Dates Tomato Sweet Chutney

Dates Tomato combination most people do not make it. But, thanks to my mom who gave me the taste of it at the very young age. All of us at home love this chutney. Past few months we had rather forgotten it until my dad asked for it!! And here it goes for all of you :)

• 100 gms - Seedless brown dates/Pericham pazam/Khajoor
• 4 - Medium sized tomatoes
• 2 - Cloves/Krambu/Loong
• 1 - Cardamom/Elakai/Elaichi
• 1 tbs - Fennel/Sombu/Saunf
• 1 tbs - Cumin/Seeragam/Jeera
• 1 - Bay leaf/Brinji Elai/Tez patha
• 1 - Green Chilly
• 100 gms - White sugar
• 1 pinch - Salt
• 100 ml - Water
• 1 tbs - Oil

Method/Vidhiee:
1. De-seed the dates and chop them roughly.
2. Wash and chop the tomatoes finely. Slit the green chilly.
3. In a saucepan add oil.
4. Once the oil is hot add in the fennel seeds, cloves,cardamom,jeera and bay leaf.
5. Wait till the jeera and fennel turn black.
6. Add in the dates and saute for 2 mins.
7. Add in the chopped tomatoes and green chilly.
8. Add the pinch of salt to it.
9. Now saute till the tomatoes turn soft and get mixed well with dates.
10. Now add in the sugar and mix well.
11. Once the sugar starts melting add in the water.
12. Boil the chutney until water reduces and chutney becomes greasy.
13. Stir occasionally.

Serve hot with any Paratta, Any Rice variety like ghee,peas,jeera,briyani, etc.

Kothimbir Shakahaari

Green Coriander.. mostly we use for garnishing. Had about 3 bunch of coriander leaves lying into my fridge.. with at most greediness i got it from the market as they were so cheap and fresh. But, when i thought of using  them it stopped till the border of chutneys,garnish,salads..y not use in a gravy.

 Ingredients:
1 - Big bunch of green coriander leaves/ Kothimbir/Kothamalli
2 - Red onions
2 - Tomatoes
1 - Green chilly
2 - Medium sized carrots
5 to 6 - French Beans
1 cup - Cauliflower
1 cup  - Broccoli
1 cup - Green peas
1 tbs - Turmeric powder
1 tbs - Dry red chilly powder
1 tbs - Pav Bhaji Masala
500 ml - Water
2 tbs - Oil
1/2 tbs - Butter
1/2 tbs - Jeera
1/2 tbs - Saunf
1/4 tbs - Sugar
Salt to taste

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Wash carrot , french beans,potatoes and cut them into medium sized cubes or lengthwise.
2. Par boil them in water.
3. Finely chop onions,tomatoes. Slit the green chilly.
4. In a pan add butter and oil.
5. Once they get heated up add jeera and saunf.
6. Roast them for few secs. Do not burn them.
7. Now add onions and saute them for 2 mins.
8. Meanwhile, wash and finely chop coriander leaves and stem.
9. Keep some for garnishing and grind rest in a blender.
10. Add water if you feel coriander stems are not getting ground
11. Now add tomato and green chilly.
12. Saute till the tomatoes turn soft.
13. Add in the turmeric powder, red chilly powder,salt and sugar.
14. Now add in the par boiled vegetables carrots,beans, cauliflower,broccoli,peas.
15. Add 150 ml of water and allow them to cook.
16. Pour in the coriander paste over the vegetables.
17. Add in the Pav Bhaji masala.
18. Stir well. Simmer and allow it to boil for 5-7mins
19. At last add in the left over coriander.
Serve hot hot with Ghee rice, Jeera Rice, Chappati,Roti,Pav.

Tip: If you feel the green colour in the gravy is less. Blanch some Palak leaves grind them and add it to the gravy. This would enhance the colour and taste.

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.