Happy Kaarthigai Deepam

Yumm Pori Urundai

Soya Wadi Masala

Tasty n Healthy!!

Vege Spring Rolls

Sometimes.. when I run out of options for Appetizers, I would just grab a bag of the frozen spring rolls and fry them up... This time... I really had the time, and had planned an Indo-Chinese menu... tried out veg-spring rolls from scratch...They turned out be A Blaaaast...!!! Simply superb....Well I have to say this was a team effort... kind of an assembly line ... My friends.. G helped stuff and wrap them, and R helped me fry them... hahaha...great way to feed and entertain your friends.. :)

What I used

1 cup of chopped Cabbage
1/2 cup of chopped Carrot
1/2 cup of chopped beans
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped Bell pepper
1/2 tsp pepper crushed pepper
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp of soy sauce
1 Pack of wonton wraper (20 sheets)
Oil for frying

How I made it

In a pan, add a tsp of oil, add the onions and saute them, then add all the veges and saute them until they are half cooked. Add salt, pepper and soy sauce and cool this mixture.
Place a tablespoon of this mixture on a wonton sheet, and fold the two side edges and start rolling. Seal the edges (use a little water to help seal them tight).Just before serving time, fry these up and serve with hot n sweet ketchup... This turned out really crunchy and needless to say... taaaaaaassssstttty... They vanished just in seconds :)

This recipe.. makes 20 spring rolls.

Tricks:
You can make these rolls in advance and freeze them and fry them later. Such a time saver.
Serve them hot n crunchy, if you fry it up early, they may become a little soggy. If thats the case, pop them in the oven (on broiler) for 2 - 3 minutes...

Paal Paayasam / Rice Pudding

Amma makes the best Paal Paayasam, that I have ever tasted... She used to religiously boil down litres and litres of milk for hours together to make that yummy consistency. My dad and lil bro love it so much... Needless to say... I would die for a cup of ma's paal payasam .... hehee... somehow always felt this was a laborious process... I tried a lil trick and it did work out...It just took me very little time to recreate the same taste :)

What I used

2tsp of rice
1 cup milk
1 can of Evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pista and Raisins for garnish
A pinch of Elaichi powder.

How I made it

Pressure cook the rice in milk. Place this in a heavy bottom or non stick pan and bring it to a boil in low / medium flame. Add the sugar and let it dissolve. Finally add a can of evaporated milk and bring to another boil. Remove from flame and garnish with Elaichi, pista and raisins. Serve cold ( it brings out the sweetness even more) :)..

This is really yummiiiilllliiicccious and very close to the traditional way of making "Paal Payasam".

Tricks of the trade

1.Always cook milk in low ~ medium flame, as it might easily get burnt at the bottom and this will spoil the taste and give a pungent smell
2. Use a non stick pan - its so easy to clean up after the kheer is done.

Aloo Paratha

I Love them, love them and just love them... learnt this recipe by observing the guy at "Laddoos" in Bangalore. They used to serve garma garam parathas with just a cup of cold dahi and pickle. Their parathas are the best and they offered a wide variety... paneer, gobi, mooli, matar and what not....

What I used

1 Cup of wheat flour (aata)
1/4 cup of water
Salt to taste
A dollop of Ghee or butter

For filling
1 big potato (boiled and mashed)
a handful of finely chopped green coriander leaves
A pinch of salt to taste
A pinch of chilli powder
1 tsp of oil

How I made it

For the dough, in a bowl add water and salt. Then add the wheat flour and knead well. Make a soft dough and sprinkle a little water if needed. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

For the filling, mix the boiled, mashed potato, chopped coriander leaves, salt, chilli powder and a tsp of oil and mix well and make a equal sized balls out of it. Make sure the potato is mashed finely and there are no lumps.

Divide the dough into slightly bigger balls and roll out. Place the potato filling in the center, and cover the filling. Roll this dough out into 1/2 inch thick parathas. Heat a tawa and cook the parathas on both sides. Add 1/4 tsp of ghee or butter and serve hot with curd and pickle.

Trick of the trade:
Amma uses a little luke warm milk to make the dough a little more softer.
Knead the dough well, else you will not be able to roll out the parathas after you fill them.

Kuzhi Paniyaram / Vellaiyappam

Just in case, you had guests and you werent expecting anyone!! Just in case your hubby / child comes home... and asks you to fix a snack immediately !!! Heres the answer...

Learnt this age old trick from amma... "Just In Time" Recipes... where she used to make absolutely yummy snacks from the left over stuff and the basic ingredients she used to have in store.... 

What I used

1 cup of left over Idli / dosa batter 

1 tbsp of Channa flour (kadala maavu)

1 tbsp of Rice flour

1 finely chopped onion

1 green chilli ginely chopped

A small piece of ginger finely chopped

Corriander and curry leaves.

A pinch of salt

A wee bit of crushed pepper

A few drops of oil for frying ;)

How I made it

Mix all the ingredients and taste for salt. Add a little water to thin it out, so that it is a little thicker than the idli batter. Heat the non-stick paniyaram pan. Add two or three drops of oil in each  mold. Fill up  3/4 with batter and let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes until its golden brown. Use a skewer to turn it on to the other side. Add another drop of oil and let this brown for another 2 minutes. Remove and serve hot.

Serve this with tomato / mint / coconut chutney...

Microwave - Instant Theratti Pal / Pal Khoa

Kake just loves this so much... I still remember... 1st day of every month, amma used to get us Aavin Pal khoa... and we kids used to loooooooove this... I even chewed the paper to get to the last bit of pal khoa...

Making Theatti Pal / Pal Khoa always was a laborius process... amma had to reduce litres and litres of milk for hours and hours together to make a cup of pal khoa... And poor thing.. even before she knew... it would all be gone.. :)

Got this recipe from Rums n Akshara's blog... and I just loved it... Thank you gals... Mr. B was so happy when I gave him a sweet surprise this evening... I have been boasting about this to mom n mil... and asking them to try it out... now that they have a microwave at home...

What they used
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoons of curd

How they made it

Mix all the ingredients and microwave on high for 5 -6 minutes.... Yep and thats it...Lickalicious Theratti pal....Ready !!!

That was amazingly simple... but is mindblowing... you get the authentic taste of Aavin Pal khoa... yummmmmm...

Tricks:

1. You might want to remove it every 2 minutes or so, stir it and put it back in the microwave, lest it might overflow.
2. Use a big microwave bowl, so that the mixture doesnt flow out when it boils.

Beans Paruppu Usli

Always think of my dear athai paati... when I make paruppu usli... She taught me a small trick... and it works the same way...every single day... hehehe... I even got amma to try this recipe... and am really glad amma, appa, Keke (my lil bro) and Mr.B like this a lot... Always make this with mor kozhambu or vatha kozhambu... It tastes like heaven :)

What I used

3/4 cup channa dal
1/4 cup toor dal
1/2 cup fresh string beans chopped
4 dry red chillies
2 tbsp of oil
mustard seeds
A pinch of hing
curry leaves
Salt to taste

How I made it

Soak the dal and chillies in cold water for 2 hours. Then drain this completely ( there should be absolutely no excess water). Then grind this into a coarse mixture ( remember do not add water at all). In a non-stick pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter add the hing and curryleaves and then add the beans... Saute this for 2 minutes and add the coarsely ground dal mixture. Add a little salt and then place a lid on the pan and reduce the flame. Cook this for 5 - 10 minutes. Then remove the lid, add another tbsp of oil and then cook on medium flame. You can sprinkle a little bit of water at this point if you find it is too dry.Stir this and break up if you have any lumps of dal. Remonve when the dal and beans have cooked.

Soft and tasty Paruppu usli ready...

Tricks...
1. Amma generally steam cooks the ground dal before adding them to the beans. This makes the usli a little crispy... This is highly recommended when you make larger quantities.

2. Athai paati doesnt pressure cook the mixture, she just places the lid and cooks it in the pan on low flame.. This makes the usli softer ... this is recommended when you make smaller quantities. When you close and cook, the steam condenses on hitting the lid and this drops as water back into the dal and cooks it :)...

3. Never try to steam this mixture in the microwave...I tried this once and ended up with a lumpy hard mass of dal. Then I had to grind it again to get it to the right consistency.

4. You can also use Vazhappu (Banana Flower) to make paruppu usli... that turns out well too..

Microwave Mor Kozhambu

Microwaves have made life so much easier... When it comes to cooking for just 2 people or just yourself... It really comes handy... I have started experimenting the age old recipes in my lil microwave and they have turned out to tasting really authentic...Am Planning to post a few here..

What I used

2 tbsp of fresh grated coconut
1 green chiili
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
A small piece of ginger
1 cup sour curd (yogurt)
A pinch of turmeric
A pinch of Hing
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
a few methi seeds (fenugreek)
curry leaves
1 Tsp of oil
1/4 cup Any vegetable of your choice
(pumpkin, okra, carrot)

How I made it

Grind the coconut, jeera, green chilli and ginger into a paste. Microwave this chutney for a minute ( just to get the raw smell of ginger out). Whip in with the curd, add salt, turmeric powder and keep this aside for 15 minutes. In the meantime, cook the vegetables for 2 - 3 minutes in the microwave and add them to the curd mixture. Season this with a little mustard, methi seeds, hing and curry leaves. Just before you serve, heat the mixture in the microwave for 2 minutes. Just until it is slightly warm. Serve this with hot steaming rice and paruppu usli...

This makes a lovely... simple yet yummmmy lunch...

Tricks

1. Amma generally fries the okra... before adding to the mor kozhambu... That is simply declicioso...
2. Do not let the curd mixture boil ( or heat too much). This might curdle the whole thing. You should just slightly warm the mixture.
3. The mixture will initially be in a dirty white color, once you heat it, it turns into a beautiful lemon yellow "Mor Kozhambu"... So make sure you do not add too much turmeric... a small pinch goes a long way... :)
4. You can also use the normal stove top to make this :)

Healthy Bhel Puri

Chaats... how can one not like them...Its my all time favorite snack... I have been experimenting on various chaats these days, and people in my neighborhood... call me the "Chaat lady"... hehehe...Here is my recipe for a healthy bhel puri... or should I just say.. healthy bhel...:)

What I used
2 cups of bhel (pori)
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 chopped cucumber
1 tomato finely chopped
1/2 onion finely chopped
a handfull of roasted peanuts
2 tbsp of sev (oma podi)
corriander leaves for garnish
1tbsp of mint chutney
1 tbst of sweet n sour chutney
A pinch of salt
A pinch of chilli powder
A pinch of chaat masaala.

For the Mint Chutney

1/2 a cup of mint leaves
1/2 cup of corriander leaves
1 green chilli
Juice of a lemon
A pinch of salt
A pinch of chaat masala

For Sweet n Sour chutney

Tamarind ( size of one lime)
2 tbsp of jaggery
2 dried dates
A pinch of salt
A pinch of chilli powder
A pinch of chaat masala

How I made it

Mint Chutney : Wash and chop the mint and corriander leaves. In a blender add all the ingredients specified above, sprinkle a little bit of water and grind it into a chutney. Keep this aside in a small bowl.

Imli Chutney: Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup of boiling hot water. After 15 minutes, extract the puree. Add the other ingredients and grind in a blender. Remove this and heat this mixture until it comes to a boil. Cool this chutney and strain it.

For the Bhel:

Add all the veges, peanuts & bhel and the chutneys, and mix well. Check for taste and add the chaat masala, chilli powder and salt. Garnish with Sev and corriander leaves.

You can also add some crushed puris or mathis.

This recipe is simple, healthy and very tasty... Try it ... :)

Plain Dosa

Dosa is my all time favorite....Lots of Dosa innovations have happened over the years...masala dosa, chilli cheese dosa, tomato dosa, green dosa, onion dosa, vegetable dosa... these are just a few... But somehow, the taste of the simple plain home made dosa... can never beat anything...

Have it with a tsp of dosai podi, yogurt, and a lil sugar (for sweet people like me ;)..) ... You just wont believe... you will eat a minimum of 10 dosas....

What I used

1 cup of Urad dal
4 cups of Idli Rice
(Par boiled rice / Puzhungal arisi)
1 tsp of methi seeds
(fenugreek / vendayam)

How I made it

Wash and Soak Par boiled rice for 5 - 6 hours and Urad dal for 1 - 2 hrs. Add the methi seeds to the urad dal when and soak them as well. In the grinder(blender), grind the urad and rice seperately. Mix the two batters, add salt to taste and leave it to rest and ferment over night. On the next day morning, mix the batter well and add a little water to thin it out.

Place a flat gridle pan (tawa) and bring it to medium heat. You can use a non stick pan or the iron tawa. Spread a table spoon of batter on the pan. Make the desired size dosa, use a circular clockwise motion, and draw the batter from center to the circumference. Add 1/2 tsp of oil around the dosa. It takes 2 - 3 minutes for the dosa to brown on one side. Then gently flip the dosa to the other side, add 1/2 tsp of oil and cook for 1 minute. Remove and serve hot with chutney, sambar or the magic milagai podi..

Tricks:

Check out my tricks for idli batter. It is the same, except you can grind the rice smoothly for dosa.

If you are in a hurry, Try grinding the urad & Rice together... this works for dosa too...

At home, generally a amma makes idlis with the fresh batch, makes yummy dosa with a a day old batter , and the third day it becomes... Uthappam... and the fourth day... if there is any batter remaining... it becomes "kuzhi paniyaram"

Idli / Dosai Milagai Podi (Chutney Powder)

Here is my mom's recipe ... Her secret ingredients are coconut oil & sesame seeds and this gives a special aroma to the "idli podi"... this is so simple to make... Try this once and you will never think of buying from the store again....

We generally mix this with a little gingely oil (sesame oil) and serve this with idli, dosai, adai etc... I even eat this with chapathi and poori :)...

And some funny ways to mix chutney powder... Mr.B mixes a little curd/yogurt with it... and I top that combination by adding a little sugar to the mixture ;)

What she uses
1/4 cup channa dal
1/4 cup urad dal
10 - 12 dry red chillies
2 tsp of sesame seeds
1/2 tsp of coconut oil
1/2 tsp of sesame oil (or vegetable oil)
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar
a smal piece of raw hing (or use powder)

How she makes it

In a pan dry roast the sesame seeds. Then add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil and fry the raw hing piece. Reduce the flame to medium - low heat, Add the chillies and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Spread the chillies, hing and sesame seeds on a plate and let it cool. To the pan add 1/2 tsp of coconut oil, add the dals and roast them until they are golden brown. Cool this and add a pinch of sugar and salt. First grind (use a mixie or a spice grinder) the chillies coarsely and then add the dal and grind this into a slightly coarse powder. Check for taste. It might initially seem to be a little spicy hot, but once it rests for a day, the flavors and the tastes will blend with each other.

Tricks:

1. Keep the pan on medium heat, else the chillies and dal might get burnt and believe me, this causes a lot of smoke.
2. While tasting, if you find the powder very bland, then you can roast more chillies , saltand grind it again.
3. If you find it too spicy, then roast some more dal , salt and add it to the powder.
4. If you find it too salty, add 2 more chillies and a little dal.
5. Though you can store this for 3 - 6 months, mom prefers grinding it in smaller batches, in that way it stays fresh and spicy.

Mini Sambar Idli

Mini Sambar Idli... This is my little brother's favorite. My mom always used to make this just for him whenever she made idlis... To top it off...She would add a dollop of extra special love (ghee). the aroma would literally pull you into the kitchen...

What I used

Idli Sambar
30 Mini Idlis
1 tsp of ghee
Corriander leaves

How I made it

Use the mini idli molds instead of the regular idli ones. In a bowl of Idli sambar, add 15 mini idlis and soak for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp of ghee and garnish with corriander leaves. Serve hot. Am sure the kids will love this.

Idli Sambar

Idli Sambar, got this recipe from my MIL, believe me it is out of the world.... I have really started liking this sambar a lot... The trick is to add moong dal in addition to the toor dal... and adding more tomatoes, and cutting down the tamarind...

What I used

One Onion - chopped
2 big tomatoes - chopped
1/2 cup toor dal
1/2 cup moong dal
Tamarind ( half the size of a golf ball)
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp of sambar powder
3 tsp of oil for seasoning
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds (methi)
Curry leaves and corriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste
2 cups of water

How I made It

Pressure cook the dal seperately. Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of water for 15 minutes and extract pulp. In a small cooker add 2 tsp of oil, add the onions and saute until they are transparent, add the tomatoes and saute until they become soft. Slit the green chillies and add them to the gravy. Add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and saute until the raw smell of the sambar powder goes off. Then add the tamarind pulp and salt and cook for a few minutes. Mash the dal well and add it to the sambar. Add another cup of water ( check for sambar consistency). Taste it and add a little salt or dry chilli powder if needed. Pressure cook this in low flame (for one whistle). Once the pressure releases, Season the sambar with mustard & methi seeds. Garnish with curry and corriander leaves. Serve hot with Idli, Vada, or Pongal.

Tricks:

Pressure cooking the second time, helps all ingredients to blend well and the sambar is of smooth consistency.

In addition to onion & tomato, you can also add other veges like carrots, brinjal (eggplant), drumstick

Make some mini idlis and dip them in a bowl of sambar... Garnish with a tsp of ghee and some finely chopped onions and corriander leaves... Yummy mini idli sambar plate ready :)

Make some medu vada... Soak the vada for 10 - 15 minutes in hot sambar...Garnish with a tsp of ghee and some finely chopped onions and corriander leaves... Yummy sambar vada plate ready :)

Idli

IDLI is a staple breakfast for most South Indians... And am sure all the moms prefer to make the batter over the weekends... so almost every household, the monday mornings would start with hot n steamy idlis... Eat them with simple coconut chutney / tomato chutney / mint chutney.... or simply idli podi....Or even better... idli sambar... It is so heavenly and they pump up your mornings....
As a kid, I never used to like idlis, but with all these cereals and oats breakfast...... IDLIS have become a craving & a luxury...I am so glad, I got my own grinder... now I can make idlis whenever I want ...Yuhoooo...

What I Used

1 cup of Urad dal
4 cups of Idli Rice
(Par boiled rice / Puzhungal arisi)
1 tsp of methi seeds
(fenugreek / vendayam)

How I made it

Wash and Soak Idli rice for 5 - 6 hours and Urad dal for 1 - 2 hrs. Add the methi seeds to the urad dal when and soak them as well. In the grinder(blender), grind the urad and rice seperately. Mix the two batters, add salt to taste and leave it to rest and ferment over night. Place a layer of wet muslin cloth on the idli plate, and pour batter up to 3/4 in each mold. Donot mix the batter, because this may flatten the batter and idlis will turn out flat / hard. Steam cook this for 7 - 8 minutes. And serve hot with sambar, chutney or idli podi... Yummy idli ready.

Tricks:
1. With the skyrocketing prices of rice... Idlis have actually become a luxury... so I tried to mix 2 cups of idli rice with 2 cups of Long grain rice (I get the Blue ribbon brand from Costco). And luckily they turn out really well...Some of my friends have also tried 4 cups of long grain rice... But somehow, I like this better...
2. If you use a mixie, you might want to try 3:1 measure for rice: dal. If your idlis turn out hard, then you will need more urad dal. If your idlis turn out flat, you will need more rice.
3. The Urad dal normally takes 30 - 40 minutes to grind (depending on the grinder and the dal). Add in the water in small quantities in 5 minute intervals. This helps to make a fluffy batter.This should be very smooth and nicely aerated.
4. The rice would take 20 - 25 minutes to grind, just sprinkle water as you grind. Stop when the rice is a little coarse. Do not grind it very smoothly.
5. Mix the batter with your hand... this helps it to ferment better, using a spatula may not help sometimes.
6. During winter, heat the oven for only 2 minutes on 250F and then place the batter inside overnite. This helps the batter to rise even in cold weather.
7. Remember to leave room for the batter to rise in the vessel you place it. Mom generally places the bowl of batter on a plate, so that even if the batter rises and overflows, the mess is easier to clean.
I use a piece of wet paper towel on my idli plate. This makes life so easier, I dont have to think about washing and drying the idli muslin cloth.

Rava Upma

What do I say about this.... the very first rava upma I made was for Vembu thatha (mom's dad)... when I was 10 yrs old... He was really kind enough to appreciate my efforts ... he told mom... "Enna nanna upma pannirku paaren... thuli kooda ennaiye vidaama...." (She made some real good upma... without using any oil).... hahahaha....and made me feel so proud... Little did I realise ... upma tastes really good only when you add oil....

It has taken me this long to master this recipe... now Mr.B proudly proclaims... that I make the best rava upma ;).... better than his granma, his mom or even my mom.... My bro, mom, dad, MIL & FIL also second this ... hehehehehe...

What I used
1 cup of rava
2 - 3 cups of water
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 green chilli (chopped)
1 inch cube ginger (finely chopped)
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1tsp of channa dal
1 tsp of urad dal
curry leaves
2 - 3 tbsp of oil
salt to taste.

How I made It

In a non-stick pan, dry roast the rava place it aside. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and add mustard, once the splutter, add the dal, onions, curry leaves, chillies and ginger. Saute this until the onions are transparent. Add the rava and roast this for another 3 - 4 minutes. Boil 3 cups of water seperately. Add this boinling water to the roasted rava mixture and keep stirring. This will help avoid lump formation. Add another tbsp of oil & salt and mix well. Leave this on low flame to cook for 10 minutes. Once the rava is cooked, add another tbsp of oil & increase the heat to medium high. This will help to raost the bottom layer. Serve hot with some chutney or just sugar.

Tricks:
You will be roasting the rava 2 times, this will avoid getting lumpy or sticky upma. This recipe calls in for a little extra oil... but believe me it will taste heavenly :)

Add 2 cups of water intially, then add little by little when the rava cooks. Do not add too much of water as it may become sticky and runny.

Goms paati used to garnish the upma with grated coconut instead of using onions... and top it with 1/2 tsp of coconut oil... this taste toooooooo good too.

Amma also adds tsp of turmeric, 1 cup of chopped vegetables (potato, carrot, grean peas, tomato)... and this makes yummy kichdi... Serve this hot with cocounut chutney....

Sweet Somasi

This recipe has been passed down 3 generations... Paaru paati, then amma... now me... I vividly remember paati... making a sambadam ( box) full of somaasis for all the kids.... and amma used to make them every now and then... I was suddenly craving for these and made exactly 10 of these yummy treat :)...

What I used

1 cup of rava
1 tbsp of maida (all purpose flower)
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup of water
Oil for frying
For the filling
1/2 cup of roasted split gram (pottu kadalai)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cardamoms
1 tbsp of chopped nuts (optional)

How I Made it

Mix the rava, maida, salt and sprinkle water and make this into a smooth dough. Set this aside for an hour. (Just sprinke water, and make it a little hard, this way the somasi stays crispy). For the filling, grind the gram dal, sugar and cardamom into a powder. Check for taste and add more sugar if needed. Mix in the chopped nuts.

Divide the dough into 10 parts. Roll out the dough into small puris ( Use a round cookie cutter / lid of any jar and trim the edges). Add 2 tsp of the filling in the center of the puris and fold them in half. This forms a semi circle. Seal the edges using a fork. Deep fry these in oil until golden brown. Cool these and serve. You can also preserve these in air tight containers. This makes a wonderful evening snack :)

Tricks:
1. The dough consistency - if it is too soft, the somasi will not be crispy, if it is too hard, the somasi will become hard.
2. while frying, the oil should be on medium heat, if it is very high, they will brown immediately.
3. Just place the correct amount of filling and ensure the edges are sealed properly, else they may open while you are frying and spoil the oil.
4. Fry only 2 - 3 in a batch. This helps them cook evenly.

Tamil Nadu style Biriyani

Biriyani from the south... We usually cook all the veges and rice together with the masala.. doesn't that make life a lot more easier ;), unlike the elaborate Hyderabadi style Briyani... where the rice and gravy are spread in layers (which ofcourse is the king's style of eating biriyani).... The freshly ground spices gives it the extra kick....Serve this with some vege raita... it simply is awwweeessssooommmeee...

What I used
2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
2 bay leaves
1 anise star
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1 onion cut length wise
1 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup of green bell peppers
1/2 cup red bell peppers
1/2 cup tomatoes
1/2 cup string beans
5 florets of cauliflower
1/2 cup potatoes
1 cup of rice
1 tsp of chilli powder
1 tbsp of thick curd
2 cups of water
2 tsp of ghee
Salt to taste

For fresh garam masala
2 green cardamoms
2 cloves
1/2 tsp of pepper corns
1 tsp of corriander seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 cinnamon sticks

How I Made it

In a pan, dry roast all the spices in low flame and grind this into a powder. Heat the ghee in a pan add a tsp of fennel, one anise star, 2 bay leaves and fry for a minute.Then add ginger garlic paste and shallots and cook until the raw smell disappears. Add the onions and saute until they become transparent. Add the chilli powder and 1 to 2 tsp of the freshly ground garam masala and saute for 2 minutes. Add all the vegetables and salt and saute for another 3 - 4 minutes. Add the rice and fry for another 2 minutes. Then add 2 cups of water and mix well, check for salt and spices and mix in the yogurt. Pressure cook this on medium flame. Garnish with mint leaves and serve hot with yogurt raita.

For the Raita - Mix in 1 cup of fresh thick yogurt with 1 cup of finely chopped cucumber, onions and tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt and chilli powder. Garnish this with corriander leaves. You can also add a dollop of sour cream to make this more creamier and rich :)

Yummy Biriyani Ready !!!


Tricks:
Cut the vegetables into 1 inch (larger) cubes (this way they will cook evenly with the rice).
You can use normal rice (Basmati rice is optional). But use only 2 cups of water and see to that you do not over cook when you leave it in the cooker.
You can use any mix of the vegetables. Or just use onions and mushrooms for a yummy mushroom biriyani.
You can also substitute the yogurt with coconut milk... this is just to neutralise the spicyness of the garam masala...

Vatha Kozhambu & Potato Kari

I guess I have a lot of fans for my Vatha Kozhambu .... mostly the bachelor guys...So here you go...This is mostly amma's way of making vatha kozhambu.... just that I let it reduce for a little longer... Eat it with "sutta Applam" (roasted pappad) or "Potato kari with onions"....
Its just DIVINE...
Amma... this reminds me of the enumerous saturday afternoons that we used to spend together... chatting and munching this deadly combo... Love it amma...and miss them a whole lot....

What I used

1 onion chopped
1 golf ball size tamarind
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds (methi)
2 tbsp of oil (sesame)
2 tsp of Toor dal
3 dry red chillies
1 tsp of sambar powder
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
2 cups of water

How I made it

Boil a cup of water and soak the tamarind for 10 minutes. Extract the pulp once it is cool. In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add the toor dal and fry this, then add the onions and saute them until they soften. Reduce the heat to low and add the sambar powder and another tsp of oil and fry until the raw smell of the sambar powder goes off. Then add the tamarind pulp and salt and mix well and allow the mixture to reduce. Check for the taste and add another cup of water.Once the mixture boils down, add another 2 tsp of oil and remove from the flame. For seasoning, in a pan heat a tsp of oil and add the mustard seeds, once they splutter add the methi seeds, red chillies and the curry leaves and pour this on the vatha kozhambu.

This is really easy, and if you reduce this mixuter until the oil seperates, you will be able to store it for 8 - 10 days. However, it tastes so good... you would not want to keep it aside ;)

Tips: You can also substitute, okra, drumsticks, pumpkin for the onions. The most famous ones are frying up a tbsp of manathakkali (black nightshade) vathal, or sundakkai (turkey berry) vathal and adding it finally while seasoning.

Ingredients

2 Cups of cut potato
1 cup of chopped onions
1 tsp of mustard seeds
2 tsp of oil
tsp of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
salt to taste
Curry leaves.

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and once the splutter add the cut onions and saute until they become transparent. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and fry for another minute. Now add the potato, salt and then place a lid and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Remove the lid and then cook on medium heat until the potatoes get crispy. Add the curry leaves and serve with rice and vatha kozhambu....

This is a deadly combination.... You will simply love this...

Cabbage Kari (Poriyal)

My little bro is a great cook too... I guess its in our gene :)... and this is a recipe I borrowed from him... He makes the world's best "Muttaikos (cabbage) Kari" .... It reminds me of our days in the B city... where he used to cook for me... "tomato sambar and cabbage kari "... and till date... I ask him to make this combo whenever we meet ....This is so simple to make... yet I mess it up all the time... and he makes it with great ease...

Ingredients

2 cups of chopped cabbage
1/4 cup of grean peas
1/4 cup of grated coconut
2 red chilli
1tsp of mustard seeds
1tsp of channa dal
1tsp of urad dal
1 tsp of oil
A pinch of Hing (Asafoetida, kayam)
A pinch of turmeric powder
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method

In a Pan add a little water, salt and turmeric powder. Then add the cabbage and cook this until the cabbage is done. ( You can also microwave this for 2 - 3 minutes). In another pan heat oil and then add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the red chilli, channa and urad dal, hing, green peas and curry leaves. Add the cooked cabbage and toss for another 2 minutes. Remove from the flame and add the grated coconut.... Its really that simple....

Tricks: Do not add a lot of water, this will get the cabbage soggy.... If you add too little water, it might burn... So add little by little...

Paruppu Payasam

Yet another simple yet delicious recipe... Feels nostalgic, Komu Paati used to make paruppu paayasam very often when I was a kid...I still remember licking my cups and the banana leaves (during festive occasions) ....I just love it... I would have tried this a zillion times... until recently ... when I found Coconut milk was the secret ingredient....

Ingredients

4 tbsp of Moong Dal
2 tbsp Channa Dal
1/2 cup of Jaggery (Powdered)
1 Cup Milk
1 tsp of ghee
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
Elaichi Powder
Chopped Nuts and Raisins for garnish

Method

Heat a tsp of ghee in a pan and roast the cashews and raisins (or nuts) and keep aside. In this add the moong dal and channa dal and fry for 2 minutes. Pressure cook the dal. In the pan, heat the jaggery in 1/2 cup of water until it dissolves. Strain this to remove any sediments in the jaggery. Place this on medium flame again and add the dal and mix well. Remove from heat and add the milk and coconut milk. Add elaichi and garnish with the roasted nuts.

Yummy lickalicious Paruppu Payasam ready.... You will definitely lick the bowl :) !!!!

Tricks: Do not add milk and jaggery together and heat. The milk might curdle at times.
Paati also used to fry a little grated coconut and use it for garnish.

Vegetable Fried Rice

I have always wondered how a Vege fried rice could be served as a FAST FOOD... I just couldn't believe it is so quick, easy and simple to make...

Mr.B loves the fast food style Fried Rice, I borrowed this recipe from him and gave him a sweet surprise on our anniversary... He was floored... and he had this for lunch, dinner and guess what... he asked me to make for lunch the next day too ... ;)

Needless to say... this was my first attempt... and I seem to have mastered it... hehehe...

Ingredients
1 cooked cup of rice
3/4 cup of chopped cabbage
1/2 cup of finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped green beans (or peas)
4 stalks of green onions chopped
1 tbsp of oil
1 tsp of pepper powder
1tsp of soy sauce
Salt to taste


Method

In a pan heat the oil, Add the cabbage, and beans and saute for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and green onions and saute for another minute. Add the pepper powder and salt and soy sauce. Finally add the cooked rice and mix everything well. Remove from flame, garnish with some green onions and serve hot.

This just takes less than 5 minutes to make. It definitely is faaaaaaaast...& Yummmmmmyyy !!!... Try this and you will never buy fried rice from a fast food joint anymore... ;)

Tricks : To cook 1 cup of rice - Boil 2 cups of water and add a tsp of vinegar. The rice will never stick if you add vinegar when you cook the rice. Also, cook until the rice is 90% done and then strain the excess liquid. Cool off the rice by spreading it in a big sheet or a plate.

I am a hard core vege... but for you non-veg lovers...
Add some scrambled eggs to this... n tadaaa...its Egg fried rice !!!
Add some grilled chicken pieces ..... n tadaaa... its Chicken fried rice !!!

Kadai Paneer

This again was something I tried for the first time... and it turned out really well... The freshly ground garam masala made a world of difference. This is so aromatic and gives a special touch to the kadai paneer.

Ingredients

1 cup of paneer, cut into bigger cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 cup green & red capsicums, chopped
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup tomato puree ( or 1tbsp tomato paste)
1 tbsp ghee or butter
1 bay leaf
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped


For fresh garam masala
2 green cardamoms
2 cloves
1/2 tsp of pepper corns
1 tsp of corriander seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick

Method:

In a pan, dry roast all the spices in low flame and grind this into a powder. Heat ghee in a pan, add 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds , bay leaf and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry till the moisture evaporates. Also add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric,and tomato puree and stir-fry until they change color and the ghee separates from the masala . Add chopped onions and saute until brown. Then add paneer cubes, capsicum & salt and fry until the paneer is light brown.

Sprinkle a tsp of the fresh garam masala powder and add 1/2 cup of water and cook until the gravy thickens. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with parathas or any pulao. This serves 3 - 4 people.

This is a finger licking recipe.... :)

Tomato Rasam

Amma's recipe for thakkali rasam... I simply love this... I can literally drink cups and cups and cups of this rasam...Pa says he never used to like rasam before marriage... But after mom made this for him, he can never finish a meal without this rasam...My little bro adores this rasam... I still remember the days he used to pack rasam saadam for lunch every single day... It is his all time favorite..Mom Passed this recipe on to me... and now... there is another victim... Mr.B... hahahaha...

Ingredients

2 chopped tomatoes
1 tsp of sambar powder
A small piece of tamarind
(or) 1/2 tsp of tamarind paste
1 small piece of asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1/4 cup of toor dal
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of jeera (cumin seeds)
1 tsp of Ghee
salt to taste
2 cups of water
Corriander and curry leaves for garnish

Method

Pressure Cook the toor dal, mash it and pour cup of water and mix well. Let this rest, so that the dal settles to the bottom and the dal water rises up. Soak the tamarind in half a cup of hot water for 5 minutes. Extract the tamarind puree to a pan (you can also use 1/2 tsp of tamarind paste). Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, sambar powder, hing & salt. Give this a good crush with your hand. Cook this mixture for 10 - 15 minutes, till it reduces to 1/3. Add the dal water and keep this on high flame. Bring this to a screaming boil and immediately remove from the flame.

Heat ghee in a small pan, and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter add jeera , a pinch of hing, and curry leaves and pour it on the rasam. Garnish with corriander leaves.

This is YUMMMILICIOUS .... You can serve this as a soup, or serve it with steamed rice.... I even add this to my oats... this makes it 1000 times better than the mundane milk / butter milk serving...

Tricks: Only trick is to cook the initial mixture very well until it reduces. This really makes the rasam taste so yummy....And season with ghee... the aroma is mindblowing...

Chinna Vengaya Araichu Vitta Sambar

What do I say about this, guess Araichu Vitta sambar is more famous with the KIs ;)... Try this and you will never look at Sambar the same way ... heehee...

Ingredients

15 pearl onions (shallots)
1/2 cup toor dal
Tamarind (size of a golf ball)
1tsp of Sambar powder
1tsp of mustard seeds
1tsp fenugreek seeds (methi / vendayam)
salt to taste
2 tsp of oil
3 cups of water

For the paste
1/2 cup grated coconut
5 dry red chilles
1tsp of corriander seeds
1tsp of channa dal
curry leaves

Method

Pressure cook the toor dal in a cup of water. Soak the tamarind in half a cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain the tamarind puree and keep it aside. In a pan heat 1tsp of oil and fry red chillies, corriander seeds, channa dal, curry leaves and the coconut and fry until the coconut turns light golden brown. Be careful not to burn the coconut. Cool this and grind it into a smooth paste. Mix this paste with the cooked toor dal.

In the same pan, add a little oil and saute the shallots for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the tamarind puree, sambar powder, salt and 1/2 cup of water. Mix this together cook well for 10 - 15 minutes. The raw smell of tamarind should go away. The mixture should have now reduced to atleast 1/3. Now add the cooked toor dal and the ground masala mix to this. Add another cup of water and mix everything together and bring it to a boil. Taste this, you can add a lil salt if needed (This will cook for another 10 - 15 minutes).

Season the sambar with a little mustard & fenugreek seeds. You can also add dry red chillies, incase you want it to be more spicy. Garnish with corriander and curry leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice...

Yummy Araichu vitta chinna vengaya sambar ready !!!!

Tricks: Amma's little trick, she adds just one shallot with the grinding mixture, this adds a great aroma and taste to the sambar.

You can use any of these vegetables - drumsticks, raddish, pumpkin,bitter gourd, egg plant, potato etc...

As soon as you add the dal and masala, check for taste add a little salt or tamarind paste (do not add the tamarind puree at this point) if needed. If it is less spicy, you can season it with dry red chillies when you season it finally.

Sunday Samayal

This reminds me of my childhood... Every Sunday, yes every sunday... was made special with Amma's mouth watering Chinna Vengaya araichu vitta sambar, Thakkali rasam & Uralai kezhangu fry... Appa used to top this off with Aviyal... I havent had this combo for a long long long time... Thanks to Mr.B... We tried to recreate a bit of this... it was lickalicious....heeheehee...

Instant Tomato Chutney

Thakkali chutney, I can eat it any time of the day and literally with anything... Idli, Dosai, Chapati, Pongal, Upma... name it, I could use a little thakkali chutney with it.... Luckily Mr.B likes this too... this makes life a lot more easier ....

Ingredients

1 cups of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp of chilli powder
2 tsp of gingely oil (sesame oil)
Curry leaves
1/2 tsp of mustard
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
A pinch of salt

Method

In a pan, heat the oil and add the mustard. Once this splutters, add the curry leaves and a pinch of hing. Then add the chopped tomatoes, chilli powder & salt. Cook this for about 10 - 12 minutes. Make sure the tomato is well cooked and all the water has evaporated. You can serve this with idli, dosai, upma, pongal, even rotis.

Thats Instant Tomato Chutney for you.... it sure is yummmmm...

Tricks : You can add 1/2 tsp of tomato paste, that gives it a little kick and tangy taste.

Mix this with a cup of rice... instant tomato rice ready ;)... Pack this with some chips / vadaams... Instant lunch box is ready ...

Arisi Upma

Paaru paati (mom's mom) used to make real yummy arisi upma, I guess this is my mom's favorite... and my hubby's too .... This makes me wonder... has this something to do with Thanjavur... most of the the TIs seem to love this....

I borrowed this recipe from my MIL ...it simply is delicious... and very very easy to make...

Ingredients
1 Cup broken rice (Arisi odasal)
3 cups of water
3 red chilles
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp channa dal
1 tsp Toor dal
1 tsp Urad dal
Curry leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida
2 tsp of oil
1tsp coconut oil
Salt to taste

Method

In a flat bottom pan, heat 2 tsp of oil and the mustard. Once the mustard splutters, add the chilli and dals. Then add a pinch of asafoetida and the curry leaves. Add the water and bring this to a boil. Now add salt and the coarsely ground rice. Stir and mix everything immediately, as it might get lumpy if you do not stir at this point. Place a lid and cook this on low flame for 10 minutes. Check if the rice is cooked, if it is not, just sprinkle a little water and cook for another five minutes. Add a tsp of coconut oil finally and serve hot. The coconut oil added finally, brings out a great aroma... and it definitely will get your mouth watering ;)... Serve this with tomato chutney.

Believe me... this is delicious.... :).... Mr.B... will definitely vouch for this... hee hee...

Tricks: To make the rice rava... In a blender / mixie add 1 and 1/4 cup of rice and grind it coarsely. A trick to get even coarse rava is to sprinkle a little water. You might want to run this quickly through a sieve to remove any powder or finely ground rice. This will give you 1 cup of coarse rice rava.

You might want to add 2.5 cups of water initially and then add the water if needed later. This depends on the quality of rice you are using.

Amma's recipe is a little different. She adds a little grated coconut, chopped green chillies and ginger. A wee bit of freshly ground pepper. She also adds a little toor dal when grinding the rice. I always like this better... just bcos.. it carries amma's special ingredient.... "LOTS of LOVE" :)

Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer... Its every vegetarian's favorite...Serve it with hot rotis or plain jeera rice... it definitely tastes divine.... I cant believe ma n pa loved this...They generally preferred traditional South Indian food... Ma even makes it at home these days...

Ingredients

1 cup cubed paneer
1 cup green peas
1 inch cube of ginger
2 - 3 cloves of garlic
6-8 almonds / cashews
2 tsp of tomato paste
1/2 cup onions finely chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin / fennel seeds
3 tsp of butter or ghee
1/2 cup of water
Salt to taste
Chopped green corriander for garnish

Method

Add ginger, garlic and almonds to a blender and grind this to a smooth paste. You can sprinkle a little bit of water. Do not add too much, because it might take a little longer to cook. In a pan, heat 2 tsp of butter and add the cumin seeds. then add this paste and fry this until the paste and the butter separate. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala. Then add tomato paste and cook similarly. Now add the onions and saute them until the onions become transparent. This is the base for any gravy. Use medium flame and a non-stick pan, this will help cook the masala evenly. You don't have to stir this constantly, but do not let this burn. It might take at least 15 minutes for the masala to cook. Now add the paneer and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally add the green peas (frozen) and a half cup of water (add more if the gravy is a little thick) and allow this to cook for the last 5 minutes. Drop in the last tsp of butter and garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with phulkas / rotis....

Its YUMMMMMY YUMM...

Tips - You can also add tomato puree (blanch, peel and puree fresh tomatoes).. I just go with the store bought tomato paste.

You can also add heavy cream with the water to thin out the gravy, this will give a smooth and silky texture... but also bump up the calories... hee hee..

Some recipes call for frying the paneer. But I like it soft, so I don't fry them... phew... added calories... ;)

Brown Garbanzo Beans Sundal

Karuppu Konda Kadalai Sundal, Amma used to make these on Saraswathi Pooja. I just tried to tweak her recipe a little bit...

Ingredients
1 Cup Brown Garbanzo Beans (karuppu konda kadalai)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tsp mustard
1tsp jeera
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp oil
Curry leaves
A pinch of salt and sugar to taste

Method

Soak the beans over nite and cook them in a pressure cooker. Add the salt when you cook the beans. In a pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the jeera and onions. Saute Onions and add the chilli powder and garam masala for 3 - 4 minutes. Then add the cooked beans and saute for another 5 minutes on medium flame. Add a pinch of sugar if needed. Garnish with curry leaves and serve. This recipe serves 2 people.

Yummy Sundal Ready !!!!

Tips : You can do a lot of mix n match with this. Try replace onions with grated coconut. This also tastes really good. However my mom's traditional way is to add grated coconut and dried red chillies (without onions, chilli powder & garam masala). You will love this as well.