"A Cookie with Arusuvai Surprise Ingredient"

Arusuvai friendship chain has been started in India by Latha N of "The YUM blog" and Latha N says "Arusuvai is about sending along a surprise ingredient as a gift to your friends, for them to prepare something tasty with it, share the recipe, and pass on other surprise ingredients to more people. Arusuvai means six tastes (aru=six, suvai=taste) in Tamizh and is used to refer for Tasty preparation with six tastes - inippu/ thithippu (sweet), orappu/ karam (hot), kassappu (bitter) , pulippu (sour), uppu(salt), tuvarpu (tastes that one gets in raw leaves)".

Now Latha from "Masala Magic" has started Arusuvai friendship chain in USA. I got the opportunity to be a part of this friendship chain, when Richa of "As dear as Salt" passed on this friendship chain to me. Thanks Richa for thinking about me and sending me the surprise ingredient.
With a Sweet note Richa send me, dark chocolates , Soan cakes and the surprise ingredient. When i read the label "Laddu flour" i was confused and asked Richa about it. Richa explained that it is coarsely ground whole wheat flour and it is called laddu flour to differentiate between thousands(!) of kinds of flour that we get..... :)

I was not sure what to make with this surprise ingredient and one day when snacking on a Whole wheat cookie from Haldirams, which i liked a lot, thought why not bake a cookie with similar taste.

So i experimented with this flour and was able to come up with this simple cookie. The flour is not a fine powder, so the texture of the cookie is not smooth.

Ingredients

3/4 cup - Laddu flour
1/4 cup - Cashew nut, powdered
3/4 cup - Sugar
1/2 cup - Melted ghee ( at room temperature)
1/4 tsp - Cardamom powder
Few Almond slivers for decorating

Method

1 ) Add flour, sugar, cashew powder, cardamom powder and melted ghee into a mixing bowl. Combine ingredients to make a tight dough.

2 ) Take a small amount of the cookie dough, shape it to a small ball and then flatten it. Cookie will spread a bit when baking, so space between each dough. Place some almond slivers on top of the cookie and press in lightly.

3 ) Transfer cookie dough to a baking tray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes till the bottom of the cookies turn lightly golden in colour.

4 ) Cookie will be soft to touch when still hot. Let the cookie cool in the tray before transferring it to store.

Enjoy the cookie.

Passing on this Arusuvai friendship chain to Kribha of En Samayal Pakkam. Thanks for playing along Kribha.

Overstuffed & Wrapped Omelet

Care to have a heavy breakfast ? Then this overstuffed omelet with veggies and wrapped in tortilla wrap or it can be wrapped in roti/chapathi, is for you.

Ingredients

2 - Large eggs
1 to 2 tbsp - Coriander leaves, chopped finely
1 - Green chili, chopped finely Or Dash of Red chili powder or Tabasco sauce
A dash of - Garam masala powder
1 to 2 tbsp - Salsa
1 - Tortilla wrap Or roti /chapathi
Grated Mozzarella & cheddar cheese mix Or 4 Cheese Mexican mix
Salt to taste

Veggies for stuffing

1 very small - Potato, boiled and cut to very small cubes
2 tbsp - Green onion, finely chopped
1/2 of a small -Green capsicum, finely chopped
5 to 6 - Mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 of a small - Tomato, finely chopped

Method

1 ) Heat little oil or butter in a skillet. Add potato, mushrooms, capsicum, onion and fry till the mushroom gets cooked. Add tomato, sprinkle little salt to taste and cook for a minute or two. Transfer the veggies to another utensil and set aside.

2 ) Whisk egg well, add you choice of any one of these - green chili or red chili powder or tabasco sauce. Then add garam masala powder, coriander leaves , salt to taste and whisk well with egg.

3 ) Use a big wide non-stick pan. Heat the pan on low heat, add butter or vegetable oil. Pour in the egg mixture and when the egg sets add the cooked veggie on top of the egg, cook for 2 minutes on simmer. Spread little salsa on top of the veggie and then sprinkle generously cheese on top. Cook till the cheese starts to melt. Put the tortilla or roti on top of the cheese and press lightly, so that the tortilla sticks to the cheese.

4 ) Now you have to flip the omelet. I used 2 wide and flat spatula to flip. Now tortilla is in the bottom, cook for few seconds and then fold in half.

Serve hot for breakfast.

Chilli Paneer

This is quiet a delightful dish with fried paneer, capsicum and mushrooms. Different color capsicum can be used to enhance the look. It's a dry stir fry dish, quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

14 oz /400 gm - Paneer, cut to small cubes
2 tbsp - Cornflour
8 oz /227 gm - Mushroom, washed and chopped
1 - Green Capsicum, sliced length wise
1 - Onion, sliced length wise
4 big flakes - Garlic, crushed
1 to 2 - Green chili,chopped
1/4 tsp - Black pepper powder
A dash of - Garam masala powder
2 to 3 drops - Vinegar
2 tsp - Tomato ketchup
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Sprinkle cornflour on the paneer pieces. Shake to coat on the paneer. This will help the paneer from sticking to pan when frying. In a skillet heat oil on low flame, add paneer and fry to a light golden color, little at a time. Take off the oil and drain.

2 ) In the same oil, add garlic and green chili, fry for a minute. Then add onion and stir fry lightly. Onion should be crunchy, add capsicum and stir fry for a minute.

3 ) Meanwhile, microwave mushrooms placed in a microwave safe bowl for 3 minutes. Take out and add to the skillet and stir fry.

4 ) Add black pepper powder, salt to taste, a dash of garam masala and mix in. Add vinegar and tomato ketchup and mix in. Add fried paneer and saute.


Serve as a side dish with fried rice or even chapati.

Note - If you have left over, then don't microwave. Place in oven and bake with some grated mozzarella cheese.

For a slight gravy dish - Add 2 tsp corn flour to 1/2 cup of water and dissolve it. To this add 1 tsp soya sauce and above said amount of vinegar and tomato ketchup. Mix well and after adding black pepper and salt step above, add this cornflour mix and stir to coat the paneer. Cook on a medium high heat till the sauce thickens and coats. Turn off the stove and serve.

Ethakka / Ripe Plantain Pachadi

A sweet and sour pachadi with ripe plantain will be a good addition to your sadhya. There is similarities in taste with mambazha pulissery , though this is a pachadi.

Ingredients

2 - Very ripe plantain, chop very finely
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

1/2 cup - Grated coconut
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 to 2 - Green chili
1/2 cup - Medium sour curds/ yogurt

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 sprigs - Curry leaves
2 - Whole dry red chili

Method

1 ) Cook plantain in little water with red chili and turmeric powder along with salt to taste. cook till plantain is a bit mashed.

2 ) Add ground ingredients to cooked plantain, add little water just enough for a thick gravy and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 2 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Add beaten curds, mix in and when about to boil, take off the stove.

3 ) In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds and pop it. Add curry leaves and dry red chili. Fry for a minute and pour over the pachadi.

Serve with rice.

Pesarattu with Upma and Coconut Chutney

Pesarattu with upma and coconut or ginger chutney is a hearty Andhra breakfast, which could very well be a brunch to be enjoyed on a weekend. Pesarattu, made with whole green gram, is high in protein, upma gives the carbs, thus balances the meal. Pesarattu, upma and chutney is the combination which is popular in Andhra.

Ingredients to make pesarattu

1 cup - Whole green gram dal / Whole moong dal
1 to 2 - Green chili
1 '' piece - Ginger
Salt to taste

To garnish

Little finely chopped onion
Little green chili, finely chopped
Little coriander leaves, finely chopped
Little jeera
Ghee or butter

Method

1 ) Wash and soak green gram dal overnight. Grind dal with green chili and ginger to a fine paste with little water. Batter should not be too thick nor too thin. Add salt to taste and stir in.

2 ) Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot enough, add a little amount of the batter and spread into thin round.

3 ) Drizzle some ghee around the edges and some on the pesarattu. Sprinkle little, jeera, onion, green chili and coriander leaves on the top.


4 ) Once the edges have cooked to a light brown, flip to the other side and press down with flat spatula to press down the sprinkled ingredients to stick to the pesarattu. Flip back and take off the pan to a plate. Cook rest of the batter in the same manner.

Now Pesarattu can be served with just the chutney. But when you want to have a elaborate breakfast, it is served with upma. Upma is made with rawa that is not roasted and the cooked upma is not too dry.

Ingredients for making Upma

1 cup - Rawa / fine Sooji
3 cups water
Salt to taste

To season

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 tsp - Urad dal
1 tsp - Chana dal
1/4 tsp - Jeera
5 to 6 big - Shallot, finely chopped
1/2'' piece - Ginger, finely chopped
2 - Green chili, finely chopped
1 sprig - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Heat oil in a saucepan, add mustard and pop it. Add urad dal, chana dal, jeera and fry on till dals are lightly browned. Add shallot, green chili, ginger and curry leaves and fry till the ingredients a fried lightly.

2 ) Pour 3 cups water, 2 to 3 tsp ghee, salt to taste and bring to a good boil. Lower heat, pour in rawa and as you are pouring in rawa, stir continuously. Water will be sucked up by rawa, then close with a tight lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Open and stir well. Close with lid and as the upma cools down will be all set to serve.

Place some upma along with pesarattu while serving with chutney.

This recipe is for a small quantity of coconut chutney

To make Coconut Chutney

1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut
1 tbsp - Chana dal
2 - Green chili
1 to 2 pinches - Seedless tamarind
1/4 tsp - Jeera
Salt to taste

To Season

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 sprig - Curry leaves
Oil

Method

1 ) Fry green chili and chana dal in little oil, lightly. Cool and grind along with coconut, tamarind jeera to a smooth paste with little water. Add salt to taste.

2 ) Season with mustard and curry leaves. Heat oil in pan, add mustard and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning on chutney and mix in.

Serve Pesarattu with upma and coconut or ginger chutney.

"Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons" is very enthusiastic about different varieties of dosa's and is hosting a Dosa Mela. I am making my contribution with pesarattu to this event.

Other Andhra recipes -

Undrallu and Ginger chutney
Green chili chutney
Brinjal chutney
Peanut chutney

Spinach Pachadi

Spinach is cooked frequently at my place in different ways and with all its goodness and health benefits is a power food. Pachadi with spinach is a quick preparation, that a friend thought of, to make in a hurry one day. Tried this out today and it was perfect with rice.

Ingredients

1 bunch - Spinach, washed well
1 to 2 - Green chili, chopped
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste

1/2 cup - Coconut
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 cup - Medium sour creamy yogurt

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
2 - Dry whole red chili
2 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) In a pan cook spinach in very little water with green chili and salt to taste, covered with a lid. Once cooked, take off the stove and cool. Transfer to a blender / grinder and plus two times to get a coarse texture.

2 ) Transfer spinach to a pan. Grind coconut and mustard to a smooth paste, with little water. Add this coconut- mustard paste to the pan with spinach and mix. Heat the stove, place the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add beaten yogurt and adjust salt to taste. After adding yogurt, don't cook for long. Just before it comes to a boil, take off the stove.

3 ) Heat oil in another pan. Add mustard seeds and pop. Add dry red chili and curry leaves. Fry for a second and pour this seasoning on the pachadi. Stir and mix in.


Serve as a side dish with rice.

Chicken Pickle

A friend shared with me this recipe to make chicken pickle, which i wanted to try from a long time. It was relatively easy to make and a very tasty pickle to have with rice. Also same recipe can be followed to make prawns pickle.

Ingredients

1 lb - Chicken, boneless or with bone, cut to small pieces
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

To dry roast

10 - Cloves
2 '' long - Cinnamon sticks
4 to 5 - Star anise
5 to 6 - Green cardamom

For masala

2 tbsp - Poppy seeds
3 '' piece - Ginger
1 whole clove - Garlic
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1.5 to 2 tbsp - Red chili powder
1 tbsp - Vinegar Or 1 tbsp - Lemon juice Or lemon salt

To season

1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Jeera seeds
2 to 3 sprigs - Curry leaves
1 to 1.5 cup - Sesame oil / vegetable oil

Method

1 ) Cook chicken with turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mostly you will not need to add water, some water will come out of the chicken. Cook on low heat, covered with a lid till all the water is evaporated. Take off stove and cool.

2 ) Dry roast ingredients listed for that, cool and grind to a powder, set aside. Grind poppy seeds to a fine powder, set aside. Make a paste of ginger and garlic.

3 ) Heat 1 cup oil in kadai or wok, add cooked chicken pieces in small batches and fry lightly. Take off the oil and drain. To the same oil, add mustard seeds, jeera and then curry leaves. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry until golden brown.

4 ) Lower heat and add poppy seed powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, mix and fry for a second. Add the dry roasted masala powder and fry in oil for a second. Add chicken and mix with masala. Add vinegar, salt to taste and mix well. Take off the stove and cool. There should be good enough oil in the pickle. If not heat 1/2 cup more oil and add to the pickle. Oil will act as a preservative. You can add 1 tbsp more vinegar or lemon juice if you like the pickle to be a little more sour. If you want more gravy then increase poppy seeds and garlic-ginger amount.

When completely cool transfer to a sterilized bottle and store in fridge. You can keep outside for a day or two if you want and then keep in fridge.

Serve the pickle with rice, curds and pappad.

Sabudana / Sago Upma

A simple Sabudana and potato combo preparation, which is light on the stomach. These sago pearls are commonly used as a fast time food in northern India.

Ingredients

1 cup - Sago / Sabudana
1 big - Boiled potato, cubed

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Urad dal
1/2 tsp - Jeera seeds
2 - Whole dry red chili
1 sprig - Curry leaves
4 to 5 big - Shallots, diced
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Method

1 ) Wash and soak sago in enough water to cover sago. Soak sago overnight. Drain water from sago and set aside.

2 ) In a kadai heat oil, add mustard seeds, pop it, add jeera, urad dal, dry red chili and fry in oil. Add curry leaves, shallots and fry shallots to light brown. Add red chili and turmeric powder, for a second, add potato and mix and stir. Add salt to taste.

3 ) Now lower the heat to very low heat, this is very important step to make to get a non- soggy sago. Now when the pan is not very hot, add sago, stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes covered with a lid. Sago will cook fast. Otherwise place sago in a microwave safe bowl, add the seasoning potato mixture to the sago and mix in well. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking the cooking time 1 minute each. Cook till sago is translucent.

Serve for breakfast.

Purnima suggests a variation to this recipe and also to get a non soggy sago in the end, which she learned from Shilpa of Aayi's Recipes - "Pravs, we call it sabudana Khichidi (in mumbai lingo) I make this quite often on gas top with a variation, soak time -30 mins, drain in colander, cover colander with tight fitting lid, leave overnight, fluff with a fork or hand, add fistfull of roasted crushed peanuts, salt n sugar to sago stir with hands, then same process - the sago grains don't stick to each other that way". - Thanks to Purnima & Shilpa.

To microwave potato : Wash one potato. Pierce deep into the potato two times, down to the center. Wrap the potato in a moist paper towel. Place in microwave and microwave for 3 minutes.

Meen Thoran

Thoran with meen / Fish is prepared with fish like Ayila / Indian mackerel, which has good meat to make thoran. I have tried this thoran with salmon too, which turns out good. But will always prefer Indian mackerel.

Ingredients

4 - Indian mackerel, cleaned
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp - Red chili powder
1 - Kodampuli ( Optional )
Salt to taste

To chop finely

1 small - Onion
4 - Green chili
1/2 '' piece - Ginger
1/2 cup - Freshly grated coconut
1 to 2 sprigs - Curry leaves

To season

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
Coconut oil

Method

1 ) First cook fish in little water with kodampuli, salt to taste, red chili and turmeric powder . Cook till fish is well cooked. Cool and shred fish meat finely. Take out the bones. Discard kodampuli.

2 ) To a mixing bowl add fish, and finely chopped ingredients and coconut. With hand crush all the ingredients together.

3 ) Heat oil a kadai or wok, add mustard and pop it. Then add the fish mixture and stir. Simmer and cook, occassionally stirring. Add fish stock if any little at a time and use it up. Cook till dry, add some more coconut oil and fry well. It will be good if it gets lightly browned. Take off the stove and serve.

Serve as a side dish with rice.

Okra / Lady's Finger Masala Fry and Curry

Vendakka masala, which can be made as a masala fry or as a curry by adding coconut milk.

Ingredients to make masala fry

1/2 lb - Okra / Vendakka
5 big - Shallots, chopped
3 - Green chili, slit in center
4 big - Garlic flakes, crushed & minced
1/2 '' piece - Ginger, grated
1 medium - Tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 tsp - Coriander powder
1 sprigs - Curry leaves
Oil, preferably coconut oil

Method

1 ) Wash and dry okra. Trim off the top and bottom. Slit in center and cut to two parts and cut each part into two and set aside.

2 ) Heat oil in a pan, add okra in small batches and fry very lightly. Don't have to brown it. Take out of the oil and drain.

3 ) After okra is done, add curry leaves, shallot, green chili, garlic and ginger. Fry in oil for 2 minutes in simmer. Add tomato and fry for a minute.Then add red chili, turmeric and coriander powder. Fry the powders, then add fried okra, salt to taste and mix with the masala. Stir and cook okra in the masala for 2 minutes. Let the masala coat the okra well. Take off the stove and serve.

Serve as a side dish with rice or roti.

To make this masala fry into a curry: Add 1 cup to 1.5 cup coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cook for minute and take off the stove. Coconut milk depends on how much of gravy you want.


Serve with steamed white rice.

Mutton Cutlet

A combination of meat and potato, this cutlet is prepared with cooked minced meat, which is cooked in spices then boiled potato, fried ingredients are mixed and combined with meat to make a cutlet.

Ingredients

2 cups - Minced goat meat

2 - Potato

1 small - Onion, finely chopped

4 - Green chili

1 '' piece - Ginger

4 big flakes - Garlic

2 sprigs - Curry leaves, finely chopped

Masala Powder

2 tbsp - Coriander powder

1 tsp - Red chili powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder

1 small - Cinnamon stick

3 - Cloves

1 tsp - Fennel seeds

To dip and shape

1 to 2 - Egg

Bread crumbs

Oil to fry

Method

1 ) Boil potato with skin, discard skin and mash. Coarsely grind garlic, ginger and green chili.

2 ) Heat a pan on low heat, add coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Dry roast the powders lightly. Add this powders to raw minced meat and mix well. To the pan add cinnamon, clove and fennel seeds. Dry roast till the spices gives out aroma. Cool and grind to a powder. Add spice powder, salt to taste and mix with meat.

3 ) Place minced meat in pressure cooker and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Open cooker and dry out any water completely.

4 ) Heat oil in a pan , add onion, curry leaves, coarsely ground ginger-garlic-green chili. Fry lightly. Transfer this to meat and combine. Add mashed potato and mix , very well with meat. Adjust salt to taste.

5 ) Beat one egg, add a pinch of salt. Keep bread crumbs ready in a plate. Take a small amount of meat mixture and shape into a ball and then flatten to a pattie shape. Dip in egg and then roll in bread crumbs.

6 ) Heat enough oil in a pan, place cutlets in hot oil and fry on both sides till brown in color. Take off the oil and drain on a paper towel.

Serve as a snack.


Check out this cutlet made with fish : Fish Cutlet

Kaipakka / Pavakka Kondattam - Bitter Gourd Crisps

Kondattam's are dried vegetables, marinated in spices, sun dried and then fried in oil. When you have limitations to sun dry, then other methods come in use. Microwaving the marinated bitter gourd is a easy and fast way to make these kondattam's.

Ingredients

1 medium size - Bitter gourd
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 to 3 tbsp - Yogurt / thick curds
A pinch of - Hing
Oil and salt to taste

Method

1 ) Cut bitter gourd to thin round rings.

2 ) Mix red chili powder, turmeric powder, hing, yogurt, little oil and salt in moderation. Apply this paste on each bitter gourd ring. Marinate for 1/2 hour.

3 ) Grease a microwave safe plate. Arrange bitter gourd on the plate in a single layer. You will need to microwave for 10 to 11 minutes. Don't cook for 10 minutes at one go. Cook for 2 minutes, stop, stir the rings and repeat for 2 minutes till the cooking time is total of 10 minutes. Then cook for 1 minute more, give a resting time for 2-3 minutes and then check if you need to make it more crisp. If you do, just microwave for 50 seconds more.

Great with rice, curds and pappad.

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"Vegetable of the week" ( VoW ) is an event hosted by Pooja of "creative Pooja" . "Vegetable of the week" is a monthly event now and she has chosen "Bitter Gourd/Karela" as her vegetable for this month. Bitter gourd crisps is my contribution to this event.

Instant Mango Pickle

I was so happy to see some fresh raw mangoes which was labeled pickle mangoes, in the Indian store. I wanted to make instant mango pickle, ever since i saw sig's 'young green mango pickle'. So here is how i made instant mango pickle.

Ingredients

1 big - Fresh green raw mango

5 to 6 flakes- Garlic, sliced

1 tbsp - Red chili powder

1/4 tsp - Hing powder / Asafoetida

1/4 tsp - Fenugreek powder

Salt to taste

Sesame oil

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds

Method

1 ) Cut mango with skin on, into small pieces.

2 ) Heat 2 tbsp oil. Keep the heat low, once the oil has warmed up. Add garlic and just fry lightly. Don't brown it. Then on low heat, add red chili powder, hing and fenugreek powder. Stir and fry for a second. Take off the stove and pour on the cut mango pieces. Add salt to taste and mix well with mango pieces.

3 ) Heat 1 tbsp more oil and pop mustard seeds. Pour this on pickle and mix in. Cool and transfer to a glass or ceramic jar.You can warm little more oil and pour on top of the jar, if you want to store this for long time. Keep in room temperature for a day, then store in fridge.

Serve pickle with rice, chapati and enjoy this unique taste of raw mango with spices.