NELLIKKAI THOKKU - GOOSEBERRY THOKKU

 

NELLIKKAI THOKKU - GOOSEBERRY THOKKU

 

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Cuisine - Tamil Nadu (Indian)
Recipe Type - Pickle
Spice Level  - High
Difficulty - Easy
Yields - 21/ 2-3Cups
Author - SM

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HOW TO MAKE  NELLIKKAI THOKKU - GOOSEBERRY THOKKU

NELLIKKAI THOKKU - GOOSEBERRY THOKKU

INGREDIENTS:

For Nellikkai/Gooseberry Thokku:

To Dry Roast & Grind:

METHOD:

• Dry roast the Fenugreek Seeds on a very low flame until it splutters.
• Cool and powder it.
• Wash, Pat dry and grate the Gooseberries and keep it aside.
• Alternatively can steam the gooseberries in a steamer for about 20-30 minutes or until Gooseberries turn soft and cooked.
• Allow it to cool & then deseed and separate the Gooseberries into Cloves.
• Then mash it up or grind it in a mixer jar briefly (it should be coarse).
• Heat the Sesame Oil in a pan.
• Splutter the Mustard Seeds, lower the flame, then add Asafoetida Powder and Curry Leaves.
• Immediately add the grated Gooseberries and sauté it on a low flame until it becomes soft & translucent.
• The cooking time can be reduced if you are using steamed and then mashed Gooseberries.
  
• Add Salt, Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, roasted Fenugreek Powder, to the above and mix well.
• Add Tamarind Paste & Jaggery to the above and give a quick stir.
  
• Cook this is on a low flame until oil separates from the pickle.
• Switch off the flame and allow Nellikkai/Gooseberry Thokku to cool down.
• Store it in clean & dry airtight bottles.

NELLIKKAI THOKKU - GOOSEBERRY THOKKU

NOTES:

• Adjust the amount of Salt and Chilli powder as per your taste preference.
• Pour some extra oil if you feel Nellikkai Thokku is dry.
• More oil, more storage period.
  
• Steam cook the Gooseberries for about 20-30 Minutes or until Gooseberries turn soft and cooked.
• Allow it to cool.
• Deseed and separate the Gooseberries into Cloves and keep it aside.
• Dry roasting the fenugreek seeds helps to preserve the pickle as well as gives a nice flavour.
• Jaggery gives a slight sweetness to the pickle and also balances the sourness. (adding it is truly optional).
• Avoid using steel/aluminium/copper containers for storing the pickles, as they tend to react with the acidic nature of salt and the Tamarind in the Pickle.
• Store the Nellikkai/GooseberryThokku in clean and dry Porcelain/Glass/Ceramic Jars.
• Always use clean & dry spoons(preferably wooden spoons) for the pickle.
• Wet Jars/spoons can spoil the pickles, as the moisture in them helps in the growth of Fungus.
• If you feel that extra oil should be added, once the pickle is made, Heat the Sesame Oil, cool it and then pour it over the pickle.
• Allow it to cool completely before storing it into sterilized bottles. 
• Refrigerate the Nellikkai/Gooseberry Thokku.  It can stay good even with less oil and preservatives. 
• If stored properly, Nellikkai/Gooseberry Thokku can last for about 2-3 Months.

CHICKEN LIVER FRY

    Chicken Liver Fry is a simple recipe cooked with Chicken Livers along with freshly ground Peppercorns and Spices. The same recipe can be prepared with Mutton Liver too. The ingredients are quite minimal, and the method is one of the simplest and quick to incorporate. Marinated Chicken Livers are roasted with spices and ample of Curry leaves. Very few ingredients are used in this recipe and freshly ground Peppercorns gives a magical touch and a wonderful flavour to this Chicken Liver Fry. This Chicken Liver Fry can be served as a Starter/Appetizer or as a side dish for Parotta/Roti and Chapatis.  Steaming hot Rice and Rasam paired up with this Chicken Liver Fry, is one best combo I personally prefer.

      Chicken Liver or Lamb Liver as a matter of fact may not be liked by many.  But it is one Offal used widely in cooking.  Cleaning the Chicken Liver is quite tricky, and we should make sure it doesn't turn out to be 'BITTER.'  I never encountered with this problem when I was in India.  The Butcher caters fresh Chicken Livers and would have a separate batch of Chicken Livers which we can buy.  I started cooking Chicken Livers after watching Chef Damu's cooking show to which we were an ardent fan while we were in India.  Immediately after the show, my husband and I would go out shopping for the ingredients, and this is one such recipe from that time. 

    But here in Malaysia, I find it hard to get well cleaned Chicken Livers. Sometimes the whole batch of cooked Chicken Livers turn out to be bitter and would go down the drain.  So make sure to remove any greenish part in the Liver and soaking the liver in cold water & then marinating the Liver also helps to get rid of the bitterness to an extent.

    Why does Chicken Livers turn Bitter once cooked?  This usually happens when the gall bladder attached to the liver, sometimes breaks when it is removed, and some liquid runs into the liver and makes it yellowish-green. So make sure to remove any greenish part of the liver, that is what makes it very bitter.
     

Tips to prevent the Chicken Livers from tasting bitter

• Clean them perfectly before cooking
• Remove any connective tissue and cut off any greenish parts from the Liver  
• Soak the Livers for about 20-30 minutes in cold water(not ice water)  just colder than room temperature.
• Then discard the water and pat dry the liver pieces.
• Wipe off any extra blood from the Chicken Liver with a paper towel.
• Marinate the Chicken Liver with Salt, Turmeric Powder and Lemon Juice for about 10-15 minutes.
• Cook properly.

 

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HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN LIVER FRY

 

CHICKEN LIVER FRY

INGREDIENTS:

To Marinate the Chicken Liver:

For  Masala Powder:

Coriander Seeds - 1 Tablespoon
Dry Red Chillies - 4 - 5 Nos.
Peppercorns - 1 Tablespoon

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs

For Chicken Liver Fry:

KALYANA KESARI

    Am I obsessed with Rava Kesari, I am not sure.  But you can find a few number of Kesari Recipes in the blog.  My benchmark when it comes to Rava Kesari is always melt-in-mouth Kesari as exactly as how Director/Actor Visu says in his Tamil Movie, 'Samsaram Athu Minsaram' -  Rava Kesari should be so soft that, Ghee should drip out of the sweet and smoothly slide into your stomach the moment you keep it in your mouth.  I have always loved to keep up my standards to the above dialogue whenever I make Rava Kesari. 

    From a simple Penn Parkkum Padalam(Bridegroom visiting the Grooms place - selection jury) to NIchayathartham(Engagement) to Kalyam(Wedding), Kesari place a special part in the menu.  Along with Bhajji, Sojji, Sweet-Kaaram(Savoury) & for a sweet, Kesari fits irretrievably into the place.  A call for a sudden guest or whenever you suddenly get hit by a sweet tooth, Rava Kesari comes for rescue with its utter simplicity in making and you can get it ready within minutes.  Easy recipe with very few ingredients and quick to make.  All these make Rava Kesari a wonderful recipe and a total favourite.

    Have you ever wondered how they make those rich melt-in-mouth Rava Kesari usually served in Kalyanams or Marriage banquets?   Even the ones they serve in Saravana Bhavan and Shree Annpoorna Gowrisankar match the suit.  Tasty, with overloaded Ghee and so soft in texture.  The secret behind this Kalyana Kesari is the proportion of Ghee and Sugar added in the recipe. It's obviously considered high according to the norms.  But if you really want similar Rava Kesari or the crowned Kalyana Kesari as those served in Wedding Banquets or in restaurants, then close your eyes and just stick to the measurements.

    There is no harm in reducing the amount of Ghee or substituting it with Oil, and also when it comes to the amount of Sugar, it is also a personal choice.  But when they serve Kalyana Kesari in a South Indian Wedding Banquet or in a restaurant, the amount served in the platter is just a scoop.  So the amount of Ghee and Sugar added goes along with the rich platter and also there it marks its uniqueness, making us remember the Kalyana Kesari in midst of various other dishes.

    So, if you are too worried about adding the mentioned amount of Ghee & Sugar, go along with your personal preference.  But the mentioned proportions yields you with a wonderfully textured soft and melt-in-mouth Rava Kesari alias the Kalyana Kesari.  Also, some recipes calls for a thin Sugar Syrup while making Kalyana Kesari.  But my method is simple & just as similar to any other Rava Kesari Recipes.

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Cuisine - Karnataka, South India
Recipe Type - Sweet
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3 - 4
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE KALYANA RAVA KESARI

 

KALYANA KESARI

INGREDIENTS:

Melted Ghee - 1 Cup
Cashew Nuts - 15-20 Nos.
Raisins - 20 Nos.
Semolina/White Rava - 1 Cup
Hot Water - 2 Cups
Cardamom Powder - 1 Tspn
Orange/Yellow Food Colour - 1/4 Tspn 
Sugar - 2 Cups
Salt - a Pinch

METHOD:

• Grind the Cardamom Pods with few teaspoons of Sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Heat 1 Cup of Ghee in a Pan, roast Cashew nuts & Raisins on a very low flame until Cashew nuts turn into light Golden Brown in Colour.
• Remove the Nuts and Raisins from the Ghee and keep it aside.
• Now add White Rava/Semolina in to the Ghee & roast it on a very low flame.
• Roast the White Rava/Semolina until it turns aromatic, it will take approximately 5-7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil 2 Cups of Water in a separate Pan.
• Gradually pour the hot water to the roasted White Rava/Semolina.
• Stir continuously while pouring the hot water until the White Rava/Semolina absorbs the water and there are no lumps.
• Add Orange/Yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Cook this on a very low flame until White Rava/Semolina turns soft & cooked
• Once the White Rava/Semolina is cooked, add 2 Cups of Sugar and mix well.
• Cook this mixture on a very low flame, stirring continuously, until the Sugar is well dissolved.
• Add Cardamom powder and a pinch of Salt to the Kalyana Rava Kesari and mix well.
• Cook this on a very low flame until it reaches the desired consistency.
  
• Stir the Kalayan Kesari and mix it well all along, until the mix starts to separate from the pan.
• Finally, add the roasted Cashew Nuts & Raisins to the Kalyana Rava Kesari and give a quick stir.
• Serve Kalyana Kesari hot or at room temperature.
• Can serve it along with South Indian Breakfast items as a sweet, or simply serve it as a sweet or a dessert.
• Kalyana Kesari serves best as a sweet in a South Indian Mini Tiffin platter.

KALYANA KESARI

NOTES:

• Perfectly roasted Semolina yields perfectly textured Kalyana Kesari.
• Even if the Semolina/Rava you buy mentions it to be roasted, make sure to roast it for a while to get the preferred texture.
  
• Adjust the amount of Water to suit your preferred consistency.
• Adding the given amount of Ghee gives a soft texture to the Kalyana Kesari.
• Can substitute half the amount of Ghee with Oil.(Use flavourless oil for the purpose)
  
• Adjust the amount of Sugar to suit your preference.
• Adding artificial food colouring is truly optional.
• Can be stored for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator.  Reheat and serve. 
• For perfect Kalyana Kesari stick to the measurements mentioned in the ingredient list.

Celebrate Navratri: A Delicious Spread of Sundals, Pongals, and More for the Gods

"Embracing the Spirit of Navratri Through Food and Memories"

Cherished Festival Memories

    While I may not actively celebrate Navratri, this festive season holds a special place in my heart, filled with cherished memories. Growing up in a vibrant neighbourhood, we embraced a rich tapestry of communal festivals, including Diwali, Pongal, Tamil and Malayalam New Year, Onam, and Karthigai. Our celebrations also extended to Eid, Bakrid, Christmas, Easter, and New Year. The joy of sharing delicious festive delicacies was a significant part of these celebrations, leaving a lasting imprint on my memory.