Quinoa Bisibelabath

I had a good time in Chennai this time. After two years of our marriage this is the first time we were with our parents for Deepavali. Everybody was happy and excited, including the rain God. He was so happy and didn't let me go out for shopping too... Thank God, I did my shopping here in Singapore itself.
Hope you all had a good Deepavali too.

Coming to our recipe, this is the same Bisibelabath from another angle. Oh I am not talking about the photo angle :D

Okay, what new this time? Tried Bisibelabath with quinoa.

Quinoa bisibelabath, the recipe is the same as cracked wheat. Only difference is cooking quinoa. I cooked a cup of quinoa sepeately and did sambar seperately and then mixed both. As a last step , seasoned the quinoa mixture with mustard seeds, jeera and lots of channa dal and urad dal.
I cooked quinoa seperately because it heps to retain the texture of the quinoa without going all mushy. If you like you can follow the same procedure like cracked wheat. For cracked wheat bisibelabath recipe, click here.

Enjoyed the delicious bisibelabath with crunchy vadam and with beans paruppusli.

Colorful Kadappa

Kadappa, for me a place in Andra Pradesh, India till two years ago, I never know this as a South Indian recipe. When ever I ask Karthik, what to prepare for dinner, always his reply will be Puri Kadappa or Idli Kadappa, or Pongal Kadappa, the list goes endless with kadappa. I am not kidding, he always asks the same to me. This is his favorite recipe.

Its very simple, rich in flavour and easy to make. Long ago, my in-law told this recipe over phone. I did so many plus and minus to the recipe and arrived this final version. I have not tasted this recipe anywhere still. So I don't know the real taste of the kadappa. All I know is only my version. Longing to taste this recipe soon some where !

Ingredients : 1/4 cup -- Moong Dal 1 no -- Medium Potato 1 no -- Medium size Tomato 1 no -- Medium size Onion 1/2 tsp -- Turmeric 1/4 cup -- Coconut milk** Few strands of curry leaves Salt to taste 2 tsp -- Oil 1/2 tsp -- Fennel seeds 1 " length -- Cinnamon Flavouring Ingredients : To be ground into a fine paste 4 tbsp -- fresh grated coconut 4 tbsp -- Roasted gram 1 no -- Cloves 1/4 tsp -- Poppy seeds (Kasakasa) 1/2 tsp -- Fennel seeds 1 no -- Cardamom 2-3 -- Garlic pods 4 nos -- Green chilly ** Few Ginger Method : --- I know you people will be surprised to see a whole list of Masala items in the flavouring column, these ingredients gives that fantastic flavour to this dish. According to your taste, you can add or reduce the items and the amount. --- Pressure cook the moong dal and potato. --- While that is cooking, grind all the flavouring ingredients and dice the tomato and the onion. --- Heat up a sauce pan to medium heat with the oil and once it is hot, add the fennel seeds and the cinnamon stick. --- Then add the diced onions and saute them for few minutes, add the ground masala mixture to the onion along with the turmeric powder and saute the mixture till the raw smell of the mixture turns into nice aroma. --- To the onion mixture add the diced tomatoes, curry leaves and cooked dal. --- Peel the potato skin and dice them into small cubes and add to the dal. According to the gravy consistency add the water. --- Cook the dal mixture for one boil and turn the heat off. Oops, forgot to add salt. Add salt and mix well before turning off the heat. --- Now add the coconut milk to the kadappa and mix well. This step is optional, this is the first time I tried it and the taste was extra ordinary.

Hot yummy kadappa is ready to serve along with your wonderful Pongal, Idli, ...

Bisibelabath from a different angle

Hi all, presenting Preethibhojan now from Singapore.

After enjoying 4 months with our family, last month, we moved here. Oh my, the last 4 months, I hardly went to the kitchen.  Learnt some new recipes and many tips both from my mom and from my in-law. Even though I enjoyed regular food like a rice, sambar, curry and rasam, all the time I ended up with a new taste. Wonder how the tastes differs from person to person.

Now I am back to my den, our new home with a big open kitchen. Tuning up slowly to my routines. As a result of 4 months enjoyment me and Karthik put on lot of weight. So we both took an oath to get back into our shape again.

As a result of that, here comes an healthy recipe 'Bisibelabath' from my new kitchen.

If you ask, What is healthy in it ? The answer is Cracked wheat bisibelabath. Is in it healthy !

I moved last week to this home, with some basic ingredients. With that I wanted to try something different and the same time healthy. While this was in back of my mind, I was chatting with one of my friend and a fellow blogger, Priti singh from Indian Khana. While I was talking to her, I came across this recipe from her blog. Tadaan a flash in me, why can't I try bisibelabath using cracked wheat.

Ingrdients: 1 cup -- Cracked wheat 1/4 cup -- Toor dal 3 tbsp -- Chana dal** 2 cup -- Diced vegetables ** 3 tsp -- Tamarind paste** 2 tbsp -- Chilli powder** Salt as per taste ** Tamarind and chilli powder put according to your taste. ** Diced vegetables - You can put according to your taste. I would strongly recommend Red Pumpkin or squash, green capsicum, drum stick. ** Chana dal is optional. Adding this will give a wonderful texture and taste. For seasoning : Oil, Chana dal, Urad dal, Mustard seeds, 2-3 Red chilli, Asafoetida Method : As Priti has mentioned in Indian Khana blog, we have many ways to make this dish. I tried my mom's way. But we do put our secret bisibelabath mixture to enhance the taste. Since I did not have a mixer, I did without the secret mixture. --- Take a pressure pan and add cracked wheat, toor dal and chanadal along with the diced vegetables. --- Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook. Leave only one whistle and turn off the cooking --- Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and add the tamarind paste, chilli powder and salt. --- Again pressure cook it for 2 more whistles. --- When the pressure is released, bisibelabath is ready. --- Add the seasoning to the above mixture and serve hot with crunchy vadam.

Easy, healthy one pot meal is ready to serve. There will not be much difference from the regular bisibelabath to this.

Story of Sambar

A magical word, whenever we read or hear the word Sambar, we feel hungry. It is also a magical dish goes well with all. The best combination for all South Indian dishes Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Upma and mainly with rice.
 

 

Sambar is everyone's favorite. When I was working, a German lady worked with us. She liked sambar a lot. She used to order food from Vasantha Bhavan quite often and drink only the sambar with appalam being the side dish. Not only her, a lot of my friends from North India go crazy when they see sambar.
When my in-laws were here, sambar used to figure in our menu atleast twice a week. Every time I do it was not the same. They liked my sambar a lot. When my mom met them last week, they especially praised my sambar, how nice is that !

Here comes the 'Story of Sambar'. Dedicating this post to my husband, because he sent this link a month ago and nagging me daily to publish it. I was waiting for a perfect Sambar photo and at last I did it yesterday. Dosen't my plate looks colourful !

 

I read the same story in a couple of other sites in the net, but I am not sure how authentic this story is.Sambar was a 18th Century dish which accidentally originated in Tanjore, when Marathas were ruling. The King Sambhoji was a great cook in the palace and he always cooked amti made of special Kokum. Click here to know more details about Kokum.

In a particular season Kokum were imported from Maharastra to Tanjore for cooking. Once kokum didnot reach on time to the palace, that time one of his sous chef suggested about Tamarind to the king and asked King to do some experiment with tamarind pulp. Sambhoji tried a dish with Toordal, vegetables and tamarind pulp. King served this recipe in his coterie and they all liked this recipe. Also named it as 'Sambhoji's amti'. Later the name turned as 'Sambar'. What a happy ending :))

Will post some more history soon... Bye