Sunday, January 29, 2006




~ ~ KARUVEPPILLAI PODI~ ~
Ingredients:
1. Urad dal ½ cup
2. Channa dal and toor dal mix ¼ cup
3. Red chillies (Dried) 8 to 10
4. Small gooseberry size tamarind
5. Curry leaves 1 cup. (Cleaned and dried)
6. Pepper 1/2 Tsp.

7. Jeera 1 Tsp.
8. Salt to taste.

Method:
Dry roast above ingredients till nice flavor .
Cool it and powder it .
Store in a airtight container.
While grinding add little hing to enhance its taste.


Have this powder with hot rice with melting ghee or gingely oil.


Saturday, January 28, 2006



Fluffy Idlis:
Ingredients:
1.Urud dal : 1 cup
2.Boiled rice (Ukkada chawal) 4 cups
3.Salt to taste.


Method:
Soak Urad dal and rice separately for 6 hours.
Grind separately rice fine rawa consistency.
Urad dal till frothy at least for 30 minutes in wet grinder.
Add salt mix thoroughly and keep it for fermentation.


Before preparing idlis wash idli plate and apply oil and keep.
Should not mix the fermented batter very hard.
Mix gently pour on idli plates. Boil this for 10 minutes in
High flame and 5 minutes in sim.
After taking out the plates allow it to cool and take out the
Idlis with the spoon.
Enjoy the Idlis with hot onion sambar, coconut chutney.

Tips:
1. Grinding in mixer rice quantity is 3 cups.
2. To get soft idlis add 2 tsp oil in the batter.
3. By putting a wet white cloth over idli plate and when U cook this way, U can take out idlis immediately.
4. Salt should be added correctly then only the batter will ferment.
5. Wash rice thoroughly then only idli will turn into white.
6. After soaking do not wash the lentils, nutrition value will loose.




As promised, here we go for a Crispy Dosa:

Ingredients :
1. Raw rice 2 cups
2. Boiled rice 2 cups (Ukkada chawal)
3. Ural dal 1 cup flattened
4. Methi seeds 2 tsp.
5. 1 table spoon Aval (Poha) , Rice flakes
6. Oil or ghee for frying


Wash cleanly twice before and soak all the ingredients except methi and Poha together.
To retain the medicinal value of methi wash once and add just enough water keep it separately.
Before grinding soak poha .(Optional)
Soak the above ingredients for at least 4 to 6 hours .
Grind it in the grinder or mixer adding methi seeds poha etc till fine.
Add salt allow it to ferment for about 8-10 hours.



Method:
1. Take a non-stick tawa apply little oil and wipe it with a cloth or paper.
2. Mix the batter briskly adding some water. Batter should be little thinner
than idli batter.
3. Pour this on a tawa and immediately spread in the circular motion till thin then add ghee or oil say one to 2 tsp in the dosa and keep the stove on the medium fire.
5. After browning of dosa take out and serve.
6. Follow the same procedure for the next dosa.

Tips:
1. Heat tawa nicely before pouring dosa.
2. Each and every time wipe it with a cloth or tissue paper.
3. After pouring immediately sim the fire and spread the dosa.
4. To get crispy dosa (mix oil and ghee ) pour this mixture oil.
5. Adding methi seeds dosa will turn into golden brown.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

* * Upcoming recipes * *

1. Crispy Dosas.

2. Delicious Idlis.

3. Vegetable Paratha.

* * Sorry to keep you waiting * *
For those of you, who had been waiting..Sorry...Here we go now...Shall try to be regular..


* * VEN PONGAL * *
Ingredients:
1.1 cup raw rice.
2.½ cup moongdal
3.3 ½ cup water
4.Salt to taste
5. Hing ¼ tsp
6. 1 green chilli
7. One small piece ginger
8.Ghee for garnishing 5 table spoon.

Garnishing:
1.½ table spoon coarsely powdered pepper
2.1 table spoon cumin seeds
3.10 cashew nuts.
4.One string curry leaves

Method:
1.First fry rice and dhal till hot and wash it cleanly.
2.Boil rice and dal adding water ,salt, hing, ginger, green chilli, till soft ( in cooker 3 to 4 whistles)
3.Open the cooker. Mash the rice .
4.In a kadai pour ghee add cashew nuts, powdered pepper, cumin seeds , Curry leaves mix it in the rice mixture.
5.pongal ready have with sambar, chutney or Kosthu.

Tips:

1.Frying of rice is essential to get nice aroma of pongal.
2.Can add ¼ milk with water while cooking.
3.Can mix ghee and refined oil to keep the pongal soft .



~ ~ SARKKARAI PONGAL ~ ~
Ingredients:
1.Raw rice one cup.
2.Jaggery one cup (can reduce to ¾ cup)
3.Milk 2 cups
4.Water 2 cups
5.Moong dal 2 tsp
6.Channa da1 tsp
7.Ghee 4 table spoon
Garnishing
1.Elaichi 3 no
2.Cashew nuts 20
3.Dry grapes (Raisins) 10
4.Saffron 3 strings
5.Edible Camphor (Pachai Karpooram) (optional)
Method:
1. First fry dal , rice in empty tawa till hot. Cool and wash it.
2.In a cooker pour 2 cups milk, 2 cups water and bring it to boil.
3.Add washed rice cook till 3 to 4 whistles.
4.Open the lid add powdered jaggery and cook for 10 min in medium flame.
Stir in between. Switch off the stove when the raw smell is replaced with a good aroma.
5.Heat ghee in a kadai add broken cashew, dried grapes fry till golden brown.
Pour over pongal now add elaichi,eating camphor, saffron and 2 tsp of ghee.
:-) Mouth watering Sarkkarai Pongal is ready.
:-))

Sunday, January 15, 2006


~ ~ ~ Medhu Vada ~ ~ ~
Ingredients:
1.Urud Dhal: 1 cup
2.Green chillies: 4
3.Raw rice: 1Tbsp
4.Salt: To taste
5.Hing: A pinch.
6.Onion one finely chopped (optional)
7.Curry leaves: One string
8.Oil to deep fry
Method:
1.Soak dhal, rice for 30 minutes.
2.Grind it with chillies, salt .(Do not add much water).
3.Grind it nicely, taking the batter add curry leaves, Chopped onion 1 tsp ghee and mix it well
4.Take thick plastic sheet or banana leaf clean it with Water. Take some batter with wet hand place it on sheet.
5. Flatten it and make a whole in the center slip it in the hot oil.
6. Fry both sides till golden brown.
Tasty Medu Vada ready, have this with Sambar or Chutney.

Now you can enjoy delicious vadas… after vadas.. after vadas…..

Friday, January 13, 2006


~ ~ Methi Paratha ~ ~

METHI PARATHA:
Ingredients:
Wheat flour : 2 cups
fresh methi leaves : 1 bunch.
salt : to taste
turmeric : 1/2 tsp
sanuf :coarsely powdered 2 table spoon
Dhania powder :1 table spoon
oil : 1/4 cup(for frying and kneading)
green chillies : 1 finely chopped.
chilli powder : 1/4 tsp
curd : 2 table spoon

Method:
Take a big bowl put flour, salt, chillipowder, dhania powder, sanuf powder, green chillies, curd ,chopped methi leaves, 3 tblspoon oil.
Then knead the above adding little water.
Keep it for 30 minutes. Now roll out into chapattis little thicker than the normal one fry on tawa both sides applying little oil on both sides.
Enjoy this paratha with pickle or raitha.

Thiruvathirai Thalagam - திருவாதிரை தாளகம்


- - Thiruvathirai Thalagam - -

THALAGAM:
1. Toordhal : 1 cup
2. Tamarind : Big size lemon
3. Turmeric : 1 tsp
4. Hing (Perungayam): 1/2 tsp
5. Salt : to taste.
6. Mixed veg :Like both pumpkin, carrot, broad beans, :raw banana, potato, carrot, beans and soaked channa, dried beans etc.
7. Jaggery

FOR PASTE:
1. 3tbl spoon dhania seeds
2. 3tbl spoon channa dal(Kadalai Paruppu)
3. 1/4 tsp pepper corns,
4. 1/2 tsp rice
6. 8 to 10 dried red chilli.
7. Coconut fresh 1/2 cup.
Method:
First boil toor dhal adding little turmeric powder till soft.
Fry the ingredients (Paste) in little oil after cooling make a paste.
Extract the tamarind juice and keep.
First boil veg adding salt, hing, turmeric till half cooked then
add tamarind water add little jaggery for taste ( Optional)
after cooking the veg and then add paste .Let it boil for few min.
Nice smell will come now then add boiled smashed toor dal boil for5 min.

Seasoning:1 tsp mustard seeds.
2.1/4 tsp methi seeds(Vendhayam)
3.2 string curry leaves.
4.2 tsp coriander leaves.
Season the thalagam with the above seasoning.
Serve the Thiruvathirai Kali with Thalagam.

Enjoy the feast. :-)

- - Thiruvathirai Kali - -

THIRUVATHIRAI KALI
Ingredients for Kali:
1. Raw Rice Or Basmati Rice : 1 cup
2. Jaggery Powder : 1 cup
3. Coconut(fresh) Grated : 4 Table spoon
4. Elaichi Powder : 1/2 tsp
5. Cashew nuts(garnishing) : 10 numbers
6. Ghee : 4 tsp
7. Toor dhal : 2 table spoons.
8. Water : 2 1/4 cups.
Method:
Wash rice and keep it for 30 minutes and then dry the rice.
Fry rice in empty tawa without adding oil till red color
and powder it like small rawa.(fine Rawa).
In a cooker first add 2 table spoon toor dhal and let it boil till
it breaks then add water and jaggery when it starts boiling then add grated coconut and rice rawa .
Close the cooker, put lid and keep it on slow fire for 10 min.
Switch off the stove.
After few minutes open the cooker with the help of long ladle stir it
completely.
In a tawa add ghee fry cashew nuts and pour over kali.
Sprinkle elaichi powder and serve hot with thalagam or butter.