Kitchen-Kollections

Hey all…I am extending the cookies’ fest last date for entry to new years eve thats Dec 31, 2008. Send in your yummy entries to..

kitchen.kollections@gmail.com

Happy Holidays!!!!!

This one dish is made on almost every festival in south india. Its one of the easiest and tastiest dish. The rich flavor of tamarind mixed with rice grains gives a very nice aroma. Tamarind rice is generally called puliogare..or pulihora in south.. Puliogare reminds me of the tv ad wherein a boy keeps repeating the word PULIOGARE..and the thief who is hiding in the house gets really bugged..just by listening to the word again and again..Although, its quite a simple recipe but i know of many people who don’t know how to make tamarind rice. Here is my version…

Ingredients

2 cups cooked long grain rice..(basmati)
For tempering
2 tbs oil
1 tbs mustard seeds
1 tbs chana daal
1 tbs urad dal
1 tbs jeera
4 red chillies
4 green chillies – slit
1 tbs chopped ginger
1 pinch asoefatida
1 sprig of curry leaves
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup cashewnuts
1 cup thick tamarind juice( take 2 lemon size tamarind pieces- add 1 cup water and microwave for 30 sec, mash it and take out the juice)
A pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Method

• First wash the rice thoroughly and then cook it. Once its cooked..remove it and spread it evenly a big bowl. Let it cool.
• Now take a pan, add oil. Add mustard, chana dal, urad dal, jeera, red chillies, peanuts, cashewnuts and curry leaves. Roast them till it turns slight brown.

• Add chopped green chillies, ginger, asoefatida and turmeric.
• After the chillies are fried well, add the tamarind extract and salt and let it boil for 3 minutes.

• Switch off and let it cool.
• After the rice and sauce is completely cooled off, add the sauce to the rice slowly without breaking the grains. Mix it well so that each rice grain is coated well with the mixture.

Let it rest for at least an hour, because the juices will go into the rice grains and it will taste awesome!!

Here is one jhatphat carrot snack which can be prepared in no time. Its healthy and nutritious. Its rich in sodium and very less in calories too. I generally eat it before hitting the gym. Try it out and let me know

This is my entry to JFI- Carrots.

1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp peeled, grated fresh ginger
1 tbs honey
1 tbs frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 tsp parsley
Crushed pepper
Salt to taste

1. Steam carrots in a steamer basket over boiling water for 8 minutes
2. Add olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add onions and ginger. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Add honey, orange juice concentrate and parsley.

This is the first time I tried making this chutney…otherwise i usually make the curry with it. I read somewhere that there are lot of nutrients in the top green layer of this vegetable. Some people cook with the outer layer..but i decided against it..generally lot of chemicals are used…unless you buy organic veggies….so better wash them completely in warm water..or best soak them for 10-15 minutes.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped ridge gourd pieces ( peel off the skin..you can cut in discs or tube shape)
2 green chillies
a pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp jaggery
Salt to taste

For tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp jeera
2 red chillis
10 peanuts
a pinch of hing or asoefotida

• Take a pan and add 1 tsp of oil. Add chopped green chilies and ridge gourd. Add salt, turmeric and chopped ridge gourd and let it cook. After its cooked, add jaggery and mix it well. Let it cool.
• Take another pan, add 1 tsp of oil. Add the tempring ingredients. Grind both the tempering and cooked ridge gourd in a mixie. Adjust salt accordingly. Ridge gourd chutney is ready