Thursday, August 31, 2006

Vinayaka Chathurthi/Avaniavattam Special"Neyyappam"








We celebrated vinayaka chathurthi and Aavaniavattam together in an elaborate manner. Main Attraction was food. Neyyappam became a big hit. So I thought of sharing my recipe.

To make Neyyappam you get a special kind of vessel called appakkaral. It will have 5 or 7 holes in it.


Ingredients

Raw rice-1 cup
Jagerry-1 cup(grated)
Banana-1/2
Cardamom pdr -1 tsp
Small pices of coconut
Ghee for frying

Method

  1. Soak the rice for 2 hrs.In a pan add ¼ cup water and add the jaggerry. It will melt and become liquid. cool it
  2. Grind the rice adding the jaggerry liquid and banana into fine mixture.
  3. Put the cut coconut and cardamom pdr to it.
  4. Pour ghee in the appakkaral.When it becomes hot and pour the ground mixture in each holes.
  5. When it start to turn golden brown turn the neyyappa to the other side using a skwer or spoon.When both the side are golde brown take it out and put on the paper towel and let it cool before closing with a lid.
  6. Never move away while making neyyappam ,chances are it might burn.Also make it in medium flame.

Mooli(Radish)Paratha

Radish a root vegetable comes in bulbs and long carrot shape.
I make parathas with the small red bulb radish as well as the long white ones. I have shown both my methods here.






Ingredients

Mooli(Radish)grated-2cups
Onion(cut finely)-1/2 cup
Wheat Flour- 2 cups
Salt-2 pinch

Seasoning

CuminSeeds-2 tsp
Sambar Pdr-2 tsp
Oil/Ghee-3 tsp

Method 1
  1. In a hot pan put 1 tsp oil/ghee off it and add cumin seeds and sambar pdr.
  2. Then add the onion. When the Onion turn brown add the grated radish,salt and sauté it in low heat till all the water evapourates.
  3. Add the sauted mixture to the wheat flour and knead it into a dough(add water if necessary).
  4. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal balls and roll them out with a rolling pin.
  5. Heat a dosa tawa.
  6. Put the parathas one by one when the tawa is hot and dry. Brush ghee on one side.Turn over to the other side and brush ghee on the other side. Cook it pressing each side with a spatula.
Method 2

You can use the normal white radish also to make mooli paratha

Radish – 1 long(11/2 cup when grated)
Sambar pdr – 1 tsp
Salt
Oil – 1 tsp
Wheat flour – 3 cups
Water to knead.

  1. Peel the skin of the radish and wash well.
  2. Grate the radish. In a pan add 1 tsp oil. Add 1 tsp sambar pdr to it. Then add radish and little salt. Fry it till the water evapourates. Also the raw smell goes away. Cool it. Add the flour and mix it.
  3. Add water if necessary while kneading to make it a thick dough.
  4. Do not add water without getting a feel of the radish and flour since the radish has tendency to become sogy.
  5. Let it sit for an hour or 2 . Make it into round or triangular paratha. Shallow fry both sides brushing oil or ghee.Serve it hot with curd or any gravy.

Masala Chappathi














Ingredients

Wheat flour-2 cups

Salt-1tsp

ghee- 2 tbsp

Sambar pdr- 2tsp

Sauf- 1 tsp

Warm water

Method

  1. Heat the 1 tsp ghee and off it.Add the sauf and sambar pdr and mix it with the wheat flour.
  2. Mix salt and 2 tsp ghee to the Wheat flour.Add enough warm water to make it into a dough.
  3. Knead the dough well in a flat surface and keep it closed for 1-2 hrs.
  4. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal balls and roll them out with a chappathi roller.
    Heat a dosa tawa.
  5. Put the chappathis one by one when the tawa is hot and dry. Brush ghee on one side.Turn over to the other side and brush ghee on the other side. Cook it pressing each side with a spatula.
Masala Chappathi goes well with Dal or any vegetarian dish.

Paal Payasam

In the west they call it Rice Pudding.
But Paal payasam is a Prasadam in many temples in the south. Ambalapuzha(Sri Krishna Temple) paal payasam is very famous through out kerala.










Ingredients

Milk(Whole)-2 cups
Raw rice-1/2 cup
Condense milk -1 small tin
Cardamom pdr-2 tsp
Ghee-1 tsp

Method

  1. In a vessel take 1 ½ cup of milk.put a long spoon and pressure cook it.When 2 whistles come turn the heat to sim and let it cook for ½ hr.off the cooker and let it cool.
  2. In the rest ½ cup milk add the rice and cook it on medium heat .put a ladle in that vessel.Stir it every now and then.
  3. When the rice is cooked pour the pressure cooked milk(it will be light pink in colour) and slowly add the condense milk to it stirring continuously.Cook the payasam in low heat for another ½ hr stirring every now and then.
  4. Add cardamom pdr and 1tsp ghee in the end and stir it again.

Vinayaka Chaturthi Special "Modakam"(Purnam Kozhakkattai/Ammini Kozhakkattai)

Purnam Kozhakkattai

Ingredients

Dough:
Raw rice- 1 cup
1 Pinch salt
Gingely oi l- 2tbsp

Purnam(Filling):
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Jaggerry-1 cup
Cardamom pdr- 1 tsp
Ghee -1 tsp

Rice Dough:

Soak the rice for 1 hr.Grind it adding a pinch of salt and water.

In a kadai pour 2 tsp of gingley oil and add the ground mixture.Stir continuously till it become thich dough. Keep it to cool down. Knead the dough applying little oil in the hands.

For the filling:

In ¼ cup water add the jaggery and heat it when it becomes liquid add the grated coconut.When it becomes thick add the cardamom pdr and 1 tsp ghee.Let it cool.

Method

Make small balls of the rice dough. Apply oil to your hands and make small cups with rice dough fill it with purnam and close it .Steam it in idli cooker for 10 minutes.

Ammini Kozhakkattai

If there is excess rice dough from the purnam kozhakkattai Mix some salt ,1 tsp gingely oil and dosa molakappodi to it and make it into small rounds. Steam it in a cooker as you did the purnam kozhakkattai.

Small kids enjoy this a lot.

GreenDal Curry


Ingredients

Green urad dal(pesarattu paruppu)-1 cup
Onion-1
Tomatoes-1
Ginger-small piece
Garlic-3 flakes
Coriander seeds-1tsp
Cloves-1 tsp
Badam-5
Amchur pdr-1/2 tsp
Ghee-2 tsp
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

  1. Wash the green urad dal and cook it in pressure cooker adding little salt.
  2. In 1 tsp ghee fry badam,onion,tomatoes,garlic ,coriander seeds and grind it with ginger,green chilli and cloves into a fine paste.
  3. Add the ground mixture and amchur pdr to the cooked green urad dal(Add little water if it is too thick) and cook it in medium flame till it starts to boil.
  4. Granish with coriander leaves.

Tomato Rice











Ingredients

Rice-1 cup
Toamatoes-2(Cut finely)You can use cheery tomatoes also instead of regular tomato
Onion-1 (cut finely)
GreenChillies-2
Ginger – small piece
Sambar pdr- 1tsp
Oil/Ghee-3tsp
Salt to taste

Seasoning

Musturd seeds,uraddal,channadal,cashewnuts,cumin seeds – all 1 tsp
Asafeotida- ½ tsp
Oil/ghee-1 tsp
Corriander leaves to garnish

Method

  1. Wash the rice .Add 1 ½ cup of water to 1 cup rice and pressure cook it.oof the gas when 4 whistles come.Cool the cooked rice.
  2. In a hot kadai(pan) add 1 tsp oil/ghee .Put all the seaosoning ingredients and sambar pdr fry it.Then add the cut Onions,green chillies , ginger and asafoetida.Fry till it starts to turn light brown.
  3. Add the cut tomatoes.Add salt to taste.Sprinkle little water once and fry till it starts to become semi solid.
  4. Add the cooked rice and add 3 tsp of oil/ghee.
  5. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Puri Masal





Puri

Whet flour-1cup
Maida- 1 cup
Butter – 1 tbsp
Salt-1tsp
Warm water to make dough
Oil for deep frying

Method

  1. Mix all the ingredients.Add water little by little till it becomes a dough.knead it well and make it into a thick dough.Keep it closed for 1/2hr to 1 hr.
  2. Make it into small balls and flatten it with a rolling pin.
  3. Heat oil in a kadai.When the oil is hot(smoke slowly start to appear) put the puris one by one into the oil and deep fry it. 4. When puris gets puffed up and turns golden brown, turn around do the same, drain it on a paper towel.

Serve hot with masal.

Masaal

Potatoes : 6
Peas-1/4 cup
Carrots(diced)-1/4 cup
Onion : 1 medium, chopped
Tomatoes(finely cut) – 1/2
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Water - 1 1/2 cups

Seasoning
Oil: 1 tblsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Chana dal : 1 tblsp
Urad dal-1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves : 4
Green chilli : 2, finely chopped (you can add more)
Ginger : 1 tblsp, grated
Hing - a pinch
Cilantro chopped

Method

  1. Boil the potatoes in Pressure cooker and peel it.
    When potatoes are cool enough to touch, coarsely crumble using your hands.Cook the peas and carrot in boiling water and drain and keep aside
  2. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When seeds begin to pop, add chana dal, urad dal,cumin seeds,hing and fry it till light brown. Add the onions and fry till golden brown. Add curry leaves, ginger, green chillies. Add the finely cut tomatoes.
  3. Add potatoes, peas, carrots and turmeric powder. Saute for a few seconds.
    Add salt. Let this cook till the masal get a semi-solid consistency. Turn the heat off. Garnish with cilantro.
Serve hot with Puris. This will go equally well with Phulkas/chapatis.

Palak Paneer


Ingredients

Palak - 2 bunches
Onion (chopped finely)-1
Ginger- small piece
Garlic - 3-4 flakes
Green Chillies - 2
CorianderCumin pdr-2 tsp
Tomatoes(finely cut)-1
paneer(diced cubes fried)-2 cups
Oil-2tsp
Butter to garnish

Method

  1. Clean and wash palak nicely. Chop 1 bunch palak finely and keep aside.Cut the other bunch palak and put it in boiling water and keep it closed for 10 minutes.Drain it.
  2. Take half cup chopped onion and garlic and fry it in oil.Grind it along with ginger and green chillies.Grind to a fine paste. Then add the drained palak and pulse twice.
  3. In a kadai fry rest of the onion in oil till brown.
  4. Add chopped tomatoes and fry till oil shows on top.Add the coriander cumin pdr to it and the finely cut palak to it.
  5. Then Add palak paste and salt to taste.Let it cook for 5mnts in medium flame.Off the heat and add paneer diced and keep it closed.
  6. Before serving add 1 tbsp of butter (optional)
Serve hot with Parathas or Naans.

Plain Kadi


Ingredients

Curd - 2 cups
sour cream- 2tbsp
gram floor (besan)- 2 tbsp
1/2 onion chopped
small piece ginger chopped
cumin seeds- 1tsp
turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
green chilli - 2-3finely chopped.
Pinch of hing
curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil

Method
  1. Mix curd and sour cream in mixie.
  2. Add besan in this curd mix with hand or in the mixie. Keep aside for 1/2 an hr.
  3. Take pan, put oil add cumin seed let it splutter
  4. Add onion and fry till brown, then add ginger,corianderpdr,greenchillies,hing(asafetida),turmeric pdr to it.
  5. Then add basen-curd mixture to it. Add some water.
  6. Keep on stirring till first boil, then bring it to simmer.
  7. Let it boil for 15 min, if you feel kadi is getting thick add more water .
  8. Garnish it with curry leaves

Serve with rice.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Veg Pulao


Ingrdients

Peas-1/2 cup
Carrots-1/2 cup
Corn -1/2 cup(take out the yellow seeds)
Onion(fineli cut)-1/2 cup Basmati rice-2 cups
Ghee-3tbsp

To garnish

Cashews-8-10
Kismis-5-6
Fried bread cubes-1 cup
Coriander leaves

Grind

Ginger-small piece, garlic-3-4petals, cloves-4-5, cardamom-2, bayleaf-2, onion-1/2(fry the onion)

Method

  1. In a hot pan add ghee and put the basmati rice. Fry it lightly.Then add the ground mixtuer and fry it . Add 3 cups of water and cook the rice in a pressure cooker (4-5 wistles) . After cooking cool the rice.
  2. Cut the bread slices into small cube. Add ghee in a pan and fry it till it becomes light brown colour. Fry the cashwesnut and kismis also.
  3. Boil water and add the peas,carrots and corn. Let it sit till it become soft. Drain it.
  4. Add ghee in a pan and add the finely cut onion. Add the vegetables to it and fry it till the remaining water evaporates.Add the cooked rice to it mix it gently so that the rice doesn’t break. Garnish with the fried cashews,kismis and bread cubes and spinkle some coriander leaves

Potato Roast


Ingredients

Potato- -5
Oil-4 tsp
Mustard seed-1tsp
Cumin seeds-1tsp
Turmeric pdr-1.2 tsp
Sambar pdr-1tsp(according to your taste)

Method

  1. Cut the potataoes into cubes. Boil water and add salt and turmeric pdr and potatoes. When the potatoes are about to become soft off the gas and drain the potatoes and let it rest.
  2. In a hot tawa add 2 tsp oil. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add the cumin seeds and sambar pdr.
  3. Add the half cooked potatoes to it. Add 2 tsp of oil. Slow roast it in low flame ocassionaly stirring with a spatula.
This is a side dish for sambar ,rasam. It also goes well with hot chappathis.

Rasam


Ingredients

Tamarind- lemon sized
Turmeric pdr-1/2 tsp
Asafoetida-2 pinches
Tomato-1 medium
Salt to taste
Rasam pdr(MTR is a good brand)-1 tsp
Red gram dal(thuvaram paruppu)-1 tbsp
Coriander leaves

Seasoning

Ghee-2tsp
Mustard seed-1 tsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Curry leaves-3-4

Method

  1. Make juice from the tamarind. Grind half tomato adding the tamarind juice in a mixie. Pour it in a vessel.Cut the remaining tomato and put it in the mixture.Add turmeric pdr,asafoetida,rasam pdr and salt . Boil it half covering the vessel with a lid. Put a laddle so that it it is not fully covered.
  2. Cook the dal in the cooker adding turmeric pdr.
  3. When the mixture boils well(10-12mts) add some water and the cooked dal. And keep it in medium flame.Add salt if necessary. When the mixture starts to boil off the heat.
  4. Season in ghee with mustard seeds,cumin seeds and curry leaves.Spinkle coriander leaves in the end.

This is very tasty with hot rice.

Beans Poduthuval


Ingredients


Beans-1/2 pound
Coconut grated-1 cup
Green chillies-2
Salt to taste

Seasoning

Mustard-1tsp
Urad dal-1 tsp
Oil-2tsp

Method

  1. Wash the beans and cut it into small pieces.
  2. Boil water and add the beans to it adding some salt.When the beans starts to become soft off the gas and let it sit in the hot water for5-7mnts.Then drain the beans.
  3. In the mixie add the grated coconut and green chillies and pulse 2 times.
  4. In a hot pan add oil and mustard seeds. When it splutters add urad dal.Whe the urad dal turns light brown add the beans .Add 1 tsp of oil and fry in low flame for a minute or 2.This will vapourise the water if any in the beans. Then add the grated coconut and green chilli.

This is a side dish for sambar,rasam,moorkuzhambu etc.

Cauliflower Spinach Curry


Ingredients

Cauliflower-1
Spinach -½ bunch
Onion-1
Green chillies-2
Badam-5
Garlic-3-4petals
Sauf-1tsp
Cardamom-2
Tomato-1(cut into fine pieces)
Salt to taste
Oil/ghee-3tsp

Method

  1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and wash well in cold water.
  2. Boil water in a vessel and add salt.When it is boiling add the cauliflower and cook it for 5 minutes.Then off the heat and let the cauliflower sit in the hot water for 5 mnt.Then drain and keepit aside.
  3. Cut the spinach finely and keep it aside.
  4. In a hot pan add 1 tsp oil/ghee.Add the cut onion(keep aside a little onion for later),badam,garlic,sauf and fry till it is lightly brown.Grind it adding green chillie,cardamom adding little water.
  5. In the same pan pour another tsp of oil/ghee and add the rest of the onions and fry.Add the tomatoes and spinach and then the cauliflower.When these fry add the ground mixture and salt to taste.Add a tsp of oil/ghee in the end.
  6. This curry goes with hot chappathis.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Chappathi/Phulka


Ingredients

Wheat flour-2 cups

Salt-1tsp

Oil/ghee-2tsp

Warm water

Method

Mix salt and oil/ghee to the Whet flour.Add enough warm water to make it into a dough.

Knead the dough well in a flat surface and keep it closed for 1-2 hrs.

Divide the dough into 8-10 equal balls and roll them out with a chappathi roller.
Heat a dosa tawa.

Put the chappathis one by one when the tawa is hot and dry. Turn over to the other side. Then put the chappthi directly into high flame.Do both sides like this. It will puff up.

Put it on the plate and brush ghee on it.

Chappathi goes well with Dal or any vegetarian dish.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Vegetable Lemon Rice


Ingrdients

Basmati rice -1 cup
Lemon juice from 1 lemon
Mustard Seeds
2 tsp.
Urad Daal 2 tsp.
Chana Daal 2 tsp.
Dried Red chillies
2-3
Green chillies-2
Peas-1/2 cup
Carrots(grated or cut in small cubes)-1/2 cup
Grated ginger -1tsp

Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp.
A pinch of asafoetida

A pinch of Turmeric Roasted Peanuts 1/2 cup
Curry leaves 10 .
Vegetable oil
2 tbsp. Coriander leaves Salt to taste Cashew nuts-10 nos

Method

  1. 1. Wash rice well before cooking.Cook it in pressure cooker (wait for 2-3 whistles and then switch off the gas). You can also cook it in a pan or do microwave cooking just the same way as you cook ordinary rice.Once the rice is cooked, keep it aside to cool.See that the rice is not over cooked.
  2. 2. Heat oil in a deep frying pan or a kadai. Add mustard seed. When it splutters add chana dal,urad dal,red chillies,green chillies,onions,grated ginger,peanuts and cashwenut.fry well.Then add asafoetida, peas and carrots.
  3. Add the cooked rice salt to taste and turmeric pdr and lemon juce.mix slowly so that the rice donot break.
  4. Add 2 tsp of oil and mix it.Spinkle some coriander leaves.

Ragada Patties


Ingredients

For the Patties

Potatoes – 3 potatoes
Peas – 1 small cup
Bread crumbs- 1 small cup
Semolina(rava)-2tbsp
Chilli pdr to taste
Salt to Taste
Oil for frying

For Ragada

White Peas-1 cup
Onions- 1 large
Green Chillies-2
Oil/ghee-2tbsp
Coriander seeds (Dhania)- 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds ( sounf)- 1 teaspoon
2 inch Cinnamon pieces
3 Cardamoms
6 Garlic petals
1/2 inch piece of Ginger
Handful of Fresh green Cilantro (Coriander) leaves chopped finely.
Two pinches Asafoetida (Hing)
tamarind –lemon sizes(take the juice)

Method

For Ragada

  1. Soak the white peas overnight.
  2. Cook them in the Pressure cooker.
  3. Cut the onions and fry it in 1 tsp oil/ghee.Add green chillies,garlic, ginger,Dhania seeds, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cardamoms, garlic petals
  4. Allow the above mixture to cool, and then grind it to a smooth paste adding the tamarind juice for the gravy.
  5. Heat a little oil in the pan, add finely cut onion and asafoetida ,fry it and add the ground paste, and the cooked white peas. Add little water. Add salt to taste and coriander leaves. Your ragada is ready. Now make the patties.

For Patties

  1. Boil the peas and potatoes( peel them) adding salt and mash them .
  2. Add oil in a hot pan and add chilli pdr,mashed peas and potatoes ,Bread crumbs,Semolina(rava) and mix it well.
  3. Knead the mixture to form a dough-like ball.
  4. Make 8-10 equal portions (balls) of the above mixture, and flatten them by hand to form the pattties.
  5. In a hot tawa brush some oil and start putting the patties.pour some oil over each patties and shallow fry them when one side is golden brown turn to the other side and fry till it turns golden brown.You can press the patty every now and then with a flat spatula..The rawa and bread crumbs will make it crispy outside.

The patties can be deep fried in hot oil also.

While serving, Put the patties in the bowl, and then put ragada on it. You may add Tamarind Chutney ,Coriander Chutney,lightly beaten curd,finely cut onion and cilantro to it for making it more tasty.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Coconut dal chutney

Coconuts are main ingredient in Kerala food. But doctors say too much of coconut can increase the cholestrol level. The split peas dal which is used in this recipe allows to reduce the amount to coconut we put. Coconut Dal chutney is even mixed with rice and eaten.


Ingredients

Coconut-1/2(can use 2 small cup decicated coconut also)
Bengal gram dal(kadala paruppu)-1tsp
urad dal-1tsp
split peas dal(pottu kadalai)-1tsp
Onion-1 medium
red chilli-2
tamarind-1 small piece
coriander seeds-1tsp
Curry leaves-6-8 leaves
oil-2tsp

seasoning

mustued-1tsp
cumin seed-1/2 tsp
oil-1tsp

Method

  1. In a hot pan add oil and fry the dal then the onion,red chilli,coriander seeds,coconut and curry leaves. Off the stove when the colour starts to become light brown. Grind it adding tamarind and little water.
  2. Season it with musturd and cummin seeds.
This chutney goes well with dosa and uthappam

Curd Rice


Ingredients

Cooked rice-2 cups
Curd - 2 cups
Milk - 1/2 cup

Seasoning

Musturd seeds-1tsp
asafotida-a pinch
greenchilli-2
grated ginger-1tsp
salt to taste
curry leaves
oil-1tsp

Method

  1. In a small hot pan add oil.Add musturd seeds.When it splutters off the stove and add rest of the seasoning ingredients.Add this to the cooked rice.
  2. Warm the milk and mix to the rice.
  3. Then add the curd and salt to taste.Mix well .Keep it closed .
Curd rice sooths the stomach after a heavy meal.

PS: Add grated carrots,finely cut cucumbers and coriander leaves to to the seasoning and mix with rice.Then you can add the warm milk,curd and salt.

Avial

Avial is a Kerala Cuisine. It is a mixture of different vegetables. It is made in the liquid form which can be mixed in hot rice and eaten.Also it is made thick to go as a side dish.

Ingredients

White pumpkin(pooshnikka/elavan)-1 small piece
Drumsticks - 1 no.
Beans - 4 no.
Plantain (raw banana) - 1 no.
Potato - 1 no.
Yam - small piece
Carrots -1 or 2 no.
Curd - 1 cup (prefered sour)
Sour cream-1/2 cup
Curry Leaves - little bit
Coconut Oil - 2 tsp
Coconut grated - 1 cup (fresh)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 3 or 4 nos.
Salt as per taste

Method

Thick Avial

  1. Cook all the vegetables adding salt and turmeric pdr. Donot over cook it. Pour the cooked vegetables in a strainer so that the remaining water also goes.
  2. Grind Coconut,Greenchillies and Cumin sedds adding 1tbsp of curd and 1 tbsp of sour cream.It need not be grinded very fine.
  3. In a hot pan add 2tsp of coconut oil,curry leaves,vegetables and ground mixture and cook it for 3-4 mnt in medium low flame.Take it out and add 1tsp of coconut oil.
This side dish goes well with Sambar Rice or Rasam.


Liquid Avial

  1. Cut all the vegetables mentioned above in long piecesand cook it in the cooker with little bit of salt,water and turmeric powder. Don't over cook it, one whistle is enough. Keep the drained water from the vegetables.
  2. Grind the grated coconut with jeera & green chillies in the mixie finely.Beat the curd and sour cream and keep it aside
  3. Mix the cooked vegetables and the ground mixture of coconut. Add the drained vegetable water as necessary.While it is getting boiled add few curry leaves and boil for 3 or 5 min.
  4. Add the beaten curd and mix it together .Once the curd is added cook it in medium low flame until it starts boiling.This take 3-4 mnts.
  5. Once it is taken out drizzle 1 tsp coconut oil and mix well. And keep it closed.

You can have avial with hot rice.


Plantain and Sweet Yam Curry

Ingredients

Sweet Yam - 2(sweet yam is not sweet potato but looks like sweet potato)
Green(raw)plantian-1
Salt to taste
Pepper pdr to taste

For seasoning

Black musturd-1tsp
urad dal-1tsp
curry leaf
asafoetida a pinch
oil-2-3tsp

Method

Cut the vegetables into cubes and wash well.
Heat the oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds and urad dal.When it splutters add the curry leaves and hing and the vegetables.Add salt to taste and the pepper pdr.Sprinkle some water and keep it closed.Both vegetables cooks very fast.Cook in medium flame.
When the vegetable is turning soft cook in low flame so that it does not stick to the bottom.
Usaully it takes 5-7mnts to cook.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Idli/Dosa















Idli/Dosa batter


Ingrdients

boiled rice/idli rice - 4 cups
Urad dal - 1 cup(preferably whole urad dal)
methi seeds - 1 tsp

Method

Soak rice in water for 8-10 hrs.
Soak urad dal and methi in water for 3- 4hrs.





Grind the urad dalmethi and keep it aside. Grind the rice in a grinder. Then add the ground urad dal into it and grind again for 15-20 minutes.









When the batter is smooth add salt, mix well and pour it in a big vessel and keep it to ferment over night (8-10hrs).










To make
Idli :Mix the batter well. Fill idli plates(coat the plates with oil) with batter. Keep it in cooker. Steam it for 15mts.








To make
Dosa :Add little water so that it is semi liquid consistensy. Pour 1 ladle full of batter and spread evenly and round. Pour 1 tsp oil/ghee on the side. After about 1/2 a minute, turn the dosa on the other side and let it roast equally on both the sides.

Idli/Dosa can be served hot with Coconut Chutney or Sambar.

Uthappam


Ingredients
idli batter - 2 cups
curd - 1 laddle
soda - 1/4 tsp
onion - 1 small cup(finely cut)
carrot -1 small cup (grated)
capsicum
greenchillies - 2
ginger - 1 tsp(grated)
tomato - 1 small cup(finely cut)

Method

Keep the idli batter at room temperature for 4-5 hrs.
Add curd,soda and all vegetables to it 1/2hr before preparing.
In a hot tawa pour a laddle full of batter in the centre, spread
with the back of the laddle into a thick small round.
Pour a tsp. of ghee or oil over it.
Then the dosa maybe turned over on the pan, and partially fried.

Serve it hot with coconut chutney.