Kathri–Thakkali (Brinjal-Tomato) Gothsu

Gothsu is an all in all side dish, which goes well with most of the south Indian tiffin menu – be it idli, dosai, pongal, upma.. Of course, the best combo I relish is with Venn Pongal…



Ingredients

1 big onion, cut finely
3 small brinjals ( violet, slim & long variety)
4 tomatoes ( Use the nattu thakkali variety to enhance the taste, as it imparts a natural sour taste).. If using other tomato varieties, you can add a little tamarind to even out the taste
4 green chillies – slit lengthwise
Sambar powder -1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – ½ tsp
For the tempering : Oil – 2 tsp, mustard seeds, asafetida, turmeric powder, curry leaves.
Green coriander leaves – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste, sugar a pinch.


1.Cut the brinjals and tomatoes into small pieces. To reduce the cooking time, just microwave these vegetables for 3 minutes in high. Keep it aside.

2.Heat the oil, make the tempering with mustard, asafetida, turmeric, curry leaves.

3.Reduce the flame, add the slit chillies and sauté the onions golden brown.

4. Now add the microwaved brinjals and tomatoes. Add salt, sambar powder and a pinch of sugar. If you need more spice, then add a dash of red chilli powder to add to the color and taste.

5. Add little water to make it semi gravy and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. Once it is done, add the coriander leaves and churn, so that the aroma soaks in..

6. The heavenly gothsu is now ready to be served with the tiffin..

Mango Pachadi

Come Ugadi, aka Telugu New Year, this recipe is on the menu list of most of the Tam Brahm household. The other variation is the "Veppambu (Neem Flowers) Pachadi", which is also quite delicious.

Ingredients:

Raw Mango - 1
Round Jaggery, mashed - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafetida, salt, turmeric powder - a pinch
A sprig of curry leaves
Red Chilli - coarsely ground powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste.

Method of preparation :

1. Chop the mangoes in to sqaures.
2. Coarsely grind the dry red chillies in a mixie. This texture gives a unique taste when added to the pachadi.
3. Soak the jaggery in little water, make a puree out of it.
4. In a kadai, heat the oil and make a tempering with mustard seeds, cumin, asafetida, turmeric powder, curry leaves.
5. Reduce the flame, add the cut mangoes and saute for 2 minutes. Add half of the salt now.
6. When the mangoes are cooked, add the thick jaggery water and the coarsely ground red chilli powder. Let it cook for another 2 minutes. Check for salt.
7. When all the ingredients are mixed well and the jaggery water boils, you can see a sheen and the mixture thickens a little. At this time, switch of the flame.

The quick and tasty Mango Pachadi is ready and you can relish this.. With anything of your choice. It goes well with Khakras too!

Posto

This recipe “Ridge gourd Posto” is from my friend Sanchali.
She is a terrific cook ( Bengali, of course!) and always rustles up something tasty when I am around at Kolkatta.

This dish is made in a jiffy and the variation is of course, the popular Aloo Posto.

Posto means poppy seeds and for this recipe we need the following :

One medium onion
4/5 tsp Oil (Mustard oil replaced with our Refined oil) – (unless you have an acquired taste for mustard oil..)
Ridge gourd (Peerkangai) -1 (big) or 1 ½ (Medium) size
Black Cumin Seeds
Sugar – 1 tsp

To be ground into a thick paste :
Poppy Seeds – 2 big spoons
Garlic Pods – 2/3
Green chilly – 2

1. Dry grind poppy seeds, then wet grind with very little water alongwith garlic and green chilly. Do not use too much water, since the posto should be coarse and thick paste. Wash the grinder with little water and you can use this to cook the vegetables.

2. Slice onion in to thin slices, chop gourd in small pieces.

3. Heat oil, add cumin seeds. Fry the onion on a low flame, after 3-4 minutes add the gourd. Cook on a low flame.

4. Sprinkle some water. When its about 3/4th done, add the posto paste and the sugar. The dish should be semi-gravy, so just add in 2-3 tsps of water. Keep it on low flame throughout to retain the green color of the gourd.

The tasty dish is ready and have a go with rotis.. Enjoy!

Mixed Fruit Custard

Luscious desserts give THE finishing touch to any perfect meal! Some spectacular desserts, like the Mixed fruit Custard can be made with little time, turns out be delicious and not too over sweet.. Chennai summer makes us crave for something chill and this dessert is good for any time of the day..And what’s more, everyone loves it..



Ingredients

1 whole cup of fresh fruits – Banana, apple, ripened mangoes, pomegranate pearls, pineapple etc.,
2 teaspoon full – Custard Powder (Vanilla Flavour)
Milkmaid – Condensed Milk – half a tin ( adjust to your sweet buds!)
Vanilla Essence – Few Drops
Milk – 2 cups

Preparation :

Warm the milk just for 2 minutes and add the custard powder to it. On a slow flame, stir in regularly without any lumps till it becomes semi-thick. It would take just 3-4 minutes. Switch off the flame.

Now add the condensed milk and mix well. Cool it. Add the Vanilla essence.

Whip this mixture in a mixie just for ½ a minute, now it transforms in to a divine creamy mixture.

Transfer this sauce to a bowl and chill in a refrigerator. (If the mixture becomes a little thick, you can add in a spoon of cold milk or some more milkmaid..)

Mix this creamy custard and fruits and serve in individual bowls. The heavenly dish is ready to be served. If you not the calorie conscious kind, add a generous dose of whipped cream as topping to make it more heavenly. Indulge!

Trivia about Custard

Custard is cornflour-based and thickens to form a sauce when mixed with milk and heated to a sufficient temperature. Custard was invented by a Birmingham scientist, Alfred Bird in 1837, because his wife was allergic to eggs - Eggs were the key ingredient used to thicken traditional custard.

After he discovered his custard (Bird’s custard powder)and became popular, he formed Alfred Bird and Sons Ltd., in Birmingham. By 1843, the company was also making the newly invented baking powder and by 1844 was promoting custard powder nationally. By 1895 the company was producing Blancmange powder, jelly powder, and egg substitute. In World War I, Bird's Custard was supplied to the British armed forces. It was later on acquired by General Foods in 1947 and has been part of Kraft Foods since 1989.

Chinna Vengaya Chutney

Chinna Vengayam – also called as Sambar Vengayam / Small Onions / Shallots are indispensable in South Indian cooking and enhances the taste of any dish in which it is added.



Chinna Vengaya Chutney and Idlis are “Made for each other” and try this simple finger licking chutney recipe, you’ll never go wrong! This is best made with gingelly oil and can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.. (If it lasts..)

My grand-mom used to whip up this delicious chutney as an accompaniment with packed idlis / chappatis for train travel.. I remember how I used to gobble this up and fight with my sister till the last serving!

The only pain is to peel the small onions with eyes watering and with the advent of departmental stores offering ready made - peeled onions, its sure a blessing for lazy people like me!

Ingredients

Small Onions – ½ kg
Dry Red Chillies (long variety) – 10 -15
Lemon sized ball – Tamarind
Tomato (small) - 2
Garlic – 3 pods
Salt – to taste
Sugar – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Gingelly oil – 4 tablespoons


1.Cut the onions in to half / small size so that while grinding, it comes out even.
2.Add all the ingredients (except gingelly oil) in a mixie and grind it. This mixture need not be too fine, but a little coarse. You may add half cup of water to grind this. (Not too much of water, this mixture should be semi-solid)
3.In a Kadai, add 2 tablespoons of gingelly oil, add mustard and a little asafetida, turmeric powder for tempering.
4.Add the ground onion mixture. Lower the flame and cook for about 10 minutes.
5.Add the rest of the oil after 10 minutes(after the onion is cooked) and now you can see the chutney like consistency (The chutney comes out in one whole lump without sticking to the sides of the Kadai).
6.Check for salt and sugar, and if needed, add the same. Allow to cool.


Try out this recipe which would go well with any tiffin – be it Idli, Dosa, Upma or chapatti and enjoy the compliments! As a variation, you could also make this with the regular onions, but you cannot beat the taste of Sambar vengayam..