Kootu is a part of daily menu in south Indian cuisine. It is prepared by cooking vegetables with coconut and lentils and resembles a stew. Mostly served with rice for lunch or with roti for dinner. There are different types of kootu and their preparation varies depending on addition of ingredients or exclusion. In this recipe only coconut is blend into a paste and added which is different from common kootu recipes.This pudalanga kootu recipe comes from my mother in law Mrs.Yegneswaran. Many years ago she prepared this kootu for lunch and the taste still lingers in my memory. I was able to find some pudalanga in the Indian store and wanted to try her recipe. Here is the recipe she shared with me many years ago. 

Gadgets:

Heavy Bottom Pan or Ipot
Seasoning Ladle
Measuring cups and spoons
Ladle
Cutting Board
Knife
Blender

Ingredients:

Snake Gourd /Pudalanga - 2 medium sized
Toor Dal cooked - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Red or Green Chili - 2 ( as per spice levels)
Samabr or Rasam powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Hot Water - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Udad Dal - 2 tsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Dry Chili for garnish -1
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

1. Cut the snake gourd into half as shown. Remove the seeds from inside. Cut again and finely slice the vegetable to resemble a bracket. In a blender add coconut, hot water and  blend into a paste.

2. If using a heavy bottom pan add the snake gourd, salt, rasam or sambar powder and cook with some water. When the vegetable is cooked add the coconut paste, dal and cook until they get well mixed.

 If using an Ipot, add cooked dal, sambar or rasam powder  thinly cut snake gourd, salt, coconut paste mix and close the lid. Set it on steam for 3 minutes.

3. Heat the seasoning ladle with oil. Add mustard seeds allow it to pop, add udad dal, and cumin and allow it to get roasted to golden brown. Add asafoetida, curry leaves and add this seasoning to the cooked kootu. Mix and serve. 

This week I learnt that apart from the manual mode there are other options on the Ipot that help us cook grains perfectly. To make fluffy rice, quinoa or couscous I had always opted to use the manual mode for 3 minutes. But that has all changed now. My sister suggested that I use the steam mode to cook rice. Yesterday, I decided to test it out and I was very impressed with the fluffy texture of the rice. Today, I decided to try cooking Israeli couscous on steam mode. Most recipes recommend cooking it on manual mode, but the texture of couscous was simply perfect. For all those people who are not ventured past manual mode please give the steam mode a try.

Gadgets:

Ipot

Measuring spoons and cups

Kettle

Ingredients:

Ghee/ Butter - 1 tbsp

Israeli Couscous from Trader joes - 1 box

Water - 1 3/4 cup

Garlic Powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt as per taste

Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp freshly ground.

Preparation:

1. Heat the Ipot on saute mode. Add ghee and the couscous into it. Turn the kettle on with some water.

2. Roast the couscous until you can smell the nutty aroma of the couscous and it starts to turn golden brown. Add garlic powder, pepper and salt.

3. Add hot water from the kettle, mix, cover. Turn on the steam button and set the timer for 3 minutes. 

4. Allow the pressure to release and using a fork when you fluff it you will perfect pearls of couscous. 

 With Ipot in my life, it feels like this is the only gadget 1 have ever used and that pressure cooker existed in another life time. Cooking becomes super efficient and food turns out delicious. As a caterer I  learnt a lot from various sources and tried out many dishes. I wanted to document some recipes that were popular and often requested to be added to the weekly menu. Moladootal  was very popular and was often requested. Molagootal is a dish that belongs to the kootu family and a dish from Kerala. In general molagootal does not have black pepper in it, but this recipe is black pepper based. This recipe uses spinach but one can substitute cabbage, mixed vegetables, snake gourd, chow chow and it would taste just as good. Served with rice papad makes it becomes a comfort food especially in winter. If you like spicy food then this might be something you can enjoy.

Gadgets:

Ipot

Blender

Measuring cups and spoons

Ladle

Seasoning Ladle

Ingredients:

Organic Fresh Spinach - 16 oz  frozen or freash.

Organic Toor Dal - 3/4 cup

Water - 4 cups

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Black Pepper - 1 tbsp

Dry Red Chili - 2

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 Tbsp ( coconut oil preferably)

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Udad Dal - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 strand

Preparation:

1. In the Ipot add 3 cups water, Toor dal , Spinach on saute mode.

2. In a blender add coconut, black pepper, 1 dry chili and 1 cup hot water and blend to a paste and add to the Ipot and mix well. Cover and set the Ipot on Manual /  Pressure cooker mode and set timer to 12 minutes.

3. When the Ipot pressure releases open, add salt  and mix well with a whisk if using frozen spinach and an hand blender if fresh and give it a buzz just to break up the leaves and mix with dal.

4. Heat the seasoning ladle and add oil, mustard seeds. Allow it to pop before adding dry chili's, udad dal and cumin seeds. Once they get a little golden brown add curry leaves and add this to the Ipot .

5. Mix and serve it hot with rice.

Food was considered as a medicine in ancient times. Based on where the moon is positioned  from the earth people ate certain fruits, vegetables and grains and fasted on certain days. These practices  aided digestion and helped detoxify the body leading to better mental and physical health.  Consequently, fasting was done twice a month. The first fasting day is on the 11th day from the new moon  and the second fasting day is on the 11th day from the full moon.These days are called Ekadashi. After fasting on the  Ekadashi, the fast is broken at sun rise on the next day (Dwadashi). On this day, nourishing food that is easy to digest, rich in vitamin C and  iron and is prepared and served. Gooseberry is a fruit rich in vitamin C. Today on Dwadashi, I wanted to post on nellimulli pachadi that my Amma used to make to break the Ekadashi fast. For this preparation fresh, dry or powdered gooseberry can be used.

Gadgets:

Blender
Measuring cups and spoons
Bowl
Seasoning ladle

Ingredients:

Dry Gooseberry - 1/4 cup
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Green Chili - 2 ( adjust as per spice level)
Curry Leaves - a few leaves for garnish
Oil- 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Yogurt - 1 cup
Hot Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Soak dry gooseberries in hot water in a bowl for 30 mins or until the dry gooseberry gets soft.

2. Add the gooseberries and water into a blender and add coconut and chili and blend it to a  paste with some coarse texture like coconut chutney.

3. Transfer this into a bowl and heat the seasoning ladle with some oil. When the oil heats up add mustard seeds, wait for it to pop and then add asafoetida and curry leaves and transfer to the bowl.

4. Add salt and yogurt and mix.

5. Serve it as a condiment to your Dwadashi lunch.

Last week my sister sent me a video of her friend Sathya making Vadai's using paniyaram pan. There are many great benefits in using such a method of preparation. In this time period conserving all our pantry staples becomes very important. Oil is a staple and we need to use it with care. Here are some of the benefits and reasons why this method of preparation is a sure winner: Saves oil, makes mini portion of vadai's, lets u prepare 7 vadai's at a time, healthy, will not be left with heated oil and  most of all ease in preparation. This weekend for afternoon snack with Tea, I made mini masal vadai. I used the paniyaram pan that was shallow and so the vadai's came out the perfect shape of the vadai. Please give it a try and you will not go back to using so much oil for frying. 

Gadgets:

Paniyaram pan
Spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
Colander
Paper Towel
Food Processor
Bowl

Ingredients: 

Makes 21 Vadai's

Organic Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
Organic Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chili - 2
Green Chili - 2
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Mint Leaves - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 1 tbsp ( powder or minced)
Curry Leaves - 1 strand leaves
Cilantro - 3 Tbsp chopped
Salt to Taste
Onion  Thinly Sliced - 1/2 cup
Asafoetida- 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp per paniyaram hole

Preparation:

1. Soak channa and toor dal in a bowl with red chili's in water for 1 1/2 hour for crispy vadai.

2. Remove the excess water and add the soaked ingredients into a food processor along with ginger, garlic, green chilies, mint and curry leaves and blend. If you feel it requires water then add. It must resemble a coarse mix.

3. Add cilantro, onions salt, asafoetida, fennel seeds and mix well.

4. Heat the paniyaram pan. Make mini balls with the masal vadai mix and place it in the middle of your palm. Press the palm with your other hand to get a flattened vadai. Please it on a plate.

5. When the pan is heated add oil into each hole. Allow it to get warmed up and when the oil is ready  place the shaped vadai's into it and allow it to turn golden brown in one side before flipping and cooking on the other side.

6. Once both sides are golden brown and resembles the masal vadai using a spoon remove the vadai and place it on a paper towel lined colander.

7. Serve hot with Tea.

Ever since Ipot came into my life, I use it the most to prepare food. It is the gadget that perfectly applies to the title of my blog. Everything prepared in the Ipot turns out delicious and flavorful. I love that food truly gets prepared in minutes and saves us all the time with the clean up.  One thing that we have to however learn is how to use the various features on the Ipot. With the Ipot porridge setting we can make creamy, awesome textured pal payasam in 25 minutes. There is no need for addition of cream, milkmaid or full fat milk. The rice naturally thickens and gets it to taste as if you have already added the rich ingredients. For Akshaya Thithi pal payasam is prepared and served to people. Here is a recipe my sister shared with me.

Gadgets:

Instapot
Measuring Cups
Ladle
Colander

Ingredients:

Milk - 4 cups
Rice - 1/4 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Sugar -  1 cup ( 3/4 cup for lower sweetness)
Saffron  for garnish

Preparation:

1. Plug the Ipot into an electrical socket and add 1/2 cup of water.

2. Wash rice in a colander and add to the Ipot.

3. Add milk and cover the lid and press on the pressure cook button on the Ipot.

4. Choose porridge setting and the cooking time for 20 mins will show up on the display.

5. Make sure that the heat is on medium level to keep milk from scotching.

6. Once the pressure is released  open the Ipot and add sugar. Mix well.

7. Press on the saute mode and set the timer to 1 minute just to get the sugar to dissolve.

8. Garnish with saffron. You may also add  nuts, elachi powder,dry fruits or cinnamon and serve it hot or cold. 

Cranberry is available from November to January in the U.S. The minute it enters Costco, I never forget to get a bag and make the thokku. Last year I made big batches for family and shared it with friends. I made it again this year and I decided to blog this for everyone to try. This thokku is easy and fast to make. Once it is ready allow it to reach room temperature, transfer it into 8 oz mason jars and seal them. It is very healthy and can be enjoyed throughout  the year. Great with curd rice, on toast, mixed with rice to enjoy cranberry rice and if  you dry them as small  vadais it tastes like elanda vadai, jujubee.

Gadgets:

Heavy bottom pan
Spatula
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Collander

Ingredients:

Cranberry - a whole bag from Costco
White Turmeric / Mango Ginger  grated or thin slices - 3/4 cup
Dry Chili - 12
Asafoetida - 1 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 Tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tbsp
Jaggery  big cubes ( achu vellam)- 1
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Sesame Oil - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - a few strands

Preparation:

1.   Heat the heavy bottom pan with some oil. When the oil gets heated add some mustard seeds and
      allow the seeds to pop.

2.  Add dry chili's, asafoetida and fenugreek seeds and in a few minutes it would be roasted.

3.  Add curry leaves and cranberry to the pan and mix well. Add the grated mango ginger and mix
     well.

4.  Allow the cranberry to pop and cook well and get mushy.

5.  Add chili, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt and cook well until the oil slowly starts to ooze and
     comes together.

6.  Allow it to cool and can the cranberry thokku.

Sweet potatoes are very healthy and its one of the favorite side dish in our family. I make variations of it and it is best with kale. A slight bitterness from the kale goes very well with the sweetness of the potatoes. This is a basic recipe that I have posted below. You can add whatever spices to this recipe and make it resemble any cuisine of your choice. This is a fool proof recipe and can be made really fast.

Gadgets:

Wok
Spatula
Baking Sheet
Aluminium Foil
Cutting Board
Vegetable chopper
Knife
Measuring Spoons

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes - 5
Kale - with center vein removed and chopped - 1 bunch
Salt to taste
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 2 Tbsp

Preparation:

 1. Peal the sweet potatoes and slice 1/2 inch thickness. Using the vegetable chopper make cubes.

2.  Turn on the broil settings in the oven.

3. Line the baking sheet with foil add 1 Tbsp of oil.

4. Transfer the cubed sweet potatoes to the tray and mix the oil well. Flatten it evenly.

5. Keep the baking shelf one level below the top most option.

6. Once the broil setting is ready play the baking sheet and broil for 15 mins.

7. Once the sweet potatoes are done add the oil in the wok. When the oil gets heated add the sweet
    potatoes  and keep it roasting with addition of salt and chili powder.

8. Add the kale and cook it until it gets cooked.

9. Serve it hot as a side dish.           

Varuval or Chips is simple to make with any vegetable. When we deep fry there is a lot of leftover oil. It is not good to reuse the already heated oil and so I try to fry papadams, vathal, varuval and in the end make some sauted veggies. Today, in an attempt to use up the oil I made vazhakkai varuval. The mandoline is the most important gadget because it helps you make thin slices which in turn helps u fry the chips fast.

Gadgets:

Mandoline

Wok

Slotted ladle

Teaspoon

Paper Towel

Knife

Cutting board

Colander

Ingredients:

Vazhakkai - 2

Oil - 1 cup

Salt - a few Tsp

Pepper - Fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in the wok. 

2. Cut the  two ends of Vazhakkai . Slice in the center and remove the thick skin.

3. Cut the vazhakkai into half, lengthwise.

4. Using the madoline slice the vazhakkai into thin slices and deep fry the chips.

5. When the bubbles in the oil stop or slow down, remove from oil and transfer to a paper towel placed in the colander.

6. Sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper when the chips are hot. 

7. Allow to cool and store in airtight container.

Satyanarana Pooja is commonly performed on a full moon day. For the pooja some prasadam's are prepared which must be distributed to everyone attending the pooja. One of the prasadams's that is commonly prepared is the sooji halwa or kesari. When I was a kid my mom used to prepare this prasadam every month and take it to the Satyanarayana temple.This recipe was given to her by the punditji at the temple and my Amma taught me how to prepare it for the pooja many years ago.

Gadgets:

Heavy bottom Kadai or pan
Measuring Cup

Ingredients:

Butter - 1 stick
Coarse sooji/Rava - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Banana - 1
Nuts - optional

Preparation:

1. Heat the butter in the pan. Once it starts to become ghee add the nuts ( if needed) then the rava and roast until the raw smell leaves.

2. Add water and milk and allow for the sooja to get cooked well.

3. Add sugar and mix well.

4. Smash the banana and add.

5. Mix well and remove from flame. 

Paruppi sadham is probably the first food that we would have tasted as a baby growing up in the south. It is a comfort food for many people even now. Adding some rasam to the this paruppu sadham makes it divine. I often make this for my family as my daughter loves it. All these years I made the lentil separate and the rice separate, but recently I started making it mixed in the ipot. The texture of rice is fluffy and dal is super tasty and beings back memories of how enjoying it as a child. Enjoy!

Gadgets:

Ipot

Measuring Cups

Spoons

Ingredients:

Rice - 1/2 cup

Toor Dal - 1/3 cup

Ghee - 1 Tsp + 1 Tsp 

Salt - To taste

Turmeric - 1/8 Tsp

Water - 3 Tsp

Preparation:

1. Wash the rice and dal in water well and add it to the ipot along with water, salt, ghee and turmeric.

2. Set the ipot on pressure cook or manual mode for 10 minutes.

3. Once the ipot is ready to open, mix the rice and dal add another teaspoon of ghee and serve it hot with choice of sauteed vegetable. Add rasam if you like. 

This banana bread was the only one I could make because we were out of all purpose flour and eggs during the quarantine period. Though this one is similar to the banana bread I made with eggs, this one is egg less and is made with the whole wheat chapthi atta we have at home. It can be mixed in a food processor or any blender and it bakes a very moist banana bread. I had shared this recipe with my nephew and niece who are home from college. They enjoyed it a lot and it has became a popular bread to bake in my sisters household.  I thought it would be good to share this recipe with everyone.

Gadgets:

Blender, Food Processor or Kitchen aid.

Measuring Spoons and cups

Bundt Cake or Loaf pan

Oven

Ingredients:

Olive Oil - 1/2 cup

Very old and super ripe banana - 3

Brown sugar - 1/2 cup

White sugar - 1/2 cup + 1 tsp for topping

Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 Tsp

Baking Powder - 1 1/2 Tsp

Whole Wheat Flour/Atta - 1 1/2 cups

Walnuts or chocolate - 1/2 cup optional. ( add 1/2 cup warm water if you are adding these)

Procedure:

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a blender that you own add oil, banana, sugars and vanilla and blend to a paste. 

3. Add baking soda, powder and atta to it and give it a light buzz until they come together. The batter must be like a cake batter. 

4. If using a bundt pan oil the pan well and sprinkle some flour than pour the batter. If you have a loaf pan line with some foil and then pour the batter,

5. Level it and then sprinkle the sugar on the top and bake for 50 mins in case of a bundt pan  and 1 hour in case of a loaf pan. 

6. Insert a skewer to check to see if the bread is baked. It must come out clean. 

7. Remove from oven, if  using a loaf pan remove the bread by using the foil sleeve. In case of bundt pan, pass knife around and make sure it has loosened. Invert into a wooden board and serve.