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.