Ela Ada

I know I'm way late once again in making a post. I'm leaving for India this weekend and when is a better time to shop than now. Have shopped till I dropped :).
Busy with all the packing and the excitement is driving me crazy. Will be visiting my sister, in Dubai, for 2 weeks and then, off I fly to India where family, weddings and good weather wait for me. Glad to leave winter behind. Looking forward to mom's food and loads of fun.

I'll be gone for a good 3 months, but, I think, I will pop-in here, once in a while to make new posts.

Before I bid adieu , I thought I'll post one more recipe. Mouth-watering Ela ada. It's a very popular snack from Kerala. Can be served for breakfast too.

I had searched the whole of Saint Louis for banana leaves and finally found some frozen banana leaves at an asian food market. I was so excited because I have been longing to make ela adas.

For those of you who can't find banana leaves, you can substitute it with parchment paper.
Ciao!

Ingredients: (Makes 5 adas)

• Rice flour - 1-1/2 cups
• Hot water - 1-1/2 cups
• Salt - to taste
• Banana leaves or parchment paper.

Ingredients for for filling:

• Grated coconut - 1-1/2 cups
• Jaggery - 1/2 cup ( or according to taste)
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tspn

Directions:

Clean banana leaves with a wet cloth. Then place them over low heat for about 10-20 secs to season the leaf. Set aside( If using parchment paper avoid this step)

Directions for making the rice dough:

• In a pan slightly roast rice flour.
• Then add hot water with salt and stir well.
• Take off heat. Cover and set aside to cool a while.
• When slightly cool, knead it to make a soft dough. Cover and let it rest.
  

Directions for the filling:

• In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the jaggery with a tablespoon of water.
• Strain this melted jaggery and get rid of the dirt left at the bottom.
• Return the strained jaggery to the pan and add the grated coconut. Cook for 5- 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture starts to thicken, remove from heat and cool till it reaches room temperature.

Directions to make Ela Ada:

• Cut the banana leaves or parchment paper into small, 20 cm squares.
• Divide the rice dough into 5 equal parts
• Spread one ball of rice dough evenly on the banana leaves/parchment paper; use your hands to spread the rice dough as thin as possible leaving a 1 cm margin on all sides. ( See pic)


• Place filling on one side of the spread dough. (see pic)

Fold the leaf/parchment paper in the middle and press the sides to seal the ada well.

• Take an idly steamer and add water to it and place on medium heat.


• Place the leaves / parchment paper flat on the idly mould trays and steam in the idly steamer for 15 to 20 minutes.


• 
  
  

Once the adas are steamed and cooked, peel of the leaf/parchemnt paper and serve with some hot tea or coffee. Ela ada can be served hot or at room temperature

Enjoy!!!!!!!!

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Rich Fruit 'n' Nut Cake or Plum Cake

Happy Halloween! Boo!

A very dear friend, Sheeja had her birthday last Saturday, the 24th of October. I made this cake for her. I got this recipe from a fellow blogger's pages - Annita, author of My treasure, my pleasure .

The cake is rich and one of the best cakes I have ever made. Filled with the richness of dried fruits and nuts.
Needless to say, she loved it and that's what made all the pains making it, worthwhile.


For the recipe click here

Have fun!

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

2-in-1 Recipe - Carrot Halwa / Carrot Kheer

Diwali wishes everyone. And prayers for a prosperous, healthy and happy year ahead.

My hubby has been pestering me, for days, to make carrot halwa. Finally, with a little time on my hands yesterday, I prepared it for him. He was mighty pleased.


Whenever I make carrot halwa, I save the left over and beat it into a glass of milk with some saffron strands and make carrot kheer out of it. I would recommend serving this kheer chilled.
So, basically, this is a 2-in-1 recipe.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

• Carrots - 5 (grated)
• Milk - 2 cups
• Evaporated milk - 1 cup( substitute with plain whole milk)
• Sweetened condensed milk - 5 tbspns
• Sugar - 1/3 cup or to taste
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tspn
• Cashews and raisins - 4 tbspns each
• Ghee- 1 tbspn.

Directions:

• Fry cashews and raisins in the ghee and set aside.
• Take a sauce pan and add milk and set on medium-low heat.
• Add the carrots and stir and let cook for about 15 mins.
• Then add evaporated milk and condensed milk and cook on high heat for 10 mins , stirring continuously. ( Cook for longer if the milk has not been completely absorbed into the carrots)
• Add sugar and reduce heat to low.
• When the mixture reaches a halwa consistency. Turn off heat and add cardamom, cashews and raisins.
• Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Cabbage Thoran

Have been so busy of late. Have not found time for anything, leave alone blogging. Had quite a few guests over the past week, that I've had time for nothing else since. (sigh!) Now, I resent going to the kitchen.

Here is a very simple recipe for thoran. Thoran is a dish from Kerala. A very simple, steamed and seasoned cabbage side dish .

Ingredients: ( serves 4-5 )

• Shredded cabbage - 4 cups
• Mustard - 1 tspn
• Green chilli - 2 ( slit)
• Chopped onions - 1/4 cup
• Urad dal - 2 tspns
• Curry leaves - 4-5
• Oil - 2 tspns
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tspn
• Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Directions:

• Heat Oil in a pan and add mustard. Once they splutter, add green chillies and urad dal. Saute ( abt. 2 mins)
• Add onions and curry leaves. Saute.
• Reduce heat to low. Add cabbage, salt, turmeric and 1/8 cup of water. Cover and let it steam for about 8-10 mins. Stir occasionally.
• Finally, add the grated coconut. Stir and cook for about 2-3 more mins.
• Thoran is ready.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Autumn has set in and the thought of winter makes me sigh. I love the snow. But it's the dark, cold, gloomy days that I dread. But, there's nothing we can do about it. Time can't stand still. Right?

Then a bulb glows in my head.
Aha! There's one thing that I "CAN" do. Enjoy the days before winter sets in. I had to make use of the wonderful fruits and veggies I saw at the stores. With the last of cherries, apricots and spring mix salad leaves on the market, I made this salad a couple of weeks ago.

Oh ya! It, sure, was soul gratifying. The bright colors in the salad were enough to lift my spirit. The sweetness from the fruits and the slight bitterness from the radicchio, subtle bite of the salad leaves and the tangyness of the vinaigrette ......altogether, it was a party in my mouth.

I have listed ingredients for 2 kinds of salad mixes. the first one has the fruits mentioned above. For those of you who have run out of luck finding these ingredients can try the second option of the salad mix. I'm not mentioning any measure for the salad leaves and fruits. Use as much or as little as you like.
Ingredients:

Salad Mix No.1:

• Baby romaine
• Tango
• Radicchio
• Baby spinach
• Apricots
• Cherries
• Plums
• Steamed french beans

Or

• Salad Mix no.2
• Lettuce
• Baby spinach
• Valencia oranges
• Apple
• Grapes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Pecans
  

Ingredients:

For the honey balsamic vinaigrette

• Honey - 3 tspns
• Lemon juice - 4 tspns
• Aged balsamic vinegar - 5 tspns
• Olive oil - 2 tspns
• Salt and pepper-to taste

Directions:

• Blend all the ingredients for the vinaigrette together with a blender or beat well with a whisk.
• Pour over the salad mix and toss. Serve immediately.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

MOM'S VEGETABLE KURMA

I flew to Omaha last week to visit one of my very good friend's from school. Another friend flew down from Philly too. The 3 of us met after 9-10 yrs. Had such a wonderful time. Was not really in a mood to get back to blogging :(

Today, I'm posting my mom's recipe for kurma. I love it and whenever I make it, I feel it does not taste as good as her's. Then I realized that her kurma tastes better because she adds a special ingredient to it.............she pours her love into it :)

This kurma pairs well with rotis or Parattas. but, I like it best with dosas or idlis.

Ingredients:

• Oil - 2 tbspns
• Slit green chillies -2
• Bayleaf -1
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
• Cloves- 3
• Cardamom - 1
• Star anise - 1/2
• Chopped onions- 1 cup
• Curry leaves - 1 stalk
• Chopped ginger - 1 tspn
• Coriander powder - 6 tspns
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tspn
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn ( or to taste)
• Potatoes - 2 (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• Carrots - 1 (chopped)
• Beans - 7-8 (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• Peas - 1/4 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Saunf - 1 tspn
• Poppy seeds(kas kas) - 1 tspn
• Garlic - 1 clove.
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
• Yogurt - 6 tbspns

Method :

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the chillies, bayleaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and anise. Saute about 2 mins.
  Add onions and ginger. Saute till the onions are translucent.
• Add coriander powder, chillie powder and turmeric. Saute. Add 1/4 cup water and saute on medium-low heat till the masala is well cooked. (about 5-6 mins)
• Add the vegetables and salt and 1-1/2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• In the mean time grind the coconut,poppy seeds, saunf and garlic to a fine paste using little water.
• Once the vegetables are cooked add this ground coconut mixture to it and cook for 3-4 mins.
• Finally, add curry leaves and yogurt and stir for a minute. Switch off heat and add coriander leaves.
• Serve hot .

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Achamma's sambar - the ultimate homemade sambar

I would like to thank all my readers for wishing me well when I was ill. I've recovered now. Thank you so much.
Most of you may think that it's a good day for me today. But, no. It's quite the opposite. A very sad day for me. Why? Read on.

I love my grandma. She was a small statured, plump woman and the cutest, sweetest and the most warm-hearted little person I have ever known. I loved her cooking. She was a great cook and I don't know how she really did it. It was like as if she had some magic potion which she used in all her dishes to create those wonderful, aromatic and delightful dishes. Anything she cooked tasted like heaven.

She never had recipe books nor did she ever have to measure ingredients. Everything was in her little silver-haired head and the magic at her finger-tips.

Today, sadly, is her first death anniversary and the following recipe,I, fondly, share in memory of the sweetest and most lovable grandma in the world.

This sambar recipe is a bombshell and it comes from her and She didn't forget to hand it down. So, today my mom still makes it for all at home and when we (my siblings and me) got engaged to be married, my mom handed it down to us. It's always been compliments galore for me, when I make this sambar.

I wish my gramma were here today.I miss her ever-so-much.
"Achamma this post is in memory of you. Sure, you are looking down on me now."

I have made this sambar using Okra( Ladies finger). Some alternatives for okra are drumsticks, white pumpkin( winter melon), brinjal( aubergine) or shallots. My favorite is shallot sambar but could not find any this time.

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)

• Toor dal - 1/2 cup
• Tomato - 2 (cut into quaters)
• Ladies finger (cut into 1 inch long pieces)
• Tamarind - size of a bing cherry
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tspn
• Asafoetida( Hing) - 2 pinches
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 tspn
• Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
• Curry leaves - 7-8 large leaves ( plus more for tempering)
• Chopped onions - 1/4 cup
• Coriander powder- 4 tbspns
• Chilli powder - 1 tspn( or to taste)
• Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
• Dried red chillies- 2
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbspns

Method:

• Wash the dal. Pressure cook it with tomatoes and 1-1/2 cups of water. ( 2 whistles will be sufficient)
• In the mean time, take 1/2 tbspn of oil in a pan and saute the okra till the slime disappears. Set aside (If using drumsticks or the other alternatives, avoid this step)
• Add 1/2 cup of water to the tamarind and extract tamarind juice from it and discard the pulp. Set aside.
• In another pan, add another 1/2 tbspn of oil and add Hing.
• Then add fenugreek seeds. When it turns light brown and splutters, add coconut, curry leaves and onions and fry.When the coconut turns a golden brown and a wonderful aroma arises, add coriander powder and chilli powder. Toast well. Stir constantly. ( abt 5-6 mins on medium-low flame) . Then grind this to a fine paste and set aside.
• When the dal is cooked, add the vegetable to the dal and cook along with salt, turmeric powder, tamarind extract and the ground coconut mixture. cook for about 5-6 mins.
• If the sambar is too thick, add as much water as required to make a consistency that satisfies you.
• Finally, temper mustard, curry leaves and red chillies in 1 tbspn of oil and add it to the sambar.
• Serve with rice, idly, dosa or methu vadas.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Not again.........

Hi all,

Just a small note to inform you all that I'm down with a horrible cold, throat infection and fever again. Just the weather taking its toll. See you soon.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Fruit and Nut Oatmeal cookies.

When I receive an invitation from friends to enjoy a nice home cooked dinner or lunch at their home, I have the habit of carrying some goodies for them. It is not about giving them something in return for their invitation, but just a token of my appreciation. I usually like to pack something homemade, as opposed to store-bought, because I think it is worthwhile putting in a little time and effort for your friends, especially, when they slog away, making a good meal for you. But, I have to admit that I do have times when I have had, absolutely, no time on my hands and retreated to giving store bought stuff. (Guilty )

There was this one time when a friend invited me for dinner and I decided on baking these cookies for her. She is new to baking and so I had packed these cookies for along with the recipe as well. Such an easy recipe that I knew she will not have any trouble, what so ever, baking these anytime. I was sure she would love the cookies and the recipe. Sure as I was, she remarked that these cookies will never go out of style in her home and has showered me with praises.

How I came about this recipe .....when I was in India for a holiday, my sister, Preetha- who is a passionate foodie, made some of these delicious oatmeal cookies for us. She is a fantastic cook and there, you have the answer to where this recipe comes from . So, it is "SHE" actually deserves all those praises.

I love baking and especially when the results are so good, who wouldn't?

Ingredients:( makes about 45 cookies)

Butter - 1/2 pound(2 sticks/225 gms)
Light brown sugar (firmly packed) - 1 cup
Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 2
Pure vanilla extract - 1 tspn
All purpose flour( maida) - 1-1/2 cups
Baking soda - 1 tspn
Salt - 1/2 tspn(optional)
Uncooked oats - 3 cups (quick or old fashioned oats)
Raisins and chopped walnuts - 1-1/2 cups

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F( 177 C)
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and sift twice.Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar till creamy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla and beat.
• Add the sift flour mixture and mix well.
• Stir in oats, raisins and nut. Mix well with a wooden spoon.(mixture will be thick and sticky)
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls( or easier with a small ice cream scoop) onto an ungreased cookie sheet .
• Don't press the dough down or try to shape them, as they will shape themselves while they bake.
• [ NOTE : make sure to drop the dough 2 inches apart from one another as they will spread out while baking. If each scoop of dough is dropped too close to one another, you will get one super sized oatmeal bar and not separate cookies.]
• Bake for 12-14 minutes.
• Cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer the cookies gentlt to a wire rack to cool off completely.
• Store in airtight containers.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Paruppu pradhaman/ Paruppu payasam

I just recovered from an ankle injury and fever. That's my reasonable excuse for not being able to post any news recipes or check out your posts. I'm sure all of you understand and I don't have to apologize. It's good to be back :)

Onam is coming up, on September 2nd this year, which is on wednesday. For those of you who want to know the significance of Onam, click here. Onam too, like Vishu, is celebrated with pomp and splendour in Kerala. Onam is the time of harvest and prosperity. Onam sadhya is similar to what we have for Vishu . I have mentioned about Vishu in one of my previous posts. To read about it, click here .

So here is a very traditional recipe of a very rich payasam called paruppu pradhaman. This is a thunderbolt recipe. Will definitely create an everlasting impression. Extremely scrumptious. The wonderful warm taste of jaggery and the bite from the dal is what makes for it's unbeatable flavor. The creaminess that the coconut milk renders to the payasam ................Unbelievable.

Actually, words cannot do justice to the taste of this payasam. You have to try it to believe me.

Usually, my mother adds ghee-roasted coconut pieces as well, to garnish the pradhaman. I forgot to set aside some coconut for garnish, so, I have not used any.

• Ingredients: (Serves 3-4)
  
  
  Moong dal - 1/2 cup
  Water- 1-1/2 cups + 1 cup
  Coconut milk - 400 ml
  Jaggery - 9 small peices ( Abt 3/4 cup)
  Cardamom powder - 1/4 tspn
  Ghee - 1 tbspn
  Cashews and raisins - 3 tspns each.

Directions:

• Dry roast the moong dal in a pan, on medium heat, till a nice aroma arises and the yellow dal turns golden color. (Takes about 6-8 mins)
• Take a pressure cooker and add the dal and 1-1/2 cups of water. Cook for 2 whistles.( or till just done. The dal should not be mushy)
• In another pan, melt the jaggery with 1 cup of water and strain the jaggery to remove the dust at the bottom.
• Add the cooked dal to this melted jaggery and let it simmer on low heat for about 20 mins.
• Add the coconut milk to the above mixture, cook on medium heat for 10-15 more minutes. Stir constantly. ( Add more water to the payasam if it is too thick)
• Add cardamom powder.
• Heat ghee and roast the cashews and raisins separately add to payasam.( If u have small, sliced coconut pieces, you can fry that and add it too)
• Serve warm or at room temperature. ( I like it at room temperature)

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha