Thenkuzhal

Thenkuzhal, along with Muthsaram, Ribbon Pakoda, and Murukku, is a fried snack my mom makes on and off, especially around festival season in Fall. If the oil temperature is just right, this turns out very light and non-greasy and is very addictive: you can't stop with just a nominal amount - like, I could eat the amount shown in the picture in one sitting, while sipping mugs of my favorite cardamom-ginger chai :)

While Ribbon Pakoda is my favorite, especially the melt-in-the-mouth texture that my mom makes, Thenkuzhal comes a close second, with the same buttery rich, crunchy yet not harsh texture.

This is my mom's recipe and the picture above shows the apparatus she uses to make these fried snacks. I have tried her recipe on and off and it is very easy and works well as long as the oil temperature is medium-high and just right to cook through without absorbing oil, but not too hot to scorch the outsides and leave the insides raw.

I test the temperature by simply dropping a pea-size bit of the batter: if it floats to the top within about 5-6 seconds and is golden brown on the outside and done on the inside it should be about right. And, as this is fried in batches, just need to wait for the oil to heat up to the right temperature for each batch.

Ricer-like contraption to push out the batter in little squiggles into the hot oil, as shown in picture, comes with several "plates" that define the shape of the batter as it gets pushed through. So, the same apparatus is used to make Muthsaram, Thenkuzhal and Ribbon Pakoda by just changing these plates with proper holes. The batter is of course, slightly different for each of these and I hope to post them soon.

Before my mom gave me this apparatus, I tried Thenkuzhal with cake icing plunger-thingy, and with a generic ketchup/mustard bottle with a larger hole cut at the tip, but those did not give enough control over the shape. The apparatus clearly is designed for this and makes it easy to get the job done.

Ingredients
2 cups plain rice flour
½ cup urad flour
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp ghee or canola oil
a pinch of baking powder
salt to taste
water as needed

6-8 cups canola oil for frying
Ricer-like contraption to push out the batter in little squiggles into the hot oil.

Preparation

1. Heat the oil to a medium-high temperature, not too hot
2. Combine all the ingredients except water, add a little water at a time till the batter is about the consistency of thick toothpaste which can be squeezed through the contraption shown; taste and adjust salt
3. Take a chunk of batter and stuff it into the ricer-like apparatus and squeeze gently while moving hands back and forth to trace the squiggly shape over the hot oil
4. Allow to cook through and become golden brown on the outside, remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel lined plate
5. If stored in an air-tight container in a dark place, it lasts for a few weeks before the oil starts getting rancid and starts feeling stale, but, I doubt it will last that long:)
6. If the salt seems inadequate, sprinkle some as soon as it comes out of the oil

Pickled Vegetable Delicacies

Vegetables pickled in vinegar are a wonderful accompaniment to many foods and are handy to have when I want to make a quick and simple bento meal.

Ideally, I like them soaked for only about 2 to 6 hours, depending on the vegetable, and I like to use them up within a day or two of making them - before the veggies lose their crunchiness from all the pickling. Like, radish is ready within an hour of soaking, whereas, onions mellow and get less pungent and more tasty after about 4 hours or so of soaking, while carrots can take upto 6 hours before developing the way I like it.

The favorites that I make often are: little red radish, ginger, pearl onions and carrots. And, they keep well in the fridge for even up to a month.

Ingredients: sliced veggies of choice, plain white vinegar, whole black pepper or dry red chilies (or both), some salt.

Simply throw them all together, no need to cook them at all.

Of course, the Indian-style pickled vegetables in oil and spices remain one of my favorites to make and can for long-term use

Apple Walnut Bread

Apple Walnut bread is very much like my Blueberry Banana Bread, just add apples and walnut instead of blueberry and banana. Well, that, and a few more changes.

Ingredients

dry: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

wet: ½ cup canola oil 2 eggs beaten 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 heaping cup of chopped apples ½ cup chopped walnuts 1 Tbsp butter

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350°F
2. grease a loaf pan with butter
3. combine the dry ingredients in a bowl; stir in the oil and the beaten eggs till well incorporated; fold in the applesauce, chopped apples and walnuts
4. pour into the greased loaf pan and bake in 350°F oven for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

Green Vegetables Rice

This is a very simple and wholesome rice dish that I make often, especially in summer when our garden is yielding some fresh vegetables and herbs. The rice is flavored solely with some salt, mint, ginger and garlic which not only gives subtle flavoring but also some simple health benefits.

According to Ayurveda, mint, ginger and garlic have certain properties that help keep the digestive system toned.

• Ginger encourages the body to produce enzymes that help digest fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Ginger decreases discomfort during pregnancy and is also wonderful for postpartum care
• Garlic is sometimes considered a galactagogue and I have been including it a lot in my post-partum diet these days. It apparently promotes proper fat metabolism, and aid in liver detoxification.
• Mint can be both cooling and warming, according to the usage in Ayurveda. It aids digestion, reduces inflammation, prevents spasms, and has anti-bacterial properties. The oil derived from the herb, contains Vitamins A and C, flavonoids and menthol

Garden fresh mint, chives and scallions inspired this green vegetables rice. Any handy green vegetables would do, but I used chinese long green beans, broccoli, collard greens here; peas, green bell peppers, green beans, celery are also a wonderful combination.


Mint is one of my all-time favorite herbs which I make into chutneys during peak season when I can get them fresh from my garden... and being the main herb that brightens this dish, I'd like to send this post out for WHB: Weekend Herb Blogging started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen fame, hosted this week by Maninas from Maninas: Food Matters.

Ingredients
4-6 cloves of garlic
4 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
salt to taste

4-5 cups cooked basmati rice
steamed green vegetables: collard greens, chinese long green beans, broccoli scallions
1 Tbsp canola oil

Preparation

1. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and mint leaves; heat oil in a pan, add the crushed garlic, mint and grated ginger, a pinch of salt and sauté till aromatic, making sure garlic does not burn
2. add the steamed vegetables and a pinch more salt and stir well
3. add the cooked basmati rice and stir well till incorporated, adjust salt to taste

Serve with cool Cucumber Raita: grate cucumbers and stir in some crushed mint leaves, plain yogurt and salt to taste.