My mother would be laughing hysterically on seeing this post. Why, you ask? Well, the thing is she used to make a version of this chutney quite often when I was young. Of course, I'd start throwing a tantrum saying how much I disliked it and refused to eat it. Poor thing... When I think of all she's put up with from me, all I can say is that Amma is a saint!
Like most people, my tastes seem to have changed as I've grown older. So, today, I decided to make this chutney Amma used to make with a few of my own changes. The original recipe is well over 50 years old in my family. It starts with small onions cooked in a base of tomatoes and is seasoned with fennel and chilli powder. Really, that's it. So simple, right? Yet, it's made by my relatives every morning for idli/dosai.
I decided to change it up and add a little bit of garlic. Also, my tomatoes didn't have much flavor, so I wound up adding a touch of tamarind for a hint of sourness. Can I pat myself on the back, here? The chutney came out awesome!! I think Amma would be both proud and royally surprised.
Ingredients:
Small onions/sambar onions/shallots, peeled - 1/2 cup Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped finely Tomatoes - 2 plum tomatoes, finely ground (about 1 cup) Tamarind (only if tomatoes are not sour)- small almond sized piece, ground with the tomatoes Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp, or to taste Fennel powder - 1/4 tsp Salt to taste
1. Heat oil. When hot, add the seasoning ingredients. Allow to splutter and the dal to turn golden brown.
2. Now, add in the small onions and fry until slightly softened. It's ok if they turn a little brown at the edges. In fact, it tastes better that way!
3. At this point, add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Don't brown it or the garlic will become bitter!
4. Pour the pureed tamarind and tomatoes into the pot along with chilli powder, fennel powder and required salt.
5. Add about 1/2 cup of water, cover and let cook on medium low until slightly thickened. The raw tomato smell should have gone and the onions should be fully cooked.
6. Next? Turn the stove off and enjoy with idlis or dosai!
Man, it's been such a long time since I wrote a real post... I think that with everything that has been going on in my life, the last thing I wanted to do was cook at all. For me, that's really saying a lot! I'm the type of person who finds cooking and baking to be extremely relaxing and therapeutic. Well, I finally started to feel a bit of motivation to bake again.
I actually made an almond cake last week, but it sort of cracked coming out of the pan and was quickly devoured, so I never took pictures. And now, I made these delicious cookies. I call them kitchen sink cookies because they contain everything but the kitchen sink! I guess I was feeling a bit gluttonous, but they turned out so good. These cookies are chock full of oats, chocolate chips, coconut, walnuts and raisins. Mmm... Just heaven in every bite!
Ingredients:
Butter - 1 cup, softened to room temperature Brown sugar - 3/4 cup, firmly packed Cane sugar - 1/2 cup (Feel free to use regular sugar instead. Use 3/4 cup for sweet cookies) Eggs - 2, at room temperature Baking Powder - 2 tsp Baking Soda - 1 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp Milk - 1 tbsp White whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour) - 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour - 3/4 cup Rolled oats (regular or quick cooking) - 2 cups Semisweet chocolate chips - 1 cup Raisins - 3/4 cup Walnuts, chopped - 3/4 cup toasted for 5 minutes at 350 F (until golden) Sweetened shredded coconut - 3/4 cup toasted for 5-7 minutes at 350 F (until golden)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Beat butter and sugars in stand mixer or using hand mixer until soft and fluffy like whipped cream.
3. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat to combine well.
4. Now, add in the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together by hand or on slow speed in stand mixer until just combined. Do not overmix or you risk getting tough cookies.
5. At this point, stir in the oats, chocolate chips, raisins, toasted walnuts, and toasted coconut gently to combine.
6. Drop onto cookie sheets by heaped tablespoons or by using a tablespoon sized scoop (My favorite tool!). Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are light golden at the edges and are just set. They will not appear fully cooked, but it's fine. This will result in chewy cookies. For crisper cookies, bake for an additional 1-2 minutes, but be careful not to burn them! Keep in mind that this batter is meant for chewy cookies...
7. Remove from ovenand allow to cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Then, remove to a cooling rack and cool fully. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk or on their own. Kids will love these too (especially if they like chocolate and raisins).
Update: I'm sending these cookies in to Mansi, of Fun and Food. She's hosting Sugar High Fridays where the theme is Fruit and Nuts. Click here for more info!
I know that this post is really long overdue. I have really missed blogging, but just have not been able to commit to it for many reasons. A lot has happened since the start of the year.
First, I was sick again and it went on for a few months. Eventually, I wound up needing surgery and am still somewhat recovering from that. In the sense that I'm not in pain, but still don't really feel like myself.
On top of all of this, my dear sweet amayee (mother's mother) passed away from this earth 1 month ago. I don't know whether to call it bad luck, lousy timing or what that didn't allow me to spend time with her the way I wanted. That is probably the biggest disadvantage to living so far... I was not able to visit her and she was not in any condition to make a trip here.
Amayee was the strongest woman I'd ever known. She was barely educated, couldn't read, write or tell time. She grew up in a small village and that was really all she knew. She married her maternal uncle and had 6 children, one of whom died very young. Amayee lost her husband at a young age and was left with 5 little children that ranged in ages from 12 to one year old. Yet, she didn't fold. She stayed in her house and fought to raise those children, despite never being exposed to the outside world. There were nights when she went to bed hungry, but she had to keep going to make a life for her kids.
Eventually, they grew up and her son got married and had 4 children of his own. She had the indescribable grief of seeing her son pass away 13 years after his marriage. Seeing her daughter-in-law widowed just as Amayee had been all those years ago killed her. So, she tried to be a source of strength to them for as long as she could.
Over the past few years, Amayee had become ill and was not able to take care of herself anymore. That is a type of torture that no one should have to undergo. Through everything, she was always concerned about everyone else's well being and always showered us with her blessings.
I will always treasure the sweet moments we had together, although they were few and far between. Amayee continues to live on in our hearts and is dearly missed...
I hope to resume blogging soon, as I find it to be so therapeutic. Miss you all and thanks so much for the kind messages and emails.
This year has definitely been one of ups and downs for me, as most of you know. The year started on a low note and proceeded to oscillate between ok times and bad times. Through it all, I feel I've grown stronger as a person. I've learned so much about life and myself through blogging. I was also able to re-connect with a lot of old friends who I haven't been able to talk to in a very long time.
I participated in the arusuvai chain in the US, won the first round of the open sesame contest (created by Dhivi and Siri), and enjoyed participating in many blog events. Along the way, I've discovered many new bloggers and am constantly inspired by all of you.
I introduced the blog to family members and have even gotten marks of approval on many of my recipes! What more validation could a blogger want, right? I'm glad that they are also able to share this side of me and look forward to creating more recipes from their input, too.
2008 was overall a trying, but inspiring year for me and I am looking forward to a much better 2009! I would like to thank all of you for sharing in the good and bad times I've had this year. I look forward to blogging more and learning more from each of your blogs.
I wish each and every one of the readers of SamaithuPaarkalaam a very happy, healthy, and prosperous new year 2009!
So, I've been on a bit of a baking spree for the past few days... Blame it on the upcoming holidays and having to mail things out to people! Guess it's pretty obvious that I've baked a bunch of cookies and want to share the recipes here.
Benne Biscuit:
This is one that my husband and sister-in-law were telling me about. Apparently, it's a butter biscuit that they used to love eating in Bangalore. So, I looked up a recipe and decided to try it. The results were delicious!! Original recipe can be found here. I didn't make any changes to the recipe and they came out awesome!
Eggless Chocolate Oat Cookies:
This one was a special recipe that I found to send to my cousin's kids. Her two little ones have eczema and can't have dairy or eggs. What to send? Well, I didn't have to look far for this one. Sailu's blog came to my rescue with this recipe. The cookies were slightly chewy when warm and turned crisp on cooling. They had a nice chocolatey flavor and the oats texture really shined through. Perfect treat for little ones! No changes to this recipe either. Sailu's instructions were perfect!
Gingersnaps:
These are the perfect all-American holiday cookie... A little spicy, a little sweet and crispy. They keep forever (if you can hold on to them for that long!) and are perfect for dunking in tea or hot apple cider. The following recipe is from my King Arthur Flour cookbook.
Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 1 1/3 cup White whole wheat (or all purpose) - 1 cup Dried ginger powder - 2 tsp Cinnamon - 1 tsp Cloves powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Baking soda - 2 tsp Butter - 3/4 cup, softened Sugar - 2/3 cup (1 cup for more sweet cookies) Egg - 1 large Molasses - 1/3 cup
Coarse sugar to roll cookies in - about 1/3 cup
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift or whisk together the dry ingredients (flours, spices, salt, and baking soda) in a small bowl. In another larger bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy (like whipped cream). Now, beat in the molasses until well combined. At this point, add in the dry ingredients and stir together to form a soft dough.
3. Now, take 1-2 tsp of dough for each cookie, form into a ball and roll each ball into the coarse sugar to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on the greased or lined cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 375 F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. They will appear soft when you remove them from the oven, but will harden on cooling. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
My baby (I mean, my blog) is one year old already! I really cannot believe that it's been a whole year since I started my blog. Time really flies. I remember not having any idea of how to start and what to post... I started visiting blogs that I'd seen from before starting my own blog. Slowly, ideas began coming to me. I've learned so much through blogging!
I've found that I have grown tremendously as a person in this past year. I have found an outlet for something that I truly love. I am able to express myself in a completely unique way via blogging. I love cooking, baking and sharing. This blog has been a perfect vehicle for all of those things. In addition, I've learned a little bit about recipe writing and photography (OK, very little).
I am also thankful for all of the amazing souls I have "met" virtually through blogging. Dear friends who didn't know I existed a year ago have been so kind, sweet, encouraging, and supportive in good times and during rough patches. I am truly grateful for each and every interaction we've had and look forward to deepening friendships and new friendships in the coming year.
As always, I am open to any comments/suggestions as to how you think this blog could be improved or for any specific post requests. Once again, thank you all and let's get the party started!
I thought it would be best to celebrate with the fruits of the season. So, I made an apple cake to share with you all. This cake (adapted from my King Arthur Flour baking book) is perfect for snacking or can easily be dressed up for a simple, elegant dessert. Sweet apples are complemented by raisins, dried cranberries, and spices. The result is sheer bliss without much effort on your part!
Apple Cake (yields 16 pieces):
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup All purpose flour - 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp Sugar - 1/4 cup (for mildly sweet; can increase to 1/3 cup for sweeter) Brown sugar - 1/2 cup Baking soda - 1 tsp Salt - 3/8 tsp Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp Allspice - 1/4 tsp Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp Softened butter - 4 tbsp Crystallized ginger or fresh ginger (optional) - 1 1/2 tbsp, minced finely Apples - 2 cups, peeled and chopped Raisins - 1/4 cup Dried cranberries - 1/4 cup Egg - 1
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with greased parchment paper or grease and flour the pan.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients (flours, salt, sugars, baking soda, and spices) together. Cut the butter into pieces and add it along with the apples, ginger, raisins, cranberries, and the egg. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Note: The batter may seem a bit thick, but it's ok!
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, slice, and serve!
We had ours plain (mine with whipped cream) with tea or coffee. So moist and flavorful with spices. Juicy bursts of raisins and cranberries throughout made it the perfect cake for the season! I think that a cream cheese frosting would be delicious on it, too. This is one that I will definitely be making again. Hope you enjoyed my celebration and here's to another wonderful year of blogging!
I'm not sure how many of you have seen Sesame Street (the kids show). Well, cookie monster is a character on the show who is obsessed with cookies. Every time he sees a cookie, he becomes a little crazy and proceeds to devour it with such enthusiasm, it's hilarious! No idea what I'm talking about? To see Cookie Monster in action, click here.
So, what does Cookie Monster have to do with this post? Well, these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies could very easily turn you into a cookie monster who wants to devour them all in one sitting!!
I have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that I've used for years. I don't know about you, but I am a die hard fan of the soft and chewy type of chocolate chip cookie. Just the thought of them makes me drool!! One fine day (many years ago), I decided to see what would happen to my favorite cookie recipe by adding a bit of peanut butter. Well, after some experimentation, I think I got to the right level of peanutty goodness to compliment the chocolate chips. And, viola! A new cookie favorite was born!
The recipe I've used is based on a recipe from my Pillsbury Complete Book of Baking book.
Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 4 1/4 cups Baking soda - 2 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Butter - 1 1/2 cups, softened Brown Sugar - 1 1/2 cups, firmly packed White Sugar - 3/4 cup (increase to 1 cup for more sweet) Vanilla Extract - 2 tsp Eggs - 3 Peanut Butter - 1 cup (I used creamy) Chocolate chips - 1 (12oz) bag of semisweet or bittersweet chips
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. It will look sort of like lemon colored whipped cream at this stage.
3. Add vanilla extract, eggs, and peanut butter. Blend well to combine.
4. Now, mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Once everything is well mixed, toss the chocolate chips in and stir to combine.
5. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Note: I find this easiest to do with a tablespoon sized scoop.
6. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes until barely light golden brown. They will feel soft and mushy if you try to touch them, but will firm up on cooling! If you continue to bake them until they appear firm, they will not be chewy after you've cooled them.
7. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk. :)
Seeing as how chocolate chip cookies are the quintessential American cookie, I'm sending these delectable morsels to Dhivi at Culinary Bazaar for AWED American. Hope all my friends in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving! :)
On an extended break right now. Great thing is that this is giving me time to pursue my passion for cooking and baking!
Basically an ABCD who thinks she's an Indian village girl, if that makes any sense... :)
