Yellow Flowers (மஞ்சள் பூக்கள்)

I feel more at home with oil paint than any other media, as I prefer to blend colors often on the surface. Acrylic paint due to its fast drying quality makes it difficult to maneuver while working, unless one is very quick. Hence, I keep trying different styles with acrylic paint. This is one such trial painting. I particularly like the golden yellow flowers showing prominently against the darker background.

“YELLOW FLOWERS” – Acrylic on canvas – 12” X 18”

As usual, I have used limited palate comprising Titanium white, sap green, yellow ochre, permanent yellow medium and burnt umber. I have tried bold brush strokes to capture the flowers, blending in colors as I moved towards the edges of the flowers in the foreground. Acrylic paint diluted with matte medium has been used to complete the background with crisscrossing broad brush strokes. 

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Traditional Carrot Salad (காரட் கோசுமல்லி)

In Tamil Brahmin cuisine, raw vegetables, pulses and lentils are included in the menu as the traditional salad called ‘kosumalli’ (கோசுமல்லி). Feast menu invariably contains at least one kosumalli. Carrot kosumalli is very popular in my home. You can eat this salad as such or serve along with the traditional meal. It goes well with chappati and gravy as well. Moreover, children enjoy eating carrot kosumalli. Just try this easy recipe!

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Carrots – medium sized, 4 no

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Green chilli – 1 no, finely chopped

Salt – to taste

Oil – 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Asafoetida – a pinch

Curry leaves – a few

Coriander leaves – chopped, 2 teaspoons (optional)

Traditional Carrot Salad (காரட் கோசுமல்லி)

Method: Scrape the skin and wash the carrots well. Grate the carrots using a fine grater. Mix grated carrots, lemon juice, salt and chopped green chilli in a bowl using a fork. Heat oil in a tadka pan or spice pan (தாளிக்கிற கரண்டி), add mustard seeds and when they start to sputter, add asafetida. Switch off the fire. Add the seasoning to the carrot mixture. Mix well. Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Serve with meal or chappati and gravy.

Note: If you are serving kids, you may omit green chilli or reduce its quantity. 

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Deception

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Black Nightshade or Manathakkali Kootu (மணத்தக்காளி கீரை கூட்டு)

Black nightshade or manathakkali (மணத்தக்காளி கீரை) is a commonly available green in India and it is rich in vitamins and minerals. In native medicine, it is used for treating digestive problems and chronic skin diseases. My grandmother used to say that black nightshade is effective for stomach upset and mouth ulcers. Black nightshade (purple black) berries are salted, Sun dried and used to make kuzhambu. The leaves have a slight bitter taste, which gets masked by cooking.

Black nightshade leaves (மணத்தக்காளி கீரை)

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Black nightshade leaves – 3 liters measure* 

Moong dhal – ¾ tumbler or 150 ml measure

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Asafoetida – a pinch

Salt – to taste

Jaggery – ½ teaspoon (optional)

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Split urad dhal – ½ teaspoon

Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon 

To be ground into a paste:

Coconut – 2 tablespoons

Jeera – ½ teaspoon

Green chilli – 3 to 4 (adjust to taste)

* Choose a vessel that would hold 3 liters of water to measure the greens quantity. You may use a standard fridge water bottle of 1 liter capacity and fill a large vessel with three bottles of water. Use the water level as an indicator for the 3 liter measure. Usually 1 bunch of greens would be equivalent to this quantity.

Black Nightshade or Manathakkali Kootu (மணத்தக்காளி கீரை கூட்டு)

Method: Separate the leaves of black nightshade (மணத்தக்காளி கீரை). The stalks usually have ripe purple black berries, which may also be used. Wash the greens in water 2-3 times, drain and keep aside.

Place greens and dhal with 2 tumblers (400ml) of water in a kadai. Add turmeric powder and salt. Cover and cook on a low flame. Keep a ladle in the kadai, to prevent dhal from boiling over. Alternatively, you may mix dhal, greens, turmeric powder and salt in a container and pressure cook for 4 minutes (4 whistles). Once the pressure subsides, remove the container and transfer the cooked items to a kadai.

Grind coconut, jeera and green chillies into a fine paste. Once the vegetables and dhal are cooked well, add the ground paste and jaggery, mix well and bring it to boil. Add asafoetida and mix well. Switch off the fire. Heat coconut oil in a tadka pan or spice heating pan (தாளிக்கிற கரண்டி), add mustard seeds, when they start to sputter, add urad dhal and fry till the dhal turns golden brown. Remove from fire. Add the seasonings to the kootu. Serve hot with rice and rasam/ kuzhambu.

Note: Spleen amaranth (அரைக்கீரை) or tender amaranth (தண்டு கீரை) may be used for this recipe instead of black nightshade (மணத்தக்காளி கீரை). If you like, you may add garlic, which gives a twist to the taste of the preparation. Peel and finely chop 1-2 pods of garlic. Fry garlic in half a teaspoon of oil, till it starts to brown. Add fried garlic to the kootu and mix well. 

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Coconut Thuvayal (தேங்காய் துவையல்)

Coconut thuvayal (தேங்காய் துவையல்) is a traditional Brahmin recipe and is prepared without adding water so that it lasts for a few days. Until couple of decades ago, people used to carry food during long journeys as food is not as easily available on the way. Curd rice, tamarind rice and idly were usually made for travel and coconut thuvayal was an essential accompaniment. Even today, after traditional Brahmin weddings, the bride is sent with the groom’s family with packed food called ‘kaatu satha koodai’ (கட்டு சாதக்கூடை) which usually contains mixed rice preparations and thengai thuvayal!  

Coconut Thuvayal (தேங்காய் துவையல்)

Coconut thuvayal tastes wonderful when mixed with rice and ghee. It also goes well with mixed rice preparations such as curd rice, coconut rice or lemon rice and tiffin items.

  

Ingredients: (Serves three)

Coconut – grated or the white coconut meat cut into pieces, ¾ teacup or 150ml measure

Bengal gram dhal – a tablespoon

Urad dhal – a tablespoon

Tamarind – a small bit

Asafoetida – two pinches

Red chillies – 3 or 4, adjust to taste

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 teaspoons 

Method: Heat oil in a kadai, add red chillies and when they become darker in color, add the dhals. Fry till the dhals become golden brown in color. Add asafetida and switch off the fire. Transfer the fried ingredients to a bowl. Now fry the coconut pieces in the kadai just for a minute. Grind coconut, fried ingredients, tamarind, asafoetida, and salt in to a paste. I prefer to grind the thuvayal without adding water. If you find it difficult, add just 1-2 teaspoons of water while grinding. Coconut thuvayal can be eaten with rice and ghee with appalam or vadam. Curd rice and coconut thuvayal make a great combination. You may also serve it with idly or dosa or mixed rice preparations.

Coconut Thuvayal (தேங்காய் துவையல்)

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Emotions

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Shallots Chutney (சாம்பார் வெங்காயச் சட்னி)

Shallots (சாம்பார் வெங்காயம்) are used mainly for making sambar or kuzhambu in Tamilian cuisine, though they can be used in other recipes or eaten raw. They have gentle flavor, but taste similar to onions. Shallots are rich in vitamins, especially Vitamin A, minerals and anti-oxidants. Traditionally, shallots are eaten with curd rice, mainly during summer. 

Well, today seems to be ‘Shallots day’, as I intend to share one more shallots recipe. Here we go…

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Shallots – peeled, 1 teacup or 200ml measure

Salt – to taste

Bengal gram dhal – 1½ teaspoon

Urad dhal – 1½ teaspoon

Red chillies – 2-3 no (adjust to taste)

Tamarind – a small bit

Coconut – grated, 1 tablespoon (optional)

Oil – 1 teaspoon

For garnishing:

Oil – 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Curry leaves – a few

Red chilli – 1 no

Shallots Chutney (சாம்பார் வெங்காயச் சட்னி)

Method: Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai, add red chillies, and when they turn darker, add the dhals. Fry till the dhals turn golden brown. Now add shallots, and sauté till they become transparent. Switch off the fire and allow the ingredients to cool. 

Grind the fried ingredients with tamarind, coconut and salt into a fine paste adding water as needed, using a mixer-grinder. Transfer the chutney into a bowl. Heat the remaining oil in a tadka pan or spice pan (தாளிக்கிற கரண்டி), add mustard seeds and when they start to sputter, add curry leaves. Switch off the fire. Add the garnishing to the chutney. Serve with idly, dosa, adai, othappam, kuzhi paniyaram or âppam. Shallots chutney makes an excellent accompaniment to crispy dosa.

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