Free Imagine Things

I keep making this Matki ki Subzi now and then, when I came back from India last time, I had been to my sister's place in pune, she keeps making this gravy and my kids liked it very much, when I came back here I found these beans in Asian shop here and always tried in her style, which is a very simple way she learnt from her Marati friend. But, as always a but.... You know by now if you are a regular reader of my blog I always want to know more about spices and I love using them in various food I make and I am always so very delighted to try them out, don't you agree, I was looking for authentic recipes, and I love Every mom's cooking! the style and the experience always matters, and here I found a wonderful recipe very authentic I thought, I love her blog her writing skills and her cool way of blogging, she doesn't blabber or doesn't have any fanciful things in her blog, so plain and beautiful that's what I like in her, someday I want to change my blog like hers.
Do believe me, I made A for Amti Masala, K for kollapuri Chutney (I did just like her mom's not her easy way out :)), Have you been to Kollapur anytime, do surely go, I love the Mahalaxshmi temple and of course my favourite Kollapur slippers, I always had a pair with me and loved to walk in it especially during summer, what a sound elegance and comfortable touch it gives you.
sorry for going away from the topic, yes I made it too, I still have some left  which I can use a few more times I suppose.
I kind of made it not as she described it as chat, I made it to go with my chapatis and pulkas.

USAL/MISAL GRAVY (MATKI/MOTH BEANS GRAVY)



First of all you need to sprout the Matki/Moth beans here is a picture of Moth Beans/Matki and its sprout :)




Soak the Matki/Moth Beans over night, drain out the water, tie it in a muslin/cotton cloth and keep something heavy on it and sprinkle water now and then within 2 days you can see the sprouts this is an old method sprouting happens depending upon the legumes you use, otherwise, buy a sprouts maker (sold in India/Bangalore which I bought for 200/-, which has two tiers and you can sprout two at a time)
Coming back to the recipe :
Recipe Source :  Nupur's - One hot stove

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Matki/Moth Beans (yields about 3 to 4 cups of sprouted beans)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 large onion (2 medium onions)
1/2 cup Peanuts (raw/roasted)
2 Medium potatoes
3 to 4 flakes of Tamarind
1 tbsp of Jaggery
salt to taste

MISAL PASTE 
This is her mom's method of making this usal which I thought very authentic, than Nurpur's short cut method, so as she was kind enough to post it, I was quite happy using this method.
Here it is how she makes:
2 Chopped Onions
1/2 cup fresh coconut
1 tbsp Kollapuri Masala


METHOD:
Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds once they splutter, add onions and saute them, until they change colour, then add potatoes, Sprouts and Peanuts ( I precooked them, as I did not know how well they cooked this way).
Simmer and cook all the above said Ingredients with 3 to 4 cups of water until they are well done.
soak Tamarind in 1/2 cup of water and microwave for a minute, remove it from oven and keep it aside until you are able to squeeze the juice out of it.
Meanwhile saute onions until brown and then add the fresh coconut and kollapuri masala, grind them to a smooth paste.
Add this Masala paste to the cooking gravy with Tamarind  and Jaggery, Taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste, cook them until the gravy thickens and  the seasonings are perfect, Garnish with Cilantro (coriander leaves) and then switch off the stove.
Ready to serve with anything you wish.
If you want to turn this into a chat, all you have to do is go to her blog :)), she will tell you what to do, I will try to post it an other time, as I did not make it as a chat but had it with my pulkas!

Sending this to PJ who is hosting Flavours of Maharashtra started by Naina
I would like to send this to AWED - Indian Cuisine, hosted by Taste of pearl city

Hi everybody, This is a must read recipe, a Fantastic twist to the Traditional Iyengar Puliyodharai Recipe.
I would first give my heartfelt condolences to all those people who died due to mother earth's fury and Tsunami, to all those little ones to the Older generation who have lost their their loved ones, their kiths, kins, family and friends.  It still doesn't seem to stop with the Nuclear explosions and aftermaths and an other warning again on the 19th is extremely painful to see and hear.  May the God help all those people who are going through this harder times and protect them from any more disasters.
It's been such a busy week, no time to do anything. Lot of things are piling up, we have bright Sun  shining through the cold weather, Making us think we are going to have a good Summer may be :), this time at least.
Walking through the supermarket, I saw these lovely Grapes and of course they were on offer picked up the two lots and came to the counter and paid, only to walk past a few paces as usual to look up the receipt to check out  if the discounts, offers have come up on the bill, If you don't do, then don't forget to check out next time to make sure you have paid for what you thought you wanted to pay for!. then realized that the offer hadn't come up, so back to the customer services, in the queue, just then son called from sports center asking us to pick him up and it was so cold, we just had to leave both the grapes and came back home very disappointed, as walking through I had made up my mind what I was going to try :)) but no Grapes :(( very disappointed.
But, I wouldn't let it go, next day back again to an other supermarket, no offers but, I wouldn't let go and bought these Black Grapes, these grapes weren't very sweet they were more on the sour side I think.
So, Let's get to the recipe then, curious to know how I made this, lovely Gorgeous Pulikaachal with Grapes! and made Grapes Puliyodharai.

BLACK GRAPES PULIYODHARAI / BLACK GRAPES IN TANGY SPICY SAUCE RICE

INGREDIENTS FOR PREPARING THE PULIKAACHAL
Black Grapes 400 to 450 gms (1and 3/4th Cup Juice)
3 tbsp of  Thick Tamarind Juice ( from 15 gms of Tamarind)
3 tbsp Salt
80 gms Jaggery
60 gms Rasam Powder (Molagapudi)
1 tsp of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds/Menthya/Methi seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp of Pepper corns
SEASONING:
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
few curry leaves
METHOD:
First of all pluck the grapes from their stalks, Immerse them in salted water for at least half an hour, clean the water and use fresh water and rinse them again, this is the way I always use my Grapes just to make sure that  If it is been treated with Insecticides or pesticides are removed for good.
Microwave Tamarind  for a minute with 1/2 cup of water and allow it to cool .
Meanwhile try to find seedless Grapes, which makes your job much easier, other wise find some body to help you with removing the seeds, mine had single seeds, some were seedless too, so it was quick for my family to remove the seeds. (Just be cautious like me, that they slice one and eat the next one in the process! even then I lost few grapes :)).
Once the Grapes are done, run them in a mixie, and make juice, filter it and you would be left with pith, using some of the juice with the pith again blend it well into a smooth puree. I got exactly 1 and 3/4th cup of Juice, If you have more juice either you drink it or you can use it to make the Pulikaachal only adjust the Ingredients by tasting it now and then :)).


Then take a big pan/wok, heat oil, once it is hot add the sesonings in the list above, once the mustard seeds spluttter, Add the Grape juice and allow it boil, for few minutes until it reduces a little bit, now add the Tamarind juice and allow it boil, once it starts boiling vigorously, be carefully as it starts splattering every where, so I always reduce to a medium flame, and keep stirring around very often which reduces the splattering,
Meanwhile in a pan heat 1/4 tsp of oil and  fry fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and pepper corns, then grind it into a fine powder and keep aside.
When the Juices are boiling add the Rasam powder and the powdered Masala to it and salt and keep boiling for few more minutes, then add Jaggery and now it starts thickening very soon, so be careful keep stirring and it starts to thicken and becomes like a Gojju or should I say kind of lehya (sauce).

Once the Gojju or Pulikaachal is ready as you can see above it was quite tasty.
TO PREPARE BLACK GRAPES PULIKAACHAL/TANGY SAUCE RICE

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Rice
5 to 6 Cups of Water (use it according to your Rice )
Salt as per taste
SEASONINGS:
3 to 4 tbsp of Oil
2 to 3 Red Chillies
1 tsp Mustard seeds
few curry leaves
one fist ful of groundnuts/Peanuts
1 tbsp channa dal
1 tbsp Urad dal
1/2 tsp of Asafoetida
EXTRA SEASONING FOR THE RICE
3 to 4 tbsp of Til seeds
1/2 cup of Dry Copra/Dry coconut
METHOD:
Now go ahead and prepare the Rice,
First of all Prepare the Rice, Make rice like you make for Chitranna/ or for any Rice bath, allow it cool and separate the grains.
Take a pan and dry fry the Til seeds once they start to splutter, switch off the stove and keep aside when it is cool, Mix it with Grated Dry copra and make it into a powder, this powder will be little moist, no need to panic it is how it is meant to be, Because Till seeds and Dry Copra release their oils when grinding :), Keep this powder ready to use later.
Take a big pan or wok heat oil then add mustard seeds once they splutter add the Ground nuts and fry for few minutes, keep the flame low the peanuts start breaking up or making noises,add the Red chillies, now add the dhals and curry leaves once they change colour put of the stove, I usually add the Pulikaachal to this and loosen it, so it is easy for me to mix it with rice, My mom she spreads the rice on a large plate, top it with the required quantity of pulikaachal/Tangy Sauce needed to the amount of rice we are using and  pour this hot Seasoning on to it. Either way it doesn't make any difference, I prefer to do it like this.
To this Seasoned Pulikaachal add Til and Copra powdered and required amount of salt, then mix it with rice throughly well incorporated.
Once it is well and evenly covered with the Tangy Sauce leave it at least for an hour before serving, this way the rice absorbs the Flavours well and will taste very well.
Serve it with popadoms or Cucumber Raitha or as I love to eat it with Carrot Kosumbari.
Here is an other click of Grapes Rice.

MY VERDICT: When I made it, I asked my Hubby to taste it, he said it has come out very well, only my friend knew I had used Grapes instead of Tamarind, I saw my H raising his eyebrows and said it was really good, My girls were very happy that their favourite puliyogarai still tastes like puliyogarai :)!, and My Son who love and can live on puliyogarai everyday said - Wow mum, an amazing creation, our favourite dish made with healthy Ingredients, He only came to know when I asked him to put the left over pulikaachal into a box and keep in the fridge.
NOTES: Pulikaachal made with tamarind usually stays up to 6 months to an year. I don't know how long this one stays, This kind of Rice, tastes better the next day!, Use pulikaachal to your taste and to the amount of rice you are using.

I like to thanks Satya, for hosting this event Twist the traditional - Puliyogarai, otherwise I would have never thought of trying this out!, Many many thanks to you Satya, this is for your event, I am also sending this to Nivedita's Original Recipes only started by Pari of Food delicious.












C u soon with a new recipe , take care , bye...

Hi one more recipe from Raks kitchen, It was quite different from my Iyengar puloiyogarai I usually make, my kids love puliyogare, so I chose to do this and try how it tastes, Mmm.., It was so nice and we all enjoyed. Thanks for sharing this recipe Raji.

TAMARIND RICE /PULIYOGARE WITH PULIKAACHAL
















INGREDIENTS:
1 big lemon size Tamarind
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1 tsp Jaggery
Salt as required
1 and 1/2 cup water
curry leaves
1 fist full of peanuts/ground nuts

TO TEMPER
1 tbsp mustard seeds
7 to 8 Red chillies (she uses 10-15)
4 tbsp Urad dal
3 tbsp Channa dal
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
curry leaves
5 to 6 tbsp Sesame oil

TO ROAST AND GRIND
2tbsp of Channa dal
4 Nos Red chillies
3/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds/Venthyam
1 tbsp Urad dal
1 tsp Pepper

METHOD:

















Take a pan fry all the Ingredients under to roast and Grind with a tsp of oil and roast them until the colour changes and allow it to cool, then grind to a smooth powder.
Meanwhile take the lemon sized ball of Tamarind in a 1 and 1/2 cup of water put it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 1 minute. ( I always do this as it is so fast method when I am in a hurry to make sambhar, Rasam etc.., when I decide what I am going to make first thing I microwave Tamarind in water and allow it cool until I require it,  by that time it would have a cooled for our hand to handle this is the quickest way to make the tamarind soft and easy to handle).
Squeeze the lemon juice and keep it aside filtering the pith.
Take a large pan heat oil and add all the things under the heading to temper when they change colour,  add the Tamarind juice, allow it boil until the raw smell disappears.
Now add the  powder to the boiling tamarind water, now keep a careful eye on it turn the stove into a medium flame and keep stirring it and it starts thickening and becomes like a paste (rather should say like lehyam).
Switch of the stove, now add it to the cooked rice ( with another 2 tbsp of oil).
I grated 100 gms of dry coconut and 4 tbsp of Black Sesame seeds (fry the seeds in a wok till it starts spluttering now take it of the stove) grind both of these into a powder.
Add this to the Rice with the Pulikaachal mix well with Rice.
Do not serve it immediately, leave it at least for 1/2 an hour, this helps the rice to absorb the paste well into it and it tastes gorgeous.

















I am sending this to my own event Blogger Marathon from Raks kitchen....

Hi, I had this lovely dal few days back, My second daughter was the first to have food, and she said it was 'Thumba chennagide' means it's very nice, I think the combination of dates and tamarind was very good!, I have to tell I was thinking twice to try this out, as my kids are not any more kids they are teenagers who don't get pleased very easily.
I thank Srivalli, for this venture of me, cooking dates in a dal recipe, and want to thank Pratibha and Jigyasa for allowing us to use this recipe from your second book 'Sukam Ayu'.
The dal was quite tasty with different flavours, I had to tweak it a little bit, nothing drastically I had no dried dates so used soft dates, cooked them with Dal so they can be mashed up and my children wouldn't even know !!.
I couldn't get hold of yam so I had to omit it, I used lot of other vegetables such as carrots, beans, Lilva beans, Drumsticks and it was really nice.
I could notice the Fenugreek taste in the Dal, sweetness and tangyness of dates and tamarind, I omitted Jaggery as my hubby seems to find out even a little bit of Jaggery I add!, he did ask me if I had added Jaggery but when I told him what I had done, he said Mmmm.., and said it was quite nice.
so here is the recipe...

GUJARATI DAL






















INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Tuvar Dal
2 Drumsticks
1 Medium sized carrot
1/2 cup Lilva Beans
7 to 8 French Beans
A fist full of Ground nuts (Peanuts)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 Green chillies
5 Nos soft dates
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Coriander powder
few Coriander leaves

FOR SEASONING:
1 tsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
4 Nos Red chillies
curry leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida

METHOD
Cook Tuvar dal with turmeric powder and dates ( but in the recipe what valli sent us was you have to use dried dates soak them in warm water and cook them with other vegetables, as I had no dried dates and I did not want my kids to find out what was in it I cooked them together with Tuvar dal and mashed them well) in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
chop the Veggies, cook them in a vessel with 2 to 2 and 1/2 cup of water with a ladle in the vessel and close the top with another broader vessel ( say like a besan type of vessel) with a cup of water in it. This helps in cooking the veggies quicker and faster in a medium flame, keep an eye when it is boiling so it doesn't burn underneath with no water :)). Add the masala powder, tamarind and Jaggery and let it also cook when the veggies are half cooked.
Once the veggies are done, add the Dal to them mix together and cook them again for few minutes adjust salt and curry leaves.
Meanwhile in a small wok, heat a tbsp of Ghee and add all the Ingredients under seasoning fry them for 2 minutes, add this to the dal and serve hot with a dollop of ghee and rice or with chapati or pulka.l
Mmm.., very delicious, you too make this healthy recipe and enjoy it.

Hi all,
First of all I want to apologise to all dear friends who have posted such lovely comments in my blog, Thanks to all of you, I have not been able to visit and thank you in the blog, because of shortage of time, I as always late in posting my recipes for the events, even though I made them in advance,  Hoping all of those dear friends would accept them to their round-ups.
My today's post is a recipe which I got from Anjana Aunty, who is bubbly lady with a lovely personality, and of course a superb cook, This happened in the 2nd week of Jan, I called my sister to wish her son for his Birthday which was way 8 days late :)), that's me!! but I have to blame my H, he is one who usually texts me all my sister's, BILs, niece, nephews, Daddy's and Mom's all kind of dates telling me to wish them, this time he forgot to do and I conveniently forgot it, the best thing was, the day I called she was having a party for his B' day and Aunty was home and she had brought her Thumbida Badanekaayi to go with Jolada Rotti, Mmm.., what a combination, don't you feel tempted, as I do prepare it two to three different ways, I wanted to know her style of cooking,  I remembered that I had bought few round Brinjals just the week before. My kids love the subzi's I make out of it, She told me what all Ingredients she uses, she was not able to tell me the exact measurements I just gave it a try and it turned out very well, and we all enjoyed it with Jolada Rotti.

STUFFED SMALL BRINJALS / THUMBIDA BADANEKAAYI / BARWA BAINGAN
















INGREDIENTS:
For the Curry:
16 Small Brinjals
Few Curry Leaves (2 to 3 sprigs)
1/4 Cup or 5 tbsp of Oil
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
Marble size Jaggery (optional)
20 gms/size of Marble/ 5 to 6 Flakes of Tamarind
Few Coriander Leaves to Garnish (5 to 6 stalks)
2 Medium sized Onions
4 to 5 Garlic Pods
Salt as Required

For the Masala Powder :
1 Cup Coriander seeds
1 tbsp Urad dal
1-1/2 tsp Bengal gram Dal
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1-1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Poppy seeds
1/2 tsp Pepper corns
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2 Sticks (1'' Pieces) Cinnamon sticks
4 Cloves
3 to 4 Marati Moggu
1/4 tsp Asafoetida/Hing
1-1/2 tbsp of White Till seeds
1-1/2 tbsp of Uchellu / niger seeds
60 gms / more than 1/4 cup of Dry Copra
1/4 Cup Peanuts/Ground nuts
6 - 5 Guntur -Badgi Dry Red Chillies

















METHOD:
First of all soak around 20gms/size of marble/5 to 6 Flakes of Tamarind in 1 cup of hot water
In a tsp of oil add Fenugreek first, when it turns golden brown in colour, add cinnamon sticks, Marati Moggu, cloves and fry for a minute, then add Mustard seeds, pepper corns, Dry Red Chillies and cumin fry for a minute when they smell very nice, and the cumin turns golden in colour, then take all of them out in a plate, now add Channa dal fry with a drop of oil until it changes colour take it out, then another tiny bit of oil and fry Urad dal until it changes colour take it out, then add another tiny bit of oil add Coriander seeds and fry until they change colour to golden colour, Leave them on the plate until they cool down. (you can also fry the dals and coriander seeds together with the other ingredients one by  one)
In the same wok fry ground nuts nicely until it changes colour, may be 5 minutes to 7 minutes, the skin starts peeling off, take it out and allow it cool.
Then fry both the Till seeds  separately (White and Niger seeds) until they start popping or spluttering out, take these out on to a plate to cool
Grate the Dry Copra/ Coconut fry just for a minute and keep it aside to cool.
Rubbing in both palms remove the skin and the small nodes in the Ground nuts and Grind just the two parts of the nuts and powder and keep aside.
Once they are all cool Grind the dals first into a smooth powder then to this add the Till seeds and the Dry Coconut/Copra and make the powder.
Now your Masala powder is ready. This powder can be stored in an Air tight container. when ever you want to make this gravy, Vegetable bath, or any dry curry with any other vegetables which might go well with the masala, Gojjus or you can even use it for sambhar (omitting adding of til seeds).

















Once the Masala is ready now the process is easy.
Here I did a little variation, actually I did not grinded both the coconuts into a smooth paste rather than using the Dry copra to make the masala powder as I intended to use all the powder immediately and I did not keep it for any storing.
Take the 2 Onions and Garlic pods and grind them into a smooth paste.
In a bowl take the Masala powder, Ground nut powder, Onion - Garlic paste, and Coconut paste mix all this together with 1 tbsp of salt.
Slit open the Brinjals as shown and fill up them with masala powder and keep it ready. you will be left with some masala powder paste as well.















Take a large pan/ wok heat 1/4 cup of oil to this add mustard seeds, when they splutter add turmeric powder and slide in the filled Brinjals and curry leaves into the pan and saute them carefully for 2 minutes until all the brinjals are coated with oil.
You will be left with some masala powder paste, to this add nicely squeezed Tamarind water to this remaining paste, mix well together  add this to the Pan as shown in the picture add another 2 to 3 cups of water depending on how gravy you want your subzi to be and also adjust the salt, remember you have already added some to the powder paste while filling the Brinjals, Cover and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes in a low flame, just check now and then and turn them around slowly, so that they don't get squished and dry up, if it dries up add a bit of water.
















But, usually it cooks well in that flame and the gravy thickens too, chop few fresh coriander leaves and Garnish and serve hot with Roti, Naan, pulkas or chapatis.
Here is an other click of my Badanekaayi Yennagai..

















will write about Jolada rotti soon....

Variation: If you cannot get Tamarind you can substitute it with 2 small Tomatoes.
Do not forget to adjust salt and Red chillies to your taste, as chillies usually differ.

I am sending this to Kavita's Healing food - Egg plant event , started by Siri.
Hope you enjoy making it as we did.. Have a good day... take care... bye..... c u soon.....

Hi everybody, Hoping you are all doing well, Its such an amazing fact, everyday I see lot of recipes being created, and still we find lot of them to be new and have never tried, I am not talking about baking, its just our everyday cooking!!, isn't it ?, we should thank Google for creating us such a lovely opportunity, which has brought the whole world together, when it comes to food, we all love to try at every opportunity to make the different cuisines from all over the world which has brought an interesting life in our kitchens, everyday I think of something I want to try differently and everyday it is an opportunity I feel I do not want to forgo!!, I try my best do something different everyday!!, That is how this recipe came into my kitchen!!, I just wanted to try something different from the same noodles which I always do, which my family enjoy it. I wanted to try this variation and it was quite a hit, even my friends liked it.




Ingredients:

• 4 small sized onions
• 2 medium sized beetroot
• 6 baby corns
• 1 sprig curry leaves chopped
• 4 to 5 sprigs of coriander leaves chopped
• 3 to 4 green chillies 
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• salt as required
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup roasted dehusked peanut powder
• 1/4 cup roasted gram or dharia or chutney dal powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• few cashewnuts (optional)

1. First of all I would like to tell you all the above said ingredients were suitable according to my veggies so, just use ingredients according to your taste 
2. Second thing is as I said in my onion pakoras I had equal quantity of  the flour  dal powders mixed and ready and used it only as needed accordingly to the veggies so, just keep the mixed powder ready and use it accordingly and store the left over for another session!
3. First of all chop onions into thin slices just like the pakora style, then grate baby corns and grate Beetroot after peeling the skin, 
4. Then add salt, mix well and leave it for sometime
5. Meanwhile chop curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, a little piece of ginger grated
6. After 15 to 20 minutes if you check the bowl with the veggies it would have given out some water on its own.
7. Now mix all the spices powder and garnishes mix well
8. Now add the 3 powder and mix well, use only required quantity of water to bind the ingredients not too much so the water which is given by the veggies help them to bind with the powders, just like how you make the pakoras
9. Heat oil in a kadai, when the oil is quite hot drop the pakoras and fry them until they are done, I can not say to golden brown in this one !
10. Until the pakoras are well fried and looks quite reddish ( Oh! you would know when to take it out)
11. Now it is ready, serve it with nice green-coconut-mint chutney or just with rasams 0r sambhars or as a tea time snack 

I am not reposting this, but just linking this to Priya of Mharo Rajasthan who is hosting Siri's Healing food event, which this month is Beetroots, I know of course this is not a healthy dish, just a change in everyday cooking.
Back again to link this recipe with Torviewtoronto's Food Palette Red event , I hope she likes it....