Tips , tips , tips.

Dearest Chitraji..
How very nice of you to post the pictures of your kitchen for all your Indusladies. I saw them with great interest, not because of the kitchen itself, but to see the spirit of one Chitra Vishwanathan which seems to be behind every article in those pics. A very well organised...more importantly...a very functional kitchen which is providing extreme satisfaction not only to the Vishwanathan family, but many many families around the world!! Don't know when I will or if I will visit India. But whenever I do, I shall try my utmost to meet you:) Have a nice day.
L, Kamla.

Dear Kamla,
I am delighted by your message, Kamla !
I repeat again & again - where am I without all of you & I L ?
Please do visit Chennai & come home. we have all become so close over mails - should I not meet everyone of you ?
Love,
Chithra.

Home made pizza for dinner, Photo for you !

On request, I am suggesting a few ideas for combinations in everyday cooking.

Ofcourse, it varies with regions & families. I am giving a typical South Indian pattern, below.

If any family member has cholestrol, high blood pressure or diabetes, this diet pattern may not hold good. Suitable modifications have to be made, depending on the dietician’s instructions. I am not competent to do that job.

The general points to be noted are:

Try to include dhal almost everyday in the diet ( it can be tur or moong dhal). Ccoconut can be present in one dish .

A deep fried item , perhaps once a week .

Salad can be made everyday, but have different varieties .

Include keerai ( any greens) atleast on 4 – 5 days in a week.

I am assuming that you have rice & vegetable dishes for lunch ( or dinner).

Salad or raita , anyone dish is enough .

If you like to eat onions every day include in salad or raita or sambar or keerai – it depends on your style of cooking.

By nattu or nadan vegetables, I mean gourd varieties, pumpkin, brinjal, ladies’ finger, raw banana, banana stem & flower, cluster beans

English vegetables are carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, baby corn etc

(1) mixed vegetable (use nattu or nadan vegs) sambar (with sambar powder & not araichu vittu ) - vegetable (english veg) with coconut in curry – salad – rasam (can be with or without dhal) – keerai with tomatoes, onions. If you make araichu vitta sambar, do not use coconut in the vegetable curry.

(2) Morkuzhambu with a green vegetable(poosani, vendai etc) – paruppusili with any vegetable – paruppu rasam – salad ( raita will not go with morkuzambu)– keerai masiyal.If you don’t make paruppusili make a curry with dhal.

(3) mixed rice (puliyodarai etc –I mean without vegetables) – kootu with dhal & mixed vegetables – raita (salad can be omitted ) – keerai poriyal - dhal rasam

(4) molakootal (any one or combination vegs ) – vendai or kathiri puli pachadi or puliyitta keerai or any raita with curds – salad – mysore rasam – any roast curry

(5) vathakuzhambu – vegetable curry with dhal &coconut ( or paruppusili)– paruppukeerai – lemon rasam – salad or raita – instead of paruppu keerai, you can make a thogayal. Vathakuzambu can be sustituted by kara kuzambu, milaku kuzambu, garlic kuzambu or any similar kuzambu.

(6) bisibela – raita – appalam or karuvadam or chips – morkeerai – roast curry if you are not using appalam etc – rasam without dhal

(7) poricha kuzhambu (with payaru,channa etc with some vegetable ) – vegetable curry – keerai masiyal – raita or salad – dhal rasam

( vegetable pulao or fried rice – raita – keerai with coconut as kootu – dhal rasam - salad

(9) paruppurundaikuzhambu – raita – green vegetable curry with coconut – keerai masiyal – rasam without dhal

(10) Any vegetable sadam – raita – vegetable (single or more ) kootu – dhal rasam – salad – keerai poriyal

(11)Pulingari(thengayaraicha kuzhambu ) –any roast curry– raita or salad– dhal rasam

(12)Molakashyam – raita – puli kuthi curry – dhal rasam – keera

(13)Pitlai or rasavangi – vegetable curry – raita – any rasam – keerai

(14)Any masal kuzhambu with coconut :milk – plain vegetable curry – salad – keerai – dhal rasam

(15) Any thogayal – raita – mixed vegetable kootu – rasam – keerai.

(16) Vengaya sambar- potato roast – tomato or lemon rasam – raita - keerai

(17) Avial kuzambu – coconut rice – any roast – salad – paruppu rasam


(1 keerai mulakootal – thick avial – appalam or pappadum or chips - rasam

The general favourite combinations are:

Milaku kuzambu – paruppu thogayal

Morkuzambu or vathakuzambu – paruppusili

Bisibela – raita – roast curry

Rasam without dhal can be milagu rasam , jeera rasam , goddu rasam , poricha rasam etc.

Make lemon rasam on days you make vathakuzambu.

For kootu try to use a combination of dhals from moong, gram & tur dhal. “kalathukku paruppu “ ( plain cooked dhal with a dash of salt) is optional everyday – but use it when you have morkuzhambu , vathakuzhambu etc. I have omitted many more combinations because the list is endless & you can arrive at your own combinations liked by your family.

Plan menu on the previous day & when you are boiling milk & making coffee itself soak dhals in boiling water. Peel onilons the previous day.

Shastras lay down three characteristics for our food.
a) the food to be eaten should be good to look at i.e. pleasing to the eye.
b) the food should taste well.
c) and the food should be good for health.
When I do cooking , I chant shlokams so that you will not be distracted & also not get into arguement with anybody – I personally believe in positive energy & love going into the food that we prepare for our family.. Don’t think of cooking for your family as a boring or mundane chore – think of it as creative & enjoyable. If you are not religiously inclined listen to some good music when cooking.

If you have the belief , first make an offering to God & then taste to check for salt etc.

I keep Annapurani picture ( or small brass figure) in the kitchen, since She is the Goddess for food. Also I keep a picture of Kamadhenu for abundance – ofcourse all this is your option.

Well , I did’nt mean to write so long , but it just happened . Happy cooking !

Dear Chitraji,

You did it again! With the post about menu suggestions and tips, you bowled me over...once again:)
How do you do it? You are simply amazing and every line of your post reflects upon your sweetness and willingness to help others.
The last couple of suggestions about chanting slokas while cooking and placing God's figures in the kitchen, esp which ones and why simply floored me. Goodness colors all your thoughts:)
I am going to print out that post and clip it in my kitchen. Thank you:)

Written with love and admiration....Kamla.

Dear kamla,
Your praise is too sweet & embarasses me !
I just write what I follow at home ! In fact when getting us ready for school, my mother will be continuously chanting shlokas & that was how I learnt shlokams & how to find time for that in daily routine !
It is nice to know that you all like it !
Love,
Chithra.

Condensed Milk:

Beat 1 cup of hot water & 2 cups of sugar.

To the above, add & beat

Butter - 2 tbsp

Milk powder - 2 cups

Keeps for 10 days in the fridge.

Mock Cream:

Butter - 225 gms

Thick milk - 2 ½ cups

Gelatine - 2 tsp

Mix all ingredients together & heat gently so as to melt gelatin & cool.

Whisk well or beat in a liquidiser for a mte.

Cool in fridge overnight.

This can be used for garnishing or decorating puddings.

For a dropping consistency, add more milk.

Please refer to Eggless Doughnuts no: 5 in th thread " Cook & bake".
The photo of the final product & a cross section is shown.
jam doughnuts.JPG

Please refer to Eggless Doughnuts - no: 5 in the thread " Cook & Bake"
I tried making savoury doughnuts by keeping a filling of chopped small onions + chopped green chillies & coriander leaves + grated cheese.
It was very tasty & novel.

The full garlic bread looks so picturesque that I am tempted to post it !
garlic bread.JPG