Sunday, August 30, 2009

Recipe

Tulsi Karuppati Kozhukkatai
(Rice dumplings with Palm Jaggery & basil)
It’s an exotic dumpling preparation, dish it out at home!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients
Rice flour – 250 g
Palm jaggery – 150 g
Tulsi leaves – 2 tbsp
Cucumber Seeds -1 tsp
Coconut gratings – 50g
Cashewnuts – 1 tbsp
Salt – a little
Sultanas – 1 tbsp
Cardamon – ½ tsp
Water -1 cup
Directions
1. Take 3/4 quantity of palm jaggery diluted it with water. Boil for few minutes until it turns thick.

2. Mix this palm jaggery dilution with the rice flour; add few Tulsi (basil) leaves and a little salt in it. Make smooth dough. Combine the remaining all ingredients for the stuffing (including the Tulsi & some Palm jaggery gratings).

3. Make the even sized balls, put the depression in the centre, fill it with enough stuffings.Cover it well, do one by one like this. Steam it for 10 minutes.

4. Once you take out from the steamer, dips the dumplings in the thick Palm Jaggery syrup.

5. Now surface of the Kozhukkatai coated with syrup, looks thick black in colour.

6. Arrange it in platter neatly; garnish the top with few coconut gratings.

mmmmmmm.......... Its rich, appears more gorgeous and tastes delicious...

Soon I will post the pictures for my next recipes.

Cookery Show on Vaigai TV


On Sunday 23 Aug 2009, I hosted the cookery show on Vaigai TV for Vinayagar Chathurthi special line-up. I prepared a wonderful Kozhukkatttai called “Tulsi Karuppati Kozhukatti”mainly conscious for the health. In this show, I added,”Tulsi is an elixir of life, it promotes the life longevity also it reduced the blood sugar level and the cholesterol level in the blood of the diabetes patient.

Of course, you can ask me the questions “How about the palm Jaggery ? it Contains high level of sugar, how can the diabetes patients can take it”?

Other than sugar content in the palm Jaggery, it has more fibers and minerals, because it is a concentrated one. Also it is rich source of iron and vitamin C.It gives strength to the children’s and good for clearing throat infection.

I posted this exotic Kozhukkatttai recipe in my Recipe Column.
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My first Shooting experience at Courtallam


Courtallum known as “Natural Spa of South India” located at the western hills bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Courtallum streets are more colorful by the stuffs like banana chips, chicken fry, yummy parotta’s, mascoth halwa.

Arousing water falls, glooming sky, damp breezing, drizzling this is what the climatic conditions enthralled us.

OK, I had the cookery show shooting for the television channel Air Media Network on 29 AUG 2009 at Courtallam.The General Manager of saaral resorts Mr.Sai Ram, trusted me and supported for this cookery show.

Surprisingly, my first show was adorned by the film Actor and MLA Mr.S.Ve.Sekar. He tasted my preparation “Appalam Kuzhambu” (Pappad curry) and he mesmerized by the taste of this dish. Crispy fried Pappad and boiled chickpeas stirred up in the typical hot masala.

“It’s the hot and spicy preparation, perfect match for this chilling climate” he said.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

About Me

I am Chef Raj Mohan M.S, born in Ambasamudram (Tamilnadu), South India. During my school days, I had the practice to go to my brother’s show room. A typical Parotta stall was located just opposite to my brother’s shop. I watched kneading the Parotta dough, the way they were swinging the Parotta and how the Parotta get pumped after it was cooked. I was attracted in the style of swinging the Parotta moreover I attracted towards the smell of “salna.” I encouraged myself to learn the preparation. When I got time I spent time to be in Parotta stall and later lay my hands on this preparation. The Cooking interest added me the new energy and led to catering dreams. I naturally inherited my mother’s cooking skills in my family.

Once I finished schooling, my father understood my interest on catering and I joined Subbalakshmi Lakshmipathy College of science, Madurai, completed my graduation in Hotel Management & catering Science.

The way I prepared the superb “biriyani” for mass of a people is the unforgettable moment for me till now.

After finishing my catering studies, I took up a job at catering colleges as a culinary instructor. I am the Head in the Catering department of Mary Matha College of Arts and Science, Periyakulam (Tamilnadu) since 2009. Here I am facilitating my students on the world wide cuisines, especially our Indian cooking. At present, we are digging up the ethnic dishes of deep South Tamilnadu and trial is on run to set up the recipe as cuisine for commercialization. This initiation makes the students to learn the traditional dishes of their own places and creates passion in the profession. We are at the end of our experiment and I will soon declare that to my blog readers. It is the ladder for my students to host a week long food festival in “Traditional Food of Tamil Nadu” at 1000 Oaks, Pune, Sathya Park & Resorts, Tuticorin in 2009 and following the food event in Fortune Pandiyan. All these made me to know my untiring research work in traditional Tamilnadu food. Since 2010, I have been presenting long running cooking segment in Radio Mirchi FM, Madurai. 

My prominent Guru and a wonderful cook is my mother Mrs.Shantha Mohan. She is the most aspiring person for my cooking interest. Even now she teaches her recipes and unravels all my doubts in cooking. Her interest on cooking and inspirations bring me as a chef today.


Eventually I introduce my devoted LAUGHING CURRY team Chef Karparaja, Chef Arumugam, Chef Murugan, Chef Vinod, Chef Ramesh Kumar, Chef Madasamy, Chef. Balaji and Chef. Nadesan- they are my strength and great supporters of my new endeavours.



Contact me at : rajmohanraghavan@gmail.com




Welcome All Foodies!!!!!

Its the new interesting food blog, the collections and experimentations of my new authentic recipes with my travel experiences while hunting the forlorn ethnic recipes, also I will share all my new ventures and queries of my blog readers.