Soya / Meal maker Briyani

Soya / Meal maker Briyani

சோயா உருண்டை பிரியாணி 

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice ( பாசுமதி அரிசி) - 2 cups

Soya chunks ( காய்ந்த சோயா உருண்டை- சிறியது) - 1 cup

Ginger(இஞ்சி) - 1-inch piece

Garlic ( பூண்டு) - 8 cloves

Mint leaves ( புதினா இலைகள்) - a bunch / few stalks

Green chili ( பச்சை மிளகாய்) - 2

Onion ( வெங்காயம்) - 1

Cinnamon sticks ( பட்டை) - 3

Cloves( கிராம்பு) - 3

Bay leaves ( பிரிஞ்சி இலை) - 2

Shajeera ( சாஜீரா) - 1/4 tsp

Butter / Ghee ( வெண்ணெய் / நெய்) - 3 tbsp

Lemon Juice ( optional) தேவையென்றால் எலும்பிச்சை சாறு - 1/2 tsp

Pour boiling hot water to the soya chunks and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
Wash and soak the rice with 1 cup of water( 20 minutes before cooking)
Chop onions. Grind mint leaves, ginger, garlic and green chili with a pinch of salt to a fine paste.
Squeeze out water from soya. Add fresh water, rinse and squeeze out the water again. Now add the ground paste to the soya mix well and you may want to shred a few chunks using your fingers. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.

In a pressure cooker, add 2 tablespoons of butter/ghee.  Add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves and shajeera.
As it splutters add onions and saute. After 2 minutes add the marinated soya. Add 3 cups of water and salt to taste. As the water boils, add the soaked rice with 1 cup of water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Add the remaining ghee and toss the rice and mix gently.
Serve hot with a gravy of your choice or raitha.  

My Notes:

          Soya chunks or meal maker, as it is called in India, is a good source of protein for vegetarians. It is available in two sizes, one is big in size and the other is mini balls. I prefer the latter as it infuses well with the spices that are added into them. Marinating the balls and cooking lets that happen. Mint, chili, ginger all infused and cooked give a great flavour.

Soaking in hot water makes it softer and also further rinsing until the water is almost free of the frothy and sticky texture.

This briyani is balanced with the protein part and an interesting deviation from the regular vegetable briyani, peas pulav or the jeera pulav.  One of the good options to try and satisfy children's ever-demanding new varieties. 

Lemon juice lifts the taste of the dish to the next level. You may skip if you do not prefer it.  

I had made panner gravy to go with and also had leftover vegetable gravy ( chapathi' ) from previous day dinner. You can serve with any gravy or just fried pappads or chips. 

This plant protein obtained as a byproduct after the extraction of soybean oil. 

You can eat this protein in moderation, once in 10 days, as it is believed to have an effect on one's hormone level. 

Murunga Leave Powder

Murunga Leave Powder

முருங்கை இலை பொடி 

STEPS:
This is not a recipe but a very useful post.
Remove the stalk of the murungai leaves and dry the leaves in shade. I had left to dry inside the house, in a cool corner place.
Within 3 days, the leaves had dried as the weather was hot and windy.
Crush the leaves with the palm, you can feel the dryness of the leaves.
Dry grind the crushed leaves to a fine powder.
Add half a teaspoon of murungai leave powder to a cup. Add around 20ml of boiling water to the murungai leave powder. Let it stand until it is warm.
Add a few drops of lemon juice and honey. ( optional)
Take this concoction for a few months or at least for 48 days.
It has many health benefits. Treating Anemia, healthier bones, diabetes, cancer-fighting,..the list is countless.

My Notes:

Murungai is recently the talk of the town, with shops selling the dried seeds, the leaves in powder or capsule form.
It has many health benefits. This spinach is native to South India. A common dish for its high iron content. Recently I came to know that it has a good percentage of protein and vitamin C as well.
For my heavy menstrual bleeding with clots, one of my friend, Ramani, suggested this powder as a remedy.
She provided some homemade murungai leaves powder. It is working for me. I didn't add honey or lemon juice neither I strained the concoction. I stirred well and drank the warm liquid.
Do not boil the powder with water as it will lose its nutrients.

My childhood memory of murungai leaves links to the leaves dipped in hot ghee, while ghee is prepared by melting butter. The crisp ghee flavoured leaves is yummy to eat just like that. Sometimes it is mixed with hot steamed rice and a pinch of salt.
And secondly, murungai leaves with adai, the lentil pancakes, is one of the best combination that I have savoured since young.
Murungai leaves, as side dish for rice, is prepared as the dry stir fry flavoured with freshly grated coconut or as mild curry, kootu, mixed with boiled dhal.
Murungai leaves enhances the flavour of sambar rice as well.
In whatever way you prefer, include the whole leaves at least once a week in your diet.

Koottanchoru / கூட்டாஞ்சோறு

Koottanchoru 

Mixed ( rural/ local) vegetable rice

கூட்டாஞ்சோறு 

Ingredients:

Raw rice ( பச்சரிசி)  - 1 cup

Toor Dhal ( துவரம் பருப்பு) - 1/4 cup

Murunga Leaves / drumstick leaves ( முருங்கைக் கீரை) - handful

drumstick ( முருங்கைக் காய்) - 1

flat beans ( அவரைக்காய்) - 7 to 8

Brinjal ( கத்தரிக்காய் ) - 3 (small size)

Pumpkin ( பூசணிக்காய்) - a small wedge

Elephant Yam ( சேனைக்கிழங்கு) - a small wedge

Colocasia ( சேப்பங்கிழங்கு) - 2 

Country potato ( சிறு கிழங்கு) - 3

(வாழைக்காய்) - 1/2 

Small onions ( சின்ன வெங்காயம்) - 8

Tamarind ( புளி) - small lemon size

Onion Vadagam ( வெங்காய வடகம்) - 2 

Turmeric powder ( மஞ்சள் தூள்) - 1/4 sp

Sambar powder ( சாம்பார் பொடி) - 2 tsp

Sesame oil ( நல்லெண்ணெய்) - 5 tbsp

Asafoetida ( பெருங்காயம்) - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste ( தேவைக்கேற்ற உப்பு) 

STEPS:

Rinse and soak rice and dhal together for 30 min. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and cook in a pressure cooker until soft. Cook the mochai payaru / bean, country potato and colocasia in a  separator while cooking the rice. 

Wash the other vegetables and cut them into bite-size pieces.

Extract juice from the soaked tamarind.

In a heavy bottom pot or pressure cooker, add 3 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add the drumstick pieces first, followed by other vegetables. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add the murunga leaves, after a minute add the tamarind juice and mix well. 

Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, asafoetida and salt to taste. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the boiled rice and mix well. Pour in the remaining sesame oil. 

Separately heat a teaspoon of oil and fry the onion vadagam. Pour this seasoning to the rice as a final step 

My Notes:
        Till now, I have not tasted a better dish of koottanchoru than the one cooked by my maternal grandmother. She cooks the rice together with the vegetables, which is very flavourful. Also the fresh vegetables and the murungai leave from the backyard. Unforgettable memories. 
For the convenience of saving time, I have cooked the rice separately, which my mother and mother in law also have had adopted. 
Onion vadagam is the specialty of this dish, in addition to the murungai leaves.
Rice pappad / Arisi vaththal is the best accomplishment. My elder son' favourite is Mor milagai .
Our afternoon lunch was complemented with a sweet Pongal and a final wash down with a cool coriander flavoured buttermilk. 
Able to post this today only though had created more than 2 months ago. 

                                       
                               

Sago Mango Delight / ஜவ்வரிசி மாம்பழ பாயசம்

Sago Mango Delight

 ஜவ்வரிசி மாம்பழ பாயசம்

Ingredients:

Sago (ஜவ்வரிசி) - 1/2 cup

Mango (மாம்பழம்) - 2

Coconut milk ( தேங்காய் பால்) - 1 cup

Sugar (சக்கரை) - 2 or 3 tbsp

STEPS:

Wash and soak the sago in water for 20 minutes. 

In a heavy bottom pan, boil water and add the soaked sago.

When sago is cooked, add the mango puree. Mix well.

Add the required quantity of sugar and let it boil for 2 minutes.

Switch off the flame and add the coconut milk. Mix well.
Do not let the coconut milk boil as it may curdle.
 Serve hot or cold. 

My Notes:

A simple, easy to make dessert, with less number of ingredients yet a yummy treat with its beautiful colour and texture and the mango flavour.

Hot or chilled, is sure to tantalize your taste buds.

Fresh coconut milk, uncooked does good to our health, hence shun away the calorie-conscious thoughts and enjoy the sweet dish.

Zucchini Fritters / ஜுக்கினி (சீமை சுரைக்காய்) வடை

Zucchini Fritters

 ஜுக்கினி (சீமை சுரைக்காய்) வடை 

Ingredients:

Zucchini ( சீமை சுரைக்காய்) - 1

Shallots/ Small onions ( சின்ன வெங்காயம்) - 7 to 8

Gram flour ( கடலை மாவு)  -2 tsp

Ginger ( இஞ்சி) - 1"

Green Chili( பச்சை மிளகாய்) - 2

Curry leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை) - 1 twig

Salt to taste ( தேவையான அளவு உப்பு)
Oil for frying ( பொரிப்பதற்கு எண்ணெய்)

Wash, peel and shred the Zucchini. Squeeze out the juice and keep aside.
Peel and finely chop the onions and ginger. Finely chop the green chili.

Squeeze the shredded zucchini again to remove any left out juice. Mix the other ingredients. Add salt to taste. Knead softly. Roll into small balls. Flatten and fry in hot oil over medium flame. 

My Notes:
Zucchini is a multifunctional marrow. You can fry, saute, boil or eat raw. My favourite is sauteed with garlic and a generous portion of parmesan cheese added to it. Raw Zucchini added in a salad is also quite good. The first time I made this fitter was well received by my friend Pornima and her children.
The mixture can be rolled into finger-shaped sticks and fried which will be a hit with young children.
I pan-fried a few patties on an iron griddle and it was equally good. Roast it on medium fire and use olive or sesame oil. The patties in the picture are panfried. The deep-fried ones were finished off hot from the frying pan before I could remember to take a picture.  😛

Sago Mango Dessert / ஜவ்வரிசி மாம்பழ பாயாசம்.

Sago Mango Dessert 

ஜவ்வரிசி மாம்பழ பாயாசம்.

Ingredients:
Sago ( ஜவ்வரிசி) - 1/2 cup
Ripe Mango ( மாம்பழம்) - 1
Coconut milk ( தேங்காய் பால்) - 1 cup
Sugar ( சக்கரை) - 2 tbsp








 Steps:

Wash and soak the sago pearls for a minimum of 30 minutes.

In a saucepan or a vessel add 1/2 cup water bring to boil and add the soaked sago.
After 5 min once the sago pearls become soft and translucent, remove and strain the water.

Bring back to medium fire, add the finely chopped mango bits. Stir for a minute.

Add in 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

Pour the coconut milk over the cooked dessert. Allow it to stand for a few minutes and serve. 

 

My Notes:

A simple yummy dessert best relished when chilled. Once tasted you would want this summer dessert year long! And with the hot weather spell hovering Singapore, a chill dessert such as this most welcomed on a weekend after lunch. 😋

A famous southeast Asian dessert. In Chinese restaurants, pomelo is also added to the dessert. The recipe does not call for any flavouring like cardamom or any nuts for garnishing. The mango flavour on the coconut base is well enough for the dessert. A creamy yummy dish.

Mango puree can also be used for the mango lovers. Coconut milk is high in calories but nothing beats this ingredient in this recipe. Fresh milk pales here. Best is to use fresh coconut milk rather than a tetrapack one. 

Rinse the soaked sago one or two times to remove the extra starch that you may want to.

Sago is a simple ingredient suggested for people who want to gain weight. Rich in carbohydrates and calories with little fat and protein. 

I shall post a savoury recipe, that is prepared usually to break one' fasting, later.

Curry Leaves Podi கறிவேப்பிலை பொடி

Curry Leaves Podi

கறிவேப்பிலை பொடி

Ingredients:

Curry leaves ( கறிவேப்பிலை ) - few twigs

Dry red chili ( காய்ந்த மிளகாய்) - 3 

Black Urad Dhal ( தோள் உளுந்தம்பருப்பு) - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida ( பெருங்காயம்) - 1/4 tsp

Tamarind ( புளி ) - a small amount

Salt to taste ( தேவையான அளவு  உப்பு)

Remove the curry leaves from the stalk. Dry / roast the curry leaves in the oven for 1 minute. Turn the leaves and repeat for uniform drying. You can add the tamarind also together with the leaves to remove the moisture and make it suitable for the dry powder. 
Allow it to stand for a few minutes in the oven.
 Then crush the leaves to form coarse bits. This enables a uniform smooth powder while grinding.

In a pan, heat a little oil to roast the chilli followed by the urad dhal and asafoetida. 

Dry grind the roasted red chili, asafoetida and urad dhal. Then add the dry curry leaves, salt and dried tamarind. Grind to a powder. 

My Notes:
This podi /powder can be used as a side dish for idli or dosai and also mixed with hot steamed rice and ghee. A small amount of hot rice and a generous portion of this powder is very flavourful and with full benefits. No side dish is required for this mixed rice.

The difference in the colour of the powder. The one on the left is prepared from curry leaves roasted under fire in a pan. The right, retaining the green colour is roasted in an oven. The flavour and colour are retained this way. So I have switched from pan roasting the leaves to dry in the oven.