South Indian Recipe

Cauliflower Rice

2007-11-15T13:50:00.000-08:00

Just to Share with you..........

This is a different kind from usual variety rices. The special powder we are using makes this rice different. This will be good recipe for potluck. Hope you too can enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Cauliflower - 1 (full)

Onion - 1 (medium size)

Lime juice - 2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Ingredients for powder

Red chillies - 5

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

kadalaparuppu -2 tsps

Urad dal - 1 tsp.

Pepper - 1/4 tsp.

Jeera - 1/2 tsp.

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Fry these in dry tava and make fine powder

Preparation

1. Wash the rice 2 or 3 times and cook it with 3 cups of water.

2. Cut cauliflower into small flowerets and keep immersed in salted water for 5 minutes. Wash well and boil it with little water for 5 minutes in microwave oven. Drain water after cauliflower is boiled.

3. Add 1 tbs oil in a pan. Fry 1 onion (chopped) until golden brown then add the boiled cauliflower with it. Add turmeric powder and salt as required.

4. Add the powder and mix thoroughly and cook for 5 - 10 min util raw smell goes away.

5. In the mean time sprinkle lemon juice cooked rice and mix well.

6. When Vegetable is ready add to cooked rice.

Tips

If you want roast cashew nuts in ghee and garnish the rice by sprinkling on rice.

SAGO / JAVVARUSI KITCHADI

2007-10-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Just to share with you......

This I tried on my own by searching on net. But I had this many times before from my north Indian friend Maitri. Every friday she used to do fasting and during fasting she used to eat this.

I modified her recipe a little with the ideas I got from net and I started cooking this. Though this can be eaten as breakfast , we used to eat this as evening tiffin/snack. Hope you will also enjoy.

Ingredients

1. Sago - 1 cup

2. Dry rosted peanut powder - 3 tsp (don't add water for grinding)

3. Dry grinded coconut - 2 tsp (don't add water for grinding)

4. Lemon juice - 1 or 2 tsp according to ur taste

5. Salt

6. Mustard and Jeera for flatter

7. Handful of curry leaves . You can add corriander leaves also along with that if you have.

8. Onion medium size - 1 (finely chopped like you chop for vada)

9. Potato medium size -1 (peeled and chopped finely into small thin pieces)

10. Ginger - one small piece (finely chopped like you chop for vada)

11. Pinch turmeric powder

Preparation

1. Soak sago for minimum 3 hrs (more that that also fine) and drain the water completely.

2. To that add peanut powder and coconut powder picnch salt and keep aside.

3. Pour oil in tava and splutter mustard ,jeera,curry and corriander leaves.

4. Add onion and ginder and fry.

5. Add potato and fry. Don't add water .Don't even Sprinkle. Add pinch turmeric powder

6. Fry the potato well so that itz cooked.

7. Add sago and fry well so that it will become transparent and will look like glass beads.

8. Finally before turning off the stove sprinkle lemon juice and mix throughly. After 2 mins switch off the stove.

Tips

If you feel , frying potato is time consuming process then peel the potato cut into small pieces and with little water cook in mocrowave for 5 mins then drain water completely and then add .
Fry the potatoes for few mins and continue the process.

MINT / PUDHINA RICE

2007-10-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1. Basmathi rice - 2 cups

2. Cloves -4

3. Cinnamon sticks small -2 or 3

4. Gingergarlic paste - 1 table spoon

5. Onion medium size - 1 (cut like anyway u want)

6. Tomato small/medium -1 (cut into small pieces)

7. Corriander powder - 1 full tablespoon

8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon (verylittle inorder to retain green color)

9 .Mint/ Pudhina leaves - 1 medium size bunch

10. Green chillies -5 (or according to your taste)

11. Oil - 3 tablespoon

Preparation

1. Pluck the mint leaves and grind with green chilli by adding little water (as chutney)

2. In pressure cooker Pour oil and heat it .

3. Add cloves and cinnamon sticks .

4. Add onion and fry for few mins

5. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry along with onion .

6. Add tomato and fry for few mins .

7. Add corriander and turmeric powder and mix well.

8. Add the grinded mint paste (before adding measure the quanitity ).

9. Finally add cleaned rice and four cups of water minus the grinded pudhina measure.

(if grinded paste measures 1 cup then add (4-1=3) only three cups of water.

10. Cook for 2 whistels. Mint/Pudhina rice is ready.

AVAL / POHA LADOO

2007-04-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Just to share with you.....

This is ladoo is different from the one which I posted before. This is have come across while browsing. Since it seems simple I tried it and it come out good too.So I am sharing this simple recipe with you.

Ingredients

1. Aval - 1cup

2. Sugar -1/4 cup

3. Cardamom -3

4. Cashewnuts- 10 to 15

5. Dry grated coconut - 2 tsp

6. Hot melted ghee - 7 to 8 tsp

Preparation

1. Roast Aval in dry tava.Don't burn it.

2. Dry grind all the ingredients except ghee along with roasted Rava.(don't add water )

3. To the dry grinded mixture add hot ghee as necessary and make ladoo's.

POTATO BONDA / Urulaikizhangu Bonda

2007-03-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Just to Share with you......

Potato bonda is a simple one.First you need to make mashed potato stuffing. If you have left out Poori masala made of potato just make it dry by keeping stove and frying for few minutes and you can make masala dosa or potato bonda as a snack with that masala.

Potato bonda

Ingredients

1. Boiled and mashed potatoes

2. Onion finelly chopped

3. Green chilli /chilli powder (your preference)

4. curry leaves and corrianderleaves chopped

5. salt

6.Turmeric powder

7. pinch of garam masala

8.Oil

Preparation

1.Pour 1 tsp of oil

2. Add chopped onions ,chillies and fry

3. Add curry and corriander leaves

4. Add all powders ,salt and mashed potato.

5. Fry without water for 5 mins and makes balls out of the masala.

6. Roll balls over bajji batter and deep fry in oil.

Ingredients for Batter

1. Besan Flour /Kadalamavu - 1 cup

2. salt as need

3. Little appa soda if you have (sodium bicorbonate) and color powder.If you don't have color powder add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder because the besan which we are getting in US is not giving very good color like Indian Kadalamavu.

Preparation of batter

1. Mix all the ingredients together well by adding little water so that it will be in idli/dasa batter consistency

RED PUMPKIN MASALA POORI

2007-03-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Just to share with you.........

Red pumpkin masala puri is a different kind of poori made with grated red pumpkin.This is a colorful poori too.

Red Pumpkin Masala poori

Ingredients

1. Pumpkin Piece (grated) - 1/4 cup

2. Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

3. Salt to taste

4. Sugar - 1/4 tsp

5. Ajwain (Omam) - 1 tsp

6. Chopped Coriander and Mint leaves

7. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

8. Oil for Kneading - 2 tsp and for frying.

9. Wheat flour 1 cup

10. Water to knead

Preparation

1. Mix Grated Pumpkin, Mint and Coriander leaves, Salt, Sugar, Chilli powder, Ajwain , Turmeric Powder, Oil and wheat flour.

2.Knead into thick dough sprinkling some water. (here water consumption will be less)

3. Keep aside for 15 minutes and Roll into small size Pooris

4. Fry in Hot Oil.

5.Serve hot with potatomasala /Raita /Pickles

NAAN

2007-03-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Just to share with you...........

There are certain advantages for preparing naan at home, the main one being the fact that you will never feel over optimistic about it, as a result of which you are never too disappointed about the outcome. Try out this naan.

NAAN

Ingredients

1. All-purpose flour-2 cups

2. yeast (Dry) -1 teaspoon

3. sugar-1 teaspoon

4.salt-1 teaspoon

5. ghee or melted butter- 4 teaspoon

6. yoghut-2 teaspoon

7. water-2/3 cup

8. Sesame seeds -1tspn

Preparation

1.Mix water with the yeast and sugar until the yeast is dissolves.

2.Sift flour and salt together into a bowl and add the yeast mixture, half of the ghee and the yogurt. Mix to form a soft dough, then knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

3. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.

4.Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into lemon sized balls Flatten the dough using a rolling pin, or by hand (I prefer the second method, for the very rustic look it provides). Top with sesame seeds or any other topping of your choice. Brush grill pan with oil, wipe it with a piece of cloth.

5. Bring it to medium heat, and keep the flattened dough over it, wait till it unevenly puffs up (3-4 min).Brush some melted butter or ghee on 5 or 6 random spots. .

6.Turn it over, cook for 2-3 more minutes, or till the spots are browned enough. Quickly transfer it to a clean kitchen towel and keep it wrapped. Serve hot brushed with ghee or melted butter.

MASALA IDLI

2007-03-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

Just to share with you......

Are you feeling bored to eat same type of food again and again ? Letz try somithing different which is easy to make, Colorful , kids and adults will love this which is made with grated Carrot and seasoned with Indian spices.

Masala Idli

Ingredients

1. Idli batter

2. Curry leaves and coriander leaves handful chopped finely.

3. Grated Carrot, Boiled peas

4. Grated Ginger 1 tsp

5. Finely chopped green chilli

6. Oil or Ghee 1 tsp

7. Mustard, Urad dal, Channa dal for seasoning.

8. Hing/turmeric powder little

Preparation

1. In Idli batter, mix 3/4 of grated Carrot, Peas, Curry leaves, Coriander leaves, Chopped ginger.

2. Heat oil and season with Mustard, Urad dal, Channa dal and Hing, pour the seasoning over Idli batter and mix gently.

3. In a greased Idli plate, sprinkle remaining grated Carrot on each pit and on top of it pour Idli batter

4. Steam till the Idli is cooked.

Spinach /Palak Roti

2007-03-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Spinach Roti

Ingredients

1. Spinach - a bunch

2. Wheat Flour - 2 cups

3. Besan - 2 tbspn

4. Cumin seeds/jeera - 1tbspn

5. Chilli Powder - 1-2 tspn

6. Turmeric powder - 2 tspn

7. Ajwain(Ommam) - 1 tspn (optional)

8. Curd - 2 tspn

9. Salt acc to taste

10.Oil enough for roasting.

11. Sesame seeds -1 tspn (optional)

12. chopped onion -1 cup (optional)

Preparation

1.Take a vessel, mix all the ingredients well and knead using curd and little water to make soft dough.

2.Set aside for 1/2 to 1 hr.

3.Make lemon size ball and roll it as you do for chapathi.

4.Heat the griddle and roast the rolled stuff.

5.Serve with any raita, plain curd.

GREEN PARATHA'S /ROTI'S

Methi Roti

1.Instead of spinachleaves use methi leaves.

Green Paratha

1.Use can use any combination of green leaves to make green roti's.

FISH CUTLET

2007-03-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1. fish fillets (any fish) - 1 medium size

2. Onion finely chopped medium size - 1

3. Green chillies finely chopped - 3 to 4

4. little curry and corriander leaves finely chopped

5. Bread crums - as needed

6. Egg -1 or 2 (white alone)

7. salt and oil as needed

8. Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

For Powder

1. Pottu Kadalai - 2 tsp

2. sombu -1/4 tsp

Preparation

1. Keep fish fillets in a microwave safe bowl.To it add turmeric powder,pinch of salt ,water and cook for 5 mins approximately. Drain excess water and mash the cooked fish well and keep aside. If you don't have then you can do the same in stove.

2. Powder pottukadalai and sombu.

3. To the fish add onions,chillies,curryleaves ,coriander leaves and the powder. If needed sprinkle water and mix well altogether and make small balls.

4. Dip the ball in egg white. Then coat it with bread crums and flatten the ball.

5. Deep fry in oil in low flame.

CABBAGE PAKODA

2007-02-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

My place is near to Palani where lord Muruga is sitting on a small mountain.Lord Muruga is considered as Tamil god(Tamil Kadavul). Every month on the day of Karthigai lot of people used to visit this temple. This is almost common with every people. My mom also used to visit every month.When I have holiday she used to take me too. Otherwise she will go and while coming she used to bring me this Cabbage Bonda (really big one)from one hotel .All these were in my 12 - 15 yrs. After that for some reasons she used to go whenever she finds time and I too forgot asking for Bondas. That cabbage Bonda was the base for my today's recipe cabbage pakoda. I usually make with out rice flour but my anni (Mallika) told me to add rice flour too. It came more crispy than before so now-a-days I started adding rice flour too.

Again ,for this recipe I am not mentioning quantities since there is no hard and fast rule in making this.

Consistency of the mixture

Pakodda's

Ingredients

1. Cabbage cut length wise.It should like thin lengthy strips

2. Equal or little more/less onions cutted as lenghty strips

3. Besan / Kadalamavu

4. Rice flour (Besan 1 cup means rice flour 1/2 cup)

5. chilli powder

6. Salt and oil as needed

Preparation

1. Mix all together by adding little water.It consistency should be like in the picture .

2. Don't concentrate on shapes simple spill the mix in oil and deep fry it.

NOTE

You can make bonda's too with same mixture (if necessary add little more water) but for that make small rounds with mixture and fry in oil.

PAASIPAYIR / WHOLE GREEN MOONG DHAL

2007-02-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

In South Indian villages kadancha passipayir (whole green moond dhal) and kadancha kollu (horsegram) are very common. People used to cook in mud pot and used to mash the dhal with matthu when it is well cooked which is really really awesome. But now its difficult to do like that.so letz customise according to this trend. The excess water drained from the cooked dal is used to make Rasam in usual way.This rasam will be more tasty and the color of the rasam will also be good with light greenish.

Kadancha Passipayiru

Ingredients

1. Whole green moong dhal - 1/2 cup (I mean the cup which comes along with electic rice cooker)

2. Tomato Medium size -1/2

3. Onion medium size -1/2

4. green chillies -4 to 5

5. Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

6. Salt may be 1/2 tsp (as needed)

For sauting (optional)

1.oil - 1 tsp (coconut oil gives more taste)

2. curry leaves as needed

3. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Preparation

1. Pressure cook all the ingredients mentioned upto 6 whistles with 2 cups of water.

2. Then mash it (by using mathu /blunder anyway)

3. Its ready to have with rice. While having with rice add ghee for more taste.

4. For richness you can saute it with the ingredients given in ingredients heading.

EGG/MUTTAI/KOTHU PAROTTA

2007-02-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

One of my favourite is Parotta's.In India whenever I feel like having it my dad used to get from the hotel infront of my house. when I came here (US) I thought I may miss that. But that is not true. I used to get cooked Parotta's and have with mutton and chicken gravies. I learnt to make my own muttai parotta's too with that. You can also try this.

Egg Parotta

Ingredients

1. Cooked parotta's -1 packet (usually cooked is good than raw ones. one pack may contain 5 0r 6 Parotta's)

2. Onion big size finely chopped -1 (more the onion more the taste is)

3. Tomatoes medium size -2 (chop finely)

4. Chilli powder-1/2 to 1 tsp

5. Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp

6. Salt and oil as needed

7. Curry leaves and corriander leaves chopped

8. Eggs - 5 (almost one egg for one parotta)

Preparation

1. Heat the parotta's and cut/tear it into very small bits and pieces with hand .

2. Pour 3 to 4 tsp oil in kadai.Heat it then add finely chopped onions and tomotes.Again how finely you are chopping is proportional to the taste.

3. Fry them well for 5 to 10 mins

4. Then break the eggs and pour in that masala and mix well in the masala

5. Finally add the parotta's into it. Mix them all well .Cook them for another 5 mins .

SEMIYA CUTLET

2007-02-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you......

You might have heard about many cutlets using different vegetables. But cutlet using semiya is a different one. Savorit is a brand of semiya/vermicelli.Near dindugal I used to see the Savorit semiya company whenever I used to pass that way (on the way to Trichi-where I did my college).One day I was searching something and suddenly I saw the Savorit verimilli recipes in the net.Suddenly a flash of my past memory came so I clicked that site and I got this recipe from there. I have altered the recipe a little bit.

SEMIYA CUTLET

Ingredients

1.Vermicelli /Semiya -1 cup (cup which comes along with rice cooker)

2. Bread crums as needed (if you don't have crums the take 2 slices of bread)

3.Potatoes medium -1 (boiled and mashed)

4.Green Chillies -3

5.Coriander Leaves and curry leaves -2 tsp (finelly chopped)

6.Onion - 3(finely chopped)

7.Salt and oil as required

Preparation

1.Boil water in a container. Add vermicelli and little salt and cook for 2 to 3 mins and drain the excess water and keep aside.

2. In a bowl add cooked vermicelli, mashed potato, onion , chillies, curry and corriander leaves and a pinch of salt.Mix them all together.

With Bread slices

Soak bread in water for 1 minute, squeeze out the water and mash it and add to the above mixture.

Knead them well. Shape them into balls and flatten them and deep fry them in oil.

With Bread crums

Make ball using the mixture. Take bread crums in plate.Roll the ball over the bread crums then flatten the ball and deep fry in oil.

KITCHADI (SEMIYA & RAVA)

2007-02-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you...

Instead of making plain rava or semiya/vermicelli if we make that as kichadi it will taste good. We are taking some veggies too.This will be a good food for kids.

Kitchadi

Vegetables

Beans, carrot, green peas ,cauliflower,cabbage,potato .No hard and fast rule for the proportions and the type of vegetables. Whatever you have take those and cut into small pieces as you cut for poriyals.

Others

1. Onion small -1

2. Green chillies - 5 to 6

3. Tomato small size- 1

4. Mustard - 1/4 tsp

5. Oil -3 tsp

6. curry leaves as needed

7. Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp

8. Rava or Vermicilli - 1cup

Preparation

1. Cut vegetables into fine pieces (one cup).

2. Take 1 cup of rawa/vermicelli and lightly roast without oil and fry for few minutes. You can skip this step too if you are in hurry.

3. Pour 3 teaspoons of oil in a fry pan and add mustard seeds. When it splatters, add curry leaves and chopped green chillies ,onions and fry till it is done.

4.Now add the vegetables, turmeric powder , salt and fry them until they turn soft .Now add 2 cups of water and when it begins to boil add rava /vermicilli and keep stirring till all the water is absorbed and it becomes thick (fully cooked).

BAJJI VARIETIES

2007-02-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you......

Bajji is the simplest snack we can make to have in the evenings.During winter season we really want something hot in the evening. I had so many varieties of bajji's but for all the batter is same.Bread bajji is the onw which I used to have during my MCA. That was the first time (in hostel) where I had bread bajji. One lady used to bring in the afternoon and evening we have to rush for it. whenever I make bread bajji's I remmeber those plesant memories.Also that Chilli bajji I had for the first time in Kodaikannal when I was in 5th standard.(In my school they took us to kodai kills that time) .

Make Potato bajji, Onion bajji, Brinjal bajji, Cauliflower bajji, Applam bajji, Plaintain bajji/Vallakkai bajji, Bread bajji, Chilli bajji using same batter.

Ingredients for Batter

1. Besan Flour /Kadalamavu - 1 cup

2. salt as need

3. Little appa soda if you have (sodium bicorbonate) and color powder.If you don't have color powder add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder because the besan which we are getting in US is not giving very good color like Indian Kadalamavu.

Preparation of batter

1. Mix all the ingredients together well by adding little water so that it will be in idli/dasa batter consistency

BREAD BAJJI

1. Take bread slice.cut diagonally and make four triangles.

2.Dip each in batter and fry in oil.

Potatoes and Brinal bajji

Slice the potatoes or brinjals diagonally very thin (like potato chips).Dip it and fry in oil

Onion Bajji

Take big onion/Periyavenkayam slice into rounds and dip in batter then fry that in oil

Plaintain/Valakkai Bajji

Make thin slices with the grater dip that in batter and fry in oil

Appalam Bajji

Take one appalam cut it into half dip that in batter and fry that in oil

Chilli bajji

Take long green chilli on the tail end side cut to split into two portion but at the head end it should be attached and the stem should be there.Dip this in batter and fry in oil.

Cauliflower bajji

Boil water and put the cauliflower florets ,little salt and cook it. Then put that in paper napkin and take out all the water then dip each florets in bajji batter and fry well.

MUTTON KULUMBU (GOATMEAT KULUMBU)

2007-02-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you

Here in USA we get nice mutton in Halal grocery stores. The lamb that we get in American grocery stores are not that good. So try this recipe with the halal stores mutton. Also if you buy muton don't keep it for many days in freezer so finish it off in 3 days.

Mutton Kulambo

Rice and Mutton Kolumbu

Ingredients

For cooking mutton

1. Mutton - 1 and 1/2 pound

2. Redchilli powder - 1/2 tsp

3.Turmeric podwer-1/2 tsp

4.Salt as needed

For grinding

1.Onion -1 (if you have small onions/red shallots/chinna venkayam then take that equalent to big onion/periya venkayam/ballari venkayam)

2.Corriander seeds -3 tsp

3. Jeera - 1/2 tsp

4. Red chillies -4 to 5

5. Curry leaves as needed

6. Grated coconut -2 tsp

7. Pattai/Cinamon sticks- 2

8. Cloves/Kirambu-2

9.Sombu- 1/4 tsp

10.Little turmeric powder

11.Oil as needed for frying above ingredients

For sauting

1.Oil - 1 tsp

2.Onion - cutted 1 cup

3. Curry leaves as needed

Preparation

1. Pressure cook the mutton with the ingredients mention under For Cooking mutton for 5 to 6 whistles with water.

2. Fry well all the ingredients under For Grinding grind that well.

3. Pour oil in Kadai.Heat and add cutted onions (optional) and curry leaves then add the grinded masala and pressure cooked mutton and cook for 10 to 15 mins so that raw smell goes away and gravy thickens.

OPPUTU / POLI

2007-01-31T19:38:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

Opputu which is also known as Poli among many people is like a different kind of stuffed sweet chappathi made of maida /all purpose flour.

Like stuffed chappathi

flatten using hand

Ingredients

1. Channa dal - 200g

2. Jaggery - 1 cup (Powder it and keep)

3. Maida/All purpose flour - 2 cups

4. Oil and Salt as needed

Preparation

1. Pressure cook Dal for 4 to 5 whistels.Dal has to be well cooked.

2. When cooker is cool open and drain the water from dal. Switch on the stove again and add jaggery .Mix and mash well with spoon .

Alternate: If you are not able to mash well grind it and keep but remember that it should not be watery. If it is watery make it thick by heating and stirring in low heat for a little while.

3. Add a pinch of salt to maida and knead it smoothly.

4. Make gooseberry sized balls with dough and roll that into chappathi keep the stuffing inside again fully close it and roll it again into chappthi . To get idea idea see stuffed chappathi

Alternate: Make a chappathi with dough. Keep enough stuffing inside.Close it by pulling the edges together and press it with hand /palm to make it flat.

5. Heat a griddle, put the poli and add ghee or oil and cook both sides.

TIPS

If you feel bored to cook dal or you want poli in a different way ,then fry shredded coconut (what you will get in Indian stores) and jaggery together bu sprinkling few drops of water and use that as stuffing.

PEERKANKAI CHUTNEY

2007-01-31T15:52:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you........

I don't know anything about peerkankai chutney.I didn't even heard of that . My Brother was working in Bangalore 6 years back.He was staying with his friends. I heard from him that one of his friend makes chutney with peerkangai (may be Jothi anna or Krish anna ) . That time roughly he told abt this chutney to mom.I am not sure now my brother remembers this or not. My mom used to make this and from her I learnt this. when you are making peerkankai poriyal that time you can make another dish with same peerkankai. This chutney goes with Rice.

Also I heard that for vegetables and fruits most of the nutrients are present in the layer where the skin is touching with flesh portion . So whenever possible try to use the skin.For fancy sake don't peel and throw away.If you are doing so you are throwing away the nurtients .

Ingredients

CHUTNEY

Ingredients

1. Grated or peeled the outer layer (which you consider as waste) of peerkankai. (Remaining asusual use for making poriyal)

2. Green chillies - 4 to 5

3. Coconut grated - 2 to 3 tsps

4. Tamarind - very little (paste means 1/2 to 1 tsp)

5. Salt and oil as needed.

6. Onion very little may be half onion.

Preparation

1. Wash the Peerkankai skin well and cut into pieces so that it makes you easy to fry and grind.

2. Heat 3 spoons of oil in kadai and fry Peerkankai skin, onion, chilllies, tamarind and cocount for 5 minutes till all gets fried well and smell goes away.

3. Add salt to taste and grind the fried things well. Your chutney is ready to go with Rice.

BEETROOT CHUTNEY

2007-01-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

Hope you may be aware of making chutneys with vegetables like Cabbage,Raddish etc. Among all those my favourite is beetroot chutney. This chutney goes well with Rice. You can eat with Idli's and dosa's too. My mom used to make this. This is very simple one.

Ingredients

1. Medium sized beetroot -1

2. Hot red chillies - 4 to 5

3. Coconut grated - 3 to 4 tsps

4. Tamarind - very little (paste means 1/2 to 1 tsp)

5. Salt and oil as needed.

Preparation

1. Peel beetroot and wash it and cut into pieces so that it makes you easy to grind.

2. Heat 3 spoons of oil in kadai and fry beetroot ,redchilllies,tamarind and cocount for 5 minutes till beetroot gets fried well.

3. Add salt to taste and grind the fried things well. Your chutney is ready.

SWEETPONGAL

2007-01-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

Hope you all have enjoyed Pongal (The Harvest Festival). This year we celebrated our Pongal with our friends.I am happy since I got Sugarcane too this year in Grandmart.Here is how I will make Sweet / Sarkarai Pongal. I did celebrate Harvest festival of America (Thanks giving too) this year.That day we had Turkey feast.

Sweet/Sarkarai pongal is in bowl

Ingredients

1. Raw rice - 1cup

2. Moong dhal - 1/2 cup

3. Vellam /jaggery (powder it) -1 cup

4. Cashewnuts as needed (atleast 2 tsp)

5. Ghee/oil - 5 tsp

6. Dry grapes/Raisins -10

Preparation

1. Cook and dhal together in Pressure cooker with 4 cups of water atleast for 5 whistles.

2. When it is done leave for 5 mins till steam goes away.In the mean time heat 50 ml of water
in one pan and add Jaggerry powder and melt it.

3.Open the Pressure cooker when it cooled completely.Add the melted jaggery into it.
switch on the gas stove keep in low flame for 5 mins .Stir well so that melted jagerry gets mixed well.

4.Side by side heat ghee in kadai and fry cashewnuts and dry grapes/Raisins if it is done add to Pongal rice.

5.Now your Pongal is ready for serving.

TIPS

If you don't have jaggery then try this with Brown sugar. In that case no need to melt sugar directly you can add the powder into the cooked rice.

VEN PONGAL

2007-01-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

In Tamilnadu Ven Pongal is treated as tiffin Item (especially for breakfast ,also one of the item in small occassions)Ven pongal and Urudal vada are very good combination.

VenPongal

Ingredients

1. Raw rice - 1cup

2. Moong dhal - 1/2 cup

For Sauting

1. Curry leaves as needed

2. Whole black pepper - 1tsp

3. Jeera - 1 tsp

4. Ginger finely chopped - 1/2 tsp

5. Cashnewnuts as needed

6. Ghee/oil - 5 tsp

Preparation

1. Cook and dhal together in Pressure cooker by adding little salt and 4 cups of water atleast for 5 whistles.

2. Heat 3 tsp kadai and pour oil/ghee.

3. Saute curry leaves,pepper,jeera & ginger and add to cooked rice.

4. Fry the cashewnuts in 2 tsp of ghee/oil and add to rice.

5. Serve with Coconut chutney and Moong dhal sambar.

ALU PARANTHA / ALOO PARATHA /STUFFED PARANTHA

2007-01-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

Just to Share with you.....

After I met my friend Maitri I got chance to eat and learn many North Indian Items. She used to make north Indian items really really good .If she makes stuffed paratha all will be like asthough she has made using mould. I mean the size and thickness remains same for all. She used to make like chappathi and keep stuffing in the centre and roll back into round shape the she will start pressing that to make like chappathi's .I tried many times but my fillings always came out and the edges won't be that good so I started making one small chappathi then used to keep the stuffing then close that with another chappathi the pull out the edges properly and press it to get paratha's done properly.Now my paratha's look likes her parathas but roling done in a indirect way.

Ingredients

For Paratha

1. Wheat flour - 2 cups

2. Curd(optional)- 2 tsp

3. salt little

For stuffing

1.Potato /Alu - 2 ( medium size)

2. Onion - 1 small size

3. Jeera - 1 tsp

4. Garam masala -1/2 tsp

5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

6. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

7. Corriander powder -1/2 tsp

8. Oil ,curry leaves and salt as needed

Stuffing Preparation

1. Boil the potatoes ,peel the skin and mash it well.

2. Heat one tsp of oil in kadai and saute jeera

3. Then add cutted curry leaves and finely chopped onions

4. Add Garam masala,turmeric powder,chilli powder and corriander powder and mashed potatoes and mix all together well.

5. Fry for 5 mins and keep aside this stuffing

Paratha Preparation

1.Mix wheat flour,salt ,curd and water and make a dough like chappathi dough consistency. Don't make the dough rough and tough.

Step1:

Take little dough make a small ball press and make small chappathi and keep enough stuffing on the top of it.

Step2:

Close it with another small chappathi.

Step3:

Pull both chappathi's edges together wherver needed and press with your palm so that it looks like one chappathi.Then press it with roller to make desired size chappathi.while pressing start from the middle and press slowly by rolling so that stuffing spreads equally in all the places.

Step 4:

Heat the tava and put the paratha on the tava cook till both sides are golden brown by flipping the both sides.

Step 5:

Serve your paratha with hot pickle.

EASY SPINACH

2007-01-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

Spinach is nothing but what we call as Palak. Greens are very very good for health. In Tamilnadu especially in villages people used (kadaiyarathu) to mash whichever eatable greens available. They used to cook in clay pots(manchatti) which gives a real good taste.I took that recipe as base and used to make my spincah in microwave. Since spinach bundle sizes may differ I am giving you only the ingredients and the way to make it. Also the time you are keeping in microwave deponds on the power of the microwave.

Spinach

Ingredients

1. Spinach

2. Onions(cutted aproximately handful)

3. Green chillies (indian chillies 4 approx)

4. Salt as needed

Preparation

1. Wash spinach leaves and drain water.

2. In a mocrowave safe bowl put spinach leaves,onions,chillies,salt and 1/4 glass water.

3. Keep this in microwave for 5 mins.

4. Mash this or grinds this and have with rice.

Tips

You can flatter mustard seeds in coconut oil and add to the grinded spinach.

STORAGE TIPS

2007-01-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

After bananas have ripened, store in the refrigerator to help slow down ripening. The skin will turn dark brown, but this does not damage the fruit inside.

Put two to three cloves in the container or jar of sugar to keep the ants at bay.

Set lemon juice with sugar and a little salt in ice trays to make cubes which can be used to make instant lemonade.

Dry fifty grams of mint leaves, powder them and add to ten kilograms of rice. Not only will the mint leaves keep insects at bay, they will also impart a delicious flavour to the rice when cooked.

Put chips and biscuits in a polythene bag and store them in a refrigerator to keep them fresh for a long time.

Tie the shelled green peas in a cloth and dip in boiling water for three minutes. Then dip in chilled water for three minutes. Dry under the fan till the extra moisture is removed and then pack into airtight jars or sealed packets. Freeze and use when peas are out of season.

Coriander leaves will stay fresh if placed in a polythene bag and stored in the fridge.

If you have peeled extra potatoes, keep them dipped in water and store in the refrigerator. They will remain for a couple of days. Storing flour in an airtight container and refrigerating it doubles their storage time.

Put two to three cloves in the sugar to keep ants at bay. To prevent ice-trays from sticking to the freezer surface sprinkle a little salt on the surface of the freezer before placing the ice-trays.
While storing green chillies, remove the stems. This will help the chilies to stay fresh for a longer time.

Potatoes rot quickly if stored near onions therefore store them separately.

Store eggs in a carton and place in the refrigerator itself rather than on the door.

Stale bread should not be discarded, instead toast the bread and powder it in a mixer. Store these breadcrumbs in an airtight container. It can be used for coating food items that are deep-fried to give a crisp outer covering.

To make vinegar last twice as much, divide the vinegar in two bottles and add water, which has been boiled. After a week it will come up to full strength again.

To ripen bananas quickly keep them wrapped in a paper bag in a dark place.

When putting meat joint in the fridge cover it with foil to prevent it from drying.

Sandwiches will keep fresh and moist if put in a polyethylene bag or wrapped in waxed paper or in aluminum foil.

Fresh yeast should be stored in the refrigerator or should be frozen or else it will lose its effectiveness with age.

Salad dressings should always be kept at room temperature and not in the refrigerator as chilling deadens its flavour.

If fish is to be stored for more than a day, clean it thoroughly, rub it with salt and turmeric powder before freezing. You can also use vinegar if you like its flavour.

Mix in fifteen to twenty cloves with every kilogram of dal while storing to prevent it from being attacked by insects. The same cloves can be reused.

When chilling puddings in the refrigerator, cover the containers with cling film or plastic sheet to protect from water and crystal formation in the dish.

Always store aamras and other mango desserts in non-metal containers, because when stored in metal containers they may get discoloured.

Cut off the roots and pack fresh coriander leaves in two to three sheets of newspaper and refrigerate. In this way they remain fresh upto a week or two.

If instant coffee kept in a bottle hardens due to humidity, pour some hot water to dissolve it. Cool and refrigerate. Use as desired but not keep for too many weeks, as it may ferment.

To prevent insects from forming in plain flour store it in clean zip lock bags in a refrigerator. This way the flour will stay fresh much longer.

To retain the crispiness of leftover fried poppadums while refrigerating, keep them in a plastic polythene bag.

To increase the shelf life of dry masalas store them in airtight containers with a cube of asafoetida.

Add a teaspoon of hot oil to homemade pastes of garlic, ginger or green chilli, along with salt to make them last longer and taste fresher.

Keep roasted chapattis wrapped in a cloth in a closed container. This will help keep them from sweating or getting soggy or getting dry. They will remain soft for a long time.

One may cut and keep vegetables, beans, carrots, etc. previous night for an early meal next day. But put them in a bowl, not tightly packed and slip the bowl into a polythene bag, knotting the mouth loosely. This way the chopped vegetables will stay crisp and fresh till used.

Wrap half-cut raw mangoes in cling film before storing in refrigerator. The mango will stay fresh longer.

Moisture causes baking powder to deteriorate faster. To prevent this store baking powder in airtight containers. Anyway it should not be stored for too long as it loses strength over time.

To keep carrots fresh for longer, cut the tops off and place them in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator.

Fresh soft dates should be kept in plastic bags in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for weeks.

Put leftover soup or soup stock in ice cube trays and freeze. The frozen soup cubes can be wrapped and stored in the freezer. This makes it possible to serve small amounts of soup or use the entire batch for another meal.

A pinch of salt added to ginger-garlic paste will help increase its shelf life though it should be stored in the refrigerator. Butter is best kept in the refrigerator, but as it easily absorbs other flavours, it should be well wrapped and kept away from strong smelling foods.

If leaving white sauce to stand for an hour or two, spread melted butter on the surface so that it forms a thin film thereby preventing formation of skin.

To prevent fresh coconut milk from turning rancid add a pinch of salt to it. This will help preserve it for a few hours. Store leftover fried papads in a polythene bag. They will remain crisp.

To increase shelf life of coffee powder, store it in an air-tight container and place it in the refrigerator.

To keep cottage cheese fresh, wrap it in a muslin cloth that has been dipped in lemon water.For a sweet and spicy flavour, place a small piece of star anise in the cavity of the chicken or duck before roasting or braising.

You can use the leftover royal icing to pipe clusters and stars. Put them on a sheet of waxed paper to dry and then store them for use when required.

Do not waste egg whites if you have recipes which call for yolks only. They freeze very well and can be stored in batches of 3 or 4 egg whites at a time. In fact when thawed, frozen egg whites make much better foam.

If leaving white sauce to stand for an hour or two, rub the surface of the sauce with a lump of butter so that it melts to form a thin coating.

Fresh coconut milk turns rancid fairly quickly, to prevent this, add a pinch of salt to the coconut milk to help preserve for a few hours.

Butter is best kept in the refrigerator, but as it easily absorbs other flavours, it should be well wrapped and kept away from strong.

Lemon halves shrivel in the fridge when unused. Hence freeze them in polyethylene bags so that they are handy for making cold drinks whenever the need arises.

The egg shell is covered with a protective coating that aids in maintaining the freshness of the egg by covering the many small holes in the shell, if this mucin layer is removed by washing or buffing, the holes are exposed for bacterial penetration and dehydration, thus hastening deterioration of quality. So don’t wash the eggs for storing.

An open packet of tomato puree may get a mould or fungus. To store the puree for longer, pour it into an ice tray and freeze. This serves the dual purpose of storing as well as, a few cubes can be removed at a time as required.

Freshly cut fruits can be kept for a longer period by adding a little limejuice or a small dose of vitamin C tablet.

Tomatoes can be kept longer if kept in the freezer, this also helps, when the skins of the tomatoes have to be peeled, as it comes off naturally when the tomatoes thaw.

All ground, dry spices should be stored in a dark place as they tend to lose their flavour in the light.
Before storing spices like coriander, cumin, chilli powder, keep them in the strong sun for few hours or lightly roast them in a frying pan.

When storing cheese in the fridge remove from tin, wrap in cellophane or foil and place in covered container to prevent it from hardening.

Place green fruits in a perforated plastic bag. The holes will allow air to circulate while retaining the ethylene gas that fruits produce during ripening.

Cheese will stay fresh longer if wrapped in Clingfilm once seal is broken. Take care to refrigerate

in the chiller tray section of the fridge to keep it good for days.

Olive oil oxidizes easily, which results in the loss of its delicate flavours. It should therefore be stored in tinted glass bottles or in tins or cans to protect it from light and air.

Make crumbs of day old chapatis, dry for two to three hours in a wide plate, bottle and refrigerate. Use later like breadcrumbs or as required, will keep for four to five days in refrigerator.

Store banana leaves like a roll, wrapped in a moist muslin cloth, then placed n a polythene bag. They will stay fresh for a week, if refrigerated this way.

CARROT HALWA

2007-01-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

I have read carrot halwa recipe in so many places and tried out all. Among all this recipe is my favourite and is really good. Now I am following only this way to make carrot halwa.

Ingredients

1. Carrots - 1 lb

2. Milk - 1 cup

3. Sugar - 1 cup

4. Ghee - 3 tsp

5. Cashew nuts for garnishing

6. Raisins(Dry grapes/ munthiri) for garnishing

Preparation

1. Peel the carrots and grate them.

2. Soak the grated carrots in the milk and pressure cook.

3. Heat sugar and ghee in a non stick pan.

4. Add the pressure cooked carrots and milk. Stir well.

5. Keep the lid closed in between stirrings, as there maybe some splashes, when the milk and ghee boil together.

6. When the milk condenses and the halwa begins to thicken, remove from flame.

7. Garnish with cashews and raisins roasted in ghee.

Alternate method

1. Chop carrots into small cubes and pressure cook in milk.

2. Grind this pressure cooked carrots(with milk) into a smooth paste.

3. Proceed like the first method from step 3 onwards.

ENNA KATHRIKAI / WHOLE BRINJAL CURRY

2007-01-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

Though there are some many variety of brinjals (japanese egg plant,chineese egg plant,italian egg plant etc are available in US) are available and with which we can many variaty of curries.My favourite curry is Enna Kathirikai Koulubu /Molusu Kathirikai /Whole bringal kolumbu. This is made with Indian egg palnt which we call as Brinjal in english and katharikai in Tamil. This is a kind of Puli kolumbu but with little masala.To make this recipe you need very tender small brinjals which will really make your mouth watering.

Slitted Kathiriaki

Enna Kathirikai kolumbu

Ingredients

1. Brinjal the small - 4

2. Small size onion - 1 (cutted)

3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

4. Curry leaves - as needed

5. Oil,salt - as needed

6. chilli powder -1 tsp (optional)

7. Tamaraind thick watery paste -2 tsp

For Paste

1. Small onion - 1

2. Channa dal /Kadala paruppu - 1 tsp

3. Urudal - 1 tsp

4. Corriander seeds - 1 tsp

5. Red chillies - 4

6. Coconut -3 tsp

7. little salt

8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Preparation

1. Slit the brinjal into 4 with out separating the pieces and with the stalk on.

2. In kadai pour 1 tsp oil and fry the ingredients listed for paste for 3 mins and grind that in to fine paste adding water.

3. Pour 4 tsp of oil in kadai once itz hot flatter mustard seeds and curry leaves.

4. Fry onion for 2 mins.

5. Fill the grinded paste inside brinjal as much as you can and put in kadai

6. Fry the brinjals till the outlayer is done and it starts shrinking

7. Add the remaining paste into kadai .Add chilli powder if you want and add water .

8. When bringal is cooked add tamarind paste/tamarind water.

9. Cook until the raw smell goes away and gravy thickens and also the oil seperates on top.

EASY HOMEMADE PLAIN BUTTER CAKE

2006-12-29T12:57:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.........

This is second christmas for us in US. I thought of celebrating it with my Friend Virusali's family.We both planned to bake cake for christmas and cutting it. Since because our kids are not well we couldn't make it. In the afternoon It was raining and boring. We were not able to go out also. So, I thought of making/baking cake. Long back I saw this recipe in Sudha's blog she used electric mixers,proper baking pans etc. I took once the ingredients from her and made in my own style.We cutted the cake and celebrated the christmas.My Kid was the first to taste my first cake and she liked a lot.

Ingredients

1.All purpose flour - 2 cups

2.Baking powder - 2tsp

3.Salt - 1/2 tsp

4.Unsalted Butter,Softened - 1 stick(1/2 cup) (or buttery taste)

5.Sugar - 1 cup

6.Large Eggs - 3 large

7.Whole Milk - 3/4 cup

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a big bowl mix flour, baking powder, and saltl.

3. Beat butter , sugar ,eggs ,milk in Mixi until all gets mixed well.

4. Pour this into Bowl in which you have mixed flour

5. Mix the batter well by stirring atleast for 5 mins until it becomes soft with out and unmixed flour bubbles.

6. Coat aluminium foil trays (or baking pans) with butter and put two spoons of flour and make thin coating above butter coating

7. Then spread the batter evenly in pan and bake the cake in middle of oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

8. Cool for 5mins and then take the cake out.

Tips

Chocolate cake

If you like chocolate cake then melt some chocolates which is your favourite and add to to above cake batter and mix throughly and then bake as told.

EGG / MUTTAI BONDA

2006-12-28T14:20:00.000-08:00

This is the easiest bonda whicn I know.No need of cutting onions etc.This I can say as "No more tears BONDA".I have not mentioned the amount because howmany bonda you need acccordingly boil the eggs and make batter enough to dip all the cutted eggs.

Ingredients

1. Egg

2.Besan / Kadalai mavu

3.Chilly powder

4.Salt

5.Pinch of color powder

Preparation

1. Hard Boil the eggs,Remove the skin and cut into halves

2. Mix Bessan,salt chilli powder ,color powder with water and make the bater .The consistency should be like dosa batter.

3. Heat oil in kadai.

4. Dip the egg in the batter and fry in oil till golden brown.

CORN VADA / BONDA / PAKKODA

2006-12-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

Once I bought corn packet from frozen section and I don't know what to do with that huge amount.I heard from grandma's that they will make dosas,bonda ,pakoda's by grinding fresh corn so I thought of trying it in my own way with grandma's corn recipe as a base.It came out really good.

Ingredients

1. Frozen corn - 1 cup

2.Rice flour - 1/4 cup

3.Ginger - 1/4 tsp finelly chopped

4.Green chillies - 6 nos

5.Onion medium - 1

6. Salt - as needed

7.Oil for frying

8.Corriander,curry leaves - little

Preparation

1. Take corn from freezer half an hour before and grind the corn without water. If needed sprinkle few drops of water and grind.Don't add more.

2. To it add rice flour, finelly chopped onions,green chillies,ginger,curry leaves,corriander leaves and salt. Mix well.

3. Heat the oil in a kadai or a pan.

4. Make the shapes you want (like vada,bonda,Pakkoda) with above mixture

5. Fry them till they turn golden brown.

TIPS

Mixture should be thick otherwise your recipe will absorb more oil

RIBBON PAKODA / OLA PAKODA

2006-12-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.......

In my place this ribon pakkoda is well known as OLA Pakkoda.This I tried with my own combination and it came out good.

Ingredients

1. Rice flour : 2cups

2. Urudal flour :1/2 cup

3.Besan/Kadala Mavu : 1/2 cup

4. Butter stick :1 (or buttery tase 1/2 cup)

5. Salt :as required

6. chilli powder :as required

7. oil :for frying

8. Sesame seeds:2tsp

Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients (except oil) together by adding warm water to make a chappathi dough-like consistency.

2. Squeeze the dough through a murukku mould (using rectangular shaped ribbion pakkoda plate) into the oil. Deep-fry the Ribbon pakoda, till crisp and golden brown.

Tips

Don't make the dough with more water than needed thinking that it will be easy to squeeze because if the dough is a kind of watery it will absorb more oil .

Variation

Those who don't have murukku mould can make "Thattu Vadai/Thatti" with this same flour

1.Rolling dough into small size balls and press it to flattern

2.Deep fry in oil

RAVA LADDU

2006-12-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of the traditional sweets of Tamil Nadu. Especially in villages Almost every one knows how to make it. Its very simple and easy to make.

Ingredients

1. Rava - 1 cup

2. Powdered Sugar - 1 cup

3. Ghee- 1/4 cup

4. Cashews - less than 1/4 cup

5. Raisins - less than 1/4 cup

6. Cardamom 1-2

7. Milk -50ml

Preparation

1. Dry roast rava for a few minutes till the flavour comes out.

2. Mix this rava with powdered sugar.

3. Fry cashews in ghee and mix it with the above.

4. Peel cardamom skin, and pound it well and add it to the above mixture

5. Sprinkle little milk if needed and make small balls.

CLEANING TIPS

2006-12-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

To clean copper pots, sprinkle a little salt, rub with the cut side of a halved lemon and rinse with water.

Fish smell tends to linger on the pots and pans long after the cooking. Brew some tea (for ten to fifteen minutes) in the pot/pan in which fish has been cooked. Discard tealeaves and water. Fish smell will disappear.

Used milk glasses should be rinsed with cold water instead of hot water before washing, as hot water cooks the milk and makes them harder to clean.

For cleaning vessels add a handful of common salt to the washing powder for better results.

Soak burnt pans in a solution of ammonia and water, for an hour. Clean with used lemon and then with soap and water. They will sparkle again.

To remove tea or coffee stains from pots or cups, rub the stained area with a little salt and rinse afterwards.

To remove unpleasant odours from the oven, place a wide pan with warm water to which used tealeaves have been added and leave it to stand in the oven for some time. Even a bowl of warm water with vinegar or lemon juice does the trick.

To cut grease and odour on dishes, add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water.

You can clean darkened aluminum pans easily by pouring in two teaspoons cream of tartar mixed in some of water. Place on heat and boil for 10 minutes.

To unclog a drain, mix a cup of salt with a cup of baking soda. Pour these into the drain, and then add a pot of boiling water.

If you drop an egg on the floor, cover it with salt an let it remain like this for a couple of minutes. You will be able to easily clean the mess with a paper towel.

NO GREESE TIPS

2006-12-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

1. Adding a spoonful of curd to ladyfingers while cooking will ensure that they do not stick to the vessel or turn black.

2. Sprinkle a bit of salt in the frying pan before adding chicken. It will cut down on the amount of grease splattering.

3.Vinegar brought to a boil in a new frying pan will prevent foods from sticking.

COOKING VARIATIONS TIPS

2006-12-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

1. Adding a cupful of grated carrot or beetroot to the coconut while making coconut burfi will give you natural colouring and nutritional benefits.

2. While grinding the batter for idlis replace 1/5 quantity of rice with pressed rice (poha). This will make the idlis fluffier.

3. Use crushed vermicelli to coat your cutlets for a change. The cutlets will have a nest-like appearance.

4. Coconut milk when kept overnight in the fridge forms a white layer on top. This layer can be used as fat instead of oil for frying mutton or chicken.

5. A pinch of turmeric powder and a teaspoon full of ghee added to dal before pressure-cooking it will give it a better flavour.

FRYING TIPS

2006-12-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

1. To refresh stale bread, sprinkle it with water, wrap it in a foil and heat it in the oven on 200 ºC for about five to ten minutes.

2. Onions will brown faster if half a teaspoon of salt is added to the onions while frying.

3. Add a pinch of salt to the oil while frying "pakodas" or "koftas" and you will use up less oil.

4. To make a soft fluffy omelet heat a non-stick pan and add a little more butter than usual. Now beat the egg and stir briskly (even while frying) with a fork. This way more air goes in your omelet, making it light and fluffy. Cook till done and serve hot.

2. Onions will brown faster if half a teaspoon of salt is added to the onions while frying.

3. Add a pinch of salt to the oil while frying "pakodas" or "koftas" and you will use up less oil.

4. To make a soft fluffy omelet heat a non-stick pan and add a little more butter than usual. Now beat the egg and stir briskly (even while frying) with a fork. This way more air goes in your omelet, making it light and fluffy. Cook till done and serve hot.

COOKING TIPS

2006-12-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

1. Peel and cut potatoes and boil them in water to which a little vinegar is added. They will be done in no time and will retain the texture as well.

2.If you have forgotten to soak pulses like chana overnight, just put the chana in a flask full of boiling water for an hour. They are ready for cooking.

3. Add a little oil and turmeric powder to the dal before placing it in the cooker. It will get done in ten minutes flat.

4. While cooking ladyfingers (okra) add a few drops of lemon juice or a spoonful of yogurt to avoid becoming sticky.

5. To preserve the white colour in cauliflower and cabbage, add a teaspoon of milk or milk powder while cooking.

6. The art of making good naan khatais lies in beating of the mixture till it becomes light and fluffy. Also only vanaspati should be used to make them.

7. When boiling potatoes for cutlets add the salt to the water itself as potatoes absorb salt better this way.

8. Never beat idli batter too much because the air which has already incorporated during fermentation is lost.

9.To reduce fat in the chicken by about 10 grams per serving, remove the skin before marinating it.

MICROWAVE CHICKEN KURUMA

2006-12-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

I know for most of the bachelor' s find it very difficult to cook after coming from office.I agree with you guys doing both jobs is really difficult in regular basis. I want tomake you comfortable by sharing this recipe with you.

INGREDIENTS

1. Chicken - 500 gms.

2. Onions(sliced) - 2 nos.

3. Oil - 2 tbsps.

4. Salt to taste

FOR THE PASTE:

1. Poppy seeds(roasted) - 2 tsps.

2. Cashewnuts - 10 nos.

3.Coconut(grated) - 2 tbsps.

4. Coriander leaves(chopped) - 2 tsps.

FOR MARINATION:

1. Yoghurt(curd) - 1 cup

2. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp.

3. Chili powder - 1 tsp.

4. Coriander powder - 1 tsp.

5. Garam masala - 1 tsp.

6. Pepper powder - ½ tsp.

PREPARATION

1. Mix all the ingredients for marination.

2. Wash and marinate the chicken in the marinade for atleast 2 hours.

3.Grind coconut, coriander, poppy seed and cashewnuts to a fine paste and keep aside.

4.Take oil in a microwave safe container, add sliced onions and micro cook for 5 minutes.

5.Add the marinated chicken, mix and micro cook covered for 12 minutes.

6.Add the ground paste and salt and mix well. Micro cook covered for 5 minutes.

7.Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

RASAM

2006-12-11T14:57:00.000-08:00

In South India Rasam normally forms the second course in menu. There are various ways of preparing it. It is normally mixed with white rice/plain cooked rice and eaten with different poriyals/curries for sidedish. Making Rasam is very simple and will be prepared in five mins. Rasam made with Dal water tastes good when compared to rasam made with plain water.

RASAM

Ingredients

1. Toor dal - 2 tsp.

2. Tomato -1/2 or one small

3. Tamarind -very little(nellikkaisize / Gooseberry size)

4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

5. Garlic -2 cloves

6. Red chilli - 2

7. Oil -1 tsp

8. Curry leaves,corriander leaves,salt - as needed

9. Sambar powder -1/2 tsp

10. Rasampowder - 1/4 tsp

Preparation of Dal water

1. Cook dal with little turmeric powder ,tomato , one clove garlic by adding more water.

(mash dal well with water and make dal water)

Rasam Mixture

To dal water made by cooking dal add tamarind juice ,sambar powder,pinch of chiili powder(if needed), Rasam Powder, salt and check the taste

Preparation

1. Pour 1 tsp of oil.

2. Grate another garlic clove and add that to oil

3. Saute Mustard seed,curry leaves,corriander leaves and redchilli

4. Add above prepared Rasam Mixture

5. When it is ready to boil switch of the gas and your rasam is ready.

Rasam Powder

1. Pepper -2 tsps

2. Jeera- 3 tsp

Grind it together and keep.

SAMBAR

2006-12-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

In south India especialy TamilNadu Sambar is very famous and common one. This sambar is different from the one we make for ven pongal with Moong dal.Toor dal Sambar especially means drumstick sambar there.Nothing can beat that.Drumstick is not the only vegetable you can make sambar with it but you can make sambar with any vegetables like bringal/eggplant ,carrot ,small onions, bottle guard etc.Only Bitter guard is not used for making sambar since it is bitter in taste.Instead it is used for making puli kolumbu.In making Samar some may grind a spoon of dal,corriander seeds,redchilli etc and others make it as a simple one with out grinding anything. The Sambar which I used to make is very very simple if I say I won't sambar powder too it will be a great surprise for you.But that is the truth.

Ingredients

To cook dal first

1. Toor dal - 1 cup

2. Tomato small - 1

3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

4. Garlic cloves - 1

5. Oil - 1/2 tsp (optional)

For making Sambar

1. Vegetable - 1 cup ( anything you have except bitter guard)

2. small size onion -1

3. Tamarind - very little (gooseberry /Nellikkai size )

4. chilli powder - 1 tsp

5. oil - 1 tsp

6. Mustard - 1/2 tsp

7. Curry leaves - as needed

8. A pinch of turmeric powder

9. salt as needed

Preparation

1. Cook dal with all the ingredients in "To cook dal first".

2. Pour oil in kadai and saute mustard seeds and curry leaves.

3. Add cutted onions and fry.

4. Add cutted vegetables ,a pich of turmeric and fry for 2 mins

5. Add little water,chilli powder and fry

6. Add cooked (mashed) dal

7. Extract juice from tamaring by soaking it in water and add the juice.

8. cook until tamarind smell goes away and vegetables get cooked.

JAVVARUSI / SABUDHANA / SAGO LADOO

2006-12-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you......

Recently I came accross this recipe when I was browsing something.I thought of trying it yesterday.So I made javarusi ladoo /sabodhana ladoo yesterday.

My friend along with her hubby who are near by came to my house and I gavethem javarusi ladoo and asked them what it was? They told taste and smell is very good .They were not able to found out what it is.You also try it out and tell me how it is.

SABHUDHANA/SAGO/JAVVARUSI LADOO

Ingredients

1.Sabudhana/javvarusi/Sago - 1 cup

2.Sugar -1 cup

3.Cashewnuts - 10

4. dry grapes -10

5. Milk - 25 ml

6. Ghee -2 tsps

Preparation

1.Fry/Roast Sago in a dry kadai for 5 to 10 mins in medium flame

2.Grind it into fine powder and sieve it to remove if big particles are there.

3.Roast Cashewnuts and dry grapes in ghee.

4.Add sago powder,sugar,cashewnuts and grapes.Sprinkle hot milkand make ladoo's.

Tips

Make Fresh Eat fresh.Don't keep it for days it may harden.

TAMARIND AND APPLICATION AREAS

2006-12-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Tarmarind uses in herbal tea for reducing malaria fever. Due to its medicinal value, tamarind is used as an Ayurvedic Medicine for gastric and/or digestion problems.

Tamarind is used most frequently in tamarind juice, which is a natural coolant for the body and enjoyed by many during these hot Caribbean days.

The pulp is used for making sauces, curries and beverages. It cures dysentery and boils on human skin.

A preparation from the seed is useful for sizing cotton, woolens and jute fabrics and dying silk.

The seed oil serves as a varnish for toys, dolls, idols. Tamarind is used in cases of gingivitis and asthma and eye inflammations; and lotions and poultices made from the bark are applied on open sores and caterpillar rashes.

The tamarind powdered seeds are made into a paste for drawing boils and, with or without cumin seeds and palm sugar, are prescribed for chronic diarrhea and dysentery.

The leaves are some times used in subacid infusions, and a decoction is said to destroy worms in children, and is also useful for jaundice, and externally as a wash for sore eyes and ulcers.

Tamarind pulp, being rich in vitamin C, is valuable in preventing and curing scurvy.

It is significant that tamarind does not lose its antiscorbutic property on drying as in case of other fruits and vegetables.

Tamarind crushed with water and made into a poultice, the leaves are applied on inflamed joints and ankles. It reduces swelling and pain.

TAMARIND RICE

2006-12-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Just to Share with you......

I remember my first long trip was at the age of 10.Including my family members around sixty of us went on a 5 days tip to Ramaswaram,Kanyakumari etc.I heard that in olden days when people are travelling they will carry food (Katti soru) with them since they have to travel long distances by walking for days together and foods are not available on the way.We also made "Katti soru" in a different way.Guess what it is? Yes you got it .Itz nothing but Tamarind rice.The speacialty with tamarind rice is that we can keep it for minimum of two days.It won't get spoiled.Another speciality is when hours passes the taste will be too good.So from that Trip onwards till now whenever I am planning to go outside I will plan for Tamarind rice.

Little information about Tamarind

Tamarind is said to cool the system and cleanse the blood. The pulp, rich in vitamins and minerals, is used in Chinese medicine. The bark treats asthma, and a paste made from the leaves or the seeds is used to treat boils. The flowers are said to reduce blood pressure.They contain vitamin C and are very useful in preventing and curing scurvy. The pulp of the ripe fruit is used in acute constipation and liver disorders like jaundice. The powdered seeds are given in dysentery. They are also applied locally for contracting the vaginal passage.

For more information about Tamarind uses click here.

See recipe for Cumin and Tamarind Refresher.

Ingredients

1. Rice - 1 Cup

2. Water - 2 Cups

3. Tamarind Raw - 1 big Lemon size ball

4. Red chillies - 15 Nos

5. Raw Peanuts - 1/2 Cup

6. Salt - Acc to taste

7. Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp.

8. Channa dal - 1 Tsp.

9. Urad dal - 1 Tsp.

10. Curry leaves - few

11. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp.

12. Oil - 3 Tbsp.

13. Onion - 1

Preparation

1. Cook the rice with water and little salt and keep aside.

2. Soak Tamarind in water for sometime extract the juice .

3. Heat a pan and add oil.

4. Saute Mustard seeds,Channa dal,Urudal and curry leaves.

5. Add the Peanuts & fry for a minute.

6. Cutted Onions and Red chillies.

7. Pour in the tamarind extract and add turmeric powder.

8. Let it boil till it leaves the raw smell and oil seperates on top also the consistency of the gravy becomes semi solid.

9. Finaly add Cooked rice to gravy.

TOMATO RICE

2006-12-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you...

This is an normal way of making tomato rice. When I was kid I always used to grow tomato plant in our house because it grows just like that and no need to be taken care of regularly.Where ever the seed gets scattered plant will grow.I love to pluck the ripen tomatoes .For plucking sake I always used to ask my mom to cook tomato rice.

Ingredients

1. Rice - 1cup

2. Onion -1 (small)

3. Garlic - 4 pods

4. Cilantro to garnish

5. Tomatoes -2

6. Green chillies - 3

7. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

8. Oil - 1 tbsp

9.Sombu -1/2 tsp

10.Curry leaves -10

11.Salt to taste

Preparaiton

1. Cook the rice with little salt ,and allow it to cool in a plate.

2. Cut the onion,garlic,tomatoes,Chillies.

3. In a pan add oil,then add Mustard ,sombu ,Curry leaves and fry for a minute.

4. Cut garlic into small pieces.

5. Add the onion,garlic,chillies,tomatoes. Add Chilly powder and salt to taste.

6. Stir well till the tomatoes are tender and then add the cooked rice and keep in low flame for 5 minutes with constant stirring.

7.Garnish with cilantro.

MANGO RICE

2006-12-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

An abundance of delicious mangoes are available in the summer months, ideal for enjoying in many different ways throughout the day.In south India people will add a piece of Mango to drumstick sambar to add flavour.These mangoes we used to cut spary mixed salt and chiily powder and eat as raw.We used to make pickles and kolumbu.If you are bored with these try this recipe it is vey good.

The health benefits of fresh mangoes are hard to beat - they contain more beta-carotene than any other fruit and a 200g serve of mango contains up to three times your recommended daily intake of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Ingredients

1. Rice-1 cup

2. Grated Mango-1 cup

3. Green pepper 4

4. Chopped Onion-1/4 cup

5. Channa and urudal-1 tsp each

6. Peanuts-2 tbsp

7. Mustard-1 tsp

8. Curry leaves-for flavor

9. Salt-to taste

10. Oil-1 tbsp

Preparation

1. Cook rice and allow with little salt it to cool.

2.In a sauce pan, heat oil, add dhals, peanuts and fry well. Add mustard and let it splits, then add the curry leaves, chopped onion, green pepper, salt and the grated mango. Saute this till mango is cooked.

3. To this add the cooked rice an mix well.

LEMON RICE

2006-12-04T10:41:00.000-08:00

Lemon Rice is very simple and takes less than 10 minutes.This South Indian dish is easily put together when you are in a hurry. You can also make it with leftover rice also. When you are going for a picinic and you don't want to go for outside food you can prefer lemon rice that time you.In US there is no hesile of sqeeezeing lemon also we are geeting lemon juices every where which can making our job easy.

Ingredients

1. Rice - 1 cup

2. Lime/Lemon -1

3. Onion - 1 (small)

4. Green chillies -5

5. Mustard - 1 tsp

6. Urad dhal -1 tsp

7. Channa dal - 1 tsp

8. Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1/2 tsp

9. Peanuts/Groundnuts - handful (as needed)

10. Salt to taste

11. Oil - 1 tbsp

12. Curry leaves and corriender leaves for garnishing

Preparation

1. Cook the rice with little salt and allow it to cool in a plate.

2. In a pan add oil,Saute Mustard and curry leaves/corriender leaves.

3.Then add urad dhal, channa dal and fry till dal' s becomes golden brown

4. Cut the onion and add to it and fry well. Then add cutted Green chillies.

5. Add turmeric powder and salt to taste and leamon juice (nearly 1 1/2 tsp)

6. Fry for 2 minutes and then add the cooked rice mix well.

7. Fry peanuts seperately in dry tava and garnish the rice

COCONUT RICE

2006-12-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

Rice is an important constituent of Tamil cuisine, there are a variety of rice preparations, and food items of rice are available for all the meals of the day.Coconut rice is good in taste.If garnished with roasted Cashewnut it gives Rich look.In Tamil nadu for VALAIKAPPU (baby shower) people prepare many variety rices.The very common are Lemon rice,Tamaring rice and coconut rice.

Ingredients

1. Rice-1cup

2. Grated Coconut-1cup

3. Channa dhal and Urudal - 1 tsp each

4. Mustard - 1tsp

5. Onion- 1

6. Green Chillie - 5

7. Oil - 1 tbsp salt

8.Curry leaves as needed

Preparation

1. Cook rice and allow it to cool.

2. In a pan pour oil and saute mustard.

3. After the mustard gets split add curry leaves and dals and fry it will till dals become brown

4 . Add chopped onion and chilli fry for few mins.Then add the grated coconut and fry for 5 mins.

5.Finally add cooked rice and leave in low flame for 5 minutes

CILANTRO / CORRIANDER RICE

2006-12-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

This yummy rice is a great way to sneak some veggies into your loved ones who would otherwise pass on them. Wonderful change from the usual variety rice.

Ingredients

1. Basmathi rice - 1 cup

2. Cilantro (cut) - 1 cup

3. Oil - 1 tsp

4. Red chillies - 5

5. Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

6.Onion - 1 (small)

7. Mustard - 1 tsp

8. salt to taste

Preparation

1. Cook the rice with little salt and allow it to cool in a plate.

2. In a pan add the oil,then add mustard and let it split for 1 minute.

3. Cut the onion and add to it and fry well.

4. Then add the red chillies ,the grated coconut and cilantro .

5. Add salt to taste.Fry for 4 minutes and then add the cooked rice and keep in low flame for 5 minutes with constant stirring.

Tips

While making variety rices cook rice with little salt so that slat will be mized evenly

CARROT RICE

2006-12-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. Carrots' antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially night vision. So give carrots to your kids.If they are not ready to take just add grated carrot and rice together with some sauting give them as a carrot rice for their lunch.They will love the taste and color of it.

Ingrdients

1.Grated carrot- 3/4 cup

2. Basmati rice-1cup

3. cinnamon -4

4.cardamom -2

5.cloves-3

6.cilantro

7.onion -1

8. ghee - 1 tbsp

9. oil - 1 tbsp

10. Chillies -5

11.Salt to taste

Preparation

1.Cook rice with little salt and allow it to cool.

2.Cut onion,green chillies.

3.In a pan pour oil and ghee,add cinnamon,cardamom,cloves,onion,chillies,grated carrot,salt and fry for 5 -7 mts.

4.Then add the cooked rice and garnish with cilantro.

DAL SAMBAR

2006-12-03T19:54:00.001-08:00

Just to share with you....

In TamilNadu venpongal with Coconut chutney and moong dal sambar is very common.I remember when I was young and my mother would ask which Dal you would like to eat today, our reply used to be the 'black Dal', 'green Dal', 'yellow Dal', 'pink Dal', 'white Dal' and so on.There are so many types and varieties of Dals and sure we didn't know all the names.

Moong dal in particular is very easy to digest.Split yellow moong dal (pesara pappu) are tiny lentils that have been split and de-hulled; they cook up super-fast with no need for soaking or pressure cooking.This moong dal sambar not only goes well with VenPongal but also with Idlis and Dosa's.If you use pressure cooker to cook moong dal then this sambar will be made in 5 mins.

DAL SAMBAR

Ingredients

1. Moong dal - 1 cup

2. Tomato small size -1

3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

4. Garlic cloves - 1

5. chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

6. Salt to taste

For seasoning

1. oil -1 tsp

2. Mustard -1/4 tsp

3. Curry leaves and corriander leaves as required

4. Onion small size - 1

5. Green chillies - 4

Preparation

1. Cook dal with turmeric powder,tomato,garlic,chilli powder and salt by adding 4 cups of water in pressure cooker .

2. When it is done mash it with spoon and keep aside.

3. Pour oil in tava.Saute Mustard and add curry leaves

3. Add cutted onions,lengthwise split green chillies and fry well till onion becomes golden brown.

4. pour dal into kadai and keep for 5 mins in stove.

5. Garnish with Corriander leaves.

EASY SAMBAR

2006-12-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you...

Usually sambar means we know that it s made with Dal.For a change this sambar is not made with dal.Instead it is made simlar like coconut chutey with spices,little onion and tomato.It can be made with in 5 mins.It is very tasty too.This goes very well with dosa especially.

Ingredients

For grinding

1. Coconut grated - 3 tsp

2. Pottu kadalai - 1 tsp

3. Tomato small - 1

4. Red chilli -2

5. turmeric - 1/4 tsp

6. pattai,cloves - 1 each

7. big zeera/sombu - a pinch

8. Onion cutted -3 tsp

9. salt to taste

For frying

1. length cutted onions -2 tsp amount

2. green chillies - 2

3. curry leaves - 8 leaves

4. Mustard - 1/4 tsp

5. oil 1 tsp

Preparation

1. Grind all the ingredients which is mentioned for grinding into fine paste

2. Pour oil in kadai.Saute Mustard and curry leaves.

3. Add onions and green chillies and fry for 2 mins

4. Make the Paste Watery like RASAM CONSISTENCY by adding water and pour into kadai.

5. Boil for 10 mins.Sambar is ready.

PEANUT / GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY

2006-12-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

This chutney is a recipe from my hubby's Grandma.My hubby likes not only her recipe but loves her a lot.Now she is no more.Thanks to her I am blogging this recipe here.

GROUNDNUT USES

Excessive Bleeding

Several groups of researchers in England have reported using groundnuts or groundnut products in the treatment of hemophilia, an inherited blood disease which causes haemorrhage. Beneficial results have also been reported from the use of groundnuts in severe cases of epistaxis or nose bleeding and in cases of excessive bleeding during menstruation in women.

Obesity

Groundnuts are considered beneficial in the treatment of obesity. Experiments have shown that weight can be reduced by eating a handful of roasted groundnuts with tea or coffee without sugar an hour before lunch time. It reduces appetite and thus reduces the weight gradually.

Diabetes

Groundnuts are valuable in diabetes. Eating a handful of groundnuts daily by diabetics will not only prevent mal‑nutrition, particularly the deficiency of niacin, but also checks the development of vascular complications.

Diarrhoea

Groundnuts are also useful in diarrhoea, especially chronic diarrhoea which is more frequent immediately after meals. The patients can benefit greatly by drinking goat's milk in which lemon is squeezed with a handful of fresh roasted groundnuts. This type of diarrhoea is caused due to nicotinic acid deficiency. The groundnuts, which has required quantity of niacin, are valuable in this disease.

Teeth Disorders

Chewing fresh groundnuts with a pinch of salt strengthens the gum, cures stomatitis, kills harmful bacteria and safeguards the enamel of the teeth. The mouth should, however, be washed with water after eating groundnuts.

Beauty Aid

Groundnut oil can serve as a beauty aid. A teaspoon of refined groundnut oil, mixed with equal quantity of lime juice, may be applied daily on the face once before going to bed. It keeps the face fresh. Its regular use nourishes the skin and prevents acne.

Peanut / Groundnut chutney

Ingredients

1. Peanuts/Groundnuts - 1 cup

2. Corriander seeds - 2 tsp

3. Cumin seeds/Zeera - 1 tsp

4. Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

5. Oil - 1 tsp

6. salt to taste

7. Red chillies - 3 to 4

For seasoning

1. Oil - 1 tsp

2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

3. curry leaves - 5 leaves.

Preparation

1. Pour oil in kadai and roast/fry peanut,cumin ,Red chillies and corriander well.

2. Grind the roasted things with tamarind and salt to taste

3. Saute mustard and curry leaves in oil and add that to Grinded paste.

5. Your tasty Peanut chtney is ready to go.

GARLIC CHUTNEY

2006-12-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

For your Knowledge....

The smell of garlic is caused by allicin (diallyldisulfide-S-oxide), which is derived from precursors such as alliin (S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide) by the enzyme alliinase which is liberated when the clove is broken up. The active compound resembles the well known drug N-acetyl-L-cysteine (Mucomyst), which has mucolytic and antioxidant properties.

Garlic contains several potent antioxidants, and there is evidence that its addition to the diet may help reduce the incidence of gastric and colorectal cancers.

The chemicals in garlic can help reduce serum cholesterol, hypertension, blood clotting, blood sugar, bowel parasites, respiratory and other infections, and the aging process itself.

Hope you know that Garlic is an Enzyme trigger.Herbalists have prescribed garlic to treat infections, heart ailments, and other maladies since at least the Middle Ages. In the past few decades, scores of scientific studies have begun identifying solid mechanistic underpinnings for many such age-old claims -- and a few newer ones, such as the pungent bulb's potential for fighting cancer.

But some people don't like the raw smell of garlic. I assure that such people also will like this recipe .

Ingredients

1. Garlic cloves - 10 (peeled big size)

2. Big tomato - 1 (cut)

3. Red chilli - 4

4. Salt to taste

For seasoning

1. curry leaves - 5 leaves

2. Mustard - 1 tsp

3. oil - 1 tsp

Preparation

1. Grind Garlic cloves,tomato,Red chilli and salt into paste.

2. Saute Mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil.Then to it add the grinded paste.

3. Keep this in very low flame and fry for 10-15 mins the garlic smell goes away and oil seperates in top.

Tips

Frying in low flame is the key for the success of this recipe

CORRIANDER / CILANTRO CHUTNEY

2006-12-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

Before learning to make corriander chutney I always think Corriander/Cilantro leaves are used only for garnishing since it gives good flavour to recipe. After learning how to make chutney,rice with it now I am using it fully in variety of ways.This corriander chutney really goes well with Idli and dosa's.

During my MCA my friend Edith Linda used to bring small buns for lunch sometimes.I was surpried to see instead of jam or buttter in the middle she used to bring with Corriander chutney. It was too good .If corriander chutney is in refrigerator one or two buns and little chutney will save your time of making breakfast when you are not feeling well or some other cases.

Cilantro chutney

Ingredients

1. corriander leaves - a bunch

2. green chillies - 4

3. tamrind paste - 1/2 tsp

4. grated cocount - 2tsp

5. channa dal -1 tsp

6. urudal - 1 tsp

7. salt as per taste

8. oil -1 tsp

Preparation

1.Wash and clean the corriander leaves.

2. Pour oil in pan and heat.

3. Fry channa dal and urudal till it becomes goldenbrown.

4. Add corriander leaves to it and fry well

5. Before switching off add coconut and tamarind paste

6. Grind it till chutney turns smooth.

MINT / PUDHINA CHUTNEY

2006-12-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

Mint chutney called as green chutney is very cooling in the summer and usually eaten with samosas and other fried snacks. It's really easy to make and will keep in the fridge for around 5 days if covered with clingfilm or in an airtight container.In my house we used to grow fresh mint and coriander .Not much space is needed for it.

You can use mint as pot plants with other balcony herbs. This is a good herb for keeping ants away from doors and combating mice and fleas. Keep mint leaves near food, beds and wardrobes. Throw a few in the doghouse, and even rub the dog with them.

Ingredients

1. Mint leaves - a bunch

2. green chillies - 4

3. tamrind paste - 1/2 tsp

4. grated cocount - 2tsp

5. channa dal -1 tsp

6. urudal - 1 tsp

7. salt as per taste

8. oil -1 tsp

Preparation

1.Wash and clean the mint leaves, then pluck it from its soft stem.

2. Pour oil in pan and heat.

3. Fry channa dal and urudal till it becomes goldenbrown.

4. Add mint leaves to it and fry well

5. Before switching off add coconut and tamarind paste

6. Grind it till chutney turns smooth.

COCONUT CHUTNEY

2006-12-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

In south India especially Tamil Nadu we can say breakfast is not a proper breakfast without idli /dosa and coconut chutney.This mild chutney is the perfect companion for idlis ,dosas and uttapams.Coconut chutney is an example of how good a raw food can taste when prepared with right ingredients.It is easy to prepare.tase is also very good.

COCONUT CHUTNEY

Ingredients

1. Fresh Coconut -4 tsp (grated)

2. Green Chillies - 2

3. garlic 1 - piece (optional)

4. Pottu kadalai - 2 tsp5. Salt as per taste

For seasoning

1. oil - 1 tsp

2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

3. curry leaf - 1 sprig

Preparation

1.Grind all the Ingredients: (except those for seasoning) together.

2.Blend the mixture until it forms a coarse paste. Transfer it to a bowl.

3.Heat the oil and when it is hot, add the mustard seeds When the seeds start spluttering, add the curry leaves.

4.Quicky stir the mustard seed mixture into the pureed coconut mixture.

TOMATO ONION CHUTNEY

2006-12-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

Facts about Tomato

Tomato products are beneficial in aggressive cancers.
Tomatoes are good for the eyes.
Lycopene, the most abundant carotenoid in the blood serum, was found to be the key antioxidant that guards against ARMD ( Age-Related Macular Degeneration), a condition that may cause blindness.
Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium

Facts about Onion

The name may come from onion’s “union” or singleness as a bulb.

It is said to be the basis for the name of Chicago, which comes from an Indian phrase meaning "The place where the wild onion (or garlic) grows”.

It is the most popular herb, since it is nutritionally satisfying in addition to being flavorful.

Homeopaths use a dilute extract as a treatment for colds, but most other medical systems use it in a non-specific fashion as a warm, invigorating and satisfying tonic herb.

It is sometimes used topically to treat insect stings, but personal experience suggests it lacks any significant anti-allergy properties.

It has mild anti-microbial qualities and has been used in wound treatment.

Let us combine Valuable Tomato and Onion and make chutney to have in our food.

Tomato Onion Chutney

Ingredients

1. Big Tomato - 1

2. Red chillies - 2

3. Onion - 1

4. Oil - 1 tbsp

For seasoning

1. Oil - 1 tsp

2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

3. curry leaves - 1 sprig

Preparation

1. In a pan heat tsp of the oil and add cutted tomato and onion and fry it well till onion becomes golden brown.

2. Grind the fried things.

3.Heat the oil and when it is hot, add the mustard seeds When the seeds start spluttering, add the curry leaves.

4.Quicky stir the mustard seed mixture into the tomato chutney.

MIXED VEGETABLES CURRY

2006-12-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

This is a very good side dish for chappathi.If you are a vegetarian then in that case you can go for mixed vegetable curry instead of Chicken gravies.This is a healthy curry too since having lot of veggies in it.

Ingredients

1. Carrot,Peas,Cauliflower,Beans altogether -- 1 cup

2. Cinnamon stick - 1

3. Cloves - 2

4. Onion small size - 1

5. Tomato small size - 1

6. Grated coconut -2 tsp

7. Corriander powder -1tsp

8. Chilli powder - 1/2 t0 1 tsp

9. Turmeric Powder -1/2 tsp

10. Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Grind onion,tomato,coconut,corriander powder,chilli powder,turmeric powder into fine paste

2. Pour oil in tava. Splatter cinnamon sticks and cloves

3. Add all vegetables and fry with little salt

4. Add the grinded paste,salt and little water

5. cook until vegetables are done and gravy thickens.

Tips

You can buy mixed vegetable packets from frozen food section and can use that too.It will save your time.In that case try to avoid corns because this will make your curry sweet.

CHAPPATHI DAL

2006-12-01T20:47:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

Toor dal is the most widely used dal in India. This slightly sweet, nutty flavored lentil is highly digestible. This South Indian staple is included in sambar and rasam soup. In North India ,Chappathi and Dal is very common food.During my pregnency I was in India.In US my hubbies roomate was North Indian.He used to cook Chappthi and Dal.After having his combination my hubby likes this combination a lot than others.This is simple to make.

Ingredients

1. Toor dal - 1 cup

2. Zeera - 1 tsp

3. Curry leaves as required

4. oil -1 tsp

5. Onion small size - 1

6. Green chillies - 4

7. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

9. Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Cook dal with turmeric powder and salt by adding 3 cups of water in pressure cooker . When it is done mash it with spoon and keep aside.

2. Pour oil in tava.Saute zeera and add curry leaves

3. Add cutted onions,lengthwise split green chillies,garam masala and fry well till odur goes away

4. Add the fried contents to dal.

5.If you want Garnish with Corriander leaves.

Tips

Easy way is to saute all in pressure cooker pan first then to it add dal,salt,turmeric powder,water and keep for 4 -5 whistles.

CHANNA MASALA

2006-12-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

Channa Masala is spicy chickpeas.My friend Maitri goel has taught me how to make Channa masala which goes very well with Bhatura which we call as chola puri in south India.It goes well with Chapathi's too.This is a wonderful "confort food" dish - which is really very easy to make.

Ingredients

1. Chola - 1 cup

2. Zeera - 1/2 tsp

3. Curry leaves and corriander leaves

4. Onion -15. Ginger-garlic paste -1 tsp

6. Garam Masala - 1 tsp

7. Tomato paste or Tomato Puree -3 tsp(use 1 small size tomato for paste)

8. Dhaniya powder/Corriander powder -1 tsp

9. Chilli powder - 1 tsp

10. Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

11. Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Soak channa/chola in water for 8 hrs

2. Pressure cook chola with salt

3. Pour little oil in pan ,Saute zeera and curry leaves.

4. Cut 1/2 onion and add. Fry it till golden brown.

5. Add garlic-ginger paste. Then add onion paste. Fry till oil comes out.

6. Then add tomatopaste or tomato puree and fry for 3 mins.

7. Add chilli powder,Corriander powder,turmeric powder and mix well.

8. When masala is done, add chola and little water.

9. Check salt. Let cook for few minutes.

10. Garnish with Corriander leaves.

Tips

1.Instead of turmeric power Pressure cook channa with salt to taste and 1 teabag, or put little loose tea-leaves wrap it in a cloth tie it and put it. This will change the color of chola to black.

2.Try with brown sundal also

3.If you forgot to soak channa then cook channa with a pinch of samayal soda (sodiumbicorbonate) or bakingpowder along with salt to taste upto 10 whistles.

CHAPPATHI

2006-12-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

Chappathi’s which my mom used to make are soft and good sometimes but consistency is not there. I used think people from Tamilnadu cannot make good chapathis like North Indians. In south Indian homes at least one time we might have had fight between our teeth and chappathi's.
I remember sometimes my husband waged a war between his teeth and my Chappathi! It was very embarrassing for me that time.I could not make a decent Chappathi....It was very upsetting for me in those early days of my marriage...I was frantically looking for tips and clues to make my Chappathi softer.

After discussing with my friends Maitri goel (North Indian) and Geetha ( Karnataka) who makes really really good chappathis. I have realized some of my mistakes they are:

1. The dough which we are making for chappathi should not be hard. I used to think if dough is little loose kind of, it will stick and pressing it will be difficult .So, I used to make tough doughs.That was my first mistake.

2. Secondly, I won't use flour while pressing into chappathi's instead I used oil which is very simple. No flours are scattered here and there etc.

3. Thirdly we should not over cook chappathi's.

After correcting my mistakes, my Chappathi too puffs up.....I have to eat it hot after 3 hours it will become hard when compared to the softness when it is hot.

Six months back I went to North Carolina to meet two of my Brothers. My Sister-in-law Mallika who is in Winson Salem was making chappathi for dinner one day. I was standing nearby I saw her adding OLIVE OIL. I asked her why she is adding olive oil. She told me it will make chappathi’s soft. What she said is true.The chappathi's are so soft. When you have remaining chappathi’s on next day, the same softness is there.

Now, very good chappathi maker. No more war between teeth and chappathi's in my house now a days. I am bold enough to serve anybody my Chappathis!!

Ingredients

1. Wheat flour - 2 cups

2. Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

3.Olive oil-1 tsp

Preparation

1.Take wheat flour,olive oil and add salt. Slowly add and mix well. Knead into medium soft dough.

2. Cover the dough with cloth and leave it for half an hour.

3.Then make this flour into even sized balls, and roll them out with a chappathi roller on a board by adding flour occasionally (So that they do not stick to the board).

4.Heat a dosa tawa. Cook the chappathis one by one when the tawa is hot and dry. Add a tsp of oil along the edges. The chappathi will pop up. Turn over once and cook other side also.

Side dish

Veg

1. Chappathi dal

2. Channa Masala

3. Mixed Vegetable curry

Non veg

1.Chicken Gravy

2.Hot and spicy chicken gravy

Tips

Olive oil keeps chappathi very soft.Next day also the same softness will be there.

POTATO CURRY

2006-12-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

Mashed potatoes rank high on the list of American comfort foods for everyday and special occasions. But potato curry ranks tops in southIndian side dish for poori.

FYI : An unskinned potato has 850 mg of potassium, compared to a banana which has 450 mg.

Ingredients

1. large Potato - 1

2. small tomato - 1

3. Onion -1

4. Green Chillies-5

5. Salt as required

6. Oil - 2tsp

7. Urad dal - 1 tsp

8. Chana dal - 1 tsp

9. Mustard - 1/2 tsp

10. Turmeric -1/4 tsp

11. Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tsp

Preparation

1. Boil potatoes, peel and mash well.

2. Heat oil, add mustard, when it splutters, add dals and fry till brownish in color.

3. Add the chopped onions and green chillies and fry till onions are cooked. Add turmeric, and fry for 1/2 a min.

4. Add cutted tomatoes and fry.

5. Finally add the mashed potatoes,salt and coriander leaves.

TIPS

1.You can take small quantity of boiled potato and make paste by adding water and add to curry.

2.You can cook peas and add along with potatoes.

PURI / POORI

2006-12-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

Poori is made almost the same way as a chapatti, but deep fried instead of being cooked on a griddle. It is a big favorite amongst kids and adults.

I love poori's a lot. During my childhood days whenever we are going to somebody's place if they request to have food and go that time I will say no. When they say the word poori though my mom gave me food already at home immediately I used to say ok. and I will take poori's.Those days I have a craze for Poori's.

When my mom used to makes poori's at home Whole day I will eat only poori's.I used to stack in a container with one poori and above it some potato masala again poori then masala like that that poori's won't get hard when hour passes also.All these I have done during my childhood days but not now .Whenever I make poori's that Pleasant memories flash on my mind.

Ingredients

1. Wheat flour - 2 cups

2. Salt to taste

3. Oil for frying

Preparation

1. Mix wheat flour ,one tsp oil ,salt and knead it well by adding water in steps so that it becomes soft.

2. Make this into smooth round even sized balls.

3. Using a roller flatten the balls one by one to make it round and flat of medium thickness.

4.Deep fry this in oil till the poori pops fully and then remove it from the frying pan.

Side dish

1. Potato Curry

2. Channa Masala

CHANNA BHATURA / CHOLA PURI

2006-12-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

This recipe I had in resturant only once during my school days when I went for some trip.I liked itAfter that I didn't had at all since very rarely we used to go to Restuarants.Many times I dreamed of preparing it.

My dreams of making Chola puri/ channa bhatura came true When I came here after meting Maitri my close friendorth India dish she is from noth India and she cooks North Indian food very well.She taught me how to make Channa bhatura. Here in America "Sunday Brunch " is very common.What an excellent excuse for sleeping late into mid-morning. Wake up, make lunch that is neither here nor there and call it “Brunch". One of the things that has become quite common,at my home for brunch is Channa Bhatura.

This is a wonderful "confort food" dish - which is really very easy to make. Channa Masala is spicy masala chickpeas - and can be as mild or as hot as you like it! It is a classic North Indian vegetarian dish - and is either eaten with rice or roti (chappati) as a main meal . When served as a main meal - it is especially delicious when eaten with a kind of bread called "bhatura" - which is a deep-fried bread.Some Punjabis may know this dish as "chole" (pronounced "cholay")

Bhatura

Ingredients

1. All-purpose flour(Maida) - 2 cups

2. Yogurt as needed

3. Salt to taste

4. Oil for frying

Preparation

1. Make a soft dough of maida flour by adding yogurt and salt to taste.

2. Cover with a muslin cloth and keep it aside for 3 hrs .

3. Make small balls of the dough, roll them into thick puris.

4. Deep fry in hot oil until the bhaturas puff up and both sides are golden brown.

5. Serve hot with the chola/channa masala

Chola/Channa Masala

Ingredients

1. Chola - 1 cup

2. Zeera - 1/2 tsp

3. Curry leaves and corriander leaves

4. Onion -1

5. Ginger-garlic paste -1 tsp

6. Garam Masala - 1 tsp

7. Tomato paste or Tomato Puree -3 tsp(use 1 small size tomato for paste)

8. Dhaniya powder/Corriander powder -1 tsp

9. Chilli powder - 1 tsp

10. Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

11. Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Soak channa/chola in water for 8 hrs

2. Pressure cook chola with salt

3. Pour little oil in pan ,Saute zeera and curry leaves.

4. Cut 1/2 onion and add. Fry it till golden brown.

5. Add garlic-ginger paste. Then add onion paste. Fry till oil comes out.

6. Then add tomatopaste or tomato puree and fry for 3 mins.

7. Add chilli powder,Corriander powder,turmeric powder and mix well.

8. When masala is done, add chola and little water.

9. Check salt. Let cook for few minutes.

10. Garnish with Corriander leaves.

Tips

1.Instead of turmeric power Pressure cook channa with salt to taste and 1 teabag, or put little loose tea-leaves wrap it in a cloth tie it and put it. This will change the color of chola to black.

2.Try with brown sundal also

3.If you forgot to soak channa then cook channa with a pinch of samayal soda (sodiumbicorbonate) or bakingpowder along with salt to taste upto 10 whistles.

APPAM

2006-12-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Know about TamilNadu APPAM

Appam is a famous South Indian dish. Appam are bowl-shaped rice pancakes cooked on one side only in a curved iron pan. They are typically served with a coconut milk curry. Even if you can't duplicate the distinctive form, the sweet, yeasty flavor of this recipe is authentic. A well-fermented batter will form small holes (like a lace) all over the appam while cooking. This makes the appams very light.

Facts about Coconut

Nutritional Highlights (Coconut (meat, raw, unsweetened), 1 cup, shredded)

Calories: 283
Protein: 2.7g
Carbohydrate: 12.2g
Total Fat: 26.8g
Fiber: 7.2g
Iron 1.9mg
Selenium 8.1 mg

Sugggestion for a person who is already having Cholestrol

One cup of fresh coconut milk contains 50 grams of saturated fat from the ... so I don't think it would be a good choice to use coconut milk very often.So such people can try appam with different chutneys like Tomato-onion chutney.

Appam

Appa Chatti

Ingredients

1. Raw rice - 2 cups

2. urud dal - 1/4 cup

3. fenugreek seeds-1/4tsp

4. Soda salt / baking powder - a pinch

Preparation

1. Rinse and soak rice,dal together for minimum of 4hrs in water .

2. Grind them by adding water

3. Add salt and keep it aside for 8 hours for fermentation.

4. Before making appam mix soda salt / baking powder to batter and stirr well.

5. Heat Appa kadai ,pour one spoon of batter and take kadai in hand and give on full rotation so that batter will spread on kadai and cover it with lid. Don't flip (turn on other side) appams.

6. Serve hot with coconut milk or chutneys

Coconut Milk Preparation

1. Grind grated coconut by adding water and extract only the coconut milk by filtering

2.Add required sugar to that milk.

Side dishes

Coconut chutney , Coriander chutney , Tomato onion chutney

Pudhina chutney , Peanut/groundnut chutney , Garlic chutney

Easy Sambar , Dal sambar

Tips

1. Ensure that the centre of the appam is at least an inch thick by pouring more batter in the middle.

2. Adding coconut as another ingredient while grinding gives you more taste.

KULI PANIYARAM

2006-12-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you...

Paniyarams are a tasty treat. It is somewhere between idli and dosa - soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. My family loves paniyaram very much.Kuzhi means hole (literally) in tamil and paniyaram ,may be the name of the dish. We can make Paniyarams with left over idli/dosa batter also.My grandma used to say at the time of their marriage itz a tradition to make Paniyarams and Idiappam for puthumappillai when they go to in-laws place for the first time.My grandma's riddle for Panniyaram I always love and remember while making paniyaram .

Riddle with Explanation

Sala salanguthu oru kuruvi

Explantion: to check whether pan is hot or not first they will sprinkle some water then they pour oil in the holes and noice occured during this activity in tamil is sala salanguthu.Kuruvi means bird used for rhythm.

salorunguthu oru kuruvi

Explanation : when you pour batter in holes it will make some noice that noise is salorunguthu.

kothikodukkuthu oru kuruvi

Explanation : They used to take out the done paniyaram with a pointed stick (mykothi)

kothikodukkuthu means its picking and giving

konduttoeduthu oru kuruvi

Explanation : finally you are there to take and go.

Ans : Kuli paniyaram

Ingrediants

1. Idli batter -3 cups (see Idli recipe to learn how to make batter)

2. Big Onion -1

3. Green Chillies - 4

4. Curry and Corinder Leaves as required

5. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

6. Channa dal - 2 tsp

7. Urad dal - 1 tsp

Preparation

1. Finely chop onion,green chllies,curry leaves and corriander leaves

2. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and saute it

3. Add dals and fry till it becomes golden brown in color

4. Add curry leaves, corriander leaves

5. Then add the chillies and onions and fry till onions are light brown

7. Add this sautéed mixture to the idli batter and mix well.

8. Heat the Kuli Paniyaram Chatti and add little oil in each hole and pour 1 spoon
of batter in each hole.

9. Cook them by flipping both sides.

TIPS

EGG PANNIYARAM

Add beaten eggs to the same mixture to make egg paniyaram

Side dishes

Coconut chutney , Coriander chutney , Tomato onion chutney

Pudhina chutney , Peanut/groundnut chutney , Garlic chutney

Easy Sambar , Dal sambar

ADAI DOSA

2006-12-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

Just to Share with you....

Almost everybody says, “We are not having enough protein in our diet.” The fault is not with their eating habits; rather it is of their culture/cuisine. It’s always a surprise to me, when I hear that Indian food (particularly vegetarian) doesn’t have sufficient protein content. It is a big myth for me. People often have a mental picture in their minds, which shows only meat products when they think of protein. Since in our Indian food we don’t consume as much meat as our American counterparts do, we tend to think that we are not getting sufficient protein.

Adai is very famous South Indian recipe, rich in taste and flavor and yet really really healthy. We can say this as "PROTEIN DOSA" since this dosa is made of mixture of Dals.After my marriage, one day I told my hubby that I am going to make Adai. He told no no. He replied that he ate Adai Somewhere before once and he didn't like that. Then I explained him abt the PROTEIN VALUE and told him let me make today if you don't like then I will stop making it.He agreed to it. Now Situation got reversed and he is asking to making Adai.

Also, when I came (US) here for the first time. I met Maitri Goel. She is my North India friend. we used to exchange foods. One day I made Adai and gave her. Her son is one year old. He loves that a lot. Since this dosa is having lot of Proteins she got recipe from me and shez making it in alternate days for her son.

Try giving your kids this type of Dosa at least once a week.

Ingredients

1. Chana Dal -- 1/2 Cup

2. Urad Dal -- 1/2 Cup

3. Moong Dal -- 1/2 Cup

4. Toor Dal -- 1/2 Cup

5. Rice -- 1 1/2 Cups

6. Onion -- 1

7. Red Chilli -- 4

8. jeera -- 1/4 tsp.

9. Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Soak ingredients all dals and rice in water for 4 to 5 hours.

2. Grind all the them into a smooth batter . When grinding add Redchilli and jeera (cumin seeds)

3. Allow it to ferment for 6 hours.

4. Heat a Tava/Dosa pan.

5. Pour about a cup of dosa batter using a rounded spoon and spread it thin(like paper).

6. Sprinkle some finely chopped onion and little oil on the top and cover it with a lid

7. Fold dosa when it is done.

8.Serve with Tomato-onion chutney or cocount chutney.

Side dishes

Coconut chutney , Coriander chutney , Tomato onion chutney

Pudhina chutney , Peanut/groundnut chutney , Garlic chutney

Easy Sambar , Dal sambar

Tips

1. Easy way of Fermentation

If it is winter or weather is very chill then Preheat the oven to 215F and switch off and place the dough and leave it over night for fermentation.

2. Dosa Tava got screwed up and dosa is not coming

a. Cut the onion into two halves and rub dosa tava with onion.Then dosa's will come perfect.

b. Use Grill non-stick sprays such as PAM

RAVA DOSA

2006-12-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

Secret behind RAVA DOSA

Do you know the secret and success of Rava dosa?

When you have only less quantity of Idli batter or no batter at home and you want to make some light tiffins and you don't want to go for Chappathi's and Poori's the best recipe is Rava dosa.There are different versions in the measurements of riceflour, sooji and maida and I have tried many.Somehow I am comfortable with this version as it is quick and easy to make. It tastes delicious with sambar and chutney.

Ingredients

1. Idli batter - 1 cup (see Idli recipe for preparation or rice flour)

2. All purpose flour/Maida - 1/2 cup

3. Rava -1/2 cup

4. Green chillies - 3 finely chopped

5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

6. Cumins seeds - 1 tsp

7. Curry leaves - few fnely chopped

8. Salt to taste

9. Onion -2

Preparation

1. Chop onion into fine pieces and reserve.

2. Mix flours and rava with salt and green chillies.

3. Add enough water to get a semi-liquid consistency.

4. Saute mustard, cumin and curry leaves in 1 tsp oil and add it to the batter.

5. Heat the griddle/dosa pan .

6. Pour a ladleful of batter, and immediately spread it thin (trick is to use a low flame while spreading and then raising the heat). Spread a few drops of oil around the edges.

7. Sprinkle some onions on top and let it cook by coverng it with a lid.

8. fold it and serve hot with chutney or sambar.

Side dishes

Coconut chutney , Coriander chutney , Tomato onion chutney

Pudhina chutney , Peanut/groundnut chutney , Garlic chutney

Easy Sambar , Dal sambar

MASALA DOSA

2006-12-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

Can anybody hate Dosa? Do you?

Hatting dosa!! howcome!! Just one bite, that’s all we will fall in love with them.Dosas are such a knockout item of the day. I often dream of starting my own Dosa Resturant here, having freshly cooked dosas with all kinds of filling inside them. There is one already in New York, New Jersey area, called ‘Dosa Express’, which boasts about 50 different types of dosas - all kinds, from just plain dosa to dosas with variety of fillings, like cheese-potato curry combo etc., But if you ask me, nothing can beat the old classic, ‘Masala Dosa’. Crisp dosas filled with potato curry, if that’s not enough they are served with coconut chutney and a cup of sambhar.

Dosa Batter

Make batter like how you will make for idli's (see Idli recipe)

Potato curry Ingredients

1. large Potatoes - 4

2. small tomato - 1

3. large Onion -1

4. Green Chillies-5

5. Salt as required

6. Oil - 2tsp

7. Urad dal - 1 tsp

8. Chana dal - 1 tsp

9. Mustard - 1/2 tsp

10. Turmeric -1/4 tsp

11. Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tsp

Preparation of Potato curry

1. Boil potatoes, peel and mash well.

2. Heat oil, add mustard, when it splutters, add dals and fry till brownish in color.

3. Add the chopped onions and green chillies and fry till onions are cooked. Add turmeric, and fry for 1/2 a min.

4. Add cutted tomatoes and fry.

5. Finally add the mashed potatoes,salt and coriander leaves.

Masal dosa Preparation

1. Heat a dosa pan

2. Adjust the consistency of the dosa batter (try out one before starting the actual process).

3. Pour a ladleful of batter, and immediately spread it thin (trick is to use a low flame while spreading and then raising the heat). Spread a few drops of oil around the edges. Cook till dosa is done, flip and cook for a 1/2 a min or so. Flip again.

4.Spread 1 tbsp. of the potato curry in the centre. Fold and cook on both sides for 1-2 min.

Side dishes

Coconut chutney , Coriander chutney , Tomato- onion chutney

Pudhina chutney , Peanut/groundnut chutney , Garlic chutney

Easy Sambar , Dal sambar

IDLI & DOSA

2006-11-30T20:06:00.000-08:00

Is Idli and dosa good for health?

Idli and Dosa are an integral part of breakfast of every southindian home.Fermentation is an ancient preparation and preservation technique where carbohydrates and proteins are broken down by micro-organisms such as bacteria, yeasts and moulds. (`Idli' and `dosa' are among the most common examples of fermented delicacies in India.) The process of fermentation offers itself as a profitable method of food preservation since it easily satisfies a large number of criteria that can normally be applied to eminently feasible methods of food processing. It promotes the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria, aids digestion and supports immune function.'

Ingredients

1. Idli rice or Par-boiled rice - 4 cups

2. urud dal - 1 cup

3. fenugreek seeds-1tsp

Preparation

1. Rinse and soak rice,dal seperately for minimum of 4hrs in water . Then grind in a blender (with adding water in steps). Add salt and keep it aside for 10-12 hours for fermentation.

2. Steam Idlis with this dough for about 10-15 mts.

Dosa

Same batter can be used for making dosa.

Tips

1. Easy way of Fermentation

If it is winter or weather is very chill then Preheat the oven to 215F and switch off and place the dough and leave it over night for fermentation.

2. Dosa Tava got screwed up and dosa is not coming

a. Cut the onion into two halves and rub dosa tava with onion.Then dosa's will come perfect.

b. Use Grill non-stick sprays such as PAM

3.Way of Grinding Urudal

While grinding Urudal you need add little water often atleast with a gap of every 5 mins.then only dough will come soft.

4.If you are going to grind in Mixie then in that case you need 1 and 1/4 cup Urudal for 4 cups of rice.

Side dishes

Coconut chutney , Coriander chutney , Tomato onion chutney

Pudhina chutney , Peanut/groundnut chutney , Garlic chutney

Easy Sambar , Dal sambar

HOT & SPICY CHICKEN GRAVY

2006-11-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

This chicken gravy is little bit different from my ordinary chicken gravy . I use whole peppers for this gravy to make it really hot and spicy with other spices. One day I made my ordinary chicken gravy and I found Gravy was less when compared to the chicken quantity so I thought to adding Grinded coconut because in south India for making chicken kolumu at the same time I don't want to lose the chilli/hotness so I added whole peppers along with coconut while grinding and it turned out good.

Ingrediants

1.Chicken beasts :1Kg

2.Cinnamon,cloves,bayleaves :2 each

3.Onion (cutted into small pieces) : 2

4.Tomato (cutted into small pieces) : 3

5.Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tsp

6.Coriander powder : 1 tsp

7..Chilly powder : 1 tsp

8.Turmeric powder : ½ tsp

9.Salt : As required

10.Oil : 1 desert spoon

11.Coconut : 2tsp

12.whole black Pepper :1tsp(10-15 nos)

13.Big jeerakam(sombu)/fennel seeds :1/4 tsp

14.Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a kadai

2.Add cinnamon,cloves,bayleaves one by one

3.Add chopped onion and saute till golden brown

4.Add ginger- garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.

5.Add tomatoes and fry

6.Add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and saute well.

7.Add chicken pieces and little water and mix well.

8.Cook for 15-20 minutes on low flame.

9.Grind coconut,sombu and whole balck pepper into fine paste and add to gravey

10.After 5 mins when itz done garnish with Coriander leaves.

TIPS

If you are using frozen chicken then as soon as you bought clean it add little chilli powder ,turmeric powder and salt and the keep in freezer .Whenever you want take out those and use it but remember reduce the amount of salt,chilli powder and turmeric powder while cooking.This method will give you more taste.

KUSHKA

2006-11-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

After completing my 5th standard annual exams for that vacation my dad took us tour to many places in Kerala.We saw cochin too in that trip.There only I had Kushka for the first time.Those days I don't know much varieties. Since this names seems to be different and not a usual name it got a place in my mind. After that I didn't have chance to eat Kushka.When I was in 10th standard our tenent cooked kushka one day but I am not much impressed with it. After someyears when I was browsing I saw the easy way of making Kushka "Actually a spicy rice I can say".Still that kushka is not like the Kushka what I had in Cochin I like it because it has a different but good taste.

Ingredients

1.Basmati Rice : 1 cup

2.Mint : 1 bunch

3.Onions : 1

4.Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tsp

5.green Chillies : 4

6. salt : as needed

7.Cinnamon,cloves,bayleaves : 2 each

8.Butter/Ghee/oil : 2 tbsp

Preparation

1.Soak Basmati Rice in water for on hour then dain the rice and fry it for 5 mins in low flame.

2.Pour oil in tava , add cinnamon,cloves,bayleaves one by one

3.Add Mint leaves and fry it

4.when itz half done add onions(length wise cutted) and fry

5.Add ginger-garlic paste and fry

6.Keep rice,one and a half cup water and fried things and salt in rice cooker

Tips

Soak rice in rice in water for half an hour then drain it and fry the rice in dry tavaThis will help the rice to come lengthy(will not break) when it is cooked.

VEGETABLE PULAV

2006-11-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

My daughter Yoksha won't allow be to watch TV. She always keeps on changing the channels. She won't allow ot browse or do something in laptop too.She wants to see her videos and playhouse disney in laptop.So I started listening to online Radio's .This recipe I got from Meriana Tamil Alaiyosai.Daily at 7 pm "samaikkalam vanga " Program by Deepa Vishvaswaran is there.From the program I got this recipe.I tried out and it came out good.

Ingredients

1. Basmati Rice : 1 cup

2. Mint :1 bunch

3.Cilantro : for garnishing

4.Onions :1

5.Ginger-garlic paste :1 tsp

6.green Chillies :4

7.Coconut grated : 3 tsp

8.Vegetables
(Carrots,beans,peas,cauliflowers) :1 cup

9.Salt to taste

10.Cinnamon :1 piece

11.Cloves :1 no

12.Bay leaf :2 Nos

13.Butter/Ghee/oil :3 tbsp

Preparation

1.Soak Basmati Rice in water for on hour then dain the rice and fry it for 5 mins in low flame.

2.Pour oil in tava and add cinnamon,cloves,bayleaves one by one

3.Add onions(length wise cutted) and fry till it becomes brown

4.Add gingergarlic paste and fry

5.Add cutted vegetables and fry

6.Grind coconut,greenchilli and mint leaves into fine paste and add

7.Add little water and salt

8.Keep rice,one and a half cup water and fried things together in rice cooker

9.when it is done garnish it with corriander leaves.

Tips

Soak rice in rice in water for half an hour then drain it and fry the rice in dry tavaThis will help the rice to come lengthy(will not break) when it is cooked.

CHICKEN GRAVY

2006-11-22T09:50:00.001-08:00

Just to share with you.....

This recipe I have learnt from one of my brothers.He is into Software profession but he used to cook vey tasty food.We used to love his cooking.When ever he comes home for holidays I used to ask him to make chappathi and chicken gravy for me.Both goes very well like Idli and chutney,Channa and bhatura etc.

CHICKEN GRAVY

Ingrediants

1.Chicken : 1 kg

2.Onion : 5

3.Tomato : 3

4.Green Chilly : 10

5.Ginger : 1 piece

6.Garlic : 1 bulb

7.Coriander powder : 1 tsp

8.Chilly powder : 1 tsp

9.Turmeric powder : ½ tsp

10.Salt : As required

11.Oil : 1 desert spoon

12.Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a kadai

2.Add chopped onion, green chilly and sauté until golden brown

3.Add ginger, garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes.

4.Add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt and sauté well.

5.Add tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes are half done and gravy becomes thick.

6.Add chicken pieces and little water and mix well.

7.Cook for 15-20 minutes on low flame.

8.Garnish with Coriander leaves.

TIPS

If you are using frozen chicken then as soon as you bought clean it add little chilli powder ,turmeric powder and salt and the keep in freezer .Whenever you want take out those and use it but remember reduce the amount of salt,chilli powder and turmeric powder while cooking.This method will give you more taste.

EASY POTATO FRY

2006-11-18T21:22:00.000-08:00

I know how tough job cooking is for bachelors in US.I have seen man people finding it difficult to cook after coming from office.To help those here is the simple recipe of potato fry.

Potato fry

Ingredients

1.Potatoes
2.Oil,Salt,Chilly powder as needed

Preparation

1.Peel the Potato's and cut the potatoes in the shape and size u want.

2.In bowl add potatoes,salt chilli powder,little water(10 ml) and keep in microwave for 4 mins. (may be 1 or 2 mins more deponding upon the power of microwave)

3.Pour little oil in kadai and empty the contents of bowl in that and fry it so that it becomes little crispy.

4.If you want garnish with corriender and curry leaves(optional)

TOMATO DOSA

2006-11-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you......

Gajalakshmi is one of my friends.We became friends when we were doing BSc Mathematics (Same class).Her mom used to cook Chettinad Items very well. She used to bring different different food items . One among them is Tomato Dosa.I don't know whether itz a chetinad item or not but I liked it. when I asked her she gave me this recipe.

Facts about Tomato

Tomato products are beneficial in aggressive cancers.Tomatoes are good for the eyes. Lycopene, the most abundant carotenoid in the blood serum, was found to be the key antioxidant that guards against ARMD ( Age-Related Macular Degeneration), a condition that may cause blindness.Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium

Letz have this tomatoes in a different way as dosa.

TOMATO DOSA

Ingredients:

1.Urad dal : 1 cup

2.Rice : 2 cups

3.Tomato : 2 (big)

4.Red chillies : 3 to 4

5.Coriander leaves

Preparation:

1.Soak urad dal and rice with sufficient water for 6 hours.

2.Fry the chillies in little oil and add the cut tomato pieces and fry for 5 min.

3.Grind this into smooth batter with tomato, chillies and coriander leaves adding sufficient water.

4.Add the salt and allow the batter to ferment for atleast 6 hours.

5.Heat the tava (or nonstick pan), take a big spoonful of batter and put in the center of the pan, spread evenly until you get the required size of dosa.

6.Add a spoon of oil and once it starts turning brown flip it onto the otherside.

7.After a min take it out of pan and serve hot with coconut chutney or peanut chutney.

Side dishes

Coconut chutney , Coriander chutney , Tomato onion chutney

Pudhina chutney , Peanut/groundnut chutney , Garlic chutney

Easy Sambar , Dal sambar

TOMATO PUREE RICE

2006-11-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you...

I have been to Chicago last year to my sister's house to attend one of my sister-in-laws (Mallika) baby shower.Our sister made many variety rices since itz our tradition to make many variety rices for babyshower.One among them is Tomato puree rice.In my place my mom and others used to make tomato rice with fresh tomatoes.For the first time we had tomato rice made with tomato puree there.It was very good and tasted like birayani.Roasted cashnewnuts over the rice added its richness and value.For my angle's first birthday I made that rice for the first time.It came out good.Everyone who came for the party enjoyed having that recipe.

Tomato puree rice

Ingredients

1.Basmathi rice :1 and 1/2 cups

2.Tomato puri : 3/4cup and water : 2 & 1/4 cups

3.cinnamon(pattai) :1 piece

4.Cloves(Kirambu) :2

5.Ginger-garlic paster :1/2 tsp

6.Medium size tomato :1(cut into small pieces)

7.Medium size onion :1(cut lengthwise)

8.Turmeric powder :1/4 tsp

9.chilli powder :1 tsp(as required)

10.Curry leaves :as required

11.corroander leaves :as required

12.oil,salt :as required

13.Cashnewnuts :as required

Preparation

1.keep rice,water,tomatopuri in rice cooker and let it done.

2.Pour oil in tava.Add curry leaves ,corriander leaves,cinnamon stick,cloves

3.Add onion and fry

4.Add ginger garlic paste

5.Add tomato,chilli powder,turmeric powder and little salt

6.Fry all until as get mashed and oil seperates on top

7.Add the gravy to cooked rice and mix well.

8.fry cashewnuts in oil and garnish on the top of rice.

Preparation 2 (Easy method -Use crushed tomatoes or tomato paste )

1. Cook 2 cups basmathirice seperately with 3 and 1/2 cups of water and let it cool.

2. In pan pour 4 tablespoon of oil. Add 3 cloves,2 cinnamonsticks, 2 bay leaves and splatter it,currry leaves and corriander leaves.

3. Then add one medium size cutted onion and 1 tablespoon gingergarlic paste and fry.

4. To that add 1 medium cutted fresh tomato (if you have).

5. Add 1 cup puree or crushed tomato or tomato paste.

6. Add 1 tsp of chilli powder, salt(as needed),1 tsp of corriander powder and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder.

7. Let it cook in slow flame so that oil seperates on top.

8. Mix this gravy and rice as needed. Fry the cashnewnuts seperately and garnish the food with cashnewnuts.

Tips

Soak rice in rice in water for half an hour then drain it and fry the rice in dry tavaThis will help the rice to come lengthy(will not break) when it is cooked.

AVAL LADOO

2006-11-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you....

My Grandma's place is a very small village named Palappampatti.Once in every year we (people of that village ) used to goto KODUMUDI and bring theertham from there to do pooja for Godesses Kaliamman .On that day those who are going to take theeram will do fasting from morning till that Pooja got over in the evening. I also used to do fasting. That time my Grandma used to tell me its no harm taking food with out salt.I used to say no..no.....So,she used to prepare me AVAL recipe Since I said no..no.. to that also , she convienced me that itz a food which will be taken during fasting , soI had it .Since she used to make her aval recipe as round balls I named it as "Aval Ladoo".

This canbe considered as a very good recipe for kids since it is easy to chew and won't get choaked.

Aval is also known as Poha, Rice flakes etc.So we can say this recipe as "Poha ladoo", "Riceflakes ladoo "etc (in whatever way you want).

Ingredients

1. Aval :1 cup

2. Sugar :1/4 cup

3. Grated coconut :1/4 cup

4. Roasted cashewnuts for decoration

Preparation

1. Add water to aval and drain the water and keep aside for five minutes so that it will become soft

2. Add sugar and coconut to it and mix well and make round balls.

3. Decorate ladoo's with cashnewnuts

Tips

Dry grapes (Raisins) also can be used for decoration.

RAVA KESARI

2006-11-18T20:58:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you......

During my childhood birthday's, along with Cake my mum used to make Kesari.I used to wear new dress (especially I like pattu/Silk skirts) and carry chocolates,Cakes and kesari to my neighbour's palces.I used to get pinches and kisses back.

I am from south India, Tamil Nadu. Itz our tradition to give guests the sweets first when they are coming for the first time.So when I have no sweets at home I used to make Kesari since it is a easy-to-make recipe.

Kesari is an easily made, low cost, delicious dessert and made generally in every homes of South India for any small occasion.

Make this recipe and treat your guest with mouthwatering dessert.

Ingredients:

1. Rava :1 cup (roasted in a tsp of ghee)

2. Sugar :3/4 - 1 cup (deponding upon howmuch sweetness you like)

3. Cashwenuts,Dry grapes :as needed

4. Ghee :as needed

5. little color powder

6. Water or milk: 3 cups

Preparation:

1. Pour 3 cups of water (or Milk) in thick bottom pan

2. Add pinch of Kerasi color powder

3. When water(or milk) boils start adding rava by stirring continuously

4.Once rava gets cooked in the milk add sugar

5. When it is cooked add ghee and stirr continuously in low flame till ghee seperates on top

6. Roast Cashnewnuts,drygrapes (raisins) in another pan and add to rava mixture

7. Serve hot

TIPS

If you don't have Rava try with Vermicelli.Super dooper Semiya/Vermicelli Kesari is ready

EASY CRISPY MURUKKU

2006-11-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

Just to share with you.....

PONGAL is one of the most celebrated harvest festival of South India, mainly Tamil Nadu. The word 'Pongal' in Tamil means "TO BOIL OVER" and represents plentiful and excess yield.It will be a great surprise if pongal is not celebrated with "MURUKKU".

In my Grandma's village every one will make Murukku.On third day of Pongal known as "POO PONGAL" .We girls used to get up early in the morning and will go for collecting "AVARAM POO" for evening function.That time we used to take Murukku,coconut cuts,Karumbu(Sugarcane) etc.After plucking Avarampoo we all used to sit in one place and have our snack by sharing with each other.Then all will return back home.

Evening we used to fill bamboo baskets with the flower we plucked in morning. All used to gather in one common place. Keeping all baskets in centre ladies and girls will do "kummi" . We used to drop those flowers in well. On the way we used to play with that basket by singing lot of special songs for that occassion .

For this Pongal (2006) my friend Viji asked me what are you going to prepare .I said ,I have plan to make Murukku's but I am not sure to make it having my "LITTLE ANGEL YOKSHA" . She asked me how I will prepare Murukku. I told I know to prepare Murukku in a traditional way by grinding rice etc.Then she told me this simple way I tried it and it came out really good.Now my sweety's favourite snack is this EASY CRIPSY MURUKKU.

It will be your Sweety's favourite too.Try it out.

Murukku

Star Murukku

Ingredients

1. Rice flour :4 cups

2. Urudal flour :1 cup

3. Butter stick :1 or 100 gms

4. Salt :as required

5. chilli powder :as required

6. oil :for frying

7. Sesame seeds:2tsp

Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients (except oil) together by adding warm water to make a chappathi dough-like consistency.

2. Squeeze the dough through a murukku mould (utensil with a hole) into the oil. Deep-fry the Murukku, till crisp and golden brown.

Tips

Don't make the dough with more water than needed thinking that it will be easy to squeeze because if the dough is a kind of watery it will absorb more oil .