Chigali (Tamarind lolly pop) for Forgotten Indian Games

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Summer is in. All the children are waiting for the vacation. During our childhood, the whole year we used to wait for this long holidays which lasted for more than 2 months. Every year, the postman used to bring the result on April 10. We all used to roam the whole area to search the postman! And once we spot him, we used to attack him!! Poor man!!! But he always gave our result without scolding us! He knew our tension!

We used to play lot of games and have lot of things to eat! In those, this Chigali or Tamarind lolly pop was very popular. We all used to enjoy the tangy, spicy taste of this lolly pop. We all children used to bring each ingredient from our house. Then a elder one in our group used to prepare it.If you don't have mortar and pestle, you can try in a blender or grinder. But it tastes good if you use mortar and pestle.

Ingredients are very simple and easily available at home.

Fresh Tamarind - 1 bowl, clean, remove seeds.

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 lines

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 to 2 tbsp

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Lemon leaves - few(Optional, if you have lime tree near by!)

First make the tamarind little soft then add all other ingredients. Crush is till the tamarind becomes full soft and other ingredients blend with it nicely. 

Tamarind lolly pop or CHIGALI is ready to eat. We used to stick the balls to neem sticks or match stick or small spoon. We used to enjoy it for very long time, some times more than two hours!!! 

This is going  to my event  Forgotten Indian games!! (Edited and re written), ...

I am still waiting for your participation for my event!! Rush in your entries!!

I am sending this to  PJ's (Seduce Your Tastebuds)  ongoing event Think Spice - Tamarind, which is a brain child of   Sunitha  of Sunita's World.

 So I am linking this post to Sunita's Think spice page. I hope every one will enjoy these lolly pops!!

Keep Smiling,

Water melon Juice(edited and reposted)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My way of having watermelon!!!!

scrape it inside and add little salt! have it directly. no need of glass or cup!! or straw. You will definitely enjoy the crunchy melon and juicy water.

In summer, when you come home after long sunny day, if you see a glass of red color juice topped with ice cubes!!! How will you feel???

That is the wonder of Watermelon. A crunchy and tasty fruit, you will enjoy in any season, either as a bite or a sip.

From the source, it is said that, watermelons were being cultivated in China, which is today the world's single largest watermelon producer.

Water Melon is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A (here).

It is also in debate that whether watermelon is a fruit or vegetable?? For me it is both, that too after checking the recipe(Taste of NorthIndia) by Sangi of simplydelicious. Click WaterMelon Watermelon!!!!!!! for older post.

I love to have it in any form, crunchy bites removed from the fridge, a whole big glass of juice topped with ice cubes and seasoned with salt and pepper, in salad or dosa prepared with its skin. Yes!! dosas prepared using the skin of the watermelon tastes very good. Give it a try. Just add the peeled skin with soaked rice which you make for normal dosas.
Do this need any recipe???
Watermelon - 1 cup, remove the seeds
Salt to taste
Ice cubes
Blend all together to get a glass of watermelon juice.

Sending this to Madhuri's event  Serve me Some...  

Keep smiling,

Eggless Chocolate Pudding on my Birthday!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Today is my birthday and I turned 37 years! Nothing more to say about me!!

Today, I thought I will try some baking in the microwave oven, which I never did before. I have prepared rice, sambhar, vegetable and sweets, but I am always scared to try baking a cake, pie or pudding or jelly!! I remember once, I tried dates cake from shilpa of Aayi's Recipes. It came out good, but I was not happy with that.

 I was searching for some quick and easy recipe, and I got THIS one. This site does not have photo. So I thought of taking pictures. 

I have kept all the ingredients in the photo, except GHEE. 

It came out very good!

But, what I thought was If we keep the ready mix for some time before adding cocoa powder it will be good, as I felt, the semolina is still not cooked full.

Mom prepared PURI, POTATO DRY SABJI AND SEVIYAN PAYASAM. 

Planning to celebrate my birthday with my elder daughter's which falls on March 30.

Keep Smiling,

Musk Melon, Choice is yours!!! Juice or Milk shake!

All of you might be wondering that why am I  posting the juice recipes. My interest on trying juices is increasing everyday as the Summer is in here!!! I do not like any fizzy drinks or soft drinks, ready drinks or cold drinks. I avoid giving these to my kids too. All these years, I was happy with cold water during the Summer season.

But, when I entered Madhuri's event, I went on thinking about the juices we can make easily at home! Many juices in the mind!! Let me see how much  my internet, the time, my kids will allow me to make juices and shakes before the event reaches the last date, and how much I can post the recipes. But, for sure, I will keep on trying juices from everything and make you people drink it too!!! 

Today is the Musk Melon day!

In my house, during our childhood, Musk Melon was the regular fruit. It was a must fruit on Shivrathri. Even though I know the juice will be tastier, I never tried it before.

Musk Melon is widely known as 'Cantaloupe'.  It is a summer fruit. Being rich in Vitamin C, an antioxidant, muskmelons have been believed to be good for preventing heart diseases and cancer. ... Read more here to know about more health benefits from this fruit.

There are two types of Musk Melon. One is bigger size and the other one is small. This time, I got the small ones in local market. I did not time or patience to wait for the bigger one and try the juices. So I took two small musk melons and came home.

Taking mom's version,  Instead of eating it, I tried these juices and within no time, my both daughters finished it. And they both enjoyed it having it in the same bowl made with the skin of the fruit.

That side is Musk melon milk shake, and this side is musk melon juice. The middle bowl is the seeds which you can sun dry and have it! Tastes great! 

First, giving you the recipe for MUSK MELON MILK SHAKE,

Musk Melon - 1 small,  washed, peeled and cubed

Sugar - 3 to 4 tbsp or check the sweetness of the fruit and add the sugar

Milk - 1/2 cup

Cardamom  powder - a pinch

Almond and Pista powder - 1 tbsp 

(I always keep this powder ready at home. I add it to bread jam, chapati and dosa when giving to my kids)

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Add cubed melon, sugar, milk in a juicer and turn to juice. Strain in a glass. Mix the powders and keep in the fridge for some time before you serve. 

Makes one glass only (as the melon is small).

Second, giving you the recipe for MUSK MELON JUICE,

Musk Melon - 1 small,  washed, peeled and cubed

Jaggery - 1/4 cup, (again, check the sweetness of the fruit before adding the jaggery)

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Almond and Pista powder - 1 tbsp (optional)

Mix everything in a juicer and churn it to juice. 

It is better to have it immediately. It will turn black and will not taste good, if you keep it for a longer time.

Makes one glass only (as the melon is small).

Sending this to Madhuri's event  Serve me Some...  

Sending it to  Dr.Sameena's  event

Juice recipes...

Keep Smiling, 

Raw Mango Chutney

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

On Ugadi day, we got the first batch of lovely raw mangoes from our trees. And, now mango is in every food we make. Mango is added in UPMA,SABMHAR, DAL, THALIPEETH, RICE, COCONUT CHUTNEY.

But here I am giving pure raw mango chutney.

Tastes great with rice, chapati, bread, Idly, Dosa, Paddhu...... list goes on.

As usual, I liked to  have it just like that!!!

I have tried to keep all the ingredients to make a chutney in one plate.

Raw mango -1 cup, cleaned and cubed in to small pieces

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 2 tbsp

Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Dry coconut - 1/2 cup

Curry leaves - few

Hing - pinch

Salt to taste

Dry roast Chana dal, dry coconut. Mix all the ingredients with it and blend in to a coarse chutney. Mango chutney is ready to serve. You can store it in a fridge for 2 to 3 days. 

Keep Smiling,

Pineapple Gojju

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Making curry, gravy or chutney with fruits is really very interesting. I have tasted the chutneys and gojju using fruits  in few weddings. But never thought of trying, as I am sure, my husband never liked it. And I  was lazy to make only for myself.

My cousin who stays in Sagar, (Shimoga) told me that this Pineapple gojju is very common in temples and weddings. Few weeks back, she gave me the recipe. But I totally forgot and could not contact her now. So I prepared it with  the ingredients what I remembered.

When I prepared and tasted, I fell in love with it. It is again a quick and easy one but tastes great with hot rice! I had it just like that.

Recipe follows like this,

Pineapple - 1/2 cup, cleaned and cubed

Boil the Pineapple cubes in little water and keep aside.(with the stock)

For paste:

Jeera - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Dry roast the above seeds. Add

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp to it 

And grind into a fine paste with little water.

For gravy,

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - 1/8th spoon

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp(If Pineapple is not sweet)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon

Add oil in a kadai and heat it. Add mustard seeds, Add hing when seeds crackle. Immediately goes red chilly and turmeric powder. Fry for few seconds and add ready paste. Cook it for a minute to remove the raw smell. Add boiled Pineapple cubes(without water). Add salt and jaggery. Mix properly and add the stock. Check the taste and adjust the seasoning. Cook for few more minutes and enjoy the gojju.

Thank you  Nithu for this event, as I tried it only for the event . And from now onwards, this will be in my regular menu.

"Think Beyond the Usual - Soup, Curry and Chutney with Fruits" event hosted by  Nithu's Kitchen

Keep Smiling,

Spicy Pineapple Juice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,
I am always lazy to make juices, and prefer to eat fruits!! 

But, if some one is making and giving me the glass in my hand I am always happy to have it,(thats why I love a can of  Beer in my hand!! just open the can and enjoy your sip !!!    )

But Madhuri made me think about the juices to make at home, if I want to participate in her event. And all of you know, how much I am crazy about event participation. It is like attending all the award functions, even after knowing that you will not get any award !! 

Here is my second juice for her event. But I really want to thank Madhuri, because and only because of her, I am trying to make juices at home, and enjoying my glass of juice!! ( at last away from my beer can  !)

This is a spicy juice, because of its ingredients. But you will love the spicy taste, when it passes your throat!! (Is my language out of control???)

Coming to the recipe,

Fresh Pineapple - 1/2, washed, cleaned and cubed 

Water - 1/2 cup or more depending on the juice of the fruit

Check the sweetness of the fruit. If it is not sweet add, 1 tbsp sugar or skip it

Put Pineapple cubes, water and sugar(if adding) in a juicer or blender and make a juice. If you like juice without fruit chunks, strain it. I like it as it is, so kept it like that only.

White pepper - 1 tsp powdered

Ginger juice - 1 Tbsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Mix the white pepper powder, Fresh ginger juice and salt into the juice and mix it properly. 

Do not add everything together in a juicer, I t won't taste good!! Or you can try to save the time, prepare, and let me know the taste. 

I loved adding it later.

Add Ice cubes before serving. 

Sending this to Madhuri's event  Serve me Some...  

Sending it to  Dr.Sameena's  event

Juice recipes...

Keep Smiling,

Egg roast (Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

(It is so easy to prepare food, when some one is guiding you!! That's why I enjoy very much when ever I follow other blog and cook any dish. And I post it in 'Food Remake' label, as, it is very common in Indian film industry to remake the movies from one language to the other. So even my food here is the remake one!!!) 

This time it is from  Raaga who owns the blog The Singing Chef. She has a huge collection of tasty and unique recipes. I enjoyed reading all her posts. And soon will be trying her most of the recipes. She has a collection of recipes (almost 70) in which there is no onion and garlic!!! 

Divya of Dil Se.. has got the right choice for her event.

As a first step, I have followed Raaga's  Egg roast. It is very easy and quick to make but tastes great. The cumin flavor wins everyone's tongue(!!!) 

Click Egg Roast for the recipe. 

I followed exactly the steps as she has given. 

Sending this to Divya's event  Tried and Tasted - March 2010 Edition, event started by Zlamushka...

(I want to thank Ksenia (Tales of a Spoon) of  who has designed the logo for this event.)

Keep Smiling,

Thaali peeth! (Masala Rotti)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more traditional food of India. Yes! The name is different, but prepared all over India with available fresh vegetables or simply with onions.

It is a very common breakfast in North Karnataka and Maharashtra. We call it as thalipettu (ಥಾಲಿ ಪೆಟ್ಟು ) and in Maharashtra it is famous as Thali peeth. Sindhis call it Dhoda and is prepared only with jowar flour and onion.
 I think Kannada name is influenced by Marathi word. Thali means palm, pettu means beat. Basically it is prepared with bare hands by keeping the dough and pressing it in between the palms to make round and thick rottis. But, I prepare it keeping it on an aluminum foil and press it or roll it to make a thin thalipeeth. My mom always used clean white cotton cloth to make.

And few people directly press it to the tawa to spread it thin and big. Then they fry the thali peeths on medium flame with covered lid . These come out very crispy!

Thali peeth is the best healthy break fast! It is easy, quick and can be prepared with any available vegetables in the fridge. It makes your child eat all the vegetables and Jowar flour without their knowledge. Ohh! I always love this food. You can make thali peets with

ONION, CABBAGE, SPRING ONION, METHI LEAVES, SPINACH LEAVES, CUCUMBER, CARROT, RADISH, BOTTLE GOURD, ASH GOURD, the list goes on!!!

Basically, the flour used for thali peeth is Jowar flour. But you can add other flours in little quanitity, like, WHEAT FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, OATS POWDER, SOYA POWDER, GRAM FLOUR, SEMOLINA, MAIZE FLOUR.... again the list goes on. You can check the shelves in the kitchen, and make these with whatever is available.

So it is the most versatile and friendly and healthy breakfast which is always handy and saves you from worrying about the breakfast.

Here goes the ingredients :

Jowar flour - 1 cup

Rice flour - 2 tbsp

Any other flour of your choice - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Green chilly - 2 chopped finely OR Red Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste 

Any vegetable or green leaves of your choice - 1 cup grated

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few, chopped

Water to make dough - 1/2 cup or more

Slowly keep on adding water and mix everything in a big bowl or plate to make medium hard (not very soft, nor very hard). Do not keep it for long time or else thali peeth will be torn.

Take the aluminium foil, cut into a square. Keep a bowl of water ready to spread on the foil before making thalipeeth. Sprinkle little water and oil on the foil. Take big lemon size of dough and make a round ball. Keep it on the foil and press slowly to give round shape to make thin rotis. Mean while, heat the tawa and sprinkle oil and put the pressed roti and fry it both the ways with little oil. 

If you want to make directly on tawa,

Take thick bottomed tawa, it should be cold. spread little oil and water on that. Take the ready dough and keep it in the center. Go on pressing it with little water on fingers and give round and thin shape. Make three hoes randomly on the roti to put oil. Cover it with lid and fry on medium flame. Fry it only on one side.

Serve with Butter or ghee or curds or coconut chutney.

Sending this to Suma's  on going event, JIHVA - Breakfast which is linked to Indira's Main announcement-JIHVA

Keep Smiling,

Ugadi - Day 2

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Ugadi is celebrated one day before also i.e  on New moon day(Amavasya)! That was yesterday, and I have already posted the food we prepared. And today is the main festival. Usually, Sevian payasam is prepared on this day. But as this is very common in our home, mom prepared the Peanut karchi kai. (The recipe will be posted in few days)And the main prasad will be the sweet called Bevu-Bella. The meaning of this is Bevu means neem leaves which is bitter in taste but good for health. And Bella means sweet. Today it is offered to the God, praying that our life should have both the experiences. We pray to God to give us strength to face equally, all good and bad things in our life.

Bevu Bella sweet is prepared with  Dalia dal, sugar, fresh neem flowers and dry fruits. 

Take equal parts of dalia(puthani) dal and sugar. Dry grind it to make powder. Mix the neem flowers and dry fruits.

Today, we got the first batch of raw mangoes from our trees. So offering the same to God as Neivedyam. 

I will be back with regular food.

And Thank you everyone for the wishes on my first day Ugadi post.

Keep smiling,

Happy Ugadi!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

 WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY UGADI

 ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಯುಗಾದಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು 

Offered in Neivadyam,  the plate contains, PURAN POLI, BRINJAL AND ONION FRY, KOSUMBARI, RICE, CURDS AND GHEE.

The recipes will follow soon.

Keep smiling,

Apple Rasam!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

When Nithu announced her unique event! I kept on thinking about what you can prepare with fruits. I gave lot of work to my brain.

 I wanted to try something new, but was not sure what!! Then, last week, when my mother was eating this apple, after her first bite, she complained that the apple is very sour like tomato!! Ding!!!

 

I got an idea, to try  apple rasam and taste it! Yes, it turned out yummy.
But  I think I delayed in posting it, as Nithu has already posted "Apple Mor Kuzhambu / Apple Buttermilk Gravy". Even though the taste is totally different, I was thinking I will be the first one to do something with apple!! (so much pride or ego I do have no!!)

Anyways, Coming to the recipe,
Apple - 1
(take the juicy apple, so that when you grate it, you will get long thin apple threads.)
Tomato -1 small, chopped, jut to get the color
Curry leaves - few
Green chilly - 1
Garlic - 1 bulb, peeled and crushed
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Fresh coriander to garnish
Oil - 1 tbsp

Wash the apple, and grate it.

Heat the oil in a vessel. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and wait till they crackle. Add garlic and wait till brown. Now add curry leaves and green chilly and fry for a minute. Add chopped tomato and all the dry powders. Add grated apple and little water. Let it boil for a minute. Put some more water to suit the taste. Boil it for few minutes. The apple rasam is ready to serve. You will enjoy the apple taste while drinking.

Sending this to

"Think Beyond the Usual - Soup, Curry and Chutney with Fruits" event hosted by  Nithu's Kitchen

Keep Smiling,