Warm October and Milagai Saatham (Green Chilli Rice)

Warm and Sunny October Sunday
What is one to do when the day dawns bright sunny and warm, feels like it is almost a crime to stay indoors. We don't have to travel much to get into the woods, walk a few houses down the road , and stop near DDs friends' house who usually joins us, cut across their backyard and few yards down is the trail. We hike on the trail which literally runs in our backyard, kids like to put their feet in the creek which has just a trickle of water compared to a couple of years ago when it was overflowing the banks. This is a return trip because the kids wanted to look at the mushroom ( fungus?) growing on a tree spotted during our last visit, so camera in hand we went on the search.

sun peeking through the trees


the creek



the mushroom

Milagai Saatham - Green Chili Rice
Milagai Saatham is one recipe I had wanted to try ever since I saw a few chilies on the chili plant. I remember my mom's aunt bringing this dish during Margali maatham (December) but nothing about the taste or anything else for that matter. The last time I got a good bit of chilies from the plants resorted to making Milagai Puli because I had not succeeded in procuring a recipe for the saatham. Again this week I got a good bit of chilies and was determined to find the recipes no matter. How do I find the recipe? dispatch my mother ofcourse, well she searched high and low but finally found it pretty close to home, my ammayee-her mom gave her the recipe. I had also recruited my brother, who lives close to my mom's aunt's (why all this struggle, I call her grandma too) grand daughter lives. I might get her version of the recipe pretty soon and have enough chilies left for that trial too.

I am not exactly sure in the heat scale where my chilies stand, they are on the hot mild side, not on the lip burning side. The number of chilies have to be adjusted according to the heat of the chilies. The recipe itself is pretty simple and easy. But amazing taste wise and the smell of fresh green chilies has to be experienced. I thought the heat would make it impossible to eat more than a spoon or two but it was not the tongue burning just flavorful and delicious. Method2 was the recipe from my ammayee, I modified it a little bit to suit my tastebuds better.

Ingredients
1. 10 -12 Green Chilies
2. handful of coriander leaves
3. a small lime sized ball of tamarind, soak in a little bit of water and extract the pulp
4. salt
5. 1 1/4 tbsp sesame oil
6. 1 1/2 Cups cooked rice
7. seasonings: mustard, cumin, urad dal and curry leaves.


Method
1. Grind the chilies, coriander leaves and half the tamarind pulp
2. In a pan heat the oil and add the seasonings, when the urad dal turns brown,
3. add the ground paste and let it simmer, after about 2-3 minutes
4. add the remaining tamarind pulp
5. Let it simmer till the water used for grinding has all evaporated.

Method 2
In this method there is no cooking or seasoning involved, blend the ingredients without any water and mix with the sesame oil and serve.



Mix with the cooked rice and serve.