Ramya's Pappu Chaaru - The Best!

My friend Ramya makes the best Pappu chaaru, EVER! 

She gave out a large portion when she made it last week and we relished it with rice and ghee. I always think I should attempt this dish, but this time, I took time to try out her recipe, and was able to create something in the ballpark. So here it is!

Ingredients, makes enough to last for 3 meals for two people

Toor daal - 3/4 cup
Tamarind Paste - 2 Tbsps of thick paste, mixed in water
Oil - 2Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1Tsp
Cumin seeds + Garlic paste (coarse) - 1Tbsp (made from 5-6 mashed garlic cloves)
Chillies - 4-5
Curry leaves - 5-6
Veggies - 2C
Onion - 1, sliced
Coriander powder - 1Tbsp
Fenugreek powder - 1Tbsp
Jeera powder - 1Tbsp
Turmeric - 1Tsp
Salt - To Taste

Method

1. Boil the daal in the pressure cooker and mash it to a nice pasty texture
2. In a heated hollow bowl, add oil, when hot add jeera and mustard seeds. Let it splutter
3. Add onions, split green chilies, curry leaves
4. After the onions are fried a little, add all the veggies and a small pinch of fenugreek powder (very imp as it balances the tangy tamarind taste). Then add the coarsly crushed garlic and cumin paste.
5. Add turmeric and salt, close the lid for 1-2 min
6. Add the tamarind juice to this, and let the vegetables cook in this liquid for 8-10 min on a medium flame
7. Add cooked dal and some more water, bring it to a boil
8. Add the coriander and jeera powder, and let it boil for 5 min

Serve hot, with warm rice and ghee. 

Veggies to add

1. Dosakaya (yellow)
2. Drumsticks
3. Bottle gourd (Sorakaya)
4. Brinjal
5. Okra
6. Dondakaya
7. Chayote squash (seeme badnekaayi/seema vankaya)

Vegan Kimchi

Ever since I started watching Korean dramas during the pandemic and drooling at all the yummy food they lay out on the tables (almost every day has key scenes around food and people are around books most of the times, and I LOVE this!), I have developed this interest for Kimchi, and I have been making Kimchi fried rice and Kimchi ramen almost every week. This has now reached comfort food status for me. I had already been eating curd with a little Kimchi with it at night, so now I have three uses for Kimchi.

Buying Kimchi from the stores was not an option, especially during the COVID19 pandemic, because I did not have the time and bandwidth to stop at the aisles, look for a vegan Kimchi, look for its ingredients to ensure it is all natural etc. Also, store-bought Kimchi turned out to be too expensive for the frequency and quantities I was cooking these dishes. Hence the search for the perfect Kimchi recipe.

Notes -

1. Authenticity - I do not claim that this is the authentic version of Kimchi, I have developed this recipe after reading on multiple food blogs, and wanted a Vegan option. This recipe has worked for me for a while now, doesn't go bad, is spicy enough for our palette and refrigerates well for at least 2 months (that is the maximum one batch of Kimchi has stayed in my fridge).

Chocolate chip cookies, eggless

Original recipe source - DessertForTwo

Few notes -

1. Modified the recipe from the original to suit the standard butter stick and 1oz mark for cream cheese, it helps with my pantry management. :)
2. I've noticed that the cookies turn out a bit brown if I bake for 9 min, so might reduce baking time next time to 7min, and remove from cookie sheet immediately for cooling
3. I use Ghirardelli chocolate chips.
4. I tried the same recipe with whole wheat flour. I felt it was a little dry, so might reduce the flour by 1Tbsp next time. 

Peanut butter cookies, eggless

Original recipe link - Flavor Mosaic's Best old-fashioned eggless peanut butter cookies

Soup-ey Ramen

Recipe for a soupy ramen after all the K-drama watching and drooling at the yummy food!

I didn't want to eat Maggi and the seasoning from instant noodles , hence this recipe.

Suggested replacements -
1. Replace Kimchi and sambal with chilli sauce
2. Add miso paste/powder for flavor along with the water in step 3. 

Spanish Tortilla, eggless