More Kulambu / Indian Yogurt Gravy

I had the first taste of More kulambu from the hands of my Grandmother. However no one at my home likes this recipe, so we prepare this dish once in a while. But nowadays this has become a common dish as me and my hubby like it very much.

More kulambu is the simplest Indian gravy which can be even prepared without vegetables. Also you can use any one of the vegetables like Okra (ladies finger), Drumstick, Ash Gourd(Surakaai), Chow chow, White Pumpkin. I prepared this recipe with drumstick however the procedure remains the same for whatever vegetables you use.

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Chocolate Birthday Cake

I made this chocolate cake from scratch, covered with pure semi sweet chocolate thick glaze and decorated with strawberries and raspberry, which I think goes well with chocolate. I also made a chocolate heart shaped mold flat sheet on which I wrote the birthday message with white butter cream icing.

 This is the first time I made everything from scratch and I was happy seeing the results.

I also learnt a new technique of making chocolate mold. To my surprise it turned out better than I thought, but needs some more perfection. :-)

Recipe for Chocolate Cake

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Ingredients:

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1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/3 cup Cocoa        (I used 1/3 cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate and melted in the microwave for about 20 secs, stir it, again 20 secs in microwave, until the chocolate melted - I was running out of cocoa powder :-))

1 tsp Vanilla Essence

1/3 cup Cooking Oil (can be substituted with un-sweetened Apple Sauce)

1 cup Water

Method:

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1. Preheat the oven  to 350F.

2. In a mixing bowl mix all the dry ingredients really well. 

3.  Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork. 

4. Put batter  in a baking pan of desired shape and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the fork comes out clean.

Icing:

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4 Chocolate squares (I used same semi-sweet chocolates - 1/3 cup - just eyeball the amount of how much icing you need)

3 tbsp Milk

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Icing Sugar

Method:

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1. Melt the chocolate in microwave first for about 20 secs, stir it with a rubber or wooden spatula, again microwave for another 20 secs stir again and repeat it until the chocolate melts.

2. Blend rest of the ingredients together with the melted chocolate.

3. Pour the icing over the cake and even it out with a spatula.

4. To get even layer, dip a clean spatula in hot water and even out the icing if you need to.

Kattarikai Gotsu - Eggplants In A Spicy Tamarind Sauce

KATTARIKAI GOTSU

This is a lip smacking dish from CHIDAMBARAM - one of the great temple towns in Tamil Nadu. Gotsu is a side dish to go with the Pongal and Samba Saadam which are offered to Lord Nataraja.
My sister - in - law is from Chidambaram and I learnt to prepare the  traditional kattarikai gotsu from her.She was very particular about using sesame oil in its preparation.


                                               


INGREDIENTS


The Chidambaram Kattarikai is seedless and is the size of ones fist.The colour is deep purple all over. Bigger eggplants can also be used and the quantity of the ingredients can be adjusted accordingly. I have used the ones which were available here.

Eggplants - 4
Tamarind - the size of a gooseberry
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Jaggery ( crushed ) - 1/4 tsp

FOR THE SPICE POWDER

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsps
Bengal gram dal - 2 tbsps
Red chillies - 8
asafoetida - a small piece / 1 pinch
Cumin seeds - 1 /2 tsp
Back pepper - 1/4 tsp
Feureek seeds - 1/4 tsp

FOR SEASONING

Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

METHOD

1. Wash and wipe the eggplants thoroughly.
2. Rub the eggplants all over with a drop of sesame oil.
3. Grill the oiled eggplants one by one, directly placing them on a gas burner. Keep turning the eggplant till all the sides of the vegetable are done. The flavour is unique when grilled on direct fire.

                                               


(The eggplants can also be grilled in an electric oven or grill.)

4. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract a thick juice.
5.Heat a drop of oil and fry the asafoetida.
6. Now add the coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, red chillies, pepper and fenugreek seeds and roast till the ingrediants emanate a pleasant aroma.
7. Lastly add the cumin seeds and roast for one more minute.
8. Powder all the roasted and cooled ingredients and keep aside.
9. Peel the scalded skin of the eggplants and lightly mash the vegetable using the back of a ladle.

                                               


10. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
11. When the mustard seeds splutter add the curry leaves and then the turmeric powder.
12. Immediately add the tamarind juice, salt, jaggery and the mashed eggplants.

13. Cook till the raw smell of the tamarind disappears.
14. Make a paste with the powdered ingredients adding little water and add this to the boiling gotsu.



                                               

15. Cook till the gotsu thickens and switch off the flame.

                                          

Enjoy the flavoursome tangy and spicy Chidambaram Kattarikai Gotsu with pongal . It tastes good with dosais and chapaties too.