CASHEW FRUIT MOR KUZHAMBU

Cashew apple or cashew fruit it is called, is the fleshy part of the cashew fruit attached to the cashew nut.  The top end of the apple is attached to the stem that comes off the tree and the bottom end is attached to the nut, which is encased in a shell.

The curry is made with the cashew apple as well as the fresh cashew nut also.  The cashew apple can be eaten fresh, cooked in curries, fermented into vinegar as well as an alcohlic drink.. It is also used to make preserves, chutneys, and jams in some countries such as India and Brazil. It is also used to flavor drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic in some parts of the country.

Today I made Cashew fruit mor kuzhambu and Sambhar as I purchased the same when I went to market.  If  I keep the same for tomorrow, it might lose the freshness so tried both the recipes.

Let us look at the recipe now.  Some more information is given below the recipe which you can read it after going through the recipe of the dish.

POTATO VADA a different version

Potato vada  or Batata vada is a street side snack of Mumbai and liked by all.  Potato vada along with a pav, red and green chutney is a yummy snack which fill your stomach.  Can have with a cup of tea or coffee.  The potato masala is made into small balls and dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried.  The real vada is made as mentioned in the vada pav recipe.

Here I am presenting a different method of making this vada.  Instead of dipping the same in the gram flour batter, the gram flour is mixed with the potato masala and deep fried.

I am sure you will like this version too as it is very delicious.

Now let us look at the recipe:

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RICE DAL MIX DHOKLA

Dhokla is a famous snack recipe of Gujarat.  We all love to eat dhokla with green chutney any time.  It is a spongy cake made out of the gram flour melt in the mouth if prepared systematically in the proper manner.

Here I have tried the dhokla with the rice and dal batter we make for making Adai.  The same batter I used to make the dhokla and stir fried and deep fried also.  The steamed ones also can be eaten with chutney but the taste of stir fried like the idly fry and the deep fry is really awesome.

The mixture of dal and the rice is a healthy and is a different version dhokla.  Hope you will definitely enjoy this and can be served with chutney or as it is.

Let us look at the recipe now:

AAPPAM

Kerala style appam can be made with yeast or without yeast.  The original recipe is made with the toddy i.e Kallu.  But it is very difficult to get the fresh toddy hence we can make it with yeast or without yeast.  The purpose of adding the yeast or toddy(kallu)  is to help the batter to rise in the centre  of the  appam.

The appam is served with Potato Stew or kadala curry or any curries veg or non veg.  It is a healthy breakfast.  I used to have with the thenga chammanthi also. (coconut red chutney).  Here I have made this aappam without yeast.  I personally try to avoid, yeast, baking soda etc. but when it is required, we have to add it,if there is no other alternative.

Some people are allergic to urid dal and cannot consume the same.  This recipe is useful to such people as they would love it since it is minus urid dal.

Whenever you visit Kerala, do not miss this dish.

Let us look at the recipe now:

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PAASI PARIUPPU KANJI

Paruppu Kanji  is some what like the Paruppu Pradhaman but not exactly the s the pradhaman as certain rich ingredients are not included in the kanji.  During my childhood, my  grandmother used to give this kanji for breakfast.

I used to love this kanji and when I started making it, I used to add little bit of dalia i.e. cracked wheat or lapsi you can call it.  Normally, coconut milk is used as we are using jaggery.  If we use the normal milk,  sometimes, it will curdle hence the milk is added just before serving.   My grandma used to add milk  while serving, after preparing the kanji so that it cools down bit and the milk will  not curdle.

 The Paruppu Kanji along with sweet dosa i.e. vella dosa  provides the staying power of protein as well as a bit of sugar for energy for keeping up the spirited chanting of bhajans. 

It is a traditional offering for Sivarathri festival which falls during the  winter season.  After fasting the whole day, family members, friends, and neighbors gather together give support to each other for staying awake the entire night praying, singing, and chanting melodious songs and bhajans in praise of Lord Siva.  My mother used to say that we should not sleep in the night during shivrathri.  It is really fun to sit together in the thinnai (veranda ) in the gramama (village)  all together to keep oneself awake during shivrathri.

Maha Shivratri  means the Great Night of Shiva, is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the Lord Shiva.   It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers whole  night, fasting etc.  Ardent devotees keep awake all night, others visit the temple.

This year Sivarathri falls on February 24th of this month.   My friend Seetha Hariharan after going through the blog asked for the recipe.  That time only I realised that I have not posted this though en number of time I have prepared and taken photographs of it.  

Happy Shivrathri to all of you and may the lord bless us. And the recipe for my friend Seetha too.

Now let us look at the recipe :

PANCHMEL DAL VADI

Panch means five.  Mixing up of five varieties of dal and making a dish out of it.  The panchmel dal vadi is made out of five dals viz. urid, chana, masoor, moong and tuvar.  We make adai mixing up of dals with rice and is prepared on the tava.  the same batter can be steamed, cut and served along with chutney or sambhar.  The same can be fried too.

This vaid is also similar to that style.  Grind it,  by adding some spice in it, steam it, cut it and serve as it is with chutney or deep fry and serve.  

Normally, we make kothmir vadi with the gram flour and the process is steaming, cutting and shallow frying or deep frying.  The method of preparation is similar to that only.

This is a healthy dish as most of the dals are used in it.  A snack item which can be prepared and keep it in fridge one day ahead and can be fried the next day when you want it.

You can also add onion, carrots, crushed green peas, coconut, peanut in the batter.  Pinch out some and deep fry.  another way of preparation.

So let us look at the recipe now:

BREAD MEDU VADA

vada is liked by all especially when it is served hot with sambhar.  Medu vada is a South Indian dish made for breakfast and as snack too.  The hot medu vadas dunked in sambhar with chutney is awesome and can be had at any point of time.

We are familiar with the preparation of medu vada.  I decided to add some left over bread which I had with me i.e. two slices of bread and side pieces of four slices.  Bread medu vada is a best out of waste dish for you I am sharing here.  I am sure you will love it.

Let us look at the recipe now:

VEGETABLE RICE BHAKRI

Bhakri is the specialty of Maharashtrians.  They make the bhakri with jowar, bhajra and nachni and even with rice flour.  The ari pathri is made in Kerala with rice flour.  It is a flat bread  made without any yeast or raising agents.  Basically, it is served with Jhunka, a dish made out of gram flour, lasoon chutney, thecha etc.  It is famous in Gujarat, Goa , Rajasthan and North Karnataka too.

Today I made the rice bhakri with some vegetables in it.  Since I always prefer to prepare healthy and  some variety of food for my children, I tried this and was delicious.

After the recipe, you can have a glance about the story of bhakri.

Let us look at the recipe now:

HARBARA HALVA, CHOLIYA HALVA

Fresh Green Chikpeas  or garbanzo beans or choliya or hara chana is known as in Mumbai is also called Harbara.  This juicy tender fresh green chana is also a great snack.  You can eat them raw or steam with some kala namak i.e Indian rock salt.

We can make subzi out of this, halva, poori and parathas too.  This contains Vitamin C, E, K and B Complex vitamins,folate and the minerals viz. magnesium, zinc an pantothenic acid.  They are high in dietary fibres too.  Saute some in olive oil, put some sea salt and enjoy the taste.  It can be tossed into stir fries, salads and combined with sweetcorn and green or red bell pepper also make an awesome chat.

I tried poori and paratha with it. It was awesome like any other parathas.  Since we are getting the same during the season, we can enjoy it.

Now let us look at the recipe of making the halva

CHINESE BREAD

Children as well as adults are crazy about chinese food.  I am not very fond of it but occasionally, I eat only fried rice and manchurian.  I cannot stand for the noodles somehow. 

I tried chinese bread recipe as I had some bread left with me and the sides of the bread after cutting for sandwich.   You can include all kinds of vegetables in it as everyone would love to eat this.

The crunchiness of vegetables and the crunchy bread crumbs in it make this dish delicious.  If you have the vegetables and bread in hand, this is an easy snack for the guests who arrive in your house without any notice.

You can either deep fry the bread or shallow fry the same with little ghee to make it crispy.

Now et us look at the recipe:

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