Pulikaachchal (spiced tamarind paste)

Introduction:
"Puli" = tamarind, "kachch" = cooking/drying. Pulikaachchal is a tamarind-based spicy paste that is mixed with rice to make puliyodharai/puliyogarai (tamarind rice). It is a deliciously sour paste that can also be enjoyed as a sandwich spread. Each serving only requires about a tablespoon, and the paste can be stored in the fridge for quite a while.

Ingredients:
For powder:
Toor (split pigeon peas), urad (split black gram), and chana (split Bengali gram) dals - 2 tbsp each
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dried red chillies - 10
Oil - 1/2 tsp
For sauce:
Oil - 4-5 tbsp (3 when frying, 1-2 when mixing in the powdered spices)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Toor, udad, and chana dals - 1 tsp each
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 stalks
Peanuts, roasted - a handful
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind pulp from concentrate - 2 tbsp or to taste
Salt - to taste

Method:
One by one, roast the dals in the "for powder" section till they start to turn brown. Set aside. Heat the oil and roast the red chillies till you they start to turn brown. Let the ingredients cool and then grind to a fine powder.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok. Add mustard and methi seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the toor, chana, and udad dals. Add curry leaves and fry till they are crisp. Add peanuts and fry till coated with oil. Add hing and turmeric powder and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the tamarind pulp and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil on a medium flame, stirring occasionally. Lower the flame, add the powdered spices and 1-2 more tbsp oil, stir well to avoid lumps, and simmer to thicken the sauce till it has the consistency of a thick paste.

Mix with rice to make puliyodharai, adding a little ghee or sesame oil if necessary. Enjoy with crunchy sides like potato chips or fried papad! Can also be spread onto bread slices for a tasty sandwich.

Source: Mom's recipe
Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Coriander beef fry

Ingredients:
Beef - 1 kg, cut into large pieces
Coriander leaves - 2.5 bunches
Ginger - 6" piece, chopped fine (or about 3/4 cup)
Garlic - 8 cloves, chopped fine
Red chillies - 4 long, slit lengthwise
Coconut milk - 1.5 cups
Thai basil leaves - 4 stalks (optional)
Eggplant - 1 large, cut into bite-size pieces (optional)
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:
Add coconut milk and 1/4 cup water to blender, and coarse blend half of the ginger, half the garlic, and two red chillies. Add the coriander bunches in three portions, coarsely blending each time. Add salt and blend till no large pieces remain.

In a pan (or pressure cooker), heat the ghee. Add the remaining ginger, garlic, and red chillies. Add the beef and fry till all sides are sealed. Add basil leaves and fry till coated, add eggplant pieces and repeat. Lower the flame and add the blended liquid. Cook covered till beef is tender and cooked through (or pressure cook one whistle on a low flame).

Serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Pudina (Mint) Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken, cut into pieces - 1 lb
Coriander leaves, chopped coarsely - 2 bunches
Mint leaves, chopped coarsely - 1 bunch
Long green chillies - 4-6
Fresh red chillies - 2
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp (or use fresh ginger and garlic coarsely chopped)
Onion, large, chopped fine - 1
Tomato, large, chopped fine - 1
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Water - 1.5 cups
Cornflour or besan (chickpea flour) - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Time (cook+prep): about 30 min

Method:
Take 1/4 cup water in a blender and throw in the chillies and ginger & garlic. Blend for a few seconds, then add half the coriander leaves. Blend a few more seconds, then add another ~1/4 cup of water. Now add the rest of the coriander leaves and blend for a minute or so. Lastly, add the mint and blend well, adding small amounts of water if required, in order to make a thick paste.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok, and add the onions. Fry on a medium flame until golden brown. Add the coriander-mint paste and salt and fry until the excess water evaporates and the oil separates to the sides. Now add the chicken pieces and fry for 5 min. Mix in the garam masala and coriander powder and fry another 2 min. Stir in the water and cook covered on a medium flame for 20 min. Take the besan or cornflour in a bowl, add about 1 tbsp of the water from the gravy, whisk into a uniform thick paste, adding slightly more gravy if necessary. Pour paste into the wok, mix well to thicken the gravy. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Multiflour dosa

Ingredients:
All-purpose flour or whole wheat flour - 2/3 cup
Rice flour - 1/3 cup
Flax powder - 1/4 to 1/3 cup
Salt - to taste
Garam masala - 1 tsp (optional)
Thai red chilli, chopped fine - 1 medium (replace with serrano pepper for lower heat)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger, chopped fine - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped fine - 4 strands
Spinach or other crisp leafy greens, chopped fine - 1 cup
Sesame oil (or vegetable oil) - 1/2 cup

Time (cook+prep): 15 min
Servings: makes ~4 dosas

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except for the oil in a large bowl. Slowly add water, stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps. You're aiming for pancake batter consistency.

Pour out one ladle on a hot griddle, gently spread the batter out into a ~6" circle (It doesn't have to be very thin, cooking uncovered on the griddle will dry it out sufficiently). Pour sesame oil all around the edges, and drizzle a little on top. Cook until the bottom is crisp and golden brown. Flip and cook the other side.

Serve hot with your favourite sauce.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Chicken stew with soymilk and powdered flax

Ingredients:
Chicken, cut into medium-size pieces - 1 lb
Onion, sliced - 1/2 of a large one
Basil, chopped - 2 stalks
Thai red chillies, sliced lengthwise - 4 or to taste
Coriander powder or garam masala powder - 1.5 tbsp or to taste
Flax powder - 1/4-1/3 cup
Soy milk, unsweetened - 1-2 cups depending on thickness desired
Mustard oil (regular vegetable oil will also do) - 1.5 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp (adjust to taste)
Mushrooms, cut into pieces - 1-1.5 cups (optional)
Tofu, cubed and lightly fried - 1/2 lb (optional, replace with diced carrots and/or potatoes)

Time: about 30 min.
Servings: 3-4.

Method:
Heat the oil and add the red chillies and basil. Fry for a minute and add the chicken pieces and stir to coat well. After 5 minutes, add the onions and mushrooms. Mix well and fry on a medium flame until the onions are golden brown, the mushrooms lose their moisture, and the oil separates. Add coriander powder (or garam masala) and salt, mix for a minute. Add the soy milk and bring to a boil. Bring heat down to medium and mix in the flax powder. Add the tofu pieces and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy with rice or on its own.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan

Drink recipes with simple syrup

The simple syrup recipe below is useful for many different drinks. A couple of examples follow. Make syrup in bulk in advance.

Simple syrup with mint infusion
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 bunch mint cleaned
(Increase quantity as required. Typically each glass of mixed drink will use up 1/4 to 1/3 cup of simple syrup.)
Method
Heat the water and mix in the sugar until dissolved. Keep boiling until the mixture is about 3/4 the volume. Add the mint leaves, stir and boil for 5 more minutes. Turn off the flame and let it cool to room temperature. Remove mint leaves and store until ready to use.

Mojito mix
2 cups rum
3/4 cup mint-infused simple syrup
3/4 to 1 cup lime juice (as per taste)
(Increase quantity as required. Typically each glass of mixed drink will use up 3/4 to 1 cup of this mix.)
Method
Pour the rum, sugar syrup and lime juice in a large jar or bottle. Shake well to mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Quick Basic Mojito
First put crushed ice (or tiny ice cubes) in a glass, then fill 3/4 of the glass with mojito mix. Make up the remaining volume with soda water. Garnish with a mint leaf and serve with a straw.

Mango mojito
Fill half of a blender with ice, add 2 cups mojito mix, 2 cups mango juice (or, if available, mango pieces), and 1/2 cup lime juice. Blend until the ice is crushed. You can also combine other fruits like strawberries and raspberries or pineapples with the mango, as long as the total is about 2 cups.
To serve, fill 3/4 of the glass with mojito mix. Make up the remaining volume with soda water. Garnish with a mint leaf and serve with a straw.

Hot cocoa with Bailey's Irish Cream
Milk - 4 cups
Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1 cup
Sugar syrup with mint infusion - 1/4 to 1/3 cup
In a large bowl, mix the cocoa powder with the sugar syrup with a whisk. Add a few spoons of milk if required to make a smooth paste. Now add the rest of the milk and mix well. Bring to a boil on the stove, then store in a thermos.
When serving, first fill 1/4 of your mug with Bailey's Irish Cream. Make up the remaining volume with the cocoa mix. Drink immediately. I recommend small mugs so your drink doesn't get a chance to cool down.

Curried chicken with rice noodles

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
Amchur (dried mango powder) - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Yogurt - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
To stir fry:
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Mint - 10 leaves (optional)
Red onion (large), sliced - 1/2
Garlic, minced - 6-8 cloves
Moong bean sprouts - 250 g
Chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces - 500 g
Beet juice (for the colour) - 3/4 can (I used the leftover juice from a can of beets)
Dried rice noodles - 200g
Coriander leaves, chopped - 2 sprigs
Lime juice - 2 tbsp

Cooking time: 30-40 min
Servings: 3-4

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in the marinade with the yogurt. Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat well. Refrigerate for 30 min. In the meantime, prep the rest of the ingredients.

Heat the olive oil and sauté the onions, mint and garlic till the onions are golden brown. Add the moong sprouts and fry for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the chicken along with the marinade. Stir to fry the chicken pieces evenly, cook for 5 minutes. Add the beet juice and some salt to taste (the beet juice already has some salt, so don't overdo it) and stir well. Cook until the chicken is almost done, then cover the chicken with the dried rice noodles. Cook covered until the noodles are done. Mix well, then garnish with lime juice and coriander leaves.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan