A Typical South-indian Lunch Box

Packing Lunch Boxes is a daily routine to many of us. When RV came up with Tiffen-Box Event, i was a bit happy we can show off our tiffen boxes. to my Surprise, didnt get time to Click the Tiffen in the Morning hurry!!!! And by the time, i finish off all my work, i go lazzzzzzzzzyyyyy to click it again.

Now 2morrow the event ends, so kicked my ....... and got off to work.

Here is the menu for Today's Lunch Box
Sweet Potato Araithuvitu Kuzambu
Potato Fry
Curd Rice with cucumber chops

Ingredients

For the Kuzambu/Gravy

1 medium sized Sweet Potato, Cut into cubes

1 medium size tomato

Tamarind a ball size of medium-size lemon

Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp

hing, turmeric a pinch

Salt to taste

Curry leaves 2 sprigs

1/2 tsp Ajwain/Omam

1/2 tsp methi seeds

For Grinding

1 tbsp freshy grated coconut

1 small onion

1/2 tsp gram dal

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

curry leaves

Roast Coriander seeds and gram dal separately with lil oil and Grind it to paste with the remaining ingredients with lil water.

Method.

Soak Tamarind in water and extract a thick pulp. I normally soak it @ night, so it is easy for me in the morning to make sambhar/Kuzambhu.

Heat a oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, when it crackles, add hing, methi seeds and ajwain. Saute it for a minute, add onion and saute. Then add Sweet potato cubes and tomato and saute well for a minute or two. Add Tamarind pulp, add sambhar powder.

Let the Veggies get cooked. When Sweet potato is cooked and rawness of the Sambhar powder fades, add the grinded paste and let it cook on a low flame for 5 minutes and take it off the flame.

Let it cool for 10 minutes, then mix it up with rice and serve/pack.  While packing for lunch, add enough gravy, so that it doesnt dry up for the lunch.

Curd Rice

1 medium size cucumber, chopped

Mix rice with Half Yogurt and half milk and add cucumber chops. The condiment on the curd rice is called vepillaikati/Naarthela Podi made with Neem Leaves and Citron leaves, tastes yummy!!! Add enough curd/Buttermilk so that it doesnt dry up for the lunch.

Potato Fry
2 Large potatoes, peeled and cubed.

Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing and turmeric add potatoes and 2 tsp chilli powder and salt. Cover and cook in a slow flame.

Tada!!!!! Lunch Box is Ready. Sending this to FF7SL-Tiffen Box Event hosted by Radhika and Sudheshna

Oat Pea Dosa/Crepe

When was in India, I got this Oats Recipe Book along with Big Jar of Quaker Oats, It has some good recipes with oats. I tried this Oat-Pea dosa from that book, tasted good and easy to make.

Ingredients (Makes 4-5 Dosas)
1 cup Oats
1/4 cup urad dal powder
1 1/2 cups water (approx)
1/2 tsp salt,
oil for shallow frying

Filling
1tbsp oil
2 cups boiled peas
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Method

For the Filling, heat oil in a pan, put mustard seeds, when it crackles, add peas, salt and chilli powder. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Keep it aside

Grind oats to fine powder. Combine oats powder and dal powder and salt. Put enough water to make a battr of thin pouring consistency.

Heat a pan, put some oil and wipe it off. Remove the pan from fire, take a laddle full of batter and spread from inside to outside. Return to fire, when the edges turn brown, put a few drops of oil on the sides and on the dosa. Put some filling, fold over and Serve.

Though the recipe suggests to serve with any Chutney, I didnt feel like having any chutney/side dish with the dosa, as the filling itself was enough.

Sending this Dosa/Crepe to MLLA-21 hosted by Super Chef of Mirch Masala, Event started by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook

And also to Jihva-Breakfast hosted by Suma, Event started by Indira

Note: Dont keep the batter for too long, as it becomes thicker and thicker.

Carrot Damroot

CARROT DAMROOT

Lavish and traditional Indian weddings are celebrated with various ceremonies spread out through five days or at least for three days. Every meal is an elaborate spread with many dishes accompanied by a special sweet. Damroot has a prominant place in the breakfast spread of a wedding feast. It is usually prepared with ashgourd and is also known as Kashi Halwa.
A famous sweet stall - Bhaghat Ram's - at Bangalore has created a novelty by using carrot instead of ashgourd, and the thought of the Carrot Damroot makes one drool and crave for the exotica!
INGREDIENTS
Carrots - 500 gms
Sugar - 250 gms
Milk - 1/2 lit
Ghee - 4 tbsps
Almond flakes - for garnishing
Saffron strands - a few ( soaked in little warm milk)
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

METHOD
1. Wash and scrape the carrots.
2. Pressure cook whole carrots along with milk.
3. Mash the cooked carrots using the back of the ladle, or a potato masher and blend well.
4. Transfer the carrot-milk mash to a heavy bottomed kadai (or you can continue cooking in the pressure cooker without the lid, and save washing up one more vessel!!) and cook till the milk evaporates.
5. Add the saffron strands, sugar, ghee and cardamom powder and blend well.
6. Pour this mixture into a greased foil tray or a flat baking tin.
9. Preheat the oven for about 15 minutes.
11. Bake the carrot mixture at 180 degrees in a fan forced oven for about 40 minutes, or until the top starts browning.
12. Remove the tray and decorate with almond flakes or cashewnuts, and bake for another 10 minutes.


Nothing so delicious as serving it straight out of the oven , with the lovely caramelised reddish brown colour on top the dish, along with a scoop of vanilla icecream!