Food SOS - Ask questions here!

[NOV]

Please use this thread to ask questions, seek opinions and clarify doubts with regard to cooking, instead of opening a new thread for each query.

Our resident culinary experts Mr. Hemant or Mrs Mano or anyone else will definitely address your problem.

[rakum]

PL. give me receipe 4 soanpapdi ,can it be prepared @ home?

[shanta]

Need crock-pot (slow cooker) recipes, please.

Thanks,
shanta

[Shoba]

I solved my parippu vada problem. I soaked the lentils for 45 minutes-1 hour, drained thoroughly and then ground.This ensured the right consistency.

Also, I soaked thuvaram & kadala paruppu together with a handful of raw rice and the uzhunnu paruppu separately. Measurement used was 1 cup thuvaram+ 1/2 cup kadala + green chillies, dried red chillies, ginger, asofoetida, curry leaves and salt. Ground it in Sumeet mixie without much water, stopping regularly to mix the ground stuff in the bottom layer with the unground at the top. Drained the uzhunnu, and added it whole to the ground mixture and immediately made vadas. It turned out nice and porous and light and tasty.

Shoba

[Mrs.Mano]

Hello Mr.Nov!
As you are from Malaysia, I want to know about a product which is from Malaysia. Have you heard about DXN Products? They are marketing some products which are made from RED Reishi Mushroom [Ganoderma Lucidum]. It is said that these products of this mushroom has a healing ability and there are highly herbal medicines. Have you heard about this?

[NOV]

Sorry Mrs Mano, I have not heard of this. To tell you the truth health products and I are miles apart. :)
I dont even believe in food supplements.

anyway, here is a link that may be useful: http://www.dxnmalaysia.com

[S.Kamakshi]

Hi friends,
In spite of adding some oil and reducing the amount of water, the dal I cook in pressure cooker always boils over. Esp. mung dal, at least 4 or 5 Tbsp. always is fallen into the cooker body and is wasted. How to prevent this?
Thanks,
Kamakshi.

[Shoba]

Kamakshi, have you tried using a larger container with a better fitting lid?

Just a thought..

Shoba

[dev]

hello Kamakshi,

Try keeping it for less time than u normally do...I cook for 4 whistles & the dhals will be a bit mashed but not fully dissolved...If u want the dhal to be unbroken but cooked,try cooking for 3 whistles...I don't add oil for cooking the dhal...& i usually soak all dhals(excepy yellow moong) overnight...

[pr]

I need your suggestions and help . I prepare chappathi in large quantity and put it in a ziploc bag and store it in fridge . When taken out for consumption i microwave it by putting a wet paper towel over the chappathis .They turn out to be very hard . But when taken fresh chappathis r soft . The same chappathis when used after refrigration r hard . Why is this happening ..
At the same time chappathis bought from stores remain soft even after 10 days . Are they using any special ingredient to keep the chappathis soft . Pleas help me out .. Thanks and regards ..

[NOV]

Food such as chapathi, thosai, idli should not be microwaved.
Use the tawa to heat your chapathi, but only after defrosting. Best to eat within minutes of reheating.

[Mrs.Mano]

Hello NOV!
Thank you very much for the reply as well as the useful information.

[kulsam]

i am sorry.with out knowing that there is separate thread to questions.i opened a new thread.can any one post a recipe with the baby cabbage

[shakthi]

hi, can anyone help me on reliable brands of presurre cookers & mixers to buy

[RR]

i am sorry.with out knowing that there is separate thread to questions.i opened a new thread.can any one post a recipe with the baby cabbage

kulsam: New threads for recipes is ok. This thread is mainly to clarify issues/doubts/questions that you face while cooking.

It's actually better if you can open new threads for different recipes (i.e. when you can't find them already in the existing list of threads). Otherwise, it may get buried in old posts. Hope that clarifies.

[Cindy]

Could anyone plz tell me how to cook sundakkai (not the vathal..)

[muthu119]

HI,

can someone give me a recipe for south indian style mutton kurma?

Thanks

[perfect peninsula Inc]

posting deleted



No advertisements please!

[Latha]

Dear Mrs. Mano,
I am fm Malaysia n I have heard of this product. It is a kind of mushroom grown in China. it is believed to have a lot of medicinal properties and overall detoxifying. A professor in malaysia tried growing it n found that it grows very well here. The price is much cheaper too. there are a variety of products that use this mushroom like coffee etc. If u would like to know more pls send me an email

[Kz]

Hi Muthu,
Here is the recipe for chettinad style mutton kolambu.
for 1 pound of mutton
1 onion chopped, 1 tomato chopped, 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste,
make a fine paste of {5 to 6 tbsp of grated coconut or a handful of grated coconut, 2 tsp khuskhus, 1/2 tsp sombu, 1/2 tsp jeera.}
1 tsp chilli powder, 2 to 3 tsp of dhanya powder, little turmeric powder, salt to taste, oil and for seasoning 2 cloves, 1 cardamom, small pieces of cinnamon and 1 bay leaf.

heat oil in a pan, add all the garam masala items, then saute the onions,ginger garlic paste, mutton pieces then add tomatoes. once they are well sauteed, add chilli powder,dhanya powder turmeric powder, and the coconut paste and add water ,salt and pressure cook it as mutton takes times to cook.
if u want for thickness u can add powdered pottu kadalai or cashew paste finally and let it boil for few minutes before switching off the stove. (u can omit the coconut if u r concerned abt the fat content.)
if add small onions it will taste good and u can also grind the onions along with the coconut so the gravy is more thick.
finally add some chopped coriander leaves.

My hubby who never takes mutton started liking mutton after i made this kolambu for him.hope u like it.
Kz

[Mrs.Mano]

Dear Latha!
Thanks a lot for the reply on the mushroom products. If I need more information, i will send a mail to you.

[Surya]

HELP HELP!!
My parents, bro and sis are leaving to India for a month. What's easy & and quick to make at home other than Ravai Upma that's vegetarian? Please help me out here.

Reagards. :D

[R]

Aval upma or aval with potato upma(aloo poha), bread upma, semia upma, sago upma, quick rava adai, ven pongal, bread upma-for time being, this shd be fine, guess!!

[Kz]

Has anyone tried freezing capsicum curry and how long will it be good.
Thankyou,Kz

[kaathyaini]

this is my first vist to USA.we make dosas and idlis every week.So in the process I have blown 2 mixies(hamilton beach and ge) both purchased here.Can anyone please suggest me which mixie to buy which is both practical and economical?

[gvb]

Hi kaathyaini,
I have been using hamilton beach (10 speed) for over a year and i haven't had any problem with it so far.I think i got it for under $20...Maybe urs was a different model.This one has been trouble-free for me.Hope this helps.

Suganthi

[Surya]

Thanks for the help guys. :D

[foodlover]

Hello everybody !
i bought a flour sifter with handle.(as available in US ).Flour got caught between the sieves and it is impossible to clean it.can anyone suggest a way to clean that ?Thanks in Advance.

[Hemant Trived1]

Hi Foodlover,
Soak the flour sifter in hot water for thirty minutes and then using old tooth brush, brush the clogged holes .
All the clogs will get removed in jiffy.

[deepaen]

Dear Kaathyaini,
I have an Oster blender 12 speed, which I bought from Walmart. It does a very good job in making idly/dosa batter. It has a food processor attachment also, which you can use for making vada etc. In Indian stores you can get a small blender ( around 5 dollars)which can be used with oster motor which works well for making small quantity chutneys etc. So with 40 dollars you will get a 3 in 1 mixie.

[foodlover]

Hello Mr.Hemant Trivedi !
Thanks for the advice.the thing is it has two sieves and flour pieces get caught between the sieves.anyway i will try ur method.I made baigan bhartha according to ur recipe.It was very tasty.My Friends loved it very much.Thanks for posting an excellent recipe.

[shakthi]

What is bay leaf in Tamil? I have only seen the shredded bay leaves sold in botles (McCormick brand) in supermarkets. Can anyone from Malaysia tell me whether I can get fresh bay leaves in Malaysia?

[dev]

It's called 'Birinji ilai' in tamil. It's easily available in Singapore...So I guess, U should be able to get it in Malaysia too...

[muthu119]

Hello everyone,

some of the recipes mentions to add cream in it. What type of cream should I buy?
Is it sour cream or Whipped cream?

Thanks in advance

[Surya]

Can someone give me a recipe for Kothu Parotta. I had it in India once, loved it. I tried to make it here. I had no problem making it, but had lots of problem eating it. So please, can someone give me the right recipe for it. Thanks a bunch.

Regards. 8)

[Shoba]

Lemon Peels-any idea what we could use them for? These are the big, yellow lemon variety with thick rind.

Shoba

[Hemant Trived1]

shobha,

you can add sugar and make sweet lemon rinds or you may pickle them.

[Shoba]

Hemant, thank you for replying. Can I use the same method for making mango pickle for this as well-for eg., soak mango pieces in salt & turmeric for a day, then followed by sun drying, and resoaking of pieces in the drained liquid and adding of spice powders and finally pouring and mixing of burst mustard seeds in gingelly oil. Or, does the lemon peel need boiling coz of it's thickness and bitterness?

As for sweet lemon rinds-is the recipe in your cookery corner? If not, please post it here-thank you!

Regards,
Shoba

[Hemant Trived1]

If you remove bitterness, whole fun of exotic taste will go.
Make sweet lemon rinds and not salted.
What I mean isadd raw powdered sugar weight to weighy and leave it in sun to melt.
If there is not enough moisture in peels, make 2 thread sugar syrup and immerse the peels in it and make murabba.

[Shoba]

So, looks like I can follow the same mango pickle recipe for lemon rinds as well, without wondering about boiling the peels.

Unfortunately, there are no takers for sweet preserves at home!

Thanks for your prompt response, it's much appreciated!

Shoba

[Hemant Trived1]

However, I would advice you to pre cook the peels in hot water and then put in preserve or else, your peels will become leathery.

[Thattai]

Hi Surya!

This is the recipe for Kothu Parotta taken from Tamilnadu Delicacies. Hope that this comes up to speed for you!

KOTHU PAROTTA:
Heat a dosa plate and pour some oil. Add 2 chopped onions, 2 chopped green chillies and 2 chopped tomatoes. Mix well and fry for some time. Break 2 eggs and pour on the vegetables. Mix well. Crush 2 parottas into timy pieces and add to the masala. Sprinkle 1/2sp chilli powder, 1/2sp jeera powder and 1/2sp pepper powder and enough salt. With two dosa karandis, you must smash these ingredients into pieces using force with yr hands. Mix well. Add chopped coriander. Put off the fire.

[Thattai]

I require help with making phulkas. The ones that I make are soft and they puff up perfectly as well.

The only thing is that as they puff up, they tear on the thinner side. Is it okay if this happens, or is there any way to avoid it?

Also, they sometimes stick to the stand on my stove (when I put them directly on the flame with my chimta) and get ripped. Is there any way to avoid this as well?

I would appreciate any inputs on these points. Tx in advance...

[Hemant Trived1]

Hello Thattai,
Please click on the following link to get exact method to make Phulkas.

http://www.hemant-trivedis-cookery-corner.com/tipstricks.html#tip22

About the chimta, I presume that you are using a chimta which had a width of about two to three centimeter.
You need a chimta made of wider width of about four cms.
Try and get a Phulka chimta from any Gujarati grocer/store and ask for "Rotli no Chipiyo".
Leemme know if you got it or not.

[Hemant Trived1]

On second thought, you can buy a stainles steel serving chimta available in all US department stores which are used to serve salads etc.

[Surya]

Thattai!! Thanks!!! :D :D :D

My first attempt failed disgracefully, but I had the courage to try again, and it came out gr8!!

Thanks dude! :D

[Thattai]

Hi Surya,

It's great that your kottu parotta turned out wonderfully... but ur thanks should be directed to Mrs Mano who contributed the recipe in her TamilNadu Delicacies thread... :)

Hemant,

I'm pretty sure that I have the right chimta as i live in mumbai... but they tear even as they puff up and even before I grip them to flip them over... and my mom and sis get perfect results with a similar method of kneading and preparing them...

Anyways, I will try ur recipe for phulkas and see what happens. that will be in a couple of days as I am not home for the weekend, but will let u know what happens...

PS: tried ur tadka dal last night - it was a BIG hit with my hubby... thanks for the recipe... :thumbsup:

[Hemant Trived1]

Thattai,
Thanks for the feedback of Tadka Dhal.
Try phulka method. You will get nice ones.

[malligai]

Thattai,

i saw ur recipe for Kotthu Parota...seems yummy...but what kind of Parotta do i use??...is it the Malaysian kind??..i mean the layered one??

[Vidya Pai]

What is the nearest substitute for khus-khus?

[Hemant Trived1]

Hello Vidya,
Gingely seeds or Til is the nearest substitute for Khuskhus.

[Thattai]

Dear Malligai,
The foll is the recipe for parotta as given by mrs. mano in the tamilnadu delicacies thread that can be used for making kothu parottas. I do not know how close this is to malaysian parottas...

In hotels they do not add soda bi carbonate, and baking powder when preparing Parottas. Here is the recipe for layered Parottas.
PAROTTA:
Sieve 1kg plain flour. Add 1 egg, ¼ cup oil, 2tbsp sugar, ¼ cup milk and ¼ cup ghee to the flour and mix well. Knead to a smooth dough by adding enough water. Keep covered for three hours. Pat and knead well again till the dough becomes very smooth and elastic in nature. Make orange sized balls from the dough and roll out in to thin chappathi.

In hotels, the professional cooks will make it flip in the air to a very big transparent circular layer and then they will fold it and roll into round balls again. We could do like that only if we are trained in it. So we can fold the chappathi like saree pleats and then make it into a ball again. Spread ½ to 1sp oil on the ball and keep them covered for some time. Then pat the ball gently on top and flatten into thick parottas using the hands. Heat the tawa and cook the parotta on both sides. After removing it from the tawa , press and pat on the sides to loosen the layers with a neat white thin towel when it is hot.

Hope that this helps!!

[kavithasenthil]

Hello foodlover,Put it in the diswaher. It will work.

[orange2005]

Hi,
Can someone give me the recipe for bread upma please.

[Thattai]

Hi!

Can anyone share the ways in which sprouted garlic can be used?

[Hemant Trived1]

Hello Thattai,
U mean Green garlic sprouts or garlic which sprouts at home after some time?
If it is green garlic(Spring Garlic), it is best used in Baigan Bhartha.

[vm]

can anybody tell me where to get(other country grocery stores) white stem of Banana.

[Thattai]

Hi Hemant,

I am refering to the sprouted garlic that we find ready in the shops. I have noticed them all over the place this winter. How does one incorporate them in Baingan Bhartha? Also any other ways to use them? Does one chop the garlic and the sprouts? And will they be very strong in flavour? That's a lot of queries, and I would appreciate your response. Tx!

[Thattai]

Hi!

Could anyone tell me what would be the equvalent of Mexican Green and Red Chiles in the Indian Market.

I have come across some easy mexican recipes using these, but can't figure out what they would be here... can we use the bigger chillies we get for making bhajjias?

[Shoba]

Can someone suggest recipes which uses cooked rice & curd? I have huge quantities of both, and have already made mixed-rice dishes, and used the curd for koottu, aviyal varieties, lassi & mor.

I posted my query on separate thread ("Left overs"), and on Mrs Mano & H.T.'s Cookery corner. I'm desperate as I dont want to throw away the rice & curd.

Thanks a lot!

Shoba

[tomato]

Hi Thattai,

Check out this site, it will give u some idea:


http://www.foodsubs.com/Chilefre.html

[Thattai]

Hi Tomato,

Tx for the link. It was quite informative.... but I am still unable to figure out the equvalents in Mumbai markets as these names are not common here, so any further inputs would be of help...

[puuppys]

Hi
Can some one tell me how to make good sabudana khicidi? Mine always comes very sticky or unsoaked. Please help!

VS

[puuppys]

Hi
Can some one tell me how to make good sabudana khicidi? Mine always comes very sticky or unsoaked. Please help!

VS

[R]

Hi friends,

Recently, went to chennai and saw a sweet called Horlicks mysore pak. I loved the taste too! Any of you, any idea how to make it? The dark color of the sweet-still stays in my memory..

Thanks in advance.

[Jowill]

what about Indian brewed beers, and beer hybrids (mix of beer and other ingredients)? do they have anything like B(E) there? that's the new Bud brand with ginseng, quarana, and caffeine added......I love it.

[Inimai]

Hi,

I want to try Ribbon pakoda. But I dont have the murukku achu. I live in USA. Can anybody tell me whether I can get the achu in indian store and is it worth buying it. I mean anybody have like that one and tried already?

Thanks!

[shanta]

Hi,

I want to try Ribbon pakoda. But I dont have the murukku achu. I live in USA. Can anybody tell me whether I can get the achu in indian store and is it worth buying it. I mean anybody have like that one and tried already?

Thanks!
If it's expensive in Indian Stores, try using a pastry bag with a flat tip like one of these depending on the thickeness of the ribbon pakoda you want, you can also try star to make murukku: http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/product.asp?product=DT0044PA

[kavithasenthil]

Hi All,

I tasted pumpkin sweet of north India probably from calcutta or agra. I don't know the name of the sweet. But it is made from white pumpkin cubes. Like they soked the cubes in sugar syrup. It was so yummy. Can any one have the recipe or name of that sweet? Thks.

[shanta]

I tasted pumpkin sweet of north India probably from calcutta or agra. I don't know the name of the sweet.
No recipe, it's called Agra Petha/Peta. Googling should yield you some recipes, though.

[Inimai]

Hi Shanta,

Thanks for the idea! I'll try this one.



Hi,

I want to try Ribbon pakoda. But I dont have the murukku achu. I live in USA. Can anybody tell me whether I can get the achu in indian store and is it worth buying it. I mean anybody have like that one and tried already?

Thanks!
If it's expensive in Indian Stores, try using a pastry bag with a flat tip like one of these depending on the thickeness of the ribbon pakoda you want, you can also try star to make murukku: http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/product.asp?product=DT0044PA

[svasu_ani]

Hi,:wave:

When I was in India I used to make pulkas and were really easy to make and eat. After coming to US , I have stopped making. The reason here it is the electric stove and am not sure if we can make it on them. Can anyone help??? Has anyone tried or made pulkas with the electric stoves??

Anitha

[saji]

Hmmm,
That is definitely going to be a difficult task. Why dont you buy a two flame gas stove from an indian store and keep it on your existing electric stove(ie if you are renting)I know it is not a pretty sight. But then you dont have to sacrifice eating phulkas. Otherwise if you have your own house, invest in a gas stove. You will never regret it.

[di]

hi svasu_ani,

i make phulakas using electric stove...in Indian store u get a grid kind of thing(circular or rectangular) made of metal- u have to place that over the electric burner and switch on the stove-and follow usual method of making phulkas-when u r ready to put the roti on the flame -put it instead on the grid which is heating up! u get phulkas like we get using a gas flame! one thing to make note of is u need to use tongs which have a non-stick tip (not the plain stainless steel ones we use in India) to remove the phulka from the burner!
hope this helps!

[rajshank]

:wave: svasu_ani

i had the same problem....u can just use a thick cloth to press phulka on the tava itself....if it is evenly flatenned, then it will come out just like a phulka...if u remember seeing an old ad for atta, it shows this technique...

Hope that helps

[Inimai]

Hi,

Can we substitute whipping cream in place of malai or cream? Is it (malai) available in store? or How to prepare malai at home?

Hemantji/Mrs.Mano/anybody please clear my doubts!

Thanks!

[Hemant Trived1]

Hello Inimai,
Best way to prepare Malai at home is boil milk in a wide mouth vessel and periodically remove top cream (Malai after it starts hardening a bit.

You can substitute whipping cream in place of Malai but Malai has its own taste and you can't substitute that.

[Inimai]

Hemantji,

Thank you ! I am planning to prepare malai kofta (as per your recipe). I was asking about the malai for that only. I will let you know how it turned out.

Inimai


Hello Inimai,
Best way to prepare Malai at home is boil milk in a wide mouth vessel and periodically remove top cream (Malai after it starts hardening a bit.

You can substitute whipping cream in place of Malai but Malai has its own taste and you can't substitute that.

[kavithasenthil]

thks

[kavithasenthil]

I tasted pumpkin sweet of north India probably from calcutta or agra. I don't know the name of the sweet.
No recipe, it's called Agra Petha/Peta. Googling should yield you some recipes, though.

Thankyou Shanta.

[svasu_ani]

Hi,

Thanks for the idea. Can you be more specific abt the grid? Is it similar to the one in India which is placed on the gas stoves above the burners?

Anitha


hi svasu_ani,

i make phulakas using electric stove...in Indian store u get a grid kind of thing(circular or rectangular) made of metal- u have to place that over the electric burner and switch on the stove-and follow usual method of making phulkas-when u r ready to put the roti on the flame -put it instead on the grid which is heating up! u get phulkas like we get using a gas flame! one thing to make note of is u need to use tongs which have a non-stick tip (not the plain stainless steel ones we use in India) to remove the phulka from the burner!
hope this helps!

[nalabaagam]

Hi,

I have a question though not directly about food, it is about cleaning or washing a vessel.

I use a vessel to make tea/coffee/boil milk,etc., though I wash it daily after use, it still has some thick coating (adi pudichu iruku - in tamil) in it due to continuous usage for boiling of milk, heating tea, etc. Due to this electric coil stoves the excessive heat makes food to form coating inside the vessel :x

I tried soaking it in hot water and then washing it using dish liquid. No use. Everytime I have to scrape the coating with knife after soaking for hours together. Even then not of much help. :?

Is there any easy way to remove it using any liquid?

Thanks in advance,
Nalabaagam.

[di]

hi svasu_ani,

am not sure wht grid u r talking abt that is used in India!
anyway did some web search and found this website which shows the picture- it is the roasting grid( first one) ..
http://www.ishopindian.com/shop/catalog/Utensils-p-2-c-68.html
HTH!

[R]

Hi Nalabaagam,

Just my suggestion-I boil milk on stove for preparing curd only. That too, keep the gas in sim though takes a long time. In this way, you can escape from this problem.

For making coffee, I use microwave and for tea, prepare decoction on stove and heat the milk in microwave.

coming back, fill up half vessel with water and add 1 tsp of baking soda and some drops of washing liquid, let them boil on stove for some time. Keep aside and after a few mts, empty the vessel and use SOS to clean the vessel. Though it will not go away in one attempt, will definitely see some improvement. Let the vessel get dry. Now, the black stain will loosen up a bit and use the regular scrub with liquid.

Will take some time, but this method works for me.

Back at home, my house servant maid used sand to remove the black stain. If you want, put on yr gloves and try. Have not tried this.

Good luck.

[nalabaagam]

Hi R,

Thanks for your message.

I am heating milk using microwave only if we are going to drink it as it is. But for making coffee or tea, or for making curd, just heating in the microwave doesn't seem to be sufficient. It needs to heating to the boiling stage.

Otherwise, by the time I add sugar and coffee decoction to the milk, it turns from hot to warm/cold and the coffee doesn't taste so good.
Coffee-na sooda kudicha dhaaney :?:
Also, I have noticed that warming or heating milk in the microwave, it doesn't get heated uniformly. Milk on the surface of the cup remains hot, but at the bottom of the vessel it is not warm too.

Coming back to your tips, I will try the baking sode and dish liquid together. Let me see.
I wish I get good kora kora sand or saambal (ash) here so that I scrub and wash like the servant maids back home. :(

Regards,
Nalabaagam

[R]

For coffee, that is news to me. Becoz in 1 min and 30 sec., in my MW, the milk will start boiling(could see the bubbles).

Is there any problem with yr MW? One of my friend use to tell that she is using MW for curd making. I can ask her and let you know, if you want.

SOS is really a good one. I used it for my irumbu vanali (you know how tough to remove the stain in that kind of vessel).

If you have any plain area with soil/sand, that will do..cant go for aathu manal here!

Bye.

[Seethab]

Hi R:

Whats SOS?

[R]

If you are in US, you can find SOS in american stores in the detergent section-next to scrubs. Basically, it is a stronger scrub than our regular ones. It has soap and metallic wire in it. The name of this scrub is SOS which comes in a box.

Hope this is enough.

[svasu_ani]

Thanks... :)


hi svasu_ani,

am not sure wht grid u r talking abt that is used in India!
anyway did some web search and found this website which shows the picture- it is the roasting grid( first one) ..
http://www.ishopindian.com/shop/catalog/Utensils-p-2-c-68.html
HTH!

[Shanthy]

Dear Nalabaagam
Why not use a non stick small sauce pan to heat milk etc? You can just use a soft cleaning cloth to clean it. Saves you a lot of trouble. Milk is much tastier when heating on stove.
Shanthy

[Shoba]

Does Curd Uppuma and Puli (tamarind) Uppuma have the same texture and appearance as the regular Uppuma, or are they more like kali?

Shoba

[tomato]

Is par boiled rice the same as ponni rice?
Can we use ponni rice to make idli, dosa ....

[kavithasenthil]

hello tomato,
par boiled rice means pulungal arisi in tamil. Ponni is the name of the rice and it can be raw or par boiled.

In india ppl won't use ponni rice for making idli,dosai. I live in usa and tried ponni rice for making idli and dosai and am getting very good doasi and idli.

[svasu_ani]

Hi R,

I picked up SOS recently after reading it here in the forum and it worked good. The plates around the stove were filled with so much stains and grease and I usually used to soak it overnight and scrub it in the morning with knife and all...it was too tiring..When using this SOS I didnt have to soak, just washed the plates normally and the stains came out clean....It worked on really good...

Thanks...
Anitha



If you are in US, you can find SOS in american stores in the detergent section-next to scrubs. Basically, it is a stronger scrub than our regular ones. It has soap and metallic wire in it. The name of this scrub is SOS which comes in a box.

Hope this is enough.

[kbk]

Does anyone know the recipe of hurigalu, a very common snack among kannadigas. It is a mixture of roated/toasted nuts. Thanks.

[padmaravic]

:( Hai friends,i am padma living in uk.i always have trouble in fermenting idli batter.i tried all possible ways but still it takes oneand half days to ferment.I am really fedup.I even tried baking soda but no use.please help me.bye

[shanta]

:( Hai friends,i am padma living in uk.i always have trouble in fermenting idli batter.i tried all possible ways but still it takes oneand half days to ferment.I am really fedup.I even tried baking soda but no use.please help me.bye
After mixing the batter with hand for 5 minutes, put it in a warm oven overnite, you don't have to keep the oven on, switch it off after it's warm enough to start frementation, it will do it's work as the oven gets cold once it gets a head start - just make sure the oven's warm and not hot otherwise the batter will start to bake. :)

[lakshmikumar]

can anyone tell me the recipe for masala kadalai?

[Inimai]

Can we use the readymade rice flour for making Thattai? I am confused that for what are all snacks (murrukku, seedai,etc) we can't use the readymade rice flour.

Please somebody clear my doubts!

Thanks!

[Hemant Trived1]

Hello Padmaravic,
Posting from my site,

REASONS FOR IDLY AND DOSAI MAAVU NOT GETTING PROPERLY FERMENTED
1) Both batters need Bio activity .So if there is not enough bacteria/Fungus/Yeast present in the batter, the maavu will not ferment or will not ferment properly.
2) If you are using chlorinated, Iodised water or bacteria free water or Ozonized water in your house, you will not be able to get proper fermentation in batter as all these chemicals have residual disinfection property.(except Ozone) .
3) If the atmospheric temparature is less than 20 degrees, the maavu will not ferment properly and if it ferments, it will take very long time and the quality of Bioactivity will be bad.
4) If you keep maavu for fermentation in cold place like verendah during nights, the fermentation will be poor.
5) If you are a stickler for Hygene, you are sure to have a poor fermentation.
6) If you wash rice and Dhall too much before wet grinding and if you are using safe water, you will have fermentation problem.
7) I have seen some people using curds or buttermilk to induce fermentation.This is absolutely bad.Lacto Bacillus is a bacteria which does not allow other bacterias to flourish and makes a moonoculture.Hence the fermentation is very different and not proper.
8) If the water is acidic , the fermentation will be poor.

SURE-FIRE WAYS TO INDUCE FERMENTATION IN IDLY AND DOSAI MAAVU
1) Use Saved idly batter .(This is the basic rule if you live in cold countries)
2) Use only common non treated water.(Don't worry, all the Bacterias will die when you steam cook)
3) After wet grinding, keep the batter in open air near plants or in Balcony for atleast 30 minutes.
4) Ensure that you keep the batter at an ambient temp. of 25 to 30 degrees.If you live in cold places, use the following trick.
" Fill up the batter in a shopping bag(thick plastic of white colour only).Tie up the bag loosly and keep it in a bucket full of warm water (30 degrees) when you go to sleep.When you get up in the morning, the fermentation would be complete."
5) Keep the batter in the preheated oven (and put off) for the night .
6) Add about an ounce of Lager or a Good Beer to the batter.
7) Add a quarter slice of bread .
8) Add little grated cheese .
9) If you have Chillies with blackened stalk in your fridge, they would induce fine fermentation.
10) This is the most unfailing method.
Keep a slice of wetted bread in open near a window for one hour .Crumble it and keep it in warm room or sun for some time.During the evening, add a quarter spoon of crumbled bread to the batter.
IF ALL THE ABOVE FAIL, ........PLEASE PRAY GOD.!!!!!!!!

HT

[padmaravic]

thank you friends.I will try all the tips you gave.ofcourse one at a time :)

[di]

hi,
my idli maavu ferments(i live in a cold place) but unfortunately the color of the batter changes to yellowish-after fermentation!...any tips or suggestions to avoid that ?

[Hemant Trived1]

Hello Di,

Yellow colour in fermented maavu(batter) is also a common occurance in curds which are made at home.
This is due to presence of certain bacteria in more quantity than normally desired.
If this happens, it is prudent to change the culture of batter.
If you are preparing maavu at home, it is a good idea to disinfect the whole maavu machine after washing with 3percent citric acid/vinegar.
You may use methods suggested by me to a lady to ferment idly batter after that.

[di]

hi Mr Hemant,
thanks for the tip..will try it out!

[R]

Glad to see yr msg, Anitha.

But, dont use it in cooker or on stove top as it creates scratch! only with tough greased or oily vessel/vanali.

Bye.

[napolims445]

This is in response to nalabaagam-
about cleaning the vessel after boiling milk/tea/coffee-
what I do is spray dawn power dissolver over the thick coating and let it stay for sometime(atleast 30 minutes or more) and then scrape it with a spoon and wash it as usual with plastic wire scrub. It come out clean this way. Sometimes i dont even scrape it with spoon just using plastic wire scrub take away the layer.

Hope this works..

[Hemant Trived1]

After boiling tea, milk ,sambhar etc,
to clean the vessels, it is best to fill them up to the brim with water and let it soak the scum.
Wash first with plain water , you will be surprised to see the vessel free of most of the scum.
Just use any light detergent and brush.

[shanta]

6) Add about an ounce of Lager or a Good Beer to the batter.
7) Add a quarter slice of bread .
8) Add little grated cheese .
9) If you have Chillies with blackened stalk in your fridge, they would induce fine fermentation.
10) This is the most unfailing method.
Keep a slice of wetted bread in open near a window for one hour .Crumble it and keep it in warm room or sun for some time.During the evening, add a quarter spoon of crumbled bread to the batter.
IF ALL THE ABOVE FAIL, ........PLEASE PRAY GOD.!!!!!!!!


Hemant,
Have you tested these Idli and/or Dosa batter fermentation tips or are these tips to ferment bread dough?
I can't imagine using beer or bread in idli/dosa dough.

[Hemant Trived1]

Hello Shanta,
The idea is to introduce fermenting active yeast.
Try it out in absence of yeast powder.

[shanta]

Hello Shanta,
The idea is to introduce fermenting active yeast.
Try it out in absence of yeast powder.
Hemant,
I agree, but I have not heard first hand experiences re. using beer or bread in idli/dosa batters, so I'm more interested in how bread and beer used to ferment idli and dosa batter taste, could you please discuss this in detail?

[svasu_ani]

Hi,

I will be staying in a hotel for 15 days, i wanna cook dal for sambar and i dont have a cooker. Cooking dal by microwave is nt that effective it is taking so much time and more over they arent getting soft and easy to smash. Any alternative methods for cooking dal????

Anitha

[guhapriya]

Anitha

Soaking the dhall before in hand will definitely help the dhall to cook faster

[R]

Anitha,

You can cook dhal at home itself and put it in the freezer as soon as you check in the hotel; or, recently, we were on a long trip for a week. What I did was fried the dhal in an empty vanali till it is hot at home itself. The previous night itself, soak it in water and then, the next day, cooked in microwave though the water used to overflow. I also carried blender with me and managed to grind. Though it was not very soft, but it was much much better for my kid to eat as dhal rice!!

Good luck..

[solona]

can anyone tell me the recipe for masala kadalai?


Hi,

I don't know what do you mean by masala kadalai. I am giving a receipe for Nei kadalai


Soak Kadalai paaruppu for about 2 hours, and then sponge out all water. Heat kadai with lots of oil, and plunge kadalai when oil is hot, fry them until you hear the parrupu's make noise while you mix and take them out, sponge out excess oil. Heat small amount of oil apart, fry some "thatina" garlic and karuvepillai, mix it with the fried parrupu with some chilli powder and nei parupu ready

Shanthy

[Kz]

Anitha,
U could make puli kolambu as that is easy and no need of cooked dhal for that.
Kz

[svasu_ani]

Anitha,
U could make puli kolambu as that is easy and no need of cooked dhal for that.
Kz

Hi Kz,

How do I make it??? Can you tell me the recipe??

Anitha

[dev]

Hi Anitha,

Y don't U try yellow moong dhal?...It's gets cooked quiet fast if u can soak it in warm water for a few hrs...(4-5 hrs)

[Kz]

Hi Anitha,
The simple way to make puli kolambu is
Heat oil in a pan, season it with mustard, urad dhal , methi seeds , hing and curry leaves. then saute chopped 1 med size onion, 1 or 2 garlic, 1 med size tomato chopped, once they get cooked well, add whatever vegetables u have, u can use brinjals, drumsticks or even dried vathals ( so dont have to cut them and easy to use)like brinjal vathal or mango vathal. then add 2 to 3 tsp sambhar powder according to ur taste add little water and let it boil, then add tamarind juice or paste and salt and little more water and let it boil well for 20 to 30 min so it gets thickened and add more oil so it tastes good.

If u have a rice cooker it will be easy to make rava uppuma too in hotel, when we had gone for a trip i took rava uppuma and we cooked it in rice cooker. if u r interested let me know.

Kz

[svasu_ani]

Thanks Dev , I do prepare moong dal using cabbage, cucumber, brinjal...

ANd Kz, Ill try puli kuzhambu and let u know how it came.. I did make plain rawa upma for breakfast.
ANitha

[svasu_ani]

Hi,
Any dish with left over rice? Something easy to make in the morning.


Anitha

[dev]

You can make fried rice,leamon rice,tomato rice,puliyogare,coconut rice,carrot rice,curd rice etc...

[svasu_ani]

You can make fried rice,leamon rice,tomato rice,puliyogare,coconut rice,carrot rice,curd rice etc...

Can u tell me how to make carrot rice? Wont it taste sweet???

Anitha

[dev]

Hi Anita,

Here's how I make carrot rice...

1. cook rice as usual & mix req amt of salt to it.

2.grate as much carrots as u want... I usually add equal amts of carrots & rice...ie,for a cup of cooked rice,I'll take same quantity of carrots...U can modify it to ur taste...

3. chop a few green chillies,curry leaves & onions,cori leaves

4.Heat oil(2 tsp)...add chana dhal & urad dhal(abt 1 tbsp)...let it brown a bit... then add chillies,curry leaves & onions...fry until light brown...Now add the grated carrots & fry until 3/4 cooked...the carrots should be a bit crisp even after the whole cooking...I like it that way...IF u want to,U can cook it fully...I usually add 1 or 2 tbsp of water for cooking the carrots coz I use less oil...If U want to,U can cook the whole thing by adding a tbsp more of oil...add salt for the carrots...mix well...

4. Now add the rice to it & mix well...cook until it rice is warmed up...

5.Add cori leaves & take off flame...

[svasu_ani]

Hi Anita,

Here's how I make carrot rice...



Hey Thats really so easy to make let me try it and let u know....

Anitha

[dev]

hey,
forgot to add mustard & jeera to the seasoning...U'll 've to add it along with the dhals...:)

[dev]

Hi ,

Anyone good at ethiopian cooking here?...I once tried the tef bread(something like wheat flour dosa) & lukku akkavi(chicken curry that tasted almost like tikka masala) & a few other chutney kind of things...It was awesome... If anyone has any tried & tested ethiopian recipes,pls post it here...esp Lukku akkavi...:)

Also,for the guys in US try out this cuisine... If I remember right,the name of the restaurent I visited goes something like this...Blue Nile ... I am not very sure abt the name but it had the word Nile....It was in minneapolis...not very sure if it's a chain of restaurents throughout US...

[rajsand]

Hello
Just curious to know if Iron can be had with Calcium?
I read in lot of books that calcium supresses Iron absorbtion
Is it true? That means milk cannot be added to any spinach recipes
But I know this as a fact that Iron with vitamin C is a very good combination. VitaminC helps in full absorbtion of Iron

Can anybody start a Nutrition thread, that gives tips on the health aspects in cooking.
Thankyou
Rajsand

[tomato]

rajsand
Pls visit the 'Healthy lifestlye' thread, here in the food section. U will find a lot of info.
Our fellow hubber dev shares with us a wealth of knowledge and has also inspired us be health conscious cooks. :thumbsup:

[rajsand]

Hello
Thankyou Tomato! I am new to this site and havent ventured much. I am a healthconcious person too..
rajsand

[luvsilver]

Yes Dev,

There are many pockets of early Chinese immigrants that settled in various parts of India. Many of the early dentists in India were of Chinese origin and many of the women ran beauty parlor's.

They assimilated into the indian culture and created a "fusion cuisine" of recipes they inherited and spices/veges they found locally.

This is the Chinese food that we consume today in India..... obviously not all the recipes are the same, but the fried rice...stir-fried dishes are pretty much the same that one would eat in a one of those households

If you travel to say Beijing/Shangai and ask to eat "Chicuan"style foods < phonetic> familiarly known as "Seczhuan" is a spicy style of cooking and you will see the similarity immediately after you put a spoonful in your mouth!

I'm not sure if you have heard of the term "Unani davai" ~ Medicines from Yunan, practioners of this form of medicine/pharmacology have lived in India from the early 1600's....

......so coming to your question is there real Chinese food in India, they have been here a LONG time!

Luvsilver

[Minni]

Guys,

I have problem making payasam with Jaggery. My milk curdles.
Am I doing anything wrong ?

Minni

[guhapriya]

hi minni

Yeah add milk at the end that is after adding the jaggery

[indu]

Everytime I cook white-peas in pressure cooker, the skin just falls off and it's a tough job separating all the skins from the peas !!
I have tried keeping for one whistle only, and also don't add salt to them while cooking. This problem I have only with this, not with chickpeas or any other legume.
Any advise / suggestions pleas ?

[Hemant Trived1]

Hello Indu,
When you soak white peas, add a pinch of soda.
If you pressure cook after that, the skin will be very soft and won't bother while consuming food.
The trick lies in softning the outer skin of peas by the above process.
Try and tell me how it turned out.
You use addition of cooking soda while soaking of Rajma, Val, Beans, Kabuli channa etc.

[orange2005]

Hi,

Can someone please share an easy time tested recipe for making veg fried rice.
thanx

[Minni]

GruhaPriya,

Can you please elaborate how to make it. I boil rice in the very milk.

Thanks,
Minni

[tastemakers]

Hai Minni

I assume that you are talking about Jaggery rice payasam . This is how I do it.

I cook rice mashing consistency , then I make a syrup out of the jaggery add it to the mashed rice and mix it without any lumps . Then I add milk and wait till all the ingredients mix well . Then garnish with nuts


I hope this will do

Priya

[Minni]

Hi Priya,
Yes, I was talking about the same. So basically, you cook rice in plain water, and make syrup of jaggery with water again, and combine both of them under medium heat and then add milk and let it simmer for few minutes???

Thanks.
Minni

[tastemakers]

yeah thats right

Priya

[apujittu]

Hi Thattai,

Check out this site, it will give u some idea:


http://www.foodsubs.com/Chilefre.html

Thanks for the useful info as these names are found in US market. It is of real great help to me.
Apujittu

[tomato]

Dear Hubbers,
Pls post some snake gourd (podalangai) recipes.

[nirosha sen]

Could someone please post recipes to cook Breadfruit please??? In Tamil, it's Irre Plakkah; Malayalam - Seema Chakka.

If anybody has recipes, please post them here, Pa!! My father-in-law is visiting and we have a huge Breadfruit tree in the garden!!

Thanks in advance!!

Tomato - Try cooking snake gourd sliced into rings, with a tsp of pwdered jeeragam, turmeric, big onions and fresh green chillies. A squeeze of coconut and some nice small shrimps in the thallipu, will lend a nice flavour too.

If you are vege. then omit the shrimps Pa!! :D

[tomato]

Thanx Niro for the recipe. Will surely give it a try.

But I don't understand some of ur cooking terminolgy- like 'a squeeze of coconut' :? I've heard of a squeeze of lemon, but coconut :roll: How would I squeeze a coconut- I don't believe my fingers r strong enough :cry:
Also what is 'thallipu'?

Hmmm.... Breadfruit ... Slurp slurp, one of my fav veggies. Luv anything made using it. Lucky u have a tree in ur garden, would like to visit u Pa!(To get some breadfruit free )
I have a couple of recipes for Bfruit
U can make fritters(two types - one dipped on gram flour, one more spicier using rice pow)

Peel the Bread fruit. Cut it into quarters. Make 1cm or thinner( not too thin though) slices.
Make a thick batter with besan, salt, chilli pow, asafeotida and water. U may also add whole jeera to the batter. Dip the cut slices in the batter and deep fry in hot oil. Enjoy as a evening snack with tea(in ur garden!!) or serve as a part of a meal.

The spicier version.
Cut the Bread fruit as above. make a thick paste of chilli pow, salt and asafeotida sprinkling very little water. apply this paste on the slices. let it marinate for a few min. dip these slices in rice flour, pat well so the flour sticks to it. deep fry. Serve as a part of a meal.

Sigh !! got to get hold of a breadfruit now, craving to make these myself.

Hey I've one more recp which is a coconut based curry, will post if u r interested.

[nirosha sen]

Okay - sorry abt the short terms Pa!! "Squeeze of coconut" - simply a tablespoon or so of coconut milk, thicker the sweeter of course!!

Tallipu - is tempering as per the cook bks!! A bit of mustard/urad dhall, sputtering in a tablespoon or oil with a sprig of curry leaves, in the wok before adding the chillie, onions and small shrimps and finally the poddalangai and spices!!

Great! Would love to try whatever recipes you have for breadfruit, Pa!! Thanks in advance! :D

[kalpana ravindran]

hi shakthi to buy reliable pressure cookers premier & prestige is always preferable. for mixers kenstar is good & fine.

[vm]

Can somebody tell me how to make cassata icecream at home

[indu]

Hi vm,
This recipe is from a weekly magazine and it came out very well. It is very easy method and you can use any regular vanilla icecream as the base, and include whatever flavours that you like. In this recipe, instead of the coffee, I used Cadbury's drinking chocolate powder and used strawberries instead of cherries. You can add more layers , depending on your choice/tastes . For children, can make in smaller individual bowls and top with nuts, smarties, chocolate sauce, raspberry syrup etc.


EASY CASSATA

2 litres vanilla ice-cream, slightly softened
25ml. instant coffee granules, dissolved in little hot water
50gm. shelled & chopped pistachio nuts
425 gms. tinned black cherries, drained & sliced.

Divide the ice-cream into 3 portions. To one part, add coffee solution & pour into a 2lt. glass bowl and freeze for 35mins. Place the remaining 2 portions also in freezer for 15mins. Take out portion no.2, mix with nuts and layer it smoothly on top of coffee layer and freeze it again for another 30mins. Then add the cherries to the final portion, spoon it over the nut layer and freeze till firm . While serving , turn it upside down onto a plate, and slice and serve.

Note :--- I wanted to add sponge cake to this, so I cut a circle from the store-bought sponge cake, and just placed it on the top as the final layer , covered tightly with aluminium foil, and freezed it. { If preferred you can try placing it in between 2 layers of ice-cream, but I didn't want the cake to be too soggy}.

It was a perfectly delicious treat and hope it comes out well for you too,
Indu.

[Kz]

Hi Tomato,
here i am posting a recipe for podalankai kootu.

Boil moong dhal( paasiparuppu) with little turmeric. it shouldn't be overly cooked.

cut podalankai, clean the inner sponge part and chop them,( small square pieces like u usually do other veg), chop 1 med size onion and 2 to 3 green chillies.

in a pan or vessel put onions, green chillies, cut podalankai little water and let it cook, once it is cooked add the cooked dhal and salt and let it cook for few more minutes and remove from stove after it starts boiling. then season it with little ghee or oil, jeera and urad dhal, curry leaves.
usually ghee is used in seasoning kootu as it gives good aroma.
it is very simple and easy to make,only chopping podalankai takes time. add dhal according to ur wish, but it should be more dhal or equal to the chopped veg quantity.
i will post podalangai poriyal. u can also make podalankai poricha kolambu and use this in avial amond other vegetables. hope u like it.
kz

[tomato]

Hi Kz,

Thank you for sharing your recipe. Will give it a try and post feedback.
Pls post the 'podalankai poricha kolambu' recipe.

[kalpana ravindran]

can any one give me gravies served with pulao,fried rice,veg biryani,etc.veg & non-veg is needed

[kalpana ravindran]

sorry ya gravies recipes(slight mistaka)

[ash_970]

Hello All,

Some days before I saw some queries floated on of the thread facing trouble with cooking Pulses/ lentils/ daals

I have developed a short cut method for cooking pulses (kidney beans, cheek peas, black udid ,/lentils / different daals ).

Before you start cooking in Pressure cooker

Take required quantity of the /beans /peas /daal in a ceramic bowl add water slightly above the level of the pulses in the bowl and microwave for 3-5 minutes depending on the quantity , energy level and type of pulses/ dal.

Following this you can cook the microwaved pulses in pressure cooker .

To have efficient cookin in pressure cooker once you get the first whiste slow down the heat , so the time between two whistles will increase and this will stop escape of steam and allow the steam to cook for longer duration.

Guys pl. let me know if this technique works for you.

[Nichiro]

Hello ash_970,

What about radiation effect on food?
I have done this type of experiments in US and I have not liked the taste of food.
I prefer old method.

[ash_970]

Hello Nichiro,
You are right about the change in the taste of food ( while reheating or cooking only in MW) but when you first MW the daals/pulses and than follow with the traditional cooking you do not loose on the taste.
By MW daals/ pulses it helps to loosen up the bond between the molecules and makes the cooking fast and easy.This way we can avoid prolong soaking and failures during cooking.

Regarding radiation there are couple of theories presented (with pro and con) and in my understanding , if we are not over exposing the food for long durations it should be safe enough. Prolonged exposures like 20 - 30 minutes might have adverse effect on the food.
Hope I am right , if some one has better knowledge regarding this please let every one know so every one is benifitted
Cheerrss!!!

[rajsand]

May I add something here??
Nichiro's all right with the radiation on food. Also, the pulses and dals are soaked so as to remove the 'gas' in them. Usually it is said to throw away the water that Rajma beans are soaked in overnight, as they are toxic !!
This is a practice keeping up for generations to soak beans and pulses before cooking them.. and if its healthy why not??
Sprouts come oout very well with these too.. soak in water for a day and for next 3-4 days just wash them under tap water (cold) every morning and leave a little water for sprouting!!

[Kz]

Has anyone tried spring rolls? need a recipe for that.
kz

[Crab]

WARNING

I read somewhere that its dangerous to use microwave oven to heat water, milk or any liquids.

After the bell rings, DO NOT open the door ajar immediately lest it burst!

:oops:

[Pammi Randhawa]

Hi Mr.Nichiro/Mrs. Mano others,

planning to buy idali cooker. Can ya guide if steel is better or aluminium? Any brand which is best buy?
Thanx in advance
pammi

[Nichiro]

Hello Pammi,

You should opt for steel Idly cooker.
In Madras, many good local brands are available. If you are near T. Nagar, you may buy from Ranganathan street.
If you are near Mylapore, buy it from near Temple.
Better to buy 16 idly stand .

[rajsand]

Hello
I have a problem with Idly maav. I grind the urad dal first and usually puffs up very well (gives volume) But nowadays dont know why, it doesnt puff up.. though the idlis are okay. Can anyone help me with this?
Thankyou

[Nichiro]

Hello rajsand,

Did you by chance change your mixi/blender recently?
If your answer is yes, then reduce the spped.
If no, use a blender after you grind it.
The idea is to add air to maavu and increase the volume.
Hope this helps.

[Inimai]

Hi,

Is it worth buying a food processor? IF so, Please suggest me which one is the best processor for a long time use. I think it helps for chopping, mincing large amount of vegs. for a party preparation. I searched in amazon that Cuisinart is better when compared with other. Any idea ?

Thanks!

[Crab]

WARNING

When you buy meat from supermarket or local butcher, never let them cut it for you. It's unhygienic.

Get your own electronic slicer. It costs just twenty quid in Argos.

:P

[rajsand]

Hello Nichiro
No I dont use a blender, I use wet grinder. I have never had this problem, I tried cleaning the whole grinder and then yet it doesnt fix the problem.

[tomato]

What is 'khatti Bhaaji' called in english/kannada/tamil? Saw chef Sanjeev Kapoor using Khatti Bhaaji (a variety of greens) making 'shindi sai bhaabji' . What is its nearest substitute?

[R]

Hello friends,

It is not related to cooking. So, pls excuse and help me out

Those who live in Boston: which is the best place to buy corals/pearls ?

An immediate reply would be highly appreciated and thanks for yr replies.

Bye.

[apujittu]

Hi,
Can anyone suggest me a good brand for onion chopper?.Since our cooking involves lot of chopping I am debating whethere to buy a onion chopper (for home purpose only) ?.Suggestions would be helpul. :roll:
Thank You.

[Kz]

Hi Appujitu,
Cuisinart and kitchen aid are good brands when it comes to food processor and choppers. u can get the smallest one fro chopping onions. braun is also good, it is a set of hand blender and chopper which u can get in costco for 25$. the other two brands will be 80$or lesser. u can also chop others too. but if u go for big processors u can slice, chop and grate veg but for higher price.
hope this helps u
kz

[tastemakers]

Hello R

I dont know any specific shops in Boston , but as far as I know

one who wants to buy corals can visit the Inter Gem show , there

was one recently , and I think there is another one coming up in July.

You can check out their site http://www.intergem.net


Priya

[Minni]

Tastemakers/Priya,

Thanks for the site! I had been searching long for this one.

Minni

[deepali128]

hi Appujitu

i am using borner V slicer. i am extremly happy with my decision. it's very sharp and makes onion very very fine with crushing it unlike food processor.it's easy to clean it has 2 more blades so u can make fresh fries also. believe me it's amazing. one thing it's very sharp so u can to be careful.it's little costly too $30.

[apujittu]

Hi Kz,
Thanks for your tip!. I have Hamilton beach blender & Sumeet mixies at home. Basically I am looking for small chopper for daily use and not much to clean. Any how i check the brands you have mentioned.

[apujittu]

Hi deepali128,
What is borner V slicer, is it a brand name ? Does it do both chopping(almost like mincing so small) and slicing ? Is it hand operated or electric? I want hand operated one with no sound. So if you can give more tips on borner V slicer It will be helpful! If electric one is so good then i don't mind going for it.
Thank you

[deepali128]

hi Appujittu,

it's not electrical. it's like grater but in plastic. with german blades. insist for the same brand only.
it's The original V-slicer. mandoline.Borner is company name. t bought it from Linen and things.

[rajsand]

Can anyone tell me where I can get 'Osterizer Mini Blender'. I tried in all stores but none of them carry the small mini jar seperately. I know how useful it is to make chutneys and thuvayals.. I tried on the net but looks like the shipping is double the actual cost of the product.
Thankyou

[vm]

Mini blender is available in the Indian stores

[apujittu]

Hi Deepali128,

Borner V-Slicer Select Mandoline

Borner V-Slicer pro Mandoline

Borner V-Slicer Mandoline plus

Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus,

these are the varities I found on the net, Linen & things carry only the Zyliss Mandoline Slicer IS this one good?

I just want to know which of these model you have, and any idea(shop), other than net ,to buy this product.

Thank You-apujittu

[R]

Thanks, Priya. I thought that there in Boston might have separate coral shops like Balaji corals, abson etc. in NJ.

Will check the site..bye..

[tomato]

Has anyone tried making ghee using heavy/whipping cream without first making butter ? Does it come out well.

[foodlover123]

hi....
i am very new to cooking...i still depend on recipes....but i do not know y but i somehow have problem with the amount of salt a lot of time....can anyone tell me what can we do if we put more salt to any subzi by mistake....
is there any way we can rectify that?

[R]

Heard that putting raw potato will take the salt away. Tried a couple of times, but no effect.

So, my sincere suggestion is to use a spoon till u get used to it or use the other side(with small holes) to pour the salt so that there is no chance of adding more. Atleast, u will come to know how much of salt is going in extra and can reduce the amt of salt the next day.

And, try buying Diamond crystal(red with white color) salt whereas the other one(dont remember the name) purple color has more salty taste than the diamond. So, for newcomers, sincerely suggest to go with the former one.

[deepali128]

Hi apujittu,

i checked my carton.it's:

Borner V slicer Mandoline.orignal. german blades.
i bought from linen and things store in Rochester NY.
it was $30.it has total 3 blades with cap to hold the onion tomato whatever. it comes in only 1 color off white.u can buy in india also

[foodlover123]

Thanks R for answering my query....am sure it will be very helpful to me :)

[apujittu]

Hi deeplai128,
Thanks for the info ! I live in US , so I will try to look for your exact description of the product.

[guhapriya]

Does anybody know , where we can get the ready made ada for making ada pradhaman.

Guha

[a_gopinathan]

guhapriya, i have seen the ada in the indian stores which carry kerala food

[indu]

Hi foodlover123 & R,

Yes, potato DOES help in reducing excess salt. Slice thin rounds of raw potato & place them over the entire surface of the sambar, curry whatever. Once they are cooked, remove them from the sambar & you can see the saltiness gone from it. But , one problem I've faced is the sambar becomes thicker by the time the potatoes are cooked. Even some curries lose their correct consistency, so better to check salt in the initial stage itself ! I have read that even a ball of cooked rice [sadham] can be added , but never tried it.
Years back, have seen in a Sanjeev Kapoor show on TV, he said 1tsp. of salt is enough for a dish cooked for 4 people. Correspondingly, if you are cooking for just 2, say you & your husband, 1/2 a tsp. of salt should be sufficient.
Hope this helps.

[foodlover123]

Thank you indu for ur suggestions..will definately try it....

[R]

Thanks, Indu.

[gvb]

R what is diamond crystal?Is it "Kal uppu"?Cos the salt am using is Morton iodized salt..BTW have u used Splenda ?

GVB

[Minni]

foodlover,

I use very less salt for cooking and its usually the last thing I add. Salt brings out the flavours well, so adding a tiny amount, say 1/2 tsp is necessary in the initial stage of cooking, but you can add the rest of the salt just before turning off the flame. The salt that is added at the end makes it pass through the digestive sytem than the salt with which a veggie/meat is cooked.
Especially, if you are using Iodine salt, then as you know Sodium Iodide/potassium Iodide (with which Iodized salts are fortified with) becomes unstable at higher temperatures and release Iodine. So, adding Iodized salt in the beginning of cooking or during cooking is equivalent to using Iodine less salt.

Minni

[R]

No, gvb. that is the brand name. Morton-is it not saltier? That was the one I was telling that it is saltier than the diamond crystal.

Since I came to US, have been using this diamond crystal brand. ONly one time, changed into Morton; around 3 to 4 times, by mistake, added more salt and my dishes became salty and it does not have the small holes too. Then, decided to stick with the same old brand.

Bye.

[gvb]

Hi R,
Oh okay..I have never tried the other brand. so don't know whether its saltier or not...Thankfully i have not had any problem with the one am using now..

GVB

[rsankar]

Hello,

Cayenne pepper (powder) ....red chilli powder these 2 are same?

(I don't know where I've to post this question.)

[MysoreHudugi]

No. Cayanne powder is also chilli powder which is red in color. But, it is made of different variety of chillies and has different flavor. It tastes good in salads and soups or dips when added in small quantities. If you add it to Indian food, the flavor is not very indian.

CI.

[rsankar]

Hello CI,

Thanks for your reply. (and I'm waiting for your new thread :) )


rsankar.

[R]

Hi,

What is the best side dish for coconut milk pulav? Checked Mrs.Revathy's side dishes , but they all have coconut too.

And, anyone has recipe for Sanjeev kapoor's dal kitchidi(rice and moong dal)?

Thanks and Bye.

[Sowmya]

Hi R
My SIL recommended 'Rajma masala" (without coconut version)as an accompaniment for Coconut milk pulav and I liked the combo too.
Another suitable side dish can think of is "Cauliflower kurma".Or "Dal makhni".

Regards
Sowmya

[MysoreHudugi]

R,
I think the best side dish for any pulav is raita. Try making it without any pepper or chillies. Add a tsp of mustard powder and salt and garnish with cilanthro and try it.

If you are making cucumber raita, best way is to remove water content and then add it to the yogurt. This way, you will get thick raita.

This is my opinion.

CI.

[R]

Hi CI,

I am having a get together with my folks after a long gap. So, my cousin is going to make raitha. And, I like the idea of adding mustard powder(gets extra flavor). Will tell her for sure..

And, sowmya, do u know how does she makes rajma masala w/w.o coconut?

Thanks to both of you.

[rsankar]

[tscii]Hello R,

I think, when you take mild spicy food....the best side dish is spicy and sour. You can prepare Dalcha.

Here I found for you.... by L Chinni, from ammas.com

The following words are by L chinni.
All these were taught to me by my mom-in-law who in turn learnt it from a muslim lady.



Dalcha

Toor Dal – 1 cup Channa Dal – ½ cup Chicken or Mutton Bones – 1 cup (optional) Raw Mango – 1 chopped into bite size pieces Eggplant – 3-4 chopped Onion – 1 finely chopped Red Chilly powder- 2 tsp Garlic – 3 tbsp ground coarsely Tamarind Water – 1 cup Turmeric Powder – 1 tbsp Whole Black Pepper – 1 tbsp. Cumin/Zeera – 2 tsp. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp Asafetida – 1 tsp Karipatha – 1 sprig. Salt as per taste Oil – 3 tbsp

Pressure cook toor dal and channa dal till well done.

Dry roast and grind Pepper and cumin seeds to a fine powder. Heat a saucepan. Add tamarind water, onions, mango, mutton bones, eggeplant, garlic, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and the pepper and cumin powder. Let the vegetable and mutton cook nicely and well done. Mash the dals well and add it to the saucepan. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the mustard seeds to it. Once the stop spluttering add asafetida and karipatha. Add this to the dalcha and serve.

My opinion : Chicken or Mutton Bones – 1 cup optional ...so you can omit these.

Enjoy!


rsankar.

[R]

What is the substitution for chicken or mutton as we are strict veg.,?

Thanks for the recipe.

Bye.

[rsankar]

Hello R,

When she said chicken or mutton bones optional.... this is only for extra flavour...so you can prepare Dalcha without these.

And I think this dish will come out very well to you.

Have a good time with your folks. :D

Regards

rsankar.

[R]

Thanks for explaining..bye

[shreya23]

is horse gram(kollu) & alfalfa seeds the same ?can one prepare kollu rasam using alfalfa seeds?

[Sowmya]

Hi All
Can one of you please give me the english/tamil translation for "Kokum"?

Thanks
sowmya

[a_gopinathan]

Sowmya,
i am not sure whether you are asking about Cocum or kudampuli in malayalam. Cocum is like tamarind. we add it to fish curry in kerala.

[tomato]

Hi All
Can one of you please give me the english/tamil translation for "Kokum"?

Thanks
sowmya

Check this out. It will give u a better idea.

http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/SolKadhi.htm

I've recently seen Kokum being sold in powder(crystal) form. This instantly dissolves in water to make a refreshing drink. But if u r looking for souring agent try the dried kokum. In the article it is said that the whole kokum is dried, seeds and all. But my mom usually cut the fruit in half and removed the seed and then dried only the peel in the sun for a few days. Actually we thought the peel r a good remedy for acidity (pitta) but the seeds or pulp r not so good for health.
For acidity: we soak 3-4 dried peel in water at night and then stir it in the morning, strain and drink it. (without sugar).

[Sowmya]

Dear Tomato,Anju
Thanks a lot... :D
Tomato will definetley go thru the link ASAP.

Regards
Sowmya

[Sowmya]

Hi All
Are tulsi and basil the same
:?: I get fresh leaves here.

Regards
Sowmya

[shreya23]

yes tulasi & basil r the same .but there r different types of tulasi (or basil plants) like we have different types of tomatoes for example

[napolims445]

Sowmya,
Yes Tulasi and Basil are the same in India. And as shreya told there are varieties of basil.
But when You say Basil in USA its not tulasi but another form of basil which the italian / thai people use. If you are looking for tulasi better to know its scientific name and ask for those in stores.

[Sowmya]

Hi Shreya,napolims
Thanks a lot.Napolims.. you are perfectly right.My confusion was about the US Basil leaves,cos they looked different and the smell was also different.

Thanks
Sowmya

[shreya23]

even the indian tulasi is of 2 types. one is gori tulasi (where the leaves r lighter in colour ) and the other one is krishna tulasi where the leaves r darker in colour & i think its the krishna tulasi which is used to make nattu marundu
shreya

[Kz]

Has anyone tried making samosas using tortillas for the outer covering?
Kz

[Sowmya]

Hi All
My second question in a single day... looks like udhai vanga porein

Can somebody tell me what is the tamil/hindi word for lima beans?I bought a pack and can I substitute it for mochai/field beans :?:
Regards
Sowmya

[kavithasenthil]

i think lima beans are double beans or butter beans. I saw them back at india called butter/double beans.

[gvb]

Hi Sowmya,
Lima beans is Mochai.

GVB

[sunflower]

Hi,

we are planning to go on a road trip to Niagara Falls in couple of weeks. I like to pack some food with me. We are staying in a hotel, i am carrying my electric stove. Any suggestions for food that can stay fresh, and easy to prepare while on the road.

Thanks

[foodlover123]

Hi Sunflower....I remeber when i was a child and we used to go for picnics my mom used to carry aloo-puri(aloo made with just plain masalas no tomato) as it stays fresh for longer.....
other than that you can also carry some chatpata potato mixture to make potato toasts....u can buy a bread from any grocery store near your hotel....
If you have a small cooler in your car then you can carry some mint and imli chutney and store bought bhel mix and enjoy bhel whenever you want..

I guess this information will be useful to you

[kavithasenthil]

y not take variety rice sauces and make just rice and mix it in the already made sauce?

[padmasini]

Hi Kz

I have tried samosa with tortillas. It is not exactly like samosa but definetely worth a try. It is tastier.

Padma

[Kz]

Thankyou Padamasini. Did u use maida paste to close the sides and does it absorb too much oil?
Kz

[padmasini]

No I just used water. It didn't open up..

[apujittu]

Hi ,
I have tried it with tortillas, it turns out really really good!. It doesn't absorb oil. I used maida to seal the ends. My friend use to freeze it & then bake it in the oven too. It turns out really crispy.

Apujittu

[foodlover123]

Hi Padmasini..can you please post the recipe you used to make samosas of tortillas

[rain]

hi all,

can anyone please post me mrs.mano's pongal recipe.thnx in advance.

rain

[Urmila]

Does anybody know that 'Kesar Almond Syrup' by Mallika Badrinath ? It was shown on TV, over a year ago but I have misplaced that recipe. In fact, I had made it a couple of times as it was very handy to make kheer, hot almond milk also for my kids using that syrup only , as it had long shelf life too. Now am desperate for that recipe, hope somebody can post it

[MysoreHudugi]

It is in her book Vegetarian soups and desserts. Unfortunately, I don't have that book with me. Those who have it, can help you.

CI.

[svasu_ani]

can some one help me in using idli cooker...how do i use it??

Anitha

[Urmila]

Anyone knows how to make fried chicken, using pressure cooker ? I tried a fried chicken recipe recently, but it was very dry inside, not at all moist & juicy like KFC ?

[sunflower]

Hi, I am looking for ideas of canning indian foods like sambar, chole, rajma. I have tried this 10 yrs back, don't remember the procedure. If anyone has tried, please post the exact directions.

Thanks

[Kz]

Hi Foodlover,
for making samosas, just make th enormal potatoes peas filling as u would normaly make and cut the tortilas into 2, take each semi circle, make a cone and fill it, make a maida paste to seal the edges and deep fry.
Kz

[foodlover123]

Thanks kz....will try it soon

[tomato]

foodlover,

I use very less salt for cooking and its usually the last thing I add. Salt brings out the flavours well, so adding a tiny amount, say 1/2 tsp is necessary in the initial stage of cooking, but you can add the rest of the salt just before turning off the flame. The salt that is added at the end makes it pass through the digestive sytem than the salt with which a veggie/meat is cooked.
Especially, if you are using Iodine salt, then as you know Sodium Iodide/potassium Iodide (with which Iodized salts are fortified with) becomes unstable at higher temperatures and release Iodine. So, adding Iodized salt in the beginning of cooking or during cooking is equivalent to using Iodine less salt.

Minni


Sorry for the late response. But ur tip is very useful and also makes a lot of sense. I followed ur tip of adding salt the last thing and I observed that the dish was a bit too salty inspite of using my usual qty. That must mean by adding salt last we can decrease the qty of salt without compromising on the taste. Such a small step to better health. Thank u Minni for ur valuable tip. Pls do keep post such tips for the benifit of all the hubbers.

[di]

hi all,
is karnukazhangu same as chennai or sepankaznagu? is it available in US? thanks

[svasu_ani]

hi all,
is karnukazhangu same as chennai or sepankaznagu? is it available in US? thanks

Karnakizhangu is chennai..

So far I havent found that vegetable in US. but You can find that in frozen vegetables section.

Anitha

[Sowmya]

hi all,
is karnukazhangu same as chennai or sepankaznagu? is it available in US? thanks

Hi di
Karunakizhangu is not the same as Chenai...Chenai is called "Suran" and is available in the frozen section in indian grocery stores..

regards
Sowmya

[svasu_ani]

Hi,

Pls check the link below to know more abt the chenai kizhangu, karna kizhangu and cheppankizhangu.....


http://forumhub.com/southfood/24049.23.55.50.html

Anitha

[Kz]

I have two containers of cottage cheese and no idea on how to use it. how do use them in curries and other recipes? can we make sweets in it. i have tried sweets with ricotta cheese but not with cottage cheese. so if anyone has any ideas pls share.
Kz

[kavithasenthil]

I have two containers of cottage cheese and no idea on how to use it. how do use them in curries and other recipes? can we make sweets in it. i have tried sweets with ricotta cheese but not with cottage cheese. so if anyone has any ideas pls share.
Kz

Hi Kz,

U can make yummy milkshake with cottage cheese. It is very good for health becaz it contains plenty of protein.

Cottage cheese Milk Shake

cottage cheese 1 cup
curd/yogurt 2 to 3 teaspoon
sugar 1 or 2 teaspoon
strawberry 2 or 3(for flavour)
ice cubes 2(optional)

Put everything in a benader and add 1/4 cup of water. Blend well.
Have it for breakfast or when ever u want. This is very very tasty one. this recipe is given to me by a professional fittness person. Enjoy!

[a_gopinathan]

if you eat eggs, you can make omlette/scrambled eggs by mixing with cottage cheese. blend the cottage cheese and add it to the eggs and mix it properly and cook. Yuo"ll get fluffy eggs.

anju

[di]

hi sowmya and svasu_ani,
thanks for the reply !

[pavalamani pragasam]

Paneer as all other dairy products, no doubt, is rich in calcium. But how high is its cholestrol content? Do people needing to keep an eye on thaeir blood cholestrol level need avoid it or take it sparingly?

[Kz]

Thankyou KavithaSenthil. But now i am not liking milkshakes. so if there is anyother way to use up in cooking pls do let me know. i will make the milkshakes for my nephew and other kids as they will enjoy it.

Anju.. Thankyou, i will try adding some in scrambled eggs.


Bye,
kz

[MysoreHudugi]

Hi Kz,
Here is something you can try. empty the cottage cheese from its container to a big bowl. measure maida or all purpose flour in the same container and mix it with cottage cheese in the bowl. Add 2 -3 Tbsp of rice flour to it. Cut some onions and green chillies, cilanthro as we do for regular pakodas. Add salt to taste and fry like pakodas. Goes well with mint chutney or just like that.

Bye,
CI.

[Kz]

Thankyou CI. I will try it, i have one doubt in this recipe will it absorb more oil?

Kz

[kavithasenthil]

Hi,
Anyone has recipe for kadalai urundai(Groundnut balls)? Pls post it if you have.

[MysoreHudugi]

Hi Kz,
It doesn't absorb too much of oil. Same as regular pakodas. To be on the safer side, you can drain excess oil on paper towels.

Bye,
CI.

[Kz]

Thankyou CI.

Kz