Narthangai oorugai (Citron Pickle)

Narathangai oorugai (citron pickle)

I think it's the most loved delicacy in any iyer home.  I bought a few yesterday. Good old days when I used to help Amma in making narathangai. Amma makes it very different from what I make. Amma used to squeeze the juice from each narathangai and fill turmeric and salt. Then it's spread in a big muram and kept in the sunlight for about one or two weeks. Every day as we keep it the juice will be poured on top of the narathangai. Once it's completely dried we used to store it in big jadi. It will last for more than an year.

The recipe I make is very simple.

Ingredients

Fresh narthangai - 18 nos.

Rock salt - 3 cups

Turmeric - 3 teaspoons

Roasted crushed fenugreek - 2 tsp

Method of preparation

Wash and cut narthangai into thin long slices. Measure and add rock salt. The proportion is 8:1. Add turmeric, fenugreek and Mix well. Keep it for about three weeks time. Mix everyday.

By this time you will notice the narthangai is very soft and juicy.  Remove from the big jadi and keep preserving in small clean bottles in the refrigerator for longer shelf life.

Tibetan Thukpa (Vegetable noodle soup)

Tibetan Thukpa. The yummy noodle soup.

Ingredients

Vegetable noodles - 1 pkt
Baby onion a few
Big onion -1
Potato one medium
Beans - a few
Carrot - 1
Bell peppers - 1/2 in each color
Long bean - 2
Spinach a small bunch
Coriander leaves a few
Clove - 3
Elachi - 3
Cinnamon 1 small piece
Ginger a small piece
Green chili two
Garlic a few
Coriander powder a small tsp
Jeera powder 1/2 tsp
Knor noodles/rice masala 1/2 tsp
Olive/mustard oil - 2 tbsp
Soya sauce 1 tsp
Green chili sauce 1 tsp

Method of preparation

* Wash peel and chop vegetables lengthwise. Chop spinach into small pieces. Chop ginger,garlic and green chili into small pieces.

* Cook noodles in enough water till soft drain excess water.

In a heated pan add oil whole spices like elachi, clove,cinnamon. Allow the spices to release aroma. Add ginger, green chili and garlic. Saute for a while. Add small and big onion. Toss and wait for it to become translucent. Add chopped vegetables. Allow them to cook in high flame. Now add turmeric, coriander and jeera powder. Mix well. Add chopped spinach and add two cups of water. Let it cook till vegetables are soft. Gently add cooked noodles. Adjust salt. Off stove and add a tsp soya sauce and green chili sauce. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot.

BAIGAN BHURTHA (PUNJABI CUISINE)

Hello,

Happy father day and Happy yoga day today. Let me share few more simple dishes from North India. This baigan is from my terrace garden. Fresh and soft one. 

Home grown garden fresh brinjal. 

Baigan bhurtha(PUNJABI CUISINE)

Ingredients

Baigan - 1 large
Big onion - 1
Ripe red tomato - 2
Green chili - 3
Ginger a large piece
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard -1/2 tsp
Jeera -1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves a few
Curry leaves crushed

Method of Preparation

Wash and clean the Baigan and apply oil on the outer skin. Keep it directly on the burner. Cook it in medium flame. You will notice the as sides are roasted and the outer skin is burnt. Turn on the other side. I cook all four sides and the bottom. Off and remove from fire. Let it cool down.

Chop all the other vegetables ginger and chilli into fine pieces. Peel off Baigan and chop or smash.

Use a thick bottom pan pour oil and add mustard allow it to crackle. Now add jeera. Saute for a few seconds. Now add chopped onion, green chili, ginger, and tomato. Cook in high flame stirring it occasionally. Let it cook and oil gets separated. Now add chopped Baigan, turmeric and salt. Mix well. Cook fie another 5 minutes in slow flame. Garnish with crushed curry and chopped coriander leaves. Add a pinch of garam masala.

Serve as a side dish for rice or phulkas.