Aval/Poha/Chivda Jhatpat Mixture

No snacks available guests arriving by half hour.. Here is a Jhatpat quick mixture receipe within 20mins.

Ingredients:
250 gms - Flattened Rice/Aval / Poha
100 gms - Red Peanuts/ Verkadala/Munfalli
1 cup      - Dry Coconut/ Coppara bits
5              - Dry Red chillies
2 tbs       -  Red Chilly Powder
1 tbs       -  Turmeric Powder
1 tbs       -   Asafetida/Perunkayam/Hing
Bunch of curry leaves
Salt to taste
300 ml   - Oil to deep fry

Method:
1. Mix Aval with pinch of turmeric & oil.
2. Heat 100 ml oil and put small quantities of aval. Deep fry them. Make sure oil is pretty hot so that poha rises up quickly.
3. You would see all the oil get used for frying poha.
4. Add in rest of 200ml of oil.
5. Deep fry peanuts which takes a bit long time.
6. Then curry leaves followed by red chillies,coppara.
7. Cool them and mix them all in a clean box.
8. Mix the red chilly powder, salt, turmeric, asafetida into a powder
9. Sprinkle generously onto the mixture. Stir well.
10. Store in a air tight container

For sure this would be a good snack for the evening with tea.

Suggestions:
You can add roasted gram dhal/ pottu kadalai/ roasted channa dal, potato chips

Kanji Mavu/ Sathu Mavu/Healthy Traditional Porridge

Kanji Mavu or Sathu Mavu a traditional south Indian homemade healthy protein drink. Yes, you too get these in packed from across the shelves. It seems always easy to use ready mixes but, making your own from scratch gives you a satisfaction of avoiding adulterated food, more quantity and off course cost effective.
Kanji is mostly given to kids above 1yr and can be taken by any adult. The combinations of grains might differ according to each ones preference. It is more or less similar to ragi ball made by kanadigas but, tamalians tend to add additional combination of other grains.

Caution: All the ingredients listed below might be allergic to few people or might create stomach upset. So check the grains in small quantities and then use them.

Ingredients: for making 1 kg of Kanji mavu
300 gms - Ragi/ Finger Millet
100 gms - Bajara/Pearl Millet
50   gms - Jowar/ Sorgham flour
20   gms - Peanuts/ Ground nut
10   gms - Dry Corn Kernels
10   gms - Barley
5     gms - Badam/Almonds
5     gms - Green Gram/Pacha Pairu
5     gms - Roasted Gram/ Pottukadalai
5     gms - Jav Arisi/Tapioca Seeds

Methods
1. Dry roast all the ingredients separately.
2. Cool them and grind them into fine powder.
3. You may need to sieve them thrice and grind.
4. Mix them well cool them and store it in air tight container.

Method to make poridge:
1. Mix 2tbsp sugar/jaggery, 4 tbsp of Kanji Mavu to 2 parts of water.
2. Mix them well.
3. On a medium heat slowly keep stirring until the mixture turns to a porridge consistency. It would look like a glass plain texture.
4. To it add 1 glass of milk.
5. Mix well and drink hot.

If, you are not ok with milk. Replace salt and buttermilk instead of sugar and milk.
1. Cool the mixture and mix well with buttermilk .

Vazzhakai Podimas/ Raw Banana Dry Curry

A traditional dry curry made down south of India called Vazzhakai Podimas. Simple ingredients to explore and healthier one too.

Ingredients
2  - Raw Bananas/ Vazzhakai
3 tbsp - Fresh Grated coconut
1 tbsp - Broken Urad Dal
1 tbsp - Mustard / Kadugu
1 tbsp - Coconut oil
1 tbsp - Asafetida
1          - Dry red chilly
1          - Green chilly chopped
1 Wedge - Lemon/lime
Curry leaves
Salt to Taste

Method:
1. Steam cook the raw bananas.
2. Peal the skin off once they are cooked.
3. Grated the steamed bananas thru a carrot grater.
4. In a pan add oil. Once heated add in muatard,urad dal, curry leaves, asafetida.
5. Once they splutter add in green chillies.
6. To it add in grated raw bananas,salt and mix well.
7. Saute for 5 mins.
8. Remove from heat and squeeze 1 wedge of lemon.
Serve hot along with rice.

Vendhaya Keerai Arachu Vitta Kootu

Vendhaya Keerai/ Methi leaves/ Fenugreek leaves has a strong medicinal value for your system. Even though it tastes bitter when cooked gives immense flavour and taste.

Ingredients
2 - Big bunch Vendhaya Keerai

If the bunches are small use 4
1/2 cup - Grated coconut
1/4 cup - Pitham Parupu / Moong Dal
1 1/2 tbsp    -  Jeera
1 tbsp          -  Pepper
3                   -  Dry red chillies
2 tbsp          -  Oil
1 tbsp          -  Mustard seeds
1 tbsp          -  Urad Dal
1                   -  Chopped green chilly
1 inch          -  Ginger
Asafetida
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Water to boil

Method:
1. Wash the vendhaya keerai or methi leaves thoroughly.
2. Pluck only the leaves and chop them coarsely.
3. In a pressure cooker add in keerai,Pitham parupu,ginger & green chillies,water as required to boil.
4. Pressure cook the keerai and give 4 whistles.
5. Meanwhile grind jeera,pepper,2 red chillies, coconut, asefatida.
6. Pour the ground paste on to the keerai along with salt and mix well.
7. In a pan add coconut oil , mustard seeds, jeera, 1 dry red chilly, asafatida, curry leaves.
8. Splutter them and pour it over the kootu.
Yummy healthy looting is ready. It can be taken with rice, chappati,bread too.

Corn Sundal

Ingredients
2 - Sweet corn
1 tbs -  Urad dal
1 tbs -  Mustard
2 tbs -  Oil
1 tbs - Black Pepper powder
Asafatida
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar

Method:
1. In a pan add oil, Mustard seeds, urad Sal, curry leaves,asafatida.
2. To it add boiled sweet corn,salt,sugar,black pepper powder.
3. Mix well and serve hot.

Thattai

Thattai - name calls for crisp,tasteful snack anytime. Down south of India along with Seedai thattai is also made on Lord Krishna's birthday or Krishna Jayanthi.

Ingredients:

1 cup - Idli rice or Boiled rice
1/4 cup - Pottukadalai or roasted gram dhal
1 tbs     - Pepper powder
1 tbs    - Asafatida
2 tbs   - Channa Dhal or Kadalai Parupu
1 arc.  - Curry leaves
1 tbs.   - Red Chilly powder or flakes
Salt to Taste
Water to soak rice and dhal
Oil to deep fry

Method
1. Soak rice for 4hrs. Drain and grind into a fine semi liquid batter
2. Soak Channa dhal for 1hr
3. Grind the pottukadalai into powder
4. In a bowl add in the rice batter. To it add pottukadalai powder little by little in small quantities.
5. Add in salt,chilly powder,pepper powder,asafatida,Channa Sal drained,curry leaves.
6. Mix well into a dough.

7. Meanwhile heat oil on medium flame or induction 3 point
8. Take a small lemon size dough and flatten it round using 3 fingers a tissue paper or plastic sheet or wet cloth.
9. Test a bit of dough in oil to check temperature of oil. Dough has to raise up.
10. Slowly drop 2 to 3 flattened dough into oil depending on size of your pan

11. Turn the dough after 30 secs to other. Fry them until golden brown.
12. Drain it on to a tissue paper and store it in air tight container once it cools down.

SOYE KEERAI VADAI

Soye Keerai - That's how its called down south. It more or less looks like a cilantro/coriander or even rosemary. But, warning it is smell bound- means it has a strong pungent smell. Always use it fresh.
You can use any other spinach to make this vadai.

Ingredients
1 cup - Chopped Soye Keerai
1 cup -  Onions finely chopped
2 inch - Ginger finely chopped
2 cups - Soaked Pitham Parupu / Broken Green gram
1 cup   - Soaked Raw rice
2 tbs    - Soaked Toor Dal
2         -  Melagu / Pepper
1 tbs   -  Jeera
4 pcs   - Dry Red Chilly (Depending upon your taste)
1 tbs    - Asafetida
1/2 cup - Water
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method/Vidhee:

1. Soak the pulses and rice for 2 hrs. 
2. Smoothly grind in a blender along with pepper, jeera, dry red chilly, asafatida, ginger
3. Add water if required to make batter bit semi solid & not watery.

4. Add finely chopped soye keerai, onions, curry leaves, salt, ground batter.

5. Mix them well.
6. Heat oil on high flame.
7. Deep fry small portions into vada shapes.
8. Deep fry until they turn golden brown.
9. Once done take it and drain on to a tissue paper.

10. Serve hot with sweet chutney, green chutney.



 

Chow Chow Thol Thokku/ Chow Chow Skin Tangy Chutney

Chow Chow or otherwise known as Bangalore Kathrikai or Chayote vegetable is a common vegetable which is used down of south India. Rich is calcium,iron,magnesium etc.. a water based when cooked becomes transparent.

Ingredients:
 1 bowl / 200gms- Peeled skin of Chow Chow
 100 gms               - Kadala parupu/ Channa Dhal
  3 pcs                    - Dry Red chilly
  2 inch                  -  Ginger
  1 pc                      - Tomato
  (If, you don't like tomato you can use 1 small lemon size tamarind)
   1 tbs                    -  Til Oil/ Nalla Ennai (Can use any oil)
   1/2 tbs                -  Asafatida
   1 tbs                    -  Salt to taste

 Method / Vidhiee:
  1. Peel the skin of chow chow and keep aside.
  2. In a pan add some oil and roast the channa dal, dry red chilly, asafatida separately. Keep aside until the        heat goes down.
  3. In the same pan add in the roughly chopped tomato and skin removed ginger.
  4. In a mixer add in the roasted channa dal, red chilly, asafatida, salt grind them well into a powder.
  5. To it add the peeled chow chow peel, ginger, tomato.
  6. Grind all of them together into a paste like consistency.
 
 Serve with hot cooked white rice and ghee.

Mixed Pullipu Kootu

Pullipu or Tangy or Khatta gravy dish made during 3rd day of Pongal festival down south. It is one of the healthiest and yummy traditional dishes made during that season. It is served with mixed rices like coconut rice, lemon rice, tomato rice, puliyogare rice, curd rice etc.. on normal days too you can serve it along with dosa, chappati.

Serves - 4

Ingredients:
2                - Large Red/Orange Carrots
10             - French Beans
5               - Clustered Beans
100 gms - Fresh green peas
100 gms  - White pumpkin
100 gms  - Red pumpkin
50   gms  - Yam
2                - Medium Potato
1                - Large Capsicum
1/2            - Chayote/Cho-Cho/Chow-Chow
2                - Green chillies
1/2 inch  - Ginger
200 ml     - Tamarind pulp
1 tbs         - Turmeric powder
1 tbs         - Sambhar powder
3 tbs         - Home made kootu powder (check end of the page for the recipe)
1 tbs         - Oil
1/2 tbs     - Mustard seeds
2 arc          - Curry leaves
1/2 tbs     - Asafatida
1     tbs     - ghee
Salt to taste

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Roughly chop carrots, french beans, clustered beans, white pumpkin, red pumpkin, capsicum, potato, Yam(to be chopped and par boiled separately), chayote, green chilly, ginger finely chopped.
2. In a pressure cooker add oil and splutter the mustard seeds, curry leaves along with asafatida.
3. Add in the vegetables, turmeric powder, sambhar powder, tamarind pulp, salt amd if needed add in 1/2 cup water.
4. Pressure cook the vegetables until 3 whistles come.
5. Once the pressure cools add in the kootu powder.

Kootu Powder : Dry roast & Grind the below ingredients. You can use them in various other south Indian kootus and curries.

2 tbs   - Channa dal
1 tbs   - Corainder seeds
2          - Dry red chilly
1/2 tbs - Asafatida
1/4 tbs - Fenugreek seeds

6. Add in the kootu powder on the vegetables and boil them by stirring for 3 mins.
7. Temper some more curry leaves and mustard in ghee . Pour them over the vegetables.

Sootta Kathrikai Godssu / Burnt Aubergine Spicy Curry

Brinjal / Aubergine / Kathrikai / Baigan  what ever you name you call... it's one kind of vegetable affordable but, not liked by many. It contains low fat but, also low in minerals and proteins. The best smoky vegetable you can have. This dish is an very old one from our grandmothers book. It is generally served along with the hot hot pongal!!!!

Ingredients:

1             -  Big hallow Violet Aubergine
2             -  Red Tomatoes
2             -  Green Chilly
2             -  Curry Leaves Arc
1 inch   - Ginger
1 tbs     - Turmeric powder
1 tbs     - Red chilly powder
1/2 tbs - Sambhar powder
10 ml    - Tamarind Pulp
2 tbs     - Til oil
1 tbs     - Mustard seeds
1/2 tbs - Broken urad dal
1/2 tbs  - Asafatida
2              - Red Chilly
Salt to taste
100 ml - Water
Optional 1  -  Onion 


You can make a spice powder exclusively to add to the godssu
2 tbs - Channa Dal, 1 tbs - Coriander seeds, 1/4 tbs - Fenugreek seeds, 5 - Dry red chilly, 1/4 tbs - Asafatida
Dry roast them and grind them coarsely. Store the powder in a dry air tight container. 


Method / Vidhiee:

1. Wash the aubergine thoroughly and wipe it completely. 
2. Rub some oil over the aubergine.
3. Smoke it over a wood fire or a normal gas stove.

4. Make sure the vegetable turns fully black.
5. In between poke a knife inside the aubergine.
6. If the knife goes smoothly inside it means that the vegetable is cooked.
7. Keep it aside and cool it down.
8. De-skin the burnt aubergine. Chop the inside pulp of it or mash it with a masher.
9. Meanwhile finely chop tomatoes, green chilly, ginger.
10. In a pan add in til oil. Splutter mustard seeds, broken urad dal, asafatida, curry leaves, dry red chilly.
11. Add in the chopped tomatoes, green chilly, ginger.
12. Saute and add in all dry powders to it including salt.
13. Until the tomatoes turn soft saute it.
14. Now add in the mashed aubergine to it.
15. Mix well and add some water to it. Add in the tamarind pulp. Boil it for 3 mins.
16. If needed add in the home made masala powder.
17. Keep stirring occasionally.
18. Garnish with chopped green coriander leaves.

Serve hot along with Pongal!

Godumai Rawa Upma / Broken Wheat Upma with Thakkali Thair Patchadi

Off late the broken wheat has taken over the rice meal. Broken wheat considered as a sumptuous, easily digestible and easy to make main course ingredient. Down south of India in Tamilnadu broken wheat has been in used as main ingredient for various main course dishes. One of such is this Upma.

Fresh morning with heavy, healthy breakfast... Try it!!!!

Ingredients:

• 250 gms  - Godumai Rawa / Broken wheat
• 1 tbs        - Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tbs     - Cumin seeds
• 3-4          - Dry red chillies
• 2 tbs       -  Sesame oil
• 1 tbs       - Asafatida
• 1 tbs       - Broken urad dal
• 2 arc       - Curry leaves
• 500 ml   - Water
• 100 ml   - Water for soaking
• Salt to taste

Method / Vidhiee:
1. In a pressure cooker add in oil.
2. Once it gets heated up add in mustard, cumin, broken urad dal,asafatida, dry red chillies and saute till they splutter.
3. Do not turn them black. Hence, lower the flame.
4. Add in the curry leaves.
5. Soak the broken wheat for 10 mins before you start this process.
6. Add in the broken wheat after straining the water.
7. Stir well and add salt, 500 ml water to it.
8. Or you can measure it as 1 cup of broken wheat to 3 cups of water.
9. Pressure cook and leave minimum 3 whistles.
10. After the pressure is off open the lid of the cooker. Mix the upma well.

Serve hot with any chutney or with tomato curd patchadi.... see below for the method.

Thakkali / Tomato Thair Patchadi

Ingredients:

• 2         - Medium sized red tomatoes
• 1         - Green chilly
• 1 arc   - Curry leaves
• 1 tbs    - Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tbs - Asafatida
• 1/2 tbs - Dry red chilly powder
• 1/2 tbs - Turmeric powder
• 2 cups  - Beaten curd
• 1/4 tbs - Sugar
• 1/2 tbs - oil
• Salt to taste

Method/ Vidhiee:
1. Finely chop the tomaotes and green chilly.
2. In a pan add in oil and splutter the mustard seeds along with curry leaves and asafatida.
3. Add in the chopped tomatoes and green chilly.
4. Now add in turmeric powder, red chilly powder, sugar and salt.
5. Saute till the tomatoes turn soft.
6. Cool them and add into the beaten curd.

Garnish with green coriander and serve it along with Upmas, dosa, idllies, chappattis.

Dry Black - Nightshade Roasted or Manathakali Vathaal

Manathakali seeds or otherwise called as Black Nightshade seeds. Down south of India these seeds are separated from the black nightshade spinach leaves. They would be black /green colour.
Traditional process of dehydrating and using it as and when required. It is believed to have medicinal properties that can heal mouth ulcers and also clears of worms in the stomach.

Ingredients:

• 200 gms  - Black Nightshade seeds or Manathakali vedhai
• 100 ml     - Buttermilk
• 1 tbs        - Rock Salt
• 50 ml       - Oil

Method / Vidhiee:
1. Wash the Manathakali seeds and dry them.
2. Mix rock salt to the buttermilk. Beat them well.
3. Soak the seeds into the buttermilk for 2 days under sunlight.
4. After 2 days drain excess fluids and dry them under the sun for at least 4 days.
5. You can see the seeds shrink and turned into brown and black.
6. Once they are crisp store them into an air tight container.

7. When needed heat oil and slow or switch of the flame.
8. Put in some dried seeds into it and roast them. Beware they get roasted in seconds.

9. Once they turn into filled seeds into a round shape drain them.

You can crush them and mix it with rice and use them.
It can also be used for making the famous Varthal Kozambu of south India.

Note: Drying time may vary depending upon the humidity the seeds are kept. Hence, it might take less or more days to dry.

Mysore Rasam

You can say this Indian soup is bit spicy filled with luxury. Different from a usual rasam option. It gets its name from one of the most historical places of India -- Mysore. It is certainly bit different from the usual ones and ought to be sorted into a occasional or festival dish.

Ingredients:

2             - Medium red tomatoes

3             - Dry red chilly

2 tbs        - Dry coriander seeds/Sabuth dhania/Kothamalli verrai

2 tbs        - Cumin seeds/Jeera/Jeeragam

1 tbs        - Pepper/Kali mirch/Millagu

1 tbs        - Asafatida

1 tbs        - Channa dal

4 tbs        - Dry coconut scraps or Koppra

2 tbs        - Jaggery/Gudd/Vellam

2 tbs        - Ghee

2 tbs        - Oil

1 tbs        - Mustard Seeds/Rai/Kadugu

75 gms     - Tamarind/Imli/Puli (4 tbs of tamrind paste)

500 ml      - Water

100 gms   - Boiled Thoor dal/Thovaram Parupu

1 tbs         - Rasam powder

1 tbs         - Turmeric powder

4 arcs       - Curry Leaves

1 slit          - Green Chilly

Generous amount of green coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Soak the tamarind in 250 ml water for half and hour.

2. Extract the pulp and keep aside.

3. Finely chop the tomatoes and slit the green chilly. Add them to the tamarind pulp.

4. Add turmeric powder to the pulp and keep it on flame to boil.

5. Meanwhile, add 1/2 tbs of oil in a pan and roast channa dal, dry coriander seeds,pepper, cumin seeds, 1/2 tbs Asafatida,dry coconut.

6. Roast them till they turn golden brown.

7. Cool them and grind them into a powder.

8. Alongside boil the toor dal and bring it to mashed state.

9. Once you feel the metallic taste of the tamarind has gone add in the salt,remaining water and boiled toor dal.

10. Boil it for another 10 mins. Add in the ground powder along with powdered jaggery.

11. Lower the flame add the remaining asafatida to it and chopped green coriander.

12. In a tempering pan add in ghee and remaining oil. Add in the mustard seeds,remaining jeera and 1 dry red chilly,curry leaves.

13. Once the spices have spluttered add them to the boiling rasam 

14. Close the rasam vessel with a lid to retain the flavors.

Serve hot rasam with white rice along with a gentleness of ghee over it. It would certainly would be a feast once you serve this rasam.

Coconut Rice/Thengai Sadam

Coconut rice authentic simple,yummy, aromatic south Indian mixed rice.
It's mostly made during festivals. A perfect lunch box item.

Ingredients:
200 gms - Fresh grated coconut
2 tbs      - Coconut oil
1 tbs      - Mustard
1 tbs      - Broken urad dal/Odecha ullatham parupu
1 tbs      - Channa dal/Kadala parupu
4 arcs    - Curry leaves
400 gms - Cooked boiled rice (do not use basmati rice)
2            - Green chilly
10 pcs   - Cashew nuts (not mandatory)
1/4 tbs   - Asafatida/Hing/Peerungayam
2-3        - Dry red chilly
Salt to taste

Method/Vidhiee:
1.Grate the coconut one part of the shell and keep it aside.
2. Finely chop green chilly.
3. Cook the rice in the proportion of 1 cup rice : 1.5 cups of water.
4. Rice should be cooked in such away that each grain cooked stays separate and dosen't stick to each other.
5. In a pan heat oil. Add in the broken urad dal,asafatida,mustard seeds,dry red chilly,cashew nuts.
6. Temper them. Then add in the curry leaves,green chilly.
7. Add salt. Over it add in the cooked rice and mix gently.
8. Now add in the fresh grated coconut over the rice and mix well.
Serve hot with chutneys,papads,chips,kosthusus

Kathrikai Podi Potta Karamedhu/Brinjal Fry south Indian Method

This is one of the typical south Indian Brahmin side dishes which is being carried on for generations.
It's easy, simple and tasty too.. Caution: Those who are allergic to Brinjal kindly avoid.

Ingredients:
1/2 Kg - Brinjal / Kathrikai / Beigan
1 tbs    -  Broken urad dal / Odacha ullatham paruppu
1 tbs    - Mustard
2 arc    - Curry leaves
2 tbs    - Oil
1 tbs    - Turmeric powder
1 tbs    - Kashmiri chilly powder
1/4 tbs - Asafatida
1         - Dry red chilly
 Salt to taste

To make curry powder/podi
4tbs        - Kadala parupu/Channa dal
2 tbs       - Dry coriander seeds
1/2 tbs    - Dry pepper cons
2             - Dry red chilly
1/4 tbs    - Asafatida/Perungayam/Hing

Method/Vidhiee:
TO MAKE PODI / SOUTH INDIAN CURRY POWDER

1. Dry roast the ingredients mentioned for making powder for the curry.
2. Cool them and grind them into dry powder. Can be used for all the vegetable curries.
3. Can be stored for minimum 6-8 weeks in an air tight container. 
4. It can also be roasted in oil to add a zing. You can also add curry leaves for aroma.

TO MAKE CURRY / KARAMEDHU

1. Clean the brinjal and cut them into small square pieces.
2. Here, i have used green brinjal. You can use any variety which you find in the market.
3. Add oil heat it. Add urad dal,mustard seeds. Once it splutters add in asafatida, curry leaves and dry red chilly.
4. Now, add in the brinjal. To it add the turmeric powder,kashmiri red chilly powder,salt.
5. Saute them until the brinjals turn soft and the oil leaves edges.
6. Add in 2 tbs of the powder made on the top of the brinjal.
7. Mix them well and saute for 3 mins.

Serve hot with rasam rice/sambhar rice or even with chappathi.

Manathakali Kerrai Perattal

Manathakali or Black Nightshade Spinach. It is one of the ancient medicinal spinach. They are more prevalent down south of India. Especially in Tamilnadu. Simple dish with no extra effort but to pluck the leaves wash them and chop. First few recipes which i learnt from my mom. She still insists in having this spinach when we have mouth ulcers.

Ingredients:
2 Bunches - Manathakali Keerai
100 gm     - Grated fresh coconut
1 to 2       - Dry red chilly
1 tbs        - Mustard seeds
1/4 tbs     - Asafatida
1/2 tbs     - Turmeric powder
50 gm     - Toor dal
500 ml    - Water
2 tbs       - Oil
Salt to taste
secret ingredient jaggery or sugar

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Always wash the spinach before chopping them.
2. Wash well and pluck the leaves and keep aside.
3. Chop them finely.
4. Meanwhile, boil the toor dal. Try keeping them whole instead of getting mashed.
5. In a pan add in oil. Once oil gets heated up add in the asafatida,mustard,dry red chilly and temper them.
6. Now add in the spinach and slowly mix them along with mustard.
7. Add in 200 ml of water and allow it to boil by adding salt.
8. Allow it to dry. Stir occasionally.
9. Now add in the jaggery and boiled dal.
10. Saute them well until the moist fades down.
11. At the end add in the grated coconut and mix well.
Serve hot with rice, chappati.
It is a bitter spinach that is the reason we are adding jagger or sugar.

En iniya Thamizh Puthandu Nal Vazthukal!! To all u folks Wish you all a Happy Tamil New Years Day. Cook, serve,eat be happy :)

Yummy Thalicha Thair Sadham/Seasoned Curd Rice/Tadkawale Dahi Bath

One of the most popular and daily rice dish made across south India. It may sound weird to put on this rice dish but, it cannot be denied that this basic dish is often taken for granted and people don't get the exact result. As mentioned in my blog i try to cover the basics too...

• 1 cup     - Rice
• 1 tbs      - Mustard seeds/Rai/Kadugu
• 1 tbs      - Broken urad dal/Odecha ulatham parupu
• 1/2 tbs   - Asafatida/Hing/Perunkayam
• 2-3        - Dry red chilly
• 2 tbs      - Refined oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 arc       - Curry leaves
• 1            - Green Chilly
• 2 inches   - Ginger
• 1 cups     - Dahi/Tahir/Curd  (If, you are serving immediately add 2 cups if, after an hour add 1/2 cup 1/2 cup milk)
• 1 cup       - Milk
• 3 cups      - Water
• Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• Secret ingredient : Unsalted White butter 2 tbs :)

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Wash rice and cook then in proportion of 1:3 ratio water.

2. Once the rice is cooked and salt and mash them well.

3. Cool them for a while and add in the curd, milk.

4. If, you are serving immediately add 1 cup of curd and 1/2 cup milk.

    If, after an hour add 1/2 cup curd and 1 cup milk. Mix well.

5. Meanwhile, finely chop the green chilly and ginger.

6. In a small pan add oil heat it well.

7. Add in the asafatida, then mustard seeds splutter them, broken urad dal,dry red chilly.

8. Now put in the curry leaves, green chilly and ginger.

9. Pour in the tadka or the seasoning on to the rice.

10. While serving you can add water if the rice is bit thick. Make it semi solid.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
Serve cool. You can keep in refrigerator. 

Tip:

• You can add in finely chopped cucumber,grated carrots,pomegranate,raw mango.
• Please avoid mixing onion into the rice. You can have it as an condiment.
• If, you want an instant cool rice add in chilled water or ice cubes.

Vella Appam / Sweet Jaggery Dumplings

Vellam Appam - Made in down south of India during festivals. Especially on Karthigai Deepam festival which comes after Diwali. A traditional dish with bit changes according to times.

Ingredients:
200 gms - Atta/Godumai Mav/Wheat flour
100 gms - Chawal ka atta/Arici Mav/Rice flour
150 gms - Guud/Vellam/Jaggery (Try not taking very dark colour jaggery)
2 pods   - Elaichi/Elakai/Cardamom
150 ml   - Water (approx)
20 gms   - Dry coconut bits (If, preferred)
2 tbs      - Sugar
1/4 ltr - Oil
3 tbs   - Ghee/Clarified butter/Nei

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Sieve the Atta, rice flour separately without any lumps.
2. In a blender add the jaggery,atta and rice flour.
3. Grind them for a min giving intervals in between.
4. Make them into a consistency of bread crumbs.
5. In a small mixer jar add sugar and cardamom pods.
6. Grind them till the pods turn into powder.
7. Take of the outer layer after grinding.
8. Add the cardamom powder to the jaggery atta rice flour mixture.
9. Add water to it and make a semi liquid consistency.
10. Take a appam pan which has deep round impressions on it. In which you can fill in the oil and mixture.
11. If you are not able to get it you can deep fry them in a small pan but, you should make one at a time.
12. Coming back to making the dumplings in Appakaral (You get non-stick Appakaral these days)-- Mix ghee and oil.
13. Add quarter spoon of oil into the holes once they are hot add the jaggery mixture till half of the hole.
14. Cook them in medium flame.Turn slowly with a wooden or steel pricker or with a knife.
15. Once you have turned wait for the other side to cook.
16. Once the other side also turns golden brown. Prick one by one. Drain them and serve hot.

Beans Paruppu Usli

French beans lentil curry... Beans Paruppu Usli one of the traditional and heavy dry curry served during Tamil marriages. This is made mostly during festivals. But, indeed a regular one at least a month at many of the Tamil Brahmin homes. You can use the dal as base and do usli in cabbage,carrot,beetroot too..
There are 2 different procedures which people follow. You can have a look on both of them here.

• 1/4 kg - French Beans
• 200 gms - Channa dal/Kadalai parupu/Gram Dal
• 4-5 - Dry red chilly / Kanja segappu mellagai /Sookhi sabuth lal mirch
• 1/2 tbs - Hing/Perunkayam/Asafatida
• 1/2 tbs - Turmeric powder
• 250 ml - Water
• 4 tbs - Refined oil
• 1 tbs - Kadugu/Mustard seeds /Sarsoon
• 2 Arc - Curry leaves/Karvepillai/Curry pathe
• Salt to taste

Method /Vidhiee:
1. Wash and soak Channa dal in water for at least 2 hours. If, you are in a hurry soak them in lukewarm water for 1 hour.
2. Along with it soak 4 dry red chilly. Keep one aside for tempering.
3. Meanwhile, wash and finely chop the french beans after removing the strands from them.
4. After 2 hours take a dal and try to break it. If, it breaks then it means the dal is soaked well.
5. Drain excess water and grind them in a blender.
6. Do not add water. Grind them coarsely and not to paste.

As i mentioned before after this step there are 2 types of processes people do.

I st type:
1. In a frying pan add oil. Once its hot add hing, mustard seeds, dry red chilly and curry leaves.
2. After the mustard splutters add the beans over it.
3. Saute them for about 2 mins.
4. Fry them till they are half done.
5. Or you can also add 5 tbs of water and boil them.
6. Now when the beans are done add the ground paste.
7. It's better you use a non-stick pan or else this method requires more oil.
8. Mix beans and ground dal thoroughly.
9. Add salt and turmeric powder to it.
10. Add at least extra 2 tbs of and keep sauteing it until the dal and beans gets together.
11. A consistency you would get when the dal gets golden brown and crisp.
12. This indicates that the curry is done and the dal is cooked.

I Ind type:
1. Grease the idlli plate or any plate and make balls of the ground dal and steam them for at least 7-8 mins.

2. You can prick the dal balls with a knife and if they come out without any dal on them then its done.
3. Semi-cool them and take them out.
4. Break the dal balls and make it as a bread crumb.
5.In a frying pan add oil. Once its hot add hing, mustard seeds, dry red chilly and curry leaves.
6. After the mustard splutters add the beans over it.
7. Saute them for about 2 mins.
8. Fry them till they fully cooked in oil.
9. Add salt and turmeric to it and saute again.
10. Now add the crumbled steamed dal over the beans.
11. Saute them till the dal turns golden brown.
12. You can add oil to make them crisp.