Thengai Sadam || Coconut Rice || தேங்காய் சாதம்

What else can you do with rice that is simple and quick besides fried rice.  Today I made Thengai Sadam, ie loosely translated Coconut Rice @ தேங்காய் சாதம்.

This is one of the many rice varieties that you can prepare.  It is simple and quick.  The sweetness from the freshly grated coconut, the crunchiness that you get from the cashew nuts and channa dhal (split bengal gram) and the little heat of the green chillies is awesome.  I pair the rice with some homemade beetroot chips and onion raita.  Honestly it is good as it is, no side dish is required.

Tips

Try using freshly grated coconut to get the best of this dish.

I also used coconut oil for tempering though you may use any vegetable oil if you wish.  

I used left over parboiled rice.  You can also use long grain rice.  Be sure to cool down and loosen the grains so that it does not clump together.  

Dont skip the ginger as they give a nice aroma.  Try those young ginger.  

Thengai Sadam||Coconut Rice ||தேங்காய் சாதம்.

Servings : 2 -3 persons

Ingredients

1 cup of freshly grated coconut

1.5 bowl of  cooked rice

3/4tsp of mustard seeeds

2 tsp of channa dhal (split bengal gram)

1 tsp of urad dhall

1 sprig of curry leaves

2 green chilly - adjust to your heat requirement

10-12 cashew nuts - halved - adjust to your requirement

1 tsp of sliced ginger

3 tbs of coconut oil

Method

 

1.  Heat a wok or pan and coconut oil on a medium fire.

2.  Once the coconut oil and add mustard seeds,channa dhal and urad dhall.  

3.  Mix for a few minutes. Add in curry leaves, ginger, cashew and chilly.

4.  Keep stirring for about 3-4 mins ensuring not to burnt the any.

5.  Add in fresh coconut, mix well and stir every now.  Dont let the coconut turn colour or burnt.

6.  Add in the rice, mix well and salt to taste.

7.  Coconut rice is ready to be served with raita or chips.  Serve warm.

Thengai Sadam with onion raita

Chettinad Pepper Chicken

Chettinad is part of Tamil Nadu - southern part of India. They are well known for their cuisine, with variety of spices and freshly ground spices.

Today I made Chettinad style Pepper chicken (Milagu Kozhi Varuval).  Varuval is dry fry where all the spices are coated to the meat leaving very little gravy.   I prefer to use chicken pieces with bones.  However, if you prefer boneless try the thigh part of a chicken instead of the breast part.  Also I prefer a wok or a flat pan instead of a pressure cooker.  You want the spices to simmer slowly into the chicken.  Remember to use slow fire.  Best eaten with rice, jeera rice, pulao or even bread.

My favourite combo will be rasam, pepper chicken and hot steaming rice.

Lets look at the recipe

Chettinad Style Pepper Chicken || Millagu Kozli Varuval Chettinad Style

Ingredients
900gm of chicken - cut into bite size (bones in)
1 big onions - slice finely
1 medium size tomato - chopped finely
1 sprig of curry leaves
1.5 tbs of ginger garlic paste
1 tbs of chilly powder
1 tbs of coriander powder
1tsp of turmeric powser
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
2/3 small stick of cinnamon
2 clove
2 cardamon
salt to taste
1 tbs of lemon juice


method
1.  Marinate the chicken with 1 tbs of ginger garlic paste, chilly and turmeric powders.  Also some salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside for 30mins.

2.  In a hot pan, saute onions till soft and brown.  Next followed by the cinnamon, bay leaf, clove, cardamon and fennel seeds. fry for a few more minutes and add in remainder ginger garlic with turmeric powder and stir well.

3. Next add in the tomatoes ensuring that they are well mashed up.  Mix well for a few minutes and add in the coriander powders so that the coat well and stir for a few more minutes.  After which you add in 1/4 cup to the spices, again mix well and stir till the oil starts to separate.

4.  Add in the marinated chicken.  Coat well the spices and cover.  Keep stirring to avoid sticking to the pan.

5. Cover and keep stirring. Let it cook over medium fire.  Check if the chicken is cooked, if needed at some water to cook thoroughly the chicken.  Salt to taste if needed.

6.  Once the chicken is cook, remove from fire and add in the crush pepper and the lemon juice.

7.  Serve with some coriander leaves.

Enjoy

Fried Mee Hoon

Meehoon or rice vermicelli is an all time favourite by my family.  You can have them for breakfast, for brunch, teatime or even dinner. I have always have extra packets of meehoon in my pantry for a quick fix especially for dinner.

You can have as vegetarian or non vegetarian meal as a stir fry or with some fancy soup.  What I will share today a stir fry with extra flavour from dried shrimps, loads of garlic and chilly.

I soak the meehoon in cold water then over a hot stove and heat up till the colour of the meehoon turn from pale to white.  This is your indication - soft, springy but not mushy, in other words al dente.  Don't let it come to a boil.  Remember you still have to stir fry with the other ingredients to give a good mix.

If you're running short of time, you could let it soak in hot water for a few minutes  stir well, check for fineness and you can use immediately.

Fried Meehoon

Ingredients

1 pkt of meehoon (about 200gm)
A whole bulb of garlic - peeled
3tbs of dried shrimps-soak in hot water and drain.
6 chilly a mixed of red and green
Choices of your vegetable : I used red capsicum, shredded carrots and some lettuce.
3 eggs
Oil
Salt to taste.

Methods.

1. Use a chopper to grind garlic, dried shrimps and chilly.

2. Heat oil in a wok. Whisk eggs with some salt and make scramble egg.  Set aside.

3. In the same wok, heat oil, stir in the chopped garlic mix.

4. Stir till aromatic.  Add in your vegetables, stir well. Salt to taste.  Stir well.

5. After a few minutes, add in the meehoon and give a good stir to mix all the vegetables with the meehoon.

6. Let it cook in low heat for several more minutes.

7.  Serve with scrambled eggs.

Enjoy

Pan Toast Semolina Bread

Easy to prepare snack for breakfast or teatime.  Simple and quick to prepare. I love upma, nei urunde (ghee balls) and kesari made of semolina.   

This is a bread filled with the goodness of vegetables and coated one part with semolina and buttermilk.  You may use yogurt but whisk well with some water to have a spreadable consistency.

PAN TOAST SEMOLINA BREAD

ingredients

1/3 cup of semolina flour (suji/rava/sooji)

180ml of buttermilk

4tbs of chopped carrot

4tbs of chopped red capsicum

1 chilly chopped

3tbs of chopped onion

2tbs of chopped coriander leaves

salt to taste

butter or ghee

bread slices 

method

1. in a bowl mix all ingredients except butter and bread.

2. mix thoroughly till well combined.

3.  heat a pan/tawa and add some ghee/butter

4. spread the batter over the bread and cook over the butter/ghee with the filling side down.

5.  remember to use low heat so as to ensure it is cooked properly.

6. apply some butter/ghee on the top and flip it downside to give a toast taste on the other side.

7. serve warm with tomato sauce or chutney.

Enjoy

Spicy Brinjal (Eggplant)

Spicy Brinjal

nothing fancy, but a fusion of some chilly, onions, garlic, dried prawns and dark soya sauce. try them on a cold day with hot steaming rice...

ingredients
some brinjals - into small bite size
chilly to your desired heat
a bulb of garlic
dried prawns
onions sliced
dark soya sauce
salt

methods
blend coarsely chilly, dried prawns and garlics.
heat some oil
saute the onions till soft
add in the blended paste.
stir and mix well till oil starts to split
add in the eggplants, stir and mix well
add dark soya sauce and salt to taste
cook till the eggplants are done.
ready to serve

Spicy Brinjal (Eggplant)

Pomegranate Raita

Anardana Raita || Pomegranate Raita

Pomegranate raita is a quick to fix dish that goes well with briyanis and variety rice.  The tangy taste from the yogurt and sweetness and crunchiness from the pomegranate gives you a yummy combo with the spice of briyani and curries.

I like a simple raita to go with.  Not to many additions like cucumber or onions.  I like to savour the pomegranate as the hero in this raita.


anardana raita || pomegrante raita

ingredients
1 pomegranate seeds (they are called arils)
1 small green chilly deseeded and chopped finely (optional)
1 small tub of yogurt
1 small tub of buttermilk
1/4 tsp of cumin powder
1/4 tsp of black powder
salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves

method

1. in a bowl, whisk yogurt and buttermilk together.
2.  add cumin powder and black powder, salt, pomegranate and coriander leaves and mix well
3. serve chill.

note if you do not have buttermilk, just add some water to the yogurt, thickness desired for the raita.

Bhindi Ka Salan @ Ladies Fingers (Okra) Salan

Bhindi Ka Salan || Ladies Fingers (Okra) Salan

What is Salan.  It is a Hyderabadi dish that is typically served with briyanis.  It is a peanut based curry/gravy.  Can be served with rotis, chapatis and nans  Mirchi ka salan or chilly curry is another great salan that you can pair with briyani and breads.

Groundnuts, sesame seeds and coconut gives the rich taste to the salan and balance it with some spicy and tangy from the chillies and tamarind.

Let's look Bhindi ka Salan and how to prepare:

Bhindi Ka Salan

Masala Paste
4tbs of groudnuts
2 tbs of white sesame seed
3 tbs of coconut (fresh or dried ones)
1tbs of kas kas (optional)

10 medium sized okra - washed and halved into
1 big onion - slice finely
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
2 green chilly- chopped finely
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
a few pieces of fenugreek seeds
1 tsp of red chilly powder
1/2 tsp of coriander powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
4 tbs of oil.
1/2 cup of tamarind juice (from a lime sized tamarind soaked into half cup water)
1 sprig of curry leaves.
1 tsp jaggery
some coriander leaves finely chopped


Method

1.  Dry roast groundnuts on medium fire first as they take a little longer to roast.  If using coconut pieces then add them together. Finally the sesame seeds and kas kas if using. Make sure it is not burned.  Set aside and let it cool before grinding into smooth paste.  You may add a little water to grind smooth.

2. Wash and pat dry the lady fingers, cut into half.

3.  Next in a pot heat some oil. Fry the lady fingers to about brown. Set aside.

4.  In the same pot, add in mustard seeds, cumin and fenugreek seeds. Once they start to splutter, saute onions with some salt till soft and brown.

5.  Add in curry leaves and green chillies, fry for a few minutes.

6.  Add in ginger garlic paste, tumeric, coriander and chilly powders - mix till the raw smell is gone and in the grinded masala mix with  a cup of water and saute well into the mixture.

7.  Stir on medium fire and keep stirring to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan till the oil starts to split.

8.   Once the oil starts to split, add in chopped coriander leaves, tamarind juice, jaggery and salt to taste.

9.  When it starts to boil, add in the lady fingers, stir well and cook for another 5 minutes on slow fire.

Bhindi ka salan ready for action!

Enjoy

Kushka

Kushka ||குஸ்கா

Kushka is a simple yet flavourful rice dish. It's briyani dish without using any meat. and a South Indian speciality.  Within this they are a few variants of cooking, some one with water only, some a combo of coconut milk or milk with water and some with chicken/meat stock.

This is a lunch meal that goes well together with kurma and raita.  For this kushka I paired it with bhindi ka salan and pomegranate raita.

I used basmathi. I also used the rice cooker to the rice instead of a pressure cooker. Lets look at the ingredients.

Note : 1 cup of basmathi rice liquid to be at 1.5 cups.


Kushka

Ingredients

3 cups of basmathi - washed and soaked for 20mins. and drain
4.5 cups of water
2 red onion - slice finely
5-6 green chilly - slit into 2
1 big tomato - chopped finely
2 medium sized bay leave
2 small stick of cinnamon
2 star anise
3 cardamon
3 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup of yogurt - whisked
4 tbs of ghee
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of chilly powder
1/2 tsp of garam masala
a handful of mint leaves
a handful coriander leaves - chopped coarsely

Garnishing - Mint leaves and fried onion.

Method

1.  In a pot heat ghee. Add in bay leave, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamon, cloves and fennel seeds.  Fry for a few minutes till aromatic.

2.  Add in sliced onions.  Saute with a little salt till soft and brown.  Add in the ginger garlic paste, fry till raw smell is gone.

3.  Add in chilly and all the powders and cook till mix well, stir for a few more minutes.  Add half of the mint and coriander leaves. Mix well and add in tomato.  Cook till the tomato is homogeneous and well mix into a combined paste.

4.  Add in yogurt and mixed well.  Stir in rice, stir well add in water and salt to taste, top up with the balance of coriander leaves and mint leaves and cook till it is done.

Serve with some home made fried onion and mint leaves.  Serve hot.