Panagam, a traditional drink from Tamil Nadu

1. Grate the jaggery and dissolve it in the said amount of water and place it on the stove over lowest flame.
2. Slowly add the Dry Ginger powder which is called Sonth in hindi and Chukku in Tamil to it.
3. Then add the Cardamom powder , black pepper (just a dash or pinch and not more). Then add the salt and limejuice.
4. Stir well and remove from flame. Please donmt let it come to boil. Just heat it a bit since many cant digest the raw taste of jaggery.
5. Allow it cool and serve. If needed store in Refrigerator for a hour and serve chilled.
6. Panagam is ready. Its delicious drink.

 Sabzi is a integral part of Indian cuisine. Be it anywhere , from Kashmiri in north to Tamil Nadu in south and from Gujrat in west to Assam in East, sabzi ( side dish) is basic need for indian irrespective poor and the rich people. I have usually come acorss womens for whom its a big task to decide the side dish rather than deciding the main course. Ofcourse, this tiny side dish provides ample of taste and nutrients required for the human body to keep going. So it needs to be decided with great care keeping in mind all the factors ranging from vegetables, the spices to be used, the nutrients and the likes and tastes of the family members.








 Potatoes - 4 large potatoes ( chopped in cubes)
Cauliflower - 1 small cauliflower ( cut them into medium pieces as potatoes)
Turmeric powder - 1/ 4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Garam Masala Powder - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 5-6 nos
Onions - 1 tablespoon ( chopped finely ) (optional)
Salt - as per taste
Coriander leaves - 1 teaspoon (finely chopped)
Oil - 2 tablespoon.

1. Hear oil in a pan. Then add the asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow the seeds to crackle. Add the cumin seeds and saute for a minute. 
2. Chopped onions can be added now as option though it is not that necessary. It would add little essence to the seasoning and the good flavoured thadka. Add the chopped onions ( about 1 tablespoon) and saute them till brown. 
3. Add the chopped potatoes and cauliflower and saute for a minute. Add salt as per taste and saute them continuously for 2-3 minutes.
4. Salt looses up the vegetables and it leaves some moisture which thereby giving some water which are the own juices of the vegetables. Cooking up the vegetables in its own juice not only gives nutrition by taste too excellent which is basically the techniques used in Maharashtrian foods. Give this method of cooking a try and i bet you would love it. A good non - stick pan can be used if you are not sure about trying this method. I prefer cooking them in Aluminum kadai though.
5. Add some water to the vegetables enough to cover them. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the vegetable in low flame for 10 minutes. Cooking on low flames gives the vegetable to get cooked well.
6. Open the lid ,  and check if the vegetables are cooked. If its cooked or nearly cooked then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder and saute them well till the masala is nicely absorbed . If you find some water content left then don't worry and saute the sabzi. You can also add little water if needed if you don't prefer the sabzi as dry. I prefer it with little moisture as it tastes good that way.
7. Again cover the lid and cook further for 3-4 minutes in low flame.
8. Remove from flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice. 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes.
Cooking Time: 20 minutes.
Serves : 4 persons.
Shelflife : Best fresh.
Serving Suggestion : Serve hot with roti, chapatis or steam rice and dal.

•  Use fresh Cauliflower for this recipe.
• Instead of chopping the coriander leaves with knife , use your hand to cut them and garnish it. Coriander leaves good aroma when cut using fingers.
• You can sprinkle little water at the end to get a moisture in the sabzi.
• This goes well with both Indian bread and also rice.

Click here to learn and know more about Maharashtrian foods and cuisines- An Introduction To Maharashtrian Cuisine.