HARI BHARI CHAPATHI

Ingredients:
Atta/wheat flour - 3 cups
Methi/fenugreek leaves - 5 small bunches
Pudina/mint leaves - hand full
Amchoor - 1/2tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Jeera powder - 1/2tsp
Jeera - 1tsp
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Salt
Oil
Ghee - 2tbs

Method / Vidhiee:
1. Wash and finelly chop mint and fenugreek leaves.
3. In a pan add ghee and splutter jeera.
4. To it add mint and fenugreek leaves and saute them well.
5. Add jeera powder, amchoor & salt.
6. Saute them well and cool them down.

7. In a bowl add atta & the above mixer.
8. Mix well. Add milk and keep kniding them
9. Add water when ever required.
10. Make a chappati dough.
11. Take small portion of the dough.
12. Make a ball and flatten them into chappatties.
13. Put them on to medium heat tawa and cook them adding oil when it turn light brown.

Serve with gravys. Its healthy and fibre content main course.

MASALA POORI

Ingredients:
Atta / Wheat flour - 2 cups
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1tsp
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Amchur / Dry mango powder - 1/4tsp
Garam Masala - 1tsp
Sooji / Rawa - 1/4 cup
Green chilli paste - 1/2 tsp
Green coriander levaes - 1/2 cup
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
Water

Method / Vidhie:
1. In a bowl put the atta,sooji,all the dry masalas, coriander leaves, chilli paste, salt and mix well.
2. Add water to the mixture in order to make a dough.
3. Once the dough is made roll small balls of the dough and keep aside.
4. On a flat surface dust some flour and flatten the balls. Do not flatten very thin.
5. Do not use more flour to dust the dough.

6. In a heavy bottom pan add refined oil enough to fry the rolled balls.
7. When the oil is heated up well add one by one the flatten dough and fry them both the sides.

8. While frying a dough do not minimize the heat.

Serve hot with Aloo sabji / tomato sauce / Grated mango pickle.

GREEN MOONG DHAL PESARATE

Ingredients:
Dry Green moong dhal - 2 glass

Rice - 1glass

Dry red chillies - 25
Asefetida powder - 1 tsp
Ginger - 3 inches
Curry Leaves - 10 strings
Salt
Refined oil
Water

Method / Vidhie:
1. Wash well rice and green moong dhal and soak them in water previous night atleast for min 6-7 hrs

2. Next day drain out the water. Grind the dhal, rice, dry red chillies, asefetida, ginger, required salt & water in mixer.

3. Add the fresh curry leaves to the batter and mix well.

4. If the batter is bit thick add enough water to it in order to pour to make a pancake.

5. Now in a dosa pan add few drops of oil and spread well and heat it.

6. Put 1 to 1 1/2 big spoon of batter and spread the batter in a circular motion.

7. Add 1 spoon of oil to the pan and keep in high flame.

8. Wait till it turns bit brown & turn over so that other side cooks well

9. Serve hot with Tomato Onion chutney (You may c this recipe in CONDIMENT page ) 

WHITE PUMKIN & TOMATO PHULKA (Doodhi aur Tamatar ke Phulke)

Ingredients mentioned below is for making  5-10 Phulkas.

Wet Ingredients:
White Pumpkin - 1 (Semicircular hard piece pumkin-Finely grated)
Tomato - 1 (Red & fully ripe-finely grated)
Curd- 1 tbs
Green Coriander - 3-4 strings (Finely Chopped)
Green Chilly - 1 (If required- Deseed the chilly and dice finely)

Dry Ingredients:
Atta Flour - 3 medium size cups
Amchoor Powder - 1/4 tps (Dry Mango powder)
Salt - As per taste (Add bit low salt than normal for flavour enhancement)
Oil- 1/2 tps
Ghee- 2tbs (for each phulka)

Method / Vidhi:
1. In a bowl take the white pumpkin hard piece grated well after peeling off its skin.
2. Grate the ripe tomoto also on it.
3. Add coriander leaves which were finely chopped & Green chilly to it.
4. Squeeze of the excess water from the vegetables and keep the water aside.

1.On to the squeezed vegetable mixture add Atta flour,Amchoor powder & salt.
2.Mix well & add curd to it.
Caution : do not add water to the mixture as white pumpkin leaves water when left for sometime.
3. Make a tight dough and keep it aside for 5-10 min.
4. If the dough is bit dry add the squeezed vegetable water 1 or 2 tps to it.Add a bit of oil to the mixture.
5. Make small balls of the mixture and flatten each roll using flour to coat on in.
Do not dust too much of flour to roll.
6. Pre heat the tawa and put  the flatten dough on it. Once one side starts showing light brown spots add 2 tps of ghee to it and shallow fry it.
ve hot with any gravy which has a tangy taste.

RICE THEPLAS

Wet Ingredients:
Left over boiled rice - 2 cups
Onion- 1(Finely chopped)
Green chilly - 1 / 2 depends on taste (finely chopped)
Potato - 1 (Boiled & mashed)
Carrot - 1 (Finely grated)
Coconut- 1/4 cup (Do not use desicatted coconut. Use fresh coconut)
Coriander- 4 to 5 strings (Finely chopped)
Curry Leaves - 2 strings

Dry Ingredients:
Ground roasted Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Ground Coriander powder - 1tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Gram flour- 2 tbs
Rice flour - 2 tbs
Asefetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - As per individual taste

Oil to finish

Method/Vidhee :
1. Mix all the Wet ingrdients.
2. To it all the dry ingredients.
3. Mix well to make a thick dough. A tip add few drops of coconut oil for flavour into the mixture.
4. Make small balls.
5. Have a plastic sheet and grease the sheet with oil and flaten each ball to a average thickness. Do not try to make thin.
6. Or Instead you can take a non stick tawa and place the ball on to the tawa and flatten it add some oil to it to cook.
7. Cook both sides and serve hot with the special chutney mentioned below.

GONGURA CHUTNEY-ANDHRA STYLE

 In Andhra Pradesh its one of the favourite spinach which is found in most of the houses.
Its otherwise called as Pullichaikeerai in Tamilnadu. In maharashtra its called as Ambaadi. Its called Pitwaa in hindi.Nalita Saga in oriya, Mestapat in bengali, Pandi in kanada, Sougri in manipuri,Sorrel leaves in english.

I have mentioned how i make the gongura ctuney keeping the andhra style. There are very many styles like with garlic, with small onions etc..

Ingredients:
Gongura leaves - 2 bunch
Green chillies - 4
Red chilly powder -1 tbs
Channa Dal - 10gms
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1tbs
Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 1/2tsp
Til oil - 150gms
Salt - 1 1/2tbs
Mustard seeds - 1tbs
Asefatida - 1/2 tps
Jaggery - 1 small block

Method/ Vidhiee:
1. Take the gongura bunch. Wash them well. Take the leaves separately from the stem.
2. Peel off the middle strand from each of the leaf. Do not worry if the leaves get torn.
3. Be careful that the minute thorns do not prick which are found in the stem.
4. Dry them till the water dries away or saute them in a dry hot pan.
5. Once the leaves are sauteed cool them then grind them along with green chillies
6. You can also add garlic if you like. But, saute the garlic in til oil cool them and grind with leaves

7. In a pan saute Channa Dal, jeera and methi seeds without adding oil till they turn brown.
8. Cool them and grind the powder.

9. In a pan pour till oil. Heat it well and then add mustard seeds and dry red chillies if needed.
10. Add asefatida and splutter the mustard seeds.
11. Add the gongura leaves and chilly mixture slowly.
12. Add red chilly powder and jaggery a bit. Keep stirring.
13. Add salt to it and stir well.
14. Once the oil starts leaving the mixture sprinkle the powder of Channa Dal.
15. Stir well until the chutney leaves all oil and comes without sticking to pan.
16. Cool it and store in glass container.

Caution: Keep away from light, water and wet spoons.
Tip: If you need you can add tamarind. As such the leaves themselves have the soar taste.

PULLI MELAGAI (GREEN CHILLY IN TAMARIND PICKLE)

Ingredients:
Green chillies - 20
Ginger - 10gms
Curry leaves - 3 arc
Mustard seeds - 1tbs
Fenugreek/Methi seeds - 2tps
Sesame/til oil - 1/4 ltr
Tamarind pulp - 1cup
Salt - 2tbs
Turmeric powder - 2tps
Red Chilly powder - 2tps
Asefatida- 2tps

Method/Vidhie:
1. Chop green chillies coarsely in a round shape. Do not de-seed them.
2. Finely chop ginger.
3. In a pan heat oil add fenugreek,mustard & asefatida. Crackle them.
4. Add curry leaves. Do not burn them.
5. Add green chillies & ginger. Add tumeric,red chilly powder,salt. Fry them for 2mins
6. Add tamarind pulp over them.
7. Boil them till the whole mixture thickens.
8. Add little jaggery for enhancing the taste.
9. When oil starts seperating from the gravy. Keep stirring and let it thicken.
10.Your hot "PULLI MELAGAI" is ready.
11. Cool it and transfer to an air tight container.

It goes well with curd rice,semiya bagala bath,dosa,idlli,upma & white rice.
Taste enhances as the days pass.
CAUTION: Do not use it as a sauce.

MULAGAI PODI / IDLLI POWDER

This is one of the common condiment you would find in south india for idllies. dosas.
One of the very old yet very new receipe.

Ingredients:
Urad dhal - 1 cup
Channa dhal - 1 cup
Dry Red chilly - 1 cup (depends on how much hot it is)
Asefetida - 2tsp
Salt - 1tbs

Method/Vidhie:
1. Dry roast channa dhal,urad dhal in a pan till they turn light brown.

2. Dry roast seperately the chillies.

3. Dry roast salt & Asefatida in a pan after turning off the heat.

4. Cool them all grind them into a fine powder.
Put it in a air tight container without affect of moisture.

It has to be sreved after mixing  til/sesame oil to it.
Tip : You can also dry roast sesame seeds of 4-5tbs and grind them along with other ingredients.

TOMATO ONION HOTEL CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 5-6
Onion - 3
Green chillies - 2
Black pepper - 2-3
Curry Leaves - 2-3 strings
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asefetida - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Oil

Method / Vidhie:
1. Slice the tomatoes , onions length wise broadly.
2. Slit the green chillies
3. In a pan add oil splutter mustard seeds, asfetida, curry leaves, tomatoes, onion, pepper and saute them.
4. Saute them until the tomatoes turn juicy & onions turn trasparent.
5. Add salt, turmeric powder and saute few mins.
5. Pour in a plate and cool them.
6. Now grind the gravy in a blender.
7. You can store this for 2-3 days if put in a air tight container.

It adds as a great condiment for Paserate, Hot idllies, Dosa's. 

TANGY HOT COCONUT GINGER CHUTNEY

Wet Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 2-3 (Fully ripped red chopped in big sizes)
Ginger - 1 cm (Chopped )
Coconut- 2 Cups (Freshly grated)
Curry leaves - 2-3 strings

Dry Ingredients:
Red Chillies- 5-6
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste

Oil - 3 tbs

Method / Vidhee:
1. Take a pan. Add 1 tsp of oil to it. Once heated add red chillies, tomatoes & ginger.
2. Saute them for 2min. Then add the freshly grated coconut.
3. Mix well and pour them down to a plate to cool down.
4. After it cools add salt to taste and grind them in a mixer finely.
5. Again take the pan add 2tsp of oil. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, asefetida and 1 red chilly.
6. After the mustard splutters add the ground mixture to it slowly.
7. Fry them till the oil leaves the mixture.
8. Cool it in a container for some time and then close it.
9. Serve as a condiment along with hot Theplas.

PUDINA SWEET CORN RICE

Ingredients:
Pudina/Mint leaves - 1 bunch
Green chilly - 2
American sweet corn - 1 big
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Sauf - 1tsp
Clove/Kramb/Loong -1
Dalchini/pattai/cinnamon - 1 small bark
Bay leaf/brinji elai - 1
Olive oil - 2tbs
Ghee - 1tbs
Spring onions(only greens) - 6 strangs
Basmati rice - 1/2 cup (for 2 people)
Salt

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Wash and pluck the pudina leaves and drain them.
2. In a mixer put the pudina leaves, green chillies and grind them to paste.
3. If there is any difficulty in doing so you cna add water 2tbs
4. Meanwhile, take out the sweet corn and de-seed them.
5. Keep the corn seeds aside.
6. In a pan add olive oil. To it add the sauf, clove,cinnamon and bay leaf.
7. Once they splutter add the pudina paste stir well.
8. Keep stirring and add the sweet corn and salt to it.
9. At end add the washed basmati rice to it and coat it with the mixture.
10. Add ghee on to the rice and pour the rice to rice cooker.
11.Add 1 1/2 cups of water to boil.
12.After 20-25mins you can get the aroma of ghee and pudina.
13. To garnish add the chopped green spring onion to it .

Serve hot with any mixed vegetable gravy.

SEMIYA BAGALABATH

Ingredients:
Semiya - 2cups

Curd - 1 cup
Milk- 2 cups
Mustard seeds - 1tbs
Asefatida - 1tbs
Curry leaves
Red Chillies - 3-4
Green chillies - 2
Ginger chopped - 1/2tbs
Unsalted Butter - 2tbs
Salt
Water

Method/Vidhiee:
1. In a pan add 1tbs of unsalted butter and brake the semiya / vermicelli & saute them till they turn light brown.
2. To it add 4 cups of water.
3. Bring it to boil and cook the semiya.
4. Once the semiya is done add 2 cups of milk.
5. Lower down the heat and add salt to it and stir well.
6. Now cool it down and add 1 cup of beaten curd.
7. In a pan add unsalted butter splutter mustard seeds, split urad dhal,curry leaves,red chillies,green chillies,ginger & asefatida.
8. Pour the them on to the semiya and mix well.
9. Now refrigerate them.
10. Do this at least 2 hrs before you serve.
11. Once you take out gently add some more beaten curd and serve it by garnishing with coriander leaves.

Tip: you can add green grapes,dates,black grapes, pomegranate seeds, kaju,kismis.

CAPSICUM & TOMATO FRIED RICE

Ingredients:
Capsicum - 2
Toamtoes -2
Coriander leaves
Green chilly - 1
Onion - 1
Ginger paste - 2tps
Olive oil - 2tbs
Basmati Rice - 1cup
Amchoor powder - pinch
Jeera - 1tps
Cloves -2
Cinnamon - 1pc
Bay leaf - 1
Salt
Water - 2cups

Method/Vidhie:
1. Chop capsicum & tomatoes into cubes.
2. Chop onions lengthwise and chillies finely.
3. In a pan add oilve oil.
4. Add jeera,cloves,bay leaf,cinnamon and saute well.
5. Add onions. Saute well. Add ginger paste.
6. Now add capsicum and saute well.
7. Add salt to it.
8. Pinch of Amchoor powder.
9. Saute well and add rice which was soaked for 5mins.
10. Mix well and transfer to rice cooker. Mix the tomatoes which were diced.
11. For 1 portions of rice add 2 portions of water.
12. Cook till the rice is done.

BISIBELABATH HULLI ANNA

Bisi means - HOT
Hulli Anna - Tamarind rice
It was initially originated in the state of Karnataka in INDIA.
As rice is the staple diet of southern part of India, there are many types of rice mixtures which are made. One that popular kind is this dish.

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Toor Dhal - 1/2 cup
Brinjal - 2
Potato - 1
Onion - 2
Tomato - 2
Red pumpkin - 25gms
French beans - 3-4
Carrots - 1
Double beans - 10-12
Grean Peas - 15gms
Green chillies - 3
Dry red chillies - 6
Fenugreek - 5gms
Channa Dhal -10gms
Dry coriander seeds - 10gms
Grated dry coconut - 10gms
Asefetida - 1/2tsp
Elaichi / Cardamom - 2pods
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Black pepper - 3-4
Jaggery- 10gms
Tamarind pulp - 5tbs
Refined oil - 4-5tbs
Ghee/Clarified butter - 3tbs
Cashews - 5gms
Mustard seeds - 1tbs
Turmeric powder - 2tsp
Red chilly powder - 1tsp
Curry Leaves - 3-4 strings

Method/ Vidhie:
For making the powder:
In a pan dry roast channa dhal, coriander seeds, fenugreek, elaichi,cinnamon,black pepper, red chillies -4pcs,coconut grated. Cool it and grind it into fine powder.

Meanwhile soak the tamarind and make the pulp out of it.

Cut the brinjal, red pumpkin, potato, french beans, carrots, tomatoes in to big chunks.

In a pressure cooker add oil, mustard seeds, asefatida. Let it splutter. Then add curry leaves and green chillies. Now add the cut vegetables and double beans and stir well.

Start adding dry masalas like turmeric, chilli powder and stir well.
Add the rice & dhall to it and lower the flame. Stir well  & add salt to it.
Now add 4 cups of water for 2 cups of rice. Remember vegetables do have water content in them.
Add jaggery & mix well and close it. Heat it and give it for 3-4 whistles.

After the pressure releases add the tamarind pulp & ground powder. Add water if required.
Stir well adding ghee on the top. Mash the rice well so that even vegetables gets partly mashed.
It has to be semi-solid as ghee falls from a cup.
Add the fried cashews & garnish with green chillies & coriander leaves.

Serve hot never cold :) with raita's / papads.

Tip: To have better outcome. Use dry coconut / copra. Use Kashmiri chilly powder for colour.
More ghee more flavour

VEGETABLE PEPPER FRIED RICE

Recipe designed for four people.
Ingredients:
Carrots -1
French Beans - 4 to 5
Cauliflower - 4 to 5 bunch
Green Peas - 50 gms
Onions - 2
Green Chillies - 2
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Green Coriander leaves - 4-5 strangs
Lemon - 1
Boiled milk - 1/4 glass
Pepper powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Ajinamoto - 1/4 tsp
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 2 tbs
Refined oil - 3 tbs
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1
Bay Leaf - 1
Salt
Water

Method / Vidhie:
1. Cut the carrots, beans, onions lengthwise, cut the cauliflower into small bunches, slit the green chillies.
2. Finely chop the green coriander and keep it aside.
3. Soak the rice in water.
4. In a pan add refined oil then add onions and saute them till they become pink or transparent.
5. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell fades away.
6. Next add carrots, peas, cauliflower, green chillies saute them till they become partly soft.
7. To it add ajinamoto, salt and mix well.
8. Now add milk and mix well .
9. Now add pepper powder and mix well. and pour into the rice cooker.
10. In the same pan add the ghee to it add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and saute well.
11. Now add the soaked rice to the pan after draining water and saute well.
12. Fry rice till the moisture fades away.
13. Add the rice to the mixture in the rice cooker.
14. Pour 2 1/2 cup of water to 1 cup of rice.
15. Once the rice is done. Squeeze lemon juice on it mix well.
16. Serve decorating with green coriander leaves.

Serve Hot with Green Moong dhal sabji (Refer curries/ gravys page)

SPRING ONION PULAV

Ingredients:
Spring Onion - 1 bunch
Green chillies- 2
White pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Basmati Rice / Long flavoured rice- 1 glass
Cardamom - 2 pods
Cloves -2
Cinnamon - 1 small pc
Bay leaf / Tej Pattha / Brinji Leaf - 1
Jeera - 1
Refined Oil - 3 tbs
Ghee / Clarified butter - 1tbs

Method / Vidhie:
1. Finely chop the green portion of spring onion and keep aside. Finely cut the onion and also keep aside.
2. De-seed the green chillies and slit them.
3. In a pan add oil - 1tsp and 1tsp of ghee and put jeera on to it and splutter them.
4. Once they splutter add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bayleaf and add the washed rice to it and fry for 1 min.
5. In a rice cooker add 2 parts of water to 1 part of fried rice and cook them well.
6. In another pan put remaining 2 tsp of oil heat it add onion and green chillies and saute till they become transparent.
7. Add salt and green portion of spring onion to till and saute for 1/2 min. Keep some green portion for adding at the end for crunchiness.
8. When the rice is done add the sauteed mixture to it and mix gently.
9. While serving add the fresh green spring onion and coriander leaves.

GANESH CHATHURTHI/PILLAYAR CHATHURTHI

Ganesh chathurthi is the festival celebrated by Hindus in India.

Its the birth day of Lord Ganesha who is always considered as a favourite god of all from small baby to oldies. Ganesha idols are made in various forms from ancient dancing , sitting postures to the modern computer Ganesha. These idols are painted in various colours. On this auspicious day Modhaka/Kuzhukattai’s which are favourite to Ganesha are made in households and offered to god. These are then distributed among poor and rich as prasadam. This festivals extends for 10 days in northern part of India especially Mumbai. Ten days poojas are done then the idol of Lord Ganesha is immersed in sea water. This is done as a farewell and ask Ganesha to come back next year again.

Lets now learn how to make his fav dishes J

There are essentially two ways of making the dough…One is by soaking the rice and grinding it, which is pretty elaborate but very tasty, and the other is using rice flour. I shall explain both the procedures below.

KOZHAKATTAI DOUGH BY SOAKING RICE:

Raw rice-1 cup

Salt

Coconut oil.

Water

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Soak the raw rice for 2-3 hours and grind in the mixer or grinder to a smooth batter. It does not matter how much water you use as it gets cooked in it finally.
2. Pour the batter in to a kadai. Make sure that there are no clots and add 1/2 -3/4 spoon of salt and a spoon of coconut oil.
3. Switch on the stove setting it on medium low  and keep stirring to avoid clots.
4. After a few minutes, you will find that the water content is rapidly used up to cook the rice batter, and it slowly thickens.
5. After a few more minutes, it will thicken and be cooked. The signs for that is you will find that when you stir, it comes together as a ball.
6. Also the whiteness of the raw rice will give way to a very slightly off white cooked rice ball.
7. Immediately transfer to a bowl and add a spoon of coconut oil.
8. With your hands, knead the ball inside the bowl by smoothing it and bring it together. This step is very integral as this is what binds the dough and takes away the stickiness.
9. At this point, the dough should be well cooked and seamlessly shape in to a ball.
10. Set aside in the bowl and cover with a lid.

KOZHAKATTAI DOUGH USING RICE FLOUR:

Rice Flour-1 cup

Water-2 cups

Salt

Coconut Oil- 2tbs

Method/Vidhiee:

1. In a kadai, pour the water, add coconut oil and salt and allow to boil.
2. Immediately, simmer the stove and add the measured 1 cup of rice flour in to the water.
3. Use a whisk and remove all the clots quickly.
4. With a spatula, rapidly stir in the mixture as if will thicken using the water to cook the rice.
5. As before, keep stirring until you see that the water is all gone and the entire batter scoops up in your ladle as a single mass.
6. Stir for a few more minutes until you are satisfied and the batter does not stick. This would happen only if, the water is not used up so do not fret.
7. Transfer to a bowl, add another spoon of coconut oil and knead well to form a  ball.
8. Set aside covered in the bowl.

Use this smooth outer dough to make delicious Vella Kozhukattai, Uppu Kozhukattai and Ammini Kozhukattais.

VELA KOZHUKATTAI

Grated coconut-1 cup

Grated jaggery(Depending on brand, degree of sweetness etc)- 1/2 – 3/4 cup

Powdered cardamom-1 tsp

Milk-1 tbsp

Water-2-3 tbsp

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Always prepare the poornams or filling ahead as the outer dough has to be made last just before consolidating the Kozhukattais.
2. In a kadai add the jaggery and very little water about 2  Tbsp and 1 tbsp milk and allow to melt.
3. When the jaggery is well melted add the fresh grated coconut and mix well.
4. Also put in the powdered cardamom and stir in well until the mixture leaves the sides.
5. I prefer to make my poornam a little thicker by keeping it on the stove for a longer time to enable me to make them in to balls.
6. Cool the poornam filling and make them in to little balls.

1. Keep the Kozhukattai outer dough prepared and ready as per instructions. Keep it covered under a moist cloth and over that a lid to preserve the moisture and the warmth.
2. Create an assembly line with the Poornam balls, outer dough, greased idli plates and a small cup having 2-3 spoons of coconut oil.
3. Grease your palms with coconut oil and then take a ball of the outer dough and smoothen it between your palms.
4. Make a little depression with your thumb and make it in to the shape of a diya with smooth sides.
5. Fill the depression with the coconut jaggery poornam and close the edges and seal it with your fingers.
6. Continue until you finish the poornam filling.

TIPS:

1. If your sweet poornam/filling is not as thick as you would like it to be, don't fret. Allow it to sit on the stove for a couple of minutes more and add 1 spoon or two of wheat flour. This will bind them together.
2. Another option is to make rough balls and pop them in to the refrigerator for a few minutes. This will automatically firm them up.
3. Before steaming the prepared Modhakas, keep them covered as if they exposed to the air etc, they get dry and crack up. This might render the  poornam to seep out during steaming.

UPPU KOZUKATTAI

Bengal Gram- 1/2 cup

Urad Dhal-1/4  cup

Green Chillies-3- 4

Hing

Salt

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Soak the Bengal Gram and Urad Dhal for about 3 hours just as you would for Paruppu Usili.
2. Used the proportion of 1/2 cup of bengal gram to 1/4 cup of urad dhal. If you want more numbers, of Urad Dhal balls,  you can extrapolate it to 3/4 cup of bengal gram to 1/2 cup of urad dhal.
3. Grind the bengal gram and urad dhal in the mixer with salt, green chillies  and curry leaves with as little water as possible. The water added is  important as this affects the final consistency of the urad dhal crumble.
4. It should not be ground too smooth but a little short of that, a little coarse.  Add hing and  a spoon of oil and mix it in well.

5. Place a seasoning kadai on the stove, add oil and mustard, When the mustard splutters, add it to the ground paste.

1. Grease 1 or 2 idli plates and fill the firm ground  paste in the idli plates. Steam in the pressure cooker for 12 – 15 minutes. Switch off gas and remove the plates and allow to cool.
2. Transfer the cooked dhal idlis to a plate and pour 1 spoon of coconut/gingely/canola oil on them and slowly crumble them with your oiled fingers.
3. Try to do this when its still warm.
4. Now with the help of a oil greased hands again, press the crumbles in to 1 inch balls. Keep covered in a container to retain the moisture.
5. Close like a coconut and make a little tuft resembling a coconut.,
6. Keep your hands oiled when you are working with the Outer Dough.
7. 

   Place the prepared modhaks in greased idli plates and steam in the pressure cooker for 12 minutes.
8. Switch off stove, and after a few minutes transfer.

AMINI KOZUKATTAI

Green chillies -2 cut in to small pieces.

Curry Leaves – 2-3 strings

Hing/Asefatida

Mustard

Broken Urad Dhal.

Salt.

Oil

Method/Vidhiee:

1.      The outer dough of Kozhukattais have negligible salt. So take the dough and add sufficient powder salt and mix it in by kneading well. If you feel the dough is a little dry, add a few drops of coconut oil to your hands.

2.      Make a smooth ball.

3.      Greasing your hands, shape it in to smaller balls, say, the size of naphthalene balls and keep covered in a bowl.

4.      Complete the dough by making small balls and arrange on greased idli plates.

5.      Steam them in the pressure cooker without weight for 10 minutes on high. As they have already been cooked once, it will cook in steam pretty fast.

6.      Once the cooker is switched off, wait for a few minutes and collect all the balls on the serving bowl.

7.      In a seasoning kadai, add 2 spoons of oil. When hot, add broken urad dhal, mustard, green chilies, hing and curry leaves.

8.      Drop over the kozhukattais and mix well.

Delicious Mini/Ammini Kozhakattais are ready to be served.