Potlakai pala kootu (Snake gourd cooked in milk)

This is a dish I first tasted in my sister-in-laws house. Turns out to be a south Indian dish that I never heard of. My sister-in-law who is an expert cook, says this dish is especially great during winter because it sooths the throat troubled by the winter cold. This is one of those vegetables I always ignored as a kid. I used to wonder what to make out of it whenever I saw it in Indian stores. Now this dish has become my favorite that I make often.

Ingredients:

1. 2-3 cups of potlakai cut into circles
2. 3/4th cup of dry coconut (either cut into small pieces or slices or grated)
3. 1/4th to 1/2 cup of pepper corns - depending how strong you want
4. 1 cup of milk
5. 1 tbsp of rice flour for thickening
6. 2 tbsp of oil
7. Salt, about 1 tsp or so


Method:

Wash the potlakai thoroughly and cut them into circles with the skin in tact. In a frying pan on medium heat, add a oil and fry the potlakai just a little. Add salt and about 1 cup of water and allow it cook with the lid closed. Meanwhile, grid the dry cocunut and pepper corns into a smooth paste adding little water. As the potlakai is half cooked, add the ground paste. Mix well and allow it cook again in this paste for a few minutes. The paste should be enough to cover all the potalakai generously. Then add milk and close the lid and allow it to cook again. Once the potlakai is fully cooked, add the rice flour dissolved in a little water, to thicken the milk into a sauce. If all the milk is already absorbed, and you don't see enough sauce, add more milk and bring it to a boil. Depending on what consistency you like, you can add more or less milk. I prefer it to be thick while eating with roti or chapathi, and thin while eating with hot rice.

Raw Mango instant pickle (mavidikai menthi mukkalu)

This is one of my favorite instant mango pickles as I was growing up, even more than mango avakai. My mom used to make this all the time in summer.

Ingredients:

1. Raw firm mangoes - 2

2. Sesame oil - Indian kind - 1/2 cup to 3/4 th cup

3. Methi seeds - 2 tsp (1 tsp for each mango)

4. Red chillis - 10-15 (about 2 inch long ones) (I go a bunch of red chillis for each mango)

5. Salt to taste

6. Jaggery powder - 1 tsp (removes the bitterness from methi, if any)

Method:

Wash and peel the raw mangoes, pat it dry. Cut them into about 1/4th inch pieces, mix well with salt and jaggery powder. Add a spoon of oil and fry the red chillis, just after you switch off the heat, add the methi seeds. Let it cool and grind them into powder, add to the cut mango pieces and mix well. Now heat the oil, be careful not to burn it, but heat it well. Let it cool and add it to the mango. My mom says that if you add warm oil, it will make the mango pieces soft. Keep aside for half a day or overnight so that the mango pieces absorbs the spices.

I prefer eating it with hot rice, but this can be server with idli or dosa too.

Jasmine

Bloom from my new jasmine plants. They are just a few, but the scent is divine.

Bangle box

It was one of those days, I was done with all my chores, and with an excuse of getting some activity and not just sitting around, I set out to the mall, on my way back I was just stopping at my favorite stores with nothing specific in mind. I stopped by the store "Tuesday mornings" and was just browsing, I came across these wine boxes. They were so colorful, some even had sparkle, very attractive. I stood by this aisle for a long time thinking what I can do with it because I really wanted to have it but I don't drink.

The idea of using it as bangle box came to my mind. I bought these two boxes. I then went to a craft store, where I bought these wood dowels and a few wood decals that can fit into the box. I just screwed in the wood decal to the wood dowel. I then made a paper tube to fit the size of my bangles using thick cardboard paper and covered it with some gift wrap. The tube just slides on the dowel.

There you have it, a colorful looking practical bangle box.

Asian inspired Penne pasta

Have you ever been inspired to make a dish just because a vegetable looked beautiful while you are browsing through the isles at the grocery store? Happens a lot right.. This is one of those dishes. I make pasta every now and then, but this time it is these little cherry tomatoes that inspired me. Look how cute they look, though my photo is not of good quality. Fresh ingredients inspire my cooking, a lot.

I never liked the pasta with red sauce. Also when I used to do pasta without any vegetables, I feel like it is just useless calories and carbs going into me. Today I came up with this pasta which has all asian inspired ingredients and atleast one green vegetable. I know there are pasta recipes with asparagus, but asparagus is still foreign to me. So I tried mine with snow peas.The ingredients list may seem long, but trust me, its easy and its worth it.

I'm sharing this recipe with Presto Pasta Nights #169, an event created by Ruth from Once Upon a Feast. This week host is Fun and Food cafe. Check out her delicious round up.

Ingredients:

1.  1.5 cups of pasta (I use penne, you can use any kind)
2.  Some cherry tomatoes - I had about 14
3.  2 tomatoes
4.  Half of a medium size red onion
5.  3-4 green chillis
6.  10 garlic
7.  1 cup of cilantro
8.  1 cup of snow peas
9.  1/2 cup of basil - optional, but it is really good if you can find it
10. 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning - available in the grocery isles in dried form where you find spices like oregana, thyme etc.
11. 1/4 cup of Olive oil or peanut oil
12. 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
13. 1/2 cup of peanuts
14. 1-2 tbsp of crushed red pepper
15. 1.5 tbsp of peanut butter


Method:

Boil water in a wide pot. Sprinkle some salt and add a spoon of oil to it. When the water starts to boil, add the pasta. Cook it until tender. Drain and wash with cold water and keep aside.

Now slice the cherry tomatoes into halves, sprinkle some salt and pepper on the cut side. Place them in a pan covered with a bit of oil, sprinkle some italian seasoning lightly and cook them covered for a few minutes in low heat. We are not trying to cook them all the way through. You can lift each one separately using thongs and keep them aside.

Also roast or fry in little oil the sesame seeds and peanuts. Keep them aside.

Dice red onion, slice garlic and chop green chillis and add them to heated olive oil and fry them until the onion is tender. Add diced tomatoes to this and cook uncovered until all the tomato water is all dried up. Now add the snow peas and cook covered for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. You can actually cook this as little or as much as you want depending upon whether you want your snow peas nice and crunchy or well cooked and soft. Add finely chopped fresh cilantro, chopped basil and italian seasoning. Stir in peanut butter. Cook uncovered for 2 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta to this and mix well without breaking the pasta. Finally season with the roasted sesame seeds and peanuts and once you are ready to serve, arrange the cherry tomatoes on the top. Crushed red pepper can be set at the table so that people can add it according to their taste.

Notes: Adding crushed red chilli flakes at the table helps keep the spice mild in the rest of the portion so that kids can eat easily. For kids, I also add some grated cheese on top while it is still hot.