CHAKKARA PONGAL

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1/2 cup

Water - 1/4 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Cardamom powder - A pinch

Cashewnuts - 1 tsp

Raisins - 1 tsp

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add rice,milk and water and cook for 3 whistles. Turn off the heat and allow the steam to settle down completely.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry cashewnuts and raisins to golden brown separately. Keep aside.

In same pan, melt the jaggery. Seive the solution and add back to the pan.

When solution is lightly thickened, add cooked rice, remaining ghee,cardamom powder. Mix well and continue cooking until the mixture is well blended and thickened.

Add the fried raisins and cashewnuts. Serve warm.

VEGETABLE PULAO

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Onion(sliced) - 1 small

Carrots(chopped into cubes) - 1 medium

Potato(chopped into cubes) - 1 medium

Greenpeas - 1/2 cup

Cauliflower(cut into florets ) - 1 cup

Cashewnuts - 2 tbsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander leaves(chopped) - 2 tbsp

Grind into smooth paste:

Ginger - 1 inch

Onions(lightly sauteed) - 1 medium

Green chillies - 3

Cinnamon sticks - 2

Cloves - 3

Mint leaves/coriander leaves/both - 1/4 cup

Cardamoms - 3

Method:

Soak rice for half an hour.

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee is a pan, fry cashewnuts and raisins. Keep aside.

In the remaining ghee, caramalize the sliced onions and keep aside.

Heat the remaining ghee in thick bottomed vessel and fry the ground paste for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and mix well.

Cook until the masala separates from oil and vegetables gets tender. Add turmeric powder.

Add rice, salt, four cups of water and stir well. Cover and cook until the rice is done on slow flame. Stir once a while .

Just before serving take the rice in serving bowl, add the nuts,caramalized onion,coriander leaves and mix well.

Serve vegetable pulao hot with raita

Note:

If using rice cooker, transfer the contents from pan to rice cooker once the water starts to boil.

ALOO METHI

Ingredients:

Potatoes(peeled & cubed) - 3 medium

Fenugreek leaves - 1 bunch fresh

Oil - 1 Tbsp

Onion(finely chopped) - 1 small

Ginger(finely chopped) - 1 inch piece

Greenchillies(finely chopped) - To taste

Coriander powder - 1/2 Tbsp

Red chilli powder - To taste

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - To taste

Tomato(chopped) - 1 medium

Method:

Wash fenugreek leaves well for 2-3 times and chop.

Place leaves in a medium bowl and sprinkle salt on them. Mix well and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a medium pan. Add onions, greenchilies and ginger.

Mix well and cook for 3-4 mins or until onions are translucent .

Add potatoes and salt, mix well and cook 8-10 mins until potatoes are almost cooked.

Squeeze out all the water from the fenugreek leaves and add it to potatoes. Mix well.

Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well, cover and cook for 5 mins or until the potatoes are fully cooked.

Turn off stove and add tomatoes. Mix well, cover and let it sit for 7-10 minutes before serving.

KOTHAMALLI PODI

Ingredients:

Coriander leaf - A bunch

Urad dal - 1/4 cup

Channa dal - 1/4 cup

Red chilli - 7-8

Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup

Coconut(grated) - 1/4 cup

Tamarind - walnut sized ball

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash coriander leaves and pat them dry without any moisture.

Roast separately urad dal, channa dal, coriander seeds,red chillies without oil in a pan until lightly browned. Keep aside.

In the same pan,roast coconut without oil until lightly browned. Add asafoetida and stir well. Keep aside.

Also roast the tamarind ball for 2-3 mins.

Grind urad dal,channa dal,coriander seeds and red chilli into a dry powder. Transfer to a bowl.

Now grind coconut- asafoetida, tamarind pieces and salt. Mix with dry dal powder.

Now layer dry dal-coconut powder,chopped coriander leaves, jaggery until done in a blender and grind into powder.

Once everything is powdered, make small balls and store in an air-tight container.

MURUKKU

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

Urad dal whole - 1/2 cup

Butter - as needed

Cumin - 1 tsp

Salt - as needed

Oil - for deep frying

Method:

Soak rice for 3-4 hrs. Drain and keep aside for half an hr.

Grind into fine powder and seive twice.

Dry roast urad balls until browned.Grind urad into a fine powder and seive twice.

In a bowl, add rice flour and urad flour in 4:1 ratio. Add salt,jeera and butter to flour and mix into crumbs.

Knead into a thick soft dough adding few tbsps of water liitle at a time.

Grease your fingers in oil and take a little dough and use your index and thumb fingers to spin out into small spirals on a clean white cloth or paper towel to a continuous spiral of about 3 or 4 rounds.

Allow it to dry for 45-60 mins until the excess water has been absorbed onto the towel.(You can see round patches of absorbed water on the towel)

Heat enough oil for deep frying in a shallow fry pan with medium heat.

Drop the murukku carefully in the oil and deep fry on both the sides.

When turned golden brown remove from oil and allow it to cool.

Cool and store in air tight container.

PULI INJI

Ingredients:

Tamarind - Lemon size ball

Ginger(finely chopped) - 3-4 tbsp

Greenchillies(slit) - 10-12

Sesame oil - 1/4 cup

Jaggery - 1/4 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp.

Split urad dal - 1 tbsp.

Channa dal - 1 tbsp.

Curry leaves - a sprig

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Orid whole - 2 tbsp

Sesame seeds - 3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Soak tamarind in warm water for 15-20 mins and extract thick juice and keep aside.

Heat oil in a wide bottomed, thick pan. When the oil starts smoking, reduce the heat and add mustard seeds.

When they splutter, add urad dal, channa dal, and curry leaves (in the same order). Increase the heat.

When the dals turn light brown in colour, add the slit green chillies, fry for 2 mins and add the chopped ginger.

Fry for another 2 minutes and pour the tamarind extract.

Add turmeric powder, salt and jaggery and allow the mixture to boil to a thick consistency(around 25-30 mins).

When the oil starts floating on the surface, remove from heat.

Dry roast orid whole and sesame seeds and powder finely. Add this powder to the prepared Puliinji.

Serve with rice,dosas or idlis.

Note:

Stays good in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

POTATO BONDA

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 medium

Potatoes - 3 small

Green chillies - 3

Ginger - 1 tsp grated

Mustard -1/2 tsp

Chana dal -1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves -1 sprig

Coriander leaves - 5-6 sprigs

Oil - 1 tsp and deep fry

Salt - to taste

Gram flour - 3/4 cup

Rice flour - 3 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1/3 cup

Method:

Cook potatoes in pressure cooker. Peel and mash them with hand.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add chana dal, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry for a while.

Then add chopped onion & ginger and fry till onions are transparent.

Now add potatoes, salt and tumeric.Add a half cup of water.

Cook for 2 minutes(till the water gets absorbed) and remove from flame.

Add coriander leaves and roll out small balls. Keep aside.

Mix well gram flour, rice flour, salt,red chilli powder, asafoetida in a bowl.

Add in water little by little to the flour to make a semi loose paste.

Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.

Once oil is hot, coat the potato balls with flour paste and drop in oil.

Fry until all sides are golden brown. Serve warm with chutney or ketchup.

PUMPKIN REDCHORI OLAN

Ingredients:

Pumpkin (chopped into 2" thin pieces) - 1 cup

Red chori - 1/4 cup

Salt - to taste

Curry leaves - a sprig

Coconut oil -1 tsp

Water - 1 cup

Method:

Pressure cook red chori with a cup of water for 2 whistles. The beans shouldn't be mushy.

In a pan, cook pumpkin with a pinch of salt.

When pumpkin is 3/4 done, add cooked red chori along with remaining water.

Allow it to boil until 50 percent of water is evaporated.

Turn off heat and add curry leaves.

Drizzle on top a tsp of coconut oil and serve hot with white rice and curry of your choice.

STUFFED CAPSICUM

Ingredients:

Capsicum/Green bellpepper - 4

Potatoes(cooked &mashed) - 2 large

Greenpeas - 2 tbsp

Onions(finely chopped) - 1 medium

Greenchillies(finely chopped) - 1-2

Ginger(grated) - 1 " piece

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves(chopped) - 3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Butter - 1/2 tsp for each capsicum

Method:

Preheat the oven to 360 F. Grease a baking sheet with oil or line it with parchment paper.

Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, onions, ginger, green chillies. Saute until the onions become golden brown.

Add the potatoes, chilli powder. turmeric powder and salt. Saute until everything gets combined well. Turn off the heat. Add the coriander leaves and stir well.

Gently cut the stem and the seeds of the bell pepper. Tap off all the seeds.

Stuff the potato mixture into the capsicum and arrange them vertical on the baking sheet.

Add a half tsp of butter on each stuffed capsicum.

Bake the them in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the shell of the bell pepper has started shrinking and the top has browned.

BADAMI BABYCORN PANEER MASALA

Ingredients:

Baby corns - 10-12

Cottage Cheese (Paneer) - 200 gms

Onions - 2 medium

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Whole red chilli - 2-3

Almonds - 12-15

Oil - 3 tbsps

Tomato puree - 2 Cups

Salt - to taste

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Kasuri methi - 1 tsp

Method:

Wash and thinly slice baby corns.

Cut paneer into one inch sized triangular pieces or rectangular pieces.

Saute the babycorn slices and paneer pieces separately in a pan till golden brown and keep aside.

Peel, wash and roughly chop onion and ginger.

Saute onions in a pan until golden brown.

Remove stem of whole red chillies.

Grind red chillies, almonds, sauteed onions, and ginger into fine paste using few tbsps of water.

Heat Oil in a pan, add the ground paste and saute until oil separates.

Add tomato puree, salt and continue to saute for a couple of a minutes.

Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder and saute till oil begins to leave the masala.

Stir and add baby corn, paneer pieces and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for five minutes.

Lightly roast kasuri methi and crush. Sprinkle over the gravy.

THIRUVATHIRA KALI

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

Toordal - Handful

Coconut pieces - 3 tbsp

Jaggery - 2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Water - 3 cup

Method:

Roast raw rice without oil until rice turns golden brown.

Cool and grind the rice into semi-coarse powder(like semolina).Rice powder would be around 2 cups

In a pan, boil 3 cups of water (in the ratio of 1 cup of rice powder : 1 1/2 cup of water), add 2 cups of rice powder. Mix well until all the water is absorbed.

Transfer and spread the cooked rice powder onto a plate and cool.

Half cook the toordal, drain and keep aside.

Melt the jaggery in wide pan(in the ratio of 1 cup rice powder : 1 cup jaggery). The jaggery should boil until it reaches soft ball stage.

Add the toordal, coconut pieces, cardamom powder and mix well.

Now add the cooked rice powder and mix well until all the jaggery solution has been absorbed into the powder.

Break any lumps formed and add ghee.

Serve with pulinkari and puzhukku.

Note:

For checking soft ball stage, add few drops of boiling jaggery solution into a bowl of cold water. If the jaggery dissolves immediately into water then boil the solution for few more mins. If the jaggery droplets in water can be turned into smooth and soft ball then stage is achieved. If ball turns into hard then solution has been boiled more than required.

PUMPKIN PULINKARI

Ingredients:

Pumpkin (chopped into chunks) - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Kootu powder - 1 tbsp

Tamarind pulp - 1/4 cup

Toordal(cooked and mashed) (optional) - 1/4 cup

Jaggery (grated)- 1 tsp

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a sprig

Method:

Cook pumpkin pieces with tamarind pulp,salt,tumeric powder and kootu powder.

Once pumpkin is half done, add mashed toordal(optional) and jaggery.

In a bowl, mix rice flour with 2 tbsp of water and add it to the curry.

Once the curry thickens, turn off the heat.

Heat oil in a pan and season mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add to pulinkari and serve with rice.

Note:

Any vegetables (okra, brinjal,yellow cucumber,carrot,raw banana, yam,colocossia etc) can also added to curry.

METHI PARATHA

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cups

Salt - to taste

Tumeric powder - A pinch

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Methi leaves - 1 small bunch

Method:

Wash the methi leaves for 3 to 4 times.

Chop the leaves without stems and keep aside.

In a bowl , mix well flour, salt,tumeric,red chilli powder and cumin seeds.

Add methi leaves and knead well. Add water as required to make a tight dough.

Keep aside for half an hour.

Divide the dough into 8 - 10 portions of golf ball size.

Roll out into 5-6" round disc. Sear both sides on a hot tawa.

Serve hot with sabzi.

HOMEMADE GHEE

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter - 1 cup

Method:

In a heavy bottom skillet,place butter and on med heat melt them.

As butter melts, there will be lots of crackling sound. Reduce the heat to med-low.

After couple of minutes,butter develops foam on the top.

Let the butter continue boiling and keep stirring in between so that it does not get burnt at bottom and slowly foam comes down.

Once there is a golden brown layer at bottom, remove from heat.

Allow to cool down and sieve into a clean, dry container.

Note:

Store in refrigerator for longer shelf life.