Spicy Butter Biscuit

Maida Flour (Refined Flour) – 250g

Butter – 50g

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Salt – as required

Baking powder – ¼ tsp

Vanilla Essence – 5 drops

Egg – 1

Ajawain Powder – ¼ tsp

Oil for deep frying

Method of Preparation

1. Cream the butter. Beat the egg with Vanilla essence. Put turmeric powder, chilli powder, ajwain powder, salt, Baking powder into the Maida flour, sieve the flour then.
2. Add the creamed butter into the sieved flour. Add the beaten egg into the flour, start knead the mixture. If you need water just sprinkle it little. Ensure the kneaded dough is somewhat tough.
3. Spread the dough into sheet and fold the sheet. Allow it in rest for 10 minutes. Again repeat the same process for three times.
4. Finally spread the dough and cut into square. Deep fry the pieces in the hot oil till it is cook and golden colour.
5. Drain and serve. Now the spicy crispy biscuit is ready.

Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai - Peanut Chikki

Groundnut is called as “Poor men’s Cashewnut.” Protein content in the peanut is equal to the cashewnut, so groundnut has the space in our traditional food habit. Groundnut should eat properly otherwise it might create disturbance to our body. Always it is best to eat the groundnut either roasted or steamed. Nutritionist says Steaming will loss the nutrients in the groundnut. In the villages, roasted peanuts are eaten along with jaggery, this practice was the follow up of making Kadalai Mittai.

Kadalai Mittai is available in all the petty shops of Tamilnadu. Kovilpatti is often suffixed to its name Kadalai Mittai. The tongue which tastes the kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai will not accept other place Kadalai Mittai as “Kadalai Mittai.” Splitted peanuts are hold by vellam pagu or jaggery syrup, the wringling colourful coconut shreds on top of Kadalai Mittai says “I am a Kovilpattian.”  

Earlier time, palm tree based by-product business was the main occupation of the people here. Initially, the palm jaggery of this region and the peanuts of Toothukudi region are combined then sold as “Karupatti Kadalai Mittai.” Later, the demand in sourcing palm jaggery made them to use the sugarcane jaggery for the Kadalai Mittai preparation. Now the groundnut cultivation is also declined in this region, at present peanut is sourcing from Aruppukottai and Dindigul.

The jaggery is brought from Salem area. Kadalai Mittai preparation seems to be easy, if the attention of preparing jaggery syrup lost for few seconds it will wipe out the taste and flavour of Kadalai mittai. Right proportions of Sugar, vanilla essence, Liquid glucose are mixed with jaggery syrup or vella pagu to obtain the taste and consistency. Some says two or three types of Jaggery are melt to get the syrup. Put the shelled and roasted peanuts in the bubbling jaggery syrup.  Stir swiftly and the peanuts embedded in hardened syrup. Plunk it on a board and flatten it with a rolling pin. Cut the peanut bed with Knife.

If the peanut bed is cut with knife, the smell of Kadalai Mittai will gathers the people near around.

The time you have been in this post brings the feel that “you have eaten the Kadalai Mittai”… Say “Thanks for me” anyhow don’t forget to taste the real Kadalai Mittai.

Mutton Dhilrubha

Mutton, boiled –  500g

Ghee – 50ml

Cinnamon –  1nrs

Cardamom – 3nrs

Cloves – 4nrs

Bay leaves – 1 big

Onion, chopped – 2nrs

Tomato, Chopped – 3nrs

Green chillies, chopped – 2nrs

Chilli powder – 2tbsp

Coriander powder – 1tbsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Garam Masala powder – 1 tsp

Ginger & Garlic paste – 2tbsp

Curd – 50ml

Salt – as required

Mint leaves and Coriander leaves, chopped – a few

Basmathi Rice, boiled – 1 kg

Cashewnuts, golden fried – 30g

Method of preparation

1.     Heat oil in a pan, add the whole garam masala ingredients one by one, allow to splutter.

2.     Add the green chillies now. Add the onion, fry it until golden colour. Add the tomatoes. Saute’ till onion and tomato merge well. Add the ginger and garlic paste.

3.     Add the masala powders. Stir all around. Now add coriander and mint leaves. Stir and add the salt and mutton pieces. Mix well and add little water, let it boil for few minutes.

4.     Add the beaten curd, stir all around. Add the basmathi rice. Mix well. Put mint leaves and cashewnuts on top. Cover the pan with tight lid or something. Open it after 15 minutes, mix and serve with your favourites.

Chicken 2014

Chicken – 500g

Riceflour – 100g

Saunf (Aniseed) – 2g

Lemon juice – 1

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Chilli powder – 2 tbsp

Ginger and Garlic paste – 2 tbsp

Cashewnut bits – 50g

Refined oil – 1 litre

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Green chillies, chopped – 2 nrs

Salt as required

Pepper powder – ½ tsp

Curryleaves – a few

Thick curd – 50 ml

Method of Preparation

1. Take one broad kind vessel and put riceflour, aniseed, lemon juice, masala powders, fine ginger & garlic paste, salt, cashew bits and red color. Drop the chicken and mix well, ensure the masala mixture coat well with chicken. Rest it for half an hour.

2. Deep fry the marinated chicken in hot oil after the said time. Drain it.

3. Heat oil in a pan, pop the mustard seeds. Add green chillies, curryleaves. Add the beaten curd, stir it nicely. Put salt, pepper powder and deep fried chicken pieces. Toss the mixture gently. Serve hot.

Traditional Cookwares in Healthy Food

The heading makes you understand that the taste and healthiness in food is associated not only by the skills, the utensils what we are using to prepare the food is most important one to determine the above said fact. Nowadays we mostly like to go with convenient methods. That’s the reason the use of cooking utensils was changed from mud pots followed by bronze, Brass, Iron and Eversilver. At present we are widely used to cook the food in modern non - stick cookwares, these cookwares received the arouse welcome among women. Non stick cookwares are available in different colours, so it is the centre of attraction to makes the kitchen more colourful.

The research says that the type of utensils which we used for cooking the food will determine the presence of nutrients. Another recent study made by the scientist in Uppsala University, Sweden says that the people who consume the food which are cooked in Non –stick cookwares will linked to the high risk of diabetics development. Non stick vessels have a chemical substance so called “Perfluorinated compounds,” while cooking the food in non stick cookware this chemical substance will engage with the food and changes the food into unhealthy. Perfluorinated compunds disrupts the secretion of insulin from the pancreas and could leads to diabetics. 

Ultimately we cannot say that the reason for diabetes is only because of cooking the food in non – stick cookware. The other causes for diabetics are unhealthy food habits, genes, less exercises and depression.

When we speak about the cookwares, it is must to see the uniqueness in our Traditional Cookwares -

1.     The food which is cooked in mudpot will increase the taste and flavour. The food which is cooked in mud pot will not be spoiled for long time and makes the digestion easy. It brings you healthy and long life. The water which is poured in mud pot will develop the unique taste and chillness. The poured curd in mud pot will not develop tart taste. These much uniqueness enriched mud pot is not at all there in our home for usage, nowadays it is just be as the showcase material.  

2.     Our ancestors used gold, silver, bronze, copper, Iron as metal for making cookwares. Silver metal regulates the body temperature and keep always cool. The food which is prepared in copper and bronze cures the stomach ailments. It has the efficiency to reduce the ulcer. If we drink the copper vessel stored water regularly, there will be no coughing and long breathing. Iron metal increase the amount of blood and strengthen the body. It increases the eye sight and protects the eye from any possible ailments.  

What we will do is, as much possible try to use the traditional cookwares to make you healthy. Lets I leave now, see you soon.