Vadaikari

Enjoy this spicy Vadaikari with idly or dosaas!!



You Will Need,

Channa dhal - 1 cup
Toor dhal - 1/4 cup
Red chillies - 2
onion - 1
tomatoes - 2
green chilly - 2
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
grated coconut - 3 tsp
ginger - finely chopped
garlic paste or crushed - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste

To season,

Laung or krambu - 3
star anise - 2
Saunf - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1

Method:

Soak the dhals together for 3 hours. Grind together the dhals and the red chillies coarsely. add a little salt to the mixture and steam cook for 10 mts or till done. set aside.

In a kadai, heat 4 tsp of oil and season the seasoning ingredients. Now saute the finely chopped onions for 2 minutes and then the ginger garlic paste and saute well till the raw smell disappears.
Add the chopped tomatoes and saute well for 3 more minutes along with the chilly and dhania powders and salt.
Add the steam cooked dhals and mix well. add a lil water if needed. finally grind the coconut into a fine paste and mix well with the vadaikari. garnish with coriander and curry leaves.

Serve hot with idly or dosa!!

Saravana Bhavan vathakuzhambu

Hey chenniites... missing saravana bhavan meals? try this recipe and feel at home!! Happy cooking!!

You will Need,

Tamarind extract from 1 lemon size tamarind ball
Channa dhal - 3 tsp
Red chillies - 8
Dhaniya or coriander - 2 tsp
Shredded coconut - 3 tsp
Fenugreek or methi seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoestida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Any veggie of ur choice like brinjal, drumstick, okra [bindi],yam,etc..

for seasoning,

gingelly oil - 4 tsp
mustard - 1 tsp
Method:

In a non stick tawa heat a tsp of oil and roast the channa dhal, dhaniya seeds, red chiillies, and coconut , each separately and allow it to cool.Grind all the above to a smooth paste with some curry leaves and keep aside.

In a kadai, heat the gingelly oil, season mustard and curry leaves and add the desired vegetable. I used drumsticks.saute in oil for 5 minutes. Add a cup of water, a pinch of asafoetida and salt, cover and cook until the vegetable is soft and done.

Now add the ground paste, stir well for 2 minutes and then add the tamarind extract.
Allow it to boil till the raw smell disappears.
Serve with plain white rice and papad or appalam.

Kanchipuram Idly or Seasoned rice Cakes!!

Here comes another typical south indian item, kanchipuram idly!!

You Will Need,

Raw rice - 1 cup
Idly rice - 1 cup
Urad dhal - 1 cup
Methi or fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

[All the above four soaked in water for about 6 hrs]

for the seasoning,

Ghee - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Dry ginger powder [sukku] - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly - 2
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Method:

First grind together the raw rice and the idly rice coarsely. Then grind the urad dhal coarsely. The batter should not be smooth like the normal idly batter. Add required salt, mix well with your hand and Leave it overnight for fermentation.

Just before making the idlys the seasoning should be done. you can substitute dry ginger powder with ginger [finely chopped], if u dont have dry ginger handy.

Heat ghee in a tawa, add mustard, asafoetida, dry ginger or ginger, red chillies and the curry leaves finally.
Add this mixtute to the idly batter, mix well and fill the batter in greased idly plates or small stailess steel bowls. Steam cook like normal idlys for 10 mts.

serve warm with idly milagai podi, coconut chutney or idly sambar.

Displayed here is coconut chutney.

Microwave Carrot Halwa

You will Need,

carrot - 4 [ finely grated]
milk - 2 cups
powdered/castor sugar - 1 cup
milk powder - 2 tsp
cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
ghee - 3 tsp

Method:

Grate the carrots, and cook in microwave for 8 minutes [high] it along with the milk in a deep microwave safe dish, leaving ample space for boiling.
Now mix well with milk powder and sugar and cook again for 4 minutes, high.
Add ghee and cardamom powder and cook for 3 more minutes [or till it becomes thick].
garnish with cashews or badam and serve hot or cold.

Perfect for Desserts!!

Broccoli Stir fry

Broccoli contains loads of essential nutrients such as sodium and dietary fibre, vitamins A, C, calcium and Iron but 0% of unwanted cholestrol. :-)

You Will Need,

Broccoli - 1
Jeera - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Clean and cut the broccoli into medium sized florets. Place the florets in a microwavable bag, sprinkle a tsp of salt inside the bag and microwave for 4 minutes in high power.

Now heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and saute mustard and jeera. Throw in the brocolli florets and saute for 5 minutes. As simple as that!!

PS: You can also add 3 tsp of grated coconut in the end if u like.

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu or Dhal Balls in Gravy:

You Will Need,

Channa dhal - 1 cup
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Red chillies - 6
Green chilly - 1
Onion - 1
Garlic - 5 pods
Grated coconut - 4 tsp
Tamarind extract - 1 cup
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
Saunf - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Laung or krambhu - 2
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Soak both the dhals and red chillies together for 2 hrs. coarsly grind the dhals along with the red chillies,1 tsp saunf, 1 tsp coconut, adding very little water and salt. Now add half of the finely chopped onion, chopped green chillies, curry leaves and mix well. The dough should not be watery and so smooth. Make small balls out of the dough and steam till done. The balls will look like this before steaming,


I microwaved the balls without covering for 6 minutes in high power.

For the gravy,

Heat oil in a wide and deep bottomed vessel, saute mustard, saunf,krambhu, curry leaves, the remaining onion and chopped garlic. Add 1 tsp sambhar powder, a lil salt for the gravy and saute for 2 more minutes.Now add the tamarind extract and asafoetida. when it boils add the steamed dhal balls one by one. add some more water if needed.
Grind the remaining coconut finely and pour jus 2 minutes before putting off the flame.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

This goes well with Rice,idly , dosai and chapathi.

Watercress sambhar rice

You Will need,

water cress leaves - 1 bunch
onion - 1
tomato - 1
green chillly - 3
Toor dhal - 1 cup
tamarind extract - 1 cup
sambhar powder - 1.5 tsp
salt to taste

Method:

Clean and wash the watercress leaves.Cook together the watercress leaves,chopped onions, tomato, green chilly with required water.
Cook the toor dhal till soft, smash and keep it aside.
Once the vegetables are done, add sambhar powder,salt and the tamarind extract and let it cook for 5 more minutes.
Now its time to add the cooked toor dhal.
This sambhar tastes better when mixed with steaming hot rice with a spoon of ghee.

Serve hot with papad, appalam, potato fry or colacasia fry.

PS: The side dishes shown in the picture are papad and snow peas stir fry.