Chenai Paal Kuzhambu

This recipe is something I found in a magazine.

Ingredients:
Yam - 200gms
Onion - 2 nos (medium sized)
Tomato - 2 nos (medium sized)
Cinnamon stick - 2
Ginger, garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2tsps ( This was mentioned in the recipe but I did not use this)
Green chillies - 2 nos
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup (approx 150ml)
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Salt to taste
Asafoetida - A pinch

Procedure :

Cut the yam into small pieces, add turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida, red chilly powder (if needed) and pressure cook it (6-7 whistles on high flame)
Heat oil in a pan, add turmeric powder
Saute mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks, green chillies, ginger garlic paste
Add salt
Add onions and fry till the color changes to pink
Add tomatoes and fry for about 5mts
Now add the cooked yam and cook till the contents get blended
Finally add the coconut milk and cook for 5mts
Chenai pal kuzhambu is ready

This can be served with steamed white rice / plain paranthas. I tried both and it tasted really yummy

Cheers
D

PEANUTS PALAAKOTTAI CURRY

I have always been fond of palakottai (jack fruit seeds) to the extent that I ve bought jack fruits in abundance for the seeds ! Either plainly roasted or mixed in sambhar / kootu, these seeds show their presence quite well.
Last week, we had bought jack fruits and I was left with some 6-7 seeds which I thought can go into making something new. That is when I got reminded of the raw peanuts (with the shell) that were lying to be noticed. So, here is a simple recipe that came out of mainly these two ingredients.

The list of items used:

Peanuts - about 20-25 (normal sized ones)
Palakottai/jack fruit seeds - 6 to 7 nos
Potato - One medium sized
Fennel seeds - One tsp
Mustard seeds - One tsp
Onions - 2 medium sized
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Salt - to taste
Refined oil - 3tsps

To grind

Roast the below ingredients in a tsp of oil and then proceed to grind.
Red chillies - Two numbers
Cloves - 2nos
Ginger - One small piece
Garlic - 4-5 numbers
Coconut scrapping - 3 tsps
pepper - 5nos

Procedure :
Boil the peanuts (about 7 whistles on high flame) and pressure cook the potato.
Heat the oil in a kadai. Add turmeric powder, and saute mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Once you hear them splutter, add the mix that has been ground. Fry this till everything blends and the raw smell vanishes.
Add onions and fry till the color turns pink.
Now add the mashed potato, palakottai (the seeds need to be split and broken with help of pin used to roll rotis), peanuts and cook for about five mts.
You can grind a handful of the boiled peanuts, keep it aside and use it to maintain the consistency of the gravy.

This gravy can be a great match for puttu. It can also be had with roti / idli/dosa.
Cheers
D