Jeera Rice and Rajma

Me: Hey! Do I pack lunch for you tomorrow?

Hubby: Ye. But no rotis or dosai. We have had enough of them this week.

Me: Sigh! No mood to make anything elaborate.[..tell me something new, is what you might remark. But yes, laziness is my virtue. :0)...yet the 5 cm thing, which is usually referred to as the "tongue", refuses to swallow something which is not even remotely close to something called good taste.]

And so, I soaked Rajma the previous night so i can make quick Rajma the next morning. Namita, my neighbour in Chennai is whom I have to thank for feeding me with this recipe and thereby fueling my aspirations to write a cook book with conventional recipes that can be made in a "quick fix" manner. Well, the cook book is not yet in process. It might take ages I suppose, for me to pen/type out all of them. And given my snail's pace with such things, well, I leave the rest to your imagination.

Ok, what is with me and tangential topics all the time. I guess I follow the famous author Lakshmi Kannan's "stream of consciousness" mode of writing. The mind keeps wandering from one topic to another by holding onto some link in the thought process linking two instances or topics and the writing or blogging follows the same path too. I figured that yummy lunches are sometimes the result of not arduous hours spent in the kitchen but a matter of common sense and applying it in whatever you decide to do.

And so, I decided to make Rajma and dunked the idea of rotis and instead made Jeera rice. It took me about 25 minutes, including the preparation time to fix the lunch. And voila! I was prepared to receive compliments...and slink away from making breakfast too. We had Jeera rice and Rajma for both breakfast and lunch. Well, it was hot breakfast and cold lunch. But then, Rajma, whether hot or cold, would just taste as yummy..:).

So, here we go with our recipes.

Jeera Rice

Ingredients

Basmati Rice- 1 1/2 cups[rinsed and soaked in water for about 15-20 mins]
Cumin seeds-2 tbsp
Ghee/Oil-2 tsp
Elaichi/Cardamom-2 pods
Cloves-2-3
Cinnamon stick-1
Water-3 cups
Salt-as per taste

Method

1. Heat a kadai/wok and add the ghee to it.
2. When the ghee becomes hot, add the Cumin seeds, elaichi, cloves and cinnamom stick and fry for about 10-15 seconds
3. Add the rice and 3 cups water and salt and cook with the lid on until the water boils. Then uncover, reduce the flame and set a timer for 10 minutes. Switch off the stove in exactly 10 minutes. Else the rice becomes pasty.

Rajma
Ingredients

Rajma or kidney beans-1 cup[soaked for over 8 hours]
Onion-2[large]
Tomatoes-6[large]
Garlic pods-3
Green chillies-3-4
Cloves-3-4
Elaichi-2 pods
Cumin powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Garam masala-2 tsp
Cinnamon stick-1
Salt-as per taste
Ghee/oil-for frying
Water-2 1/2 cups
Green coriander-for garnish
Method

1. Blend Onion, garlic and green chillies into a smooth paste.
2. Heat oil/ghee in a pressure cooker and add cloves, cinnamon and elaichi and fry for about 10 seconds.
3. Add the onion paste and fry until brown.
4. Now add the tomatoes, chopped into small pieces and fry in low flame until the tomatoes are reduced to pulp.
5. Add salt, cumin and coriander powder and 1 tsp of sugar[optional] and stir well.
6. Now add the water and add the soaked rajma after the water boils.
7. Pressure cook for about 8-10 whistles in the cooker.
8. Wait until the rajma cools a bit and add the garam masala and boil once again. Adjust salt as per taste.
9. Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve with hot Jeera rice.

I just went to check the pressure cooker and I realised it had just about enough Rajma to feed a friend, whom we were expecting to drop in, sometime this evening. Well, so much for wondering if I had made too much of it, when I saw that the pressure cooker was almost 3/4 filled with cooked Rajma.

Burp![that was the next door neighbour, to whom I had given a small bowl of the manna] :)

Pullayaar Chatuthi in Amsterdam

Our first Pullayaar Chaturthi in Amsterdam. But I was in a laidback mood. But then, friends were making me jealous. Telling me about their "modakams" and "poojai" and "thengai pooranam" and Kaliman pullayaar. Jealousy and guilt got the better of my laziness. Jealousy already explained. Guilt at missing out...well almost.. on the yearly ritual[but i do look forward to it]

But with no coconut, modakam was impossible. So I convinced myself and promptly informed others too that I was doing the "puja" only in the evening. Just so I would pull myself to the shop to buy coconut and the usual "Other things", that I seem to remember everytime I head to the shop to buy only one much-needed item.

Space being a constraint and me having forgotten "kuthu vilaku and jothis" in my hasty packing, this pullayaar chaturthi we had to make do with a kutti pullayaar, 2 huge candles for lamps. With a table mat placed on the microwave and "Pulayaar" neatly arranged flanked by 2 huge candles, I was all set for the Poojai.

"Neivedyam" was Modakam, Unda uruli kozhakattai, ootappam, Paal and elani.

Modakam


Ingredients


Rice Flour-3/4 cup
Grated coconut-2 cups
Jaggery-1 cup
Salt-a pinch
Water-2 cups
Elaichi powder-1/2 tsp
Oil-2 tbsp


Method


To make modakam covering:

1. Dry roast rice flour in a wok to which a pinch of salt is added. Place your hand on the rice flour. You must be able to bear the heat. Reduce the flame of the gas.
2. Simultaneously boil water and add 1 cup of water to the rice flour stirring continously to ensure no lumps form.
3. Add more water if required to get a dough consistency. You must be able to form a small ball out of the flour without too much effort.
4. Cool the dough for about 5 mins. The knead the dough well.

To make the filling

1. Add grated coconut and jaggery into a wok/saucepan and keep stirring once in a while, keeping the gas on a low flame until the jaggery melts completely and the mixutre looks like a integrated golden brown color one.
2. Add elaichi powder to the mixture and keep stirring regularly until you can roll the mixture to form small sized balls between your palms.
3. Switch off the gas and let the filling cool for a while.

To make Modakams

Method 1:

1. Roll out small poori sized shapes of the modakam covering, sprinking a little flour to avoid sticking to the rolling tray.
2. Place enough filling at the centre[1 tsp or more] and bring the edges together at the centre to resemble a small pouch.
3. Roll it between the palms to get the shape of a full coconut.

Method 2:

1. Grease the palm with oil[to prevent sticking of the flour mixture]
2. Make small "nellikai" sized balls with the modakam covering and with your index finger make a hole at the centre of the ball.
3. Keep thinning the sides of the rice ball so it resembles a small cup.
4. Add the filling at te centre with a spoon or make small sized balls of the filling and place it at the centre
5. Gather the sides of the rice ball cup at the centre to make a coconut shaped pouch.

Repeat the same process[Method 1 or 2] until you finish making the desired number of modakams.

Steam the Modakams for about 10 mins and then let it cool before you scoop it out of the steaming tray/basket to prevent breaking of the modakam.

Unda Uruli Kozhakattai

Ingredients

Modakam covering-1/4 cup

Ildi molagai podi/red chilli powder-1 tsp

Salt-as per taste

For seasoning

Oil-1 tsp

Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp

Asafoetida-a pinch

Curry leaves-10-12

Grated coconut-2 tbsp

Green Coriander-few sprigs, finely chopped[optional]

Method

1. Roll out desired number of pea sized balls of the odakam covering
2. Steam it for 10 minutes and let it cool
3. Take oil in a wok and when smoking hot, add the seasoning items except coriander leaves.
4. Add the steamed rice balls to it and toss it in the wok for about 30 seconds, keeping the gas on a low flame[else the rice balls stick to the wok]
5. When done, top it up with coriander leaves.

Ootappam

Ingredients

Dosa batter-1 cup

Onion-1, finely chopped

Curry leaves-10-12

Green coriander-a bunch, finely chopped

Green chillies-1, finely chopped

Oil-for cooking

Optional Ingredients

Carrot-1, grated

Ginger-finely grated

Method

1. To the dosa batter, add all the other ingredients and mix well.
2. Add salt, if necessary.
3. Heat a flat tawa and spoon in a ladle of batter at the centre and roll out small chappathy sized slightly thick dosas.
4. Add oil on the sides,(You can cover it with a dome-shaped lid) for the ootappam to cook faster.
5. Turn the ootappam to cook the other side and wait until slightly crispy.
6. Repeat the process to make desired number of ootappams.
7. Serve with Molagai podi and oil/ghee or any chutney.

With the guilt removed from the heart and mind, for almost missing the yearly ritual and the "Modakams, Unda uruli kozhakattai and Ootappam" fighting with each other for priority with the digestive juices in the tummy, I retired for the night with peace of mind and and many a piece in the mind..nay..heart controlled tummy.

Burp!!!

Wednesday-Mid week culinary crisis

Over a month in Amsterdam and except for a steady stream of visitors trickling in, once in a while, there was not much inspiration for dishing out an exotic dinner menu. And all of a sudden, I was expecting 3 more guests joining us for dinner. While the Perfect hostess in me wanted to offer a generous and sumptous spread, the perfect sloth that I had become, owing to boredom, wanted to do something with whatever was available at home, without going to the shop to buy any specific ingredients for the meal. Faced with such twin personalities within me, I decided to given into both and spent less than 45 minutes and created a well appreciated dinner. The menu read thus:

• Jeera rice


• Dal


• Capsicum, Mushroom, Paneer Saute


• Salad


• Semiya Payasam Here we go with the recipes:

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:

Rice: 2 cups[Basmati or normal Indian rice]

Cumin seeds or jeera: 1 tbsp

Onion: 1, finely chopped

Cloves: 2-3

Cinnamom-1 small stick

Elaichi: 2, crushed

Salt: As per requirement

Oil/Ghee: 1-2 teaspoons, depending on how calorie conscious you are

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice in water for about 10 minutes.
2. Heat a saucepan or wok and add oil/ghee.
3. After the oil/ghee has become hot, add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamom, Elaichi and fry well for about 20 seconds.
4. Then add finely chooped onions and saute until tender.
5. Meanwhile, turn on the electric rice cooker and add the sauteed items[cumin, spices, onion] into the cooker and add the washed rice.
6. Add salt[as per taste] and 4 cups water and turn the cooker to "cooking mode"
7. Most rice cookers move to a "keep warm" mode after the cooking is completed.
8. If you are using a normal pressure cooker, you can do the sauteing and cooking in the cooker itself and cook upto 3 whistles only. Else the rice ends up resembling a "Kichdi"

Dal

Ingredients

Any Dal: 1 cup[Toor, Moong, Masoor or Channa Dal or a combination of all of them]

Onions: 1, finely chopped

Tomatoes-4, Cut into big pieces

Green Chillies- 2, slit in the middle

Garlic-2-3 pods

Salt-as per taste

For Garnish

Oil-1-2 tsp

Butter/Ghee-1 tbsp[lesser, if you want to count lesser calories]

Cumin Seeds-1 tsp

Coriander leaves-1 small bunch

Curry leaves-a handful[washed]

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Asafoetida-1/4 tsp

Method

1. Wash and soak the dal for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add the dal, onion, tomatoes, garlic, green chillies and salt in the pressure cooker.
3. Add about 3 cups water and pressure cook the dal[upto 10 whistles in the cooker]
4. When the dal is done, let it cool for about 10 minutes.
5. Open the cooker and check the taste of the dal and add salt, if necessary. Add more water if required to obtain desired consistency of the dal and boil the dal.
6. Take a small wok and add oil.
7. When the oil becomes hot, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder and curry leaves[in case you feel the dal is bland, you can add come red chilli powder to the oil]
8. Add the seasoning to the dal and top it off with a dollop of ghee or butter and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Capsicum, Mushroom, Paneer Saute

Ingredients

Capsicum-3, finely chopped[I used red, yellow and green to add some colour to the meal]

Button Mushrooms-10-15

Panner or Cottage Cheese-150 grams, grated

Onion-1, finely chopped

Salt-As per taste

Sweet Onion Sauce-4-5 tbsp

Oil/Butter-1 tsp

Method

1. Add oil/butter in a wok and when hot, add onions and saute until tender.
2. Then add capsicum and mushrooms saute for 1 minute.
3. Add sweet onion sauce and salt and saute until the vegetables are crisp and tender and all the water has dried up
4. Finally add grated panner and toss for a few seconds and transfer to a swerving bowl.

Salad

Ingredients

Carrot-1

Cucumber-1

Tomatoes-1

Onion-1

Salt-as per taste

Pepper powder-1 tsp

Lemon juice-1/2 tsp[optional]

Method

1. Wash all the vegetables and cut them into rounds
2. Arrange the vegetables in a salad plate and add salt and pepper powder and lemon juice (and add a few springs of mint and coriander leaves-optional] and store in refrigerator until meal time.

Variations: You can cut the vegetables into thin strips or finely chop them[can also add lettuce in this case] and in that case add any of the following dressings to the salad

• Balsmic vinegar and honey[you can avoid lime juice in this case]
• Salt, pepper, lemon juice and honey
• Salt, Pepper, Lemon juice, olive oil
• Natural salad dressing[then you can avoid salt, pepper and lemon juice]

Semiya Payasam

Ingredients

Roasted Vermicelli-1 cup[if you are using regular one, then you need to dry roast it in a wok until brown]

Ghee: 2 tsp

Water-1 cup

Milk-1 litre

Sugar-3/4 cup

Cashewnuts and raisins-for garnish

Method

1. In a saucepan or a nonstick vessel add the vermicelli/semiya and water and cook until the semiya is soft.
2. The add Milk and let it simmer on medium flame for about 20 minutes.
3. Add Sugar and simer for another 5 mins.
4. Heat ghee in a small wok and when hot, add cashewnuts and fry until light pink in color. Then add raisins until the raisins swell up to 3 times their size.
5. Add this garnish to the Payasam.
6. You can serve the paysam hot or cold.

Variations:

1. You can add condensed milk to the payasam. In that case avoid the sugar and use only half litre milk.
2. You can add some vanilla essence to the payasam to give it a nice aroma
3. Add elaichi essence or powder to the payasam, if desired[I normally avoid elaichi for semiya payasam]

(By the way, I was trying out the Capsicum, Mushroom, Paneer Saute for the first time. )

Most of the times, when I tell people the menu for any of the meals that I am hosting, they think that I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. The truth is far from their thinking. While I love to cook and host people for lunch and dinners, I hate to spend too much time in the kitchen. And most of the recipes I try out is a result of my laziness and the desire to cook something good yet quick. I personally feel that the outcome of any recipe, even the ones you try out for the first time stems from the confidence you exhibit during cooking and the belief in yourself and the desire to experiment. I have over the years, learnt to make-up badly turned out kitchen ventures into a recipe worthy of sharing because of this belief in myself as a cook.

My culinary sojourn started long ago and it continues till date with some "inventions" of my own, some borrowed from others' culinary experiences, some so-called "authentic" family recipes and some culinary disasters as well. Well, such disasters form the perfect foundation for learning...on how not to cook a meal. I had to wrap up the blog with some words of wisdom..:)

Bon Apetit!