VAZATHANDU PATCHADI / BANANA STEM RAITHA

Its said that all the parts of a banana plant is used. Such as its leaves for serving food, its flower ,fruits to make different dishes.. well many dont know that there are many dishes made from STEM of banana plant. Down south of India its a common vegetable. Its such a good source of fibre. Good for people who have galbladder stones, who suffer from constipation.
Try this patchadi i must say its yummmm

Ingredients:
Banana Stem - 1 medium
Yougurt - 3cups
Water - 4cups
Salt - 1tbs
Sugar - 1/2tbs
Jeera powder - 1/2tbs
Pepper Powder - 1/2tbs
Amchoor powder - 1/4tbs
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Take the stem of banana. Peel of the outer skins which are thick.
2. Peel till the layer comes where you would not have the layer to peel.
3. Its solid yet soft.
4. Keep a bowl of water aside.
5. First cut the stem into circles and put in water. Do not keep just like that as they turn brown.
6. Now take each circle stem and cut them into small square pcs.
7. Put them back into water.
8. Boil them till the stem is partially cooked.
9. Keep in mind it ahs to be crunchy yet boiled. Do not over boil it.
10. Drain them and keep the water aside. Do not throw the water. Add some salt and give to people who have constipation or diabatic.
11. Now in a bowl add yougurt, salt, sugar and mix well without lumps.
12. Add pepper powder, jeera powder, amchoor powder and mix well.
13. Add the stem that was cut, boiled and drained. If you have the stems stuck to each other first release them using running water and add. If its not possible do not add them to the mixture.
14. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.
15. Chill in refrigrator and serve cold.

Note: while chopping the stem try to take out the thread which is present in the stem.

PUDINA THOHAYAL / MINT THOHAYAL

Ingredients:
Mint/Pudina - 1 bunch
Kadala Parupu/Channa Dal - 10gms
Ulatham pArupu /Uradh Dal - 5gms
Dry Red Chilly - 4-5
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size ball
Asafatida/Perunkayam/Hing - 1/2tps
Refined oil - 2tbs
Salt - 1/2tbs
Water - As required

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Wash well the mint leaves and remove the leaves seperately from arc.
2. In a pan add oil saute channa dal, red chilly, asafatida, uradh dal till the dals turn light brown.
3. Keep them aside and cool them.
4. In the same an add the pudina leaves and saute without switching on the flame.
5. Add tamarind and salt to it.
6. First in a blender grind the dal and chilly dry.
7. Once they turn powder add the pudina tamarind, salt and run to make a fine powder.
8. Add water and grind them again. The consistency is like a paste. Not too liquid nor top dry.
You can store this in fridge and keep for a week.
Eat with hot white rice with til oil. It also goes well with Dosa, Chapathi. Idli, even can be used as a bread spread :) to make sandwiches

VENDAKAI PATCHADI/LADY'S FINGER RAITHA

Ingredients:
Lady's Finger/Bhindi/Vendakai - 10-12
Thick curd/Yougurt/Thair/Dehi - 3cups
Refined oil - 5tbs
Coriander leaves - to garnish
Jeera - 1/2tps
Salt - 1 tbs
Sugar - 1/2tbs
Jeera powder - 1/4tbs

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Wash and cut the end of the lady's finger.
2. Now chop them with 1/2cm length small pcs.
3. In a pan add oil and heat well.
4. Fry the lady's finger slowly till they turn dark brown.
5. Drain them and keep aside. Off the flame and splutter some jeera and mix well with vendakai
6. Meanwhile in a bowl add chilled yougurt, salt, sugar and mix well to avoid lumps.
7. Add the vendakai/lady's finger and mix well.
8. Garnish with coriander and jeera powder.
9. Refrigrate it.
Serve chill with Karavapillai Saadham/Curry Leaf Rice

KARAVAPILLAI SAADHAM/CURRY LEAF RICE

Ingredients:
Curry Leaves - 20-25 arcs
Kadalai parupu/Channa Dal - 10gms
Tamarind/Puli/Imli- Medium lemon size
Dry Red chilli/Vathal Millagai/Sukha Lal Mirch - 5-6
Refined oil - 1tbs
Til oil - 3tbs
Mustard/Kadugu/Sarson - 1tbs
Asafatida/Perunkayam/Hing - 1/2tbs
Salt - 1tbs
White rice - 1cup
Water - 2cups

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Wash and remove the curry leaves from the arc.
2. In a pan add refined oil add channa dal and saute it.
3. Add dry red chilly to it and saute till the dal turns golden brown.
4. Now add 1/4tbs asafatida and remove from flame on to plate.
5. In the same pan fry the curry leaves without keeping on flame.
6. Saute tamarind too.

7. Cool them and grind them after adding salt.
8. Meanwhile boil the white rice in propotion of 1:2. Means 1 cup rice 2 cups water.
9. Once the rice is done cool a bit.
10. In a heavy bottom pan add til oil splutter mustard seeds, few red chilly, 1/4 asafatida and few curry leaves.
11. Switch of the flame and add the powdered mixture to oil and add rice.
12. Mix well and serve hot with Vendakai Patchadi / Lady's Finger Raitha

Carrot Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:
Carrots small - 4-5
Toamtoes - 2
Green chilly - 2
Ginger - 2cms
Curry leaves - 2 arc
Roasted gram/Bhuna channa/Pottukadalai- 20gms
Mustard/Kadugu/Sarson - 1tbs
Til oil - 2tbs
Whole dry red chilly - 2
Salt - 11/4tbs
Water - 1cup

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Wash the carrots, green chilly  and toamtoes.
2. Cut them into chunks and put inside blender and grind them well.
3. Now in a seperate mixer jar powder the roasted gram.
4. Add the powdered roasted gram to the carrot mixer and again blend well.
5. Add salt and grind again.
8. In a pan add oil and heat well.
9. Add the mustard and splutter well.
10. Add curry leaves and asafatida.
11. After the curry leaves splutter lower the flame and add the carrot mixture to the pan.
12. Saute them well.
13. Saute them till the oil leaves sides of the pan.
Your yummy carrot tomato chutney is ready to be served.
It is best to serve them with yogurt/curd so that they can be mixed and taken.
Its the best condiment for dosa or idlis.

Aloo Mutter Dry (Basic)

Ingredients:
Aloo/Potato - 4
Mutter/Green peas/Pattani - 200gms
Pink onion - 2
Tomato - 2
Jeera seeds - 2tbs
Asafatida - 1tps
Curry leaves - 2arc
Green chilly - 2
Turmeric powder - 1tbs
Red chilly powder - 1tbs
Jeera powder - 1/2tbs
Amchoor powder - 1/4tbs
Garam Masala - 1tbs
Salt - 1 tbs
Water - 4 cups
Refined sunflower oil - 3tbs

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Peel aloo and cut them into medium size chunks.
2. Boil them in water.
3. After they boil drain them and keep aside.
4. In a pan add oil. Heat it and add jeera seeds, curry leaves and saute.
5. Add onion and saute well till they turn light brown.
6. Now add toamto and green chilly to it.
7. Saute till tomato shrinks.
8. Add the dry masalas and salt to it. Saute well.
9. Mix well the mixture well on to the potato and peas.
10. Sprinkle water do not pour water.
11. Close the lid and keep it for 2 mins on medium flame.
12. Open the lid of the pan and stir again. Be careful do softly otherwise potatoes would get smashed.
For the final touch add ghee/clarified butter 1tbs on top and mix well hot. Decorate with green coriander and serve with white rice, chappatis, rotis..

BREAD FUNFILLED SECRET

Ingredients:
Wheat bread/ White sweet Bread/ Oat Meal Bread - 5-6 (any kind of bread can be used)
Mutter/Peas/Patani - 200gms
American Sweet Corn - 100gms
Onion - 1
Green Chillies - 2
Pudina - 2 arc
Carrot -1 grated
Green Coriander - 10 arc
Kadala Mav/Besan/ Gram flour - 1 cup
Rice Flour/Arici mav -1 cup
Water-2 cups
Olive oil / Butter - 5tbs
Salt
Kashmiri chilly powder -3tbs
Amchoor powder - 1tbs
Garam Masala powder - 1tbs
Tomato Ketchup - 2tbs
Jeera powder - 1tps

Method/Vidhiee:
1.Grate the carrot, dice the green chilly, coriander leaves and mint leaves.
2. In a bowl add the besan, rice flour, red chilli powder, jeera powder, amchoor powder, garam masala, salt, tomato ketchup and mix well.
3. To it add the mutter,corn, pudina, coriander and carrot.
4. Add water and mix well into a semi-liquid consistency.
5. Heat the tawa and sim it. Add butter or ghee on tawa.
6. Take a bread slice and pour the mixture on top of it.
7. Now place the bread on the tawa. Make sure that the unfilled part of bread is placed on tawa.
8. Add butter / oil on sides and cook it.
9. Turn carefully the other side and press gently and add 2 more spoons of oil.
10. Again turn the filled side and make grill markes with the spoon.

Serve hot yummy yummy bread sceret.. i must say taste buds would ask for more..

ARICI UPMA / RICE UPMA

Ingredients:
White Rice - 1 cup
Moong dhal - 1/4cup
Black pepper - 10gms
Jeera - 3tbs
Asafatida - 2tps
Til oil - 3tbs
Dry Red chillies - 2
Curry Leaves - 2 arc
Water 3 1/2cups
Salt - 1tbs

Method/Vidhiee:
1. In a pan dry roast rice, Moong dhal,Jeera, Pepper, Asafatida seperately and let them cool down.

2. As soon as they cool grind them in a mixer and break them. Caution do not powder them.
3. Advice is to grind the pepper and jeera seperately so that they get broken well.
4. In a pressure cooker add til oil . Once the oil gets heated well add jeera asafatida.
5. Add red chilly and curry leaves saute well.
6. Lower the flame and add the broken rice, moong dhal pepper, jeera broken on to it.
7. Add salt and mix well. Add water to it and close the cooker.
8. Wait for 3 whitsles and switch off.
9. Once the pressure is off open it and mix well.
10. Do not worry if there is much of water on top of the upma it would get absorbed once you mix.
11. Serve hot with brinjal gothsu / sambhar or can be eaten with curd/yougurt...

Note: If you do not have pressure cooker. You can make in pan it self. Keep stirring and adding water till rice and dhal is done.