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.