Bajji

Bajji is my all time favorite tiffin item. This is basically an appetizer. But I usually make Bajji along with Sojji (!) - Kesari for evening tiffin. Here is the recipe for Bajji.

Ingredients:-

1. Rice flour - 1 1/2 cup
2. Besan flour (Gram flour) - 1 cup
3. Baking soda - a pinch
4. Salt to taste
5. Kesari color - a pinch
6. Chillie powder - 1 tsp (or acc to taste)
7. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
8. Oil - to fry
9. Vegetables - potato 1, Brinjal 1, cucumber- few slices, Onion - 1, Pepper - 1

First mix all the dry ingredients ( flour, salt, chillie powder, asafoetida powder, kesari color, baking soda)in a bowl, add water and prepare the bajji batter. The consistency should not be watery. Mix it with a whisk. Mix it nicely until there are no lumps in the batter. Now slice the vegetables and dip it in the batter. Fry it till golden brown in oil and serve it hot with some chutney.

Sundakkavathal Vatha Kozhambu

1. Tamarind - one small lemon sized or 2 tbsp paste
   
2. Sundakka Vathal - 3 tablespoon
   
3. Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
5. salt to taste
6. Sesame oil - 4 tbsp (may need more)
7. Jaggery - 1 tbsp
8. mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. urid dal - 1/2 tsp
10. channa dal - 1/2 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
12. Red chillies - 1 or 2 (acc. to taste)
    
13. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
14. Rice flour - 1 1/2 tsp

Take a wide pan, pre heat 3 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urid dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and asafoetida powder and fry these ingredient in low flame, to golden brown. Now add the sundakka vathal to it and fry it until it becomes crunchy. Now put the tamarind paste(if you are using tamarind, squeeze out the juice from it and pour it) and add 1 1/2 cup of water to the paste. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and let it cook for 10 mts. in medium flame. Now add the jaggery to it and again add 1/2 cup of water and let it boil for another 5 to 7 mts. In order to make the consistency thick, now mix the rice flour with a tbsp of water and pour it on top of the kozhambu and also pour the remaining oil. Let it boil for another 3 mts. Now Vatha kozhambu is ready to serve. Serve it hot with rice. Potato curry will be a good side dish for this rice.

We can replace sundakkavathal with manathakkali vathal.

Cauliflower & Onion Pakoda

This recipe I got from my cousin's blog (En Vittu Virundhu) and I tried it adding few more ingredients. Here is the ingredients I used to make this pakoda. Basically Pakoda is a appetizer we make before a full meal. Also we can use this as a side dish (if nothing is there) for rasam rice or sambar rice. I made this for today's evening tiffin.

Ingredients:-

1. Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup (chopped into small pieces)
   
2. Onion - 1/4 cup (chopped)
3. Rice Flour - 1/2 cup
4. Besan Flour - 1 cup
5. Salt to taste
6. Red chillie powder - 1 tsp (acc to taste)
7. Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Curry leaves - few (chopped)
   
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. Oil - to fry
    

First put the cauliflower florets in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 6 to 8 mts. till it becomes tender. Drain it fully and let it cool. Now take a bowl, add rice flour, besan flour, salt, chillie powder, fennel seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida powder, onion and drained cauliflower and mix everything well. If necessary, sprinkle a little bit of water to it and mix. The mixture should be in kind of powdery and not watery. So careful while adding water to it.

Now pre heat oil, sprinkle the cauliflower mixture and fry it till it becomes golden brown. Drain the extra oil in a paper towel and serve it hot with ketchup.

Note:- While frying, be careful with curry leaves. Also this needs to be eaten hot. It may become spongy when its cold, then preheat oven for 5 mts. and keep this pakoda inside, then it will become crunchy to eat.

Tomato Idly

This is something my mom used to make when I was a kid. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Idly Batter - 2 cups (big)
2. Tomato - 2
3. Salt - only for tomato
4. Green chillies - 1 (optional)

Take a microwave safe bowl, wash the tomatoes, put it in the bowl, microwave it for 2 to 3 mts. till its fully cooked. Let it cool and grind it adding required amount of salt (only for tomatoes) and green chillies. Add this to idly batter. Mix it well. Take the idly mould, spread some oil in it (preferably sesame oil) and pour the batter in the moulds and steam cook it for 15 to 18 mts. In order to see whether it is ready or not, use the back side of a spoon or knife or toothpick or match stick and insert it into the idly. It should come out clean when you take it, without any batter. This means the idly is ready to serve. Serve it with chutney or sambar

Mixed Vegetable & Cheese Sandwich

This is the regular grilled sandwich we make for kids with some extra addition. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Bread Slice - 2
2. Cabbage - 2 tbsp (shredded)
3. Carrot - 3 tbsp (shredded)
4. Potato - 2 tbsp (shredded)
5. Raddish - 1 tbsp (shredded)
6. Onion - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
7. Garlic - 1 clove(finely chopped)
8. Noolkol - 1 tbsp (shredded)
9. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (chopped)
10. Green chillies - 2 (acc to taste)
11. Salt to taste
12. Cheese singles - 1 or 2 (acc to taste)
13. Butter - to spread
14. Oil - 1/2 tsp
15. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
    

First take a pan, pre heat oil, put asafoetida powder, then add the vegetables one by one. Add salt and green chillies and sprinkle a handful of water and let it cook for 7 to 10 mts. till all the vegetables become tender. Turn off the stove, when everything is mixed nicely and become tender.


Now half-toast the bread slices. Spread butter on one side of each slice and spread the cooked vegetables to the required quantity. Now put the cheese singles on top of each bread slice & veggies and cover it. Now pre heat a pan, spread butter on the other side of both the bread slices and grill it under low flame. Enjoy with a cup of juice.

Parsley Leaves Rice (Kothamalli Rice)

This is another variety rice we make in case we don't have anything to make. Most of us will have a bunch of cilantro or parsley leaves in our fridge. We can use this for making this rice. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

For Powder:-

1. Parsley leaves - 1 cup (finely chopped and washed)
2. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1 tsp
4. Channa dhall - 3/4 tsp
   
5. Red chillies - 1 (acc to taste)
6. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

For rice:-

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. OIl - 2 tsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
5. Green chillies - 1 (optional)
6. Ginger - a small piece
   
7. Salt to taste
8. Cashew - for garnishing
9. Curry leaves - few
10. Pea nuts - few for garnishing.

First wash and pressure cook the rice upto 2 whistles and keep it aside. Let it cool. In the mean time, take a pan, fry the ingredients given for powder, one by one, to golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a fine powder (it may not come like a powder. But its ok). When the pressure cooker is ready to open, spread the rice in a wide pan and let it cool. Take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters, add urad dhall, green chillies, ginger, cashew, peanuts and curry leaves and fry it till golden brown. Do not burn the ingredients. Pour the ingredients on top of rice. Add required amount of salt, required amount of parsley powder ** and mix everything well. Serve it with raita.

** - store the extra powder for next time.

More Rasam

This is another rasam we make with buttermilk. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Tomato - 1 (chopped)
2. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
3. Rasam Powder - 1 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Watery Buttermilk - 1 cup
   

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 5
4. Curry leaves - few
5. Asafoetida powder - pinch

Take a pan, put the chopped tomatoes in it, turmeric powder, rasam powder, salt and let it cook for 7 mts. When tomatoes is fully cooked, add the watery buttermilk to it and turn off the stove when foam forms. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafotida powder an fry it golden brown. Pour it on top of rasam. Close it with a lid and serve it asfter 5 mts.

In this rasam we can soak urad vadai and eat it as curd vadai. If necessary we can also add toor dhall water before adding buttermilk to the rasam.

More sambar

This is another recipe I learned from my mother in law. I was first amazed when she told me about this recipe. Here is the recipe

Ingredients:-

1. wintermelon - 1 cup (chopped)
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Toor Dhall - 3/4 cup
5. Thick buttermilk (or curd) - 3/4 cup

For Grinding:-

1. Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
2. Channa dhall - 1 tsp
3. Coconut - 2 tsp
4. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
   
5. Red chillies - 2 (or acc to taste)
6. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Fenugreek greek - 1/4 tsp
4. Curry leaves - few
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

First pressure cook toor dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder and keep it aside. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, fry coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, asafoetida powder, channa dhall and coconut to golden brown and let it cool. Grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside.

Take a wide pan, put the vegetables, add required amount of water, turmeric powder and salt and let it cook till it becomes tender. Now add the coconut mixture and cooked toor dhall to it and let it boil for 5 mts. Now add the thick buttermilk to it and turn off the when the foam forms from it. This is more sambar.

Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Pour it on top of sambar.

Mangalore Bonda

We make this bonda with Maida flour. My grandma used to make this every other week. She is an expert in this recipe. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Maida Flour - 1 cup
2. Thick Sour Buttermilk - 3/4 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil - to fry
5. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
6. Green chillies - 2 (acc to taste)
7. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
8. Curry leaves - few

Mix maida flour + salt + buttermilk into a fine thick paste. If the buttermilk is really sour, we can mix the flour with buttermilk at the time of preparation. If its not that sour, its better to mix it 2 hours before preparation(in summer) or 4 hours before preparation (in winter). At the time of preparation, take a small seasoning pan, preheat a drop of oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add green chillies, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and pour it on top of maida batter. Mix it well.

Take a wide pan, pre heat oil, make a small lemon sized balls with the maida batter and deep fry it till golden brown. Serve it hot with some chutney. This bonda should be served always hot. Otherwise it will become hard to eat.

Kunukku

This is basically a snack item which is made out of the leftover Adai batter. The method is very very simple. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Adai Batter - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 (Finely Chopped)
3. Oil - To fry.

First chop the onion finely and add it to the batter. Mix it nicely. Pre heat the oil, make a small balls out of the batter and deep fry it until golden brown. It should come out nice and crispier. Tomato sauce can be a wonderful side dish. If we planning for a long drive, we can make these kunukku and take it to go with us for a little snack.

Chappathi Veggie cheese rolls

Here is a receipe for kids.

Ingredients:-
Wheat Flour – 2 cup
Shredded cheese – ¼ cup
Potatoes – 3 (cook it and mash it without skin)
shredded carrots - 1
shredded raddish – ½ raddish
Groundnut or Peanuts powder – 2 tbsp
Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder (Can be found in all Indian stores) - ¼ tsp (if necessary)
Coriander leaves finely chopped – 2 tbsp
Bread crumbs – 8 tbsp
salt to taste
Oil(canola or olive oil whichever suitable for you)

Method:- Add a pinch of salt to wheat flour and mix water to it. Make it a thick batter and make chappathis and keep it aside.

Add shredded cheese, shredded carrots, raddish, peanut powder, coriander leaves, salt, chilli powder, garam masala powder to the mashed potatoes. Mix it well and roll it in a small cylindrical shape. Now dip the potato rolls in bread crumbs. Now in a separate pan pre heat the oil and fry the potato rolls to golden brown. Place the fried rolls in the chapathis and roll it again. Now cut the chapathis in to two and serve it hot. Tomato ketchup will be a good side dish.

Tomato-Onion Uthappam

Another receipe with left over Idly batter. My MIL call it south Indian Pizza:). Here is the receipe and the main ingredients are as follows:-

Ingredients:-

1. Idly Batter - 1 small cup
2. Tomato - 1/4 finely chopped
3. Onion - 1/4 finely chopped
4. coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped
5. oil - 2 tsp

Pre-heat the dosa pan, pour the batter, sprinkle the tomato, onion and coriander leaves on top of it and pour one tsp of oil and let it cook for 3 mts. Flip it over and pour the remaining oil and let it slow cook for 3 more mts. Serve it hot with coconut chutney or sambar.

The above said quantity of ingredients is enough for one big uthappam.

Bonda 1- With vegetables

This is our regular bonda which we make with urid dhall. I tried adding some vegetables to it. We usually add onions in it. I also tried some more veggies. It came out really well and here is the receipe..

Ingredients:-

1. Urid dhall - 1 cup (measuring cup)
2. Green chillies - 4
3. Salt to taste
4. Ginger - a small piece
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
   
6. Shredded Carrots - 2 tbsp
7. Finely chopped spinach - 2 tbsp
8. Finely chopped onions - 2 tbsp
9. shredded cheese - 1 tbsp (optional)
10. Curry leaves - few
11. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
    
12. Oil - to fry

First soak the urid dhall in water for an hour. (usually urid dhall takes less time to soak). After an hour, wash it, add green chillies, salt and ginger and grind it into a fine paste without adding much water. Now mix the veggies, curry leaves, coriander leaves, asafoetida powder and cheese to it. Pre heat the oil in a pan, make a small balls out of this batter and deep fry the it into golden brown. Serve it hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.

Cheese & Carrot Uthappam

Again I tried this with my 3 year olds and it worked out really well. I make uthappam with the left over idly batter. In my family nobody(including me) likes to eat idly more than a day. The left over batter will become dosa or uthappam. Here is the receipe and the main ingredients are as follows...

Ingredients:-

1. Idly Batter - 1 small cup (approx. 2 full spatula)
   
2. Shredded Cheese - 1 tbsp
3. Shredded carrots - 1 tbsp
4. oil - 2 tsp

Pre heat the dosa pan, pour the above said idly batter, sprinkle the shredded cheese and carrots on top of it. Pour one tsp of oil and let it cook for 3 mts. Turn it over and pour the remaining oil and let it cook for another 3 mts. Serve it hot with tomato sauce or chutney(if your kids like one!!)

Idly Upma 3

This is another method of making Idly Upma.

Ingredients:-

1. Idly - 2
2. Onion - 2 tbsp
3. Tomato Sauce - 1 tsp
4. Idly Milagaipodi - 1 1/2 tsp
5. Sesame Oil - 2 tsp
6. Salt - only for onion.
   
7. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
   

Scramble idly and keep it aside. Take a pan, pre heat 1 tsp oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Add onion and sprinkle a hand full of water and let it become tender. Now add tomato sauce, salt and idly milagaipodi to it and let it mix thoroughly. Now add the scrambled idly to it. Mix everything well. Add or sprinkle a little water and mix it nicely.

The given quantity is enough only for one person.

Idly Upma 2

Here is another way of making Idly upma.

Ingredients:-

1. Idly - 3
2. Onion - 2 tbsp (chopped)
   
3. Oil - 2 tsp
4. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
5. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
6. Curry leaves - few
7. Green chillies - 1 (acc to taste)
8. Salt - only for onion.

As usual, scramble the idly and keep it aside. Now take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, urad dhall, green chillies, curry leaves and saute' for a minute. Now add chopped onions to it and saute for another minute. Now add salt and sprinkle a handful of water and let it cook till it becomes tender. Now add the scrambled idly to the mixture and mix it well. If necessary, sprinkle 1/4 cup of water and mix it well. Cover it with a lid, reduce the flame to low and let it be there in the pan for a minute or two. After opening, serve it hot. Usually we use some pickles as a side for this upma.

Idly Upma 1

Most of us know about this recipe which we make from the leftover idllies. Some people even make fresh idllies for making this upma. I usually make this idly with left over idly. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Idly - 3
2. Sesame Oil - 2 tsp
3. Dosai Milagaipodi - 1 tsp (acc to taste)

Just scramble the idly into small pieces with hands. Add milagaipodi to it and mix it nicely. Finally add sesame oil to it and enjoy. I use nearly 3 tsp of milagaipodi for 3 idllies(!). I love spicy stuff.
This is one simple way of making idly upma

Cheese-Carrot Idly

Again this is another version of Idly which I tried last week to make my 3 year olds to eat. It worked out well. Here is the receipe...

Ingredients:-

1. Idly Batter - 1 cup
2. Shredded cheese - 1 1/2 tbsp
3. shredded carrot - 1 1/2 tbsp

To make idllies, mix the batter well, take the moulds, grease it with sesame oil or melted ghee, pour 1/2 tbsp (any spatula you use pour half of it) batter in the mould, sprinkle the cheese and carrot on top of it and pour the remaining batter on top of it. Steam cook it for 20 mts. In order to see whether it is ready or not, use the back side of a spoon or knife or toothpick or match stick and insert it into the idly. It should come out clean when you take it, without any batter. Try serving idllies with tomato chutney or sauce.

Bonda 2

This is another variety of Bonda. I made this bonda with left over idly batter. Here is the receipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Idly Batter - one cup
2. Potato - 1 or 1 1/2 (according to the quantity of batter)
3. Onion - 1/2
4. Green chillies - 1
5. Oil - 1 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Urid dhall - 1/4 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil - To fry
    

First cook the potato and mash it. Keep it aside. Take a pan, preheat the oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urid dhall, green chillies and fry it to golden brown. Add onion and fry it to golden brown. Now add the mashed potatoes and a quarter cup of water. Add turmeric powder and salt and let it cook for 3 to 5 mts. This is the masala. Make it thicker and not watery. Make it a small ball.

Take a wide pan, pre heat the oil, dip the masala balls into idly batter one by one and fry it to golden brown. Serve it hot with tomato sauce or coconut chutney.

Mango Sambar

This is another sambar, my grandma used to make. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Ripe Mango - 1 cup (chopped)
2. Tamarind Paste - 3/4 tsp
   
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Sambar powder - 1 tsp
5. Jaggery - 1 1/2 tbsp
   
6. Salt to taste
7. Coconut - 1 tsp
8. Coriander seeds - 3/4 tsp
9. Red chillies -1
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
11. Toor dhall - 1 cup (cooked)

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Curry leaves - few

First pressure cook toor dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder and keep it aside. Take a pan, pre heat oil, fry coriander seeds, coconut, red chillies and asafoetida powder to golden brown and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside.

This recipe is more like regular sambar. First put the chopped mangoes, tamarind paste, Jaggery water, turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and let it cook for 10 mts. Add the coconut paste to it and let it cook for another 3 mts. Now add the cooked toor dhall to it and let it mix with mango ingredients. This is mango sambar. This can be eaten with rice.

Kancheepuram Idly

This is also very simple receipe. Here is the receipe and the main ingredients are as follows...

Ingredients:-

1. Idly Batter - 1 cup
2. Oil - 1 tsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. urid dhall - 1/4 tsp
5. green chillies - 1 or 2
6. asafoetida powder - a pinch
7. curry leaves - few
8. cashew nuts - 4

Preheat the oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urid dhall, green chillies, asafoetida powder, curry leaves and cashew nuts to it and fry it till golden brown. Pour it into the batter. Mix it well. Add a pinch of salt if necessary. Now take the idly mould, spread some oil in it (preferably sesame oil) and pour the batter in the moulds and steam cook it for 15 to 18 mts. In order to see whether it is ready or not, use the back side of a spoon or knife or toothpick or match stick and insert it into the idly. It should come out clean when you take it, without any batter. This means the idly is ready to serve. Serve it hot with coconut chutney or mint chutney.

Rava Dosai

MM.. sounds yummy.. This is one of my favourite tiffin item. This is how I make rava dosa. The main ingredients are as follow:-
Ingredients:-

1. Rice flour - 1 cup
2. Coarse sooji (fine rava) - 1 cup
3. Maida - 3/4 cup
4. Salt to taste
5. Butter milk - 4 tbsp

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Onion - 1/2 (if its big; 1 if its small) (finely chopped)
   
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
6. Green chillies - 1 (according to taste)

If you want to make rava dosa for the evening tiffin, make sure you prepare the batter in the morning itself in order to get fermentation. Mix the above said ingredients with necessary water. The batter should be watery. Thats when we will get crispy dosas. When you are ready to make dosa in the evening, take a small pan, pre heat the oil and add mustard seeds when it splutters add cumin seeds, green chillies, asafoetida powder and onion to it and fry it till it turns in to golden brown. Now pour these into the dosa batter. Remember the batter should be really watery (thinner than the dosa batter). Take a dosa pan, and pre heat it. The pan should be really hot before spreading the batter. Now start spreading the batter from the sides and finish it off in the middle. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil on the sides of the dosa. Turn it over when it becomes golden brown. Some people may even use ghee instead of oil.

Sabudhana sweet poori

Sabudhana sweet poori - sounds funny? This is a receipe which I got from a book and I tried it. Its a long process. Those who make sabudhana vadams may find it easy. We can make this sabudhana vadams (especially for pooris) during summer and can store it. Here is the receipe...

Ingredients:-

For Vadams:-

1. Sabudhana - 1 cup
2. Water - 4 cups
3. Salt - a pinch

For pooris:-

1. Vadams - required quantity
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Oil - to fry
   
4. Cardamom powder - a pinch
5. Sugar - 1 tsp ( acc to taste)

For making vadams, we have to soak the sabudhana for atleast 5 hours. Take a wide pan, add water and salt to it, when it boils, add the soaked sabudhana to it and let it cook for 10 to 15 mts. Let it cool and make vadams out of it and let it dry under the sunshine (This can be done only during hot summer). When it is fully dry like crispy chips, store it in a dry box and can use this whenever we want to make pooris (this vadams can only be used for pooris because we have not added green chillies and buttermilk)

On the day of making pooris, just fry the vadams to golden brown. Take a wide cup, pour the milk, add sugar and cardamom powder to it and soak the fried vadams in it. Let it soak for3 mts. Now sabudhana sweet poori is ready to eat.

In order to make the process simple, we can always use store bought vadams:-)

Arisi Uppuma

Another popular dish of south Indians. Here is the receipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Rice - 1 cup
2. Toor Dhall - 3 tsp
3. Pepper - 1 tsp
4. Regular Oil - 2 tsp (sunflower oil or canola or olive oil)
5. Coconut oil - 2 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
7. Urid dhall - 1/2 tsp
8. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. Salt to taste
11. Red chillies - 3
12. Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp
13. Curry leaves - 10 leaves finely chopped
    

First wash the rice and dry it. After it is fully dried, take that along with toor dhall and pepper and grind it coarsely. Now a take wide pan, pre heat both the oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urid dhall, channa dhall, red chillies and asafoetida powder to it and fry it to golden brown. Now add 2 1/2 cups of water (i.e., add water in the ratio of 1 rice:2 1/2 water) and salt and bring it to boil. Now add coconut and rice mix (rice+toor dhall+pepper) to the boiling water and mix it thoroughly. Now close the pan with a lid and let it cook in a low flame for 10 mts. Open the lid and stir the upma occasionally. When the rice and dhall is fully cooked, turn off the stove. Coconut chutney will be a good side dish for this receipe.

Poori - Masala

One of my favorite receipe. Here is the receipe..

Ingredients:-

For Pooris:

1. Wheat flour - 2 cups
2. Coarse Sooji (rava) - 2 tsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil to fry
5. Water to make dough

For masala:-

1. Potato - 5
   
2. Onion - 2
3. Green chillies - 3
4. Oil - 2 tsp
5. Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
6. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
8. Cashew - 5
9. coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For making pooris - Mix the coarse sooji (Rava) with wheat flour, add salt and required amount of water and make a thick dough. Keep it aside for 5 mts. Now make a small balls out of the dough and roll in to 4" or 5 " sized rounds. Pre heat the oil to fry, deep fry both sides to golden brown. Serve it hot with masala. In this picture, i have cut the round pooris in to 4 small triangles

For making masala - pressure cook potato and mash it. Now take a pan, pre heat the oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, channa dhal, cashew, green chillies and fry it till golden brown. Now add onions to it and cook it till golden brown. Now add the mashed potatoes to it with 3/4 cup of water, salt and turmeric power and let it boil for 5 mts. The consistency of the masala should be semi-solid . Garnish it with coriander leaves.

More Kozhambu 2

This is another way of making more kozhambu, the same procedure with some modifications. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Okra - 1 cup
2. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Thick Buttermilk - 2 1/2 cup
5. Coconut - 3 tbsp
   

For Soaking:-

1. Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
2. Channa dhall - 1 tsp
3. Green chillies - 2(acc to taste)
   
4. cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

for Seasoning:-

1. oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. curry leaves - few

First soak the all the above given ingredients for soaking, to one hour. After an hour, add coconut to the ingredients and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Take a pan, put the chopped okra to it, add required amount of water, turmeric powder, salt and let it cook. When the vegetable becomes tender, add the coconut paste and add a little amount of water and let it cook nicely. when both mixed nicely, turn off the stove. Remove the pan from the stove top, add the thick buttermilk to it. Mix it well. This is more kozhambu.

Now take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters, add fenugreek seeds, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and let it fry till golden brown. Pour it on top of more kozhambu. This can be a wonderful side dish for paruppu usli rice, variety rice and also with white rice.

More Kozhambu 1

In my mom's place, they make more kozhambu as a main dish for rice. But in my in-laws place, they use it as a side dish for some variety rice or for paruppu usli rice. Here is the recipe for more kozhambu

Ingredients:-

1. Chepankezhangu (Taro root) - 1 cup (chopped into small cubes)
2. Coconut - 3 tbsp
3. Green chillies - 2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Thick Buttermilk - 2 1/2 cups

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

First, grind coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds, into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Take a pan, put the chopped taro root to it, add required amount of water, turmeric powder, salt and let it cook. When the vegetable becomes tender, add the coconut paste and add a little amount of water and let it cook nicely. when both mixed nicely, turn off the stove. Remove the pan from the stove top, add the thick buttermilk to it. Mix it well. This is more kozhambu.

Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters add fenugreek seeds, asafoetida powder and curry leaves to it. Fry it till golden brown. Pour it on top of more kozhambu.

Mixed Vegetable kootu

This kootu can be made with some left over vegetables like beans, peas, carrot, chow chow, kholrabi, ridge gourd, wintermelon, pumpkin etc. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Vegetables (of your own choice) - 2 cups (chopped)
2. Moong Dhall - 1/2 cup
3. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Coconut - 2 tsp
   
6. Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
7. Green chillies - 2

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

Pressure cook moong dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder. Keep it aside. Grind coconut, green chillies and cumin into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Now take a wide pan, put all the vegetables, add turmeric powder, salt and required amount of water and let all the vegetables cook. When all the vegetables become tender, add the coconut paste to it and add a little water and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Now add the cooked moong dhall and let it all mix nicely and cook for another 5 mts. Turn off the stove. This is kootu.

Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and let it fry till golden brown and pour it on top of kootu.

Cucumber Kootu 2

This is another way of making cucumber kootu. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Cucumber - 1 cup (chopped into big cubes)
2. Channa dhall - 1/4 cup
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste.

For Grinding:-

1. Channa Dhall - 1 tsp
2. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
3. Coconut - 2 tsp
4. Red chillies - 1
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
6. Curry leaves - 5

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

Take a pan, pre heat a drop of oil, fry the ingredients given for grinding, to goldeb brown and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Now take a wide pan, put the chopped cucumber, add turmeric powder, required amount of water, salt and let it cook. Cucumber takes less time to cook. when its half done, add the coconut paste to it and add a little bit of water. Let it again cook for another 3 mts. Now add the cooked channa dhall to it and let everthing mix for another 3 to 5 mts. When everything is nicely mixed, turn off the stove. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu. This can also be a wonderful side dish for sambar rice and chapathi

Cauliflower Kootu

This is another kootu we make using channa dhall. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Cauliflower florets - 1 cup (chop it)
2. Channa dhall - 1/2 cup
3. turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
6. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chillies - 1
8. coconut - 2 tbsp
9. Oil - 2 tsp
10. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
11. Urad dhall - 1
12. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
13. curry leaves - few

First pressure cook channa dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder in it. Keep it aside. Take a small pan, pre heat a drop of oil, put ingredients 5,6,7 and 8 and fry it till golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside.

Now take a pan, put the cauliflower in it. Add required amount of water, turmeric powder and salt and let it cook. When it becomes tender, add the coconut paste and let it cook for another5 to 7 mts. After 5 mts of boiling, add the cooked channa dhall to it and le everything cook nicely. Turn off the stove and garnish it with curry leaves. This can be a wonderful side dish for chapathi's

Tomato kootu

This is another simple recipe we make in my mother in law's place. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Tomato - 2 (chopped)
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Coconut - 2 tsp
5. Green chillies - 2
6. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
   
5. Coriander leaves - few

First grind coconut+green chillies+cumin seeds into fine paste and keep it aside. Take a pan, put chopped tomatoes in it. Add turmeric powder, salt and required amount of water and let it cook for 7 mts. When tomatois 1/2 cooked, add the coconut paste to it and add little bit of water and let it cook for 5 to 7 mts. When the ingredients comes to required consistency, turn off the stove. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall and asafoetida powder and pour it on top of kootu. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Onion & dhall kootu

This is the quickest recipe one can make as a side dish for rotis. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Onion - 1 (nicely chopped)
2. Channa dhall - 3 tbsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Rasam powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Oil - 1 tsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
11. Red chillies - 1
12. Curry leaves - few
    

First take a pressure pan, put the chopped onion and channa dhall, add turmeric powder and pressure cook it upto 2 whistles. When it is ready to open, take a pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Now add the cooked onion and channa dhall to it. Add rasam powder and salt and let it boil for 5 mts. If necessary add some more water to it. In order to get a thicker consistency, take a teaspoon of besan flour, mix it with 2 tbsp of water and pour it to the onion mixture. Let it cook for another 2 mts. Turn off the stove, when you get the required consistency. This is a wonderful side dish for chapathi

Brinjal poricha kootu 2

This is another kootu we make with channa dhal and peanuts. I like this kootu very much because peanuts very much. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Brinjal - 1 cup (chopped
2. Channa dhall - 1/4 cup
3. Pea nuts - 2 tbsp
4. Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
5. coconut - 2 tbsp
6. urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chillies - 1 (acc to taste)
8. Pepper - 1/2 tsp
9. Cumin - 1/4 tsp
   
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
11. Salt to taste
12. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
4. Red chillies - 1
5. Curry leaves - few
6. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

First pressure cook channa dhall with required amount of water and a pinch of turmeric powder. Do not over cook. It needs to be 1/2 cooked. Take a small pan, pour a drop of oil, fry urad dhall, red chillies, pepper, cumin and coconut to golden brown and let it cool. Grind it into a fine paste. Now take a pan, put the brinjal pieces and peanuts, add turmeric powder and salt and let it cook for 7 to 10 mts. When it is 1/2 cooked, add the pressure cooked channa dhall to it and also add the coconut paste and let everything cook for another 5 to 7 mts. A nice aroma of coconut, peanuts and pepper will come out of the kootu. Now turn off the stove.

Take a small pan, pre heat remaining oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder and let it fry till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu. Now kootu is ready to serve. This can be eaten with rice as a main dish or as a side dish with dosa, chapathi.

Brinjal (eggplant) Poricha kootu

I like eating brinjal or eggplant in the form of kootu instead of eggplant curry. This is one way of making brinjal kootu and my MIL is an expert in making this kootu. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Brinjal - 1 cup (chopped into big cubes)
2. Moong dhall - 1/4 cup
3. coconut - 1/2 tbsp
4. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
5. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
6. Red chillies Or green chillies - 2
7. Pepper - 1/2 tsp
8. Cumin - 1/4 tsp
9. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Salt to taste

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. curry leaves - few
   

First pressure cook moong dhall with a pinch of tumeric powder and keep it aside. Take a pan, pre heat a drop of oil, fry urad dhall, channa dhall, red chilles, pepper and cumin into golden brown. Turn off the stove, add coconut and saute for a minute. Grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside. Now take a pan, put the brinjal pieces, add required amount of water (don't add too mcuh water), turmeric powder and salt and let the brinjal for 7 to 10 mts. When it is 1/2 cooked, add the coconut paste to it and let it cook for another 3 mts. Now add the cooked moong dhall to it and let everything cook for another 5 mts. Add water if necessary. This is poricha kootu. Now take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and let it fry till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu. Now kootu is ready to serve. This can be eaten with rice, as a side dish for chapathi or roti.

Cucumber Kootu

This is a very simple recipe and if we have no other vegetable to cook other than cucumber, we can try making this kootu which can be eaten with rice and can be used as a side dish also. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Cucumber - 1 cup (chopped into big cubes)
2. Moong dhall - 1/4 cup
3. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Pepper - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1/2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/4 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. Curry leaves - few

First, pressure cook moong dhall with a pinch of turmeric powder. Keep it aside. Take a pan, add cucumber+required amount of water + turmeric powder + salt and let it cook for 5 mts. When the cucumber is 1/2 cooked add the cooked moong dhall + pepper to it and let it boil for 7 mts. Turn off the stove when everything is nicely mixed. This is kootu. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and let it fry till golden brown. Pour it on top of kootu.

Ridge gourd Kootu

This is another kootu we can make. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:-

1. Ridge Gourd - 1 cup
2. Peas - 1/4 cup (optional)
   
3. Baby Lima beans - 1/4 cup (optional)
   
4. Fresh coconut - 1 tbsp
5. Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
6. Channa dhall - 1/2 tsp
7. Black pepper - 1/4 tsp (acc to taste)
8. Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Salt to taste
    

For Seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1/2 tsp
2. mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
3. Urad dhall - 1/2 tsp
4. asafoetida powder - a pinch
5. curry leaves - few

First take a small pan, pre heat it with a drop of oil, fry the above said ingredients from 4 to 9, to golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a fine paste. Cook the vegetables with required amount of water, salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. When it becomes tender, add the coconut paste to it and let it cook for another 7 mts. Add some more water if necessary. Take a small pan, pre heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters,add urad dhall, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it to golden brown and pour it on top of kootu. Now kootu is ready to eat.

Ridge Gourd (Skin) Thogayal

Last week was a long week for me. I had to do the preparations for my girls' 4th birthday party on saturday. I had 0% strength to cook on sunday morning. Since my father-in-law is with us now, I had no choice other than to cook. I had ridge gourd in my fridge. So thought of doing ridge gourd kootu and thogayal with ridge gourd skin. So here is the recipe for thogayal.

Ingredients:-

1. Ridge Gourd skin - 1 cup (chop it)
   
2. Onion - 1/2 (chopped)
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Channa dhall - 1 tsp
5. Coconut - 1 tbsp
6. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
7. Red chillies - 2 (acc to taste)
8. Tamarind - a small piece
   
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil - a drop
    

Take a small pan, pre heat a drop of oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters add channa dhall , asafoetida, coconut and red chillies and fry it till golden brown. Keep it aside. Now in the same pan, put the chopped onion, ridge gourd and saute for 5 mts. Let it become tender. Now put it on top of the fried lentils. Let everything cool. when it is ready for grinding, add required amount of salt and the tamarind piece and grind it into a fine paste or grind it coarsely (depending upon your taste). Now ridge gourd thogayal is ready to eat. Mix one tbsp of thogayal with rice add 1 tbsp sesame oil and mix with well and enjoy. Ridge gourd kootu can be a wonderful side dish for this thogayal rice.