An Overview of Recipes

Sambar

 My version

Sambar is a very popular South Indian dish prepared by combining lentils, vegetables, tamarind pulp and a special spice mix. There are lots of variations of sambar, each adapted to suit the taste and ingredient availability of each region. Tamilians claim that Sambar originated in Tamil Nadu. I have no idea :) Anyway, we'll prepare my version of Sambar, which might have a Kerala influence. In Kerala, unlike other states in the south, a wider variety of vegetables are included. The Northern Kerala and Southern Kerala sambar are quite distinct. In Tamil Nadu, most of them do not add other vegetables. They make sambar with shallots or okra alone.

My father is from Guruvayoor, Thrissur and so I grew up having sambar North Kerala style - with an extra addition of roasted coconut paste. Well I don't know if everyone in Guruvayoor makes sambar that way, but, that's how I've had sambar everywhere in Guruvayoor. That's how most people in the Malabar region prepare sambar. Well, my husband is from the South of Kerala and so I make sambar with a southern influence. Maybe, I'll put up the Northern version too sometime in the future, let's see..

Ingredients :
Lentils (Toor/Mung/Chana dal)	-		1 cup
Coconut oil	-		2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds	-		1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds	-		1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds	-		1/2 teaspoon
Shallots (coarsely sliced)	-		10 nos.
Curry leaves	-		3-4 stems
Dried red chillies	-		5-6 nos.
Green chillies (slit)	-		2 nos.
Asafoetida powder	-		1/3 teaspoon
Onion (coarsely sliced)	-		1 large
Okra	-		1 cup
Brinjal / Eggplant	-		2 large
Coriander powder	-		2 teaspoon full
Kashmiri Chilli powder	-		1 and 1/2 teaspoons
Black pepper powder	-		1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder	-		1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seed powder	-		1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	-		1/2 teaspoon
Carrots	-		1 cup
Snake beans	-		1 cup
Drumsticks	-		1 cup
Tamarind	-		Lemon sized
Warm water to soak tamarind	-		1 cup
Freshly ground coconut	-		3/4 cup
Tomatoes	-		2 medium
Coriander leaves / Cilantro	-		a small handful
Sambar powder	-		1 teaspoon full
Water	-		3-4 cups
Salt	-		To taste.

If you are making sambar for the first time, follow the below points :

1. Though any available lentils can be used, Toor dal is the preferred one.

2. Make sure you wash and drain the dal and cook it in 3 cups of water.

3. If few or none of the vegetables mentioned above are available to you, you can make sambar with just onions and eggplants or onions and okra. Some people also add other vegetables like potatoes, yam or any other Kerala veggies. Well upto you.

4. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for 10 minutes and extract the pulp and strain it well.

5. The spice mix is mentioned just in case sambar masala is not available to you or if you do not trust packet powders. You can substitute the spice powders with 3 teaspoons full of sambar powder. Save 1 teaspoon for the last stage.

6. If you are using sambar powder, then it will contain asafoetida powder, and fenugreek powder as well. So if both of those aren't available to you, you needn't worry.

7. Quite often, you might end up with a feeling that something is missing. Well, could be salt. Add salt and keep testing.

8. Tempering can be done at the end as well. Upto you.

But, try following the recipe exactly with exact ingredients for desired results :)

Preparation Method :

In a shallow skillet, heat the coconut oil and crackle the mustard seeds, then add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. In some regions, fenugreek seeds are roasted, ground and added at the end of the cooking process. Add the shallots, dried red chillies, curry leaves and green chillies and sauté for a minute on medium flame. Sprinkle in the asafoetida powder. Some people add it at the end as well. But, I feel the aroma is infused better when it is added to the oil at this stage. Throw in the chopped onion and sauté. Then, add the Okra and keep sautéing until the sliminess or glueyness kind of disappears. Okra gives an extra viscous texture to the sambar. Try not to avoid it. Throw in the brinjal and sauté until it begins to brown. It gives an amazing flavour to the sambar. Add the powdered spices and sauté for not more than a minute. Quickly add the rest of the vegetables and give a good stir, so as to coat the vegetables well with the masala. Pour in the tamarind pulp, and combine everything well. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the cooked dal along with its water. Add some more curry leaves.  Add hot water and combine everything well and cover with lid and bring to a boil.  When it begins to boil, add the tomato wedges and cover and cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes. To sum it up, add the cilantro/coriander leaves. I just can't do without that final spoon of sambar masala. It does wonders. Anyway, it's all left to you. Allow to simmer for another 2 minutes and sambar is ready. If you are a working woman or a bachelor, and you find it hard to cook every day, then make a pot full of sambar and pour into small freezer proof/microwave oven proof clean and dried containers and allow to cool. Once cooled cover with lids and pop into your freezer. If you have prepared the sambar in good hygiene, you can save it in the freezer for almost a month. 2 hours before using just leave it out to thaw and then pop it into the microwave and heat. If you do not have a microwave, transfer it to a saucepan, add 1/4 cup of water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil on low flame, stirring occasionally. You can do the same with dal curry too if you haven't added coconut. But, once heated, never refrigerate again or reuse. Sambar goes well with rice, dosa, idili, wada, chapattis etc. Nothing can beat a meal with rice, sambar, yogurt, pappadam and some mango pickle.. MMmmm.. :) This might sound weird, but, try noodles  with some sambar. Trust me, it's delicious! :)

Carrot Rice

My mother's recipe.

This is probably the most simple, yet fancy looking rice recipe you can ever make. If your kids are very fussy when it come to eating rice, try to make This new variety. At a time when I used to refuse to eat rice, my mother developed this rice recipe and I used to love it.

Ingredients :
Basmati rice	-		1 cup
Butter	-		1 tablespoon or teaspoon
Carrot (grated)	-		2 nos.
Boiling water	-		2 cups
Salt	-		To taste.

Preparation Method :

Wash and drain rice. Melt in the butter.

Peal and grate the carrots. Roast the carrot in the butter until it slowly begins to brown. Add salt. The Add the rice and sauté for 3-4 minutes on medium. Then pour in the hot, gently give a swirl. Use boiling water straight from the kettle. Soon as you add the water the rice should bubble in the pot of hot water. Allow to boil on medium-high heat. Once the rice starts absorbing water and the rice plumps up and water level drops down, reduce the heat and cover the pot with a lid and allow the rice to simmer and cook slowly in the rest of the water. Once the rice is 90% cooked, put the lid back on and after a minute turn of the flame and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Open the pot and fluff up the rice to avoid it from sticking together.

Confused as to what to make for you little picky eater? What are you waiting for? I bet you have all the ingredients in your kitchen.. Why not make carrot rice for lunch or dinner for them! You will also like it.  By the way, do not forget to leave your valuable feedback, results, comments, queries, suggestions or criticisms below!

Thank You..

Today is a very special day :) I hesitated to publish my blog all this while.. Somehow, I thought it wasn't good enough :) Hesitantly today I posted it on my Facebook Photography page and messaged the link to few near and dear ones. I am absolutely touched with the overwhelming response from my family, friends, relatives and even strangers.. :) Telephone calls from far across, touching messages and mails.. Thank you all..  I feel greatly honored by the confidence you all hold in me and am wholeheartedly grateful for all the encouragement and support. :) Please keep supporting and be a part of my little space :)

Italian Lasagne

 My version

Lasagna is a flat pasta made with semolina and eggs, thus, it has a tint of yellow unlike other pastas. You can also find egg free lasagna sheets, but, I wouldn't recommend it. When you search for lasagna in supermarkets you may also come across green lasagna, which is because of the spinach that's blended into it. For those new to Lasagne - It is an Italian dish that's made by layering lasagna sheets, Bolognese sauce and lots of cheese. Some people also use white sauce. Here I'm making my version of simple lasagne without the white sauce.

Ingredients :
Minced meat (of your choice - you can also mix 2 or 3 different meats)	-		1 cup
Olive oil	-		As required
Butter	-		1 tablespoon
Garlic (finely chopped)	-		2-3 cloves
White Onion (finely chopped)	-		1 no.
Carrots (finely chopped or grated)	-		2 nos.
Celery (finely chopped or grated)	-		1 medium stem
Freshly crushed black pepper	-		As required
Dried Oregano	-		1 teaspoon
Tomatoes *	-		2 large or 1 can
Tomato puree	-		1/2 cup
Worcestershire sauce	-		1 tablespoon
Grape juice**	-		3/4 cup
Fresh Basil	-		2-3 leaves
Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)	-		A handful
Milk	-		1/2 cup
Salt	-		to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano***	-		As required
Grated Parmesan cheese	-		As required
Shredded Mozzarella	-		As required
Lasagna sheets	-		pick a pack, you won't need the whole of it though.

*You can use Italian Style Crushed tomatoes available in cans, or go the fresh way by literally cooking fresh tomatoes until it softens and add a dash of olive oil, basil and salt and simmer until the tomatoes loses its raw flavour. You can seed and skin the tomatoes or just use it the way it is. I'm too lazy to seed and skin.

**Grape juice is just a substitution to red wine. Well, I have no clue as to how red wine tastes, but, I suppose it should be something somewhere close to red grape juice. ;) 

***For that real Italian touch, please hunt for Parmigiano-Reggiano. No other substitutes work as good.

Preparation Method :

For the sauce -  In a skillet melt the butter and half the olive oil. Throw in the crushed garlic and finely chopped onion. Allow the onions to sweat. Finely chop or grate carrots and celery. Add the carrots and celery to the onions. Add the crushed black pepper and the dried oregano. Once the water in the veggies have all evaporated add some salt and the minced meat. and sauté and combine the meat and veggies together and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes. In a saucepan, heat some olive oil and saute the tomato puree for 2 minutes on medium heat and add that to the meat and veggies. Drizzle in the Worcestershire sauce and grape juice.  Combine everything and close with lid and simmer on low flame until the oil clears on top. Add the milk and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley. Now for the layering - Use an oven proof casserole dish. I've used a 2.5 litres dish and that makes quite a generous serving. Grease the dish well with some olive oil. And then spread out a thin layer of Bolognese sauce. Top that with the lasagna sheets, each slightly overlapping the other. Make sure you buy no-boil lasagna sheets. The pre-boil lasagna is time consuming. Garnish with all the three cheeses.  Repeat the steps again, with the lasagna sheets, then the Bolognese sauce and then the cheese. Layer with a minimum of 3 layers and a maximum of 5 layers of sheets. Finally, Garnish the top with a generous amount of cheese and then drizzle some olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and some chopped parsley on top. Bake on high for 20 minutes or until the top begins to brown. Allow to stand for a minimum of 5 minutes before cutting. Serve hot. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you do not want the cheese, you can skip the cheese.

Enjoy!! :)