RONGI MASALA / MASALEDAAR RONGI / LOBIA CURRY / BLACK EYED BEAN CURRY

RONGI MASALA / MASALEDAAR RONGI / LOBIA CURRY / BLACK EYED BEAN CURRY
This is a dish I learnt from our Punjabi neighbors too. Rongi Masala or Masaledaar Rongi or Lobia or Black eyed bean / black eyes pea as it is called is highly nutritious. It has a high fiber content, it also has potassium, iron, protein and is low in fat and calories.
It’s a good addition to your menu and when you cook it the way the Punjabi’s cook…masaledaar, then nothing like it.
I actually forgot to make Rongi masala for quite a while until we had it in the flight from Singapore to India and my maid absolutely fell in love with it and when we came home she asked me to make it atleast once. So, one day I finally made it and it was a hit at home.
This dish can be had with fulkas or with plain white basmati rice. It’s quite filling.
Enjoy the Rongi Masala.

Ingredients
Black Eyed Beans – 250gms
Soda bicarbonate – a pinch
Onions – 3
Tomatoes – 3
Green chillies – 2
Ginger – ½ inch
Salt as per taste
Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
Rajma Masala – 1 tsp
Kitchen king masala – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Amchoor powder – 1 tsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Yogurt - 1 tablespoon (optional)
Fresh green coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Method
Soak the lobia / black eyed beans/peas in water overnight with a pinch of Soda. In the morning rinse out the lobia, add some salt and ginger and add water till the lobia is completely immersed.
Cook it in the Pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles. Those who don’t have a pressure cooker can cook it in a pan covered with a lid. Cook for about 30 minutes till the Black Eye Beans are soft.
Make a coarse paste of 1 onion, the tomatoes, 2 green chillies and ½ an inch of ginger.
Now in a wok, heat 4 tbsp. oil, add 2 onions (finely chopped) and sauté till transparent.
Add the ginger-chilly-onion-tomato paste and sauté till the oil comes out of the masala. Now add Kitchen King Masala / Rajma Masala and Garam Masala. Also add the Coriander powder, Cumin powder , Amchoor powder and Red chilly powder.
Saute until everything gets mixed and the oil starts to separate from the mixture.Now add the boiled Black Eyed Beans. Mix well. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium heat till the masalas get mixed well with the beans.
Add yogurt and heat for 5 more minutes. I didn’t add yogurt, I instead added Amchoor powder.
Serve garnished with fresh green finely chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy.

PUNJABI CHAI MASALA / PUNJABI TEA SPICE POWDER

PUNJABI CHAI MASALA / PUNJABI TEA SPICE POWDER
I would like to share this wonderful and healthy chai masala recipe that I got from my Punjabi friend here in Singapore.
Being born and brought up in the state of Maharashtra I learnt to savor tea infused with spices known as “Masala Chai”(Tea infused with spices) back in Mumbai.
The spice mix would always manage to give a punch to the otherwise normal cup of tea.
So when it’s raining and we are totally drenched or having a cold we would always go for a ginger laced tea or Masala tea.
Even the street stalls and restaurants serve the masala chai, its commonly available in India.   
What totally surprised me was when I found a version of the Masala chai at the McCafe at Singapore known as the Himalayan Tea Latte - A hot and calming exotic milk tea with a soulful infusion of spice flavor. They claim it to be a hot favorite. I nudged Yo (my husband) and pointed to the Menu feeling proud to find our Masala chai being internationalized and described so beautifully.
So what should be the ideal mix of spices one may ask.
The spices vary according to the place, the climate conditions in a particular region and sometimes due to personal preferences. But a typical Indian tea masala includes a combination of the following spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and peppercorns. They may also include Bishops weed, fennel seeds and other variants in some recipes.
Ideally if the spices are ground fresh and added to the tea it would taste good, But, since I belong to the generation which hardly has time for such luxuries. I made my tea masala for keeps. I made a small batch which I could use over a period of a month.
The spices in the tea masala are known to aid in digestion, provide heat during cold weathers like winters or rains, they are believed to chase a fever or cure a cold.
I believe that they are soothing and refreshing and add a zing to your regular cuppa.
My friends recipe doesn’t have peppercorns, but mine has.
Here is my recipe for Punjabi Tea masala, do make it and savor your tea with the soulful infusion of the spices.

Ingredients

Cinnamon stick – 1 whole stick
Big Cardamom (Badi Elaichi) – 3
Small Cardamom (Choti Elaichi) – 10-12
Cloves (Lavang/Laung) – 3-4
Dried Ginger (Saunth / Soonth) – 1 piece or alternatively you can use the ginger powder about 1 and a half tablespoon.
Bishop’s weed (Ajwain) – a pinch
Black peppercorns – 5-6
Fennel seeds(Saunf) – 1 tablespoon

Method
Dry roast all the ingredients for 7-8 minutes until you can get a faint aroma of the spices. Let it cool completely. Once it is cool run it in the dry jar of a mixer/blender and grind into a fine powder. Cool completely and store in an air-tight container. Use the masala as and when required to make tea.

Indian Masala Tea

To make 2 cups of Masala tea. Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Add sugar, Tea leaves and the powdered masala and let it come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add some milk and let it boil for a couple of minutes. Strain and serve piping hot.

Enjoy this with some biscuits while catching some news in your morning newspaper.

PATAL POHE CHIVDA (THIN BEATEN RICE FLAKES MIXTURE)

PATAL POHE CHIVDA (THIN BEATEN RICE FLAKES MIXTURE)

My Husband Yo hails from Pune and Patal Pohe Chivda is his favorite dish. He buys it from the stores here and sometimes adds tomatoes, onions etc to the chivda and relishes it with his tea. We were not getting Patal pohe(the thinner rice flakes) earlier so I didn't attempt it. But, nowadays it’s available easily especially during Diwali.

I think they specially order these here in Singapore, So I bought 1 kilo of these. 

 

 

Ingredients

Thin Poha - 1 Kg.

Peanuts - 2 cups

Daliya (Roasted Gram Dal/ Chutney Chana dal) - 2 cups

Cashewnuts- 20-25 pieces

Golden Raisins - 20 -25 pieces

Copra (dry coconut) - 1 cup (copra slices)

Chopped Green chilies - 12-15

Curry leaves -  5 sprigs (25-30 leaves)

Mustard seeds - 2 teaspoons

Sesame seeds - 2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 3 teaspoon

Asafetida - 1 teaspoon

Salt as per taste.

Powder sugar - 2 teaspoon

Oil - 1/2 cup

 

 

Method

Patal Poha has very think flakes so it gets cooked very fast. I decided not to fry it and dry roast it instead. While I was making the preparations for the dish my friend called me and she suggested that I put poha in the microwave instead. So I placed the poha in a shallow microwave safe dish and microwaved it on high for 1 minutes. I sieved it and let the fine powder if any to be filtered leaving only the flakes. For those who don't have a microwave you can dry roast it in a wok(Kadhai)on a very low flame till it becomes crispy.  This needs attention else it can burn very easily. Keep this Poha aside.

If you have roasted the poha in the microwave, then Add 2 tablsepoons oil in a big wok, add in the mustard seeds and sesame seeds and when they start spluttering, add in the poha, turmeric, salt and sugar and saute for about 3 minutes. Keep aside. Now in another wok fry all the ingredients one by one on a low flame ensuring that you don't burn them. Fry the peanuts until golden and split, then the daliya until golden, then the cashews until golden, Raisins until plump, then the copra until golden and then the green chillies and lastly the curry leaves. Preferably use a net to fry all this as it can catch all the ingredients from the oil. Ensure that none of the ingredients become black. If they become black throw them, don't use them in the chivda as the taste of the chivda can spoil with it. Drain the oil well and mix all the ingredients that you fried in a vessel, add in some salt and sugar and mix well.

Now add this to the wok in which you roasted the poha with the mustard and sesame seeds.. Toss everything well with a light hand ensuring that you don't break the thin poha flakes. Roast for another 2 minutes on a low flame while mixing. Put off the flame and spread this on a newspaper or a big plate. Let this get cool for some time then store it in an air - tight dabba(box). Your Patal Pohe chivda is ready.

 

 Tips

• You can add poppy seeds to the tadka while adding mustard and sesame but Poppy seeds are banned in Singapore so I didn’t add them
• You can add Puffed rice (kurmura) with Poha.
• You can add grated and deep fried crispy potato sticks and mix with the Poha.
• You can add red chilly powder instead of green chilies.
• You can add citric acid or amchur powder for some sourness. I didn't do it in my recipe.
• You can add deep fried garlic in the Chivda
• You can deep fried onion to the chivda.
• I have seen a recipe wherein fresh coriander seeds are roasted, pounded into a powder and added to the chivda for extra flavor.
• My Mother-in-law adds Roasted and pounded fennel seeds into the chivda.

MOONG ALOO KE PAKODE (YELLOW SPLIT LENTIL & GRATED POTATO FRITTERS)

MOONG ALOO KE PAKODE (YELLOW SPLIT LENTIL & GRATED POTATO FRITTERS)

This is a savory snack made as a fasting dish. The yellow moong dal is good for the stomach and the grated potato makes it heavy and filling. 

Ingredients

Yellow moong dal – 250 gms

Potatoes -  2 (peeled and grated)

Ginger – ½ inch piece

Green Chillies – 2-3

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 2 tsps  
Asafetida – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsps finely chopped.

Salt as per taste (For people who are fasting they can use Sendha Namak)

Method

Soak moong dal for 3 to 4 hours. Rinse it well. Grind the dal with the green chillies, ginger, turmeric powder, Red chilly powder, Asafetida without adding water into a coarse paste. It shouldn’t be a fine paste, the batter should be of thick consistency, so don’t over grind the dal. If you are having trouble grinding you can add about 2-3 tbsps of water, but make sure the batter doesn’t get too soggy else the vada will absorb more oil and be very oily.

After you make a coarse batter of the moong dal, add the grated potato and freshly chopped coriander leaves into it.

For those who like some more flavor you can add one big finely chopped onion to this batter before you fry. (My recipe doesn’t have onions)

Heat oil in a frying pan and when the oil is hot, put small balls of the batter, shouldn’t be too even(very round) while dropping, when dropped unevenly it will be more crispy. Fry the vadas till golden and crisp, remove and drain on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot with coconut chutney or green chutney.

VEG. JALFREZI (VEGETABLES & COTTAGE CHEESE COOKED IN A MUGHAL STYLE)

VEG. JALFREZI (MARINATED VEGETABLES & COTTAGE CHEESE COOKED IN A MUGHAL STYLE)

 Jalfrezi (also jhal frezi, zalfrezi, and many alternative spellings) is a type of curry in which marinated pieces of vegetables are fried in oil and spices to produce a dry, thick sauce. It is cooked with green chillies, with the result that a jalfrezi can range in heat from a medium dish to a very hot one. Typically those eating jalfrezi cool it down by combining it with cream.^[1] Other main ingredients include peppers, onion and tomato. From the times of the Chinese, when it was created as a way of using leftover meat; the chillies helped to disguise any disagreeable taste. The name comes indirectly from Chinese and Bengali jhāl, spicy food, and Urdu parhezī, suitable for a diet.  It is the most popular dish in UK Indian restaurants. (Info courtesy- Wikipedia)

 

 

My husband Yo likes rich mughalai food especially when it is loaded with vegetables, He always orders for dishes like these in the restaurant. What can be made in the restaurant can be made better and healthier at home, hence I decided to surprise him one evening with this wonderful dish and he (being a man of few words and not very generous with his compliments unless asked for) gave me his feedback in action, when I saw him licking his fingers and finishing bowl after bowls until I had to make more chappatis than his usual quota to eat with the Jalfrezi. 

I have explained to you both ways how to cook this by without marinating (below) and by marinating(under Tips). Try both ways. Enjoy!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

Onion – 1

Tomatoes – 6

Capsicum – 1 (You can use different colors for added color to the dish)

Potatoes  - 1

Carrots – 1-2

Green peas – 1 cup

Beans – 1 cup

Cauliflower florets – 1 cup

Baby corn – 2-3 (Optional)

Paneer (Indian Cottage cheese) – 1 cup (Optional)

Ginger Paste – ½ tsp

Garlic Paste – ½ tsp (Optional)

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Kasuri Methi powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Coriander powder -2 tsps

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Chilly powder – 2 tsps

Kitchen King Masala – 1 tsp

Fresh garam masala – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil – 3-4 tbsps

Fresh green coriander leaves for garnish – 1 tbsp

Fresh cream – 1 cup (optional)

Method

Cut all the vegetables into long medium sized strips as shown in the picture.

Chop the onions into small pieces or you can chop them into fine strips as well.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add onions and ginger-garlic paste. Saute` on medium-low heat for few minutes.

Add the tomatoes and sauté  until the tomato is mushy. Now add in the capsicum and sauté for a few minutes. Add in the vegetables. Now add in all the masala powders and salt as per taste, mix well and cook covered. The vegetables will release their own water. Don’t add in extra water. Cook covered on a low flame. Keep stirring once or twice in the middle.
Check after some time if the vegetables are taking too long to cook add 2-3 tablespoons of water and cook covered for some time. Cook until the vegetables are still crunchy and not mushy.

At this point of time add in the paneer. Squeeze the water out of the paneer pieces and them to the vegetables. Mix gently else your paneer will get crumbled. Ensure that the spices evenly coat the paneer. Let this cook covered on a low flame for another 10-15 minutes. You will notice that the oil starts to rise from the sides indicating that the dish is done. After this, turn off the flame. Serve hot garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy this delicacy with fulkas, parathas, naans, rotis or rice.
 

Tips

• You can make this dish richer by adding 1 cup of fresh cream. If you are doing this, add the cream at the end, mix well and cook for 5 minutes
• You can marinate the vegetables for added taste.-  In a bowl add in some oil, the ginger-garlic paste, the masala powders, salt as per taste and all the vegetables and the paneer and leave it covered overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning cook as above (except don’t add in the ginger-garlic paste and the masalas and salt). In the oil, sauté the cumin seeds, onions, tomatoes and capsicum & add in the marinated vegetables, sauté and cook until crisp and crunchy and serve garnished with coriander leaves. Since its marinated it cooks faster. Try to remove the paneer and add it during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Otherwise the paneer may crumble. 

KOZHAKATTAI / UKDICHE MODAK / COCONUT & JAGGERY FILLED RICE DUMPLINGS

KOZHAKATTAI / UKDICHE MODAK / COCONUT & JAGGERY FILLED RICE DUMPLINGS

GANPATI BAPPA MORYA!!!!!

Yesterday marked the beginning of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, this festival marks the celebration of the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival. It is the day Shiva declared his son Ganesha as superior to all the gods, barring Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.

The festival, also known as Ganeshotsav ("festival of Ganesha") is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 19 August and 20 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period). The total number of days change according to the waqxing moon and the Hindu calendar. This festival is celebrated  with great pomp all over India, it is most elaborate in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and Chhattisgarh. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada, Mauritius,[3] Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma and Fiji. (Info courtesy-Wikipedia)

One thing that is always made in my kitchen for my darling elephant God Ganesha is the Tenga Poornam Kozhakattai / modakams.

Modak has a special importance in the worship of the Hindu god Ganesh; modak is believed to be his favorite food, which begets him the moniker “modakapriya” (the one who likes modak) in Sanskrit.

During the Ganesh worship ceremony, known in India as Ganesh Chaturthi the puja always concludes with an offering of modakas to the deity and as prasad.

I make this in the South Indian style as well as the Maharashtrian style as I was born in Maharashtra where the same dish is known as Ukdiche Modak.

In Maharashtra

The sweet filling inside a modak is made up of fresh grated coconut and jaggery, while the outer cover is made from rice flour, or wheat flour mixed with khava(khoya) or maida flour. The dumpling can be fried or steamed. The steamed version is called ukdiche modak.

In South -India

The sweet filling inside a modak is made up of fresh grated coconut and jaggery, while the outer cover is made from rice flour and steam cooked.

I never found the steam cooked kozhakattais in any restaurant in Mumbai, India but was surprised to find this at the Ananda bhavan restaurant here in Singapore. But nothing can beat the home cooked ones especially when they are just out of the steamer/cooker. It’s best to eat this when it’s steaming hot. 

Ingredients

White rice – ¾ cup
Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Jaggery - 3/4 cup

Elaichi (Cardamom) – 2-3

Ghee – ½ tbsp

Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp

Method

To make the coconut jaggery filling (Tengai Poornam)
In a wok, add the ghee and the crushed cardamom minus the skin of the cardamom. Allow this to fry, then add in the jaggery and let it melt on a low flame. Once the jiggery starts to froth, add in the coconut, mix well and keep stirring over a low flame until the mix becomes one, there’s no water and the mix starts to leave the sides of the pan. This is fast to cook in a non-stick wok. Once done, keep aside and let it cool. Make small balls and keep aside.

Make the cover

Soak the rice in water for about 2-3 hours. Rinse well. Drain the water from the rice and grind it in a mixie (blender) by adding some water until it becomes a smooth batter. Add about 1 ½ tbsp of oil and a pinch of salt. Now, in a nonstick pan, Add in the batter and on a low flame cook it until the water starts to evaporate and the batter starts to thicken a bit like chappati dough but slightly more pliable than  that. Immediately put off the flame and allow it to cool. Knead the dough well. Add some oil and knead well.

How to make the kozhakattai

Grease your hands with some coconut oil. Take a small piece of the dough, roll it like a ball and then flatten it on your palm and shape it like a bowl. Gently press and shape the dough to make it bigger and ensure that it doesn’t have cracks. My grandmother always used to say that the best kozhakattai is when the cover is thin and not too thick and also there shouldn’t be cracks. Now place the Tengai Poornam or coconut jaggery filling that you rolled into balls and place it in the centre of your bowl shaped dough and close it, pulling some of the dough up into the shape of a monumental tower on the tip. Make a few and keep aside.

Steaming the kozhakattais

You can use an idli stand, a dhokla stand, a stainless steel or bamboo steamer or any plate, just grease the plate, line up the kozhakattais and cover with a lid and let it cook on steam for abour 5-10 minutes. Check the kozhakattais, when you find that they are a bit shiny and translucent, and not sticky when you touch them, they are ready. Sprinkle one tablespoon of water on them. And serve them on a plate for the lord, this is called as “Neivedyam”. Once that’s done, you can dunk into this steam cooked sweet delight. Always eat these hot. There are some things in life which can be got only at home and not in a restaurant or shop. This is one of them.

Tips

-Use coconut oil for best results.

-Use fresh grated coconut instead of the frozen or dessicated ones

-Grind the rice flour in a stone grinder instead of a mixie.

-You can use readymade rice flour instead of soaking and grinding the rice. But ensure that you use fine rice flour.

- If, at any time, the dough begins to be difficult to work with, add some water to the dough and knead the dough again. If the batter begins to stick to your fingers, dip your fingers into the oil.

HARE BHARE PAKODE (FRITTERS WITH GREENS)

HARE BHARE PAKODE (FRITTERS WITH GREENS)

The rains always makes you crave for something deep fried and hot with some hot spiced tea.  While I was contemplating to make pakodas, I thought why not put some healthy ingredients to the otherwise unhealthy deep fried snack, just to make it slightly guiltless. I had just purchased packets of fresh greens during my weekend shopping trip, I thought let me add the greens and some onion and make these Green Fritters, instead of the traditional onion bhajiyas which I was craving to have.

I named it Hare Bhare Pakode an off-shoot from the Hara Bhara kabab. I hope you enjoy this post. This post also has the privilege of the first clicks from my new Nikon D3200SLR Digital Camera. I am still a beginner, but hope to have beautiful clicks in the future thanks to the birthday gift from my dear hubby Yo.

Ingredients

Onions – 2 big sized

Spinach – 1 ½ cup

Coriander Leaves – 1 cup

Kasuri Methi powder – 2 tsps or ½ cup of fresh fenugreek leaves

Green Chillies paste – ½ tsp (optional-for flavoring only)

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Gram Flour – 4 tbsps

Bishops weed (Ajwain) – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 2 tsps

Asafetida – A pinch

Salt to taste

Oil for deep-frying

(Any of the above ingredients can be adjusted or altered to suit one’s own taste palettes).

Method

Peel and chop the onions in strips. Clean the spinach and coriander leaves and chop them finely.

Take a bowl,  Add in the onion strips, chopped spinach, chopped coriander leaves and 2 tablespoons of kasuri methi powder (I made a powder of the kasuri methi leaves and added 2 teaspoons of it to the mix for the flavor of the fenugreek, you can alternatively use ½ cup of cleaned, sorted and chopped fresh fenugreek leaves).

Now add the green chilly paste, ginger paste, then add 2 tbsps of gram flour, the bishops weed, Asafetida, Red chili powder, salt and mix well. Allow the onions and the greens to marinate in the mixture for about 10-15 minutes. The onions and greens start to sweat and you will notice the mixture to be moist, at this point, add the rest of the gram flour. If you find the mix too dry then sprinkle some water. Just 2-3 tablespoons of water will do. The water is added to make the mixture a bit loose and in dropping consistency. Again keep aside for 4-5 minutes.

Heat oil in a frying pan and when the oil is hot, drop the batter. The technique to drop the batter is to scoop the batter in your hand and spread your fingers when you drop it into the oil, so they drop unevenly and look shapeless, this makes the pakodas more crispy. Fry the pakodas till golden and crisp on a slow fire. Remove and drain on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot with coriander chutney/ mint chutney or tomato sauce.

KEERAI MASIYAL (SPINACH WITH SEASONING)

KEERAI MASIYAL (SPINACH WITH SEASONING)
Keerai Masiyal is the simplest spinach dish ever but tastes awesome especially if the keerai is fresh. The cooking process is not lengthy. It’s fast to cook and very good for health. After moving to Singapore and seeing how the Chinese cook their spinach by sautéing and not using much spices. I had a renewed respect for our very own Keerai Masiyal.

This can be made with different types of greens that are available in whichever place you’ll are located. I made this with Bombay Paalak Spinach which is my favorite. I am lucky to get this here in Singapore at Mustafa. I love the Paalak Spinach as it has a strong green color and taste unmatched to any greens in the world.

My grandma used to always cook this in a kallu chatti –“kallu” means stone in Tamil and “chatti” means a pot. The “kallu”pots are made of soap stone which is a soft stone and hence has to be handled very delicately. My grandma used to mash the keerai with a wooden “maththu” (a wooden churner used to blend and mash). She used to say that this enhances the taste of the keerai. Since getting these vessels has become rare, you can alternatively blend the keerai in a blender, but I don’t like to do that as it gets mashed into a fine paste or you can mash it with your hand(once it cools down) or with a ladle or a big spoon.

Ingredients:

Spinach – 1 Bunch
Asafetida (Hing) - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Split white lentil (Udad dal) – 1 tsp
Red chilly – 2
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste
Coconut Oil – 2 tbsps

Method:
Wash the spinach leaves and cut into small pieces and put them into a thick bottomed vessel. Add,  turmeric powder, asafetida and salt and let it cook. Add very little water into the vessel as the spinach will release its own water. Allow the spinach to cook until its soft. It hardle takes 10-15 minutes for the spinach to get cooked. Now turn off the gas and let the spinach rest for a while. After this mash the spinach well.
Then, starts the tempering process, Take 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or any cooking oil, add the mustard seeds, Udad dal and Red chilly. When the mustard starts to splutter and the udad dal starts to get pink, pour them onto the keerai masiyal and mix well.
The Keerai masiyal is a wonderful side dish and can be eaten with any dish. Keerai masiyal is given as a post partum dish as its good for health and very light on the stomach. It is also usually given to people who are recovering from illnesses.
Kids are given this with their favorite, “Paruppu chaadam” lentil and rice combo.
Try to add more greens to your daily food intake.
Try this simple recipe and enjoy.
Tips
By adding a pinch of Sugar to the green leaves while cooking, you can retain the green color in the dish even after it’s cooked.

KATHRIKKAI KOOTU (AUBERGINE COOKED IN A LENTIL AND COCONUT SPICED GRAVY)

KATHRIKKAI KOOTU (AUBERGINE COOKED IN A LENTIL AND COCONUT SPICED GRAVY)

We call this Katrikkai kootu at home. The keralaiyers back home call it Katrikkai Puliyitta Kootu and in Tamilnadu they call it Katrikkai Puli kootu. Some call it Rasavangi.

Basically it’s the kootu with tamarind in it and instead of the coconut being ground with spices as in a normal kootu, here we garnish it with roasted coconut which adds a whole new dynamics to the dish. Do try this dish and enjoy this delicacy.

Ingredients:

Aubergine / Brinjal / Eggplant– 5-6

Toor Dal (Yellow Pigeon peas) – ½ cup

Tamarind- Lemon size ball

Sambhar powder – 2 tbsps

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Asafetida (Hing) - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves – 8-10

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Split white lentil (Udad dal) – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp

Red chilly - 2

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Salt as per taste

Oil – 2 tbsps

Method:

Soak the tamarind in hot water. Alternatively, you can use tamarind paste.

Cut the brinjals into chunks. Soak the pieces in water with some turmeric and salt.

Wash the toor daal and add 1 ½ cups of water to it. Cook it in a pressure cooker. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, udad dal, fenugreek seeds and red chilly. When the mustard seeds start to splutter and the udad dal becomes light pink. Add in the brinjal pieces and curry leaves and fry for a minute.

Now add the salt, sambhar powder, Asafetida and fry for a minute.

Add the tamarind juice, and allow the brinjal to cook.

Brinjal is very fast to cook. Once cooked, add in the cooked toor dal, mix well.

Now add 1½ cups of water to this. Let it boil together for 10 minutes.

Now in a pan add in the ½ cup grated coconut and roast until it is pink in color. The lovely aroma of the coconut emanates and fills the whole kitchen. Add this to the Sambhar and let it boil for another 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with hot rice topped with a dollop of ghee, and vegetables of your choice or papads.

DRIVE TO CAMERON HIGHLANDS

DRIVE TO CAMERON HIGHLANDS

We couldn’t take the hot and humid weather in Singapore and wanted to go to a place which is nearby, affordable and has a cool and bracing weather.

Cameron Highlands (CH) is a popular tourist destination for people in Singapore who can go to a cooler place to de-stress for a short weekend getaway and there are many travel agencies offering packages of coach plus hotel to Cameron Highlands in Singapore. When we started enquiring for these packages which are quite attractive we realized that it wouldn’t be suitable for us simply because it takes around 9 hours of travel time and also because these buses don’t come with a toilet facility inside the bus. We, then, started enquiring for buses with toilet facilities and learned that only Grassland tour operators have a bus with toilet facilities but this bus operates only from Singapore to KL and they don’t go up to Cameron Highlands.

Hubby dear told me let’s choose another destination. Let’s go to Genting highlands again.

I told him firmly that Cameron Highlands it is or nothing.

Traveling with 2 young children who may be restless on such a long journey of about 9 hours and may need to use the toilet “often” not exactly with the intention of using one but for the sheer pleasure of stopping and the thrill of getting down and back into the bus would become irritating for the driver and the other fellow passengers. This kind of deterred us from thinking of taking a bus which is the cheapest and most ideal way of traveling to CH.

While we were pondering on this, hubby dear half heartedly offered to drive down to CH. This was a very adventurous move considering the high speed driving on express ways in Malaysia, the heavy vehicles traveling to and fro, the sheer distance of 612kms and also because of the route and the many sordid tales that run around in Singapore, where people keep warning,”its dangerous”, “drive during the day and not after sun set” and added to all this is the responsibility of 2 kids who are going to be a distraction for any driver. My hubby-my knight in shining armor, decide to brave it all for the pleasure of the majority “me and the girls”.

TIPS if you are planning to drive

Use a GPS if you have, its really handy.

If you have your own transportation and especially if you are a first timer to travel to Cameron Highlands please be extra careful & use low gear when you're driving.

If you are driving a manual car, go easy on the clutch and make use of engine brakes, once u reach the bottom of cameron highlands, it will be about 2 hours drive up to the top. (it’s not like Genting).

Try to drive your car within your skill limitation, always in low gear because that will help you to negotiate corners better.

I strongly recommend you take the Simpang Pulai way. Although its further by about 50 km, the time taken is about the same. This is because the road is much wider and view is good, also less sharp bends and blind spots. It’s just as scenic as the old road. You can stop at the beautiful natural waterfall on the way.

But do expect heavy rain so remember to check your tires. Not too sure about landslides, as fortunately I did not encounter any on my way up to CH.

There are many trucks and buses on the roads along the ways. Be extra alert and cautious if you are going to Cameron Highlands from Tapah. There are certain sections where you can over take slower or heavy vehicles but I still don’t recommend overtaking.

Normally the local trucks and buses will give you signal to overtake when it is safe enough.

Avoid traveling alone at night if you are not an expert in driving especially for first timer. And please take note that there are no street lights all along the way and it might be a long drive and there is very limited mobile phone coverage.

If you are going down the mountain in the night (which is not recommended) due to lack of street lights, kindly use the high beam especially for the sharp turns and bends. Drive very slowly.

The new roads are better with road reflectors.

Do have a co-driver to talk to you throughout the trip so that you don’t feel sleepy.

Take care and have a safe trip.

Drive from Singapore to Cameron Highlands

Distance – 612 kms from Singapore and

Approximate time taken – 7 hours 30 minutes.

 We decided to start early and left home on the West of Singapore at about 7.00 am which was considered quite late. We took the Tuas Second Link and smartly managed to avoid the traffic congestion that we usually meet at the Johore-Singapore Causeway link. Since the immigration is not too crowded, we breezed through it and were into Malaysia.

Petrol Stations

Before you start your journey to Cameron Highlands please make sure you have more than half tank of fuel. Because petrol stations in Cameron Highlands are only available in the following towns :

1. Ringlet (First town from Tapah) - Shell & Petronas

2. Brinchang (Middle of Cameron Highlands) - Shell & Petronas

Route to Cameron Highlands

We were using the GPS(Global Positioning System) which helped us a lot and I had also done some research on google on the ideal route to take to CH.

"Give yourself about 8 hours from second link.

We had a few stops in between Machap, Pagoh, Seremban, and another stop at Tapah. You head all the way to the north using Ipoh as your destination.

Old Route: - You can exit at Tapah Toll to go up to Cameron Highland reaching 1st town Ringlets, Tanah Rata and then Brinchang.

New Route (Highly Recommended):-

Alternatively, you can go further up north from Tapah on the same highway for another 50plus km and exit at the Simpang Pulai Toll. After toll payment u come to a junction turn right, keep right and turn right again at another junction. This road will lead u all the way to Cameron Highland. There are signs that show u to turn to Kampong Raja, Brinchang etc.

Then u will reach Brinchang, further down is Tanah Rata and Ringlets and of course eventually down to Tapah. I suppose most people will be staying at Brinchang or Tanah Rata. In short u will be going up from the other side of Cameron Highlands.

Road signs are clearly marked so there is no fear of getting lost on the new road. It takes about one and a half hours to reach Simpang Pulai from Tapah by car.

This is definitely a better proposition than the Tapah route because of the long three hours drive up the mountains.

Going up Cameron Highlands from Simpang Pulai also means one reaches Brinchang first (about a 20 minute drive).

Compare 3 hours and 20 minutes and decide which is better.

Earlier motorists taking the North-South Malaysian Highway used to turn off at Tapah to head up the long and winding road to the hilltop of Cameron Highlands, this route is the old route, (this is mountainous and quite heady)

Brinchang is the highest accessible point by road in Cameron Highlands. If one travels from Tapah, he hits the town of Ringlet (the lowest point of the highlands) first. Mid-way between Ringlet and Brinchang is the town of Tanah Rata where the bulk of activities are, such as a golf course, eateries, restaurants, rest houses and hotels.

We took the Simpang Pulai route and found the roads wider and it’s safer to drive as well.

Landslides are not common as a lot of excavation works are being conducted, that accompanied with the rains cause soil erosion. I also read that the preparation of broad platform terraces, cut out of the natural slope, is a major source of soil erosion

Landslides do occur in the highlands and this gets worse during the wet and rainy season at year end. The barren patches among the natural forests do look ugly and it’s a call to man to take care of our mother nature or else face nature’s wrath.

Finally we reached Cameron Highlands, We left Singapore at 7:00 am  and we reached the Equatorial Hotel located at Brinchang at 6:00 pm. We had taken a lot of breaks and went slow.

THE BEAUTIFUL EQUATORIAL RESORT

Nothing could be more welcome than the beautiful grand entrance of the Equatorial Resort. Finally we would be off the road and in a room resting ourselves.

The Equatorial Hotel is perched at 1628 meters (5,300 ft) above sea level, surrounded by majestic mountains and gentle undulating valleys. It is the only resort situated at the highest accessible point of the highlands. 

The hotel is excellent. Location wise, it is ideal. Between walking distances to most attractions like the Butterfly Farm, Strawberry farm, Honey bee farm, etc.

141 attractive, self-contained low rise apartment suites and 268 superior rooms, deluxe rooms and suites in the hotel tower

Spread over 13 acres, the Tudor styled resort offers 269 rooms in its tower block and 145 low rise apartments comprising 1, 2 or 3 bedroom units that offer breathtaking views of the highland landscapes.

It has all the necessary amenities for a comfortable stay including IDD telephone, CTV, mini-fridge, tea and coffee making facilities.

The staffs are very friendly, but since we went during the school holiday’s, which is a peak season for them, we had to patiently wait in the queue to check in. The huge lobby area with a high ceiling and a beautiful chandelier, waiting area with generous and comfortable seating, a beautiful stone fireplace with a lot of seating around.

And an indoor play area with special attention to the needs of children what more could I have to ask for?

There is the Golden Phoenix Chinese Restaurant, Coffee Shop with verandah dining, Cricket Bistro and Cricket Lounge for dining and drinks, as well as the Singalot Karaoke Lounge to croon the night away.

The hotel has an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis courts, squash courts.

For conference facilities, there is a multi-purpose hall, the Cameron Ballroom and 8 function rooms.

We had booked a one bedroom Suite as we didn’t want to feel claustrophobic with the four of us in a small hotel room with a King size bed and no space to move. We had chosen the room with a valley view and when the bell boy brought us to our room, I was in for a pleasant surprise a the room was big enough with a huge living room, a generous kitchen, a bedroom, 2 bathrooms and a huge balcony overlooking the valley dipping down. 

The view was absolutely breath taking.

We had a coffee table and chairs in the balcony to sit down, sip our coffe/tea and watch this breath taking view. We could see almost the entire town from our ground floor balcony.

We had a parking space for our car just outside the room.

We settled ourselves and then after refreshing ourselves went out to explore for options for a hot meal.

It is very convenient to visit the market besides the hotel, it is about 5 minutes walking distance

History of Cameron Highlands

Cameron Highlands is located in the Pahang state of Malaysia.  It is 1500 (5000 feet) meters above sea level. We went in March when it has rains but the weather is quite cool. Day-time temperature’s in Cameron Highlands is at an average around 24 degrees Celsius. If it rains, it can get cooler than this. In the night it can go up to 16-17 degrees Celsius and if it rains even up to 12 degrees Celsius.

The Cameron Highlands got its name from William Cameron, a British surveyor who was commissioned by the then colonial government to map out the area in 1885.

In a statement concerning his mapping expedition, Cameron mentioned he saw “a vortex in the mountains, while for a (reasonably) wide area we have gentle slopes and plateau land.”

When approached, the late Sir Hugh Low, the Resident of Perak, expressed the wish of developing the flat terrain as a “sanatorium, health resort and open farmland”. A narrow path to “Cameron’s Land” was then carved through the dense jungle. Nothing much happened after that.

Forty years later, Sir George Maxwell visited the locale and decided to transform the place into a hill station. A development committee was formed in 1925. Later, a road was constructed from Tapah to the highlands.

The building of the road was a challenge. The crew not only had to deal with the weather; they also had to live with the risk of being down with malaria.

When the road was completed in 1931, the British and the locals moved in to settle on the slopes of the mountain. They were soon followed by tea planters and vegetable growers who found the fertile soil and cool climate to be especially suitable for the growing of their crops.

By the mid-1930s, there was a remarkable change in the territory: it now had a nine-hole golf course, several cottages, three inns, a police post, two boarding schools, a dairy, nurseries, vegetable farms, tea estates, a Government Rest House and an Experimental Agricultural Station.

The district continued to grow until the outbreak of the Second World War. During the Japanese Occupation (1942–1945), there was hardly any development in the area. When the Japanese withdrew in August 1945, the place underwent a transformation.

Today, the haven is not only the biggest and best known of Malaysia’s hill stations; it is also the highest point in Malaysia which is accessible by car.

Weather in Cameron Highlands

The weather in Cameron Highlands is cool throughout the year.

The temperature there ranges from 14 degree Celsius to 28 degree Celsius. Rain is common all the year round even though the monsoon season is between November and February. However, the dry season is between February and April. If you really plan to enjoy the coldness in Cameron Highlands, you may make your way there between December and February. By the time, the temperature there can drop to 10 degree Celsius at certain places. The local guide told us that the weather is not as cold as it used to be.

Clothing to wear

You can make do with shorts and t-shirt during the day. The temperature can drop in the late evenings or when it rains and a light jacket would come in handy during times like this. Generally it can get very cold at night especially during the rainy season.

If you are planning to spend most of your day in the outdoors, do carry an umbrella with you because it rains a lot here. For the ladies please wear proper footwear as for some attractions you have to go down the hill and it’s slippery and wet.

Sightseeing

I'd suggest you go by car, because you have a lot more flexibility on what time you want to reach there & leave, compared to adhering to rigid coach schedules.

It’s also better to go on weekdays, because it’s less crowded & you're less likely to be intimidated by the sheer swell of the weekend crowd.

Best time to visit Cameron Highlands is during the off peak season. Cameron Highlands is normally very crowded during the school holidays, weekends and festive holidays. You might be caught in traffic jam around the towns and the tourist spots during the peak season. Besides that, it is also advisable to visit at Cameron Highlands on weekend nights, so that you can visit the famous night market at Brinchang.

We had been to the

Raju Hill Strawberry Farm

The staffs are extremely friendly, very eager to assist you. They offered us 2 boxes full of strawberry to eat on the way when they knew we are driving back to Singapore. Their sugar-free strawberry jam is worth buying.

Cactus Valley & Butterfly farm

I liked the wonderful collection of cactus they have, You can even buy some planted neatly in small pots.

The butterfly farm was like a mini zoo, with some farm animals, butterflies of course and a huge collection of reptiles and some farm animals.

Rose Valley

Rose valley was quite disappointing. I expected to see a valley full of roses, but seemed just like a collection of roses in a nursery.

Bee farm (Apiary)

This beautiful sanctuary for the bees, where they freely fly from one flower to another, collecting nectar. The farm has a surprisingly large number of beautiful floral varieties, rows and rows of wooden boxes of bee hives with honeycombs inside, and many gigantic replicas of honey bees in vibrant colours found in the midst of the tress, bushes, and flowers. The kids enjoyed it thoroughly.

We even got the pleasure of watching the beekeeper climb up the tree to remove honey from the hive.

This farm is not handicap friendly or for the dependant elderly. You have to climb up and down stairs. But it’s worth a dekko.

Mushroom Farm

I loved the mushroom farm, The mushrooms were cultivated in bottles and there were so many colors of mushrooms that I didn’t know existed.

Tea Plantation

This is one of the main attraction that's got to be in your "must see" list. 

You can visit the factories to learn about the tea making process. 

The Indian guide at the Boh Tea plantaion was extremely friendly and knew many languages. He made the whole sight seeing cum educational trip a pleasurable experience. 

You can also sit down and enjoy a cup of tea at the cafe. 

The view overlooking the plantations is beautiful and perfect for the picture album. 

There are a few tea plantations. We visited the  Boh Tea Plantation as pat of our sight seeing trip. 

There’s also the Sungai Palas Tea Plantation & Cameron Valley Tea Plantation.

But, what impressed us the most is The Bharat Tea Plantation. Please do visit this Tea plantation.

The walk in the tea plantation was very convenient and we had the best snapshots there standing nestled among the tea leaves. 

The Bharat Plantations café is very popular. Its called Anytime is Tea time Cafe.The cafe has a wide variety of tea and snacks. 

I highly recommend the Masala Chai and cardamom Tea. They are wonderful.  

I also highly recommend the Ginger Oat Crunch...please do try this!!!.

You can enjoy the beautiful view and have tea at the café with some snacks.

Shopping

There isn’t much shopping available in CH. But the Pasaraya Jimat is quite impressive and carries almost everything.

There are a lot of shops selling souvenirs. They sell many strawberry related souvenirs.

Brinchang Night Market

Also known as the 'Pasar Malam' or Night market in Malay. This night market only operates on the weekends (Friday and Saturday nights) but during the school holidays, it operates every night starting from 6:00 pm until 11:00 pm. Its a huge market situated opposite Brinchang Police Station by the road side.

The Night Market has stalls selling everything such as cooked food, Vegetables, fruits, beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers, fruits, potted plants of different varieties, Clothes and Souvenirs. 

They also have some very talented local artists who can make cartoon caricatures of you or artistically make a beautiful wooden nameplate for your door or a personalized name plate, keychain etc. or you can have your name engraved in Metal/ wood etc.

Capsicums, Zuchinis, Carrots, Brochollis, Potatos, Beans look very attractive - most sellers offer three packet for RM5!

We could find strawberries galore at the night market.

 They were selling cactus at RM10 for 7 pots

Besides these we saw a beautiful Indian temple on our way from Brinchang to Tanah Rata. I loved the location, the beautiful architecture.

Opposite to the temple was the Satya Sai baba centre.

  

FOOD- PLACES TO EAT

There are many types of cuisine that can be found in Cameron highland. It ranges from local to Western to Southern Indian to Chinese and many more. At night (especially during weekends & holidays) restaurants are packed since there's very little to do after the sun goes down.

You can get everything from Western, Chinese, Indian and Malay food to Thai and Japanese food here. Most restaurants are located in Tanah Rata and Brinchang.

Indian restaurants abound in CH and they can cook vegetarian food/ snacks for you.

Street nibbles

First the street food or street nibbles as I call as you can buy these and nibble on the way while sightseeing or shopping.

My husband absolutely loved the steamed purple skin sweet potatoes. You can see many people selling this on the street. They are served hot in small plastic bags. It’s a delight to bite into the warm creamy soft, somewhat sweet delight while walking leisurely in the cool weather.

We loved the roasted sweet corns as well.

Strawberry dipped in chocolate. This is a local favorite too I suppose and they call it Strawberry Coklat. You can find these everywhere 1 stick = RM 2 & 3 sticks = RM 5.

First Brinchang, as we stayed at Brinchang.

BRINCHANG

FU GUANG VEGETARIAN FAST FOOD RESTAURANT   (Highly Recommended)

No.5 Jalan Pasar, Bandar Baru Brinchang (39100)

Landmark : This hotel is located at the back side of the Green Garden Hotel. A friendly CH local was kind enough to show us the way.

The prices are extremely affordable.

Chinese Herbal Tea for RM1.00 (recommended)

3 dishes + rice = RM 3.50 (recommended)

Bee Hoon (Fried noodles) (Highly recommended)

They got a few starters too…

The business hours are between 8.30am to 3.30pm only.

The lady who owns the place is very friendly. She said only recently they hiked the price by 0.50 cents as everything is getting expensive and difficult to manage. A while ago the Rice Set with 3 dishes used to cost only RM3.00, Now, it costs RM3.50.

You can tell that the place is very popular among the locals.

The vegetables are home grown, so they are fresh and crispy. The portions are quite decent. She gives fairly big portions of vegetables. They don’t cook a lot and keep. I noticed that as and when a vegetable finishes they immediately make a fresh one to replenish the dish. So the food is fresh, tasty, crunchy and hot.

I asked her why she doesn’t keep the shop open until night. She was telling me that everything gets sold out and they go home to rest to prepare for the next day.

Ee Feng Gu Farm and Trading  

75, Batu 43, Green Cow, Kea Farm Brinchang, Pahang (39100)

605-4961951, 4962755

Vegan, Chinese

Hotel Sentosa

The Hotel Sentosa is very strategically located in the midst of the Night market just besides Pasaraya Jimat.  They have a few Indian vegetarian dishes and the chef is from India and understands about vegetarian food. He is more than willing to rustle up vegetarian food/ snacks for you.

Strawberry Moment Dessert café

23-24, Jalan Angsana Satu,

Brinchang Point, 39100, Cameron Highlands, Pahang.

Tel: 605 491 2061

Website: www.strawberrymoment.com

I absolutely loved this place. They have a wide variety of strawberry dishes.

The chef’s recommendations are the strawberry salad, the strawberry strudel, ice baby, mango fever. They also have a selection of cakes, crepes, fresh fruit juices and ice creams. 

TANAH RATA

Tanah Rata is more happening as far as the food scene is concerned. Less than ten minutes drive down from Brinchang,

Restaurant Kumar

26, Main Road, Tanah Rata, 39000 Cameron Highlands, Pahang

Tel/Fax: 05-4912624

Restaurant Sri Brinchang

25, Main Road, Tanah Rata, 39000 Cameron Highlands.

Tel: 05-4915982

You can find dosas (Rice lentil crepes), Idlis(rice lentil steamed cakes), vegetarian set meals etc in both these restaurants.

Restaurant Bunga Suria

Saw this restaurant Suria’s Cameron Tandoori Special. I didn’t try it, but saw a few Europeans inside. I guess it’s popular with the European tourists.

Starbucks Coffee

If you want a piece of the city, you can always visit Starbucks for Brewed coffee, espresso-based hot drinks, other hot and cold drinks and snacks.

Unit 22 & 23, Ground Floor and 1st Floor,

Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands,

39000 Pahang Darul Makmur

Tel: 605-491 5648

T-Cafe or The Lord's Cafe

Cameron tea, Cream scones, apple pie and banana pancake

Mango Lassi is one of the recommended drinks

Address: 1st Floor, 4 Jalan Besar

Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang

Tel : 019-5722883

http://t-cafe.biz/

Breakfast at the Equatorial Resort

The rising sun over the hills is a spectacular sight in the mornings. 

We had to pay separately for the buffet breakfast, but it was worth it as they had a huge spread, a mix of  western and asian with local delicacies and the lovely tropical fruits. The chef was kind enough to specially rustle up vegetarian food for us.

After having the sumptuous breakfast, we started off to come back home to Singapore.

Conclusion

In short we had a refreshing trip, we enjoyed and so did the kids.

With all the developments taking place, roads being made wider through the mountains, excavations taking place, de-forestation, the place is getting commercialized. The guide was telling us that Cameroon is now buzzing with activity, the weather is less cool compared to what it was before. One of the local residents of CH who helped us to search for a vegetarian restaurant told us that the peace and quiet is affected greatly by the tourists.

Mankind’s greed to get the most out of everything has made us contemptuously neglect the environment.

Where does man want to go when he is stressed from the pressures of life from a so called developed country, he wants to go back to nature and find peace there.

Let us preserve our nature and naturally beautiful places like Cameron Highlands for ourselves and our future generations.