Search Chitra's Food Book

May 15, 2016

Travel Food Recipes Ideas–South Indian Variety Rice

travel food recipes ideas
Last week we had a trip to Valparai near Pollachi,Tamil nadu for summer vacation in our car. We packed few rice varieties for lunch and had it during our road trip in Attakatti. Usually we make Tamarind rice/Puli sadam and Curd rice for travel. But this time, Sendhil told us to prepare some other rice varieties for a change. So my MIL made this yummy, easy, comforting and a healthy South Indian meal for our travel.I thought of sharing this easy travel food recipes idea with you all. It would be helpful for you to plan and prepare food for your short trip/Picnic during this Summer holidays. My MIL made Milagu jeeraga sadam/ Pepper cumin rice, Ellu sadam/ Sesame seeds rice, Lemon rice and Curd rice along with vadam/Vathal. We also carried some store bought sweets and snacks to munch during our travelWinking. Lets see how we prepared this simple and yummy travel lunch menu.
Travel lunch recipes

Here is a collage of Valparai-Athirapally Pictures. Check THIS LINK for more pictures.
Valparai trip

Travel Food Recipes Ideas


Travel Food Recipes Ideas South Indian lunch menu for travel
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Travel recipes
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 20 Minutes
Cook time: 30 Minutes
Total time: 50 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 250ml
For rice varieties
  • Steamed rice - 2 cups
  • Water - 6 cups
  • Gingely oil - 2 tsp
  • Salt - as needed
For lemon rice
  • Lemon - 5 nos
  • Green chilli - 6-8 nos
  • Red chilli - 2 nos
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tbsp
  • Chana dal - 2 tbsp
  • Roasted peanuts - a handful ( optional)
  • Hing/Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
  • Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
  • Gingely oil - as needed while mixing the rice
  • Salt - as needed
For Pepper cumin rice/Milagu jeeraga sadam
  • Ghee - 2 tbsp
  • Pepper corns – 1.5 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
  • Salt - as needed
  • Curry leaves - few
For Ellu sadam
  • Black sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
  • Red chilli - 2 nos
  • Garlic cloves - 3 nos
  • Salt - as needed
  • Curry leaves - few
For curd rice
  • Steamed rice or raw rice - 1 cup
  • Water - 5 cups
  • Salt - as needed
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tbsp
  • Chana dal - 2 tbsp
  • Green chilli - 2 nos ( finely chopped or slitted)
  • Ginger - 2 inch piece ( finely chopped or grated)
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Fruits like grapes, pomegranate - to mix in the rice
  • Coriander leaves - a fistful
Koozh vadam/Vathal - as needed ( to deep fry)
Mor milagai & Pickle - side dish for curd rice
Lemon rice recipe
Milagu Jeeraga Aval ( replace aval with rice)
Curd rice/Thayir sadam
Tamarind rice/Puli sadam

METHOD

  • On the previous day night of travel, prepare the lemon rice paste.Make sesame seeds powder by dry roasting the sesame seeds, red chilli and then powder it adding salt.Make pepper cumin seeds powder. Refrigerate the lemon rice paste alone. Keep the powders in an air tight box and store it.
  • The next day morning as soon as u get up, wash and soak the rice in required water for 20 minutes. Use two cookers. One for curd rice and other one for rice varieties. Soak the rice separately in 2 cookers. Rice will be well soaked by the time u take bath.
  • Pressure cook the rice for one whistle in low flame and switch off the flame. Remove the lid after the steam is released.
  • NEVER USE YOUR HANDS FOR MIXING THE RICE. USE LADLE FOR HANDLING THE RICE.

  • Spread the rice in a plate and add some gingely oil. Take the rice in curd rice cooker and mash it well adding salt and milk. Do not curd when the rice is hot. Add curd after the rice becomes lukewarm. Add the seasoning ingredients for curd rice. Mix well. Add curd and mix well.Check for taste. Do not make the curd rice too thick or too watery. Make it like a creamy consistency so that it won’t become too hard in the afternoon.Check for taste and add more salt if needed. By the time, u mix the curd rice, the rice spread in the plate would have become warm.
  • Divide the rice into 2 portions. Take one portion of the rice and make lemon rice adding the lemon rice paste.Add gingely oil generously. Check for taste and add more salt & paste if needed. Take the other portion of rice and divide into 2. Use one portion for making ellu sadam and the other one for milagu jeeraga sadam. Add gingely oil for ellu sadam and ghee for milagu jeeraga sadam generously.Do not forget. NEVER USE YOUR HANDS FOR MIXING THE RICE. USE LADLE.
Prepare all the rice varieties and stack in the boxes. Make Neer mor/Spiced buttermilk (Thalicha more) and store in a bottle. Deep fry Koozh Vadam/Vathal  or papad and mormilagai.Store the vadam in a polythene bag or ziplock covers after it cools down. Pack some pickle in a small container. Arrange everything for travel in a bag. Take the sweets, snacks and fruits if any for travel.
South Indian rice varieties

Enjoy !


Note
I have shared some general point to remember while preparing food for travel.
  • Never put your hands to mix the rice varieties, use a spoon or ladle instead. If you mix the rice with your hands, it won’t stay good for more than 2 hours in summer.
  • Add gingely oil generously while mixing the rice. It helps to prevent the rice from drying.
  • Make sure you don’t use raw coconut in the dishes. If you use coconut, roast it well or saute the coconut based dish in oil till all the moisture content is completely gone.
  • If you are making curd rice, add less curd and more milk while mixing. It helps the curd rice to set well while eating.Never add curd in hot rice. Carry a bottle of spiced buttermilk or diluted curd to add in the rice while eating. Suppose if the curd rice becomes too thick, you can add buttermilk and bring it to proper consistency.In the buttermilk bottle, put some slitted green chillies, ginger and few curry leaves with mustard seeds seasoning ( make thaalicha neer mor). It helps to keep the buttermilk fresh and tastes less tangy.
  • We packed the rice in our steel travelling set. If you don’t have a travelling set, you can pack them in use & throw silver foil packs or plastic boxes. It is better to use banana leaf for packing the food. It gives a nice flavor and a healthy choice as well.

Is it not a happy and comforting meal for your travel ?? Happy Prepare & Enjoy it !!
Travel lunch idea - Indian
 
Continue Reading...


May 13, 2016

Potato Bajji | Aloo Pakora - Urulaikilangu Bajji Recipe

Potato bajji 
I make Potato bonda and onion bajji very often as both are Raksha’s favorite. But I have seen my mom making Potato bajji, Brinjal bajji and many more varieties of bajji before my marriage. So recently I too tried Potato bajji and Karpooravalli leaves bajji for the first time in my kitchen.Its preparation is very easy. If you make the basic bajji batter, you can prepare any number of bajji varieties with it. Both came out very well and we all loved it a lot. Raksha enjoyed potato bajji( Aloo pakora in Hindi, Urulaikizhangu bajji in Tamil) with tomato ketchup.Try this easy, yummy bajji recipe for your kids as evening snacks during this holidays. They will love it for sure. Lets see how to make this crispy, puffy Potato bajji at home.

Continue Reading...


May 11, 2016

Tomato Kurma Recipe –Thakkali Kurma For Idli Dosa

Tomato kurma recipe
I learnt this tomato kurma recipe from my apartment neighbor aunty. She make this tomato kurma kuzhambu (She calls this as Thakkali sambar in Tamil) as a side dish for idli, dosa and Idiyappam very often. The awesome aroma of this gravy that wafts through my apartment made me ask the recipe from her and tried it immediately. It was a lovely combo for idli & dosa. I am sure it goes well with chapati/Roti and Appam if its made slightly thick but not with rice. 
In Tamil, we used to call mildly spiced gravies as Kuruma Kulambu. This is one of its kind. It tastes like kurma but looks like Kuzhambu/Sambar/Gravy in consistency. Do not forget to smell your hands after eating ;))  If you are looking for tomato kuzhambu recipe without coconut for rice , please check it HERE. Now Lets see how to do Tomato kurma for idli, dosa. 

Tomato kurma recipe

Tomato kurma for Idli, Dosa and Idiyappam


Tomato kurma for Idli,dosa and Idiyappam How to make Tomato kurma for Idli, Dosa, Appam and Idiyappam
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Side dish for idli dosa
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 250ml

  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Big onion – 1no
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1 tsp ( I used Kashmiri chilli pwd)
  • Salt & water - as needed
To grind
  • Grated coconut -1.5 tbsp
  • Fried gram dal/Pottukadalai – 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon - 1 small piece
  • Cloves - 1 no
  • Cardamom - 1no ( small)
  • Dhania seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
  • Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
  • Garlic cloves - 3 nos
  • Khus-khus - 1/2 tsp ( optional)
  • Ripe tomato - 2 nos ( saute in oil and then grind with above ingredients)
  • Cooking oil - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves – to garnish
HOW TO MAKE TOMATO KURMA - METHOD

  • Wash and chop the tomato into cubes. Heat oil in a kadai and saute the tomato pieces till mushy. Take the grated coconut, gram dal,  whole spices, ginger, garlic, dhania seeds, khus khus and grind it coarsely without adding water. Now add the sauteed tomato and again grind everything to a smooth paste adding enough water.
Tomato kurma
Tomato kurma
  • Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Saute the finely chopped onions till transparent. To this add, the ground masala paste along with a cup of water. Add salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
Tomato kurma
Tomato kurma for idli dosa
  • Boil the gravy till the raw smell of masala paste goes off. If the gravy becomes too thick, add little water, check for sat, boil and remove in a bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with Idli, dosa adding a tsp of gingely oil.
Enjoy !

Note
  • Add minimum quantity of whole spices else it will over power the taste of kurma.
  • Add more or less chilli powder based on the tanginess of tomato.
  • You can skip cardamom while grinding.

Enjoy this yummy kurma kuzhambu with Idli, dosa, Idiyappam and Appam !
I love to have Idli drenched in Kurma like you see in the picture. How about you ??
Continue Reading...


May 9, 2016

Mango Lassi Recipe - Easy Mango Recipes

Mango lassi recipe
I am trying varieties of Mango recipes in my kitchen in this mango season.Recently my friend Shalini gave me a big tin of mango pulp and few mangoes.I tried Ripe mango pickle, Mango Kesari, Mango lassi and mango kulfi with it. I am yet to post Mango kulfi and ripe mango pickle. Lassi is my family favorite recipe. We love to have lassi in different flavors. So I tried Mango lassi at home for Sendhil & Raksha. Its so easy to make and it came out creamy, thick with the yummy flavor of mango.Both loved it very much. For vegan version, you can replace curd & milk with almond milk. Lets see how to make easy, Indian style sweet mango lassi using mango pulp.
Mango lassi

Mango Lassi Recipe


Mango Lassi Recipe How to make creamy mango lassi at home
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Dessert
Serves: Serves 1-2
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 5 Minutes
Total time: 10 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 250ml
  • Ripe mango - 1/2 no Or Mango pulp - 1/2 cup
  • Boiled & cooled milk - 1/4 cup
  • Thick,fresh curd - 1 cup
  • Sugar – 1-2 tbsp (Adjust based on the sweetness of mango)
  • Cardamom powder or vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp
  • Chopped nuts & mint leaves - to garnish
METHOD

  • Wash and peel the skin of ripe mango. Chop into cubes and grind them in a mixie jar adding a tbsp of water. Measure 1/2 cup of pulp from it.
mango lassi
  • Take the measured mango pulp in a big mixie jar. To this, add sugar, milk, curd, vanilla essence or cardamom powder.Milk should be at room temperature. Grind everything to a thick,creamy paste. Add more milk or curd to adjust its consistency as you wish.
mango lassi
Transfer it to a tall glass and serve immediately with chopped nuts and fresh mint leaf on top. Enjoy !
mango lassi

Note
  • Adjust the quantity of sugar based on your taste.
  • You can use readymade store bought mango pulp too. But taste it before you use to check its sweetness. If the pulp is too sour, do not use it for making lassi.
  • Make sure you do not use hot milk. Lassi will look curdled.
  • You can use either cardamom powder or vanilla essence for flavor OR you can avoid both.

Enjoy this creamy, yummy mango lassi at home !! It tastes D-licious !!
mango lassi

Continue Reading...


May 6, 2016

Veg Quesadilla Recipe - Indian Vegetarian Quesadilla


Recently I tasted Mexican Veg Quesadillas at Taco bell. Its my long time wish to prepare Vegetarian quesadilla at home. So I bought tortilla sheets and tried it in my own combination after watching few you tube video recipes. I made it for our Sunday breakfast. I din’t have sour cream, cheese or other Mexican ingredients in hand. So I used tomato ketchup and mayonnaise along with mixed vegetables stuffing and made it in our Indian style.It came out very well. Sendhil & Raksha liked it a lot. Try this easy and simple Indian Veggie quesadilla at home and enjoy your breakfast. I am sure kids would love this recipe.Lets see how to make Vegetable quesadilla with simple stuffing Happy.
Friends, I am enjoying a short vacation in Valparai and surrounding areas. So I drafted these recipes in advance and posting them here. I may not be able to respond to your mails and queries quickly. So please bear with me for another 5 days. Thanks.



Veg quesadilla recipe


Veg quesadilla recipe Indian style Vegetable quesadilla recipe for breakfast/dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Breakfast
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • Tortilla sheets - 3 nos
  • Olive oil/Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
  • Tomato sauce/Tomato ketchup - to spread
  • Mayonaise - to spread
For stuffing
  • Carrot - 1 no
  • Capsicum - 1/4 no
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Tomato - 1 no
  • Cabbage - 1/2 cup
  • Pepper powder - 1 tsp
  • Sugar – 1/2 tsp
  • Red Chilli Sauce or green chilli sauce - 1 - 2 tsp ( based on taste)
  • Herb seasoning/ Oregano mix - 1/4 tsp
  • Rosemary leaves - a pinch
  • Salt - as needed
METHOD

  • Chop the vegetables into thin strips. Heat oil in a kadai and saute the onions, chopped vegetables till its half cooked. Add the tomato strips and saute until mushy.Add salt & sugar while sauting.This helps for quick cooking and prevents color changing of vegetables.

  • After the vegetables are 3/4th cooked, add red chilli sauce, pepper powder, herb seasoning mix and rosemary leaves.Mix well. Check for taste and add more spices as you like.Stuffing is ready.

  • Take the tortilla sheets and microwave in high power for 1 minute. I kept in 800w power.Take a sheet and spread the tomato ketchup. Spread the stuffing in the center. Apply 2 tsp of mayonnaise all over the stuffing as shown in the picture.Fold it like a half moon.

  • Heat a dosa tawa & sprinkle a tsp of oil. Cook the folded quesadilla on both the sides till golden. Remove and cut into three triangular shaped pieces using a scissors. Serve hot with salsa or cheesy sauce.Enjoy !


Note
Adjust the quantity of chilli sauce & pepper powder as per your taste.
You can replace red chilli sauce or green chilli sauce.
You can replace mayonnaise with sour cream.

Yummy Indian style vegetarian quesadilla is ready to enjoy !!



Continue Reading...


May 5, 2016

Rose Milk Popsicle Recipe - Easy Popsicle Recipes

Rose milk popsicle recipe
This is my first post on popsicle recipes. So I wanted to share a very simple and quick popsicle recipe. What else it could be other than rose milk popsicle. Rose milk is loved by adults and kids as well. Its a best summer drink and a healthy choice for kids. Some kids don’t like to drink it as milk. Instead serving it as a popsicle will sure attract them. My daughter Raksha, who never drink Rose Milk tasted this popsicle and gave poses for my pics tooHappy. Do try this homemade easy popsicle recipe during this summer vacation for yourself & your kids and enjoy !! Lets see how to make rose milk popsicle at home.
Rose milk popsicle recipe

Rose Milk Popsicle Recipe


Rose Milk Popsicle Recipe Easy popsicle recipe with rose milk
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Popsicle recipes
Serves: Serves 3
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 60 Minutes
Total time: 65 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 200ml
  • Boiled milk - 1 cup
  • Rose essence - few drops
  • Sugar - 1.5 tbsp
  • Popsicle mould - 3 nos
  • Popsicle sticks – 3nos
METHOD

  • Boil milk and take 1 cup of it. Add sugar and few drops of rose essence as per the color you need. Mix well and let the milk cool down. Check for sweetness.
    • Actually rose milk tastes sweeter than the frozen popsicle. So you should add more sugar than the usual quantity.Keep this in mind.
Rose milk popsicle
  • Pour the milk into popsicle mould till 3/4 th. Cover it with a plastic sheet or zipwrap.Freeze it for 30 minutes.Open it once in the middle and insert the popsicle stick in the mould.Again freeze it for 30 minutes to 1 hour till its set completely.
Rose milk popsicle
Rose milk popsicle
  • Take out and show the mould under running water for less than a minute.Remove the popsicle carefully and consume it immediately.Enjoy !
Rose milk popsicle


Note
  • Add more or less sugar based on your taste. Actually rose milk popsicle tastes less sweeter than the rose milk. So you should add more sugar than the usual quantity.

Rose milk popsicle

Try this easy popsicle at home and attract your kids Happy. See who is enjoying it ?? Winking
Rose milk popsicle



Continue Reading...


May 2, 2016

Raw Mango Vatha kuzhambu Recipe | Mango Puli Kuzhambu

Raw Mango Vatha Kuzhambu
Usually I make sambar and kazhani kuzhambu with raw mango. My mom makes vatha kuzhambu using dry maa vathal. We call it as mangai puli kuzhambu. For the first time, I tried vatha kuzhambu adding raw mango following my MIL’s recipe.It came out really well. I loved the juicy, flavorful, tangy, pulpy cooked raw mango in spicy kuzhambu. Its a very simple vatha kuzhambu recipe. No grinding works at all. Ideal to prepare in busy mornings for working women and bachelors. As raw mango takes very less time to cook, this kuzhambu/gravy can be made in less than 15 minutes.  Try this easy, quick mangai vatha kuzhambu recipe during this mango season and enjoyHappy.Lets see how to make raw mango vatha kuzhambu.
Check out my other mango recipes HERE
Raw mango vatha kuzhambu

Raw Mango Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe


Raw Mango Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe Mangai vatha kuzhambu - Tangy, spicy gravy adding raw mango
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Kuzhambu Recipes
Serves: Serves 2-3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • Raw mango - 5 pieces ( 1/2 no)
  • Tamarind - Big gooseberry size
  • Sambar powder - 1.5 tbsp ( Add 2 tbsp for more spicy kuzhambu)
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Grated jaggery – 2 tsp
  • Salt & water - as needed
To temper
  • Cooking oil or Gingely oil - 1.5 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/ 2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp
  • Toor Dal - 1 tsp
  • Small onions - 10 nos
  • Garlic cloves - 15 nos
  • Curry leaves - few
METHOD

  • Wash and slice the raw mango into big pieces.Taste it and check its sourness. Based on its sourness, adjust the quantity of tamarind and sambar powder. Cook the mango pieces adding 2 cups of water. It will take 5 minutes to cook. So stay nearby and keep checking. Check it with a knife whether the mango pieces are cooked soft but firm in shape.
Raw mango vatha kuzhambu
Raw mango vatha kuzhambu
  • Remove the cooked mango pieces in a plate and soak the tamarind in the remaining mango cooked water. Chop the onions, garlic cloves and curry leaves.
  • Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, toor dal and cumin seeds. Saute onions,  garlic cloves and curry leaves until onion turns transparent.
    • Take the extract from soaked tamarind and add it to the sauteed onion mixture. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, jaggery and salt. Boil for 5-10 minutes till the gravy thickens.
Raw mango vatha kuzhambu
  • Lastly add the cooked mango pieces, give a boil and switch off the flame after it thickens. I garnished the gravy with some fried vengaya vadagam for additional flavor. You can add a tsp of gingely oil for garnishing. Transfer the gravy to a vessel and cover it till you serve.
Raw mango vatha kuzhambu
Enjoy with plain rice, any kootu and sutta appalam !

Note
  • The quantity of sambar powder may vary as per the sourness of gravy. Check for taste when the gravy boils and add more sambar powder if its tastes too tangy.
  • Adding jaggery helps to balance all the taste.

Try this easy, yummy raw mango vatha kuzhambu and enjoy mixing with hot plain rice.
Raw mango vatha kuzhambu
Continue Reading...