My version of the Indian Puri - The Poodi .....

My version of the Indian Puri:

1 measure Whole wheat

¼ measure Sesame seeds

1/8 measure Honey

Salt to taste

½ measure Water

Grind the whole-wheat to a powder.  Sometimes the grinder grinds only coarsely, but that it fine.

Mix the Honey, salt, water and sesame seeds.

Grind the mixture till it is mixed well.

Mix in the ground whole-wheat powder.

Shape into balls.

Pat into rounds.

Fry in hot oil, turning both sides.

Remove and serve with a smile.

I call this the Poodi.

Good to have things:

Good to have things:

1. A fresh coffee berry that is dried in the sun, and then powdered whole and packaged as is.  It is then shipped to the wholesale and retail stores to be bought by one and then one can brew it into fresh coffee for a wholesome coffee experience.

2.  Some way of having whole cocoa beans - maybe just crack open the pod, scoop out the beans, dry them in the sun, pack them up and then ship them.  Maybe they could be cooked in a pressure cooker like a legume....

3.  A larger variety of salad greens - brinjal leaves, for example, are quite good, and taste unexceptional.  Lettuce is already available.  I wonder how fresh tobacco would taste (yes, smoking lettuce is also probably bad for health, though the fresh salad version is good for health.  The same logic probably applies to tobacco also....)

4.  Support and patronage for endangered species - give them a chance to contribute so that they get rewarded in some way, and hence can live out their lives till it is time for them to be killed and eaten.
If they are farmed commercially, they get a chance to live......  Some examples of edible meat are deer, antelope and gazelles...   Biblically they are edible.  Nutritionally they are low-fat and lean, and so good for health this way too.

5.  Whole-grain basmati rice would be absolutely a down-to-earth experience.....  Yet to experience it properly.....  Have tried a brown-basmati, which is probably good for payasam, but there are so many long-grain varieties that have that wonderful aroma, and which would be so earthly when eaten whole.                    Black-rice is sweet and smells good.  Whole-grain red-rice is what I eat, and it is very filling.  But there are so many other varieties yet to be tried.....  Currently available rices are many in variety, but the unmilled varieties need to reach the market too......   Freedom of choice - choose milled or un-milled varieties.....

6.  Burgers with whole-wheat buns and wraps with whole-grain wraps in the fast-foods would make fast-foods much more palateable, easy on the stomach, and easy on the mind.

An oil-free meal

An oil-free meal.

Choose a measuring vessel - either a bowl or a cup or anything, depending on the quantity that can fit in your pressure cooker at a time.

1 measure whole-grain rice + 4 measures water
1 measure split-green-gram-with-the-green-skin + 3 measures of water
1 measure broken-wheat + 3 measures of water
1 measures split-black-gram-with-the-black-skin + 3 measures of water

Place in the pressure-cooker, and remember to mix them well, otherwise they will stick on the bottom.  These are the minimum amounts of water.  (Too little and the mixture will stick to the bottom.  Too much and it will only become soupy, so use a bowl to serve, instead of a plate....)

Light the fire / turn on the heat to maximum to start with.

6 allelles of garlic, peeled and sliced

a handful of sliced cabbage (doesn't have to be fine, but go ahead and slice it fine if you're in the mood)
6 small brinjal, sliced, or 1 large brinjal sliced
1 drumstick, cut into pieces
any herb with seed, any shrub with seed, any vegetable with seed depending on the space in the pressure cooker (the fruits can just be eaten as is)

Spice seeds:
Sprinkle in some
mustard seeds
jeera seeds
saunf seeds
fenugreek seeds

coriander powder
turmeric powder
jeera powder
dry-ginger powder

(these amounts don't matter.  Just put some according to your preference.  If the ratio changes from time to time, you'll just have different tasting dishes with the same recipe-template, which makes it easier to cook - just follow this recipe and you'll end up with a different tasting dish each time.  Increase one type of seed one time, and another type of seed another time, or increase one powder this time, and another powder(s) the next time.
However, the ratio of the  grains and water and the legumes + water is important, though you can add more water to be on the safer side.  It becomes a little soupy, which is fine.)

Don't add salt yet, because it causes the grains to take longer to boil.  Just soak some tamarind in some water and add salt to it.  Keep till mentioned below.

By now the water in the pressure cooker must be starting to boil.  Stir the whole mixture again so that it does not settle on the bottom of the cooker - that makes it easier to remove into a serving bowl.

Rinse the gasket so that it will lead to a secure seal.  Fit the gasket into the pressure-cooker lid.  Put the lid on the cooker.

When the steam rises from the top, put the weight on, and turn down the heat / fire.

In about 15  minutes, switch off the fire / heat, and then either wait for the pressure to subside or .... but if you're just starting off with pressure-cookers, that's the way to go.

After the pressure subsides, (check by tapping the weight lightly with a spoon or ladle), then remove slowly and carefully and place in it's place, or you'll have to hunt for it when you need it again.

Slide open the pressure lid, mix in the salt-and-tamarind water, add chopped coriander leaves, and pour into a mega-bowl.

Serve in serving-bowls placed on plates (because the mixture will be hot), with a spoon.

Voila!  A meal without oil, but with some oilseeds (whole) so it's as easy as can be.

If you don't have some of the grains, legumes or spice-seeds or spice-powders or anything mentioned in this recipe, feel free to use any whole-grain, any whole-legume, any whole-spice-seeds.......  The method remains the same.  You don't even need to use spice-powders.  For added goodness, just put the seeds in without powdering.

Bon appetit.

An easy potato salad:

Cut and cube potato.

Cook.

Mix mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

Mix in the potato.

Chill for a while.

Serve garnished with chopped leaves for a nice look.

Chicken preparation: Spiced-Chicken-Pieces

Chicken preparation:

Spiced-Chicken-Pieces:

Kill the chicken with a single stroke so it won’t know what hit it.

Suspend it by its legs above some ground, so that all the blood flows out and onto the ground.

After a while, take it down.

Slit the skin, and remove.  Then there’s no need to pluck it.

Wash off the blood and then cut it into bite-size pieces.

In a deep non-stick frying-pan (or an iron-skillet – just heat it real hot when it’s washed and clean and empty.  When it’s really, really hot, pour in some oil and swirl it all around.  That will fill up all the pores of the iron that would have opened when the iron pan was heated.  The oil then fills it up, so nothing else will, and voila!  it is non-stick).

Pour in some oil to fry the bite-size pieces.

When the oil is hot, place the chicken pieces in.  Sauté on high heat, without anything. 

Spices:

Whole spices:

Mustard – when the chicken-pieces are cooked, move ‘em to a side and in the oil that is left behind, put in the whole mustard seeds and hear them crackle.  When they’ve spluttered and then fall silent, add in whole jeera seeds and saunf seeds, and sauté awhile.

Powdered ingredients:

Kashmiri red-chilly-powder or any red-chilly-powder of your choice according to your heat-index.  If you like it bland, try Kashmiri-red-chilli-powder.  If you like it hot or real hot, try whatever red-chilly you usually use.

Dry ginger powder

Jeera powder

Coriander powder

Turmeric powder.

Salt to taste

-      Mix all the powder together in a bowl, in a ratio of 2:1: 2: 4 : 2, or any ratio you choose  - it will turn out well.  Don’t you worry, the ingredients are good, so it will just taste different, but it will be good.

Into the spluttered mustard seeds and other seeds, add in the powdered ingredients, and fry on low heat. 

When the bubbling of the spices subsides, mix in the chicken pieces and coat awhile.

When the spices are well stuck on the chicken-pieces, remove and serve with a smile.

Serving suggestion:

Slice whole red tomatoes (with the skin).

Place all around the plate and in the centre.

Sprinkle salt on it.

Mix some sliced onion, vinegar and salt.  Mix and then squeeze out the extra vinegar and place on top, of the tomatoes, maybe just in the centre, or maybe all around.

Place the Spiced-Chicken-Pieces on the onions and the garnish with coriander leaves.

The plate is now ready to serve.  What you do with it is up to you.

I eat most of it, and then give some away, and then give the rest to the cats.

A meal in a stew

(with the locally available ingredients.  Here they are as below:)

1 measure – approximately ½ cup.  It depends on the capacity of the pressure cooker.

Whole-grain rice – 1 measure

Water – 4 measures

Whole split-green-gram dal – 1 measure

Water – 3 measures

Whole split-black-gram-dal – 1 measure

Water – 3 measures

Broken whole-wheat pieces – 1 measure

Water – 3 measures

Put all ingredients in the pressure cooker.  Pour in all the measured water.

Turn on the heat.

Garlic – 1 pod for a measure of a ½ cup

Peel and slice garlic.

Add to the other ingredients in the pressure cooker.

Small sambar onions – peeled and whole – about 5 or 6 or more

Add to the other ingredients in the pressure cooker.

Cabbage – sliced – 1 cup

Brinjal – sliced – ½ cup

Add to the other ingredients in the pressure cooker.

Whole jeera seeds – according to taste

Add to the other ingredients in the pressure cooker.

Rinse the lid and cover the pressure cooker.

When the steam rises, put the weight on.

Let it cook.

In a non-stick deep frying-pan,

Pour in oil

In a bowl, mix

Dry ginger powder

Coriander powder

Jeera powder

Turmeric powder

When the oil is hot

Splutter mustard seeds (amount according to taste)

Add a few fenugreek seeds (be careful, these may be a little bitter, so don’t over-do them, and make sure they’re fried well)

Add jeera seeds

Add saunf seeds

Mix while it fries.

Mix in chopped curry leaves and fry a bit.

Toss in some chopped ladys-finger.  Fry a bit and then put the lid on.  Let it cook a while.  Mix occasionally.

When done, dump in the dry spice powders.

Mix in the oil till fried.

Pour in some water to stop the frying or it might burn.

Pour in some water with tamarind, the amount being to taste.

Add crystal-salt in water, to taste.

Add chopped coriander leaves.

Switch off the pressure cooker.  Hold under tap water to ease the pressure.

When the pressure subsides, place back on the fire, I mean the stove.

Then take off the weight and put it in it’s hold.

Open the lid and pour the stew out

Into the deep frying pan till it is all there.

Mix everything.

Ladle it out into the serving plates, and eat it whole.

Don’t forget to walk it off, or you’ll end up sleeping it off, which ain’t bad.

Both have their advantages, I say.

Serve with beef, chicken or fish.

Whole red-rice recipes

Whole-rice and black-gram masala-dosa (like a pancake)

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients

            ½ cup whole red-rice

            ½ cup black-gram

            1” piece dry ginger

            1 tsp jeera seeds (cumin)

            ¼ tsp Kashmiri-red-chilli-powder

            ½ tsp salt

            ¼ cup garlic cloves

Wet ingredients:

            ½ cup water

Utensils required: 

            Measuring bowl.

            Dry-grinder, with the option of liquid added later

            Non-stick frying-pan with a lid cover

            Gas stove for heat

            Plate for serving

           

Method:

1.1.1. Place the non-stick frying-pan on a low fire to pre-heat.

1.1.2.     Measure out the black gram.  Put in the mixie and grind to a powder.

1.1.3.     Open the top and add in the whole red-rice.  Grind together to a powder.

1.1.4.     Pound the dry-ginger piece to make it malleable. 

1.1.4.1.         Add the dry-ginger to the mixie mixture and grind to a powder.

1.1.5.     Add the jeera seeds and grind to a powder.

1.1.6.     Measure out the water. 

1.1.6.1.         To the water add the baking-soda, the salt, the Kashmiri-red-chilli and the whole garlic cloves.

1.1.6.2.        Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients in the mixie.

1.1.6.3.        Grind till the garlic cloves are ground.

1.1.7.     Pour two spoons of oil into the frying-pan.  Swivel to coat the base.

1.1.8.     Pour in the mixture from the mixie.

1.1.9.     Cover and let it cook on slow heat, till done, about 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove and serve with chicken curry.

Chocolate cake

Chocolate cake

Ingredients:

o   1 cup Room-temperature soft Butter

o   2 cups Sugar

o   1 cup Eggs (5 eggs)

o   1 tsp Cream of tartar

Dry-ingredients:

o   2 cups Whole-wheat flour

o   ½ tsp Baking powder

o   ½ tsp Baking soda

o   1 cup Cocoa powder

o   Salt to taste, about ½ tsp.

Wet ingredients:

1 cup Cream-curd .   (Cream with curd-culture after some time becomes cream-curd).

Plain yoghurt if necessary

1 tbsp Water to mix the baking-powder and baking-soda in before adding to the curd mixture.

Method

o   Whisk the butter with powdered-sugar.  Let it stand.

o   Crack all the eggs into a bowl.  Add the cream-of-tartar powder.  Let it stand. 

o   Switch on the oven to preheat to the required temperature –  350F.

o   Mix the baking-powder and baking-soda in a little water and mix that into the curd (yoghurt).

o   Sift the dry-ingredients together.

o   Grease the cake-tin generously with butter.  Then put in a cup of the sifted-dry-ingredients and swivel the cake-tin so that the greased inner surface is floured.  Tip the excess flour back with the rest of the sifted ingredients.

o   Whisk the butter and powdered-sugar again till soft-peaks form.

o   Add the eggs approximately one by one to the butter-sugar mixture, whisking after each addition.

o   Whisk the mixture well till well-defined peaks form.

o   Add some of sifted-dry-ingredients and then some of the cream-yogurt.  Repeat this, alternating the sifted-dry-ingredients with the cream-yogurt till they are completely added.  Add a little plain yoghurt if the batter is not loose enough.  Or red-wine!

o   Pour into the greased and floured cake-tin, making sure the edges are battered.

o   Open the oven and slip the filled cake-tin onto the top-shelf of the oven.  Close the oven door gently.

o   Let the cake bake for 20 – 35 minutes till the wonderful aroma arises.

o   Gently open the oven door, being careful of air draughts and carefully slide the cake-tin out and onto a hot-safe surface.  Let it cool.

o   Frost as desired.

o   Serve.

Notes

·         Be careful with the hot cake.  It’s rising so it should cook in a stationary atmosphere.  And cool in a stationary atmosphere.

Whole-wheat chappathi (unleavened bread)

Whole-wheat chappathi (unleavened bread)

Dry ingredients:

                1 cup whole-wheat flour (fine)

                1 cup home-ground whole-wheat (coarse)

                Salt to taste

Wet ingredients:

                1 cup water.

Utensils required:

                Roti-maker (like an electric waffle-iron)

                Mixing-bowl

                Measuring-cup

                Mixing spoon.

                Tongs to open and close the lid of the roti-maker

                Wooden spatula to slide the rotis off the hot roti-maker surface.

                Plate to place the rotis on.

Method :

1.1.1. Switch on the roti-maker.

1.1.2.Mix the salt into the water.

1.1.3. Mix the salty-water into the mixed whole-wheats.

1.1.4.Mix with a spoon.

1.1.5. Shape into flat circular balls immediately and flatten slightly.

1.1.6.Make a roti.

1.1.6.1.              Place each flattened ball toward the back of the roti-maker.

1.1.6.2.             Press the lid down, being careful to use tongs to open the lid and to close the lid, so that the steam does not reach the hand.

1.1.6.3.              Press till the dough flattens out to the edge of the roti-maker.  Release before it is pressed out.

1.1.6.4.             Let it cook for about 15 – 30 seconds.

1.1.6.5.              Using the tongs, lift the lid.

1.1.6.6.             Using the wooden-spatula, slide the roti out onto the waiting plate.

1.1.7. Repeat with each flattened ball.

1.1.8.Switch off the roti-maker when done.

Whole-wheat ginger crumble

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

                2 cups whole-wheat berries

                ½ cup dried-ginger-root pieces

                2 cups sugar

                ¾ tsp baking soda

                ½ tsp salt

Wet ingredients

                1 cup butter, softened to room-temperature

                2 cups water.

Utensils:

                Dry-grinder mixie

                Bowl to hold the ground whole-wheat and dried-ginger

                Water-bowl to mix the water, baking-soda and salt

                Whisking-bowl to prepared the batter

                Large baking pan to pour the batter in.

                Egg-beater hand-mixie, 

                Oven

Method:

1.1.1.   Switch on the oven to 200⁰C.

1.1.2. Pour 2 cups whole-wheat into the dry-grinding mixie.

1.1.2.1.              Add the dried-gringer-root pieces.

1.1.2.2.              Switch on the mixie and grind till it is a powder or granulated for a “fibre” feel.

1.1.2.3.              Move temporarily into a bowl.

1.1.3. Pour 2 cups of sugar into the dry grinder.

1.1.3.1.              Grind to a powder

1.1.4.  Put the softened butter into the whisking-bowl.  Or when cold, put the butter into the bowl and then wait till it reaches room temperature.  This way, less butter is left on the paper.  But otherwise the butter paper can be used to grease the baking pan.

1.1.4.1.1.                     Butter the baking-pan with the butter’s paper, or with some of the butter.

1.1.4.2.              Whisk till slightly frothy.

1.1.4.3.              Add in the powdered sugar.

1.1.4.4.              Whisk again, till mixed into small balls.

1.1.5.   Measure out 2 cups of water into the water-bowl.

1.1.5.1.              Add the baking soda and salt and mix to dissolve completely.

1.1.6. To the butter-and-powdered-sugar in the whisking-bowl, add some of the water mixture.  Whisk.

1.1.7. Add some of the whole-wheat-and-ginger powder to the whisking-bowl.  Whisk.

1.1.8. Again, add some of the water-mixture.  Whisk.

1.1.9. Add the whole-wheat-and-ginger-powder to the whisking bowl.  Whisk.

1.1.10.    Repeat adding the wet-ingredients and the dry-ingredients alternately till both are completely added.

1.1.11.    Pour into the greased baking pan.

1.1.12.    Slide onto the top shelf of the pre-heated oven.

1.1.13.    Bake for 10 – 15 minutes at 200⁰C, then reduce the heat to 100⁰C and let the whole-wheat-coarse-flour soak in the liquid.

Remove and serve with fresh cream.