Kugan's Kitchen Part 7

[kugan98]

Wow kugan akka how are getting the time to plan such a elaborate dinner that too along with taking care of sick daughter.. I remember the last time i cooked for hubby's friends i did so for 4 hours - chicken kurma, potato fry, vendakka fry, sambar and carrot halwa.. avvalove dan, adukke 4 hrs ayduchu.. and by the time the guests came i was all tired!! I wonder how long did you cook it for and if you had enough energy to survive the dinner... by the way chappati ellam munnadiye pottu vachuruveengala. adu softa irukumma..? Buffet style la vachuteengala.. (sorry for so many q's.. I'm new to this cooking/entertaining guests)

Last time guests vandappo oru comedy ayduchu.. Naanga veetla puzhungalarisi/pacharisi alternate panni use pannuvom.. Guests vandapo it was puzhungalarisi.. Yarukkume adu pudikala.. Ellam konjam dan saptanga learnt only to use sona masuri rice so that i can avoid this flops in future..

kugan akka - i'm staying in virginia.. Thanks for the info on the curry powders. So far i've been buying sakthi,everest,shaan brands.. I will check in grocery for hing block.. and will try this curry powder and let you know.

Thanks Priya for your nice post and compliments.
WOW! you are very close to my niece, she too lives in Virginia.

Priya I know in US, you have no help, every thing must be done by your own self.
I will just cook, cook and throw the utensils, maid will clear up every thing.
She will assist me in even cutting and chopping. A little planning of what to do.
What to start first and things, marinating the first day, carrot halwa you could have done it the first day.

I enjoy cooking dinner, rather than breakfast or lunch.
You will have ample time to cook for dinner.
We too eat brown rice and puzhungalarisi. For guests I usually cook basmathi rice.

I do make the chapathi earlier and put it in the hot pot.
Priya, unless a very big gathering, we usually serve the guests .
My father - in - law is very particular about this. Table and banana leaves.
You know how tiring that would be.

I will post the pictures in pairs for a close look.
Thanks and take care, Kugan

[kugan98]

super spread K... ennala ivalo items seiyavum mudiyaadhu, saapidavum mudiyadhu... ellam taste panninale my stomach will be full... K, engalukkum appadiye konjam solli kodunga "how to cook for a big group"nu...100 perukku ellam vendaam... max 20-25 pplku seiya solli kudunga...

Take care of lil Aishu... my prayers for her quick recovery...
school ellam aprom paarthukalaam... health comes first...

Vangga Dev, nice to see your post again.
Well the dinner was planned as per my niece's wish who missed all these food for the past 3 years.
You know we will first serve one item, all round, then go on to the next.
So they will be tasting little of every thing .
At times we will have to give them new plates for different items.
After eating iddiappam with sothi, if the next item is ghee dosai, they do not want the plate with sodhi
That's where the maid comes in handy

I will let you know how much and what items to cook for about 25 people.
Send me a ticket let me come and teach you.

You know Dev, when a child is sick, more over Aishu, is very difficult to swallow medicine.
Have to konju her, threaten her, hold her nose, and in the end she will vomit out every thing.

Thanks and take care, Kugan

[kugan98]

O.K Gulabjamun, recipes all one by one.
Here is the kara chutney. Kugan


KARA CHUTNEY

Ingredients;


1 tsp oil
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
¼ tsp mustard seeds
6 red chillies
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 tbs coconut

1 tsp thick tamarind paste
Salt to taste

1 tsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add in the mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dals.
Roast till golden, add in the dry red chillies, roast again.
Now add in the onions, and sauté for a minute. Add in the tomato and coconut.
Stir fry well and remove, let it cool.

Now add the roasted ingredients , thick tamarind paste and enough salt in a mixie.
Add water and grind to a soft smooth paste. Remove.
Heat oil and temper the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
Pour over the chutney and serve


TOMATO UPMA AND KARA CHUTNEY:

[kugan98]

Dear Lakme, green moong dal curry by my uncle Hemant>


PACHAI PAYIR KOLAMBU
Ingredients:

Green gram (Pachai payir) 150 gms.
Six to eight cloves of garlic
If the cloves are small, use ten to twelve cloves
Ginger 2 inches piece
Dhaniya seeds 2 Table spoons
Jeera 1 Tea spoon
Green chillies 4 to 6 as per personal need
Sour Curds 150 ml.
Oil for tempering
Jeera one spoon for tempering
1/4 spoon of Mustard seeds
Broken Red chillies 3 nos.
Half cup of finly cut Kothumalli
Half spoon of Turmeric
Salt to taste
Two springs of curry leaves

METHOD OF PREPARATION
Pressure cook payir with at east six whistles to see that they are slightly over cooked. Payir (moong) should not remain whole after cooking. Keep the payir

aside and prepare the following masalas Crush Ginger, Garlic and Green chillies in a mortar and make a paste. If you do not have a mortar, at least crush Garlic

with a stone or something heavy. Don't use sliced garlic as the taste will differ. After crushing garlic, make a paste in a mixi/blender. Keep it aside. Now churn

the payir (MOONG) till froth is formed. The payir consistancy should be as thick as thick sambar. Slighly roast Dhaniya and Jeera seeds and powder it and add

immediately to payir. Boil for three to four minutes Now add salt, Turmeric. Curry leaves and paste of Ginger and Garlic and green chillies. Let the kozumbu boil

on a medium heat for atleast six minutes. Now add beaten curds and let the mixture boil for another six to seven minutes. Now temper with one spoon of Jeera

and quarter spoon of Mustard and broken chillies. After that garnish with green Kothumalli and set it aside for one hour. After an hour serve after reheating. I

am sure that this would be a very different and refreshing change . This kozumbu is to be eaten with Poori, chappathi and Rice



GREEN MOONG DAL CURRY WITH CHAPATHI:

[Madhu Sree]

nethiki ingeyum guests K.... guess what i made....vazhaikaai vadai....sennai roast...beetroot poriyal...avial...murungai & kathirikai mothai.....priya rasapodi pottu oru tomato rasam...keerai poriyal...sorakaai pottu oru thengai paal kootu...chappathi...thayir ...& kathirikai thokku from grand sweets...
sweetku only chocoloates...ithuvey eka chekka items...innum payasam or other indian sweets koduthu odiye poi irupaanga before tea & snacks....
I did all those items becoz had gone indian grocerry... athanala thaan ..apadi pogalainaa...... menu vera maathiri poi irukum....

dev...good to c u..

suvai-ngo epdi irukeenga

menu kalakkal... enakku en veettu gnabagam varudhu en amma ippadi thaan neraya samaippaanga... cookingla avlo interest...

interest irundhaa thaan ippadi seyya thonum... kalakkalsnga

[lakme]

Thanks, Kugan! I just made your soft upma for breakfast today, romba super!!

[kugan98]

Dear Lakme, here is the simple green moong dal with plantain curry.
Kugan.



MOONG DAL WITH GREEN BANANA

Ingredients:

1 cup presoaked whole green moong dal
Salt to taste
1 plantain, peel and cut into chunks

6 green chillies chopped
1 tbs of grated coconut
2 pips of garlic
2 shallots
Grind to a smooth paste

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp of oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp of cumin
2 dried red chillies cut into pieces
1 sprig curry leaves

Little lime juice (optional )

Method:
Add 2 cups of water, salt and boil the presoaked green moong dal.
Cook for about 15 minutes, add in the green banana chunks.
Add little water if needed, cook for another 10 minutes.

Now add the ground ingredients to the moong dal.
Cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the turmeric powder.

Heat a pan with the oil, add in the seasonings, let them splutter.
Pour over the cooking green moong dal. Stir and remove.
If you like you can add in little lime juice after removing from the stove.

NOTE: This curry is usually made in the villages.

THANKS TO THE NET FOR THE PICTURE:

[Lathz]

dear akka......superb meals...hmmmmm
am missing my ammas samayal now......
Prayers for Aishu to get better soon. pity her....sure she wil be suffering....
dun worry abt dschool akka....let her recover fully first....
take care akka

[FernGraebn]

Hello Kugan akka:

Yes with no planning i was doing.. Carrot halwa took couple of hours and potato was frying for almost couple of hours. I was almost praying for that dinner to get over fast... Do you use basmati rice for sambar and rasam also?? And chapatis i make with hot water and little oil, but once they cool down they get hard

Didnt go to grocery yet innaku rendu perum swimming poitu tired a veetukku vandachu..

Today dinner i made idiappam and your simple kurma recipe. Both first time.. Idiappam konjam salty aana madri oru feeling. idiappam killara appo salt correct a irukkanu eppadi kandu pidikradu?? And for the kurma in a hurry i was making and kaaram adigamayduchu.. plus mundri kotta madri paste nalla mayya ara padurathukullaye eduthu kurma la pottuten, so could feel pieces of clove and cardamom while eating..

akka, idiappam.. rice thavara mattha flour la yum pannalam illa.. like wheat, ragi.. recipe irunda epdi panradunnu solreengala..

[FernGraebn]

If you hubbers dont mind enakku oru doubt. While having idiappam today (husband ku idiappam ellam puthusu, avaru telugu so ippo dan first time saapitaru).. husband asked me what is the difference between rice and idiappam.. i said idiappam is a light dish like idli.. I donno if what i said is correct. What do you all say.. is it easier on the stomach?