Pitlai

Pitlai

Ingredients:

2 medium bitter gourds ("karela")pavakai

3/4 can chickpeas

1/2 cup cooked toovar dal

3 green chillies slit

1 1/2 tspn tamarind paste

3-4 red dry chillies

2 tspns urad dal

1 1/2 tspn coriander seeds

1/2 cup grated coconut

few peppercorns

a little jaggery or sugar

turmeric, salt to taste

mustard seeds, curry leaves, oil for seasoning

Preparation:

Slit bitter gourd into four quarters and cut 1/2 inch thick pieces across.

In a little oil, saute cut bitter gourd and green chillies. Add 2 cups water, tamarind, turmeric and salt. Let simmer

until bitter gourd are tender. Add chickpeas and jaggery/sugar.

While bitter gourd are cooking, in another pan sprinkle a little oil and fry coriander seeds, urad dal, red chillies

and peppercorns until well roasted. Add coconut, stir a min or two and then grind in a blender. Add a little

tomato paste if handy for color.

Blend in cocunut paste into the bitter gourd-tamarind mixture. Add the dal. Mix well and reheat a till it begins to

simmer. Take off stove.you can use katrikai instead of pavakai....

Gotsu

Gotsu

Ingredients:

One small to medium brinjal

1/2 tbsp tamarind paste or extract from a tamarind size marble, soaked

one large onion, chopped (if using little ones in a bag, about five)

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

6 hot green chilles, slit and cut into pieces

curry leaves

1 tspn mustard

1/2 tspn turmeric

garlic (optional)

salt to taste

3-4 tbspn oil

Preparation:

Chop the brinjal into very tiny pieces. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when popping add curry leaves, chillies,

onions and fry till onions become transcluscent. Add tomatoes and brinjal and fry for another five minutes. If

using tamarind paste add a cup and half of water, or pour equal quantity of extract from fresh pulp. Throw in the

turmeric, salt and garlic. Let it simmer for a while until brinjal becomes really soft and is barely able to retain

its shape. Remove from heat.

Tomato-Onion Gotsu More tomatoes can be substituted instead of the brinjal for a tomato- onion gotsu. Add

more chillies if necessary.

This is good with Rice,upma etc..

Vegetable Kurma

VEGETABLE Kurma

Ingredients:

2 cups Vegetables

2 Onions cut length-wise

2 Green chilies cut length-wise

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 1/4 tsp Salt

one pinch Turmeric powder

1/2" Cinnamon stick

2 Cloves

2 Cardamom

2 tblsp Coconut powder

1 tsp Khus-Khus (poppy seeds)

1/4 tsp (3 cloves) Garlic

1/4 tsp powder (or 1/2" fresh) Ginger

Method:

Put a reasonable sized vessel on the range and heat oil. Add cinnamon,

cloves and cardamom and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add onions and green

chilies and fry till onions turn brown. Add garlic + ginger paste and

fry for a minute or so. Add vegetables and fry for about 3 minutes.

Add Water (about a cup or two). Let the vegetables + turmeric powder

cook.

If you are using canned or frozen vegetables skip the above step.

Add coconut paste, khus-khus, salt and wait until cooked.

Note: Cook on low heat.

This is good with Roti,Chapati,and Naan, Briyani..

Bonda with potato/Urulaikizhangu Bonda

Bonda with mashed potato

Ingredients:

1 medium Onion

2 cups Potato

1 1/2 cup Peas and carrots

2 big ones Green chilies

1 teaspoon Lemon juice

1 cup Gram flour

1/2 tsp Mustard seed

pinch Turmeric

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4" piece Ginger

1 small bunch Coriander leaves

2 tsp Salt

Oil- for frying

Method:

The filling is prepared as follows:

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Mix potato buds and 1/2 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of hot water.

Finely chop ginger, chilies, coriander leaves, and onion. Heat oil

(about 5 Tbsp) and add mustard seeds. Add chopped ingredients and fry

until onions are brown. Add carrots, peas, turmeric and 1 tsp of salt

and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add potato (now mashed) and

fry for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and let cool.

The batter is prepared as follows:

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Combine gram flour, 3 Tbsp of oil, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, the

baking powder and mix thoroughly

After the batter is prepared, make small balls out of the filling and

roll them in the batter. Next fry it in hot oil. You will get about

20-30 small bondas.

Sambar Podi/Sambar Powder

Sambar powder:

Ingredients:

Whole red peppers - 1/4 kg

Coriander seeds - 1/4 kg

Toor Dal - 200 g

Gram dal - 200 g

whole black peppers - 25 g

asafoetida - a pinch

Method:

Dry the above ingredients or fry all the ingredients separately without oil and grind into a nice powder.

Vaangi Baath(Brinjal Rice)

Vaangi Baath (Brinjal Rice)

Ingredients:

Brinjal - 300 gms

Onions - 2-3 medium sized

Coriander powder, Chilli powder, Salt to taste

Rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 1/2 cups

Cooking oil - 2 tbsps

Finely chopped coriander leaves

Method:

1.Cut the brinjal & onions to not very fine pieces. If u cut the brinjals

too fine, they will get mashed up and will lose their taste.

2.Saute the onions till they get transparent. Then, add the brinjals also.

3.Add the spice powders and saute the curry for 4-5 minutes.

4.Cook the rice in the quantity of water mentioned above. Do not

overcook.

5.Allow it to cool and then mix it with the curry just prepared above

taking care to see that u do not mash them up.

6.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

7.Serve hot.

Sakkarai pongal/ sweet pongal

Sweet Pongal

Ingredients (for two people) :-

Moong dhal - 1/2 cup.

Rice - 1/2 cup.

Milk-1cup

Coconut-small amount

cashew-20

jaggery-2cup

raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes)-some

cardamom-a pinch

ghee.-1cup

Preparation:

Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it

will start smelling). Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.

Thoroghly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is o.k)and

cook it seperately (in two different containers). Meanwhile cut coconut in

very small pieces and fry in ghee. Fry cashew and raisins also separately.

Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is

done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones. After we make the syrup

strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and

add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. Add

jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table

spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. Add fried

coconut, cashews and raisins.

Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.

Badam Kheer

Ingredients:
Almonds (Badam)- 1 cup
Milk - 4-6 cups
Sugar - same amount as almond paste (about 1 cup)
Saffron - 1/2 t.spoon

Method:

Soak saffron in little cold milk, and keep it aside.Soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour. Peel skin and grind the almond into a fine paste with 1 cup of milk instead of water.Measure the amount of almond paste, and keep the same amount ofsugar aside.Cook the almond paste for 5-10 while stirring it constantly, till the flavour comes out. Now add sugar and keep stirring. Add the remaining milk, and boil for 10-15 minutes. Add the soaked saffron and serve it cold.

Brinjal Curry

Ingredients:

Medium size brinjals -8(not round ones)
Ginger -2inches
coriander-equal to ginger
tamarind juice( thick) -1 t.sp.
turmuric powder-1/2 t.sp.
chana dal--1 t.sp
Urud dal-1 t.sp
mustard seeds-1/2 t.sp
cumin seeds-1/2 t.sp
oil-4 t.sp.s
green chiilies 5
red chillies -3(cut into pieces)
salt to taste

Preparation Method:

1.First make a paste of green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves nicely.
2.Cut the brinjals into 2 inch pieces.
3.Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. Put chana dal, urud dal, cumin seeds,
mustard seeds. Allow to splutter. Add red chillies and fry nicely.
4.Put the brinjal pieces, salt and turmuric.
5.Fry them for a while and cover the pan, with a plate. Put some water
in the plate.
6.After the brinjals are half cooked, put the tamarind juice,
ginger-coriander paste in the brinjal pieces and mix well.
7.Close the pan again, but stir it frequently.
8.After 5 or 6 minutes, the curry is ready.
9.Sprinkle the coriander leaves and serve.
10.Tastes good with white rice and ghee.

Milagu Kuzhambu / Black Pepper Gravy

Ingredients:

coriander seeds - 2 spoons(fry first)
toor dal - 2 spoons
whole black peppers - 2 spoons
whole red peppers - 3-4
asafoetida and curry leaves -little

Preparation:

Fry the above ingredients in a little amount of oil and grind
it.Mix this paste with tamarind juice, add water and heat
until the raw smell is gone.
Side dish - This can be mixed with rice and served along with
paruppu thogaiyal, or as a side dish to curd rice.

Morkulambu/ Buttermilk gravy

Ingredients:

Yogurt/Butter milk -2 cup
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp.(optional)
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp.
Chana Daal 1 tsp.
Rice or rice powder 1 tsp.
Coconut (grated) - 2 tsp.
Salt - as needed
Mustard - 1 tsp.
Turmeric - pinch
Red Chili - 1-2 (u can add green chilli and quantitiy is based on u)

Preparation:

Fry Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Chana Daal, Red Chili in a little oil.
Grind the mixture with the coconut and add to the beaten yogurt(buttermilk). Add turmeric and bring to a boil.
Stir the rice powder, and heat on low until consistent texture is achieved.
Heat oil and mustard seeds and add to the mixture.

if u want some vegetable fry or boil those and add with this morkulambu before boiling this.

u can put some vegetables like vendaikai(okra),katrikai(eggplant),poosanikai(white pumpkin),chuv-chuv(chayote squash),Drumstick...

மைசூர் பாகு/Mysore Pak(South Indian Sweet)

Ingredients:

Besan (chick-pea flour) 1 cup
Sugar 1 1/2 cups
Ghee 2 cups
Water 1 3/4 cups

Procedure:

1.Dissolve the sugar in the water and heat it.
2.Keep stirring till you get a thread consistency.
3.You can check for this by feeling the syrup between your fore-finger
and thumb. (If the syrup has reached the required consistency, then
you will able to pull it out like a thread).
4.Remove all the lumps in the chick-pea flour and add it to the syrup, 1
table spoon at a time.
5.Reduce the heat and add 2 teaspoons of ghee.
6.Stir, till the flour and ghee has completely blended with the syrup.
7.Repeat procedure 2 till you finish all of the besan.
8.Continue to stir and keep adding ghee 1tsp. at a time till the mixture
changes color and texture. At one point, you will observe that the
mixture is not able to absorb any more ghee. Also, the whole mixture
becomes porous and starts leaving the edges of the vessel.
9.At this point, transfer the mixture into a greased plate and with a
spatula press the mixture down till the excess ghee surfaces. Do not
remove the excess ghee.
10.Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then, cut it into desired shape and wait
for another 10 minutes. Carefully remove each piece and arrange on
the serving tray.

Cooking time: 45 minutes.
Yield: 40 medium sized pieces.

மசாலா தோசை/Masala Dosa

Ingredients:

1 cup plain rice.
1 cup parboiled rice.
1/4 cup white urad dal.
1/2 tsp. methi (fenugreek) seeds
salt - as needed
1/2 cup curd(optional)
10-12 tsps. ghee or oil as preferred
water for grinding

Method:

Wash the rices and dal together.
Add plenty of water and methi seeds.
Allow to soak for 7-8 hours or overnight.
Rewash the rice by draining the water 2-3 times.
Grind to a paste. Rawa -like grains should be felt in
Add salt and mix well.
Keep aside in a warm place for 8-10 hours. Beat the curd well.
Add to the batter, add more water if required.
The consistency of the batter should be
enough to thickly coat on a spoon when dipped.
Heat the iron griddle or non-stick tawa well.
Pour a spoonful of batter in the centre, spread
with the back of the spoon to a thin round.
Pour a tsp. of ghee or oil over it.
Place a tbsp. masala in the centre.
Fold into triangle to cover masala.
Remove with spatula when crisp.
Serve hot with chutney and/or sambar.

For masala:

Ingredients :

2 large onions in vertical slices
2 large potatoes boiled and peedled
4-5 green chillies
1 tbsp. chopped coriander
8-10 cashews halved
1/2 tsp. each urad dal, cumin & mustard seeds
2 tbsp. oil
1/4 tsp. turmeric
salt to taste

Method For Masala:

Chop potatoes coarsely. Chop green chillies.
Heat oil, add cashews and brown lightly.
Add dal, seeds and splutter.
Add chillies and onions. Fry till tender.
Add turmeric, salt, potatoes, coriander.
Mix well.

ரவா தோசை/Rava(Semolina) Dosa

Ingredients:

1 cup fine soji (semolina)
1/2 cup rice flour or plain flour
1 tbsp. oil
2-2 ½ cups buttermilk
1 tsp. coriander chopped fine
2 green chillies chopped fine

salt - as needed

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together.
Add more buttermilk if necessary.
The batter should be relatively thin. salt to taste Keep aside for 20 - 30 minutes.
Heat griddle and pour 1 large spoon of batter on it.
Spread by gently rotating the griddle.
Put some oil (1/2 tsp.) over dosa.
Lift with a spatula as for basic dosa.

Roll the dosa in a three-fold cylinder.oil to shallow fry Serve hot with onion and/or coconut chutneys.

Makes: 10 - 12 thin dosas
Shelflife: Fresh only.
Texture: Thin with polka sized holes, not too crisp, foldable.

சாதா தோசை/ Plain dosa

Ingredients:
1 cup plain rice
1 cup parboiled rice
1/4 cup white udad dal
1/2 tsp. methi (fenugreek) seeds
1/2 cup curd (optional)

salt
10-12 tsps. ghee or oil as preferred
water for grinding

Method:

Wash the rices and dal seperately.
Add plenty of water and methi seeds.
Allow to soak for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Rewash the rice and dal by draining the water 2-3 times.
Grind to a paste. Rawa -like grains should be felt in the batter. Add salt and mix well.
Keep aside in a warm place for 8-10 hours.
Beat the curds well.
Add to the batter, add more water if required.
The consistency of the batter should be thick enough to thickly coat on a spoon when dipped.
Heat the iron griddle or non-stick tawa well.
Pour a spoonful of batter in the centre, spread with the back of the spoon to a thin round.
Pour a tsp. of ghee or oil over it.
Remove with spatula when crisp.
Serve hot with chutney and / or sambar.

அடை/Adai(Mixed pulses dosa)

Ingredients:

Rice -1 cup

Toor dal - 1/4 cup

Channa dal-1/4 cup (chick peas)

urad dal - 1/4 cup

salt

Red chilli - 7-9

Asfoetida - a pinch

Method:

Soak Rice for 3 hrs. Mix all the dals(toordal,channa dal, Urad dal) and soak it for 3 hrs. then grind the rice and the dals with salt,asfoetida and red chillies.Grind it with little water. keep it aside for atleast 2 hrs. then in a frying pan make it like dosa.

Aviyal is combinational side dish for this recipe.

அவியல்/Aviyal(Boiled Mixed Vegetable)

Ingredients :

Vegetables - Plantain, potatoes, brinjal, carrots, beans, drumstick, green peas, chayote squash, snake guard,pumpkin,Taro root... (The amount of vegetables are deponds upon you)

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Yogurt - 1 cup

Green chilli -3 or 4

Cumin seeds - 2 tspn

salt - as needed

Coconut oil - 3 tblspn

Method:

Cut the vegetables into long pieces and steam in pressure cooker or you can boil all the vegetables in a pan, until all becomes soft texture.
Grind grated coconut, green hot chillies and cumin seeds.Add this to thick curd(yogurt).Add this in to cooked vegetables, mix well and heat for sometime. Add salt as needed. when it boil, add coconut oil and keep off the flame.

கோதுமை தோசை/ Wheat Dosa

Ingredients:

Wheat flour -1 cup
Rice flour -1 cup
Sooji/Semolina/Rawa - 1 handfull
salt - 1 tblspn
cumin powder - 1 tblspn
whole black pepper powder - 1 tblspn
Asfoetida(hing) - a pinch
Green chillies - 1 finely chopped(If needed)
Curry leaves - 5-6 chopped
yogurt - 1 cup
oil - for cooking

Method:

Mix everything except oil. Add enough amount of water and mix well such
that when you pour batter on the frying pan, all you have to do is tilt the frying
pan for the batter to spread out thinly and evenly. You shouldn't use an
implement to spread the batter. It should spread on its own. Then pour some oil on the sides. After 1 or 2 min, turn it back to the other side.

தக்காளி ரசம் / Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:

Tomato - 1 or 2 chopped

tamarind paste or juice - 2 tspn

Rasam powder - 2 tspn(Recipe for this given in this blog)

turmeric powder- 1/4 tspn

asfoetida(hing) - pinch

salt - as needed

cilantro - one handfull chopped

musturd seeds -1 tspn

cumin seeds -1 tspn

ghee(clarified butter) - 1tblspn

water-2 cups

Method:

Mix together water, tamarind paste, rasam powder, turmeric powder, asfoetida. Bring it to boil on a medium flame. Add tomato and salt. season with mustard and cumin seeds in ghee. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Eat with plain rice.

ரசப்பொடி/ Rasam powder

Toor dal

Ingredients:
Whole black peppers - 1 cup
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 cup
coriander seeds - 1/2 cup

Method:
Slightly heat all the ingredients without adding oil in a fry pan and grind the above ingredients into a nice powder.
\* you can reduce the quantity according to your need*\

வெண்டைக்காய் பொறியல்/ okra fry

Ingredients:
okra- 1/4 kg
mustard-1tspn
urad dal -1tspn
chilli powder - 1 tblspn
corriander powder - 1 tbspn
turmeric powder- 1 tspn
asfoetida - 1 pinch
salt -as needed
oil - 3 tblspn
Method:
cut all the okra into small pieces.
then, in the deep frying pan, pour some oil and put mustard seeds.
after splattering the masturd seeds, add urad dal, asfoetida,turmeric powder.
then put the okra and keep closed it by 5 minutes. stirr occasionally.
then add thania(corriander) powder, and chilli powder,salt. fry it still it becomes very rost.
then keep off the flame. if you want you can add coconut powder to this. thats all.