How to make or set curd at home

All the readers would be surprised or shocked or fascinated by seeing the preparation of curd at home and that is so simple? Here is the answer. Many of my friends here in Singapore regularly complain that they don't get proper curd at home. So they buy curd on a regular basis. How long can they buy outside, when's it is so simple to make. Try this out friends. Don't panic next time. This method is taught to me by my hubby. I wouldn't have known otherwise. Credits to him.

I have used farmhouse milk/ Meiji milk/ Dutch Lady for making curd.

Ingredients :

• Milk - 1 litre

Curd - 2 tsp

Method:

Transfer a carton of milk into the vessel you want to set curd.

Switch on the gas, place the vessel on the stove.

Let the milk get heated. Ensure that it is lukewarm. Switch off. Do not boil the milk.

Add the curd to curdle when it is lukewarm. Stir it well. Keep it undisturbed.

Keep it overnight.beautiful scoopy curd is ready. You can scoop out like ice cream.

How to make kozhukattai rice flour using Kodo millet/ varagarisi

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Vinayagar chathurthi is on September 17th this year. Kozhukkattais will be there for neivedhyam in all your houses. Usually we make kozhukkattai using plain rice flour. This year I have planned to make kozhukkattai using millet flour . I make using Kodo millet or varagarisi in Tamil for making the outer cover of the kozhukkattai. I have already prepared the flour for that. Here is how to go about for making the flour.

Ingredients : 

• Varagu arisi or Kodo millet - 1 cup
• Water

Method:

• Take one cup of millet in a vessel. Wash it twice to clean the dust that is there in the millet.
• Soak the millet in water for one hour.
• Strain the millet with a strainer .let all the excess water be strained.

• Take a white cloth or a nice dhoti and spread the strained millet and allow it to dry for 30-45 mins.

After 45 mins, put the dried millet into a mixer and grind it into a smooth flour. The millet will be little moist only. 

Grind it in mixer nicely in batches if your making a larger quantity.

Sieve the flour and if there are small balls or lumps. Collect it and grind again. 

sieve the flour and put it in a wide vessel or newspaper and allow it to dry in open air.

Millet flour ready for making kozhukkattai dough!

Kaima idly

I am a big fan of Kaima idly or chilly idly that is served in restos. I have been longing to do this for a very long time. Recently I tried this Kaima idly me jus loved  and relished it with rose milk for my dinner. The process is little time consuming but it's worth trying. Do try out this yummy Kaima idly and tell me how you all liked it.

Ingredients:

For marination:

• Idly - 12-16
• Corn flour - 3 tbsp
• Maida - 1 tsp
• Salt
• Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Other ingredients:

• Capsicum - 1
• Onion - 1
• Garlic chopped - 1 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Chilli garlic sauce - 1 tbsp
• Green chilly - 2
• Soya sauce - 2 tsp
• Ketchup - 1-2 tbsp
• Salt
• Water

Method :

• Steam idlies and chop it into cubes.
• Marinate the idly cubes with marination ingredients for half hour and fry it. Do not fry till golden brown. Keep it aside.
• For masala, eat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and green chilly. Saute well.
• Add chopped onions. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry till raw smell vanishes. 
• Add soya sauce,ketchup and chilly garlic sauce,  and salt. Mix them well.Add capsicum and cook it closed for 5 - 7 mins. 
• When the capsicum is cooked, add the fried idlies and saute well.

Hot and crunchy Kaima idlies ready!

Egg omelette kurma / mutta omelette kurma

Egg omelette kurma was a tasteful and flavourful kurma to have with rotis and rice! I have had this egg omelette kurma in my childhood and I forgot this dish totally. Recently I met my school friend after almost 17 years. I met her in Singapore in my house. She stays here. I had invited her home for lunch. She brought this egg omelette kurma for me in a box. What a taste. I am not able to forget even when I type here.

I asked her the recipe, sheep was kind enough to share it with me. Please do try the recipe and post you're feedbacks..

Ingredients for omelette:

• Onion-1 finely chopped 
• Green chilli -1
• Pepper powder-1tsp
• Salt
• Eggs -  2-3
• Garam masala powder a pinch

Method:

 Whisk it all together nd prepare omelette.

Ingredients for kurma: 

• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
• Fennel powder -1/4 tsp
• Coconut
• Whole garam masala
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Tomato -1
• Onion -1
• Garam masala powder
• Chilly powder -1 tsp
• Soaked and boiled peanuts -1 cup
• Water
• Salt
• Coriander leaves
• Oil

Method:

• Dry roast the coriander powder , cumin powder , fennel powder and grind it with coconut.
• Heat oil in a pan,  Saute whole garam masala and add chopped onions. Fry nicely
• Add ginger garlic paste, sauté till raw smell vanishes.
• Add tomato,garam masala powder, red chilli powder and fry till the tomato becomes mushy.
• Add the boiled ground nut, dry roasted masala with coconut. Add salt
• Add water and allow it to boil it to needed consistency. Add the omelet peices nd boil for 1 min...  Garnish with lots of chopped coriander leaves.

Tasteful omelette kurma ready to serve!

Varalakshmi Poojai/ Varalakshmi viratham

Varalakshmi pooja Or viratham is a festival to propitiate the goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, one of the Hindu Trinity. Varalakshmi is one who grants boons (Varam). It is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and North Tamil Nadu. The Hindu festival going by the name 'Vara Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before full moon day - Poornima in the month of Śravaṇā, also called Śawan in Hindi and Aadi in Tamil which corresponds to the English months of July–August.

Varalakshmi Vrata is performed by married woman for the well being of all the family members, especially husband, to get progeny etc. It is believed that worshiping Goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to worshiping Ashtalaksmi – the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Learning, Love, Fame, Peace, Pleasure, and Strength. Because of the popularity in some states of India, it is declared as an optional official holiday in India, says Wiki.. This info is in general.

How we celebrate at house, me and my MIL start to prepare it from before a week. Planning to buy things, cleaning house, washing the lamps, buying silk saree for goddess Lakshmi, etc.

We decorate the door by putting flowers in the entrance door and tying mavilai thoranam.

This was in Bangalore house. All the neighbours and the street mates used to put kolam the previous day night itself.

Then we start the along arm of the Ambal in our pooja room. We tired vazhamaram in the entrance of the pooja room. We buy a silk spree every year for goddess Lakshmi. Flowers to decorate and worship her. Decorate her with jewels.

We invite Lakshmi by lighting lamps, put colour kolam outside the pooja room. It looks divine by itself with her beauty.

The Amman face is kept on the kalasam, kalasam consists of nuts, inclusive of badam, cashew, dried dates, raisins. We add turmeric , kumkum, 9 coins, kalkandu or sugar. We also add little rice to it.

My daughter is getting ready with meridians on her hand, she likes to wear patty pavadai and me and my MIl wore silk saree. 

These are the offerings to God, we keep a achu vellam and koppara thenga to God. We keep money in the pooja. We offer fruits.

That's my kid who worship God and poses to my snaps.

We invite all the neighbourhood ladies and kids and give them thambulam( vethala pakku parham, thenga) ! We also visit other houses and worship the God and receive thambulam!

Neivedhyam made on varalakshmi pooja are 

Puliodharai

Lemon rice

Coconut rice

Curd rice

Sweet corn vada : http://jiyasdelicacy.blogspot.sg/2012/11/sweet-corn-vadai.html

Sweet corn kheer: http://jiyasdelicacy.blogspot.sg/2012/11/sweet-corn-kheer_19.html

Kosambari : http://jiyasdelicacy.blogspot.sg/2012/11/cucumber-kosambari.html

Obbattu : http://jiyasdelicacy.blogspot.sg/2012/03/puran-poli-obbattu.html

Vazhaikkai podi

Vazhaikkai podi is a recipe which I learnt from Mr.Venkatesh Bhat from his program Samyal Samayal in Vijay TV, It was so appetizing and a different recipe using raw banana . We can also make this powder and store it for 2-3 days. Definitely it gives a different taste . It can be kept for lunch box . I served it with suttapplam. To give it a try and write to me.

Ingredients:

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoedita- 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves 

• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Toor dal - 1 1/4 tsp
• Red chilly - 7
• Salt
• Oil / ghee
• Raw banana - 1

Method:

• Heat a pan, dry roast , bengal gram, urad dal 1 tbsp,toor dal,red chilly,coriander seeds and keep it aside. Grind it into a coarse powder with salt..
• Pressure cook the banana with little turmeric powder and salt for 3 whistles and peel the skin. shred the raw banana into small crumbs and keep it aside.
• Heat the pan, add ghee ,splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoedita.
• In a bowl keep the cooked rice and add 2 tsp of ghee, add the shredded raw banana, tempered mustard seeds mixture and the coarsely ground masala powder to it.
• Mix well and keep it for sometime. 

Relish it with chips or suttappalam or any fried dishes! Yummy it is!

Aadi Perukku / Aadi padhinettu

Adiperukku (also written as Aadiperukku) is a Hindu Tamil festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Adi (mid-July to mid-August). In 2014, it is on August 3. The festival pays tribute to water's life-sustaining properties. For the blessing of mankind with peace, prosperity and happiness, nature worship in the form of Amman deities are organized to shower Nature’s bountiful grace on human beings. 

Adiperukku is a unique South Indian and specially a Tamil festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Adi (mid July). The festival coincides with the annual freshes of the rivers and to pay tribute to water's life-sustaining properties. It is celebrated near river basins, water tanks, lakes and wells etc. of Tamil Nadu when the water level in the rises significantly heralding the onset of Monsoon

Generally the neveidhyam would be variety rice.
My neivedhyam for the day 
Puliodharai
Lemon rice
Coconut rice
Curd rice
Candy rice