Vishu '09

Pongal '08

Neveidyam: Sakara pongal, Venpongal

Vinayaka Chathurthi '08

Neveidyam: Kozhakattai, Ulundu Vadai

Varalakshmi Pooja '08

Neveidyam:

Sundal, Vadai, Kozhakattai, Kesari

KrishnaJayanthi '08

Uppu Cheedai, Vella aval and Navaneetham (Butter with kalkandu and dry fruits)

Chayote Kootu (chow chow kootu)

Ingredients:
Chow Chow - 1 big, cut into cubes
Red chillies - 2
Mustard - 1 spn
Urad dal - 1 spn
Curry leaves
Oil

To grind:
Coconut - 1tbspn
Redchillies - 2

Grind them to a smooth mixture.

How to make:
1) Cut the vegetable into big cubes and cook until it becomes tender.
2) Add the ground mixture to the cooked vegetable.
3) Add turmeric and salt.
4) Temper with mustard, urad dal, redchillies.
5) Add fresh curry leaves.

Sweet Sour Raw Mango Pachadi

Ingredients:
Raw Mango - 1big size
Green chillies - 3
Jaggery - 1tbspn
Mustard - 1 spn
Urad dal - 1 spn
Redchillies - 1
Curry leaves - a bunch
Salt to taste
Turmeric a pinch
Oil

How to make:
1) Cut the mango into big cubes with or without the skin.
2) Semi cook the pieces with little water, slit green chillies and turmeric.
3) After its half done, add jaggery and salt and mix well.
4) Heat oil and splutter mustard, urad dal, red chillies.
5) Put curry leaves and mix well.

Vazhathandu moor kootu

Ingredients:

Young plantain stem - medium size

Slight sour curd - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Redchillies - 2

Mustard - 1spn

Urad dal - 1spn

Oil

To grid:

Coconut scraps - 2tbspn

Redchillies - 3

Jeera - few

Black pepper - few

Raw Rice - 1 spoon

Grind smoothly all the ingrdients and using rice gives a thick consistency to the mixture.

How to make :

1) Cut the plantain stem into pieces according to ur choice, either big or small pieces.

2) Dissolve some yogurt in water and make it very watery and add this to stem the plantain, in order that the pieces will not turn black.

3) Add turmeric and half salt and cook until the vegetable is done.

4) After it becomes soften, add the ground mixture and boil it once more.

5) After this procedure is done add the yogurt and cook covered for few minutes adding the remaining salt.

6) Temper this with mustard, urad dal and curry leaves.

Note: Do not use very sour yogurt for this and also it should not be too watery.

Saraswathi pooja '08

Neveidyam - sakara pongal, ulundu vadai

Nellikai pachadi (arachukalaki)

Ingredients:
Goose berry - 5nos. (not aranellikai)
Grated coconut - 1tbspn
Green chillies - 2nos.
Mustard seeds - 1tspn
Venthayam - 1tspn
Fresh yougurt - 1 cup
Salt to taste
oil

To Grind:
Coconut, green chillies, boiled nellikai

How to make:
1) Wash the goose beeries (nellikai) and pressure cook them until 2 whistles.
2) Remove from the cooker and then remove the seed.
3) Grind boiled goose berries with other ingredient and mix with fresh yougurt.
4) Heat oil in a pan and then splutter mustard and fry venthayam.
5) Mix all and add salt to taste.

Very good pachadi during summer days. Body coolant and rich in vitamin C.

Meal 1 (S.E Asian Style)

A simple lunch in S.E Asia is served with, a soup, a salad, any parboiled vegetable and portion of rice. I tried this lunch menu during my friend's visit with some alterations catering our style of eating. Appreciations filled my heart!!!!

Sweet corn soup

Capsicum soy toss

Carrot Salad

Jeera Rice

Potato Wedges

These lip smacking potato wedges are perfect anytime snack. Though it is high caloried, however, a best snack once a while.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - preferably lengthwise potatoes are selected than the round ones.

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Oil - deep frying

How to make:

1) Wash, peel and cut the potatoes lengthwise. Not to thin.

2) Heat oil and when oil is heated deep fry these wedges.

3) Put it in paper towel to remove excess of oil.

4) Sprinkle salt and pepper.

5) Serve with tomato ketchup or green chutney (desi style)

Alternatives:

Sweet potatoes can also used to make like these....gives a sweet taste and goes well with spicy green chutney.

Sweet corn soup...... slurp!!!!

Ingredients:

Fresh corn kernels (preferably sweet corn)

Pepper powder - 1tspn

Corn flour - 2tbspn

You can add grated vegetables like carrots,cabbage,beans of ur choice.

How to make:

1) Remove the corn form the kernels and boil.

2) Take half of the corn and pass it through a blender to form a puree.Keep the rest of the corn aside.

3) Take a pan add the crushed corn to it and add enough water to make it of pouring consistency and add the remaining corn.

4) Take corn flour in a bowl and add a little water to make a paste.

5) Add this paste to the corn mixture and stir making sure that it does not stick to the sides of the vessel.

6) When the mixture becomes opaque, add pepper powder and salt.

7) You can boil the vegetables and add to this.

Mupparuppu Vadai - 3 dal vadai!

My mother use to make this vadai during poojas and festival (vishesham)time. Though it will not come out more crunchier like masal vadai, it tastes yummy! The vadais in the posted snap may not be in appropriate shapes due to my lack of experience, so excuse me for that :)

Ingredients:
Thuvar dal (thuvaram paruppu) - 1/4 cup
Channa dal (kadalai paruppu) - 1/2 cup
Urad dal (ulundu)- 1/4 cup
Raw rice - 1tbspn
Redchillies -4
Salt - to taste
Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - a bunch

How to make:
1) Soak the dals and raw rice for 45mins and grind them. (Split the grinding process into 2 session, first grind thuvar dal and urad dal smoothly and then grind channa dal coarsely to make vadas crunchier).
2) During grinding process add salt, redchillies.
3) Take out the mixture and add hing powder and chopped curry leaves.
4) In case if the batter is very thick add little water to make it exact consistency, if its is very lose with excess of water add some rice flour.
5) Make medium sized patties and deep fry in oil.

Carrot Salad - On the go!

A simple healthy salad which i usually do almost everyday. Carrots are rich in beta carotine and vitamin d which is essential for eye sight, skin, bones etc., The preparation is very simple and no need to cook or boil. Can be taken spicy or sweety according to one's preferences.

Ingredients:

Fresh carrots- 2

Lime juice - half cup

mustard seeds - 1 tspn

Urad dal - 1 tspn

Green Chillies - 1 or 2 (according to spicy you want to be)

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tspn

How To Make:

1) Grate the carrot and do not drain the water.

2) Mix lime juice, salt and chop the chillies and mix with this.

3) Splutter mustard seeds in oil and then fry the urad dal till golden brown.

4) Mix all the ingredients well and leave it for 1 hr.

Alternatives:

This salad can be mixed with unsour yogurt and served cold.

Instead of green chillies, powdered pepper can be used.

Arachuvitta Vathal Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Tamarind - lemon size

Dry vathal- sundakai or manathakali kai

Coconut - 50gms

Dry redchillies - 5

Tomato - 1

Thuvar dal - 1 small cup

Sambar powder - 1tbspn

Mustard, Venthayam, Oil, Salt- required amnt

To grind:

Grind tomato, coconut, redchillies together smoothly.

How to make:

1) Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard and then add venthayam, 1spoon thuvar dal and add 2 redchillies.

2) After all the ingredient is sauteed well, add the dry vathal and fry well.

3) Add sambar powder and then to it add the extracted tamarind pulp.

4) Bring it to boil till tamarind loses its raw smell.

5) Add the ground mixture and thuvar dal.

6) Add salt and a pinch of hing.

7) Garnish with curry leaves.

Brinjal chops (gravy)

This side dish is for Non-veg Briyani, a traditional recipe of muslims. I had tasted this in few occasions during my friends wedding and get 'o' gethers. I got the recipe from one of my friend's mother and had tried many times which came out tasty with exact flavour. This is good with veg briyani, tomato rice and also with plain rice.

Ingredients:
Brinjal (Violet color) - 250gms
Tamarind pulp - 1 cup
Redchilli powder - 1 spoon
Onions - 1, chopped finely
Tomato - 1 big size
Venthayam - 1tspn
Jeera - 1tspn
Black pepper - 1tspn
Black Sesame - 1tspn
Roasted Groundnut - 1 tbspn
Curry leaves
Sesame oil (preferably adds taste and aroma)

To Powder:
Dry roast venthayam, Black sesame, Groundnut and powder coarsely and keep aside.

How to make:
1) In a pan add 1tbspn of sesame oil, after it gets heated, add jeera and black pepper.
2) To it add chopped onions, tomato and saute till it become soft.
3) Then add cut brinjals and saute well.
4) Pour the tamarind pulp, add chilli powder and salt.
5) Bring it to boil, during this add 3 tbspn of sesame oil.
6) Add the powdered ingredient to the boiling gravy and mix well to avoid lumps.
7) Add curry leaves and boil till the oil utilised comes seperately from the gravy.

Vendakaai Coconut Curry

Ingredients:
Vendakai (okra) - 500gms
Grated coconut - 1tbsp
Oil - 1tbspn
Mustard- 1tspn
Urad dal- 1 tspn
Redchilli - 3nos.
Salt - for taste


How to make:
1) Wash and cut the okras to 1/2 to 1 inch cm in length.
2) Put oil in a pan and splutter mustard, urad dal and red chillies
3) Then add okra to it and saute till it becomes soft.
4) Add salt and if you need it still hot, can add chillies powder while sauteing.
5) Then add the grated coconut to it and mix well.

Beans Paruppu Usili

Ingredients:
French beans - 500gms
Thuvar dal - 100gms
Redchillies - 4
Curry Leaves - a bunch
Mustard - 1tspn
Urad dal - 1tspn
Salt for Taste
Oil


How to make:

To grind:
Soak thuvar dal with red chillies for 1/2 hr. Then grind it coarsely with curry leaves. Don't grind to smooth as it would turn soggy when mixed with beans during cooking process.

To make curry:
1) Introduce oil in a pan, add mustard and after it splutters add urad dal and red chillies.
2) To this add the ground mixture and saute well in the oil, until it loses stickiness becomes dry.
3) Add a pinch of hing to the dal mixture.
4) Add halfcooked beans to the dal mixture and allow to cook well.
5) Add salt to it.


Alternatives:

Instead of sauteing the ground dal mixture directly, can also pressure cook the dal and mix with beans.

Half cook beans in a pressure cooker so that it will consume less time when cooking with dal. Use the strained water from beans to make sambar and rasam to avoid the wastage of proteins.

Fruits Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 Apples

1 Rock Melon

2 Banana

1 big piece pineapple

1 bunch of grapes

1 big cup sugar

250gms fresh cream

How to make:

1) Wash and cut all the fruits.

2) Add sugar to the cut fruits and then add fresh cream.

3) Some fresh cream can be whipped and made as topping when serving.

Athernatives:

Can add honey and nuts with powdered saffron to make it more richer.

Capsicum Soy Toss

This i learnt from a chinese friend which is highly fresh and serves a side dish with rice.

Ingredients:
Capsicum- 3(1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow)
Cabbage- cut into big pieces
Chinese green chillies- 2
Spring onions- cut into pieces
Light soy sauce- 1tbspn
Salt and sugar(a pinch) to taste
Oil ( preferrably olive oil)
Black pepper powder- a pinch

How to make:
1) Wash and cut the vegetables, big pieces.
2) Chopp green chillies, spring onions.
3) Heat oil in a pan and saute green chillies.
4) To that, add the vegetables and add sugar, a pinch.
5) Add soy sauce and then toss the vegetables (or) gently stir them.
6) Do not over cook, retain the cruncher taste of the vegetables.
7) When serving garnish with spring onions and pepper powder.

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 1 cup (do not over cook)

Jeera 2tbsp

cinnamon stick 2

Bay leaves 2

Salt to taste

Green chillies 3 slit lengthwise

Ghee

How to make:

1) Cook rice, with cinnamon stick and bayleaves.

2) Heat ghee in a pan and saute the green chillies.

3) Splutter jeera then add rice to it.

4) Add salt to taste.

5) Garnish with fried cashews and corriander leaves.

Peas Pulav

Ingredients:

Basmati rice -1cup

peas(frozen or fresh)- 1 small cup

Onions - cut lengthwise

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves

Oil

How to make:

1) Cook basmati rice. Do not over cook

2) Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion, then add peas.

3) To that add rice and salt to taste.

4) Garnish with coriander leaves.

Easy to make and very much ideal for lunch box.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Vegetable sliced - cabbage, capsicum, carrots, beans, spring onions, onions
Salt to taste
Pepper powdered 1 tspn
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Oil

How to make:
1) Cook basmati rice, do not overcook.
2) Cut all the vegetables evenly lengthwise.
3) Heat oil in a pan and then saute onions.
4) Then saute all the vegetables one by one.
5) Add soy sauce and then add the rice into it.
6) do not stir, as it rice may break and will get mashed.
7) Add salt and black pepper powder and garnish with spring onions.
8) Do not boil the vegetables as it may loose its crunch.

Maanga paruppu kuzhambu

Ingredients:
Toor dal - 1 cup
Green Chillies - 6 (slit into two halves)
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Chillie powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 1/2 tb sp
Ghee - 1 tsp
1Raw Mango (sour in taste and cut into bite size pieces)

For Seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 3 to 4
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Hing - a pinch

For garnishing
Finely chopped coriander


How to make
1. Wash and pressure cook dal adding a pinch of turmeric, ½ tsp of oil and 2 cups of water. (adding turmeric and little oil to dal helps dal to cook fast and soft)
2. Once the pressure is gone remove the lid of the cooker and mash dal with a masher.
3. Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add seasoning with a pinch of hing. when the seeds start spluttering, add mango pieces, stir once and cover with a lid for 3 mts in low flame till the mango pieces turn soft. Turn off the flame.
4. Add chilli powder and salt to mashed dal. Mix well. To this add the fried seasoning, little water and cook in low flame for 3 mts for the dal to absorb the flavour of the seasoning.
5. Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Idly Burgers (Leftover special)

Ingredients:

1) Leftover Idlis
2) Leftover vegetable cutlets
3) Green chutney(Coriander, green chillies, ginger, mint leaves ground together and mixed with salt and lemon juice)
4) Tomato ketchup
5) Tomtoes, Cucumber, Onions cut into round pieces
6) Grated cheese
7) Mango powder


How to make:

1) Cut the idlis into two halves (cross section)
2) Arrange the idlis, and spread the green chutney, and place the vegetable according to your interest.
3) Place the veg. patties and sprinkle the mango powder and then spread tomato ketchup.
4) Grate the cheese and cover with vegetables and then the other idly half.
5) Heat the oven and place these for 2 mins, for the cheese to melt a li'll.

Vegetable Cutlet

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup green beans, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

1 tsp. red chilli powder

1 tsp. garam masala

coriander leaves

1/4 cup bread crumbs

oil for deep frying

How to make:

1) Boil potatoes. Steam chopped vegetables until tender.Peel and coarsely mash potatoes.

2) Add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala and coriander leaves.

3) Mix with your hands.

4) Make small balls of the mix and shape into round flat patties with a greased hand.(use mould if u want any other shapes, eg. hearts, diamonds, etc.)

5) Roll in bread crumbs.

6) Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the patties until golden brown.

7) Serve hot with Ketchup.

Pachai thakkali kootu (Green tomato kootu)

Ingredients:-
Green tomatoes - 7 (medium sized)
Moong dhal - 1 medium sized cup
tumeric powder -1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Channa dhal - 2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 1
Coconut - 2 tsp (optional)

How to make:

1) pressure cook moong dhal with a pinch of turmeric powder and keep it aside.

2) Wash the tomatoes and cut it into 4 pieces, if its too big then make it 8 pieces.

3) In a pan, put the tomatoes, add required amount of water, turmeric powder and salt and let the tomatoes cook.

4) Fry channa dhal, urad dhal, red chillies, to golden brown and let it cool and grind it into a fine paste.

5) when the tomato is half done, add the grounded paste and let it boil for another 3 to 5 mts.

6) Now add the cooked dhal to it and add water to adjust the consistency.

7) Let it boil for another 5 mts. By the time, tomatoes will be fully cooked. Make sure tomatoes are not mashed while doing these processes.

8) Now heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds then add urad dhal and asafoetida powder and coconut scrapes and fry it till golden brown.

9) Pour it on top of kootu. Garnish it with curry leaves and li'll coconut oil.

Neer more (Buttermilk)

I should say this is an 'Elixir of life' during summer. i have seen in village sides of Tamilnadu serve this as a 'welcome drink' to the guests. It can be consumed by diluting yogurt with water and adding a pinch of salt or by adding certain ingredients to make it tastier.

here we go,

Corriander leaves

Curry leaves

A piece of ginger

A pinch of hing

A small piece of green chilli

Salt to taste(Kal uppu is best for this)

1) Squeeze corriander leaves, curry leaves. ginger, green chilli's, little salt by using motor & pestle, or by hands if comfortable and extract the juice.

2) Beat the yogurt with a pinch of hing, required amount of salt and dilute it.

3) Add the extracted juice (can also add the crushed mixture,however, most of them do not like the leaves on mouth while drinking) to the diluted yogurt.

Broccoli, mixed vegetable gravy

Very simple, easy and rich dish with cashews and fresh cream. Note, i have not used garlic, and other masalas. I usually avoid garlic to the most though its has too many good values. The reason mainly hides behind my devotion to Srivaishnavam, and little bit from my orthodox family. Its gives more taste when using garlic and other dry masala ingredients(cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, poppy seeds etc.,)

Ingredients:
100gms broccoli florets
1 cup mixed vegetables ( mashed potato, carrots cut into cubes, peas, corn)
3 slit green chillies
3 onions
1 inch sized ginger
1 unripen tomato
3 cloves
Half handful cashewnuts
1 tbspn curd
1 tbspn garam masala
1 tbspn red chilli powder
1 tbspn dhania powder
Coriander leaves
Fresh cream for garnishing
Salt for taste
Oil

How to make:

To grind:
Onions, green chillies, ginger, tomato, cashews to a smooth paste.

1) Boil all mentioned vegetables with li'll turmeric and a pinch of salt.
2) Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions.
3) Add the ground paste to the onions and garam masala, chilli powder, coriander powder.
4) Add boiled vegetables and mashed potato to it.
5) Add required salt, curd and let it cook for few minutes.
6) After it becomes a thick gravy remove from the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream.

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients:
To make paratha:
2cups wheat flour

To make stuffing:
4medium sized potatoes
2green chillies(chopped finely)
1spn cumin seeds
1tspn red chilli powder
1tspn cumin powder
1/2 lemon
2tbspn oil
A pinch of turmeric
Salt for taste

To make stuffing:
1) Boil the potatoes and mash it well.
2) Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped greenschillies, cumin seeds.
3) When its done add the potatoes and to it add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, salt and mix them well.
4) After removing from flame, add lemon juice and mix well.

To make parathas:
1) Knead the wheat flour with required quantity of water and salt and keep aside for 1/2hr.
2) After the dough become soft, make equal proportions of dough, roll and spread to the size of our palm.
3) Introduce the stuffing to the spread dough and close it all sides.
4) Again spread evenly the stuffed dough.
5) Heat the tawa and toast the parathas using li'll oil.

Cherries

Idly

Idly, a wonderful South Indian breakfast menu. I was not successful in getting soft, fluffy idlis when grinding in mixer, though implementing various proportions everytime. Then finally succeeded in getting soft idlis using the ratio 3:3/4

Ingrdients:
3 cups idly rice.
3/4 cups of urad dal.
2 tbsp venthayam.

How to make:
1)Soak idly rice for 4 hrs and urad dal for 2 hours with venthayam.
2)Grind venthayam and urad dal together softly and then grind rice separately.
3)Mix both batter together and add salt and mix well with clean hands (this helps in fermentation of the batter, which results in spongy idlis).
4)Leave the batter outside at room temp.
5)'Idly thattu' is used to steam idlis.

Lime Fizz

Ingredients:

1 cup green lime juice
1 cup no sugar added soda
1tbsp raw sugar
A pinch of salt
5 ice cubes

How to make:

1) Take lime juice, raw sugar, ice cubes and a pinch of salt and blend well.

2) When serving add soda and serve cold.

Inji Rasam / Ginger Soup

Ginger is a wonderful rhizome which has numerous medicinal value. In our day to day life we should take atleast a little quantity of ginger in any form. I use ginger in various menus like salads, soups, gravies, rice varities and in drinks.Here i am posting one such favourite recipe of mine.Its a 'rasam' or can be called 'soup'.

Ingredients:
tamarind - a small lemon size
tomato - 1 small
ginger - 5 inch size, chopped lengthwise
rasam powder - 1 tbsp
redchillies - 3 nos.
mustard seeds - 1tspn
hing - a pinch
turmeric powder - a pinch
salt - for taste
oil - 1 tbsp
corrider leaves - a small bunch

How to make:
1) Soak the tamarind and extract the pulp, say about a full cup.
2) Chop the ginger, tomato.
3) Boil the tamarind pulp till it leaves the raw smell.
4) Add a pind of turmeric powder, rasam powder and tomatoes.
5) After the tomatoes become tender, add the chopped ginger (retain a little portion) and bring to boil.
6) Add hing, salt and chopped coriander leaves to the rasam.
7) Fry mustard, red chillies and then saute the retained portion of ginger in the oil.
8) Hot ginger rasam is ready.

This rasam is a very good appetite and can be consumed once a week. It not only increases appetite but also gives a rejuvenation and keeps us active. Try out!

Poori kizhangu

For making poori:

Knead wheat flour, a pinch of salt, water (as required) together and keep it aside for some time to become soften. Then, roll over to make about 5-7 diameter and deep fry in oil.

For making sidedish:

Ingredients:

4-5 medium sized potatoes (boiled and peeled)

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 sprigs curry leaves

2 tsp urad dal

1 tsp chana dal

4 green chillies, slit or finely chopped

1" knob of fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 medium onions, peeled and finely sliced

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp salt

Fresh coriander, chopped

How to make:

1) Dice half the potatoes and roughly mash the other half. Keep aside.

2) Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed wok.

3) Splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves.

4) Put in the lentils (urad and chana dal) and fry till golden, then add slivered ginger and green chillies - saute for 30 seconds.

5) Next, put in the sliced onions, a pinch of salt and saute the onions of medium flame till they are soft.

6) Add the mashed and diced potatoes.

7) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and blend well with spices for about a minute.

8) Pour 1 1/2 cups water and leave it to cook.

9) Add salt to taste.

10) Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Cabbage kariamuthu (or) thoran (or) poriyal

Ingredients:

Cabbage : 1/2 kg finely chopped

Green peas(frozen or fresh) : Handful

Coconut shreds : 2 tbsp

Urad dal: 1 tspn

Mustard seeds : 1 tspn

Red chillies : 2 big

Turmeric powder: 1 pinch

Salt : to taste

How to make:

1) Cabbage is chopped finely and washed.

2) Heat oil and splutter mustard, and fry urad dal and chillies.

3) Add cabbage, turmeric powder, salt. Close and cook for 2 mins till it become soft.

4)Add peas and shredded coconut to this cooked cabbage.

Other Alternatives:

1) Soaked channa dal can be added when cooking cabbage, which gives more taste.

2) Cluster beans and Cabbage duo will also be yummy.

Kathirikai kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients:
1. 10 small sized round brinjals
2. 1/2 onion chopped into small pieces
3. 1/2 cup tamarind pulp
4. seasonings, curry leaves, mustard, ural dal, methi seeds, asfoetida a pinch
5. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
6. salt to taste
7. 2 tsp oil

Ground Mixture:
1. 3/4 red onion or about 15 small onions
2. 2tbsp coconut shredds
3. 2 tbsp corriander seeds
4. 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
5. 4 red chillies
6. 1/2 tsp pepper

dry roast 2-5 set aside and saute the onions in a little bit of oil and make a smooth paste.

How to make:
1. In a pan heat the oil add the seasonings, adding the mustard last and when the mustard starts to splutter
2. Add the onions and saute a little bit
3. Add the cut brinjals and fry them till the skin starts to turn brown. An another name for this dish is Ennai Kathrikkai so the amount of oil added depends on taste.
4. Add the turmeric powder
5. Add the ground mixture and tamarind juice, close the lid and cook in medium heat till the brinjals are fully cooked.
6. Add the salt, mix well and turn the heat off in 2-3 minutes.

Aval Upma (Poha)

Ingredients:

Poha (Aval) - 750 gms
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Chana dal - 2 tsp
Onion - 1
Frozen peas- hand full
Jeera - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 2
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Lemon juice - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp

How to Make:
1) Soak the poha for about 3 minutes and wash it well in cold water and strain it .
2) And let it dry in the strainer for about 15 minutes.Heat some oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, jeera, urad, channa dal, and green chillies.
3)Then add the onions and fry them till they become golden brown.
4)Then add the poha and add little oil, and add the turmeric powder, and salt.
5)Add the curry leaves, and mix them well.
6)Finally add the lemon juice and coriander leaves.
7)Serve them hot with chutnies.

Generally more oil is needed for Poha upma

Masal Vadai

Super South Indian snack which would be awesome to have at the time of rainy season and watching cricket. Very easy to make and consumes less time for the preparation.




Ingrdients:

Kadalai Paruppu - 1 small cup
Thuvar dal - 1 tablespoon
Onions - 1 big sized
Fennel seeds(saunf) - 1 tea spoon
Red Chillies - 4nos
Green chillies - Finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Hing - A pinch
Curry Leaves - small bunch
Oil - for deep frying

To Grind:

Soak the two dals for about 45mins and grind coresly with red chillies, fennel seeds, curry leaves.

How to make:
1) To the ground mixture, add finely chopped green chillies and onion (if desired you may also add finely chopped ginger and garlic or paste them and add to this mixture)
2) Add hing powder, salt and mix well.
3) Avoid water and see to that the mixture is not too loose.
4) Heat oil in a pan and make patties of the mixture and deep fry them.
5) Remove from oil when its golden brown.

Other Alternatives:
Same procedure for making cabbage vadai,keerai vadai, carrot, beetroot vadai etc.

Serving suggestions: Accompaniments may be tomato ketchup, pudina chutney or any spicy,tangy dips.

More Kuzhambu

More kuzhambu is my all time favourite. But not too keralite style by using too much of coconut and coconut oil, i like the way one of my friend does.So i made a fusion of both styles and presenting here with slight changes.






Ingrdients:

Winter Melon - 1/2 kg (Cut into medium sized cubes)
Thuvar dal - 1 teaspoon
Coconut shredds - 25gms
Beaten thick curd - 1 Cup
Red chillies - 4 nos.
Venthayam - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Coconut oil - 2tbsp
Salt - to taste
curry leaves - handful

To grind:

Coconut scrappings
Redchillies
Jeeragam (cumin seeds)
Thuvar Dal (Soak for 10 mins before grinding)

Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste.The soaked thuvar dal will give a consistency to the paste.


How to make:

1)Cut and boil the vegetable with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Preferrably, Bangalore kathirikai, Poosanikai, raw mango, Parangikai or any dried vathal (sundakai, manga vathal)will do for this kuzhambu.
2)Once the vegetable comes to boil and soften, heat oil in another pan and temper mustard, venthayam and dried red chillies.
3)Add the boiled vegetable and the ground paste to it.Once it comes to boil, add the beaten curd to the mixture.
4)Add a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste.Avoid over heating as the curd will become watery and tasteless.
5)Add curry leaves and pour one tablespoon of coconut oil to it which gives a nice aroma.


Serving Suggestion: Goes well with rice.

Pad Thai

We had been invited for dinner by my husband's friend when we went to Bangkok for vacation. It was a nice place to tour out, however, very difficult for vege's. I happened to taste this (Pad Thai) with little twist to suit vegetarians. Here goes,

Ingredients:

12 oz dried flat rice noodles
5-6 squares deep-fried tofu,cut into small piece
1-2 fresh green chillies
1 cup bean sprouts
¼ cup ground peanuts (unsalted)
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp oil

SAUCE:
4 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice1 Tbsp.
sugar ½ Tbsp.
tamarind paste mixed with ½ cup water
3 Tbsp tomato ketchup


How to make:


Soak the noodles in hot water (but not boiling) for 10-15 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold waterDrain and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil to keep from sticking Mix all sauce ingredients together in a cup. Set aside. Place remaining oil in pan. Over medium-high heat chilliesAdd tofu and stir fry (1 minute). Add noodles and sauce, then stir-fry, lifting and turning the noodles to combine all ingredients (1-2 minutes). Taste for saltiness. If not salty enough, add up to 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Take off the heat and add bean sprouts, mixing well to combine (note that bean sprouts should retain some of their crunchiness). To serve, place noodles on a platter. Sprinkle with spring onions, ground nuts, and coriander.

Hot chapathis with Baby potato curry

Baby potatoes are easy to cook and can be used as a whole in any menu. Its used either fried, boiled or grilled in any recipes. I tried a curry, an accompaniment for chapathis which is very simple and easy to make and it took 15mins to complete the procedure.

Here i go with the recipe;

Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes -1/2kg

Tomato - 1 (big size)

Garlic - 2 pods

Ginger - 2 inches sized

Cashews - 25gms

Bayleaf - a small piece

Redchilli Powder - 1 table spoon

Garam masala - 1 tablespoon

Oil - 3 tablespoons

Pls note that i did not use onions as i had no stock.

How to make:

1) Pressure cook the potatoes and peel off the skin.

2) Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the potatoes. (Remove excess oil using paper towel)

3) Grind tomatoes, ginger, garlic and cashews to a thick paste.

4) Retain 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan and saute the bay leaf.

5) Add the ground paste to oil and saute it well till raw smell is gone.

6) After getting a gravy consistency, add the fried potatoes.

7) Add garam masala, chilli powder and salt to it and leave it to cook for 5mins.

8) After it become a semisolid consistency, remove it from flame and serve.

Serving Suggestion: goes with rotis, chapathis and rice.