Farmers Market (Uzhavar Sandhai) @ V R Mall, Anna nagar, Chennai

Farmers market (Uzhavar Sandhai Every Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm) @V R Mall, Anna Nagar, Chennai

Idiyappam with Vegetable Stew

Idiyappam (String hoppers / Nool puttu / Sevai) is a delicious steamed dish in South Indian cuisine. It's also popular in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Idiyappam goes well with stew / korma / non veg gravy dishes.

Serves : 2
Makes : 8

Ingredients

1 cup  raw rice flour (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity), sieve flour

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon ghee / oil

1 1/2 teaspoon extra oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup grated coconut ( optional )

Method

In a bowl,  boil water with salt and ghee / oil. When the water starts boiling, add  the rice flour and mix well with a thick ladle until well combined with hot water / water fully absorbed. Switch off the gas flame. Cover and keep aside to cool for 10 - 12  minutes.

Transfer this rice flour mix to another wide bowl / basin. Add a teaspoon of oil to the mix and knead to a soft dough. Divide it into lemon sized balls.

Lightly grease the idiyappam mould and put 2 lemon sized portions of the rice dough.

Press/ extrude out the dough (resembling the noodles ) - while moving the mould in a small circle to form a small mount of noodles - onto each of the greased idiyappam stand / idli steamer and sprinkle grated coconut ( optional ).

Steam for about 10 - 12 minutes in a steamer / pressure cooker ( without weight ) / National/ Panasonic rice  cooker or till done. Serve with stew / korma or chicken curry.

Vegetable stew

Serves: 2 - 3

Ingredients

1 tablespoon  oil

1 onion, cut into cubes

2 green chillies, slit lengthwise (2 big size or 4 small size)

1 - inch piece ginger, finely sliced

10 cloves garlic, finely sliced

6  curry leaves

1 potato, gently peel off outer skin, wash  and cut into 1/4 - inch cubes

1 small carrot, wash and cut into 1/4 - inch cubes

6 French beans, wash and cut into 1/4 - in inch cubes

50 ml thin coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

200 ml thick coconut milk

Method

In a pan / kadai, heat 1 tablespoon  oil on a medium heat. Add onion and fry till light pink color ( 3 - 4 minutes ).

Add green chilli, curry leaves , garlic and sliced ginger. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes.

Add  potatoes, carrot, French beans, salt to taste and thin coconut milk or plain water (just to cook vegetables. Add up to the level of vegetables).

Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes / until done.  Stir occasionally. Finally add thick coconut milk and cook again on a low heat for another 10 minutes.

Serve this delicious stew with Idiyappam ( sevai ).

Potato - Drumstick Gashi

Potato  - Drumstick Gashi (kook ani dento galnu dhevi gashi) - A tasty main dish / curry in Konkani cuisine of Cochin GSB's. Best with rice  !!! This gashi's  made of homegrown tomatoes and drumsticks.

Ingredients

2 potatoes, wash, peel and cut into cubes

2 tomatoes, cubed

3 drumsticks, gently peel off outer skin and cut into 2 - inch pieces

1  1/2 cup water (300 ml)

½ teaspoon salt

For  the coconut paste:

6 tablespoon  grated coconut

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons water

Method

In a small mixer bowl, make a smooth paste of above ingredients with 2 tablespoons of water. Keep aside. This's called massolu (coconut paste) in Konkani cuisine.

Homegrown drumsticks (masingasaang / muringakka)

Method

In a bowl, mix potato cubes and cubed tomatoes with 1 1/2 cup (300 ml ) water and salt. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes or until ¾ done / potato cubes softens.

Add drumstick pieces and cook till done and soft.

Add coconut paste, mix well (dilute with extra 2 – 3 tablespoons water) and cook on a low heat for 8 - 10 minutes. Gashi should be of pouring consistency. Switch off the heat.

For the  seasoning:

2 teaspoons oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon jeera ( cumin seeds )

½ teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds) - optional

1 spring curry leaves (6 curry leaves)  

  

Method

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add jeera, methi and fry for 1 – 2 minutes or until fragrant.. Add curry leaves and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour the seasoning over potato gashi and mix well. Serve with rice and other accompaniments.

Home grown tomatoes

Home grown tomatoes - Feeling happy & great !!!! :)

Sambar

A delicious sambar, goes well with Idli / Dosa / Rice / Variety rice …

Ingredients

For  the dal :

1/2 cup ( 100 g ) tur dal (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity)

300 ml water

1 teaspoon oil

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Method

For  the Dal:

Wash and clean tur dal.

In a steel bowl, mix tur dal, water, oil and turmeric powder. Pressure cook tur dal along with water, turmeric powder, oil, for 20 minutes. Water level should be 1 - inch above dal  ( reduce heat after 2nd whistle and cook cook on a low heat for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to cool naturally.

Open the lid. Gently mash cooked dal. It should be smooth in consistency.

Other ingredients for sambar:

1 teaspoon oil

10 sambar onions (small onion / shallots / chuvannulli in Malayalam / Piyyavu in Konkani / sambar venkayam in Tamil ) or 1 big onion (wash and cut into cubes)

5 okra (bhindi / vendakka), cut into 1/2 - inch pieces

1 small baingan (vazhuthananga / egg plant), cut into 1/2 - inch pieces

1 big size tomato or 2 small tomatoes, cut into cubes

2 cups water

3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste)

1 tablespoon tamarind juice (or 1 teaspoon thick tamarind paste)

2 1/4 teaspoon 777 brand Madras Sambar Powder/ Eastern / Melam / MTR Sambar powder / homemade sambar powder ( 21/4 to 2 1/2 teaspoon homemade sambar powder if using ) - Dilute sambar powder in 2 tablespoon water and keep aside.

For the sambar :

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan on medium heat.  Add small onion or normal onion and fry on a low heat until light pink color.

Add cubed okra, baingan and tomato. Fry on a low heat for 5 minutes.

Add water up to the level of vegetables.

Add tamarind juice or paste and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well.

Cover with lid and cook on a medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes until vegetables half done.

Now add smooth dal and diluted sambar powder and boil again for 10 - 12 minutes on a low heat to medium heat till done. You can find a slight reduction in the quantity of the sambar and nice aroma of sambar powder / sambar thickens (Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon hing if required).

For the seasoning :

2 teaspoon cooking oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 spring curry leaves (6 nos)

1 red chilli, halved

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

For seasoning :

Heat oil in a pan . Add mustard seeds. When they start crackle, add curry leaves and halved red chilli. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes and pour this seasoning over sambar.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional). Serve with Idli / Dosa / Pongal / Rice ....

Here's the recipe of Homemade Sambar Powder