Flame puffed up Phulkas

We tried the Phulka the way northies do. It puffed up beautifully. Make chapati dough the way you usually do

wheat flour/pillsbury atta - 1 cup
water - a little more than 3/4 cup
salt to taste.

Make the dough and set aside for 15 mins.

Heat the tava and also keep the other burner on high flame. In case of electric burners, use a wire rack.

Roll the dough into round flat chapatis and put it on the tava. Turn it around after a few minutes. Later transfer the chapati to the other flame or rack. It will puff up beautifully. Use tongs to remove from flame. pour a little butter or ghee on top when still hot.

You will find lot of videos online on phulka making. Sorry couldnt help you with a video as we just moved to another place and things are still in cartons.

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Kullu Fish - Himachal dish

Ingredients

• 1 trout/fish
• For Marinade
  • 1 tsp: Crushed coriander seeds
  • 1/4 tsp: Red chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tsp: Lemon rind
  • 2 tsp: Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp: Mustard oil
  • 1/2 tsp: salt
  • 1 tsp: Dill leaves
• For the Sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp: Diced onions
  • 1 tsp: Chopped coriander
  • 1/2 tsp: Mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp: Lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp: Mustard oil
  • 1/4 tsp: Salt

Method

1. Clean and wash the fish.
2. In a bowl, add the fish, salt, dill leaves, crushed coriander seeds, chilli flakes, lemon rind, lemon juice and mustard oil.
3. Rub the marinade all over the fish and keep aside for about 10 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add the marinated fish and cook on both sides on low flame for 10 minutes.
5. For the Sauce
   1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and onions and sauté till it turns a light brown.
   2. Remove from fire and add the coriander leaves, lemon juice and salt and mix well.
   3. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve hot with rice.

This entry is for SPOTLIGHT FISH at Appayan

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Fish fingers with tartar sauce

Fish fingers

Ingredients:

1/2 kg firm white fish fillet(without bones)- cut into fingers

3/4 th cup dry bread crumbs for coating

Oil for frying

Ingredients for marinade:

1 tbsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp mustard paste

1 tsp tomato sauce

1 egg white

a few coriander leaves- very finely chopped

Method:

1. rub little lime juice on the fish fingers and wash fish well. Transfer them to kitchen towel and pat them dry

2. Prepare marinade by mixing all the ingredients given under marinade

3. Transfer the fish to a flat plate and rub marinade on fish .

keep aside for half an hlour

4. Roll and press the fish fingers on the crumsa.

5. Hean oil in a deep pan, fry the fingers on medium heat till golden brown. serve with tartar sauce

Tartar sauce preparation

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tbsp finely chopped cucumber

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander

2 tbsps brown vinegar

Method:

1. Allow the veggies to soak in the vinegar for some time and then strain the excess vinegar

2. Mix the veggies with the mayonnaise. Your yummy tartar sauce is ready

This entry is for SPOTLIGHT FISH at Appayan.

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Sweet coconut filled kozhukattai/Modakam

We made kozhukkattai for ganesh chaturthi. They came out well.

Ingredients:

Dough:

Rice flour - 1 cup

Water - 1 and quarter cup

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Salt - less than quarter teaspoon

Note: For rice flour I used the regular rice flour available in the Indian grocery store. Authentic kozhukattai is made of pounded rice flour called Kai kuthal arisi maavu in tamil. It is prepared thus. Soak rice for one hour in water. Drain water through colander and dry by spreading over a towel under shade for one and half hours. Pound it to a fine powder. Sieve it. Allow to dry under shade for another one day. Keep in dry air-tight container and use whenever required.

Coconut filling:

Grated fresh coconut ( or shredded fresh coconut on the frozen secion in the Indian grocery store) - 1 cup

Grated white jaggery (light golden jaggery) - 1 cup (level)

Finely cut cashewnuts - 1 tablespoon

Ghee - 3 teaspoons

Cardamom powder - quarter teaspoon

Roasted gram - grind the gram (chutney dal or pottu kadalai) - 1 tablespoon

Method:

Filling:

Grate white portion of the fresh coconut using traditional grater or buy the readymade fresh shredded coconut in the freezer section. Thaw it for an hour before use.

Grind the grated coconut for even and fine grating.

Mix grated jaggery to this and heat in a heavy bottomed kadai strring in between till jaggery melts completely.

When the mixture becomes a little thick stir in the ground gram dal, ghee fried finely chopped cashewnuts and cardamom powder.

Remove from heat and allow it to cool down completely before stuffing it into the kozhukattai.

Do the filling first and get ready the dough. By the time the dough is done the filling will be cooled off.

Dough:

Heat water in a heavy bottomed kadai. Add salt and oil to the boiling water.

When the water starts bubbling, reduce the heat and pour the rice flour in the center as a heap. Insert a ladle and close with a lid leaving little gap.

Reduce the heat and cook for seven to ten minutes. Turn off the heat and stir the rice flour dough quickly without lumps.

Let the dough cool down a little. When it is still luke warm knead well to a smooth dough using little water to sprinkle if necessary. Apply oil the hands at the end while kneading.

Make small lemon sized balls out of the dough.

Making kozhukattai:

Using thumb and forefinger, flatten the edges first and gradually shape it like a cup carefully turning and pressing with equal pressure on all sides.

Keep little filling and fold it to seal well. Use the fork edge and press in the sides to form a design.

Arrange on a greased idli plate and steam cook for seven to ten minutes. Serve luke warm. Be careful while eating when it is still hot. The filling will be very very hot.

We recently saw modakam mould which gives momo shaped kozhukattais...We are planning to try them next time.

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Saboodana Ka Kichidi

Ingredients
Sabudana(sago) 500 g
oil 100ml
Potatoes 100 g
ground nuts 100g
green chillies 3-4
Coriander leaves few
Jeera 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Salt and red chilli as per taste

Method:

1. Soak sago in water for 10- 15 minutes


2. Cut potatoes,chillies and coriander into pieces


3. Remove the water from sago and keep it like that for 2 hours


4. Heat oil in kadai and fry jeera, Put the potatoes, chillies,curry leaves, little salt and red chilli into it and fry on low flame.


5. Meanwhile put some salt and red chilli into the sago and mix well


6. Put the sago and lime juice into the kadai and cook till done


7. Garnish with coriander leaves.

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Landscape mural

Here we are posting a mural done using landscape as the theme. We used as usual ceramic +fevico dough , M-seal in some places . The birds have been made using M-seal clay.We have used acrylics and oil paints.

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Corn flakes Pudding

We got this recipe from one of our neighbours ,who does this pudding during christmas time. Hope you all like it.

Ingredients:
Corn flakes 1 cup
Butter(amul) 1 tbsp
Sugar 11/4 cup
Grated coconut 1/4 cup
Orange juice 2 tbsp
Gelatin 1 tbsp
Condensed milk 1 tin
Milk 2 tins( use the milkmaid tin for measurements0
Vanilla essence few drops
Cashews 1/4 cup
Method:

• Crush the cornflakes using your hands


• Mix butter, sugar, orange juice and grated coconut together. Add this to the cornflakes and mix well


• Transfer the mixture to a oven proof dish and bake it in a preheated oven at 160 degree centigrade for 5 minutes.


• Remove from oven and allow it to cool and then refrigerate.


• Heat the gelatin with little milk to melt it. keep it aside.


• Cut the cashews into small pieces. mix the condensed milk with the milk , add the cashew and essence to it


• Take out the cornflakes dish from fridge and pour this condensed milk mixture above it, slowly using a spoon. Again refrigerate


• Decorate the pudding once it is set with cherries. Serve chilled

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Besan Ladoo

This is a sweet often prepared at our home , during most festivities. So we thought of sharing the recipe used by our mom and grand mom, during this time , when festivities are around the corner. Hope it is useful to all of you.

Ingredients

Besan Flour 200 grams

Ghee 100-125 grams

Powdered sugar 200 grams

Khova 200 grams

Cashews and raisins 4tbsp9finely chopped)

Saffron little

Cardamom Powder 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee, fry cashew nuts and keep aside.

2. Roast besan in 1/2 the remaining ghee over a low flame till it gives a good roasted flavor and turns pale brown.

3. Allow it to cool completely.

4. Add powdered sugar and mashed Khova. Mix well. Add cardamom powder and half the cashew nuts and saffron.

5. Mix well . Add remaining ghee a table spoon at a time till the mixture holds together. Shape the mixture into laddoos and decorate with remaining nuts

These delicious laddoos are very easy to make. There is no anxiety about getting the consistency of sugar syrup right.

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Dal Makhani

Ingredients: 1/2 toor dal 1/4 cup yellow moong dal 1/4 cup masoor dal 1 onion, chopped 2 green chilies, sliced 1/4 tsp ginger, grated 1/2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp red chili powder 3-4 tbsp butter Salt to taste

Method: Mix and wash dals well. Soak for 30 minutes. Pressure cook till soft but not over cooked. (approx. 3 whistles) Mash a little with the back of a spoon, while hot. Heat butter in a deep pan. Add seeds, allow to splutter. Add onion, ginger and green chilies. Stir fry till soft, add masalas (red chilies and salt), dals and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander and lemon juice. Serve hot with rice, rotis, etc. Makes: 3-4 servings Preparation time: 30 minutes (excluding soaking & pressure cooking time) Post for side dish for chappati event by Viki's kitchen

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Some more ceramic murals....

We have posted two more of our ceramic works done by us some time back. One is a pot decorated with flowers and so on and another is a wall hanging (mural) made use of ceramic dough , the procedure d the dough has been explained in our earlier posts. But could take snaps of them only now. So we have uploaded them . Hope you all like it.

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Bread craft- flower making

This art was learnt from a craft show on T.V. It was quite easy to do as the materials required for this bread craft would be available with all of us. We tried it out on the same day itself, it came out well. so thought we would post the procedure for the same.

Materials required:
Bread slices ( 2 days old) 3-4 slices
Pot/ any board( for sticking the flowers and leaves)
Fevicol
Acrylic colours
varnish

Method:
1. Cut the edges of the bread slices and use only the white portion of it.
2. Powder the bread slices in a mixer
3. Mix with fevicol and knead well into a elastic and smooth dough
4. You can divide the dough and add different colours and create different coloured doughs
5. Using this make flowers and leaves and stems and stick them on the choosen surfave and allow it to dry . Then give a coating or two of varnish.

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Rabri

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups full cream milk
4 tbsp milk powder
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh malai-optional
a few pista
silver leaf

Method:

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottom kadai/pan
2. Mix milk powder in a little hot milk so that it is lumpy and not smooth.
3. Add the milk powder, sugar, malai to the milk in the pan.
4. Cook for 30 minutes on low heat till it turns thick. Cool.
5. Keep in a separate dish, decorated with shredded pista and silver leaf.
6. Serve chilled

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Honey Baked Bananas

Ingredients:
4 Bananas
4 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp Honey
8-10 Blanced almonds-Chopped
3 tbsp Fresh breadcrumbs
50 grams butter
2 tbsp powdered sugar
150 grams Cream
3 tbsp orange juice
Method:

1. Peel bananas. Arrange side by side in a greased ovenproof dish
2. Pour lemon juice and honey over them.
3. Cut butter into small pieces. Mix with breadcrumbs and powdered sugar.
4. Sprinkle bread crumbs over bananas. Scatter almonds over the bananas.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 200 deg celcius. Serve with cream mixed with orange juice.

This is aan entry for Dil Se's CFK- Evening Snacks.

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Beer Candle

Materials

• Glass container (Beer Mug)
• Wick
• Hot glue
• Gel wax
• Liquid dye
• Paraffin wax

Method

You can make foamy beer candles which look exactly like beer. This candles are easy and fun to make.

To make Beer candles, Paraffin wax is also needed along with the other basic materials of Gel Candle making. Stick the wick by a wick base or glue in a Beer mug. Suspend the wick vertically in the container by tying it to a split cane or a toothpick. Melt enough gel wax in a double boiler over a low heat. Add dye until a nice beer color is obtained, Yellow and gold work well. Pour the wax into the beer glass, leaving some space in the top of the glass and keep it for setting.

Melt the paraffin wax and when the wax starts solidifying, beat it with a fork or an egg beater until it froths up into a foam. Now using the fork apply the froth on the top of the gel candle made. Allow some top run over the side for more realism. Make sure the wick is still centered, and allow to cool.

Alternative method to add a foamy head to the candle: add little white crayons to a small amount of melted gel. Stir well and pour over the hardened first layer. Stir with wooden stick or spoon to create bubbles and pour over the hardened layer.

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 2 whole roasted red peppers
• 1/4 cup Tahini paste, at room temperature
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp of juice)
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp canola oil & 2 tbsp water - or more at an equal ratio
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• paprika

Method:

1. Put into the food processor the beans, roasted red peppers, tahini paste, garlic, lemon zest & juice, cumin, salt & pepper. Process for a few minutes until everything is finely chopped.
2. Now stream in the canola oil and water mixture. You can keep adding more oil and water in an equal ratio until you have a smooth creamy consistency, you want it to be easily spreadable.
3. Place in a container and pour 1-2 Tbsp olive oil over the hummus. Just enough to make a thin layer over the top, this will help keep the hummus moist. Sprinkle with some paprika and either serve immediately or refrigerate. Be sure to sprinkle with a bit more olive oil and paprika before you serve it.

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Tanjore paintings

In this 200th post we wish to inform you all that we are ranked 75th in the indiblogger.com rating. Thank you all for your continued support. We wish you do the same in the future too., as this will inspire us to do lot better job. We are posting two of our recent tanjore works that were completed. We gifted the Perumal painting to our aunt and the other to our school friend as a wedding gift. please give your valuable comments.

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New England Clam Chowder Recipe

This is one of my favourite food.

Ingredients:

• 6 large potatoes, peeled or with skins, cut into medium sized cubes
• 1/2 pound hickory smoked bacon, cut small
• 1 stick (4 ounces) butter
• 1 large onion, chopped small
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 stalks celery, chopped small
• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 8 cups clam broth with 4 cubes clam bouillon or 2-4 Tbsp clam base
• 2 tsp thyme leaves, ground
• 4 bay leaves, whole
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
• 2 cups clams, steamed, shucked and chopped
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced fine

Directions:

1. In a medium size pot, cook potatoes until crisp tender, not quite done. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, cook bacon until crisp, or if using salt pork, sear on all sides until lightly
3. browned. Remove bacon and/or salt pork and drain on paper towel. Set aside. Drain all but 4 Tbsp bacon drippings, leaving that in the pot.
4. Add butter and let melt. Add onion, garlic and celery and saute in the butter and bacon drippings until cooked through.
5. Stir in flour to make a thick roux.
6. Add clam broth and bouillon 2 cups at a time, stirring continuously until thick and creamy.
7. Add thyme, black pepper and bay leaves being careful not to break the leaves.
8. Cook for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly. Turn heat to low.
9. Add clams, potatoes and bacon or salt pork and simmer for 15 minutes more.
10. Add the heavy cream and parsley and turn off the burner.
11. Ladle into sourdough bread bowls and serve with oyster crackers.
12. Refrigerate leftovers.
13. Serves 15-20. Divide the recipe if you must!

There are many different chowder recipes, each one a little more unique with various spices, broth or vegetables. Use this recipe as a base, then vary it each time to make it your own.

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Ennai Kathirikkai / Stuffed eggplant curry from Tamilnadu

Ingredients
Brinjal / Eggplant - 6 small ones
Tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

To grind
Roasted Peanuts - 1 tablespoon
Coriander seeds/Dhania - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoonChanna dal -1 tablespoon
Black peppercorns - 1 teaspoon
Sesame - 1 teaspoon
Red chillies - 5
Coconut - 1/4 cup grated
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 teaspoon

Directions
In a small pan, add a teaspoon of oil and roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, channa dal, peppercorns, red chillies, sesame seeds and asafoetida together on low heat. Take care they do not burn. Allow them to cool and grind them together along with the roasted peanuts,salt and the grated coconut.
Wash the brinjals and slice the stem at the top. Then make two perpendicular slits from the top. The slit should be made 3/4 th way and not till the bottom.

Now stuff the ground masala, inside the slit brinjals and leave them aside for about 15 minutes.
Heat a pan with a little oil and season with cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the stuffed brinjals and also add the tamarind paste and a few tablespoons of water. Cover and allow it to cook until the brinjals soften. Then remove the lid and simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the oil comes out from the sides. Adjust salt.
Serve warm with rice or rotis.
Post for Side dish for chappati event by Viki's kitchen.

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The fundamentals of painting - landscapes

Let's imagine your canvas is in a rectangular shape;


Composition
Trace an imaginary vertical line a third of the way across the painting (on the left or right hand side). Here you position your main subject. Remember, it's this subject that must be highlighted. The painting must also be constructed on the basis of geometrical forms - this gives it structure.

Perspective
The horizon, seen from the point where your painting is in front of you, is a visible line if you're attempting a sea painting, otherwise an imaginary line.
Everything that is above : is as any horizontal line, coming together at their vanishing point on the horizon.
Everything below : likewise, the horizontal lines come together at the horizon.
Vertical lines : easy, they stay vertical (which is what cameras have such trouble with, owing to the curved structure of their lenses)
The vanishing point : The point where horizontal lines join. For example, the rails of a railroad converge at a certain point on the horizon line.

Changing values
In nature, looking at a landscape that to your eye has a foreground, a middleground and various more distant planes, like a range of mountains in the distance, you'll see the air becomes less clear with distance. If you're in the water, looking ahead of you, the phenomenom is even more apparent. A goldfish, for example, as your eye sees it, loses its color the further away it is from you, until it turns completely black.
Foregrounds : Can be portrayed with the greatest clarity,
Middlegrounds : Becoming more blurry,
More distant planes : gray-blues, colors are rendered more opaque due to dust or mist in the atmosphere.
Recommendation : This doesn't stop you, when painting a stormy mountain scene, for example, from depicting a ray of sunlight lighting up a village below. On the contrary, this is the element of the painting you should highlight.

Colors

The primary colors, blue, yellow and red, are the base colors, from which you create all the colors of your palette. You will also need black and white, to create gray. Observations : Black and white together give a slightly bluish gray. Black, yellow and white, will give a greenish-gray. Green and a touch of red produce a dull green. Secondary colors are obtained by mixing the primary colors according to the following diagram :

Depending on whether your mix is heavier in blue than yellow, you'll have a stronger or lighter green. The best way is to experiment with very small quantities and to judge the results for yourself.

For oil painting :
Turpentine helps to obtain umber colors (and also to clean your brushes). Linseed oil is good when you want to apply paint more thickly and to highlight luminosity.

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Gongura Royyalu Curry

Ingredients

Shrimp - 1 pound (Medium size) Gongura - 1 bunch (Take only the leaves) Onion - 1 medium (Chopped) Tomato - 1 medium (Chopped) Green chillies - 4 Tamarind - small piece Garlic - 4 flakes (Crushed) Red chilli powde - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1 pinch Ghee or butter - 1 tsp Salt

Cooking Procedure

Cook shrimp with little salt and turmeric. Cook gongura along with all other ingredients till it becomes soft and mash it with spoon if u want u can add little water while cooking. Now add cooked shrimp to it and cook for 5 more mins. Take 2 big spoons of oil and season with 1 tsp of channadal , 1/4 tsp of jeera , 2 whole red chillies and curry leaves. After seasoning cover it with a lid and cook for 10 more mins.

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Coffee Can Drum for kids

You will need:

• Aluminum coffee can with plastic lid( or any aluminium can of that size)
  
• 2 sheets yellow construction paper
• 1 sheet tan felt
• ½ sheet magenta felt
• Magenta yarn
• 1 rubber band
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• White craft glue
• 2 wooden dowels
• 2 small foam balls
• Blue yarn

How to make it:

1. Remove lid from coffee can and set aside for a later step.
2. Cover the side of the can with yellow construction paper. Use glue stick to apply glue all over construction paper then press on to the coffee can.
3. Using the white craft glue, “draw” diagonal lines onto the yellow construction paper. Start at the bottom, go up at a slant to the top, and then go down from there at a slant, creating a triangle. Continue this pattern all the way around the can.
4. Using magenta colored yarn, follow the glue lines and apply to the can. Do not cut the yarn into pieces; simply follow the lines, gently pressing the yarn into the glue as you go. Cut only once at the end.
5. Lay tan felt on the work surface.
6. Pipe white glue around and on the top of the plastic lid.
7. Place the plastic lid upside down in the center of the tan felt.
8. Use scissors to trim around the plastic lid, leaving a 1-2” border.
9. Place the felt-covered plastic lid onto the coffee can and secure.
10. Wrap the rubber band around the coffee can, securing the tan felt border to the side of the can. Gently pull the felt tight so that the top is smooth.
11. Cut two ½-inch wide strips from the magenta felt, enough to go around the coffee can at the bottom as well as at the top, around the tan felt, covering the rubber band. Glue in place with white craft glue.
12. To make the drumsticks, gently insert the end of a dowel into the foam ball. If you press too hard and the dowel goes through, just glue it back together.
13. Remove the dowel, and then add some white glue to the hole. Reinsert the dowel.
14. Cover the foam ball with white glue and wrap blue yarn around it until the ball is completely covered.
    
15. Put some glue on the dowel just below the ball and wrap some excess yarn around it. Trim and smooth in place with your fingers, be sure the end of the yarn isn’t sticking out.
16. Allow everything to dry before playing your new drum!
    

Tips:

• To take this project to the next level, have a parent poke a hole on each side of the coffee can before you begin. After pasting on the construction paper, find the holes and poke through, then thread a long piece of cord or yarn through both sides to create a band to go around your neck. Secure the ends by tying then together inside the can then complete the project.
• The colors chosen for this project are optional; make your drum personal by choosing your own colors.
• Be absolutely sure that you allow the project to dry completely (overnight is best) before playing your drum. If you don’t allow enough time, the drumsticks may fall apart.

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Koonthal ullitheeyal(Squid fry) from Kerala

We recently went to Kumarakom for a vacation. We came across this dish and it seemed to be a delicacy there. So here you go.

Ingredients: 1.koonthal cleaned and cut into rings - 1 kg 2.ginger - 1 piece 3.garlic - 4 pods 4.onion cut long - 2 5.meat masala - 2 tsp 6.chilli powder - 2 tsp 7.coriander pdr - 2 tsp 8.garam masala - 2 tsp 9.curry leaves - as require 10.coconut thin slices - 1/2 cup 11.crushed pepper

Directions: Add meat masala, half of ginger chopped,salt and turmeric powder along with koonthal and cook for 3 whistles in a pressure cooker. Heat 2 tbl spoon oil in a pan and fry the coconut then add chopped garlic,ginger,onion and fry it till golden brown . Add garam masala, coriander pdr, chilli pdr and curry leaves one by one till fry; add koonthal and fry till soft and dry ( If it is cooked more, the texture will become like rubber).

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Akki Roti from Karnataka

Ingredients :
Rice flour (Akki hittu)	-	2cups
Chopped green chillies	-	3-4nos
Grated fresh coconut	-	1/2cup
Chopped coriander leaves (kothumbari soppu)	-	2tbs
Cumin seeds (jeera)	-	1tsp
Asafoetida (hing)	-	a pinch
Turmeric powder	-	1/2tsp
Chopped 0nion	-	1no
Salt	-	to taste
Chilli powder	-	1 tsp (optional)
Oil	-	for roasting

Method of Preparation :

Mix all the ingredients with little oil in warm water. Knead well to make soft dough.

Spread some oil on the hand and take a lemon sized ball of the dough and pat it to thick rotti. Heat a pan and lace the prepared rotti on it. Make 3-4 holes in the rottis and pour few drops of oil in each hole. Cook well on both sides till golden brown. Repeat the same with the remaining dough.

Ragi Rotti can be made with the same procedure by replacing rice flour with ragi flour. Grated vegetables like carrots and cabbage can also be add while making the dough.

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Madhubani painting - DIY

We have already given you all a brief explanation about madhubani folk painting, which has been practised by the women of Bihar. Now we thought it would be more interesting to share the method of doing madhubani painting with you all. The method explained here is done on hand made paper.

Materials required:

Hand made paper( white), size of your choice)

Madhubani pen and nib (optional)

Indian ink(green, blue,red,orange, black)

Brush(000- size)

Trace of madhubani painting

Yellow carbon

Method:

1. Trace the design of madhubani using a yellow carbon on the hand made paper

2. Draw the outline using the madhubani pen, here you should dip the pen in black Indian ink and remove excess ink and draw thin outline on the entire painting

3. If you are more comfortable , you can use 000 size brush too

4. Fill in the designs using the different colours of Indian inks. In madhubani, mostly green and red are used. You can use other colours too.

5. Allow it to dry and frame it.

6. Madhubani paintings can be done on fabric too, then use fabric paints instead of Indian ink.

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Pumpkin Oambal Recipe from Assam

Ingredients:

1 lb./500 gms pumpkin, boiled and mashed
½ cup dilute tamarind water
½ cup grated Jaggery, dissolved
1 bay leaf
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp raisins
1 cup water
2 dry red chillies, slit
1 tsp mustard oil
salt to taste

Method:

Add the tamarind water to the pumpkin and mix well.
Heat the oil add mustard seeds and fry till thay start sizzling, then add chillies and bay leaf. Stir for a minute, add the raisins and stir for another minute.
Add the pumpkin-tamarind mixture and stir-fry for a couple of
minutes.
Stir in the jaggery mixture and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer
for a couple of minutes and remove from heat. Add the lime juice and stir well.
Remove the bay leaf before serving.

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Golyanchi Aamti from Maharastra

Ingredients:

1 cup Channa Daal soaked for 4-5 hours

1 med. Onion chopped fine

1 inch Ginger

5 cloves Garlic & 4 green Chilies +/- to taste (grind to make a paste)

4 tbsp. Besan

1tbsp Tamarind pulp / 1 small lemon size ball of Tamarind pulp

1 lump jaggery

Salt to taste

Oil (for tempering 2 tbsp)

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Dash Asafetida

Oil for deep frying

1/4 tsp Turmeric

Few curry leaves

4 cups Water

Method:

Drain the soaked channa daal and grind it with the ginger. Add the fine chopped onion. Add salt and turmeric and 1 tbsp Besan.Mix it well and make small marble sized balls. Heat oil and deep fry the balls to a crisp golden brown.

In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil, add the mustard seeds, after they pop, add cumin seeds, asafetida, turmeric and curry leaves. Add the water to the tempering. Bring this to a rolling boil. In the mean time add some water to the remaining 3 tbsp besan and make a smooth paste. Add this paste to the boiling water, this will make it thick.

Add the tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery and the chilli-garlic paste. Boil for a few mins.

Add the deep fried balls and boil for 2 mins. In about 30 mins. the balls will have soaked well and the daal will be thick.

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Goan Prawn Balchao

Ingredients :

1 kg. Prawns(shelled and de-veined)
2 tsps. Salt
2 tsps. Tumeric powder
300 ml. Oil
1 onion (chopped)
8 curry leaves
1 garlic pod paste
5 inch ginger
4 or 5 tbsps Galmbo Balchao (shrimp preserve, see below for recipe)
3 tsps. Sugar


Preparation :

Wash the prawns well and drain out the water completely. Apply salt and turmeric powder and allow to stand for 2 hours. Drain out any water that collects.

Heat the oil in a large pan, fry the onions till tender, add prawns and fry them well.

In another pan, heat the remaining oil, add curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste and Galmbo Balchao (shrimp preserve).

Stir-fry on slow fire for a few seconds. Mix the fried prawns and sugar. Simmer for 2 minutes and keep the pan down from the fire.

Cool and bottle. Please do not use water at all.


Galmbo Balchao

Ingredients :

1 kg galmbo (absolutely fine shrimps)
1 bottle palm feni
1 pod garlic
12 peppercorns
6 dry red chillies
3 tablespoons salt
2 clean dry empty bottles


Preparation :

Clean the shrimps thoroughly, wash and tie in a muslin cloth.

Allow to hang for about 12 hours till all the water has drained out. Squeeze out any water that may be left.

Grind the shrimps, salt, garlic and peppercorns (on a dry grinding stone) with palm feni only. Mix dry chillies (whole).

If any feni is left, it may be added to the shrimps paste. Fill in the bottles and cap tightly.

This preserve is used in the preparation of fish, prawns and pork balchao.

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