Sunday, September 20, 2009

Keerai Pakoda

Ingredients:

Chopped greens (any type of Keerai) – 1 cup
Besan flour – 2 cups
Rice flour – ½ cup
Curd – 2 tablespoon
Big Onion - 1
Ginger – a small piece
Garlic flakes – 4 Nos
Green chillies – 4 Nos
Salt – as per taste
Oil – for deep frying

Method:

Chop onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic finely.
Mix besan, rice flour, curd, chopped ginger and garlic, green chillies and salt. Add little water and make a dough. Keep it for half-an-hour. Then add chopped onion and keerai to the dough and mix well.
Heat oil in a kadai and take out a lump of the dough and drop it in small portions. Fry till it become golden brown and crisp.
Remove it and put it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil on it.

Cauliflower Pakoda

Ingredients:
1 cauliflower cut into small florets
2 cups besan
1/2 tsp ginger and 1 tbsp dhania (ground together)
salt to taste
1 onion, chopped
3 chillies, cut finely
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
Few Chopped coriander leaves
oil for frying


Instructions:
1. Mix everything in a bowl and add little water and beat the mixture to form a thin and smooth batter.
2. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
3. Dip the cauliflower pieces into the batter and deep fry on medium heat until golden brown.

Onion Pakoda

Ingredients:
Kadalai Maavu (Besan) 1 cup
Green Chillies 2 finely chopped
Rice flour 1 tsp
Rawa 1 tsp
Onion lengthly chopped 1 cup
Ghee 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Red Chilli Powder to taste
Coriander and Curry Leaves
Pinch of soda (optional)
Oil for deep frying
Water to knead.

Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, put Onion slices, Chopped Green Chillies, Coriander and Curry Leaves, Salt, Soda and Ghee.
2. Mix everything with hand and leave it aside for about 20 minutes.
3. Now, add Besan, Rice Flour, Rawa and mix thoroughly.
4. Need be, sprinkle some water.
5. Heat Oil in a kadai, roughly make small fritters and deep fry in oil.
6. Drain out excess oil and store in an air tight container.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Mixture

Ingredients:

Besan flour 3 cups
Rice flour – 3 cups
Butter – 3 teaspoon
Salt – 3 teaspoon (or as per taste)
Aval (Poha) – Half cup
Chutney dhal – Half cup
Ground nut – Half cup
Cashew Nuts – Half cup (fried in little ghee)
Red chillies – 4
Curry leaves – four strings
Oil for frying

Method:

Heat Oil in a big kadai. First mix one cup besan and one cup rice flour with little salt and make a batter like dosa batter. Using Boondi ladle, pour this batter little by little through the holed boondi lader. Fry the boondies till crisp. Strain it and keep aside. Finish all the batter and make boondi.

Then mix the remaining flour with butter and salt. Make a stiff dough by adding water little by little. Using different Murukku plates like omapodi, ribbon pakoda, star plate, make murukkus and fry till crisp. Finish all the dough like this. Finally fry the poha (put a handful at a time) in the hot oil and remove it. Now put the curry leaves with the stem and remove it.

In a separate kadai, dry fry the chillies with one teaspoon salt. (Do not add any oil). Cool it and powder it nicely.

Now you have to mix everything. Take a big vessel and put the boondies, crush the Murukkus and add. Add fried poha, cashew nut, chutney dhal and ground nut. Add powdered chilli and salt along with fried curry leaves. Mix thoroughly,. Store it in an air tight container

Masala Thattai

Ingredients:
2 cuprs boiled rice (or 2 cups boiled rice rava)
1/2 cup bengalgram flour (besan)
1/2 cup roasted blackgram flour
1 tsp. each sesame seeds (til) or Cumin seems (jeera)
3 tbsp hot oil for mixing
Oil for frying

Grind to paste:
3-4 cloves garlic
6-8 green chillies
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 tbsp grated coconut
Salt to taste

Add to dough:
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1/2 tsp roughly powdered pepper
1/2 tsp chilly powder (opt)

Method:
1. If you are using boiled rice, soak for atleast 2-3 hrs before grinding. Strain all the water and then grind to paste.
If you using rice rava, soak for an hour or so. Then squeeze all the water, set aside. Grind the rava to a thick paste, sprinkling, if necessary some of the water set aside.

2. Put ground paste into a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients (rice, bengalgram flour, roaster blackgram flour, sesame seeds or cumin seeds) except oil, along with the ground masala paste, pepper, chilly powder and chopped coriander. Heat 3 tbsp oil and pour over the ingredients and mix all of it to a soft smooth dough, cover, set aside.

3. Take lemon-sized balls of the dough amd with greased fingers spread the ball into a thickish puri (thattai). Poke holes in the thattai. Place them on a clean muslin cloth. Make 6-8 thattais at a time.

4. Heat oil, fry thattais to a golden brown and crisp on medium heat, turning over, frying both sides.

Kara Boondhi

Ingredients:
Gram flour - 2 cups
Rice flour - 4 tbsp
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida powder - 2 tbsp
Butter - 100 gm
Curry leaves - A few
Cashew nuts - 15 - 20 nos
Salt - As reqd
Oil for frying


Method:

Mix together gram flour, rice flour, a pinch of salt and a little water.
Pass them through the special boondhi strainer and deep fry in oil till it turns golden brown.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan.
Add curry leaves and cashew nuts and fry for a minute.
Add these along with salt, asafoetida powder and chilly powder to the boondhis and mix well.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Seeval

Ingredients:
Maida - 1 cup
Vanaspathi - 2 tblsp
Cooking soda - a pinch
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
White sesame seeds - 1 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Rub vanaspati with a pinch of soda on a flat plate till it becomes frothy.
2. Add maida, salt, chilli powder and mix well with hands till vanaspathi blends with the flour.
3. Mix in sesame seeds. Sprinkle water and knead like chappathi dough.
4. Divide into 4 balls.
5. Roll it out like a thin chappathi. Prick with a fork on top.
6. Cut into small squares with a sharp knife.
7. Deep fry in hot oil till crisp and golden.

Store it in air tight container.

Thattai

Ingredients

Raw rice - 4 cups
Urad dal - ½ cup
Asafetida powder - 2 tablespoons
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
chilli Powder - 1½ tablespoons
Gram - 2 tablespoons
Salt - to taste
Butter - 100 gms
Oil - for frying

Method

Wash and clean the rice well. Let it out to dry and once it has dried completely, powder it nicely. Fry the urad dal orange and powder it and keep it aside. Let the gram soak in water for one hour.

Take the rice flour, urad dal flour, soaked gram, grated coconut, asafetida powder, salt, butter and mix well.

Heat oil in a kadai. Test how hot it is by dropping a pinch of dough into it - if it sinks, the oil hasn't become hot enough. If the dough springs to the top with bubbles all around it, then the oil is just ready.

Take a small sized ball of the dough and flatten it and make it into a circular shape. Drop it gently into the hot oil and fry golden brown. Keep flipping the sides till the thattai is done.

Store in an air tight container.

Poondu Karasev

Garlic/Poondu Karasev
Ingredients:
Bengal gram flour - 2 1/2 cups
Rice flour - 1 cup
Pure ghee - 1 tsp
Cooking soda - a pinch
Powdered salt - 1 1/2 to 2 tsps
Oil for deep frying

Grind to smooth paste:
Long red chillies - 10
Garlic - 3 flakes
Black pepper - 1 tsp

Method:
1. Sieve bengal gram flour, rice flour together.
2. Add salt and mix it in a bowl.
3. Rub ghee and soda together till frothy on a flat plate.
4. Add this to the flour and mix well till it blends properly.
5. Mix ground paste with this and divide the flour into 3 parts.
6. Sprinkle water to each portion separately to prepare dough just before frying.
7. Take a handful of dough. Using the karasev ladle rub the dough with hands on top of the ladle by keeping it directly on hot oil, so that long pieces of dough falls into the hot oil.
8. Turn once or twice in the oil and fry till crisp.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Corn Sundal

Ingredients:

Fresh Corn Cob - 2 Nos
Carrot - 1 No
Tomato - 1
Fresh coconut gratings - 4 tablespoons
Green Chillies - 4 Nos
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad Dhal - 1 teaspoon
Asafotida Powder - a pinch
Lemon juice - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Cut the corn cobs into two and put in a pressure cooker along a pinch of salt and cook for two to three whistles. When it is cooled, remove the corn kernels from the cob.

Slit the green chillies into four lengthwise. Scrap the skin from carrot and grate it. Chop curry leaves into tiny pieces. Cut tomato lengthwise into thin strips. Use only skin portion and remove the inner seed portion. Or use cherry tomato.

In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add urad dhal and asafotida powder and fry till the dhal turns light brown. Add slit green chillies and curry leaves. Stir it. Add grated carrot. Stir fry for one to two minutes. Now Add cooked corn and mix well. Then add salt and coconut gratings, tomato pieces, lemon juice and mix everything well and remove immediately.

Pattani Sundal

Ingredients:
1/2 kg dried green peas
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 coconut (grated)
Salt to taste
1 tsp. mustard seeds
3 red chillies (broken)
1/2 tsp. asafoetida powder
6 green chillies (chopped)
3 sprigs of curry leaves (chopped)
3 tbsp. of oil

Method:

Clean, wash and soak green-peas overnight.
Pressure cook along with turmeric powder till very soft.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds, red chillies and asafoetida powder.
When brown, add green chillies and curry leaves.
Fry for a minute and add boiled green peas and salt. Cook on a low flame till dry.
Add grated coconut.

Kadalai Paruppu Masala Sundal

Ingredients:
1 cup bengal gram dal (chana dal)
1-2 green chillies, cut
1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped
2 tbsp coconut gratings
a few cashew nuts (optional), broken into small pieces
1 large onion chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp gingely oil
salt to taste

Fry in 1 tsp oil and powder
2-3 cloves
1-2 cardamoms
1/2 inch piece cinnamon
1 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 tsp aniseeds (saunf)

Seasoning
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 red chillies, broken
a large pinch of asafoetida
2 sprigs curry leaves

Method:
1. Cook dal in a pressure cooker with some salt. When cool, remove from cooker, strain the excess water, set aside.
2. Heat oil, fry cashew nut pieces, remove, set aside. Add all the seasoning and when done add green chillies, ginger and onions. Fry till onions are lightly browned.
3. Add cooked dal, coconut gratings and masala powder, stir fry 1-2 minutes to remove any moisture.
4. Add chopped coriander and fried cashew nuts, mix. If desired, some lime juice maybe added before serving.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Groundnut Sundal

Ingredients:

Groundnut – 2 cups
Salt – 1 tea spoon
Water – to boil
Coconut Grated – 1/3 cup
Curry Leaves – 5 chopped
Oil – ½ tea spoon
Mustard Seeds – ½ tea spoon
Red Chilli – 2 or 3
Cumin Seeds – 1 tea spoon
Asafetida – A pinch

Process

1. Boil the Groundnut with adding salt in cooker for 3-5 whistles depending on the cooker. Same number of whistles as rice
2. Once the cooker open, remove the excess water from the groundnut and spread it on a plate
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds
4. Once the mustard seeds start to crack, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chilli.
5. After 15 seconds, add the groundnut and mix well
6. Add Asafetida mix well
7. Once mixed well, add coconut and remove from heat
8. Transfer to the serving bowl and now the sundal is ready to be served.

Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal

Ingredients:
Dried White Peas - 1 cup

To grind:
Green Chilli - 1
Fresh Ginger - a small piece
Coconut gratings - 2 tablespoons

For seasoning:
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Asafotida - a pinch
Red Chilli - 1
Curry leaves - few
Salt - 1 teaspoon or as per taste

For garnishing:
Green Mango - grated - 1 or 2 tablespoon
Coconut pieces (cut into small pieces)- 1 tablespoon

Method:

Soak Pattani in water for atleast 8 hours. Pressure cook along with a pinch of salt for five to six whistles. Drain the excess water and keep aside.
Grind coconut, green chilli and ginger to a fine paste.
In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add urad dhal, red chilli broken into pieces along with asafotida powder and curry leaves. Fry for a while. Add cooked gram. Mix well. Add a pinch of salt and coconut paste and mix once again and remove.
Garnish with grated mango and coconut pieces

Kondaikadalai Sundal

Ingredients:
1/2 kg Black channa
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 coconut (grated)
Salt to taste
1 tsp. mustard seeds
3 red chillies (broken)
1/2 tsp. asafoetida powder
6 green chillies (chopped)
3 sprigs curry leaves (chopped)
3 tbsp. of oil

Method:

Clean, wash and soak channa overnight.
Pressure cook along with turmeric powder till it turns very soft.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds, red chillies and asafoetida powder.
When brown, add green chillies and curry leaves.
Fry for a minute and add boiled channa and salt.
Cook on a low flame till dry.
Add grated coconut.
Mix well and serve.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Poli

Ingrediants
Preparation of Poornam
Boil gram-dal until half-cooked and drain the water.
Add jaggery, grated coconut, cardomom and grind.
Make it thick by heating in low heat for a little while.
Make this into round balls.

Add a pinch of salt to maida and knead it by adding a few tsp of sesame oil and pat it on a plastic sheet into round flat shape.place a ball of poornam on it, mix well and pat it again.Heat a griddle, put the poli and add a spoon of ghee around it.

Turn over until both sides are cooked well.

Coconut Poli

Ingredients

* Maida : 1 ½ cups
* Grated coconut : 2 cups
* Jaggery : 1 ½ cups
* Semolina (roasted) : 1 tsp
* Cardamom powder : 2 tsp
* Cashew : 10
* Ghee : 2 tbsp
* Oil : ¼ cup
* Turmeric Powder : ¼ tsp

Method

Take maida, turmeric powder, 1 tbsp oil and mix with water till it forms a dough.
Set aside. Add 1/4 cup of water to jaggery and heat it on a stove.
When the jaggery melts, strain it. Grind grated coconut and cashew.
Add jaggery water to the ground paste along with cardamom powder and stir fry in a pan till the mixture is dry.
Add roasted semolina and remove from the stove.
When cool, make small balls.
Take a small ball of maida dough, make it into a cup.
Place the coconut ball into the cup and close it.
Take a small plantain leaf and smear some oil.
Place the ball on the leaf and spread it into a circle using the tip of the fingers.
Place a pan on the fire. When it is heated, put the flattened poli.
Keep the stove on medium flame.
In a few seconds the leaf can be removed.
Flip the poli add oil and ghee mixture around the sides.
Remove when cooked.

Sweet Poli

Ingredients:

Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 cup
Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup
Maida - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Ghee - 5 tbs
Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Cardamon – 2
A pinch of salt

Method:

Soak Bengal gram dhal in water for about two to three hours.
Cook the Dhal in water till soft, but not mushy. Drain the excess water.
Grind the dhal along with jaggery, coconut and cardamom to a fine paste.
Heat up a heavy bottomed pan and add this mixture to it and stir over a medium flame till the mixture is solid. Let it cool.
Mix maida, salt and turmeric powder and make a soft dough using water little by little.
Take a plastic sheet or foil, flatten out small ball sized quantity of the maida dough.
Place a smaller sized ball of the sweet filling and cover it completely using the flattened maida dough.
Cover with another plastic sheet.
Roll it round using a rolling pin.
Heat up a tawa and when it is hot place the poli and pour a teaspoon of ghee all around and cook.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Brinjal Curry

Ingredients
Medium size brinjals -8 (not round ones)
Ginger -2inches
coriander-equal to ginger
tamarind juice( thick) -1 t.sp.
turmuric powder-1/2 t.sp.
chana dal--1 t.sp
Urud dal-1 t.sp
mustard seeds-1/2 t.sp
cumin seeds-1/2 t.sp
oil-4 t.sp.s
green chiilies 5
red chillies -3(cut into pieces)
salt to taste

Method:
1.First make a paste of green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves nicely.
2.Cut the brinjals into 2 inch pieces.
3.Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. Put chana dal, urud dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds. Allow to splutter. Add red chillies and fry nicely.
4.Put the brinjal pieces, salt and turmuric.
5.Fry them for a while and cover the pan, with a plate. Put some water in the plate.
6.After the brinjals are half cooked, put the tamarind juice, ginger-coriander paste in the brinjal pieces and mix well.
7.Close the pan again, but stir it frequently.
8.After 5 or 6 minutes, the curry is ready.
9.Sprinkle the coriander leaves and serve.
10.Tastes good with white rice and ghee.

Brinjal Theeyal

Ingredients
Small Brinjal - 4 nos.
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - tsp
Tamarind - small piece
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - cup
Methi Seeds - tsp
Onion - 2 medium
Curry Leaves - few
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method
Cut the brinjals into small cubes and boil it with salt.
In a pan fry the methi seeds and grated coconut with tbsp oil.
Then make a paste of this. in another pan add oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves and saute.
Add red chili, turmeric powder and coriander powder to the above.
To this add the boiled brinjal and mix well next, pour the tamarind water to this and then add coconut paste.
Mix well till dry and serve hot.