RADISH RASAM!!

There are so many rasam varieties we can see in South India.  Pepper rasam, Lime rasam, kottu rasam, mint rasam, Mysore rasam, Tomato rasam and Dal rasam are quite popular in Tamilnadu, even though their  tastes and recipes  vary from district to district. There are even different rasam varieties like onion rasam, marunthu rasam [ with  Naattu marunthukal like thippili, Sitharaththai, black cummin seeds etc], Pineapple rasam, chicken rasam, Mutton rasam etc.This Radish rasam will be very delicious to drink and taste with hot rice. This is a nutritious rasam also!  I hope you will enjoy it!!

முள்ளங்கி ரசம்! 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

young radish-2

Cooked dal- 1/4 cup

mashed tomatoes- 1 cup

Finely chopped sambar onions- half cup

 Shredded ginger- half sp

slit green chillies-3

Small garlic flakes-10

A few curry leaves

Chopped coriander- half cup

asafoetida- a pea size

small lime-1

fenugreek seeds- half sp

 Cummin seeds- half sp

Turmeric powder- half sp

ghee- 1 tsp

gingelly oil- 1 tbsp 

 Procedure: 

Heat a pan and pour the ghee and the oil.

when they become hot add the fenugreek and the cummin seeds.

when they splutter, add the onions and fry them well.

Then add the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, greens and the green chillies with the turmeric powder and fry them well until they are cooked and become soft.

Now add the cooked dal with 3 to 4 cups of water and enough salt.

When the dal water starts simmering, add the sliced radish pieces.

when the radish slices are cooked well, put off the fire.

Pour the lime juice and mix well.

The delicious radish rasam is ready to serve!!

 

 

 

 

 

GULAB JAMOON

This is the most famous sweet  in India.  Besides the original recipes, there are so many brands available in the market for readymade gulab jamoon powder.  I have never tried these. I prefer the original recipes always. Among them, this is the only recipe I love always to follow. 25 years back, I got this recipe from a friend who was working in a five star hotel in the abroad. The hotel was following this recipe only. After following this recipe and tasted the soft and delicious gulab jamoons, I have stopped trying the other recipes of gulab jamoons. Now the recipe follows..... 

 

 

குலோப் ஜாமூன்

Ingredients: 

Self raising flour- 3 tbsp

Full cream milk powder- 8 tbsp

Bicarbonate of soda and baking powder- 1/4 tsp

Soft butter- 1 tbsp

oil to fry the jamoons

water- 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp

cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp

saffron- a few threads 

For the syrup: 

Sugar- 2 cups

Water- 3 cups 

Procedure: 

Sieve the self raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and the cardamom powder  thrice.

Mix in the butter and mix well with the flour evenly.

Now add the water little by little and make a soft dough.

The dough should be shiny and soft without cracks.

Make small goose-berry sized balls.

Do not press hardly the dough and do not give pressure to make the balls.

Heat the oil on low-medium fire.

Fry the balls ten at a time.

When the balls become golden brown evenly on all the sides, take them away and keep them on a kitchen towel.

Now mix the sugar in the water, pour it in a pan and heat it on medium fire.

When the syrup starts simmering, put in all the balls with the saffron..

Allow the balls to cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Now the delicious Gulab Jamoons is ready to serve!

When you fry the balls, the Gulab Jamoons should become double in size.

Then when the jamoons are boiling in sugar syrup, again they must become double in size.

This is the correct method to follow. 

PS:  Plain flour can be used instead of self raising flour.

 

Raw Jackfruit Dosai!

I am fond of raw jackfruit always. Young tender jackfruit briyani often enters in the menu of my kitchen. Besides, I never miss the opportunity of cooking the kola, cutlet, gravy and poriyals of Raw jackfruit in its season. But, in Dubai, we always get it even in the unseasonal time. Last week I have bought one and prepared one of my friend’s recipe, ‘raw jackfruit dosai.’ To my surprise, the outcome is quite fantastic and delicious! Here is this wonderful recipe!

 

 

பலாக்காய் தோசை. 

Ingredients:

 

Shredded Young raw jackfruit- 1 cup

Par boiled rice [idly rice] - half cup

Raw rice- half cup

Shredded coconut- a handful

Finely chopped onion-1

Finely chopped green chillies-3 or 4

A few curry leaves

Procedure: 

Soak the rice varieties for 3 hours.

Grind them with the shredded coconut and jackfruit to a fine batter.

Mix in the onion, green chillies and the curry leaves with enough salt.

Let it ferment for 4 hours.

You can prepare fine dosas after that.

The delicious dosas are ready to taste!!

GREEN GRAM PANIYARAM!!

There are so many varieties of sweet paniyarams and spicy paniyarams we can make. Each one has different and delicious taste. We can make paniyarams with ragi, wheat, rice, tapioca, oats, and different dals. When sweet paniyarams are prepared with sugar, jaggery and karuppatti, red chillies, green chillies, chopped onions, coriander leaves and spices enhance the taste of kara paniyarams. Usually paniyarams are cooked in traditional paniyara chatti. Paniyara chatti is available in Maakkal, iron, mud and aluminium. But nowadays non-stick paniyara chatti is available and it is so good to use  as there is no need to pour oil in the moulds every time we make paniyarams.  

This green gram paniyaram is a traditional one. This also can be prepared with whole green gram.

 

பயத்தம் பருப்பு பணியாரம்

Ingredients:

Green gram-1 ½ cup

Powdered Jaggery- 1 cup

Cardamom-10

Shredded coconut-half cup

Raw rice- half cup

Salt- a pinch 

Procedure; 

Soak the dal and the rice in lots of water for an hour.

Then drain the water and grind them with the jaggery, and the cardamom adding a little water to a thick batter.

Add the salt and the coconut and mix well.

Heat the paniyar chatti on medium fire.

Pour a big spoonful of batter in each mould.

When the bottom side is cooked for a few minutes, flip it to the other side with the help of a spoon.

When the other side is cooked well and turns in to golden brown, take them away.

The delicious green gram sweet paniyarams are ready now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curry Leaves Kuzhambu!!

There are so many varieties in curry leaves kuzhambu. These curry leaves kuzhambu can be eaten with hot rice as usual and also it is a very good side dish for hot dosa varieties. This one is very special as it has lots of garlic flakes in it. So it has an abundant medical value in it.

 

கறிவேப்பிலை பூண்டு குழம்பு 

Ingredients:

Sambar onions- a handful

Chopped tomato- 1 cup

Small garlic flakes- half cup

Turmeric powder- half sp

Fennel seeds- half sp

Chilli powder- 1 tbsp

Coriander powder- 1 ½ tbsp

Salt to taste

Tamarind- a small lime size

Gingelly oil- 3 tbsp+1 sp

 

Fry the following ingredients in a tsp of oil and then grind coarsely when cooled::

Sambar onions-4, small garlic flakes-5, shredded ginger- 1 tsp, curry leaves- a handful, fennel seeds- half sp

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in a cup of hot water for half an hour and then extract its thick juice.

Heat a pan and pour the gingelly oil.

Add the small onions with the garlic flakes.

Fry them on medium fire until they become tender.

Add the chopped tomato with the turmeric powder.

Cook for a few minutes until all the ingredients are combined well and mashed.

Pour the tamarind extract with enough water, the powders and salt.

Mix well and let it boil for a few minutes.

Add the ground paste and again let the kuzhambu boil for a few minutes until you get the desired consistency.

The hot and tasty curry leaves kuzhambu is ready now!!.

 

Note:

 

When frying the ingredients for the paste, take care not to fry too much. Just fry them for a few minutes and the colour of the curry leaves should not change.

 

 

 

 

Vegetable briyani

There are many ways and varieties for making vegetable briyani nicely. This is an easy version but a tasty one.

வெஜிடபிள் பிரியாணி

 

 

Ingredients:

Potatoes cut in to small cubes- 1 cup

Frozen green peas- 1 cup

Beans cut into ½ inch pieces- half cup

Shredded carrot- half cup

Finely sliced onions- 1 cup

Briyani rice- 2 cups

Crushed tomato- 1 cup

Lime juice- 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Ghee- 2 tbsp

Oil- 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder- half sp

Finely chopped coriander- 1 tbsp

Mint leaves- a few

Grind the following ingredients coarsely:

Clove-1, cardamom-1, cinnamon 1 inch piece-1, red chilli-1, green chilli-1, small garlic flakes-6, shredded ginger- 1 tsp, fennel seeds- 1 tsp 

Grind the following ingredients in to fine paste:

Cashew nuts-3, shredded coconut-1 tbsp 

Procedure:

Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.

Heat a vessel and pour the ghee and the oil.

Add the onion slices and fry them finely.

Then add the coarsely ground mixture and fry it on slow fire for a few minutes.

Then add the crushed tomatoes with the turmeric powder and fry them finely until the tomatoes are mashed finely and the oil floats on top.

Add the vegetables with enough salt and a little water.

Cook on medium fire until the vegetables are almost cooked.

Add the greens and mix well.

Pour 3 cups of hot water and the lime juice.

Mix the ground paste with 1 cup of water and pour this to the rice.  

Cook on medium fire.

When the rice is almost cooked, add enough salt and mix well.

When all the water is dried, put off the fire.

Cook the rice in ‘dhum’ for 15 minutes.

Mix once in between these minutes.

Drizzle little ghee on the rice.

The delicious vegetable briyani is ready to serve now!!   

KUDALAI IDLI!!

Years ago, I have learned this recipe from my friend. This is a nutritious idli as it contains black gram, green gram, pepper and cumin seeds. Children always like this as it tastes better than the ordinary idlies. Either tomato chutney or onion chutney is a suitable side dish for this kudalai idli!

 

 

குடலை இட்லி

Ingredients:

Par Boiled rice- 1 cup

Green gram- 1 cup

Black gram- 1 cup

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Oil- 1 tsp

Curry leaves- 1 arc

Chopped green chilles- 1 tsp

Finely chopped ginger- ½ tsp

Asafoetida powder- half sp

Crushed pepper- 1 tsp

Cumin seeds- half sp

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Soak the rice, black gram and the green gram in lots of water over night.

In the morning grind them to a fine batter like idli batter.

Mix with enough salt and ferment the batter for 8 hours.

Heat a small pan and pour the ghee and the oil.

Add the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and the asafoetida powder.

Fry on slow fire for a few seconds.

Then add the pepper and cumin.

Mix well and pour this to the idli batter.

Mix well.

Fill in the idli mould and steam as we steam the normal idlies.

The delicious KUDALAI IDLY ready now!!

Variations:

We can soak the rice and the black gram separately and the green gram in a separate bowl. After grinding the rice and the black gram to a frothy batter, then add the green gram and grind coarsely.

         

POTATO COCONUT MILK KURUMA!!

This is the most favourite dish in my close friend’s household. She makes this kuruma as a side dish for idlies. For this purpose she makes the idly like small oothappam. She spreads the idly batter in a greased small hollow plate like oothappam and then steam it like idly. Then she pours this kuruma on the steamed idly and allows it to soak in the kurma for a few minutes.  The result is a delicious first-class break fast for the family. 

 

உருளைக்கிழங்கு தேங்காய்ப்பால் குருமா

 

Ingredients: 

Medium sized potato  – 2 [ one is amshed and another is nicely cubed]

Coconut- half

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Coriander powder- half sp

Turmeric powder- half sp

Small onions halved – 8

Finely chopped onion- half

Slit green chillies-3

Chopped tomato- a small one

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Split black gram- 1 tsp

Chopped Curry leaves and coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Oil- 4 tbsp

Procedure:

Shred the coconut.

Take half of them and make a fine paste.

With the other half, extract thick milk and then thin milk also.

Heat a pan and pour the oil.

Add the mustards and when they splutter add the black gram.

Fry it nicely for a few seconds.

Then add the onions with the green chillies and the tomato.

Fry them well.

Pour the thin milk, add the mashed and cubed potatoes with the salt and the powders.

Add enough salt.

Let the kurma boil for a few minutes.

Then add the ground paste of coconut.

Again allow the kurma to boil for some minutes.

Lastly pour the thick milk and mix well.

When the kurma starts to boil, put off the fire.

The delicious kurma is ready now!!    

 

 

 

LIMA BEANS SNAKE GOURD KOOTTU.

This is a traditional koottu in Tamilnadu. In the month of January we can get fresh and young lima beans in the market. In my mother in law’s house, this lima beans is an important vegetable to add in the Pongal curry. These lima beans usually enhance the taste of the usual sambar varieties. They can be even added in non-veg curries.

பச்சை மொச்சைக்கொட்டை புடலங்காய் கூட்டு:

Ingredients:

Lima beans- 100gms

Chopped snake gourd- 1 cup

Split green gram- ¼ cup

Chopped tomato- half cup

Chopped onion- ½

Turmeric powder- half sp

Chopped coriander- ¼ cup

Cumin seeds- ¼ sp

Chilli powder- ¼ sp

Salt to taste

Oil- 2 tbsp

Asafoetida- a small piece

Grind the following o a fine paste:

Shredded coconut- ¼ cup, cumin seeds- ¼ sp, peppercorn-1/4 tsp 

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the oil.

Add the cumin seeds and the asafoetida.

When the cummin seeds splutter add the onions.

Fry them well and then add the tomato with the turmeric powder and the coriander leaves.

Fry until the tomato is mashed well.

Add the vegetables with the salt as well as the chilli powder.

When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the ground paste with the coriander leaves and mix well.

After the vegetables are fully cooked in the coconut gravy, put off the fire.

The tasty kootu is ready now to serve!!

BADAM HALWA

After so many days, I have prepared the very old sweet-Badam Halwa in my home. It is true that this is the most delicious sweet if it is prepared in the traditional way. With a few ingredients, it needs only an exact ‘ padham’ to make a delicious Almond halwa. My grandson loves to have a small cup every day!

 

 

பாதாம் அல்வா

Ingredients needed:

Almonds- 2 CUPS

Sugar- 2 cups

Ghee – 1 cup

Thick milk- 1 cup

Rose essence or almond essence- a few drops

Saffron- a pinch

Yellow Food colour- a few drops

Procedure:

Soak the almonds in 2 cups of hot water for half an hour.

Then peel off the skin and grind them with the milk a little coarsely.

Mix in the colour and the saffron.

Heat a pan and add the sugar.

Pour immediately a little water enough to cover the top surface of the sugar.

Boil it on medium fire.

When the sugar syrup turns in to one thread consistency [ kambi paahu], add the ground paste of almonds. .

Turn the fire in to low medium and begin to stir it continuously.

Pour the essence and the food colour and mix well.

Almost after 20 minutes, the badam halwa leaves the sides the pan.

Pour the ghee in intervals.

Take a little halwa and make a smooth ball.

It it can be done smoothly, then that is the ‘ correct padham’.

The delicious Badam halwa is ready now!

NB: I have used the full cream milk powder to prepare the milk instead of any variety of milk to get an extra richness.