Food Recipes

Ennai kathirikai kuzhambu (or) Eggplant kuzhambu

2012-11-22T01:15:00.002-08:00

Ingredients:

Small Brinjal (Eggplant) – 6-7
Tamarind paste– 1/2 tspn
Coriander leaves
Garlic - 4
onion - 1/2 medium
Tomato - 1
Mustard,Urad dhal, Cumin seeds, asafoteida(hing), Curry leaves for seasoning
Salt – To taste
Oil

To Grind:

Dry chilli – 3-4 count
Whole pepper – 1/2 tspn
Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tspn
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tspn
Dhania(Coriander seeds) – 1 spoon
Kasa kasa(Poppy seeds) - 1 tspn
Coconut – 3 piece
Chopped onions – 1/2 medium

Method:

Roast all the ingredients given under grinding with little oil.
Blend them into a fine paste when it gets cooled.
Chop the onion,garlic & tomato & slit the eggplants according to instruction given in introduction.
Heat 1-2 tbspn of oil preferably sesame oil in a pan & add the seasonings.
Saute the onion,garlic & tomato along with some salt till tomato gets mushy.
Add turmeric powder & the ground paste & keep it stirring till the oil separates.
Now add the eggplants, saute it till the eggplant turns colour a little bit.
Finally add tamarind paste & some jaggery along with some water.
Let it boil till eggplants are cooked & the gravy thickens.
It tastes better when the oil floats on the top.
If not, add a tspn of oil at the end. Serve it with rice & poriyal.

Enjoy Cooking !!!!!

Sippi (Kulkul)

2012-03-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Maida - 1 cup
Water - ¼ cup
Salt - ½ tsp
Oil - 3 cup
Sugar -¾ cup
Elachi powder - 1 tsp

Method -

Mix maida in a wide bowl with salt and ¼ cup of water approximately. Knead them to make a stiff dough, like how we make for puris.
Basically the dough shouldn't stick. Please do not add all the water at one go. Add little by little till it kneads to a stiff dough.
Now take a very small piece of dough and flatten it on any design like the mould shown in the picture or fork. Then roll each piece off so that the design will be Imprinted on it.
Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry these sippi’s in batches till they turn to golden brown color and transfer them to paper towels to drain the excess oil content.
Make sure that the oil is not very hot because it tends to burn the moment u drop them, as they are very thin.
Heat sugar with ¼ cup water(approximately) over medium flame. When it starts to boil vigorously add 1tsp of Ellaichi powder and check for thread consistency.
Transfer the sippi’s immediately into the sugar syrup and stir them well.The syrup will crystallize and all the sippi will be coated with sugar. Remove, let it cool and store.

Susiyam

2012-03-11T06:54:00.002-07:00

Ingredients:

Maida - 1 cup
Split gramdhal - 1 cup soaked for atleast 40 mins
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup crushed
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Ghee -2 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Oil for frying - 150 ml refined
Water - 2 ¾ cups

Method:

Take a pressure pan, add the split gramdal,2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt. Pressure cook this upto 4 whistles. Turn off the flame. Wait for the pressure to be released.
Open the lid and mash the cooked dhal, add the crushed jaggery, cardamom powder, grated coconut,1 tbsp sugar,2 tsp ghee and mix well. If this stuffing is water ,turn on the flame and saute this till it runs dry.
Shape this gram dhal stuffing into small sized balls.
Take a bowl Add 1 cup maida, little more than 1/2 a cup water and 1 tsp salt. Mix this well so that no lumps should form.
Heat refined oil in a kadai, dip the gram dhal balls in maida flour (so that it gets fully coated with maida flour) and deep-fry this in oil till this turns golden brown on bothsides.

Achu Murukku (eggless)

2012-03-11T05:38:00.002-07:00

Ingredients:

Raw rice flour - 1 cup
Maida/all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
Sugar powder - 1/2 cup
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Salt - A pinch

Method:

Sieve the rice flour,maida,sugar powder together.
Add coconut milk and salt with the sieved flour and mix well,without lumps.
The batter should be like dosa batter consistency, if the batter is too liquid it won't come out of the mould or if it's too thick it won't be crispy.So adjust the water according to your batter consistency.
Heat oil in a kadai,once oil is heated up place the achu muruku mould in hot oil for one minute.
After that take the mould and dip it immediately into the batter to 3/4th,not fully.
As the mould is hot the batter will stick into it and place that in the hot oil.
After the batter is half done, use a fork to release the muruku to the oil.
Turn it on other sides and fry it to light brown/till crispy.
Repeat the same step for remaining batter. Every time before you dip the mould in the batter, keep the mould in the hot oil for a minute.

Note: The batter consistency is very important,if it is too liquid it will not come out from the mould.So adjust the consistency of batter carefully.
If the mould is new, keep it in dosa batter for a day ,then wash it nicely and apply oil in all sides.keep this for another day then use it.

Jalebi

2012-03-11T05:00:00.002-07:00

Ingredients:
For the Jalebi batter

200 gms All purpose flour / Maida
2 cups Curds/ Yoghurt
2 tsp Lime Juice
150 gmsapprx* Cornstarch / Cornflour
2 tbsp Hot oil
Food colour - orange / saffron / yellow
pinch of salt

For the Sugar Syrup

2 cups Sugar
1 tsp Lime juice
Water - Just enough to cover the sugar and melt.
Oil for deep frying

Method:

In a bowl, take the flour, add salt, then add in the curds, whisk well. Then add lime juice, cornstarch, safroncolour, and finally the hot oil.
Mix everything well together and make sure there are no lumps. The batter needs to be thick.
I mistook and made the batter little thin, so I had to add more starch to thicken the batter.
Once this is done, set it aside to ferment.

To make the Sugar Syrup

When the batter is all ready, get the sugar syrup ready. Take a pan with sugar, add just enough water to cover all the sugar.
Keep stirring so that the sugar melts. Strain if required.
Add line juice to avoid sugar crystallization. But few did after few days.
Then again cook till you get a syrupy consistency. Keep it warm.

Making the Jalebis

Heat oil in a kadai. It is advised that once oil hot, you reduce to medium low flame. But I saw that my Jalebis were getting soggy when I do that.
Spoon batter into a piping bag / zip lock bag or even your milk/ any thick plastic cover. Cut a tiny hole at one end, pipe the batter into the hot oil.
Fry till it's crisp and starts changing colour. This took about just couple of seconds for me, I had to be really quick with piping and turning the jalebis.
Flip and cook on both sides. Once done, drop the hot jalebis into the warm sugar syrup. Done dunk them for long, flip on both sides and remove with a slotted spoon.

This is best served hot/warm.

Sweet Somas or Kajjikayalu

2012-03-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

Ingredients for Stuffing:

½ cup Fine coconut shreds
1 cup Rava (sooji )
¼ cup Fried gram
1 cup Sugar
¼ tsp Cardamom / elaichi pwd

For Somas:

2 cups Maida
1 tbsp Roasted rava
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method:
To prepare the inside stuffing ( Poornam )

Grate coconut to fine shreds.
Roast rava and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a fry pan.
Add grated cashew, coconut shreds, fried gram powdered, sugar, roasted rava and cardamom powder.
Saute till rich aroma comes out.
Remove from flame and keep aside.
Poornam is ready for stuffing.

To prepare Somas:

In a wide bowl, take maida and 1 tbsp roasted rava.
Add a pinch of salt and knead it to soft dough by sprinkling water(just as we do for making pooris). Keep the dough covered for 5 to 10 mins.
Make small balls out of the dough.
Roll it to small discs.
Keep the poornam inside and close it. Fold it as semicircle and seal the ends with little oil. Repeat the same for all the balls. Heat oil in a fry pan.
Deep fry the somas in medium flame to golden.

Delicious somas is ready to share & enjoy.

Banana Kachayam

2012-03-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 cup Maida or All purpose flour
1 cup Semolina (white Sooji/Rava)
3 Bananas
4 Cardamom Pods
1 Cup Sugar
2 tsp grated Coconut (Optional)
1 pinch Baking soda powder
Water
Oil for deep frying

Method:

In a bowl peel the Bananas and mash them well.
Add Maida, Rava, Cardamoms, Grated Coconut, Baking soda and Sugar with the mashed Banana.
Add the water with the mixture little by little and make batter like idli/dosa consistency.
Heat the Oil in a frying pan.
Take a small amount of mixture using small and round shaped ladle.
Drop the dough into hot Oil and deep fry until become golden brown on both sides.
Now the kachayam is ready to serve.
We can serve it Hot or even store this kachayam upto 2 weeks in a cool and dry place.

Note: I am using Coconut it is optional and Instead of sugar and Maida we can use Jaggery and wheat flour which is healthier than this.

Aloo Paratha

2012-02-29T05:15:00.004-08:00

Ingredients:
For the Stuffing:

3 potatoes
3 green chillies
1tbsn. of coriander seeds, grinded coarsely
Handful of fresh coriander leaves
Salt

For the dough:

2 cups of wheat flour
½ tsp. of sugar
1tsp. of ghee
Salt
Water
Oil /ghee – for the paratha’s

Preparation:

In a bowl,mix the flour with salt and sugar. Add sufficient water to it.Mix well
Finally add the ghee and knead it well until it forms a soft dough.
Cover and keep it aside for 30 mins. Pressure cook the potatoes.
In a bowl, add the potatoes, along with chopped chillies and fresh coriander leaves
Now add the coriander seeds(grinded coarsely) along with salt. Mix it well (Definitely you will enjoy the smell of fresh coriander leaves and coriander seeds while mixing)
Now the filling is ready , Take a lemon sized ball form the dough , dust it in flour and roll them into a flat and round shaped one.Place the filling inside and close it well..
Now press lightly with your palm and dust it in the flour.With the rolling pin , roll them well or if you are scared that your filling might come out, then gently press then with your palm.(Quite somedays I used my palm ).
Heat the tawa, place the Stuffed chapathi and apply oil/ ghee on its sides as well as on its top.
When both sides are cooked well, remove from the tawa.

Serve it hot with raita's /Pickle's and enjoy.

Shrimp or Prawn Biryani

2011-06-03T23:28:00.002-07:00

Ingredients:

Fresh Shrimp OR Prawn ( Medium Sized ) - 15 no
Basmati Rice/ Jeera Samba Rice - 1 ½ cups
Oil - 2 tsp
Bay Leaves -3 nos
Cloves - 2 nos
Cinnamon -1 inch
Cardamom - 2 nos
Star Anise -1 no
Onion -1 medium
Ginger Garlic Paste -1 tsp
Tomatoes -2 nos
Green Chilli - 2 nos
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp
Mint leaves - few
Ghee - 1 tsp
Cashew - 5 nos
Salt - to taste
Water - 3 cups
Yogurt or curd - 3 tsp
Coconut milk -1 cup

Method:

Soak rice for 30 min, wash it thoroughly and drain the water. Clean the shrimp, remove tails, head and devein, wash throughly. Chop Onion, tomato, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Slit open green chili. Grind ginger and garlic paste.
In a pressure cooker add oil. When hot, add Bay Leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and star anise. Add the chopped Onion immediately and 1/4 tsp of salt. When the onion turns brown, add the ginger garlic pate. Fry this till raw smell leaves, approximately 3 min in medium flame. Stir often to avoid the burn. Add the green chili, mint & coriander leaves and fry for 1 min. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it becomes gravy.
Add the Shrimp and fry for until it’s cooked in the oil. Water released from the shrimp is good enough to cook it. Add the turmeric, yogurt, coconut milk and water. Add the rice and mix well for 2 min in Medium flame. Check for salt. Add ghee and mix well.
Close the cooker lid and pressure cook for 2 whistles and reduce the flame to the lowest setting and allow it to stay for 30 min. Garnish with extra coriander leaves and add cashew nuts.

Pidi Kozhukattai - Kudumulu

2011-06-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Jaggery - 1 cup or to taste
Coconut grating or coconut pieces - 1/4 cup
Cardamom – 2
Gingelly oil - 1tsp

Method:

Mix the rice flour with 1 cup of water.
Melt the jaggery with 1 cup of water and strain to remove any impurities.
Take a non stick pan and heat with strained jagerry water.Bring it to boil.
Now add the rice flour mix, coconut pieces, cardamom powder and mix well.
Stir continuously ensuring that no lumps are formed.
Once all the water is absorbed and appears like a dough consistency.
Remove from heat and keep aside.
Apply some gingelly oil in your palm.
Make a small lemon size balls out of the kozhukattai dough and keep aside.
For pidi kozhukattai take a small lemon size kolukattai dough and make a ball and keep it your palm just press it by your fingers.
Steam the kozhukatais in idly cooker or pressure cooker using idly plates for 5 to 10 mins.
Allow to cool for sometime. Then remove the kolukattai or kudumulu from idly cooker.

Now your easy and tasty pidi kozhukattai is ready.

Poornam Kozhukattai - Modak

2011-06-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

Making of dough:
Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 1 1/2 cup
Coconut oil – 1 tsp
Water – 1/2 cup
Pinch of salt

Method of Preparation:

Soak rice for 2 hours.
Grind it finely into a smooth paste.
Boil 1/2 cup of water in a deep bottomed pan and add a tsp of coconut oil.
Now add the ground rice , pinch of salt and keep stirring.
After a couple of minutes it will become a soft ball.
Cover it and turn off the stove and leave it for 3 to 4 minutes.
It will be cooked.
The dough has to be cooked but not completely. It should not be hard.
This is the main part to concentrate on.

Making of Poornam:
Ingredients:

Shredded coconut – 3/4 cup
Jaggery – 1/2 cup
Cardamom – 2 count
Ghee/Clarified butter – 1tsp

Method of Preparation:

Add jaggery to a pan and add 1/4 cup of water.
Let it boil and let the jaggery melt completely.
Now filter the syrup to get rid off the dirt and add it to a clean pan.
Add the shredded coconut and keep mixing for two minutes.
Add the ground cardamom and mix well.
When the mixture starts thickening, turn off the stove.

Making of dumplings:

Now make small balls with the rice dough.
Take the balls and press it in the middle and make a cup.
keep a tsp of puran inside close it to make a desired shape. You can also choose one of the shape as in the picture above.
Repeat the same procedure with the other balls.
Once you are done, you can arrange them in the idli plates and steam cook for 10 minutes (just like how you make idlis).
Turn off the stove and remove them from the plates.

Kozhukattai is ready.

Carrot Halwa - Gajar Ka Halwa

2011-05-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Peeled and grated carrots - 2.5 cups
Milk - 6 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Cashew and nuts - to garnish

Method:

Bring the milk to boil in heavy bottomed pan and continue to simmer till it reduces to half the quantity. Make sure you keep stirring once in a while, so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Meanwhile, in another pan, heat the ghee and add the grated carrots.
Saute for about 5-8 minutes on a low flame till it loses its raw smell and softens.
Add the carrot to the reduced milk and continue cooking till the milk is completely absorbed and the carrot is just moist.
Once the carrot is cooked, add sugar and cook for 5 minutes, till the sugar dissolves.
Add the cardamom powder and remove from flame.

Important! Serve warm.

Vegetable Fried Rice

2011-05-31T06:16:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice (cooked)
½ cup shredded cabbage
1 carrot (peeled & diced)
1/4th cup frozen peas
1/2-1 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp ajinomoto (optional)
3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
3-4 spring onions (finely chopped)

Method:

Spread the cooked rice on a wide plate. Add a teaspoon of cooking oil, sprinkle couple of pinches of white pepper and salt, mix lightly and let cool completely.
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan/ wok, once the oil is smoky hot, add carrots, peas, spring onions and stir fry for 2-3minutes on high heat.
Add shredded cabbage, ajinomoto and remaining white pepper. Stir fry for 2 more minutes on high heat.
Add a little of salt to taste. Then add the rice, and mix lightly taking care not to break or crush the rice. Add the spring onion
leaves and let it cook for 5 more minutes.
Serve hot with any wet Manchurian.

Notes: Leftover rice works well for this dish. You can add soy sauce for extra flavor. Quick and easy way to get cold rice is, cool down the fresh cooked rice to room temperature and spread it on a plate and keep in fridge for ½ hr (or until done with ur preparation and stir fry).

Rava Dosa

2011-03-07T06:53:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

Sooji/Semolina/Upma rava – 1 cup
Rice flour – 1/2 cup
All purpose flour/maida – 1/2 cup
Salt – 2 teaspoons / Adjust to taste
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Green chilies – 2, chopped
Oil – To drizzle on dosas

Method:

Mix together sooji, rice flour, all purpose flour, salt, cumin seeds, green chilies with water to make it a very thin batter, should look like butter milk consistency.(I added around 4 1/2 cups water)
Heat a tawa/flat pan on medium-high heat. When its hot enough, using your hand sprinkle the batter on the tawa, so that it spreads evenly over the tawa.
Drizzle some oil over the dosa, let it cook, gently scrape it and fold. We do not turn it cook on the other side for rava dosa.

Serve instantly with some chutney or sambar.

Crab Fry

2011-02-23T06:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Oil - 3 spoons
Coriander Powder - 1/2 spoon
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Tomatto - 1 finely chopped
Peper Powder - 2 spoons
Crab Big - 2
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 spoon
Turmeric Powder 1/2 spoon
Water - 1 glasses
Salt to taste

Method:

Clean & Wash the crab thoroughly.
Heat oil in a thick bottom pan.
Add onion and fry till light brownish then add tomato.
Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and add crabs.
Add coriander powder, pepper powder, water and salt to taste.
Cook it for few minutes till it becomes thick.
Garnish and serve hot.

Kothu Parotta

2011-02-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Parotta finely chopped- 4
Onion finely chopped - 1
Tomatto finely chopped- 1
Curry Leaves - 15
Chilli - 2
Pepper Powder - 1
Chilli Powder - 1/4 spoon
Salt to taste
Scrambled Eggs - 3
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch

Method:

In a Pan pour 4 spoons oil and then Fry Curry Leaves.
Put Onion and then fry.Once onion is fryed put tomatto and fry the same.
Put chilli and fry after tomatto is fryed.Put Chilli Powder ,Pepper Powder, Turmeric Powder, Salt and fry the same.
Then add the scarmbled eggs and then add Parotta and fry the same.Scramble if possible. Check for spice level. Now Kothu Parotta is ready.

Chilli Chicken

2011-02-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Chicken Boneless - 2lb cut into small pieces
Corn Starch - 3/4 Cup + 1/4 Cup
Maida Powder - 1/2 Cup
Salt to taste
Ajinamoto - 1/2 spoon + 1/4 spoon
Soya Sauce - 3 spoons + 3 spoons
White Pepper - 1 spoon + 1/2 spoon
Coriander Leaves - 5 spoons finely chopped
Green onion - 3 nos finely chopped
ginger -1 spoon finely crushed
garlic - 1 spoon finely crushed
Green Chillies - 3 finely chopped
Onion -1 Chopped Big(Not finely chopped)
Vinegar - 1 spoon + 1 spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 spoon
Chilli - 5 Chopped

Method:
For Batter:

Clean and cut the chicken in to small pieces
Add One spoon of Ginger garlic paste and then add 1/4 cup corn starch along with 1/2 cup of maida , Salt , 1/2 spoon Ajinamoto , 1 spoon of white peper, 3 spoons of Soya Sauce , 1 spoon of Vinegar.Mix this well and let it be in fridge for 1/2 hr.
Fry this chicken in oil until they become yellowish.

For Manchurian:

Fry Ginger(1 spoon finely crushed) , Garlic(1 spoon finsely crushed) followed by Onion and Chilli.Now add Vinegar(1 spoon) , Soyasauce(3 spoons) , Ajinamoto(1/4 spoon), White Pepper(1/2 spoon),Salt and let it get cooked for 2 minutes.
In 1/2 glass of water dilute Corn Starch(1/4 cup).Add this to the gravy and let it get cooked for 2 minutes.
Now add the Fryed chicken to this and let it get cooked for 3 minutes.Now add Coriander Leaves and Green Onions.Chilli Chicken is ready.

Vada Curry

2011-02-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Bengal Gram Dal (Kadalai Parupu) - 1 cup
Curry Leaves - 15 leaves
Coriander leaves cut - 4 spoons
Ginger - 10gms mashed
Salt to taste
Chilli Powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Bayleaves - 2
Cloves - 2
Cinamon stic - 1/2
Saunf - 1/2 spoon
Oil to fry vada and 4 spoons to make vadacurry
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Tomatto - 1 finely chopped
Green Chillies - 2

Method:

Soak Bengal gram dal in water for 30 minutes and grind it to 3/4th.
Note : Dont add anything like salt / spice
Fry the stuff in oil as vadas.Dont mind the shape in which it comes.
Pour oil in a pan.Fry Bayleaf,Clove,Cinamon Stic and roast it.Once this is roasted put Saunf and fry a bit.
Put Ginger and fry it.Then add Onion to it and fry.
Put Tomatto to stuff and then add green chillies and curry leaves.Once the raw smell went add turmeric powder , red chilli powder and then salt to it.
Pour 2 glasses of water and once water boils.Put the Vadas and close the pan.
Before closing the pan check for spice level.
Garnish the stuff prepared in step 5 by using coriander leaves.Vadacurry is ready.

Bisi bella bath

2011-02-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Rice -1 cup thick avalakki(poha) available at Indian supermarkets
Toor dal - 1/4 cup + 2 spoon
Tamarind - Small lemon size
3 cups mixed vegetables cut lengthwise(carrots, beans, potato, peas, lima beans)
3 tablespoons bisi bele bath powder (Recipe follows)
2 teaspoons salt
5 and 1/2 cups water
Small onion - 7 shallots
Tomato - 1
Oil - 5 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tablespoon
Urad dal - 1/2 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tablespoon

For Bisi Bele Bath Powder:

The powder can be made ahead and stored in an air tight container.

The powder is also readily available at Indian supermarkets by popular brand names like MTR.

2 tablespoons urad dal
2 tablespoons chana dal
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup dried red chillies
1/2 teaspoon methi(fenugreek) seeds
1/4 teaspoon hing(asafetodia)
1 inch piece cinnamon
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon oil

Fry all the above ingredients in oil. When the dals are golden brown turn off the stove. Mix well and allow it to cool completely and powder in a mixer or spice mill.

For Seasoning: (Optional)

1 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon hing(asafetodia)
2 tablespoons peanuts
1 tablespoon cashew nuts
1 spring curry leaves

Method:

Pressure cook toor dal in 1 cup of water with a pinch of turmeric and 1/2 spoon oil.
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the juice and set aside. If using ready tamarind paste measure 1/2 tablespoon.
Soak rice for about 30 minutes in water.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds after it splutters add urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Then add shallots and tomato fry till it reaches golden brown color.
After that add all the vegetables and fry them for 3 minutes and then add the sambar powder, now fry the whole mixture for 2 minutes.
Now add the mixture to the pressure cooker along with pressure cooked toor dal.
Then add rice, tamrind water, salt, a pinch of turmeric powder and 1/2 tablespoon rasam powder (optional). Finaly add remaining water and close the pressure cooker.
Pressure cook for 7 whistles.
In a small kadai heat ghee(clarified butter).
Add mustard seeds and hing. When they splutter add cashew nuts, peanuts and curry leaves.
When the cashew nuts are golden brown and peanuts open up, pour the seasoning over the bisi bele bath.

Vazhai Poo (Banana Flower) Vada

2011-02-15T05:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Vazhai Poo (Banana flower) – 1 No
Bengal Gran Dhal – 2 cups
Red Chillies – 4 Nos
Asafotida powder – a pinch
Sombu (aniseeds) – 1 teaspoon
Fresh ginger – small piece
Onion – 1 No
Green chillies - 2 Nos
Curry leaves - few
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
Oil – for deep frying
Buttermilk – ½ cup (for soaking the florets)

Method:

Soak bengal gram dhal for two to three hours.
Chop onion, green chillies and curry leaves finely.
Remove the big skin (bract) and take out the florets found underneath. In the florets, you will find a string in the middle and a rubbery skin outside. Remove both from each floret. Then chop all the floretss into tiny bits and put in water mixed with butter milk. This will avoid discolouration of the florets.
Wash well and put the chopped florets in a vessel and add little salt and mix well. Keep it aside.
Wash and drain the water completely from soaked dhal. Mix soaked dhal, red chillies, ginger, sombu, asafotida and salt together and grind to a coarse paste. Remove it.
Take out a handful of florets and squeeze out the excess water and add it to the dhal paste. Add chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves and mix well.
Heat oil in a kadai. Take out a lemon size dough and flatten it. Deep fry in oil till it become golden brown.

Uppu Urundai - Kara Kozhukattai

2011-02-14T06:34:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Parboiled Rice 1 cup
Raw Rice 1 cup
Salt as per taste

Batter Preparation:

Soak both the rice togather for 1 and a 1/2 hours.
Then wet grind it to thick coarse batter.
Add salt to this thick batter and mix them well.

For Sesonning:

Cashew nuts 10 slitted or chopped
Chana dal 1/2 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoo
Black pepper 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 8 sliced into bite size
Coconut finely chopped 1/2 cup
Curry leaves 1 cup
Salt
Ghee/Sesame oil 1 cup
Ghee or sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Heat ghee/oil in a wok. Add mustard, pepper, cumin, asafoetida, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well.
Now add chana dal, urad dal and cashewnuts to this. Fry them till they turn to reddish color. One may add little salt here if needed.
Now add the thick batter to the above. Still over the stove. Now fry this batter for a while. Maybe till the batter leaves its moisture and becomes like adough. It should be in dough consistency now at the same time.the rice dough, should not be crispy.
Greeze your palm/either wearing a gloves or without it. While the dough is still warm.try to make equal parts out of it. Like small lemon sized balls.
In a pressure cooker, heat 2 cups of water. Let it to boil over medium heat.
Then drizzle little ghee/sesame oil in the Idly plate. Smear the oil well in idly plate. Place these kozhukkatai/ rice balls over this greezed plate.
Steam cook them for 10-15 minutes.
Once it is done.maybe check with a wooden toothpick or bamboo schewer sticks. If the kozhukkatai is not sticky, its done.
Serve them warm with coconut and tomato chutney. This kara-kozhukkatai tastes good, as such without any side dish too.

Passiparuppu Payasam - Greengram Dhal Payasam

2011-02-13T06:24:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Green gram Dhal (pasi paruppu) – ½ cup
Raw Rice (pacharisi) – 2 spoons
Jaggery (vellam) – ½ cup
Grated Coconut – ¼ cup
Cashew nuts – 5
Dry grapes – 5
Cardamom – 3
Ghee

Method:

Cook Green gram dhal and raw rice in pressure cooker.
Heat a pan. Add Water and Jaggery(vellam). Make sure that the Jaggery melts well with water.
Then add cooked Green gram dhal and raw rice.
Fry Cashew nuts, Dry grapes and Cardamom in Ghee.
Finally add Grated coconut, fried Cashew, Dry grapes and Cardamom.

Egg Curry - Thokku

2011-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Small onion- 200g
Egg - 5
Garlic- 4
Ginger- equal to garlic
Tomato- 1
Mustard seeds and Urad dal- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- few
Chili powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Chicken powder- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt and Oil- to taste

Method:

Boil Egg for 5 mins. Then remove the shells.
Peel and semi grind the Small onion.
Grind Garlic, Ginger and make a paste. Kept this aside
Chop the Tomato into small pieces.
Heat Oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds and Urad dal fry till it splutters.
Add Curry leaves,Ginger and Garlic paste and fry for a min.
Then add Onion and fry till it becomes light brown in color.
Add Tomato and fry till it turn into soft. Then add Chili powder,Coriander powder, Chicken powder and Turmeric powder fry till raw smell goes.
Once the raw smell goes add a cup of Water and Salt.
Finally add boiled Eggs. Let the curry boil once.

Serve hot with rice and chappati.

Maida Biscuit - Gala Gala

2011-02-13T05:20:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

All purpose flour(Maida) - 1 cup
Chili powder - 1 tbspn
cumin seeds - 1/4 tbspn
Salt - to taste
Water - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 or 2 tspns

Method:

Mix All purpose flour, cumin seeds and Salt in a mixing bowl. Add water and start kneading till it turns into firm and soft dough.
Make dough into round shape and apply Oil over the dough.
Divide the dough into lemon size balls.
Roll each ball into flat and round shaped sheets.
Apply flour if the dough sticks while rolling.
Cut them into small squares using a knife and deep fry them in oil till golden brown.

Kamarkat

2011-02-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Coconut - 1 cup ( freshly grated)
Jaggery - 1 cup
Elachi - 2 pod
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Heat the jaggery in the pan. Allow it melt and change into dark golden color (260 degrees F).
Add the coconut and cook it until it comes together.
Remove from flame and spoon the mix on to a tray coated with some oil. Shape them into balls.
When it drys up pop one into your mouth and experience true delight.