Arusuvai Chain, Season II - A real mystery! solved

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

When I read about the  Arusuvai Chain. ., I was really confused. I read and reread in Valli's blog. Still I was a dumb to understand the rules. :-) Then, Valli explained me in a personal chatting about it. I was very happy to join this but was not sure when my turn will come. I forwarded my emial id to Sayantani and was waiting for her reply.

(Bharathy, Srivalli and Lathamma started this Arusuvai Chain. Now the second season is organised by Sayantani of A Homemaker's Diary)

I got it soon And she had given the name of the person who will send me the ingredient. It was Veena from Kitchen Celebrations.

I had told in the house that I am going to receive something from courier and had strictly informed them not to open it.(If I am not there at home!)

But that day when I was having lunch with my kids, I got a box from the courier person. I was wondering such a big mystery ingredient? :-)

I left my lunch in the middle(very bad) and opened the box. I was very very happy to see the gift!

Veena had sent me three lovely bowls and a beautiful card :-)

Then came the CID time :-). I got this ingredient in a plastic bag.(she is very clever to send me the ingredient without the cover or any name) When I saw it, I was nervous, I could not make out what is it? I tasted it, I could not get the taste. I tried to search in the Google with what all guessed names!! I thought its thin rice crackers, I thought its rice vermicelli, I thought what all!!!  I could not get it. I have never used it in my whole life of cooking!!!

With lot of hesitation, I sent a mail to Veena about my problem. Then I got a clue from Veena who said you get it in powder form also. (I hope its not cheating) and its a substitute for something else.

I got the name in my mind but to make it sure, I took few strands and put it in the hot water and waited for sometime. Hurray!!! yes, I guessed it right. I have used the gelatine before but never used CHINA GRASS(AGAR AGAR)  :-)))))

China grass is a substitute for Gelatin. China grass is perfect for vegetarians.

Its made from various seaweeds.

Now was the time for me to search for the recipe using China grass. Again my hunt started. I landed here.

It was Mishmash !'s blog. I fell in love with this China grass pudding and the photo. I wrote down the recipe.

I waited for the next day as it was Sunday. I went to the shop to weigh the china grass strands as I needed only 10gm.

I had 12 gm of china grass. I thought of making it half and try I was not sure about the output.

Here is my version of Pudding where I used exactly half the quantity from the original recipe.

 Below are the photos, for recipe, visit her blog.
(Followed the exact recipe, but reduced the quantity to half)

I thought of trying it in small cup cake moulds. My daughter was so happy that she told me it tastes exactly like the caramelized custard cups she used to get in UAE.

My mystery ingredient package will reach Sanjeetha of Lite Bite and Sanskriti of Musicas Kitchen soon.

Keep Smiling,

Oats and Rawa payasam(sheer Khurma style)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I always wait for every Thursday! Two reasons for that. One is its a day I do special prayers to Shirdi Saibaba and this is the day I make sweet to offer. Each week, I try to make new desserts. And today was the day for making something simple but delicious. 

Here is a simple sweet but a healthy one.

Ingredients:

Fine Semolina or rawa - 4 tbsp

Oats (regular) - 4 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 cup or little more according to your taste.

Ghee - 1tsp

nuts - 2 tbsp(chopped cashew, almonds, raisins, ker beeja) 

Grated dry coconut - 2 tbsp

Kesar or Saffron strands - 3 to 4

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1 cup

Milk 2 cups

Method:

Add 1 tbsp ghee to the thick bottomed kadai and make it warm. Add the rawa and fry for half a minute. Add the rolled oats and fry another half a minute.

Remove and keep it aside.

Mix the water and milk and keep it to boil.

Once it boils, add fried rawa and oats. Cook for a minute, add sugar and all the other ingredients except saffron strands.

Soak the saffron strands in very little milk.

Keep on stirring and boil for 5 minutes. Add the saffron strands. Boil for a minute.

Remove and serve hottttttttttt......

Sending it to many events:

One is My event 

Event Announcement "Only Original Recipes" and Giveaway :-)))

A brain child of Pari.

My one more event 

Priya's(Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal) ongoing event  

Celebrate Sweets - Warm Desserts

(event started by  Me ) 

And

Dr. Sameena's(My Culinary Creations)

Oats recipes..

Keep Smiling,

Fruit Salad for Shivaratri and Some Memories.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Wishing everyone a very happy "MAHASHIVARATRI"

When we were young, we used to wait for this day. There were lot of things used to happen on this day.

We were almost 15 kids in a colony. Our day started at 4 in the morning. Previous night we used to plan and keep our things ready. Morning at 4.30 we used to leave the house with few elders and start walking. After walking for 5 kilometers we used to reach the temple. It was Someshwara temple. Its built in 12th century, by Chalukyas. It is a birthplace of  river Shalmala where she flows underground. There is a big pond. We used to take bath in that pond. Take the darshan of Lord Shiva in that big temple. Eat some prasad and come back home.

That was a day of fasting.

Mothers used to keep the breakfast ready. That was Sabudana kichadi.

The whole day we used to play and listen to the devotional songs.

Again evening was the feast time.

There used to be Chana usuali, fruit salad, Lime juice. Fresh dates....

As I grew big, I used to keep fasting without water also.

Those were the days. Now, we do not have that much patience. Only remembering the good days.

This fruit salad brings lot of memories back.

Sharing with you the recipe.

Ingredients:

Musk Melon : 1 big bowl or half of the melon(depends on the size) -skinned and cubed 

Banana - 2 to 3, peeled and cubed

Grapes - 15 to 20(I skipped it because my both the kids have cough)

Jaggery(grated or crushed or powdered) - half the quantity of melon, again check the sweetness of the Muskmelon.

Nuts - 1 tbsp, roasted in 1/2 tsp ghee

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a big serving bowl. 

Keep it aside for 15 to 20 minutes for jaggery to get mixed well with the fruits. 

Serve it like that or

Keep it in the fridge for some time before serving to have chilled fruit salad.

Sending it to

Akila's Event: Dish Name Starts with F

Keep Smiling,

Fresh Coconut and Jaggery Kheer(ಕೊಬ್ಬರಿ ಗಿಣ್ಣ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Jaggery is the best substitute for sugar. Jaggery is rich in many nutrients. Jaggery should be eaten everyday in any form. Or add it in the rasam, sambhar, vegetable preparation. 

Here is the dessert which is very tasty and should be eaten hot or warm. Rice chapati is the best combination with it.

This is not very regular  sweet in my house because of the coconut used in it. Coconut is not good for me and my daughter. Even though I like it, I avoid making it.

Here is the recipe, 

Ingredients :

Fresh coconut - 1 cup

Jaggery (powdered or crushed) -  same as the coconut milk

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Hot water  - 1 cup

Salt - half a pinch

Nut meg powder - a pinch

Method:

• Grate the fresh coconut and Grind into a fine paste. 
• Add 1 cup of hot water and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
• Squeeze the coconut water and keep it ready.
• The coconut milk and the jaggery should be of the same quantity.
• Keep the coconut milk to boil
• Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame and add the jaggery. 
• Mix well, keep on stirring till you get the nice jaggery brown color. (It may take 15 minutes)
• Add the cardamom powder and Nutmeg powder. Mix well.
• Boil some more time(for few more minutes). 
• You can see the milk has become thick and nice aroma will start coming.
• Off the fire. Add half a pinch of salt. Mix well.
• Serve hot.
• Either drink it or have it with rice flour stuffed chapatis or puris.

Garnish with grated fresh coconut(optional)

Its watery dessert. You can enjoy the way you drink your tea :-)

I enjoy each sip with a spoon.

Love this hot Kheer during winter.

Sending this to two events;

Priya's(Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal) ongoing event  

Celebrate Sweets - Warm Desserts

(event started by  Me ) 

and

Akila's Event: Dish Name Starts with F

Event Announcement "Only Original Recipes" and Giveaway :-)))

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am very happy. I am hosting the event after a long time. My happiwala thanks to  Pari of Foodelicious, who has started this unique event. And the theme I have got is also unique :-)

The theme is "ONLY ORIGINAL"  Yes, your recipe has to be original and creative. 

"A man without an imagination or creative is like a bird without wings" said by a great person.

This is a great opportunity to share your original recipes.

And you have two giveaways to win:

1.The first giveaway is from the CSN stores for US/Canada/Germany and UK readers.Check out Pari's space for more details of the give away.
2.The second giveaway is exclusive for Indian readers from the well known Indian cook book author Tarla Dalal's on Pizza and Pasta. Visit her website www. tarladalal.com. for her yummy, wonderful, easy, useful Vegetarian recipes.

The winner of the CSN stores giveaway will be chosen by Pari based on the links that readers leave in the giveaway page, 

Winner of the book from the partcipants in India, will be chosen by Me by random.org or any random method,. He/ she has to provide me with an address in India within two days of the winner declaration else a new winner will be chosen by me. 

Coming to the rules of the event:

• Prepare any dish which is your and ONLY YOUR innovation. It should not be copied from any book, blog or other source. The recipe you prepare should be  the brain child of ONLY you.

• It can be a simple tea with a twist or a baked cake with very different flavor or ingredients. Imagination knew no bounds!!

• Any number of fresh entries can be sent but only 2 entries from the archive will be accepted. 
• Prepare any original recipe and post from 1st March till 31 March.
• Archived entries to be reposted, else will not be accepted.
• Only vegetarian entries (egg allowed) will be accepted.
• Use of logo is mandatory as it helps spread the word.

The entry should be linked back to my event announcement page and Pari's event announcement page.

Format of entry (please stick to the format below, while sending the details)

name :

blog's name:

blog URL:

recipe name:

recipe link:

pic  resized to 300pixel:

Country:

(this is an important field to be filled, as it will be easy for Pari and me to know whether you are  from India or abroad, hence applicable for which gift)

Please send the details to "nivedita.mt@gmail.com" before March 31.

I will post the round up within 7 days of event completion unless there's an emergency. .

Non bloggers can also participate, send the entries to 

my email id: nivedita.mt@gmail.com

The participants from  US/Canada/Germany and UK: please leave the link in Pari's event announcement page in comments section so that you will not miss the chance to win.

Waiting for more number of entries with your great imagination and creativity and original recipes.

Keep Smiling,

Remixed and Reposted recipes for 2 events

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

 Am I a lazy person or  am I a last minute person? Depends :-). I keep on delaying the works till the deadline.

Then, just before 2 days of any project(let it be here in blogging or my school work or selecting a saree to wear for any function), I will start my work. This is what happened with me this month. But, I had genuine reasons to postpone the posting.

Here, now I am with many recipes under one post for different events. These are from my archived posts.

First one:

Sending

Ginger Pickle

Garlic Rice:
(original link here)

Left over rice - 1 cup

Onion - 1 small, finely chopped

Curry leaves - few

Garlic - 8 to 10 small cloves( 4 to 6 if taking big one)

Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds -1 tsp

Salt taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, chopped to garnish

Heat oil in a kadai. When hot, add mustard seeds and wait till splutter. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, onion and fry for few seconds.  Add crushed garlic and fry till brown. Add chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Add the rice, mix well. Add sugar and fresh coriander. Cook for a minute. Cover and keep for few minutes for rice to get the garlic flavor. 

Enjoy hot garlic rice.

Single serve

for Sara's Healing Food - Ginger and Garlic Event Announcemen...

(the brainchild of  Siri)

Second One:

Sending

Mixed Fruit Curry

Bread and Fruit bars(M/W grilled)

Pineapple Chutney

For Smita's "Cooking with Fruits" Event

Keep Smiling,

Brown Rice Paddu(Gundpanglu)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

After the successful making of Brown rice dosa, I thought of giving a sequel to this and thought of making Paddu or Gundpanglu. 

The Paddu has very different name in each language. It is called Unniyappam in Malayalam, Paniyaram in Tamil, Ponganalu in Telugu. I know the name only in these languages.

Its a very common breakfast which is prepared at least once in a week in our house. 

Normally, we prepare it with normal rice, urad dal, chana dal and methi seeds.

But the other day I made it with brown rice. I was scared that I will get burnt ones. But the result was superb. I was very happy to eat soft, spongy, nice golden brown color paddu.

Ingredients:

Brown rice - 11/2 cup

Normal white rice : 1/2 cup

Urad dal - 1 cup

Chana cal - 1/2 cup

(Maintain 2:1:1/2 ratio for rice : urad dal : chana dal)

Methi seeds - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil to roast the paddu.

Method:

• Soak both the  rice and methi seeds in one vessel and Urad dal and chana dal in another vessel in the water for 4 to 6 hours.
• Grind the dals first into smooth paste first. Transfer into a big vessel.
• Next grind the rice into fine paste with little water. Mix it with the dal. Add salt and mix well.
• Keep in warm condition for 8 hours. 
• Make sure to keep the batter in a big vessel. Otherwise it will overflow.
• Heat the Gundpanglu tawa. Spray little oil. Put 1 tbsp or more (depending upon the size of the tawa) batter. Cover and cook on  medium flame. After 10 to 15 Seconds, turn on the other side. Cook for another minute or less.

Remove and serve with Coconut, Tomato or Onion chutney.

We always add either 

finely chopped onion, green chilly and curry leaves OR

dill leaves and green chilly.

Sending this to two events:

Food palette series brown from  Torviewtoronto 

Siri's

WWC - Brown Rice for Dinner: an event announcement... which is the brain child of  Sanjeeta.

Perfect for the quick dinner(if batter is ready and kept in the fridge). Paddu, Idly, dosa are my hubby's favorite which he loves to have during dinner time as he gets time to enjoy each bite with chutney and that too when I serve it hot hot :-)))

No time to try for 3rd sequel :-(

Keep Smiling,

Brown Rice and WaterMelon rind Dosa

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

After one week, I am here with the recipe. Its hectic now a days. My school, my kids studies, house work.. and what not!!

I will be so tired by the time I sit in front of the computer, my eyes won't listen to me.. Thats how my blog posting keeps on delaying. Today, I decided to sit and do it for at any cost, as I feel I have missed something in my life, if I do not blog regularly.

Here I am with the recipe which is very common breakfast of South India.(its world wide now)

But with little twist: I have added Water Melon rind(white part) and the brown rice. Its not the new recipe. But for me, I have tried it the first time.

My younger daughter loves Water Melon. Last week when I brought one from the market, she was very happy and dancing. But when I cut it,  it was not fully ripened(???? is it the right past tense for Ripe).

I thought of using it in some or the other recipe. Then I remembered that before marriage, I used to use the water melon rind in Dosa. But this time I thought of using brown rice with normal rice.

Here is the recipe,

Ingredients:
Normal rice - 1 cup
Brown rice - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Methi seeds - 1 tbsp
Water melon rind - ONLY THE WHITE RIND - 2 1/2 cups, chopped finely
Salt to taste
Oil to roast each dosa.


Method:
Soak both the rice, urad dal, methi seeds and the watermelon rind for 4 to 5 hours.
Grind in to fine paste.
Transfer the batter to a big steel vessel. Add salt to taste. Mix well.
Keep in a warm place for 8 hours.
The batter will be almost double. If not also, do not worry. Its fine.
Check the batter consistency. It should not be very thick, nor very thin.
Heat tawa, sprinkle water to check how much hot the tawa is.
Take one big spoon of batter and spread it on the tawa slowly in a circle.
Roast it  covered on both the sides on medium flame.


Serve hot with your choice of sabji. We had it with (Onion Sabji)

Dosas came very crispy and thin. It was a surprise for me. Because when I used to make before, I never got the thin dosas. I was expecting the same but was very happy to get thin and crispy and brown dosa. I had to save the batter for my daughter's dinner. :-)

Sending this to two events:
Food palette series brown from  Torviewtoronto 

Siri's

WWC - Brown Rice for Dinner: an event announcement... which is the brain child of  Sanjeeta.

Keep Smiling,