Drumsticks, aloo gravy

Creating something new out of an old recipe is really an exciting experience. Today I thought of making drumsticks, potatoes gravy. I've added a few kanta parwal as a trial. 

Ingredients

Drumstick pieces a few
Potato 1
Kanta parwal 4
Onion 1/2 piece

For onion tomato paste

Onion 1/2
Tomato 1
Ginger a piece
Green chilli 2

Dry roast masala  left over dry masala powder from making kadai bhindi. (roast jeera, dhaniya, kashmiri chillies, saunf, black peppercorns and make coarse powder )
Rasam powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt as required

For garnish

Chopped dhaniya leaves
Cream 2 tbsp

Method

# grind tomatoes, 1/2 onion, green chilli and ginger to a coarse paste.

#cut vegetables into two inch long pieces.

Pour oil in pressure pan, add jeera, once it splutter add chopped onion, tomato, onion paste, and mix well. Add turmeric powder. Let the masala cook for about 5 to 10 minutes till oil separates.

Add potatoes and other vegetables. Coat the vegetables with the masala. Add salt, 2 cups water and close lid.

Cook for 1 whistle.  Once it cools down open lid, add 1/4 tsp rasam powder and dry masalas 1 tsp. Mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and finally finish with cream.

Do try and comment, happy cooking!

Semolina (suji) rice rava dumplings

Semolina, rice rava, field beans (avarakkai seeds) dumpling(kozhukattai) with coconut.

Ingredients

Semolina 1 cup
Idli rava 1cup
Avarakkai seeds fresh (field beans) ( grind into coarse paste with green chilli, ginger, coconut )1/2 cup
Salt as per taste
Gingly oil 2 tsp

For tempering 

Gingly oil(til) 1 tablespoon
urad dal broken 1 tsp
Red chilli 1 broken into half
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves a few

Tips

Use fresh field beans.
Add hot water little by little when you prepare dough.
Make sure you switch on the steamer and water starts boiling while you place the grid. It ensures enough steam is there for steaming semolina dumplings.
Its taste great when served hot.

Method

In a heated pan dry roast semolina, idli rava, once it releases aroma add avarakkai, coconut paste, add salt and mix well, add hot water about 3 cups. Mix well in medium flame let it cooks for about 5 minutes. Off the stove spread the kozhakattai dough into a plate, let it become warm. Make small balls out of it. You can make it perfect round or oval. In steamer add 2 to  3 cups of water carefully place kozhakattai in its grid and close it. Steam for about 10 minutes in medium flame.

Heat a large pan pour gingly(til) oil, mustard and urad dal. Let mustard crackle, now add one broken chilli. Reduce flame of stove add few curry leaves,  and mix well. To this add steamed semolina, rice dumpling(kozhakattai)  mix gently till tadka get well coated in all semolina, rice dumpling(kozhakattai) serve hot with sambhar and chutney.

Kadai bhindi

Its my favourite side dish for phulkas. I am very fond of bhindi /okra/ladies finger. I love to try something unique every time I cook bhindi. Today tried making restaurant style kadai bhindi. It requires bit preparation especially masalas.

Ingredients

Ladies finger/bhindi - 15 trim edges and cut into 1 inch long pieces
Aloo/potatoes - 2 large, peeled and cubed
Onion 1 large cut into big pieces
Tomatoes 2 cut into quarters
Oil for frying

Methi leaves/coriander leaves a few chopped. 

Dry masala
Peppercorns 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp
Jeera 1 tsp
Coriander 1 tsp
Kashmiri chillies 2 broken into halves
Bay leaf 1 small

Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Salt as required

Tips

Pat dry washed bhindi before chopping.

Keep oil in medium flame for frying aloo and bhindi. Fry small batches.

In a small pan dry roast peppercorns, fennel, jeera, coriander, bay leaf, Kashmiri chillies until it releases its aroma. When I was frying  the peppercorns and jeera started crackling. 

Cool down and coarsely grind in mixer. Keep aside.

Method

Pour oil in kadai, let it heat up, in medium flame fry aloo, it should be fried till golden brown, and then add bhindi in small batches, fry till mild brownish. 

I add little salt in oil for extra crunchiness in vegetables. 

Use a perforated ladle to remove fried vegetables, spread into kitchen paper napkin, let it absorb excess oil.

In another kadai pour little oil add onion, cook till its translucent. Now add aloo, bhindi and mix well, add turmeric and adjust salt. Add tomatoes and sprinkle freshly ground masalas. Toss gently and garnish with fresh methi leaves. Serve with phulkas. Its divine!!

PS : I have made a little more quantity of masalas and stored in tiny air tight containers for future use. 

Grilled cheese sandwich

Making your brats eat something wholesome in the morning for breakfast is a task. Yes, I know you nod your head, and smiled!

Well, here a version of grilled sandwich I made for my kids.

Ingredients

Whole wheat bread slice 4
Cheese slices (I use go cheese) - 2
Green bell peppers a few thinly sliced pieces
Shallots (baby onions) - 2 peeled and sliced
Crushed pepper 1/4 tsp
Chilly flakes and oregano 1/2 tsp each
Salted butter a few small cubes, precisely 2 to 4

*keep everything ready before you switch on grill. Its pretty quick and can burn bread if care is not taken. I love the golden crust on top of bread.

Method of preparation

In a small pan pour a little olive oil fry onion, crushed pepper, salt and bell peppers for 2 minutes. Off stove. keep aside.

Switch on the grill place a tiny butter cube, put one bread slice, place cheese slice, top it with sautéed vegetables. Repeat same in the other side. Thus we can make two sandwiches at the same time. If you want bit spicy add oregano and chilli flakes. I love the aroma so do my kidoos. Close with another bread slice, place a tiny cube of butter. Close lid, wait for the light to be green. Open the grill and the bread should resemble golden crusty grilled (thin marks on top due to heat emitted from grill) Slowly remove the sandwich, cut into triangles if you like serve with juice and fried egg.

I would recommend this for breakfast or as after school snack. It taste fresh, crunchy when served warm.

Paneer Makhni

I was looking for a recipe for making paneer makhni. Most of the recipes involve onion, bell peppers which I think over powers the delicate flavour of tomatoes and butter. My search ended up in an authentic recipe shared by Sid@chefatlarge. I thought of giving it a try. The result the best paneer makhni I've ever made. Its drool worthy.

Ingredients

Part A

Ripe tomatoes 8 (large)
Cloves  5 crushed
Cardamom(elachi) 5 crushed
Garlic a few pods
Green chillies 3
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Ginger a few pieces
Water 1/2 litre

Part B

Butter 100 grams
Cream 100 grams
Kasuri methi 1/4 tsp (roasted and crushed)
Dhaniya leaves a few
Fresh methi leaves chopped a few
Paneer 200 grams (cut into cubes)
Salt as per your taste

Method of preparation

Pressure cook all ingredients from Part A for 2 whistles. Once it reach room temperature, blend it and sieve. In pan allow it to reduce in medium flame. Once it reduce to half or sauce consistency add all ingredients from part B. Bring it to boil. Off stove.

In a small pan dry roast kasuri methi crush with your hands and sprinkle. Garnish with chopped coriander and fresh methi leaves. Serve with phulkas. Its delicious, finger licking good!! 

Cheese parathas

Parathas are stuffed with different interesting fillings. Aloo, raddish, mixed vegetables, cottage cheese, peanut butter, cheese(surprised) yes I try to fill some days left over bitter gourd and bhindi subzi too!! Its really interesting to know how a little filling can give a whole new taste to a lemon sized atta dough!!

As you would have already guessed today I have filled humus and a slice of cheese. It was bit salty, flavourful and yummmm!

Do keep trying new versions of parathas and do share. Happy cooking!

Pullikutti uperi

I've fond memories of my grandmother in village make this absolutely delicious dish with home grown raw bananas, bhindi, brinjal and arbi leaves. Its one of the long lost forgotten recipes and many don't know how to make it. Its made only at homes where still families prepare typical palakkad iyer cuisine.

Sharing with you the original recipe we follow at our homes.

Pullikutti uperi with arbi leaves, a traditional Palakkad side dish.

Recipe for Pullikutti Uperi

Ingredients

Raw banana - 2
bindi - 10
brinjal - 5 (trim and cut all three vegtable into evenly 2 inch long slices)
Arbi/chembu leaves - wash and cut into two parts in the middle. Roll the leaves and either you can tie thread or toothpick.
salt as required
hing powder - 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil _ 2 tbsp

Tamarind - a gooseberry size (Soak in hot water and pressure cook and extract thick pulp) or you can soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract the pulp.

Green chilly - 1(make a small hole)
ginger a small piece
curry leaves a few

Dry roast ( You can keep the rest of this powder)
Raw rice/boiled rice - 2 table spoon
red chilly - 2
methi seeds - a few
Sesame seeds 1/2 tsp
hing/kayam - a small piece

In a dry pan fry all the ingredients in slow fire into crispy golden colour and powder coarsely.

Method of preparation

In a heated kadai pour one teaspoon oil add evenly cut bindi, brinjal cook for about 5 minutes. Now add raw banana, turmeric powder mix well allow it to cook in high flame, keep tossing it now and then. You can sprinkle a little water. Add arbi/chembu leaves and allow the vegetables to cook well by placing a lid on top. But make sure you check the vegetables now and then. Once all the vegetables are cooked well add tamarind pulp allow the pulp to blend well with the cooked vegetables. Add salt, ginger and green chilli. Once all vegetables are 95 % cooked add roasted  rice powder and mix well with the vegetables.This adds great taste to the puli kutti uperi. Off the stove.

In a small pan pour coconut oil add mustard, urad dhal, methi seeds, let it splutter, add curry leaves and pour it on top of prepared Pullikutti uperi. Close the lid after 15 minutes you can serve it.

(I have removed the toothpick before serving. If you are using thread please remove it before serving)

 Note : You can preserve the left over rice powder and use it when you make puli kutti uperi next time!

Eco friendly celebrations

Tradition of manjal kumkum and thamboolam on occasions.

I am sharing my thoughts and ways I have learnt to celebrate festivals. The eco friendly way.
Festivals are for meeting friends, family and relatives.  Celebrating womanhood is one aspect of offering haldi kumkum during navrathri and other celebrations at our homes.

For the past few years I've started buying in bulk dry haldi pieces, beetle nut pieces from local vendors. This thought dawned to me when I started thinking about the amount of things we get in small packets. Do you think they are of any good quality? Most of them may cause allergy to us. So why not help nature by getting the products as it is in its true form?

The custom of giving bangles and blouse pieces have gone, we neither use the bangles nor stitch blouse out of clothes. Right? Then why give it at all instead we can give reusable cloth bags, jute bags which at least of use to people who come for haldi kumkum. Think about it logically.

Giving prasadam in leaf cups/donnai is another option. Avoid those small convenient zip lock plastic covers.

Points to ponder

1. Use leaf cups/donnai for prasadam,please avoid plastic covers.

2.Use whole dried haldi/manjal and pakku/betel nuts.

2(a) Please offer manjal/kumkum in traditional way in small cups as you welcome your guests. Its the most heartwarming gesture.

3. Give eco friendly things like clay diyas, jute bags, cloth purse, tulsi plants, vegetable seeds. Please give it a try.

4. Please avoid giving tamboolam in plastic covers, please use jute bags/tamboolam bags made out of coir or other materials.

5. Please remember you are part of the big universe, its your responsibility to keep her healthy and you too can do your bit by doing what is needed. A small step in environment protection for your children and mine. Save mother earth, celebrate womanhood the eco friendly way.  Happy Navaratri to all gorgeous woman in our group.

Please share your thoughts and let's learn to find out solutions thus less things goes to landfills and we too feel happy that we are doing our bit to save nature. Don't you think so?

Gooseberries /nellikay /amla pickle and juice

Those beautiful lovely looking gooseberries are plenty available now in Indian markets. Its season for pickle, juice, muraba, salads. I love to try new dishes out of the regular gooseberries which are as big as a small lemon.

Got a few when I did shopping for vegetables. They are fresh, crunchy straight from farmers.

I've washed them well before proceeding to grate and then making them into different dishes.

Pickle

Ingredients

Gooseberries 10
Ginger 2 big pieces
Salt as required
Green chillies 2(optional)

Method

Grate gooseberries, ginger, slit green chillies. In a pickle jar add grated ingredients, salt and mix well. You can start using it immediately. It will remain fresh for 3 to 4 days.

Gooseberry juice

1/2 cup grated ginger, chat masala, salt, gooseberries and 2 cups water, use a mixer to blend them. It will be little coarse in texture, you can strain it if you wish. I love the fresh flavour, aroma and crunchiness. So prefer to drink it as it is!

Schezwan noodles and mushroom soup

I love to create new dishes from vegetables. My kids are fond of Italian and chienese cuisine. The advantage here for me is I can add vegetables and without any fuss both will polish the plates.  Going for shopping is one thing I love to do in the afternoons. I usually bring fresh vegetables and create dishes from scratch. Today I thought of making chienese noodles and started picking vegetables one by one, as I was going through the shelves I stumbled upon fresh button mushrooms.  Which is a favourite vegetable to me and kids. Then the plan for their evening meals is set. A soup and noodles.

I started washing, peeling and chopping veggies. Much to my satisfaction, cutting through the zucchini, carrots and halved mushrooms. The dishes started taking shape.

I had soaked lobia thinking I can use it in their soup. Noodles started getting ready, in a large bowl I"ve added water, once it started boiling the veg hakka noodles were immersed! 3 minutes, I removed them in a colander, drained all water.

It was chopping vegetables for soup, noodles, 2 inches long for noodles and cubes for soup. Voila!! I finished the most important part of cooking.

Ingredients for schezwan noodles

Veg hakka noodles 1 pkt, boiled and drained, spread it in a large plate.

Vegetables cut into thin 2 inches long

Carrot - 2
Zucchini 1/2 piece
Capsicum 2
Onion 1
Garlic a few pods

Cut all vegetables into 2inch long thin slices.

Coriander chopped a few
Chienese five spices 1/2 tsp
Schezwan sauce 2 tsp
Vinegar 2tsp
Soy sauce 2tsp
Gingly oil 2 tbsp

In a heated pan pour gingly oil add chopped onions, garlic saute for a while, then add rest of the vegetables. Once vegetables are half cooked start adding spices, salt, schezwan sauce, vinegar, soy and saute for a while, then add cooked noodles, finally garnish with coriander leaves (optional) serve.

Mushroom soup

Ingredients

Button mushrooms 10
Broccoli 1/2 piece
Garlic a few pods
Onion 1
Tomato a few
Zucchini 1/2
Carrot 2
Pear a small slice
Lobia 1/2 cup soaked
Salt as required

Herbs
Oregano, crushed pepper, basil, rosemary 1/2 tsp each

Method of preparation

Chop all vegetables into small cubes. Smash garlic.

In pressure pan pour olive oil add garlic, onion and rest of the vegetables, soaked lobia, saute for 2 minutes, add herbs, salt, pepper and toss. Add 4 to 5 cups of water. Close lid cook for 1 whistle. Remove and add chopped parsley and little grated cheese. Serve with toasted bread. Its low calorie and filling.

Hyacinth beans gravy (Avarakkalu molaguttal)

I enjoy growing vegetables, most are grown from seeds. Had a fresh harvest of egg plants, tomatoes and ridge gourd.

Avarakkai seeds(avarakalu) is available now, we in Karnataka create a lot of dishes out of avarakkalu.  You name it we make it. Its such a tasty seed which goes along with most of the southindiancooking.

I made a simple molaguttal using freshly harvested vegetables and avarakkalu.

Ingredients

Avarakkai seeds 1/2 cup
Egg plant 2(small)
Ridge gourd 2(medium)
Tomatoes 2 small
Coconut 2 tbsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Green chilli 1
Curry leaves a few

Method of preparation

*chop vegetables
*Grind coconut, green chillies and jeera to a coarse paste.

In stoneware(kalchatti) add water and cook avarakkai till soft. Add chopped tomatoes, eggplant, ridge gourd, turmeric powder. Cook for another 10 minutes till the vegetables are tender. Now add salt, mix well, groynd coconut paste, add more water if needed. Finally give tempering of mustard seeds. Serve with rice. Its one of the delicious dish.

Idly upma(leftover ka makeover)

How to use those fluffy soft idlies when you have left over?  You can eat fresh idly with chutney and sambar but then what about thosev4 or 5 which are still there? Again eating them as it is not a good choice. So give it a transformation. Add few extra ingredients and make a new dish out of it.

Presenting the idly upma!!

Ingredients

Idly - 4 or 5
Coriander leaves/curry leaves chopped 1 tsp
Small baby onions 4 to 5
Green chilli 1

For tempering

Gingly oil 2tsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad dal 1/2 tsp
Channa dal 1/2 tsp

*Crumble idly using hands or cut into small cubes.
*Chop baby onions, green chillies, coriander leaves/curry leaves.

In a heated pan pour oil add mustard, urad dal and channa dal. Allow mustard to splutter. Now add onion and green chilli. Give a quick toss. Let onion become litte brownish. Add crumbled idly, salt, molagai podi. Mix in. Garnish with coriander /curry leaves.

Its delicious.

Rice and vegetables tikka/patties (leftover ka makeover)

What to do when you have a cupful if pulav, aloo subzi, gooseberry pickle which you have prepared for lunch? Dinner will be a different menu, different dish. So here I have a recipe which I am sure you too will find it handy and useful. Its one of the best way to make your children eat vegetables.

Leftover ka makeover!!

Ingredients

Vegetable pulav 1 cup
Aloo subzi 1/2 cup
Gooseberry grated pickle 2 tbsp
Chopped onion 1

Ginger a small piece grated 
Green chillies 2
Coriander leaves 1 tsp chopped
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Corn flour 1 tbsp

Roasted suji 2 tsp

Lemon juice 1/2 lemon
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Jeera powder 1 tsp
Salt a little

Process

Take a large bowl add all the above ingredients smash them into a soft dough. I used a ladle to make them lump free. Take a lemon sized quantity spread into a small disc/patties dust with corn flour and use a heated  tawa, pour a little oil carefully place all the tikkas and in medium flame roast till golden brown. Carefully flip them and roast both sides. In a kitchen napkin spread them so that any excess oil can be absorbed. Serve with green chutney or tomato sauce. You can use it as burger patties too. Its delicious and soulful!

Do try and comment.

Cheesy sweet corn

Sweet corn is a handy vegetable which can be made into many different delicious dishes. One of them is sweet corn steamed and added with spices, herbs, butter and cheese. It tastes great with lavash.

Ingredients

Sweet corn kernels 2 cups
Butter 1 tbsp
Cheese 2 slices
Oregano 1/2 tsp
Rosemary 1/2 tsp
Basil 1/2 tsp
Noodle masala 1 pkt
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Pistachio (grated) 2 tsp

Process

Remove the kernels using a sharp knife and steam them using a steamer for about 10 minutes. In a heated pan add a tbsp of butter, add sweet corn, rosemary, basil and oregano. Plus one noodles masala and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. Tossed it so that herbs and butter get well coated in sweet corn. Finally add two slices of cheese and garnish with grated pistachio. Serve with lavasa which I used a spoon to scoop cheesy corn. Its delicious.

Do try and comment.

Vegetable pulav and gooseberry raitha

Vegetable pulav is one flavourful version of rice preparations. It can be made in less than 30 minutes. Even before your guests arrive. Fresh and hot pulav is one of my favourite dish.

I've tried to add few pieces of broccoli to this dish and surprisingly they really tastes good! You know I love to experiment.

Here is the recipe

Mixed vegetable pulav and raitha

Ingredients

Basmathi rice 1 cup(wash, clean and keep aside for 20 minutes)

Chopped Mixed vegetables - beans, carrot, peas, broccoli, onion 1 1/2 cups

Ginger, garlic paste 1/2 tsp, (I have added grated ginger and garlic)

Green chilli 2(optional)

Pudina a few leaves

Spices

Clove 2
Elachi 3
Star anise 1
Cinnamon 1 (2 inch piece)
Bay leaf 1
Oil/ghee 1 tbsp
Salt as required

Method

In a pressure cooker pan pour oil add all spices, saute for a while, let aroma release. Add chopped vegetables, ginger, garlic, onion, green chilli then rest of the vegetables. Mix well, cook for 3 minutes. Now add basmathi rice, salt, pudina gently toss. Add two cups of water. Cook in medium flame for 1 whistle.  Serve with choice of your raitha.

Black eyed peas/Lobia/karamani sundal

Lobia sundal is prepared as an offering to God during festivals. Today I have made lobia by soaking it for about 4 hours and then pressure cooked it for 3 whistles.

Ingredients

Lobia 1 cup, soaked and cooked.
Coconut 2 tbsp
Green chilli 1
Non spicy bajji chilli pieces a few
Curry leaves a few
Coriander leaves chopped a little
Salt as required

For tempering

Coconut oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Broken urad dal  1 tsp

Method of preparation 

In a heated pan pour oil, add mustard let it splutter add urad dal, roast for a minute, add cooked lobia, non spicy bajji chilli, salt and give a toss.
Grind coconut and green chilli, add to the lobia, mix well, add curry, coriander leaves, quickly give a toss and off stove. Serve.

Rice dumplings (poorana kozhukattai)

Poorana kozhukattai is a sweet dessert made during Vinayaka Chathurthi as an offering to Ganesha. Here is the recipe for making this delicious kozhukattai.

For making kozhukattai dough

Ingredients

Rice flour – 2 cups
Salt as required
Gingly Oil – 1 tbsp

For stuffing (pooranam)

Freshly Grated Coconut – 2 Cups
Grated Jaggery – 2 Cups
Cardamom/elachi – 4 crushed

Process

In a heated pan  add 1 tbsp gingly oil and 2 cups of water to boil. Once do e add rice flour,salt,stir well, let it become dough. Off stove, close it with a lid, after 5 minutes open and use hands to roll it into a smooth soft dough.  Keep aside.

For filling (pooranam)

In a heated pan add 1/2 cup of water and add grated jaggery. The jaggery will completely get dissolved in water, bubbling all the way, use a strainer, strain the jaggery juice. Pour it back into the pan, let it thicken add grated coconut, ghee, cardamom powder, mix well, it will form into a ball leaving ghee on sides, off stove. Divide it into 25 portions. Roll into small balls, keep aside.

Similarly you can make soft rice balls using rice dough, now take a small rice dough ball, flatten it to a small disc using your fingers, place poornam in it and carefully close the sides. Make a small pinch to make kozhukattai shape. Finish making rest of the kozhukattai. 25 in number approximately.

In pressure cooker place steamer, pour water and steam kozhukattai for about 10 minutes.  Serve as a dessert or snack.

Gooseberry pickle

After all the festive cooking and feeding family, I finally picked a few gooseberry or amla. One of the most delicious berries in our traditional food. They were really big, probably you can make muraba out of such large variety.

I've grated all of them and tried to make a quick and easy pickle with few ingredients.

Gooseberry - 10
Gingly oil 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder 3 tsp
Salt as required
Hing 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp for tempering

Process

Wash clean and grate gooseberries. Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds let it splutter. Now add turmeric powder, grated gooseberryies and mix well. Let it cook for about 6 minutes. Add salt, hing, red chilli powder and toss. Adjust salt. Let it cook for another 5 more  minutes.  Off stove, let it cool down. If you love to eat it with rice, go ahead and enjoy. I love its sour and sweet taste. Store in air tight containers. Self life in not more than 3 to 4 days. So make less, eat fresh.

Happy cooking!

Rice dumpling (uppu kozhukattai)

I enjoy working with different ingredients especially when it comes to traditional food. Today I thought of making uppu kozhukattai (rice dumpling) I first soaked 1/4 cup of urad dal for about an hour.

In the meantime made kozhukattai dough with a cup of rice flour and 2 cups of warm water. By adding little gingly oil. The trick is to knead the dough so well there should be absolutely no lumps. The dough should be extremely soft and easy to pull and with hand we will make outer covering for kozhukattai.

Well, we start  the process.

Ingredients for filling

Urad dal 1/4 cup(soaked and excess water removed)
Green chilli 2
Dhaniya a few
Coconut grated 2 tbsp
Salt as required

For tempering

Gingly oil 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1/4tsp

In a mixer add urad dal, chillies, dhaniya, grated coconut and salt. Make a coarse paste in pulse mode. Keep a pan in stove, heat it add gingly oil add mustard seeds, once they splutter add urad dal paste. Its bit greenish in colour due to coriander leaves. Cook for a while till water if any is absored and you get a soft filling.

Take a small lemon ball sized dough using hands make a small disc, fill in little quantity of urad dal filling. Press sides and close the dumpling. Keep making as much as you can from rice dough and filling. I made a few this way. Steam it for about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Then tried making few ammini kozhukattai or pidi kozhukattai. I have mixed in both the filling and left over soft dough and rolled out small baby kozhukattai. Its cute, fun activity even your kids will join you. Steamed it and served as a snack. With of course my favourite masala chai!!

Roasted potatoes with sesame seeds

Potatoes subzi with sesame seeds

Ingredients

Potatoes 4 large
Jeera powder 1tsp
Dhaniya powder 1tsp
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Salt as required
Hing a pinch
Til(sesame seeds) 1 tsp
Curry leaves a few

Method of preparation

Wash peel and cut potatoes into medium sized cubes. In a kadai pour oil and deep fry cubed potatoes till golden brown. Remove from kadai to kitchen napkin. Let it absorb excess oil.

In another pan put all the potatoes, add turmeric, jeera, dhaniya, hing, red chilli powder, salt and mix in. Keep in low fire, let potatoes get roasted further in dry masalas., Add sesame seeds, curry leaves and gently toss. Serve with rice, phulkas or enjoy as it is. It tastes delicious!

Fritters

I grow greens, herbs and vegetables in my garden. The simple pleasure of harvesting fresh greens and making them into lip smacking fritters. Freshly brewed masala tea to add more zing!!

Ingredients for fritters

Besan 1 cup
Freshly chopped red amaranth, malabar spinach, karpuravalli 2 cups
Grated ginger 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Chat masala 1/2 tsp
Salt as required 

Oil for frying

Method

Mix in besan, greens, ginger, red chilli, chat masala and salt with very less water. Heat enough oil in medium heat, deep fry till golden brown. Serve with freshly brewed masala tea. Blissful!!

Rice with vathalkuzhambu and long bean thoran

Vathalkuzhambu is a delicacy in iyer homes. We use dried turkey berries or manathakali (a small black berry dried) sometimes I add vegetables to this gravy. Today I have added fresh avarakkai (field beans) and its seeds. Here is the recipe. 

Turkey berry,avarakkai, manathakkali vathalkuzhambu.

Ingredients

Avarakkai seeds 1 cup
Fresh avarakkai a few
Manathakkali 3 tbsp(roasted in ghee)
Turkey Berries a few
Tamarind extract 3 tbso
Turmeric powder a little
Red chilli powder a little
Sambhar powder 2 tsp
Hing a pinch

Salt as required

Method of Preparation

Fry manathakkali in little ghee.
Cook avarakkai seeds, turkey berries slit into halves  chopped avarakkai in a stoneware(kalchatti) till soft by adding water and little turmeric.  Add tamarind extract, 2 cups of water, sambhar powder, red chilli powder, hing, turmeric and allow it to boil. Add fried manathakkali. Adjust salt. Let the vathalkozhambu boil in slow fire for about 10 minutes till done. In a small pan add sesame oil add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter, pour it on top of vathalkuzhambu. Serve hot with rice.

Payar(long bean) thoran

I have washed and chopped long beans and did a quick tadka of mustard and red chillies. Added chopped long beans, a little salt and turmeric. Cook it till soft.