Coconut Chammandi and an Award.

Coconut chammandi is nothing but a very thick coconut chutney. I love this simple recipe and hope you do too. Chammandi is very popular is Kerala and is mostly served with Rice dosas. It is also had as a side-dish with rice.

Before I head to the recipe, I would like to share the great news that I have been nominated for an award by 2 fellow bloggers. The most lovable Ria and lovable Dolon, are the people behind this. Thankz a bundle Ria and Dolon. Much appreciated.

The Kreativ Blogger award comes with some rules:-

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated

So, here I go with the 7 things people find interesting about me:

1) I'm not a morning person. I hate waking up early. I don't nap at noon, but I sleep so soundly at night that even if someone carries me away at night I won't know it:)
2) I'm a chatterbox and I had an apt job as a Radio Jockey and program producer :)
3) I'm a hardcore romantic at heart and love romantic films and books which make my tummy tingle and my heart sing. Ask me my favorite read and movie. I'll, definitely, be lying if I say it's not "Gone with the wind".
4) I love the soft breeze running through my hair during a slow dusk walk.
5) I love to travel( well, who doesn't?). I Wish I could travel around the whole world and experience different cultures. My dream destination before I got married was Switzerland, and my wonderful hubby surprised me with a trip there on our first anniversary. I've done quite a lot of country hopping- Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Holland, France and UAE. Looking forward to many more. I don't have A dream destination anymore. Why? Because, now, it's become dream destinationS (plural). I want to visit Greece, Egypt, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China and Mauritius/ Maldives.
6)I'm crazy about perfumes, handbags, footwear and jewellery.
7) I'm a chocoholic and would kill for some good Biryani. I'm also a coconut addict.


My 7 nominees are:
Yasmeen
Shabs
Mahimaa
Suparna
Rush
Poornima
Aruna

Now, to the recipe:
Ingredients:

• Grated coconut- 1-1/2 cups
• Peanuts- 2 tbspn
• Chana dal- 2 tbspns
• Urad dal - 2 tspns
• Curry leaves - 12-15 leaves
• Dry red chillies -3
• Tamarind - gooseberry sized piece.
• Shallots- 4-5
• Salt - to taste
• Hing - a pinch
• Oil- 2 tspns

Directions:

• Heat 1 tspn of oil in a pan and add hing.
• Then add the peanuts, chana dal and urad dal and saute till light brown. Transfer this to another bowl and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the second tspn of oil and add red chillies, curry leaves, shallots and salt and saute till the onions are soft and the curry leaves let out a good fragrance( takes about 4-5 mins.
• Let all the fried ingredients cool
• In the mean time, put the tamarind in 1/4 cup of hot water and extract the juice. Save this tamarind juice.Remove the left over pulp and discard.
• Grind all the ingredients to a very a coarse paste. Do not add extra water. (as you can see in the pic.)

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Oven-baked Tandoori Chicken

I'm going straight to the recipe today.

Ingredients:( serves 3-4)

• Skinless chicken legs - 10
• Tandoori chicken masala - 3 tspns ( click here for recipe)
• Chilli powder - 1 tspn
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
• Salt- to taste
• Ginger-garlic paste - 3 tspns
• Lemon juice - 2 tspns
• Yoghurt - 2 tbspns(or greek yogurt- 1 tbspn)
• Beetroot( beets) juice - 3 tbspns ( optional )
• Oil - 2 tspns

Directions:

• Place 2 tbspns of yoghurt in a tea-strainer and let it stand for 20 mins. This helps the whey water to drip away from the curd and leaves you with a thick yoghurt. Throw the water away and use the strained curs in the marinade. For those of you who have greek yoghurt, you can omit this first step.
• Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the chicken for about 2-3 hours or best overnight.( the beetroot juice is a natural source of color and is used to add more color to the chicken. I use it to avoid using artificial color )
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F( 177 C).
• Then place a pan on medium heat. Roast the chicken in the dry pan for about 3 minutes.This is called searing. Turn the chicken over to the next side and roast for 3 mins.( we do this for the masala not to taste raw ).
• Transfer the drumsticks to a baking tray lined with alumium foil .
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes in the centre rack of the oven.
• Then turn the chicken legs over to the next side and bake again for 15 mins.
• Remove chicken from oven and cover chicken with additional foil( this is done to avoid it from drying out)
• Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F( 260 C)
• When the oven reaches 500 F, remove the covering foil of the chicken and bake it on the top most rack of the oven for 5-6 mins. (till the chicken gets a nice char on it) .
• Serve with onions and lemon.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Spiced Buttermilk/ Sambaaram

There is no better way to beat the heat than with some cool buttermilk. Why would anyone want coke and pepsi with all the artificial stuff in it when there is simething all natural which can reduce your body tempreature as well as good for you. I like my buttermilk spiced with just ginger,salt and some bruised curry leaves. My husband likes it with some chopped green chillies as well. Do it any way you like. Stay healthy and happy.

Ingredients:

ButterMilk - 2 cups

Water - 2 cups

Salt - to taste

Curry leaves - scant 20-25 leaves (bruised with your hand)

Coursely mashed ginger - 1 inch piece

Chopped green chilli - 1 (optional)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and let it rest for 30-45 mins in the refrigerator.

Serve cold.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Luscious Cherries

This is my entry for the Click event conducted by Jai and Bee. Theme : Bi-colour.

It's a simple one. But, I loved it and just wanted to join the fun :)

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Finger Chips

Hey everyone, Hope all of you had a great weekend. First of all, my apologies for not making new posts and not catching up on many of your blog posts. I was caught up in something of high priority which kept me busy for a while. So...... Really sorry. Anyways, I'm back now.

Poor hubby dear started to feel a tingle in his throat as the july 4th weekend started. We women have a sixth sense right? So, I suspected it would become something worse than a tingle and cancelled all plans for the weekend.The photography crazy person that he is, he was adament on going to view the fireworks and he took these awesome clicks on saturday.
And Sunday, as I suspected, he came down with a throat infection, cough and fever. He is on the road to recovery now and all is well.

As he recovered , last Saturday , went to the movies. Saw Ice Age- Dawn of the Dinosaur. And in 3D. I've always been a fanatic of animated pics and I absolutely adore the Ice Age series. I mean who wouldn't? It's so much fun and shooo shweeet. Remember Monsters Inc., Ants, Lion King, Toys, Robots ..........and I can go on and on. It was so good to see Manny-the Mammoth have a family. Diego never failed to charm and Sid never failed to make me laugh. If you have not seen it as yet......you are missing something really nice.

Today's recipe is a very simple one. Sweet potato finger fries.
This is an inspiration from the recipe by Ellie krieger from foodnetwork. I have added my own touch to it by adding olive oil and cutting the sweet potatoes into very thin fingers.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled (2 medium potatoes)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick fingers, and toss with the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until the "fries" are tender and crisp, about 18 minutes.
• Now reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake for another 15-20 mins.You will get nice crisp chips.
• Season with additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

GONE NUTS ABOUT COCONUT - CHICKEN CURRY MALABAR

Here we go, back to coconut.
Did you know that the early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means "monkey face" because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy nut resembles the head and face of a monkey.Now, don't tell me that this post should have been titled differently :). Coconut is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber and oh! .........fat and calories too.With that said, I am not going to harp on health benefits and disasters but I have to add that coconut has myriad medicinal properties as well. So, because I'm a coconut addict, I convince myself that the pros outweigh the cons and thus, anytime is coconaka time :)

This chicken curry goes well with rice or rotis.What's even better is, it takes hardly 20 minutes to fix.

INGREDIENTS(makes 3-4 servings)

• Chicken -1-1/2 lbs(cut into peices)
• Oil - 2 tbspns
• Onions- 1 large (sliced)
• Green chillies-2 nos.(slit)
• Tomatoes - 2 nos.
• Ginger- garlic paste - 1 tspn
• Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
• Chicken curry masala- 2 tbspns(available in Indian grocery stores)
• Coriander powder - 3 tspns
• Turmeic powder- 1/2 tspn
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves- to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oil in a pan and saute slit green chillies in it.(be cautious of splutters).
• Add onions and saute till transparent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and keep stirring it for about 4-5 mins.
• Now, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, chicken-curry masala and salt and saute.
• When the masala is well-fried, add chopped tomatoes and stir well.Add chicken and 5-6 tbspns of water . Cover and cook on low heat till chicken is done.
• Add coconut milk and stir well. Cover and cook for another 2-3 mins.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

It's all about Oikos- Organic Greek Yoghurt

Here is an opportunity for all of you to try this product Click here to get OIKOS COUPONS.

STONYFIELD FARM. I'm sure all of you have heard about this dairy brand. They make great yogurt. Organic, ofcourse. Stonyfield Farm now also makes Oikos Organic Greek yogurt which can be used in a variety of ways while cooking – in baking, as a substitute for sour cream, and mayonnaise, and to create tasty low-fat dishes. Greek yogurt is strained, making it thicker and more versatile in recipes than regular yogurt. Oikos is organic, which means it's made without artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, and it's made from organic milk produced without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or artificial growth hormones (rBST). Now, that, in itself, is a winner winner all the way.

So, 3 weeks ago, I received a very friendly mail from Kristina of STONYFIELD FARM. She came across my blog and sent me coupons for Oikos along with a complimentary reusable eco-friendly tote. She requested that I try out the Oikos product and and let all my readers know what I thought about it. So that's what I'm going to do. I was really thrilled when I received her mail, as this is my first ever offer of the kind. Thanks for the opportunity Kristina.

Over the weekend, I made a tea cake and came up with my own recipe for it. I used the fat-free Oikos Greek yogurt in the recipe. I cut down on the quantity of butter as well. Used only half of what is normally required for a cake.The result........I got a very very moist cake and I absolutely was pleased with myself and with Oikos Greek yogurt. I made a moist cake with half the amount of fat. I felt no guilt when I gobbled-up a piece.

Oikos has flavored yogurts too, like blueberry, vanilla and honey. I tried the Vanilla yogurt. The pure vanilla used in it really came through. These will be great for lassi.

Other than the cake recipe,I have other recipes, in my blog, in which you can substitute some ingredients with Oikos yogurt.

Like Palak Paneer (Click here for recipe). You can substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt. And in the Hyderabadi Biryani (Click here for recipe) substitute the hung yogurt with Oikos.

To check out more recipes from the Oikos website click here .

THE VERDICT: I absolutely loved OIKOS and I'm sure I'll come up with many other ways to use this product. So, for me, Oikos will be a staple in my household. I love that it's zero fat and organic and can help me come up with more low fat recipes.

So, if any of you want are thinking twice about trying this product, just go right ahead. It's worth it. It's available in the diary section of most grocery stores.

Click here to get OIKOS COUPONS.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup Oikos Greek yogurt( substitute with sour cream)
• 3/4 cup of apple sauce
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 2-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla

Directions :

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C)
• Grease and flour 2 loaf pans
• Sift the baking powder and flour together and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
• Add the flour mixture and beat until everything is well incorporated.
• Add the vanilla and mix well.
• Now add the Oikos and apple sauce and mix.
• Pour the mixture into the 2 greased and floured loaf pans.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes.
  

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Hey Everyone..........

Hey everyone,
How have all of you been doing? I'm doing great and had a wonderful break. It's nice to be back. I missed you all.............I mean it.

About what I did when I was away....................visited Chicago, New york and Niagara. Had picnics and potlucks. Watched tons of movies. Was fun.

How about you all? What did you do the last 30 days other than blog? Lemme know. Really inquisitive. From Monday, I'll be back to regular blogging. I guess that answers Rush's query. Poor girl missed me, or should I say she missed my posts ;)

A sneak peek at what my post will contain on monday.........

STONYFIELD FARMS. I'm sure all of you have heard about this dairy brand. They make great yoghurt. Organic ofcourse. Stonyfield Farm now also makes Oikos Organic Greek yogurt which can be used in a variety of ways while cooking – in baking, as a substitute for sour cream, and mayonnaise, and to create tasty low-fat dishes. Greek yogurt is strained, making it thicker and more versatile in recipes than regular yogurt. Oikos is organic, which means it's made without artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, and it's made from organic milk produced without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or artificial growth hormones (rBST).

So,while I was on holiday, I received a very friendly mail from Kristina of STONYFIELD FARMS with coupons for Oikos. I will be trying out a recipe with Oikos Organic Greek yogurt and as requested by her, I will let you all know what I think about the product.

So, see you all on monday.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

One more award before I go

I know, I know....... I said I'm on a break. But just wanted to thank Pooja for giving me this wonderful award . I appreciate it Pooja. It means a lot. The award says chirpy and cheerful blog. Now, it does make me feel happy that my blog passes on cheer to many. Thanks again.

All of you have fun and take care. See you in a month.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Roasted bell pepper soup and something special for the deserving.

Hey guys. Hope all of your are in the pinkest of health and happy about good weather too. I'm doing great. I'm taking a long break from blogging for a month. Quite a lot of travelling, parties and picnics on the way. I'm really excited.

Before I go, I would love to pass on a very special award to some very special food bloggers . This award was given to me by Muneeba. I would love to hand it over to some of my blogger buddies in whose pages I see more of a "raw passion" for food and cooking than mere blog posts. According to me, these few have a big time infatuation with food. Their zeal never fails to impress and I'm always surprised at the time and effort that goes into each post of theirs. Love their recipes too.
So here's to that gusto.
Asha,
Superchef,
Ria,
Poornima.
I really meant every word and you are truly deserving.

About today's post. It's roasted bell peppers soup.I know summer is not the time for soups. But summer is the time when you get good bell peppers in the market. So why not make good soup? Here is a wonderful recipe of a wonderful fresh soup.

Bye everyone. See ya after a month. Y'all have fun and so will I:)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onions, chopped
• 1 small carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup milk
• 3 bell peppers (red,yellow and orange)
• 1 small russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1 cm. cubes
• 1/4 cup dry red wine(optional)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 (3/4-inch thick) baguette slices, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/8 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/8 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. To roast bell pepper, cut each into four pieces and remove the seeds. Toss the peppers in 1 tbspn olive oil and put them onto a tray lined with aluminium foil. ( I place them skin side down)
Roast for 20 mins. When done, put the hot peppers into a plastic box and let them sweat for 5 mins. This makes it easier to remove the skin of the pepper. When the skins are removed, set them aside.

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and oregano and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add wine and let the alcohol in it evaporate completely( takes about3-4 mins)
• Add the broth, bell peppers, potato and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat.
• Add salt and pepper. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.Add milk and cheeses and simmer for another 2 mins.
• Cool the soup slightly.
• Puree the soup in a regular blender, taking care while blending warm liquids.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with croutons.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha