IDICHAKKA PUZHUKU, TENDER JACKFRUIT SUBZI

Summer started and we get lot of mangoes, jackfruits during this season.  We make pickles out of tender mangoes called vadu mangai and with the matured mangoes also pickles are  made.  Similarly, we make Idichaka thoran with tender jackfruit and puzhuku.  With the jackfruit bulbs also we make puzhku, pulinkari etc.  

Jam is prepared with the ripe jackfruit bulb and chips are made with raw jackfruit.  We had several trees in our house and varieties which I cannot express now as they all were very sweet and tasty.  

During our childhood, we really enjoyed this fruit.   My servant had gone to native place and yesterday she gave me  the tender jackfruit, tamarind etc.   I wanted to make the puzhuku as I realised that I have not posted the puzhuku.  Hence I decided to make the puzhuku with the tender jackfruit which I served along with Phulka.  It tastes very good with rice actually.

It is made with karamani and a simple preparation which goes well withe Chapati, Phulka and rice also.

Let us look at the recipe now:

IDICHAKA PUZHUKU

OLIYA, SWEET YOGHURT RICE

OLIYA is a pudding with rice and yoghurt with lots of dry fruits in it and is a festive dish.    If you wish, you can also put fresh fruits in it.  This dish  I tasted from my neighbour who is a Jain Marwadi.  She always share with us whatever she made and this dish was new to me. Today, they are supposed to have only cold food for which they make the same on the previous day and keep in fridge. The festival is called Shitla Satam.

We used to have Pal chadam ie. Rice with milk and sugar or sugar candy added in  curd rice.  But this I never thought would taste so good. Though we make sweet lassi, I did not even think of making this rice.

It is really tasty and you would also love this.  Once in a while, you can switch over to this dish rather than having the regular curd rice.

Let us look at the recipe now:

OLIYA, SWEET YOGHURT RICE

SINDHI KADHI

Sindhi Kadhi or Kadhi Chawaran  is a traditional dish made by Sindhis.  This is basically made with besan and vegetables and no dal, coconut etc. is used in this.  

Drumstick, lady's fingers, cluster beans, potato etc. is used in making this kadhi which is served hot with plain rice. 

I happened to taste this dish from my neighbour.  Since so many days I wanted to make this dish on my own and could not succeed as  the gram flour is under cooked or over cooked as such the taste of the dish was very vague and could not understand where I went wrong.  When I told her about this, she came to  my house to demonstrate the recipe and we enjoyed the lunch together with the kadhi, some rice papad, kurudai etc. and the vazhathandu pickle.

Since the consistency and the colour of the kadhi comes from the besan and the taste lies in the method of frying the besan in oil.  

This kadhi is best served during winter and rainy season but normal days also you can enjoy it.

SINDHI KADHI

Let us look at the recipe now:

KICHADI WITH MANATHAKALI LEAVES

Manathakali leaves are having medicinal values so also the manathakali.  My stomach was upset and I do not want to have any heavy food.  I thought of making kichadi for dinner.  When I went to water the plants, saw the manathakali plant which was in my balcony garden.  So I decided to make kichadi with the leaves along with moongdal and rice.  You can also use samai arisi for this.

Since I want to have light food in the night, I prepared this and had it with the Wet Narthangai which I had brought from Nagercoil when we visited one of my husband's colleague there.

Coming back to the recipe, I prepared this for the dinner and served hot with narthangai and roasted papad to my husband.  I just had the kichadi with narthangai and was very tasty.

Let us look at the recipe now:

kichadi with manathakali leaves

SAMAI ARISI IDLI AND DOSA

Idli, sambar and chutney is prepared for breakfast in every  South Indian household.  Now a days, it is the best breakfast in everybody’s house.  Normally, it is made with white rice or brown rice.  I tried  the idli and dosa today with samai arisi  and was happy with the outcome.  Hence sharing the recipe with you.

Bhagar is also known as samai arisi, chama ari, vari tandul etc.  The idli and dosa made out of this was very tasty.  I would say, we can replace the normal rice with the millets.

                                                            SAMAI ARISI IDLI AND DOSA

   Let us look at the recipe now:

BRINJAL CHUTNEY WITHOUT COCONUT

BRINJAL CHUTNEY WITHOUT COCONUT is very easy to prepare and tastes good with dosa, idli.  If you grind them thick, you can use as Thogayal for dal rice, curd rice etc.

If your coconut consumption is limited due to any illness, we can try various chutneys with vegetables.  Since I made dosa today and do not want to use coconut, I tried this chutney and liked by every one.

This is the way to make may family members the brinjal otherwise, they do not like to have the subzis made out of this.

Let us look at the recipe now:

BRINJAL CHUTNEY WITHOUT COCONUT.

OLE KAJU USAL

Ole kaju means fresh kaju.  During summer, I have seen the village ladies in the market selling it in Watas means they keep a certain quantity on leaf and price them for Rs.10/- Rs.20/- etc.  If you take three watas, if the cost is Rs.60/- they might give you for Rs.50/- but in this case she was reluctant to give as  the cashews are costly plus getting wet kaju is difficult.

This is a konkan belt dish.  konkan curries are basically prepared in coconut gravy.  Fresh nuts melt in mouth and are very flavourful.  This can be served with bhakari/rice etc.

So far I have not prepared this and wants to try the subzi out of this.  Hence I just bought only one watta i.e. may be around 1/4 cup another 1/4cup I will be adding the dry kaju soaked in  warm water for 8-10 hours as told my neighbour as she is from Konkan.area.

Let us look at the recipe now: 

IDLI RAVA, BHAGAR, DAL KOZHUKKATTAI

I had some  idli rava and bhagar very little quantity in fridge.  I thought of making use of it with some dal.  Actually I had some Adai batter in the fridge and thought of mixing in it but the quantity will be huge and I am the only person to eat adai at home. 

Hence thought of making kozhukkattai with it.   It really tasted good with chutney and sambar.

Actually, my neighbour always share her pooran poli with me during the festival of holi,  in return I always make some South Indian Breakfast for her.  So today, I made this kozhukkattai for her  and the recipe is here for you too.

Let us look at the recipe now:

IDLI RAVA, BHAGAR, DAL KOZHUKKATTAI

millet kozhukkatai, tinai, kappa kozhukkattai, lapsi pidi kozhukkattai,  upma kozhukkatai,

SWEET AND SOUR MANGO PICKLE WITHOUT OIL

Mango season is on and mouth is watering when I see mangoes in the market.  Recently I bought a kg of mangoes for making vadu mangai.  Since they  do not allow us to select, there were uneven size small, medium and bigger ones.  Normally, we get the mangoes almost in same size but now a days, it is very difficult to get them.  We had to really hunt for it.  I checked with Thane and Mulund market and finally got it from Mani shop that too only one kg.

During this season, every one is busy making various kinds of pickles.

Coming back to the recipe, there were bigger ones in the lot so I decided to make sweet and sour mango pickle with it.  The idea was given to me by one of my colleagues when I shared the instant mango pickle with them.  She told me to add jaggery in it but I added some other ingredients too in it and it was awesome.

Let us look at the recipe now:

MANGO MASTANI

Mango mastani is a drink with a dollop of ice cream and chopped nuts which is quite filling.  During mango season, do not miss this drink as you would love to make it again and again.  

Infact, this post is lying in my draft for the past one year and some how I could not publish it.  Now the mango season is on,  and the heat also, a drink like this is awesome to satisfy/quench your thirst and hunger.

As I was going through the draft, I saw this today and decided to publish it.

Let us look at the recipe now: