Tidbits -1

This is first of the forthcoming series of useful tips, ideas for saving kitchen disasters which we face almost daily, shortcuts that doesn't spoil the taste, but saves much needed time and energy etc., etc., all in one!

Do you make poricha kootu or payatham paruppu kootu and run to the mixie every day to grind the ingredients needed for it? Not needed anymore! Buy some dessicated coconut powder or flakes, mix some jeera, dry red chillies, grind it and store it in an air-tight container. You can take 2 teaspoons of it everyday you make kootu and mix it with water and then use it! No difference in taste at all!!! This powder will last until 3 -4 weeks. If you grind approx 3 weeks worth, then this reduces your morning tension and for ppl in India, the power cut tensions too!!!

Raw mango halwa!

I will tell you a full-on captivating story now. My mother-in-law is here with us. My hubby V had asked her to make mango thokku, which is his only and favourite oorugai/pickle item! When we went for grocery shopping last weekend, we selected a raw mango which was quiet big weighing nearly 3 pounds. We paid a lil over $5 for that mango thinking of the resulting tongue tickling taste of 'mango thokku'. When my m-i-l peeled the skin for making thokku, she noticed a pale orangish yellow colour. The mango was not ripe though! It was very stiff and tasted to find it very sweet. She told me about what happened and we both decided to try out halwa as a $5 note danced in our memory! And the rest is history.......

Ingredients:

Raw mango pulp- 1 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tbsp
Cashews - 5 nos
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch
Water

Procedure:

Take sugar in a deep fry pan and add water till it is immersed
Make the mixture boil vigourously for 5 mins in medium heat. Take a bit of the mixture between your fore-finger and thumb, move those fingers apart from each other, the mixture should come like a string between the 2 fingers (we used to call this as 'kambi padham')
Add the mango pulp and stir well and let it thicken. Keep stirring.
Take 1 tbsp of ghee and roast cashews until golden brown in it
Add 1 tbsp of ghee in the thickening mixture and continue to stir.
The mixture will not stick to the pan after a minute or so.
Mix cashews and add cardamom powder.
Raw mango halwa is ready to serve!


Courtesy: My m-i-l.