Idea #26: Uppu, Tuppa, Anna (Salt, Ghee and Rice)

It seems this was MGR’s favourite dish. If that is really true then he must have been a man of simple but great taste for food.

Uppu, Tuppa, Anna translates to Salt, Ghee and Rice and quite literally these are the only 3 ingredients in this dish (apart from the potato chips which is optional, but in MGR’s version chips was a key ingredient)

Here’s how you prepare this humble dish.

1. Take hot steaming rice

2. Add generous amounts of ghee (couple of table spoons for a plate of rice)

3. Add little salt to taste

4. Crush a handful of fresh store bought potato chips (take the spicy version from any of the hot chips store….not packed ones like ‘lays’ etc) and mix it with the rice

5. Eat when its hot and fresh

And there you have it. One of the simplest and tastiest rice dishes, one that was loved by the most famous Tamil hero.

Idea #25: Baby Potato Fry- South Indian Style

This is one of my favourite accompaniments with steaming hot rice or freshly made chapattis. The recipe is simple but the taste is exquisite and lasting.

What you will need...

Baby Potatoes, Oil, Mustard Seeds, Split Urad Dal, Red Chilly Powder, Roasted Channa Dal Powder and Salt.

Method

• Boil or pressure cook whole baby potatoes till it is cooked completely (it should retain shape and not become soggy)

• Heat oil for tempering, add mustard and split urad dal

• When the mustard starts to splutter add the baby potatoes and fry them till it gets a crispy brown texture on the outside

• Sprinkle generous quantities of red chilli powder, a small amount of the roasted channa dal powder and salt to taste and fry for another couple of minutes

• Eat it when it’s hot and fresh of the stove with hot rice and ghee

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy…I made this yesterday and the fact that I am still having it on my mind and blogging about it should tell you something about how tasty this dish is!!

Idea #23: Cooking with the Wife- Tips from an Amateur Cook

1. When your wife is cooking, don’t interfere

2. When your wife gives a cooking suggestion, don’t ignore it. They have an uncanny sense of what’s going wrong (and I am not sarcastic here)

3. If your wife messes up a dish, don’t tell her the truth. Being truthful is not a virtue here

4. Over time you will begin to like what your wife cooks, just be patient for the first few years!!

5. Help (not interfere) your wife in the kitchen, it’s the best kept secret of a happy marriage!

Idea #21: American Corn Sandwich

I am a bit of an amateur cook. Of course my friends laugh at it because I am a vegetarian, have never eaten meat and have never tasted alcohol. They wondered how anyone can claim to know anything about cooking without eating chicken or drinking beer. I remember one incident when I told my friends that I had cooked superb vegetable biryani. Their uncontrollable laughter did not make sense to me till the time they mockingly said, “Vegetarian Biryani? What’s that?”

I was fittingly shown my place and have not ventured to discuss my cooking skills ever since! But anyways I AM an amateur cook and can dish up decent, largely Indian or Indianised, vegetarian food. I like to experiment and create my own dishes and often dream about creating a brand new recipe that will acquire global fame!! (As an aside, did you know that only 6% i.e. about 400million out of 6.6 billion people are vegetarians globally and of the 400million about 300million vegetarians are in India?)

Anyways, a couple of years ago a friend and I created this “American Corn Sandwich” recipe while playing with some ingredients. It turned out to be fantastic and has become a big hit ever since with many friends, relatives and acquaintances. We have dished out dozens of these sandwiches over the last couple of years. Thought I will share the secret but simple recipe with you.

Here’ what you will need.

Sandwich Bread, Frozen or Fresh American Corn, Green Chilli, Red Chilli Powder, Salted Butter, Eggless Mayonnaise, Dried Oregano, Chopped Coriander and salt.

Method

• Boil frozen Corn for few mins till it becomes soft and fresh but not soggy
• Drain out the water
• To this corn add proportionate amounts of all other ingredients except Butter and Bread!!
• Apply butter to both sides of 2 slices of bread and then spread generous amounts of the corn and spices mix over the bread
• Grill this as a sandwich till both side become crispy and golden brown
• You will be eating one of the best ‘vegetarian sandwiches’ and may seriously consider giving up non veg food!!

I will add a photo the next time I make this sandwich. After all a picture speaks a thousand words, isn’t it? Let me know how it turns out if you happen to make it.