Dora Pricess 1st Birthday Cake

 This Dora Princess birthday cake was made with marble cake and butter cream icing of tree, grass clouds, star and some colored sugar crystals and topped with a Dora Princess doll.

Sutta Kattarikkai Thair Pachadi - Grilled eggplant in Yoghurt

SUTTA KATTARIKKAI THAIR PACHADI

My mother preserved a charcoal stove ( kummuti ) even after the gas stove invaded our 'heritage kitchen'. She cooked certain dishes only on the kummuti asserting that the flavours of the dish would be enhanced only by doing so. Her pulkas ( Indian wheat bread) looked like unblemished full moons emanating the earthy flavours of roasted wheat flour when they puffed up on the kummuti. The appetising flavour of the eeya chombu rasam in an ' about to simmer stage' on the kummuti would draw us towards the kitchen even when we were not hungry. Likewise we loved the grilled flavour of the sutta kattarikai sitting on the glowing embers of the kummuti. We wholeheartedly accepted our mother's declaration when we relished the sutta kattarikai thair pachadi served along with our meal.
Of late the kummuti has retired and is resting with the other antiquated kitchen ware in my mother's store room. We now use the open flame of the gas stove to grill the kattarikkai.

INGREDIENTS

Eggplant - 1 big ( With no holes)
Gingelly oil - 1/4 tsp ( for coating the eggplant)
Fresh thick curds - 2 cups
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp ( for seasoning)
Mustard seeds - 1 pinch
Chopped green chillies - 1 tsp
Chopped fresh coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

METHOD

1. Wash, wipe and coat the eggplant with gingelly oil.
2. Place it on the flame of the stove .
3. Hold the stalk and keep turning the vegetable now and then to cook evenly on all sides. (It can also be grilled in an electric oven.)
4. When the eggplant starts looking limp and scalded, switch off flame and leave it to cool .
5. Peel the burnt outer skin of the eggplant neatly and gently mash the cooked eggplant into a pulp using the back of a spoon.
6. Add curds and salt and blend well.
7. Heat oil and add mustard seeds.
8. When the mustard seeds splutter switch off flame and add the chopped green chillies.
9. Pour the seasoning on the pachadi and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy the Sutta Kattarikkai Thair Pachadi with any meal. It can be relished with steaming hot rice too.

Cracked Corn Upma

 I got this cracked corn from an oriental mart. Actually I saw this cracked corn for the first time and wanted to try the same recipe as cracked wheat upma. It did turn out good and tasted very much similar to cracked wheat except the color. Today I escaped from eating rice for my lunch and made this.

Ingredients:

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1 cup Cracked Corn (you can get this in any oriental stores)

1 small Onion chopped

1 Tomato chopped

2 green Chilies chopped

1 cup Mixed Veggies (I used Green peas and Carrots) (you can use any veggies of your choice or any meat too like chicken)

¼ tsp Mustard seeds

¼ tsp Cumin seeds

¼ tsp Asafetida

1/2inch stick Cinnamon

Salt and sugar to taste

1 tsp Oil

2 cups Water

Method:

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1. In a heated sauté pan add the cracked corn and dry sauté it for about 4 to 5 mins. Remove and keep it aside.

2. In the same pan add oil, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds and when they sputter add asafetida. Now add the cinnamon stick. Sauté it for 5 secs.

3. Add onions and fry them until transparent, add green chilies and tomatoes and let it cook for about 2 mins.

4. Add the mixed vegetables and cook again for about 2mins.

5. Now add water, salt and sugar and close the pan with lid and let it come to a boil.

6. Now reduce the flame to low and add the cracked corn and mix it well and cover again and cook it on low flame for about 15 mins or until the cracked corn is cooked and soft. Make sure that there is no water. 

7. Garnish with Cilantro and sprinkle with some lime juice and serve it hot. You can eat this with any chutney or eat is like this.