Drumstick Rasam

Ingredients

1-2 Drumsticks, tender and fleshy ones
1 Tomato, quatered
1/4 cup Tur dal
a lemon sized ball of Tamarind or 1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp Rasam Powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Jeera seeds
1-2 Red Chillies (dried)
a pinch of Hing
a few Curry Leaves (kadipatta)
Oil or Ghee for frying
A few Coriander leaves, chopped fine

Method:

Pressure cook the tur dal till it's soft (3-4 whistles)
Soak the tamarind in 4 cups water and strain the juice
Pour this juice in a vessel and add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, rasam powder and salt. Keep on gas in medium flame.
Boil the drumsticks seperately till cooked.
Remove the insides of the drumsticks and put it in the tamarind water mixture.
Bring the whole mixture to a boil.
Add the tur dal and boil on medium flame for 5-6 mins.
Season with mustard, jeera, hing, red chillies, curry leaves & ghee (you can season in oil also).
Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice, serve hot with rice.

Sweet Pongal

Ingredients

Moong dhal - 1/2 cup.
Rice - 1/2 cup.
Milk
Coconut
cashew
jaggery
raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes)
cardamom
ghee.

Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it
will start smelling). Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.
Thoroghly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is o.k)and
cook it seperately (in two different containers). Meanwhile cut coconut in
very small pieces and fry in ghee. Fry cashew and raisins also separately.
Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is
done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones. After we make the syrup
strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and
add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. Add
jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table
spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. Add fried
coconut, cashews and raisins.

Rava Pongal

Ingredients

Rava 1 cup
moong dal 1/3 cup
water 4 1/2 cup
salt 3/4 tsp
cashews 1 tsp(broken)
ghee 4 tbs
curry leaves
ginger 1/2 tsp
peppercorn 1 tsp
cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. In a dry pan add rava and fry it till raw smell goes off.
2. Remove it from the pan and keep aside.
3. To the pan, add 2 tsp of ghee and fry peppercorn and cumin for 2 mins at medium heat.
4. Grind this to a powder and keep aside.
5. Add the remaining ghee and fry cashews, curryleaves, ginger and keep aside.
6. In a thick vessel add moong dal and fry till it smells or golden brown.
7. Add 1 1/2 cup of water to dal and 1/2 cook.
8. In a cooker place a vessel containing remaining water, rava and the seasoning mixture.
9. Bring to boil and stir the mixture.
10. Add weight and cook it for 8-10 mins.
11. Add ghee when it is removed from the stove.
12. Eat it with coconut chutney.

Paal Pongal

Ingredients:
1 cup of Raw Rice
2 cups of Milk
2 cups Water
Salt to Taste

Method:
Boil Water in a pot and add Rice when water boils.
Add milk to this when rice is half cooked.
Add salt to taste (add little less salt than you add normally) and stir well.
Stop cooking after the rice is fully cooked and the mixture is 90% Solid.

This rice can be had with any curry or simply with jagerry and banana

Green Tomato Pickle

Ingredients
250 gms. firm green tomatoes
1 large hard apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 large onion finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh mint leaves finely chopped
10-12 long hot green chillies, chopped
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. oil

Method
Heat oil in a heavy pan, add onions, stir.
Add 1 tbsp. Vinegar, simmer till onions are transparent.
Add tomatoes, apples, cook till mixture is mushy.
Add all other ingredients, allow sugar to dissolve.
Simmer till thick, and there is no water residue.
Pour into sterile jar, cool and seal.

Green Pepper Pickles

Ingredients
green pepper - 250 gm
lemon - 5
turmeric powder - a pinch
asafoetida powder - a pinch
mustard seeds -1 tsp
salt to taste
cooking oil - 4 tbsp

Method
First of all keep a clean and dry container ready.
Clean the green pepper thoroughly and pat them dry with a clean cloth.
Then, transfer them into the container.
Add lemon juice over them such that they are fully immersed in the juice.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustards seeds, asafoetida powder and turmeric powder and pour it over the pepper and mix well.
Keep it aside for a week and use it with a dry spoon.

Bitter Gourd Pickle

Ingredients
1/4 kg bitter gourd (small variety)
2 tbsp saunf (aniseed)
2 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp asafoetida
salt to taste
1 tbsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp dried mango powder
1/4 tsp citric acid
1/4 garam masala
1 tbsp coarsely crushed coriander seeds
2 tbsp coarsely crushed mustard seeds
250 gm oil

Method
Peel and apply turmeric and salt to bitter gourds.
Keep aside for 1/2 hour.
Put them in boiling water with the citric acid.
Boil for 5-7 minutes. Remove from water and wipe dry.
Heat half the oil, add asafoetida, saunf, coriander seeds.
Remove from fire. Add all the masalas and mix well.
Cool and fill in the gourds. Tie them up securely with string.
Arrange them in a glass or pickle jar. Heat remaining oil a little.
Add a few pinches citric acid and 1/3 tsp salt. Pour over the gourds.
Allow to tenderise for 3-4 days more. Remove string before serving.

Green Chilli Pickle

Ingredients:
1 kg green chillies - chopped
1 cup salt
1/2 kg mustard oil
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp turmeric powder
200 gm ginger - finely ground
250 gm garlic - finely ground
100 gm cumin seeds - roasted and ground
200 gm large mustard seeds - roasted and ground
1 cup sugar
200 gm tamarind
3 cups of white vinegar

Method:

Marinate the chillies in salt for at least two hours.
Soak the tamarind in the vinegar for at least two hours and extract the pulp.
In a large vessel heat the mustard oil and add red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
Add the ginger and garlic and mix well. Continue stirring for some time.
Mix in the cumin powder and mustard powder.
Pour the tamarind-vinegar pulp and mix well.
Add sugar and cook on low heat for some time.
Now add the chillies and cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat till the oil seperates.
Serve.

Mixed Vegetable Pickle

Ingredients:
2 - carrots
2 - raw mangoes
50 g - green chillies
2 - karelas (bittergourd)
5 - lemons
50 g - fresh ginger
3 tsp - red chilly powder
2 tsp - mustard (rai) powder
1 tsp - hing
1 tsp - turmeric powder
3 tbsp - oil
salt to taste

Method

Slice the vegetables into small pieces (de-seed karela).
In a jar, add the veggies, chilly powder, turmeric, mustard, hing, salt and two lemons cut into small pieces. Mix well.
Heat oil and when cool, add to the pickle mix.
Then add the juice of the other three lemons and mix well.
The pickle is ready the next day and can be preserved for 10 to 15 days.

Ginger Pickle

Ingredients:
2 cups ginger-shredded fine
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp salt to taste
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp chilli powder or to taste
1 tsp asafoetida powder

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and cook over high heat.

When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for a minute or so.

Store in a clean jar.

Lemon Sevai

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared sevai
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp bengalgram dal (chana dal)
juice of one large lemon
2 tbsp gingely oil
1 tbsp chopped coriander
salt to taste

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

Method:
1. Soak bengal gram dal for 1/2 hour and when soft, strain all the water, set aside.

2. Take out juice of the lemon, add salt, mix. Keep sevai on a plate.

3. Heat oil, add seasonings given in that order. When done, add soaked gram dal, stir fry till all the water us absorbed and the dal has turned soft. Remove from fire. Pour onto sevai.

4. Add lime juice, chopped coriander and mix thoroughly, but lightly (use a fork for this).

5. Serve with coconut chutney.

Coconut Sevai

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared sevai
1/2 - 1 cup coconut gratings
1 tbsp blackgram dal (urad dal)
1 tbsp gingely oil
1/2 - 1 tbsp ghee
4-6 cashew nuts (broken into small pieces)
1 tbsp chopped coriander
salt to taste

Seasoning:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
large pinch of asafoetida
1-2 red chillies, broken into 2-3 pieces each
1-2 green chillies, slit
1-2 sprigs curry leaves

Method:
1. Soak blackgram dal in some water for about 1/2 hour; strain all the water and set aside.

2. Heat oil - ghee together, fry cashew nut pieces to a golden brown, remove and set aside.

3. Add seasonings in the order given; when mustard is done add soaked dal and stir on low heat till it turns light brown in colour and all the water has been absorbed.

4. Add coconut gratings, pinch of salt (or more to taste) and stir fry on low heat till gratings turn light brown in colour.

5. Remove kadai from fire, add sevai, fried cashew nuts and chopped coriander, mix all of it lightly and thoroughly.

6. Serve hot with curry leaf chutney.

Ellu Sevai

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared sevai
1 tbsp ghee
4 tbsp ellu (sesame seeds)
1/2 cup powdered jaggery

Method:
1. Clean and dry, roast ellu in a kadai on medium heat, stirring all the time. When all the seeds have crackled and it is done, remove from the fire, put on a plate to cool.
2. When sesame seeds is sufficiently cooled, put it in the dry grinder of the mixie, run it 1-2 times. Add jaggery, run for sometime till both are well blended. Thi is ellu podi. Remove from the mixie.
3. Put the prepared sevai on a plate, add the prepared powder. Heat ghee, pour on top of this and mix all of it lightly using only the tips of your fingers.

Badam Burfi

Ingredients:
Badam-1cup
Sugar-11/4 cup
ghee-1/4 cup or 5tbspn
milk-1/4 cup

Method:
Soak badam in hot water and peel the skin. Grind it to fine paste along with 1/4 cup milk. Take a pan and dissolve the sugar and allow it to boil. The melted sugar should be of sticky consistency, that is when you touch it with your hand it should form a single thread.

Now add the badam paste to it and keep stirring it. once the raw smell of the badam disappears now add the ghee spoon by spoon. Mean while, take a foil and rolling pin and grease it with ghee. When the mixture separates from the pan remove from the heat and put the mixture into the foil and roll it flat for about 1 inch thickness. Cut it into diamond shape and allow it to cool.

Cashew Nut Burfi

Ingredients:
Cashew Nuts – 2 cups
Sugar – 2 cups
Ghee – ½ cup
Kewra Essence – few drops
Saffron - few strings

Method:
Soak cashew nuts in water for 4 hours and grind into a thick paste.

Add ½ cup water to the sugar and make a thick syrup. Add the ground cashew paste and stir continuously on a low flame. Add ghee in between while stirring. When it leaves the sides of the vessel, add kewra essence, saffron and mix well. Switch off the stove. When it is luke warm mix by your hand and make a dough (like chapati dough) and put it on a greased rolling board. Grease the rolling pin also and quickly roll it ¼” thick big circle (like making chapati). When it is cool cut it into diamond shaped pieces.

Groundnut Burfi

Ingredients:
250 gms groundnuts, roasted and coarsely powdered
250 gms sugar
1 cup water
50 gms coconut powder
a few green cardamoms, powdered
1 tbsp ghee

Method:
1. In a pan, heat the sugar and water to make a 1-string syrup.
2. Add groundnut powder, coconut powder and ghee along with the cardamom powder.
3. Stir till the mixture leaves the side of the pan.
4. Grease a thali with ghee and spread the mixture.
5. Cut into burfis while the mixture is still hot.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Masala Brinjal

Ingredients for Curried eggplant :
500 gm brinjals
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaf
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
a lemon-sized piece of tamarind

Roast in tsp oil and powder
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp gram dal
1 tbsp coriander seeds
4 dried red chillies
1/4 tsp asafoetida

Method:
1. Wash and cut the brinjals into fours. Extract the pulp from the tamarind by boiling it in some water and then squeezing.
2. Heat the oil, and add the mustard and curry leaf. When done, add the brinjals and turmeric, and fry on a low fire. Sprinkle a little water, cover the vessel and cook on low heat until the brinjals turn soft.
3. Add the tamarind extract, salt and cook for some more time until almost all the water has evaporated. Add the masala powder and stir for a few minutes. Remove and serve hot.

Cabbage Poriyal

Ingredients:

Cabbage - one small size or one medium size cut piece
Bengal Gram Dhal - 2 tablespoons
Coconut gratings - 1 tablespoon
Onion - 1 medium size
Green Chillies - 2 or 3 depending on the size
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Salt – ½ teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Cut the cabbage into fine bits. Chop the onion, curry leaves and green chillies.

Cook the bengal gram dhal along with a pinch of turmeric powder till soft and drain the excess water.

In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add urad dhal and fry till it turns light brown. Then add chopped onion, green chillies and curry leaves and fry for two minutes. Add cabbage and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame. No need to add water. Stir now and then till it is cooked. Now add the cooked dhal along with salt and stir for few seconds. Then add coconut gratings and mix well.

Cabbage Dosa

Ingredients
Cabbage - 1/4 kg
(shredded)
Raw rice(pachari) - 1/4 kg
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida(Kayam) - 1/4 tsp
Salt - As reqd
Oil for applying on the tawa

Preparation Method
1)Boil the shredded cabbage.

2)Soak rice for 2 hours and grind it.

3)Add the cooked cabbage, coconut, chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt. Mix well.

4)Make dosas instantly.

:- The batter should be poured a bit thick.

5)Apply oil on the sides and cover the pan and cook your dosa

Cabbage Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups rice
1 cabbage, chopped
4 greenchillies
Salt and turmeric as required

For powder(Fry below ingredients and make powder):
3 tsp chanadal
2 tsp urad dal
4 redchillies
3 tsp dry coconut powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
Garlic pieces
salt.

Method:
1. Cook rice.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add green chillies, fry it then add cabbage and salt and turmeric and fry it.
3. Now add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

Serve hot.

Potato Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Samwat rice (also known as Parsai ke chaawal)
2 tbsp. Ghee
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 cloves
A tiny piece of cinnamon
2 green cardamom
1 large potato (diced in small pieces)
2 tsp. rock salt
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
3 cup water
Green coriander to garnish

Method:

* Heat ghee in a pan
* Add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.
* When they give off fragrance, add potato and rice.
* Stir-fry to a light brown color.
* Add rock salt, chilli powder and water and boil.
* Cover the pan and let it simmer on low flame for about 15 minutes.
* Garnish with green coriander.
* Serve hot.

Potato Podimas

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 3
Onion - 1 small (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes in water ( to which a pinch of turmeric is added ).
2. Cut the onions finely. Smash the potatoes well and add the turmeric powder, mix well and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustards. Add onions & fry till transparent.
4. Add the smashed potatoes and fry well till the masala smell goes.
5. Serve hot with chapathi.

Tomato Avial

Ingredients for Tomato Avial:
Tomatoes: 1/4 kg
Green chillies: 8
Half a coconut
Oil - 1 tbsp
A few curry leaves
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Curd - 1 spoon
Bombay onion - 1
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
fenugreek powder - 1/2tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method to make Tomato Avial:
1. Clean the tomatoes and cut them into small pieces.
2. Scrape the coconut and grind it with the green chillies into a fine paste.
3. Add salt and turmeric powder to the cut tomatoes and boil.
4. Add a little oil to it and then add the sliced bombay onion and saute
5. Then add the asafoetida powder and fenugreek powder.
6. Mix the curd with the coconut paste and pour it into the tomatoes and boil.
7. If it is too thick add a little water.
8. Put a little oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
9. When it splutters pour the tomato aviyal and put the curry leaves.
10. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix well and remove from fire

Mushroom Manchurian

Ingredients
Fresh Mushroom 200 gm
Ajinomotto 1 pinch
Ginger Garlic paste 2 tsp
Soy Sauce 1 1/2 tsp
Vinegar 1 tsp
White pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder 2 tsp
Egg One
Corn flour 2 tsp
Chopped green chillies 2 tsp
Chopped garlic 2 tsp
Oil To fry
Salt According to taste
Spring onions To garnish

Method
Marinate mushrooms with soy sauce with salt, 1 tsp chilli powder, pepper powder, ajinomotto, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger garlic paste
Keep aside for 3-4 hours.
Beat the egg, add the remaining chillipowder, salt, and corn flour (the mixture should not be too thick…so add flour carefully) and mix well.
Put the marinated mushrooms in the egg mixture and mix well until all the mushrooms are well coated.
Heat the oil in a pan (high flame), and deep fry the mushrooms. Fry them for one minute.
Heat a little oil, add the chopped green chillies and garlic for a minute and add the fried mushrooms and fry for another minute.
Garnish with chopped green part of the spring onions. Goes well with fried rice or as a teatime snack.

Mushroom Biriyani

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice- 4 cups
Mushroom - 1 to 2 lbs (16-32 oz)
Oil & ghee (melted butter)-3/4 cup
Lemon -1
Chopped Ginger - 3 tsp
Garlic - 7 cloves
Green chillies - 4
Onion - 2 (cut in lengthwise)
Soy Sauce - 2 tsp (soya sauce in India)
Tomatoes -3
Chilly powder - 1 &1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Cinnamon - 3
Cardamom - 3
Cloves-3
Salt to taste
Cilantro (coriander leaves), mint leaves (pudhina) for garnishing

Method:

Soak rice for 1 hour.
Wash and cut Mushrooms into big pieces.
Cut onions, chillies, tomatoes.
Grind cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, garlic into a paste.
In a pressure Cooker, heat the oil and ghee, fry ground masala and the onion till golden brown. To this add all other ingredients, mushrooms and stir for 10 minutes. Add 7 cups water and allow it to boil, add the soaked rice and stir when rice level and water level are the same, pressure cook (with whistle on it) in low flame for 15 minutes

Mushroom Fried Rice

Ingredients

Diced mushroom 1 cup
Diced onions 1/2 cup
Green peas 1/4 cup
Tomato 1
Chilly powder 1 spoon
Dania powder 1 spoon
Cashews 5
Coriander chopped to garnish
Cooked rice
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Method


Heat oil in tawa. Fry cashewnuts and onions. Then add mushrooms, chilly powder, salt, dania powder, green peas and tomatoes.
Add 1/4 cup of water in it. Fry till oil separates from the mixture.
Then mix cooked rice and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients
cauliflower - 1/2
jeera - 1 spoon
cloves - 2
salt
coriander - 1/2 bunch
green chillies - 2
tomato ketchup - 2 spoons
basmathi rice - 1 1/4 cup

Method
Fry cloves,jeera ,green chillies in oil.
Add cauliflower and fry till it turns brown.
Add salt and tomato ketchup.add coriander leaves.
Cook basmathi rice separately and mix the rice with the cauliflower.
Enjoy!

Cauliflower 65

Ingredients:
250 gms cauliflower floretes
1.5 tbsp plain all purpose flour
1.5 tbsp besan
1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
2 pinches of china salt ( ajinomoto)
salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Pinch of red color
For seasoning:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion chopped
3 green chillies
Few curry leaves

Instructions:
1. Take the florettes in a bowl and add hot water mixed with 1 tsp salt for 30 mins.
2. Prepare batter by mixing besan flour, all purpose flour, salt, ginger garlic paste, chili powder, china salt, red color and make a fine batter with required quantity of water.
3. Add the floretes to this mixture.
4. Deep fry the florettes in oil.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in another pan. Season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chopped green chilies, onions and fry for a minute.
6. Now add the fried cauliflower pieces to the seasoning mixture and mix well.

Serve hot.

Cauliflower Chilli Fry

Ingredients:
1 cup diced cauliflower
3 tsp curd
2 green chillies
4-5 curry leaves

For the batter
2 tbsp Rice flour
red chilli powder to season
salt to taste
water
oil to deep fry

Method:
Mix all ingredients to make a thick batter or paste. To this add the cauliflower and deep fry. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and lightly saute the curry leaves. Add green chillies and curd.

Finally add the cauliflower, mix well and serve.

Puli Inji

Ingredients
2" piece of ginger
2 large balls of tamarind
12 cloves of garlic
3 red chillies
3 green chillies
1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds, roasted finely
1 tsp mustard seeds, for seasoning
1 tsp cumin seeds
A small piece of jaggery
Salt to taste

Method
Roast the cumin seeds lightly and powder to a fine paste with the red chillies and half the fenugreek and garlic.
Chop the ginger, green chillies and remaining garlic.
Soak the tamarind in some hot water and extract the juice.
Put in the chopped ingredients and continue boiling.
In a pan, heat 3 tsp oil and add the mustard seeds and the remaining fenugreek seeds.
When the mustard crackles, add the ground masala and fry till the masala turns color.
Put in the chopped ingredients, jaggery, salt to taste and tamarind juice.
Bring to a boil and boil till the juice is thick.
Bottle when cool.
Should keep for about a week.

Erissery

Ingredients:
green bananas or plantains, cubed
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp urad dal
½ cup coconut, grated (may substitute with desiccated coconut)
1 tbsp coconut for garnishing
¼ tsp black pepper
a few curry leaves
salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:
Soak the cut plantains in warm water mixed with ½ a tsp of turmeric for 10 minutes.
Drain and cook the plantains with the remaining turmeric and salt.
Grind the coconut well with cumin and add to the cooked plantains.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and pop the mustard seeds.
Add the urad dal and the coconut reserved for garnish and stir till brown.
Add this mixture to the Erissery and mix in the curry leaves

Theeyal

Ingredients:

1 Cup Baby onions
5 Curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 tablespoons Tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 Pinch Asafoetida
1/2 cup Grated coconut
7 Red chillies
1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds
7 Black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
3 tablespoons Oil
Salt

Method:

* Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a small pan and saute coconut till it is light brown.
* Add 5 red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and fry till it emits an aroma.
* Add the turmeric powder. Stir-fry for 2-3 seconds.
* Keep aside to cool. Grind into a coarse powder.
* Heat 2 tbsp. oil and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and remaining red chillies.
* When the seeds start spluttering, add asafoetida and onions.
* Saute for 5 minutes on a medium flame.
* Add the ground masala powder and cook for a few seconds.
* Add water, tamarind extract, salt and sugar and bring to a boil.
* Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Mullu Murukku

Ingredients
Rice flour - 4 cup
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Butter - 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 3 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Oil as needed for frying

Method

1. Dry roast both the chana dal and small gram dal together and powder it.
2. Take one cup of this powder (you will get approx. 2 cups) and mix with the rice flour.
3. Add a little water and all other ingredients and make a smooth thick dough.
4. Take a small portion of the batter and press it through the Murukku mould in circles into a paper towel.
5. Carefully move it from the towel to your palm and very carefully drop it in the hot oil and deep fry.
6. Drain and store in an airtight container.

Onion Murukku

Ingredients:
raw rice - 3 1/2 cups
tuvar dal - 1 cup
small onions (peeled) - 1/4 cup
salt - 2 tsp
chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
hot oil - 2 ladles
oil - for deep frying

Method:
1. Powder rice and dal together in a mill.
2. Sieve it and mix with salt, red chilli powder.
3. Grind onions to smooth paste and mix with flour.
4. Pour measured hot oil and blend well.
5. Divide the flour equally into 10 parts.
6. Mix water to each portion separately just before frying to form a thick dough.
7. Using a three star disc in murukku maker, squeeze directly in hot oil to form a big murukku.
8. When crisp remove and drain excess oil in a colander.
9. Crumble when it cools and store in air-tight container.

Garlic Murukku

Ingredients:
bengal gram flour - 3 cups
rice flour - 1 1/2 cups
hot oil - 1 1/2 big ladle
oil for deep frying

Grind to smooth paste
Garlic - 2 flakes
red chillies - 6
green chillies - 5
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
salt - 1 1/2 tsp

Method
1. Sieve both kinds of flour togethere, add ground paste and mix well.
2. Pour hot oil and blend well with the flour.
3. Divide the flour equally into 6 portions.
4. Sprinkle water to each portion separately to form a thick dough just before frying.
5. Prepare small murukkus using 3 eyed disc in a murukku maker on top of a polythene sheet.
6. Deep fry few at a time in hot oil till crisp.
7. Store in air-tight containers.

Pappadam

Ingredients:

Urud dal - 1/4 kgs
Salt - As required.
pappad soda - a pinch.
pirandai - As reuired.

Method:

1. Soak urud dal for 1 hour and grind it to a fine, thick paste.
2. Grind pirandai and salt together.
3. But add pappad soda with pirandai and salt.
4. Make two small pappads. Then place one pappad over another and roll again into big pappad.

Onion Vadam

Ingredients :

Rice flour - 2 cups.
Green chillies - 4.
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp.
Salt - 1/2 tsp.
lemon - 1
Onions - 2 cups.

Method :

1. Heat some water and when it boils add rice flour and heat for 2-3 minutes with constant stirring.
2. Grind green hot chillies, lemon juice , asafoetida and salt.Add this to cooked rice flour and knead well.
3. Add equal amount of chopped onions and mix well.
4. Make this into small uniform balls and place them on a large sheet of plastic paper.
5. Dry this in the sun or place it in the oven so that they become crisp and then store in a tight container.
6. Fry the vadam in oil for serving.

Thali Vadam

Ingredients :

Par boiled rice - 200g.
Salt - 1/2 tsp.
Sesame or cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

Method :

1. Soak the par boiled rice for 3 - 4 hours and grind it to a thin smooth paste.
2. Keep it overnight to get sour. Add salt and cumin seeds. Add water to make the batter into a thin consistency.
3. Then make into flat shapes and place it in thali vadam stand inside a large vessel or idli cooker. After it is cooked remove.
4. Repeat this until all the flour is over. Then dry the cooked vadams in hot sun until they turn crisp.

Ulundhu Vadam

Ingredients:

Urud dal - as required.
chopped onions or chopped pumpkins - 1 cup.
Salt - as required.

Method:

1. Soak urud dal for 1 hour and grind it to a fine, thick paste. Add salt.
2. Add chopped onions or chopped pumpkins.Spread a large sheet of plastic paper on a sunny place and place small balls of this mix until the flour is over.
3. Dry for 2 - 3 days depending on the heat, until they become crisp. Store in air tight containers.

Rice Appalam

Ingredients :

Rice - 2 cups
Sago - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 8
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - As required
Ghee - 3 tbsp

Method :

1. Grind rice and sago into a very nice powder. Grind 8 green chillies, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp asafoetida. Add 2 cups of water to the ground paste and bring it to boil.
2. Add the ground rice flour to this and cook for 1 minute. Stir well.
3. Add 3 tsp ghee and knead the flour well so that the flour becomes very soft. Make even sized balls with this flour.
4. Grease the hand with ghee and knead the ball well until it becomes very soft. Then roll it with a roller as in poori to form a thin round shape.
5. Dip the top side of the shape in dry flour everytime you roll the flour.This will help to get the round shape easily.
6. Repeat this procedure for all the balls until all the balls are over. Spread these on a sheet of paper and dry it in the sun or under the fan.

Pushnikai Vadam

Ingredients:
2 cups blackgram dal
6-8 green chillies (or to taste)
small piece of asafoetida
salt to taste
1/4kg ash gourd
little coriander leaves (optional)
1-2 sprigs curry leaves

Method:
1. Wash and soak dal for half an hour, strain all the water.
2. Add chillies, salt and asafoetida to dal and grind to a very smooth paste. Avoid adding excess water while grinding.
3. Peel the ash gourd, remove seeds and the centre portion. Grate the gourd or mince into very fine pieces.
4. To ground batter add ash gourd pieces, add curry and coriander leaves, mix thoroughly.
5. Spread a clean sheet in the sun and using a teaspoon, keep spoonful of batter on cloth leaving space between two spoonfuls.
6. Allow one side to sun dry before removing from cloth. Gently peel the vadam, reverse them, so that the other side also gets dried properly before storing.

Fry and serve

Prawn Kabab

Ingredients
12 Prawns big size
3 Tsp Ginger paste
3 Tsp Garlic paste
2 Tsp Lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 cup Curd
1 cup Cream
3 Tsp Gram Flour
1 Tsp white Pepper
1 Tsp Ajwain (caraway)
1 Tsp Clove Powder

Marination:
Shell & clean the prawns in the water and shed it for ten minutes.
Blend the curd & cream properly then add 3 Tsp GramFlour, 1 Tsp whitePepper, 1 Tsp clove Powder & mix it again.

Method
Mix the dried Prawns in this marination and add salt to taste. Mix the marination and put it in the Silver Foil fully covered & Freeze it for Two hours.
Insert the Prawns one by one in the oven stick and tandoor it for 20 minutes until it is golden brown.
Put butter over the Prawns and Oven it for 2 minutes at 180 degrees.

Brinjal Prawn Curry

Ingredients
1/2 lb Prawn medium side
1/4 lb Brinjal cut into 1 by 2 inch slice
1/4 lb tomato chopped
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp mustard
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp cumin, 2 tbsp mustard, 3 green chilli, coriander leaves, 4 cloves of garlic and a quarter inch of ginger grind all these ingredient into a paste with 2 tb of water
Salt to taste
5 tbsp of oil
1/2 cup of water

Method
First clean the prawn.
Take 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, and fry the brinjal until golden brown. Keep the fried
brinjal aside.
Then take 2tbsp of oil and fry the prawn in low heat until golden brown.
Keep the prawn fried aside and take 1 tb of oil and and when oil start to heat add the 1/2 tbsp of cumin and 1/2 tbsp of mustard.
Then add the chopped tomato and then stare for couple of second and let it cook for 2 to 5 minute and then add the fried prawn first and stir well and then add the brinjal and add the paste and turmeric and salt to taste and let it cook for 5 minute and add 1/2 cup of water.
And keep your pan in high heat upto boiling point then reduce the heat and keep it in low to medium heat for 5 minute. And your curry is ready serve hot with rice.

Prawn Salad

Ingredients:
Prawns - 1 cup
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt as required
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Thin coconut milk - 1 cup
Green chilies - 4 to 5
Onion - 1



Method:
1. Marinate prawns with turmeric powder and salt for half an hour
2. In the meantime prepare the thick and thin coconut milk.
3. Cut green chilies in to round small pieces. Fry the prawns in oil till it turns pink in color and remove from the pan
4. In the same pan, fry onion and green chilies nicely. Add prawns and fry nicely.
5. Add thin coconut milk and allow it to boil for 5 minutes or until the prawns are thoroughly cooked.
6. Finally add the thick coconut milk and allow it to boil for 2 minutes.
7. Garnish with spring onions and coriander leaves. Serve with rice, appam and chapathi.

Fish Pickle

Ingredients
1/2 kg fish
3/4 cup oil
2 tbsp vinegar
2 small onions
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 garlic flakes
1/2 tsp asafoetida
salt to taste

Make a paste with 1/2 cup boiled water:
3 tbsp chilli powder
1/2" ginger
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cummin seeds

Method:

Cut the fish into 1" pieces
Marinate with salt and turmeric powder
Dry the pieces in the sun
Heat 1/2 oil in the pan
Fry the fish pieces till soft
Drain and keep aside
Fry the onion pieces in the same oil till brownish
Drain and mix wityh fish pieces
Heat the remaining oil in the pan
Add mustard seeds, garlic flakes, turmeric powder and asafoetida
Saute for 2 minutes
Add the grounded paste and simmer for 5 minutes on slow flame
Add 1 cup hot water
Remove the pan after 5 minutes
Add fish and onion mixture
In a separate pan put vinegar with salt
Put it on gas and let it boil
Remove from fire and let it cool
Pour over fish pickle
Store in sterlised jar

Meat Pickle

Ingredients
1 kg meat pieces (approx 1")
1 cup vinegar
2-1/2 cups mustard oil
1 tbsp fenugreek seed powder
5 tbsp red chilli powder
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp cummin seed powder
2 tbsp mustard seed powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
3 tsp salt

Method:
Heat oil in a pan
Fry meat pieces till golden brown
Drain and keep aside
Put in the same oil all the spices one by one and fry for 5 minutes
Add the meat pieces again and simmer for 10 minutes
Remove the pan from the fire
Let it cool
Put the pickle in the sterlised jar
Add vinegar to it and mix it lightly
Cover the lid and store in a cool place
Consume meat pickle after a day of preparing

Hot Chicken Pickle

Ingredients:
500 gms chicken flesh
100 gms white vinegar
20 red chillies
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
100 gms tamarind extract
a small pinch of sodium benzonate (preservative)
1 tsp powdered asafoetida
250 gms gingelly oil
3 pods of garlic
salt to taste

Method:
1. Roast and powder the chillies, fenugreek and mustard.
2. Separately fry the garlic into a light golden colour.
3. Cut the chicken into small, even pieces and wash.
4. Drain and saute the chicken till the moisture evaporates.
5. Heat oil in a pan.
6. Add the chicken pieces and fry till they turn soft.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Add the fried garlic.
9. Add all the ingredients, except vinegar and simmer till the oil floats on top.
10. Add vinegar and keep on slow fire for five more minutes.
11. Remove and cool.
12. Fill the pickle in a sterilised jar.
13. Sprinkle preservative and seal the jar with a clean muslin.

Prawn Pakoda

Ingredients
Prawns - 500 gm
Oil for frying

For prewash:-
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt and pepper - 1/2 tsp

For batter mix:-
Besan(Kadalapodi) - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida(Kaayam) - A pinch
Chilly powder - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
Rice powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - As reqd
Pepper - 1 tsp
Water - just eough to make a thick batter

Preparation Method
1)Nicely wash the prawns and devein it.

2)Add the prewash ingredients to the prawns and let it soak for 5 mins.

3)Rinse it again so that the prawns are clean and free of any odor. Let it drain any water.

4)Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for batter and make it into a nice smooth thick batter like pakoda.

5)By the time, oil should be heated well in a pan.

6)Slice the prawn into half, dip it in the batter and fry until golden brown(3-5 mins).

Fried Prawns

Ingredients
250 gm prawns-cleaned
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
a plastic bag with 2 tbsp flour, L tsp salt and dash of black pepper
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1 egg
powdered bread crumbs to coat
oil for deep frying

Method:
Marinate the prawns in 1 tsp salt and a tbsp of lemon and leave for about 15 minutes and then wash.

Wipe prawns dry and put them into the bag. Shake to coat prawns well with flour.

Remove from bag and dust off the excess flour.

Dip prawns in egg mixture and then coat with crumbs.

Heat the oil and drop prawns in one at a time -- as many as come in comfortably without touching each other. Turn over and lower heat and let fry to a golden brown. Transfer on to an absorbent paper. Increase the heat a few seconds before adding the new lot.

Serve with Tartare Sauce or Chilli Sauce.

Prawn Masala

Ingredients:
250gms prawns
250gms tomatoes
120gms onions
6 green chillies
3 red chillies
2 cloves of garlic
handful of coriander leaves
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp fennel powder (sombu)
1 tsp turmeric powder
a little oil
salt to taste
300 ml water

Method:
1. Clean and wash the prawns.
2. Slice the onions.
3. Chop the tomatoes.
4. Grind green chillies, red chillies, garlic and the coriander leaves into a fine paste.
5. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, salt and the ground paste to the prawns.
6. Add a little water and mix well.
7. Place a pan on fire. Heat oil.
8. Put the onions and brown it. Then add the tomatoes and mash well.
9. Add the prawns and saute well.
10. Then add 300 ml. water and cover with a lid.
11. Cook in low fire.
12. When it is cooked add the sugar and mix well and remove from fire.
13. Serve with chappathi.

Ada Pradhaman

Ingredients

ada - 200 gms

jaggery - 750 gms

ghee - 200 gms

cardamom - 50 gms

coconut - 3

raisins - 10

cashew nuts - 10
Method
Melt Jaggery and keep aside.
Boil water and keep the ada in it till it is cooked soft.
Strain after 10 minutes and keep aside.
Mix the melted jaggery with the cooked ada and stir for ten minutes in low fire.
Take two extracts of the coconut milk and add the second extract to the above mixture.
Boil this until it becomes thick.
Take it off the fire and add the first extract of milk.
Fry the cashew and raisins and ghee and garnish the payasam.

Moru Kalan

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed vegetables chopped finely

4 green chillies slit vertically

4 garlic flakes, crushed

3 stalks curry leaves

1 onion chopped finely

2-3 dried red chillies, whole

1 fresh coconut scraped

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

4 cups fresh buttermilk

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

salt to taste
Method:

1. Grind coconut, cumin, garlic together to a smooth paste, keep aside.
2. Mix chopped mixed veggies, turmeric, 1 stalk curry leaves, green chillies.
3. Add 1 1/2 tbps water, cook in a deep vessels, till vegetables are soft.
4. Add ground paste, after cooling the vegetables a little.
5. Add buttermilk, warm again, stirring gently continuously.
6. Do not bring to boil, or mixture will curdle.
7. Take off fire, pour into serving dish.
8. Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard, fenugreek seeds, curryleaves.
9. Allow to splutter, add broken red chillies, onions.
10. Stirfry for a minute, pour over kalan to season.
11. Serve as is, with rice, appams, and papadams

Payar Thoran

Ingredients

Payar (long beans) 2 cups chopped fine

Salt - as per taste

Turmeric - ¼ tsp

Green Chilly - 3-4

Garlic - 3-4 cloves

Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Coconut - 1/2 cup shredded
Method
Chop long beans very fine.
Mince garlic and green chilly together.
Shred coconut and mix with minced garlic, green chilly and turmeric.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
When mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
Add long beans to pan along with 1 cup of water and cook on medium heat.
When almost done, add salt, and coconut-mix and mix well and cook till beans is done and water is fully evaporated.

Mutton Kadai

Ingredients:
500 gm mutton pieces-washed and wiped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1cup onion paste
1/2 cup oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2-3 bay leaves
2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp powdered turmeric
2 tbsp powdered coriander seeds
1/2 tsp powdered red pepper
3 cups (500 gm) finely chopped tomatoes

Method:
Heat oil and add the cumin and bay leaf. When seeds splutter, add the ginger, garlic and onion and saute over high heat till light brown.
Add garam masala, salt, turmeric, coriander powder and red pepper.
Keeping heat high, add meat and turn around till slightly opaque.
Lower heat and let the meat cook, covered, stirring occasionally, till the water dries up and fat separates.
Add tomatoes and let it simmer, till fat separates. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Srilankan Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients
Section A:
mutton pieces - 500gm
vinegar - 1 tbsp
salt - 1 tsp
coriander seeds - 2 tsp
cumin seeds - 2 tsp
black pepper corns - 1 tsp
curry leaves - few
cardamoms - 6
cloves - 4

Section B:
coconut - 1, large

basmati rice - 4 cups
salt - 2 tsp or to taste
rampe leaves - 2 pieces

Section C:
ghee - ½ cup
cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
raisins - 2 tbsp
rampe leaves - 2 pieces
curry leaves - few
onion - 1 cup, sliced
butter - 1 tbsp
cardamom, cloves, cinnamon - 6 each, powdered together
hard boiled eggs - 4
potato wafers - 1 cup

Method
Mix the mutton pieces with vinegar and salt. Roast rest of the ingredients in section A and grind together to a fine powder.
Add to the mutton and set aside.
Grate the coconut and extract 1 cup thick milk and 2 cups of thin milk.
Wash the rice, drain well. Add the thin milk and 5 cups of water.
Add rampe leaves ( in section B ) and salt to taste.
Cook till all the liquid is absorbed. Spread on a wide tray and allow to cool.
Heat ghee (section C) fry cashew nuts and raisins, drain and reserve.
Add rampe, curry leaves and onion to the remaining ghee in the pan.
Fry till onion is golden brown. Add the mutton mixture, fry for 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup of water and simmer till the mutton is cooked and almost dry.
Add the cooked rice to the mutton in the pan. Pour the thick coconut milk on top.
Sprinkle with the powdered spices. Mix gently.
Dot with butter and leave covered on a low flame for 8-10 minutes till the coconut milk is absorbed.
Alternately, place the mutton and rice mixture in a oven proof dish , cover with aluminum foil and bake in a hot oven (200 C) for 20 minutes
Transfer the biryani to a serving dish and serve garnished with fried cashew nuts, raisins, hard boiled egg halves and potato wafers.

Mutton Korma

Ingredients:
½ kg Boneless mutton.
½ tbsp Jeera.
Onions.(Finely chopped 1 cup)
Poppy seed paste. (½ cup)
Coconut paste. (½ cup)
1 tbsp Ginger paste.
1 tbsp Garlic paste.
Coriander powder 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder ½ tsp.
Red chili powder ½ tsp.
Bay leaves 2 nos.
Cloves 6-8 nos.
Green elaichi 6-8 nos.
Cinnamon sticks A few.
Nutmeg powder A little.
Oil 4 tbsp.
Salt to taste.

Method:
Roast (dry) the cloves, elaichi, nutmeg powder, jeera and cinnamon sticks and then grind to a fine paste.
Heat some oil in a saucepan, add bay leaves and chopped onions and saute. When the onion
browns add the ginger and garlic paste.
Put in the boneless mutton and stir, mix in the ground masala, turmeric and red chili powder.
Pour some water, sprinkle salt to taste and boil till the mutton is tender.
Finally add in the poppy seeds paste along with the coconut paste and roasted coriander powder.
Boil for another 10 minutes.
Serve hot, garnished with coconut paste.

Mutton Sandwich

Ingredients
8 bread slices
Butter for applying on slices
1/4 kg boneless mutton,boiled
1/2 cup cheese, grated
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter (for sauting)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
Method:
Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan
Add onion, and fry till transparent
Add ginger-galic and saute for 2 min.
Add mutton, salt and pepper
Fry till light brown
Remove from fire and let it cool
Slice the mutton into thin strips
Apply butter on bread slices Between two slices of bread:
Arrange mutton pieces
Spread fried onion
Sprinkle cheese
Cut the sandwich into two trinagular sandwiches each
Serve with tomato ketchup

Egg Sandwich

Ingredients
3 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cooked meat pieces (approx 1/4")
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
salt as per taste
1/4 cup chopped capsicum
2 green chillies, chopped finely
1/4 cup grated cheese
1 onion, sliced thinly
4 bread rolls
butter
Method
Mix cheese and mayonnaise well. Chop coarsely the eggs.
Mix it with meat pieces, pepper powder and salt. Add capsicum, chilli and coriander leaves.
Add cheese-mayonnaise mixture. Mix it well.
Halve the rolls and butter both the sides. Top 4 halves with egg mixture.
Layer it with onion slices. Cover with remaining halves.
Bake it at 400o F for 10-15 mins. (till cheese melts)
Serve with raw vegetable slices / lettuce leaves.

Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients
8 slices bread (white or brown)
1 cup cooked chicken (small pieces)
1 onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup corriander leaves
3 green chillies, chopped finely
Salt as per taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
Butter as required
Method:
Butter the breads
Mix all the ingredients except bread and butter well
Spread the mixture evenly on top of one bread slice
Cover it with one bread slice
Repeat the same with all breads (it will make 4 sandiwches)
Toast the sandwiches in the toaster till golden brown
Serve hot with lettuece and carrot slices

Parrupu Thuvayal

Ingredients:

Toor dal- 1/2 cup
coconut- 2 tbsps
red chilli- 1
peppercorns- 3
garlic pods- 2
curry leaves- 3 or 4
salt- according to taste

Procedure:
Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and roast the dal, coconut, red chilli, pepper, curry leaves and garlic. Do this until the dal turns golden brown. Don't burn the dal. Switch off the gas and transfer to a plate and allow it to cool. When it has cooled down grind it with salt to a coarse- smooth paste using very little water. Serve it with steaming hot rice, sesame oil and papad.

Kovakkai Kadalai Curry

Ingredients:
Kovakkai/Tindora- 20 (cut lengthwise) (half steamed)
Kadalaikkai/Boiled peanuts- 1 cup
Onion- 1 (finely chopped)
cashewnut paste- 3 tbsp
elachi-2
cloves- 2
cinnamon- 1" piece
chilli powder- 1 tsp (original recipe called for 2 tsp. But 1 was ok for me) turmeric- 1/4 tsp
curry leaves- 1 twig (finely chopped) salt- as required
Garam masala- 1/2 தசப்
Procedure:
Heat pan until it's very hot. Then add the spices and saute them .Remember .....NO OIL. The cardamom will plump up a bit due to heat. Now add onions and some salt. Saute until it is light brown in color. You have to keep on sauteing every now and then as it does not have any oil and it might stick to the pan after a while.Now add curry leaves,ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Saute for a min. Then add chilli powder and saute for 2 more mins. Now add 1/2 a cup of water and mix well. Close and cook for 5 mins. After that the gravy will be a little thick. Now add kovakkai , peanuts and salt. Add nother cup of water and boil for 5 more minutes. Finally add garam masala and cashew paste. Mix well and boil to desired consistency.

This gravy goes very good with white rice, dosa and rotis

Kothavarangai parrupu usili

Ingredients:

Gawar beans- 2 cups

onion- 1/2 (finely chopped)

channa dal -3/4 th cup

green chillies- 8

red chillies- 2 (broken)

ginger- 1 " piece

turmeric- 1/2 tsp

curry leaves- few

salt- as reqd

sugar- 2 pinchesப்ப்
Procedure:

Trim the ends of gawar beans and cut it into little pieces. Usually, cut mine 1/2 " pieces.
. But I felt it small cut ones are much better. Steam cook this in rice cooker with some salt and sugar.

Soak channa dal in 2 cups water for one or two hours. Drain and grind into coarse paste with salt, green chillies and ginger.

Heat oil in pan. Fry mustard seeds, urad dal and jeera seeds. Then add onions, red chillies, turmeric and curry leaves. After a few mins add the ground channa dal mixture and saute for 15 mins. Now add the steamed vegetable and mix well. check for salt. Serve with plain rice and puli kuzhambu.

Beef Roast

Ingredients:
Beef 1 kg (boneless rump pc)
Cloves 6-8 nos
Cinnamon 2" pc
Dry Chillies 8-12 nos
Pepper corns ½ level
Tbspn Garlic Pods 8-12 nos slightly crushed
Curry Leaves Oil - 4-6 tbspns
For marinating the Meat Ginger / Garlic paste 1 ½ tbspn
Lime Juice or Vinegar 2-3 tbspns
Turmeric pwd 1 level tspn
]Salt to taste For GarnishFried Onions - 3 big onions
Finely cut in circles and fried brown and crisp Fried Potato Wedges - 4-6 big - Potatoes par boiled, peeled and each potato cut in 4 lengthwise and fried to a golden brown and crisp.
Method:
Wash the Chunk of meat nicely- drain - then prick nicely with a fork all over marinate with the ingredients given under marination for atleast 2-3 hrs or over night in the fridge.Next day, take the Pressure Pan add oil when hot add the whole spices (Cloves, cinnamon, dry chillies, Pepper corns, Garlic pod, Curry leaves) & fry on Med.Heat till the cloves, peppercorns pop up & the garlic is brown - now put the marinated meat chunk & fry turning it all over to seal the juices, fry to a light brown on all sides.Add ½ cup of water along with the marination juices cover the cooker, put the stopper & leave to cook after the first whistle lower flame to min. & leave to cook for 20 mins. when done put off gas & leave the cooker to cool down on it's own.Open the lid & put back on the gas & continue cooking till all the soup has been absorbed by the meat - remove from heat & let the meat cool down a little - cut into thin slices & keep.In the same pressure cooker pan add a little more oil - to the whole spices still in the cooker - when hot fry the meat slices on med.
Heat to a light brown - (don't fry it too much then it will become hard) & remove. Arrange the meat slices in the center of a platter, & decorate the sides with fried Potato wedges & fried onions.Serve with Tomato Ketchup.
If you want to make a sauce to pour over the roast slices then when you remove the chunk of meat for slicing - strain the soup - & keep aside.Discard the spices.
Put the pressure cooker pan back on to the gas on medium heat add 2-3 tbspns of butter when the butter has melted add 2 tbspns of maida flour & fry till the flour turns a golden brown now add the soup + ¼ - ½ cup of water & keep on stirring - remove any lumps if any - continue stirring for 2 mins on low flame or till the sauce thickens - remove & serve over sliced roasted beef along with your fried Potatoes, Onions & Ketchup.
If the sauce becomes too thick add ¼ cup water & stir till the thickness is achieve

Beef Stew

Ingredients:
1 lb. russet potatoes - peeled and cut into 4 to 5 pieces each
1/3 lb. beef - thinly sliced
2/3 lb. yellow onions - sliced (about 1/3 inch wide)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
400 cc water (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons or more soy sauce (to taste)
3 tablespoons or more brown sugar (to taste)
2 tablespoons sake or white wine,
Direction:
Prepare vegetables as described above. Heat a deep pan and add oil and beef. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add onion and potato. Continue sautéing for 3 minutes. Add water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sake or wine. Bring to a simmer half covered. Skim off any foam and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are done.

Fried Meat Balls

Ingredients :
½ kg mince meat
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp haldi powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 cup fried channa
2 bunches coriander leaves
¼ coconut
Salt to taste
Oil for பிர்யிங்
Method :
1. Grind the red chilli powder, haldi powder, coriander leaves, coriander powder, garam masala, coconut and the fried channa in a mixer to make a fine paste.
2. To this mixture add the meat and mix it well.
3. On medium heat, add the meatballs in a non stick pan with some water.
4. Coook till all the water dries up.
5. Fry the meat balls in oil on medium heat till it turns golden brown.Ready to serve hot.

Curry Leaves Chutney

Ingredients
curry leaves - 1 bunch
onion - 2 medium size
tomato - 1 large size
red chillies - 2 or 3
tamarind - a small piece
oil - 2 tea spoon
mustard seeds - half teaspoon
urid dal - half teaspoon
bengal gram - half teaspoon
salt as per taste
Method
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds, wait until it splutters then add urid dal & bengal gram.
Add the chopped onions & green chillies, saut until golden brown.
Add the tomatoes and tamarind and continue to stir.
Now add the curry leaves and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes.
Leave it to cool & then grind.
Serve with idli, dosa or hot steaming rice.

Chilli Chutney

Ingredients:
20 red chillies
50 ml lemon juice
2" piece peeled ginger
1 tbsp peeled garlic cloves
3 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
Method:
Grind all ingredients to a paste.
Season and serve at room temperature

Brinjal Chutney

Ingredients
1 big brinjal
a big ball of tamarind
2 tsp grated jaggery or sugar
a pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsp chopped coriander leavesFor the seasoning
2 tsp oil
1 tsp urad dal (black gram dal)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
4 red chillies
4 green chillies
salt to தச்டே
Method
1. Smear the brinjal with oil and roast over a direct flame till cooked.
2. Remove the skin and mash the brinjal.
3. Heat oil and fry ingredients for the seasoning.
4. Grind the tamarind, grated jaggery, turmeric and the fried ingredients with the mashed brinjal and the chopped coriander leaves thoroughly.
5. Serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Tomato and Coconut Kurma

Ingredients:
1 kg tomatoes
500 gm potatoes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 green chillies, slit
1 small piece ginger, chopped
handful of chopped coriander
1 cup shelled peas (optional)
1 large coconut, grated
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 cloves
1/2 tsp cumin sees
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cardamoms
3 tbsl ghee
salt to taste
Method:
1. Boil the potatoes and peas. Cut the potatoes into thick pieces, tomatoes into fours and set aside.
2. Add one cup of boiling water to the grated coconut and take out thick milk by squeezing the gratings and straining the resultant mixture. Set aside. Add some more water and extract as much thin milk as you can. Strain. Keep the 'milks' separate.
3. Heat the ghee, and add the whole spices, mustard and cumin seeds, then the slit chillies, ginger and onions. Fry till the onions turn light brown in colour. Do not allow to brown too much.
4. Add the tomatoes and fry until they turn soft. Add the potato pieces and fry for some time. Now add the turmeric powder.
5. Add the thin milk, salt and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the gravy is thick. Then add the thick milk, peas, some of the chopped coriander, and cook for a minute or two. Remove from fire.
6. Serve garnished with the rest of the chopped coriander.

Red Kurma

Ingredients:
Onions - 2 large
Tomatoes - 3
Carrots - 4 (medium)
Beetroot - 1
Fresh peas shelled - 1/4 cup
Potatoes - 2
Red Cabbage - 1/2
Oil - 2 tbl sps
Coriander, Curry Leaves - to garnish
Thick Coconut Extract - 1/2 cupGrind together:
Grated fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
Poppy seeds - 1 tbl sp
Cashewnuts - 10
Roasted gram - 1 1/2 tbl sp
Green chillies - 3
Red chillies - 6
Dhania - 1 tbl sp
Salt - as required
Method:
1. Peel and chop onions finely. Cut all the vegetables into fine pieces.
2. Pour just enough water to cook the vegetables (except tomatoes) and pressure cook till one whistle.
3. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry onions till golden brown.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and stir till it turns pulpy.
5. Mix ground paste with this and stir for few minutes.
6. Strain water from cooked vegetables (use it for soup or for grinding the masala)
7. Add the vegetables to the fried paste and stir for few minutes.
8. Pour coconut extract and cook till boiling point. Remove from fire.
9. Garnish with coriander and curry leaves. Serve hot with idlies or pulkas.

Kurma for Idiyappam

Ingredients for Idiyappam
Big onions - 3
Tomatoes - 4
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Dhania powder - 1 1/2 tsps
Diced mixed vegetables - 3 cups (carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes etc...)
Cooked green peas - 1/4 cup (fresh or dry)

Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Fresh thick curds - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2
Salt - as required
Oil - 3 tbl sps
Cardamom, Cinnamom, Cloves - fewGrind together:
Grated fresh coconut - 3 tbl sps
Cashewnuts - 10
Poppy seeds- 2 tsps
Method:
1. Slice chillies lengthwise, cut onions and tomatoes finely.
2. Steam cook all the vegetables.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan.
4. Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, green chillies and then onions.
5. Fry till golden and then add chopped tomatoes.
6. Stir till it becomes puply. Add dhania powder and fry for a minute.
7. Add ground paste, cooked vegetables, salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder.
8. Cook till it becomes thick.
9. Add whipped curds at the end.
10. Boil for a minute and remove from fire. Mix 1/2 cup milk with this.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with idiyappam.

Naranga Curry

Ingredients
One ripe lemon deseeded and chopped into small pieces - 200 gm
Finely Chopped Green Chillies - 25 gm
Red Chilli Powder - 50 gm
Asafoetida - half a teaspoon
Fenugreek Powder - half a teaspoon
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil - one tablespoon
Mustard Seeds - one teaspoon
Red Chillies - three (chopped into three pieces each)
Curry Leaves - two sprigs
Method
Mix the chopped lemon, green chillies, red chilli powder, asafoetida, fenugreek powder and salt, well with your hands and keep aside for an hour.Heat the coconut oil and add the mustard seeds.When they splutter, add the red chillies and the curry leaves and add them to the lemon mix.If you feel that the pickle is too dry, then add a little water at room temperature.Do not cook the lemon.Choose one that is not too bitter.

Coconut Milk Rasam

Ingredients
Coconut - 1/2
Tomatoes - 3
Curry Leaves - 10
Coriander - as desired
Red Chilies - 2
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric
Salt - to taste
Red Chili Powder - pinchCumin Powder - 1/4 tspMethi Powder - pinch (or) rasam பவுடர்

Method
Take chopped coconut with one glass of water and grind then separate milk and keep aside.
In a pan take cut tomatoes, coconut milk, coriander, powders or rasam powder, turmeric, salt, chili powder and boil on medium for 10 minutes.
In a separate pan take oil, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves and let it to splutter and then add to boiled rasam.
Serve with rice.

Sweet Chutney

Ingredients
2 cups Pineapple Pieces (approx 1/2")
1/2 cup Water
Salt as per taste
3 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp Mustard
1 Red Chilli
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
3/4 cup Grated CoconutFor Seasoning:
2 tsp Oil
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
2 Green Chillies, slit
1/4 tsp Urad Dal4-5 Curry Leaves
MethodGrind together mustard, chilli and cumin seeds.
Grind coconut into fine paste.
Mix coconut and chilli paste.
Boil pineapple pieces in water with turmeric and salt.
Cook till the pieces are tender.
Add sugar and stir well.
Cook till required consistency (like a syrup).
Add coconut mixture.
Remove from fire.
Heat oil.
Add urad dal and then mustard seeds.
After seeds splutter add green chillies and curry leaves.
Put the seasoning in the pineapple mixture.
Put on gas, and cook for 1-2 mins.
Remove from fire and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Vadai Curry

Ingredients :

Bengal gram dhal - 1 cup
Onions - 2 (cut finely)

For the gravy
Onions - 4 (cut into thin long pieces)
Garlic - 2
Tomatoes - 1/4 kg (Blanch in hot water, remove the skin and make it into a paste).

Grind together :
Onion - 1
Ginger - 1 " piece
Garlic - 4 flakes
Red chilles - 5
Green chilles - 5
Ani seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cardamoms - 3
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1 " piece
Roased bengal gram dhal - 1 tbsp
Dhania - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp

For making Vadai :
1. Saok dhal for 2 hours.
2. Drain the water. Grind it coarsely with enough salt. Mix finely cut onions.
3. Heat oil in a pan, prepare small balls from the gound paste and deep fry. Keep aside. (Do not fry till deep brown. remove when it turns golden).

Method :
1. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry garlic and then onions.
2. When it turns into gloden brown in colour, add the ground mixture, fry till oil separates.
3. Mix tomato paste and fry well. Pour 3 cups of water with turmeric powder, sugar and salt.
4. When it starts boiling add the fried badas in it and let it boil for a few minutes. (if the water is not enough add little more, otherwise the koftas will absorb the water and the gravy will become very thick).
5. Remove from fire and garnish with cut coriander leaves. Serve with appam doasai or idlis.

Curd Kurma

Ingredients :
Potatoes - 1/4 kg
Fresh butter beans or broad beans - 1/4 kg (seeds)
Onions - 3
Fresh curd - 1 1/2 cups
Salt - ta taste
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Grind together :
Coconut - 1/2
cashew nuts - 10
Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 7
Method :
1. Cut onions into long thin pieces.
2. Dice potaties into one inch square pieces and cook in pressure cooker along with butter beans using just ehough water to cover it.
3. Do not over cook. (if you are cooking in pressure cooker just cook till one whistle). Drain the water completely after cooking the vegetables. (use it for rasam or soup).
4. Grind the other ingredients with enough water.
5. Heat ghee and fry the onions till translucent.
6. Add the ground masala, cooked vegetables (without water) and whipped curd to it.
7. Add salt and boil it in a low flame.
8. Add garam masala powder just before removing from fire. Serve with puri or chappathi.

Mini Vegetable Samosa

ngredients :

For the Dough :
Maida - 2 cups
Oil - 4 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tbsp
Baking Powder - 2 pinches
Ice cold water - for mixing the dough
Oil- Enough to deep fry.

For Masala :
Onions - 2
Potatoes - 1/4 kgs
Carrot - 2
Peas - 100 gms
Beetroot - 1 small
French beans - 7
Salt - As required
Gamram Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 4
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - for frying.Method :

DOUGH :
1. Sieve maida twice with baking powder and salt.
2. Blend oil to flour with hands till it resembles fine bread crumbs.
3. Sprinkle cold water and knead to a stiff dough.
4. Knead well for several minutes till the dough becomes elastic and pliable.
5. Keep under wet cloth for 1/2 an hour.

MASALA :
1. Cut onions lengthwise and other vegetables to small pieces.
2. Pressure cook potatoes. Peel and mash coarsely.
3. Steam other vegetables without adding water.
4. Mince green chillies.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan, Add cumin powder, minced green chilles and then onion.
6. Fry till crisp. Add other vegetables and stir till moisture evaporates.
7. Add other powdered spices and remove from fire.

PREPARATION OF SAMOSAS :

1. Divide the dough into 8 balls.
2. Roll out each ball into very thin chappathi using maida for dusting.
3. Apply 1 teaspoon of oil on one chappathi and dust little maida on top.
4. Keep second chappathi on top. Prepare in the same manner so that 4 chappathis are in one pile.
5. Roll lightly on top. Make rest of the dough in the same manner.
6. Heat a tawa and place one pile of chappathis on top.
7. Gently turn over when it starts to bubble up.
8. After turning peel off the first layer.
9. Every time after turning over peel off top chappathi, so that all the chappathis are roased on one side only.
10. Cut each chappathi into 2 1/2 inch width strips like ribbon, Keep covered under wet cloth each time.
11. Make a paste of maida by mixing it with just enough water (2 tbsp of maida)
12. Take one strip and make triangular pocket at one end, like a cone.
13. Seal the overlapping portion with maida paste (shaded part shown in figure).
14. Keep little masala inside the pocket.
15. Flod and roll the strip in such a way that it remains in triangular shape.
16. At the end of overlapping seal with maida paste.
17. Prepare all the samosas and keep under a wet muslin cloth till the time of deep frying.
18. Deep fry few samosas at a time in hot oil (in reduced flame) till crisp and brown. Serve with tomato ketchup.

Dry Fruit Kesari

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry fruits (chopped dates, raisins, cranberries and other nuts),
1/2 cup rava,
3 tbsp sugar,
2 tsp ghee,
1 pinch cardamom powder,
6 almonds,
1 cup water, and
3-4 drops food color optional (yellow, orange or red).
Method:

* Stir-fry rava with 1 tsp ghee on low flame till the smell of raw grain goes.
* Set it aside for later use.
* Saute dry fruits for 5-10 seconds in a pan with 1 tbsp ghee on low flame.
* Add water, sugar, cardamom powder and food color to them and increase heat to high flame.
* Add roasted rava to boiling water slowly and smoothen out any lumps and mix well.
* Reduce heat and keep stirring continuously till the mixture is cooked. One can know that the mixture is cooked when it starts coming off the pan easily.
* Grease a plate and pour 'kesari' into it.
* Let it cool and get set.
* Cut it into smaller pieces and garnish it with an almond.
* Kesari is now ready to be served.

Rava Kesari

Ingredients:
Rava: 1 cup
sugar: 1.5-2 cups
cashewnuts: 10-12
raisins: 15-20
ghee: 4 tbsp or more
orange food color (kesari): a pinch
saffron: a pinch (optional)
cloves: 3-4 (optional)

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a thick bottomed pan, fry the broken cashews and raisins (and optional cloves) and keep aside.
Add another tbsp of ghee and fry the rava to a light pink color and keep aside.
Heat 3 cups of water in the same pan, add the coloring and the saffron when it comes to a boil.
Add the rava slowly, constantly stirring, and mix well.
Allow the rava to be cooked at medium heat.
The rava has to cook well.
When it is fully cooked, add the sugar and stir well.
When the sugar is fully dissolved, add the remaining ghee.
Keep stirring until the rava starts leaving the sides of the pan.
Garnish with the fried cashews and raisins and cardamom powder

Semiya Kesari

Ingredients:

Semiya (Vermicelli) - 1 cup
Sugar – 3/4 cup
Water – 2 cups
Ghee - 2 to 3 tablespoon
Cardamom Powder - ½ teaspoon
Cashew Nuts -10 Nos
Raisins - 10 Nos
Kesari Powder - a pinch

Method:

In a kadai put one teaspoon ghee and fry the cashew nuts and raisins. Remove and keep aside. In the same kadai, put one more teaspoon ghee and fry the semiya till light brown. Remove it.

In another thick bottomed vessel put the water and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, add the fried semiya and cook till soft. Add sugar and mix well. Add kesari powder (mixed in a tablespoon of water or milk) and stir well. Keep the flame into low. Cook till it thickens. Add remaining ghee, fried cashew nuts and cardamom powder. Stir thoroughly and transfer it to a greased bowl.