Easy Recipes for a busy house wife.

    In todays world most women chose to work , and find it hard to cope with  cooking and other work and they  depend on the the Servant to  cook. Cooking is not a bis task, if a little preparation is done, every now and then.
    One has to mentally prepare the next days, menu keeping in mind the the availability of the ingredients.Thus you are prepared  and you can work fast.  Deciding at the spur of the moment, standing in front of the fridge and  thinking will only waste precious time  Once the menu is  decided gather all the ingredients , and the vessels. and start. Soak the tamarind in hot water.  Some vegetables like, Beans, Cluster Beans can be cooked along with the Rice and Dal. If there is anything to be fried or dry fried for grinding do it first so that, till the cooker is done , you can get the paste ready. on another burner start the curry. Once the Cooker cools  One can make the Sambar and Rasam.. With experience, you can become expert cook.
  Breakfast.
  The best breakfast , is  Idli , which is time saving too as in  the idli mould  , one can steam , as many  idli as needed. This can be eaten with, thicket  meet/Chutney pudi , Coconot chutney or Sambar.
  Dosa . takes a little more time as one has  to make them one by one, there is no shortcuts.
  Uppit or Uppuma is another quick dish that can be made  quickly.there ia Rava Uppit, Semia Uppit and  Raw rice rava uppit.
   Rice Pongal /kichdi/huugi. This is made both with rice and Rava.
    Pohe/ Avalakki  can also be a good breakfast dish,
    Akki roti   is also one but , it takes time.
    The batter for Idli and Dosa can be prepare on Sundays so it is always a ready food not just for breakfast but also for lunch and dinner in  an emergency.
  Recipes.for IDLI :-   Udad Dal  ----one cup , Boiled rice Rava ----- 3 cups. Wash and soak Both the Dal and Rice rave seperatly for 4/5 hours. Fried the Dal   till very smooth and fluffy. ( if a little of the paste is put in water it should float) If grinding in a mixi to grind addind ice cold water to keep it cool. when done remove the dal batter into a big vessel and  throughly drain the water from the rava and add to the dal batter add a little salt and mix well ,the batter must be thick, so be very careful while adding water, really well. close with a lid and let it rest over night to rise. Do use a big vessel to give space for the batter to rise or it will overflow.. Next morning  boil water in the cooker, gease the Idli moulds with a little oil.. Strir the bater well and pour ladle full of batter in the mould and steam on med heat for 10/12 mins. Cool for a few mins and remove the idlis.
 Coconut Chutney :-  grind together Scrapings of 1/2 a coconut, two tablespoons of fried gram, 4/5 green chillies(according to taste) a small amount of tamarind  and salt. grind it smooth adding little water. Remove and season with  mustard seeds and hing.
 DOSA RECIPE.
 Rice  Raw or boiled -----4 cups, Udad Dal ----one cup, One table spoon Chana dal. Soak both  together for 5/6 hours and grind till smooth, Be carefull adding water. (The batter must be be pouringg consistancy not thin.)  Add salt grind and remove into a big vessel , stir well a well and let it rest over night.  Next morning stir again to mix well . Heat a Tava Apply a generous amount of   oil on the tava and  pour a small dosa. cook it on both sides and remove.Keep this small dosa to grease the tava after every2/3 dosas. After the dosa is done reduce the gas flame to sim before the next dosa, after spreading the dosa increase the heat. Next pour a ladle full and spread into a thind round, increase the heat , pour a spoon af oil all arround the dasa.when its cooked turn the the doas and cook on the other side, turn over fold and remove. Repeat the same way for more dosas.
 This  above recipe is for usual dosa .One cup Pohe/ Beaten rice , can be added to the above recipe.
 The Kernal of 1/4 kg grey pumpkin can  be ground with the Udal dal. The doasas will be very soft. this what in hotels they call set Dosa. One table spoon Methi seeds can also be added.This has to soaked seperatly for3/4 hours.
  Upit/ Uppuma. (Simple)
   Rava---- one Cup , Chana dal and udad dal one tea spoon in each, Jeera 3/4 tea spoon,  Mustard  --1/2 teaspoon. dry red Chilli ---1 or 2, Oil --Three table spoons. Curry leaves, green chillies---- 2 .21/2 cups water.
 In a little oil fry the Rava/ Semolina till   Roasted and it emits good aroma, and keep aside . Now, heat the oil add the  Dals when they turn golden add the jeera and mustard when they cracle add the red chillis.anda few seconds later add the water. and salt. Let it boil. put the curry leaves , reduce the haet, and add the Rava while stirring continue-sly so no lumps are formed. Mix well and close ith a lid and let it cook  for 4/5 mins. Open the lid add two tea spoons ghee  ,  mix well and serve.
  While  making the seasoning  Onions can be added , also vegetables of your choice, like cabbage, peas,  Potatos all the mixed vegetables.
     Ready Uppuma.
     To make the Uppit/uppuma, even quicker :-  In big kadai heat four table of oil ,Add a one tablespoon Chana, Dal, One table spoon Urad Dal, fry till golden add two teaspoons Mustard and Jeera, 4/5 red Chillies, also chopped green chillies and curry leaves, let the green chilies  get well fried, then add  3/4  kg, Rava fry till  it is slightly golden  . Remove from the fire and let it cool completely. Store in dry  bottle.
 When you want to make uppuma, Boil water 21/2 to 3 cups water, add one table spoon ghee and  salt  when this boils , add one cup of the prepared Rava/ semolina, mix well  lower heat to med, and let it cook well, stir the mixture one or two times. If prefered scraped  fresh coconut can be added before adding the Rava.
      Rava Idlis can  lso be made using the same mixture. For a cup of the Uppuma mixture, you will need approx  11/2  cups of slightly sour curds, to which salt, fresh cut coriander leaves hing and 1/4 spoon baking soda is added , mix well . Oil the Idli moulds.  add the curds little by little till the idli pouring consistency. pour into the idli moulds and steam for 8 to 10 mins are till done.

  kichdi/ Pongal.
 Every one knows to prepare pongal with rice and Mung dal.
 Rava Kichdi/ pongal .   One cup ---  Rava,  1/2 cup Mung dal , Few Kajus, one tsp jeera, few curry leaves   Haldhi powder and hing. Boil the Dal and keep aside, Heat  Ghee or a mixture of ghee and oil a table spoon, when the ghee heats, add the jeera, kaju,  curry leaves when the kaju is golden add the Rava and fry tiil yoy get good arome and slightly browned add the boiled dal and salt, if needed a little water, cook well and serve with Coconut Chutney.











 
 
  

Vessels and things to start a new home.

Starting  to  cook for a newly married girl is always a challenge, especially, if she is not know much cooking.
 Though . almost all the , food stuffs and the powders, ready made paste , are available in all the stores,they can never ever equal the home made powders and home cooking.
  Generally, while starting a new home the parents , do provide , the necessary Utensils etc Later on , some are are added as per the family's requirements.
  Gas connection has to be applied for. Gas cylinder and a stove with 3/4 burners
    A Preasure Cooker, A Mixi and Grinder.  Two sets  of vessels. various sizes , ie to hold at least 1.5 litres of liquid to  the small one, for cookibg the sambar /Rasam etc . Vessels for milk, and curds.These have to be used only for this purpose only.At least 10 stainless steel Containers to  hold all the dals, rice, etc. One Panchpala . This is a box (dabba) with seven katoris inside, to store the everyday use, of mustard, jeera, pepper etc for the Podni. Two porciline jars for Salt and Tamarind. A set of Kadais  Big to small, A  small kadai with handle for seasoning.
 Ladles, Spoons. (Do avoid plastics). Glass bottles jars to hold pickles.
   For the bath rooms Buckets, mugs, Soap dishes. for cleaning the floor a bucket, Broom, Broom to clean the Bathrooms and brushes.
  A fridge  if possible to buy  at the the starting of the new home.
   For two persons the approx provisions will be :-
  Rice----  8 to 10 KGs depending on the consumption,  Tur dal ---- 2 kgs , Udad  dal ----1 kg , (as this dal will be used for dosa and idli too.) chana dal---- 1/2 kag, Sugar ----2 kgs, coffee powder ----1/2 kg. Tea  leaves ---250 grams. Jaggery ---- 1/2 kg. mustard ----100grams,  Pepper, Jeera, Methi all three  50 grams each, dry red chilli --- 200 grams, Coriander seed--- 1/2 kg, Dry coconut --- one, Wheat flour ---- 2 kgs , depending on how often Roti are made. Rice flour --- 1/2 kg, basen (chanacha peet)---- 1.4 kg ( For bajji and kadi etc.) Idli rava or boiled rice for idli and dosa. Pohe/ Beaten rice --- 1 kg.
    Ghee -- 1/2 kg . cooking oil  --2packets, Til oil for Lighting lamps for god --1/2 litre.
    All the provisions must be stored in air tight containers. It  good to store all every day use of masala etc in small bottles or in the Panchpala, instead of opening the stock every day Every month, before  purchasing the provisions, better check what is there and what is to be bought . With experience   one will learn to the  tricks
 TIPS
  If used carefully a Gas cylinder should last   40 to 60 days according to ones use.
    Dont cook Rice  and Dal on high heat in the cooker, cook it on medium heat so you will get perfect well done rice. these need time to cook.
    Cook Vegetables on med or slow heat  and dont over boil the vegetables.Add salt after the vegetables are cooked. as some Vegetables get reduced on cooking.
 Avoid reheating of the dishes too many times. Even if kept in fridge, take just enough and reheat. If heated too often the  nutrition value will be effected.
   WASH the vegetables well  before cutting , preferably with a pinch of salt.
  All greens like Palak etc should be washed 3/4 times with a little salt, then cut.
   Cook the greens with a pinch of salt and  cook it without a lid to retain its green colour , if closed it will discolour.
  If, one wants to freeze any food, its to be as soon as it cools, dont keep it out the whole day and freeze in the night.Avoid  keeping cooked food in the fridge, even if  done consume it the very next day. Even in the fridge it is likely to spoil.It is also not healthy to eat food stored for long.
  The kitchen is the place where, cleanliness should be top priority. It is here that the health of the family depends. Keep all food stuffs closed. wash and wipe the  gas stove  and keep it spic and span. Wipe any spilt food at once, as it will attract  insects, ants etc. The counter too is to be cleaned with mild soap tp remove grease and dirt.
   Make it a point to  have bath and cook food, not the other way around.While cooking tie the hair so , any loose hair will not fall in the food and contaminate it.
   While cooking be calm and cool. Food cooked with anger   or irritation will be charged with negative energy.
  Before start to cook , decide what is to be done, gather , the essentials  commoditys and utensils and start.
 Soak the tamarind, Cut the vegetables, green chillies etc, so one does not go in search of these after heating the oil in the kadai.
    If one  is well organised, a meal can be cooked in 40 to 50 minutes.
  While cooking for guests  :-  One kg of Rice   can be served to about eight people , if served with Sambar, rasam , and dahi with one Bhaji and Pickle. If one is making extra dishes like mixed Rice or rotis, Rice should be calculated  accordingly. Approximately 2/3 cup for a adult and 1/2 cup for  a child, should be ok.A little extra for  safety.
   For cooking Rice, One cup of rice ---- Two cups of water for  pulau and mixed Rice. for eating with sambar/ Rasam make softer Rice add 1/2 a cup more of water.  Cook Rice on Medium heat, Never on high .
  Use seperate ladles for  Dishes with dahi base  -- like Raitha , Kadi etc never use this to serve  Sambar or rasam .
 While cutting Vegetables,  raw Banana, Potatoes  and Brinjol have to be imersed in water imediatly after cutting even if they have been washed earlier. As these, these vegetable are high in Iron content will discolour fast.
  Greens  should washed before cutting , with a little salt.
  Rice and all dals have to be washed well before cooking ,  as the rice from the storage point or Rice mandis,  might have have got contaminated , with Rodents,/ Rats  urine , Shit etc.
   Cook  for your family with love and affection.  and with interest  your family will love your food.
 home cooked is the best, as you know you are feeding your family the best
 and healthy food.
   Always have the  Sambar Powder, Rasam Powder, Bhaji powder, thicket meet/chutney pody ready.
    Pohe/Avalakki/beaten rice is a ready food. Can be eaten with Chutny pody/thicket meet  mixed with oil or if prefered with onnoin and thicket meet. Can be eaten with dahi too.
 Happy Cooking .