பூண்டுப் பொடி

This is a tasty accompaniment for hot idles! There are so many accompaniments for idlies such as chutneys, sambars, kothsu variaties, kurumas and thukaiyals. But, people in Tamilandu always yearn for idli podi as well as this hot garlic podi after consuming a few idlies with sambar and chutneys. Hot garlic podi, gingelly oil and steamed soft idles is the best combination for a hungry stomach at the breakfast time. Normally most people grind red chillies first coarsely and then grind with chopped small garlic pearls with salt. I always fry the garlic flakes in gingelly oil at first and then grind with the red chillies.

GARLIC PODI

Ingredients:

Red chillies- 2 handfuls

Small garlic flakes- one handful

Gignelly oil- half cup

Salt to taste

Procedure:

In a sp of oil, fry the red chillies to golden brown on slow fire.

Pour the remaining oil in the pan

When the oil becomes hot, add all the garlic flakes.

Fry them on slow fire.

Within a few seconds, we can feel the garlic flakes light and soft when we take them in a spoon.

At this stage, put off the fire.

Spread the garlic on a paper kitchen towel to wipe out the excessive oil.

Pour the oil in a small bowl.

Grind the red chillies at first smoothly.

Then add the garlic flakes with enough salt.

Run the mixi for a second and mix well.

Again run the mixi for another second.

Add this mixture to the fried gingelly oil and mix well.

Now poondu podi is ready for your hot, steamed idlies!!

CRAB CURRY

This is my 100th post here!!

This crab curry belongs to my native place. My mother as well as my mother in law cooks in this delicious way. The spice powder they make with rice, fennel, and peppercorns enhances this dish nicely. That is the secret of this dish’s taste. There is no need for a separate kuzambu as this gravy goes well with hot rice.

ந‌ண்டு குழம்பு 

Ingredients: 

Crabs-5

Finely sliced onion-3

Finely chopped tomato- 1 cup

Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp

Curry leaves- a handful

Chopped coriander- 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil- 4 tbsp

Turmeric powder- half tsp

Chilli powder- 1 1/2 tbsp

Grind the following ingredients to a fine paste:

Shredded coconut- 1 cup

Fennel seeds- 1 tsp

Dry roast the following ingredients to golden brown and powder them finely:

Fennel seeds- 1 tsp, peppercorns- 1 tsp, raw rice- a handful, cumin seeds- half tsp 

Procedure:

Clean the crabs well and cut each crab in to two pieces.

Heat a big pan and pour the oil.

Add the sliced onion and the tomatoes with the ginger garlic paste and the greens.

Cook on medium fire until all the water evaporates and the oil floats on top.

Add the crab pieces, ground paste, turmeric and chilli powders with enough salt.

Let the kuzambu boil for some minutes until the crabs are cooked.

Finally sprinkle the fried powder little by little.

Mix well and let the kuzhambu boil for some more minutes.

The spicy crab curry is ready to serve now!!

சோள இட்லி

My close relative gave me this recipe. Even that time, I have not expected that I will make such a soft idli with jowar. I was amazed at the result. It is as soft as the usual idlies we make with the boiled rice. Any kara chutney would make a nice accompaniment for these idlies.  

JOWAR IDLI

Ingredients: 

Jowar - 1 cups

Par boiled rice ( idli rice) - 1 cups

Urad dhal - 1 cup

Enough Salt

Oil 

Preparation: 

 Mix jowar, rice & urad & wash well.

 Soak in enough water for 8 to 10 hours.

Jowar needs at least 10 hours to soak while rice and urad dal only need 4 hours to soak.

 Grind to a fine batter adding enough water.

 Add salt, mix well and ferment the batter for 10 hrs .

Now you have a nice batter for steaming idlies!

 We can prepare tasty dosas with this batter.

Once the batter is spread on hot tawa, pour just a few drops of oil over it, cover & cook.

 Turn over & cook for just a few seconds.

 Serve with sambar or any chilli chutney. 

NB:

When grinding the jowar, it takes a little more time to get a fine batter.

So it is a nice idea to grind the soaked jowar in a mixi and then add at the last stage of grinding the rice and urad dal.

காரட் தோசை

I have learned this recipe from my close friend. Though we make different dosa varieties, this one stands apart as one of the most delicious dosas especially due to its taste and colourful appearance.

CARROT DOSAI:

Ingredients:

Raw rice- 2 cups
Per boiled rice- ¼ cup
Tamarind- half of a gooseberry size
Red chillies-6
Shredded carrot- 1 [big]
sambar onions-4
Salt to taste
Curry leaves- 1 arc
Cumin seeds- ½ sp


Procedure:


Soak the rice varieties in enough water for 2 hours.
Grind them finely with the tamarind, carrot, and carrot with enough salt to a fine batter.
Add curry leaves and cumin seeds.
Mix well and allow it to ferment for 4 hours.
Make thin dosas on a hot tawa.
Cook on both sides.
Coconut chutney is suitable for this dosai.

POTATO RICE FLAKES BONDA

There are so many variations in making bondas. But this one with rice flakes and potato as a filling and a spicy batter is completely a different but a tasty one. It was a super hit when I have prepared this in my home. Hope everybody will enjoy making this.

உருளைக்கிழங்கு அவல் போண்டா:

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Hot mashed Potato-200gms
Rice flakes-200gm
Oil-1 tbsp
Onion-1[thinly sliced]
Finely chopped green chillies- 1 tbsp
Thick tomato juice-2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- half sp

For the batter:

Gram flour- 1 cup
Salt to taste
Soda bi carbonate- 2 pinche
Turmeric powder- half sp
Chilli powder- half sp

Grind the following to a paste:

Fried cumin seeds- half sp
Chopped coriander- 1 tbsp
Small ripe tomato-1
Shredded ginger- 1/4 tsp
Green chilli-1

Procedure:

Wash the rice flakes well and drain the water completely.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the onion with the green chillies and fry them well.
Add the tomato juice with the turmeric powder and the coriander.
Cook until the gravy is thickened.
Add the mashed potato and the rice flakes with enough salt.
Cook on slow fire for a few minutes until all the ingredients are combined well.

For the batter, add all the ingredients with the ground paste and salt.
Prepare like dosa batter.
Make small balls out off the filling.
Dip each ball in the batter, coat it well and toss it in hot oil.
Fry the bonda to golden brown.
Thus finish all the balls in to golden brown bondas!
Thick, spicy Coconut chutney is a fine accompaniment for this bonda!!

OATS VEGETABLE KANJI

This is Oats Kunji. Health wise, it is nutritious and good for people with ailments like Diabetes and Hypertension. This is a fine breakfast dish for elders as well as for small babies. We can add so many vegetables to our likings. But cauliflower, drumsticks, root vegetables like potato, yam and ladiesfinger are not suitable to add in this kunji. Carrot, peas, baby corn, tomatoes, a little raddish, a little palak, French beans and onions will enhance the taste. Thin kunji is effective in healthwise.




OATS VEGETABLE KANJI [ஓட்ஸ் காய்கறி கஞ்சி]


Ingredients:

Oats- 4 to 5 tbsp
Finely chopped Tomato-1
Finely chopped onion-half
Small garlic flakes-5
Finely Shredded ginger-a pinch
Finely chopped coriander- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tsp
Fennel seeds or cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- half sp

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the fennel or cumin seeds and when they splutter, add the onion with the other vegetables and fry nicely until they are well cooked and the oil floats on top.
Pour 5 cups of water with enough salt.
Immediately add the oats.
Mix well and let it boil for a few minutes until the oats are cooked.
The delicious oats kunji is ready now!

Variations:


If fennel seeds are used, a few mint leaves can be added when frying the vegetables. It will give a delicious touch. 1 or 2 teaspoons of Shredded coconut can be added in the end. 2 tbsps of coconut milk can be added in the end to give an extra taste. But it is not good for elderly people. Instead of vegetables, cooked chicken pieces can be added along with onion, tomato, garlic, mint and ginger.

CURRY LEAVES RICE

Usually, curry leaves rice is in most places prepared with curry leaves powder, hot ghee, tempering and hot rice. But this recipe is somewhat different. This is prepared with tomatoes and onions also with the usual ingredients like curry leaves and other spices.

கறிவேப்பிலை சாதம்

INGREDIENTS:

Raw rice- 1 cup
Curry leaves- 1 cup
Red chillies-4
Shredded coconut- 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp.
Finely chopped tomato [medium size]-3
onion-1 [finely chopped]
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Oil- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Asafoetida powder- half sp
Turmeric powder- half sp

PROCEDURE:

Cook the rice with enough salt.
Grind the curry leaves with the red chillies and the coconut coarsely.
Heat a pan and pour the ghee and the oil.
Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the cumin seeds and the asafoetida powder..
Add the onion and fry well.
Then add the tomatoes with the turmeric powder and cook until they are mashed well and the oil floats on top.
Add the ground paste and fry for a few minutes on slow fire.
Mix this masala to the rice with hot ghee.
The delicious curry leaves rice is ready to serve now!