THATTAI

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Urud dal flour - 2 tblsp
Gram flour - 1 tblsp
Salt
Red chilly - 3 ro 4
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Channa dal - 2 or 3 tbls
Hing - 1/3 tsp
Butter - 2 tsp
Oil to fry

Preparation
1. Soak red chilli in water for 30 min and grind it roughly without water.
2. Soak channa dal in water for 30 to 45 min.
3. In a bowl take all items except oil. Mix well and then add water little by little and keep kneading until you get smooth non sticky dough. Make small lemon size balls out of the dough.
4. Heat oil in pan at low to medium flame. In parallel, take a plastic cover or banana leaf, grease with oil. Place one ball on top of greased area and press with fingers to get thin circles. Do it evenly thin. Then drop in hot oil and deep fry. Flip and fry until bubbles completely disappear. Extra 1 min frying can also be done to ensure even  cooking. Complete frying all the balls in same way. Cool them down and then store in air tight container.

Note
1. Gram flour is optional. You can also add pottukadalai flour 1 or 2 tblsp.
2. You can also add soaked urud dal, roasted peanuts and also replace red chilly with red chilly powder etc.
3. You can also add crushed garlic with skins for good flavor.
4. If your thattai is bit thick at some places and hence puffs up or unevenly cooked then prick here and there with tooth pick.
5. If your thattai is breaking a lot while frying it means you have added more butter. Add extra flour and adjust accordingly.
6. You can also add hot oil 2 tblsp instead of butter. But butter gives good texture and taste.
7. For urud flour, just dry roast for couple of min and grind in mixi to fine powder. (Dont roast it to golden brown)

Bajji

Ingredients
Gram flour - 6 tblsp
Rice flour - 2 tblsp
Pepper powder - generous pinch
Hing - generous pinch
Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1 very big size
Salt and water
Oil to fry



Preparation
1. Remove skin of onion and cut to rings. Neither too thick nor too thin.
2. Mix gram flour, rice flour, salt, hing, pepper and sambar powder. Add little water and bring to idly batter consistency. (Too thick consistency will not suit bajji and too thin consistency will consume more oil).
3. Heat oil in pan. Dip each slice of onion in bajji batter and deep fry in oil. Serve hot with your favourite chutney or gravy. My favourite is mutton kurma!

Note
1. I have prepared with onion. You can make use of veggies like bajji chilly, brinjal, potato, cauliflower, raw banana, salt biscuits, salt bread, boiled egg and so on.
2. While using veggies like potato, raw banana and brinjal do cut to thin slices and put in bajji batter itself. Dont put in water and then dip in batter before use. As batter will not stick and also it will dilute the batter for rest of the pieces.
3. If you wish then you can also add ginger garlic paste (1 tsp), pinch of soda, pinch of food color, sombu powder etc
4. Use adequate oil for frying and make use of the remaining oil for tempering purpose alone. Dont use again for frying or do reheating the oil again and again. Use for any tempering and finish it off.

Chicken biriyani

Ingredients
Chicken - 500 gms
Biryani rice - 2 cups
Water  - 3 cups
Curd - 3 tblsp
Oil - 4 tblsp
Onion - 2
Tomato - 2
Green chilly - 6
Home made chilly powder - 2 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tblsp heaped (Grinded with no or less water)
Elachi - 2
Bay leaf - 2
Cloves - 4
Pattai - 2 inch piece
Sombu -  1 tsp
Mint  - fist full
Corinader leaves - fist full
Salt

Preparation
1. Wash and clean chicken. Cut to desired size. Mix with curd and turmeric powder. Keep aside for 30 min.
2. Wash rice and soak in water for 15 min. Drain water and set aside.
3. Cut onion and tomato to thin slice length wise. Slit green chilly. Chop mint and coriander leaves.
4. Heat oil in pressure pan and temper with pattai, bay leaf, cloves, elachi and sombu. Add green chilly and onion. Fry  until onion turns brown. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry until raw small goes and all blends well and turns to brown color. Add tomato, mint and coriander leaves. Fry until leaves shrink and tomato turns mushy.
5. Mean while bring water to boil.
6. Add chilly powder and chicken marination to fried onion tomato mix. Mix them well and cook for 5 min. All should blend well and when oil separates add boiling water and add salt. When it boils add rice and mix well. Close pressure pan and keep for 1 whistle. Now bring to slow flame and cook for 2 min. Switch off stove and wait until pressure releases.
7.Transfer to another bowl. Add 1 tblsp lemon juice and mix well with wooden laddle or dosa flipper. Serve hot with riata and boiled egg!


Note
1. If you have soaked rice in water for more time then reduce rice and water ratio from 1:1.5 to 1:1.
2. My 1 cup measures to 200 ml.
3. If you are using mutton instead of chicken then after adding mutton keep for 5 whistle.When pressure releases continue to add water and rice and finish cooking as mentioned above.

Chow Chow Moong dal Kootu

Ingredients
Chow Chow - 2 ( cut to cubes)
Moong dal  - 1/3 cup
Coconut - 2 piece
Red chilly - 1
Pepper - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Hing - generous pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Salt

Preparation
1. Grind coconut, pepper, jeera and red chilly to smooth paste.
2. Pressure cook dal with water and turmeric powder for 3 whistle. Mash it roughly.
3. Add 2 cup water to a pan and bring to boil. Add chow chow cubes. Close pan and cook until its done. Add ground coconut paste, mashed dal, salt and boil for 5 more min.
4. Mean while heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, hing and curry leaves. When dal, ground paste and veggi are cooked and blends well. Switch off stove and add the tempering. Serve hot with any spicy gravy and rice combo.

Note
1. You can also add chopped shallots in tempering section.
2. You can also boil veggies and dal together in single pan. I use to pressure cook along with rice.

Kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Drumstick - 2
Onion - 1 big size
Tomato - 1 bigsize
Tamarind - small lemon size
Home made chilly powder - 11/2 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Gingely Oil - 3 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Venthayam - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Salt

Preparation
1. Add 1 cup water and soak tamarind for 30 min and extract tamarind juice.
2. Chop onion and tomato finely. Cut drumstick finger size.
3. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, venthayam and curry leaves.
4. Add onion and fry until golden brown. Add tomato and fry until mushy. Add drumstick and fry for 2 min. Add chilly powder, turmeric powder and mix well. Add tamarind juice, salt and 11/2 cup water. Bring to boil. Close pan and cook for 10 min or until thick consistency is attained and drumstick is cooked well.

Note
1. You can also add brinjal, raddish, ladies finger. Many veggies makes kuzhambu tasty and healthy. Raddish and ladies finger should be roasted well in 1 tsp oil for few min and then add.
2. You can also grind coconut 2 piece to smooth paste and added. For which you should increase spice level little bit and boil for 5 to min after adding coconut. You can also add onion along with coconut for grinding.
3. At end, if spice level is not enough add pepper powder accordingly to balance. It increases taste as well.

Noodles

Ingredients
Chinese noodles (Made of wheat flour) - 1 cup
Finely chopped garlic - 1 tblsp
Finely chopped carrot - 3 tblsp
Finely chopped onion - 1
Pepper - generous pinch
Salt
Oil - 2 tblsp

Preparation
1. Boil plenty of water in a pan. Add noodles and close the pan and cook for 5 to 10 min.
2. Once done remove excess water and wash in cold water once. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in pan and add garlic and onion. Just cook and no need of brown color. Add carrot and fry for 2 min. Add noodles, pepper and salt. Mix well and switch off stove. Serve hot !

Note
1.After cooking the noodles do wash it in running water or plain water to avoid them sticking to each other.
2. If you wish to add more veggies like beans, cauliflower, potato,cabbage and peas then chop them finely and then add after onion is cooked.

Aloo Parota

Ingredients
For outer layer
Wheat flour, salt and water.
For stuffing
Potato - 2 big size
Onion - 1
Sombu - 1 tsp
Garlic - 4 pods
Home made sambar powder - 1 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tblsp
Salt
Oil

Preparation
1. Prepare soft dough out of wheat flour, salt and water. Keep aside for 30 min.
2. Mean while, boil potato and mash it completely. Finely chop garlic, coriander leaves and onion.
3. Heat oil in pan and temper with fenugreek/sombu and then add garlic. Once it turns brown add onion and fry well. Add mashed potato , salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder and 2 tblsp of water. Mix well. When its dry switch off stove.
4. Make small balls out of wheat flour dough. Make small balls out of potato masal. The masal balls should be smaller say 3/4 of wheat balls.
5. Flatten wheat flour ball to palm size and keep masal ball inside and close it to make big ball. (Imagine making kozhukattai where we place sweet puranam inside rice flour dough. Do it the same way here!). Now roll the balls evenly to make a stuffed chappathi!.
6. Heat tawa in low to medium flame and place rolled chappathi to cook. Spread 1 tsp oil and flip to other side, spread oil again and flip. Cook until both sides gets nice golden spots here and there.

Note
There are so many methods of making the masal. You can replace chilly powder with green chilly. Add grated ginger. Also, you can just add chopped onion, green chilly, salt, coriander to mashed potato and mix well. Masal is ready

Idiyappam Lemon Sevai

Ingredients
Idiyappam - 2 cups
Lemon juice - 2 tblsp
Oil - 2 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tblsp
Hing - generous pinch
Red chilly - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Cashew - 4
Salt - small pinch

Preparation
1. Take Idiyappam in a bowl and break or loosen it to pieces.
2. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, channa dal, curry leaves, cashew and hing.
Switch off stove and then add lemon juice and turmeric powder. Add the tempering to Idiyappam and mix well. Perfect evening tiffen is ready!

Note
1. You can also add peanuts and coriander leaves.
2. Always add lemon juice after you switch off stove.

Keerai Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Keerai - Arai keerai 1 big bunch ( 3 cups of leaves alone)
Small onion - 10
Tomato - 1
Green chilly - 1 big size
Garlic pods - 5
Oil -  1 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Red chilly - 2
Thoor dal  - 4 tblsp
Tamarind - 1 small red chilly size

Preparation
1. Soak thoor dal, turmeric powder, onion, tomato, garlic and green chilli in 1 cup of water for 30 min. Pressure cook for 3 whistle.
2. Clean and take leaves alone from arai keerai and wash thoroughly for 3 times. Cook with 1 cup of water.
3. Take keerai alone and reserve the boiled water.
4. Blend keerai, tamarind and dal mix using "Paruppu chatti and Mattu". Now add salt and reserved keerai water and mix well.
5. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, red chilly and curry leaves. Add to keerai and mix well.
6. Serve hot with steamed rice!

Note
1. Dont over cook keerai. It might give slight bitter taste.
2. You can use any kind of spinach. Take leaves alone. Dont use old stems. If steams are tender and fresh ones then chop them and use along with leaves.
3. Instead of paruppu chatti you can blend in mixi. But the traditional method gives nice texture and taste for keerai kuzhambu which you can never achieve using a machine!
4. For arai keerai kuzhambu alone, you can skip tamarind and add raw mangoes. Pressure cook along with dal and blend. You can use 1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped mango depending upon its sour taste.

Vegetable Kurma

Ingredients
Vegetables - 11/2 cup (Carrot, Potato and drumstick)
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1 medium size
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tblsp
Green chilly - 1
Coconut - 2 big piece
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Home made chilly powder - 1 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Fennel seeds- 1+1 tsp
Pattai - 1 inch piece
Elachi - 1
Cloves - 3
Bay leaf - 1
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Cashew - 2 or 3
Salt
Lemon juice - 1 tblsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tblsp
Oil - 3 tblsp

Preparation
1. Cut veggies of your choice to cubes. I have used carrot, potato and drumstick. You can also add cauliflower, beans, peas, soya balls and so on.
2. Grind 1/3 cup of water, coconut, poppy seeds, pattai, cashew, fennel seeds 1 tsp , cloves and elachi to smooth paste.
3. Heat oil in pan and temper with fennel seeds 1 tsp, curry leaves, bay leaf and green chilly.
4. Add onion and fry. Then add ginger garlic paste and fry until all turns golden brown. Add tomato and fry until it turns mushy and then add turmeric powder and chilly powder. Fry for 2 min and then add salt, veggies and 2 cups of water. close pan and allow to boil for 10 min. Add ground paste and cook for another 10 min or until thick consistency is attained and veggies are cooked well. Switch off stove and add lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves.


Note
1. Lemon juice and cashew are optional.
2. Gravy tends to thicken over time. So switch off accordingly.

Sambar - Hotel style

Ingredients
Thoor dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Home made sambar powder - 1 tblsp
Green chilly - 1
Mango and drumstick 1 each
Tamarind - small lemon size
Salt
Oil - 3 tblsp
Sambar onion - 10
Tomato - 2
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Hing - 1/3 tsp
Pottukadalai - 1 tsp
Coconut - 2 small piece
Red chilly - 2 small size
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp

Preparation
1. Soak thoor dal in water with turmeric powder sand pressure cook for 3 whistle. Mash dal and keep aside.
2. Grind coconut, pottukadalai, sambar powder, red chilly and one tomato to a smooth paste.
3. Soak tamarind in warm water for 30 min and extract juice.
4. In a pan put drumstick, onion, tomato, green chilly, turmeric powder and 2 cups of water . Add tamarind water and cooked dal. Boil for 10 min. Add ground coconut paste and cook until veggies are done. Add mango and boil again for 5 more minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice or for any tiffen items.

Note
I personally dont like to add rice flour or corn flour or pottukadalai to any gravy items. They tend to thicken the gravy. But this version of sambar is exceptional. Its more like hotel sambar.

Palak Pepper Kootu

Ingredients
Chopped Palak leaves - 2 cups
Chopped Small Onion - 6 to 8
Chopped Garlic - 2 tblsp
Oil - 1 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly - 1
Green chilly - 1
Pepper - 1 tsp
Moong dal - 4 tblsp
Turmeric powder -1/3 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Salt
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Coconut - 2 piece

Preparation
1.Soak Moong dal in water with turmeric powder for 30 min. Pressure cook for 3 whistle.
2. Grind coconut, pepper and jeera to smooth paste.
3. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, curry leaves and green chilly.
4. Add garlic and fry until it turns golden brown in color. Add onion and fry until it turns golden brown in color. Add chopped palak and turmeric powder and mix well. Add 1 cup water, close the pan and cook until palak is done. Add dal and ground coconut paste and cook until all blends well and thick in consistency. Switch off stove. Serve hot with any rice combo!

Note
You can replace moong dal with thoor dal or mix of both dal.

Simple Onion Tomato Thokku

Ingredients
Onion - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 cup
Home made sambar powder - 1 tblsp heaped
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Garlic pods - 5
Hing - generous pinch
Salt
Water - 1 cup
Oil - 3 tblsp  
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Coriander leaves  - 1 tblsp

Preparation
1. Finely chop garlic, onion, tomato and coriander leaves.
2. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal and curry leaves. Add garlic and fry until it turns slightly brown. Add onion and fry until it turns golden brown. Add tomato and fry until it turns mushy. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder , hing, coriander leaves and salt. Fry for 2 min.
3. Add water and allow to boil. Close pan and cook until gravy thickens and thokku consistency is attained. Serve as side for tiffen items like Idly , dosa, puri/Chappathi and so on.

Note
1. You can skip water and increase oil. Fry until oil seperates and all blends well.
2.  You can grind onion and tomato to puree. Add puree and saute well until raw smell goes.

Pori Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Drumstick - 1 big size
Onion - 2
Tomato - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Hing - 1/3 tsp
Oil - 3 tblsp
Mustard- 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Home made sambar powder - 11/2 tblsp
Salt
Water - 2 cups

Preparation
Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard , urud dal, curry leaves. Add onion and fry until it turns to golden brown in color. Add tomato and fry until it turns mushy. Add drumstick, turmeric powder, chilly powder, hing and salt. Mix well and fry for 2 min. Add water and allow to boil for 15 min or until veggie is cooked and thick gravy consistency is attained. Serve hot with steamed rice !

Note
1. You dont add dal or tamarind to this kuzhambu. Its a simple dish.
2. You can also add smooth coconut paste as well. Add coconut paste after veggies are cooked and allow to boil well for 5 to 10 min.
 



 

Carrot Thuruval

Ingredients
Grated carrot - 2 cups
Green chilly - 2 big size
Onion - 1
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Grated coconut - 3 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing - Generous pinch
Salt
Oil - 2 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal  - 1/2 tsp
Water - fist full

Preparation
1. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, green chilly and curry leaves. Add onion and fry. Add grated carrot, hing, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and sprinkle water. Close pan and cook for 5 min. When carrot is cooked soft   add grated coconut and mix well. Switch off stove. Serve hot as side for sambar or any veg gravy.


Note
You can mix with cooked rice and add pinch of salt and tsp of ghee. Serve mixed rice to small kids!

Palak puri

Ingredients
Wheat flour - 3 cup
Palak - 1 cup (Just leaf alone)
Green chilly - 2 small size
Kasakasa - 1 tsp
Salt , water and oil.

Preparation
1. Heat 1 tsp oil in pan and then saute palak and chilly until palak leaves shrinks. Remove from pan and after cooled down, grind it in mixi with 1/2 cup of water.
2. Mix salt and kasakasa with wheat flour. Add the palak mix and some more water to wheat flour and knead to tight and soft dough. Roll them to small pori and deep fry in oil.

Note
1. You can increase palak to wheat flour ratio from 1:3 to 1:2. You will get nice thick green color puri!
2. You can also make chappathi with same dough.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients
Grated carrot - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Condensed milk - 2 tblsp
Cashew - fist full
Ghee - 1/5 cup


Preparation
1. Heat ghee in pan and roast cashew to golden brown in color. Take out and set aside.
2. In same pan fry grated carrot for 5 min. Add milk and cook until milk evaporates.
3. Add condensed milk and sugar. Mix well and keep stirring until it becomes dry and halwa leaves the pan. Garnish with fried cashew and serve hot or cold!

Note
1. Condensed milk is optional. You can skip it and increase milk to 3/4 cup.
2. You can add almond and pista as well. Its your wish you can make it more rich and tasty!

Ragi Onion pakoda

Ingredients
Ragi flour - 1/2 cup
Onion - 2
Rice flour - 1 tblsp
Salt
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Oil to fry

Preparation
1. Cut onion length wise. Thick slices.
2. Mix all dry ingredients and sprinkle 2 tblsp of water. Mix well.
3. Heat oil in pan and deep fry pakoda. Remove when it turns dark and onion gets brown color.


Note
1. You can  also add chilly powder, hing, cashew or murunghai keerai as well.
2.  Fry pakoda in low to medium heat and stand near by  until you finish cooking.
3. Undercooked ragi might cause indigestion for small kids. So ensure you cook them properly.
4. Rice flour helps to get crispy pakoda. Serve hot! Nice tea time snack. Its healthy and tasty!

Vendakkai podimas

Ingredients
Vendakkai  - 400 gms
Oil - 2 tblsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Home made sambar powder - 1/2 tblsp
Turmeric powder -1/3 tsp
Hing - 1/3 tsp
Salt

Preparation
1. Wash and clean ladies finger. Pat dry with cloth and remove wetness completely. Remove head part and cut to thin circles.
2. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, curry leaves and hing. Add ladies finger and mix well. After it shrinks a bit and sticky thing is reduced a bit add turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt. Mix well. Fry for 8 to 10 min or until cooked properly. Serve hot and crisp with rice and sambar or any gravy.

Note
1. After washing remove wetness in ladies finger to reduce stickiness.
2. Always break tail part to check for old ones. Discard if it does not breaks crisply or easily.
3. Dont use water.If its too sticky or sticking to bottom add some more oil (prefer gingerly oil).
4. Dont close the pan and cook. This is to retain the good green color!!
5. If spice level is not enough add pepper powder or idly milaghai podi or paruppu podi!
6. In case if you added more salt balance it by adding rice flour at end. This also makes podimas more crispy!
7. Just mix with rice, add pinch of salt and ghee! Wow! Good to start this way when you introduce this veggie to kids.
8. When cooking huge amount add salt at end. Adding salt at beginning might end up with sticky podimas.

Muskmelon juice

Ingredients
Muskmelon - 1 cup (cut to cubes)
Water - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tblsp
Condensed milk - 1 tsp
Ice cubes - your wish!

Preparation
1. Remove skin and seeds of muskmelon. Cut to cubes. Blend muskmelon, water and sugar in mixi.
2. Serve with ice cubes and top it with condensed milk.

Note
1. This fruit is excellent coolant. You can just chop them ruffly, mash, mix sugar and serve!
2. You can collect the seeds, clean it and keep in sun light for couple of days. Remove skin and use in sweets, kheer and snacks.

Thaalicha Idly

Ingredients
Idly batter - 2 cup
Onion - 1
Oil - 2 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tblsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Ginger - 1 tsp
Red chilly - 2
Hing - pinch
Salt


Preparation
1. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, channa dal, red chilly, hing and curry leaves. Add ginger and chopped onion. Fry until onion is cooked and add salt. Switch off stove.
2. Add Tadka to batter and mix well. Pour batter in Idly plates and steam it. Serve hot!

Note
1. Though we refrigerate Idly batter, it tends to thicken and get sour the second or third day. You can try this recipe with bit sour Idly batter. As the onion will bring down sourness in batter.
2. You can also add little water, pinch of salt and rava.
3. Before adding the tadka to batter remove red chilly.

Semiya pakoda

Ingredients
Semiya Upma - 1/2 cup
Gram flour - 3  tblsp
Rice flour - 1 tblsp
Salt
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing - 1/3 tsp
Oil - to fry


Preparation
1. Mix all dry ingredients and add to semiya upma and mix well. No need to add water.
2. Heat oil in pan and fry Pakoda to golden brown color. Serve hot.

Note
1. This recipe is to make use of left over upma. Nice snack for Tea time.
2. Make sure you add salt for flour alone. Upma will have salt already.
3. You can also add onion slices and crushed garlic(with skin).
3. Deep fry in hot oil. Keep flame in low to medium and stand nearby until you finish cooking.

Methu Vadai

Ingredients
Urud dal - 3/4 cup
Raw rice - 1 tblsp
Onion - 1
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Coriander leaves - 1 tblsp
Green chilly - 1
Ginger - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil to fry

Preparation
1. Soak dal and rice in water for 1 hr to 2 hrs. Grind with less water to a smooth thick batter. If you drop little bit of the batter in water it should float.
2. Chop onion, curry leaves, ginger, green chilly and coriander. Mix with batter and add salt.
3. Heat oil in pan. Keep water in a small cup. Wet hand with water completely. Take little batter and make a ball shape. Press and make a hole in center with thump. Drop it in oil.  Fry until both sides turn golden brown.

Note
1. Adding rice is to make vadai more crisp. Simplest version will be  just urud dal, water, salt and  whole pepper. Off course oil to fry!
2. Wet hands in water each time to prepare vadai. You can use banana leaf or plastic sheets for making vadai shape. Coat them with water and place batter on it, press and make a hole in center and drop in oil.
But I am bit lazy! so I stick to make vadai using just wet hands and do little compromise with shape!
3. Batter should be thick and smooth. If thin then it will consume more oil.
4. If oil is not hot enough or you are frying many in less oil then also vadai will consume more oil.
5. If batter is thin add some rice flour and adjust!

Meen Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Fish - 1/2 kg
Small onion - 10 to 15
Tomato - 1 big size
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tblsp
Garlic - 4 pods
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Home made chilly powder - 2 and 1/2 tblsp
Gingerly oil - 3 tblsp
Tamarind  - 1 big lemon size
Venthayam - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 spring
Water -2 and 1/2 cups
Salt

Preparation
1. Clean and wash fish. Drain water and keep aside. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water for 30 min and extract juice.
2. Heat oil in pan and temper with venthayam and curry leaves. Add crushed garlic and onion and then fry. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until all turns golden brown. Add tomato and fry until it turns mushy. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, tamarind water and salt. When all blends well add water and close pan. Allow it to boil well for atleast 15 min. When gravy thickens add fish and cook for 5 min and switch off stove. Serve hot with rice or Idly.

Note
1.  Meen kuzhambu should be spicy and be generous with oil to balance the heat.
2. In general small fish is preferred for kuzhambu. If you are using big fish then use head and tail for kuzhambu and rest for fish fry!
3. Meen kuzhambu tastes extremely great  the next day! . So prepare tonight and have for tomorrow breakfast as side dish for idly/Dosa!

Chappathi

Ingredients
Wheat flour , water and salt

Preparation
Make soft dough by mixing wheat flour, water and salt. Cover the dough with wet cloth or coat with oil.
After 30 min to 1 hr starting preparing to roll. Make big lemon size balls out of dough. Roll each ball evenly to make chapathi. Heat tawa in medium flame and cook rolled chappathi one by one.


Note
1. Spread oil/ghee when gold spots appear on chappathi. Flip to other side now and then. When it slightly puffs up press with laddle so that it puffs up well. You can remove once it puffs up. Over cooking will turn it crispy.
2. Add tblsp of oil/ghee while preparing dough.
3. Keep dough for atleast 30 min to 1 hr wait time before preparing to roll.
4. Knead for atleast 10 to 15 min to get soft dough. Add hot water for preparing dough.
5. Use maida for dusting. Roll evenly. If its thin some where and thick some where then chappathi wont get evenly cooked and thin places will turn crispy. So thin or thick roll it evenly.
6. Cook in medium flame. Slow flame might cause crispy chappathi and high flame brings burnt one!

Rava Kesari

Ingredients
Rava - 1 cup
Water - 21/2 cups
Sugar - 11/2 cups
Oil/Ghee - 2 tblsp
Cashew, Raisin and Almond- Fist full
Kesari color powder - 1/3 tsp

Preparation
1. In a pan roast Cashew , Raisin and chopped Almond separately in oil/ghee. Remove them and keep aside.
2. In same pan roast rava in remaining ghee/oil. In parallel boil water. Once rava is roasted add boiling water, mix well, close the pan and cook.
3. When rava is cooked add sugar and kesari powder. Mix well until sugar melts and blends well. Switch off and add fried cashews , raisins and almond. Serve hot or cold!

Note
1. Adding ghee enhances taste, texture and flavor  Since my hubby dont like ghee, I have prepared using  refined oil.
2. Roast rava properly. If rava is not roasted properly chances of forming lumps are high and kesari might turn sticky.
3. Adjust sugar as per your taste buds. You can also add elachi powdered with sugar.
4. If you find many lumps while adding sugar then switch off and mix well to break the lumps and then reheat to continue cooking.

Cauliflower fry

Ingredients

Cauliflower - 1 cup (Cut to small pieces)
Gram flour - 1 tblsp
Maida - 1 tblsp
Rice flour - 1 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Home made sambar powder - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Salt
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Sombu - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Salt
Oil to fry

Preparation

1. Clean and wash cauliflower. Add water and turmeric powder. Boil for 2 min. Wash in running water twice.
2. In a bowl add all dry ingredients and mix well. Finally add cauliflower and deep fry in oil. Serve hot !


Note
1. You can also add ginger garlic paste.
2. Serve hot as it will turn soggy when cooled.
3. It will consume more oil if oil for frying is not too hot or not enough for frying.  And it wont be crisp.
4. You can add 1 tblsp of water if cauliflower is not wet.

Vada Curry

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Ingredients
Channa Dal  - 3/4 cup
Onion  - 2
Tomato - 1
Garlic - 4 pods
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tblsp
Sombu - 2 tsp
Pattai - 11/2 inch piece
Bay leaf - 1
Oil - 2 tblsp + 1tblsp
Curry leaves - spring
Coriander leaves - 2 tblsp
Green chilly - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Home made sambar powder - 1 tblsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tblsp
Water - 2 cups
Salt

Preparation

1. Soak channa dal in water for 1 hr. Remove water and grind coarsely like we do for masal vadai (Just one or two minute grind in mixi is enough). Heat Tawa  and make thick adai out of channa mix. Sprinkle 1 tblsp oil on sides and flip to other side. Cook to crisp golden brown adai. Break it in to small pieces.

2. Finely chop garlic and coriander leaves. Cut onion and tomato length wise like we do for biryani. Grind ginger and garlic without water to coarse paste. Slit green chilly.

3. Heat oil in pan and temper with sombu, pattai, bay leaf, green chilly, curry leaves and garlic. Add onion and fry. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until all turns golden brown in color. Add tomato and coriander leaves. Fry until its soft and mushy. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and water. Allow to boil. Add adai pieces and salt. Mix well, close the pan and cook until all blends well and thick consistency is attained. Serve hot with Idly /Dosa or puri.

Note:
1. Generally vada is made by frying channa dal in oil and then added to vada curry. Thats why we call it VADA curry. Usually left over vadai is utilized for the preparation.
2.To avoid oil I make ADAI out of dal. You can also just pressure cook, mash and then add.

Neeragarm / Pazhaya Satham

Ingredients
Cooked rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt  as per need
Butter milk - 1/2 cup

Preparation
1. Soak cooked rice in water overnight. Take out some excess water. Mash rice and add buttermilk and salt to it. Serve with pickle or fish kuzhambhu (Previous day prepared one!).
2. There are so many side dish that taste good with pazhaya soru like Paruppu thovayal, dry mango pickle, roasted peanut, some snacks, small onion, potato fry, kozhi varuval and so on!

Note
1. Add buttermilk and salt to excess water and drink instead of morning coffee or mid morning tinned cool drinks. Neeragram is excellent coolant  Beat the heat for this summer with traditional easy and healthy breakfast dish "PAZHAYA SATHAM".
2. This is usually prepared with left over rice. If you are using fresh one then add water after the rice is cooled down. Dont add water to hot rice!
3.Finely chop small onion and green chilly (remove seeds) and mix with neeragram. Buttermilk is optional one.

Paruppu sambar

Ingredients
Thoor dal - 1 cup
Sambar Onion - 5 to 8
Tomato - 1 big size
Green chilly - 1
Garlic pods - 5
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tblsp
Hing - generous pinch
Mustard - 1 tsp
urud dal - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - 1 small piece
Water - 2 cups
Dry red chilly - 2
Coriander leaves - 2 tblsp
Salt as per need


Preparation
1. Soak thoor dal, onion, tomato, green chilly, garlic and turmeric powder in 1 cup of water for 15 min.
2. Pressure cook for 3 whistle. Blend with tamarind.

3. Use Paruppu chatti or mannu chatti (Terracota pots) for hand blending with a mathu to bring out the best in dish.

4. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, hing, red chilly and curry leaves. Pour blended dal mix and add 1 cup of water, coriander leaves and salt. Allow to boil for 5 min. Serve hot with rice, idly or dosa.

Note
1. This is also known as Thanni sambar, Milaghai killi potta sambar, tiffen sambar or plain paruppu sambar.
2. Use can also add 2 brinjal along with dal to pressure cook and prepare brinjal sambar.
3. If you are breaking red chilly into two and removing the seeds then add just one. If adding as whole red chilly then add two.

Kozhi Kurma

Ingredients
Chicken - 1 cup (Cut evenly to small cubes)
Sambar Onion - 10 + 5
Tomato - 1 big size
Curry leaves - 2 spring
Coriander leaves - 2 tblsp
Oil - 3 tblsp
Sombu - 1 tsp +1 tsp
Pattai - 1 inch piece
Poppy seeds - 2 tsp
Home made chilly powder - 1 tblsp
Pepper - 1 tsp + 1tsp
Water  - 2 cups
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
Dry red chilly - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tblsp
Turmeric powder  - 1/2 tsp
Thaniya powder - 1 tsp
Salt.

Preparation
1. Finely chop Onion, Tomato, Coriander leaves. Grind ginger, garlic, pepper 1 tsp and 5 small onion to smooth paste. Grind Coconut, poppy seeds, pepper, 1/2 cup water and 1 tsp sombu to fine paste.
2. Heat oil in pressure pan and temper with sombu, pattai, curry leaves and red chilly. Add small onion and fry till it turns slightly brown . Add ginger garlic ground paste. Fry until raw smell goes. Add tomato, coriander leaves and fry. Add chilly powder, turmeri powder, corainder powder and half cup water. Mix well and when it boils add chicken,  1 cup of water and salt. Allow to cook for 5 min.
3. Add coconut paste and pressure cook for 2 whistle. After pressure is released again boil for 5 min or until thick consistency is attained. Serve hot with rice, Idly/dosa or roti !


Note:
1. You can also add veggies like potato, green peas, drumstick etc.
2.  Before you grind, soak coconut and poppy seeds in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 min.

Ragi Semiya Puttu

Ingredients
Ragi Semiya - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 2 to 3 tblsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Preparation
Soak Ragi semiya in water with salt for just 2 min. Drain excess water and wash twice quickly. Steam it for 5 to 10 min. Serve with grated coconut and sugar. A Healthy dish for kids!

Note
1. If you soak  in water for more than 3 to 5 min then you would end up in a mess. It starts to dissolve.
2. You can make ragi semiya by giving  ragi in mill (Very few mills do that). I used ready made one.

Cooking Tips

Cooking Tips
1. Always soak rice and dal in water for atleast 15 to 30 min before cooking. It saves cooking time and good for health as well.
2. Always cook in slow flame or in medium flame. Only when it is demanded cook in high flame and stand nearby until you finish it to avoid overcooking or burn food.
3. Dont blindly follow any recipe from cook book or blogs or heard from someone. Because the spice level, duration of cooking, water level differs slightly based on quality of ingredients, Vessel type, water quality, Flame heat level, measurement cups & spoons and so on. Adjust as per your cooking style and taste preference.
4. Boil water and cool it down then use for preparing coconut milk.
5. Use less of high fat items like ghee, cashew, coconut in your recipes. Just because its available dont add to all day to day recipe and make them taste rich but heavy to digest. Only when its required add them.
6. When you are adding grated coconut to any poriyal, kootu, sundal etc add at end after you switch off the stove. But if you are going to keep the food for dinner as well or for long hours then mix coconut well and cook for couple of minute to avoid food getting spoiled soon.
7. When you are making any dough always add all dry items and mix well. Then add liquid items and knead to form dough.
8. For any keerai recipe add salt after it shrinks and quantity gets reduced. Beginners will know the importance!
9. Make recipe with what you have in hand. We can always replace one with other. Like for spice you have green chilly, red chilly, chilly powder and pepper. Also, the same way with veg, non veg, egg and keerai. Its up to us to prefer which one we like to eat.
10. If you want to increase spice level in any poriyal or chutney add some Idly milaghai podi and mix well. Taste also increases!
11. If for any non veg gravy or fry items you wish to increase spice level after completing it, no problem add pepper powder. It also increases the taste!
12. Add soda or food color only when the recipe demands. Only when you cant prepare a recipe with out soda add them. Its not good for health so skip in day to day recipes.
13. If you are serving kids then add grated carrot or finely chopped veggies to recipes like Idly, dosa, paniyaram, upma, noodles etc.You can even boil and grind them then add in tiffen item preparations like puri or chappathi.
14. Slit chilly and add to recipe. So that you can remove them once cooking is finished. My hubby dont like to see chilly in his plate and I dont want my kid to eat it by chance.
15. When grinding for Idly batter , grind urud dal first then rice so that it will be easy to clean the grinder. Grind both urud and rice to smooth texture if you want to use same batter for idly, dosa, paniyaram and uthappam. If you are preparing for Idly alone then grind urud dal to smooth texture and rice to slightly coarse texture.

Rava Upma

Ingredients

Rava - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Onion - 1
Green chilly - 1
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Oil - 3 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tblsp
Hing - generous pinch.
Salt


Preparation
1. Roast rava with 1 tblsp of oil. Roast until nice aroma comes and rava gets good coarse texture.
2. Finely chop onion and slit chilly.
3. Heat 2 tblsp of oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, channa dal, green chilly and curry leaves. Add onion and fry. Add 3 cups of water, hing and salt. Allow to boil.
4.When water is boiling well add roasted rava and in parallel mix well with ladle.Cook in slow flame.
5. Close the pan and cook until water is absorbed and rava is cooked well. Mix well and serve hot with banana and sugar!


Note
1. Its a simple dish for a lazy week end morning breakfast.
2. Two main steps would be to roast rava properly else upma will be sticky.Other one is to mix well while adding rava to boiling water as chances of forming lumps exists.
3. If you are using ready made roasted rava then you can skip first step. Still you can just roast for a min and add hot rava to hot water. It gives good taste!

Orange Carrot Juice

Ingredients
Orange - 1 big size
Carrot - 1 small size
Small Lemon - 1/2
Sugar - 11/2 tblsp
Water - 11/2 to 2 cups

Preparation
Remove skin and seeds of Orange. Take pulp alone. Clean carrot and cut to rings.Squeeze lemon. Blend all with sugar and half cup of water. Filter the juice and mix rest of the water. Serve with Ice cubes.

Note
1. Adjust water and sugar as per your taste buds.
2. Try -Concentrate juice mixed with Crushed Ice!.
3. You can reduce water and mix half cup of soda.

Adai

Ingredients
Idly Rice - 1 cup
Urud dal - 1 tblsp
Channa dal - 1/2 cup
Thoor dal - 1/4 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Red chilly - 6
Garlic pods - 5
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Pepper - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 spring
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil

Preparation
Soak rice and all dal items in water for 2 hrs. Grind with red chilly, garlic, ginger, pepper, jeera, curry leaves, salt and hing. Grind to coarse texture and slightly thicker than dosa batter consistency. Heat tawa and spread one ladle full of dough to form dosa shape. Spread oil on sides and cook in slow flame. When sides turn to golden color  flip to other side and cook for 2 min. Serve hot with coconut chutney, Idly milangai podi, Avial or sugar as side dish.


Note
1. Generally curry leaves, grated ginger and crushed garlic with skin will be added to batter. But I have added all while grinding itself to make it easy for kids to eat.
2. Adai has most of the dal items so its rich in protein which is good for growing kids. Dont skip garlic, ginger, hing and jeera as this tiffen item is heavy for adults!

Yam Fry

Ingredients
Yam - 200 gms
Home made sambar powder - 1 tblsp heaped
Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Oil
Salt

Preparation
1. Clean and cut yam to big slices. Neither too thick nor too thin. Wash again and add water and turmeric powder. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistle(Induction base cooker).
2. Mix Chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt , hing, 1tblsp of water and lemon juice. Spread over each piece and set aside for 15 min and then fry on hot tawa. Spread oil on sides, flip and cook until both sides turn golden brown in color.

Note
1. Either add tamarind extract or lemon juice as few yam might cause irritation in throat at times.
2. Hing is must.

Ragi Adai

Ingredients
Ragi flour - 1 cup
Murungai Keerai - 1/2 cup (Cleaned and washed leaves alone)
Onion - 1 Chopped finely
Red chilly - 1 (Seeds removed and cut to small pieces)
Salt, Water and Oil


Preparation
Mix Ragi flour, Keerai, onion, red chilly and salt. Add water and make soft dough. Make equal size balls. Spread 1/2 tsp oil over banana leaf or plastic sheet and make adai shapes out of ragi balls. Mean while heat tawa and cook adai one by one. Sprinkle 1 tsp oil and flip to other side. Cook until it turns dark.


Note
1. Health wise very good recipe for growing kids and diabetes patients. A good evening snack.
2. Sweet version can be made by adding Jaggery.

Cauliflower Masal

Ingredients

Cauliflower - 2 cups
Onion - 1 big size
Tomato - 1 small size
Oil - 2 tblsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tblsp
Sombu - 1 tsp
Pattai - 1 inch piece
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Chopped coriander leaves - 3 tblsp
Home made sambar powder - 1 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt


Preparation
1. Clean and cut cauliflower to small pieces and boil for 2 min with water and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder.
Wash twice in running water to remove impurities.
2. Heat oil in pan and temper with sombu, pattai and curry leaves. Fry onion till soft and transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till all turns brown. Add tomato and fry till its mushy. Add tumeric powder, sambar powder and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water and boil.Add cauliflower and salt. Mix well and close pan. When water is reduced and cauliflower is soft and cooked add coriander leaves and garam masala. Mix and cook for 2 more min and switch off stove. Serve hot with dosa, chappathi or any rice items.


Note
1. As cauliflower might have small worms in green or white color, make sure you boil it for 2 min and wash 2 or 3 times. Always follow this as first step for any cauliflower recipe.
2. You can also add boiled potato, green peas and fried cashew along with cauliflower. Garam masala is optional.

Carrot Moong dal poriyal

Ingredients
Carrot - 2 cups
Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 Spring
Oil - 1 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Red chilly - 2
Salt

Preparation
Soak moong dal in water for 15 min. Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, red chilly and curry leaves.
Add carrot, turmeric powder, salt and water. Close pan and cook. When water is almost reduced add moong dal and mix well. Close pan and cook until all done. Mix well in between.

Note
Dont add dal and carrot at same time. If dal is over cooked it will get mashed and poriyal will end in kootu.

Potato podimas

Ingredients
Potato - 2 cups (Wash, remove skin and cut to small cubes)
Oil - 2 tblsp
Mutard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Home made sambar powder - 1 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Salt

Preparation
Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal and curry leaves. Add potato, tumeric powder, sambar powder and salt. Mix well and close pan. Saute in-between. Once potato is golden brown in color and cooked, switch off the stove. Serve hot and crisp. The best side for sambar, curd, rasam, coconut rice, lemon rice, pulao and so on..!


Note
1. No need to add water. Cook in slow or medium flame. But not in high flame.
2. Sprinkle some rice flour or besan flour at end to make it more crisp.

Murungai keerai poriyal

Ingredients
Murungai Keerai - 2 cups (Leaves alone cleaned and washed)
Small Onion - 4
Garlic pods - 3
Red chilly - 2
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Tumeric powder - Generous pinch
Oil - 1 tblsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Salt
Grated coconut - 2 tblsp


Preparation
Heat oil in pan and temper with mustard, urud dal, channa dal, curry leaves and red chilly. Fry crushed garlic and chopped onion. Add Murungai Keerai and stir well. Add water and tumeric powder. Close the pan and cook. Once water is reduced add salt and mix well. Once keerai is done switch off stove and add grated coconut. Mix well.

Note
1. Dry roast peanut, remove skin and grind to coarse powder. Add 2 tblsp of peanut powder at last and mix well. People who dont like keerai will also like it and start to eat!
2. Add less water as Keerai will get done quickly.
3. Always add salt at last for keerai as it will shrink and quantity will be less while cooking.