Puli sandhagai

Ingredients:
* Readymade dry sandhagai - 1 packet(200gm)
* mustard - 1/4 tsp
* seeragam - 1/4 tsp
* kadalai paruppu - 1/2 tsp
*udaitha ulundu paruppu - 1/2 tsp
*red chillies - 4
*onion - 1/2(chopped)
* finely chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
* turmeric - 1/4 tsp
* salt - 1/2 tbl spn
* puli - periya nellikkaai alavu (soak it in 1/4 cup warm water)
* curry leaves - 10

Method:
1. Add dry sandhagai to boiling water and close with a lid. After 5 minutes, it should be well cooked(follow instructions on the package, because this might vary from brand to brand)
2. Heat 2 tbl spoon oil in a pan, add mustard, seeragam and kadalai paruppu and wait until the mustard starts spluttering. Then add udaitha ulundu
3. When the dal reddens, add finely chopped onions and red chillies and fry till the onion turns translucent.
4. Now add the cooked sandhagai, turmeric, salt and puli thanni and mix them well
5. Slowly stir them until it is all mixed well and then let it cook for 10 minutes in low heat.
6. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves, mix again and now it is ready to be served.

Vegetables and wild rice

Until my friend Bala sent me wild rice, I had never seen or heard of this grain. It just did not look like rice, it was like thin broken dried grass. Click this link to see a picture of uncooked wild rice. She asked me specifically not to eat this rice with sambar or any indian dish. So finally yesterday I decided to try it out. It came out pretty well - exceeded expectations :)

The rice itself had a good taste. White rice does not have any taste or nutrition, so I've always loved Kerala rice(the big round ones). Wild rice tasted better than the Kerala rice, thanks Bala. I have some more wild rice, I might try a different recipe in the next couple of weeks.

This is a vegan, sathvic recipe.




Ingredients:
Wild rice - 1 cup
Carrot - 1
Green beans - 10
Asparagus - 5
Mushroom - 5
Tomato - 2
Salt and pepper - to taste
Lemon - 1/2
Thyme , marjoram, basil - 1 pinch of each
olive oil
bay leaves - 3
coriander leaves - 1/2 cup


Method:
Wash the rice once and add it to a pan with boiling water. Add some salt and 3 bay leaves and let it cook for 45 minutes.
Drain the rice and remove the bay leaves. Keep it aside
Cut the mushroom into small slices
Cut the green beans into 2 inch long pieces
Remove the base of the asparagus and cut into 2 inch long pieces
Peel the carrot and cut into round slices
Heat a wide pan and add 1 spoon of olive oil. After a minute, add the mushroom and saute till it turns brown
Remove the mushrooms and add 3 more spoons of oil to the pan
Now add the beans and carrot and saute for 5 minutes.
Add 1/4 tsp of thyme, marjoram, basil, salt and pepper
Then add asparagus and cook until the vegetables are 75% cooked (I overcooked them this time)
Add finely cut coriander leaves and mix the rice with these vegetables.
Remove from heat and add fresh lime/lemon juice

Steamed Broccoli
Steam the broccoli until it is half-cooked
Then in a small pan, add one spoon of olive oil
Add broccoli, pepper, pinch of salt, cumin powder and ginger powder and saute until it is crisp and cooked(test with a fork)

Serve the rice with Steamed broccoli

Lotus root potato curry

Here's a lotus root potato curry (a complete vegan, positive pranic food version) I prepared yesterday - idea from Chachi's kitchen


Ingredients:
Coconut milk - 400ml/14fl oz can (I actually used 4 heaped spoons of coconut cream, since that's what I had at home)
Potato - 2
Lotus root - 20 to 25 slices(each 1/2 cm thick)
Salt and pepper - to taste
Dried Curry leaves powder - 1 spoon
turneric powder - a pinch
lime juice - 1/2 cup

Method:
Frozen lotus root should be thawed(put it in a bowl water for 5 minutes)
Make 1/2 cm thick round slices of lotus root
Peel the potato and make 1/2 cm thick round slices
Heat 1tbl spn oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and mustard.
When the mustard starts to splutter, add the lotus roots and fry for a minute
Add the coconut milk(if using cream, add water) and let it cook for 10 minutes
Add potato, salt, pepper, turneric and curry leaves powder and stir well. Let this cook for 10 minutes or until potato becomes tender
Add coriander leaves, lime juice and it's now ready to serve

cabbage milagoottal

http://www.bawarchi.com/contribution/contrib605.html

Cabbage Milagootal (Cabbage & Pulses in Coconut Gravy)

Ingredients

1/2 kg cabbage
100 gms shelled peas
1 cup tur dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp whole mustard seeds
2 tbsp black gram dal
2 tsp oil
4 red chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 grated coconut

Method:

1. Cut cabbage into small pieces and pressure cook along with the shelled peas and tur dal, turmeric powder and curry leaves till done.
2. Add black gram dal and red chillies in hot oil.
3. Fry till it turns pink in colour and grind to a paste along with grated coconut, cumin seeds and little water.
4. Add this to the cooked vegetables.
5. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, black gram dal and red chillies.
6. When brown pour the vegetables.
7. Add salt and water and bring it to boil.

Serve hot.

vegetable omlet - recipe from Aval Vikatan(15-08-08)

தேவையானவை: கடலைமாவு - ஒரு கப், அரிசி மாவு, முளைகட்டிய பயறு, பொடியாக நறுக்கிய தக்காளி, குடமிளகாய் - தலா அரை கப், பொடியாக நறுக்கிய வெங்காயம் - கால் கப், பொடியாக நறுக்கிய பச்சைமிளகாய் - 2 டீஸ்பூன், பொடியாக நறுக்கிய இஞ்சி - ஒரு டீஸ்பூன், பொடியாக நறுக்கிய கொத்தமல்லி - சிறிதளவு, மிளகாய்த்தூள் - 3 டீஸ்பூன், எண்ணெய், உப்பு - தேவையான அளவு.

செய்முறை: பயறை வேகவைத்து எடுத்துக் கொள்ளவும். அதனுடன் கடலைமாவு, அரிசிமாவு, தக்காளி, குடமிளகாய், வெங்காயம், பச்சைமிளகாய், இஞ்சி, கொத்தமல்லி, மிளகாய்த்தூள், உப்பு எல்லாவற்றையும் சேர்த்து தண்ணீர் விட்டு இட்லிமாவு பதத்தில் கரைக்கவும். தோசைக்கல்லை காய வைத்து மாவை ஊற்றி, சுற்றிலும் எண்ணெய் விட்டு, ஒரு மூடியால் மூடி வைத்து மிதமான தீயில் வேகவிடவும். வெந்தவுடன் மூடியை எடுத்துவிட்டு ஆம்லெட்டை திருப்பிப் போட்டு வேகவிட்டு எடுக்கவும்.

Udon Noodles with Asian Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

Source:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=223780

The combination of peanut butter (peanuts being a legume) and udon noodles provide complementary proteins in this quick-to-make entrée.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces uncooked udon noodles (thick, round fresh Japanese wheat noodles) or spaghetti
4 cups sliced bok choy
2 cups snow peas, halved crosswise
1 cup shredded carrot

Method:
Combine first 10 ingredients in a small saucepan;
stir with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil;
cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Set aside.
Cook noodles in boiling water 8 minutes. Drain well.
Combine noodles, peanut sauce, bok choy, snow peas, and carrot in a large bowl, and toss well to coat.
Note: Chile paste with garlic can be found with other ethnic foods in the supermarket. It can be omitted if you perfer a not-so-hot sauce. If udon noodles are difficult to find, try an Asian market.

Yield:
4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Amma's special masala dosai

Ingredients for dosai:
Idly rice : 4 cup
Tuvaram paruppu : 1 cup
Vendhayam : 2 sp

Method:
1. Soak the ingredients for 4 to 5 hours
2. Grind all the ingredients in a grinder until smooth
3. Let this batter ferment for 6 to 8 hours
4. Make dosas with this batter and spread potato masal on top of this dosa, covering the complete surface area of the dosa. Add oil and then close it with a lid.
5. Once the dosa is cooked, just flip half dosa on top of the other half and it is now ready to be served.

Paruppu podi(Amma's recipe)

Paruppu podi 1(nice podi):
Ingredients:
Ulundu paruppu: 200 g
Kadalai paruppu: 100 g
Paasi paruppu : 50 g
Tuvaram paruppu : 50 g
Method:
Fry all the ingredients until it reddens and let it cool. Then grind them all together very nicely


Paruppu podi 2(coarse podi):
Ingredients:
Ulundu paruppu : 200 g
Kadalai paruppu : 100 g
pottu kadalai : 50 g
Method:
Fry all the ingredients until it reddens and let it cool. Then grind them all together coarsely. Add pottu kadalai and grind for 5 seconds

Sambar podi

Sambar podi 1 (Paatti's recipe)
Ingredients:
Tuvaram paruppu : 1/2 kg
Kadalai paruppu : 1/2 kg
Dhania seeds : 1 kg
Red chillies : 1 kg (Adjust as per individual's needs)
Vendhayam : 200 g
Perungaayam : 1 piece ( I don't add this, since this is a negative pranic food)


Sambar podi 2 (Amma's recipe)
Ingredients:
Ulundu paruppu : 200 g
Kadalai paruppu : 100 g
Dhania seeds : 200 g
Seeragam : 1 spoon
Black pepper : 1 spoon
Chilli powder : 50 g

Method for both sambar podi:
1. Fry each of the ingredients separately until they redden/brown lightly
2. Let them cool
3. Ground dhania seeds seaparately to a nice powder(sieve if necessary)
4. Grind all the ingredients to a nice powder

Cabbage salad

Ingredients:
Shredded cabbage - 2 cups
Peanuts - one handful(should be ground to a powder)
shredded coconut - 2 spoons
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
dates - 3
salt and pepper - to taste
lemon juice - 2 tsp
olive oil - 1 tsp

Method:
Soak dates in little water and then mash it
Grind mustard and jeera to a nice powder.
Mix olive oil and lemon juice separately
Mix shredded cabbage, mustard jeera powder, ground peanut, coconut, mashed dates.
Add oil/lemon juice and salt and pepper to this mixture and mix well.

Based on Indian cole slaw recipe in
http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/indiancoleslaw.html

Adai - without coconut :)

Last week I wanted to eat adai and I checked Aval Vikatan's 30 adai recipes. Coconut seemed to be the main ingredient and I had no coconut at home. I decided to buy coconut over the weekend. Today when I was at the Indian stores, I suddenly got an idea to avoid coconut for the next 2 weeks. So I ended up in square one thinking about adai, with no coconut at home :(
I then remembered the Madurai style adai that my Athai prepared when she visited us last year. She did that without coconut :)
I immediately called her and got the recipe. It did come out well. The best part was that it took less than 5 minutes to grind in the grinder - very easy and healthy with lot of proteins. Here's for the record....

Ingredients:
Boiled rice - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Channa dal - 1/2 cup
Red chillies - 10
Onions - 1
Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Oil

Seasonings:
Mustard - 1 spoon
Channa dal - 1 spoon
Urad dal - 1 spoon
Jeera/Seeragam - 1 spoon

Method:
1. Soak the rice and all 3 dal varieties for 3 hours
2. Drain the water and put the rice and dal in the grinder. Add 1 cup water, chillies and let it grind for 5 minutes. Asofoetida can also be added to this, if desired.
3. The batter should be thick and coarse.
4. Add salt and mix it in the batter
5. Separately, heat oil in a pan and add mustard, seeragam channa and urad dal. Once the mustard starts spluttering, add the cut onion and fry till it turns translucent.
6. Add this onion, finely cut coriander leaves and curry leaves to the batter and mix well.
7. Heat a pan and when it is hot, spray some oil. Then take one handful of batter and put it on the pan and spread it over. Pour 1/2 spoon oil over this adai. Keep the flame in medium, because adai takes time to get cooked. When one side turns brown, turn it over. Add another 1/2 spoon oil and wait till this side turns brown.

Now it is ready to be served. Some spicy chutney or pickle would go well with this adai. Some people like to eat adai with a butter also. You have to spread the butter over the adai( just a thin layer which would immediately melt). Then if desired, little butter can be had as sides for the adai. Butter option is not for the health conscious people!!!

kadalai kuzhambu

One of my favourites for rice - this is again my Amma's recipe. This kuzhambu will be good for puttu or idiyappam also - that's Kerala style.

Ingredients:

Kondai kadalai(brown chana) - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Kadalai paruppu - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Dhania seeds - 3 tsp
Peppercorns - 1/2 tsp
Seeragam/jeera - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 3
Coconut - 2 tsp
tamarind - lime sized
onion - 1
curry leaves - 10
Salt

Method:

Heat 1 spoon of oil in a pan and add kadalai paruppu and urad dal. Fry till it becomes brown.
Add dhania seeds, peppercorns, seeragam, red chillies and coconut and fry for a minute. Grind this in a mixie with little water.
Soak tamarind in warm water and get the extract.
Heat 1 spoon of oil in pressure cooker. Add mustard seeds, urad dal and kadalai paruppu and wait till the mustard seeds start spluttering. Now add onions and curry leaves and fry till they turn translucent.
Now add the tamarind extract, soaked kadalai, salt and the ground paste. Add water just until the whole content is immersed.
Close the pressure cooker and let it cook for 3-5 whistles.
When the pressure is completely gone, open the cooker and mix the content well.
If there is more water, let it boil until gravy consistency is obtained.

Irattai Dosai

Here's one of my Amma's special. I have never tried it though, you will know the reason after reading the procedure :))

Ingredients:
1. Raw rice - 2 cup
2. methi seeds(vendhayam) - 2 spoon
3. salt - 3/4 spoon
4. water - 4 cups

Method:

Soak methi seeds for 4 hours
Soak raw rice for 1 hour, then drain the water.
After 10 minutes, grind the rice to a nice powder.
Sieve the powder.
Rava sized left over should be kept separately.
Boil 4 cups of water in a pan.
Gradually add the rava sized rice powder to this without forming any clumps(could take 10 to 15 minutes). This should come to kanji consistency.
After 1 or 2 hours, when it cools down, mix the sieved (finely powdered) flour and keep it aside.
After 6 or 9 hours it will get to Dosai maavu consistency.
Make one pancake sized (1/2 centimeter thick) dosa. This should be cooked for 5 to 7 minutes with a lid over it.
When it is cooked 3/4th, remove it from the pan.
Make another pancake sized dosa. As soon as pouring the batter on the pan for this 2nd dosa, put the first one on top of it and close this with a lid. Let it cook well for another 5 minutes.

Serve it with coconut chutny or well powdered sugar with ghee. This dosai is also called double-decker dosai!!

Now..if you succeed in making this, let me know. I should interview you and add the comments to my blog!! Hats off to you!!!

Ragi mudde

Ingredients:
Ragi powder - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Add one cup of ragi powder to 2 cups of water and mix well without any clumps.
Add 1/2 spoon of salt and keep it in the stove.
Stir continuously. Do not stop (even if you stop for 5seconds, it might form clumps).
Keep stirring until it gets to chappathi dough consistency. (when you touch, it shouldn't stick to your hand)
Gather all of it in the middle of the vessel and close the vessel.
Simmer the stove and let it stand for 10 minutes
Now, take scoops(ice scream scoop) of ragi and keep in a plate.
After 3 minutes, when you can touch it, make each scoop into a nice ball.
That's it...ragi mudde is ready :)

You have to make sambar(lots) for ragi mudde. To serve, keep ragi mudde on the plate and pour lot of sambar on top of it. If you make small balls of mudde, you can eat one mudde at a time.

Note: Use wooden ladle for stirring. You can even use the back portion of the wooden ladle.

Kaara kozhukkattai

This is my Amma's recipe.

Ingredients:
Boiled rice(puzhungal rice) - 3 cups
Scraped Coconut - 1.5 cups
green chillies - 4/5
salt
cut curry leaves
chopped coriander leaves
chopped onions - 1 cup

Seasoning:
mustard - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
channa dal - 1 tsp
oil - 2 tsp

Method:
1. Soak boiled (puzhungal) rice in water for 2 hours
2. Grind the rice with enough water in the grinder very coarsely(to broken wheat consistency)
3. Add coconut, chillies and salt to the rice and grind further till it reaches rava consistency
4. In a pan, add some oil and mustard. After the mustard starts spluttering, add urad dal and channa dal. When the dal reddens, add cut onions and fry till it turns translucent. Then add curry leaves and chopped coriander to this and remove from the stove.
5. Add this seasoning to the ground rice mixture and mix well.
6. Cook this in the microwave for 3 minutes(stirring once after 2 minutes)
7. When the batter is warm enough, take lime sized batter in the hand and make kozhukkattai shaped balls. Now keep 8 of these in one idly plate and steam cook in the idly cooker(just as you make idly).
8. Kozhukkattai is now ready to be served. Any pickle or coriander chutney is a good combination for this kozhukkattai.

Sambar for idly/dosai

Ingredients:
kadalai paruppu - 2 tsp
ulundu paruppu - 3 tsp
dhania seeds - 4 tsp
Seeragam - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 4
Toor dal - 1 cup
Tamarind - gooseberry size
onion - 1
garlic - 2
tomato - 1
curry leaves
coriander leaves

Seasoning:
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
kadalai paruppu - 1 tsp
ulundu paruppu - 1 tsp

Method:
Add 1 tsp oil in a tawa and add kadalai paruppu and ulundu paruppu and fry till it gets red. Then add dhania seeds, seeragam and red chillies and fry till it gets red. Grind this to a fine powder.
Cook toor dal and keep separately. Add oil to a tawa and add mustard seeds, urad dal and kadalai paruppu and let the mustard splutter. Then add the chopped onions and garlic. Once the onion turns translucent, add the cooked dal, tamarind extract and the ground powder/paste. Add the chopped tomato also. Let it cook for 10 minutes. Then add curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve it with hot idlies or dosas. This again is my Mom's special recipe. I have never tasted this kind of sambar anywhere else.

Tips:
Keep 2 or 3 idlies on a plate and pour the sambar over it. You can garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. Prepare coconut chutney also for this.
If eating for dosa, dip a piece of dosa in the sambar and take a little chutney with it and eat. It's such an amazing combination(I've been doing it since my childhood - started the practice in Coimbatore Annapoorna-Gowrishankar hotel...mmmmmmm.......yummyyyyyy)

Paasi paruppu paayasam/Moong dal kheer

Paasiparuppu/yellow moong dal - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Milk/Soy milk - 2 cup

Ghee - 4 tbsp

Raisins - 4 tbsp

Cashews - 2 tbsp

To grind:
coconut - 1/2 cup
elaichi - 4

Fry the yellow moong dal in 1 tbsp ghee till the color changes to golden brown. Add water and allow the dal to cook. When it's three-fourth done, add the milk and the ground mixture. When the dal is well cooked, add jaggery. After 5 mins, remove from the stovetop and keep it aside. Fry the raisins and chopped cashews and add to the paayasam.

This is my Amma's recipe(Soy milk is my substitution).

Potato Okra finger fries

Ingredients:
Potato - 2
Ladies finger(okra) - 1/4 kg to 1/2 kg
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoon

Method:
1. Cut okra vertically into four pieces. Length should be around 2 inches
2. Cut potato into 1.5 inch vertical pieces. The width should be 1/2 cm
3. Pour oil into a pan.
4. Add okra and fry for 3 minutes.
5. Add potato, salt and chilli powder
6. Keep frying until potato becomes crispy. Add oil if needed. Do not cover the pan at any time.

Simple okra-potato fry is ready. It's yummy-yummy :)
Should go good to eat alone or with rasam rice.


I prepared this last night and packed it to office today. It was not very crispy, but it tasted the same as last night. But preferably eat it soon after preparing.

Javvarisi uppuma

Recipe from Aval vikatan

Ingredients:
Javvarisi
Seeragam
Onions
Tomatoes
Coconut
Garam masala
Dhania powder
Chat masala
Turmeric powder
Chilli powder
Salt
Peanuts
pottu kadalai
Coriander leaves

Method:
Soak javvarisi for 4 hours in water
Take oil in a kadai
Put some seeragam
Then add chopped onions and fry till translucent
Then add chopped tomatoes and grated coconut
Add garam masala, dhania powder, chat masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and fry for 4 minutes
Drain water from soaked javvarisi. Squeeze out the excess water also. Add to kadai. Do not add water
Let it cook(I think it'll take atleast 10 minutes..I'm not sure though)
Powder peanuts and pottu kadalai separately
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and powdered peanuts and pottu kadalai


Eat it with Cocunut or coriander chutney or even mango thokku

Saambaar saadham

This my amma's recipe.

Ingredients:
Onion - 1
Rice - 3/4 cup
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - a pinch
Mint - 15 leaves
Coriander chopped - 4 spoon
ghee - 2 spoon
cooking oil - 3 spoon
Tamarind - nellikkaai size

To Grind:
Kadalai paruppu - 2 spoon
Ulundu paruppu - 2 spoon
Dhania - 3 spoon
Pepper - 1/2 spoon
Seeragam - 1/2 spoon
Garlic - 4 flakes
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Pattai - 1 inch stick
Cloves - 2
Sombu - 1 spoon
Red chillies - 4
Coconut - 3 spoon

Method:
Heat 1 spoon oil and fry kadalaip paruppu and ulundu paruppu till it reddens. Then add dhania and fry. Add rest of the ingredients mentioned in "To Grind" and fry till it reddens. Then let it cool. Grind it in mixie with little water into a coarse paste.
Meanwhile cook rice and toor dal separately.
Add 2 cups water to the ground paste and let it boil for 5 minutes. Then add this, tamarind water, salt and tunrmeric to the cooked dal and boil for 10 minutes. Add this to the cooked rice and mix well. Close the rice cooker(without weight) and keep it in the stove(medium) for 5 minutes. Then open the cooker, add coriander leaves and 2 spoon ghee and mix again. Serve hot with raita or chips/murukku.