Friday, August 28, 2009

Ulli sambhar...!! (Simplest Sambhar)

Ingredients:
Toor Dal- 1 cup
Pearl onions/cheriya ulli - 10 whole
tomato - 2 to 3 chopped
coriander pd - 1 tsp
red chilly pd - 1 tsp
turmeric pd - 1/2 tsp
sambhar pd - 3 tsp
asofoetida/heeng/kayam - 1/2 tsp
water - 3 cups
tamarind 1 lemon size soaked in water
curry leaves
coriander leaves
oil
salt
dry red chillies -2 to 3

Method:
Pressure cook toor dal with enough water upto 3 whistles. Keep it aside.
In a kadai, saute whole pearl onions in 1 tbsp oil. Add a pinch of salt to it which helps the onion to cook fast. Saute well till onion turns transparent and light pink. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes turns soft and mushy and is cooked. Add this mixture to the cooked toor dal and keep the pressure cooker on fire. Add 1tsp red chilly pd, 1/2 tsp turmeric pd, 1 tsp coriander pd, 3 tsp sambhar pd, 2 pinch of heeng(asafoetida), salt, coriander leaves, tamarind water and cook for another 2 whistles. Turn off the gas and let it cool.
In a small fry pan put 2 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds, let it splutter. Off the gas, throw in curry leaves and whole red chillies and a pinch of asofoetida. Mix well and pour this in sambhar. Cover with lid. Serve with rice.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Seena's thenga chammanthi/coconut chutney as side dish for rice!!!

My good friend Seena was kind enough to let me know her secret receipe...she rarely gets into the kitchen !! Unfortunately, she has to handle cooking woes as her mom is away..But I tried this receipe of hers...and believe me ..she should be a wonderful cook!!!

Seenu, I will be waiting for more receipe of yours.

Ingredients:
grated coconut - 1 cup
a bit of jeera - 1 tsp
dry whole red chillies - 2 or 3 depending upon how hot u want it to be!!
ginger - 1 inch piece
garlic - 1 or 2 pod
curry leaves - 1 sprig
tamarind - 1 small lemon size
pearl onion - 1
salt to taste
coconut oil - 1tsp
water - to grind
Method:
Take a small frying pan and put very little oil and roast the whole red chillies.. Dont burn them.
Now in a grinder, grind these red chillies along with grated coconut, cumin seeds(jeera), ginger, garlic, curry leaves, tamarind, pearl onions, salt and just enough water to grind it to a coarse paste. Mix with 1 tsp coconut oil and serve it with hot kanji or rice..

Friday, August 21, 2009

Stuffed Eggplant...Vazhuthiningya nirachathu...

Ingredients:
Brinjal(eggplant)- 5 small violet ones with the tail.
onion - 1 big finely chopped
grated coconut - 1/4 cup (u can also u dry coconut)
green chilly - 1
groundnut - 2 tbsp
red chilly pd -1 tsp
turmeric pd - 1/2 tsp
coriander pd - 1 tsp
mutton masala - 1tsp
coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
salt - to taste
oil - 2 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
asafoetida- a pinch
water - 1/4 cup

Method:
Take 3/4th of the quantity of chopped onions and saute it in a little oil till it turns light brown. Keep this onion aside for cooling. Now roast the coconut for a while till it turns light brown. Keep this aside.
Now grind this sauted onion, roasted coconut, green chilly, red chilly pd, turmeric pd, coriander pd, mutton masala(chicken masala), groundnut, salt, coriander leaves with little water to a smooth paste.
Clean the small brinjals.Slit each eggplant lengthwise from top towards stem but don't cut all the way through. Make another cut perpendicular to the first cut without going all the way through the stem. Now soak these eggplants in water with a pinch of turmeric added to it. Take each eggplant and fill the slits with the masala. After this some masala will still be left over.

Heat a kadai/pan. Put some oil and splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and a pinch of hing/asofoetida/kayam. Add the remaining 1/4 part of chopped onions and saute till it becomes light pink. Lower the heat. Now release each of the stuffed eggplant into this and cover with lid and cook for five mins. Lift the pan and stir gently and add the remaining masala with 1 cup water( or as required for the gravy) and cover with lid and cook for 15 to 20 mins till done. Make sure you stir occassionally and turn the eggplants so that it gets cooked from all sides. Add enough water for the gravy( I generally add water to the mixie after removing the masala and use this water in the gravy). Also check the salt. Once u get a thick gravy and the eggplant is done remove from fire and serve hot with chappati.


Some people also add tamarind pulp, and a little jaggery while grinding masala which gives a sweet sour taste.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Sambhar!!

Puttu and Kadala curry..!

Ingredients:

To roast:

coconut - 3/4 cup grated
fennel seeds(perinjeeragam) - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
red chilly pd - 1 tsp
coriander pd(mallipodi/dhaniya pd)- 1 tsp
cinnamon - 1 or 2 sticks

To cook:

Black chickpeas/kadala - 1 cup soaked overnight
onion - 1 small finely chopped
green chillies - 2 slit in the middle
turmeric pd - a pinch
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
salt as per taste
water - 2cups
coconut oil- as needed



Method:

Pressure cook kadala in 2 cups water with a pinch of turmeric pd till soft. It may require 6 to 7 whistles.When cooked drain the excess water. Dont throw away this water as we can use this while making the curry.

In a kadai, put 1 tsp coconut oil and add grated coconut. Also add 1/2 tsp fennel seeds and cinnamon sticks. Roast this till it turns light brown on low flame. You will get a nice aroma of the fennel seeds and cinnamon. Then add red chilly powder and coriander pd and once again roast for five mins till it turns reddish brown. Remove from fire and set aside to cool. When it cools grind it into fine smooth paste. You can use the water from boiled chickpeas while grinding it.

In the same kadai, put 2 tsp coconut oil, splutter some mustard seeds and add finely chopped onion. Saute well till the onion turns light brown. Add some fresh curry leaves. Now add the drained chickpeas/kadala into it stir well. Put some stalk(water from drained kadala) into it till it covers kadala completely. Add salt as per taste and let it cook for 5 mins. Now add the grinded paste to it, mix well and bring it to boil. Remove from fire and serve with hot puttu.


For making puttu:

Rice flour - 2cups (Heat rice flour in a kadai for 5 mins with constant stirring and cool it)
pearl onions -2 thinly sliced
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
water as required
grated coconut - 1 cup

Take 2 cups of rice flour in a vessel. Now you have to moist the flour adding water slowly little by little. It is very important to note only enough water to wet the flour be added, and that too slowly. It should be a moist coarse mixture. Add cumins seeds and thinly sliced pearl onions(optional) and little salt and mix well with hand.

Now take a puttu kutti(traditional utensil) to make puttu. Take enough water in the pot and let it boil. Once steam starts coming take the detachable portion. Insert the perforated lid first, add a thin layer of grated coconut and then add the rice flour till the top. And again layer the top with grated coconut and cover with the perforated lid. You can even layer in between with grated coconut. Keep this on the pot and let it cook on steam for 10 mins. Once it is cooked remove and push the puttu into the plate from the bottom of the puttu kutti with a rod making sure it doesnt get broken.

If traditional puttu kutti is nt available what you can do is make chiratta puttu i.e puttu in coconut shell. For this all you need is the coconut shell with the three eyes. Break one of the eyes of the shell. Wash and dry the inside well. Then take a pressure cooker and keep enough water in it. Close the lid properly. Make sure u dont put the whistler on it. Let the steam come out of the nozzle. Now take the coconut shell. Hold it with your middle finger closing the open hole from the bottom. Fill it with little grated coconut. Then put the rice flour. Leave little space on top and here you can layer it once again with grated coconut. Now carefully bring it near the nozzle and remove your finger and insert it carefully on the nozzle without dropping the flour from the hole. With some practise you will get it right. The steam will pass through the flour and it will help it cook. After 10 mins with the help of a cloth remove it from nozzle and empty it on plate. Repeat the procedure to make the next puttu till you finish with the flour. Make sure you have enough water in the cooker or else the cooker will get burnt. Once I got one of my cooker burnt completely as I didnt notice the amount of water inside. Also while trying to insert the coconut shell with flour on the nozzle keep your face away as initially when the steam passes through the flour, some flour powder may be blown out to give way for steam to pass!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Mushroom curry!


Ingredients:

Mushroom - 2 cups long sliced
onion - 1 long sliced
ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
tomato - 1 finely chopped
tomato ketchup/puree - 2 tbsp
chicken/mutton masala - 1 tsp
red chilly pd - 1 tsp
turmeric pd - 1/4 tsp
coriander pd - 1 tsp
coriander leaves - finely chopped
oil
salt

Method:

Take a kadai/pan and put 2 tbsp oil. Add 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste and saute for few mins. Then add onion finely chopped and again saute till it turns light brown. Add red chilly pd, turmeric pd, coriander pd, chicken/mutton masala and saute till the raw smell goes. Add tomato finely chopped and again stir till the tomato is cooked and the oil begins to leave the side. At this stage add the sliced mushrooms and mix well. Add salt and tomato ketchup and again mix well. Close the pan with a lid and cook on low flame. Mushroom releases enough water but if you need you can add little water so that it doesnt burnt. Cook for ten mins and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves when finished. Remove from fire and serve with roti/rice.

Muthira Upperi (Kulti dal ki sabji/ Horse gram sabji)


Muthira/kulthi dal/horse gram- 1 cup
pearl onions - 5 -6 crushed..or onion 1 finely chopped
crushed red chilly flakes - 1 tsp
green chilly - 1 crushed (as per ur taste)
turmeric pd - 1/4 tsp
grated coconut -1/4 cup
mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
water - 2 cups
curry leaves

First heat a kadai. Add kulthi dal/muthira to it and roast for 5 mins. Be careful as the seeds has a tendency to splutter slightly. As soon as it starts spluttering remove from fire. Make sure it doesnt have any dirt/stones in it and transfer it to a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water, salt and turmeric powder and cook it well. Usually it takes 7 to 8 whistles. Drain the excess water. U can use this stalk as soup as it is good for health..!!

Now in a kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil. Splutter mustard seeds, add crushed shallots(pearl onions) or finely chopped onion, curry leaves and saute till it turns light pink. Add crushed chilly flakes and crushed green chilly and saute for 5 mins. Add the drained horse gram and mix well. Add salt if needed as we have already added it while pressure cooking. Now lastly add some grated coconut, mix well and remove from fire.

Beet Root Thoran (Beet root ki sabji)

Ingredients:

Beet root- 2 grated
green chillies - 2 crushed
onion - 1 finely chopped
coconut grated - 1/4 cup
curry leaves - 1 sprig
mustard - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
oil

Method:
Heat a kadai and add 1 tbsp of oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Add chopped onion, crushed green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for few mins till the onion turns translucent. Add grated beetroot and cook for 10mins with closed lid. Make sure you stir it in between. When the beetroot is cooked add grated coconut. Stir well and remove from fire. Serve with rice/chappathi.

Kootu curry!

This receipe is dedicated to my friend Vineet and his better half Minu . They are the one's who keep inspiring me to keep up my hobby.




Ingredients:

Kadala/channa/Black chickpeas- 1/2 cup soaked overnight
chena/suran/yam- 1/2 cup chopped
Raw banana /pacha kaya - 1/2 cup chopped
Cumin seeds -  1 tsp
Whole black pepper -  1 tsp
red chilly powder- 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Jaggery - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

To grind:
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds -  1 tsp
Whole black pepper -  1tsp 

To Roast:
grated coconut-¾ cup
mustard seeds-½ tsp
dry red chillies-2-3
curry leaves- 1 sprig
coconut oil-1 tbsp

Pressure cook kadala/black chickpeas/kala channa with 1 and half cup water and salt. (It should be cooked till it is soft. Usually it takes 6-7 whistles). When it cools, remove excess water.
Cook chopped yam and chopped raw banana separately  with salt.
Once done, take all the three veggies together,  pour very little water, add turmeric pd, red chilli pd and cook for two minutes.
Meanwhile grind freshly grated coconut with Cumin seeds and pepper with very little water.
Add this paste to the veggies. Adjust salt as required.
Then add grated jaggery and cook for another two minutes. Make sure it is not too dry. Remove from heat. 
In a kadai, heat coconut oil and splutter mustard seeds and add grated coconut, curry leaves and 1/4 tsp red chilly pd. Roast till the coconut turns brown. Now add this roasted coconut to the yam and channa mixture and stir well. Take off from stove. Your kootu curry is ready. You can serve it hot with rice and daal as a side dish.

Capsicum Potato sabji



Ingredients:

Potato - 2 peeled and cut into medium thin slices
capsicum - 1 remove the seeds and chop into thin slices
onion - 1 finely chopped
tomato - 1 finely chopped
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
red chilly pd - 1 tsp
turmeric pd - 1/4 tsp
mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
coriander leaves
oil
salt
water


Method:
Heat a kadai and put 1 tbsp oil. When hot, splutter mustard seeds and add finely chopped onion. Saute for a min. Add ginger garlic paste. Saute well till onion turns light brown colour. Add red chilly pd, turmeric pd, curry leaves and saute once again. Now add finely chopped tomato and let it cook till the tomato turns soft. Mash it well. Now add potato and little bit salt. Add enough water and cook with a closed lid till the potato is well done and water is absorbed. Make sure you stir well in between and check if you need more water to cook the potato. Now add chopped capsicum and cook for 5 mins more. Capsicum should nt be over cooked. Once again check the salt. Sprinkle coriander leaves and remove from fire. Serve with chappati.

Moru curry ( A yummy south indian curry)



Ingredients:

Yam/suran/chena- 1/4 kg
Grated coconut - 1 cup
yogurt - 2 to 3 tbsp
cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
black pepper - 4 to 5
red chilly pd - 1/4 tsp
turmeric pd - 1/4 tsp
green chillies - 2
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig
urad dal/uzhunnu parippu - 2 tsp
whole dry red chilly -2 or 3
salt to taste
water as needed
oil

Grind coconut, cumin seeds, black pepper, green chillies, yogurt with little water to a fine smooth paste. Keep aside.

Pressure cook the yam well in 2 cups water. Usually 6 to 7 whistles will do. Mash the yam well.
Take a cooking utensil and transfer the mashed yam into it along with the water from the pressure cooker. Add red chilly pd and turmeric pd and bring it to a boil. Add the paste and mix well and again boil. Add water as per the consistency you need. I generally make it thick. Add salt as required. Remove from fire.

Next is to give a tadka.. For this heat a small pan. Add oil. When hot, add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add urad dal/uzunnu parippu(optional). Let it turn light pink. Switch off the stove. Add whole dry red chilly and curry leaves . Add this on top of the moru curry we had prepared and mix well. It goes very well with rice.


Now instead of yam we can use vellarikya(yellow bhopla/yellow cucumber) or kumbalangya(saphed bhopala/ashgourd). In that case, you dont need to pressure cook them. Just chop them into thin slices and add some water and bring it to a boil. Then add red chilly pd and turmeric pd and the ground paste..Follow the rest of the procedure.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Paneer Curry












Ingredients:

Paneer - 200 gms cut into cubes
ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
onion - 1 finely chopped
tomato - 1 finely chopped
dhaniya pd(malli pd) - 1 tsp
red chilly pd - 1 tsp
turmeric pd - 1/4 tsp
chicken masala - 1 tsp
coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
green chillies - 2 chopped (adjust chillies as per taste)
salt
ghee/oil - 2 tbsp

Heat a kadai and add 2 tbsp ghee/oil. Saute the paneer cubes in the hot oil for few mins. Remove from the oil and keep aside. In the same kadai add ginger garlic paste, chopped onions, chopped green chillies and saute for few mins. When the onion turns light brown add red chilly pd, coriander pd, turmeric pd, chicken masala and again saute for few mins. Then add finely chopped tomato and coriander leaves and cook till the tomato becomes soft. Remove from fire and let it cool. When this cools grind it to a smooth paste.

Keep the same kadai on fire and put 1 tsp oil. Pour the paste into it and add the paneer cubes. Add salt and enough water for a thick gravy and cook for ten mins. Remove from fire and serve with roti.
















Aloo Parantha


Ingredients:
Potato - 3 medium size
onion -2 medium size finely chopped
ginger - 1 inch long finely chopped
coriander leaves - finely chopped
green chillies - 3 finely chopped
Wheat flour - 3 cups...(as per ur need)
water - as required to knead the dough.
salt
oil
butter
First knead the dough using enough water,salt and oil and keep aside. Cover it with a wet cloth.
Pressure cook the potatoes. Peel off the skin and keep aside.
In a kadai, put 1 tb oil and saute the onions, green chillies, ginger finely chopped. When the onions turn pink or translucent, add the potatoes mashed with hand.Add finely chopped coriander leaves. Put little bit salt and stir well so that all the ingredients are mixed well.
Make sure the potatoes are mashed well otherwise the paranthas will break while rolling.
Remove from fire and allow to cool. Make small balls of this mixture and keep aside.
Now take the dough and make round balls. Now roll it with a rolling stick just as we do for chappati. Once it is lightly rolled just about 6cm diameter, fill it with the potato mixture and close it. Make sure you stick the sides properly so that the potato doesnot come out. Dust some flour and roll again with the stick to a size of a chapathi but thicker. See if it doesnt stick to the bottom while rolling.
Heat a tawa. Coat some ghee. When hot, put the parantha and cook well. It should turn nice brown colour and you will also get the aroma. When it is done, add some butter on the top and serve with dahi, chutney or any suitable curry. It also tastes good with pickles.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Methi ki sabji...


[Uluva illa mezhukupuratti/Fenugreek leaves]


Methi/fenugreek leaves one bunch chopped.
Shallots-6-7 crushed(or 1big onion finely chopped)
Green chilly -1 or 2
Red chilly flakes - 1 tsp
Garlic -2 pods crushed
1 sprig curry leaves
Payasa parippu(Split green gram daal) soaked in water for 10 to 20 mins or black gram/urad daal- handful.
Turmeric pd- 1/2 tsp
Coconut shredded- handful
Mustard seeds- 1tsp
Salt to taste.
Cooking oil-2 tbsp

Clean the methi leaves well. I have heard from my bai that plucking the leaves with stem is better than chopping it fine as the later increases the bitterness. Also soaking the leaves in cold water removes the grit if any. Now you can try that and let me know if it really makes a difference!

If you are using Payasa parippu/green gram dal then clean and soak it in water for 10 to 20 mins. And before cooking you need to drain all the water. If urad dal is used we can directly put it in the oil for sauting. There is a slight bitterness for the methi leaves.Using either of these dal reduces the bitterness.

Heat a kadai. Add about 2 tbsp of cooking oil. When the oil is hot splutter mustard seeds. Then add crushed shallots(kunjulli)/finely chopped onion, crushed garlic-green chilly, curry leaves and saute for few mins till onion turns transparent. Add either greengram dal or urad dal. I prefer green gram daal. Saute for few mins till onion and dal turns light brown. At this point add crushed chilly pd and saute for few more mins. Add methi leaves and mix well. Let it cook for few mins till the leaves are wilted and at this point you can add salt. Cook for some more time till the water from the leaves dry up completely. Keep stirring so that it doesnot stick to the bottom. Finally add grated coconut. Serve with chappati or rice.



Friday, June 12, 2009

Tomato Chutney



Shallots - 4-5 crushed(if not u can use one small onion finely chopped)
Tomato -1 big and ripe chopped
Red chilly pd- 1 and 1/2 sp
Turmeric pd- 1pinch
mustard- 1/2 tsp
tamarind- one small piece soaked in water
curry leaves 3-4
coconut oil -2 tsp
Salt to taste


Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard and let it pop. Add shallots(or onion) crushed.Add curry leaves. Saute for two mins till the shallots become transparent. Add tomato slices to this and saute for a min. Add red chilly pd and turmeric pd. When tomato is cooked add tamarind water and salt as per taste. Saute for a min and remove from fire. Let it cool and then grind it in a mixie and serve along with dosa, idli or as a side dish with rice.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Ulli Chammanthi

Ingredients:
Shallots - 5-6 crushed
red chilly powder-2 tsp
coconut oil-2tsp
tamarind paste- 1 tsp
salt
Crush the shallots in a grinder. Make sure it doesnt become a paste. Add red chilly powder,coconut oil, salt and tamarind paste and mix thoroughly. Our ulli chammanthi is ready. Tastes good with idli, dosa and also can be served as a side dish with rice.

Cabbage thoran



Here is a quick and tasty cabbage thoran receipe.(south indian style)


Ingredients:
Cabbage - 1 medium sized finely chopped
shallots(kunjulli)- 6-7 if not avaible you can use 1 onion finely chopped
ginger- 1 inch long
green chillies- 2
red chilly pd- 1tsp
turmeric pd-1/2 tsp
curry leaves- 1 sprig
fresh grated coconut- handful
red whole chillies- 2
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad daal - 2 tsp(handful)


Finely chop the cabbage. Crush together shallots, ginger and green chillies. Add this to the cabbage. Add red chilly pd, turmeric pd, grated coconut, curry leaves and salt. Mix well . For best results hand mix applying little pressure so that all the masala is infused in the cabbage. Keep it aside. You can add chillies as per your taste.

Now in a kadai, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When it starts to splutter add dry red chillies halved, urad dal and curry leaves. Make sure the urad dal doesnt get burnt. When it turns light brown add the cabbage mixture and cook on low flame for ten mins. When cooked remove from the flame. Delicious cabbage thoran is ready.