Vegetable Rasam

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 no.
Tomato - 1 no.
Potato - 1 no.
Beans - 50 gms
Cabbage - 50 gms
Onion - 1 no.
Tamarind - Small lemon sized
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - for taste
Salt - for taste
Asafoetida(perungayam) - pinch
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves

Method:

Cook carrot, tomato, potato, cabbage, beans and onion and grind them into a smooth paste. Now add the tamarind paste, jaggery, chilly powder, asafoetida and salt to it and let it boil for a while. Now garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Vegetable rasam is ready.

This will form the best portion of a very healthy meal. :) Serve it with hot steamed rice and chips. This quantity can suffice 4 hungry ppl. Happy eating :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Methi Paratha

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Methi leaves - 1 bunch
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt - for taste

Method:

Clean the methi leaves and grind it as a paste. Take the ground paste in a bowl and mix wheat flour, garam masala, chilly powder and salt along with it using adequate water. Now the dough is ready. Make paratha's and roast it in the pan. Methi paratha is ready.

Variation: All kinds of greens can be used to make paratha. This is a very interesting way to increase the nutrients in our food. Its a cool way to excite the kids with color variation of the paratha. :)

This paratha goes well with any side dish. I have served it with Gobi Muttar Masala.


Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Gobi Muttar Masala

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1
Shelled Peas - 2 cups
Salt - as required
Oil - 2 1/2 Tblsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon - 2 inch piece
Cloves - 4
Aniseed - 1/2 tsp

To grind:

Onion - 1 big
Garlic - 10 flakes
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dhania - 1 1/2 tsp
Cashewnuts - 10
Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Cut cauliflower into big pieces, wash well and boil with peas. Grind masala and keep aside. Heat oil, season with cinnamon, clove and aniseed. Add ground masala and fry in medium flame, till oil is separated from it. Mix boiled vegetables, salt and enough water. Cook till the gravy is fairly thick. Sprinkle tomato ketchup and mix well. Remove from fire after one or two minutes. Garnish with coriander or curry leaves.

Variation:
You can add less water to it to serve as dry curry also. Adding paneer along with vegetables can add taste too.

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Guest Samayal: Black Forest Cake

yummy home made black forest :)


Ingredients:

Maida-1 cup
Coco powder-4 spoon
Egg-2
Powdered sugar-3 cups
Chocolate essence-1spoon
Milk -1/2 cup
Chocolate-1 full bar
Fresh cream -2 cups
Water- 1 cup
Cherries-12
Butter - 1 spoon

Method:

Mix maida and coco powder evenly and keep it aside. In another bowl beat eggs and add 2 cups of powdered sugar to it little by little and mix continuously. The softness of the cake depends on how evenly we mix it. In another bowl add milk, little pieces of chocolate bar and chocolate essence and mix it well. Now grease the baking container with butter. Now add all these mixed contents one by one and keep on mixing it well till u get a very smooth paste as it is shown in step1. Preheat oven at 180 degree Centigrade. Now bake the cake for 30 min. To check whether it is done, poke a knife into it and take out, it should not be sticky. Now take the baked cake out and cut it horizontally into two portions. Add 1/2 cup of sugar in water and mix it well till the sugar dissolves. Pour this water on top of both portions of the cake, this will soften the cake and give the sweetness. Blend the remaining sugar with the cream and keep it in refrigerator for 15 mins so that it becomes thick. Cut 6 cherries into small pieces. Apply the cream well on the one portion of the cake and add half of the cut cherries to it and grate some chocolate chips on it. Now put the second portion of the cake on top of it and apply cream and add the remaining chocolate and cherries to decorate it. Keep it in refrigerator and serve it cold. Enjoy the cake.

Step 1: Evenly mixed batter

Written by: Raji

post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Groundnut Chikki

Ingredients:

Roasted groundnut - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup

Method:

Powder the groundnuts coarsely and keep it aside. Now take the sugar in a dry pan and heat it until it just melts completely(Do not add water). Now reduce the flame and add the groundnut powder and mix it well quickly. Now pour the mixture over a butter greased plate and flatten it using the chapathi roller stick and draw the lines using butter greased knife. The most important point to remember is that, flattening and drawing the lines should be done before the mix cools down. Now let it cool down for few min. Brake along the lines to make small squares(shape is left to your creativity). Chikki is ready.. :)

You might mistake this to the kadala barfi that is sold in shops. But there is a vast difference in the taste because they use jaggery and this one is done using sugar. What so ever, what we make is always tastier than anything else na!!! :)

This sweet just needs 2 ingredients and 2 min to be done. It would surely flatter the young ones at home. :) Happy eating :)

One more pic to treat your eyes!!!

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com