Tamilnadu Meals anyone?

Last week, ministers from our church were visiting and having dinner with us. I decided to go with a complete south Indian menu including idli and sambar and stuff.

Sure enough, I did not have the patience or infrastructure to assemble the spread shown for everyone. I took the pleasure to put together one plate for picture and memories sakes. All the stuff is home made from scratch.  Oh yeah! The green mass is Mint Thuvayal and gravy is chicken. All right, all right – the mango pickle is mother made from Chennai and gulab jamun, courtesy Mahalakshmi Sweets of Mysore.  Papad is store bought. But rest came out of this kitchen. P asked me to document the Sambar recipe for quick reference. Maybe someday, K will read this and try. This recipe is a keeper for simplicity and speed, and taste of course. It will not score high on traditional preparation methodology. The sambar has been heartily appreciated by my mother, whose compliments do not come by often. She does not dish that out easily.

Oil – 3 tsps

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Channa dhal – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – a sprig

Hing – 2 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Green chilies - 2

Garlic – 4 pods, crushed (hand/stone crushed releases the most flavor)

Onion – 1 large

Tomato – 1 large

Vegetable mix – 2 or 3 cups (I go with 3 since that’s one way to include veggies for kids)

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Sambar powder – 3 tsps

Toor dhal – 1 cup

Tamarind water – ½ cup, medium sourness

Coriander leaves – for garnish

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the mustard seeds, urad dhal, channa dhal, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and temper. Add in the hing and wait till the dhals turn a little golden. Next the green chillies and garlic, give a fry. Then add the chopped onions and fry them till translucent. Once the onions are fried well, add tomatoes and salt. Fry for about 5 minutes till you see the tomato breaking down in the salt. Next add the chopped vegetables (adding white radish is a must to get a good aroma from sambar), adding white pumpkin or drumsticks or a potato will also give greater flavor and aroma. I usually add a mix of carrots, beans, brinjal and white radish – keeping the kids in mind. I also use hing and garlic quite a bit to my cooking in general, to get them to digest the food. 

Now add the turmeric, sambar powder and fry well. Next will be the toor dhal along with water and turmeric powder. I usually do 5 times water for 1 cup dhal in sambar and give several whistles in the cooker for the dhal to completely breakdown. I prefer the vegetables to get cooked till they are soft as opposed to having a crunch. One pot child friendly sambar ready.

Chicken Gravy/Curry

With the cook away on vacation for 4 long days, I had the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe for chicken gravy. Recipe credits directly go to my cook Nagamani and my mother for patiently writing it down when she narrated. I just get to prepare and take pictures.

Once the gravy was done and I opened the pressure cooker, the aroma and appearance (not necessarily taste) brought me memories of childhood summer vacations. We used to visit my maternal grandmother and family at a small village near Madurai. Only the word village is an understatement here, everything about their lifestyle and houses were otherwise. Anyways, so during those vacations she used to have a cook called Perumal to come home and make certain delicacies especially non vegetarian on occasions. His wife was the daily cook at home. Perumal was this tall, huge guy with a large large mustache – he made awesome veechu parottas and chicken kuzlambu. Now, that’s what came to my mind when I opened the pressure cooker. Officially, the chicken gravy recipe I have been searching for has been nailed. Yes, we nailed it! I tried for the last few years to get the floating oil on top of the gravy, in vain. But now I know. It tastes good, by the way.

The first picture is straight from the pressure cooker, second one after cooled couple hours later- when the flavors set in.

Anu’s chicken marinade

Chicken – 750 gms

Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp

Chilli powder – 2 tsps

Vinegar – 1 tsp

Small lemon – 1

Yogurt – 5 tbsps

Salt – 1 tsp

Wash the chicken in running water with turmeric, rub the turmeric on what seems like impurities and wash them away. Take a clean bowl, add the chicken pieces, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsps chilli powder, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp salt, juice of a small lemon and few tablespoons of yogurt. Mix the marinade and chicken well with hands. Close it and set in refrigerator for few hours, if not overnight. The meat will absorb the flavors and tenderize completely.

Tomato puree

Tomatoes – 2 large

Ginger – an inch to inch and half long

Garlic – 5 large pods

Cashews – 10 large nuts
Black pepper corns - 10

Add the cut tomato pieces, ginger, garlic, black pepper and cashews (raw) to a blender and puree it to get a smooth paste.

Gravy

Oil – 3 tbsps

Butter – 1 tbsp

Onions – 2 large

Fennel seeds – 3 tsps

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsps

Garam masala powder - 3 tsps

Green chillies – 2 large

Salt – 2 tsps

Coriander leaves/Cliantro – for garnish

In a heavy bottomed wide pressure cooker, add a couple tablespoons of oil. When the oil heats up, add a tbsp of butter. Once the butter melts, add 3 tsps of sombu/perunjeeragam/saunf/aniseeds/fennel. Fry them together for few minutes. That is the beginning of something good that’s waiting to happen.

Now add in the chopped onions and fry well. Add the marinated chicken and fry for about 10 minutes. Next fold in the tomato paste. Fry well till there is no raw smell of ingredients. Add 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 2 tsps of coriander powder and 3 tsps of garam masala powder (1-2-3). Fry well. Now add one or two slit green chillies. Mix well and add in 2 tsps of salt. Close the cooker and give pressure for 3-4 whistles. Open the cooker only after it completely cools down. Then garnish with cut coriander leaves and serve.

Those of you who read the recipe patiently till the end are let into the secret of the floating oil. It’s in the chicken.

I have tried very similar recipes with panner. Nope. Nothing close. Same recipe with boneless skinless chicken breast. Nada. Upped the oil and butter content. Zilch! Case in point is the chicken. You need good chicken with bones, not specific cuts – but a complete chicken. Skin does not matter. Note- I said aroma and appearance in the beginning – that is what comes out of good chicken. Taste of the gravy will change upon addition of things like coconut and poppy seeds (kasa kasa) – which is very typical of Madurai side recipes. Finally, it only tastes as good as what goes into it.

My Baby S

Now Baby S, this mama got some experience after your sister. Walking out of L&D was a good feeling and I was looking forward to going home, being at a familiar place rather than the four walls. I was a little better equipped – thanks to hand me downs. We are treading familiar ground now and I promise a smoother ride buddy.

You are the first to wake up at a steady 6:30AM; then walk up to Appa and call “Appa” to wake him up,  have your guys time together for at least ½ hour before the rest of us join in. You have a thing for Appa when he is around. Get most upset when he leaves for work, and the most excited when you hear the door opening in the evening. You drop whatever you are into and run to his feet even before he can get in the door. Definitely a daddy’s little man. However, I am one happy mamma when you shower your affection on me, come running from wherever you are and hug tightly while slathering with your kisses. You laugh whole heartedly through the cuddles.

You love hanging out with Akka, eagerly await her van arrival from school and shout in excitement when she comes out….then both of you wildly scream at each other like excited teenage girls. You want to sit with her always and imitate what she does. If she doesn’t prefer your company, you insist and insert yourself there, especially when she is struggling with her homework or playing play dough with her girl friend.  Both of you dance together for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and laugh over Pocoyo. You run to Skype to say hello to Aachi and Thatha as soon as you hear their voice, and eager to talk on phone. You hate it when they leave after visiting.

Lately you are talking; while kicking your little blue Niagara ball around the house “mon thee two kick…. mon thee two kick….” and so on. The only colors you seem to say are blue and pink. Yesterday, you suddenly said “Happy Birthday to you” and swept me by surprise. Like to pull out a book from your stash and call to Appa saying “stoii”. You are also quite OCD about keeping things where they belong, when we start putting away toys…you say “kean ah, kean ah” and start cleaning up. You take a small broom and go after the cleaning lady sweeping what she already cleaned. However, am not happy when you take the shoes from the shoe rack and throw them around or when you knock the newspaper off the coffee table no matter how many times I put it back. You can wave and call an auto to our footstep when we start heading out. You are obsessed with ants, little insects and start hitting them with a newspaper in an attempt to kill them. Certainly a big helper to me, unload the washing machine and hand out clothes to dry. You also pick dishes off the tub and ask me to put them away into the shelves.

You started temper tantrums recently- stomp your feet, slam closet doors, throw your favorite books and knock off chairs when not pleased. Boy, you are not doing great in the potty training department. We have a long way to go, am thinking you will be in diapers even beyond 2 years of age. Not a great eater either. You have the history of fracturing your elbow by falling from the couch; you climb the french window grill, let go off the swing and locked yourself inside rooms and elevators. All this before we can beat you to rescue. Between your mischief and tantrums…our hands, legs, eyes, ears and everything is busy. The parent side of the brain better be on alert for what awaits next, thanks to all your tricks. You get us sore worried by the way.

Baby S, know that you not only have your Amma and Appa, but also a responsible Akka to watch out for you. After raising you little brats for couple years, it is now sinking in and I melt at the drop of a hat. You children have made us grownups. We eat better and live fairly disciplined lives. You have tried and tested our patience to large extents, and remind us that there is a long way to go. I pray and hope that we are able to give you little ones what you really deserve.

Raising Baby K

I was that mom who did not cry or get emotional seeing her baby for the first time in L&D. Neither had a feeding bottle bought nor attend any classes on the subject prior to the baby’s arrival. Didn’t have a baby registry or set up a nursery. Car seat and stroller – that I bought, and few other sundry items from Walmart. While none of this means that I did not care, I was simply not the mom who was excited over her to be born child(ren). Being a minimalist and a pragmatic and simply cluelessness, added to the situation.

The third day while packing my bags to go home from the hospital, I was sort of disturbed. I had gotten too used to the nurture and safety at the hospital and round the clock nurse support with the baby. Although doting grandparents accompanied you, Baby K on the back seat- I could not stop asking my parents – is she alright, is she breathing, is her head wobbling, is her body steady and so on about your first ride home. You were completely nestled and sleeping peacefully on your ride home. That is the first indication of how we parents fret and will forever fret over things children, while children are actually okay.

Your initial days at home brought a ton of ooohs and aaws to anyone who saw you. Seeing the first grandchild brought immense joys to my Amma and Appa. You would bring the roof down with your cries for the little 2oz Enfamil ready to feed bottles of formula. They were your favorite and Thaatha used to call them your dessert. Thanks to his remark, he has never let you down in that area till today. You inherit the sweet tooth from Thaatha and Amma. My heart broke into million pieces when we brought you home after your 1^st set of shots at 2 weeks and you cried constantly for like 5 minutes out of discomfort, while looking directly into my eyes. The image is printed on my mind and will never fade. That day I learnt my lesson on giving Tylenol right after shots – be it painless or painful variety, regardless of what the clinic said.

You were always quick to learn and adapt to new surroundings. Our umpteen moves never bothered you one bit and you clocked a ton of miles on Air India while alternating living with Aachi and Amma. You are the apple of Aachi’s eye I can tell you. My parents do not support me anymore, coz you have taken over. I have fought that fight with my Appa atleast thrice till now. They are ready to run to your rescue at your  slightest of hints.

You appreciate me for whatever new dress I wear however it may be. You notice my shoes and my hair, you want me to wear makeup and get excited over every little cosmetic purchase I make, for myself. You also LOVE to dress up for yourself (esp. paapu pavaadays), and look to your Chitti for advice, courtesy fashion challenged mom. Besides dressing, you love love to watch me cook and set things around the house. You are a natural at keeping things in order. Makes it easy for both of us. You sing songs and draw, just free spirited. Keep this up Baby K and never let life’s problems take over this trait.

You grew up overnight when Thambi was born and fit yourself gracefully into the role of an Akka at a tender age of 2. You were never jealous or angry or upset. As you both grow together now, you always watch out for your brother and come running to me with whatever trouble he is getting into. Without you dear baby sitter, what would I do. Am not kidding. You are so mature for your age sometimes. You get it when am upset and come sit beside me, asking if you can be of any help. Full of emotion and love and care for people around you. Two different teachers you had have remarked on your empathy for others. The same two also spoke about your energy levels in class and how infectious it can be. Perfect for a moody day.

It would be unrealistic if I failed to list some of your bad girl traits here. Try to laugh it away when you read this as a grown up. You have a well of tears stored some place that is ready to burst open at the slightest inconvenience or upsets or tiffs with Thambi. I am SOOO waiting for the day you will outgrow this girl, I really do. You take FOREVER to eat; I mean FOREVER that lasts from a minimum of 1 to 2 hours per meal, left to yourself. You get uncomfortable over no tears baby soap saying it stings your eyes. You call it burning soap. You have been saying that since the day you knew to talk. I pray your threshold for pain also improves a tad bit. Even a tad bit can do wonders to those around you.

You are my first and will always be. You taught me several first lessons and will continue to do so. You make me a better person and motivate me to be strong, so I can teach you. You receive the bests from us as parents. You will also endure the many negatives of being the first – but always know that your Amma and Appa are by your side ready to scoop you up.

Idli/Rice Podi

We ran out of the stock of Idli Podi (in tamil)/Chutney Pudi (in kannada) made by Pramod’s mother. I was not really in a mood to buy one of the packet ones from the store. Just thought why not venture into the Podi making territory. This recipe is just a scratch on the surface, nothing close to perfect by any means. Podi is one of those things which you can prepare way too many ways. I read about several podi recipes online and the idayam nallenai cookbook before conjuring up this one. When stored in an airtight container, the aroma and freshness is preserved well. Each time you open the container, the smell of roasted ellu/till/sesame seeds will tingle the olfactory system. I loved it with both rice and idli/dosa alike.

Gingelly/Sesame Oil – 2 tbsp

Aesofetida/Hing – 1 tsp

Red chillies – 8 long ones

Channa dhal – 1 cup

Urad dhal – 1 cup

Sesame seeds – 4 tbsps

Curry Leaves – a large sprig

Salt – 1 tsp

In a heavy bottomed pan (promotes even heat distribution, which is critical to the dry roasting process) – pour the sesame oil. Add the hing and let it slightly toast, not burn. Next roast the red chillies for a minute; it should not blacken at any cost. Add channa dhal and then urad dhal, keep roasting till they turn golden brown. Warm nutty aroma fills the kitchen. Add the curry leaves and let them toast in the heat. Lastly add the sesame seeds and toast them as well. The whole toasting process should not take more than 15 mins. Let the mixture cool down completely.

After cooling, add a tsp salt to the mix and grind it in the mixie or spice grinder to a fine powder. Done.

Some recipes called for addition of garlic or coriander seeds or tamarind – adding or eliminating each of which grants a new flavor. I am yet to try the variations to get different tastes. With texture too, some grind it coarse, some medium and some smooth – I like the smooth version. Adding tempered mustard seeds to the end result, not using oil at all in the toasting process are some other variations too. After reading various recipes, I was comfortable using this choice of ingredients, in this order of preparation.

Besan Ladoos

Lacking an innate aptitude for making Indian sweets, I thought I need to start somewhere. I can't even make Rava Kesari for peanuts! After reading about besan ladus and making them twice, confidence is budding in this subject area. Although the taste is just fine, am not happy with their shape. For whatever reason they are not perfectly spherical. I tried rolling them into balls between my fingers, between the palms - nothing worked. Anyways, I like to use lesser sugar in making desserts and hence almost half the flour for sugar. Most folks do equal parts of flour and sugar I hear.

Besan/Gram flour – 2 cups                                          

Sugar – 1 cup

Ghee – ½ cup

Nuts – about 20 of them

Elaichi – 2

Dry roast the gram flour on lowest heat setting for about 15-20 min, keep stirring – else it burns. Patiently stir the besan, till the kitchen and maybe living areas fill up with the aroma of roasted besan. Set aside to cool down, remove away from the hot stove.

Add the sugar and elaichi into a blender and powder to confectioners’ sugar consistency i.e, a smooth powder.

With little kids who cannot bite nuts very well, I chose to run my roasted nut mix (almond, cashew, pistachios) through the blender. Blend it to a coarse mix, not powder.

Add the sugar mix and nut mix into the besan.

Melt the ghee and fold into besan.

With clean hands (duh!), mix the ingredients and make balls. Yummy ladoos ready.