Paasi Paruppu Urundai (Moong Dal Sweet balls)

The practice of taking home made goodies when we go to visit folks was common until just a few years ago. Now this practice is slowly eroding, there is nothing wrong, why spend hours in front of a stove when it is just easy to go to a store and buy the same. But the fun in making them has its own allure. Sweets like this paasi paruppu urundai is not commonly found in stores, in those rare instances when it is found it is glamorized and loses its simple taste.

Made with just sugar and ghee besides the dal, it is a non sinful treat and also packs a protein punch. It can even pass off as a health food.

Green Earth
Remember the days when plastic bottles and containers with only a certain number in the recycle triangle could be set aside for recycling. Now curbside recycling in most counties accept all plastic products except plastic wraps, plastic bags and styrofoam. Also care should be taken to dispose of plastic containers that held hazardous chemicals or paints.

Plastic bags can be recycled in most grocery stores.

This is the accepted list of plastic products in our county. Check with your county website for a list of acceptable items in your area.

Ingredients
1. 2 Cups of split Moong Dal with skin on
2. 2 Cups of sugar (1 3/4 cups would have been just right)
3. 2 tbsp of broken cashews
4. 4 cardamom pods
5. Ghee from 1 1/3 stick of butter (if you want perfectly shaped rounds increase the ghee)

Method
1. In a wide mouthed pan roast the moong dal and the cardamom pods together till the dal starts turning slightly brown. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool.
2. In another pan heat a bit of ghee and roast the cashews.
3. Mix the moong dal and sugar and powder in a blender. It does not have to be too fine a powder.
4. Mix in the roasted cashews.
4. Heat the ghee and add to the dal powder and mix with a spoon.
5. Make desired sized round balls.

Pop one or two in the mouth to start the day with a protein punch ;)

Green Banana - Vazhakkai Puli Kuzhambu (in a spicy tamarind sauce)

You can't get away from it, the news that Wall Street CEOs screwed up big time and how Paulson and the administration want to give them a break in the way of a bailout. But this is the part I just don't get, if a lowly employee in any company screwed up big time they would be marched to the door and dumped unceremoniously and that would be the end of it, but Paulson and his friends are making the case that the bailout should come without any strings attached to make it attractive for company high command, in other words the golden parachutes preserved. As a tax payer I strongly protest. I would have the markets correct themselves and learn from the mistakes. Capitalism surely is not that fragile!!

Having a lot more free time, I have been paying attention to the morning shows, they are not interesting enough to hold attention for more than a few minutes though. I was surprised at the number of cooking shows or so I thought when I saw Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart on at the same time. But a few minutes into RRs realized she was trying her hand at talk show and was interviewing Dr.Phil's wife. Martha Stewart obviously had the better quality show, she stuck to what she does best - cooking. RR would do a lot better to learn from Martha, her talk show hosting was dismal at best.

My neighbor gave a few cucumbers from his garden, they are the Indian variety with the suggestion that they can be added to dal or made into chutney. I have seen them in the grocery stores but never really cooked with them. If you know of any good recipes with them please do leave a comment.

Ever since I saw this recipe on Priya's blog Sugar and Spices a year ago I have been wanting to cook it. Priya takes beautiful pictures and presents recipes so very elegantly. I miss not seeing her post these days. I have made mine thicker than hers and altered a few ingredients.

Another recipe that I followed was from Solai's True Chettinad Kitchen.
Mine is a combination of ingredients and methods from both of these recipes.

Ingredients
1. 2 Raw bananas (I had green plantains)
2. 1/2 cup chopped shallots or small onions (added shallots and 1/4 of a red onion)
3. 5-6 garlic cloves chopped, 2 red chilies split in half
4. soak a small lime sized tamarind ball in 2 cups of water
5. 2 medium sized juicy tomatoes chopped
6. 2 tsp coriander powder
7. 1/2 tbsp sambhar powder
8. 1 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
9. 1-2 tsp brown sugar (optional)
10. seasonings: 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds , 1/2 tsp urad dal, curry leaves
11. 1-2 tsp oil
12. salt to taste

Method
1. Steam cook the raw bananas, peel the skin and slice into rounds
2.In a pan heat oil, add the seasonings, when they start to turn color, add the chopped onions, garlic and the red chilies and saute till they turn slightly brown
3.Now add the sambhar, chili and coriander powders, mix
4.Add the chopped tomatoes and let them cook till they are soft.
5.Add the squeezed tamarind water and let it come to a boil
6.Now add the chopped banana and let it continue to cook till desired consistency.
7.After about 5 minutes of boiling add salt and the sugar.

Serve with rice and dal.