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Our chef oflate had been posting his recipes left, right and center at an alarming pace. Since I wanted to balance the nature of the posts, I waited a while to post his recipes. I tried his Mushroom rice once when my family was away from home and I must say that it was very easy to make and tasty too. So I wish Vijay to post such easy recipes for bachelor / single men. As usual I used to tell him that he has tremendous amount patience as well that burning passion towards cooking, which normally men lack. For this today's post on recipes I am combining two of his posts into one - Lemon Pickle and Rice Uppuma. Hey.. I have a doubt... Why most of those who post recipes name their blog as some "corner".? Today happens to be his cute kid Adarsh's "Aksharabhyasam", so let us all wish him all the best.

Lemon Pickle

Lemon Pickle

Lemon - 25 nos
Turmeric Powder - 6 to 8 tbsps
Salt - Handful
Chilli Powder - 4 to 5 tbsps (add more if you like it hot)
Fenugreek - 6 to 8 tbsps
Asafoetida - 1 tbsp
Gingelly Oil - 3/4 cup
Mustard seeds - 2 tbsps

Method:
1. Wash the container in which you want to store the pickle. Dry it thorougly.
2. Wash and wipe dry the lemons.
3. Wash and dry the chopping board as well as the knife.
4. Cut the lemon into cubes of required size.
5. Arrange a layer of the cubed lemon inside the container.
6. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all the lemon cubes have been arranged inside the container. Ensure that the top layer of lemon is topped up with lemon and turmeric powder.
8. Let it soak for atleast a day. You can mix it/stir it after 6 hours or so, but ensure you use a clean dry spoon.
9. Now saute the fenugreek seeds without oil till a nice aroma comes out. (Don't let it get black). Reserve and let it cool. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind it nicely.
10. Add in the chilli powder and the fenugreek powder into the contained (do not mix it. Let it stand as a heap on the cubed and soaked lemons.)
11. Heat the gingelly oil and when it is hot add the mustard seeds.
12. Once it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida and pour it on the heaped chilli and fenugreek powder slowly.
13. Using a clean dry spoon, mix the lemon with the chilli/fenugreek powder and oil and close it.
14. Let this soak for couple of days. (You can stir the lemon once/twice a day, but ensure that the spoon you use is always clean and dry.)
Note: Avoid transferring the pickle to a different container after step 14. Always store it in the same container until you have finished all of the pickle.

Vijay's recipes can be accessed at his website: Vijay's Corner

Rice Upma

Rice Upma
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Ingredients
Rice - 1 cup
Toor Daal - 1/4 cup
Pepper - 2 to 2 1/2 spoons
Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 2
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Curry Leaves - One/Two Stalk(s)
Mustard - 1 tbsp
Channa Daal - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida - One pinch
Oil - 1/2 cup
Coconut oil - 2 or 3 tbps (for flavour, optional, but gives a nice aroma)
Freshly Grated Coconut - 2or 3 tbsp (for garnishing)
Water - As required.
Salt - As required.

Method

1. Transfer rice into the mixie and coarse grind it.
2. Next coarse grind the toor daal, pepper and cumin seeds together.
3. Either fine chop chillies and ginger or grind them into a paste.
4. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan that has a lid.
5. Add the mustard seed.
6. Once it starts spluttering, add asafoetida, curry leaves and then the channa daal.
7. Once the channa daal is properly fried, add the chilli/ginger.
8. Add around 3 cups of water and salt and let it boil.
9. Check the taste and add more salt if required. ensure that the water tastes a bit salty.
10. Add the rice and the toor daal mix and stir it until the everything is mixed thoroughly.
11. Add in the coconut oil, mix and cover it.
12. Keep stirring it on and off until the rice and the toor daal is cooked.
13. Garnish with coconut, mix and serve hot.


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