SWEET POTATO ADAI!!!

 Usually, we make adai varieties with rice, dals and vegetables like tapioca, bottle gourd and yam.

This is a very different adai recipe.

The main ingredient here is sweet potato. Usually, we can make tamarind kuzhambu with it. In my house, we make Pongal kuzhambu adding sweet potato in it. It always gives a special flavour.. Some people make sweet paniyaram with it. But this adai gives a different taste with a light sweetness and spice.

SWEET POTATO ADAI:

INGREDIENTS:

IDLI RICE-1 CUP

GREEN CHILLIES-2

SHREDDED GINGER- 2 TSP

SWEET POTATO [COOKED AND SHREDDED]- 1 CUP

SHREDDED COCONUT-HALF CUP

FINELY CHOPPED ONION- 1 

FINELY CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES- 2 TBSP

ENOUGH SALT

PROCEDURE:

Wash and soak the rice in enough water for three hours.

Drain the rice, add the green chilies , ginger, and water and grind finely to a soft and thick batter.

Add the shredded sweet potato, onion, coconut, and coriander.

Mix all the ingredients to adai consistency. 

Make big balls.

Flatten all of them on an oiled butter paper in to adais..

Transfer them to the heated tawa and cook both sides to golden brown.

THIRUNELVELI MAPPILLAI SODHI!!!

This sodhi is a light korma like gravy using mainly coconut milk. Adding only a very few spices make this dish very delicious. Suits well with idlies, aappam, dosai etc. I have prepared this sodhi as an accompanying dish  for jeera pulao.

There are so many varieties in this sodhi preparation. But this preparation is the tastiest, I think.

திருநெல்வேலி மாப்பிள்ளை சொதி:

Ingredients:

Carrot-1         [cut in to thin pieces lengthwise ]

Beans-20       [ cut in to thin pieces lengthwise ]

Big potato-1  [cut in to thin pieces lengthwise ]

Drumstick- 1 [ cut in to 2 inch pieces ]

Finely sliced onion-1

Slit green chillies-2

Small garlic pearls-10

Coconut-1 [ shredded ]

Lime-1

Split green gram- 2tbsp

Turmeric powder- half sp

Salt to taste

Finely shredded ginger- 1 tbsp

Curry leaves- 2 arc

Coconut oil- 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds- half tsp

Grind these coarsely without adding water:

Small Garlic pearls-10, shredded ginger-1 /2 tbsp, green chillies-3, fennel seeds- 2 pinches

Procedure:

Extract thick milk and thin milk from the shredded coconut.

Boil the green gram until it is well cooked.

Grind the shredded ginger to a paste and mix with half a cup of water. 

Let it stand for an hour.

Then slowly drain the juice to a bowl without shaking it. There will be a white layer inside the bowl after draining all the clear juice. 

we should not use this. 

We should add this clear ginger juice at the last stage of the cooking.

Heat a pan and add the oil.

When it becomes hot, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.

Add the chopped onion with the coarsely ground mixture.

Fry them for a few minutes.

Then add all the vegetables with the garlic pearls.

Toss them for a few seconds.

Pour the thin coconut milk with enough salt.

Let the vegetable cook  slowly.

After the vegetables are cooked, add the thick milk with the cooked green gram dal.

Check the correct consistency of the korma.. It must not be either very thin or very thick.

When the gravy starts to simmer, put off the fire.

Pour the lime juice and the ginger juice.

Mix well.

Thirunelveli mappillai sodhi is ready now!

BROCOLI VEGETABLE SOUP!!

This is  a fine soup which can be served in dinner along with a few buttered bread slices. The dinner will be simple as well as delicious for a change. 

புரோக்கலி காய்கறி சூப்

BROCOLI VEG SOUP

Ingredients needed:

Broccoli florets- 1 cup, 

Carrot-half[ cut in to small pieces ] , 

Onion-1 [sliced ] , 

Tomato-1 [chopped ], 

Garlic flakes [small]-6, 

Beans-8 [cut in to small pieces ]

Almond-6, 

Butter-1 tbsp, 

Oil- 1 sp,

Plain flour- 1 tbsp, 

Pepper pr- ¼ sp, 

salt to taste

Procedure:

Soak the almonds in hot water for 15 minutes. 

Then peel off the outer skin and chop them to small pieces. 

Heat a pan and pour the oil. 

Add the vegetables and fry them in a small flame.  

Add the almonds and fry them for a few seconds. 

Pour a cup of water and cook them until they are done. 

Take them away and let them cool down. 

Grind them to a fine paste.  

Again heat a pan and add the butter. 

Add the plain flour and fry them on a small flame to a slightly roasted colour. 

Add the ground paste, salt pepper powder and 2 cups of water or more water to form soup like consistency. 

Let the soup boil for a few seconds.

Variation: 

when the white sauce is prepared, you can add a half spoon of cumin seeds. 

கத்தரிக்காய் காரக்குழம்பு!!!

I have learned this recipe from a friend. As a  typical kuzhambu dish from south, it goes well with hot rice and a suitable poriyal or koottu. It is also a fine accompaniment for idli and dosai varieties. 

BRINGJAL KAARA KUZHAMBU:

Ingredients:

small onions- a handful
garlic flakes-8
ginger- 2 inches long
mashed tomato- 1 cup
turmeric powder- half spoon
tamarind- a lime size
curry powder- 2 tbsp
chilli powder-1 sp
gingelly oil- 1/4 cup
curry leaves- 2 arcs
salt to taste
small brinjals-5

CURRY POWDER:

Dry roast the following Ingredients to golden brown and grind to a powder when cooled.

long red chillies-15, coriander seeds- 2 tbsp, fennel seeds- 2 tsp, pepeprcorns- 1 sp, bengal gram- 2 tsp, curry leaves- 1 arc

Procedure:

Crush the garlic and the ginger.
Soak the tamarind in a cup of hot water for half an hour and then extract its juice.
Heat the gingelly oil.
when it is hot, add the finely chopped onion along with the crushed ginger and the garlic.
Cook them finely.
Then add the tomatoes with the turmeric powder and the curry leaves.
cook them on medium fire until the tomatoes are well cooked and the oil floats on the surface.
Now add the tamarind extract with the chilli powder, bringjal pieces and salt.
allow it to simmer for a few minutes.
Add the curry powder, mix well and let it simmer for another 10 minutes until the desired consistency.
Put off the fire.
The delicious brinjal kaara kuzhambu is ready now!!

POMEGRANATE RASAM!!!

Always rasam with fruits gives a different and special taste. we can make rasam varieties with arai Nellikkai, pineapple and also with vegetables like drumstick, mudakkathan keerai, beetroot, vazaippoo, suraikkai etc. These rasam varieties are healthy also.Pomegranate soup recipe can be viewed in the following link:
http://muthusidharal.blogspot.ae/2018/01/blog-post.html

Now the recipe for pomegranate rasam........

மாதுளை ரசம்

Ingredients needed:

ripe pomegranate-1
ripe tomato-[big]-1
slit green chillies-2
cummi seeds-1 sp
pepeprcorns- 1 sp
asafoetida- half sp
turmeric powder- half sp
lemon-1
cooked thur dal- half cup
finely chopped ginger- 1 sp
finely chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
curry leaves- 1 arc
salt to taste
ghee- 1 sp
oil-2 sp
sambar powder- half sp

Procedure:

squeeze the pomegranate with the fingers in a bowl and then strain the juice in  a cup. 
In a bowl, pour the dal with 4 or 5 cups of water.
To this add the ginger, greens, asafoetida, turmeric powder, crushed tomato and green chillies with enough salt. 
Grind coarsely the cummin and pepper and add to this rasam and mix well. 
Heat a pan and pour 1 sp of ghee and the oil. 
When they become hot add the mustards. 
When they start to splutter, add the rasam and allow it to boil. 
Let it boil for 3 minutes. 
Sprinkle the sambar powder and pour the remaining ghee. 
Pour the pomegranate juice. 
Put off the fire. 
After 5 minutes, mix well and pour the lemon juice. 
More lemon juice and little salt can be added according to the taste. 
Pomegranate rasam is ready to be served now!!

அவல் புட்டு!!!!

After a long time, I am coming in to my blog with a recipe of a delicious sweet. Even though it is a sweet, it has so many healthy ingredients.

RICE FLAKES PUTTU:

Ingredients:

Rice flakes- 1 cup

Turmeric powder- half sp

Tuar dal- half cup

Shredded coconut- half cup

Mashed jaggery – 1 ½ cup

Salt- a pinch

Cardamom powder- half sp

Procedure:

Dry roast the rice flakes in a pan on medium flame until a nice aroma floats on air.

Put off the fire and allow it to cool.

Grind the rice flakes into a slightly coarse powder.

Cook the dal without much water.

The dal should not be over-cooked.

Mix the rice flakes flour with the turmeric powder, salt and the water which is left in the dal.

The mixture should be like puttu maavu.

Boil the jiggery with enough water.

When the jiggery water starts boiling, put off the fire and filter the water with a clean cloth.

Then again boil the jiggery water.

When it thickens, keep it in low flame, and pour a drop in a cup of water.

If you can make it into a soft ball, then this is the correct ‘ padham’ of the paahu[ sugar syrup].

Pour this syrup in the rice flakes powder along with cooked dal, coconut and cardamom powder.

Mix thoroughly and press well.

Keep it like that for half an hour.

Now again mix well with a spoon and now the aval puttu is ready!!

வாழைப்பூ மிளகு குழம்பு!!

In Tamilnadu, especially in villages, banana flower is often used in cooking. It has so many medical values. It must be eaten twice in a week and it purifies the blood and regulates the blood circulation. It also helps a lot in ladies' problems and lessons the pain in the period cycles. 

usually POOVAN VAZHAIPPOO is more healthy and tasty than other varieties. 

Generally banana flour is used to cook as poriyal, paruppu usili and koottu. Then new recipes like vaazhaipoo adai, vadai rasam, thukaiyal are found extremely tasty and delicious! Recently, I have tried a recipe ‘ BANANA FLOWER PEPEPR GRAVY ’   [ Vaazhappoo milaku kuzhambu ‘ ] from the blog www.mannaisamaiyal.blogspot.com and it was so excellent in taste. 

http://mannaisamayal.blogspot.in/2013/12/araithuvitta-kuzhambu-powder.html

Here I thank Mrs.Chithra Ravindran of the above blog for this delicious recipe. I have made a few changes. I have prepared her kuzhambu podi and used in this recipe. Here the recipe goes!

வாழைப்பூ மிளகு குழம்பு

BANANA FLOWER PEPPER KUZHAMBU:

Ingredients needed:

Banana flower [ vaazhaipoo] finely chopped- 1 ½ cups

Tamarind- half of amla size

Kuzhambu podi- 2 tsp

Curry leaves- 1 arc

Chopped small onion-8

Mustard seeds- half sp

Cumin seeds- ¼ sp

Turmeric powder- half sp

Gingelly oil- 2 tbsp

Enough salt

Kuzhambu podi:

Dry roast and powder:

Red chillies-7, coriander seeds- half cup, Bengal gram- half cup, black gram- ¼ cup, 1 arc curry leaves, peppercorns- 1 tsp, cumin seeds- 1 tsp

FOR THE MASALA:

Fry in 2 tsp of gingelly oil and grind to a paste:

Pepeprcorns-1 tsp, cumin seeds- 1 tsp, coriander seeds- 1 tsp, curry leaves-30, small onions-6, tomato-1, shredded coconut- 3 tsp. Fry them one by one to a slightly golden colour and grind.

Procedure:

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

Heat a pan and add the oil.

When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the cumin seeds and the curry leaves.

Add the finely chopped small onions and fry them well.

Then add the chopped banana flower and fry them well on slow fire until they are almost cooked.

Add the tamarind juice and the turmeric powder.

Let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the kuzhambu podi and the ground masala.

Mix well and add enough water to the desired consistency.

Add enough salt.

Allow the kuzhambu simmer for 10 minutes.

The tasty vaazhaippoo pepepr kuzhambu is ready to serve!