New Year Greetings!

Let the Flowers of Happiness Bloom in the Garden of Life!

Wish You All A Very Happy & Healthy 2013!

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Rasam

 

This is one of the easy and quickest rasam recipe without using Rasam powder. We enjoyed delicious Vada-Pav at a friend's place recently. Her Mom asked for the rasam recipe without rasam powder. Gald to share one of the day today South Indian recipe..this recipe is for you Aunty! :)

Ingredients

Tomato-2

Tamarind - small piece

Whole pepper corns-1teaspoon

Cumin seeds -1teaspoon 

Garlic-1clove

Sugar-1/4teaspoon

Salt

To temper 

Oil

Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon

Red chilly-1

Few curry leaves & Cilantro

Hing(asafoetida) - 1/8teaspoon

Method

Wash and cut the tomatoes into big chunks.

Take them with tamarind and  a half cup of water in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave it for 4-5 minutes. (time may vary according to the microwave)

Let it cool completely and mash it nicely, and  take out only the juice.

Roast the cumin seeds and pepper corns on low heat for couple of minutes. Once they cool down, crush them along with a clove of garlic and keep it aside.

Heat a teaspoon of oil, make the tempering with mustard seeds,curry leaves,red chilly and hing.

 

Add the tomato-tamarind juice, add enough salt and let it cook for a few minutes. Rasam will start frothing, by then add the crushed pepper-cumin and garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. Put off the flame and add chopped cilantro. 

Quick and delicious rasam is ready! Serve with white rice or as a soup. 

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Peernkangai Chutney/Ridged Gourd Chutney

Ingredients
Peerkangai / Ridged gourd -1(small)
Channa dal-1tablespoon
Garlic-3cloves
Chopped Onion-3tablespoons
Red chilli -7(adjust to your taste)
Small piece of tamarind
Salt
Oil
To temper
Oil
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Urad dal-1/2teaspoon
Few curry leaves

Method
Peel the skin of the peerkangai (ridged gourd) and cut it into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan, add the channa dal. Fry it till it becomes golden in colour, then add in the red chillies and onion, garlic & tamarind.
Fry till the onions become transparent, add the peerkangai (ridged gourd) and fry for 4-5minutes. (The veggie should be cooked) 
Let it cool.
Once cooled down completely, grind it with enough salt.( no water required for grinding) 
Heat little oil, make the tempering with mustard seeds-urad dal-curry leaves(which I didn't have by then) n pour it on the chutney.
Lightly sweet n delicious chutney is ready to serve with dosa/idli/white rice. 

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Spring Onion Paratha

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour/ Aata - 11/2cups

Chopped spring onion -1/4cup

Ajwain - 1 teaspoon

Green Chilly -1 (chopped)

Olive Oil - 1tablespoon

Salt 

Water-3/4cup

Method

Combine all the ingredients except water in a bowl.  Mix everything well with fingers and make the flour into crumbles.

Mix water little by little and make it into a soft dough. Coat it with oil and keep it in an airtight container for 15-20 minutes.

Make lemon sized balls out of the dough. Roll a ball into a circle, brush some olive oil, sprinkle some dry flour, fold as shown below.

You will get square shape parathas by folding this. This is just an option, you can do as normal roti/paratha as you always do. When I was googling, saw the recipe here, n this square shape really attracted me and followed the same. :)

Heat a griddle and cook the parathas by applying olive oil on both sides. Flaky and soft spring onion-ajwain paratha's are ready to serve. Enjoy it with your choice of Kurma/pickle/curd.

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Bottlegourd - Peanut Koottu

Ingredients
Tender Bottle-gourd -1
Roasted Peanut -1/4cup
Red chillies - 5 (adjust to your taste)
Salt

Method
Dry roast the peanuts and red chillies on low heat for a minute or two. This helps to grind them coarsely. Use mortar and pestle (or pulse it in a mixie jar) and make it into coarse powder.

Wash and chop the bottle gourd into small pieces. Add them in a pan, sprinkle a tablespoon of water, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Bottle gourd will release some water, so stir it in between and take care the veggie is not getting burnt.

Once the veggie is cooked, add the peanut-redchilli powder, mix it well. Tasty and delicious stir-fry without a drop of oil is ready! Enjoy it with rice or roti.

Recipe Source : Here

 ~~~

Sending this recipe to Bachelor's Feast event happening at Jaleelaa akkaa's Samaiyal attakaasam

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Kashmiri Pulao

This is a very mild and colourful pulao. It looks very pretty with the pomegranate, of course a party friendly dish. Serve this pulao with some spicy gravies like these.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1cup
Milk - 1/2cup
Water -1 cup
Few raisins, cashew and almonds
Pomegranate seeds - 2 tablespoons
Onion-1
Green chilly-1
Frozen Green peas - 1/4cup 
Bay leaf-2
Cloves-2
Elaichi-1
Grated Ginger & garlic- 2teaspoons
Few Cinnamon Stick pieces
Ghee - 1teaspoon
Oil-1tablespoon
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the rice for half an hour.
Chop the onion into fine pieces. Slit the green chilly.
Coarsely chop the almonds and cashews.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pressure cooker. Add the whole garam masala and let them splutter. Then add in the nuts and raisin. Fry them and add the grated ginger-garlic, followed by onion and green chilly pieces.
Sauté till the onions become transparent, then add the green peas with enough salt.

Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the soaked rice(after draining all the water).

Add 1/2 cup of milk and a cup of water..

Close the pressure cooker, cook on medium heat for 7 minutes and put off the flame. Open the cooker once the pressure has gone completely and add the ghee and pomegranate.

Fluff the rice gently, and serve hot with your choice of gravy..

We had it with the quick brinjal gravy posted earlier. :)

Recipe Inspiration : Here

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Quick n Easy Brinjal Gravy

I never cook vegetables (other than potato and raw banana) in pressure cooker. But have seen many of my friends use pressure cooker to make vegetable curries. Just tried it with brinjals, the gravy turned out to be delicious and definitely its a keeper. Whenever you are running out of time or not feeling like cooking an elaborate curry, you can try this!


Ingredients
Brinjals - 6
Onion-1
Few curry leaves and Cilantro
Toamto-2
Sugar - 1/2teaspoon
Salt
Oil
To grind
Grated Coconut-3tablespoons
Red chilly-7 (adjust to your taste)
Roasted peanuts - 2 teaspoons
Sesame seeds - 1teaspoon
Small piece of Tamarind

Method
Grind the things given under "to grind" to a nice paste with little water.
Chop the onions and tomatoes into fine pieces.
Wash and cut the brinjals ( Make slits on the veggie, take care not to split them)
Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a small pressure cooker.
Add the onions, curry leaves and saute till they become transparent, then add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
Now add the brinjals, give a quick stir, add the masala paste with enough salt.
Add 1/2cup of water, sugar and close the pressure cooker. Let it cook just for one whistle.

 

Open the cooker, garnish with cilantro and gravy is ready to indulge! It goes well with plain rice/biriyani/pulao/roti...what not?! ;)

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Moong dal Dosai / Pachai payaru dosai / Pesarattu

Ingredients
Whole moong dal - 1 cup
Idli rice / Boiled rice -1cup
Cilantro leaves- 1 small bunch
Ginger - 2" piece
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the rice n moong dal together for 1 or 2 hours.
Grind into a coarse batter.
Finally add in the cilantro-green chilly-ginger, and grind it.
Add enough salt.
We can make dosa immediately after grinding this batter.

 

Serve along with your choice of chutney/ sambar.

Recipe Source : Here

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Brinjal Stir-Fry

 I got these brinjals from the local farmer's market. My mom makes a quick n delicious stir-fry with these kind of long brinjals. So here comes the recipe..

Ingredients
Brinjals - 7 (~200grams)
Onion (small) -1
Mustard seeds -1/2teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1/2teaspoon
Few curry leaves
Sambar powder -11/2 teaspoons
Salt
Oil

Method
Wash and chop the brinjals and slice the onions.

Heat oil in a kadai, add the mustard seeds and let them pop-up, and add the urad dal, fry till it becomes golden in colour. Then add the onion slices and fry till they become transparent.

Now add the brinjal pieces and cook them on medium low heat till done. (say 5-6 minutes)

Reduce the heat to low, add enough salt and sambar powder.

Mix everything and cook till the raw smell of the sambar powder has gone. Quick and tasty stir fry is ready to serve!

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Pottukkadalai Sadham

Pottukadalai  is mainly used for chutneys in South India. I don't know the exact Hindhi/English name for this..It might be called as bhuna chana dal/ Daliya /Roasted channa dhal. Hence I am attaching the photo!

Friends from other regions of India, Please let me know what is the name you guys call this :) 


Ingredients
Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Pottu kadalai - 1/4cup
Onion-1
Red chilly -1
Green chilly -2
Few curry leaves
Mustard seeds -1/2teaspoon
Channa dhal - 1teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Salt
Oil

Method

Slice the onions, green chillies and break the red chilly.
Make a coarse powder of pottukadalai.
Heat oil in a kadai, add the mustard seeds, allow them to pop.
Now add in the channa & urad dhals and fry till they turn golden in colour.
Now add in the curry leaves, red chilly, onion and green chilly with enough salt.
Sauté till the onions become transparent, then add the pottu kadalai powder. Give it a quick mix and add the rice.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for a few minutes, till everything get mixed up nicely.

Quick and tasty lunch box item is ready..Tastes great with any side dish of vegetables or chips.

Sending this recipe to Bachelor's Feast event happening at Jaleelaa akkaa's Samaiyal attakaasam

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Methi Dhal

Ingredients
Methi leaves - 1 cup (wash and separate the leaves alone)
Moong dhal -1/4cup
Onion(small) - 1
Red chilly - 3 (adjust to your taste)
Mustard seeds -1/2teaspoon
Cumin seeds  -1/2teaspoon
Turmeric powder -1/8teaspoon
Salt
Oil

Method
Pressure cook the dhal with enough water.
Chop the onion and methi leaves into fine pieces.
Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Then add the broken red chillies along with chopped onion, Sauté till the onion becomes transparent.
Now add the methi leaves along with turmeric powder, and 1/4cup of water.
Cook  for 3 minutes, then add the dhal.
Adjust the consistency of the dhal with more or less water.
Let the dhal boil for a few minutes and put off the stove.
Healthy and delicious methi dhal is ready to serve.

Serve hot with white rice, a dollop of ghee and papad!  Enjoy the protein packed wholesome meal! 

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Appam (with Yeast)

Ingredients
(store bought)Rice flour - 2 cups
Sooji/ Rava/Semolina -1tablespoon
Rapid rise yeast - 1teaspoon
Sugar -2 tablespoons
Salt -1/2teaspoon
Water -2to3 cups

Method
Boil 1/2 cup of water, and add rava to it. Mix it well till it reaches a thick consistency. Remove it from the stove and let it cool completely.
Combine the cooked rava with rice flour-salt-sugar-yeast. Add 2 to 21/2 cups of water, mix it without lumps.
Keep the batter undisturbed  for 4-6 hours or over night.
Take the required amount of batter, add little water ( if required) and make the appams.
Soft and spongy aappam is ready to serve.

 Enjoy with your choice of Kurma / coconut chutney/ coconut milk.

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Butter Murukku

Ingredients

Boiled Rice / Idli Rice - 2 cups (~500grams)

Red chillies - 8

Pottu kadalai (Dhaliya) - 3/4cup

Butter (@ room temperature) - 4 tablespoons

Omam (Ajwain seeds) -1/2 teaspoon 

Salt 

Oil - to deep fry

Method

Wash and soak the rice for 2-3 hours. 

Grind the rice along with red chillies to a fine paste. (Add little water while grinding)

Powder the pottu kadalai in a mixer. 

Crush the ajwain seeds coarsely.

Combine the rice batter, pottu kadalai powder, salt & butter.

Mix and knead everything to form a non-sticky dough. Keep this dough well covered till you are done making murukku.

Grease the murukku press with oil, Here I have used a plate with 3 holes (3 கண் தட்டு), but you can use the shape of your choice. The advantage of using this plate is you can finish off the dough very fast and murukku will also be yummy! :)

Fill the press with prepared murukku dough and press it into circles on a greased butter paper/ plastic paper/clean cotton cloth.

Meanwhile, heat the oil on medium heat. (Don't adjust  the flame every now and then, keep it in a constant level otherwise murukku will drink lot of oil and won't get cooked nicely)

Carefully drop the murukku in the oil, cook till the oil stops the sizzling sound. Flip the murukku once in between.

Take them out from the oil and drain the excess oil on a paper towel.

Crisp and delicious murukku is ready to munch. Can be stored in an airtight box for a week or 10 days.

Enjoy!

Note

You can avoid red chillies (or) adjust the number of chillies according to your taste.

Instead of pressing the murukku on the plastic sheet, you can press them on the back of an ever-silver ladle and drop them in the oil.

You can use the store bought rice flour as well, but certainly there will be a difference in taste. :)

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