Masala Vadai

Salam semua and good day to all my dear readers. I practically have to force myself to type today otherwise I will not be able to post any entry and I have so many recipes to post and share with you guys. Kadang2 orang kata bila dah duduk kat rumah sure lepak aje tapi sebenarnya bila dah jadi Domestic Minister ni kerja tak pernah habis. Walaupun duduk dirumah penatnya sama jugak macam masa bekerja. Keluar masuk keluar masuk rumah tau2 dah malam. Lepas tu dah letih dan malas nak duduk depan pc. Harini pagi2 dah bangun dan buatkan sausage roll untuk anak2 bawa bekal ke sekolah. Lepas tu turun hantar anak teruna dan anak dara pergi sekolah. Dah siap menghantar dorang, balik cepat2 nak buatkan sarapan untuk sikecik dan bapak dia pulak. Dah dorang ni siap bergegas pulak hantar sikecik pergi sekolah dan hantar Big Boss pegi opis. Dek kerana peti ais tu pun dah mintak isi, terus aje ke pasar. Balik dari pasar, kemas kan barang2 yang dah dibeli tu, baik mandi dulu nanti bau busuk pasar tu sure melekat....eeeeeeeeee. Ni dia resipi Masala Vadai yang dah disimplifiedkan dari resipi asal yang dipetik dari buku "Delicious cooking from a Tamil cuisine", buku ni Boss belikan I masa dia ke India dulu. Selamat mencuba. Ingredients:= 2 cups dhall (wash and soaked overnight) 3-4 green chili (cut thinly) 5 shallots (thinly sliced) 1-2 stalks of curry leaves (cut finely) 1 tsp cumin seed Salt to taste Method:- 1. Soak dall overnight, rinse and drain off most of the water and blend coarsely. 2. Add green chili, shallots, curry leaves, cumin and salt. Mix well until fully combined. 3. Heat oil in a pan. Make small patties and fry them until golden brown. Serve warm.

Putu Mayam or Iddiappam or String Hoppers

Its still not too late to wish all my Indian friends Happy Deepavali. Diwali or Deepavali popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-November for different reasons. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. In Malaysia, Deepavali is another important celebration. Growing up in a country of multi-races, I have fond memories of Deepavali too. I remember when I was small, we went to our neighbours house for Deepavali and was served Putu Mayam with Chicken Curry and was surprised coz the only way I know of eating it, is with brown sugar and freshly grated coconut. Lol..how pathetic. But today, Putu Mayam and chicken curry is no longer a rare sight on our dining table.
Being away from home, not that we celebrate Deepavali but just to add some cheerful mood for the day or to make it sound grandeur in the kitchen, I made Putu Mayam and chicken curry for dinner.

Putu Mayam or most commonly known as idiyappam or string hoppers is a dish from Southern India. Being married to one, I was taught by MIL to make them. It is made of rice flour, salt and water. It is generally served as the main course at breakfast or dinner together with curry (potato, egg, fish or meat curry) and coconut chutney. It is not usually served at lunch.

Here's how to make it:-
Ingredients:-

500 gm rice flour
1tsp salt
600ml boiling water

Method:
1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Add the boiling water and by using a wooden spatula combine all ingredients to make a soft dough.
3. Put the dough into the pressing mould and press the dough into a round shape on a bamboo rack and steam for7-10 minutes depending on the size. Repeat till finish.

Serve with your favorite curry or like me, I simply enjoy eating them with fresly grated coconut and brown sugar.

Kari Ikan

Bahan-bahan

Ikan 500 gram (basuh bersih dan perap sekejap dalam air asam jawa + garam)
7 ulas bawang merah atau 1 biji bawang besar
1 ulas bawang putih
1/4 inci halia
1 biji tomato
1-2 biji terung
2 biji cili hijau
10 biji kacang bendi
1/2 sudu teh halba campur
2 tangkai daun kari
3 sudu besar serbuk kari ikan babas
1/2 sudu teh serbuk cili
air asam jawa (secukup rasa)
garam
minyak untuk menumis

Cara-cara

1. Hiris bawang merah, bawang putih dan halia.
2. Serbuk kari dan serbuk cili, campur tambah air dan bancuh jadikan pes.
3. Panaskan minyak dalam periuk dan tumis bawang merah, halba campur dan daun kari.
4. Bila dah naik bau, masukkan bawang putih dan halia.
5. Bila bawang dah kekuningan, masukkan pes rempah kari dan tumis lagi sehingga pecah minyak.
6. Tambahkan sedikit air dan biar rempah masak betul.
7. Masukkan air asam jawa + garam dan air. Biarkan mendidih pada api sederhana.
8. Bila kuah sudah mendidih masukkan terung.
9. Bila terung dah separuk masak, masukkan ikan, cili hijau, buah tomato dan kacang bendi dan tutup periuk. Biarkan masak dalam 7 minit.
10. Rasa asam dan garam, tutup api.

Chapati

Ingredients:-

200 grams atta flour or wholemeal flour
2 tablespoon ghee
1/4 teaspoon salt
120 ml warm water

Method:-

1. Mix flour and salt,
2. Rub in the ghee and add water and knead until it becomes a pliable dough yet not too sticky. For best result, chapati should be kneaded properly.
3. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it for 1 hour.
4. Knead the dough again and divide the dough into a size of golf ball, cover and leave it for another hour.
5. Flatten into a circle using your hand and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough.
6. Heat a heavy griddle or frying pan until very hot. Put on a chapati and cook until brown spots appear underneath. Turn over and cook the other side, pressing on the top of chapati with a clean cloth to help make air bubbles form and keep the chapati light.
7. Once chapati is cooked, wrap in a dry clean cloth to keep warm.

Beef Keema

Ingredients:-

1. 350 gram minced beef
2. 150 gram onion(slice thinly)
3. 5 gram ginger (minced)
4. 3 or 10 gram garlic (minced)
5. 100 gram tomato (chopped)
6. 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
8. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
9. 1 teaspoon curry powder
10. 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
11. 1/2 cup green beans
12. 30 ml oil
13. salt to taste
14. 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

Method:-

1. Heat 10 ml oil in a wok. Fry 50 gram onion till translucent. Add minced beef and fry till beef turns brown, add in salt and garam masala and let cook for a while.
Remove from fire and put aside.
2. In a separate pot, heat 20 ml oil and fry the balance of sliced onions till golden brown.
3. Add in garlic and ginger and continue frying till fragrant.
4. Add in the tomatoes and fry till it become paste and add in the dry ingredients.
5. Add a little water if its too dry.
6. Add in the cumin powder, coriander powder, tumeric and curry powder. Continue to cook until oil oozes out.
7. Add beef and a cup of water. Let simmer under medium flame.
8. Once done add in the chopped corinder and green beans and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

Tenga Rasam (Mulligatawny Soup)

Rasam is a South Indian soup. Hot and sour soup I may put it. There are many types of Rasam. Here is the recipe for Tenga Rasam (pronounced as ten-ga which means coconut in Tamil). Usually my mother in law will prepare this especially if anyone is sick i.e. fever or flu as it is believed that this soup will make you feel better. Well, initially I'm not used to eating this rasam but over the years have grown to enjoy it.

If you go to any Indian restaurant in Malaysia...this soup is readily available especially at the vegetarian restaurant. It can be eaten with rice or alone. I have tried eating them with some bread...hmmm quite nice too. Kalu pekena dengan ikan masin goreng with rasam....hmmm sedap tu.

Incidentally, rasam is the basis of mulligatawny soup, which is an Anglo-Indian version of the same. Here you go:-

Ingredients

2 1/12 teaspoon cumin (10 gram) (jintan halus)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (10 gram)(lada hitam)
5 garlic (bawang putih)
1 teaspoon tumeric powder (kunyit serbuk)
1 big onion (200 gram) slice thinly (bawang)
1 tomato (125 gram)
4 cups water
3 tablespoon thick coconut milk (pati santan)
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed (biji sawi)
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek (halba)
a sprig of curry leaves (daun kari)
tamarind juice
1 dried chili (cut into half)
salt to taste
2 tablespoon oil

Method:-

1. Sliced onion thinly and divide into two portions.
2. In a mortar, pound the cumin and black pepper till smooth.
3. Add in the garlic and smashed a little bit.
4. Put in the cut tomatoes and squeeze the tomatoes.
5. In a separate bowl, add water and the pounded ingredients and half of the sliced onions.
6. Put in the tumeric powder, coconut milk and mix well.
7. Add in the tamarind juice and salt. Adjust taste to your liking. Put more tamarind juice if you want it more sour. Leave aside.
8. In a pot, heat oil and fry the mustard seeds, dried chili, fenugreek, curry leaves until the onion becomes golden brown.
9. Pour the soup into the pot. Cover and simmer under medium flame until boil. Do not overboil.
10. Once boil, turn off the fire.

Note: to make plain rasam just omit the coconut milk.

Selamat Pagi Everyone

Assalamualaikum, good morning, selamat pagi, ohaiyo gozaimasu to all.

The alarm woke me up at 6. Freshen up a lil bit and right in front of the pc I was as everyone else are still asleep. Suddenly remembered the rice and dhall that I soaked last nite. I washed the soak items thoroughly and put them in a blender. Once done, i made myself a cup of tea and when straight to see what's in the fridge. Hmmm.... nice to have mee goreng for breakfast I thought.



Recipe for Idli

Ingredients:-

1 cup white urad dhall
2 cups rice (i use basmati rice)
2 tablespoon cooked rice
2 1/2 cups water (450 ml)
1/2 teaspoon bicabornate soda mix with 1 tablespoon water (optional)
salt to taste

Method:-
1. Soak rice and dhall with water in a different pot for 6 hrs.
2. Grind dhall with 1 1/2 cups (250ml) water until smooth.
3. Grind rice together with the cooked rice with 1 cup (200ml) water until smooth.
4. Mix the blended rice and dhall together and stir until combine.
5. Cover and leave it overnite.
6. Before cooking, add salt and bicarbonate soda to the batter and leave it for 10 minutes.
7. Grease mould with oil, pour the batter and steam for 10 minutes.

Tips:- The bicarbonate soda is to make the idli more spongy and fluffy.

Serve with dhall, chutney, chicken curry or whatever curry you like. You can serve idli for breakfast or dinner. My little J likes to eat her idli with just sugar...that explains why she has rotten tooth...hahahahaha