Sukku Kaapi / சுக்கு காபி / Dry ginger Coffee

        Sukku Kaapi Coffee /  சுக்கு காபி or dry ginger coffee is a very good medicional drink for those freezing winter days.The spices used here enables digestion and helps us to get rid off the cold.Using basil leaves or karum thulasi gives a very good taste and aroma.Its been raining rarely here in tirunelveli..During that time, I asked our cook to prepare this coffee.He is an expert in preparing this.With a smile on his face,he rushed to the garden,plucked some basil leaves with flower.Took all the spices and crushed it with his mortor and pestle and quickly prepared this coffee.I showed my gratitude ,by taking the pictures and posting here. Enjoy this hot sukku kaapi on your winter days.

Ingredients	Measurement
.1.Sukku / Dry ginger  2.Panai vellam / Palm Jaggery  3.Pepper corns  4.Cumin seeds  5.Whole Coriander seeds  6.Methi seeds  7.Cardamom seeds  8.Basil leaves	2 inch piece      1/2 cup crushed      1 tbsp      1 tsp      1 tbsp       1/4 tsp        2 optional        a hand full

Yield                  :    5 servings

Preparation time :   15 - 20 minutes

Method:   * Wash the basil leaves and remove the leaves from the stem,also the flower.Powder the palm jaggery aka karupatti .   *  Crush the whole pepper corns,cumin seeds,methi seeds,coriander seeds ,dry ginger in a mortor and pestle.Don't grind it in a mixie.We need the spices to be just crushed.  *  Take a pan,add these crushed spices ,basil leaves and palm jaggery. Add 7 cups of water .Bring it to boil for about 10 minutes.  * Don't boil too much.By this time,water would have reduced to 5 cups.Strain the coffee and serve hot.It helps in digestion and also acts as a medicine for cold. Note:  We didn't have cardamom ,so we have avoided.But it gives nice aroma to the coffee.If we don't have palm jaggery, we can also use regular jaggery.   Basil or karum thulasi has medicional value.So don't skip that.We can also use dry basil leaves,if we cannot find fresh leaves.

                               Enjoy the medicional sukku kaapi with hot news paper

Chettinadu Chicken Kuzhambu - An authentic chicken curry with home made masalas. - With step wise pictures

Chettinadu is a very famous cuisine for non vegetarian dishes.Its known for its hand grinded masalas.Whenever we go to restaurants, I will not hesitate to order chettinadu chicken,chettinadu mutton masala .This recipe has a speciality,there is ,all the masalas are grinded at home .Regarding the ingredients,please don't compromise with the ingredients.If not we will not be able to get the authentic chettinadu chicken flavour.Got the  recipe from here.

Ingredients:
To grind: 1.Green chillies 2.Grlic pods 3.Ginger 4.Poppy seeds To roast and grind: 1.Pepper corns 2.Cumin seeds 3.Fennel seeds 5.Coriander seeds 6.Red chillies 7.Cardamom 8.Cinnamon 9.Curry leaves 10.Oil For the curry: 1.Chicken 2.Small onions 3.Tomatoes 4.Turmeric pwdr 5.Curry leaves 6.Cilantro 7.Coconut paste 8.Oil 9.Fennel seeds	2  8  1 inch  1 tsp  ½ tsp  ½ tsp  ¾ tsp  11/2 tsp  6 to 8  2  1 inch  6 to 8 leaves  ½ tsp  1  kg  1 cup  1  cup  ½ tsp  10 to 12  hand full  half cup  3 tbsp  1 tsp

Method: * Take all the ingredients under "to roast and grind" and roast it with little oil.Cool them completely and grind it into a fine powder. Soak poppy seeds in warm water for 10 minutes.Grind it with ginger,garlic ,green chillies, to a fine paste.Wash the chicken ,and  grind coconut into fine paste.Keep them ready.   * Now take a pressure pan,add oil and splutter with fennel seeds and curry leaves.Now add the small onions.We can either add them as whole or cut them into pieces.When onion is frying,add some salt and turmeric powder.Now dump in the grinded green chilli paste.Saute it well,till it looses its raw smell.Now add the chicken and saute it. * When the chicken is cooked  half way through,add chopped tomatoes.Sprinkle some salt and let it cook.Cover and cook for 2 minutes.Now add coconut milk to the curry .Now either we can pressure cook the chicken for a whistle or just cook them without a whistle.Make sure that the coconut paste is finely grinded,if not the curry will not be thick. * After the chicken is cooked well or after a whistle,add the grinded powder to the curry.Bring it to boil ,adjust salt to taste .Garnish with cilantro and turn it off.Let the curry be in the stove ,covered.This will make the curry ooze out oil.  Notes: * We can alter the amount of red chillies according to our taste.We can also add some chilli pwdr or curry powder in addition of adding the masala.But I have added the masala alone. * Originally this recipe goes  with mutton.But Chicken also came good. * I have omitted the addition of poppy seeds.But its upto to you to use it. * Dont prepare the curry without pearl onions or small onions.It is the key for the flavour.

Channa Samosa Chaat and My India Vacation

          I know,you all will be wondering ,where I dissappeared. After some terrible initial days of sickness,my kids are thoroughly enjoying the vacation in "The Indian way".Rohith and Ashwath are   pampered by their grand parents.I am completely in rest.No jobs to do ,except eating and roaming around.Poor hubby is finding difficut in cooking and managing  our house in US .

            Being in Tirunelveli. we have visited evergreen "Kutralam", India's southern end "Kanyakumari",the most gorgeous "Paal aruvi" in the border of Kerala,beautiful "Manimuthaaru " falls ,sacred "Nava tirupathi","Tiruchendur","Vana Tirupathi".The list goes on.In between my shoppings ,which is  the most interesting part.Completely bored of getting everything in one shop and no bargaining in  US.Love to roam around the city and visiting so many shops,bargaining ,drinking the most sweetest drink"Karumbnu Chaaru " aka Sugarcane juice.This vacation is power packed.Will update you with some more experiences in my mext post.Enjoy this chana samosa chaat ,from my draft.

Serving Size         :        2
Preparation time   :        20 minutes
Ingredients:
1.Punjabi samosas           -          3
2.Cooked chana              -           1 cup
3.Onion                           -            1/2 (Finely chopped)
4.Tomato                         -             1/2 (finely chopped)
5.Chilli pwdr                    -             1 tsp
6.Garam masala pwdr      -              1/2 tsp
7.Chaat masala                -               1/2 tsp
8.Green chutney               -               1/2 cup
9.Tamarind chutney           -               2 tbsp
10.Sev                              -              For garnishing
11.Cilantro                        -              Chopped (For garnishing)

Method:
* Take a tawa,add little oil and keep the samosas in a side. Let the samosa gets lightly heated this way. Mean while,add the onion and tomatoes and fry them.Add the chilli pwdr,turmeric powder and garam masala pwdr.

*Add cooked chana and give it a stir.Add little water and form a semi gravy.Adjust salt to taste.Now slightly mash the samosas into the gravy.

                                              *We can also crush some more samosas in the serving plate.

* Take a serving plate,place the chana samosa in the middle,drizzle some curd on top.Now add green chutney and tamarind chutney.Garnish with sev and chopped cilantro.

                                       Enjoy with garam chai.Will be great for wintery evenings.