January 31, 2017

January 30, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 30. Paneer Rose / Baby Pink Rose



January 29, 2017

January 28, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 28. December Poo / Barleria Cristata



January 27, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 27. Thotta Sinungi / Touch Me Not Flower






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.




Flowers from My Cam: 26. Maathulam Poo / Pomegranate Flower



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.


Flowers from My Cam : 25. Nandhiyavattai / Crape Jasmine / Pinwheel Flower




January 24, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 24. Anthi Malli /Mirabilis Jalapa / 4 O' Clock Flower


January 23, 2017

January 22, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 22. Brinjal Flower / Kathari Poo




January 21, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 21. Snake Gourd Flower / Pudalam Poo





January 20, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 20. Red Idly Poo / Jungle Flame




January 19, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 19. Mandarai / Bauhinia Purpurea / Purple Camel's Foot



January 18, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 18. Oomaththam Poo / Datura / Moon Flower



January 17, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 17. Tomato Flower / Thakkali Poo



January 16, 2017

January 15, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 15. Yelumichai / Lemon Flower



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.







Flowers from My Cam: 14. Poosani Poo / Pumpkin Flower




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.


Flowers from My Cam: 13. Oosi Kanakambaram / Fire Cracker




January 12, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 12. Paneer Rose Bud / Baby Pink Rose Bud




January 11, 2017

Flowers from My Cam: 11. Paavakai Poo / Bitter Gourd Flower





January 10, 2017

Badge for Top 10 South Indian Culinary Blogs - 2018

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