DRUMSTICK LEAVES PONGAL:

There are so many varieties in pongal like milaku pongal, kalyana pongal, rava pongal, aval pongal etc. But, adding keerai varieties like palak, murungaikeerai, and mulaikkeerai to the pongal always enhance the taste tremendously. Especially drumstick leaves happen to give a delicious taste with tamarind and a little spices as side ingredients. Hope every one likes this.

முருங்கைக்கீரை பொங்கல்

Ingredients:

Raw rice- 2 cups
Drumstick leaves- 2 cups
Thuar dal- quarter cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder- half sp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Black gram- 1 tsp
Asafoetida- half sp
Curry leaves- a few
Tamarind- a small lime size
Gingelly oil- 3 tbsp
Ghee- 1 tbsp

Fry the following ingredients to golden brown and then powder them finely:

Red chillies-8, Bengal gram- 1 tbsp, fenugreek seeds- half sp

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for half an hour and then extract its juice.
Pressure cook the rice and the dal with 10 cups of water.
Heat a big pan and pour the gingelly oil.
Add the mustards seeds and when they splutter, add the curry leaves, black gram and the asafoetida.
Fry them for a second and then pour the tamarind extract.
Allow it to boil.
Add the drumstick leaves with salt.
When the extract begins to thicken, reduce the fire to low.
Sprinkle the fried powder and mix well.
Cook for a few seconds.
Add the cooked rice to this mixture with enough salt and the ghee.
Mix well and cook for a few seconds.
The delicious drumstick leaves pongal is ready to serve!!

BOILED RICE AAPPAM

There are so many varieties in making aappams. Appams can be prepared either with Boiled rice or raw rice. For fermenting the aappam batter, peopel use coconut water, yeast, and soda bicarbonate. Some people prepare kanji with a handful of semolina and add to the batter when it is cooled. Some people grind the batter, remove it and wash the grinder with a little water. They prepare kanji with this washed water and add to the aappam batter when it is cooled. In this way, the aappam will be very soft the next day. Coconut paste is also the best fermenting agent for soft aappams. This aappam recipe belongs to my mother as well as my mother- in- law. This is a very simple preparation but it is very tasty and very soft.
For accompaniment, my mother always prepares coconut milk flavoured with cardamom powder and sugar. My mother in law prepares coocnut milk and jaggery syrup seperately. I always prepare this coocnut milk with the jaggery syrup for the first day and for the second day I prepare either chciken kurma  or vadai curry.

புழுங்கலரிசி ஆப்பம்

Ingredients:

Boiled rice- 4 cups
black gram- a handful
fenugreek seeds- 1 sp
curd- half cup
cooked rice- 1 cup
soda bi carbonate- 1/4 sp
salt to taste

Procedure:

Soak the boiled rice and the black gram with the fenugreek seeds seperately.
Grind the black gram first to a fluffy texture.
Remove it and then grind the boiled rice to a fine batter.
At the last stage add the curd and the cooked rice and grind nicely.
It will be good if the cooked rice is one day old.
Add enough salt, mix well and allow the batter to ferment for at least 8 hours.
Before cooking, mix in the soda bi carbonate well and leave it for 30 minutes.
Then heat the aappam pan, pour a small cup of batter and spread it thinly at the corners and thick at the center.
Cover with a lid.
The fire should be medium.
when cooked , take away the aappam.
The dlicious spongy aappam is ready now! 

RAW BANANA 65

This is a very different and tasty curry and suitable as a side dish for any get together or a family party. I am often preparing this in my home. This babana 65 goes well with Sambar, Mor kuzhambu and Kuruma. Even with Nendhiran vazhaikkai, this tastes deliciously.

வாழைக்காய் 65

Ingredients:

Medium sized raw banana-6
Finely sliced onion-2
Finely chopped medium sized tomato-2
Small garlic flakes -2 tbsp
Curry leaves- a few
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Chilli powder- 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Enough oil to fry and cook

Powder these ingredients finely:

Fennel seeds- 1 tsp, cloves-1, cinnamon- 1 small piece, cardamom-1, cumin seeds- a pinch, peppercorns-5

Procedure:

Cut the bananas in to ½ inch pieces and fry them in hot oil little by little until they are cooked.
They should be in white colour even after they are cooked and browning will spoil the taste.
Keep them on a paper kitchen towel.
Heat a pan and pour 3 tbsp of oil.
Add the sliced onion and cook them to golden brown.
Then add the tomato along with the garlic flakes, curry leaves and turmeric powder.
Cook the tomato until they are mashed well and the oil floats on the surface.
Add the coriander and fry for a minute.
Add the cooked banana pieces with the chilli powder and salt.
Cook the raw banana for a few minutes mixing well in intervals.
Sprinkle the ground powder, mix well and cook for a few minutes.
The delicious Raw banana 65 is ready now!

RIDGEGOURD MINT CHUTNEY:

I like to add ridge gourd either in sambar or in any kothsu varieties. But Chutneys with ridge gourd are always tasty. This ridge gourd mint chutney will be delicious with crisp doas.

பீர்க்கை புதினா சட்னி

Ingredients:

Chopped ridge gourd- 3 cups
Mint leaves- a handful
Shredded coconut- half cup
Red chillies-6
Tamarind- a small lime size
Salt to taste
Oil- 3 tbsp

Procedure:

Fry the vegetable along with the mint in the oil until the ridge gourd becomes soft.
Add the red chillies and the coconut and fry for a few minutes.
When cooled, grind them with the tamarind and salt to a coarse paste.
The delicious ridge gourd mint chutney is ready to serve!!

BENGAL GRAM KAARA BOLI

This kaara boli with lots of bengal gram in it tastes divinely with the accompaniment of all the vegetables nicely blended in it. Instead of oil, pure ghee enhances the flavour when cooking this boli. Drumstick leaves which are chopped finely can be mixed to get a very delicious taste!

கடலைப்பருப்பு கார போளி

Ingredients:

Plain flour- 1/2 kilo

Bengal gram- 1/4 kilo

Carrot-1

Radish [small]-1

Onion-1

Coriander chopped-4 tbsp

Shredded coconut- half cup

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Cook the bengal gram to soft a texture and mash finely.

Sieve the flour.

Shred the vegetables finely.

Mix all the ingredients with salt and make a smooth dough mixing in enough water.

Make chappathies and cook on a hot tawa on both sides.

The delicious bengal kaara boli is ready!

VEGETABLE VERMICILI KICHADI

I am posting here a delicious dish which is suitable for breakfast as well as dinner. The vegetable vermicelli kitchadi  is a wholesome food and needs no side dish. If a side dish is required, then a curd salad with tomato, onion and cucumber is very suitable for this.

 

வெஜிடபிள் சேமியா கிச்சடி

Ingredients:

vermicelli- 3 cups

finely chopped onion-1 cup

finely chopped tomato- 1 cup

ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

turmeric powder- 1 tsp

chopped carrot- half cup

chopped potato- half cup

chopped beans- half cup

frozen green peas- 3 tbsp

chopped mint- half cup

chopped coriander- half cup

small garlic flakes- 2 tbsp

salt to taste

ghee- 2 tbsp

oil- 1 tbsp

grind the following ingredients with a little waterto a coarsely paste;

green chillies-3, cinnamon- 1" piece, fennel seeds- 1 tsp

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the ghee and the oil.

Add the onion and fry them to golden brown.

Add the GGpaste and fry for a few minutes.

Then add the vegetables with tomatoes, the turmeric powder and a little salt.

Cook them till the vegetables are almost done.

Now add the ground paste and cook for a few minutes.

Add the greens and fry for a few seconds.

Now pour 4 cups of water.

Add enough salt.

When the water starts boiling sprinkle the vermicelli gradually

Cook on modeate fire.

When the kitchadi is fully cooked, pour a tsp of ghee and oil around it, mix well and put off the fire.

The delicious vegetable vermicelli kitchadi is ready now!!

AVASARA CHUTNEY

Even though this chutney has tomatoes and onions, we always call this chutney in this name as this chutney can be prepared very quickly. In addition to that, this chutney tastes delicious especially with crisp dosas.

அவசர சட்னி

Ingredients:

Onions-2
Big tomato-1
A small lime-sized tamarind
Red chillies-8 to 10
Sambar onions [finely chopped]-6
Curry leaves- 4
Chopped coriander- 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Black gram- 1 tsp
Gingelly oil- 2 tbsp
Asafetida powder- half sp
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Grind the onions, tomato, red chillies and the tamarind to a fine paste.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the black gram, greens and the asafetida powder.
Fry for a few minutes and then add the chopped onion.
Fry the onion to golden brown.
Pour this to the chutney and mix well.
The tastiest avasara chutney is ready now