Spiced brinjal rice

This “Spiced brinjal rice” recipe is a delightful mish-mash of spices and rice with nutritive.If u cut the brinjals too fine, they will get mashed up and will lose their taste.

Items required
1 1/2 cup rice
Oil for frying and sprinkling
200gm onion, large
200gm brinjal, tender
3 teaspoon bangal gram dal(chenna dal)
6 red chillies
2 lemon
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
4 cloves
4 cardamom
3cm length cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard
6 green chillies
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
15 curry leaves
Preparation method
1.Reduce the quantity of water used slightly and cook the rice to ensure that the rice does not become mushy and the grains remain separate.
2.Spread the cooked rice evenly on a large tray to let it cool; sprinkle a teaspoon of oil over it.
3.Peel the onions, chop them fine and keep aside.
4.Chop the brinjals fine and keep aside.
5.Soak the bengal gram dal (chenna dal) in a little water and keep aside.
6.Halve the red chillies and keep aside.
7.Squeeze the lemons into a sleve and collect the juice in a cup.
8.Heat oil in a frying pan and fry poppy seeds, anise seeds, cloves, cardamom and the cinnamon bit; grind into a fine powder and keep aside.
9.Drain the bengal gram (chenna) dal.
10.Heat oil in a frying pan and add mustard, halved chillies, bengal gram dal (vide 9) and saute until the water content in the dal evaporates; add the chopped onions (vide 3) ,chopped brinjals (vide 4) and a little salt and saute until the onion turns brown; now, add the lemon juice and turmeric powder, mix well and saute for a few more minutes and remove from fire.
11.Empty the contents of the frying pan into the tray with the rice, add the powdered poppy seeds etc. (vide 8), curry leaves and salt (to taste); mix well and serve.
Serve 4.

Bajji

“Bajji ” is a typical south indian dish usually prepared on normal as well as celebrations or traditional parties.It is easy to prepare and is less time consuming.

Items required
125ml Channa dal flour
125ml maida flour
250ml rice flour
salt to taste
3 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon sour curd
a pinch of asafoetida powder
a pinch or two of baking soda
vegatables like green plantains, onions,
Potatoes & brinjals
Preparation method
1.Mix channa dal flour maida flour, rice flour, salt (to taste), baking soda, chilli powder, asafoetida powder and curd together.Knead the dough by adding water so that a thick consistency is achieved.
2.Skin a couple of green plantains, cut them longitudinally into thin pieces and keep aside.
3.peel 4 large onions, slice them into thin rings and keep aside.
4.Slice 2 brinjals and 2 potatoes into thin rings and keep aside.
5.Heat oil in a sauce pan; dip the green plantain pieces one by one tn the dough (vide 1) so that they are uniformly covered with the dough and then cook them golden brown in oil and serve, with chutney. Repeat the process with onion rings, brinjal rings and potato rings.
6.If needed, slice more brinjals or potatoes or green plantains or onions and prepare Baajis as above, until the dough is used up.

Coconut thuvaiyal

Thuvaiyal is a useful side dish.It can be usedas side-dish for South Indian snacks like dosa, vada, Bonda, and even chapathi.It has a thick consistency.

Items required
8 red chillies
1 teaspoon mustard
3 teaspoon urd dal
1 pinch of asafoetida powder
Oil for frying
Small lemon-size tamarind
Salt to taste
1 coconut, grated
Preparation method
1.Fry red chillies, mustard,urd dal and asafoetida powder in a little oil until the dal turns brown and keep aside.
2.Grind tamarind, fried chillies (vide 1) and asafoetida powder into a smooth paste, sprinkling a little water if necessary; add the grated coconut, thefried mustard, urd dal and salt (to taste) to the smooth paste and grind lightly and serve.
Serves 3.

Sultana chutney

Chutneys are best made in large quantities and stored in the fridge in airtight jars, handy to use whenever you need them.

Item required
750 g sultanas, roughly chopped
13/4 cups (440 ml) malt vinegar
60 g fresh ginger, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
30 g blanched almonds
2% cups (375 g) brown sugar
60 g salt
2 red dried chillies, chopped
Preparation method
1 Soak sultanas in vinegar for 24 hours.
2 Combine sultana mixture in a saucepan with ginger, garlic, almonds, sugar, salt and chillies, bring to the boil, reduce heat to low, simmer uncovered until mixture has reduced and thickened, cool.
3 Pour into sterilised jars, seal well.
MAKES 4 cups (1 LITRE)

Chilled lemon souffle

Item required
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream, whipped, or 2 cups (41/2-oz. pkg.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Setting: DEFROST
1.Prepare a 3 to 4-cup souffle dish by forming a collar of wax paper around top of dish that extends about 3 inches above dish. (Greasing inside upper edge of dish holds paper in place.)
2.In 4-cup glass measure, combine 1/2 cup sugar, gelatin, salt and water. Separate eggs, placing whites in small mixer bowl and adding yolks to gelatin mixture. Beat in yolks until well mixed.
3.MICROWAVE for 5 to 6 MINUTES, or until mixture just begins to boil, stirring occasionally during last half of cooking time. Stir in lemon peel and juice. Cool until mixture is thickened, but not set.
4.Beat egg whites until frothy. Beat in 1/3 cup sugar until mixture forms stiff peaks. Fold in lemon mixture and whipped cream.
5.Pour into prepared dish. Refrigerate 6 hours or until served. Remove wax paper before serving from souffle dish. Spoon into individual serving dishes and if desired, top with whipped cream.
5 to 6 Servings
TIP For a large group, double recipe and use a 7 to 8-cup souffle dish. MICROWAVE about 8 MINUTES.

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