Thengaipal Sadham ( Coconut Milk Rice)

From my mom's kitchen.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice 2 cups

Coconut One medium size

Garlic 1 no

Onion 3 nos

Green Chilli 4 nos

Cinnamon 2 small sticks

Cloves 4 nos

Cardamom  2 nos

Bay leaf 1 nos

Cashew nuts about  10-15 nos

Oil 3-4 Tbsp

Ghee 2 tbsp

Salt to Taste

Prep

Extract coconut milk by grinding coconut such that you get 4 cups out of it. First use one cup of water to grind and extract. Subsequently add one cup water at a time and squeeze out the milk. Alternatively, one could use store bought coconut milk. Consistency should be that of milk, not to thick not to thin

Onions to be sliced thinly and garlic pods should be peeled.  Soak the rice for 15 mins

Process

Heat Oil and ghee together in a pressure cooker, add all the spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom) let it cook add cashew nuts and cook until it turns light golden. Now add Onions, garlic and whole green chillies ( stalks removed) and sauté until the onions turn translucent. Now add the extracted coconut milk (4 cups)  with salt. Cook further until the milk starts to froth ensure that it doesn’t boil (risk of splitting). Now add the rice by straining water completely. Cover and wait for 2 whistles before turning off the stove.  Cool the cooker immediately and open to check that it hasn’t caught the bottom.

Serve Hot with Mutton Kurma, Spicy chicken gravy, Hot Pudhina Chutney, Veg Kurma, Koftha Curry or Raitha ( Potato, tomato, onions, green chilly)

Spicy Cauliflower and Broccoli Fry

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, thinking about doing a cauliflower based side dish to accompany mom's rasam. I stumbled upon amma chepindi blog on making Cauliflower karu veppudu. I kinda adapted the recipe to make this dish.

Ingredients

Cauliflower 1 no

Broccoli 1/2 head

Onion 2 nos big ones

Green chillies 3-4 nos sliced

Curry leaves 10 nos

Garlic paste 1 tsp

Ginger paste 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder 1 tsp

Coriander pwdr 1/2 tsp

Cumin pwdr 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Turmeric pwdr 1/2 tsp

Oil 2 tbs

Water 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander  a handful  chopped finely

Preparation

Cut cauliflower and broccoli into small florets. Place them in a bowl and rinse then thoroughly with water and strain. Chop the onions roughly and sluice the green chillies.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry leaves along with the sliced green chillies. Cover and cook, then add onions and continue cooking until the onions turn translucent. Now add the ginger and garlic paste cooking until the raw smell goes away. Add chilly pwdr, turmeric pwdr, cumin pwdr and coriander pwdr mix well and cook till the spices get cooked.

Now add the cauliflower and broccoli mixing well and add salt. Sprinkle some water, cover and cook under medium flame till the cauliflower is well cooked.

Remove cover, add garam masala and chopped coriander leaves mix well and cook uncovered for about 5 mins.

Serve hot as sides for rice or chappathi.