Khatta Meeta chutney ~ Kishmish Raita ~ Badam Halwa

Cook Dammit Series : Moghul Recipes

Khatta Meeta chutney (Sweet & Sour Chutney) Take half a handful of seedless dates. Blend together with two pinches each of jaggery, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and a bit of tamarind pulp.

Kishmish Raita ( Raisins in yogurt) : Soak half a handful of raisins in warm water for ten minutes. Drain. Mix in a cup of yogurt. Mix in a pinch each of sugar, salt, chili powder and three pinches of cumin powder.

Badam Halwa (Almond fudge) Soak a cup of almonds in water overnight. Drain and blend to a paste with two pinches of cardamom powder and half a cup of sugar. Heat two spoons of ghee. Add paste & stir continuously till it becomes a glossy semi solid.

Courtesy: Ramki, Pizza Republic on ChennaiFoodGuide FB Page.

Barbecue on a shoestring !

Cook Dammit Series : Barbecue on a shoestring !

All you need to have a good barbecue going is lit coals. Nothing else ! A few skewers, a steel mesh and a container to hold coals might help, but not really essential !

Lighting coals is the only thing you need to learn ! FYI, mankind mastered fire eons back !

You can dig a pit in the ground, or use shallow mud flower pots as containers to hold hot coals. Or buy a 'bandu' ( Rs.100), available at all hardware shops. ( See picture)

Veggies/ meat can be grilled directly over live coals or stuck in skewers and placed over a steel mesh ( Rs.50 ), available at hardware.

For skewers, any slim stick would do or you can buy cycle spokes ( Rs.3) and sharpen one end by rubbing it on the floor.

Almost anything - veg / meats, marinated / raw tastes delicious barbecued. Marinate it for an extra burst of flavor & baste it with butter / oil / ghee while grilling and it goes off the charts. 

Try it out at home - it is simpler than you think ! Or come over to the beach cookout and check it out.

That's the crude way, so dear to me. You can of course choose the much more refined & sophisticated way by buying a fancy grill, charcoal briquettes, lighter fluid, fancy skewers, and keep them unused at home for years, and try them one day and, run around pleading with people to help you light a fire and crib because the host was delayed a bit ! 

whatever way you choose, start barbecuing - it is addictive !

Courtesy: Ramki, Pizza Republic on ChennaiFoodGuide FB Page.

Easy Peasy Avakka, The King of all Pickles !

Cook Dammit Series : 

Chop up a Kg of the sourest mangoes (Avakka Cut). Wipe dry. Mix 150gms each of mustard powder, chili powder & salt. Mix all. Shake once a day. Mix in 250 gms of sesame oil after a week. Eat after a month. Can also mix in half a handful of raw Kabuli channa, garlic cloves or fenugreek seeds.

Courtesy: Ramki, Pizza Republic on ChennaiFoodGuide FB Page.

Instant Aviyal

Cook Dammit Series: 

Take half a handful of chopped coconut, three pinches each cumin, salt, a pinch of turmeric, a chopped green chili and a dash of coconut oil. Blend in a mixie's small jar. Add a dash of yogurt and blend again to a smooth paste. Mix in more yogurt to get the consistency you like. Mix in a handful of chopped and boiled Aviyal vegetables.

Courtesy: Ramki, Pizza Republic on ChennaiFoodGuide FB Page.

Happy New Year Foodies!

Happy New Year. May 2013 bring all the great things that we wish & desire and may God & Nature give us the strength and health to work towards that. Let's make sure that we earn and grab all of the stars the let them stay with us!