Kaaraboondi

This was one of my favorite tea-time snack during school ages. I remember my grandfather buying this wenever he visits us. And I like the roasted peanuts in them very much. Other than snack, my mom used to make Dal-curry with this. This one will be excellent combination in curd raitha too. Here is the recipe


Making of boondis is a little tedious task, but if u follow the measurements and the batter consistency, you can master this recipe and this will be a frequent snack at your home.

Ingredients:

Besan flour 1 cup
Peanuts -1/2 cup
Red chilli powder -as per taste
curryleaves
oil for deep frying
salt to taste
water-1/2 cup

Procedure:

Mix the besan flour with water to make a smooth batter without any lumps. The batter consistency should be slightly thicker than dosa batter.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

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.

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

Fry them until the sizzling sound stops and the boondis are golden browm and crispy

Place them on tissue papers to remove excess oil

Fry peanuts,curry leaves in the same oil

Add peanuts and curry leaves,sprinkle red chilli powder and salt as per your taste. Mix this to boondi and shake well.

Yummy Kaaraboondis are ready for snacking



Points to Note:

1. While frying the boondis, 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 boondis are little elongated and not circle, it means you need little more water to the batter

3. The batter consistency should be slightly thicker than dosa batter without any lumps

4. Make sure you wipe clean the ladle/grater after pouring every batch of batter. This avoids any holes being covered with batter.

Kaaramani kuzhambu with grounded coconut and Sesame seeds

Karamani also known as Black-eyed peas is one of my most favorite pulses. The reason is its easy to cook and has real good taste. I made this kuzhambu with raw plantain(vazhaikai). You can add brinjal also with this. The only change that I did for this traditional recipe is grinding the sesame seeds along with coconut. This gave a nice flavor and aroma just like adding Gingely oil. I use the pressure cooker method and cook all the vegetables together. If you are using cooked black-eyed peas, you can cook the vegetables on the pan itself after adding Tamarind extract and add the cooked peas before adding the ground paste.

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1/2
Black eye peas - 1/4 cup
Raw plantain - 1/4 cup (cut into cubes)
Tamarind extract - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
salt

To roast and grind
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
coconut powder - 3 tsp

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds.

2. After they splutter, add the cut onions and tomatoes and saute them

3. To this add raw plantain (vazhaikai), curry leaves, chili powder and coriander powder.

4. Now transfer this to pressure cooker and add the black eye peas and tamarind extract and  1 cup of water. Add required salt and pressure cook the ingredients for 3 to 4 whistles.

5. While its getting cooked in the pressure cooker, roast and grind the sesame seeds and coconut powder to a smooth paste.

6. When the pressure in the cooker is released, add the ground paste and boil it again for a minute. Now add the coriander leaves.

7. Serve with hot rice and papad.

I am sending this recipe to Cooking with Whole Foods [CWF] : Sesame seeds event hosted by Kiran happening at Kaarasaram

Semiya Idly

Got this recipe from a cookbook supplement from aval vikatan. I usually make only upma and payasam with semiya and this sounded interesting and of course easy. All in my home like vermicelli so I tried it confidently for dinner and it came out well. One good thing about this recipe is you can make more idlies with less batter :-)
Kara chutney will be the best accompaniment for this Idly.

Ingredients:

Semiya (Vermicelli)	1 cup
Idly batter	1 cup
Grated carrot	2 tbsp
Grated ginger	1 tsp
Coriander leaves	1 handful
To Season:
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Urid dhal	1 tsp
Gram dhal	1 tsp
Chopped Green chilli	1
Curry leaves	1 twig
Hing	A pinch

Procedure:
Dry roast the semiya. Pour boiling water over it, till it is completely immersed and leave it for 3-4 mins.
The semiya should be half cooked. Drain the water and let it cool.
Mix the idly batter with the semi cooked semiya and grated carrots,ginger and coriander leaves. You can add little water to get the correct consistency. Add salt as required.
Season the batter with the items given.
Grease the idly plate with oil and pour the mixed batter.
Steam it in pressure cooker. Serve the hot idlis with kara chutney.

Kara Chutney
Here is the recipe for chutney. You can optionally add coconut to this recipe. It tastes good even without coconut.

Ingredients:

Onion	1 Big
Tomato	2
Ginger	2 cloves
Garlic	1 small piece
Red chilli	1
Coriander leaves	1 handful
Urid dhal	1 tsp
To Season:
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Urid dhal	1 tsp
Curry leaves	1 twig
Hing	A pinch

Procedure:
Roughly chop onion and tomatoes.
Add oil in a pan and fry urid dhal.
Add chopped onions, ginger, garlic, red chilly and fry till the onions are transparent.
Add the tomatoes and cook till it becomes soft.
Allow this mixture to cool and grind it bit coarsely with chopped coriander and with required salt.
Season the chutney with mustard seeds, urid dhal and curry leaves.



Semiya Idly with chutney

 An easy and different breakfast/dinner..

Mushroom pulao

My mother used to make this pulao and I used to love this. I think its almost the same recipe but I bet I can't compare mine to that taste..Hmm.. miss that :-(
Anyway here is the recipe..
Ingredients:

Mushroom	12-15 Nos.
Onion	1 No.
Tomato	1 No.
Mint leaves	1 handful
Coriander leaves	1 handful
Ginger garlic paste	1 tsp
Red Chilli powder	1 tsp
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Salt	As required
Water	2 ½ cups
Milk	½ cup
Basmati Rice	2 cups
Oil	1 tbsp
Ghee	1 tsp
To Season:
Whole Garam masala	4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf
Fennel seeds	1 tsp
Jeera	1 tsp

Procedure:
Cut the mushrooms in quarters or into 6 pieces if the mushroom is big.
Heat oil and ghee in pressure cooker or in any thick bottomed vessel.
Add whole garam masala, fennel seeds and jeera.
Add the sliced onions, saute for a while. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few more minutes.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and mint leaves. Let it cook for sometime.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder.
Add the chopped mushrooms, the mushrooms will start leaving water. Cook till all the water is absorbed.
Now add the washed rice, and mix it well with the masala. The rice tastes better if its gets slightly fried.
Pour the water and milk, usually for basmati rice for 1 cup, 1 and half cup water should be enough. Add water depending on the rice variety you use. Milk is optional, I feel it enhances the taste for this pulao.
Add salt, chopped coriander leaves. You can adjust for salt and spice now. (May be you can add red chilli powder/garam masala powder if required).
You can optionally add 1 tsp lemon juice.
Once the water starts boiling, bring it into simmer and close with the lid (No weight).

The rice should be ready in 10-12 minutes.
Once done serve it with curd raita.

This also makes great for lunch box.

Baby Corn Masala

Ingredients:

Baby Corn	12-15 Nos.
Onion	1 No.
Tomato	2-3 Nos. (Depends on size)
Garlic	2 cloves
Ginger	1 small piece
Fennel seeds	½ tsp
Cashew nuts	5
Red Chilli powder	1 tsp
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Milk	¼ cup
Water	As needed
Kasoori Methi	1 tsp
Garam masala powder	1/t tsp (optional)
Oil	As needed
To Season:
Jeera	1 tsp
Asafoetida	A pinch

Procedure:

Cut the Babycorn into medium size and cook it in a vesssel.

Fry the fennel seeds, sliced onions and cashew nuts in oil by adding one by one.

When the onions become transparent (3-4) minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a while, till soft.

Once this mixture is cooled, grind it to a fine paste along with chilli powder and turmeric.

Heat the oil in a pan and add jeera and asafatoedia and allow it to splutter.

Add the ground paste and fry it for a while in medium/slow flame for 4-5 minutes.

Once the raw smell goes, add the cooked babycorn and little water.

Pour the milk, may be some more water if the mixture is thick.

Add the crushed kasoori methi and garam masala powder.

Allow this to boil and switch off at the required consistency.

Babycorn masala is ready to serve with chapathi/roti.

Variations:

You can add other vegetables like Capscium, paneer to this gravy.

Senai kizhangu(Edo) puttu

Whenever I buy this vegetable, I do the usual fry where we have to pressure cook them and simply shallow fry with salt and chilli powder. I got this recipe from my cousin sister. Wen she told abt this, I was very reluctant to do this, as this vegetable tends to be very mushy and sticky after cooked. I didn't know how it will come out. But this time I just wanted to give it a try. It turned out very well and taste is very unique.

Ingredients:

Senai kizhangu - 3-4 nos

Onion- 1 big finely chopped

Green chillies - 4 (use less if u want to make less spicier)

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt

Oil - 2 tbsp



Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the senai kizhangu for 3-4 whistles. Cool down and mash them well with salt.

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan (use heavy bottomed to avoid burning) and add the chopped onions and green chillies and saute well. Add turmeric powder and little salt and keep stirring till the onions turn brown.

3. Now add the mashed kizhangu and keep on medium low flame. Keep stirring. Initially the kizhangu will be sticky and won't blend well. But keep cooking for around 15 mins, stirring frequently. It will be mixed well and will turn crispy and brown.

4. Once it has browned evenly and has reached the consistency of puttu (should be separate), turn off the stove

5. Tasty Senai kiZhangu(Edo) puttu is ready. This will go well with sambhar, puli kuzhambu and curd rice.

Enjoy!!

Brinjal and rajma curry

Ingredients:

Brinjal - 4-5 small ones

Cooked kidney beans - 1 cup

Finely chopped onions - 1/2 cup

Chopped tomatoes - 1/2 cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Mustard - 1 tsp

Urid dhal - t tsp

Curry leaves

Oil

Coriander leaves - To garnish

Procedure:

Pour oil in the pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter, followed by urid dhal.

Add curry leaves and chopped onions.

Fry the onions, add ginger garlic paste and fry for a while.

Add the chopped tomatoes, all the masala powders and fry for a while till the raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped brinjals and mix it well. Keep it closed with a lid to allow the brinjal to get cooked. Add little water if required.

The cooked rajma can be added once the brinjal is almost done.

Cook till its done and garnish with coriander leaves.

This can be served as side dish for chapathi or rice.