Chutney Tales

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Orange Cake with Candied Orange!

I made orange cake recently for my grandfather's b'day.Orange cake is his favorite and so I made this zesty cake for him .He became so happy and enjoyed it so much.Everybody who tasted the cake told me its so nice.So I wanted to post it here.

I checked out numerous recipes over the internet and finally adapted the recipe from buttersugarflour..I made some changes in icing the cake.I made orange flavored buttercream for the frosting and decorated it with some candied orange...Here comes the recipe ..

For the cake :

You will need :

2 cups of flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp soda

3 eggs

1 -3/4 cup of sugar

1 cup yogurt,beaten

2 tbsp orange zest

3/4 cup orange juice

Beat sugar and 3 eggs together.

Add butter to the egg/sugar mixture and beat them well.

Pour the yogurt ,orange juice n orange zest and combine them well.

In a separate bowl sift together flour,soda and salt.

Add the flour to wet mixture and combine them well using a spatula.

Grease a 12" baking tin and pour the batter.Preheat oven for 250 C.Bake the cake for 20-30 mins or until the toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center.

Cool for 10 mins.Transfer the cake in a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

For Candied Orange :

You will need :

2 Oranges

2 cup water

3/4 cup Sugar

Slice the oranges as shown in figure.

Bring the sugar and water to boil.

Add the orange slices and let it cook for 30 mins in low heat.Turn the slices now and then.

Once they are done.Remove them and allow it to cool on a butter paper/parchment paper.

You can make this ready when the cake is baking.

For the Orange Buttercream :

You will need :

1/2 cup butter,at room temperature

2.5 cup Icing Sugar

1 tsp of orange zest

1 tbsp of orange juice

Cream together butter and icing sugar.Add juice n zest combine well.

Spread this cream over the completely cooled cake.

Make sure that you cover the sides too.

Place the candied orange over the sides..Sprinkled orange flavored drinking Tang powder on top..

I reserved some of the buttercream.I colored it orange and used it to write the b'day wish and for some piping.

I think I should have used brown color for piping..Anyways,It tasted good ..Before I could take a picture of sliced cake,it was gone :(

I'm very glad to say that I won the Cook n Create with luv and luv event hosted by Priyanka of asankhana.Its so sweet of her to choose me as winner ,though I'm a beginner in cooking when compared to many expereinced people out there.This is the first time I'm winning in such event.

Although I thanked her personally thru mail,I felt I must thank her here,Thank you ,Priyanka :)

I made my very own cookie cutters by myself for the heart-shaped marshmallow for the event...It came out successfully ..So I made some more cookie cutters like that and made these savory crackers 'Muthiya' y'day ..I followed the recipe posted by Mahimaa ..Check out the recipe here ..We all loved them..Thanks ,Mahimaa

I feel the best thing about blogging is ,having so many friends of same interest..All of you are so kind and enthusiastic...

Varsha & Malar are so sweet that they shared with me this following award..

,which states that :
"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I feel soo good that they thought of me too..

Now its hard for me to choose 8 persons..I wanna pass this award to everyone..All are equally sweet and they mean so much to me...

Anyways I'm passing this to the following 8 friends..

And these 8 friends will pass this to my other friends :)

Monday, March 2, 2009

Authentic Chidambaram Kathirikai(Brinjal) Gosthu/Gotsu & Samba Sadham

Gosthu with hot idlis..

Kothsu/Gotsu/Gosthu/Gojju...

Every place has its own popular dish..Like how the best 'Halwa' is 'Thriunelveli Halwa'.The best Gosthu is 'Chidambaram Gosthu'. There is a stark difference between the Thiruvarur gotsu and Chidambaram gotsu. Thiruvarur version is milder and will not look like a pickle. Originally,the gosthu was made so famous by the 'Dikshithars' of Chidambaram temple.They make this Brinjal gosthu with Samba Sadham as an offering to Lord Nataraja.It tastes incredibly divine.

Gothsu is a must-in-the-menu of every marriage that takes place in Chidambaram.

My grandma told me that Gosthu is a very old tamil recipe (may be 2000 years old) and in olden days they roast the brinjals over hot coals to make this gotsu .But nowadays the Dikshithars/Marriage caterers deep fry the whole brinjals in oil for making the Gosthu.And the gotsu looks like pickle with lots of oil on the top .If it is made by the Dikshithars ,the Gosthu sans onion.But in marriages they include pearl onions.So one can go ahead with the recipe according to their preference.

In Nataraja temple, they offer this Pepper-cumin Rice and Gothsu in 'Thonai' (leaf cups)- A very unique and delicious prasadham of Chidambaram temple.

Chidambaram Gosthu :

You will need :

6-7 Brinjals

1 cup of pearl onions

A pinch of turmeric
1" ball of tamarind pulp

3 sprigs of curry leaves

4-5 tsp Gotsu Podi (see recipe below)

1/4 cup Oil
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of grated jaggery/sugar

Salt

Recipe for Gosthu Podi :

3 tbsp of Coriander seeds

1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds

2 tbsp of Toor dal/ split pigeon peas

1/4 tsp of Fenugreek seeds

A small piece of asafoetedia, fried in a tsp of oil

4-5 dried red Chillies

Heat a pan/kadai and dry roast them individually and grind them together to make Gothsu Podi.

Preparation of Gothsu:

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water. Peel the skin off the pearl onion. (TIP: Soak the onions in warm water for few minutes, chop off the tail and head for easier peeling)

Cut the brinjals lengthwise into thick wedges. Soak them in water to prevent discoloration.

In a kadai,heat a 1/4 of oil and add the mustard seeds and let them crackle. Now add the onions and fry for a couple of minutes.

Drain the water and add the cut brinjals along with the curry leaves. Let the brinjals cook in the oil for 4 minutes.

In the meantime, extract the tamarind juice from the soaking pulp. Make sure the extract is concentrated. So not add additional water to it.

Pour half of the tamarind extract and sprinkle 3-4 tsp of gotsu podi. Add salt.

Use a wooden masher and gently mash the cooked brinjal.

At this stage, taste and check for spice/tang and salt. Add more of whatever taste is missing.

Add about 1/2 tsp of grated jaggery/sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Let it simmer for couple of minutes.
Turn off the heat. You will see oil floating on top of the gotsu.
This keeps well for upto a week. Excellent with idlis,dosas, pongal and especially samba sadam.

Samba Sadham/Milagu Sadham :

You will need :

1 tbsp pepper

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp ghee

2 cups of boiled rice

10 cashews,broken and fried in ghee(optional)

Salt

Dry roast the pepper and cumin seeds and coarsely powder them.

Add ghee ,salt,pepper/cumin powder and cashews to the rice .Mix well and serve with Gothsu!

Sending this picture to Gayathri's Magnificient Click contest..

Sending this samba sadham to Think Spice ..Think Pepper event ,a brainchild of Sunita which is hosted by Divya of Dilse.

Sriharivatsan of Enthaligai has passed me 'blogging with a purpose award' and 'Circle of friends' award.I'm happy that she thought of me and included me in the circle.As everyone is blogging with a purpose..i would like to pass both the awards to all my fellow blogging friends..plz pick them up :)

Have a nice day!

Friday, February 27, 2009

Aromatic Podis(powders) from my grandma's kitchen!

Y'day I had a great time with my paternal grandma..I was with her whole day watching her cook various things in a spree..I was adoring her elegant style of preparing the dishes with love and care..After lunch ,she made some podis that can be taken with rice and some ghee drizzled on top of it..During free time she makes these podis and store them which will last upto a month ..These podis can be a great quick fix during lazy days .We made five different podis and I love all of them..Next time she promised to make some other types of podis..

Here comes the recipe for the podis ..

Idli Milagai podi/Ullutham parrupu(Urad Dal) milagai Podi :

You will need :

1 cup Urad dal

8 dried red chillies

A pinch of Asafotedia

1 tsp oil

Salt

Heat oil in a kadai and roast the urad dal until it turns to golden color..

Roasted Urad Dal

In the same kadai,roast the red chillies..

Roasted Red chillies

Grind together the roasted urad dal,red chillies,salt,asafotedia to powder.Cool and store in a air tight container.

Idli milagai podi is generally served as a accompainment for dosa or idlis.Mix them with gingely oil or ghee and use it as chutney..

Kothamalli(Coriander) Podi :

You will need:

1 cup coriander seeds,slightly roasted in a tsp of oil

6 dried red chillies,slightly roasted in a tsp of oil

Salt

Roasted Coriander seeds

Grind the coriander seeds,chillies and salt together to fine powder.Cool and store in a air tigt container.

Mix a tablespoon of this aromatic podi with some ghee/oil in hot cup of rice ..Its tastes divine :)

Karivepillai(Curry leaves) Podi :

You will need:

3 cups of curry leaves,washed and dried in a towel

1 cup of urad dal,slightly roasted in a tsp of oil

1 lemon sized ball of tamarind pulp

15 red chillies,slightly roasted in a tsp of oil

Salt

Tamarind ball and Curry leaves..

Grind urad dal ,chillies and salt together.Then add the tamarind and curry leaves and grind together to a fine powder.Cool and store a air tight container.

Some will roast the curry leaves before grinding but my grandma insisted not to do that ..She feels the real flavor and goodness of the curryleaves will be lost by roasting.Eat this podi everyday like a tablespoon along with rice , dosa/idli..or you can add this while making any curry /sambar..Its so good for hair and you will see the difference when taken regularly :)

Parrupu(Dal) Podi:

You will need:

1 cup tuar dal,slightly roasted in a tsp of oil

10 red chillies,slightly roastesd in a tsp of oil

10 cloves of garlic,sking peeled

Salt

Grind together the dal,chillies ,garlic and salt to a powder.Cool and store in a air tight contianer.

Parrupu Podi is ready!

Onion Vadagam Podi :

You will need:

1 cup Onion vadagam (This is used for seasoning and its also known as talimpu/thallipu vadagam available in Indian super markets)

10 red chillies,slightly roasted in a tsp of oil

Salt

Onion Vadagam broken..

Break the onion vadams in small pieces and roast them in 2-3 tsps of oil .

Grind the roasted vadam,chillies and salt together to a powder.Cool and store in a air tight container.

When you roast these vadagams ,the whole home smells good.It can be served as a chutney for dosa/idli or can be mixed with rice and served..

Thengai (Coconut) Podi :

You will need :

1 cup grated coconut

8 red chillies,slightly roasted in a tsp of oil

1/2 cup urad dal,slightly roasted in a tsp of oil

Salt

Roasted Coconut ..

Roasted the coconut in a pan without oil until it becomes dry and slightly golden..

Grind together roasted coconut,salt,red chillies and urad dal to powder.Cool and store in a air tight container..

My favourite Podi!

Sending these aromatic podis to Smitha's Colors of Taste - Powders:Podi's as an accompainment

Sending the first picture to Gayathri's Magnificient Click contest..

Im so happy to say my friend Archy of Archy's recipe book has given me these two lovely awards for me..Its so sweet of her to think of me as her friend :)