Raw Papaya Soup

Ingredients:
Onion - 1
Chopped raw papaya pieces - 1 cup
Carrot - 1 (dice finely)
Bayleaf - 1
Grated cheese - 1 tbl sp
Butter - 1 tbl sp
Salt and pepper - as required

For spice bag:
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Crush the above ingredients coarsely and tie in a clean muslin cloth.

Method:
1. Heat pressure pan (or) cooker with butter.
2. When it melts add bayleaf and chopped onion.
3. Fry for one (or) two minutes in reduced flame.
4. Add chopped carrot and papaya pieces.
5. Fry in medium flame for another two minutes.
6. Pour just enough water to cover the pieces. Add spice bag and close the lid.
7. Pressure cook in reduced flame till first whistle.
8. Cool down, discard the spice bag and grind the pieces to smooth paste in a mixie.
9. Strain well and dilute with enough water.
10. Add salt, sugar and pepper as per individual taste.
11. Reheat and serve hot with finely grated cheese sprinkled on top along with bread sticks.

Vendakkai sambar

Ingredients
1cup medium cut okra
½ cup medium cut onions
1cup thoor dal
1cup tamarind water
1cup tomato puree
1tsp dhaniya powder (coriander)
½ tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp sambar powder
Chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and water as per requirement.

For tempering
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
Asafoetida
Red chillies
Curry leaves
2tsp oil or ghee
Method
Fry the okra in 2 tsp oil in a pan for 10 –13 min till it gets soft. Keep separately. In a saucepan add tamarind water, turmeric and salt and bring to boil. Now add the okra, onions, sambar powder and dhaniya powder and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
Add tomato puree to this and again it should come to a boil. Finally add pressure-cooked and mashed dal and stir together. Add water if the sambar gets too thick. That depends on how you want the sambar to be. Temper with given ingredients and add cilantro. A small tip. As soon as you temper, cover the sambar or rasam with a lid. This will keep the aroma trapped inside the dish and will later fill the whole house with mind blowing aroma.

Brinjal Curry

Ingredients :

Red Chilli- 8-10 flakes
Garlic - 4 pods
Tomato - 1 (diced)
Brinjal - 250gms( slit in length)
Onion - 1
Cocconut Milk - 1 cup
Tamarind- 1/4 cup extract

Method :

1. Slice the onion, deep fry and keep aside

2. Shallow fry the brinjal and keep aside.

3.Now make a paste of the dry chilli and garlic with little water.

4.To start cooking, pour oil in a pan, add the red chilli paste and cook till the raw smell disappears.

5.To this add the tomatoes and cook well. Add the cocconut milk.When done add brinjal.

6. Add the tamarind water and allow to cook well.

7. Remove from flame and decorate with the deep fried onion.

Palak Makkai Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Spinach/Palak puree
1 cup Basmati Rice, washed and drained
1 cup Sweet Corn
1 Onion, sliced
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a pressure pan.

2. Add the asafoetida and the cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the sliced onions and fry for a while.

3. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and the dry spices and fry a little. Add the corn and the spinach puree.

4. Add the rice and 1 1/4 cup of hot water. Add salt to taste.

5. Pressure cook for 2 whistles or 10 minutes on a low flame. Enjoy this rice with jeera raita or plain curd

Bread Upma

Ingredients:
Bread slices - 12-15
Onions - 2
Green chilies - 5 - 6 in number
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Heeng powder - 1 tsp
Jeera - ½ tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Groundnut – 4 tbl sp
Sugar - ½ tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil for frying

Method:

1. Make bread crumbs , use blender.Mix with salt to taste and keep aside.

2. Cut onions, green chilies and keep aside. Take oil in a frying pan, add mustard seeds, jeera seeds & groundnuts.

3.Once the nuts are light brown in color, add onion and chilies and fry them well.

4. Add turmeric, heeng & sugar. Add the bread crumbs and mix it well for 3 - 4 minutes.

5.Serve hot.

SEV PURI

Ingredients:


10 - Flat Puris (crisp)
1 cup Fine Sev
1/2 cup chopped Onion (Pyaj)
1/2 cup Curd (Dahi)
3 tblsp Tamarind (Imli) Chutney
3 tblsp Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta) Chutney
1/2 cup boiled Potato (Aloo)
1 tblsp Chaat Masala
1/2 tsp Red chili pepper (Lal Mirchi)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seed (Jeera)

How to make sev puri:

* Arrange the puris on a plate make a hole in each puri in the centre.
* Fill with a few chopped boiled potato cubes.
* Add about 1/4 tsp of tamarind and green chutneys in each.
* Sprinkle cumin powder, salt, red chilli powder.
* Sprinkle finely chopped onions.
* Then generously sprinkle sev all over the puris.
* Garnish with finely chopped coriander.
* Serve fresh..

BHEL PURI

Ingredients:


1 cup Puffed Rice (Kurmura)
1/2 cup chopped Tomato (Tamatar)
1/2 cup chopped Onion (Pyaj)
1/4 cup chopped Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta)
1/2 cup boiled and mashed Potato (Aloo)
4 chopped Green Chilli (Hari mirch)
1 tblsp chopped Ginger(Adrak)
1 tblsp Garam Masala
6 tblsp Tamarind (Imli) Chutney
6 tblsp Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta) And Mint Chutney
1/2 cup Nimkis
1/2 cup Sev
1/2 cup Gol gappas
2 tblsp Lime or Lemon (Nimbu) Juice

method

* Mix the puffed rice, tomatoes, onions.
* Drain the water from the grated potatoes and mix that as well.
* Mix all the ingredients under seasoning and add to this.
* Lightly crush and add the nimkis and golgappas.
* Add the sev and kaara pusa directly and mix well.
* Finally garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice.
* Serve immediately..

Uppuma recipe

ngredient


Measurement
1 cup cream of wheat,rava/sooji
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
few a few curry leaves
1 tsp dried red chilli
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely sliced
1" cube ginger, peeled & finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt 1 tsp or to taste

Method
1 Heat a large heavy saucepan over a medium heat and toast the rava for 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the grains turn golden

2 Remove from the heat and set aside

3 In another heavy saucepan heat the ghee or oil. When hot add the mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal, chana dal, red chilli and curry leaves

4 Add 1 cup water to the pan then cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly add the toasted semolina, stirring continuosly to avoid lumps forming

5 Cook uncovered over a low heat until all the water has been absorbed. remove the pan from the heat and serve

6 Serve with sugar, cutneys or sambar or just eat it plain

Mixed Vegetables Bhaji (Dry Curry) with Dal

Ingredients
• 1 green pepper or capsicum or bell pepper or Simala mirch
• 2 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced into circles
• 1/4 cup shelled ot frozen peas
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
• 2 drum sticks or Sejan ki phali (long, bean like fruit of a tree),if available
• 1/2 a cup split moong dal, with or without skin
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup grated or desiccated coconut
• 2 red chillies
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• For tempering or tarka:
• 1 tbs. ghee or clarified butter
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds or rai
• 1 tsp. skinless urad/urd/urid dal
• A pinch of asafoetida or hing powder (optional)
• 5-6 curry leaves (not bay leaves)
• A handful of coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions
1. Cut the vegetables into medium sized pieces to fill three tea-cups.
2. Boil vegetables in water with salt and turmeric powder, drain and set aside.
3. Boil moong dal in 1 1/2 cup of water, until soft. When ready, it should be of pouring consistency.
4. Add the boiled vegetables to the dal. Mix gently.
5. Grind coconut, cumin seeds and the chillies together into a paste.
6. Add it to the vegetable/dal mixture. Stir well, turn heat on and let it boil for a few minutes, until it all comes together.
7. Tempering:
8. Heat ghee in a ladle and add mustard seeds. When seeds splutter, add urad dal and asafoetida.
9. Add curry leaves and dhania. Stir and add to dal
10. Serve hot with Chapatties or as part of a meal.

Yallu Kolukattai

This type of kolukattai is commonly prepared in South India for Ganesha Chaturthi festivals.

Ingredients and Utensils

1 cup sesame seeds

1 cup jaggery or brown sugar

4 cups rice flour

1 tsp. salt

oil or ghee

8 cups water

a steamer with flat rack

a skillet for toasting flour

a small piece of cheesecloth

a mortar and pestle, rolling pin or blender

banana leaf or tray

Directions

Fry the sesame seeds, without oil, until light brown, then mix with the jaggery. Then, using a pestle and mortar, rolling pin or blender, powder this mixture and set it aside. Heat the rice flour until lightly toasted, and spread it out on a tray or table top to cool. While it cools, add the salt to 8 cups of water in a pan and bring to a strong boil. Gather the cooled, toasted rice flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Slowly pour a small amount of the hot water into the well in the rice flour and begin working it into the rice flour with your hands. Keep adding small amounts of the hot water, working it together into a ball of dough. It should be moist but not wet when you put it out on the table or breadboard. Knead the dough thoroughly so it is even in moisture and texture. When it can be handled, squeeze the dough into lime-sized balls and set them aside.

Smear a bit of oil or ghee on a banana leaf, tray or table top and roll or knead one of the dough balls out on it to a patty about 3 inches in diameter. Place a full tablespoon of the sesame and sugar mixture in the middle and fold the patty over in a crescent shape, pinching it closed where the edges meet. Repeat the process for the rest of the balls.

Bring the water in your vegetable or iddli steamer to a boil and insert the steaming rack or a plate with small holes in it. The rack should be fairly flat and be covered over with a layer of cheesecloth or cotton weave. Arrange the kolukattai on the flat rack, as many as will fit without touching. Cover and steam for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done, depending on the size of your steamer. When finished, transfer them to a plate or banana leaf and allow to cool. Serve to Ganesha as His fondest sweet. With any remaining sesame-sugar mixture you may make small Ganesha figures. Keep them along with the cooked ones for puja. Betel leaves, nuts and fruits may be offered with these.

Pudi Kolukattai

Sweet Rice Flour Roll

Ingredients and Utensils

2 cups rice flour

1 cup jaggery or brown sugar

1 shredded coconut

1 tsp. salt

an iddli or vegetable steamer

a pan for toasting the flour

banana leaf or tray

Directions

Heat the rice flour in a dry skillet until lightly toasted, then spread it out on a tray or table top to cool. Sprinkle a little water on it and add the salt, jaggery and coconut. Mix together, adding water only as needed. When it is well kneaded and firm, pinch the dough off into as many lime-sized balls as it will make. Roll into balls, or squeeze in the right hand to create a fist-shaped kolukattai. Bring water in the steamer to a boil and arrange the kolukattais in it, wrapped in banana leaves as in recipe #1. Steam until the balls are a light brown in color. Arrange on a banana leaf or tray and serve to Lord Ganesha.

TOMATO RICE

Rice 2cup
Water 4cup
Tomato (big) 2(chopped)
Onion (medium) 1(chopped)
Green chillies 5
Ginger 1inch
Garlic 4flakes
Cardamom 2
Cinnamon small pc
Cloves 2
Aniseed 1/4tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Garam masala 1/4tsp
Chillie powder 1/2tsp
Oil 3tsp
Lime juice 1tsp
Coriander leaves few
Salt as reqd.


METHOD
1.Grind chillies ,ginger & garlic to fine paste.
2.Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add the paste. stir 1min.
3.Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & aniseed ,fry for few min.
4.Add chopped onion fry till it becomes brown.
5.Add chopped tomato fry till onion &tomato become a gravy.
6.Add garam masala, turmeric powder&chillie powder.
7.Add 2cup of rice,4cup of water &salt.
8.After 2 whistle ,turn over the heat.
9.Garnish with Coriander leaves.
NOTE
If you use electric rice cooker, first fry all ingredients in separate curved pan&change into rice cooker. If needed add some more hot water and cook.

TAMARIND RICE

Rice 2cup
Water 4cup
Tamarind juice 1/2cup
Mustard seeds 1/4tsp
Urad dhal 1/2tsp
Channa dhal 1tsp
Peanuts 1tsp
Red chillies 4(broken)
Garlic 4flakes(chopped)
Fenugreek powder 1/4tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Curry leaves few
Asafoetida a pinch.
Oil 3tsp.
Salt as reqd.
METHOD
1.Pressure cook the rice with 4cup of water&salt.
2.Heat oil in a heavy deep curved pan, add mustard seeds..
3.When mustard seeds pops, add urad dhal, channa dhal, peanuts, red chillies, garlic &curry leaves.
4.Stir for 1min.
5.Add tamarind juice & turmeric powder.
6.Add fenugreek powder & asafoetida powder.
7.Boil tamarind juice till it becomes gravy.
8. Slow down the heat, then add cooked rice.
9.Mix thoroughly.

LIME RICE

Rice 2cup
Water 4cup
Lime juice 1/4cup
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Mustered seed 1/4cup
Urad dhal 1/2tsp
Channa dhal 1 tsp.
Garlic 4flakes(chopped)
Curry leaves few
Red chillies 4(Broken)
Asafoetida a pinch
Fenugreek powder 1/4tsp(optimal)
Oil 3tsp
Salt as reqd
METHOD
1.Pressure cook the rice with 4cup of water&salt.
2.Heat oil in a heavy deep curved pan, add mustard seeds.
3.When mustard seeds pops, add urad dhal, channa dhal, red chillies, garlic &curry leaves
4.Stir for 1min.Turn over the heat.
5.Add lime juice & turmeric powder.
6.Add fenugreek powder & asafoetida powder.
7.Mix thoroughly.

Sambar

Ingredients:
1 tsp chana daal
1 pinch hing
2 or 3 red chilli how hot you want
1/4 cup tuvar daal (yellow)
1/4 tsp fengreek seeds
kadi patta
5 of them (optional) (dried leaves) 1/4 cup coconut if using dried one
fresh ones use half of the coconut
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp udit dal (white daal)
1 tsp mustard seed(rai)
1 small ball size tamrind
1 big one onion
you can use any vegetables like brinjals, or raddish, pottatoes instead of onions.


Method

Boil yellow daal and keep aside. Put the tamrind in 2 cups water and keep aside.
Fry all the ingredients except for rai onions & udit daal, fry the coconut last in the slow flame for 2 minutes, then grind the above mix with little water. Do now all the raw materials are ready for the delicious sambar.Take a vessel put oil, put the udit dal and mastard seed till it splutters, put onions and fry till golden brown, put the tamrind paste and boil till the onions softens, it is usually 5 to 8 minutes, then add the grinded paste, boil for 5 minutes then add the boiled daal then cook for 2 minutes, this was your last stage of your sambar, just decorate with your dried leaves, for flavour, or you can add these leaves when you are frying the onions.

Potato Masala

Ingedients:

Potatoes - 3, boiled, cubed and peeled
Onion - 1 small, or half of a big one, chopped
Green chillies - 3, slit
Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp (I powder it before use)
Turmeric - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal/Channa dal - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Curry leaves - 10
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp



Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and urad/channa dal.

Wait for them to splutter and then add the green chillies and

onions. Saute till translucent.

2. Now add the jeera, ginger and turmeric and fry for 10-15

seconds.

3. Finally add the potatoes. Mass a few of the pieces to form a

gravy, mix well with added salt and remove from fire.

Kathirikkai Poriyal Recipe

Ingedients:

3 cups brinjal, cubed
2 medium onions, finely sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt, to taste

Spice Powder

2 tsp + 2 tsp oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida / hing
2 - 3 dry red chillies
2 tsp urad dal
2 tbsp grated coconut
A small marble-sized ball of tamarind
1/4 tsp salt

Tempering

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chilly, halved
1 sprig curry leaves

Method:


1. Heat 2 tsp oil for spice powder in a pan over moderate heat.

Add coriander seeds, hing, red chillies and urad dal. Fry till

spices are fragrant and the dal turns golden. Remove and set

aside to cool.

2. Add 2 tsp oil to same pan and heat through. Add coconut and

fry over low heat until golden brown.

3. Combine coconut and the fried spices, tamarind and salt and

grind to a fine powder.

4. Heat oil for tempering in the same pan as above and add the

ingredients for tempering. When the mustard seeds start to pop,

add onions and saute for 1-2 mins.

5. Add the brinjal, turmeric, salt and 1/4 cup water. Lower

heat, cover pan and simmer for about 10 mins till brinjal is

tender and all water is absorbed.

6. Sprinkle the spice powder to the cooked brinjal and stir

gently to combine well. Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.

Payasam

Ingredients :


Moong dal (green gram lentil) - 1 cup

Powdered jaggery - 1/2 cup

Gram dal - 1 tsp

Milk - 1cup

Preparation:

Cook moong dal and gram dal in plain water in a pressure cooker. Mix jaggery in a little water and bring to boil. Add the cooked dal mixture and let it cook for a while so that the entire ingredients mix well. Then remove from flame and add boiled milk and cardamom powder. Garnish the cooked dal payasam with cashew nuts roasted in ghee and serve hot or cold.

Garlic Chicken recipe

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon black soy
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 cup water

Preparation
Heat oil and fry garlic until brown, remove. In remaining oil fry chicken until cooked.
Add oyster sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, water, garlic and sesame oil and simmer for 10 minutes

Avial recipe

Ingredients
3/4 kg Vegetables
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon Red chilli powder
6-8 nos. Green chillies
2 large Onions
1 cup Grated coconut
1 tablespoon Tamarind paste
2 tablespoons Oil
5-6 nos. Curry leaves

Preparation
Vegetables:Drumsticks, Brinjals, Yam, String beans, Raw banana, Ash gourd, Ridge gourd.
Peel and cube the vegetables. Slightly boil the drum sticks with salt. Grind the coconut to a fine paste.
Boil some water and add cubed vegetables to it. Add the red chilli and turmeric powders. When the vegetables are almost cooked add green chillies and salt. Add the tamarind extract and coconut paste. Simmer on a low flame for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a small pan and add the curry leaves. When the leaves change colour pour over the cooked vegetables.
Serve hot with rice and pickle.