Puliodharai (Tamarind Rice)

This is a popular South Indian dish. It's a yummy blend of five of the six Indian flavours - sweet (இனிப்பு) , sour (புலிப்பு), salty (உப்பு) , bitter (கசப்பு), astringent (காரம்), pungent ( துவர்ப்பு).
Pungent is the missing flavour. Ideal packed food for travel. The gravy can be prepared the previous day. Only the rice needs to be cooked fresh.

Ingredients:
Tamarind - about the size of 1 large lemon.
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal -1 tsp
Channa dal -1 tsp
Peanuts -1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt to taste
A bunch of curry leaves

For Powder: 
Dry chillies - 10
Methi - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Seasame -2 tsp
Dhania - 2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Roast all the ingredients for powder one at a time in 1 tsp of oil. Roast the chillies first.
2. Cool and make a fine powder.
3. Extract thick pulp from tamarind.
4. Take a kadai and add 2 tbsps of oil. Add mustard, asafoetida, urad dal, 2 red chillies, channa dal, peanuts and curry leaves, when the dals and peanuts turn red, add curry leaves and the tamarind pulp and the powder. Mix well. Simmer and cook till oil separates from the masala.
5. Turn off the fire and add rice and mix.
6. Eat with potato wafers.

Tips:

• The dish stays fresh longer if you use a spatula instead of mixing directly with your hand.
• It is easier to break lumps and mix in the rice thoroughly if you use a fork. Transfer to a dish with a wide mouth. Make sure it is not a non stick pan as the fork will damage it.
• To save time make enough powder for 4-5 rounds of pulli sadam and store it in the fridge for future use. Ready made mixes use citric acid and that gives an after taste. 

Macaroni in Spinach Sauce

Why should you always load a macaroni dish with calories? I thought I'll load it with nutrition instead. It was a hit with the macaroni and cheese eaters at home.  Here's my recipe.

Ingredients:

Macaroni  - 250 gms

Spinach - 2 bunches

Hybrid tomatoes - 2 

Garlic - 5-6 flakes

Chilli Flakes - 2 tsps or to taste

Oregano - a pinch

Olive oil or any cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Soya flour - 3 tbsp

Milk - 1-2 cups or as required

Salt - to taste

Grated Cheese - 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Add macaroni to boiling water along with sufficient salt to flavour the macaroni. When the macaroni is tender, drain out the water using a colander and wash the macaroni immediately in cold running water to prevent it from getting sticky. Keep aside.

Step 2: Clean and wash the spinach and put it in a microwave safe covered dish and microwave it for 3 minutes. Alternately, you can steam it for 5-6 minutes. Keep aside to cool.

Step 3: When the spinach is cool enough blend it in a mixer together with chopped hybrid tomatoes and soya flour to make a fine paste.

Step 4: Add cooking oil to a frying pan. Add finely chopped garlic flakes, when it turns golden and emits a heavenly smell add the macaroni, mix well.

Step 5: Add the spinach paste and sufficient salt. Remember, we did not add salt to the spinach paste. Mix well. Add 1 cup of milk, the chilli flakes and the oregano. Simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes to allow the spices and sauce to steep into the macaroni. Keep stirring add more milk if required.

Step 6: Garnish with a miserly tbsp of grated cheese. Nobody is going to know the dish is not loaded with cheese unless you tell them.

Do you have any healthy versions of macaroni and cheese? I'd love to hear about it.