Jalapeno corn soup

On a rainy friday, wanted to have some soup. Was staring at my fridge for a while and came up with this concoction and this turned out to be good.

Ingredients:

Frozen corn - 1.5 cups
Vegetable stock - 2 cups
Fresh Jalapenos - 2 (You may also substitute with green chillies , I guess!)
Tomato - 1

Optional:
Chilli sauce
Soy sauce
Bread fried in olive oil

Method:
1. Microwave corn for a couple of minutes
2. In a blender add frozen corn, tomato and chopped jalapenos and blend well. The husk of corn stays little bit, you may either filter it or leave it like that for fiber :-).
3. Microwave the blended mixture for 5 mts
4. Add the vegetable stock and microwave for another 5 mts, stirring inbetween
5. Add one spoon of chilli sauce , soy sauce and salt and stir well

Garnish with bread fried in olive oil and finely chopped jalapenos. If you like it a little tangy you may also add a little bit of lime juice. Enjoy steaming hot soup with freshly ground pepper !!.

Ulundu Paruppu Sadham

I got this recipe from my best buddy Deepthi's, mother. When we were in hostel during our undergrad, her mom used to prepare this and bring it whenever she comes to visit Deepthi. The entire wing would crowd in our room. We all used to savor this dish and scrape the container till the last bit.

Ingredients
Sadham :
1 cup rice
1/3 urad dhal (black whole)
salt + little grated coconut
little bit of vendayam

Chutney:
red chilli - 2
coriander seeds- 2 tbsp
Tamrind,
grated coconut

Method:
1. Wash rice and black whole urad well. Add enough quantity of water. And some grated coconut, vendayam and pressure cook the same.
2. When it is cooked add salt and mix well
3. For chutney, dry roast red chilli, corriander seeds. Add coconut and a little bit of tamarind paste, salt and grind together.

Her mom used to tell us that the dish is to be eaten by mixing the chutney well with the rice and not by having the chutney as a side dish. ( Nalla pesanju sapdanum, chutney chumma thottu sapda koodadu !).

Orange peel gothsu

Ingredients:

1. Orange peel (- from 1 small orange , fleshier the better) or Narthangai salted and dried
2. Tamarind paste
3. Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
4. Rice 1 tbsp
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds, curry leaves, Gingely oil (preferable not must)

Method:
I will start the recipe with orange peel as it is readily available

1. Collect those orange peels and wash them well
2. cut the orange peel into small 1cm square
3. Put puli paste + 1 cup of water . Add the orange peel and boil everything together well. Add salt and chilli powder . If you are making this with salted narthangai , do not add salt.
4. Dry roast rice and sesame seeds, add 1 red chilli and grind it into a coarse powder
5. Add this to the boiling mixture and keep it in a low flame till everything comes together
6. Season with mustard seeds, curry leaves

This tastes yummy with idli, dosa, ven pongal etc. You may also mix it with rice and eat. This recipe is spicy and has a nice tangy,sour and bitter taste combined together.