Peanut-Sesame Powder/Verkadalai-Ellu Podi

I m an ardent fan of Aval Vikatan. Not only for the Good Articles, also for the Recipe Supplementary they give. :)
Peanut-Sesame powder/Verkadalai ellu podi recipe i took it from the supplementary issue. If you areTired of the normal paruppu podi and dosai milagai podi, try this, it taste good.

Ingredients
Verkadalai/Peanut/Groundnut - 1 cup (Skinless)
White Sesame Seeds - 1/4 cup
Kadalai paruppu/Gram Dal/chana Dal - 2 tsp
Red Chillies - 6-8nos.(if you want it less spicy, make it 3-4)
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - one tight fist
hing/asafoetida - a pinch

Method
Dry roast Peanuts, chana dal and red chillies, curry leaves. Let it cool. Grind to them fine powder. The original recipe doesnt include chana dal, but i added a lil for that kara kara coarse taste.

Tastes Divine with Hot Rice and Appalams.
,
For Making Mixed Rice with this

Heat oil in a kadai, Splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, Add chana dal, add one green chillie. Pour this seasoning over rice and add peanut-sesame powder and mix well. Add salt if required.  Enjoy with Appalams or Chips

Puran Poli

Puran Poli can be easily associated with Maharashtra and is its most popular dish. It is made mostly during holi when the bonfire is lit.

I got this Recipe  from my Lil sister. She cooks good Maharastrian Food, Settled in bombay for the past 3 years, she has literally become a Maharastrian Woman. She talks Good Marathi too. I m here in Dubai for the past 5 years, i would have learned only 3 or 4 words in arabic, whereas she talks good marathi, like a marathi. Her Tamil, now-a-days is Marathish. Way 2 go girl!!!!

Now comes the recipe

Ingredients

For Poli

Wheat flour -  1 cup

All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1/2 cup

ghee - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water - for making the dough.

Mix all the above ingredients, knead well and make a soft dough.

For Poli
Chana Dal/Gram Dal/Kadalai Parupu -  1 cup
Jaggery/Vellam - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp
Cardamom -  a pinch

Soak Chana Dal overnight, and pressure cook it until soft. Mash it well. Heat a Kadai Add Jaggery and Mashed Chana Dal, Mix well. Cook it on a low flame, Add Ghee little by little, When the Puran Starts leaving the sides and comes together(thirandu varum, i m not able to find a word for this), Add cardamom and take it off the flame.

Now Divide the dough to 10 Balls. Roll each ball in to a small disc, take a small ball of Puran(2 -3 tbsp), keep it in the center and close it using the sides of the dough and now roll slowly lightly to make a small disc.

Cook both sides using ghee on a hot tava.

Tasted Great. Since it has got wheat and maida, was very light on the tummy too.

If you save the excess water after boiling the chana dal.  To this,  add a clove of crushed garlic, 1 or  2 tsp of red chilli powder,  1 or 2 tbsp of mashed chana dal, and  Salt to taste. Season it with mustard seeds and curry leaves and Cook it until the rawness of the chilli powder goes. This Katachi Amti makes a great combo for puran poli.

Packing this Poli to RCI - Mumbai Event Hosted by Lakshmi Venkatesh of Kitchen Chronicles, Event Started by Lakshmi Krishnan of Veggie Cuisine

Mediterranean Goodness

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

1 medium spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives

1/2 cup feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove seeds.  Place cut sides face down on cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Bake 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Saute until onion becomes tender. Stir in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.   Add olives.   

Use a fork to remove the pulp from the squash.  Mix into sauteed vegetables. Garnish with feta.