COCONUT CHUTNY

Coconut chutny is an excellent side dish and condiment to go well wth idlies, dosais and medhu vadais.
It is a popular side dish all over Tamiladu. It possesses high nutritious calories of protein.

Ingredients :

Roasted bengal gram one cup
Shredded coconut one and a half cup.
(fresh coconut is always preferred)coconut water should be collected when the coconut is being broken into two halves.This water contains the tender coconut's.nutrients. so don't waste this water. If u add this to this chutny it will give a amazing taste to the chutny.

Green chillies medium size three
Ginger shredded one teaspoon
Curry leaves seven or eight
Salt as needed

coconut water half cup

For seasoning:

cooking oil one spoon
mustard seeds one spoon
urad dal half spoon
curry leaves eight
asafoetida half pinch

Procedure:

Blend all the above ingredients with required water in a blender
Let the consistency is a coarsely ground.
Pour into a bowl.
Heat the oil in a small skillet.
Add mustard seeds .
Add urad dal after the mustard seeds popping up.
Add curry leaves.Remove from the flame and sprinkle a very little asafoetida powder.
Transfer the contents to the chutny in the bowl.
Mix them evenly.
You can dilute the chutny or thick as it is as per your option.

Now the spicy milky coconut chutny is ready to serve and taste with Idlies, dosais, and medu vadais.

PLAIN DOSAI

Today we are going to look at how to prepare plain dosa at home. This is not a paper roast dosa or an  oothappam but somewhere in the middle, perfect for everyday breakfast. I will share the method to prepare crispy dosa soon.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup gelabi urad dal
3 cups idli rice
Salt as needed
fenugreek seeds.

PROCEDURE

Soak the rice and dal separately for 3 hours.

Grind dal first into a smooth consistency adding enough water.

Add rice to it.

Grind them together into a smooth batter by adding just enough water.

Add salt and mix well with the hand.

Let it be fermented in a large enough bowl covered by overnight.

Add enough water to the fermented batter until you have a smooth, pouring consistency.

Make sure the batter is not too watery though, it should be thick-ish but fall off your spoon easily.

Heat the iron griddle and wipe the heating surface with onion dissected.

Pour about 1/2 cup batter to the centre of the griddle.

Using the back of your ladle, gently spread the batter with a circular motion from the centre towards the sides of the griddle.

Since we are not making very crispy dosas, don't spread it too thin. The dosa should be more or less evenly thick.

Sprinkle about half tsp of oil around the edges of the dosa and add a few sprinkles on the top as well.

If your griddle is greased adequately and is not sticky, the edge of the dosa will start to come off the pan in about 1 minute or so. Use a spatula to gently lift the dosa

Wait for a while and flip the dosa to other side.

Once both sides cooked eell, remove the dosai from the griddle.

Plain dosai is ready to serve with coconut chutny, sambar, tomato chutny, or idli. and dosai podi as you prefer.

MUSHROOM MASAAL VARUVAL

Mushrooms are the high protein substitute for Vegans. There are so many versions in cooking of mushrooms. This is one of the variation which is a very quick method and tastes yummy as well. This dish can be eaten as side dish to Idli, Dosai, chappathies, Lime rice, Tomato rice, Carrot or Beetroot rice or even as starter.

Ingredients:

Button mushroom 250 gms quartered.

Shallots one cup chopped

Capsicum one chopped (kuda milagai)

Curry leaves finely chopped 1 cup

Coriander leves chopped 1cup

Ginger and garlic grated finely 1 tablespoon

Hybrid tomato chopped 1

Fennel seeds 1 spoon

Mustard seeds 1 spoon

Shakthi chicken masala 2

tablespoon

Turmeric powder one spoon

Chilly powder half spoon

Karam masala powder

one spoon

Salt as required

Cooking oil one tablespoon

Procedure:

Heat the oil in a skillet.

Add mustard seeds.

Allow to splutter

Add fennel seeds.

Add onions, curryleaves, capsicum bits together.

Saute well.

Wait a while for getting onions golden brown and translucent.

Add ginger and garlic grates.

Let the flame in medium.

Add turmeric, shakthi chiken masala powder, red chilly powder.

Add tomato pieces.

Saute well.

Add washed Mushroom bits.

Add salt.

Saute well.

Don't add water.

The water content and the water content absorbed by the washed mushrooms.

Close the lid for two minutes.

Mushrooms will be cooked very fast.

The water will be absorbed entirely.

Add coriander leaves.

If you want more spicy, You can add roasted coarse powder of pepper at this final stage (optional).

Delicious Side dish for any main dish is ready to serve.

Do try and enjoy...

PASIPARUPPU PAYASAM/MOONG DAL KHEER

Pasiparuppu payasam is a very very simple and delicious. Pasiparuppu payasam is prepared fast and easy here...

This dessert is highly nutritious and loved by all.

                       

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dal 1 cup
Ghee 1 tablespoon
Jaggery powdered 1 cup
Cardamom 2pinches
Raisins 10
Cashews (optional)
Almonds (optional)

PROCEDURE:

Roast moong dal in a pan with little ghee, until the yellow colour changed to golden brown.
Wash the dal and add four cups of water.
Allow to cook in a medium flame.
When the dal cooked soft and split, add jaggery.
Mix well.
Allow to boil.
Let the dal and jaggery mix together and get thickened.
In the meantime, fry the raisins in a tablespoon ghee and transfer into dal .
Sprinkle cardamom and mix lightly.
You may add coconut milk half cup in this stage and allow to boil for a while and remove from flame.
This addition is your option.
I prepared this payasam without coconut milk here.

Moon dal kheer / Pasiparuppu payasam is getting ready to serve.
In our areas, it is served in festival days or in some auspicious occasions.

SAMAI IDLI

Samai arisi is called as little millet in English. This is the very best alternative to rice. it is rich in fiber. The millets like Samai, varagu, kuthirai vali, Thinai, maize, Ragi etc have low glycemic index..Glycemic index is a scale that measures carbohydrates.by the quantity they raise the blood glucose level.

we can substitute this millet for rice for any meal. It contains calcium, phosphorous, iron, and protein. So we can include samai in our regular diet and enjoy its benefits.

Samai/little millet takes very less time to cook.

we can make different varieties of dishes. Let us know how to make soft, fluffy,  delicious idlies from Samai/Little millet.

Ingredients:

Samai /Little millet 3 cups

urad dal (shree gold brand I always use) 1 cup

Salt as needed.

Procedure:

Soak them together for six hours.

wash them several times until get clear water.

Grind them together.

Collect the batter in a vessel and close with lid.

Allow overnight to ferment.

Grease the idli moulds with gingelly oil.

Fill the idli moulds with the batter.

Steam for five to six minutes.

Remove the cooked idlies from the idli moulds.

Samai idlies are ready to eat with any side.dish. you want...

RAVA KESARI

Rava kesari is a popular sweet in Tamilnadu. It is loved by all. This sweet is melt in tongue , prepared during special days and occasions. It is a very easy and quick recipe with a few ingredients. It will surprise your guests at doorstep like a magic.

There are so many versions in preparing Rava kesari. But this is an exclusive style of making this exotic dessert.
Even beginners can get admired by following this easy method.

Let us have a look on the preparation of the soft, glossy and delicious Rava kesari ....

Ingredients :

White Rava/ Suji 1 cup

Sugar 1 and 1/2 cup

water two cups

Kesar colour powder one pinch

Cardomom half teaspoon

Fresh ghee melted 3/4 cup

Cashews 5 cut into halves

Raisins 6

Almonds cut lengthwise 5

Procedure:

Heat the pan with two teaspoons of ghee.
Let the flame in medium.
Add cashews, raisins and almonds to fry.
Saute them for a while.
Add Rava with them.
Roast Rava along with the nuts and raisins in a low flame.
Let the Rava become changed its colour.
Remove from the flame and keeo aside.
Heat an another pan with two cups of water mixed with two teaspoons of ghee.
Add kesari colour powder and mix in the water.
Allow to boil.
Add Roasted rava with nuts and rasins together little by little and mix them in tge boiling water with a spatula simultaneously.
Allow to cook for few minutes.
and water will be entirely absirbed by rava.
Add sugar and mix with cooked rava.
Mix until the rava absorbed sugar.
Add three teaspoons of ghee and saute.
Let the flame be in medium level.
Now the cooked rava is becoming glossy and nonsticky.
Sprinkle the cardomom coarse powder.
and mix evenly.

Rava kesari is ready to serve.

BEANS PORIAL/BEANS CURRY

Beans are the rich source of calcium and they contain dietary fibers.

Let us have a look on the preparation of this side dish here....

Ingredients:

Beans 200 gms
shallots finely chopped half cup
green chillies two or( three optional)
curry leaves finely chopped half cup
coriander leaves finely chopped.half cup
urid dal one teaspoon
chenna dal one tablespoon
cooking oil
salt as needed
mustard seeds one spoon

Step by step procedure:

Remove the fibre on the both sides of the beans.
Chop the beans into equal small pieces.
Heat the oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds.
Allow to splutter.
Add urid dal and chenna dal.
followed by onions, curryleaves, green chillies.
Add turmeric.
Saute well and let the onions become transparent.
Wash the cut beans in the water and drain the water completely.
Add the beans.
Add salt and mix it.well.
Add two tablespoon of water and close with the lid.
Cook in medium heat.
After the water completely absorbed, add coconut grates, coriander leaves.
Mix well and remove from the flame.

This side dish, beans porial us ready to serve.

MASAAL VADAI

The crispy and crunchy masaal vadai is served in festival days and parties or feast in any other special occasions. The main ingredient to make this vadai with bellari onions, fennel seeds, coriander leaves gives a very tasty dimension to this snack. It is the best combination to tea and coffee during monsoon season as well.

Ingredients:

Channa dal/vattu paruppu/kadalai paruppu one cup
fennel seeds one teaspoon
Salt as required

cooking refined oil
carom seeds one teaspoon ( for easy digestion)
Bellary onion finely chopped one cup
green chillies one or two (your choice)

Ginger.peeled off and finely chopped one teaspoon
curry leaves finely chopped half a cup
coriander leaves finely chopped one cup

Step by step procedure:

Soak the channa dal for one hour.
Wash the channa dal three times and drain the entire water.
Grind the channa dal, salt, carom seeds, fennel seeds together in a mixie jar and grind them.
Let the batter be coarsely ground.
Add onion, green chillies, curry leaves,
coriander leaves, ginger and mix well into a soft dough in a bowl.
Heat the refined cooking oil in a fry pan.
In the meantime make gooseberry size balls.
Check the heat of oil by the slip of a bit of vada dough into it.
When that bit come on the surface of the oil instantly, it is the perfect time to deep fry vadais.
Grease your palm with a drop of oil and flatten the ball like a disc.
Slip the disc into oil gently and carefully.
Repeat the process to four or six vadais into oil per one batch.
Allow it to deep fry for two seconds and flip the vadas to fry evenly.
Let the vadais become golden brown on both sides evenly.
Take out the vadais and place them in a paper napkin to absorb excess oil.
Repeat the process to fry all the balls into vadais.
You will get 12 to 14 vadais.

Crispy and crunchy masaal vadais are ready to serve.

Note:  you can add karpooravalli leaves finely chopped or mint leaves finely chopped with the dough. This option is yours.

ADAI THOSAI

The ingredients used to prepare adai thosai are various types of dals. So it is highly nutritional.

Ingredients :

Idli rice two cups
Toor dal half cup
Chenna dal half cup
urid dal half cup
Green gram (whole)
Horse gram half cup
Fenugreek one tablespoon
Shallots one cup peeled
Red chillies 7 or 8
Curry leaves one full cup
Ginger 5 gms
Asafoetida two pinches
Cumin seeds one teaspoon
Coriander leaves one cup
Salt as required

Procedure:

Soak all the dals and rice together for two hours.

Wash them three times.

Grind all the ingredients except Asafietida and coriander leaves.

Collect the batter in a vessel .

Add asafoetida and mix well into the batter.

Close the vessel and allow the batter to ferment for six hours.

Make dosa or thick glat round in a dosa maker.

Spray one spoon of oil all over the dosai.

Flip the dosai to other side.

Let the dosai become golden brown and crispy.

Adai dosai is ready to serve with butter, cane sugar. You can have this adai dosai with chutney, Tomato gravy.

PUMPKIN PORIAL

This is a very low-calorie vegetable rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. This vegetable can be included for weight reduction diet. And  its seeds are also very rich in dietary fiber, mono- unsaturated fatty acids. We will remove the seeds when we use to cook a dish using pumpkin and dry out the pumpkin seeds in the sun and keep it for later use.

Try  frying the sun-dried seeds by adding oil and chili powder, asafoetida and salt and have as a snack.

Ingredients :

pumpkin one
mustard seeds one spoon
chenna dal one spoon
urad dal one spoon
shallots peeled and chopped one cup
red chillies slit three
Sambar powder one spoon
turmeric one pinch
asafoetida one pinch
curry leaves one cup
cooking oil one tablespoon
grated coconut half cup
jaggery powder one spoon
salt as needed
coriander leaves finely chopped

Procedure :

Remove the outer rigid skin and cut the pumpkin into even cube shape bits.

Remove the inner part with seeds.

Collect the seeds and dry in sunlight and store them for future use.

Heat the cooking oil in a pan.

Add mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal.

Allow them to splutter.

Add onions, curry leaves and red chilies

Add turmeric and sambar powder.

Add asafoetida.

Add pumpkin bits and saute a while.

Sprinkle water

Add salt.

followed by jaggery.

Cover it.

Allow to cook for a minute.

It is cooked fast.Let the flame in medium level.

Remove the lid. Notice the water absorbed completely.

Add grated coconut and coriander leaves.

Mix them with a ladle.

pumpkin porial ready to serve as side dish to hot rice. It goes well with curd rice.

BANANA FLOWER OR BANANA BLOSSOM STIR FRY

         

Banana flower is looking awesome when it blossoms in a banana tree. It hosts many medicinal qualities. It is admired by all the people of Tamil Nadu for its wonderful taste and its nutritional and health benefits.

The flower and its florets treat the infections and inhibit the growth of bad bacterias in the body,

It possesses antioxidant properties and so it handle free radicals and treat smartly on some health issues such as premature aging and cancer.

One cup of banana florets cooked will cure the pain and regulate the menstrual bleeding.

so it is useful for ladies, at its best.

Calculated intake of flowers can reduce blood sugar levels and treat diabetes and manage anemia.

Since they are having anti- depressant properties, the regular intake of these flowers as food will boost  the mood of the mind and reduces anxiety without any side effects.

They support to increase the secretion of breast milk of the lactating mothers.

Now let us take on a look on the recipe method of vazhaipoo Porial or banana blossom stir fry.

Ingredients:

Banana flower one

mustard seeds 

chenna split dal one tablespoon

urad dal one tablespoon

curry leaves finely chopped a half cup

shallots chopped one cup

red chilies split four or five

Grated coconut one cup

cumin seeds one spoon

Turmeric one spoon

Salt as needed

Procedure:

Apply a little coconut oil on your hands before you go for cleaning process .

Separate each meroon petal and collect the florets.

Continue collecting the floret bunches. until you reach the bulb like center.

Observe the floret containing stamina, stigma (like a match stick) and translucent petal and petiole or bract.

You have to remove the stigma and petuole as shown in the photo.

Keep discarding the stigma and petiole in each floret.

Chop all the florets into small bits.

You will be patient and careful in cleaning process which takes more time.

Heat cooking oil in a fry pan.

Add mustard seeds, followed by urad dal and gram dal.

let them golden brown.

Add onions and red chillies and curryleaves.

Add turmeric powder.

Add the finely chopped florets.

Stir for a while.

Add Add water required and salt as u needed.

Saute well now and then.

Allow to cook .

Once it is done and water absorbed completely, add coconut grates, and coriander leaves.

Stir well for a while and remove the dish from flame.

your yummy Vazhaipoo porial or Banana blossom stir fry is ready to serve hot with rice ghee and other side dishes.

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