STARTING TROUBLE .......? - "வாங்கவாங்க! துவங்கும்போதே அசத்துவோம்!" - Part I

"வாங்கவாங்க!  துவங்கும்போதே  அசத்துவோம்!" - Part I

If you among the "to be tested" category, or the so called "novice "in your cooking, in whatever way, here are some tips to begin on a strong foot.
1. Be bold.
2. After all, if it turns out bad, you can redo.
3. You know, even experienced people make cooking blunders.
That said, it is better to prepare yourself. If you are new to cooking, learn the basics:

1. Know how to make good coffee and tea. Even if you are not a coffee/tea drinker, it helps to impress people who do drink these beverages.
2. However small or big, keep your house, kitchen and bathroom clean and smelling fresh. This makes a big difference.
3. If you are greeting soemone specia; or someone whose approval you desire, make it known that you welcome that person/s.
4. Flowers and plants always add a soothing and cheerful atmosphere.
5. Add a waterfall if you can.
6. A pleasant looking and sounding door chime works wonders.
7. Keep that smile (as genuine as possible" on your lips throughout.
8. Play some likable music.
9. Now you are ready.
10. Learn the basics.

a. Learn how to operate the range/ stove/gas/ cylinder on off, etc., etc., I have heard of someone mixing all the ingredients and not lighting the range, simply because that person was attended to all the time and didn't even know how to light or switch on a stove/range.
b. Check the ingredients and choose a simple yet powerful meal.
c. South Indian - More kuzhambhu, brinjal podi vegetable or vendaikkai vegetable, kosumalli, rasam and thayir satham. Plus appalam/chips and urugai. One sweet or payasam.
d. North Indian - Pulav, chappati, raita, chips, potato-onion curry an d/or bhindi masala. Papad and chutney or pickle.
e. Now I ma going to give the shortest route to recipes; so may go back and forth between merging North and South.

RECIPES:

1. Take 2 cups of rice add 21/2 to 3 cups water depending upon rice variety, keep it in cooker. Add a few drops of oil for pulav.
2. Keep on top of that another tray with toor dal.
3. If there is room for a third tray, put potatoes cleaned for boiling.

1. Now take some puli/imli and soak it in hot water and microwave for 2 minutes. Let it cool and drain water into a pan.Add rasam powder 2 spoons, turmeric powder a1/8 spoon, salt and keep for boiling.  Add precut toamtoes (2-3). When it boils once,  add cooked dal from the cooker nicely mashed. Let boil for 2 more minutes and take it out and keep it in the serving container. Add cut coriander leaves and asafoetida.
3. Take shredded cocoanut, filling half of a cocoanut broken part, 5-8 green chillies, jeera 1 spoon, few fenugreek seeds, 1/4 spoon mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves. Add water and grind to a smooth paste in a blender.
Take a sauce pan and add 2 spoons oil and let boil. Now add 1/2 spoon mustard seeds and pop. To this add precut (brinjal/ cucumber/ bhindi/ onions/ bell pepper/ whilte pumpkin/yelow pumpkin - ANY ONE will do) and saute.
Now add the blended mix, add another 2-3 cups of water, salt, turmeric powder and let it boil on medium flame. When it just boils, remove. Cool a little and add coriander leaves and asafoetida. Add yoghurt as needed. Now your More Kuzhambhu is ready.
4. For pulav, take a sauce pan and saute precut vegetables and jeera and ginger well and add the cooked rice slowly mixing till all are added. Add cashew nuts and coriander leaves. Pulav is ready.
5. take the boiled potatoes, peel, cut to required pieces and keep with cut onions. Take a sauce pan, add 3 spons of oil (for 2 lbs of potatoes), add mustard, cumin and urad dal and let pop. Add the onions, saute and then add the potatoes and saute some more.. Add salt and asafoetida ans few curry leaves. Curry ready.
6. Take a sauce pan, fry mustard, jeera and urad dal (1/4 spoon, 1/2  spoon and 1/4 spoon) and add the precut vegetables. Add salt to taste and cook till done. Take it out and add curry leaves and asafoetida. For brinjal, if you ahve premade podi, add and saute for another minute before taking it off. Your vegetables are done.
7. For raita cut onions/onions+tomatoes/tomatoes/cucumber. Add 7-8 spoons of yoghurt and add popped mustard seeds and mix well and serve.
8. Fry papad if you ghave; lijid for North Indian and vadam or urad dal or arisi appalam for South Indian. mango hot pickle for SI and mango sweet pickle for NI.
9. Chappati - yu should know; it can't be taught. Do it a few times to perfect the technique.
10. Bhindi masala - Take a sauce pan, fry mustard and jeera, then onions, ginger, tomatoes, and then add bhindi. saute well adding salt, turmeric, little chilli powder and asafoetida. When well done, take out and coriander leaves.

Give yourself 2-3 hours to do everything from start to finish. If you are running out of time, cut one of the dishes from your menu. Use chips instead of papd frying.
Clean up, use attractive serving vessels of the right proportion, keep serving spoons, plates, eating spoons, napkins, water ready.
Now go change into a beautiful attire, dress up confidently to your choice and walk into the room ready to greet your guests with A SMILE and CONFIDENCE!.

Happy cooking!