Thoughts Unparalleled

Nalapaka By Vanamala Hebbar

A native of Mysore, Karnataka in India; staying inNewYork at prsent, Vanamala hebbar inherits her cooking talents from her mother, she enjoys cooking and hates to hide the fact that she loves people who relish her recipes. Vanamala runs the most popular food website at http://www.malas-kitchen.com

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Pineapple Gojju

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SakkarPongal

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup

Moong dal – 1 cup

Jaggery – 3 cups

Coconut – 2 cups

Dessicated coconut – 2 cups

Ghee – 200 grms

Cashews – 2 tspn

Almonds – 2 tspn

Raisins – 2 tspn

Method

Wash rice and Moong dal and mix them

Add 4 cups of water (3 cups for rice and 1 cup for moong dal )

Set the pressure cooker for both rice and moong dal with water as mentioned above

Take a heavy bottom pan and set it on low flame on the hob

Add jaggery to the pan and let it boil & melt

Add coconut and dessicated coconut to the pan and let it boil for 10 mins on low flame

Add Ghee to the pan

Add the cooked rice and moong dal to the pan

Keep stirring on low flame for 10 – 15 mins

Take a small serving dish and smear it with 1 tbsp ghee

Transfer the sweet-dish to the serving dish

Lastly garnish with dryfruits (cashews, almonds and raisins)

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The Authentic Iyengar Dish- Puliyogre

First Prepare the Gojju (paste) The ingredients are

* Rice – 1 cup

* Puliyogare Gojj – 2 to 3 tsp

* Oil – 1/2 cup

* Curry leaves – 1 stalk

* Rasam Powder – 1 tsp

* White sesame seeds – 2 tsp

* Ground nuts – 2 tsp

* Mustard seeds – 1tsp

* Desiccated coconut – 2 tsp

Puliyogare Gojju (Tamarind Paste)

Ingredients

* Tamarind – 500 grms

* Jaggery – 200 grms

* Salt to taste

Method for gojju

* Soak Tamarind in water for a day to make it smooth

* Squeeze the smooth tamarind to take out only its juice

* If required use a seive (colander) to take out only the juice and discard any tamarind content

* Heat the tamarind juice on medium flame

* Allow it to boil thoroughly

* Add Jaggery and Salt

* Allow it to boil again

* Allow it to cool before you store it in a refrigerator

* Now the gojju (tamarind paste) is ready for use as and when required

Method

1. Wash rice thoroughly

2. Add 1/2tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp oil and a pinch of salt to the rice

3. Cook the rice in a pressure cooker

4. Preheat a pan (large one – wok)

5. Add Oil

6. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter

7. Add Peanuts & dried red chillies (whole) to the oil and fry for few minutes until the peanuts are golden brown (Do not overfry and burn them)

8. Take the pan off the hob

9. Add Curry leaves and White Sesame seeds

10. Now Add the cooked Rice, Rasam powder and Tamarind Paste to the pan

11. Add salt if required

12. Mix them well so that the Tamarind Paste is evenly mixed with the rice

13. Dessicated coconuts can be used for toppings

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DHAMROTE

Dhamrote is a sweet dish (White Pumpkin Halwa).

Ingredients

* 1 Kg Pumpkin
* 150 grm Sugar
* 1 Cup Ghee (homemade)
* 1/4 Cup Kova / Khoya
* 1 tsp Cardamom Powder
* A pinch of kesari / Saffron
* Cashews and Raisins – as per req

Method

* Peel the skin, grate pumpkin, & Pressure cook (No adding water)
* Take a heavy bottom pan , Add pumpkin & cook it for few miniutes directly
* Then add sugar bring to boil (until sugar syrup evaporates )
* Add ghee again boil
* Add kova stir well. Halwa should be thick
* Add kesari / safforn (dialute inthe water).
* Add cardamom powder. Stir well & switch off the flame
* Heat 1 tsp ghee in the small pan. Fry cashews and raisins
* Garnish halwa

Note : Some people use 2 tsp chiroti rava (dry fry) for more thickness.

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Quick Baby Corn Sabzi

Bachelors can make this. Not much ingredients and not much time needed. This is for corn lovers only.

Ingredients

• Baby Corn – 1 packet (finely chopped)
• Onion – 1 (finely chopped)
• Tomato – 1 (finely chopped)
• Capsicum – 1/2 (finely chopped)
• Jeera / cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala / Kitchen King Masala powder – 1 tsp
• Oil – 2 tsbp
• Salt to taste
• Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Serve hot

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Paneer Fritters / Pakora

Ingredients

• Paneer (lowfat) – 10 long pieces
• Besan / Gram flour – 1-1/2 cups
• Rice flour – 1/2 cup
• Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Hot oil – 2 tsp
• Ajwain Seeds – 1 tsp (crushed)

Method

• Mix all the above ingredients and make a smooth paste using a bit of water (consistency should be thick, just like pakora)
• Take a each paneer pieces and dip into the batter and deep fry it in the oil. Remove and Drain on paper towels
• Serve immediately with hot chilli sauce, mint chutney, ketchup