Choora Matar | Chooda Matar | Matar Poha - UP Special

India is a land full of flavor and amazing cuisines varying from region to region. Just as they say a language's dialect changes every 100km , I feel the same holds good for our varied cuisines as well . The basic ingredients are common but the way they are used and treated in the individual recipes based on their regional influence is what makes the recipe stand apart .

This month I was paired with Priya Iyer for our Secret Cooking Challenge and she was very generous to give me Green Peas and Green Chilli as secret ingredients to dish out a recipe and I gave her potatoes and red chilli as her secret ingredients and friends do check out the yummy Aloo Rassedar that she dished out from the Uttar Pradesh special cuisine. 

Now, coming to today's recipe.. the ingredients are very common and a staple breakfast or tea time snack in most of the households all over india... do you think it is upma? NO NO...it is a most favorite item for many...the POHA a.k.a the flattened Rice Flakes.

Poha is made in different forms like Kanda Poha or Kanda Batata Poha which is famous in Maharashtra, Batata Poha of Gujarat , Gojju Avlakki  of Karnataka , Aval Kesari or Aval payasam (kheer) from Tamil Nadu .

More so , Poha is also offered as GopalKaala to lord Krishna in Vrindavan for Krishna Janmashtami as we all know how fond Krishna was of Poha along with his love for butter , ghee , milk etc.

While I was trying to explore the various recipes , I was somehow attracted to this recipe's name of Chooda Matar or Choora Matar as they call it in Banaras or Lucknow. When I went reading about it I was surprised to know that it is nothing but Poha made using peas but trust me it is no where similar to the usual Poha we make for breakfast.  This is a total No onion No garlic recipe and hence fell into my bucket perfectly and I did not have to tweak this recipe at all .

The ingredients that are used in the making of Choora Matar gives a very different taste and punch to the final product. I am sure , after reading so much most of you must be salivating now ...let us now go and look at the recipe. 

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Cooking Time - 10 mins

Complexity  - Easy

Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

 2 cups of thick poha (100 gms approx)

1/2 cup fresh peas or frozen peas 

2-3 green chillies chopped

Small piece of ginger finely chopped

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp jeera or cumin seeds

Asafoetida as needed 

Salt as needed 

2 tablespoon oil 

Fresh corriander chopped

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Few cashewnuts

Method 

• Rinse the poha well in a colander multiple times and let it sit for 10 to 15 mins . This will soften the poha 
• Incase of using fresh peas , par boil them with a little salt and keep aside .
• In a kadai /pan , heat some oil and splutter the jeera , fry the green chilies and ginger. 
• Add the asafoetida, pepper powder , garam masala and quickly stir it to avoid burning .
• Now add the soaked poha, salt and mix it well until all the masalas get mixed with the poha .
• Add the boiled peas , sprinkle some water , close the kadai with a lid and cook the poha for 3-4 mins .
• Turn off the stove, open the lid and add in the lemon juice,fried cashews and fresh corriander and toss it well .
• Serve hot with a cup  piping hot Ginger Cardamom Tea or Strong Filter Coffee .

Phalli Chutney / Groundnut chutney - Vegan

Chutneys are a quint essential accompaniment for the breakfast in every Indian Household.  The chutney or dips are made using various ingredients and each one is flavorful and unique in it's own way .
Today I have tried to make a Chutney using groundnuts also called as Phalli Pachadi in telugu.

This month in our FB group shhhhh cooking secretly challenge  we are travelling across the state of Telangana and I was given Ginger and Red Chilli powder as secret ingredients by my partner  Sasmita who blogs at First Timer Cook  .

Those of you who know me , will definitely know my love for peanuts and this chutney had to find its place in my blog soon and this was the best opportunity to prepare ,devour and blog.

I am also linking this to the MLLA #132 event being hosted by my cousin Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds .

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Serves : 3 to 4
Complexity  : Simple

Ingredients
1 cup peanuts
2 -3 medium sized tomatoes
2 green chilies
Small piece of ginger
Few curry leaves
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
Asafoetida/hing as needed
2 tsp  oil
Salt as required
Fresh corriander

Method
Dry roast the peanuts or m/w for 1 min and allow it cool .  Rub and deskin the roasted peanuts . Alternatively you can also roast pre deskinned groundnut too .

In a pan , heat a tsp of oil and fry the green chillies , ginger and curry leaves.

Saute the tomatoes with some salt , fresh coriander, haldi and asafoetida and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy . Allow it to cool.

In a blender , add the roasted peanuts , sauteed tomatoes, red chilli powder, some salt of needed and blend it into a fine paste like chutney .

Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds and pour it over the chutney. Enjoy with any  breakfast item like idli, dosa , oothappam , chapati etc or can also be mixed with hot rice and ghee .

Linking to MLLA #132  hosted by Sizzling Tastebuds 

Chataka Chole -Vegan

Chataka Chole- isn't this name very fascinating?  I too was intrigued by this  name on the menu when we dined out last  weekend at a restaurant.  We immediately ordered it and wow..it was an explosion of flavors in our mouth . The chole was served with piping hot butter slathered Amritsari Kulcha and needless to say it was a match made in heaven.  I have tried to replicate it and was successful to a very great extent. Do try out this recipe dear friends and I am sure it is going to be a super hit with your family and circle of friends too .
I paired it with hot fulkas and simple vegetable pulao for dinner last night .

Preparation time - 5 mins
Soaking time - 8-10 hrs
Cooking time- 45 mins
Serves - 3 to 4 people

Ingredients
200 gms Kabuli channa /chickpeas/garbanzo beans
2 green chillies
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 tea bags or 2 tsp tea leaves tied in a muslin cloth
2-3 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 cardamom
Salt as needed
2 tablespoon oil
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp haldi
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp Chole masala
1/2 tsp anchor powder or chat masala

Method
Soak the chick peas in sufficient water for over 8 to 10 hrs. 

Drain the water and rinse once again and pressure cook the Chole with the tea bag , cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and some salt until it is cooked soft and slightly mushy .let the pressure release ,open the lid and slightly mash it with a masher or a spoon.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the green chillies , ginger , turn off the stove and add all the spice powders (haldi , chilli powder , garam masala and Chole masala ) to the hot oil .

Pour this hot oil mixture over the cooked Chole, add 1 cup water, salt if needed and the amchur powder . Mix it well and pressure cook for another 1 whistle on medium flame .

Let it rest until pressure releases . Lastly ganeish with fresh coriander and serve hot .


Linking this post to Kalyani's blog who is hosting  MLLA event 132 . Do visit her blog Sizzling Tastebuds for some exciting and tasty recipes.

South Indian Mixture / Madrasi Chiwda

Mixture is a yummy snack and is loved  in almost all house holds . During Diwali most of the households prepare various varieties of mixture which are their own regional speciality .

You can check the famous Cornflakes Chiwda and Poha Chiwda already posted in my blog which are equally famous and easy preparations during Diwali .

Today we shall see the traditional South Indian special mixture . Slightly tedious and time consuming because of the many steps involved but end of the day it is worth all the time and effort.

I have separate posts with detailed recipe for each of the item  to be added in the mixture.

You can prepare the individual items like Omapudi , Khara Sev/ghatiya , Boondi in a span of 2 or 3 days and then finally assemble the mixture.

Preparation Time : 20 mins
Frying Time  : 40-60 mins
Complexity  - Difficult

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Ingredients
500 gms Besan/gram flour
100 gms Rice flour
150 gms thick poha / aval
100 gms ground nut
50 gms fried gram./chutney dhall/ pottukadalai
Handful of curry leaves
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
1 tsp haldi
Salt as needed
Generous amount of asafoetida/hing

Method

• Prepare the Omapudi ,  Khara boondhi and Khara sev . Keep them ready.  (Click on the recipe names for detailed recipe) 
• Fry the thick poha in hot oil and drain it in the colander for oil to drain. 
• Fry the curry leaves, peanuts and fried gram until crisp .
• You can also fry cashwenuts or badam and add it too . 

Assembling the Mixture 

• Crush the Omapudi and Ghatiya into small pieces in a wide mixing bowl or a big container. 
• Mix the boondi, fried poha , groundnuts , curry leaves and fried gram and toss it well with the crushed omapudi and ghatiya .
• Add some salt , red chilli powder , asafoetida and toss it well such that all the items get mixed well .
• Donot use a sharp ladle or spoon to mix, instead shake /toss the container so that everything gets mixed well .
• Keep the container away from moisture and use only dry spoon for taking it out . 

Ellu Saadham | Ellu Ogre | Sesame flavored Rice

Ellu means Sesame in Tamil and Kannada while it is called as Nuvvulu in Telugu and Til in Hindi /Marathi/Gujarati.

Sesame seeds have a very distinct and nutty flavor and adds a lot of flavor to any dish that makes use of these seeds .

Tamil Nadu cuisines extensively use Gingelly oil or Til oil in the day today cooking while Karnataka , Andhra cuisines use them in their spice powders as flavoring agent. Gujarati cuisine uses Til as tempering and garnish for various delicacies. 

Today we shall see a very traditional recipe ; Ellu Saadham / Ellu Ogre  made in most Tamil and Kannadiga homes mainly as an offering to Lord Balaji .

Saadham means Rice in Tamil so Ellu Saadham literally means Sesame Rice .
Ogre in kannada is flavored rice, so again literally translated,Ellu Ogre also means the same as mentioned above .
A very flavorful spice powder is freshly roasted and ground  and is mixed with pre cooked rice along with a tempering of mustard seeds , curry leaves and fried peanuts.

Without further delay let me get on to the recipe.

Preparation Time - 30 mins
Cooking Time - 45 mins
Serves : 2-3
Complexity: Medium

Ingredients
150 gms rice
2 tablespoon udad dhall
2 tablespoon channa dhall
1 tablespoon  white sesame seeds/til /ellu
3-4 dry red chillies
1 tsp pepper
Pinch of asafoetida
Gingelly oil as needed
Salt to taste
Handful of groundnuts
Few curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds

Method

• Wash the rice well and pressure cook it with enough water such that the rice is separate and fluffy after cooking. 
• Spread the hot rice on a big plate and pour about 2 tsp gingelly oil over the rice and let is cool .
• In a dry pan , first dry roast the sesame seeds until it starts popping and gives out a fragrant aroma . Remove it from the kadai and keep aside on a plate for cooling. 
• Now heat about 1 tsp oil and fry the udad + channa dhall until crisp and golden brown , followed by red chillies and pepper corn.  Add some asafoetida/hing. Let the roasted ingredients cool down .
• First blend the roasted  lentils and chilli in a mixie jar until it is turned into a fine powder. 
• Add the roasted sesame and give a quick pulse.Do not run the mixie for a long time as the sesame seeds will give out oil and the entire spice powder will become pasty .
• In another pan , heat some gingelly oil and fry the peanuts followed by the mustard seeds and curry leaves. 
• Pour this tempering over the hot rice and spread the freshly ground spice powder and salt on the rice and mix it well with a spoon .
• Donot use your hands to mix as it will get spoilt in case you plan to use it sometime later in the day or packing for lunch or some picnic.
• Adjust salt if needed and also add some more spice powder if you need a little more spice .
• Enjoy it with some chilled curd and some papads or fryums .
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Thiruvaadhirai Kootu | 7 kari Kootu - Vegan

Thiruvadhirai Kootu or 7 kari (vegetables) kootu is made on the Auspicious day called "Arudra Darshanam" in the holy month of "Margazhi" or "Dhanur" as per Tamil Calendar .

This  recipe was on my mind for a very long time to blog but somehow wouldn't come together. This month we are traveling through recipes from the state of Tamil Nadu in  our FB group called Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge and I was given the secret ingredients by Renu who blogs on "Cook With Renu".
Thanks to you Renu , that I could finally put this recipe together which was otherwise pending for a long time .

Significance of Arudra Darshanam

This auspicious day will fall anytime between Dec 15 to Jan 15 on the day coinciding with the star/Nakshatram "Thiruvadhirai" or "Arudra" and Full moon day (Pournami) .
Astronomical speaking , this happens to be one of the Longest nights .
Mythologically speaking , it is believed that Lord Shiva is in his Cosmic Dance form on this day and blesses all his devotees in the form of Nataraja - his cosmic avatar .
The holy temple of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu celebrates this festival with all pomp and glory . Devotees flock in large numbers to have the Darshan of Lord Nataraja on this day.
A special prasadam called Thiruvadhirai Kali and Kootu are prepared and offered to the Lord .
Kali is a sweet made using broken rice, jaggery and cardamom while kootu is a savory made using 7 vegetables basically tubers and a few native vegetables like yam(chenai/suran), raw banana, potato, Arbi(Seppan) , Ash gourd(poosanikkai) , Red Pumpkin(Parangikkai) , Field beans  or Peas , Sweet potatoes , Brinjal .

Today we shall see the recipe for the Kootu while I shall blog the recipe for Kali sometime soon .
This kootu is also known as Thalagam in many households especially those from the Thirunelveli Region of TN .
Each house will have their own signature recipe with minor variations as passed down to them from their ancestors or elders over generations.

Preparation Time : 30 mins
Cooking Time : 30 to 40 mins
Serves : 4-5
Complexity: Medium

 Ingredients
1 medium raw banana
1 medium sized potato
150 gms yam/ Suran
100 gms ash gourd (white pumpkin/elavan/poosnikaai)
100 gms red pumpkin (Parangikkai/ Matthan)
Handful of boiled field beans(mochai)
Or
Handful of fresh or frozen peas (I used peas today)
1 medium sized carrot
1 cup tamarind extract
1/2 cup thoor dal pressure cooked (50gms approx)
2 tsp powdered jaggery

To roast and Grind
1 tablespoon thoor dhall
1/2 tablespoon udad dhall
2 tablespoon dhaniya seeds
1 tsp methi seeds
2 tsp raw rice
5-6 dry red chillies
1 cup fresh grated coconut

To temper
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
Asafoetida

Method
Roast all the ingredients except Coconut under the Roast & Grind till they turn brown and crisp. Let it cool for a few mins and then add the coconut and grind to a fine paste. Keep aside .

Chop all the vegetables like how we do for sambar and then boil them until 1/2 done in 1 cup water with a little salt and turmeric.  Once the veggies are 1/2 cooked ,add the tamarind extract and cook until the raw flavor of tamarind is lost.
To this add the ground coconut paste , boiled dhal , mix well and add some water . The consistency should be slightly thick . Allow it to come to a rolling boil . Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom and cook on medium flame.

Add some jaggery and adjust salt if needed.
Lastly temper with mustard ,curry leaves and asafoetida and pour it over the kootu.
Serve hot with rice or the traditional Kali .

The kootu will tend to thicken over time due to the presence of coconut mixture and dhall . If you find it too thick while eating, add a little warm water to dilute.

 Notes

• Generally 7 types of vegetables are used , but you can do with fewer also , but try to use atleast 5 . 
• The addition of pressure cooked thoor dhall is optional . You can skip it too.
• THALAGAM recipe made in Thirunelveli side doesnt use mashed thoor dhall while the rest of the steps are same .