Perumal Kovil Elimicham Pazha Saadham / Temple Lemon Rice

Perumal Kovil Elimichapazham Saadham

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 1 cup/raw rice
Fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 6 chopped
Ginger 2" grated
Chana-urid dal 2-4 spoon
Peanuts 1 fistful
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Cook rice with enough salt in it. Spread the same in a wide tray...to get well-separated stiff rice.

Well, now temper the spices(except lemon juice, everything). Then run this seasoning over the rice...add the lemon juice as well, mix thoroughly. Pack them up in a compact box. Let his sit for 2-3 hours, to yield flavorful rice.

Here you go, perfect lunch ready.

Kattu Saadham - Olden Days Travel Food

Kattu Soru:

Kattu Choru' literally means 'Pack Rice'. In olden days, this is one of the method to preserve the food' for their long journies. The strong spices and tamarind kept their food fresh and aromatic for days. Especially in tropical weather, food goes rancid very quickly...we tend to heat food for long time with lots of hot chilies. Pickling, salting, drying and adding something citric are all some of the basic preserving techniques followed in those days. Though my mother never made this for us...I vaguely remember my grandmother's cooking, she used to pack this kind of rice for our train journey.

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice 1 cup
Tamarind fruits 3 (shelled, deseed & pureed)
Dry red chilies 5
Curry leaves 3 twigs
Chana+Urad dal 4 spoons
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard 1/2 spoon
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pan, heat oil. Add the spices and followed by tamarind puree. Add 3 cups of water. Boil this for couple of minutes.

Add rice and slow cook over low to medium heat.

Once the rice is done, remove from heat.

Pack them in your lunch box, share with your friends and accept the kudos:)

Podi Idly - School Days Boxed Lunch!!!

Podi Idly:

What is so unappetizing in today's microwavable ready to eat meals? Why sometimes the package food, is so complicated to me? Who am I kidding? Am still living in the nostalgic past? I can't put anything in my mouth, that doesn't look close to food!! Simply I wouldn't entertain myself with fancy cup noodles that is designed to fit in the car cup holders!!!

I am just looking backwards, how Mommy used to pack me lunch! No tinned materials to leach away the chemicals, definitely its not microwavable plastic that cause cancer! The food is simply home-made, not greasy, neatly packed and never went bad.

Most of the time, my school bus friends used to devour my lunch in few minutes (that is, before I even reach the school campus in the morning). Sharing the food among friends, eating together and laughing together brought us close! Now miles apart, but still we do cherish each other!!!

Even though I didn't like idly so much with this podi', I used to take them more often for my friends. Yes, exactly they like it well-dipped in ghee and rolled in spicy idly milagai podi(and that's not my taste'). For a fifteen' sixteen' year old, friends come first, right! Well, indeed my mother packed my lunch as per my friends instructions.:)

Vegetable Lemon Rice:


Ingredients:

Basmati rice 1 cup
Mixed Veggies(carrots, beans & Peas)
Salt
Turmeric powder 2 pinch
Lemon juice 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chenna dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 6-8 slitted or chopped
Ginger skinned and chopped from 4-5 inch size
Curry leaves 1 cup
Cashew nuts 1 cup
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

1. In a pressure pan boil 2 cups of water. Add salt, few spoons of oil and rice to it. Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.

2. Spread the cooked rice in a wide tray. Allow them to cool. Let the rice be stiff and well separated.

3. In a pan heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, cashew nuts, chana and urad dal. Let them pop and splutter well. Add further ginger, chilies and curry leaves. Let them to come to crisp condition with good flavor.

4. Now add little salt, turmeric, lemon juice and veggies. Cover and cook till tender. When the veggies are done, remove from stove.

5. Mix this above syrup to rice. Using hands or blunt spatula....mix them thoroughly. If needed add few spoons of hot oil. Set them aside for at least 1-2 hours.

Instead of eating just carb'.....adding veggies to your lunch box, makes it bit healthy!