January 31, 2017
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 31. Red Rose
January 30, 2017
Monday, January 30, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 30. Paneer Rose / Baby Pink Rose
January 29, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 29. White Rose
January 28, 2017
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 28. December Poo / Barleria Cristata
January 27, 2017
Friday, January 27, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 27. Thotta Sinungi / Touch Me Not Flower
January 26, 2017
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Padma Shri for a Deserving Candidate
Awards
sometimes bring unsug heroes to public notice. This year Chintakindi Mallesham
is one such deserving awardee. It seems that industrial revolution is just
happening
in India. I think progress can come to India only through such applications of
automation to traditional work practices.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 26. Maathulam Poo / Pomegranate Flower
January 25, 2017
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Pachai Payaru Masiyal / Mashed Green Gram
This is
the second Pachai Payaru Masiyal recipe (earlier recipe here ). The difference
in this recipe is that it uses sambar powder. This style is prepared in the
villages mostly. It is very tasty and goes well with Chappathis.
Click here to view more Green Gram Recipes.
Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Side Dish
Preparation Time: 10 mins | Cooking Time: 20 mins | Serves:
4
Ingredients:
|
To Pressure Cook:
|
|
|
Whole Green Gram
|
½ cup
|
|
Tomato
|
1
|
|
Chopped Onion
|
¼ cup
|
|
Garlic Pods
|
5
|
|
Sambar Powder
|
2 tsp
|
|
Salt
|
To taste
|
|
Water
|
As required
|
|
Castor Oil
|
½ tsp
|
|
To Temper:
|
|
|
Oil
|
1 tsp
|
|
Mustard Seeds
|
½ tsp
|
|
Cumin Seeds
|
1 tsp
|
|
Curry Leaves
|
1 spring
|
|
Red Chilli
|
1
|
Procedure:
1. Wash the green gram and keep it aside.
2. Wash
and cut the tomato into small cubes. Wash and chop the onions and garlic pods
into small pieces.
3. Add
washed dal, tomato cubes, chopped onions, chopped garlic pods, sambar powder
and salt in a pressure cooker.
4. Then
add 1 cup of water and castor oil. Mix them well.
5.
Pressure cook them for 3-4 whistles in a medium flame or till the dal becomes
tender.
6. Heat
the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and wait for splutter.
7. Then
add the curry leaves and broken red chilli. Fry till the curry leaves becomes
crisp.
8.
After pressure has gone, add this temper (from 7) and close the lid of the
cooker and cook for 5 mins.
9. Then
garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
10.
Finally, mash this dal mixture with hand blender or electric blender.
Really yummy and tasty green gram masiyal
is ready! This goes well with Rice, Chapathi, Dosai etc.,
Note:
1. Dry
roast the dal till nice aroma comes out from the dal. Then allow it to cool down
completely and then use. You can use raw dal also.
2.
Adjust the water level according to the dal consistency.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Flowers from My Cam : 25. Nandhiyavattai / Crape Jasmine / Pinwheel Flower
January 24, 2017
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 24. Anthi Malli /Mirabilis Jalapa / 4 O' Clock Flower
January 23, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 23. Orange Rose
January 22, 2017
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 22. Brinjal Flower / Kathari Poo
January 21, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 21. Snake Gourd Flower / Pudalam Poo
January 20, 2017
Friday, January 20, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 20. Red Idly Poo / Jungle Flame
January 19, 2017
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 19. Mandarai / Bauhinia Purpurea / Purple Camel's Foot
January 18, 2017
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 18. Oomaththam Poo / Datura / Moon Flower
January 17, 2017
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 17. Tomato Flower / Thakkali Poo
January 16, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 16. Fungus
January 15, 2017
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 15. Yelumichai / Lemon Flower
January 14, 2017
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Pongal / Shankaranthi as a National Festival of Unity
Pongal as a National festival as it is celebrated all over India. For Tamils, it is also a thanksgiving day for the Gods, Farmers and Cows. As our country is
getting urbanized more and more, most of us have left our roots. Hence Pongal is now a day of remembrance of our roots. It is very important to celebrate this festival today because most of us forgotten about our farmer brothers who have stayed back in the farms to make our daily food.
CTACIS, an organization for Tamil business community, had organized a new style of Pongal celebrations, a unity or get-together festival for diverse communities. People from different communities such as Punjabis, Rajasthanis, Christians came together and celebrated Pongal/Maghi/Makar Shankranti. It was celebrated in Presentation Church which is in Johnu John Khan Road, Royapetah, Chennai.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Iniya pongal vaalththukkal!
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 14. Poosani Poo / Pumpkin Flower
January 13, 2017
Friday, January 13, 2017
Millet Palm Jaggery Pongal / Siruthaniya Karuppatti Pongal
In the
recent years we have been making Pongal with Rice and Jaggery. Slowly we have
started to use millets nowadays. Why not prepare with Pongal and Palm Sugar?
The taste is very good and not very different from Pongal with Jaggery. Try
this traditional recipe for this Pongal which is itself a traditional festival.
Recipe Cuisine : South Indian| Recipe Category: Sweets
Preparation Time: 15 mins | Cooking Time: 30 mins |
Yields: 3 cups
Ingredients:
|
Kodo Millet Rice
|
½ cup
|
|
Split Green Gram / Moong Dal
|
¼ cup
|
|
Powdered Palm Sugar
|
1 cup
|
|
Ghee
|
1 tbsp
|
|
Cashew Nuts
|
10
|
|
Dry Grapes
|
15
|
|
Cardamom Pods
|
4
|
1 cup = 240 ml
Procedure:
1. Dry
roast the moong dal at medium flame till the nice aroma comes out from the dal.
Transfer it into a dry plate and allow it to cool down completely.
2. In
the same pan, dry roast the millet rice till it gets warm . Allow it to cool
down completely.
3. Mix
the roasted dal and millet rice together and wash them twice.
4. Then
soak them with 1 cup of water for 15 mins.
5.
Pressure cook them with 4 cups of water including soaked water for 1 whistle in
high flame. Then keep the flame at simmer and cook for 10 mins. Then switch off
the flame.
6.
Meanwhile, add powdered palm sugar and ¼ cup of water in a heavy bottom vessel.
Heat them at low flame till the palm
sugar melts completely.
7. When
palm sugar starts melting, occasionally stir the syrup using the ladle to avoid
sticking at the bottom of the pan.
8.
After palm sugar melts completely, switch off the flame and strain the syrup
using the steel filter. Keep it aside.
9. Heat
the ghee in a pan, fry the cashew nuts till they become golden brown.
10.
Then add the dry grapes and fry till they become swollen / fluffy.
11.
After the pressure has gone, open the cooker and give a stir. Then add the palm
sugar syrup, crushed cardamom pods and fried nuts with ghee.
10. Mix
them gently and heat them at low flame for 5 mins. At this stage stir
occasionally using the ladel.
Yummy and very healthy palm sugar
pongal is ready to serve!
Note:
1. Use
any variety of millet rice or normal raw rice instead of kodo millet rice.
2.
Adjust the palm sugar level according to your taste.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 13. Oosi Kanakambaram / Fire Cracker
January 12, 2017
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 12. Paneer Rose Bud / Baby Pink Rose Bud
January 11, 2017
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 11. Paavakai Poo / Bitter Gourd Flower
January 10, 2017
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Flowers from My Cam: 10. Pink Rose
