Payaru koottaan/gravy

Ingredients:
• Payaru – 2 cup
• Onions – 1
• Tomato - 2
• 1 tbsp – mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp- cooking oil
• green chilly/ dry red chilli – 1-2 slitted
• 1 pinch of turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp of malli powder
• ½ tbsp of chilli powder
• Coconut – ½ portion
• 1 tbsp jeerakham seeds
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Soak the Payaru seeds in water overnight ( 8 hours). Wash it thoroughly with fresh water the next day and pressure cooker it with a pinch of salt.

Grind the grated coconut with jeerakham and 1 green chilli.



In a kadai, pour some cooking oil and splutter some mustard seeds, kadala paruppu, jeerakham, urud dhal seeds. When it becomes golden brown, add chopped onions, slitted green chillies and lotsa of curry leaves and stir fry it till it becomes light brown. To this, add a pinch of turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder, malli powder and sauté it till the raw smell is gone. To this add the cooked kondakaddalla and coconut paste. Add some water to make it in a gravy form and allow it to boil. Add salt to taste.



Enjoy the curry with plain rice/Ari puttu/Ragi Puttu.

Kondakadala kuttan/curry

Ingredients:
• Kondakadalla – 2 cup
• Onions – 1
• Tomato - 2
• 1 tbsp – mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp- cooking oil
• green chilly/ dry red chilli – 1-2 slitted
• 1 pinch of turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp of malli powder
• ½ tbsp of chilli powder
• Coconut – ½ portion
• 1 tbsp jeerakham seeds
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Soak the kondakaddalla seeds in water overnight ( 8 hours). Wash it thoroughly with fresh water the next day and pressure cooker it with a pinch of salt.

Grind the grated coconut with jeerakham and 1 green chilli.

In a kadai, pour some cooking oil and splutter some mustard seeds, kadala paruppu, jeerakham, urud dhal seeds. When it becomes golden brown, add chopped onions, slitted green chillies and lotsa of curry leaves and stir fry it till it becomes light brown. To this, add a pinch of turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder, malli powder and sauté it till the raw smell is gone. To this add the cooked kondakaddalla and coconut paste. Add some water to make it in a gravy form and allow it to boil. Add salt to taste.


Enjoy the curry with plain rice/Ari Puttu/Ragi Puttu.

Kovakkaya poriyal/thoran

To talk about this kovakkaya (I don't know what this is called in English), I've never seen this one till I came to Chennai 9 (at the age of 23 or so)!!! It was initially hard for me to digest the fact that people cook whatever they say it is a vegetable...

Some say that this veggie is good for people suffering from hypertension..Not sure about this..

so lets get rocking here once again...with the ingredients.....

Ingredients:

1. 1 tbsp of mustard seeds
2. cooking oil – 1 tbsp
3. 1 tbsp – uzhundhu dhal seeds
4. 1 tbsp – kadala paruppu
5. chopped kovakkaya
6. salt to taste
7. 2 pinch of turmeric powder
8. curry leaves
9. 1 – finely chopped onion
10. 1- finely chopped tomatoes
11. 1-2 green chillies slited
12. 1-2 dry red chilli

Method of preparation:

1. In a heavy bottom pan, heat the cooking oil and splutter the mustard seeds, urud dhal seeds, kadala paruppu, dry broken red chilli and fry it till it changes to light brown color.
2. To this add the finely chopped onions and tomatoes and mix and continue to fry it till it becomes nice and glossy and soggy.
3. To this, add green chilli, turmeric powder, salt to taste and later the chopped kovakkaya and mix it well.
4. Sprinkle some water over the veggies and close it with a lid and allow it to cook. Frequently, give it a stir.


The veg now become glossy, soggy and yum to taste.

Dosa with cocunut chutney/lady's finger sambhar - Vendakhaiya sambar - Another couple

Any part of South Indian if you visit, the typical breakfast that one get in any house, restuarant or road side shop...(thattu kada...)...is the one and only plain dosa/dosa roast/ ghee roast/ triangle dosa ...it is comes in all variety and flavour (Dosa kept in the form of Pyramid ..it is folded into a cone shape ...my son loves the presentation)..........

Which reminds me of an instance which happened long way back...(Flash back)

We were in pondicherry to attend a friend's marriage and we reached pondicherry early evening after a long car travel from chennai and we were all exhausted and were waiting to grab something in the restuarant...as usual my DH ordered plain dosa for my DChildren. The server brought the dosa and placed it in front of my son. He studied the plate. And "Enda acchey, sambhar dosadey mozhil uzhalladu?...njaan plain dosa elley choichadu...sambhar venda acchey"...(Why daddy,why Sambhar is on the top of the dosa? I asked only for "PLAIN" dosa, i don't want sambhar)...The manager was observing this conversation....He called the server and questioned him "Avunga "PLAIN" dosa thaney kettangha...ne en sambhar pottu konduvanthey..poyi "PLAIN" dosa konduva "...(He asked only for plain dosa...why did you pour sambhar on top of it...go bring another plain dosa)..The server brought another plate of just "PLAIN" dosa......HAHAHA... We had a hearty laugh and he became the whole attraction in the restuarant....all the Servers stood around our table to have a peek at my son..What a brainy chap!!!!

So back to our ingredients section:

You can see the ingredients of cocunut chutney here


You can see how a podi dosa is made here. A plain dosa is one minus the podi (the powder that i had spread on top of the dosa).

For Lady's finger (Vendakhaiya) sambhar, you may follow the same procedure given here Only difference is replace mango slices and drumstick with lady's finger. If you still need the method, i'll try and post it seperately.

Chappathi and Dhal curry - A fabulous couple

Most of the time, our family dinner comprises of Chappathi and a gravy to go with it and of course, some other dry vegetarian side dish.

But chappathi always goes yum with Dhal...If you go to any parts of North India, you get this combo in any restuarant, home, dhabba....

My husband loves it..He is happy when this couple is prepared for any time of the day/ any course for that matter..So easy to make and simply uncomplicated.."why complicate life?"...that is my motto....

OK !! Enough of rattling and back to business...

Ingredients:

1. 2 cup of dhal (Sambhar paruppu)
2. 1-2 slit green chilli
3. mustard seeds, jeeram seeds for seasoning
4. salt to taste
5. 1/2 tbsp of turmeric powder
6. lots of curry leaves
7. corainder leaves for seasoning
8. Ghee
9. 1- chopped tomato
10. onions - 1 cup

Method of preparation of dhal gravy:

1. Cook the dhal in the pressure cooker till 2-3 whistles.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, splutter 1 tbsp mustard seed, add chopped onions and tomatoes, slit 2 green chilies and fry it until they are done.
3. Add curry leaves and stir fry.
4. Add turmeric powder to this and throw in the cooked dhal and add salt to our requirement.
5. Mix well and when it gets boiled, add 1/2 tbsp of ghee (optional)
6. Remove from the stove and garnish with coriander leaves

Emh!!! the aroma fills the stomach too.....

Chappathi:

1. To one cup of wheat flour, add little by little water (add 1 tbsp of milk too and a pinch of salt - though optional) and knead to a not-so-tough consistency. It should not be sticky nor watery.
2. Take a small ball out of the dough.
3. Sprinkle some dry wheat flour on the slab, press down this small ball and flatten it using a chappathi roller to a thin sheet.
4. In a preheated tawa, greese some oil/ghee (optional). Slip this thin sheet on to the top and allow it to cook for 1/2 minute. Then turn over and cook the other side for another 1/2 minute. Toss around and press at various places so that it bulges out.

Nice and hot chappathi is ready..


So C'mon lets grab the chappathi and enjoy with dhal.

Cocunut chutney

Ingredients :

1. 1/2 cup grated cocunut
2. 2-3 green chilli
3. onion -1
4. salt to taste

Grind all the ingredients mentioned above in a mixie with required water.

In a kadai, after the oil gets hot, splutter some mustard seeds, jeeram seeds, curry leaves, 2-3 broken dry red chilly. When done, pour it over the cocunut grind.

Voila, chutney ready.

Enjoy it with Idli, Dosa, Bajji, Uzhundu vada...

Plain Muringhakkayi (Drumstick) Sambhar

Sambhar is prepared atleast 2-3 times a week in my kitchen..for idli, dosa....
Easy to make and goes with every course of the day...LOL...


Gravy preparation:

Cook the sambhar paruppu (say 1 cup) in a pressure cooker with required water.
Cut drumstick into pieces of ½ inch length. To the cooked sambhar paruppu add the chopped drumstick, chopped onions, 2 ripe tomatoes chopped , 2 green chilies slitted, and some curry leaves. Allow the vegetables to be cooked. Add the tamarind ( a small lemon size) soaked water. (depends on how much tanginess one wants). Let it to boil. After sometime, add 1 tbsp of Kashmir chilly powder, 2 tbsp of malli (Coriander seed) powder, 1 tbsp of ready-made Sāmbhar powder, salt to taste, 1 pinch of turmeric powder and mix it thoroughly and let it boil. Before you take out from the stove, sprinkle some asafetida powder and coriander leaves. Close with a lid so that the aroma does not leave.

(photo taken before seasoning and granishing)

For seasoning
In the kadai, pour some oil and when it gets hot, splutter some mustard seeds, some jeerakam seeds, 1-2 dry broken red chilly. Also add some more curry leaves.

Add the seasoning to the above gravy


One can enjoy aromatic sambhar with Chappathi, Plain white rice, Idli, Hot Dosa…

Soya chunk Masala curry

How to make soya chunk Masala curry:

Ingredients:

Soya chunk - 200 grams
4-5 ripe tomatoes chopped
1-2 onions
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
few cloves, cinnamon, somphu
1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp garam masala powder
salt to taste
coriander leaves
curry leaves

Method of preparation:
Soak soya chunks in boiling water for 20- 30 mintues. Then drain the water and wash it with cold water. Then squeeze out the water from the chunks thoroughly and keep it aside.


In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil and splutter some mustard seeds, add cloves, cinnamon, and sauté it till fragrant. Add the ginger garlic paste to this and sauté it till the raw smell leaves. Add chopped onions, curry leaves and salt to taste and let it get fried till light golden brown.
Add chopped tomatoes to this and let it cook till it becomes soggy and fragrant. Add 1 tbsp of chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and mix it well. To this add the soaked soya chunks and mix it well and cook till it is done.
Garnish it with corriander leaves.

Tomato Rasam

Remember i was telling that one of my DH's classmate visited us and I prepared katti sambhar, Tomato rasam and wheat seva payasam.

Here is how i prepared tomato rasam:

Ingredients:

1. Jeerakam seeds - 1 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
3. curry leaves for seasoning, coriander leaves for garnishing
4. Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
5. turmeric powder - little
6. tamarind - little
7. 2 chopped tomatoes
8. Resam powder - 1 tbsp
9. Asefodia - little
10. fenugreek - little
11. Chilli powder/pepper powder - 1/2 tbsp

Method of preparation:

1. Take 2 cup of plain water. In that squeeze the tomatoes with hand. Add turmeric powder, salt to taste, the soaked tamarind water/1 tbsp of ready made tamarind puree, chili powder/pepper powder.

2. In a heavy bottom kadai, pour some cooking oil and when it is heated, splutter some mustard seeds, jeerakam seeds, few fenugreek seeds, asefodia (small piece), 2-3dry chilli. Add lotsa of curry leaves too. Then add the water liquid mentioned above to this.

3. Allow it to boil. Add 1 tbsp of Readymade resam powder, some coriander leaves and mix it well. simmer for 1 minute. Then throw some asefodia powder in it and close it with a lid so that the aroma does not escape.

Emh!!! Resam is in the air...

Enjoy with plain white rice and pappad and pickle...

Katti Sambhar

How to make Katti Sambhar:

Cook Sāmbhar paruppu (say 1 ½ cup) in a pressure cooker with required water.
Cut drumstick into pieces of 1 ½ inch length. Cook drumstick in sufficient water separately with a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.
Chop 2 onions, 2 ripe tomatoes and slit 2 green chilies, 2-3 broken red chilly. Some curry leaves and few coriander leaves to give the aroma for seasoning..
In the kadai, pour some oil and when it gets hot, splutter some mustard seeds, some jeerakam seeds. When it is done, Add chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilly, some curry leaves to the above mix. When it has become soggy, add 1 tbsp of Kashmir chilly powder, 2 tbsp of malli (Coriander seed) powder, 1 tbsp of ready-made Sāmbhar powder, salt to taste, 1 pinch of turmeric powder if one want more yellow color. Mix it thoroughly. When the raw smell of the powder is gone, add the cooked Sāmbhar paruppu and the cooked drumstick and mix it well. Add the tamarind ( a small lemon size) soaked water. (depends on how much tanginess one wants). Let it to boil. Sprinkle some salt to taste.

Before you take out from the stove, sprinkle some asafetida powder and coriander leaves. Close with a lid so that the aroma does not leave.

By katti , I mean the gray should come out with thick consistency. Not the usual watery sambhar…




One can enjoy this katti sambhar with Chappathi, Plain white rice, Idli, Hot Dosa

Masala dosa

This is an item which is easy to make and my children loves to have.

How to make Masala dosa:

Ingredients for making the masala:

1. Potato - 3 to 4 chopped
2. Salt to taste
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
4. Onion - 1 to 2 chopped
5. turmeric powder - 1 pinch
6. Chilli powder (optional)..I have not put as children will reject it saying "Spicy"
7. Green chillies chopped ..(optional ...same reason as above)
8. curry leaves and coriander leaves for garnishing.
9. Ginger and garlic - chopped

Method of preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes with a pinch of salt
2. In a heavy bottom kadai, pour 1 tbsp of cooking oil and heat it. Splutter some mustard seeds, urudhu daal seeds, kadalai paruppu seeds till it turns slight brown.
3. Add the chopped onions, chopped ginger pieces and garlic pieces, curry leaves and turmeric powder and salt to taste and let it get fried till light golden brown.
4. Add chilli powder/green chillies at this stage and let it also get deep fried.
5. After this, add the smashed boiled potatoes to this and mix it throughly. Garnish it with corriander leaves.



Pour the rice dough
on the tawa and make it to spread in a circle shape. This is called Dosa.


Apply the masala on top of this Dosa. I pour some oil/ghee on top of it. Then fold it into half to give a semi circle shape.


Emh...delicious masala dosa....

Meen Kuttan/Fish curry

How to make fish curry:


Ingredients:

1. Cleaned fish pieces
2. Tumeric powder - 1 tbsp
3. Chilly powder - 2 tbsp
4. Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
5. Koda puli - 3-4 pieces nicely soaked in water for 10- 15 minutes /Tamarind - 1/2 lemon sized
6. curry leaves
7. chopped ginger pieces, chopped onions
8. Tomatoes - 1 (optional)
9. Cocunut milk - 1 cup (keep seperately the first milk, the second milk)
10. Finely chopped small onions ( 1 handful)

Method of preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients mentioned above except the finely chopped small onions in a heavy bottom kadai/mudpot with required water and also the second milk so that the fish remains inside the gravy. Fish curry tastes authentic when cooked in mudpot..and tastes divine after 1 day...


2. Bring the whole content to boil. Reduce the burner and cook for another 5-7 mintues. Ensure that the fish is cooked. Check can be done by removing a part of the fish and tasting it...By the time, the fish is done, pls don't exhaust the fish pieces in the pretext of testing..LOL..When it is almost done, add the first cocunut milk and simmer it for a minute or two.



3. In another small kadai, throw some oil and add the chopped small onions and deep fry it till it becomes dark brown. I also add curry leaves here.

4. Then just pour out the fried onions on top of the meen curry..Emh!!!!!!



You can relish it with hot plain rice

Vegetable ball Manchurian

My DH got a readymade pack recipe mix of Chinese Manchurian. I've not tried it at home. Anyways with the ingredients available at home, i gave it a shot and it really tasted yummy. My DH approved the composition as "A1"...Happy!!! . My daughter gave a good feedback..stuffing her mouth with the veg balls and said "emmmmmmmmmmhhhhhhhh" with a protruding eyes...double happy!!!
My son, to the contrary, did not like it. Sad!!!

Here is the method i followed: (I didn't followed the receipe mentioned on the packet)

Ingredients:
1. 2 tomatoes - chopped into very small pieces
2. 2 onion - chopped
3. 2 capsicums - chopped
4. Some grated cheese
5. Maida powder
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Chopped tomatoes, onion, capsicum are cooked in a microwave oven for 10 minutes on high. (Leave some portion of the chopped tomatoes, onions and capsicum to be used later..)
2. Mix the above with grated cheese and cook for some more 3-4 mintues
3. Also add salt to taste.
4. Allow it to cool down
5. Mix maida powder and little water (sprinkle) and mix it thoroghly so that one would be able to make solid balls.




Pour some vegetable oil into a heavy bottom kadai and allow it to heat. Then throw some vegetable balls into the oil and let it get brownish color outside. Turn the balls upside down so that it gets fried equally on all sides.



Fry the remaining chopped vegetables for 1 mintue.




Added 3 cups of water to the entire content of the recipe mix and stir and bring it to boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.



Added the fried manchurian balls and cook further for 1 mintue or till the sauce is thick. Garnish with coriander leaves (If you have ;-)..I didn't garnish as i didn't have in my refrigerator.


Emmmhhhh...You can relish this tasty sidedish with chappathi/fried rice.

Bitter gourd stir fry/pavakkiya thoran

Bitter gourd ….This vegetable is one I hate so much …..I, for one, strictly avoid this sidedish when I was very young. Amma used to push me stressing the health value of this gourd…I, sooner or later, gained the guts to finish the side dish by simply swallowing it…Some of my collegues-cum-friends dread eating this and I displayed my piece of knowledge to their amusement..by showing them how I finish off my portion…They acknowledged with their acclaims..”waah, waah”…Hopefully couple of ladies have imbibed my eating skills of bitter gourd…Not only for elder people…a tip for coming generations too…..

How to prepare this bitter sidedish:

Cut the bitter gourd into small piece and mix it with 3 tbsp of curd and a pinch of salt. Keep it aside for sometime. Then wash it off thoroughly. This technique I learnt it from my cook. It takes off most of the bitterness from it.

.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, splutter 1 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp urudh dhal seed, 1 tsp kadala paruppu (channa dhal seeds). Sim the burner so that these seeds do not get charred. When the seeds change the color to light brown, throw some 2-3 broken red chilly or slitted green chillies, 2 onions chopped, sprinkle some grated coconut and pinch of turmeric powder and sauté it until they are slightly golden.
Liberally add lots of curry leaves and stir fry.
Add the chopped bitter gourd and mix thoroughly. If required, sprinkle some water when it gets dried. Stir it often till it is done. Add salt to taste.

One can enjoy this poriyal/thoran with plain rice

Good for diabetic people......

Brinjal puli kozhambu

How to make Brinjal puli kozhambu

Chop 5-7 brinjal’s lengthwise.

Soak tamarind ( a small lemon size) in water (depends on tanginess one wants) and keep it aside. Keep aside curry leaves for seasoning and some coriander leaves to give the aroma.

Grind 1 handful of grated coconut with 1 tsp jeerakam (fenugreek seeds) and 1-2 green chilies separately. (This step you can avoid. This will bring down the tangy taste down.)

Pour 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and when it becomes hot, splutter 1 tbsp mustard seed, 2-3 broken dried red chilly, chopped 2 onions, chopped 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped brinjal pieces and slitted 2-3 green chilies and lots of curry leaves and sauté it until they are done.

Add 1 tsp of Kashmir chilly powder, 2 tsp of malli (Coriander seed) powder, salt to taste, 1 pinch of turmeric powder if one want more yellow color. Sauté it till the raw smell goes off.

To this add the soaked tamarind water. Mix it thoroughly and let it to boil.

Then add grinded coconut mix to this. (mentioned earlier, adding cocunut mix can be avoided if one does not want to add cocunut to the gravy)

Pour some more water to bring it to some watery consistency and cook till the brinjal is cooked.

Sprinkle some salt to taste.

Before you take out from the stove, sprinkle some asafetida powder and coriander leaves. Close with a lid so that the aroma does not leave.

Bean’s thoran/poriyal

How to make Bean’s thoran/poriyal:

Chop the beans into small piece and cook it by sprinkling water frequently when water gets dried. Stir it often till it is done. Add salt to taste and pinch of turmeric powder.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, splutter 1 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp urudh dhal seed, 1 tsp kadala paruppu (channa dhal seeds). Sim the burner so that these seeds do not get charred. When the seeds change the color to light brown, throw some 2-3 broken red chilly or slitted green chillies, 2 onions chopped, sprinkle some grated coconut and sauté it until they are slightly golden.

Liberally add lots of curry leaves and stir fry.

Add this seasoning to the above cooked beans.

One can enjoy this poriyal/thoran with plain rice or as dry side dish for Chapathi....Enjoy...

Elavan Morukuttan

How to make Morukuttan …..with Elavan …

Grind 2 handful of coconut with 1 tsp jeerakam (Fenugreek) separately and 2 green chilly.

Cook Elavan (White pumpkin chopped into small pieces) in sufficient water separately with a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.

In a kadai, mix the grinded coconut paste with the cooked elavan and bring to boil.
Mix the Moru (buttermilk. beaten once in the mixy) to the above and make sure that the Moru doesn’t break. Meaning it should not be boiled. Just slight heating is enough.

Separately heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai, splutter 1 tbsp mustard seed, 2-3 broken red chilly and saute it until they are done. Add lots of curry leaves and stir fry. Add this seasoning to the above mix.

Urunda Khozhambu

How to prepare Urunda Khozhambu

Soak 1 cup of kadalla paruppu (Channa Dhal) in water for ½ hour. Then grind the soaked kadalla paruppu with little salt and 1 tsp of somphu. Keep it aside.

In a kadai, pour 1 tsp oil and when it gets heated, splutter 1 tsp mustard seed,1 tsp urud dhal seed, 1 tsp channa dhal seed. Sim the burner so that these seeds do not get charred. When the seeds change the color to light brown, add 2 onions chopped, 2 tomatoes, slit 2 green chilies, 2-3 broken red chilly and add curry leaves saute it until they are done.

Add the tamarind ( a small lemon size) soaked water to the above mix…depends on the intensity of the tanginess one wants. Allow it to boil.

In the mean time, make small balls out of the grinded kadalla paruppu and put it inside the boiling gravy. Sim the burner and allow it to cook.

When the balls are done, throw liberally some coriander leaves. Close with a lid so that the aroma does not leave.

You could relish this lovely urundai's with plain rice or Chapathi or dosa too..........

I just can't resist stopping to click my lovely urundai's.......and yummy to taste too...........