Hummus

Hummus 

Ingredients:

Chickpeas - 1 cup 

White sesame seeds ( for tahini ) - 1/2 cup

Lemon juice - 2 tsp

Olive oil or Sesame oil - 2 tbsp

Garlic - 2 cloves

Salt to taste 

Steps:

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Boil in a pressure cooker with a pinch of salt added. Chickpeas have to be soft cooked. Drain water and keep aside.

In a preheated pan dry roast the sesame seeds. Stir continuously until the seeds change colour slightly and become fragrant. Let it cool. To prepare tahini, process the sesame seeds until a crumbly paste begins to form. Scrap down from the sides of the jar, run again after adding one or two teaspoons of olive oil. 

When a smooth paste is formed, that is it. Tahini is ready to use. 

To the tahini lemon juice and add chickpeas to blend to a fine paste. Add soaked garlic and salt to taste. Run in the processor for a minute. Transfer to a clean dry container. Lasts for a week if refrigerated. 

Use as a dip for chips, veggie sticks or as a spread. 

Choice of Hummus and Avacado spread for the toast. 

My Notes:
Please try to use home-cooked chickpeas and not a canned one. I saw many recipes using canned ones. If you soak overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours, chickpeas can be soft cooked. In a pressure cooker, it takes 20 minutes but I  have to admit that cooking in an open pot takes a longer time and troublesome. But when it comes to flavour, homecooked gives a slight edge over canned chickpeas. 

White sesame seeds, hulled seeds, best goes with this recipe than the unhulled variety. 

The order in which you add the ingredients makes the difference in texture and flavour. Tahini and lime juice to run for a minute in the processor and then add chickpeas and olive oil. finally, sprinkle some cold water. 

Fresh garlic adds a little zest. You can also exclude if garlic is not your choice.
To get off with the raw garlic taste, finely chop and soak the garlic in half tsp of olive oil for a few minutes before adding to the rest of the ingredients.

Olive oil makes the texture luxurious. Also, it is easy and smooth if you are using it as a spread. I had used it for my wholemeal toast.

Coldwater, one or two teaspoons, drizzled while processing turns the hummus more fluffy and smooth.
You can add red peppers, pine nuts or other spices for options. I had kept to the simple original recipe.
Hummus was introduced to me by my sons when we had been to dine at a restaurant serving Mediterranean dishes. I noticed a familiar taste as I dipped it and tasted with the starter. I got hooked on with the taste and will go for it whenever there is an option in the menu card.
It had taken quite a few years for me to prepare this ridiculously, yes ridiculously, easy to make dip.  and it is no less in taste and texture of the ones served at restaurants. We always cook the regular Indian style chickpea dishes- channa masala or the south Indian style sundal. Covid-19 has become an excuse to try out new recipes.😀

Cream of Mushroom Soup / காளான் சூப்

Cream of Mushroom Soup

காளான் சூப் 

 Ingredients:
Button Mushroom (காளான்)- 250 g
White Onion ( வெள்ளை வெங்காயம்)- 1 big size
Black peppercorns ( கருப்பு மிளகு) - 10 to 12
Butter ( வெண்ணெய்)- 2 tsp
Fresh Milk ( பால்) - 1 cup / 200ml
Salt to taste ( தேவைக்கேற்ற உப்பு)

Wash and dice the mushrooms. Peel and slice the onions.

Preheat a saucepan. Melt butter.

Saute onions on medium flame

Toss in the mushrooms and turn gently. 

Saute mushroom and onion in butter until done. Let it cool.
Save a few mushroom pieces for garnishing and transfer the rest to a blender, add the pepper corns and puree until smooth.

Return the pureed soup to the pan/pot. 

Add in the fresh milk, mix well.
Once it starts boiling, transfer to serving bowls.
Serve hot garnished with chopped sauteed mushroom. 

My Notes:

I love this cream of mushroom. It is not only a filling meal on its own but also the most preferred comfort food of mine. I can have this at any time of the day.

 I have not used any vegetable broth or water. Fresh milk enhances the mushroom flavour. So do not compromise on that and go for low-fat fresh milk.

Garlic nor any other spices are added as we prefer the simple tantalizing soup this way. Rich flavourful soup with minimum ingredients.

I always prefer whole black pepper for soups as freshly ground pepper releases rich flavour sealed in the corns. When you puree the ingredients, add in the peppercorns. White onion is a milder variant and best suits this recipe.

Serve hot with garlic toast. 

Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce

Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

Fresh Basil leaves - 2 cups

Garlic cloves - 4 

Almonds or Pine nuts or walnuts - 1/2 cup

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Rock salt or Kosher salt - 1/4tsp

Olive oil - 1/3 cup 

( I have not included any hard cheese as I prefer to include while cooking pasta or any other recipe that calls for the pesto sauce)

Soak almonds for 30 minutes. Peel.

In a food processor or blender combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
Add the olive oil and pulse again. 

Add to a clean dry container or bottle. Use it straightway or refrigerate.  Stays fresh for a week.

My Notes:

Pesto sauce made from basil leaves is used for Italian dishes like pasta or gnocchi or as a dip. The basils are sweet and mild in the aroma.  I like to just pop one or two leaves and enjoy chewing it fresh. 

Since pine nuts were not available, I went ahead with almonds. Wouldnt try walnuts due to its bitter taste. The challenge is to buy the lighter skin coloured fresh walnuts which are sweet. As they age, skin darkens and bitterness develops. 

With the COVID-19 circuit breaker period, boys at home, it has been sauce making week. Started with Guacamole, then the hummus and now to pesto. The homemade sauces really make the difference in your dish and worth the effort. 

A simple yet flavourful sauce that does not call for any other spices to add on.

Bamboo Rice Pongal / மூங்கில் அரிசி வெண் பொங்கல்

Bamboo Rice Pongal 

மூங்கில் அரிசி வெண் பொங்கல்

Ingredients:

Bamboo rice ( மூங்கில் அரிசி) - 1 cup

Moong Dhal / Split green gram (பாசிப்பருப்பு) - 1/3 cup 

Ginger (இஞ்சி) - 1" finely chopped

Black Pepper (மிளகு) - 1tsp

Cumin seeds (சீரகம்) - 1tsp

Cashew nuts (முந்திரிப்பருப்பு) -6 to 8

Ghee(நெய்) - 4 tbsp

Curry Leaves (கறிவேப்பிலை) - 1 twig

Salt to taste (தேவைக்கேற்ற உப்பு) 

Steps:
In a heavy bottom pan dry roast the rice until you get the aroma. Remove. In the same pan dry roast the moong dhal. Soak the rice and dhal in water for a minimum of 30 minutes.

In a pressure cooker add 2 tbsp of ghee. When hot, add pepper and cumin seeds. As they crack add the chopped ginger and curry leaves. Add the cashew nuts and saute well.

Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste.

When the water is boiling add the rice and dhal. Cook in medium flame. Let it cook for 3 whistles and continue cooking in low flame for 5 more minutes. Switch off the flame. After the standing time, open the cooker add the remaining ghee and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve the hot pongal with coconut chutney and sambar. 

My Notes:

This is an amazing rice variety high in fibre, protein and vitamin. Low in GI, Bamboo rice has many health benefits. 

Its benefits aside, try this recipe if you are looking for a change from the regular savoury rice pongal / venn pongal made with white ponni rice.

Bamboo rice takes a longer time to cook, so soak the rice in hot water and use the same water while cooking. Alternatively, rice can be broken into halves in a processor and then cook. 

Olive & Sweet corn Brown rice./ ஆலிவ் சோள உணவு

Olive & Sweet corn Brown rice.

ஆலிவ் சோள உணவு 

Ingredients:

Brown rice (பழுப்பு அரிசி) - 1 cup

Whole Olives (ஆலிவ் பழங்கள்) - a handful

Green Capsicum( பச்சை குடைமிளகாய் ) - 1/2 

Red Capsicum( சிகப்பு குடைமிளகாய் ) - 1/2

Garlic ( பூண்டு) - 5 cloves

Boiled Sweet corn (வேக வைத்த சோளம்) - 1/2 cup 

Olive oil ( ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய்) - 2 tbsp

Steps:

Rinse the rice and soak in 2 cups of water for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Pour a tbsp of olive oil, saute the finely chopped garlic. 

Add the sauteed garlic to the soaked rice and cook in an electric cooker.

In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil, saute both the capsicums. 

Dice and add the olives to the cooking rice. Mix well.

Finally, add the sauteed capsicums, the boiled sweet corn and salt to taste. Mix well. Serve hot. 

My Notes:

Garlic cooked together with the rice is the uniqueness of this recipe. The garlic flavour infused while cooking gives an amazing taste to the brown rice. Capsicums added at last so that they are not fully cooked retaining their crunchiness. We always prefer capsicums to be half-cooked and not soft.  

In this recipe, I have used canned sweet corn which is unlike our way. I had received this with a hamper and just used it.  But quite a few prefer a canned product to avoid the hassle of removing the kernels from the corn' cob. 

Those who do not prefer brown rice will think twice after eating this dish. 

Avocado dip

Avocado dip

அவகோடா  ஸாஸ் / சட்னி

Ingredients:
Avocado( அவகோடா) - 2
Red Capsicum ( சிகப்பு குடைமிளகாய்) - 1/4
Green Capsicum ( பச்சை குடைமிளகாய்) - 1/4 
Garlic( பூண்டு) - 4 cloves 
Lemon juice ( எலுமிச்சை சாறு) - 1 tsp
Olive oil ( ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய்) - 1 tsp
Salt to taste ( தேவைக்கேற்ற உப்பு)


Steps:
Scoop out the avocado fruit and mash it using a fork, so that it is not very smooth and buttery. If you prefer, you can use a potato masher.
Chop both the capsicums into bite-size tiny cubes. 
Finely chop the garlic or you can even use a garlic/cheese shredder. This is to ensure that you get the flavour but not the bite of fresh garlic. 
Mix all the ingredients. Add salt and lemon juice. Mix well and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving. 
My Notes:
This dip is everyone' favourite. Easy to make, excellent in taste.
A dip for tacos, nachos or for the health-conscious people for their celery sticks, a spread for a toast or just eat as it is. 
This is a thick spread, if you want a drizzly thin sauce there is another recipe for a smooth creamy thin sauce. 
I found this tip, to retain the colour, very useful -  Leave the seed within the dip if you are refrigerating the avocado dip. A wonderful tip as I had found challenging to retain the colour of the dip for long.

Mukkani Payasam / முக்கனி பாயாசம்

Mukkani Payasam ( ma, Pala & Vazhai)

முக்கனி பாயாசம் ( மா, பலா & வாழை)

                                    
Ingredients:
Ripe Mango ( ஒரு சிறிய மாம்பழம்) - 1 medium size
Banana ( இரு நடுத்தர அளவு வாழைப்பழம்)  - 2 medium size
Jack fruit lobes/bulbs ( பலாப்பழ சுளைகள்) -  6
Coconut MIlk or Fresh Milk ( தேங்காய் பால் அல்லது பசும்பால்) - 1 cup
Sugar ( சக்கரை) - 4 tsp
Ghee (  நெய்) - 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts ( முந்திரிப் பருப்பு) - 7 pieces (split into halves)

Steps: 
Peel and slice the ripe banana and fine chop the Mango. Remove the seed and slit the jackfruit lobes lengthwise. 

In a saucepan add ghee, fry the cashew nuts, remove and keep aside.
 In the same pan add the jackfruit pieces and saute for 2 minutes.

Toss in the banana slices and continue to cook. 

Both the fruits become a bit caramelised with the sugar content in them. 

Let the fruits cool, blend in a blender to a coarse mix. Bring back to boil, add sugar and finely chopped mango bits. Switch off the flame. Pour in the coconut milk and add the fried cashew nuts. Mix well and serve hot or chilled. 

My Notes:

The three fruits or the mukkani, as it is called in our Tamil language has a special place in Tamil culture. Banana and Mango are often offered at temples while jackfruit gets its attention during festivals and ceremonies. Serving all the three fruits is considered as an honour to the guest.

All three fruits are available during the summer season. 

On the Chitrai varuda pirappu, the Tamil New year, these 3 fruits find their place by default for prayers. After the prayers, mostly it is cut and served during the feast. Sometimes the dessert, mukkani payasam is prepared which I have posted here.

I have not included cardamom flavour as I wanted to keep the dessert to its original fruit flavours. I have just added fried cashew nuts for that crunchy bits here and there. Do not blend the fruits to a fine paste. You can substitute the coconut milk with fresh milk. Sugar can be adjusted based on the sweetness of the fruits. 

On the Tamil New Year day, Vishu kani is viewed ( fruits, vegetables, rice, dhal, currency and jewellery ) followed by eating a mixture of raw mango pieces mixed with neem flowers and jaggery powder first thing in the morning. Eating this symbolises that life is a mixture of sweet, sour and bitter experiences and one should have a receptivity for all. 

Food with a taste of each of the six tastes is cooked and served on this day. I had prepared Mong dhal jaggery payasam and Channa dhal fritters for the offering. I had also cooked banana flower stir fry, which is one of the six tastes, to go with sambar, rasam, kootu and pachadi.

Raw Mango, neem flowers and Jaggery signifying sweet, bitter and sour experiences in life.