Bisibelabath

Bisibelabath is basically a sambhar rice, wherein here the rice is cooked with dal all vegetables together. This gives the nice aroma and flavor of the rice. I consider this as a whole meal as it has carbohydrates, proteins and all veggies together with a fantastic taste. This rice has to be served hot with its unbeatable combination - papads (appalams).




Ingredients

Rice - 1.5 cups
Toor dal - 1 cup
Tamarind juice - 1 cup (slightly thinned/watery)
Thinly sliced Onions - 1
Chopped Tomatoes - 1
Green chilly - 2
Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup
(Chopped carrots, Beans, Potatoes, Green Peas, Drumsticks)
Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Orad dal - 2 tsp
Hing powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

To roast and grind

Red chilly - 3
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Chana Dal - 2 tsp
coconut powder - 2 tbsp


Procedure:

Pressure cook the toor dal with 2 cups of water and a pinch of turmeric powder

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add mustard seeds

After it splutters, add orad dal, hing powder, onions, greenchillies and curry leaves one by one

After the onions turns transparent, add the chopped tomatoes and veggies and saute them. Later add the washed rice and saute little further

To this add the tamarind juice, salt and grounded powder. After it starts boiling add the cooked dal and 3 cups of water (we can add more water than the regular 1:2 ratio as this rice tends to thicken because fo the dal)

Transfer this to a pressure cooker and cook well till the rice is done

This rice needs to be mushy and semi-solid consistency and that gives the awesome taste. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Coconut milk rice

As I am in the search of simple rice varieties, I explored this one. Thanks to the readily available coconut milk, this can be prepared in notime with the simple ingredients in ur pantry shelves. This is a mild rice, anything hot goes very well with this. I served it with potato fry.


Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Coconut milk - 1 cup
water - 2 1/4 cups
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2
Raisins - 2 tsp
cashews - 10
Ghee - 1 tsp
green chilly - 1
salt


Procedure:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and add the whole spices

2. To this add the raisins, cashews and green chilly

3. once the cashews slighly changes color, add the washed rice and salt and toss the rice with ghee and other ingredients

4. Transfer this to the rice cooker and add coconut milk and water

5. After its done garnish with coriander leaves and its ready to serve

Eggplant kotsu

Wenever we talk of Venpongal, the best accompaniment I could remember is kotsu made of eggplant. This is a little variation from sambhar wherein the former one is thick as compared to the pouring consistency of the later one. Other than Pongal, this goes very well with Idly and dosa also.

Ingredients

Big Eggplant - 1
Onions - 1
yellow moong dal - 2 tbsp
tamarind juice - 2 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
curry leaves
coriander leaves
salt
oil - 2 tsp
water - 1/2 cup

To roast and grind
Red chilly - 2
coriander seeds - 3 tsp


Method:

Getting prepared:

1. Cut the stem part and cook the egg plant in microwave for 3 + 1 mins on high (adjust more or less according to ur microwave). After it cools down, peel of the skin and mash it with ur hands. This can also be cooked on stovetop by chopping the eggplant into small pieces.

2. Pressure cook the yellow moong dal and mash well

3. Roast and grind the chilly and coriander seeds


Cooking Kotsu:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to splutter

2. Add the onions and curry leaves and saute till tender

3. Then add the mashed eggplant, salt, ground powder and tamarind extract

4. Add water and let it boil for few minutes

5. To this mix the mashed dal and cook for few more minutes till it thickens

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Pongal or Idly

Note:
This can also be prepared replacing eggplant with tomatoes.
The ground powder of red chilly and coriander seeds comes handy for many dishes even for sambhar. This can be prepared ahead in more quantity and stored in air-tight containers.

Bhoondi Laddu

This is one of the most favorite diwali sweet of my husband. He asked me if we can make this year. But I was not sure as I didn't had the laddle for making the boondi. Then I came across a website where it was mentioned that this can be done with the traditional "jalli karandi" (a ladle with holes).

So I just gave a try and it was not a bad work for the first timers. But the real tough part in making laddus is the making of final balls which is very time consuming. Thanks to my husband who helped in pressing the bhoondis in the sugar syrup.

This recipe makes around 10 medium sized laddus.


Ingredients:

Besan flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 1 crushed
broken cashews - 1 tbsp
water - 1/2 cup


Procedure:

Sugar Syrup:

1. Add the water and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
2. When the syrup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then let it simmer until the syrup is about half thread consistency.
3. Fry the cloves, raisins and cashews in oil/ghee. Add them to the syrup.


Bhoondi:

1. Mix the besan flour with water to make a smooth batter without any lumps. The batter consistency should be slightly thicker than dosa batter.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
3. Hold the ladle just 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the oil in one hand and with the other hand pour some of the batter onto the ladle such that the batter covers all of the holes.
4. The batter will start dropping through the holes into the oil. Drop enough boondi into the oil so that they just cover the surface of the oil in a single layer
5. Fry them until the sizzling sound stops and the boondis are slightly gold in colour but not crispy. (When you try to break a boondi between your fingers, it should not crack; it should just squeeze in and comeout) Pick up the boondis with another slotted spoon and put them directly in the warm sugar syrup.
6. Repeat the process of making boondi and adding to the syrup with rest of the batter. Make sure you wipe clean the ladle/grater after pouring 1 bath of batter. Let the boondis soak in the sugar syrup for few minutes.


Making of Laddu:

1. Boondis soak most of the sugar syrup. Drain off the excess syrup (not much will be there)
2. Take a flat laddle and keep pressing the bhoondis in the syrup. Make sure you not to break the bhoondis but to press well gently. This helps the boondis to absorb the sugar syrup well and also the helps in making the laddu balls.
3. Once they are warm enough to handle (Remember not to let them cool off completely as the sugar will crystallize) grease your hands and take some part of the mixture into your palm. Gently squeeze it with your palms and make a round ball.
4. If the bhoondis tend to be sticking to ur hands(maybe after 2-3 laddus), wash your hands, dry them, grease again and try to make the laddus.
5. As the laddus cool to room temperature they will become firm.


Note:
1. While frying the bhoondis, if they seems to absorb more oil(the bhoondis will be little porous), it means the batter has becomes watery and you have to add little more besan
2. If the shape of the bhoondis are little elongated and not circle, it means you need little more water to the batter
3. While making laddus, if the sugar syrup has crystallized and the bhoondis are no more sticky (like sugared bhoondis), then heat the sugared bhoondis by adding 1 tbsp of hot water. This will help to melt the sugar and you'll be able to hold them tougether and make laddus.

Milagu Vadai

I got reminded of this traditional dish from a recent cookery show. This is a light variation of medhu vadai, crisp in nature made of urad dal and black pepper. This has good shelf life for a week or so and can be handy on outings. This goes good with curd rice and can serves as a snack too.

Ingredients

urad dal - 1 cup
black pepper - 1 tsp
cumin seeds - 2 tsp
rice flour - 2 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp
salt
Oil - for frying

Procedure:

For the batter:
1. Soak the urad dal for 1 hour
2. Drain them well in a strainer and grind it coarsely. Do not add water while grinding.
3. Crush the pepper and cumin seeds or grind it very coarsely (just 1 sec will do on a mixer)
4. Add the crushed mix, melted butter, rice flour and salt to the grinded batter. Mix well

For the vadai:
1. Take a small piece of the batter and shape it into a small ball. Place it on a greased plastic sheet
2. Grease your fingers to prevent the batter from sticking to your hand. Pat it gently to flat it into a thin disc. You can make a small hole in the middle with your finger. Use a fork and pork randomnly on the flattened disc
3. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Gently remove the flattened disc and drop in the hot oil.
4. Fry on medium flame and cook till light reddish on both sides.
5. Store in air-tight containers.

Ribbon Pakoda

This is a tasty and crunchy snack and easy to prepare. The main ingredients for this are rice flour and gram flour. Actually there are many variations for this recipe and mostly made with more of gram flour and little of rice flour. But by mistake I made it with more of rice flour and less of gram flour and it came out well. The rice flour actually helped the pakodas stay white and crispy.


Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 2 cups
Gram flour - 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Butter - 1 tsp
Oil - to deep fry
Water

Method:

• Mix rice flour, gram flour, salt and chilly powder in a mixing bowl

• Melt the butter and add it to the above mix

• Add water little by little and knead well to make a soft dough

• Heat oil in a pan for frying.

• Put the mix in the press with the plate having thin lengthy slots (This will get the dough in thin flat strips)

• Press the ribbon pakodas directly on hot oil round throughtout the pan as you would do for omapodi. Cook on both sides till the spluttering of oil stops

• Drain excess oil on a tissue paper. Cool it and store in an air tight container

Mysore Pak - 1.1

This is a revised version of my earlier mysorepak. For the first one I used excessive sugar and in this one I've reduced the sugar and ghee and it still tasted good. This recipe makes around 40 mysorepaks.

Ingredients:

Besan flour – 2 cups
Sugar – 2 cups
Ghee – 3 cups
Water – 1/2 cup

Procedure

• Sieve the besan flour to make it fine
• Melt the ghee and take it from flame
• Add the besan flour to the melted ghee and mix well without any lumps
• In a heavy bottomed pan add water and sugar
• Stir to make the sugar dissolve in water
• After the syrup starts thickening pour the besan- ghee mix and keep stirring
• Once the mix starts thickening and comes rolling to the center remove from heat (this takes around 5-10 mins)
• Pour it on a ghee coated vessel and allow to cool
• While still warm cut to desired shape(before it turns hard)
• Allow to cool down completely and remove the pieces.
• This can be stored outside for 10 days and for 2 months if refrigerated.

Yam(Suran) Vadai

I got some frozen yams and my husband didn't liked the usual "Karunai kuzhambu". So I had to search for new recipes and found this good one. As any vadai this tastes good and it stays crispy for 4-5 hours. I used the frozen yam and this can be substituted for fresh ones too.

This recipe makes around 8 medium sized vadais.


Ingredients:

Frozen Yam - 1 cup
Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup
Corn flour - 3 tbsp
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Green Chilli - 2
Ginger - 1/2 inch
curry leaves - 2 tbsp
salt
Oil- to fry

Procedure:

1. Thaw the yams in cold water and steam them for 10 mins. If you are using fresh yams, then clean the skin and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

2. Grind the Green chili and ginger to a coarse paste

3. Mash the yam and add cornflour, rice flour, grinded paste, salt, onions and curry leaves. Mix them well and make small balls of them

4. Heat oil in a pan. When it is ready, press the balls to vada shape and drop them in oil carefully. Cook on medium high until golden brown on both sides.

5. Serve hot as a snack with any green or coconut chutney.

Pumpkin Roll

It was Halloween time when there were lots of pumpkins throughout the store. So, I got one but didn't know wat to do exactly with it. First I tried the most crazy "pumpkin pie" but that didn't turned out good. And I had some more pumpkins left out. I searched for and got this great looking dessert.

This is basically a pumpkin cake rolled with sugared cream cheese and sliced. I am posting it with little alterations on the sugar quantity as the filling turned out to be very sweet in my case. Please click here for a video demo of this recipe (not mine!!!)



Ingredients

Cake Roll:
Pumpkin puree - 1 1/2 cups (or use canned pumpkin - 1 can)
All-purpose flour - 3/4 cup
Granulated sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - a pinch
eggs - 2
chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup optional

Cream Cheese Filling:
cream cheese, softened - 1 (8 oz) package
powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
butter or margarine, softened - 4tbsp


Procedure:

Pumpkin puree:
You can always use canned pumpkin. But if you want to start from the scratch, cut the whole pumpkin into slices, remove the seeds and pressure cook for 5 whistles. Remove the skin part and blend in a mixer to get the puree.


Pumpkin cake:
PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch baking pan; line with wax paper (to make it easy to remove from baking pan). Grease and flour paper.

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts on top.

BAKE for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Slightly wet a clean kitchen towel. Loosen the cake and turn it onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool down for 2 hours.

Filling:
BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Make sure you don't beat too much as it may not stay stiff.

Pumpkin Roll:

Carefully unroll cake; Spread cream cheese mixture over cake.


Reroll cake. While rerolling remove the towel. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 5 hours.

This can also be kept in the freezer if you need it for another day.

After 5 hours remove from the fridge and slice into 1 inch rolls. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Kadala Curry

This curry made of Black chana is famous in Kerala. It is simple to make if u have the ingredients ready as major part of the cooking is done in pressure cooker.

It is actually served with puttu, appam or idiyappam but it goes well with Idly/Dosa also.



Ingredients:

Black chana - 1 cup (soak overnight)
coarsely Onion - 1
finely chopped onion - 1/2
Tomato - 1/2
curry powder - 1.5 tsp (or use red chilly powder - 1 tsp & coriander powder - 1 tsp)
garlic - 2 pods
coconut powder - 1/2 cup or coconut milk - 1/2 cup
coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp
salt


How to make the curry:

I'll split the procedure in 3 parts. Pressure cooking, grinding and cooking

Pressure cooking:
1. Add little oil in a pan and saute the onions (coarsely chopped), tomatoes, crushed garlic for 1 min.

2. To this add the soaked and washed black chana and the curry powder

3. Add salt to this and pressure cook. cook for 5 whistles so that the black chana gets cooked well


Grinding:
1. In another pan dry fry the coconut powder till dry and it turns light brown (desiccated coconut)

2. Grind the desiccated coconut, a tbsp of cooked black chana and coriander leaves to a smooth paste. (u can also use coconut milk instead of desiccated coconut and grind
it the same way)

Making of the final Curry:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to splutter. After that add the finely chopped onions and saute till it turns transparent. This dish needs onions to be blended. so saute well.

2. Add the cooked chana mix. check salt

3. Once it boils add the grinded coconut mix and let it boil for 2 mins. Garnish with some coriander leaves.


Serve with Puttu, Appam, Idiyappam or Dosa.

Prawn(Shrimp) thokku

This is one of my favorites as my family loves prawns and a simple one to prepare (I din't accounted the cleaning part). We had stopped buying prawns for a long time after I failed for the first time when We got the cooked prawns and overcooked them which made them rubbery. But now we buy only fresh prawns either with or without skin. Now I've learned to peel the skin and devein them too. If you need help on the cleaning part please click here.

This dish goes very well with Rice, Idly, Dosa and Chapatti.


Ingredients:

Prawn - 1 lb (around 1/2 kg)
Big Onions - 2 chopped
Big Tomato - 1 chopped
Oil - 3 tbsp
Curry powder - 4 tsp (mix of chilly and coriander powder in ratio 1:2)
salt


Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan

2. Saute onions and tomatoes one by one and fry well

3. Add salt and curry powder. Add some water and cook covered on medium flame.

4. After 5 mins add the cleaned prawns. If needed add some more water and cook covered. Keep stirring frequently as it may stick to the bottom

5. Cook for 10 mins. check if the prawns are cooked well and keep on high flame till the gravy thickens

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Rava Dhokla

Ingredients:

•1 cup Rava
•1 cup yogurt
•1/4 cup water as needed
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•2 teaspoon lemon juice
•Pinch of turmeric (haldi)
•1 green chili finely chopped
•2 tablespoon fine chopped cilantro (hara dhania)
•1 teaspoon Eno’s fruit salt (Sodium Bicarbonate and Citric Acid)

For seasoning:

•2 tablespoons of oil
•1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
•2 green peppers chopped into about 1/4 inch pieces


Method:

1.Mix the rava, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, green chili, and cilantro together in a bowl and make a smooth batter; add more water if needed.
2.Mix well so that no lumps are formed and the batter is of pouring consistency.
3.Allow batter to rest for an hour.
4.Grease the pan for steaming and set aside.
5.Add fruit salt (Eno) to the batter, and mix well. The batter will foam up.
6.Quickly pour batter into a greased pan for steam.
7.Steam for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
8.Check Dhokla with a knife. If the knife comes out clean, dhokla is ready.
9.Turn of the heat and let it cool to room temperature, then cut into triangle or square shapes.

Prepare the seasoning:

1.Heat the oil in a small pan on medium heat.
2.Add mustard seeds after seeds cracke add green chili stir for few seconds.
3.Pour seasoning over the Dhokla. Serve with green chutney.

Ginger Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Fresh Ginger - 1 long pieces
Butter - 1 tbsp
Whole cardamom - 1 (crush little)
Cashew Nuts - 10 Nos
Raisins - 10
Saffron colour - little (mix in little milk)
salt


Procedure:

1. Boil chopped ginger and crushed cardamom in a pot with 2 cups of water. Allow it to reduce to half of its quantity. Strain it and keep the water.

2. Heat butter in a pan and fry cashews and raisins

3. To this add sliced onions till they turn golden brown.

4. Add the washed rice and mix well.

5. To this add salt, saffron colored milk and ginger juice (1 cup). Add 3/4th cup of water (Rice: water -- 1: 1 3/4)

6.Cook in rice cooker or pressure cooker (2-3 whistles).

7. Mix well and serve hot with raita or any gravy.

Capsicum rice

A simple form of fried rice having simple ingrediens that can be made even with leftover rice. Roast and grind the masala ahead and u can make this rice in notime.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup (cook ahead and cool down)
Capsicum - 1 (cut as thin long slices)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Chana Dal - 2 tsp
Roasted Peanuts - 2 tsp
Cahews - 2 tsp
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves

To roast and grind:
cumin - 2 tsp
coriander seeds - 2 tsp
red chillies - 2
orid dal - 1 tsp
chana dal - 1 tsp

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, chana dal, peanuts and cashewnuts one after another
2. Add sliced capsicum and sautee for 2 mins until cooked. Add salt to this
3. Now add cooked rice and grounded masala powder and mix well on low flame
4. Turn off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves
5. Serve hot with Potato curry

Medhu Vadai

Ingredients:

Urid Dal - 1 cup
Green chillies - 3
Ginger - 1 inch size
Curry leaves
coriander leaves
Salt
Oil - for deep frying

Procedure:

1. Soak the Urid dal for 2 hrs and grind it well with green chillies and ginger. Don't add much water while grinding as water will make vadas to absorb lots of oil. Add just VERY VERY little water. The batter should be very thick for getting proper vadas

2. Mix chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt just before frying. Mix really well(ur hands should go in circular motions to aerate the batter). You can grind the batter 5 hrs ahead and store it in the refrigerator without adding salt. If you add salt then the batter will become watery bcos of the salt

3. Have a plastic sheet for patting the vadas. Have some water in a small bowl for wetting your hands as you may need this on the process

4. Heat enough oil for deep frying in a wide pan

5. Wet ur hands and the wipe the plastic sheet with water.( u need to do this for every vada so that it can slip easily from the sheet to the oil)

6. Take some batter, make a ball of it and put it on the plastic sheet. Press it little and make a small hole in the center.

7. Carefully take this and drop on the hot oil

8. Flip over and cook on the other side. Remove from oil after it turns golden brown on both sides. Place them on a tissue to remove excess oil.

9. Crispy tasty medhu vadas are ready..

10. You may also add onions to this for onion vadas.

Anada Viratham /அனந்த விரதம்

Ananda Viratham or Ananda Padmanaba Viratham so called "Nonbu" in our family is a pooja which is observed every year in my in-laws family . We do this pooja every year on the date as told by my Mother-in-law and I didn't even know about the exact name of this Viratam except for how it is called "Nonbu". This year when she told about this Pooja day I just wanted to search on the web to know more details. And luckily I came across some interesting facts which I was not aware.

This pooja occurs on the Full-Moon day(Pournami) that comes after "Vinyagar Chathurthi". The Pooja is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (to my surprise it was not Lord Shiva..) who is in Anada sayanam - sleeping posture on the Anatha Nagam (snake). The purpose of this pooja is to pray the Almighty to relieve from sorrow and give happiness (aanandam).

The main ritual on the day is to wear the sacred thread (nonbu kayir) kept on pooja after finishing the pooja rituals. This sacred thread is actually a band of 14 threads but we do get readymade red threads called as "Rettai Nonbu Kayir" which is different for men and women. We'll make a Kalasam by keeping a coconut on top of a silver pot which is tied with thread all around. Also we have to offer the god with Manjal(whole turmeric), Kumkum, Flowers, Banana, green leaves (vetrilai) everyhitng to be on a count of 14 (I make it on a count of 5 a custom changed by my great husband).




Offerings other than flowers and fruits, include Puttu, Kesari and Medhu vadai. After doing the aarti, we have to pray the god with akshata (made of rice and flower mixed with turmeric) 14 times and then tie the Nonbu kayir.

For more details on this Viratham click here.

விநாயகர் சதுர்த்தி / Ganesh Pooja

Sep 11, 2010



Vinayakar Chathurthi is a great festival in India celebrated throughtout the country. The day is a festival not only for the family but for the entire city as we can see BIG Ganesh Idols everywhere and lots of pujas going on even blocking the roads. At home we'll get ready early in the morning to get the Ganesh Idol from shops. We'll go to get the most graceful looking "Vinayagar" and get all his accessories (eyes, umbrella, garland made of erukampoo) from nearby shops. Then comes the decoration part where we'll put sandal all over Ganesh, dress him up and beautify him with flowers and ornaments..though we've to put him back in water after 3 days...Then making of kozhukattais (modhakam) and then waiting for prayer time to taste them... Miss them a lot here...Though we try to make the pooja part atleast without failure..

About the pooja, it is Lord Ganesha's Birthday. Generally before starting any work, we'll pray Ganesha as he'll bless success on all our endeavors by removing all obstacles. And on this day its very auspicious to pray the elaphant faced Gananatha. To know more about this day click here. Its also very good if you can chant the Vinayagar Agaval on this day. (Click here for tamil version).

And about my pooja, I'll offer the God with Fruits, Flowers, Modhakam, Sundal and Medhu Vadai. These are the main offerings here comes the actual (big) list done at my in-laws house.
1. Tamarind Rice
2. Lemon Rice
3. Coconut Rice
4. Ven Pongal
5. Sambhar
6. Moor Kuzhambu
7. Some Vegetable Poriyal



I really wonder how they are able to do so many things in just few hours. Have to admit..My MIL is great!!! We tried to make some of these for the puja and prayed the almighty for all Health and Happiness.

Baby Corn Manchurian

Whenever I think of preparing gobi manchurian I used to stop it as cauliflower pakoda. Today I wanted to try Babycorn manchurian and was afraid for the same reason. But I successfully prepared it and it came out very well.

Ingredients:

• Baby corn -12-14 pieces
• corn flour - 1/4 cup
• plain flour - 1 tbsp
• chilli powder - 1 tsp
• onion - 1
• capsicum -1
• green chilli -1
• ginger - 1/2 inch
• garlic 2 no
• Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 2 tsp
• spring onion (optional)
• Oil

Method:

1. Mix Corn flour, plain flour, chilli powder and salt.
2. Add water to make a smooth batter( consistency should be like what we make for bhajji)
3. Cut the baby corn to half if you feel its bit long.
4. Dip the baby corn in the above batter and deep fry in oil till golden brown.
5. Cut the onions,capsicum and green chilli into thin long slices.
6. Chop ginger and garlic finely.
7. Pour oil in a wide pan and saute onions till they become soft.
8. Add ginger, garlic and green chill. Fry while till the raw smell goes away.
9. Mix the capsicum and fry for a while.
10. Its now time to add the sauce. Add enough tomato and soya sauce according to taste.
11. Now add the fried baby corn and mix well.
12. Garnish with spring onions and serve hot.

Sauteed Green Beans

This is a very different variety of beans with a little chinese flavour on it. Got this recipe from my neighbor who tries lots of new stuffs. She does the whole beans (cut only the corners) but I made into 1-inch size to fit into my hubby's lunchbox.
I found a little different version of this recipe in Youtube.

Ingredients:

Beans - 200 gms
Garlic - 3 big pods finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch finely chopped
Spring Onions - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Hot sauce - 1 tsp
Soy Sauce - 3 tsp
corn starch - 1 tbsp (mix corn powder to water and make a watery paste)
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt

Procedure:

1. Cook the beans on microwave for 2 mins (Actual recipe calls to cook the beans on stovetop with little oil on low flame)

2. Take a wide pan add the oil. To this add the chopped ginger, garlic and spring onions and fry them on medium flame.

3. Add the hot and soy sauce and let it cook for 1 min.

4. Add the corn starch, Vinegar and salt to this.

5. Add the cooked beans to the prepared sauce and mix well and keep on low flame. U can turn off after the beans get mixed well with the ingredients and turns crisp and glazed.

6. Dry roast the sesame seeds and add on top of the beans (I skipped this part as my husband don't like sesame seeds).

7. Delicious sauteed beans is ready.

Iru Puli Kuzhambu

A recipe made of both tamarind and buttermilk - a combination of Kaara kuzhambu and Moor kuzhambu. I got this different recipe from Subbu's Kitchen. Quite easy to make with a different flavour. You can add any sambhar vegetable to this. I've added Ladys finger and Cucumber to this.

Ingredients:

Okra - 6
Cucumber - 6 pieces
Tamarind extract - 1 cup
Butter milk - 1 cup
Oil
Salt
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves

To Grind:
Red chilies - 3-4
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Orid dhal - 1 tsp
Coconut powder - 1/2 cup


Procedure:

1. Dry roast the ingrediets for grinding and make a fine paste of it

2. Add oil and saute the vegetables (okra & cucumber) and add water and close the lid to cook.

3. When the veggies are half done add the tamarind extract and add salt

4. After the raw smell of tamarind is gone, add the grinded paste and let it boil for 2 mins.

5. To this add the buttermilk and let it come to a boil. Stop the flame immediately and add the mustard and curry leave seasoning to this.

6. Iru-Puli kuzhambu is ready to serve.

Kuzhi Paniyaram / குழி பணியாரம்

Kuzhi Paniyaram is a South Indian delicacy famous in Southern parts of Tamilnadu. It comes in both spiced and sweet flavors and I've made the spiced version. I got this perfect recipe from one of my friend. Having rice as its main ingredient, this can be used as a replacement to Idly/Dosa or can be served as a evening snack. This would even go well for parties and potlucks.

A special pan is needed for making this which has a little more deeper holes than idly plates and the vessel has to be directly placed on stovetop. I used a non-stick pan which uses less oil compared to the normal pan. My mom used to make this even with Appam or Dosa batter also with some sauted onions added to that. If you want to try for the first time on your new pan, you can go with some Dosa batter with little more oil on the holes so that the paniyarams will come out easily.

Ingredients:

Raw rice -1 cup
Idly rice - 1 cup
Orid Dal - 1/4 cup
Coconut - 2 tbsp
chopped onions - 1 cup
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1. Soak the rice and orid dal overnight and grind them all finely.

2. Add salt to the batter and you can use after it ferments.

3. Add the coconut and chopped onions to the batter

4. Heat the "Kuzhipaniyaram" pan and add oil (or butter) on all the holes

5. Once the pan is heated, keep on medium flame and pour the batter

6. After it turns light brown turn all the paniyaram the other side and wait till it gets cooked on both sides

7. Paniyarams are ready to be served with Coconut chutney.

Semiya Carrot Payasam

I'm back after a long break. So thought of sharing something sweet. This is a colourful and mouth watering dessert. I've tried with carrots to this traditional recipe..

Ingredients:
Vermicelli (Semiya)- 1 cup
Grated Carrot - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cardomom - 2 pinch
Ghee- 1 tsp
Raisins & Cashews

Procedure:

1. Roast the vermicelli on ghee until it leaves nice aroma (make sure not to burn them). Keep them aside

2. Roast the carrots the same way as vermicelli and keep them aside

3. Boil water and add the roasted vermicelli and carrots to it.

4. Once it gets cooked add the milk and keep on low flame.

5. When the milk starts to thicken add the sugar, cardomom and roasted raisins and cashews.

6. Serve hot or cold. Add some hot water or milk if the payasam gets thickened.

Tricolor Poriyal

This is a mild and tasty side dish made with carrot, beans and cauliflower. Goes well with any kuzhambu. This was served as a side dish in a marriage and my mother gave me this recipe. A special thanks to my mom for giving a delicious recipe.


Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets – 1 cup (small florets)
Beans – 1 cup thinly chopped
Carrot – 1/2 cup thinly chopped
Onion – 1/2cup chopped
Green chilly – 1
Coconut powder – ½ cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Oil
Salt


Procedure:


• Steam the cut vegetables (cauliflower, carrot and beans) for 5 minutes

• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to splutter

• Then add Urad dal and allow to brown a little

• Then add onion and green chilly and sauté for a while

• Add the steamed vegetables, salt and coconut powder and let it stand for 2 minutes

• Garnish with coriander leaves

Fish Moilee

A fish curry of Kerala style made with coconut milk. This will be a different fish and the gravy is mild and has a little sweet taste because of the coconut milk.

Ingredients:

2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium onions
1 tblsp oil
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tsp lemon juice
600 gms river fish
2 tsp Pepper powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 sprig curry leaves
3 green chillies (slit to half)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
salt to taste

Procedure:

• Clean, wash and cut fish into medium sized pieces.

• Apply a little salt, turmeric powder, pepper powder and lime juice on fish pieces and keep aside for 15 minutes.

• Heat oil in a pan and cook the marinated fish pieces. Cook them on both sides. Keep these cooked fish aside

• Heat up oil in the same pan and add mustard seeds.

• When the mustard seeds crackle, mix in curry leaves and stir fry for a few seconds.

• Mix in cut onions and stir fry until soft and translucent.

• Mix in ginger and garlic pastes, slit green chillies, pepper and coriander powder and ½ cup of coconut milk.

• Add the fish pieces and salt to this and keep this covered on low flame for 15 mts.

• Mix in the rest of coconut milk and stir fry covered on low heat up for about 5 minutes.

• Serve hot with rice.

Carrot Chutney

A different chutney made with carrot as main ingredient. A great accompaniment for Idli and dosa.


Ingredients:

Grated Carrot – 1 cup
Onion – ¼ cup
Coconut – 1/4 cup
Green Chili – 1
Ginger – a little piece
Salt
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Oil

Procedure:

• Heat oil in a pan and add onion, green chili and ginger and sauté for a while

• Add grated carrot to this and continue sauté

• After the carrot is cooked add coconut a stop flame after a minute

• Let the above mix cool for a while and grind them to a paste with some salt

• Season the ground chutney with Mustard seeds.

• Carrot chutney is ready to serve.

Broccoli Paruppu usli

Paruppu usli is a vegetarian side dish. As the name suggests it takes dal (paruppu) as its main ingredient. This can be made with beans, cabbage or raddish. I tried this recipe with Broccoli and the combination came out really well.


Ingredients:

Broccoli florets – 1 cup (cut them into small florets)
Onion – 1 (finely chopped)
Red chilly – 1
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
salt
Oil – 1 tbsp

For Usli:
Channa Dal – ½ cup (soak for 30 mts)
Fenel seeds (Sombu) – 1 tsp
Red chilly – 1
salt


Procedure:

1. Grind the soaked channa dal with fennel seeds, salt and red chilly to a coarse paste without adding water

2. Microwave for 2-3 mts (or steam for 5-7 mts) this paste till it becomes dry

3. Grind the dried dal mix again to make it as a coarse powder. Now the paruppu /dal is ready for usli

4. Heat a pan with oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and red chilly

5. Add Onions and sauté for a while

6. To this add broccoli and salt and keep on medium flame for 2-3 mts

7. After the moisture is absorbed (broccoli will get cooked fast) add the ground paruppu/dal and mix well. Keep on a low flame ad keep stirring every while. (If needed add a little more oil)

8. Remove from flame when it is dry.

Coconut rice

This is another traditional south Indian variety rice. This is mild rice and goes well with spicy potato fry. As any other variety rice.


Ingredients:

Cooked rice – 2 cups
Shredded coconut – ½ cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Chana Dal – 3 tsp
Groundnuts – 20
Red chilly – 2
Curry leaves
Salt
Oil – 1 tbsp


Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds

2. After they splutter add chana dal ad groundnuts and roast them till light brown

3. Then fry the red chillies in the oil and add curry leaves

4. To this add the coconut powder and add salt and fry till the coconut leaves nice smell (don’t let it brown)

5. Turn off flame and add cooled rice and mix well.

6. Serve with Potato curry.

Puliyodarai

Puliyodarai is a traditional south Indian rice. This is offered as prashadam in many temples and the taste is really tempting. Also this stays good for longer time and will be great to take for outdoor trips. The paste can be prepared ahead and can be stored refrigerated for even a month or two.


Ingredients:

Cooked rice – 3 cups
Tamarind juice – 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Chana Dal – 3 tsp
Groundnuts – 20
Red chilly – 3
Turmeric powder - little
Curry leaves
Salt
Oil – 3 tbsp

For dry grinding:
Red chilly – 4
Coriander seeds (dhania) – 2 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds (Vendhayam) – 1 tsp


Procedure:

1. Dry roast the ingredients mentioned for dry grinding and grind them to a powder

2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds

3. After they splutter add chana dal ad groundnuts and roast them till light brown

4. Then fry the red chillies in the oil and add curry leaves

5. To this add the tamarind juice and add salt and turmeric powder and let it boil

6. Once it starts to thicken add the grounded powder and let it boil for some more time. Stop flame after it starts leaving oil and the mix gets thickened

7. Add the above paste to the cooled rice and mix well.

8. Serve with Potato curry or even potato chips.

Fish Fry

Fish fry is a traditional Indian non-veg deligacy. This can be made with most of the fishes. I tried this with Red Snapper (Sankara). This is a spicy and hot dish and goes well with Sambar and the preparation is quite simple.


Ingredients:

Fish – 10 pcs
Chilly powder – 3 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Tamarind juice – ½ tsp
Salt
Oil


Procedure:

1. Clean the fish pieces and marinate them with all mentioned ingredients except oil. Keep them refrigerated for atleast an hour or two.

2. In a pan shallow fry the marinated fish till brown on both sides.

3. Serve hot.

Coconut Cookie

This is a crunchy delicious cookie with the mild flavor of coconut. A perfect snack for any occasion.

Ingredients:

Flour 80 gms.
Butter 40 gms.
Baking powder ¼ tsp.
Powder sugar 50 gms.
Desiccated coconut 40 gms.
Water/Milk 2½ tbsp.
Vanilla essence Few drops

Procedure:

1. Sieve/sift flour, soda and baking powder.

2. Cream butter and sugar very well.

3. Add flour and desiccated coconut, vanilla essence and make a soft dough with
milk/water.

4. Roll into a cylinder and further roll the dough into a square butter paper. Chill it for 4-5 hours or till hard. (Do not freeze).

5. Cut the cylinder into circles (cookie shape) using a knife and bake at 350 º F for 15 mins or till done.

Idli sambhar

This Sambhar goes very good with idli or dosai. This can be prepared either with toor dhal or payatham dhal.

Ingredients:

Toor dhal - 1 cup

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1

Green chillies - 3 or 4

Ginger 1/4 inch

Garlic- 3 to 4 pods

Mustard - 1 tsp

Urid dhal- 1 tsp

Asafoetida - pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Corrainder powder - 1/2 tsp

Corrainder leaves

curry leaves

Procedure:

Pressure cook toor dhal and keep aside.

Chop onion and tomato finely.

Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard, asafoetida, curry leaves and urid dhal.

Add onions, green chillies, crushed ginger and garlic and fry till the onions are soft.

Add tomatoes and turmeric powder and fry for a while.

Add water and cook till they are soft.

Add the cooked toor dhal. Add coriander powder and salt according to taste.

Let it boil for few minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with hot idlis.

Namak Paare

Namak paare is pastry like crunchy snack. The actual recipe calls for carom(ajwain) but I replaced it with cumin seeds. This is great snack for the evening and can be served as appetizers for parties.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup All purpose flour (plain flour or maida)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons Sooji fine (semolina flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4teaspoon cumin seeds or ajwain
• 2 tablespoon oil
• About 1/3 cup water as needed
• Oil to fry

Procedure:

1. Mix flour, sooji, salt, carom seeds, and oil, and mix it with fingertips to get consistency of breadcrumb.

2. Add water as needed to make firm but smooth dough. Cover with damp cloth and set aside at least for ten minutes.

3. Knead the dough for another minute and divide in two equal parts.

4. Take each part of the dough and make a flat ball shape. Roll them into 9-inch circles and thickness of salted crackers.

5. Prick them with a fork all over the rolled dough, so the paras do not puff when frying.

6. Cut each of the rolled dough into about half inch wide and 2 inch long pieces. Note: you can cut them in your desire shape.

7. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

8. The frying pan should have at least 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should make the oil sizzle and come up slowly.

9. Make sure to place just enough namak paras so you can turn them over easily when frying. Fry the namak paras until both sides are light golden-brown.

10. After namak paras come to room temperature they should become crisp.

Recipe source: www.manjulaskitchen.com

Veg Fried Rice

Fried rice is quick to make with just a handful of vegetables. This will serve great for lunch box.




Ingredients:

Cooked rice – 2 cups
Carrot – 1
Beans – 10 nos
Green peas – ¼ cup
Green Capsicum – ¼ cup chopped
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp
Soya sauce – 1 tsp
Salt
Black Pepper – 2 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp

Procedure:

• Thinly chop all the vegetables lengthwise

• Heat pan and add oil

• Add ginger garlic paste and all vegetables one after other sautéing each for a while. Sautee on medium flame till the vegetables are cooked

• Add salt and pepper and add tomato and soya sauce

• Now add the cooked rice and mix well. Remove from flame

• Garish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Avacado Banana Milkshake

Avacado is a great source of good cholesterol and is highly advised to increase the HDL. Banana is rich in dietery fiber. Together this milkshake makes a yummy desert. Also will serve as a great beverage for kids.

Ingredients:

Ripe Banana – 1
Avacado – 2 tbsp
Sugar – 2-3 tsps
Milk – 2 cups

Procedure:

Blend the above ingredients in a blender and serve. Adjust sugar according to taste.

Palak Vegetable

Palak vegetable is a healthy dish with all the goodness of vegetables and greens. It goes well with hot chapathis.

Ingredients:

Spinach - 1 bunch

Onion - 1

Carrot - 1 no.

Beans - 12 nos.

Potato - 1

Peas - 1/4 cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2

Whole garam masala

Milk - 1/4 cup

Procedure:

Add a little bit of oil in a pan and add the chopped spinach and green chillies. Cook the spinach till it is soft.

When the spinach is cooled, blend it in a mixer. Take care not to make it like a paste.

Add required oil and add whole garam masala.

Add onions and ginger garlic paste and fry till the onions are soft.

Add the chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, salt and add water.

Once the vegetables are cooked add the spinach.

Add milk to get the required consistency.

Let it boil for 3 minutes.

Remove from flame and serve with hot chapathis.

Pineapple Rava Kesari

Kesari is an easy to prepare sweet dish. Pineapple chunks added to this gives it a nice flavour and taste.

Ingredients:

Rava 1cup

Sugar 1 cup

Water 2 cups

Pineapple chunks 1/4 cup

Ghee 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Cashewnuts and raisins

Yellow food colour - optional

Procedure:

• Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a and fry cashewnuts and raisins and keep aside.
• Fry rava in the same pan till u get a nice smell.
• Add boiling water to the rava and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed.
• Once it is cooked add the sugar, food colour and keep stirring.
• Add the remaining ghee, cardamom powder and pineapple chunks.
• Add the fried cashewnuts and raisins and mix it well.
• Remove from flame. Pineapple kesari is ready to serve.

Jelly (Agaragar)

Agaragar or “China grass” is a fiber rich ingredient and is good for health. This dish can be served along with desserts and is sure to attract kids.

Ingredients:

Agaragar powder – 2 tsp
Water – 3 cups
Sugar – 1 cup
Food colors – 1 or 2 varieties

Procedure:

• Mix the agaragar powder in water and keep on medium flame

• Add sugar and stir it to dissolve and wait for a boil

• Mix the food color with little water on separate bowls

• Pour the boiled water in the bowls and mix to make the color spread evenly

• Keep it aside (or refrigerated) for 2 hours for the jelly to set

• Cut as desired and serve

Omapodi

This is a traditional south Indian snack. This can be added as a part for chat items too.

Ingredients:

Besan flour – 1 cup
Rice flour – ¼ cup
Butter – 1 tbsp
Asafotedia
Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil – to deep fry

Procedure:

• Mix all the ingredients expect oil with little water and make as a soft dough (Besan flour maybe sticky on ur hands)

• Put the dough in the murukku press with the plate having lots of holes (the one used for making idiyappam)

• Heat oil for deep frying and keep it on medium high

• When the oil is ready directly release the dough from the press on the oil for 2-3 rounds

• Allow the splutter to settle on one side and turn to cook for the other side. (Make sure the oil is not too hot or else it will get browned)

• Once the spluttering stops take it and keep on a tissue paper to strai excess oil

• Store airtight after cooling.

Carrot Dosai

Ingredients

Carrot – 1
Onion – 1 (fine cut)
Dosa batter – 2 cups

Procedure:

• Shred the carrots and grind them with little water to make a paste

• Add the grinded paste to the dosa batter and mix well. Add salt as required

• Pour this batter like regular dosa and sprinkle cut onions on top. Apply little oil on sides and cover it with a lid

• Take out the dosa after it gets its light crispy texture.

• Server hot with coconut chutney