sambar

Ingredients:

For the podi:

Coriander seeds/dhaniya 3tsp
Channa dal 1.5 tsp
Urad dal 1.5 tsp
Dried red chillies-4 to 5 (depending on taste)
Vendhayam/Methi - 4-5 seeds
3 tsp grated coconut
Oil-5 tsp

Fry the above ingredients in a little oil and make a powder in a mixie.

To make the Sambhar:

Mustard 1 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Extract of tamarind(1 lemon sized ball)
Choice of veggies+ 1 tomato
1/2 cup toor dal
Turmeric 1/4 sp, hing 4 dashes
Jaggery (gur) 1/8 tsp


Direcions:

Add the remaining oil, 1 tsp of mustard seeds, curry leaves, choice of veggies, 1 tomato. Fry well. Add the extract of 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind. Add turmeric, hing. Let it boil well till the raw smell of tamarind vanishes. Add the fresh sambhar powder. Let it boil. the sambhar will start thickening. Add 1/4 cup of cooked toor dal. Simmer for a few min. Add jaggery 1/8 tsp. Garninsh with coriander leaves.

Serve with rice and cooked seasoned veggies on the side.

ONION UTHAPPAM

2 cups of dosa batter
1 tsp minced ginger
1 fresh red chillie finely chopped
1 onion chopped
2 tbs coriander leaves finely chopped
2 tbs grated carrots

Method:
Heat a dosa kal or non stick pan.
Pour a ladle ful of batter and spread to make thick dosai.
Sprinkle little of the ingredients on the dosai.
Drizzle gingelly oil over and along the dosai.
Lower the flame and cover the dosai.
Let it cook for a minute, flip to cook the other side.
Serve hot with chutney or sambar.

mango sweet rice

Rice 4 cups
ripe mango or mango pulp 4 or 5
ghee 5 sp
cashew 2 sp, raisins 2 sp.
sugar 2 cups
cardamom 1/2 sp.

Mash mango well in mixie and extract the pulp without that fiber. Measure it and if it is 2 cups, then dont have to add any water.

Meanwhile, fry nuts and raisins in ghee. Keep aside. In the remaining ghee, add rice, fry for a couple of mts and add sugar, mango pulp. Pressure cook like our usual rice. finally, add cardamom powder.

Some points to note:

If the mango is really sweet, can reduce the amt of sugar; so, add half of the sugar while cooking and after cooking is done, taste and then, add more if you want.

If you want it to be very soft, like sarkarai pongal, cook the rice separately; mash, then add the mango pulp, sugar etc. and proceed as usual.

Either way, the taste will be quite decent.

Mango payasam

Mango skinless 2 (grind into pulp)
sugar 1/2 cup
cardamom 1/2 tsp
milk 1/2 litre
sooji 3 tsp

Boil milk well; add sugar, rava to make it thicker(can even add maida or rice flour in the place of rava). Add cardamom powder and mix well.

Switch the gas off. Now, mix the mango pulp paste to the milk and mix well. Cut half of the mango pieces without skin to garnish the payasam.

Ready to eat.

Baby corn in coconut milk

Baby corn 4
onion 1
coconut milk 1 cup
tomato 1
ginger paste 1 tsp
green chilli paste 1 tsp
cumin and dhania powder 2 tbsp each
red chilli powder 1 tsp
garam masala powder 1 tsp
coriander leaves, oil and salt.

Heat oil, saute onion well. Once it is brown, add all powders, tomato, pastes and salt mix well.

Let it cook for some time. Add corn with water to cook. It shd be done around 5 to 10 mts. Once it is cooked well, add coconut milk and boil for 5 more mts.

Garnish with leaves and ready to serve.

p.s.: For the above recipe, tender whole corn would be preferable. But, tried with frozen corn, still, the taste was nice.

Fruit mango puli kuzhambu(fruit mango tamarind gravy)

Mango ripe 3
onion 1/2 cup(1/2+1/2)
Tomato 1 no. (make into paste)
Tamarind
Mustard 1 tsp
cumin 1 tsp
garlic 6
turmeric 1/2 tsp

oil and salt


Roast in oil and grind

urad dal 1 tsp(1/2+1/2)
chilli powder 1 tsp
dhania powder 3 tbsp
curry leaves, coriander leaves little from each
fenu greek seed 1 tsp(1/2+1/2)

Heat oil, add half of the fenugreek seed, urad dal, curry leaves, half onion, the two said powders and leaves, saute well till the color changes into brown. Grind into a fine paste.

Season in oil with mustard. Once it splutters, add one by one ingredients fenugreek seed, urad dal, cumin, curry leaves. Once the dal color changes, add onion and garlic; saute well till the smell is gone. Pour tamarind juice, tomato puree, lengthy pieces or medium pieces of mango fruit and enough water with salt; let it boil till the raw smell disappears completely.

Sweet and sour gravy is ready to serve with rice.

Bisibela Bath( variation)

  This is another variation of bisibelabath. this is simple to make.


Ingredients


Rice 1 cup
Thuvar dhall 1 cup
Turmeric powder 1/4 t.spoon
Tamarind paste/extract 1.5 t.spoons
Red chilli 5
Peppercons 1 t.spoon
Corriander seeds 3 t.spoons
Cloves 2-3
Cinnamon stick a small piece
Cardamom 1
Ghee 1/2 cup
Oil 1/2 cup
Salt
Curry leave a few
Vegetables: Onions, carrots, peas, potatoes, green beans, white
pumpkin, etc washed and diced


Method

Cook rice and thuvar dhall with turmeric with extra water and
mash it well, and keep it aside.
Fry red chillies, peppercons, corriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon
stick, and cardamom in ghee and wet grind this mixture.
Chop onions and fry this in 2 t.spoons of oil. When the onions
turn light brown, add the other chopped vegetables, and let it
cook for sometime, till vegetables become tender. Now add salt,
turmeric, and the ground masala, and let it cook for 10-15
minutes. Add tamarind paste, 2 cups of water, to the above, and
mix everything well, and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Now add
the mashed rice/thuvar dhall mixture, and keep stiring till
everything mixes well. Add 4 t.spoons of ghee, and 4 t.spoons
of oil and serve it hot.

Rava Laddu

Ingredients :
• Semolina or rava - 1kg
• Sugar - 1/2kg
• Ghee - 1kg
• Milk - 1/2litre
• Powdered nutmeg - 20gm
• Powdered cardamom - 3nos
• Salt - 1/2tbs

Method :
Fry rava or semolina in 250gm ghee and mix with 1/2litre milk. Add salt, keep the mixture aside for 31/2hours so that the milk gets completely absorbed by the rava. Fry the mixture in rest of ghee. Allow it to cool.
Grind sugar to a fine powder and mix it with the above. Add heated ghee and other ingredients to this. Shape into laddus

SPICY KOFTA CURRY

Preparation Time : 15 minutes.
Cooking Time : 20 minutes.

Serves 4.
For the koftas
3/4 teacup fresh curds

3/4 teacup gram flour (besan)

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

6 green chillies, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 pinches soda bi-carb

salt to taste

oil or ghee for deep frying


For the curry
2 large tomatoes
1/4 teacup milk

2 tablespoons fresh cream

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons ghee

salt to taste


To be ground into a paste (for the curry)
1 onion

4 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 teaspoons poppy seeds (khus-khus)

25 mm. piece ginger

2 green chillies

6 red chillies
1 tablespoon chopped coriander

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder


For the koftas

1. Mix all the ingredients to make a thick batter.

2. Heat the oil, drop spoonfuls of the batter into it and deep fry until golden brown. Repeat for the remaining batter.

For the curry

1. Cut the tomatoes into big pieces, add 1 teacup of water and cook. When cooked, take out a puree by passing through a sieve.

2. Heat the ghee and fry the paste for 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the tomato puree, milk and 1/2 teacup of water and boil for 10 minutes.

4. Add the cream, sugar, salt and koftas and give one boil.

5. Serve immediately with rice or parathas.

Aval Payasam

Milk 1 lt
Aval 1/4 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder 1/2 ts.
safforn pinch
Cashew 10
pista,almond-sliced thinly 12 to 3 ts
ghee to fry cashew


Boil the milk.When it boils add wahed aval and keep the falme in medium and keep stiring now and then. Once aval is cooked well add sugar and keep cooking till it reduced to 3/4. Add cardamom,saffron,ghee fried cashew,sliced almond,pita. Once cooled put it in the fridge.

This is very tasty pudding. Definatly give it a try. I don't know the short cut method like palpayasam.

Vitamin chutney

Coconut 1
tomato riped 4
garlic flakes 5 to 6 flakes
onion 3
curry leaves 4 sprigs
coriander leaves 1 bundle
ginger 1 small bit
green chillies 4
red chillies4
roasted gram 1/2 cup
carrot 1 full grated
salt, oil

Heat oil, add onion, garlic, chillies saute well till the color changes. Now, put leaves, ginger, carrot and fry more till it is soft. Add tomato, haldi stir well.

Grind the above all with coconut, roasted gram and salt.

Season in oil with mustard, urad dal and little cut mint leaves.

Points:

On seeing the ingredients list, pls dont get shocked or ignore. Definitely it is a change from our regular onion or tomato chutney.

Red tomato apple chutney

onion 1
tomato 3
apple 2
chilli powder 1 tsp
oil and salt.

Peel the skin of apple and cut into small pieces.

Heat oil, add cut onion and saute. Put tomato and fry more. Now, add chilli powder, salt and apple. cook for some time till the apple is soft(will take a couple of mts only). At this stage, mash them gently with the laddle itself.

For pani puris, instead of all chutneys, can try the above chutney which is delicious and healthy.

Cabbage chutney

Cabbage 1 cup
green chillies 2
coconut 1/2 cup
roasted gram 2 tsp
ginger 1 inch
garlic 1 or 2 flakes
tamarind and salt

Heat a tsp of oil, add cabbage saute well. When the color changes, add chillies and other ingredients saute well. Once they all mixed up and cabbage is cooked, remove. Once it is cold, grind them.

Alteration: Can substitute or add equal amount of red and green chillies.

Ginger sambal

Ginger 3 pieces
onion 2 small size
curry leaves
grated coconut 2 tbsp
ghee 2 tsp
tamarind 3 tsp
green chillies 2
salt.

Heat ghee and add all, saute them nicely till the ginger smell comes.. Grind all of them into paste.

p.s.: Can reduce the number of chillies since ginger itself is a hot ingredient.

:

Sesame sambal:

Heard that sambal is a srilankan word and it is similar to thuvayal/chutney varieties.

sesame seed 1/2 cup
red chillies 5
grated coconut 1/2 cup
garlic flakes 10
pepper 1 tbsp
tamarind 4 tsp or depends on yr taste
curry leaves little
oil 3 tsp
salt.

Dry roast leaves, coconut. Once it is hot, keep aside.

Heat oil, add chllies, sesame seed saute. While the seed starts spluttering add flakes, pepper and fry well till the raw smell goes off. Grind all of them with salt, tamarind & roasted curry leaves.

Red pumpkin chutney

Pumpkin grated 1/2 cup
red chillies 3
coconut 2 tbsp
sambar onion 5
channa dal 1 tsp
urad dal 1 tsp
hing 1 tsp
curry leaves and coriander leaves little from each
oil, salt.

Heat a tsp of oil add dals, chillies saute till the color is golden brown. Add onions, leaves, coconut cook for some time; put the remaining ingredients hing, pumpkin mix well. Add salt and once it is cooked, switch off.

Grind w/w.o tamarind, once it gets cool down.

Paneer butter masala

INGREDIENTS :


Paneer  - 1 cup
cashew nut paste 1/2 cup
onion tomato pastes  - 1/2 cup each
red chilli powder   -1 tbsp
capsicum  - 1
dhania powder  - 1 tsp
garam masala powder  - 1 tsp
oil and salt.  

method :
Heat oil and onion, tomato pastes saute well. Once the raw smell is gone, put all the powders, cook. Put cashew nut paste, cook for some more time. Add enough water and when it starts boiling or the color has started changing, add paneer pieces; mix well and serve.

Mango payasam

Mango skinless 2 (grind into pulp)
sugar 1/2 cup
cardamom 1/2 tsp
milk 1/2 litre
sooji 3 tsp

Boil milk well; add sugar, rava to make it thicker(can even add maida or rice flour in the place of rava). Add cardamom powder and mix well.

Switch the gas off. Now, mix the mango pulp paste to the milk and mix well. Cut half of the mango pieces without skin to garnish the payasam.

Ready to eat.

Baby corn in coconut milk

Baby corn 4
onion 1
coconut milk 1 cup
tomato 1
ginger paste 1 tsp
green chilli paste 1 tsp
cumin and dhania powder 2 tbsp each
red chilli powder 1 tsp
garam masala powder 1 tsp
coriander leaves, oil and salt.

Heat oil, saute onion well. Once it is brown, add all powders, tomato, pastes and salt mix well.

Let it cook for some time. Add corn with water to cook. It shd be done around 5 to 10 mts. Once it is cooked well, add coconut milk and boil for 5 more mts.

Garnish with leaves and ready to serve.

p.s.: For the above recipe, tender whole corn would be preferable. But, tried with frozen corn, still, the taste was nice.

Kanjeepuram Idli

Ingredients
Par boiled 3 cups
Urad dhall 2.5 cups
Dry ginger powder 1 t.spoon
Pepper 1/2 t.spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 t.spoon
Hing 1/4 t.spoon
Curry leaves
Cooking Oil 6 t.spoons
Ghee 2 t.spoons
Salt 1.5 t.spoons
A pinch of baking soda




Method
Rinse and soak par boiled rice and urad dhall in water for 2
hours. Grind the above coarsley and add hing and salt and
a pinch of baking soda to this.
Keep it overnight so that this will ferment.
Fry pepper, cumin seeds, and curry leaves in oil and ghee. Add
this to the flour. Add dried ginger powder and mix everything
together.
Coat a flat vessal with oil, and pour the idli flour into this
and pressure cook for 45 minutes in low heat without pressure
cooker weight.

Peas Masala Bath

Ingredients
Rice 2 cups
Peas 1-2 cups
Coconut 1/4 cup
Green Chilles 4-5
Ginger a small piece
Clove 4
Cardomam 2
Cinnamon Stick a small piece
Mustard 1/4 t.spoon
Salt
Cooking oil 2-3 t.spoons


Method
Cook rice with less water as you would cook for pulauv.
Wet grind coconut, green chilles, ginger, clove, cardomon, and cinnoman
stick and keep it aside.
Splutter mustrad in oil, and add the ground masala, salt and keep
stiring for a few minutes until the flavour comes out.
Now add the cooked rice, peas, and mix it gently.







Green Pepper Bath

Ingredients
Rice 2 cups
Tomatoes 2
Cumin seeds 1/2 t.spoon
Red Chilles 6
Cinnoman Stick a small piece
Green Pepper (Bell Pepper/Koda Mulakai) about 2 washed and cut
Salt 1.5 t.spoons
Cooking Oil 1-2 t.spoons


Method
Cook rice with less water as you would cook for pulauv.
Wet gring tomatoes, cumin seeds, red chilles, cinnoman stick, and salt
and keep it aside.
Fry in little oil the chopped green peppers for a few minutes. Now add
the ground masala and keep frying until the flavour comes out.
Add cooked rice to the above and mix it gently.

Bisi Bele Bath

Bisi Bele Bath is a popular dish made out of rice, lentil (dal), tamarind, chilli powder, ground spices, coconut and other vegetables served with ghee on top. It is very similar to 'Sambar sadam' of Tamil Nadu except that it has his own distinct flavour.

Ingredients:
• Tur dal - 1/2cup
• Rice - 11/2cups
• Madras onions - a handful
• Small brinjals - 2
• Carrot - 1
• Drumsticks - 2
• A small piece of vegetable marrow
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Tamarind - size of a lime
• Red chillies - 6nos
• Green chillies - 4nos
• Mustard - 2tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Cashewnut - 20gms
• Coriander leaves - few
• Ghee for frying
• Salt to taste For Powdering
• Red chillies - 6nos
• Fenugreek seeds - 1tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1tsp
• Grated coconut

For Masala
• Poppy seeds - 1tsp
• Cloves - 4
• Cinnamon - a small piece
• Cardamoms - 4
• Aniseeds - 1/2tsp


Method of Preparation :
Peel Madras onions. Peel and cut vegetables into 1 inch pieces. Wash rice and dal thoroughly. Place it in a container with 21/2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric powder and chopped vegetables.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the ingredients for powdering until fenugreek turns golden brown in colour. Powder and keep aside.
Heat some more oil and fry poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, aniseeds. Powder and keep aside. Soak tamarind in a little water and extract juice.
Heat oil, add red and green chillies, mustard and curry leaves. When mustard crackles, add to rice and mix well. Add tamarind juice, salt to taste and mix thoroughly.
Heat a little ghee and fry Cashewnuts until golden brown in colour. Add to rice along with powdered ingredients and masala powder. Mix well. Remove from fire. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and add some ghee just before serving



Vegetable Biriyani
Serves 6

Ingredients :
Basmati Rice
- 2cups Cardamom - 4nos
Beans - 100gm Andhra moggu
Carrot - 100gm Bay leaves - 1
Turnip - 100gm Salt - 1/2tsp
Green peas - 1/4cup Oil - 50gm
Onion - 250gm Ghee - 100gm
Garlic - 2flakes Chopped Cilantro leaves - 1/4cup
Ginger - 1/4" piece Chopped Mint leaves - 1/4cup
Green chillies - 2nos Cashew nuts - 20gms
Cinnamon - 2"piece Salt bread - 1/2 cup (optional)
Cloves - 4nos


Method of Preparation :
Wash rice and drain. Slice beans, carrots and turnip into thin long pieces. Cook these vegetables with green peas and keep aside.
Slice 1/3 of the onions and keep aside. Grind the remaining onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies into a fine paste. Dry roast andhra moggu and coarsely grind it along with half quantity of cinnamon, clove and cardamom.
Heat oil and ghee in a vessel and roast bay leaves and the remaining cinnamon, clove and cardamom. (Reserve some ghee for frying cashew nuts and salt bread) Add sliced onion and sauté till golden brown. Add ground paste kept aside and fry.
When it's done, sauté well with ground cinnamon and add rice, fry for a while. Add salt to taste along with 4cups of water and mix well. Close the vessel and cook the rice on a low heat. When it is done add the cooked vegetables and boil for some time. Finally add chopped cilantro and mint leaves.
Cut the salt bread into fine pieces and deep fry in ghee or oil until they become crisp and brown. Fry cashew nuts in the same ghee.
Before serving the biriyani, garnish it with fried cashew nuts and salt bread.



Pulihora (Tamarind Rice)
Serves 6


Ingredients :
Rice - 1cup
Bengal gram dal - 1/4cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Thick Tamarind pulp - 1/2cup
Curry leaves - 12
Urad Dal (Black gram dal) - 2tsp
Mustard - 1/2tsp
Cashew nuts - 1tbs
Split Red chillies - 2nos
Split Green chillies - 2nos
Asafeotida - a pinch
Ginger - 1 piece
Sesame seed powder - 4tbs
Oil - 4tbs
Salt - to taste


Method of Preparation :
Wash the rice and dal and cook it together with enough water (don't overcook). Spread the rice into a vessel and sprinkle turmeric powder, 2tbs oil, salt, tamarind pulp and 7-8 curry leaves.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan and add urad dal, mustard seeds and cashew nuts. When the seeds begin to crackle, add ginger, red chillies, green chillies, asafeotida and the remaining curry leaves. Fry for a while, remove from fire and add it to the rice. Sprinkle sesame powder, mix thoroughly and cover with a lid for an hour.
Serve with seasoned yogurt.


Tomato Rice





Ingredients: 3 cups rice-soaked
5 medium sized tomatoes
1 medium size onion-chopped
3/4 cup chopped carrot and beans
1 cup green peas
2 green chillies-sliced
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
3 cardamoms
3 bayleaves
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
4 tbsp oil
salt - to taste

Method: Boil the Tomatoes and squeeze out the juice, add water to make 6 cups of tomato juice.

Pour oil in the pressure cooker and heat it over the stove.

Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick and fry till they change color.

Add onion, chillies, chopped carrot and green peas and fry for 3-4 minutes on high flame and then add ginger garlic paste and fry for another 1 minute.

Add soaked rice and fry for a minute or so and then add salt and prepared tomato juice and close the cookers lid and let it cook under pressure till 2 whistles.

Before serving, add ghee and chopped coriander leaves to hot tomato rice

Navrattan Korma


Ingredients: 500 gm mixed vegetables-chopped and ready to be cooked
1/4 cup ghee
2 tsp ginger- finely chopped and ground with garlic
1 tsp garlic-finely chopped
1/2 cup onions-grated
4 cloves
4 pepper corns
1/4 tsp cinnamon-broken small
4 green cardamoms
1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder or to taste
100 gm blanched almonds
1 cup coconut milk
coriander leaves and almonds-slivered and roasted for garnish

Method: Blend the blanched almonds and coconut milk in a blender and keep aside.

Heat the ghee and add the onion paste. Stir-fry till brown.

Add the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and cardamoms and mix well.

Add the vegetables, salt and chilli powder and stir fry over high heat till well coated with the masala..

Lower the heat and cook till bite like, stirring a few times.

Add the coconut milk mixture and simmer for 2-3 minutes, and serve garnished with the coriander leaves and the almonds.

Vegetable Malai Kofta Curry
Ingredients:
For Koftas
Paneer (cottage cheese) - 250g
Flour - 3 tbs
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 3-4
Coriander powder - 1tbs
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Grind all the above ingredients and shape dough into small koftas/balls of 1" size and deep fry on medium heat.

Masala for Curry
Large tomatoes, pureed - 4
Ghee - 4tbs
Chilly powder - 11/2 tsp
Shah jeera - 1 tsp
Garam masala (spice mixture) - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 2tbs
Powdered poppy seeds - 2 tsp
Crushed garlic - 1/2 tsp
Crushed ginger - 1 tsp
Medium sized onion - 1
Curd - 1/3 cup
Fresh cream or malai - 100g
Method:
Fry ginger, garlic and onions. Add remaining ingredients except curd and cream. Cover and cook till ghee separates. Add beaten curd. Cook for a minute. Add koftas, thick cream and serve.


Chana Curry
Ingredients:

Chana - 250 gram
Chopped Onion - 2 nos
Crushed Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Crushed Garlic - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilly - 2 nos
Oil - 4 tbs
Red Chilly Powder - 1tsp Tomato chopped - 1no's
Coriander powder - 1tbs Coriander Leaves - 2 sprigs
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Lime (Juice) - 1 tsp
Cumin Small - 1/4 tsp Poppy seeds - 1 tbs
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Method of Preparation:
Cook chana with salt and turmeric and keep it aside.
Heat oil and add the onions, a pinch of salt sauté, then add sliced green chilly,crushed garlic and ginger, coriander powder,red chilly powder,turmeric,garammasala,cumin seeds and sauté well. Then add tomatoes, mix well.

When the oil comes out of it add the cooked chana with poring little water also. After that add the grinded poppy seed and lemon juice to it.Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

TRIP் TO ramesvaram

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Plantain Podimas

Ingredients
Plantain 2-3
Turmeric 1/4 t.spoon
Hing a small pinch
Green Chillies 6
Ginger a small piece minced/gratted
Urad dhall 1/2 t.spoon
Channa dhall 1 t.spoon
Mustard 1/4 t.spoon
Curry leaves
Cilantro a small bunch washed and finely chopped
Lemon 1
Cooking Oil 2 t.spoon
Salt 1 t.spoon (or to taste)


Method
Boil plantains with turmeric and salt.
Peel skin and grate them and keep it aside.
Heat 2 t.spoons oil in a pan/wok, splutter mustard, then add urad
dhall, channa dhall, hing, turmeric, curry leaves, red chillies,
finely chopped ginger, lemon juice and salt and then add the
grated plantains. Let this cook for a few minutes and then
garnish with cilantro.

Spinach Kootu

Ingredients
Spinach 1 bunch washed and finely chopped
Thuvar dhall 1 t.spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 t.spoon
Red Chilles 3
Coconut 3 t.spoons
Curry leaves a few
Mustard seeds 1/2 t.spoon
Urad dhall 1 t.spoon
Hing a small pinch
Salt 1 t.spoon (or to taste)


Method
Boil spinach and salt in 1 cup water.
Soak thuvar dhall, cumin seeds, and, 2 red chilles for 30
minutes. Grind this with coconut. Add this paste to spinach
and cook until the flavour comes out.
Heat some coconut oil in a pan, splutter mustard, then add urad
dhall, 1 red chille, curry leaves, little hing, and add this to
the kootu.

Coconut Milk Kulambu



Ingredients :
Coconut- 2cups
Potato-2nos
Carrot-2nos
Drumstick-5nos
Chilies - 5nos
Lemon -1/2






Method of Preparation :
Cut the vegetables into small pieces. Grind the coconut in the mixer. Take the coconut milk. Then once again grind it in the mixer. Take the coconut milk 3 times.
Place the 1st coconut milk in a separate vessel. 2nd and 3rd in the same vessel.
Place the pan in the heat. Pour 2nd and 3rd coconut milk. Put the vegetables into the pan. Leave for 10 minutes. Make sure that the vegetables are boiled. Then pour the first coconut milk. Put some chili powder and salt to taste.
Take the pan from heat. Finally pour 2 drops of lemon before you serve.
It's very tasty and also good for health.

Avial
This is a semi-dry preparation which is a mixture of all sorts of vegetables.
Serves 10
Ingredients :
1. • Yam sliced thinly into 11/2" length pieces - 1cup
• Cucumber sliced lengthy into 11/2" thick pieces - 1cup
• Snake gourd sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1cup
• Carrot sliced into into 11/2" length pieces - 1/4cup
• Long runner-beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1/2cup
• Drumstick cut into 2" length pieces - 2nos
2. • Raw bananas sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1no
• Mango pieces - for sour
3. • Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
• Salt - to taste
4. • Grated coconut - 1/2quantity
• Green chillies - 5nos
• Cumin seeds - 1/2tsp

5. • Curry leaves - 2sprigs
• Coconut oil - 3tbs
Method of Preparation :
Coarsely grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Keep it aside.
Clean the vegetables. Heat 2tbs coconut oil in a thick bottom vessel. Add the vegetables and cook in a low flame. Do not add water. When it is done, add turmeric powder, salt and mix it well. Remove the vegetables from the middle and put sliced bananas and mango pieces and cover it with the other vegetables. When steam comes out, add the coconut paste and stir well. Remove from fire. Mix the remaining coconut oil and curry leaves in the avial.

Peas Potato Burger


Ingredients:
Red Potatoes 5 - 7
Dry Green Peas 1 cup
Green Chiles 2
Ginger 1 inch piece
Cilantro 1 cup packed
Cumin Seeds 1 tbsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Fine Sooji 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Oil as required
Method of preparation:
Soak green peas in water for 6 - 8 hrs and pressure cook them in 2 cups of water for 3 whistles.
Alternatively, use fresh or frozen green peas.
Wash, halve and boil potatoes until just cooked.
Once cooled, peel and mash the cooked potatoes.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Peel and mince ginger.
Clean, wash and finely chop cilantro.
Heat a tbsp oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, hing, green chiles and ginger.
When cumin seeds start to brown, add mashed potatoes, peas, cilantro and salt.
Mix thoroughly and remove from heat.
Cool the mixture and form lemon sized balls out of the mixture.
Roll the balls in sooji and flatten them on palm.
Repeat the same with remaining potato peas mixture.
Heat a tsp of oil on a flat pan, place the flattened potato patties on hot pan.
Fry on both sides until golden brown and remove from heat.
Repeat the same with remaining patties.
Alternatively, roast the potato patties in oven at 350F for 10 - 15 minutes.
Serve peas potato patties sandwiched in any bread or french rolls with sliced onions and tomato ketchup.

Oats Pongal

Ingredients
Rolled Oats - 2 cups. Moong dal - 1 cup. Cumin -2 tsp. Pepper - 1 tsp. Ginger finely chopped - 1 tsp. Cashew nuts - 2 tsp. Curry leaves - 1 sprig. Oil/Ghee - 3 tsps


Method
In a pressure cooker add the oil/ghee and let it heat for a minute then add cumin, pepper and cashew nut and when it is slightly browns add oats, rinsed and drained moongdal, chopped ginger, curry leaves, salt and 6 cups water. Close the cooker lid and cook it until one whistle in a medium heat. You can serve it with sambhar and/or coconut chutney.

OAT AND SPRING ONION PARATHAS



These paratha are made with a combination of oats and wheat flour to initiate you to the taste of fibre filled oats. I have used the spring onion filling as it helps to disguise the raw taste of oats. This serves best when served hot with Paneer Lababdar.

Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Cooking Time : 20 mins.

Makes 4 parathas.
For the dough
¾ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup quick cooking rolled oats

2 tablespoons low fat curds

salt to taste


For the spring onion filling
½ cup spring onion whites, chopped

1 cup spring onion greens, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1 teaspoon ginger-green chilli paste

1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped

½ teaspoon oil

salt to taste


Other ingredients
1 teaspoon oil for cooking


For the dough

1. Combine all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough, using enough water.

2. Divide into 4 equal portions and keep aside.

For the spring onion filling

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.

2. Add the spring onion whites, ginger-green chilli paste, garlic and cook till the onions turn translucent.

3. Add the spring onion greens and salt and cook over a high flame till the mixture dries out completely. Remove and let it cool.

How to proceed

1. Roll out the one portion of the dough into a circle of 75 mm. (3") diameter.

2. Place one portion of the filling in the centre of the dough circle.

3. Bring together all the sides in the centre and seal tightly.

4. Roll out again into a circle of 125 mm. (5") diameter with the help of a little plain flour.

5. Cook the paratha on a non-stick pan, using a little oil, until both sides are golden brown.

6. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 3 more paratha.

7. Serve hot.