Tawa Pulao

This is one of the famous street food in Mumbai and made in tawa , Saw this recipe here and tried it as I did not have big tawa made it in normal kadai ..

Ingredients needed :

• Cooked rice - 2 cups
• Boiled green peas - 1/2 cup
• Carrot - 1 
• Beans - 10
• Capsicum - 1
• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 1
• Potato - 2
• Paav Bhaji Masala powder - 2 tsp.
• Chili powder - 1/2 tsp. 
• Coriander leaves 
• Butter 
• Salt

Method:

          Cook rice and keep it aside. Chop carrots, beans, capsicum, onions, tomatoes . If using dried green peas , soak it overnight and pressure cook it till done...roughly chop potatoes and boil it till done ...

Heat kadai + butter + onions and fry it for few minutes to this add capsicum and fry it + tomatoes + carrot + beans + coriander leaves + green peas + potatoes to this add paav bhaji masala powder + chili powder and mix it well and cook till done to this add cooked rice and gently mix it well . 

Tawa pulao is ready to serve goes well with raita ...I served it with Potato paneer croquettes and Rice Phirni.

Potato Paneer Croquettes

Ingredients needed : 

• Potato - 4
• Grated Paneer - 1/ 2 cup 
• Onion - 1
• Corn flour  - little
• Maida - 2 tsp.
• Coriander leaves - little
• Garam masala powder 
• Chili powder - little (or)
• Green chili - 1
• Hing - little
• Turmeric powder 
• Salt
• Oil for deep frying 
• Bread crumbs 

Method : 

           Wash and roughly chop potaotes and boil well till done , peel the skin and mash it well . Grate paneer finely , Chop coriander leaves ...

Finely chop onions and add little salt and set aside for few minutes, by then water will ooze out of onion , squeeze excess water and use it ..

In a bowl add mashed potato + grated paneer + chopped onions + chopped coriander leaves + corn flour + maida + salt + turmeric powder + garam masala powder + chili powder / chopped green chili + hing powder and mix it well and take some dough and make small roundels or make in oblong shape ..

In a small bowl add 2 tsp. of maida and mix it with water and make a paste ...grind bread slices in mixie using pulse / whip button and make bread crumbs and take it in a plate  ...

take the potato paneer balls and dip it in maida mixture and then roll it in bread crumbs and place it in a plate and place it in fridge for some time say for 30 minutes or so and then deep fry it in oil till done ..

Yummy and Crispy Potato paneer croquettes are ready ..serve it with tomato sauce . 

Variations : 

• You can add sweet corn , capsicum ..
• Instead of paneer , you can make with cheese cubes ..place a small cheese cube in the middle of potato mixture and fry it ..

South Indian Lunch Menu Planner ~ 3

Pachadi / Salad :	Nellikai Pachadi (recipe below)
Curry / Poriyal :	Beetroot curry
Rice :	Rice
Sambhar/Rasam :	Vathakuzhambu , Milagu Jeera Rasam
Pickle :	Nellikkai / Gooseberry pickle

Nellikkai Pachadi : 

             Slit and boil 4 or 5 gooseberry in water + salt and allow it to cool well , remove seed and add cooked gooseberry + grated coconut (little) + jeera + green chili (1) and grind it to smooth paste by adding little water ..

Transfer it to a bowl + curd + salt (if needeed) + hing powder ..heat a pan add 1 tsp. of oil + mustard seeds + urid dhal + jeera and fry it..and add it to the pachadi mix it well and serve it . 

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients needed : 

To make Dough : 

• Wheat flour - 3 cups
• Maida - 1.5 cup
• Ajwain - little
• Salt
• Oil
• Water to knead

To make Stuffing:

• Potato - 4 
• Coriander leaves - little
• Green chili - 1 
• Turmeric powder - little
• Hing powder - little
• Salt 

Method : 

                In a wide bowl add wheat flour + maida + salt + ajwain seeds + oil  and mix it and to this add water little by little and make a soft dough and keep it covered and set aside for few minutes ..

Roughly chop potatoes and boil it till done then peel the skin and mash it to this add finely chopped green chili + coriander leaves + turmeric powder + salt + hing powder and mix it well ...

To make paratha , take a small ball size of the dough and make a small cup and place 1 spoon of potato mixture in the center and bring all the edges together and gently flatten it and dust it with maida flour and 
roll into circle gently ..

soft and yummy Aloo paratha ready ..goes excellent with raita and pickle .

Garlic bread

Ingredients needed : 

• Bread slices - 4
• Unsalted butter - little
• Garlic pods - 3
• Coriander leaves - little
• Mixed dried herbs - little
• Pepper powder - little
• Salt - little

Method:

               Take a small bowl add Butter + salt + pepper powder + mixed dried herbs and mix it well and make like a paste ...

Chop coriander leaves finely and peel the skin and grate garlic finely and add it to the mixed butter and mix it well ..if needed you can melt the butter and use it ..

Spread the butter mixture on bread well and heat tawa and place the bread cook it for few minutes on medium flame (till the garlic gets cooked)..then turn the bread and cook it for few seconds on the top side and serve it hot ...

Yummy garlic bread is ready ..you can have it with soup ..

Horsegram / Kollu Sundal

Ingredients needed :

• Kollu - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Salt
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
• Jeera - 1/2 tsp.
• Sombu - 1/4 tsp.
• Hing - little
• Turmeric powder - little
• Dried red chili - 1
• Curry leaves - 1 string
• Coriander leaves - little
• Oil

Method :

            Wash and soak horse gram for whole day then pressure cook it with salt  for 3 or 4 whistle. Chop onions finely and keep it ready .

Once done, drain the water and take horse gram separately don't waste the water you can use it in making soups or use it for making kollu sambhar. 

Heat kadai add 2 tsp. of oil + mustard seeds + jeera + sombu + dried red chili + curry leaves + hing + Onion + salt and fry it well to this add kollu + turmeric powder + salt and mix it well  and switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves .

Healthy and yummy sundal is ready 

Rice Phirni

Got this recipe from here and tried it ..We all loved it . 

Ingredients needed : 

• Basmathi rice - 1/4 cup  
• Milk - 4 cups
• Condensed Milk - 1/2 can
• Elachi powder - little
• Cashew , Badam - little

Method : 

              Wash and soak basmathi rice in water for 30 minutes and then grind it into fine paste. Boil milk and keep the flame in medium and add the grounded rice paste and cook it well keep stirring it well once it gets slightly thicker add condensed milk and mix it well and cook it for few more minutes to this add elachi powder add chopped cashews and badam  and switch off the flame and allow it to cool well and keep it in fridge for sometime and serve chilled .

You can adjust the quantity of condensed milk as per your taste . 

South Indian Menu Planner ~ 2 (Tamil New Year special)

Payasam :	Paruppu Payasam
Pachadi / Salad:	Mango Pachadi
Curry / Poriyal :	Vendaikkai Fry
Vadai :	Aama Vadai / Paruppu Vadai
Rice :	Rice + dhal
Sambhar/Rasam :	Arachuvitta sambhar
Pickle :	Avakkai
Chips , Pappadam	Pappadam(store bought)

South Indian Lunch Menu Planner

Menu Planner ~ 1 : Check here

Rava Payasam, Vendaikkai Thayir Pachadi, Kosambari, Potato Fry, Beans curry, Vazhaipoo usli, Vazhaipoo Vadai, Andhra style Pulihora, Rice + dhal, Raddish Drumstick Sambhar, Instant Mango Pickle , Pappadam

Menu Planner ~ 2 : Check here

Paruppu Payasam, Mango Pachadi, Vendaikkai Fry, Aama Vadai, Rice + dhal, Arachuvitta sambhar, Avakkai, Pappadam

Menu Planner ~ 3 : Check here 

Nellikai Pachadi, Beetroot curry, Rice, Vathakuzhambu, Milagu Jeera Rasam, Nellikkai / Gooseberry pickle

Chettinad Masala Seeyam

                  Recently Mahaslovely home , a co-blogger celebrated her 3rd blog anniversary and called her friends to do guest posting each friday ..she was so kind to ask me and was happy to share space with her and shared this recipe in her space /blog ..  Do check her space and enjoy her recipes and she is very good in baking cakes ... she asked us to answer few questions do check her space for the answers ..

These are the questions : 

1. Few words about u/some thing special which we don`t know??
2. Give 3 Food photography tips or 3 useful kitchen tips??
3. How to improve fans n followers for food blog n food bog face BOOK page??
4. How food blog changed ur life?How many recipes your posting in a month approximately and your memorable moments which related to blog??
5. Finally,tell me few words abt MLH??

Ingredients needed :

• Idli rice - 1/2 cup
• Whole Urad dhal - 1/2 cup
• Hing - little
• Mustard seeds - little
• Jeera - little
• Onion - 1
• Green chili -1
• Ginger -1
• Curry leaves - few
• Coriander leaves -few
• Salt
• Oil

Method:

           Soak rice and urad dhal for 2 hours and then grind it into thick smooth consistency paste. Chop onions, green chili, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves and set aside.

Take a kadai add oil + mustard seeds + onion + green chili + ginger and fry for few mins. Once done allow it cool a bit and add it to the batter along with salt + jeera + curry leaves + coriander leaves+hing powder and mix it well

Heat a kadai and add oil for deep frying , in medium heat drop take little batter and drop it in oil and cook it till done . Serve hot with spicy tomato onion chutney.

South Indian Lunch Menu Planner ~ 1

Menu Planner 1 :

Payasam :	Rava Payasam
Pachadi / Salad:	Vendaikkai Thayir Pachadi, Kosambari
Curry / Poriyal :	Potato Fry, Beans curry, Vazhaipoo usli
Vadai :	Vazhaipoo Vadai
Rice :	Andhra style Pulihora, Rice + dhal
Sambhar/Rasam :	Raddish Drumstick Sambhar
Pickle :	Instant Mango Pickle
Chips , Pappadam	Pappadam(store bought)

Rava Payasam

Ingredients needed :

• Rava / Semolina - 1 cup
• Milk - 3 cups
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Elachi powder - little
• Cashew - 5
• Raisins - little
• Ghee - little

Method: 

            Heat a pan and add 1 tsp. of ghee + cashew + raisins and fry it and set aside ..in the same pan add 2 tsp. of ghee and add  rava and fry it for few mins. to this add sugar and mix it well to this add 3 cups milk + little water + elachi powder and cook it well till done to this add fried cashews and raisins and mix it well . 

If the payasam gets thick after cooling , add boiled milk and serve it . Adjust sugar quantity as per your taste. 

Beans Curry

Ingredients needed:

• Beans 
• Mustard seeds
• Urid dhal
• Grated coconut
• Dried red chili - 1
• Curry leaves 
• Salt
• Hing powder
• Oil 

Method:

             Wash and trim both edges and chop beans finely . Heat a kadai add oil + mustard seeds + urid dhal + dried red chili + hing powder + curry leaves + chopped beans and sprinkle little water and cook it till done , to this add salt and once done switch off the flame and add grated coconut and mix it well . 

You can use long beans (Karamani) , carrot , cabbage , beetroot , broad beans (avarakkai) and make curry in the same method . 

Avakkai Pickle

Ingredients needed :

• Mango - 6 cups
• Chili powder - 1 cup
• Mustard powder - 1 cup
• Methi seeds - little
• Turmeric powder - little
• Hing powder - little
• Rock Salt - 3/4 cup
• Gingely oil - 1 cup

Method : 

• Spread a cup of mustard seeds on a plate and keep it for 30 minutes or so in sunlight. If you are staying in cold place , then heat a kadai for 2 or 3 minutes and switch off the flame and immediately drop the mustard seeds and keep it in hot kadai for few minutes and then powder it finely .

• If you are in Chennai , you get Avakkai mango in shops and you can get it chopped from the shop keeper , if using that buy it and wash it well and spread it in white towel till the water completely dries off ... or you can try any type of mango and make this pickle ...

• Take blender and grind rock salt for a second and keep it aside ...If you don't get rock salt , you can use powdered salt and adjust the quantity according to the sourness of the mango . 

• Take a glass bowl or (mix it in a bowl and store it in glass bottle ) add chopped mangoes + Turmeric powder + methi seeds + hing + mustard seeds powder + Chili powder and mix it well and to this add Salt and immediately add gingely oil and mix it well and keep it aside and then mix it well every day for 4 days or so ..You can store avakkai pickle in fridge and stays good for long ...

Vada Pav

Ingredients needed :

To make Vada, Outer covering, Garlic chili powder : 

For Stuffing : 

• Potato - 2 
• Green chili - 1
• Ginger - little
• Coriander leaves - little
• Salt 
• Turmeric powder - little
• Hing Powder - little

For outer covering :

• Gram flour / Besan flour - 1 cup
• Salt 
• Hing powder 
• Turmeric powder 
• Chili powder 
• Oil for deep frying .

For Garlic Coconut chili powder :

• Grated Coconut 
• Salt 
• Chili powder 
• Garlic cloves 

To serve : 

• Paav, buns  or Burger buns .
• Ghee

Method : 

Wash and roughly chop potatoes and boil it and once done allow it to cool well and peel the skin and take a bowl and mash it well to this add salt + turmeric powder + salt + hing powder + chopped green chili and ginger and mix it well and set aside, take little mashed potato + coriander leaves and make small roundels and keep it in a plate ..

Heat a kadai and add little oil and saute chopped galic and to this add grated coconut + salt + turmeric powder + chili powder and mix it well .. 

You can use desicated coconut , kopra / dry coconut ..if using fresh coconut grate it and fry it in kadai for few minutes ...

Heat a kadai and add oil for deep frying meanwhile , take a bowl and add besan flour + salt + hing powder + turmeric powder + chili powder and mix it well to this add water little by little and mix it well make sure no lumps are there and the batter is little thicker in consistency ..

Once the oil is hot take a each potato (balls) mixture and dip it in gram flour mixture and drop it in hot oil and allow it to cook well and drain the excess oil and set aside . 

When Serving Heat a tawa , spread ghee on buns and roast it for few seconds and spread a tsp. of garlic - coconut chili powder and place a potato vada / bonda on top of it and serve it . 

Vendakkai Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients needed : 

• Vendakkai / Lady's finger - 10 to 15
• Chili powder - little
• Salt - little
• Hing powder - little
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
• Urid dhal - 1/4 tsp.
• Curry leaves - 5 
• Curd  2 cups

Method: 

             Trim both the edges and chop lady's finger finely . Heat a kadai add oil + mustard seeds + urid dhal + curry leaves and then add the chopped lady's finger + 1 tsp. of curd and allow it to cook for few minutes to this add salt + hing powder + chili powder  and cook it till done and allow it to cool well. 

Just before serving , Take a bowl add curd and beat it well to this add fried lady's finger and mix it well and serve it . 

Tips : When cooking lady's finger add a tsp. of curd , this helps to remove the stickiness and you get crispy lady's finger .

Puli Milagai

Ingredients needed : 

• Green Chili - 20 to 25
• Tamarind juice - 1 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
• Curry leaves - 1 string
• Hing powder - little
• Jaggery - little 
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
• Urid dhal - 1/2 tsp. 
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp. 
• Salt 
• Gingelly oil 

Method : 

                   Wash and pat dry chilies well and finely chop it . Heat kadai add gingelly oil + mustard seeds and allow it to splutter to this add urid dhal + methi seeds + curry leaves + hing powder to this add chopped green chilies + salt + turmeric powder and fry it for few minutes to this add thick tamarind water and allow it to cook well to this add grated jaggery and allow it to cook well till it gets thicker. 

Goes excellent with Dosa / Idli / Curd rice.