Indian Cooking Challenge - Gulab Jamun :)

Decoration: Used red paper roses that I recently made. :)

Gulab Jamun!!! the name makes me melt for it :)

If you give me a choice of pizza and dosa, I would choose dosa.
If you give me a choice of cake or ice cream, I would easily say ice cream.
If you give me a choice of Juice or coffee, I would jump for juice.

But give me any choice with Jamun, I would royally go for GULAB JAMUN. I would not mind to miss anything for this tasty treat.

It is one of the best sweets that I would always relish. Guess this would be a common say of all. :)

Here I am at the last moment for the India Cooking Challenge - Gulab Jamun :)

Ingredients:

Khova - 1 cup (250 gms)
Maida - 1/2 cup (all purpose flour)
Baking soda - a pinch
Oil/Ghee - for frying

Sugar syrup:

Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup

Method:

Mix khoya, maida and baking soda together pouring in just a little water to it. Kneed gently and keep it closed for 10 min.

Now roll small balls from the dough that you mixed. The shape can be a perfect round or oval. Make it the way you like it :)

For the sugar syrup, heat together water and sugar for a while. When it starts bubbling up, simmer the stove and let it go on for 10 min until one thread consistency is reached. Switch off and keep it aside.

Now deep fry the jamuns on low heat till it gets cooked evenly. Remove and drain the excess oil. Add the jamuns in sugar syrup and let them get soaked well for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve them warm or cold. I love them anyways and I know you too will love it :)

Decoration: Used red paper roses that I recently made. :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Chutney Mela! Part - 1

Chutneys are one of the most vital side dishes of South India. There are so many varieties and variations in making them. Each of them have their own flavor and taste.

Their companionship with tiffin varieties are so much relished. :) Don't you agree with me????

I am presenting 8 types of chutneys in this post and I am sure to present lots more in the next part. :)

Curd/Marjiga Chutney

Ingredients:

Curd - 3 tbsp
Coconut - 3 tbl sp
Roasted gram - 1 tblsp
Red Chilly - 3
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 2 pods
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - for taste

Method:

Grind all the ingredients together into a fine paste. Season it with mustard and curry leaves.
This chutney has to be a little watery. Serve this with idly and dosa. :)

Onion Chutney

Ingredients:

Onion - 2
Green chilly - 2
Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp
Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Salt - for taste

Method:

Grind all the ingredients together and season with mustard and curry leaves.

This chutney goes best with pongal. :)

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

Tomato - 2
Onion - 1
Green chilly - 1
Red chilly - 2
Coconut - 2 tbl sp
Roasted gram - 1 tbl sp
Salt - for taste

Method:

Chop tomatoes, onion and green chillies roughly. Fry them along with red chillies for a while. Now grind all the other ingredients along with the fried vegetables into a fine paste. Finally season it with mustard and curry leaves.
This chutney goes best with dosa. yummmmm :)

Garlic Chutney

Ingredients:

Garlic - 1 full
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Salt - for taste

Method:

Grind garlic, chilly powder and salt together into a very fine paste. Now add lemon juice to it and mix well. Finally season it with mustard and curry leaves.

Note: You can substitute lemon juice with turmeric paste too. Add 2 tsp of oil for seasoning. This chutney is meant to be glossy. :)

Serve it with coconut dosa, rice dosa etc..

Urad Dhall Chutney

Ingredients:

Urad dhall - 1 tbsb
Red chillies - 3
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - for taste
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Method:

Take a spoon of oil in a pan and fry urad dhall and red chillies. Now grind this with all the other ingredients and finally season it with mustard.

Tri Color Chutney

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

Coconut - 3 tbl sp Roasted gram - 1 1/2 tbl sp Green chilly - 1 or 2 Tamarind paste - 1 tsp Asafoetida - a pinch Salt - for taste

Method:

Grind all the ingredients together into a fine paste and season it with mustard and curry leaves.

Coriander Chutney

Ingredients:

Coriander leaves - a bunch
Coconut - 3 tbl sp
Green chilly - 1 or 2
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - for taste

Method:

Grind all the ingredients together into a fine paste and season it with mustard and curry leaves.

Red Chutney

Ingredients:

Coconut - 3 tbl sp
Red chilly - 2
Onion - 1
Roasted gram - 1 tblsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - for taste


Method:

Grind all the ingredients together into a fine paste and season it with mustard and curry leaves.
Serve it with idly or dosa. :)


I am happy to send these Chutneys to "Spicy Fiery Chutneys" event conducted in Ammaji Recipes blog and to "Pickles and chutneys" event conducted in Sreesha's Mom's recipe blog.

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Green Apple Jam

Decoration: Used a red apple to carve a box with a flowery lid :) Sorry exhausted all the green apples for the jam!

I am a perfect Jam Jam Jammy.. love jam a lot that I can eat it just like that, with bread, dosa, Chapathi, Poori and so on.. even with biscuits you know!! So jam always has a special place in my fridge.

Green apples are sometimes sour and you might not like to eat it that way. The best use you can modify it to is green apple jam. For a person with sweet tooth like me, sugar with anything can make it heavenly. :)

Try this Jam and be a Jammy!!!

Ingredients:

Apple pulp - 1 cup(2 large green/red apples)
Sugar - 1 cup
Citric acid - 1/2 tsp
Food color - a pinch
Sodium benzoate - 1/4 tsp (preservative)

Method:

Remove the skin of the apple and slice them into small pieces. Grind them in the mixie to make the pulp. Measure the pulp in the cup and take equal amount of sugar for preparation. Now take the pulp and the sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and add citric acid to it. Keep stirring it in high flame till it becomes thick(Jam consistency). Once done switch off the flame and add the food color and mix it evenly. Take a tsp of water and dilute the sodium benzoate and then add it to the jam mixing it well. Apple jam is ready to eat.. :)

You can store this jam in the refrigerator for around 6 months.

Note: You can use any fruit or even mixed fruit pulp to make this jam in the same way.

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Cream of Cabbage Soup

Decoration: Used the paper flowers that I made to match the soup :)

Purple is my favorite color and soup is my favorite dish.. Both together is a super good feast to my eyes and tongue! :)

I am sure anyone would get fascinated with this purple soup. The color is so attractive and it taste like heaven :)

Ingredients:

White onion - 1
Finely chopped fresh cabbage(purple or normal) - 1 cup
Butter - 1 tbl sp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 2 pods
Salt - for taste
Sugar - a pinch
White pepper - for taste

Method:

Peel and chop onion into fine pieces. Heat butter in a pressure pan and fry crushed garlic and then add the chopped onion to it and fry for a while in reduced flame taking care not to discolor the onions. Add chopped cabbage and fry for few more minutes. Now pour in just enough water to cover the pieces and pressure cook till one whistle in reduced flame.

Cool the contents and reserve one Tbl spn of cooked cabbage separately. Blend the rest in a mixie and strain well. Now dilute it with the milk and some water if needed. Add the cooked cabbage pieces, salt and pepper powder and heat it for a while.

Serve it hot adding some cheese on top. :) Enjoy making :)

Thanks a million to each of you who voted for me for the "Festival feast" event that was conducted by Solkadi.com. Without your constant support I am sure I would have not won the event.



Thanks a lot to Asha of Asra Ashaon Ka for awarding me with a whole bunch of awards. I am so excited and happy to receive it from you. Would definitely keep up your expecations and would give you all my best always. Thanks a lot for your encouragement and support.



I would love to share this happiness and awards with all my fellow bloggers. :)


Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Coriander(Parsley/Cilantro) Rice

I fondly call Coriander rice as green rice. I have never said no to this rice even when I was a naughty kid who used to deny food. :) Its simple, yummy and attractive. :)

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Green chillies - 4-5(according to your taste)
Garlic - 10 pods
Salt - for taste
Oil

Method:

Grind coriander leaves, garlic and green chillies together into a fine paste adding little water to it and keep it aside. Cook the rice, coconut milk and water together in a pressure cooker. When you find steam coming out, open the pressure pan, add the ground paste, oil and adequate salt to it and mix well. Close the pan and allow it cook for just one whistle.

Coriander rice is ready to eat :) Serve it with your favorite choice of raitha.

Happy eating :)


Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com