Senai Kizhangu Masiyal

Elephant yam that is called senai kizhangu or karunai kizhangu in Tamil is usually preferred as fry. Elephant yam is low in glycaemic index and rich in omega 3 fatty acids while it renders a very cooling effect to the body. I had cooked ‘masiyal’ which is like a chutney variety; I slightly modified this recipe which is an inspiration from kamalascorner.com on the flow just for convenience.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1.     Elephant yam – 1 cup chopped

2.     Shallots or Madras onion – 5

3.     Tamarind – 5” long strip or 2 tbsp pulp

4.     Salt to taste

5.     Oil – ½ tbsp.

6.     Sambar powder – ½ tbsp.

7.     Mustard seeds – ½ tsp.

8.     Urad dal – ½ tbsp.

9.     Asafoetida – 1 pinch

10.  Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method:

Step 1: Wash, peel and chop yam roughly; steam cook it with salt.

Step 2: Sauté shallots in few drops of oil.

Step 3: Grind boiled yam, shallots, soaked tamarind or its pulp with enough salt into a thin paste.

 Step 4: Heat a pan and prepare tempering by: spluttering mustard seeds, frying urad dal, sprinkling asafoetida and adding curry leaves.

Step 5: To it add the ground paste and sambar powder and stir well.

 Step 6: Once you see bubbles in it and the raw smell goes, switch off the stove and transfer to serving bowl.

Step 7: Serve with hot steamed rice drizzled with ghee.

 TIPS:

*My mom adds red chili to tadka and avoids sambar powder so that no double cooking is required.

*You can sauté the chopped onion in tempering and just mash the cooked yam with the help of masher so that no mixer is required to grind.

Aapam & Thengaipaal

Aapam with coconut milk is a classic combination relished very dearly in Tamilnadu. This is generally had as a holiday breakfast as it is considered sedating and the recipes slightly vary from household to household due to choice of taste and texture. I have inherited the recipe for aapam from my mom and adapted part of the coconut milk recipe from my mom-in-law. Coconut milk is known for healing ulcers though high in saturated fat while poppy seeds have nerve soothing effect and are slightly tranquilizing.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 60 min (Soaking & Fermenting time excluded)

Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

For Aapam:

1.       Raw rice – 1 cup

2.      Idly rice – 2 cups

3.      Fenugreek – 2 tbsp

4.      Salt to taste

5.       Oil as required

For Coconut milk:

1.       Coconut – 1small

2.      Milk – ½ cup

3.      Water – ½ cup

4.      Cardamom – 3

5.       Poppy seeds – ½ tbsp.

6.      Cashew nuts – 4

7.       Sugar – 5 tbsp

Method:

Aapam:

Step 1: Wash and soak both the rice together and fenugreek separately for 2 hours.

Step 2: Grind the fenugreek for 2 minutes first and then add to it the rice and grind until a very fine texture is obtained.

Step 3: Now add slightly less salt than for dosa batter and mix it to thinner than dosa batter consistency.

Step 4: Let it ferment overnight or until it is fluffy and you smell it fermented. Then refrigerate it until use and between uses.

Step 5: For preparing aapams, heat the aapam tawa and slightly grease with oil if required; pour a ladle full of batter in the centre and rotate the tawa by holding in both the hands to flow in circle and form a nice aapam.

Step 6: Cover with lid for 2 min and take out when the centre is cooked and borders look brown. It forms a shallow bowl shape and is soft & porous in the centre and crispy on the edges.

Step 7: Serve hot with coconut milk.

Coconut milk:

Step 1: Soak poppy seeds and cashew nuts in water for an hour.

Step 2: Break and grate or chop the fresh coconut.

Step 3: Grind well the coconut, poppy seeds, cashew nuts, cardamom and sugar in the mixer jar along with the milk.

Step 4: Strain it using a mesh and collect the coconut milk in a bowl. Grind the residue once again with plain water and strain it into the previously obtained coconut milk.

Step 5: Repeat if you think the residue had some juice left in it, else discard it.

Step 6: Stir the coconut milk; adjust sugar and consistency. Refrigerate it immediately, and use within a day or two.

TIPS:

*Prepare Coconut milk an hour in advance and refrigerate it for better taste and convenience.

*Aapam requires minimum or no oil when prepared in non-stick aapam pan.

*Generally grinding in wet grinder renders better batter than mixer ground batter.

*Usually coconut milk is prepared by simply grinding the grated coconut with some water, squeezing and filtering out the milk and adding cardamom powder and sugar to it. If using ready coconut milk, thin it with water or milk, mix cardamom and sugar.

Varagu Arisi Pongal

Varagu arisi is Quinoa grain that seemed to have originated from the current day Peru region in South America. Another piece of information: this year has been announced as the international year of quinoa by United Nations. I have heard of the usage of this very nutritious grain in Tamilnadu from my grannies and have had it few times. My mom had bought me some quinoa three months back and I had cooked it only today which I share here.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 5 Min

Cooking Time: 20 Min

Quinoa/ Varagu Arisi

Ingredients:

1.       Quinoa – 1 cup

2.      Moong Dal – 1/3 cup

3.      Salt to taste

4.      Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

5.      Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

6.      Pepper corns – 1 tsp

7.      Asafoetida – 1 pinch

8.     Ghee – 2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash quinoa and moong dal and pour 3 ½ cups water, soak for 15 minutes and pressure cook with some salt and turmeric.

Step 2: Heat ghee in a tadka pan, splutter cumin seeds & pepper and sprinkle asafoetida.

Step 3: Pour the tempering over the pongal and mix well.

Step 4: Serve hot drizzling some ghee above it with coconut chutney.

TIPS:

*You can add cashew nuts, curry leaves and a couple of dry red chilies in tadka.