AADI 18 SPECIAL RECIPES| COOKING FOR GUESTS 25

Aadi 18 2015| aadi perukku | 18 aam per| is celeberated tomorrow (august 3) . Generally variety rice is prepared on this day. The word "perukku"means flourish , so whatever new thing you start in this day it will multiply. Generally, farmers sow seeds on this day. When we were kids we used to wear new dress for this aadi perukku. Amma used to buy something in gold on this day. But i won't say this tradition is followed in all houses. Mainly in our relatives houses i have seen them making them variety rice only. After i got married, in my in laws house, they are not much fond of variety rice and so for this aadi perukku just a paruppu payasam will be made along with usual lunch menu.
When i was pregnant with my younger one, my perimma who lives in Trichy, visited my mama's house in chennai. During that time aadi 18 was there and my perimma invited me for lunch . Even after 10 years, i could recall the items she cooked and the taste of all the dishes was awesome. So i thought, i will post a cooking for guest series with a South Indian aadi 18 lunch.
Check out my complete list of aadi festival recipes
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Curry leaves rice | South Indian rice variety

No onion no garlic recipes | Karuveppilai sadam recipe

Curry leaves rice | Karuveppilai sadam is a traditional rice variety made for festivals such as aadi perukku and other South Indian festival too. Even we can make this for lunch box too. I have already posted a version of karuveppilai sadam | curry leaves rice and also a karuveppillai sevai too. This variety of curry leaves rice i learnt from my cousin during my recent visit to India for a wedding. He patiently explained me the recipe and the way he told me tempted me to try this  and i made this on the day i returned back home. It was a huge hit at home. The richness of the cashew nuts, texture of coarsely ground urad dal , the pepper flavour, the crunchiness of peanuts made this more exotic . As aadi 18 is coming up (aug 2nd - Tomorrow) , i thought this will be a perfect recipe to try it out on that occasion. For more aadi perukku recipes click the link here.

Godhuma Rava Payasam | Samba Rava payasam recipe

Godhumai rava payasam is a simple and easy payasam made with samba wheat rava, milk and jaggery as the main ingredients. I tried this last week itself but somehow struck with editing the video and by the time i finished editing it was too late . So i decided to post the recipe of Samba rava payasam today. Generally we use dalia | samba rava | godhuma rava for making upma or porridge . But this is a creamy and delicious payasam with godhuma rava . As i have mentioned in one of my recent posts, i am taking skype class for a group of 30 people, who are learning sanskrit and vedas (from a different teacher). As a part of their class, traditional cooking is being taught. I am previlaged to share my cooking knowledge with them by showing them how to cook traditional recipes. For the first class i made this godhuma rava payasam and a variety rice recipe(coming up soon). Check out my other easy payasam recipes:

• Rava payasam
• Arisi thengai payasam

Baked potato with cheese | Jacket potato recipe

Baked potato recipe with video

Baked potato loaded with cheese and beans, is a classic recipe made with potato. I was introduced to this jacket potato by my brother in law, whom we visited this June. He was casually telling us that he will make make jacket potatoes for her daughter and it is very simple to make also. Honestly, i haven't heard the name before and was fascinated by it and asked him for the recipe. He laughed out loud and told me it is simple microwaved potato and served with butter and cheese. Also he told there are many other ways to eat that, but he always makes in this simple way. He also made it for us on the last day of our trip and i totally enjoyed it and the kids too loved it very much. It was exactly a month now and finally i am here with my own version of baked potato with cheese. See the notes section for few variations to this recipe. This can be done in microwave too. Read the full post and try it, let me know your feedback. A perfect kids friendly baked potato recipe

Vendakkai puli mandi recipe | South Indian gravies

Vendakkai puli mandi , is basically a chettinad recipe, with vendakkai | ladies finger based gravy, pairs well with plain rice. Though i have heard this, happened to taste this in my neice wedding, i recently attended in India. Me and my sister got hooked up by its taste and asked the person who was serving, the name of the dish. Then we both went straight into the kitchen and looked for the chief cook and asked him the recipe. He was bit busy that time and gave his phone number and asked me to contact him the next day. So after the wedding got over, the next day i called the chief cook (Mr. Janakiraman)  and he patiently explained the recipe and also clarified my queries on few other authentic recipes too.
Check out my other south Indian gravy recipes

• Vendaya keerai kara kuzhambu
• Arai puli kuzhambu 

Sun dried pesto pasta recipe | Easy pasta recipes

Sun dried Tomato pesto pasta is a simple pasta  recipe, made with sun dried tomatoes as a base. I have got few varities of pasta from Italy, during our Europe trip. And now slowly exploring interesting pasta recipes too. I have a pack of sun dried tomatoes lying in my freezer for some time. Few days back when my cousin shared a picture of a pasta in Instagram. As the name sounded interesting, i asked her the recipe. She messaged me quickly and on seeing that itself i somehow felt, i should try this soon . She made the pasta with store bought basil pesto. But since i have sun dried tomatoes wanted to make use of it and tried with that. Generally pesto recipes uses parmesan cheese in it. But since they say it is not suitable for vegetarians, i just omitted the parmesan and added olive oil in that place. Check out my other pasta recipes.

• Pumpkin sauce pasta
• Sweet corn pasta

Murmura Chivda | Kara pori recipe

Murmura chivda | Kara pori is a healthy tea time snack, with less oil.  I have tasted this for the first time when we had my first tea time party with my friends here, when we moved to the new apartment here. After that though i have tasted it many times,only now it came to my mind to post this recipe. Many readers asked me post video recipes, though i have made few videos but never made full video recipe so far. I have difficulty in taking videos in my kitchen stove and so i bought a separate single portable one. I was introduced to this Iwatani gas stove during one of my cookery show which i did in Singapore for Mother's day. It was quite comfortable and quite easy to handle.  Also i  have started teaching traditional brahmin recipes, through skype . This i am not doing as a business, but just to share my knowledge for a set of people who are learning vedic traditions.  For that also, i needed this single stove and so finally i bought that last weekend. First time used it for the skype class yesterday.  Finally tried my hands on video and for that i chose and easy recipe. I will try to post videos for my recipes whenever possible. I am still in the learning process, but will surely improve and post more quality videos in the future. Check out my beach style karapori recipe and pori upma 

Nalla karam podi | Andhra style nallakaram podi recipe

Nalla karam podi is a variety of idli milagai podi, made with  coriander seeds, red chili as the major ingredients. This is a popular andhra style podi. As we all knows Andhra style podis are more famous and quite spicy too. I have heard a lot about this podi but never tasted or tried even once. During our holiday, we met a mom and daughter, who are basically from hyderabad. Suddenly it flashed me to ask the recipe from her and messaged her yesterday. She replied back to me that her mil is expert in cooking and today morning gave me the recipe. Actually her mil wrote down the recipe in telugu and took a picture of it and sent to her. So sweet of her, she translated that and messaged me back. It turned out very well and i am waiting to have with my dosa , for tomorrow breakfast. I just had this with rice ghee and a little podi. It tasted very nice.

Chakka varatti recipe | Jack fruit preserve | jam

Chakka varatti is an authentic Kerala recipe made with jack fruit and jaggery. During my recent trip to India for my niece wedding, we as a group of family members were sitting and talking in the evening. One of my mami ,who is a native of palakad, was telling us that she sent few things for her daughter studying in abroad and one among them is her most favourite chakka varatti. Among the things sent to her, all the things reached except this chakkavaratti. Mami felt so bad and so as her daughter and she was sadly narrating to us this incident. When all of them were listening to this, i suddenly asked, "oh mami, how you make that and can you explain". For a moment everyone looked at me and we all burst into laughter. Then mami explained it well and i noted it down too. 2 days back i saw the local wet market selling jackfruit and i immediately bought and made the chakka varatti. It turned out very well and we all loved it. Its quite addictive too. Also mami shared the recipe of  payasam they make with this jackfruit preserve. Will post the recipe soon. Check out my chakka pradaman recipe. 

Aloo Baingan recipe | Potato and eggplant subzi

Aloo baingan (urulai kathrikkai poriyal) is a north indian style dry subzi  with potatoes and eggplant. I have noted down few recipes which i tasted during our trip, to London and Europe, and more than all liked by the kids. This aloo baingan subzi, we tasted on our first day of our trip. We all loved it very much and kids who generally don't take eggplant, loved it very much. So i tried this last weekend at home, and it was a super hit. This goes well with both  chapathi and rice. Stay tuned for more recipes coming up, which i learnt during my family holiday and my extended holiday to India for wedding.