Tag Archives: Food

Sumangali Pooja Part 1

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So last weekend, I did the Sumangali Prarthanai which is usually done by a married woman in each family or clan when there is a major ceremony happening in a family like weddings or thread ceremonies. Some families (like my mum) also do this on an annual basis.

The Sumangali Pooja is a typical brahmin function, I can’t say I have seen other communities doing this. In our community, this pooja is done to invoke to seeking the blessings of the ancestral women of the family who enjoyed a long and prosperous family life and left this world as sumangalis (those who died before their husbands) and any young unmarried girls in the family. Every family will differ slightly in the way they do this function, but by and large, the procedure should be more or less similar. Unlike most other functions or religious poojas, this function is a 100% ladies function. The men in the family are only for decorative or helpful purposes and have no real role to play. Usually, the oldest woman present will take the mantle of the master of ceremonies and lead the function as she will be the most knowledgeable of all present.

Usually, these days people have around 5 Sumangalis and 2 young girls, though you can have any odd number like 3, 5, 7, 9 or even 11 and 13! You can invite both married women from within your family or outside for the function. The day before the function, all the invited sumangalis are given sesame oil, shikhakai, and turmeric and henna in advance or in the early hours of the day of pooja. The tradition is they have to apply mehendi and take oil bath and also apply turmeric while taking a bath which is considered very auspicious. They will come home the next day by taking oil bath and wear a 9 yards saree which has been made madi (means they have to wash and dry it separately without touching other clothes or even with their hands). These days, especially in places like Singapore, where a saree is getting rarer, people may not be comfortable wearing a nine-yard saree, so sometimes, they wear a normal six-yard saree or even other clothes, come to the host’s house and then change into the nine-yard saree.

Generally, if a daughter is getting married on the girl’s side they will do it compulsorily before the wedding and keep the daughter who is going to get married as one of the pondugal. But in the boy’s house also they do the sumangali prarthanai but they can either do it before the wedding with their family members or they can either do it once the daughter in law comes into the house. This function should also be done only once a year by a family. So in our case, since I just did the function, if S’ cousin gets married anytime in the next one year, his mum (S’ aunt) can’t do it before the wedding, as it’s usually done. The ideal day of the week for this function is a Friday, but these days with people working and children in school during the week, Fridays are not practical so most people do it on a Sunday. The inauspicious time of Rahu Kaal is also to be taken into account when choosing the time. On Sundays the Rahu kaal is in the afternoon, so this function which ends at lunch is perfect to be done on a Sunday.

 

Recipe: Mango Salsa

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After the function, we had some extra mangoes. These were not the Alphonso mangoes which are super sweet, and so I was not very keen on making a milkshake out of them. We tried eating them, but since they were not very sweet, nobody was really interested in that. So instead of wasting them, I thought I’ll quickly whip up a salsa with the mangoes. The mangoes were sweet enough for the salsa, and the combination of the different vegetables was superb! Even S and BB, whom I thought would say spicy, loved it!

Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 2 mangoes, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
  • 2 onions, chopped finely into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped finely into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 green chillies, sliced finely
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp cumin seed powder
  • 2 tsp lime/lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Chop the mangoes, onions and red bell pepper into bite sized pieces and keep in a large bowl
  • Add the ginger and chopped chillies as well as the cumin seed powder, lemon juice and toss well
  • Add salt to taste, toss well and garnish with coriander leaves
  • Chill for a few hours if you want for a better infusion of taste

Recipe: No Onion, No Garlic Broccoli in Red Pepper Gravy

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During the 10/11 days of Navratri, I do not eat food which has onions and/or garlic added to it. So this means, we’re usually cooking traditional south Indian Brahmin food, which does not incorporate these two vegetables. After a few days of cooking traditional dishes, I was bored and so decided to make something north Indian, but to make these gravy-based vegetables without onions and garlic is a challenge. I also had two heads of broccoli which were going to spoil soon so I experimented with this dish which tried to replace garlic and onions with asafoetida and cashew nuts and sesame seeds. It was a hit and even though I made enough for the whole day, we only ate for a single meal and I had to make something else for dinner!

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No Onion, No Garlic Broccoli in Red Capsicum Gravy

Ingredients:

  • 2 heads broccoli, cut into florets, washed and kept aside
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp carom seeds/ajwain
  • 4-5 cashew nuts
  • 1 tsp white sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder or sabzi masala powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped roughly
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tbsps oil
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add 1 tsp cumin seeds.
  • When it splutters, add the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, carom seeds and cashew nuts.
  • Let the cashew nuts brown and then add the red bell peppers and the tomatoes.
  • When the tomatoes start to dissolve, switch off the gas and add the sesame seeds.
  • Let it cool completely and when cool, blend it into a fine paste.
  • In another clean pan, heat the remaining oil and add the balance cumin seeds.
  • When it splutters, add the asafoetida and turmeric and stir for a couple of seconds.
  • Now add the washed broccoli heads and stir-fry for a few minutes till the broccoli gets coated with the spices.
  • When the broccoli is half cooked, add the blended paste and season it with salt, red chilli powder and garam masala powder or sabzi masala.
  • Add water if the gravy is very thick and dry and bring it to the consistency you want.
  • Cook this gravy and the broccoli for a few minutes. Do not overcook the broccoli and keep it slightly al-dente.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any rice or flat bread.

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Recipe: Pineapple Fried Rice

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The other day S brought a whole peeled pineapple to eat. We ate around a third of it and then I was left wondering what to do with the rest of the pineapple. I usually make a pineapple onion raita with pineapple, but thought I should do something different with it. I then tried this pseudo-Thai Pineapple Rice and it was yum!

This pineapple rice is inspired by the Thai one but is Indianised as I am wont to usually do. I also tried to make it slightly healthier without the addition of any coconut milk.

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Pineapple Fried Rice

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked in water for 20 minutes, then drained completely and kept aside
  • 1 onion, chopped finely
  • ½ cup of pineapple chunks chopped into medium sized pieces
  • 2 tbsps raw peanuts
  • 2 tbsps cashew nuts
  • 1 green chilli, chopped into smallish slices
  • 1-inch piece ginger julienned
  • 1 tsp garlic paste or finely minced garlic
  • ½ carrot chopped into small pieces
  • 2 tbsps frozen sweet corn
  • 2 tbsps frozen green peas
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp oil
  • Coriander leaves and chopped green onions to garnish

Method:

  • Cook the basmati rice and when cooked, spread it on a large plate and cool completely.
  • In a pan heat the oil and when the oil warms up, add the garlic paste and ginger juliennes and stir for a couple of seconds. Then add the green chillies and let them cook for a few seconds.
  • Now add the raw peanuts and cashew nuts and let them brown.
  • Add the onion and let the onions cook till they become translucent.
  • When translucent, add the carrots, green peas and corn and let it cook.
  • Now add the pineapple chunks and let the pineapple slightly caramelised.
  • Add salt to taste and let it all cook for a few minutes.
  • Switch off the flame and add the rice and mix well.
  • Check for seasoning and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and chopped green onions.

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Recipe: Malai Kofta

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One of the most famous dishes which you find in almost all Indian restaurants, Malai Kofta is a scrumptious dish, albeit one that takes a bit of time to make. This is a dish you should make when you want to impress someone or when you have a dinner party at home. These creamed dumplings are made of the mashed potatoes and paneer (fresh cottage cheese) and served in a rich tomato based gravy which is enhanced with the addition of fresh cream and cashew nuts.

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Malai Kofta

Ingredients:

For the kofta:

  • 1 cup frozen paneer/cottage cheese, refreshed in hot water for 30 minutes and then mashed well with a masher or your fingers
  • 4 medium size potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies
  • 2 tbsps cornflour or plain flour (maida)
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
  • Sunflower or Vegetable oil to deep fry the koftas

For the gravy:

  • 2 large onions, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 inch piece of ginger
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 3-4 medium sized tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 7-8 pieces of cashew nuts
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1-2 tsps red chili powder
  • 1 tsp coriander seed powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seed powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • Water as required
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tsps oil
  • 1 bayleaf
  • 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 2-3 green cardamoms
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cooking cream
  • Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

img_6097Method:

For the Koftas

  • In a large pan, mix the mashed potatoes and paneer and add some chopped coriander and salt to taste.
  • Add the required amount of cornflour or plain flour to make it into a smooth dough.
  • Make medium-sized balls with the dough and keep aside.
  • Heat the sunflower or vegetable oil in a pan and fry the koftas till they turn golden brown and keep aside.

For the Gravy

  • In a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and add the roughly chopped onions and fry for a few minutes till it becomes translucent. At this point, add the ginger and garlic and fry each for a fee seconds before adding the next ingredient.
  • When the ginger and garlic is fully fried, add the cashew nuts and let it fry for a while. Next add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and stir well till oil is released from the gravy. At this point, switch off the flame and let it cool.
  • When completely cool, blend this mixture till completely smooth. Use some milk to add moisture if you need.
  • In another pan, heat 2 tbsps of oil and add the dry spices – cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, one by one, and stir well. Next, add the blended gravy and let it boil.
  • Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder and salt to taste.
  • When the oil starts to leave the sides, add the cream, reduce the flame and let it come to a nice rolling boil. Check for seasoning (and add if needed) and then add the kasuri methi (after crushing it a bit with your palms).
  • Add water if the gravy is too thick.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

To serve

  • Add the koftas just before you are ready to serve the dish. If you add the koftas too early, it will break when it gets saturated with the gravy and it also soaks up the gravy.

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  • You can also serve the koftas as a tea-time snack.
  • You can also serve the koftas as a tea-time snack.
  • To make the dish richer, you can add a tsp of chopped nuts (cashew nuts, almonds, raisins etc) into the middle of each koftas as a stuffing before frying it.