Nimbya Solla Nonche ~Lime Peel Pickle & the Giveaway Winner

There is something special about homemade pickles.As I have shared before,we are not pickle fans.Yes,we do turn to our bottle of pickle when we have kanji or sometimes with dosa when there is no chutney or sometimes even idli.The bottom rack of my fridge is loaded with pickles,spoiling us for choices.So why did I make a fresh batch??

 
After a long time,I made some Lime sherbet.Every time I make it,I think of some ways to utilize the peels.I still have a dried Lime peel pickle made about 2 years back almost half a bottle full.So thought of doing a similar pickle like this and ended up with this delicious and tangy lime peel pickle.It has a very slight bitter aftertaste,probably because I used only the peels after squeezing out all the juice.You can try it like this or just quartered lime(without juicing).
 
Lime Peel Pickle
Ingredients


Lime peels,quartered - about 30-35 limes
Ginger - 1' piece,chopped fine


For the pickle masala


Red chillies - 100gms,a mix of Byadgi chillies and regular red chillies
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida - 1tbsp
Salt - 1/4 cup(do a taste test before adding more salt)
Water - enough to grind the masala


Method


If you are using fresh lime for this pickle,quarter the limes and put in a big mixing bowl.Or else,after juicing the limes,follow the same procedure.Mix in the chopped ginger.


For making the masala-In a mixer,add the red chillies and pulse for a while till they become powdery.
Add the mustard,salt and hing and add enough water to grind.Pulse till it becomes a smooth paste[it should not be grainy].

Mix this masala with the lime-ginger in the mixing bowl and give a good mix.

Add in more water if the pickle is too dry.I usually add some water to the mixer and add it.But do not add much water as the lime will start oozing water as it sits.
Do a taste test and check if it requires more salt or hing.
Keep it covered overnight or at least for 5-6 hours for the flavors to seep in.
Pour into sterilized jars and keep refrigerated for longer shelf life.


Now for the Giveaway winner.First of all,let me thank you for the overwhelming response.So many silent readers commented and said such nice things about the blog.Thank you,I am touched.I wish I could choose every one of you as winners!!But worry not,seeing the response,I am tempted to host more giveaways of such kind.All in good time.


The winner is Anna(chosen through the random tool).Congrats Anna,the Pigeon Handi is all yours:).Please send me your complete address with phone number to divyakudua@gmail.com.

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Onam Sadya @ Ente Keralam-Restaurant Review

Another Onam passed by.One of the most important thing we miss during Onam here is the Ona sadya.The variety of curries and savories and pickles,ah thinking about it itself is making my mouth water,and not to forget the payasams,most of the sadyas serve 4 of them!!I try and make Sadya every year with at least 1 payasam to get the Onam feel.This year though,we decided to relax and have it at Ente Keralam.

On Thiruvonam day,,along with a couple of my friends,we decided to recreate Onam festivity in Chennai,at least the Pookkalam/Flower bed part.Since almost all of us were novices,the outcome was nothing much to write home about,but we are quite proud of our effort:)

For lunch,we decided to head to Ente Keralam,one of the popular Kerala joints in the city.Dressed in ethnic Kerala attires,we were in for a shock when we stepped into the vicinity.There were hundreds of people waiting outside and all waiting for their turns.We almost decided to head back home,but what's a simple wait compared to a grand Onam sadya?

We got a table after almost a hour and a half wait.But credit has to be given to the manager who kept his cool and was very friendly,despite people breathing down his neck for their turns,including yours truly.

The sadya arrived almost five minutes later(which on regular days takes about 10-15 minutes),probably to serve more people.To be very honest,I was disappointed with the first impression.On normal days,the sadya is plated so beautifully,almost like a food pookkalam in itself.The pickles,curries and everything else causing a colour riot which soothes the eyes.As they say,you eat with your eyes first and then taste it.But here,it looked like it was done in a hurry-burry(which in reality could be the reason for the haphazard appearance).

A taste of everything and we were willing to let go the appearance and dived straight to the plate.We were quite hungry too so that could also be a reason.

As you can see from the pic above,the sadya was replete with all the regular Onam fare.My favorites were the madhura curry,koottu curry and the avial.Hungry or not,the meal overall was a delicious one.We glanced through the tables nearby and all of them were enjoying the sadya amidst serious talks about the rush waiting outside.Nobody wanted to finish their sadya in a hurry:)

Halfway through the sadya,we noticed that some of the regular sadya dishes were missing here.Like Olan,which is a main dish in sadya,instead of that there was a bowl of cut kumbalanga soaked in coconut oil which was something new to us.Also missing were Erissery,Rasam and Kichadi.But no complaints,the taste of whatever was served made up for it.

It was time for Payasam,the most awaited in any sadya.In fact,we restricted ourselves from having seconds because we wanted to have enough space left for the king of payasams and they didn't disappoint here.There were 4 payasams served.

We had a taste of each and were in a dilemma which one to finish first.Kept the paalada aside as we wanted to save the best for last:).Though we were not very happy regarding the quantity of paalada served,in reality,after the grand sadya,there's only so much payasam you can eat!!But we asked the server for a second helping and he obliged happily:)

The sadya is overseen by Thirumeni Unnikrishnan Namboodiri.One plate is priced at Rs.475+taxes.

On normal days,you can have regular Kerala Sadya,which is very similar to this.Make sure you reach there early for lunch as meals like these are best enjoyed when eaten in leisure.

Ente Keralam is situated at Kasturi Ranga Avenue 1st Street, Poes Garden and 5th Avenue, Shanthi Colony, Anna Nagar

Disclaimer-This is not a paid review.I liked the restaurant and thought of sharing my experience with my readers.

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Pigeon Hard-Anodized Handi Giveaway

I haven't cooked up anything new.I am in no mood to click pictures,upload and later edit them all.Moreover,writing up a new post seems like such a big task to me right now.But I cannot disappoint all my lovely readers who keep visiting this space and motivate me.So here's a small token of love.

I am giving away one(1) Pigeon hard-Anodized Handi to a lucky reader(shipping only within India).

Product Details-
Pigeon Non-Stick Hard-Anodised Handi 150mm

• 4mmThick Body with Thermocore Base
• Triple Layer Scratch-Resistant GREBLON Non-Stick Coating from GERMANY.
• Metal Spoon Friendly
• Strong & Sturdy Handle.
• ISI Certified.
• Useful to make Dry Vegetables, Gravy Curries, Upma, Sambar, Dal etc.,
• Spiral Bottom for even heating, Cooks Faster.
• Heavy Weight Aluminium to be sturdy on the Gas top.
• PFOA FREE for healthy Cooking (Chemical Free)
• 1 Year Manufacturer's Warranty

All you have to do is comment on this post.You can also share a word or two about your favorite cookware.I will be choosing the winner on September 14,8.00AM(IST).So start commenting--Good luck!! Giveaway Closed.




Disclaimer - This is NOT a paid advertisement.Giveaway is sponsored by me.

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