ULTIMATE BITTERMELON SABZI

 

Ingredients:

Bitter Melon 200 gms

Tomato medium size 4 pcs

Curry leaves 15 or one sprig

Shallots 10 chopped

Red chilly powder 1/2 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Sambar powder 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida 2 pinches

Roasted Fenugreek powder1/2 tsp

Kokum Rind or kodampuli1 pc 

or (a gooseberry size Tamarind to be soaked in

 water 50mland take its thick extract)

Jaggery powder 1 tbsp

Rock Salt 3/4 tsp

Chana Dal 1 tbsp

Coriander greens a fistful chopped

Cold-pressed Groundnut oil 2 tbsps

Cold-pressed sesame oil 1 tbsp

Ghee 1 tbsp

Procedure:

Wash the bitter gourd/Bitter melon and cut the ends.

Chop the veggie as 1/4 inch coin-shaped slices using a chopper.

Boil the tomatoes until the skin automatically peeled off.

Set aside to cool down and grind to a fine puree.

Heat a wok with 2 tbsps groundnut oil.

Add mustard seeds to splutter

Once they start to splutter, add chana dal to fry.

Add shallots and curry leaves 

Saute until the shallots fried transparent.

Reduce the heat to low.

Add turmeric, Red chilly powder and sambar powder.

Transfer the bitter melon coins and saute for a second.

Rock salt 3/4 tsp to be added.

Next ingredient is Kokum rind/Kodam puli 1 pc or tamarind, gooseberry size to be soaked in water and strain the extract and add.

Then, jaggery powder and sprinkle 2 pinches asafoetida

Saute for 2 seconds on low heat.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low heat.

Open the lid and add tomato puree along with 250 ml rinsed water and roasted fenugreek powder.

Stir to combine.

Cover and cook for another 5minutes on medium heat.

The final addition of coriander greens, one tablespoon Cold pressed Sesame oil.

Ghee 1 tbsp if you want to feed the kids. It's optional.

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Servings 2 persons

SEEYAM/SUZHIAM/SOJJI/FRIED MOTHAGAM/SOYYAM

Seeyam/Suzhium/Fried Mothagam/Sojji is a fantastic sweet made with chana dal and jaggery. The sweet and cardamom flavourful filling are dipped into the rice urad dal batter and deep-fried as crispy golden sweet bondas. It is called as Sugium, Seeyam, Sojji, Suzhium, Mothagam and so on. In Tamilnadu, this sweet is traditionally made during the festival time.
But it can be made and enjoyed as an evening snack if we crave for something sweet and high proteinous bites. 
Preparation time 1 hour
Cooking time 30 minutes
Servings 4-5

How to make?

Ingredients we need:

For batter

Idli Rice 100gms
Raw rice 1 tbsp
Urad dal 100 gms
Raw salt 1/2 tsp
Water as needed for idli batter consistency.

For Sweetfilling:

Jaggery crushed 200 gms
Chana dal 200 gms
Cardamom powder1/2 tsp
Coconut freshly grated 3 tbsps
Ghee fresh 2 tsps

Oil to fry: Coldpressed GroundnutOil

Procedure:
Wash and soak urad dal, raw rice and idli rice for one hour.
Pressure cook Chana dal with 150 ml water allowing 3 whistles.
Set aside to cool down.
Transfer the cooked dal, jaggery, cardamom powder and shredded coconut and grind to a coarse-textured paste.
Drain the water and grind the rice and urad dal contents with salt and water needed for idli batter consistency.
Transfer the ground batter to the mixing bowl.
Mix ghee with jaggery dal paste and make equal sized balls 
Heat the pan with groundnut oil on medium flame.
Dip the balls one by one in the batter and lower them in hot oil.
Allow deep-frying until golden brown.
Take out and place them on oil absorbent paper towels.

Ready to offer/enjoy

PROTEIN RICH THAYIR VADAIS/DAHI VADAS/PERUGU VADAS

Thayir Vadai is one of the most delectable dishes loved by all age groups. This is the right time to prepare this excellent snack to celebrate the festivals around the corner. Soaked fluffy vadas in thick seasoned fresh curd. It is easy to prepare and do make this amazing vadas and enjoy with your loved ones, friends and guests to celebrate the rainy days!

How to make this fluffy curd vadas?

Ingredients, we need:

Whole deskinned Urad Dal 200 gms
Cold-pressed Groundnut OIl to deep fry 500 ml
Bellary onion 1 pc
Green chillies 2 pcs
Curry leaves 20 pcs
Coriander greens, a few
Asafoetida one pinch
Grated ginger 1 inch
Rock salt 1 tsp
Fresh Cow curd 500 ml
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

Wash Whole deskinned urad dal two times and soak in water for one hour.
Drain the water completely. Grind the dal with 1/2 tsp rock salt to a smooth batter.
Don't add water. The water absorbed by dals during the soaking process is enough to grind smoothly. If needed, splash little water. However, the batter should be thick.
Transfer the batter to a dry mixing bowl.
Chop half of the bellary onion lengthwise.
Chop one green chilly into fine rings.
Grate the ginger.
Chop the curry leaves and coriander greens roughly.
Add onion, green chilly, curry leaves, coriander greens and grated ginger and mix well to combine.
Heat oil to deep fry.
Dip the palms in water and take a portion of batter and roll into a ball-shaped batter and flatten it and make a hole in the centre.
Lower the vadas one by one in hot oil. Allow frying into golden brown vadas.
Observe the oil bubbles cease
Collect them on oil absorbent paper keep ready.
Seasoning of the fresh cow curd now:
Add salt to curd and mix well.
Heat a tempering pan with 1 tbsp groundnut oil.
Add mustard seeds to pop up.
Add chana dal 1 tsp and fry until they turn golden brown.
Add another half of Bellary onion, green chilly, curry leaves and coriander greens.
Add grated ginger.
Saute for a while until the onion turn golden brown.
Add asafoetida and cumin seeds
Transfer the fried contents to the Curd and mix to combine.
Place vada one by one and immerse into curd.
Soak the vadas in curd for half an hour.

Delicious curd vadas are ready to relish. It can be had with breakfast, lunch and dinner or evening tiffin.

Cooking time 1.10 minutes
Serving: 3 persons

BEETROOT RAVA KAESARI

BEETROOT RAVA KAESARI is one of the most cherished desserts in South India. 
Beetroot is declared as one of the superfoods of the world to boost memory. It acts as a blood purifier and detoxifies the body.
Beetroot is loaded with rich minerals and vitamins. It has a considerable amount of dietary fibres too. Beetroot is packed with Betanin, the pigment that renders the beautiful pink colour is a  powerful antioxidant.  Iron, Potassium and manganese are present in Beetroot. high protein veggie. Fat-free. It is very good to eat half-cooked beets. If not fond of this way, there are so many versions to have the beet in our diet routine. This is one of the easy to make versions of beet desserts.

Let us make it

Ingredients:

Semolina 250 gms
Sugar 250 gms
Beetroot 200 gms
Fresh Cow ghee 150 ml
Whole cashews 10 pcs
Powdered cardamom 3/4 tsp
Water 600 ml

Procedure:
Cut both ends of Beetroot.
Peel the skin and grate it.
Roast Semolina in 1 tbsp ghee on medium heat.for 2 seconds.
Transfer it to a dry bowl.
Wipe the same pan and add ghee 1 tbsp and roast the grated beet
until its water contents ceased.
Keep it ready.
Pour 600 ml water with one teaspoonful ghee in a heavy-bottomed vessel or pan or pressure pan.
Bring to a rolling boil.
Add Roasted semolina little by little. stir constantly.
Stir on medium heat until cooked.
Transfer the roasted beet and mix to combine on medium heat.
Add sugar on medium heat to melt and combine with cooked beet and Semolina. 
Add ghee and mix well.
Let it sit on medium heat with constant folds for 2 seconds.
Add cardamom.
Fry the cashews in a 2 tbsps ghee until golden brown and add on along with ghee.
Mix to combine everything.
Delicious Beet rava kaesari is ready to offer.

Cooking time 15 minutes
Servings 4 personsp

TRADITIONAL AATHA VADAI

This recipe is the slight variation of masal 

vada.  The vada batter is ground smoother than masal vada batter. 

In Tamilnadu, we can geta special dal for making vadas called as Vada paruppu. This dal is a little bigger than chana dal. Usually, whenever we get together with our close relatives during family occasions, our Grannies brim with love and affection and make an array of sweets and savouries in their own style and serve us. This vada is their signature dish. 

I am feeling blessed to share their amazing recipe here.

How to make this protein-rich, gluten-free and vegan vadas?

The ingredients, we need:

Vadai Paruppu 200 gms/Chick Pea dal

Rock Salt 1/2 Tsp

Fennel seeds 3/4 tsp

Bellary onion 1pc chopped

Green Chilly 1 finely chopped

Grated ginger 3/4 tsp

Chopped curry leaves 10 pcs

Few coriander greens chopped

Groundnut Oil to fry 400 ml

Procedure:

Wash and Soak Dal for 2 hours

Drain the water completely

Transfer it and add rock salt and fennel seeds.

Grind to a smooth batter

Transfer the batter to a dry mixing bowl.

Add on Bellary onion, green chilly, ginger grates chopped curry leaves and a few/fistful

coriander greens (optional) 

Mix well.

Check the salt add if needed.

Heat the oil in a pan on medium flame.

Check the hot oil if it reaches th deep-fry temperature.

Take a gooseberry sized batter and flatten it with your fingers and lower it

gently in hot oil.

Make similar size flattened vadas and lower them in oil carefully.

Deep fry until golden brown both sides.

Once the vadas turn golden brown and oil bubbles cease to a minimum, take out the vadas and place them on oil absorbent paper.

Enjoy this splendid tea time snack with hot tea as Monsoon special snack.

Add on the chopped bellary onion, green chillies

MELT-IN-MOUTH PISTACHIO ICECREAM

Made with real pistachios. Delicious and good for health.

Ingredients, we needed:

Heavy fat cream 400 gms
Sweetened condensed milk 200 gms
Cold milk 50 ml
Pistachios  200 gms
Chopped Pistachios 3 tbsps
Saffron strands 20-25 pcs
Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp
Cardamom seeds powder 2 pinches

Let us make it!

Soak pistachios in water for 2 hours.
Blanch the outer skin and collect them in a dry plate.
Grind the blanched pistas with cold milk at high speed
until a coarse paste.
Add heavy cream to a dry mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes.
You can add sugar 2 tbsps in this stage. It's optional.
Add sweetened condensed milk and beat again for one minute. Add pista paste, Vanilla essence, cardamom powder and saffron strands.
Blend everything using a blender to combine.
Add chopped pistachios and fold to mix.
Transfer the mixture to the airtight container and level it.
Place the container to the freezer compartment for four hours.

Take out and celebrate the lovely monsoon!

Preparation Time 5 hours
Servings: 4 persons

IRRESISTIBLE ONION BONDA

Onion Pakoda is one of the most irresistible monsoon snacks to binge on with family and friends. Perfect evening Tea time pakodas with a piping hot tea. 
It is very easy to prepare. 

The ingredients, we need:

Bellary onions 2 pcs
Ginger 2 inches
Besan flour 100 gms
Raw rice flour 50 gms
Red Chilly powder 1/2 tsp
Green chilly 1 pc
Fennel Seeds 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Salt 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 20 pcs roughly chopped
Coriander greens a fistful chopped
Cooking Soda 1 pinch
Groundnut Oil to fry

Procedure:

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 persons

Slice the onions lengthwise. Place them in a dry bowl.
Squeeze to separate each rind.
Add salt and red chilly powder.
Combine together.
Rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, Chop the green chilly, curry leaves and coriander greens.
Grate the ginger.
Add Raw rice flour, Besan flour and cooking soda.
Mix well to coat the onion.
Add green chilly, curry leaves and coriander greens, Ginger and fennel seeds
Mix to combine.
Splash some water if needed. 
Heat the pan with groundnut oil on medium flame.
Once the oil reaches frying temperature, take one tsp hot oil and add to the dough.
Knead again for a while.
Drop the dough roughly shaped, through your fingers into the hot oil carefully.
Allow deep-frying until golden brown.
Once the oil bubbles become less, take out the pakodas and wait to drain the excess oil
by holding the slotted spoon right above the hot oil.
Place the pakodas on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Repeat the process for the remaining dough.

Ready to enjoy!

THENGAI OPPUTTU/ THENGAI POLI

                                

Festivals like Adi Pathinettam perukku, ShrinVaralakshmi Viratham, Shri Ganesh Chathurthi, Avani Avittam and local Mariamman Festivals, Family-get-together and other Special Family occasions are incomplete without sweet delicacies. One of the sweets that add festival spirit in our life is Opputtu/Puran Poli. This delight has various versions. Coconut Poli is very delicious and often takes part in South Indian occasions. It is an authentic and traditional way of serving to newly married couple's special first feast of their special day.

Thengai Opputtu/ Coconut Poli/Puran Poli is a traditional sweet made for the special occasions of a family, local festival celebrations, wedding feasts, dedicated as a  special offering to deities.

 The making of the sweet involves two steps i.e.,

Making of Outer wrap

Making of inner stuffing.

Preparation Time 40 minutes

Yield:  8 Opputus/Polis

How to make:

For Outer Wrap, we need:

Maida/All Purpose flour 250 gms

Turmeric 1/4 tsp

Salt one pinch

Semolina 1 tsp soaked in water 1 tsp

Ghee 4 tsps

Water as needed

For inner stuffing, we need

Shredded coconut 300 gms

Jaggery powder 250gms

Cardamom seeds crushed 1/2 tsp

Ghee for roasting Coconut gratings 1 tbsp

Overall Ghee as needed 50 ml

Procedure:

Make a soft pliable dough by adding All-purpose flour, Turmeric, soaked Semolina and a pinch of salt. Use ghee generously to make this nonsticky pliable dough. Cover it and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, we will prepare inner stuff :

Roast the shredded coconut with one or 3 tsps of ghee on medium heat. Once the coconut gratings turn out non-sticky, switch off the flame and let it cool down.

Transfer the roasted coconut, jaggery powder and cardamom seeds crushed to a mixer jar. Run the mixer at high speed for 2 minutes.

Now the mixture was ground with fine texture.

Make 8 gooseberry sized balls. Keet them ready.

Divide the dough into equal lumps.  You will get 8 balls 

There are two methods of rolling.

Take one portion of the dough and apply some drops of ghee around it.

Flatten it on a banana leaf to a thick half-inch disc.

Place the jaggery ball and close it around by stretching the dough to the centre.

Make a sealed ball and flatten to a circular disc by smearing ghee in hand.

Place the Poli on a hot griddle and take out the banana leaf gently.

Drizzle ghee all over the sides of Poli and flip it and cook until brown spots appear.

Medium flame, please.

Another way:

Dust  one spoon of flour over the chapati maker

Flatten one dough ball to a small disc.

Place the coconut ball in the centre.

Seal the coconut ball by pulling the dough on all sides and close.

Flatten again by hand.

Sprinkle flour over it and spread the dough using a rolling pin gently.

Take care not to pop up the coconut mixture out of the dough spread.

Make polis/Opputtus thick or thin by spreading with a rolling pin.

Transfer the opputu/Poli on a hot griddle and drizzle ghee over it.

Cook until bubbles appear.

Then flip to other side and apply little ghee.

Cook until golden spots appear on Poli.

Take out of the griddle and place it on a dry plate or banana leaf.

Ready.

Kongu folks call this sweet as Opputu. 

This sweet is having different names in different states of our nation. Puran Poli, Holige, Vedmi, Obbattu, God Poli, Pappu Bakshalu, Bhakshalu, Babbattu Oliga etc..This sweet is famous in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andra pradesh. Telugana and Tamil Nadu.

SCRUMPTIOUS KASHI HALWA

Kashi Halwa/Ash Gourd Halwa/Winter melon Halwa/Kushmanda Halwa/Dumroot Halwa

This halwa is very easy to make to treat our taste buds.
Preparation time 20 minutes
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients we need:

Ash Gourd 500gm
Sugar 300 gms
Cardamom seeds powder 1/2 tsp
Edible camphor a tiny pc
Fresh Ghee 4  tbsps
Saffron strands 10pcs
Cashews chopped 10 pcs
Pistachios flakes 10 pcs
Kaesar powder Orange 1/2 pinch+
                            Yellow 1/2 pinch

WHOLESOME CURRYLEAVES CHUTNEY/THUVAIYAL

Curry leaves are the rich source of iron and folic acid that stave off anaemia. The Curry leaves are being used to add aroma to the food we cook but everyone should learn about its immense health benefits and nutrients, they are packed with.

They support the weight loss to the health-conscious people who are in the wellness journey.
They lower the cholesterol levels in such a way that the antioxidants present in them reduce the oxidation of cholesterol.
Consumption of Curry leaves in our regular diet will stimulate the insulin-producing cells that are helping in maintaining the blood sugar levels under check.
They contain Vitamin A necessary for our healthy eye vision.
They are really a fantastic boon to our vital hair growth.
They prevent grey hair growth.

They have amazing amino acids that are needed to our entire body functioning network.

The making of chutney using these incredible curry leaves is the smartest way to get their whole nutrients  The chutney goes very well with Dosa, Idlis, Chapthis, omelette, Oothappams, Paniyarams and Pooris. It is an excellent tasty combination with steamed rice and a dash of ghee. It can be served as a spread over bread slices and feed your kids.

How to make?

Ingredients we need:

Fresh and baby curry leaves 2 cups
Shredded coconut 1 cup
Chana dal 50 gms
Jaggery 1 tsp
Red Chillies 2 pcs
Rock salt 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves5pcs
Shallots 10 pcs chopped
Asafoetida one pinch
Kokum Rinds or Kodam puli 3 rinds

Do refer the video for the whole procedure.

VERSATILE PROSO MILLET IDLIS