JFI:Coconut, contd. : Rice Payasam and Curried Cauliflower

How can I just sit back with my Mom's contribution to JFI???!!! I wanted to get in something of my own too.. just that blogger has been giving unexpected trouble for a day or two now... has anyone else also faced this?

Anyway.... back to JFI... when I first saw the ingredient.. I thought clever choice! The second thought was... M is not going to like this ~giggle~! My husband is 'psychologically allergic' to coconut! And these recipes I had contained Coconut Milk by the tin! Well... trusting the old adage.... Ignorance is bliss... for the time being, atleast, I went ahead with making these. So here is my contribution to JFI.

RICE PAYASAM

Now, for the rice pudding, the recipe source is a bit obscure, I mean I got it from my Mom, who said she had this cutting from some Marathi news paper.. or a magazine? .. something like that she said.. "you have to try this, it is wonderful!", ok, Mother is right!"
This is a hassle free recipe and quick too if u have a can of coconut milk at hand.

What you need is :
4 tbsp Basmati Rice
2 cups Boiled milk ( I took only 1 1/2 cup milk)
1 tin Coconut milk
1 cup Jaggery
2 spoons Ghee
Almonds, Pistachios,Saffron, Cardamom powder to garnish.

Put 2 spoons of ghee in a microwave safe pot heat it for 30 seconds. Add almonds...etc. and heat it again for 1 minute. Wash rice and add 2 cups of water and cook for 5 minutes in the microwave oven(check your microwave power). When the rice is soft add coconut milk and jaggery and cook for 3 minutes. Stir well and add boiled milk and cook for 4 minutes . When it cools down add cardamom powder and serve.

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER :

The recipe source was the cook book I refered to when I made the Layered Lentil Rice
This was a simple recipe and not too spicy.. plus the cauliflower and coconut milk was adifferent combo I wanted to try!

1 tbsp. Gram Flour (besan)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. Chilli pwd ( I reduced this, but I shouldn't have [:( ] )
1 tsp. ground cumin pwd.
1 tsp. ground corriander pwd.
1 tsp. mustard pwd.
1 tsp. turmeric
Salt to taste
4 tsp. Oil
6-7 curry leaves
1 cauliflower (broken into florets)
3/4 cup coconut milk
Juice of 2 lemons


Mix the gram flour with a little water to make a paste. Add chilli, corriander, cumin, mustard, turmeric and salt. Add the remaining water and keep mixing to blend all ingredients well.
Heat oil in a frying psn, add curry leaves and cumin seeds, add spice paste and simmer for about 5 mins. . If the sauce is too thick, add a little hot water.
Add the cauliflowerand coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook until cauliflower is tender but crunchy (cook longer if you wish). Add lemon juice, mix and serve hot.




The verdict: Both the dishes passed M's test ! He loved the payasam! In both the dishes coconut milk adds its flavour and the subtle taste blends well with rice as well as the cauliflower. Pin It

Gharge (JFI - Jagery)

It is the time to binge (on oily stuff)... I shall (happily) do away with all the 'low fat', zero oil food, sit back, and eat all the deep fried snacks with nothing to mar my conscience! Ok, so I shall go on a diet after ALL the sweets are exhausted....
Everywhere that one goes , pumpkins meet the eye.. Halloween time! To me it means making Gharge, pumpkin puri. This is a deep fried Indian flat bread which has for it's main ingredient- pumpkin.
I got some nice pumpkin at the Farmers Market.. it was so bright and colorful, I was almost sorry to have cut it up to grate it for making Gharge!But it was great work out for the arms!
Take :
2 cups Grated pumpkin
1.5 cup grated jaggery (this makes it mildly sweet, the original taste)
1/2 cup Farina (rawa/ sooji)
1/2 cup rice flour
Pinch salt
Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp. Cardamom powder
1 tsp ghee
Oil for deep frying

Grate the pumpkin

Grate the jaggery
In a heavy bottomed wok or saucepan, add the ghee, pumpkin and cook it, when it is almost done, add the jaggery. The mixture will look like so...

Cook the above mixture well and once the jaggery melts , switch off the heat. Add about a tsp. of oil, add in the Farina and rice flour , mix well , cover and keep for around 2 - 3 hrs.
Add wheat flour, Now add as much as you can to make a nice chapatti like dough.
Take a small ping pong size ball, but instead of using a rolling pin, use a plastic cover, keep the dough ball in between and flatten it with your palm.
Deep fry till a lovey golden color. Drain on a tissue.

This is also my entry for JFI hosted by Kay (Towards a Better Tomorrow)

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