Whats for dinner today?

Thank u.. thank u.. thank u malathy!! Now I know I have a company here.. U wont believe how many days I make that french cut beans poriyal. Always managing with some frozen stuff..

Im still trying to do at least one of the item postd here..

Hi M and Selvi,

Hey My IDOL for cooking is Rachel Ray. I don't spend more than 30 minutes so you guessed it, i use lots of frozen veggies. Some are truly bought frozen, some I cut and freeze when ever i have time, so its easy for me to cook.

Also , I always keep extra T dal for sambhar, rasam etc.... in my fridge. So everytime I use the pressure cooker, i make a cup of dal and keep it in the fridge, so always have that handy.

I think Vathalkuzhambus/ ventahyakuzhambu etc... take the least time, I mean after thalichifying,, its just boiling time. Also My secret for P usli.... i always make extra P.usili and freeze it. So frozen veggie plus frozen P usili gets made into fresh Paruppu usili......

So no worries there, i have been through what you guys are goign through now. And M i agree, the varities of veggies we get here are so less. I also make do with frozen avarai, kothavarai, mochai, podalanga , you name it, all the frozen veggies available in the Indian store, are there in my freezer. !!!
So my freezer is always overflowing with stuff. Selvi, I use frozen parathas, cutlets, samosas etc.. all to make life easier( again sometimes i buy and sometimes i make and freeze) .

Vandhana

Vandhana,

You make me envy you by saying you spend no more than 30mins for cooking. For me deciding on what to make itself will take more than 30mins. Going to the kitchen, I would still re-think not finalizing on it.

I always find people living here say they cut and freeze even fresh veggies whenever they find time. because you will use alteast a few veggies to make different varieties like kootu, poriyal, sabji kind of a dish and sometimes put it in Sambar, right? For each of them the size of the veggie might differ and so not knowing for what you will be using how do you cut & freeze? Also, do you freeze it in ziploc bags or boxes?

Frozen and thawed veggies do they go well with P usili? I'm going to try your idea of freezing P usili. Let me see how it works for me.

Thanks for sharing your tips.

M.

Dear M,
A few tips, though may sound “desi” to N R I s !
On a free day, cook 1 cup of tur dhal & ½ cup each of moong & gtam dhal.
Freeze. Keep the first exclusively for sambar. The other two – mix or add individually to kootus. You get a variety in kootus.
When you come to Chennai next, please buy a pressure pan & a small 2 lt cooker – cooking in a jiffy is a real pleasure.
Paruppusili can always be frozen in individual ziplock covers.
Keep pottuadaklai + fried red chillies powdered ready. Comes in handy for thickening kootu deliciously ( arisi mavu – hugh! Who wants?) & of course to avoid coconuts ! There is one more powder, I gave in my thread.
Mixed sambar vegs can always be frozen.
Keep 2 vegs finely chopped, always for p usilis.
I am tempted to start a new thread on jiffy cooking – beware !
More will be "given" on asking !
Living in Chennai & cutting fresh vegs including vazathandu, I spend less than an hour in the kitchen.
Enjoy cooking, my friends - it is most relaxing !
Love,
Chithra.

I am tempted to start a new thread on jiffy cooking – beware !
More will be "given" on asking !


oh dear cv .. please do.. I asked long back .. I even started a new thread somewhere..

I dont have problem in cutting veg and cooking.. if only I could get up from this laptop and out of my couch .. no Im not that lazy.. just a little..

Vandhana, I dont believe u make 30 min meals.. U r the one making me more jealous giving out Japanese and Italian menu..

Hey, if u have time y dont u start a thread for those international recipes? I promise I would try at least one.


Tonight menu - Thai fried rice (no, I didnt make it.. carryout) for me & DH.. idli for Vish.

Dear Ms C,

No your tips are not alien to NRIs, Cause it is exactly what i do. Always keep extra paruppu ready in my fridge/freezer.
Also finely chopped fresh beans/kothavarai etc...
Yes i do have a 2litre, 7 litre and 10 litre pressure cooker along with the faithful pressure pan. Yes cooking is a jiffy.

Selvi, I cook most of my veggies in the microwave too. They get done in ,like under 10 minutes.

Hey Thai fried rice can be made in under 30 minutes lady. With all those yummy ready to cook stir fry mixes available. ..... Yes some days i make everthing from scratch. Other days , i use the help of new "technology" to cook meals ina jiffy.

Ms C, do start a thread for jiffy cooking and i can contribute a few tips there too.

Vandhana

Hey...I see a lot of you are cooking now:)

Malathy and Selvi......add me to your list. My mood swing is huge...from 'one passionately cooking day' to the other 'no food in the kitchen day'! At my age, I should be a good and solid example to young 'uns.....but I am young within:)
So, no fear, pizza irukka bhayamen?!

Like Vandhana says, cooking depends entirely on my moods. One day I want to make everything from scratch and on another, it is frozen stuff from the freezer. Like Vandhana, my freezer too is loaded all the time and yet, I will be wondering about what to cook! On a totally lethargic day, I log in and go through Chitvish's Recipe Index and slowly some energy seems to grow from within... a tip for you all to follow!

Okay, today's menu...Green pepper bath, cucumber pachadi with ground spices, okra poriyal, tomato rasam and thayir...

See you all tomorrow...L, Kamla

Its totally opposite for me kamala.. Whenever I go through CV's list, I wouldnt know what to choose and end up with my usual simple stuff..

Totally off topic, I didnt know there is a Philadelphia in NJ.. Is there Kamala?

My dera Selvi, Kamla & Vandhana,
You ask for it - now you will have it ! I will not leave you, my friends !
I am taking a short break too ( following enga oorkkarar! ), not as long as him, though !
After I come back, I will give all my shortcut methods, ready to keep powders etc.
Though I have given daily menu, I get many P M s asking for menus for - breakfast, lunch, dinner - get togethers. So I am thinking on those lines also . V, you are welcome to pitch in with all N R I hints.
Now I think, the more - the merrier !
Love,
Chithra.

hello


maduraiyil enna
ther thiruvizhaava
ithanai per viduppinil..
sollamal kollamal
selgirargalo
pattu pattai udithukkondu
kondada...
sollamal solgirargalo
seminaarellam
paper paperaai nirappa?
innum yaaro ulagamellam
sutrugirargal..
oruvar caribeean island nu
solli... j kolla vaikkiraargal
kandippaga sollividavendum?
viduppu letter kodukkaamal
letteril
vizhavukku sendraal
engalukkum azhaippu..?..
cruise povathaga irunthaal
anubavangalai post cardil...

anbuthollaiyay pala PM gal
kandippaaga mugavari thedi varumenru....

sathya