Sago Idli

Ingredients Needed :

• Idli rice -1 cup
• Raw rice -1 cup
• Jevarisi - 1/2 cup
• Urid dhal - 1/2 cup
• Methi - 3 tsp
• Salt - as reqd.

Method : 

Soaking time for all Rice and Jevarisi is 4-6 hours. (or Overnight). In a vessel add Idli rice & raw rice , wash and clean and then soak it . In a seperate vessel add Urid dhal and methi seeds, wash and clean and then soak it . In another vessel add jevarisi and soak it in hot water.Grind urid dhal & methi , jevarisi , Rice seperately by adding salt (i used mixie) , allow it to fermant well and then make idlis asusal...Soft idli's are ready.

Notes : 

Got this recp. from Jaya tv, Damodharan sir's , Cookery show . I did not use Yeast ...result my idli's were not that much fluffy.. but this idli was so soft. This tends to get fermanted so quick , compared to the usual idli batter even dosa also came out well...

Radish Sambhar

Ingredients Needed :

• Radish medium size - 1
• Drumstick - 2
• Cooked Toor dhall - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Tamarind extract - 1 cup
• Sambhar powder - 2 1/2 tsp.
• Oil - 1 tsp.
• Salt - as reqd.
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
• Jeera - 1/4 tsp.
• Urid dhal - 1/4 tsp.
• Curry leaves - one string
• Corriander leaves - little

Method : 

Cut drumsticks and radish and keep it aside.Chop Onions and tomato finely and keep it aside. In a kadai add oil + mustard seeds + jeera +urid dhal + curry leaves + onions and saute well , add tomatoes + radish + drumstick + and saute well , then add sambhar powder + salt + tamarind juice and allow it to boil well , add cooked toor dhall , allow it to cook well till it gets thicker. Garnish with corriander leaves.

Bread Bhel Puri

Ingredients Needed :

• 8 Bread Slices
• ½ cup Potatoes (boiled & chopped)
• ½ cup Cucumber , carrot (chopped)
• 1/4 cup Peas , sweet corn
• ½ cup Onion (chopped)
• ¼ cup Tomato (chopped)
• 4 Green Chili (chopped)
• ¼ cup Fresh Coriander (chopped)
• ½ cup Sev , Gol Gappas
• 6 tbsp Sweet Tamarind Chutney
• 6 tbsp Green Chutney
• 2 tbsp Lime Juice
• Oil to shallow fry
• Salt to taste

Method : 

Take the bread slices and cut them into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the bread pieces till they turn crispy brown.Take out the bread pieces and drain the excess oil on an absorbent paper.Put the fried bread pieces in a bowl. Add potatoes, cucumber, carrot , peas , sweet corn , onions, tomato, green chili and salt to it. Mix them well. Now, lightly crush the gol gappas and add them to the above. Also add tamarind chutney, green chutney and lime juice. Mix them well. Sprinkle sev on the top of the mixture. Garnish it with coriander leaves.Bread Bhel Puri is ready to serve.

Method for :

1. Green Chutney :

• 1 bunch corriander
• 4 green chillies
• few mint leaves
• salt to taste

Blend all the above ingredients in a mixer , by adding little water and make it to paste and keep it ready.

2.Sweet n sour chutney :

• Tamarind extract
• Dates - 5 to 8
• Jeera powder - 2 tsp.
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
• Salt to taste

boil the above ingredients together till the moxture becomes half of its quantity , cool it and blend it in mixer into a thick paste.

Note : 

Got this recipe from my friend . As i did not have Sev , Golgappas , I haven't used that...

Rasam Podi

Ingredients Needed :

• Toor dhal 1 cup
• Dhaniya - 2 cup
• Whole Pepper - 10 to 15
• Red chilli - 4 or 5
• Jeera - 2 tsp
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Hing 

Method :


 Dry roast all ingredients one by one and powder it in mixie coarsely..

Carrot rasam/Soup

Ingredients:

• Tur Dhal - 1/4 cup
• Carrot - 1
• Tomato - 1
• peppercorns - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Curry leaves (for grinding) - 1 or 2
• Tamarind paste (opt) - as req
• Ghee or oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• salt - as req
• Coriander pdr - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves for garnish - as req

Preparation:

Pressure cook Tur Dhal + Carrot + Tomato + lil water for 2 whistles. Once the pressure leaves, open the cooker and cool it. To this add peppercorns, cumin seeds, turmeric pdr, hing, a couple of curry leaves and grind it. Keep this ground paste aside.

In a pan, add some ghee or oil. To the heated oil, add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves, the ground paste, salt, water, a tsp of coriander pdr. You can also use some tamarind paste now (opt). Once the rasam comes to a boil, garnish with some coriander leaves and then switch off the flame.

This carrot recipe goes to Sanghi's FIL- Carrot Event,

Soy-Chilli Aloo Fry

Ingredients:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Onion (cut to cubes) - 1/2 medium
• Pepper pdr - 1/2 tsp
  
• Potato - 2 - chopped to medium cubes
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp (change as req)
• Chilli sauce - 1 tsp ( change as req)
• Tomato sauce - 1 tso (change as req)
• salt - as req
• Coriander leaves for garnish
  

Preparation:
oil + onion (cut into cubes) + potato + pepper pdr + soy sauce + chilli sauce + tomato sauce + salt... Add lil water and cook covered till the potato gets well done. Garnish with coriander leaves.

This recipe goes to Mahimaa's 15 minute cooking,

Sukku Kulambu

Ingredients Needed :

• Small Onions - 10 - 15
• Garlic Pods - 5 - 10
• Curry leaves - 1 string
• Tamarind extract - 2 cups
• Hing - little
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
• Salt - as reqd.
• Oil - 2 tsp. (preferred Gingely oil)

for Grinding :

• Dhaniya seeds - 1 tbsp
• Dried Red chillies - 2 or 3
• Urid dhal - 2 tsp
• Channa Dhal - 2 tsp.
• Methi seeds - 1 tsp.
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup.
• Dry ginger / sukku - 150 gms.

Method :

Heat a tsp of oil in a kadai , add and roast the above given ingredients for grinding ,allow it to cool , and grind it along with the sukku (dry ginger ) into coarse paste by adding little water. Now add a tsp. oil in a kadai and temper it with mustards seeds + curry leaves + hing and add small onions + garlic + salt and fry well then add the grinded paste and little water and fry well till the raw smell goes.Then add the tamarind extract , check for salt , if needed more add accordingly..and allow it to boil well , till gets thick.

Got this recipe from my friend Padma . Best medicinal value food for cold and caugh .

Idli / Dosa milagai podi

Ingredients needed :

• Dried Red chilies - 1/4 kg (Preferred gundu milagai)
• Urid dhal - 2 cups
• Chana dhal - 2 cups
• Toor dhal - 2 cups
• Black sesame seeds (Ellu) - 100 gms.
• Hing powder - little
• Salt - as reqd. (i use powdered salt )
• oil - 1 spoon

Method :

Take a big tawa and add ellu and dry fry it till it pops out well , and set aside, now add urid + chana + toor dhal and dry fry well and set aside separately now add one spoon oil and add dried red chilies and fry well allow all ingredients to cool well and then grind it into coarse powder first grind ellu , just in pulse or in 1 grind it...not too much , as it segregates oil out so the milagai podi will get sticky... so grind it just less than a min.and keep it in a bowl then grind dhall coarsely and add it to the ellu powder then grind the dried red chilies and add it to the above two powders now add the salt + hing powder ...if you are using rock salt (Kallu uppu) then grind it along with the dhals. Mix all the above powders well ...and if it is hot allow to cool well and then store it in air tight containers or glass bottles..

Notes :

The measurement i gave comes upto 500gms . This is the method my Mother - in -law does.. My mom doesn't add ellu , instead she add little jaggery...Both the methods will be excellent...

Bittergourd Curry ::: Paavakaai Thokku

Ingredients:

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 5 nos
• Onion - 1 medium
• Tomato - 2 nos
• salt - as req
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• red Chilli pdr - 1/2 tbsp
• Bittergourd - 1 medium
• garam masala - 1/4 tsp
• lemon juice (opt) - a splash

Preparation:

In heated oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, Onion. saute till onion changes color to light brown. Then add tomato, salt, turmeric pdr, red chilli pdr. saute till the tomato turns mushy. To this add chopped bittergourd, garam masala. Sprinkle some water and then cook covered on medium flame for 5 minutes. Add a splash of lemon juice before switching off the flame. Adding lemon juice is optional.

This recipe goes to Mahimaa's 15 minute cooking and EC's WYF Quick Meal,

Kadaintha Keerai

Ingredients:

• Tur Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Onion - 1/2 medium
• Red Chilli - 1 or 2
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Tomatoes - 1 medium
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Spinach - 1
• salt - as req
• Ghee - as req

Preparation:

In a pressure cooker, add Tur Dhal + Onion + Red Chilli + Turmeric pdr + Tomatoes + Cumin seeds + Spinach or any kind of keerai + salt + very lil water. Pressure cook this for 2 whistles. Once the pressure leaves and spinach curry becomes cool, juz make a swift run if it in the mixer. Make sure you don't grind it into a smooth paste. Check the salt and add if req.

For tempering, in a pan , add some ghee. To this add cumin seeds. Pour this on to the ground spinach curry. Tasty n healthy kadaintha keerai gots best with hot steamed rice. 

Back in India, we have something called as "Mathu" in tamil using which we can smash the keerai...n trust me a special flavour comes from the mathu...since we juz cant chase around something like that here in the US n also for comparitively easy work, we move to the mixer for serving the purpose.

This goes to the Mahimaa's 15 minute cooking,

Vallarai Keerai Poriyal

Ingredients:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chilli - 1 or 2
• Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp
• Onion - 1 medium
• Valarai Keerai - as req
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• salt - as req
• Boiled Tur Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Grated coconut (opt) - as req

Preparation:

Oil + mustard seeds + dry red chilli + urad dhal + onion. Saute till onion becomes translucent. Then add valarai keerai. Sprinkle some water + turmeric pdr + salt + boiled tur dhal + grated coconut.

Easy to prepare Valarai Keerai poriyal is ready to be served as a healthy sidedish with some steamed hot rice.

Instead of large onion ,you can add 5 - 10 small onions too . 

Apple Rasam

Ingredients Needed :

• Tomatoes - 2
• Apple - 1
• Toor dhal - 1 cup
• Salt - little
• Turmeric powder - little
• Rasam Powder * - 2 tsp.
• coriander leaves
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
• curry leaves
• oil/ ghee - little

Rasam Powder :

• Dried Red chillies - 2
• Pepper 10 -15
• Jeera - little 

fry all the above ingredients and powder it coarsely and keep it ready.

Method : 

Pressure Cook toor dhal and set aside. Chop apple and tomates and keep it ready. Heat oil in a kadai , when it is hot add mustard seeds , once it splutters add apple + tomatoes + salt + turmeric pdr + rasam pdr and add enough water ,allow it to boil well , once done switch off the gas and add lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves .

PUDINA PUNCH

Fresh pudina(mint)-a handful

lime -1/2

sugar -4-5 tsps

ice cubes

water-1 glass

blend in juicer, strain and sip it . VERY refreshing.

Source : http://www.chennaimoms.com/

Tomato Kulambu

Ingredients:

• Oil
• Onion - 2 medium
• Tomato - 4 medium
• Sambar Pdr - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Coconut - 1 inch
• Sombu (Aniseed) - 1 tsp
• Whole garam masala
• Curry leaves - 5
• Garlic pods - 8
• salt - as req
• Coriander leaves - for garnish

Preparation:

In heated oil add onion.  saute till the onion becomes translucent. Now add sambar pdr + turmeric pdr. Grind this to a paste.

Saute tomato and grind..

Grind Coconut + sombu.

Oil + whole garam masala + curry leaves + garlic pods + onion paste. After the raw smell from the onion leaves add tomato paste + salt . Finally coconut sombhu paste + add req water and then cook on medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note : Will upload the pic soon

Rasagula

The source of the dish is from the famous vahrehvah chef Sanjay. Have always loved chef's cooking and recipes. This is one of my favs. Have already tried this dish more than a couple of times and everytime ended up thinking and wishing that I had prepared more :) During my last trip to India, I had prepared rasagula for everyone at home which includes my mom, dad, bro and cousins. Everybody juz loved it and where amazed cos it was "me" who prepared it...someone whom they have always pictured who was miles away from cooking and did not know the direction of kitchen :) Mom loved the dish and tat was what mattered to me a lot cos I felt I was gifted to make something for her, after all tat shez been for me in my life... I dedicate this dish to my wonderful mom for Mother's Day...Love you mummy...

Ingredients:

• Whole milk for rabadi - 2 cups
• Cardamom pdr - as req
• Whole milk for Paneer - 4 cups
• Vinegar - diluted in water - as req
• Ice cubes - one tray
• Muslin cloth - for hanging paneer
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Some nuts and cardamom pdr for garnish
• water - as req

Rabadi preparation:

Boil whole milk for a long time till it condenses to a thick consistency. Add some cardamom pdr(1 tsp).

Paneer preparation:

Boil whole milk. Kurdle it by adding diluted vinegar. Add vinegar to the milk lil by lil. When the milk kurdles and the paneer forms, juz when you can see some clear water, add ice cubes. Adding ice cube gives soft cheese. Remove the water/moisture from the paneer by hanging the paneer in a muslin cloth for atleast 30 minutes. After the moisture leaves from the paneer, make soft round balls out of it. Make sure there is no cracks in the ball.

Rasagula Preparation:

In another pan, boil 6 cups of water. To this add 1 cup of sugar. When the water starts boiling well, add the paneer soft balls prepared already. Cook the balls in hot water for 5 minutes. Boiling water puffs up the paneer and also helps it from stop crumbling to pieces. After 5 minutes, when the paneer puffs up into nice round balls, take them out from the boiling water and transfer them to a cup of warm water. When serving, remove the rasagulas from th e warm water and then remove the water from them by gently pressing the paneers. Serve it with the rabadi prepared. Garnish it with some nuts and cardamom pdr.

This dish is sent to the following events:

1.  Srivalli's Mithai Mela

2. Shama's Mother's Day Special Event

Maladu / PottuKadalai Urundai

Ingredients needed :

• Powdered Pottu Kadalai / Kala Channa dhuli - 1 Cup
• Powdered Sugar - 1 - 1 1/2 cups
• Elachi powder - little
• Cashews & Badams - 15 - 20
• Ghee - 2 cups

Method :

Grind pottu kadalai and sugar seperately into fine powder, in a bowl mix both the flour according to above measurement and add elachi powder and roughly chopped cashews and badams and mix the flour well. Melt the ghee well , u may not need of the whole quantity of ghee mentionend add little by little hot ghee to the dough and immediately take a small portion of the dough and shape it firmly into round shape . Healthy and easy Maladu / Pottu kadalai urundai is ready.

Fried Fish Onion Curry

Ingredients:

• Frozen Salmon Fish(already spiced up) - 2 ....available in stores. You can also marinate fresh fish for minimum one hour and use it.
• Onion - 1 medium
• Coriander pdr - 2 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Chilli pdr - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric pdr - 1/2 tsp
• Chopped coriander - 2 tbsp
• salt - as req
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• curry leaves - as req
• lemon juice - 1 tsp

Preparation:

I had bought some Salmon fishes last week which have been marinated already and packed up so tat all we have to do is juz take it, bake it and eat it ...Juz baking the fish sure made my work much easier, but I cudn't stick on to the easier version much for a long time...It was getting bored to make a dish with no special touch of mine...Tatz hw the fried fish onion curry came into existence...so, now for the recipe :)

First in pressure cooker, put finely chopped onion, coriander pdr, Ginger garlic paste, Chilli pdr, Turmeric pdr, finely chopped coriander leaves. Add very lil water as onion when cooked leaves water. Pressure cook this for 2 whistles and then set it aside. Once the pressure leaves, open the cooker.

      Since the spiced up salmon fish was frozen, i defrosted it in microwave for 5 mins. Then I cut the fish into small pieces and fried them in very lil oil. Once the fish pieces are fried, take the pieces out from the oil and keep them aside. To the remaining oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, already pressure cooked masala. Saute till the masala water leaves from the curry well and till the masala smell leaves. Juz couple of minutes before switching off the stove, add the fried fish pieces. After switching off the stove, add a dash of lemon juice and garnish with some coriander leaves.

Kajayam

Ingredients:

• APF (All Purpose Flour) - 1/4 cup
• Rice Flour - 1/2 cup
• Bananas - 4 or 5 mashed
• Sugar - as req (You can also add some brown sugar)
• cardamom Pdr - 1/4 tsp
• Milk - 1.5 cups
• White Rava

Preparation:

Mix the above listed ingredients except ghee to make a batter. The batter should be in a lil thicker consistency.Change the amount of sugar as per ur tastebuds. Take some batter and put it in some heated oil. Yeah, U have to deep fry the batter juz like pakodas. Yummy easy Kajayams are ready to be served.

This sweet flies to Srivalli's Mithai Mela , EC's WYF Quick Meal ...and Mahimaa's 15 minute cooking

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

• Carrots - 4 Cups
• Milk - 3 Cups
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Ghee - 2 tsp. 
• Elachi Powder - little
• Cashews & Raisins - little

Method :

         Clean and peel the skin of carrot and grate it. Fry Cashews and Raisins in ghee and keep it aside. 

In a Non - stick kadai add ghee + grated carrots and fry well for few minutes once it gets cooked add milk + elachi powder and allow it to cook for few mins , once the milk and carrot gets boiled well ,add sugar and allow it to dissolve well keep stirring it often ...

Once the halwa gets thicker consistency , remove from flame and garnish with Cashews and raisins.

This sweet flies to Srivalli's Mithai Mela...Sanghi' FIL - Carrot event

Quick Red Chutney

Chutneys are one of those things which is really hard for me to take a click of...cos itz in the early hurry burry times of the morning, when i experiment such stuffs...n the speed i prepare 'em is the speed they get over...this red chutney was one of 'em and nw having given all the excuses i can, wat more do u expect me to say than a sorry for nt taking a pic of the chutney ;) Letz move on with the recipe...

Ingredients:

• Red Onion - 1 medium (I've been specific about the red onion here, cos I think that was which gave the nice dark red color to the chutney)
• Tomato - 1 large or 2 medium
• Red Chillies - 2 or 3
• Tamarind - a small piece
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
• salt - as req
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - as req

Preparation:

Grind Onion + Red Chillies + Tamarind + Hing + Tomato + Turmeric pdr + salt.

In a pan, heat some oil. To the hot oil, add mustard seeds + leaves + Urad dhal + ground paste. Cook till the chutney becomes really thick, almost to the consistency of pickle. The more n more it becomes thick, the more tastier it is.