Tips for Cooking Sadhya easily for Onam

Season's Greetings to all!

#tipsforonam

Video tips is here - 

As Onam is approaching, I thought of sharing my tips to an easy cooking for sadhya which may be helpful to the beginners and those who want to organise their work.

Though I was doing everything traditionally.... Making fresh on the festival day,  I have started to simplify my labour on certain special days like onam, yet celebrate the festival with same spirit with variety of vibhavams (dishes). 

1. No dish is repeated. i.e.  no 2 Thorans, no 2 payasams etc to keep it simple yet a sadhya! Anyway too many dishes as feast for eyes are already there in the Menu viz., Thayir Pachadi, Olan, Avial, Kootucurry, Erisery, Thoran, Pazha Noruku, Inji Puli, kaalan,Varathuperi , Sarkara upperi, Achaar, etc. Idea is not filling the leaf but presenting  yummy perfect dishes for eyes & taste buds to satisfy the soul of the eater. You may plan as per your preference.

2.  Making the menu list.

3. Shopping list for veggies, coconuts, papadom, banana leaf etc as per the Menu

4. I grate the coconuts in advance and store it in freezer. I transfer them to fridge section a day before. Setting curd for thayir pachadi and curd usage a day before.

5. Frying papad, making Inji Puli, Ada for palada pradhaman, the previous day. The ada pieces, i store them in fridge in a closed bowl containing water.

6. Soaking dal (lentils/paruppu) in the morning, pressure cook and keep them ready

7. Pressure cooking veggies to crisp & colourful texture one by one and transferring them to appropriate vessels.

8. Grinding masalas one by one and adding them to the right vegetables one by one.

9. Tadka one after another (common tadka in large quantity).

10. Pressure cook payasam till milk caramelise. My mother in law taught me this method which saves lot of time and labour yet same pinkish kurukal payasam.

Cooking gadgets viz Pressure Cookers (2, 3 and 10 Litres) are very helpful. I also have a mortar and pestle to powder masalas of small quantities.

My general shopping List for Onam

1. Elavan (Ashgourd) - for sambar, olan, avial

2. Maththan (Pumpkin) - for kootu kari, avial

3. Payaru (Long Beans) - for thoran, avial and olan

4. Chena (Elephant Yam / Suran) - for Eriserri, Avial, kaalan

5. Cucumber - for Thayir pachadi

6. Carrot - for avial

7. Beans - for avial

8. Raw Mango (for Aviyal and Manga curry)

9. Padavalanga (Snake gourd) - for avial

10. Milk for Payasam (Amul Taza also tastes good for Payasam preparations) and setting for setting Curd.

11. Coconut Milk / Coconut Milk Powder

12. Ginger, curry leaves, green chillies, Coriander Leaves

13. Cowpeas (Payaru dhaniam)

14. Coconut Oil for cooking

15. Coconuts

16. Banana Leaf for serving

17. Sarkara Upperi, Varathupperi, Papadom

18. Tomatoes (For Sambar, Rasam)

19. Nendran Pazham and Cheru Pazham

The above list is just an example. You can make your own list as per your preference.

Serving :- Each item has its place on the banana leaf. I have listed them in the photo from Server's point of view.

Serving method - Items and their place on the leaf - From Server's point of view

Wish you all a very Happy Onam!

Frozen Green Peas - Tip to store fresh peas for off season

It is winter time! Season for fresh Green Peas, Mustard green (Sarson ka Sag), Makkai Roti!

Green Peas brings a nice color to the dish it is added. But as they are seasonal and is available during winter season, we can store them in our freezer for the off season and use it all around the year.

Our ancestors used different methods viz., Pickling Preserve, Sun Dried etc for storing certain seasonal fruit / vegetable.

Sharing with you the way to store the fresh peas in frozen form for the off seasons (thanks to refrigerators!) to make your recipes always special!

Separate the pearls from the pea pod

Pour water in a vessel that is enough to immerse the peas.

Keep some cold water in another vessel as we may need it once peas are blanched to stop the cooking process.

Bring the water to boil and reduce the flame.

Put the peas in it and boil for exact two minutes.

Turn off the flame and drain the water immediately.

Add it to the cold water and leave it till the peas becomes cool.

Spread a clean towel and spread the Peas over it and let it dry.

Store in a ziplock pack and freeze it!

Tada! the Green Peas is ready for your off sesaonal usage!

How to peel small onion / shallots easily! - Tips

I was checking the tip and trick section and found that I am yet to share this tip to peel shallots easily.  My Mother-in-law taught me an easy tip to peel them without much difficulty.  So today's post is on "How to peel shallots [small onion / sambar onion] easily!!"

Small Onions are tasty but they are difficult to peel as sometimes, the thin peel just stick to it and difficult to remove.

Soaking the shallots.

If you need them in the morning, soak them overnight in water.  Else if you have forgotten to do so, just leave them for 30 minutes and you can peel them without difficulty and also save you from burning eyes. The more you soak, more easy to peel. I prefer overnight soaking.

Shallots can be added to Sambar, subzis, Chutney, Chammandhi (a form of thick chutney to accompany the rice as well) etc.

Enjoy cooking with shallots!

Sun Dry Idea for Appartment Life

Hi There,

Today I am posting an "Idea" to all those who stay in high rise and doesn't have a Balcony and Terrace Access to sun dry certain items.

If you get sunshine near your window, then you can try this.nnYou can make vathal and vadams (papads) in small quantity near your window. But you may have to watch over them now and then to ensure safety of the passers by below.

If you have strong clothesline near the window, you can try this.

Here is how I do... I spread an old bed spread and clip them well to secure and place the plates. I sometimes use a light cardboard piece and place them over the bedspread and then place my papads over it.

Easily peel Koorkankizhangu / chinese potato / siru kizhangu

Today blessing of God came on right time!

Koorkan kizhangu (siru kizhangu in tamil, chinese potato in english) is a yummy root vegetable which hits the market during winter season. I had last batch in kitchen store so decided to make it today.

Sometimes feeling lethargic and looking for shortcuts do turn a boon like how it happened to me today. Koorkan kizhangu (chinese potato) is a yummy root vegetable. It gives out a nice flavour to the dishes it is added too especially in molakootal. Mezhukupiratti (roast) tastes awesome. But felt cleaning them was a great task only till yesterday. Today i noticed some koorkankizhangu lying in the tray. put them into a bowl, washed them twice and pressure cooked it. voila! i could peel it so easily like our boiled potato without staining my hands! enjoyed a nice mezhukupiratti (mezhukuvarati) for lunch.

[Now sadly remembering the days when ladies and girls of a household used to peel them laboriously by rubbing them on rough stone surface......staining our hands.... ]

Here is a nice roast recipe (mezhukupiratti) using this yummy vegetable.

How to chop quickly Garlic and Ginger

How to chop the garlic and ginger finely but quickly?

Some simple kitchen gadgets comes to timely help to simplify certain process. Pestle or a Stone plays an important role in my daily cooking.

GARLIC:-  Crush the Garlic Pods using a Pestle or a Stone with a single hit. Now with a knife you can chop them finely within seconds!

GINGER :- Slice the ginger and crush it using a pestle or a stone with a single hit. Now with a knife you can easily chop them within few seconds!

Tomato storage - freeze - easy to grate

With tomato prices still on higher side, I minised the use of tomato to recipes and they do come out well without it. Wherever tanginess is necessary, I just add a bit of amchur (dried mango) powder.

Refrigerating tomatoes extends its life to some extent.  Freezing extends it further. I cut them into halves and freeze them either in a plastic container or in a ziplock bag. Whenever required, I grate them and use.

Grating a frozen tomato is so easyyyyyyyyyy!!!! you can do that in a jiffy and use it for sambar, rasam, curries, rice and wherever required in special gravies. Infact I enjoy grating them as the frozen ones are so crisp. Less messy too.

Cheedai / Seedai tips - prevent explosion

Janmashtami special cheedai / seedai :-

How to make a cheedai making 'terror' into a 'pleasure'? i.e. How to prevent cheedai / seedai from exploding? Here are few tips which I practice and makes my cheedai making successful everytime right from the first time.

1. Seive the flour well.
2. Very lightly roast the flour
3. Roast the sesame seeds till they pop
4. Never shape it to a perfect round. Use 3 fingers and roll between them.
5. Keep less oil and put more cheedai / seedai balls

100% if you follow the above, it will not explode. 

If you still are left with some fear..... no need to wear a helmet. Just keep a perfect lid handy, put the perforated laddle in it towards the wall and partly cover the kadai (not fully) to your side and the openening facing towards the kitchen wall.  don't worry, after two batches, you will get the confidence to fry it without the lid. :-)

May your life be crisp like a cheedai, sweet like the sweet flattened rice and smooth like the butter. May the lord fill your life with his blessings.

Wish you all a happy Janmashtami

Laundary Tips - fold a shirt or t-shirt quickly

I came across this interesting video shared by a pal in Facebook. Thought will share it here

With little practice we can fold a Shirt or T-shirt quickly using this method.

Now folding laundry clothes or organizing a wardrobe will not be too tiring! Enjoy doing your chores! :-)

Easy crispy Bread sticks for soup

crunchy soup sticks makes a good accompaniment to the soup and makes it even more interesting when you want to avoid fried bread cubes. 

If you don't have a soup stick but have few slices of bread (I use brown bread), then here is an easy way to prepare a crunchy bread stick to accompany an yummy soup you made.

In a pop up toaster, cut the breadslices vertically without getting fully detached on one side using a scissor as shown in the picture below :- 

Drop it into the toaster and toast till crispy. Have it along the hot soup. 

For packing, wrap the crispy pieces into a kitchen tissue & store in an air tight container to prevent it absorbing moisture & getting soggy.

If you don't have a pop up toaster, go ahead using your tawa, in a low flame roast the bread slice till it turns golden brown & crisp- without oil. Once done, cut lengthy strips.

A nice crispy sticks are ready to accompany  the soup.

When sabudana (Sago) for making kichadi looks oversoaked or too soft

For making kichadi, sabudana (sago/javvarisi) is soaked in water. If you find it over soaked, then drain it & spread on a clean kitchen towel for sometime. The kitchen towel will absorb excess water.

When medu vada batter becomes little watery

If medhu vada / urad dal vada batter becomes little watery you will not be able to take and shape it using your fingers.

Add little rava (sooji), mix and keep it aside for 10 minutes. This will help you to get the batter in the right consistency to make nicely shaped vadas.

The other option is to powder Rice flake (Poha / Avil) in a mixer and add it to the batter. This not only gets you the consistency but also make the vada crisp.

Corn - How to select and remove corn from the cob

Selecting the corn : The cover should be green and the fiborous silk should be in golden brown colour. Peel the green cover on top, the corn inside should be fully formed and a good yellow colour, firm and juicy.

How to remove the corn from the cob :

1. remove the green husk and the golden fibrous silk

2. break the corn into two

3.remove two vertical rows

4. this is make it easy to remove the following vertical rows easily as shown in the picture.

Baking Tips for Bars & Cookies

This tip i have noted down in my notebook from an old magazine some years back. Thought of sharing it here.

• Foil the line pans for baking bars. Once bars have cooled, you can lift the foil right out and cut the bars cleanly. The pans will only need a quick rinse & dry.
• Always bake bars on the middle rack in the oven & cookies on the top rack. If baking more than one pan at a time, place them at different angles on different racks to allow maximum circulation of heat. Alternate their placement on the racks halfway through the baking time.
• Cool cookie sheets between batches to keep unbaked cookies from melting and thinning at the edges before they can be set by the heat of the oven.

Image courtesy : google images

While cooking lentil / dhal

While cooking toor dhal / arhar dhal (thuvaram Paruppu) in pressure cooker, add 3 drops of oil to it, this will prevent spillage inside during boiling and also dhal will be cooked well.

To prevent apple from changing colour

When apple is cut, within few minutes it changes colour turning dark. Its because of the contact with air and the subsequent chemical reaction. To prevent that, just add few drops of lemon juice and toss it well. This will help the apple retain its colour.

To remove white patch caused by lemon juice spill on kitchen platform

When lemon juice spills on the kitchen platform, it leaves white patches due to its acidic property. But this patch will fade away slowly.

1. To prevent such patches forming, avoiding the spillage is the best way. So always keep the chopping board down while squeezing lemon.
2. Pour water immediately on it and wipe that place 
2. To remove the white patch, apply little butter and wipe that place.

Let your kitchen platform sparkle always new!!

Cucumber Roundels (Kakdi slices)

You would have seen the nicely sliced roundels of Cucumber and carrots neatly arranged on a plate in buffets. Some of you would have wondered how this is done to get those nice flower petal like shape around its edges. Now you can also make it at home using your peeler and make the salads look more attractive to eat and enjoy. I have explained it to through pictures.

Cucumber roundels with nice edge is ready to decorate your salad plate!!