Sundakkai Vatta Kozhumbu

This recipe, like the previous ones, started with a question - How do I make SundakkaiVatta Kozhambu that could serve 3-4 persons?

General rules

• Wash all vegetables before use. No Vegetables required for making Vatta Kozhumbu
  
• Cut fine; unless otherwise specified (when in doubt cut it even smaller). Same reason as above
  
• Always add less salt, it is always easier to add more at the end. 
• Lastly I prefer having all my ingredients in place before cooking to avoid looking for things in a hurry.

 Ingredients

• 3 tsps of cooking oil
• 6 tblsps of Gingelly oil or Sesame oil.Vatta Kozhambu tastes better with more oil.
• 20-25 Sundakkai
  
• 1.5 tsps of Mustard seeds.
• 1.5 tsps of Methi seeds.
• 0.25 tsp of Hing (asafoetida).
• 4-5 Curry leaves.
• 2 dried Red Chili
  
• 2 Green Chili
  
• 2 spoonful Tamarind past
• 2 tsps of salt. *
• 2 tsps of Sambar Powder
• 3-4 cups of water.  

 Recipe

1. Take a small pan. Pour 3 tblsps of cooking oil and heat it on a medium flame.
   
2. Once the oil heats, Add Sundakkai and let is slow roast. When it very brown to slightly black in color set it aside (Near the end it tends to smoke).
   
3. Pour 6 tblsps of Sesame oil in a flat bottom pan and set it on a medium flame.
4. Once the oil heats, Add mustard and let it explode.
5. Add Methi and let them roast
6. Add Hing, Curry leaves, Red Chili, Green Chili. Heat till you see incipient signs of charring.
7. Add roasted Sundakkai
   
8. Add 2 tsps of Sambar powder. Make sure that the sambar powder does not get burnt.
9. Take 2 tsps of Tamarind paste, add water, and make a solution.
10. Pour Tamarind solution into pan.
11. Add 2 tsps of salt (see rule about salt) 
    
12. Add extra water for consistency and extra salt to suit taste. 
13. Let it come to a boil.
14. Take it off the fire and pour it into a serving dish.

* After adding water, taste to see if you need more salt.

This recipe can be tweaked to make Manathakkali Vatha Kozhambu. Just replace Sundakkai with Manathakkali and rest of the steps are same.

Vegetarian Quiche

 

This recipe, like the previous ones, started with a question - How do I make Quiche that could serve 3-4 persons? I searched the internet for recipes and found one I liked the most. I tweaked it a little. I have tried this recipe twice and now feel comfortable making it my own.

My general rules

• Wash all vegetables before use. 
• Cut fine; unless otherwise specified (when in doubt cut it finer). 
• Always add less salt, it is always easier to add more at the end. 
• Lastly I prefer having all my ingredients in place before cooking to avoid looking for things in a hurry.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup sliced onion
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2-4 Green chili cut crosswise into small rings
  
• 1 large tomato, sliced (not diced). Make them thick slices so they do not fall apart.
  
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
  
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• ½ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican style 4 cheese blend (recipe recommended Colby-Jack cheese)

Directions 

• Preheat the oven to 375/400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake pie crust in preheated oven until firm, about 10-12 minutes.
• Check the Instructions on Pie crust for exact temperatures and duration
  
• Remove crust from the oven and set aside. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Jannavi helped me with this step as I do not know how to use the oven 😄
  
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, green chili, and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet and set aside. 
• Recipe called for mushrooms, and zucchini. Jannavi does not like the former and I detest the latter! What exactly is zucchini's purpose in the kitchen or in life?
  
• Recipe did not call for these. I added a touch of salt, basil, oregano, and some arrabiata spice at Maalini's behest.
  
• Sprinkle tomato slices with flour and basil; cook in the non-stick pan over medium heat for 1 minute per side. Set aside.
• Even firm tomatoes lose their structure as they cook. So thicker slices are better.
• I turned over the slices and sprinkled flour and basil on both sides. It did not hurt or help.
  
• Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
• Spread 1 cup cheese in the bottom of pie crust. 
• Layer vegetable mixture over the cheese, then top with tomato slices. 
• Pour egg mixture over top
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving. 
  

My recipes

My recipes

• Upma
• Sambar
• Rasam 
• Milagu Rasam
  
• Chili Paneer
• Quiche
• Vatta Kozhambu
  

Jannavi's recipe for Upma

This recipe, like the previous ones, started with a question - How do I make Upma that could serve 3-4 persons?

General rules

• Wash all vegetables before use. 
• Cut fine; unless otherwise specified (when in doubt cut it even smaller). 
• Always add less salt, it is always easier to add more at the end. 
• Lastly I prefer having all my ingredients in place before cooking to avoid looking for things in a hurry.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Sooji 
• 4 tblsps of cooking oil.
• 1.5 tsps of Mustard seeds.
• 0.25 tsp of Hing (asafoetida).
• 1 tbsp of Urad dal (or more if you like the feel of roasted Urad dal)
• 1 tbsp of Chana dal (or more if you like the feel of roasted Chana dal)
• 5 Curry leaves
• Ginger chopped finely
  
• 3-4 Green Chili cut in halves or quarters
  
• Coriander leaves, cut finely
  
• 2-3 tsp of Salt.
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  
• 2 Onions cut not too finely
  
• Green peas
• 5 cups of water (1-2.5 ratio of Sooji and water) 

Recipe

1. Dry roast Sooji in a pan. Keep stirring the Sooji to prevent charring. 
2. Once Sooji is roasted from white -> yellow/light brown, set it aside in another vessel to cool.
   
3. Pour 4 tblsps of cooking oil in a flat bottom pan and set it on a medium flame.
4. Once the oil heats, add mustard and let it roast (Mustard should explode) .
   
5. Add Mustard, Hing, Urad, and Chana. Heat till Urad/Chana turns golden yellow.
   
6. Add Curry leaves, Ginger, Green chili, Coriander. Heat till you see incipient signs of charring.
7. Add onions to the pan. 
8. Add a little Turmeric and 2 spoons of salt. Add 1/2 cup of water.
   
9. Cover pan and let onions cook on a low flame.
10. Add peas and let it cook on a low flame
11. Add 3-4 cups water, let it slow boil for 3-4 minutes
12. Turn down the heat 
13. Slowly pour Sooji to the biling mixture. I use a whisk at the same time to make sure that lumps do not form (Thanks Meena R)
    
14. Add remaining water and extra salt to suit taste. 
15. Stirring a few times and turn off the heat.
    
16. Take it off the fire and pour it into a serving dish.
    

Maami's Recipe for Sambar

 

This recipe, like the previous ones, started with a question - How do I make Sambar that could serve 3-4 persons? I was in Toronto and my cousin's mother-in-law, or maami as I call her, taught me how to make it. The general taste is very similar to my mother's Sambar.

General rules

• Wash all vegetables before use. 
• Cut fine; unless otherwise specified (when in doubt cut it even smaller). 
• Always add less salt, it is always easier to add more at the end. 
• Lastly I prefer having all my ingredients in place before cooking to avoid looking for things in a hurry. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of pressure cooked Thuvar dal*
• 3 tblsps of cooking oil.
• 1.5 tsps of Mustard seeds.
• 1.5 tsps of Methi seeds.
• 0.25 tsp of Hing (asafoetida).
• 4-5 Curry leaves.
• 2 dried Red Chili
  
• 2 Green Chili
• 1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
  
• 2 spoonful Tamarind paste
  
• 2 tsp of salt. **
• Cut 2-3 cups of vegetables. Okra, Eggplant, Green Pepper. Cut them not too small.
  
• 2 tsps of Sambar Powder. ***
• 3-4 cups of water. 

Recipe

1. Pour 3 tblsps of cooking oil in a flat bottom pan and set it on a medium flame.
2. Once the oil heats, Add mustard and Methi and let them roast (Mustard should explode)
   
3. Add Hing, Curry leaves, Red Chili, Green Chili. Heat till you see incipient signs of charring.
4. Add vegetables to the pan. 
5. Add 2 tsps of salt. 
6. Add Turmeric Powder. 
7. Add a cup of Water. 
8. Cover pan and let vegetables cook on a low flame.
9. Take 2 tsps of Tamarind paste, add water, and make a solution.
10. Pour Tamarind solution into pan.
11. Add 2 tsps of Sambar powder
12. Let vegetables cook on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes. You should see the Sambar powder foam at the top. This is necessary to remove the "raw" taste of Sambar powder.
    
13. Add cooked dal
    
14. Add extra water for consistency and extra salt to suit taste. 
15. Let it come to a boil.
16. Take it off the fire and pour it into a serving dish.
    

Customize to suit your palate

1. * I have substituted Moong Dal without any difference in taste.
2. ** After adding water, taste to see if you need more salt.
3. *** 1 spoon of Sambar powder if you like milder taste.

An ode to a feminist

A lesser man, oops, I mean drone

States his mind or what passes for one

yet when it comes for me to tell my tale

a woman nurtured and blossomed at Yale

Told, Woman, deal with pots, pans, or a kettle

Else be sentenced to stand in Pillory

You know, coz my name is Hillary

He stayed true to me not

the one with whom I tied the knot

Nary was a skirt safe from him by a long shot

Be it in Bhutan, Hindustan, or Cayman

Be it on a woman

or on a kilted Scotsman

But stayed I faithful besides this kook

Till death do us part, like it says in the Good Book

Yet tis I that is very publicly

Sentenced to stand in Pillory

Naturally since my name is Hillary

 

I tried improving health-care

as I cared for your welfare

Taught myself about Cipro and Mycin

Being a smart woman was my sin

My attempts were mocked as Hillary-care

House and Senate asked me, How dare

And so was I sentenced to stand in Pillory

Seeing as my name is Hillary

 

I won the party nomination

With a desire to lead the nation

Against a foe that hardly had a notion

knew not betwixt valley and hill

nor between parsley and dill

Hardly could he even pay his bill

Tear into me did Faux News on cable

Over me the country chose a deplorable

Dont be woman and dream was the parable

Again was I sentenced to stand in Pillory

Considering we all know my name is Hillary

---- The End ----

 

Why did I write this poem? 

I have always been an admirer of Hillary Clinton. I liked her when she was the First Lady and tried to tackle Healthcare. I despised the virulent misogyny, particularly in the Republican party (then and now) that doomed her well intention-ed effort.  That she was a smart woman annoyed, and I am sure, angered those in power.

I supported her as a Senator and the quiet way she went about her duties. 

I supported her when she lost the Democratic Party nomination to President Obama. It hurt me personally when he got away so easily with "You are likeable enough" on prime time TV. Do you think he would dare to patronize his children, Sasha and Malia or Michelle. But I loved the way Hillary gracefully accepted the defeat and partnered with Obama and became The Secretary of State. And, was she good!

I was devastated when she lost the elections in 2020. 

I could not talk about this to anyone. I just could not. 

I still cannot.

I am sure I cannot talk about the subsequent 4 years either without sounding totally deranged.

This poem, about a person I admire, as if she wrote it, is my way of sharing my grief, my pain, my anger, my coming to terms, and making peace.

Hope you like it too.

PJ

Less educated guy goes diamond shopping for/with his wife

Guy - wadda hira lana oy.

Merchant -  1 caret?

Guy - pagal hai? are main gaajar karidhne nahin aaya? bada sa hira la.

Merchant - Yes sir, would 1 caret do?

Guy - sunayi nahin deta? kaan mein wadda sa hearing aid daal liyo.

Wife - Honey you are so funny, diamonds ke size ko caret hi kehte ha.

Man - Angrez bhi pagal hai, gaajar aur hire mein fark hi nahin jaante.

Man - Accha sun, sone ka haar laana?

Merchant - Would that be 20 carets or 22 carets?

Man - behara hai kya. Meine hire ki baat nahin ki. Sona ka haar la

Wife - Sweetie pie, sone khara hai ya nahin hai, caret se hi pata lagate hai

Man - To kya mein tujhse kahoon 5 Kg chaval le aa, to tu kya 6 foot ki saadi layegi kya!