Just to share with you………………

My mom  always used to cook semiya in a normal way. Pour oil in tawa, temper then fry onion and chillies and add water. Once it starts boiling add vermicelli and cook.  But once in my grandma’s place Palappampatti ( in one of my brothers house) I had a semiya  which is made in a different way .  They soaked vermicelli in water for 2 mins then steam  cooked it and then fried as usual . I remember I had this when I was in my 11th standard.

After marriage, I started my cooking and always want to try something different. Sometimes I try to recollect something which I had is cooked in a different way and customize according to my own way of cooking. This tomato semiya is one such thing. Hope you will really enjoy this.

Most people won’t like semiya(vermicelli). Hope if you start cooking vermicelli in this way everybody will like it.  Hope this  will come very well with ANIL semiya which is available in TamilNadu,India. since I counld find that brand here I used Bambino vermicelli for my cooking.

                                Diced Tomato                                   

Tomato Semiya

Ingredients:

1. Vermicelli       – 1 and 1/2 cup
2. Dice tomato ( can use canned) – 1 cup
3. Chopped onion      -  1/2 cup ( u can add more also)
4. green chilli slitted  – 2
5. Red chilli powder   – 1/4 tsp
6. Turmeric powder – a pinch (optional)
7. oil – 2 tsp
8. salt – as needed
9. Mustard , corriander and curry leaves for tempering

Preperation:

1. wash and soak Bambino vermicell for 1 min.
2. In steam idli maker .  Put wet cloth on plate and spread the vermicelli over the top and steam cook it for 5-10 mins. If you do someother way of steam cook that is also fine.  We need steam cooked Vermicelli/semiya.
3. Blend the tomato in mixer. (not too fine)
4. Heat the tawa.  Pour oil and temper mustard and cury leaves.
5. Add onion and green chilli and fry well.  Then add the blended tomato.  Add  a picnch of turmeric powderand salt and mix well.
6. Now add the steamed vermicelli  to it and mix well .   Sprinke water  and keep mixing. If you feel itz fully done. Swtich of the stove and garnish vermicelli with corriander leaves.

 Tips

 I tried only with tomato since tomato is my favourite. You can try this with mixed vegetables(like Vegetable birayani),  Lemon (like lemon rice) ,  coconut (like coconut rice) and Tamarind ( like tamarind rice).

Just to share with you………

Madathukulam(close tp Palani) is native. We have a very good neighbour  during my college days(Bsc) . Her name is Neela and she is only one year elder than me but she got married.

We both used to try different varieties often.  Raddish has one smell which I don’t like.  One day my friend Neela ‘s(I used to call her as akka)  mom visited her and that night she gave me  two different chutney’s to try. One is Raddish Chutney and the other is Sesame (ellu) chutney. Those two are really different and I have never tasted before. I just asked her mom how to make it. But since it was a long time from now I forgot all.

Last week I bought Raddish .  I made sambar twice but still some more was left  I don’t to how to i that.  Suddenly I remembered what I had from Neela akka. With a vague idea I tried it . It came out well . Though  itz not traditional as they made it this is a modern version which is good.

Raddish/ Mullangi Chutney

Ingredients:

1. Raddish  (cutted into small pieces)    -  1 cup
2. Redchilli                                            -  4 ( u can decide)
3. salt                                                   -  little
4. Tamarind                                          – little
5. cocounut (1 teaspoon)                     – optional

Preparation:

1. Fry all the ingredients with little oil. Fry till Raddish turns little brown.
2. Cool and grind. Raddish chutney is ready.
3. If needed you can temper mustard and cury leaves.

Just to Share with you…..

Last time when I went to India I had red chilli chutney for the first time.  Red chilli chutney is nothing but grinding  dry redchilli,little tamarind,salt in the stone grinder (used in villages). True taste of this lies in the tool which they are used for grinding.  After coming back to India , oneday while browsing I found a new modern version of chilli chutney . Itz nothing but Red Pepper chutney. I tried it. Itz really good but not hot like what I had in India which is made of  dry red chilli.

Red Pepper chutney

Ingredients

1. Red Capsicum - 1
2. Fresh green chilles which turned as red Chillies – 3 to 4 according to taste
3. Jaggery – Little (optional those who can’t bare the hot of capsicum can use this)
4. Salt to taste
5. Tamarind – Small lime size
6. Oil
7. Hing

For Tempering

1. Mustard Seeds
2. Urad dal
3. Curry leaves.

Preparation:

1. Chop the Capsicum and Chillies and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a tawa and fry this Chilli pieces (both chillies) until the raw smell goes away.
3. Cool and  grind it along with Jaggery (optional), Tamarind, Salt and Hing.
4. Heat one tsp of oil and temper the Mustard Seeds, urad Dal and Curry leaves.

Tips

If you feel that chutney is having raw smell then take one tawa first temper with the ingredients then add the grinded chutney in to it and fry that for few mins.

Another Variation

• You can dry roast Urud dal and channa dal  and grind along. This will make you chutney little coarse not too fine paste. Hope Many likes chutney in coarse form.
• You can add little onion and coconut too. 

Just to share with you……

Chettinad chicken is one of my all time favourites among chicken dishes. Chettinad is a small part in southern tamilnadu which is famous world over for its unique cuisine.The flavour of freshly grinded chillies, coriander and fennel, coconut and all other spices gives it a fiery taste.Once you taste any chettinad dish you will never forget the taste of it. In today’s version, chicken is simmered in coconut milk and gets its unique flavor from a blend of quite a few spices like fennel seeds, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, pepper corns, cardamoms and cumin to name a few. Bit of preparation goes into the making of this curry and there is no short cut method and if you have the time and the ingredients on hand, only then start to prepare and please don’t compromise with the ingredients if you want that authentic flavor.

Chettinad Chicken curry

Ingredients:

Make a paste:

1. green chillis – 2
2. garlic flakes – 8
3. ginger – 1?
4. poppy seeds (soak in warm water for 10 mts)  -  1 tsp

Roast and make a powder:

1. pepper corns – 1/2 tsp
2. cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
3. fennel seeds – 3/4 tsp
4. coriander seeds – 1 1/2 tbsps
5. dry red chillies – 6 to8
6. cardamoms – 2
7. cinnamon – 1?
8. curry leaves – 6-7

9. tsp oil – 1/2

Preparation:

1.  Drizzle a vessel with oil and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, red chillis, cardamoms, cinnamon and curry leaves on medium heat stirring constantly for 2 mts. Remove from fire, cool and grind to a powder.
2.  Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, green chillies and poppy seeds. Keep aside.
3.  Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the small onions and curry leaves and saute till transparent.
4.  Add the ground paste and cook for a minute before adding the chicken and cook on high heat for approx 4 mts and do stir the chicken once in a while.
5.  Reduce to medium heat, add salt, turmeric pwd and tomatoes and combine well. Let the chicken cook in this for 4-5 mts, uncovered.
6.  Now add the coconut milk and transfer the contents to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4 mts or until one whistle. Open lid and combine well.
7.  Finally add the ground masala pwd and cook for 3 mts. Turn off heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
8.  Serve hot with white steamed rice, biryani, chapatis or dosas.

Tips

Adjust the green chillis, red chillis and pepper corns according to your spice level. Ensure that the chicken doesn’t pressure cook for more than one whistle, as it could get mushy if pressure cooked beyond the required time. In fact, mutton is usually used for this recipe but it tastes equally good with chicken.