VAAZAIKKARI KUZHAMBU/RAW BANANA CURRY GRAVY

Today's post is about the nice variation of Raw banana(plantain).
We, the kongu people are always big fans of  pure vegetarian meals served in fresh banana leaves (Thalai vazhai ilai). The hot food that served in banana leaf tastes something different. Any dish made up with plantain are our most favorite food. We love our traditional cuisine for its simplicity, quick fix method, worthiness and it supreme quality.

There are so many variations of cooking raw bananas such as banana varuval, podimass, chips, sweet, savouries and so on. Out of these versions, Raw banana curry kuzhambu is the most outstanding one we love.

Ingredients:

Raw banana two
Shredded coconut one cup
Shredded ginger and garlic pods one tablespoon
Shallots chopped one tablespoon
Red chilly two or three( optional )
Curry leaves one sprig
Mustard seeds one spoon
Cloves, Cinnamons and bay leaves three each
Ground masala coarse powder(, Roasted coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, red chilly and fried gram, poppy seeds, fennel seeds)
Tomatoes two diced
Turmeric one spoon

Procedure:

Wash the bananas and remove the entire skins and cut the pulp into discs and then into half discs.
Blend the shredded coconut into a fine paste.
Heat the skillet with cooking oil and add mustard seeds to splutter.
Add shallots, red chillies, curry leaves, turmeric, and curry masal powder (home-made coarse masala powder)
followed by adding tomatoes and banana discs.
Stir well in a low flame.
Finally add the coconut paste.
Increase the flame.
Adjust the consistency by adding water and salt to taste.
Allow to boil and cook for five minutes.
Garnish with cilantro chops.

Spicy plantain curry gravy is ready.
You can have a pleasure to eat with hot steamed rice, idlies, dosais and chapathies.

SOFT CARROT MYSORE PAK

Carrot Mysore pak is a slight variation of Mysore Pak. Only one additional ingredient is the carrot. Carrot has a unique orange colour that itself give the natural colour to this Mysore Pak. So the food colour powder is not needed. Carrot enhances the taste of  Mysore Pak.

Refer the video for detailed steps:

Let us move to view the preparation of Carrot Mysore Pak:

Ingredients:

Carrots medium size three nos

Sugar one and half a bowl

Besan flour one bowl

Fresh homemade ghee one bowl

Procedure:

Shred the carrots and blend them into a coarse paste.

Fry the besan flour with one tablespoon of ghee for a while.( to avoid lumps and raw smell)

Boil the sugar with half a glass of water in a wok until the one string consistency reached

Add Carrot paste and besan flour little by little.

Add one spoon of ghee in the boiling mixture

Stir continuously to avoid lumps.Let the flame be low level.

Raise the flame to medium.

Stir continuously otherwise the boiling mixture will burn at the bottom.

Add another one tablespoon and stir slowly.

The boiling mixture gets thickened and leaving all over the sides of the wok.

Switch off the flame and transfer the mixture into a greased tray.

Grease the knife with little ghee and cut and allow the pak mixture to set and cool.

Remove the paks from the tray.

Serve and enjoy the warm and delicious carrot mysore pak.

Just ten minutes to cook...An easy method ... for beginners too...Instant sweet.....An authentic dessert

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KOSE VARUVAL/CABBAGE STIR-FRY

This is the slight variation of muttaikose porial/cabbage porial.

Very taste one. You will make your kids to eat nutritious cabbage by making a difference in lunch food.

How to make cabbage stir-fry/kose varuval

Ingredients:

Cabbage medium size one

Moong dal three tablespoons

Mustard seeds one spoon

Shallots chopped one tablespoon

Curry leaves half cup

Coriander leaves chopped half cup

Green chillies three 

Coconut grates optional

Procedure:

Shred the cabbage in a grater.

Heat the wok with cooking oil over a medium flame.

Add mustard seeds and allow to crackle.

Followed by shallots, green chillies, curry leaves and moong dal.

Saute for a few minutes until the moong lentils become golden brown,

Add shredded cabbage and salt.

Saute for a while.

Sprinkle little water ( one tablespoon) over the cabbage.

Close the wok with a lid.

Let the flame be at low level.

Cook until the water absorbed by cabbage.

In a low -flame, stir the cooked cabbage with coriander leaves for a couple of minutes.

Transfer the cabbage to a serving bowl.

The moong dal+cabbage  make the rice so delicious and nutritious.

Give a try...!

VERUM PULI RASAM

 

This post tells how to prepare the basic version of rasam. Kongu mothers prepare rasam in various versions. This Puli Rasam is often made in our homes. It is also of medicinal benefits. This is good for Cold and cough. Whenever we have nonvegetarian feast or nonvegetarian food cooked in our homes, this puli rasam is playing the vital role in easy digestion and making comfort stomach.

Let us move to make Puli Rasam:

Ingredients:

Tamarind Lemon size soaked in water and Extract of five cups to be made.

Jaggery a small piece

Garlic pods four

Pepper one spoon

Cumin seeds one spoon

Coriander seeds one spoon

Mustard seeds one spoon

Asafoetida one pinch

Salt to taste

Sesame oil one tablespoon

Red Chillies three split

Curry leaves half cup

Shallots crushed five

Turmeric one spoon

Coriander leaves chopped half cup

Procedure:

Tamarind extract is mixed with  shredded garlic, raw coriander seeds coarse powder, Salt, powdered cumins seeds, jaggery, chopped coriander leaves and coarse pepper powder.

Mix well and check the taste. The aroma and taste must be balanced.

Heat the wok with sesame oil over the medium flame.

Add mustard seeds to pop up.

Now the knob in low level.

Add red chillies and curry leaves in low flame

Add Crushed shallots and asafoetida

Followed by turmeric.

Transfer the tamarind extract and increase the flame level to high.

Allow to boil.

Aromatic Puli rasam is ready to have with hot steamed rice with any side dish ( Porial)

INSTANT FILTER COFFEE

Have you ever tried this easy method of preparing the filter coffee within a second?
We never use the coffee filter for this purpose. We are going to use small strainer. 

Ingredients:

Coffee Powder three teaspoons
Sugar two teaspoon as per your choice
Fresh boiled one cup of milk
boiled water quarter cup

Procedure:

Bring to boil water.
In the meanwhile, take a cup or tumbler placing the strainer on the top. (see the image of strainer)
Add three teaspoonful of Pure coffee powder in the strainer. Narasus coffee PB Is the best one I choose always.
Bring to boil the fresh milk in another burner.
Pour the boiled water into the strainer containing coffee powder little by little.
You will notice an instant thick decoction into the cup/tumbler 
Take away the strainer.
Add sugar and hot milk in the decoction.
Pour the coffee from tumbler to a jug and jug to tumbler. Make it frothy by exchanging filter coffee thrice into the jug and a tumbler
You will get an aromatic,  hot and charming filter coffee in your hand.
Are you ready to enjoy sip by sip?

Try it..:)






 

GLOSSY CARROT HALWA

Today, we are going to make a trendy sweet called as Carrot Halwa. This sweet is made up with very few ingredients. Since the carrots are naturally sweet, the less quantity of sugar is needed. Ghee is added  less. No food color. Addition of milk is optional. Preparation time is only ten minutes. So check this method out ..

How to make Carrot Halwa?

Ingredients:

Fresh carrots medium size 8 nos 

Sugar half cup

Ghee half cup

Cashews four

Raisins one spoon

Cardamom five pods

Procedure:

Wash the carrots and cut the two ends.

Peel off the carrots

Grate them and collect them in a bowl.

Blend them in a mixer to get a coarse texture.

Take half a cup of sugar and half a cup of ghee ready.

Fry the cashews and raisins on a spoon of ghee and keep ready.

Heat the pan with one tablespoon of ghee.

Add the Blended carrot immediately and saute well.

Saute the grates until the water in carrots are fully absorbed.

Add Sugar and saute again.

Let the flame in medium level.

Observe the sugar melts and mix well with carrot grates

Note the carrot grates are blended so that the coarse carrot get cooked instantly.

Transfer the fried cashews and raisins along with the ghee 

Add one more spoon of ghee.

Saute again until the entire ingredients get transparent and shiny.

Sprinkle the crushed cardamom seeds.

Switch off the flame 

Transfer the carrot halwa in a serving bowl.

Enjoy the warm, delicious carrot halwa.

Easy to make.. instant.. very simple.. in kongu traditional method..1

Try this way.

You will find how easy it is..!