In today’s guest post, Chinmayie aka “Chin” as I like to call her, takes us on a step-by-step tutorial of making this faint sweet South Canara dish that happens to be her childhood favorite! All yours Chin..Genasaale – Steamed rice cakes stuffed with coconut and jaggery

I still remember seeing Radhika’s blog ‘Just Home Made’  for the first time. I spent a long time browsing recipes and was glad I found such an amazing blog with great recipes and even better photography! I wrote to her on twitter telling her how much I loved her blog and got a very cheerful reply back. We immediately connected as we both are from the same city. I have been in touch with her ever since and it’s been so great knowing her. I enjoy each and every post of hers and I am a huge fan of her amazing photography and styling. I love her detailed recipes with all the required notes. Her posts clearly reflect the amount of research and thought she has put into each one of them.

Whenever I see curry leaves I remember her ‘Curry plant’ post and ‘Sakkare Acchu’ had never looked better than her’s! I have made her ‘Bisibele Bath’ and I can confidently say that’s it’s been the best out of all the dozen variations I have tried. I am completely honored to be guest posting for her incredible blog today.

Radhika asked me if I could share a childhood favorite recipe of mine and it took me almost a month to finalize on one recipe! I just couldn’t think of something special enough to be on her blog and I am still quite nervous about coming up with good enough photos to match her standard. After a lot of thought I picked ‘Genasaale‘ for my guest post.

There are several foods from our childhood which are more dear to us now than before. While growing up we never realize how special they are. But later on when we look back, we can see the amount of care, precision, labour and love went into it when our mothers made it and suddenly it becomes a childhood favorite!  ‘Genasaale‘ is one such recipe. It was made on special occasions and loved every time.

Genasaale like most other Indian special delicacies is time consuming and labour intensive. But it’s very simple in it’s own way. A sweet coconut filling is wrapped with a ground rice batter and steamed covered with banana leaves.There are two variations of this recipe. One where finely chopped fresh jackfruit with fresh coconut and jaggery is used as a stuffing. This is a seasonal speciality and is extremely delicious with deep fruit flavors.

The other variation is made when jackfruits are not in season. I am making it in the second style where just fresh coconut and jaggery is used as the filling. These sweet cakes are simply steamed with banana leaves which lend their aroma into it. These steamed sweet rice cakes are gluten free, vegan and very healthy! They are best eaten piping hot fresh out of the steamer. Sometimes they are made for dinner and leftovers are served for next day breakfast at room temperature. I am sharing my recipe for Genasaale with all of you today. Hope you enjoy it.

Genasaale Recipe

makes 10-12

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup + 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup powdered jaggery
• 3-4 banana leaves

How it’s done:

Soak the rice in water for 3-4 hours. Drain all the water and grind it with 1/4 cup coconut, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 cup water. Make the batter smooth and grain free.

In a bowl combine fresh coconut with powdered jaggery and mix it well. You can taste the mixture at this point and add more jaggery if you want it sweeter.

To prepare the Banana leaves, separate them from the stalk in the center. Place it on the fire/stove for a few seconds on each side. This will prevent the leaf from breaking while folding it later on.

To assemble, place a piece of banana leaf on a flat surface. Spread the rice batter into a round shape with a spoon. Make sure it’s not too tick. Now place the coconut jaggery mixture on one half of the circle. Fold it over into half and then fold the edges to seal it completely. Place it upside down into your steamer. Continue till all the rice batter and the filling is used up.

I used my mono steamer to steam them. You can use any steamer or even a pressure cooker without the weight. Steam them for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve them hot with a dollop of ghee (optional).

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Deesha of Vegetable Platter, whom I fondly call “Dee” is one such person. For all you know, I discovered and connected with Dee on twitter and happily so.

Dee happens to be from my city, one of my more favorite places in the whole world – Bengalooru (Bangalore). Now, that is not just the mere reason we connected. Dee is a great cook, a veteran blogger (has been blogging much much before I had even started a blog) and has lovely recipes and beautiful pictures on her vegetarian food blog and mouthwatering home style Karnataka recipes Nucchinunde, Halbai, Gojjavalakki, Akki tari Uppittu to name a few. You’d never find those in retaurants! Not just that, she has a keen eye for some cool traditional brass and copper props too..

Being from Bengalooru, a colloquial shortcut for “Benda kaalooru” (in olden days) which translates to “a city of cooked lentills”, quite aptly she is bringing today, a very classic and typical Bengalooru dish and her childhood favorite – Hurali Saaru.

Thanks a bunch for guest posting such a local recipe, Dee. I am so homesick now!

Over to you..

Even though, I have been following Just Home Made for quite sometime, I connected with Radhika quite recently and I am glad I did. I love her blog and she is as lovely as her blog. And, I am quite thrilled to be writing a Guest Post on Just Home Made – A blog with some very beautiful photography and awesome recipes.

When Radhika asked me to pick a childhood favorite recipe, it didn’t take very long for me to decide, Hurali Saaru it is going to be!

It is winter here in Bangalore and it is a perfect excuse to make some piping hot Hurali Saaru. All you non-Kannadigas, who are wondering what Hurali Saaru is, it is a kind of Rasam made with Horse gram along with other pulses. It is a very old and traditional recipe made mostly in Bangalore/Mysore/Hassan regions of Karnataka

Hurali Saaru makes use of Horse Gram as the main ingredient along with Mung Beans & Black Eyed peas in smaller quantities. Once these pulses are cooked, a portion of these are ground along with coconut & spices & made into a Rasam/Saaru and the remaining portion is made into a Usli or a quick Stir fry that is served along with Rasam & Rice. And, according to Ayurveda, Horse gram generates a lot of heat in the body, which is why it is mostly made during winter/rainy season.

My maternal Grandmother or Ajji as I call her in Kannada makes one of the best Hurali Saaru I’ve ever eaten & undoubtedly, she is the one who taught me how to make this.

Let’s jump to the recipe shall we?

Hurali Saaru Recipe

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

• 1 cup Horse Gram / Hurali kaalu

• ½ cup Mung Beans / green gram

• ½ cup Black eyed peas

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• A big pinch of hing / asafoetida

• A sprig of curry leaves

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp sunflower oil

• Chopped coriander for garnish

• Salt as per taste

To Grind

• 1 big onion, roughly chopped
• 1 big ripe tomato, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut / thawed frozen coconut
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 8-10 dry red chilies – I used Byadagi
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• A small stick of cinnamon

To Temper

• ½  tsp mustard seeds
• A sprig of curry leaves
• 1 tsp Ghee
• a big pinch of Hing / asafoetida

How it’s done:

• Wash the pulses in running water & soak them for about 6-8 hrs

• Drain & sprout them using a sprout maker or in a colander, covered with a lid.

• Pressure cook pulses with a bit of salt until soft yet firm using 3 glasses of water.

• Drain the water for later use & set aside the pulses.

• In a pan, dry roast red chilies, coriander seeds & cinnamon until aromatic.

• Grind them with coconut, chopped onion & tomato, turmeric along with a tbsp of cooked pulses using very little water into a smooth paste

• In a pot, add the water that was set aside & bring it to a boil. Add the ground paste, salt & 2 tbsp of cooked pulsed & simmer for about 10 mins. Add 2 more glasses of water as you simmer to get a Rasam like consistency.

• Temper with Desi Ghee, mustard seeds, curry leaves & Hing. Pour this over the Rasam/Saaru. Cover & set aside

To Make Usli:

• In a Kadhai, heat oil & splutter mustard & cumin seeds. Add Hing & curry leaves & saute for 10 secs. Add cooked pulses, grated coconut, Salt as per taste. Mix well.

• Turn off the stove & Add Lemon juice & mix again. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander

Serve Hot Rasam & Usli along with some steamed Rice or even Ragi Mudde (Finger Millet Dumplings)

NOTE: It is not mandatory to sprout the pulses. You may soak them for about 2 hrs & make this but sprouting them definitely adds to its nutritional value.

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Wow! The last time I thought it was the beginning of a new year, blink and almost a  fortnight has vanished just like that. I knew the days are passing by really fast, but this year, it seems faster than I expected. Weeks are passing by like days, or is it just me?

And, Sankranthi is already here!

I had been looking forward to this day of the year to make Sakkare Acchu right from Deepavali last year. Luckily enough, I got the traditional wooden moulds well in time from India. So, for the very first time in my life, I made Sakkare Acchu. And, it feels like a humongous achievement!

The vision that I always had, of learning it from my mom, making it side by side in her kitchen and she teaching me how to stir the sugar with her arthritic hands though, did not become reality. My mom refused to teach me over the phone as she felt it was way too complicated to explain the nuances of this art form for someone who had zilch as experience. Since my requests for lessons over phone went futile, I made it all by myself on a quiet afternoon early this week after watching my friend do it in her kitchen.

Proof is right in front of you and even now I wonder, if it was beginner’s luck or did I really get it? I don’t mean to brag nor do I want to scare you, but I have seen my aunt struggle to get the right consistency, ending up with burnt brown caramel many a times. May be, mom was apprehensive that even I’d end up with a whole lot of wasted effort and burnt sugar without her hand holding. Whatever it was, I am super glad I tried.

Sakkare Acchu is a wonderful art form, very local to some parts of Karnataka, mostly in and around Bangalore, Mysore, Hassan, Mandya and few other parts. One needs a lot of patience, time and of course sugar to make it. And, these days no one likes sugar, isn’t it? There’s no wonder why it is a dying art form.

I never ate Sakkare Acchu as a kid. I would promptly refuse, I couldn’t imagine eating something so intensely sugary. After twenty years, I don’t think I have a different opinion. But, what drives me so much to learn how to make it, is the simple reason that I want to be the bridge to my next generation, for, if I know, there is a sliver of hope that my daughter has a solid chance to learn someday.

{Sugar syrup just poured into the wooden moulds}

Sankranthi (in India) marks the end of winter and the movement of the sun into the northern hemisphere known as “Uttarayana” indicating longer sunnier days. Sankranthi and Uttarayana both are sanskrit words. Unlike other Hindu festivals for which the exact date varies from year to year based on the lunar calendar, the date of Makara Sankranthi remains fairly constant between 14th and 15th of January year after year.

In most parts of India including Karnataka, it is a major harvest festival celebrated with much fervor. I find the origin of local customs and rituals depending upon the cultural, geographical, agricultural, religious and social influences, around this festival very fascinating. As Sankranthi also happens to be the day of first harvest of sugarcane in Karnataka, historically, it feels natural that this brilliant art form of making sugar mould figurines “Sakkare Acchu”, must have been born out of the need to celebrate the abundance of sugarcane and to share the recent harvest with others as decorative giveaways.

Things that I took for granted as a kid, enjoyed as part of the vivacity of the festival, has a much deeper meaning to me now.

Home made acchu is the purest way to enjoy these beauties. You never know the additives in the store-bought ones!

Tulsi katte (Tulsi pot) has got to be my all time favorites..

{The aftermath of Sakkare Acchu!}

Here’s a comparison of the outcome of experiments with varied ingredients. Hope you get some idea.

I can completely understand if this recipe gives you creeps at the very thought of trying. Most people are; even I was, until I tried.

Sakkare Acchu by MyIndiaRecipe is the single relevant video I found on YouTube on this topic. The Grandma in the video is not only adorable (even without appearing) has done a great job of explaining. Watch it if you are really interested to make Sakkare Acchu and need visual cues.

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous Pongal and Sankranthi. May your year be filled with abundance in food, love, peace, harmony, health and happiness and may you share it with all your near and dear ones..

Happy Sankranthi!

Sakkare Acchu Recipe

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

makes about 12-15 small figurines

(depending upon the size of the mould)

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp milk (I used 1% milk)

1/2 lemon~ optional

Other:

Traditional Wooden moulds

soft cotton cloth with a high thread count

firm rubber bands

How it’s done:

Wash and soak the wooden moulds in water for a few hours or overnight.

Add water to sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan and let soak or dissolve for a few hours.

Just before embarking on the Sakkare Acchu making, pat dry the moulds with a cloth, assemble and secure tightly with firm and preferably broad width rubber bands.

Spread the soft cotton cloth over another saucepan to ready it for straining the sugar solution. Bring the sugar solution to a gentle boil over medium heat and add 1 tbsp milk. Let it boil for a minute or so, until the milk solids float to the top appearing as scum. Strain it over the soft cotton cloth readied earlier. You’ll see the milk solids are trapped on the cloth leaving a mildly cloudy sugar solution behind.

Pour the filtered sugar solution to the first saucepan and bring it to a boil again over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tbsp milk and repeat the straining process as above. This twice filtered cloudy sugar solution is the starting point for the sakkare acchu. And since sakkare acchu is better made in small batches (easier to find the right consistency without burning), divide this sugar solution into two parts.

Keep a shallow bowl of water next to the stove to check for the desired sugar consistency (if you are a beginner).

Bring half the sugar solution in the saucepan to a gentle bubble (not boil) over low heat. Take the saucepan off the stove and stir well with a ladle in a beating manner, about 5-6 times. Return to the stove and repeat this process for up to ten times. Do not increase the heat at any given point. If you are a beginner, after each time, drip a sugar droplet into the bowl of water to check for the consistency required. In the beginning, as soon as you drop, it will dissolve immediately; as we near the required consistency, the sugar drop stays put in the same place and can be rolled into a soft ball. This is the cue.

By this time, you will also notice that the sugar solution is beginning to thicken and appear creamy and you can see a plethora of tiny bubbles.

You can say the desired consistency is reached when, as you beat the sugar solution off the stove for almost the 8th, 9th or 10th time, the beating itself is very quiet and you just hear the liquid moving very smoothly as if the sugary liquid is insulating the ladle from the saucepan bottom. Beating removes air bubbles if any.

Optionally, now add a few drops of lemon juice before pouring out the syrup to add a hint of lemony flavor to it.

Beating it again a couple of times, ladle out this liquid swiftly into the secured moulds until the liquid covers the top, starting with a mould with the smallest opening. This is because, the sugar syrup can thicken in a matter or 4-5 seconds and be difficult to pour.

Let the moulds sit aside to solidify for about 20 mins before opening.

Repeat with the remaining half sugar solution.

To remove the acchu, use a sharp knife to trim the extras on the mould. Do not waste the extras or spilled pieces, just include them into your next batch.

Remove the rubber bands and gently loosen the moulds. Remove the sakkare acchu  when still slightly wet, gently pressing at the top where it was poured into. It is normal for the acchu to appear glazed or wet with a runny sugary liquid below the moulds.

Arrange them on a clean dry plate and let dry for an hour or two until completely dried. Store in a dry airtight container.

What if the sugar solution is not coming to a boil?

Ratio of water to sugar is approximate. You’ll need a little more than just enough water to cover the sugar or the sugar solution will not have enough water to come to a boil. Add a little water and try again.

Sakkare Acchu does not solidify or melts in place

Problem could be there’s too much milk making Sakkare Acchu too soft to solidify.

Too little or no milk will make it too crystalline to show off its design. This is a reason why milk is added. Milk lets the design show well by giving it just the right amount of opacity. Adding a little milk is also the secret to getting melt-in-your-mouth Sakkare Acchu or they end up being hard. Also, when added, milk (and even yogurt) boils forming a scum like layer on top. When filtered, it takes away any impurities or dark spots in sugar as well.

My aunt’s version:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 tbsp yogurt

1/4 cup milk

Some people like my aunt even believe in adding yogurt apart from milk. Start with yogurt for the first iteration and for the next two iterations, use half the milk for each, filtering with a soft cloth at every stage.

Benefit of doing this is, remnants of the acidity of yogurt in the sugar solution get the milk solids to separate well and little or no milk solids remain in the sugar solution thereafter.

Everything else is the same as explained above.

Notes

These stay well for up to a month. Do not refrigerate.

Alternatively, you could use candy/chocolate moulds in place of the wooden moulds.  I’d prefer wooden moulds any day as I’d rather not deal with worrying about the effects of hot syrups ending up in plastic/silicone.

Color of Sakkare Acchu depends on the sugar. Raw/cane/brown sugar will result in pale brown color.

Let the wooden moulds dry completely before storing away or they get moldy.

Now that you know what it takes to make these beauties, if someone gives you a homemade acchu and it is not up to your taste buds, do not discard them. Instead, accept them with a smiley face and use them in place of regular sugar in your hot beverages.

Can you make out which ones are made of what?

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Hope the New Year has started in a very nice way for all of you! I somehow just cannot believe that 2011 is over and 2012 hasn’t sunk in yet – I’ve been typing 2011 still and correcting it to 2012 every single time.. Time just flies, isn’t it?

2011 has been crazily unforgettable and a tremendously eventful year, leaving the earth shaken and the world frazzled. I don’t know what 2012 has to offer to all of us, but, I’d love to share a quote from my all time favorite movie Shawshank Redemption:

Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

Here’s hoping that 2012 will be a much better year in every way for every one.. and bidding goodbye to 2011 with a peek into the year’s favorites – yours and mine, on Just Home Made. Thank you for your love and support all year through..

Benne Murukku – Crispy, crunchy savory spiral lentil snacks (was also featured on the kitchn) 

Bisi Bele Baath – A signature rice and Lentil one pot meal from Karnataka (in a guest post for Sala Kannan of Veggie Belly)

Raspberry Pear Hazelnut Tart to celebrate Just Home Made turning one!

Mango Strawberry Honey Yogurt Granola Parfait (in a guest post for Kankana of Sunshine and Smile)

Meyer Lemon Paanaka - Saffron and Cardamom flavored Indian lemonade for the scorching summer

Mawa Gujiya - Deep fried pastry purses with a nutmeg flavored filling, an Indian cousin of the empanada

Blueberry Aamrakhand – A Blueberry twist to the typical Indian flavored Mango yogurt

Rave Unde - Saffron and Cardamom flavored sweet Semolina balls, a humble sweet

Zucchini and Carrot Garlic Rasam – Garlic Rasam with vegetables included

Easy Eggless Chocolate Pudding – Yes, an indulgent pudding is possible without eggs!

Come see who else is joining in the virtual party #Welcome2012 Blog Hop being hosted by Sanjeeta at Lite Bite

If you ask me to pick one herb that is my most favorite, without even thinking or blinking I’d most likely say “Curry Leaf” and perhaps I might answer that in my sleep as well. Quite confident on that. And ever since I started blogging, I am getting to know myself at a whole new level and I am really liking it. As, never before did I have this depth of realization or inkling about my affinity for Curry Leaf, surprisingly enough.

Until recently, I had not shed a thought on turning Curry Leaf into a spice mix, though spice mix has never been an alien concept to me. No idea why I did not think of making it before, but I am happy I did now.

Podi(s) (means powder) or spice mix(es) in plain English are an integral part of South Indian meals, coming in such versatile variations that the same name could stand for a range of myriad ingredient permutations and combinations, depending upon where you are in the neighborhood/locality or town/city or state, even differing from house to house. The reason I say this is, my aunt and my mom make it in two different ways and they are sisters. You get the idea, right?

I am sharing both versions today, in case you have that question popping up.

Karuveppelai (in tamil) meaning “a black Neem leaf” (yes, of the Neem tree), in spite of being a key seasoning ingredient in South Indian food, is most often discarded because most people either don’t know that it needs to be eaten (let’s face it!) or they do not like to chew on a dark leaf (dark truth) or may be they don’t quite like it when some random leaf takes them by surprise in their mouth. In fact, I was quite shocked to read in an Indian cookbook (don’t remember the name, luckily for the author!), when curry leaf was listed among spices/herbs that need to be discarded before serving/eating. Anyways, whatever the reason, the net result is, a chlorophyll and nutrient rich herb that is so good for health, never gets eaten, forget about being assimilated et al.

While I was trying to gather my thoughts on this topic, it became vividly clear to my mind the necessity or the origin of this chutney podi. This is for all those of you, who use Curry Leaf as a mere flavor enhancer to only chuck it out of your plate at mealtime. This chutney podi ensures that you actually ingest all the good qualities of the curry leaf well beyond its aroma, enjoying its taste equally.

Five ideas for Karuveppelai Chutney Podi:

For the uninitiated (and there’s no shame in that!) here are five ways to use this Podi:

1. Mix it with hot steaming rice, white or brown anything will do or even broken wheat,  optionally with a quaint dollop of ghee. Eat it as your first morsel, it is heavenly.
2. Serve a generous portion on your plate, make a well in the center and mix it with a good oil of your choice – olive oil, sesame oil or peanut oil will do. Savor it accompanied with Dosa, Idli, chapati and the like. There’s no need for chutney!
3. Make Rasam substituting this chutney podi with Rasam powder. I have done it and it tastes wonderful.
4. Add to curries to enhance taste and flavor.
5. This one is slightly unconventional. Add to pasta or noodles as a seasoning for a special South Indian twist. *wink*

And, if you have a Curry Leaf plant at home, you might find these Tips to care for your Curry Leaf Plant in winter quite useful.

KARUVEPPELAI CHUTNEY PODI RECIPE

My aunt’s recipe

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

• 1 heaped cup Curry leaves, washed and towel dried
• 1/4 cup toor dal / pigeon peas
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 8 dried red chillies (byadagi or any mild heat variety)
• 1/8 tsp asafoetida / hing
• about 1 tsp size seeded dried tamarind
• about 10, 1 inch long 1 cm thick dried coconut (Kobri) slices
• 1 tsp grated or crushed jaggery
• 1 tsp peanut oil
• salt

How it’s done: 

Heat oil in a skillet or cast iron kadai over medium heat. When oilis hot enough or shimmering, sauté tamarind until dark and crisp, without burning it and strain it onto a plate.

To the same oil, add black pepper and sauté until it just begins to crackle; strain onto the plate. In the remaining oil, sauté red chillies and curry leaves until crisp and aromatic. If it starts to smoke, you would have burnt it. Remove onto the plate.

Add toor dal and hing and dry roast until dal tuns light brown and opaque; remove onto the plate. Make sure to scrape out all the residual hing. Lastly, dry roast dry coconut (Cobri) pieces until light brown. This step removes any residual moisture from it and adds to the shelf life of the spice mix. Remove onto a separate plate. Let all roasted ingredients cool before grinding.

In a spice grinder or Indian mixer/grinder, grind the roasted spices adding salt, jaggery and roasted coconut pieces halfway. Do not grind it too fine, ground coffee consistency is just right.

Notes

Version II (My mom’s recipe)

All other ingredients being the same,

• in place of toor dal, use three equal portions of toor dal, bengal gram /chana dal and black gram / urad dal to make 1/4 cup
• 1/4 cup coriander seeds (dhania)

How to identify byadagi chillies? They are crinkly as opposed to their smooth high heat counterparts, contorted more than straight and orange-red colored rather than a deep red. You are most likely to find them in an Indian grocery store.

Curry leaves dry up soon when stored in the refrigerator. If you have curry leaves that are dried up to begin with, do not wash them. Just wipe them with a dry cloth and use. When dried curry leaves are washed, they almost instantly lose aroma and tend to mold easily.

And because, they don’t store well in the refrigerator for long, as soon as you bring them, wash, towel dry and microwave in 30 sec intervals on a plate until crumbly crisp. Store in an airtight container when cooled. Though this method is not the best at preserving its aroma, it is certainly better than having none at all.

Do not dry roast red chillies without at least a drop of oil ever, unless you want your kitchen to be filled with pungently stinging and almost choking chilli fumes.

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It was more than a week since I had strained my back this Thanksgiving. I hadn’t even entered the kitchen let alone cook anything decent. Thanks to caring friends, we had hot home cooked meals served for lunch and dinner right at our table all throughout. Personally, that was a thing of true Thanksgiving for me, to have had timely help.

I couldn’t wait to heal. Just when I was feeling a lot better to do things by myself, all of a sudden this intense urge to bake something nice took over me by surprise. I wasn’t going to rationalize. I gave in. Baking made me feel normal once again as if nothing had happened in the first place. It was liberating. Sounds weird but true.

I had all the right ingredients – an unopened box of cornmeal, few organic apples, a brand new bottle of molasses and some unfinished applesauce. And quickly when I tinkered with my i-phone apps, I fished out a recipe that I felt confident enough to tweak on my own terms. The result was 200 miles opposite of disappointing.

Chocolate lovers, don’t be surprised. The seductive dark chocolate color is the work of a slow and sensuous molasses. Baking with molasses was a first for me and I was thrilled with the color and the mellow sweetness that sugar just does not offer otherwise.

I was happy the cornmeal experiment did not go awry. This fruit bread was soft, supple, fluffy enough without a trace of egg in it.

Operation success. Patient Happy.

APPLE ALMOND CORNMEAL BREAD RECIPE

recipe reference – Vegan Apple Almond gingerbread from Whole Foods Recipes

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

1/4 cup almonds, coarsely crushed

2 tbsp slivered almonds, for topping

4-5 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp cane sugar or raw sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup stone ground cornmeal

1 tsp aluminium free baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup unsulphured molasses

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup (4 oz) all natural unsweetened applesauce

1 cup or 1 Fuji or Gala apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

Other

two 5 inch loaf pans or one 8 inch loaf pan

lining tray

whisk

silicon spatula

wire rack

How it’s done:

Grease two 5 inch mini loaf pans or one 8 inch loaf pan with oil or butter.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Put slivered almonds in the bottom of pan and then rotate pan to distribute them around the bottom and sides so they’ll stick to the greased pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt and crushed almonds with a whisk.

Microwave the butter for 10-20 secs and not more to just soften slightly.

Whisk together butter and sugar until creamy in another mixing bowl. Now, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients – buttermilk, molasses, applesauce and vanilla extract.

Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and fold in chopped apples gently until just combined. Do not over mix. Spoon batter into the pan(s) using a silicon spatula for near zero batter wastage. If using two 5 inch pans, place them at least 2 inches apart for uniform hot air circulation.

Bake until cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes for 5 inch pan and 45-50 minutes for 8 inch pan. Do not over bake.

Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes and then invert onto a plate.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note

When buying molasses, make sure it has unsulphured molasses as the only ingredient. I have used Grandma’s brand all natural molasses.

Add an additional tbsp of sugar if need be. The cake was mildly sweet which is how I prefer mine.

Skip the APF altogether and use whole wheat flour if you feel awkward about APF. You might have to up the buttermilk or applesauce by 1 or 2 tbsp if so.

You could consider swapping baking soda and baking powder quantities as I felt that the loaf was a bit crumbly.

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Cottage @ Lake Ouachita State Park, Arkansas

I have been away for a while now, to begin with, it was for a lovely fall vacation with friends in Arkansas. (BTW, Don’t miss the state park cottages, they are worth every penny). Then, it was to San Francisco to meet friends who are embarking on a “round the world trip” this weekend starting from Bogota, Colombia to cover the whole of South America and North Africa later. (Curious cats can track their adventures on their blog Crave to Travel). Also, very unexpectedly, a sweet co-incidence it was to meet up with the lovely ladies Sala Kannan of Veggie Belly and Prerna of Indian Simmer, thanks to a quick burst of tweeting! YAY! to Twitter.. Meeting them in flesh and blood over a lovely Thai dinner felt like a dream come true.. After that, in a much unexpected turn of events I spent the whole of Thanksgiving weekend in and out of ER nursing my injured back to normalcy until now..

With so much to share and not being able to communicate with you was difficult enough.. Thank you for your understanding unbeknownst my saga, staring at the same page of Curry Leaf all this while..

So I am back to writing this special post. No recipes this time, but I bring you “this” something very close to my heart, with a big grin and sparkly eyes..

It arrived by mail in a brown box from an unidentified address.

It couldn’t have been any kind of factory made commercial product. It looked very familiar as though something long lost from my childhood. It had been much more than a year since the two of us had met each other. They were about eight geometric packets nicely wrapped in a bling gift wrap, contents playing peek-a-boo from the insides of the rectangular cuboid carefully hand wrapped in see-through wax paper wound with delicate white cotton threads securely knotted at the top.

I smiled.

There was a familiar comfort at sight. How could I know so much about this sweet unless…. I grew up eating it?

My eyes lit up like that of a small child handed with a bar of her most favorite chocolate, only it wasn’t this time.. But I knew exactly what it was and where it came from and perhaps who had taken the pains of mailing it in a box to me. What a splendid surprise!

It was like the most unexpected box parcel that one dreams of getting, when one sees a mail van passing by, thinking wish it was me. This day, it was mine..

If you are a Mysorean, most likely you know it.

If you have grown up in Mysore or have gone to school or college in Mysore anytime between the 80s and now, you might have even guessed what it is when you read the post header.

Haal Khova, Haalu Khova, Mithai – call it by any name and this humble geometrical sweet miracle never fails to melt in your mouth the moment it lands there..

On a small indistinct street somewhere in the heart of Mysore, a pious Brahmin family churns out this sweet daily in pre-fixed number of carefully hand made batches from scratch in their own home all by themselves, using the freshest ingredients. All just home made, Ahan!

“Mithai” as they call it, is their way of life and a sweet packet of bliss for others who get to enjoy it!

By now, the skeptic in you (or at least some of you) might have a question – how can a milk sweet survive travel by mail for so many days and still land in good condition? Yes, this sweet has a decent shelf life – two weeks if it is nowhere near water.. Not bad huh?

If you plan to visit Mysore soon and simply can’t wait to get hold of this sweet, drop me a comment with your email id and I can share the details with you..

And some of you with relatives in Mysore, you know what you can do..

Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did sharing a sweet piece of nostalgia from my childhood days.

Also, don’t miss to read how calling it a “piece of paradise”, Ramya Krishnamurthy waves her verbal wand of magic in a heartwarming write-up on this humble Haal Khova on Churumuri.

It feels colder than last November as far as I can recollect and I couldn’t help turning the heater on rather early as opposed to Thanksgiving last year. Winter is undeniably here already and it is also that time of the year to care for our garden plants, especially the vulnerable tropicals like the Curry Leaf plant.

Curry leaf is synonymous to, as much it is in-disposable in South Indian cooking where almost every seasoning starts or ends with it. That said, a curry leaf plant in the garden be it in the backyard or the balcony, is quite a handy and precious possession. Nothing comes close to the satisfaction of growing one’s own herbs and using them fresh from the garden as and when the need arises. It is the kind that belongs to the tiny joys of life..

With the kind of simple pleasure one gets to enjoy during spring, summer and early fall having a curry leaf plant potted in the garden, comes the responsibility of caring for its survival through the American winter. Being a tropical/sub-tropical plant/tree, it wasn’t meant for cold climates and hence, we need to go the extra mile for it.

Here are a few tips from my learning and experience with the curry plant:

Because it needs full sun, it is well suited to grow outdoors. However, even if you have a huge backyard garden, it is better to grow it potted as it is conveniently movable indoors away from the harsh weather during the winter months.

Place them in the sun during the day and move indoors before it gets dark and colder.

Pour warm water instead of cold.

Occasionally sprinkle salt water on the leaves to wash away dirt, bugs and mites or mold if any.

Place indoors in a warm spot away from the draft or windows

Make sure there is plenty of light wherever you place them indoors. White light works well if you do not have enough sunlight coming  in.

If you must leave them outside for whatever reason, cover the plant with black trash bags and secure them around the pot. Few support sticks about the height of the plant inserted into the pot can help hold the trash bag in place. Plastic acts as a barrier to the cold winds and keeps the plant warmer by about 5°-10°F

If you are travelling, request a willing friend or neighbor to routinely water the plant and move it outdoors and indoors during daylight and at dusk respectively.

In the absence of another caregiver, they can be placed in the bath tub with some water filled in, for the roots to absorb. Do not forget to leave the lights on.

Follow this routine especially strictly around february frost or freeze. No matter how much you care up until then, if you give in for one day on the frost, the plant might slip away from you forever

Do insert plant food sticks if the plant has been potted for more than 4-5 months.Even though the plant might seem to shed all its leaves (which is natural for the season), just let it hang in there. Once the plant survives past couple or more winters, it will be strong enough to withstand the weather.

If you haven’t potted the plant, do so next spring and preferably in a wide pot with a spout at the bottom, so it can hold extra water for the roots when you are travelling.

NOTE: Most or all of these tips are equally applicable and helpful for the Tulsi plant or “The Indian Holy Basil”

culinaryherbguide and mylogmyblog have useful information on growing herbs and winter care for tropical plants respectively

Do you have any special tips to share?

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Deepavali,  a sanskrit word meaning “A row of lights” is as much a festival of fun and frolic as much it stands for a deeper meaning. Celebrated as a symbolic of victory of good over evil, light over dark, knowledge over ignorance, it signifies freedom for the mind from the clutter of dark thoughts and spiritual illumination for the soul.

While in North India, it is celebrated to commemorate Lord Rama’s return with Seetha after his triumph over Ravana, the ten headed wicked demon who abducted her, Deepavali in many parts of South India is mostly celebrated over three days for different legendary reasons. The first day is Naraka Chathurdashi on the 14th day of the Hindu month to celebrate the victory of lord Krishna over the mighty demon, Narakasura. The second day is Lakshmi Pooja on Amavaasya (New moon day) to celebrate the rebirth of goddess Lakshmi during Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean of milk) and lastly the third day, Bali Paadyami on Paadya (first day of the month)  to celebrate the victory of Lord Vishnu incarnated as a dwarf (vaamana in Dashaavataara) over the demon king, Bali when he was pushed to Paathaala, the netherworld.

Sitting miles away from home in front of the laptop, typing this post away, what I miss the most are the nuances of the festival that made it so special throughout my childhood and adolescent years.

Typically, the evening before Deepavali known as Neeru tumbo habba (literally translates to Water filling festival), bathrooms would be cleaned to a shine and decorated with flowers and rangoli and water be stocked up in as many huge containers and cauldrons as possible in preparation for the next morning’s Abhyanga Snana (full body oil bath). A huge copper cauldron full of boiling hot water heated through the night awaited us at 4:00 in the morning. After a customary Enne Shastra the “oil ritual”, a full body oil massage followed ending with an almost scalding hot water bath with Shikakai and besan only as soap. Dressed in brand new clothes smeared with a pinch of turmeric for auspices, mouth full of sweets, a lit incense stick in one hand and a favorite fire crackers in the other, rushing out the door to be the first on the street to burst them almost always make up the first of the mental pictures of my flashbacks of this day..

Today, I cannot help but recount and hope that I can relive those beautiful memories when my little girl gets to enjoy the simple richness of that experience some day..

Traditionally, Gulab Jamun and Vella Kozhukattai for sweets and Paruppu Urundai and Khara Sevai for savory have been the norm since childhood.

Food experiences make up for most of our nostalgic memories and as much as I miss celebrating the traditional way, being here in the US, I felt it was appropriate to celebrate fall and the festival of lights together in one! And Pumpkin Halwa has got to be one of the simpler sweet recipes calling for just five ingredients and the best way to do exactly that..

I wasn’t too fond of Pumpkin until my foray into blogging, when holiday recipes such as this Pumpkin Pie lured me into opening my mind and broadening my cooking/baking horizon. Since then, I haven’t looked back much when it comes to this sunset-orange autumn vegetable.

Verdict

None could tell there was pumpkin in it, even when they were certain that a vegetable was in there! I was quite pleasantly surprised myself with how instantly I fell in love with its mild taste, daintily sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth!

The recipe is so simple and unassuming that it might quickly become a part of your culinary repertoire without your knowledge. Just give it that first chance.

Wish you a Happy and Wonderful Deepavali! 

May this Deepavali brighten your lives with much joy, bliss, love, peace and serenity..

Pumpkin Halwa Recipe

(makes about 9 – 1 oz cups)

Printable Recipe

Things you’ll need:

• 4 tiny pumpkins or 1-1/2 cups cooked pumpkin pulp
• 1/2 can fat free sweetened condensed milk*
• pinch of saffron
• 1-2 tbsp ghee
• skinned pumpkin seeds for garnish

*  (1 can = 14 oz or 396 g)  I use Borden – Eagle brand

How it’s done:

Wash and cut the tiny pumpkins in half, remove the seeds and pith and microwave cut side up for 5-6 minutes or until soft. Do not add any water. Let cool and scoop out the cooked pulp with a curved spoon. Mash this pulp for uniform consistency.

Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan on medium. Sauté mashed pumpkin for 10 mins or until rawness subsides. Add condensed milk and crush saffron between your fingertips into it. Cook stirring well intermittently until the Halwa comes together as one mass away from all sides of the pan or about 20 mins. Switch off and let cool. Take care to not let the halwa burn or brown.

To roast the pumpkin seeds, microwave on a plate for 2 mins in 30 sec intervals, shuffling them in between. Alternatively dry roast on a pan on low heat until fragrant.

Serve warm or cold garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Notes:

If you can’t find tiny pumpkins, use the slightly bigger sugar pumpkins, they are also pulpier. Store bought pumpkin puree can also be used. It might take a little longer to cook as it has more moisture content.

Do not leave the stove to attend to other things or the Halwa can get burnt in a  jiffy. Stirring intermittently is an important thing to do.

If you are not a big fan of pumpkin seeds, feel free to use a garnish of your choice. I don’t see why ghee fried or roasted and slivered cashews, pistachios or almonds won’t go well.

If you don’t have ghee, substitute with butter. Whatever happens, please don’t use oil.

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