"SYF&HWS - Cook With SPICES" Series

Hello Friends,

I am hosting an interesting, warm and spicy event series and would like to call it as "SYF&HWS - Cook with SPICES" series. I am choosing "CARDAMOM - Queen of Spices" the Jan month spice and the event starts from Dec 5th to Jan 5th and would like to continue this series with the help of my fellow bloggers each month if they are interested to host.

Now, lets talk about spices...........

Spice is a nutritional substance which is used in insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. Also, it has medicinal properties other than flavor and spark to our foods.

DEC Month Event LOGO

I was thinking of this event from a long time and feel this is the right time of the year where you feel like eating hot, spicy, warm and sizzling dishes. The recipe can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian, any snack, appetizer....to dessert, sweets etc.,

Cardamom is called the "Queen of Spices", so thought of selecting this for the first month. 

Now lets go to the Event Rules:

1. Bloggers and Non-Bloggers are welcome to send in any number of recipes, archived ones need to be re-posted and linked to the announcement page.

2. Use of LOGO is mandatory, which will help to spread the word.

3. Non-bloggers can send in the recipe to anu (dot) healthykitchen (at) gmail (dot) com.

4. This month's Event on Dec 5th and ends on Jan 5th.

5. Please send as many recipes as you want to anu (dot) healthykitchen (at) gmail (dot) com.

This event is an on going event for the future months and anyone interested to guest host can drop me an email at anu (dot) healthykitchen (at) gmail (dot) com or leave a comment in this post, I will remind you a week before the event and also send you the "Event Logo" for the particular month and "Event Announcement Page/Document" too. You just need to copy and post the document as a Guest Event Post. (Scroll down to see the Event Calender.....)

Hurry up and send in the recipes and help me in volunteering each month with your choice of spices.....If you need help in selecting a spice click HERE (a list of spices).....

EVENT CALENDER
-------------------------

EVENT CALENDAR 2011
December	Anu	Anu's Healthy Kitchen	CARDAMOM - Dec 5th to Jan 5th
Copyright © Anu's Healthy Kitchen August 1st to 31st 2011

EVENT CALENDAR 2012
January	Anusha	Tomato Blues	CUMIN SEEDS (Jeera) - Jan 5th to Feb 5th
February	Kalyani	Sizzling Tastebuds	CORIDANDER SEEDS (Dhaniya) - Feb 5th to Mar 5th
March	Vardhini	Zesty Palette	FENUGREEK SEEDS (Methi) - Mar 5th to Apr 5th
April	Biny	Biny's Recipes	BLACK PEPPERCORNS - Apr 5th to May 5th
May	Kaveri	Palakkad Chamayal	FENNEL SEEDS (Saunf)- May 5th to June 5th
June	Sumedha	Sumee's Culinary Bites	RED CHILLI - June 5th to July 5th
July	SpicyTastyTeam	Spicy & Tasty	Garlic - July 5th to Aug 5th
August	Reva	Kaarasaaram	CINNAMON - Aug 5th to Sep 5th
September	Nupur	UK Rasoi	POPPY SEEDS - Sep 5th to Oct 5th
October	Usha	My Spicy Kitchen	MUSTARD SEEDS - Oct 5th to Nov 5th
November	Geetha	Sun Moon & Potatoes	SESAME SEEDS - Nov 5th to Dec5th
December
Copyright © Anu's Healthy Kitchen August 1st to 31st 2011

Cardamom Coconut Cookies

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

CARDAMOM COCONUT COOKIES
(COPYRIGHT 2011)

Makes 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
1/2 cup raisins, chopped
1/3 cup cashew nuts, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla extract, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Beat for 1 minute.

Add egg and beat until incorporated.

With the hand mixer on slow, gradually beat in flour mixture. Add raisins, cashews and coconut. Beat until just incorporated.

Spoon dough onto baking sheets two inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Sihi Kumbalakai Tovvae - Spicy Mashed Pumpkin

SIHI KUMBALAKAI TOVVAE

Tovvae is basically cooked and mashed dal with a light seasoning and a squeeze of lime juice. Sihi kumbalakai tovvae which my mother prepared often, is a tovvae without the basic ingredient - dal! To be precise it is a 'dal' without dal! I have argued with my mother several times regarding the inappropriate name whenever she prepared sihi kumbalakai tovvae. The flavour and taste of this tovvae is something out of the world and the argumentative mind is shut down the moment the taste buds start approving of it!

                                             

INGREDIENTS

Sihi Kumbalakai / Prangi kottai /Pumpkin - 1 small 

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Tamarind - 1 small marble size

Salt - 1 tsp

Sesame oil - 2tsps

Bengalgram dal - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 4 + 1 for seasoning

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Cinnamon - 1'' piece

Dry coconut gratings / Copra - 2 tbsps

Mustard seeds - 1 pinch

Curry leaves - a few

Cashew nuts - a few

METHOD 

1. Peel and chop the pumpkin into big cubes.( Roughly four cups of cubes )

2. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice.

3. Add turmeric powder and cook the pumpkin cubes in tamarind juice on medium flame. Add little more water if necessary to cover the vegetable.

4. In the mean while heat 1/4 tsp of oil and add cinnamon, bengal gram dal, coriander seeds and red chillies. Roast till it becomes golden in colour giving out a pleasant aroma.

5. Add asafoetida and switch off flame.

6. Grind the roasted ingredients into a fairly smooth powder adding copra in the end.

7. When the pumpkin is thoroughly cooked add salt and mash well using the back of the ladle.

8. Add the ground powder and cook for one more minute till the spice blends well with the pumpkin and switch off flame. The consistency should be thick like a gravy.

9. Heat the remaining oil in a seasoning ladle and add mustard seeds.

10.When the mustard seeds splutter add the cashew nuts and fry till they become golden in colour.

11. Add one broken red chilly and the curry leaves and pour the seasoning on the tovvae.

(If you still want the name Tovvae to be justified, add one scoop of cooked and mashed dal while mashing the cooked pumpkin cubes.)

Enjoy the delicious Sihi Kumbalakai Tovvae with hot rice. It tastes best with Raagi Muddae topped with a liberal helping of fresh ghee.