Friday, June 4, 2010

Vathal kulambu / Manathakkali Spicy Gravy

Manathakkali vathal Kulambu !!! - An ultimate south Indian food. I ate this kulambu @ my friends place for the first time in a small town call darmapuri, India. I fall in love with this delicious recipe from the day and cant wait to share it with you all :) it goes awesomely well with arisi vadaam and appalam. I tried with potato fries and it was like Wow !!!

Try it and you are definitely gonna love it !!!













Ingredients

Manathakkali Vathal - 10 tbsp
Small onions 20 Nos
Mango pieces (raw or ripened) - 5 pieces
Garlic cloves - 7 Pods
Tamarind paste - Lemon sized soaked in water
Tomatoes - 3
Black pepper - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
urad dal - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste














Method

Dry roast black pepper, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds and red chillies . Grind them into coarse powder and keep it aside.
Roast manathakkali with little oil and keep it aside.
Heat a pan with oil, temper mustard,cumin seeds and urad dal with few curry leaves. Now add onions and garlic pods, saute it until it turns golden brown. Add chopped tomatoes,fry for 10 mns.Add turmeric powder, chili powder and the corse paste made earlier with tamarind water.
allow it to boil for 10 mns. Now add manathakali vathal, mango pieces, sprinkle the ghee, add required amount of salt and close the lid for 10 mns and switch off the stove. Serve hot with rice.

You can keep it for 3 to 4 days by occasionally heating it.



Carrot Beans Poriyal













Ingredients

1/2 Cup Carrot (finely chopped)
1/2 Cup beans (finely chopped)
3 Nos Green chillies (sliced)
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1Tsp Urad dal
1 Sprig Curry leaves
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste.













Method

Heat the pan with the little oil add mustard seeds and urad dal and green chili and add curry leaves. Fry this for a min.
Then add the chopped carrot and beans. Now,Turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and cook until the vegetables becomes soft and tender.
Garnish the poriyal with grated coconut.













Serve with white saambar rice or curd rice .

Sardin Fish gravy / Matthi meen kulambu













Ingredients

canned fish (sardines/matthi) - 1 (medium sized fishes 4 approx)
onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 1/2 finely chopped
grated coconut - 5 tsp
ginger - 1 inch piece finely chopped
garlic - 3 cloves finely chopped
curry leaves - few
green chili - 2
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
coriander seeds - 1 tsp
fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
coconut oil - 3 tsp
tamarind - small lemon sized measure soak in water
Fish Masala(any) - 3 tsp
Salt as per the taste













Method

Grind coconut,coriander seeds,coriander powder,fish masala,green chili and fenugreek seeds into to a fine paste with little water and keep it aside.
Heat a pan with 3 2tsp of coconut oil. Add onion , ginger , garlic, curry leaves and saute it for 10 mns.Now add tomato and turmeric powder.allow it to cook for 10 mns. Now add the masala paste which we griend early. Add salt as per taste and allow it to cook for 5 mins. Add the sardin fish ( I use canned sardin with tomato sause) with tamarind water.Allow it to cook only for 10 to 15 mns as the canned fish is already cooked/processed.Now sprinkle few drops of coconut oil on top of the gravy and close the lid.













Serve hot with rice/Idly or Dosa.

Recipe courtesy : my friend Bini . Thanks Bini for sharing the recipe :) .

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Pav Bhaji













Ingredients

Cauliflower - 1/4 cup
Carrots - 1/4 cup
Beans - 1/4 cup
Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Potatos - 1/4 cup (Boiled and mashed)
Cabbage - 1/4 cup (Optional)
Tomatoes - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
Onion - 1/4 cup
Ginger - 2 tsp
Garlic - 2 tsp
Medium sized Capcicum - 1/2 finely chopped
Green chillies - 5 (finely chopped)
Butter 5 tsp
Salt to taste
Pav Bhaji Masala - 5 tsp
Diner rolls(buns) - 8 (square shaped)

For garnishing

Lemon juice - 4 tsp
Finly chopped white onions - 1/2 cup
Fresh cilantro a bunch













Method

Heat the butter in a pan . Saute ginger and garlic for few minutes . Add onions, green chillies fry until onions turns transparent add tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Put Cauliflower , Potatoes, Grean peas , carrots, capsicum and beans. Allow it to cook for 10 minutes. Add little water if required. Now sprinkle the Pav Bhaji Masala ans stir well. After 10 mns add salt and lemon juice and switch off the stove. Garnish with onions and cilantro.

Heat a non stick pan and toast the diner rolls using butter .













Serve hot with Garnished Bhaji.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Sola Paniyaram / Sorghum Muffins

Sola (Sorghum) Paniyaram with Coconut chutney Recipe .













INGREDIENTS
Idly Rice – 1 cup
Whole Black gram – ½ cup
Sorghum (Solam) seeds – 2 cups
Canned sweet corn – 2 cups
Salt as required
Fenugreek seeds – 3 tsp












METHOD

Soak Sorghum seeds in water overnight or about 5 to 6 hours.
Soak rice in water for 3 hours along with fenugreek seeds.
Soak whole black gram in water for an hour.
Grind all the above separately to a fine paste.
Add required salt, Mix them together and ferment it for the whole night in room temperature.
Heat the Paniyaram griddle, grease it with little oil and fill it with the batter.
Cook the Paniyaram to golden brown on both the sides.













Serve hot with Coconut chutney.






Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Spiral Pasta in Milk













I`m not very crazy about milk or any recipe made using Milk, But this is one recipe that caught my attention and tasted heavenly delicious even after adding Milk. I have avoided several processed food like sausages and canned pasta sauce and managed to use as many fresh Ingredients as possible.













INGREDIENTS

Spiral Pasta - 2 cups (Or pasta with any shape or color you prefer)
Milk - 3 to 4 cups
Cauliflower - 1/2 cup
Fresh white button mushroom - 1/2 cup thinly sliced
Sweet corn (Fresh/Canned) - 1/2 cup
Capsicum - 1/4 of a medium sized one chopped
Onion shoots - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Green chilies - 3 split in two halves
Fresh black pepper - 4 tsp
Extra virgin olive oil - 4 tsp
Butter - 5 tsp
Shredded mozzarella Cheese - 1/4 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 4 tsp
Maida flour (finely-milled wheat flour) - 5 tsp
Mixed Italian Herbs - 1 tsp
Salt to taste













METHOD

Bring enough water to boil with required amount of salt.
Soak pasta in the boiling water, cook according to the instruction on the packing and drain.
Heat a pan with olive oil. Add Mushrooms, Cauliflower, Capsicum, Green Chilies, salt and fry until the veggies are cooked.Put ginger garlic paste and stir fry until some nice flavor comes.
Now sprinkle black pepper, Onion shoots and sauté for a minute.
Finally add Sweet corn, fry for 5 minutes and switch off the stove.

Heat a pan with butter, once the butter melts put the Maida flour and fry for 5 minutes.

Now the Maida flour and butter together appears like a paste. Add milk and stir well until it turns somewhat like a smooth baby food. Sprinkle the Italian herbs, Shredded mozzarella Cheese, salt and mix well.

Put in the fried veggies, cooked pasta and stir until everything blends together. Garnish and serve hot.

Note: You can add any of your favorite veggies instead of Cauliflower.

Recipe courtesy: Though I have tasted several versions of this pasta during my visit to Italy, nothing impressed me but this one does… Thanks to my friend Divya for sharing this recipe :)
















Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Crispy Adai Dosa / Mixed Lentil Dosa













It`s a very healthy Dosa made with variety of dals . I have added dals according to my taste. You can add different variety of Dals which catches your fancy.











INGREDIENTS

Idly rice - 1/2 cup
Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp
Large Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Curry leaves - a hand full (half for grinding and half for batter)
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Red Chilies - 5 or 6 (According to ur preference)
Asafotida - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste













METHOD

Soak the rice and dals along with fenugreek seeds for 3 hours in water.

Now add Red chilies, curry leaves, Ginger, Garlic, Asafotida and salt. Mix all of the above together and grind it to a coarse paste.

Remove the batter from grinder and add chopped onions, coriander leaves, curry leaves, mix well, cover and keep overnight for fermentation.

Heat the dosa griddle and pour the ada batter in circular motion, spray some oil and roast both the sides till it turns golden brown color.











Serve hot with tomato chutney .

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Veg Fried Rice












INGREDIENTS

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1 chopped ( Medium sized)
Cauliflower - 1/4 cup ( you can also add mushrooms if you prefer)
Carrots and Beans - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Spring onion shoots - 10 (finely chopped)
Green Capsicum - 1/2
Ginger paste - 2 tsp
Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Pepper - 2 tsp
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
ghee - 2 tsp ( for frying rice)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste













METHOD

Soak the rice in water for 10 mns, drain the water and fry them using ghee until a good smell comes.
Now,Pressure cook the rice with enough water,cool it and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan, fry onions, once it turns transparent add ginger and garlic paste and saute for few mns.
Then add the veggies together and fry until they are half cooked . Now Add some frozen green peas if you prefer.
Add capsicum , soya sauce, pepper powder and fry for few mns. Finally add onion shoots fry for a minute and switch off the stove. Now mix the cooked rice with this mixture with required amount of salt .













Serve hot with tomato ketchup.




Peanut Poha Fudge














INGREDIENTS

Peanuts - 1 cup
Poha - 2 cups
Sugar - 8 tsp
Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup (For preparing sugar syrup)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup grated
Cardamom - 7 (powdered)
Ghee - 5 tsp
A pinch of Salt


METHOD

Dry roast the peanuts to a golden brown texture. Remove the skin off and Keep it aside. Soak poha in water for 15 mns. Drain the water.

Mix together: Peanuts, Poha, Grated coconut, Cardamom powder, Milk mixed with sugar, a pinch of salt, Ghee and grind everything to a coarse mixture using a blender. Shape it according to your preference.

Refrigerate and serve cool.

Recipe courtesy : My friend Sharmi and this sweet is my Anniversary Special :)


Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Methi/Palak Malai Mater

I usually try only a couple of side dishes for chapathi most of the time and found this delicious recipe from one of my friend `s blog when i`m searching for something green and Healthy. I used coconut milk instead of Heavy whipping cream used in the actual recipe.












INGREDIENTS

Fenugreek leaves – 1 bunch
Spinach- 1 bunch
Paneer- 10 small cubes
Green Peas – 1 cup
Coconut milk – 1 1/2 cup
Oil – 3 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Onions– 1 medium, chopped
Riped Tomatoes – 2 medium, chopped
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Coriender Powder – 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala – 2 tsp
Red Chili Powder as required
Salt as needed













METHOD

Wash and cut Fenugreek and Spinach leaves.Keep aside.
Heat oil a pan and Fry the paneer and soak it in warm salt water.
Now heat some oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds,curry leaves and allow it to splutter.
Add onions, fry for some time and add turmeric powderand Ginger.
Now add Tomatoes, mix and cook for 5 minutes.
Add Green Peas, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Red Chili Powder and Salt. Mix well, cover and cook for 5 minutes. drain the water from Fenugreek and spinach leaves and add it to the peas.Add the paneer to this mixture .
Cover the lid and cook until the leaves turns soft.
Finally add the coconut milk, mix well and remove from the stove. Dont cook after you add the coconut milk .
Serve hot with Chapati or Naan.














Recipe Courtesy : My friend Vaish

ThattaPayaru Kulambu / Gravy












INGREDIENTS

Thatta payar-1 cup
Small onion-10 or big onion chopped-1
Tomato-1
Sambar powder-2 tSP
Garlic smashed-6
Tamarind-1very little(1/4 tSP) (depend on the sourness of the mango used)
For seasoning
Mustard-1 tSP
Fennel seeds-1 tSP

METHOD

In a kadai dry roast the the thatta payar in slow fire for 3 minutes .
Pour 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 5 minutes till the peas get cooked well.
Once the peas get cooked add the onion, tomatoes and sambar powder.
Now add the tamarind extract and the salt needed and cook for further 5 minutes.
Make sure that the curry is little watery.
The curry should be a little bit extra salty and hot so that the taste remains when it is mixed with rice.
When everything is cooked add the smashed garlic pieces before switching off the stove.
Season the gravy with the little oil and mustard seeds.
Serve hot with rice.

Vazhakkai Podimas / Raw Banana Fry












INGREDIENTS

4 Raw Bananas (medium size)
5 cups of water
Salt as required
Hing as required
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
4 tsp of boiled rice
3 tsp of toor dhal
3 tsp of bengal gram
1 tsp of corriander seeds
Few Curry Leaves
5 Red Chillies













METHOD

Slice the raw banana in to two halves without peeling the skin off and allow it to cook for about 10 mns in water with no salt.
remove from the stove,drain the water, peel the skin off and keep aside.
The bananas should be half cooked and firm and not mushy as this will render them impossible to be grated.
Grate the half cooked banans and spread them on a plate. Sprinkle salt and hing and allow to settle.
Roast the boiled rice, toor dhal, bengal gram, red chilies and the curry leaves and grind to a coarse powder in the mixer.
In a pan, add 2 spoons of oil, mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and hing and then the grated raw banana.
Add the roasted ground powder, mix well and serve hot with rassam saadham.












Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Garlic Gravy / Poondu Kulambu













INGREDIENTS

Garlic - 10 to 12 cloves (Big one)
Onion - 1/2
Tomato - 1
Tamarind - Big gooseberry size
Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Oil - 2 to 3 tspn
Salt - to taste

Rost and make a paste of :

Red chilies - 3 to 4
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tspn
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
Peppercorns - 1/4 tspn
Fennel seeds(perunjeeragam) - 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Garlic - 4 to 5

METHOD

Finely chop Onion and Tomato.
Soak Tamarind in water for 15 minutes.
Extract about a cup tamarind juice from it and keep aside.
Heat a tspn of Oil in a pan.
Add Red chilies, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Peppercorns, Fennel seeds, Curry leaves and roast till they are light brown, then remove from pan.
Roast 4 to 5 Garlic cloves till they are golden brown. Then make a very fine paste of these roasted items.
Heat little Oil in a pan, add Mustard seeds and Urad dal.
Once the seeds starts spluttering add Curry leaves and Garlic, fry till they are light brown.
Add Onion and fry till they are golden brown. Then add Tomatoes and fry till they become soft.
Add Turmeric powder, ground masala paste and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add Tamarind juice, 1 or 2 cups of water and Salt to it. Keep the stove in high heat and bring the curry to boil completely, then reduce the heat to medium.
Cook till the curry becomes thick and Garlic are soft.
Serve hot with rice.

Potato bonda / Urulaikizhangu Bonda













INGREDIENTS

For batter:

Bengal-gram dal flour – 3 cupfuls
Rice flour – ½ cup
Red chilly powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt – ¾ teaspoon

For filling:

Potatoes – ½ kg, boiled till soft
Turmeric powder – ¾ teaspoon
Red chilly powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder – ½ teaspoon
Cummin powder – ¼ teaspoon
Fenugreek powder – ¼ teaspoon
Salt – ¾ teaspoon
Coriander leaves – handful
Oil – 2 teaspoons + oil for deep frying
Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
Black-gram dal – ½ teaspoon
Onions – 2, medium size, finely chopped
Green chillies – 3, small, medium hot, finely chopped
Lime juice – 1 tablespoon, fresh













METHOD

Mix,bengal-gram dal flour, rice flour, chilly powder and salt by adding enough water to make it a thick batter.
Peel off the skins of boiled potatoes and mash it to a lumpy dough.
Mix in the spice powders, salt, and coriander leaves to the potato dough.
Make 2 teaspoons of oil very hot.
add the mustard seeds to splutter, black-gram dal to brown lightly, then chopped onions and green chillies.
When the onions turn limp, add the mashed potatoes.
Fry, turning over repeatedly, till there is a nice smell.
Remove from the heat, and when cool add the lime juice.
Make the potato dough into small firm balls.
Keep the batter handy next to them.

Heat a deep fry pan over high steady heat with oil.
When the oil becomes smoking hot, dip a potato ball into the batter & drop gently into the hot oil.
Turn over the balls constantly while frying.
Fry it till it turns golden brown.
Serve hot with any of your favorite chutneys.

Muttai Poriyal / Egg Fry













INGREDIENTS

Egg – 2
Onion – 1 chopped
Green chilly -1
Ginger – 1/4 inch chopped
Red chilly powder – 1/4 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 2 tsp
Cilantro a handful













METHOD

Heat two tsps of oil in a pan
Fry mustard seeds, urad dal and chopped onion until it is done.
Add the chopped green chilly, ginger and cook for few more minutes.
Now add the red chilly powder , turmeric and fry for a minute and add the beaten egg. Mix everything together and cook until the egg is done.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Paruppu payasam / Moong dal














INGREDIENTS

Green gram dal (Moongh Dal) - 3/4 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Jaggery - 1 cup
Cardamoms - 7
A few cashewnuts broken into pieces
Milk - 1 1/2 cups (OPTIONAL)
A few raisins
Small piece coconut, cut into tiny pieces - 1
Ghee - 1 tbsp













METHOD

Pressure cook the dal and mash thoroughly.
Add jaggery and continue to cook till jaggery has dissolved.
Add milk (optional), boil further for 2-3 minutes, remove from fire.
heat ghee, fry cashew nut pieces and raisons, each separately.
Now add cardamom powder and mix well.
Add coconut and serve hot or cool.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Sarkarai Pongal / SouthIndian Special













INGREDIENTS

1 cup Raw rice
1/4 cup Split Moongdal
Few Saffron Strands
1/4 cup Jaggery powder
1 tbsp Cardamom powder
1 tbsp Ghee
Few Cashew nuts

METHOD

Wash thoroughly both raw rice n split moongdal together, pour four cups of water , jaggery, saffron strands n pressure cook them upto 3 hisses...keep aside n let them steam release..meanwhile fry the cashew nuts in hot ghee n keep aside, add the cardamom powder , fried cashew nuts and hot ghee to the cooked pongal and mix them well.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Pumpkin Mash / Arasanikaai Poriyal













INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin - 2 cups, cut into bite sized cubes
Salt to taste

For seasoning:

Oil
red chillies - 2
green chillies - 2
curry leaves - 1 sprig
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp













METHOD

Heat oil in pan. When hot, add red chillies, green chillies and curry leaves.

Once they start to change color, add the rest of the seasoning ingredients , allow it to turn turned golden brown . Now add the cut pumpkin and add, turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt.

Cover the pan and cook on medium low, stirring occasionally, until done.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Morkuzhambu













INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium size Snake Guards (Pudalangai), chopped into small pieces (Or any veggi of your choice)
• 2 Cups butter milk / Curd
• 1 tsp Oil
• 3 tbsp Toovar dal
• 3 tbsp Chana dal
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds
• 2 Small red chilies
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2-3 Stalks of coriander leaves (for garnishing)

For Grinding :

• 2 tsp Coconut, shredded
• 6 curry leaves
• 3 tsp ginger Chopped
• 4 garlic pods
• 2 green chilies
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander seeds













METHOD

Heat oil and saute mustard seeds,red chilly, toovar dal, chana dal ,chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, chilli powder with little salt and water, allow it to boil.
Once it is cooked , remove it from the stove and
allow it to cool.
Grind coconut, Ginger, Garlic, Corriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Green chillies and curry leaves in to a fine paste.
Add this mixture to the vegetables.
Add buttermilk/ Curd to it.
Garnish with curry leaves .













It tastes heavenly with white rice .