped beans
Add little water for it to cook
Add curry leaves
Add sugar (Sugar is added for not changing the colour of the vegetable while cooking) Add salt and turmeric Grind in mixie grated coconut with green chillies
Cook under low flame once its cooked with no water left add grinded coconut
Mix well and cook for 5mins.
Now its ready to serve.

Its a good combination for Sambar and rasam rice.

Masala Vada

A tasty snack mixed with lentils and onion then deep fried. This can also be prepared anytime for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

A great idea on a rainy day….

A great combination with Puliyogare (Tamarind rice) …………

Ingredients
Bengal gram(Yellow lentils) – 2 cups
Onion – 2 nos big
Fennel (saunf) – 1 tspn
Curry leaves – 4 tspns
Green chilli – 2 nos
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method
Soak Bengal gram in water for 3- 4 hours
Cut the onions, chillies and curry leaves into small pieces
Now wash the Bengal gram and grind it to coarse paste(not smooth) without adding much water
Add chopped onions, chillies, curry leaves, salt and saunf to the paste.
Mix well and make lemon size balls
Heat the oil in a pan
Press slowly and drop in oil
Deep fry on both sides till brown

Take it on a tissue paper for 5mins to absorb excess oil

Serve hot as it is or with tomato ketchup or coconut chutney

Happy NEw Year 2009!!!

I Wish all readers a very happy,prosperous, wealthy, success and peaceful

New Year 2009.

COCONUT RICE

COCONUT RICE IS A TRADITIONAL MIXED RICE DONE IN SOUTH INDIA.THIS DISH IS DONE WITH FRESH GRATED COCONUT.

IT CAN BE DONE WITH LEFTOVER RICE TOO.

INGREDIENTS

RICE - 1 CUP
GRATED COCONUT - 2 CUPS
URAD DHAL - 1 TSP
MUSTARD - 1/2 TSP
ASAFOTIDA - 1 PINCH
RED CHILLI(DRY) - 2 NOS
CURRY LEAVES
OIL - 2 TSPN
SALT



PREPARATION METHOD

COOK THE RICE AND KEEP SEPARATELY
IN A PAN PUT OIL AFTER ITS HOT PUT MUSTARD
ADD AESAFOTIDA
ADD RED CHILLIES
ADD SPLIT URAD DHAL AND WAIT TILL BROWN
ADD CURRY LEAVES
ADD GRATED COCONUT AND SAUTE FOR 5MINS
ADD SALT
THEN MIX WITH RICE

Another version of Coconut rice recipe click here 

SERVE HOT WITH FRIED PAPADS AND VADAMS

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you. 

Gods Pharmacy! - 1

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Cucumber Salad

This Salad is very easy to prepare and tastes different.

Ingredients

Cucumber - 1no
Grated coconut - 4 tspns
Sunflower oil or olive oil - 1tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Split Urad dal - 1/2 tspn (optional)
Asafotida - 1 pinch
Coriander leaves (cilantro) - 2 tspns

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Wash and remove the skin of the Cucumber.

Cut the cucumber in small pieces
In a bowl, add the cucumber, grated coconut, salt.
In a pan, heat the oil, add mustard and asafotida
Add split urad dal and wait till its brown.
Then add this to the salad and mix.
Garnish with coriander leaves(cilantro) and serve.

Merry Christmas

God's Pharmacy!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

KaRjika (Somaasi) - Sweet

This sweet is prepared and made garland to offer to Lord Ganesh on Sankashta Chaturti day generally in Karnataka

Ingredients
Maida (All purpose flour) - 2 cups
Grated dry coconut - 1.5 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tspn
Vanaspati - 4 tspn
Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method
In a sauce pan heat the vanaspati.
In a steel or glass bowl put maida and add the hot vanaspati.
Mix slowly since its vhot
Now add water and make a soft dough.
For stuffing
In a bowl, put grated dry coconut, sugar and cardamom powder mix well and keep aside.
Now make small balls and spread the dough like puris
Stuff this coconut mixer in the center and close the edges without leaving space.
Heat the oil in a pan and deep fry it on both sides. Keep in a low flame.
Karjika is ready to serve.

CREAM OF APPLE

WHO study says an apple in the morning is equal to 2 cups of coffee. Eating apple in the morning makes you feel brisk.

This is cream of apple soup

Ingredients

Apple - 1 no
Milk - 10 tspns
Maida (All purpose flour) - 1 tsp
Butter - 2 tspns
White pepper powder - 1 tspn
Salt to taste

Preparation Method

Cut the apple into pieces and make a paste in mixie.
In a sauce pan, add butter wait till it melts
Add maida and mix it to a fine paste
Add milk and stir for 5mins
Add the apple paste
Add white pepper powder and salt
If reqd add little water and mix well
Allow it to boil for 5mins

Serve hot.

POTATO ROAST

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

TODAY I THOUGHT OF SHARING THIS SIMPLE AND QUICK RECIPE.

INGREDIENTS

POTATO - 500GMS
RED CHILLI POWDER - 1 TSPN
OIL - 6 TSPNS
ASAFOTIDA - 1 PINCH
TURMERIC - 1 PINCH
WATER - 1 CUP
SALT TO TASTE

PREPARATION METHOD

WASH AND PEEL OFF THE SKIN OF POTATO
CUT THE POTATO INTO MEDIUM SIZE CUBES
IN A PAN, ADD 2 TSPNS OF OIL, ASAFOTIDA
NOW ADD THE POTATOES AND SPRINKLE WATER
LET IT COOK FOR SOMETIME
ADD SALT, TURMERIC AND CHILLI POWDER
ADD OIL
COOK FOR SOMETIME IN LOW HEAT TILL ITS CRISPY

YOU SERVE IT WITH CHAPATHI, CURD RICE OR BREAD.

Carrot Halwa

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This is a very easy and tasty sweet dish done with carrot....

Ingredients

Carrot - 3 nos (grated)

Sugar - 1 1/2 cup

Condensed milk  - 1 cup

Milk - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 2 tspns

Cashew, raisins - 2 tspns

Preparation Method

In a pan put grated carrot with milk and allow it to cook.

Once its half cooked add condensed milk and sugar.

Keep stirring.

When its fully cooked and dry.

Fry in ghee cashews and raisins for a minute and then garnish it.

Carrot Halwa is ready for serving. It can be served with ice cream as dessert.

Onion Rasam

Ingredients

Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
Tamarind - small lemon size
Water - 3 cups
Curry leaves - 2 tspns
Red Chilli - 2 nos
Mustard - 1 spn
Oil - 2 tspns
Salt to taste

Preparation Method

In a bowl, soak tamarind in 1 cup of hot water for few mins, squeeze and filter the water.

In a pan, add oil, mustard once its spluters add red chilli and fry for 1min

Add onion and saute till its transperent

Add curry leaves and saute

Heat the filtered tamarind water in a bowl.

Add water and allow it to boil.

Now add sauted onion

Add salt

Once it boils the flavour of onion with tamarind water is very yummy to drink.

It can be served with rice or as a starter soup.

TIPS D - I

Dry Fruits: To chop dry fruits, place them in fridge for half an hour before cutting. Take the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting).

Dough/Rolling pin: If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes.

Egg peeling off: Make a small hole in the egg by piercing a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove its skin very easily.

Egg fresh: Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is certainly quite old.

Fruits: To ripen fruits, wrap them in newspaper and put in a warm place for 2-3 days. The ethylene gas they emit will make them ripe.

Frying: Avoid deep frying. Substitute deep frying with stir frying or oven bake. Don't pour the oil, but make a habit of spraying the oil in the utensil for cooking. Heat the utensil first and then add oil. This way oil spreads well. You will use less oil this way.

Garlic: Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic cloves are slightly warmed before peeling.

Ghee: Avoid the use of ghee. If it is necessary, substitute it with canola oil. Even for making halwa, you can partly substitute it with oil.

Green Chillies: To keep the chillies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.

Green Peas: To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer.

Idlies: Place a betel (paan) leaf over the leftover idli and dosa batter to prevent them sour. Do not beat idli batter too much; the air which has been incorporated during fermentation will escape. If you add half a tsp of fenugreek seeds to the lentil and rice mixture while soaking, dosas will be crisper.

Food Art

Food Art

Food Art

Some tips - A - C

Almonds: To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 mins.

Ants: Putting 3-4 cloves in the sugar container will keep the ants at bay.

Apples: Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.

Biscuits: If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time.

Butter: Avoid the use of butter. If it is essential to use, use a butter containing low saturated fat or with plant stanols (which avoid absorption of cholesterol by our body) or similar

Bee and Scorpion Sting Relief: Apply a mixture of 1 pinch of chewing tobacco and 1 drop of water. Mix and apply directly and immediately to the sting; cover with band aid to hold in place. Pain will go away in just a few short minutes

Bitter Gourd (Karela): Slit Karelas at the middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then cook. Stuffed Karela

Burnt Food: Place some chopped onion in the vessel having burnt food, pour boiling water in it, keep for 5 minutes and then clean.