10 Things I Miss Most From my Mom’s cuisine

I started this blog by writing on my mom's culinary skills and the magic touch she adds to her recipes. But then missed out on mentioning the favorite dishes my mom prepares.

I would like to thank Aparna, as it was so nice of her to tag me to this meme world.

Even now, when I plan to go home, the first thing would be to call up my mom and give her the list of recipes I covet to eat. And as always she ends up preparing all those mouth-watering dishes for me and serves it with more love. Its just not her recipes that i miss...its her that i miss the most :(.

There is a long list of recipes that I crave for, prepared by my mom. But then the meme is about 10 dishes. So here they go

1. Palada Prathaman - Its one of my favorite payasam. I would call it Divine Nectar. For this payasam, pieces of flour paste (ada) are boiled in milk and sweetened with sugar. No ghee or spices are added except some cardamoms.
2. Appam & Ishtu - They just make a great combination. I have never tasted appam, as soft in the center and crisp on the sides like my mom makes.
3. Pathiri & Eirachi curry –Breakfast cant get better when my mom prepares pathiri with eirachi curry.
4. Crab Curry – Crab cooked in coconut milk.
5. kalumae kai (Mussles) Fry – Though we don’t get to eat them regularly, it tastes fabulous.
6. Fish Fry & curry – Just can’t stop eating all the varieties of fish fry and fish curry that mom prepares.
7. Mutton Liver Fry – Wow! Real lip smacking recipe, where she fries mutton liver marinated in pepper.
8. Chicken Biriyani – Cooked in pressure cooker, the taste is incredible.
9. Kesari – A sweet dish made from suji, milk and sugar.
10. Pickles – Wow! just cant wait to get the highly spiced Mangoes, Ginger Mango, Garlic pickles bottled to take it back with me.

I have tried to prepare all the above recipes, but seldom does the taste come closer to that of my mom’s.

I would like Indianadoc and Kirthika to write a few words about thier mom's cooking.

Kaachiya Mooru

Just by adding some spice to Buttermilk you prepare this dish “Kaachiya Mooru”. It definitely taste good with rice.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of buttermilk / curd
• Salt

To Grind

• 2 / 3 Green Chillies
• 1 inch of ginger
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ¼ tsp Fenugreek
• 3 Shallots
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• ½ tsp of turmeric powder

For seasoning

• Curry Leaves
• 1 onion (medium size) sliced
• 1 dry Red Chilli
• I tsp Oil
• Mustard seeds

Preparation

Grind the whole onions, green chillis, ginger, garlic, fenugreek, cumin seeds, and turmeric powder, with little water, to make a smooth paste.

Add this mix, and salt into buttermilk /curd, and heat the whole mixture, at a medium heat. Keep on stirring to avoid curdling. When the curry is boiled remove from heat.

In a small pan heat a tablespoon of oil, put some mustard seeds, when they start sputtering, add the sliced onion, red chilli, and the curry leaves, fry them, and them pour over the curry.

Serve hot with rice.

Mutter Paneer

Dishes in paneer taste good, especially when they are complemented with other vegetables like capsicum, potato, spinach etc., but Peas (Mutter) makes the best combination.

I have a friend from Bihar, who is a specialist in making mutter paneer and she prepares it very scrumptious. It’s a north Indian dish, which goes well with Roti.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh peas
• 200 gm of paneer (cheese cubes)
• ¼ cup yogurt
• Coriander Leaves
• Salt to taste

For Seasoning

• 3 tsp Ghee (can also use refined oil)
• 2 medium sized onions
• 1 tsp Ginger & Garlic paste 2 medium sized tomatoes
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Chilli powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala / Kitchen king masala
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 medium size Cinnamon stick

Preparation:

Fresh peas taste best, but if not available can use dry peas by soaking it overnight. Pressure cook peas until they are soft. Be careful not to overcook it.

Cut the onions into four and boil them in sufficient water for about 5 minutes. Grind it in a mixie.

Heat 1tsp of ghee/oil in a frying pan, add the paneer (cheese cubes) and fry for 4-5 minutes, until they gently turn to golden brown on all sides. Remove the paneer and dip it in cold water, squeeze the water and keep it aside.

Now pour 2 tsp of ghee in pan, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, sauté and add ground onion, fry it until light golden brown, now add ginger garlic paste and sauté well. Add Chilli powder and coriander powder, stir it and add chopped tomatoes, cook until the tomatoes juices ooze out and oil leaves masala.

Pour in ¼ cup yogurt add turmeric, garam masala, mix it well and cook it for 2 minutes. Now add the cooked peas, cheese cubes and one cup of water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and mutter paneer is ready to be served.

Tip : you can use tomato puree instead of chopped tomatoes, both tastes good.