Culinary Journey

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Marundu/Milagu Kozhambu~ Medicinal Pepper Stew

Today I woke up with really bad body pain and terrible headache, So I called in sick, and crashed on the couch for the rest of the day and as if that was not bad enough, about half past noon the power went off and I dozed off in the sweaty heat only to wake up at 5pm! I hate to fall ill (Who the devil likes to fall ill!!)

Anyways I was too tired to make anything for myself and did not like the packed lunch my mum had left for me so I fed off a HUGE bar of chocolate for lunch and for dinner I decided to get the hell out of bed and make myself something nice to eat! But I had no appetite and I was in no mood to eat another bar of chocolate for dinner. I was craving something nice and spicy yes something LIGHT! (..and something that did not involve too much work- A KISS recipe)

~ MILAGU KOZHAMBU~

Milagu Kozhambu a.k.a. Pepper stew is usually prepared if someone is suffering from incurable cold/cough, body pain or allergic sneeze as it is known to provide immediate relief .. No My dear reader I won't bore you with the medicinal properties of Pepper :)

Ingredients
4-5shallots -peeled and chopped Optional- Half a tomato chopped finely
A small ball of tamarind soaked in water, dissolved and filtered

For Powder

2 spoons Pepper corns
1/2 spoon Toor dhal (Thuvaram Parupu)
1/2 spoon Jeera seeds
1/2 spoon channa daal (Kadala Parupu)
1/4 spoon fenu greek seeds
Roast the ingredients over low flame and Grind coarsely and preserve in an air tight container

To saute

Mustard
Jeera seeds
Red chillis and
Curry leaves

Methods

Heat a kadai and add 2 spoons of vegetable oil
Add the Mustard, Jeera, Fenu greek seeds and red chillies - splutter over low flame
Add the chopped shallots, and tomatoes and fry
Add the tamarind filtrate and bring to a boil
Add the required amount of Powder according to your taste (I added 2 spoonful)
Sprinkle some Asofoetida and let the gravy simmer
This will be ready in less than 5-6 minutes
Serve with hot rice and sleep off after the meal

I am a sucker for Smilies :)

P.S. My body pain is gone but now I have a running nose! :P

Monday, June 20, 2011

Fish-O-Fish

This morning I got a message from a friend with whom I haven't spoken to in months! The first thing she told me was that me she enjoyed reading my blog! :) Just yesterday I was wondering whether anyone is reading my blog at all, so when I heard from my friend needless to say I was overwhelmed. She is also a foodie much like me and loves seafood especially FISH! So here are some really easy to prepare fish recipes which I hope she enjoys!

Our subject for today ~ Anchovies commonly referred to as Nethili Meen in Tamil

This one is for one of ente favorite ommana pen kutties :)

Nethili 65: Deep fried Anchovies

Deep Fried Anchovies

Ingredients
Anchovies: A cup full- cleaned, washed and marinated in lime and rock salt
1/2 spoon turmeric powder
1/2 spoon wheat atta or maida (this will serve as a binder)
1/2 rice powder (this will make the dish crispy, crunchy & YUMMY)
4-5 spoons of chilli powder
1 spoons of ginger &garlic paste
Optional: 1/2 spoon coarsely crushed pepper corns

Nethili 65

Method

Take big bowl- mix the anchovies with the following ingredients

chilli powder
turmeric powder
ginger garlic paste
rice powder atta/maida

Sprinkle water and mix the contents
Make the marinate into a smooth paste
Keep it aside for 15-20 minute
Heat a pan with oil
Add the anchovies and cook over low heat
The fish will be done in less than 5-7 minutes

Serve hot just as a snack or as a side dish for sambhar rice, rasam rice or even better fish gravy & rice:)

Nethili Thokku: Anchovy gravvy

Nethili Gravvy

Ingredients

Shallots/ small onions a cup full -

Wash and peel the small onions
Do not chop- adding them whole make the dish taste better

Anchovies a cup full

cleaned & washed
marinated in turmeric, lemon and rock salt

One whole Garlic peeled

Do not chop or crush garlic
Add them as whole cloves

A piece of ginger (2 inches-crushed )
10 curry leaves
1/2 spoon asafoetida
3-5 spoon pure chilli powder
Tamarind a medium sized ball- soaked in a cup of water, dissolved, and filtered
Take the tamarind water - add chilli powder and turmeric powder

For spluttering: Mustard seeds, fenu greek seeds, Jeera seeds, (Optional-pepper corns), Dry red chillies & 4-5 spoons of gingelly oil

Method

Heat a thick pan, add 4-5 spoons of Gingelly oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
Add the mustard seed, fenu greek seeds, Pepper corns, Jeera, red chillies and fry
Add shallots and curry leaves and saute till it turns light brown
Add the peeled garlic and crushed ginger and saute
Note:- this recipe does not need tomatoes, however if u want to, you can add half a tomato finely chopped and saute it after the ginger garlic
Add the tamarind water mixed with chilli powder and turmeric powder
Bring to a boil, let the contents simmer until it reaches a consistency of gravy
Add the 1/2 spoon of asafoetida
Add the anchovies and reduce the flame
Let it simmer in low flame for 10minute(maximum 15 minute)
Note:- Do not stir, this will break the fish into a million tiny bits :)
Remove from stove in 15 minutes and serve with hot rice or Idlies

See I told ya it was an easy recipe :)

I hope these recipes were useful, do try them and tell me how it tasted! Happy eating !

P.S. Amma has made chicken curry and chappathi for dinner tonight, I m off :)

Enjoy your fried anchovies!

~Fin~

Combating Culinary Disasters :P

If you have added too much salt or chilli powder ~add one of the following depending on the dish

Coconut paste
Chopped potatoes
Chopped tomatoes
Tamarind paste
Coriander powder
A spoonful of sugar/jaggery
Worse case scenario water :P

If you have added too little chilli powder, add slit green chilli/ crushed pepper!
If you run out of cooking gas then take a deep breadth, lie down on the couch and take a power nap!
If you are bored hovering over the stove, try singing, you can also try tap dancing, vegetable carving just don't forget the stove is on- I often do ;)
If the dish you are cooking gets burnt- transfer contents to another bowl, destroy evidence and blame the neighbors :P
If you find someone has tail gated you to the kitchen and wont leave, stop complaining and enjoy the company! :)
If you find your mommy is standing behind you and giving you step by step instruction

Cool down
Slice a cucumber
Seat her on the couch
Place it on her eyes
Tell her its her special spa time :P works like a charm Every time!

P.S. I solemnly promise my next post will be better and will be of some use :)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Not so-Culinary notes to myself!!!

1.If at first you don't succeed recreating a recipe! Blame Butterfly Effect! .. U can also throw in Chaos theory if you can pull it through :D

2.A true blue foodie does not give up on potato chips! :D

3.Never let your hair loose in the kitchen, you don't want run in circles singing 'Fire in the mountain run run run' :P

4.If while preparing a dish, it goes all wrong and doesn't slightly resemble the original ~ Pat yourself in the back and call yourself a culinary-genius :P

5.Never give up on 'Thalir Sadam' & 'Maggi Noodles' you never know when you dish is gonna get screwed and you have to resort to them!

6.The girl who doesn't know how to cook and the aunty who is too lazy to cook are always gonna find something wrong with your recipes ~ Try and make your peace with it.....with a smile:)

7.People are always gonna misunderstand you for a Glutton/Foodaholic/Theenipandaram. Never mind! They'll come around!.. and you can serve them suicide spicy food and have your revenge:))

8.No No No writing down one recipe, in one blog which has 9 posts does not make you 'Julia Child or Neetha Metha'

9.People are gonna laugh at your face , behind your back and on virtual interface, be happy your blog is entertaining people :)

10.Someone, somewhere out there will read your blog someday (without scoffing, or rolling their eyes), until then keep cooking, keep eating, keep blogging and keep smiling!!!