Lime Pickle:(Tamizhar Style)

Kacha Neembu Ka Achaar. Raw Lemon Pickle. Green Lemon Pickle. Pachai Elimicham Kai Oorughai. Neembukaya Pachadi. Fresh Lime Pickle. Instant Lime Pickle.

Ingredients:

Raw Green Limes – Large 2
Sea Salt – aggressive amount
Turmeric powder ½ spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Vinegar ¼ cup
Mustard seeds ½ spoon
Sesame oil 1 small cup.

To be Toasted & Powdered: (Pickle Powder)

Fenugreek seeds 2 spoons
Mustard seeds 2 spoons.

Method:

Chop down fresh limes into small chunks. Maybe around 8 pieces out of each lime.

In a medium sized fry pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds to it. Wait until they pop and splutter well.

Then add limes and sauté it for few minutes.

Add salt, turmeric and chili powder and fry for few minutes. Then add ¼ cup of vinegar to it & continue cooking.

Well…..when lime is almost done soft and oil shows up on sides, add pickle powder to it. Allow it to boil at least once and remove it from the stove.

Allow this pickle to cool down to room temperature and store in a ceramic jar.

Fried Pomfret with Fish Sauce:(Thai Style)

Pomfret Fry. Crisply Fried Pomfret – with Fish Sauce. Fried Pomfret – Thai Style. Vavva Meen Varuval. Wavva Meen Varuval. Chapalu Fry. Fried Machi. Machili Fry.

This is one of my favorite Recipe from Thai Kitchen. Generally I like ‘Thai Recipe’ much than any other Asian Cuisine. Maybe I could find some real hot and spicier food there. Actually its much similar to Indian recipe here. Where in Indian we mix all these ingredients straight with the fish and deep fry it. While in ‘Thai Recipe’ they fry only the fish….yeah ‘plain fish’ and prepare separately a sauce and run over their fried fish. Is it interesting! And so does the taste too! Give a try today….you may love it.

Ingredients:

Whole Fresh Firm Pomfret fish – 2
Oil for frying.

Fish Sauce:

Salt
Onion 1 small – thinly sliced into circles
Fresh Red Chilies – 2 finely chopped into rings
Fresh Green Chilies – 2 finely chopped into rings
Fish Sauce – 1 cup
Lime – cut into wedges.

Variation: Whenever I couldn’t find ‘fish sauce….I managed with ‘thin soy sauce’.

Method:

Frying Fish:

Wash and clean pomfret. Remove its gut and scales. Well retain its fins for this recipe. If you find it hard….right go ahead and remove its fins too.

Heat oil in shallow wok. When the oil is hot enough….maintain the stove over low-medium heat. Now fry fish in it. When the fish is almost crispier to one side, turn carefully to other side and fry till crispier. Do not turn them often. As the fish will become flaky soon.

Now set this fish on your display plate.

Meanwhile when fish is getting done….prepare the sauce.

Fish Sauce:

In fish sauce or soy sauce add all the above mentioned ingredients except lemon wedges.

Display:

In a display plate….place a lettuce leaf and place your fried fish on the top. Then run this sauce above it. Just run only few spoons. Serve the remaining sauce in a cup, along with it. Decorate the plate with lemon wedges.

Fish Kabab:(Iranian Style)

Machi Kabab. Machili Kebab. Fish Kebab. Meen Kawab. Chapalu Kebab. Fish in Skewers. Grilled Fish. BBQ Fish.

Ingredients:

Healthy firm Salmon Fish – 1 kilo
Salt
Lime or Lemon juice 1-2 fruits
Olive oil few spoons
Red Chilies 3
Black Pepper ½ spoon
Onion 1 small
Mint leaves few
Coriander leaves few
Saffron few strands

Other Vegetables to Decorate the Skewer:

As per your personal choice. Below is my own list of choice.

Capsicum/Bell pepper – red color 1 – de seed & cubed
Capsicum/Bell pepper – green color 1 – de seed & cubed
Capsicum/Bell pepper – yellow color 1 – de seed & cubed
Purple Onions 3 large – each cubed
Potatoes 3 small - cubed
Tomatoes 3 small - cubed

Method:

Remove the bones and skin from the fish. Cube them gently.

In a large bowl, bring all the above said ingredients except fish. Mix this masala really well.

Now marinade the fish in this mixer. Refrigerate it for at least 10-12 hours.

Now thread this fish along with onion, bell peppers, potatoes and tomato in skewers. Repeat the same for all the remaining fish too.

Preheat your griller and place these skewers prepared. Grill them till fish is done and aromatic at the same time.

Serve hot as a snack or appetizer. I would like to take this as a side dish for pilaf or biriyanis too.

Spicy Tomato Juice:

Ingredients:(Serves 2)

Roma Tomatoes/ Hybrid Tomatoes – 4
Ice Cold Water 1cup
Salt little
Pepper powder ¼ spoon
Coriander seeds powder ¼ spoon
Cumin seeds powder ¼ spoon

Method:

Dip the tomatoes in warm water for 10 minutes. Then peel its skin off. Core the seeds.

In a blender….blend these tomatoes to smooth paste.

To the above tomato puree, add ice cold water. Further add salt and other remaining ingredients to it. Mix thoroughly.

Serve chilled in glass tumblers.

Very refreshing drink and very easy to fix.

Apple Honey Juice

Apple Honey juice:

Its not simply said 'An Apple a day keeps the Doctor away', certainly it got to do with something. Yes, the quercetin present in these red apples (so don't throw away the skin)plays a vital role in building one's immunity.

I like thin apple juice than a milk shake. I like its color especially. Hmmm….apple juice was 10 times tastier, when I used honey replacing sugar.

Ingredients:(Serves 2)

Fresh firm Apples 2
Honey 4-6 spoons(or as per taste)
Crystal Clear Cold Water 2 cups
Ice cubes few.

Method:

De seed the apple carefully. Maybe cut each apple into 2 half and deseed them first.

I would like to retain the skin here….for my juice. (As I told you….I like the color of my juice this way)

So retain the skin of the apple and chop them roughly.

By add 1/2 to 1 cup of cold water….wet grind the apple chunks.

Run this puree along the thin mesh(filter) to extract thin clear ‘apple juice.

Make this strong apple juice with remaining cold water.

Mix honey to this.

Serve chilled along with ice cubes in short glass cups. Sure sounds yummy right!

Mango Shake:

Semi Home Made.

Ingredients:(Serves 4)

Firm Fresh Ripe Mangoes 2
Farm fresh Milk 4 cups – well boiled
Sugar as per Taste
Vanilla Ice Cream – 4 heavy scoops.

Method:

Peel the skin off from the mangoes. Chop them roughly. Discard the seed.

Bring sugar, mangoes and milk in a blender. Blend it till very smooth and foamy.

Pour this shake in 4 tall glass tumblers. Further add ice cubes. Then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top.

Serve chilled. Serve with tall straws and long spoons.

Uppu Puli Milaga:

Puli Milaghai. Pachai Milaghai Oorugai. Green Chili Pickle. Hari-Mirch Imili Ka Achaar. Instant Chili Pickle. Pacha Mirpukaya Pachadi.

Ingredients:

Green chilies 15 – slitted
Green chilies 3 – roughly chopped
Purple onion 1 small – roughly chopped
Garlic 6 cloves
Tamarind paste – 2 full spoons
Salt
Turmeric powder – ¼ spoon
Mustard seeds – ½ spoon
Sesame oil – 1 cup.

To be Toasted and Powdered:(Pickle Powder)

Fenugreek Seeds 2 spoons
Mustard seeds 2 spoons.

Method:

In a blender…..wet grind 3 chopped chilies + onion + garlic. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds till they pop and splutter well.

Then add the wet-ground paste(chili + onion + garlic) to it and fry real good. Maybe till the raw smell leaves and oil shows up on sides.

Now add salt, turmeric and slitted chilies to this and sauté for few minutes.

Add tamarind paste and 1 cup of water. Cook over medium heat, lidded.

When the chilies are done and tamarind comes to sauce like consistency, add pickle powder.

Let it to boil over low-medium heat for 2 minutes. Then remove it from stove top.

Allow this saucy chili to cool down to room temperature….then store in a ceramic jar.

Serve as a pickle to regular South Indian Meals or North Indian Thali. It tastes good with curd rice.

Poppy Seeds Halwa:

Kasa Kasa Halwa. Cas Cas Halwa. Casa Casa Halwa. Poppy Seeds Sweet Recipe.

This is quite famous recipe in Southern Tamil Nadu. The is no much variation from the usual ‘Halwa’ recipe though!

Ingredients:

White Poppy Seeds 1 cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Milk 2 cups
Saffron few strands
Ghee or Clarified Butter 1 small cup
Cashew nuts 15 – halved
Golden raisins 1 fistful(dry grapes)

Method:

Soak poppy seeds in 1 cup of warm water for about 10-12 hours.

Then filter the seeds alone(discard the soaked water)

Boil milk really well and set aside.

Wet grind the poppy seeds using limited warm milk.

Heat sugar along with ½ cup of water. Add saffron strands to this sugar syrup and continue heating.

Add wet-ground poppy paste tot his syrup and stir well. Allow it to cook over medium heat….with constant stirring.

Meanwhile in a separate pan, heat ghee. Fry cashew nuts in it till golden to reddish color, set this aside.

In the same ghee, add raisins and fry till they pop. Set this aside too.

When poppy puree is almost done without any raw small add few ghee, fried raisins and cashew nuts. Turn them really well.

When ‘Halwa’ consistency is achieved and oil shows up on sides, remove it from the stove.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert. Enjoy!

Gajjar Ka Dhoodh / Carrot Masala Pal / Carrot Smoothie / Carrot Milk Shake

Carrot Masala Paal:

Carrot Juice. Carrot Milk Recipe. Gajjar Ka Dhood. Carrot Masala Paal. Spicy Carrot Soup.

Ingredients:

Carrots 4
Almonds 10
Farm Fresh Milk 4 cups
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cloves 5
Cardamom pods 5
Sugar 3 spoons(or as per taste)

Method:

Trim the ends of carrot and chop them roughly.

Boil carrot and almonds till soft using limited water. Or one can steam cook them for about 20 minutes.

Wet grind this well cooked carrots and almonds. Set this aside.

Meanwhile boil milk along with sugar, clove, cardamom and cinnamon sticks in it. Let it boil at least 3-5 times. Then filter them….to discard the spices. Set this ‘masala milk’ aside.

Now mix the carrot-almond puree with masala milk. Then filter them again to remove the excess carrot fiber. Retain the carrot milk in a tall glass tumbler.

Refrigerate the carrot milk for about 2-4 hours.

Serve chilled. Refreshing healthy drink. Must try recipe.

Hot & Spicy Chicken Liver Fry:

Spicy Chicken Liver Fry. Deep Fried Chicken Liver. Kozhi Earal Varuval. Kodi Liver Fry. Deep Fried Liver. Fried Liver.

Ingredients:

Chicken liver 6
Ginger paste 1 spoon
Garlic paste 1 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder ¼ spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Pepper powder 1 spoon
Garam Masala powder ½ spoon
Corn Flour 2-4 spoons
Lemon Juice from 1 fruit
Egg white from 1 egg
Oil for deep Frying.

Method:

Wash and clean livers gently. Strain and drain well. Set aside.

Bring all ingredients together in a bowl(except oil) and mix them thoroughly.

Add liver to this masala mixer and marinate it for about 2 hours.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil is smoky hot…..fry the livers till crisp.

Serve hot as a snack or as a side dish for South Indian meals.

Fried Chicken Liver:

Deep Fried Chicken Liver. Kozhi Earal Varuval. Kodi Liver Fry. Fried Liver.

Ingredients:

Chicken Liver – 6
Salt as per taste
Pepper – freshly powdered (without toasting)
Lemon juice few drops/ Vinegar few drops
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Wash and clean liver. Strain and drain without water.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Fry chicken liver in hot oil….till crisp.

Then sprinkle salt, pepper and lemon juice on the top.

Serve warm as a snack.

Vermicelli Kesari:

Sweet Seviyan. Sheer Khurma walli Seviyan Halwa. Seviyan Zarda. Semiya Kesari. Sweet Semiya Recipe. Semya Kesari. Sweet Vermicelli. Vermicelli Halwa. Vermicelli Halva.

I tasted this particular recipe when I was a kid(studying 3rd or 4th standard). I have been to daddy's friends place. They are Tamil speaking Muslims! I call that aunty as 'Parrot Aunty' (as she had parrots in their house....I still call her the same & never asked her real name)! She fixed this dessert on that day! I forgot the event anyway. Well....it was'nt like usual kesari for me. As she had used vermicelli to make this kesari. It was very soft, orange in color and extra fine quality vermicelli!

Later when I grew up and started cooking.....I really had hard time to make the exact version of this kesari. As I could never find such fine vermicelli anywhere! And most of the groceror's had no clue what I am looking far. Finally tried in International market place at Gandhi Road, Vellore....they had this pakitani vermicelli' well it was extra fine!:) The same I was looking for!

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - fine quality 1 cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Milk 1-2 cups(optional...i didnt use any)
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Saffron few strands
Pista nuts - halved
Kewra essence few drops
Ghee ½ + ½ cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast ‘vermicelli’ for few minutes…..till fragrant. Transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat ½ cup of ghee. Add pista nuts and fry them till they turn to golden color. Set aside.

Now add sugar, cardamom seeds and saffron. Add ½ cup of water and continue to boil
When it comes to boiling point. Add vermicelli to it. Use wooden spatula (greased with oil or ghee) for stirring.

Continue cooking. (add either milk or water...its up to you)

When semolina is done…sucking up all the milk and moisture andoil shows up on side. Remove it from the stove and transfer it to display bowl.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert.

Rawa Kushka:

Semolina Biriyani. Rawa Biriyani. Sooji Biriyani. Hot n Spicy Rawa Kushka. Masala Rawa Upma.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Thick Coconut milk 2-3 cups
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 large – thinly sliced
Ginger- garlic paste 2 spoons
Tomatoes 2 finely chopped
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Mint leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Coriander leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cloves 3-5
Cardamom pods 5 semi crushed
Star Anise 2
Bay leaves 3
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Ghee/clarified butter 1 cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast semolina in it till fragrant. Then transfer it to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat ghee. Now add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, bay leaves, marathi mokku and fennel seeds in it. Fry for few minutes.

Then add slitted chilies and allow it to splutter. Then followed by onions, fry them real good. Maybe till the onions turn to golden color.

Now add ginger + garlic paste. Fry them real good. Further add mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till they wilt.

Now add chopped tomatoes and continue frying. Maybe till tomatoes loose their water content and oil shows up on sides.

Add salt, chili powder, lemon juice and sauté for few minutes.

Add 3 cups of coconut milk and allow it to boil.

Now stir in ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Cover and cook.

Once semolina is done and oil shows up on sides….remove it from the stove.

Serve warm along with onion or cucumber raita.

Hot n Spicy Semolina-Chicken Upma:

Semolina Chicken Biriyani. Rawa Chicken Biriyani. Sooji-Chicken Biriyani. Hot n Spicy Chicken-Semolina Bath. Hot n Spicy Chicken-Semolina Upma. Masala Chicken Upma. Rawa Biriyani.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Chicken –(boneless, skinless) cubed ½ cup
Thick Coconut milk 2-3 cups
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 large – thinly sliced
Ginger- garlic paste 2 spoons
Tomatoes 2 finely chopped
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Mint leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Coriander leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cloves 3-5
Cardamom pods 5 semi crushed
Star Anise 2
Bay leaves 3
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Ghee 1 cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast semolina in it till fragrant. Then transfer it to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat ghee. Now add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, bay leaves, marathi mokku and fennel seeds in it. Fry for few minutes.

Then add slitted chilies and allow it to splutter. Then followed by onions, fry them real good. Maybe till the onions turn to golden color.

Now add ginger + garlic paste. Fry them real good. Further add mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till they wilt.

Now add chopped tomatoes and continue frying. Maybe till tomatoes loose their water content and oil shows up on sides.

Now stir in chicken and sauté it real good. Maybe till it turns to opaue.

Add salt, chili powder, lemon juice and sauté for few minutes.

Add 3 cups of coconut milk and allow it to boil.

Now stir in ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Cover and cook.

Once chicken and semolina is done and oil shows up on sides….remove it from the stove.

Serve warm along with onion or cucumber raita.

Oats Upma:

Oat Meal Upma. Spicy Oats Recipe. Indian Oats Recipe.

Ingredients:

Oats 1 cup
Green chilies 3-6 slitted
Onion 2 large – thinly sliced
Garlic 6 cloves
Salt
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.
Coriander leaves finely chopped ¼ cup for decoration(optional)
Carrot finely grated ¼ cup for decoration(optional)

Method:

In a deep wok, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin….wait till they pop and splutter well.

Then add chana and urad dal….fry till they turn to golden – reddish color.

Now add curry leaves and sauté it for few minutes.

Add sliced onions and garlic cloves. Fry them real good….maybe till onion turns to translucent color.

Add salt and 2 cup of water. Let it boil. Then stir-in oats. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Within few minutes….oats will suck almost all the water and gets cooked at the same time.

Remove this from stove. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated carrot.

Serve warm.

Rawa Kesari - Tamil Nadu Style

Kesari:

Semolina Halwa. Semolina Halva. Semolina Haluva. Rawa Kesari. Rava Kesari. Rawa Halwa. Sooji Ki Halwa. Sooji Halva. Sooji Halwa.

Kesari, name comes from the word 'kesar'/saffron...as it is traditional way to make this simple pheasant dessert. But later, saffron is replaced by food colors(especially orange). Only I could only associate 'Kesari' as lovely orange colored Halwa.

Pari, my brother loves this so much. So, I made this when I visited home.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Milk 3-4 cups
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Orange food color less than ¼ spoon
Cashew nuts 20 - halved
Golden raisins 1 fistful (dry grapes)
Ghee ½ + ½ cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast ‘semolina’ for few minutes…..till fragrant. Transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat ½ cup of ghee. Add cashew nuts and fry them till they turn to golden color. Set aside.

In the same oil, fry raisins till they pop. Set this aside too.

Now add sugar, cardamom seeds and kesar color. Add ½ cup of water and continue to boil

When it comes to boiling point. Add ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Use wooden spatula (greased with oil or ghee).

Further add 3-4 cups of milk + cashew nuts + raisins + ghee. Continue cooking.

When semolina is done…sucking up all the milk and moisture & oil shows up on side. Remove it from the stove and transfer it to display bowl.

Serve warm or cold as a dessert.

Simple and easy to fix dessert. I like it warm than cold. As it gets hard…when served cold.

Pidi Kozhukkattai:(Country Style)

Pidi Kozhukattai. Rice Dumplings. Modhak. Simple Rice Modhak. Ganesh Chathurti Sweet Recipe. Vinayaga Chathurthi Sweet Recipe.

There are sure wide varieties of ‘Kozhukkattai’ in Tamil Nadu. Generally they prepare with lots of varied fillings, like semolina, sesame, peanuts, cashew nuts, grated coconut…..etc. This ‘Modhak’ is completely different. You can shape it down by pressing between your palm……‘pidi’ means ‘pressed between your palm’. Quite simple to make, yet delicious.

Ingredients:

Fresh Mill Ground Raw Rice Flour - 1 cup
Jaggery/Indian brown sugar - ¾ cup
Cardamom seeds powder - 1 spoon
Dry ginger powder - ¼ spoon (optional)
Coconut grated - ¼ cup
Ghee/clarified butter - few spoons


Method:

In a large bowl, sift rice flour. Add cardamom seeds powder, ginger powder and grated coconut to this. Mix them thoroughly. Set aside.

Heat jaggery in 1 cup of water. When it comes to boiling point….filter it once to remove the dirt. Again keep heating, to bring syrup like consistency.

Now run this jaggery syrup over the flour. Mix them using hands. Bring it to soft dough like balls. Make equal parts out of it. Each roundels should be around 3” in diamenter.

Smear your hands with ghee/butter. Now press each roundels in between your palm firmly for few seconds .

Place this ‘Kozhukkattai’ over ghee smeared plate. Repeat the same for all the remaining roundels too.

Or even simply…one can make their own desired shapes.

Now steam cook them for at least 10-12 minutes in a idly cooker.

Serve warm as a dessert.

Note: Smear the laddle with ghee, before placing the ‘modhak’
Always….leave enough gap between each ‘modhak’ while steaming too.

Carrot Pachadi:

Gajjar Ka Raita. Carrot Thayir Pachadi. Carrot Perugu Chutney. Carrot Raitha.

Ingredients:

Carrots 4 - grated
Coconut 3-4" size piece grated
Coriander leaves 6 twigs-finely chopped
Green chilies 2 - finely chopped
Onion 1 small - finely chopped
Yogurts - 3 cups
Salt
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Bring carrot, coconut, onion, chilies and coriander leaves in a wide bowl.

Further add salt and yogurts to this. Mix well.

In a samll pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and wait till they pop. THen add cumin, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves to it.

Now runthe above sesonning over carrot-yogurts bowl. Gently mix again.

Refridgerate this atleast 2 hours before serving.

This can be treated as side dish for South Indian meals or as side dish for pulav or biriyani.

Lemon Tea

Lemon Honey Tea:

Lemon Tea. Neembu ki Chai. Neembukaya Chaya. Elimicham Pazha Tea.

Ingredients:(Serves 1)

Fresh lemon juice from 1 fruit
Granulated Tea less than a ¼ spoon(or as per taste)
Honey/sugar 2 spoons

Method:

Heat 1 cup of water with ¼ spoon of tea leaves in it. Let it boil really well. Filter and discard the leaves.

To this tea decoction, add honey and lemon juice. Mix well.

Serve warm in a small tea cup.

Lassi:

Cold Yogurd Smoothy. Sweet Lassi. Sweet Butter Milk.

Ingredients:

Fresh Yogurd(should not be sour)- 2-3 cups
Sugar 6 spoons

For Garnishing:(Optional)

Chat Masala Powder - 1 pinch
Black Salt -1 pinch
Chili powder -1 pinch.

Method:

Blend sugar and yogurd to thick foamy smoothy.

Serve cold in a tall glass. Maybe garnish with spice masala.

Ginger Tea:(Version 1)

Adhrak Chai. Adhraki Chai. Inji Tea. Allam Chaya.

Ingredients:(Serves 1)

Rich Granulated Tea – 1 spoon
Ginger 1” size – peeled and semi crushed
Milk 1 cup
Sugar 1 ½ spoon

Method:

Boil ginger and tea leaves in ½ cup of water. Let it boil really well. Then filter them.

Heat milk in a separate pan. Let it come to boiling point. Allow it to boil at least 2-3 times.

Now add sugar and tea decoction to this milk. Mix them till foamy.

Serve warm in a small tea cup.

Son Papdi

Soan Papdi:

Son Papdi. Thin and Flaky Soan Papdi.

Ingredients:

Besan/Bengal gram flour ½ cup
All purpose flour ½ cup
Ghee 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Pale yellow food color 1 drop(optional)
Whole Milk 1 cup
Pistachios/Pista nuts few – thinly sliced
Almonds few – thinly sliced

Method:

Sift gram flour and all purpose flour separately.

In a dry pan, heat few spoons of ghee. Roast the gram flour till golden and well separated. All the ghee should get incorporated in it. Again sift this flour and set aside.

Repeat the same procedure for all purpose flour too. Heat ghee and roast the flour till golden color. Sift and mix to the above roasted flour. Mix both the roasted flour together.

Now in heavy bottomed bronze or iron vessel, heat sugar along with ½ cup of water. Add cardamom seeds powder and yellow food color to it.

When it comes to boiling stage. Filter it and again continue boiling. Further add milk and continue boiling. The sugar syrup should to come to thread like consistency.

In a wide tray, spray ghee. Now pour this thread like sugar syrup on it, carefully. Now add the flour and nuts to this syrup. Using a strong fork…..constantly mix them and beat them. Let all the flour, settle in the syrup. Gently pat them in the same tray, like a cake. Allow it to cool. Then using a knife (greased with ghee) cut them into desired shapes(generally squares)

Serve Warm or Cold as a Dessert.

Maavilakku:(Tamizhar Style)

Deepa Kozhukattai.

Ma Vilakku. Dough for making South Indian Country Style Lamp. Edible Lamp from Tamil Nadu. Edible Dhiya. Edible Deepa. Rice dough Lamp. Festival Lamp Preparation.

Hmmmm I am not the right person to talk this! Yet….will try to explain this maximum. In Tamil Nadu, ladies make this rice dough recipe and knead it out as a lamp. And light it through. I am not sure about for which festival. I can faintly remember it has ‘Karthigai Deepam’ I suppose or its just a guess. It is generally eaten the next day after the festival is over. You wont believe its raw dough anymore(after being lighted). It tastes good!

Ingredients:

Rice 1 cup
Grated Jaggery 1 cup
Ghee 2-3 cups

Things Required:

Cotton Wig –1 bunch for lamps
Matchbox – for lighting lamp.

Variation: If you are religious Hindu, you can decorate this lamp with turmeric, kum kum(as you do for your regular lamp) and perform your prayer. Then serve this lamp next day has offering ‘prasad’.

Method:

Soak Rice in water for at least 5 whole hours. Then strain and drain the water. Now sun dry this rice…..spreading in a clean sheet. When the rice is completely dry, dry grind it in a mill.

Or one can simply buy ‘rice flour’ to entirely skip this 1 step.

To this rice flour, add grated jaggerry. Mix them thoroughly. Slightly sprinkle water and make them into thick hard dough.

Make equal parts out of it. Each part should be in large lemon size.

Now carefully make a well in the middle.(just like a country lamp – agal vilakku)

Pour ghee in the well. Place a cotton wig. Let the ghee/oil seep into the wig completely. Gently light this lamp. Allow it to stand.

Repeat the same procedure for all the lamps.

Variation 1: Decorate your prayer room with this lamp. Serve this as ‘prasad’ the other day.

Variation 2: Light the lamp and wait until it completes burning. Then serve as a snack. Slightly burnt ‘rice dumpling’ serves as an excellent treat.

Grilled Coconut:(Country Style)

Grilled Coconut, Tandoor Style Nariyal. Sutta Thengai. Thengai Sutadhu. Tropical Grilled Coconuts.

Ingredients:

Whole Coconut large – 1
Poha/Aval/Rice flakes – ¼ cup
Grated Coconut ½ cup
Roasted Chana ¼ cup
Toasted Sesame seeds 1 fistful
Cashew nuts – roughly chopped 1 fistful
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Ghee few spoons.

Things Required:

Fire wood or Charcoal (to make steady fire for ½ a hour)
Sealant – wheat dough or all purpose flour dough – 1 spoon

Method:

Make a small narrow hole in one of the 3 eyes of coconut. (coconut has 3 dark ½ inch size eye spots at one end)

Now carefully load all the above mentioned ingredients, one by one in the hole. Hold the hole using your thump. Then gently rock the coconut, in order to mix the ingredients, inside.

Now seal the hole with wheat dough.

Make a steady fire, either using charcoal or fire wood. Then throw this coconut in the fire. Let it stand for at least half an hour.

Carefully remove this coconut from fire, remove the shell. Empty the contents into a display bowl.

Serve warm.

Bread Upma:

White Bread Upma. Brown Bread Upma. Spicy Bread Recipe. Bread Upkari. Keema Bread. Kaima Bread.

Ingredients:

White or Brown Bread slices 6-8
Purple or Red Onion large – 2 (finely chopped)
Green chlies 6 – slitted
Garlic 6 cloves finely chopped
Ginger 3” size peeled and chopped finely
Curry leaves 1 cup
Salt
Lemon juice few spoons
Turmeric powder ¼ spoon
Asafoetida ¼ spoon
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Black pepper ¼ spoon
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Oil 1 cup.

Method:

Trim the dark sides of the bread. Then chop them roughly into bite size pieces.

In a wide pan, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Wait until they pop and splutter well.

Then add chana, urad dal, pepper, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chilies to it. Fry for few minutes.

Then stir in chopped onions. Fry till it turns to golden color.

Then add bread pieces to it and continue frying.

Further add salt, turmeric and lemon juice to it. Cover and cook for few more minutes. Maybe till the bread is done.

Serve warm along with mint and tomato chutney!

Easy to fix with left over bread.

Mint Chutney:

Mint Chutney to go with Biriyani. Pudhina Chutney. Podhina Chatni. Pudina Chatni.

Ingredients:

Mint leaves alone 1 cup (without stem)
Green chilies 1
Yogurd/curd 1 cup
Salt as per taste
Lime juice few spoons.

Method:

Wash and clean mint leaves. Deseed the chilies and chop them roughly.

In a blender, add salt, lime juice, mint and chilies…..wet grind them into thin paste.

Now mix this green paste with yogurd.

Serve along with Biriyani, Pulav or Tandoori chicken.

Bitter Gourd Peanuts Fry:

Bitter Melon with Peanuts Fry. Bitter Gourdwith Groundnut Fry. Paavakkai Verkadalai Poriyal. Karela Masala. Karela aur Phalli Ki Sabzi. Karela-Phalli Sabzi. Kaakarkai-Phalli Koora.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd(Pavakkai/Karela/Kakarkai) – 500 grams
Peanuts/groundnuts – 2 cup (without shells)
Dry red chilies 10-15
Salt
Turmeric powder ¼ spoon
Ground nut oil – 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Curry leaves crisply fried 1 cup – for decoration.

Method:

Dry toast the peanuts in a heated iron wok. Transfer them to a wide plate. Carefully rub them to remove the fine pink skin.(from the peanuts)

Again dry toast the red chilies in the same wok.

In a blender, add toasted peanuts + chilies and grate it. Set this aside.

Wash and clean the ‘bitter’. Then trim their ends.

Variation 1: (for those who hate bitter food) Gently scrape down their hard serrations. Make a neat incision at one end and remove its contents(hard seeds). Then wash them thoroughly. Now chop them into tiny bits.

Variation 2: ( for those who love bitter food) Chop them into tiny bits along with rough skin and seeds inside.

In a wok, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

Add chopped vegetable now and sauté for few minutes. Further add salt and turmeric powder to this. Cover and cook for few minutes.

When the vegetable is half the way done, add grated peanuts and chilies, stir fry over medium to high heat. Maybe till they are really fried and fragrant.

Transfer them to display vessel and decorate with crisply fried curry leaves.

Serve warm as a side dish for curd rice, sambar rice, rasam rice or even with chappathi.

Bread Halwa

Bread Halwa:(version 2)

Weight watchers Bread Halwa. Easy to fix with left over bread.

Unlike 'Double ka Meeta'/ 'Shahi Tukre'...this is comparatively very very light bread halwa.

Ingredients:

White bread slices 4-6
Sugar 4-6 spoons
Milk 1/2 cup
Cardamom crused 3
Saffron few strands
Kewra essence few drops
Pistachios sliced for decoration
Butter 1/2 cube.

Method:

Trim the brown parts from bread. Tear and soak them in milk. Let it loose its shape.

Melt butter in a wide pot. Add sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Bring this to syrup consistency.

Add saffron and cardamom now. Further add soaked bread along with milk. Continue cooking and stirring. Use a non-stick ware to avoid using more butter.

Well when it comes to halwa like consistency add kewra essence too. Garnish with sliced pista.

Serve chilled or at room temperature. Aromatic low calorie dessert is ready within 4-5 minutes! Isnt that amazing!

Coconut Curd Rice:

Thengai Thayir Saadham. Coconut-Yogurd Rice. Nariyal aur Dhahi Ki Chaawal.

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 cup
Freshly grated coconut 1 cup
Yogurd/curd 1-2 cups
Salt
Ginger 2” size – peeled and finely chopped
Green chilies 3-6 – finely chopped
Salt
Asafoetida ½ spoon
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds ½ spoon
Black pepper ¼ spoon
Cashew nuts 10
Curry leaves 1 cup
Sesame oil ¼ cup.

Method:

Steam cook rice along with salt. Then transfer it into large bowl.

(Variation: one can mash the rice little bit, using a wooden spatula)

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, pepper and chilies. Wait until they pop and splutter well.

Then add ginger, cashewnuts, asafoetida, chana + urad dal and curry leaves. Fry them till fragrant.

Now run this seasoning over the steam cooked rice.

Further add grated fresh coconut too. Mix them well.

Now add yogurd/curd to the above and mix them thoroughly.

Serve semi-warm.

Baby Cucumbers with Peanuts Fry:

Short Cucumbers with Peanuts Fry. Baby Cucumber with Groundnut Fry. Kovaikkai Verkadalai Poriyal. Tinda Masala. Tinda aur Phalli Ki Sabzi. Tindora-Phalli Sabzi. Dhondakkai-Phalli Koora.

Ingredients:

Baby cucumbers (kovaikkai/tinda/dhondakkai) – 500 grams
Peanuts/groundnuts – 2 cup (without shells)
Dry red chilies 10-15
Salt
Turmeric powder ¼ spoon
Ground nut oil – 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Curry leaves crisply fried 1 cup – for decoration.

Method:

Dry toast the peanuts in a heated iron wok. Transfer them to a wide plate. Carefully rub them to remove the fine pink skin.(from the peanuts)

Again dry toast the red chilies in the same wok.

In a blender, add toasted peanuts + chilies and grate it. Set this aside.

Wash and clean the ‘kovaikkai’. Then trim their ends. Chop each into 2 along length wise.

In a wok, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

Add chopped vegetable now and sauté for few minutes. Further add salt and turmeric powder to this. Cover and cook for few minutes.

When the vegetable is half the way done, add grated peanuts and chilies, stir fry over medium to high heat. Maybe till they are really fried and fragrant.

Transfer them to display vessel and decorate with crisply fried curry leaves.

Serve warm as a side dish for curd rice, sambar rice, rasam rice or even with chappathi.

Lime - Coconut Soda:

Coconut Water with Soda. Lime-Coconut Soda. Tender Coconut Soda. Daab Neembu Ki Soda. Daab-Neembu Paani. Ilaneer Lemon Soda. Elaneer Lime Soda.

Hmmmm, again this is one of my experimental drink! Was good to me. No harm in trying something new, right!

Ingredients:

Fresh Green Lime - 1(Raw lemon)
Tender Coconut Water 1 cup
Sugar 1 spoon or as per taste
Soda 1 cup
Ice cubes few
Fresh Lime Slice – 1 round slice for decoration.

Method:

In a tall glass, add sugar + lime juice. Mix them thoroughly and then add tender coconut water to it.

Further add ice cubes + soda to it. Then decorate the glass with lime slice!

Serve chilled.

Verkadalai Chutney:(Tamizhar Style)

Ground Nut Chutney. Peanut Chutney. Nilakadalai Chutney. Phalli Chatni. Groundnut Chatni. Verkadalai Chatni.

Ingredients:

Peanuts 2 cups(shell removed)
Garlic 5 cloves
Coconut grated 1 cup
Dry red chilies 7-10
Salt as per taste
Tamarind paste ¼ spoon
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida ¼ spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves 1 cup
Peanut Oil ¼ cup.

Method:

Heat a heavy bottomed Iron wok. Dry toast the peanuts. Transfer them to a wide plate. Now carefully rub them to remove the pink skin off…..while they are still warm.

Then in a same wok, dry toast coconut and dry chilies too.

Bring salt, tamarind, dry toasted chilies, coconut and peanuts in a blender. Wet grind using very limited water. Maybe like a heavy creamy chutney/paste.

Then transfer the above blended chutney into a display bowl.

In a small pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, chana, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Fry them real good till they pop and splutter well.

Now run this seasoning to this chutney prepared.

Serve as a side dish for Idly and Dosa.

Cheese Omlette:

Cheese Omlate. Mushroom-Cheese Omlette. Capsicum-Cheese Omlette. Veggie-Cheese Omlette. Vegetable Omlette.

Ingredients:

Eggs 2 or 3
Red/purple Onion 1 small - sliced
Button Mushroom thinly sliced
Capsicum 1 small thinly sliced
Cheddar Cheese 50-70 grams – grated/shredded
Salt as per taste
White pepper ½ + 1/2 spoon
Butter 2 cubes.

Method:

Separate egg whites and yolk in two separate bowls. Beat yolk vigorously with fork. Beat white vigorously with electric beater until foamy. Then mix them together. Set aside.

In a wide skillet, heat butter. Stir fry capsicum, mushroom and onion. Sprinkle salt and 1/2 spoon of pepper to this. When it is half done...set aside.

In the same skillet, heat another cube of butter. Pour the above well beaten eggs into thin crepe.

Spread stir-fried mushroom, capsicum, onion and cheese on the top before it thickens. Wait until it thickens and becomes slightly brown at the bottom.

Fold them and continue cooking. Sprinkle little more melted butter, if needed.

Serve hot for breakfast.

French Coffee:

Vanilla Coffee. French Vanilla Coffee. Coffee with Chicory. Instant French Café.

Well……I have great passion towards ‘coffee’. Always I do experiments with a cup of coffee, myself. Before handing it down to others. This is 100% my own such experimental blend! It tasted good to me. Generally when it comes to ‘coffee’ there is no such thing ‘formula’ for its perfection. Each and every single person(not even family) has their own combination(formula).

I always enjoy my coffee with my friends. If your friend is also a coffee lover……then no need to explain the lovely time! Hmmm…..I wish, I could see my friend ‘Kranthi’ to share this mug! Hope…..she would agree with this ‘French Vanilla’ without any argument!

Ingredients:(serves 1)

Instant Nescafe powder(strong version) 1 spoon
Chicory Powder ¼ spoon
Vanilla essence few drops(as per taste)
White chocolate powder 1 spoon
Medium Brown Chocolate powder ¼ spoon
Sugar 1 spoon(or as per taste)
Whole milk – well boiled 1 cup
Dark Chocolate shavings – for decoration

Variation: In the place of first two ingredients, one can simply use brand name ‘Bru’ Coffee 1 spoon(which has chicory already in it)

Method:

In a large coffee mug, add sugar, vanilla essence, white chocolate powder, medium brown chocolate powder, chicory and strong coffee powder.

Add few spoons of cold water. Mix this thoroughly. Maybe till sugar dissolves and all the ingredients dissolve properly.

Now stir in steaming hot milk in this set-up. Mix vigorously using an electric shaker. Let it come to foamy on the top.

Decorate with dark chocolate shavings on the top!

Fish Stew:(Kerala Style)

Meen Thanni Kuzhambu. Meen Vadichadhu. Chapalu Pulusu. Machili Stew. Machili Ki Soup to go with Rice. Fish Soup to go with Rice. Meen Curry.

This Stew/ curry has particular ingredient called ‘Penam Puli’ or ‘Perum Puli’ or ‘Kodakka Puli’ in Tamil and ‘Kodam Puli’ or ‘Meen Puli’ in Malayalam. ‘Sima Chinta’ in Telugu. Its nothing but a variety of ‘Tamarind’. Widely used in Cooking in Southern Tamil Nadu districts, Kerala and Karnataka. One can use this ‘tamarind’ while preparing the curry and actually get rid of it, after cooking. As the pod dropped in looks much intact, unlike our usual ‘tamarind’. So this helps the curry to have deep red color and not dark brown color. Interesting huh!

Ingredients:

Fish Fillets(bones removed and probably cubed) 500 grams
Kukum Star(Kodam Puli )– 2 pieces(optional)
Green chilies 3 - slitted
Red Onion 1 large – sliced
Country Tomatoes 2 – chopped into chunks
Ginger 4” size – peeled and chopped into sticks
Garlic 7-9 cloves – peeled and chopped into sticks
Salt
Turmeric powder ½ + ½ spoon
Red Chili powder 2 spoons
Red food color 1 pinch (optional)
Thick/thin coconut milk 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds ¼ spoon
Asafoetida ¼
Black Pepper ½ spoon
Coconut Oil few spoons(kerala touch) sesmae oil (Tamizhar touch).
Crisply Fried Curry Leaves 1 cup – for garnishing.

Method:

Wash and clean fish. Remove its inner bone and cube it.(use tilapia or vanjiram – easy to cube fish)

While washing fish…add ½ spoon of turmeric to it and allow it to stand for 20 minutes. Then wash again with clean water. Strain and drain. Set aside. This method is told to avoid that stinky smell...if it is river fish!

Heat oil in a wok….add mustard, cumin, fenugreek, black pepper and asafetida to it. Wait until it pops and splutters well.

Add green chilies and onions to it. Fry till onions turn to golden color.

Add garlic and ginger sticks too. Fry them till its raw odor leaves.

Now add tomatoes and sauté for few minutes. Add salt, turmeric, chili and color powder to this.

Fry for few more seconds. Then add 2-3 cups of water and kokum star(kodam puli)now. Cover and cook over medium heat. Let all the ‘sour’ from kokum star
Get into the stew. (Taste it now and adjust according to wish)

When if you feel, it has enough sourness to the curry….remove the ‘kokum star’ by gently fishing with your slotted spoon.

Add fish cubes now and cook over medium heat without covering it. Maybe it takes just 2 minutes.

Now add coconut milk to this and allow it to boil once. Remove this from stove top and allow the curry to stand without lid for another 1 whole hour.

(Generally if you cover fish curry – it gets disintegrated and so does…. when it is cooked for long time.)

Garnish this stew with crisply fried curry leaves.

Serve warm along with steam cooked rice.

Ratha Poriyal:(Country Style)

Goat’s Blood Recipe. Blood Poriyal. Lamb’s Blood Recipe. Fried Goat’s Blood. Fried Lamb’s Blood. Bakra Ka Koon Sabzi. Aatin Ratham Varuval.

Hmmmm…..scared by the ‘recipe title’ ! if you feel really disgusting, don’t read further. Forget it here.

Can I categorize this under ‘Weird Food From India’, or just ‘Organ Food’. Is blood is counted as ‘organ’ too! Anyways….its not only Chinese have ‘weird food’! Every single country or ethnic group has their own version of ‘weird cooking recipes’ It is much depends upon one’s palate, I guess!

Actually this recipe may sound weird, for most of you. Well….if you had had tasted this before, it wont be the same. While slaughtering the goat or lamb, the butcher holds a bowl, right under the cut(generally neck) maybe he repeats 3-5 times to draw the oozing blood. Immediately this is filtered twice or thrice in a cheese cloth…..before it gets coagulated. Then its safe to cook. No wonder blood’ after coagulation doesn’t look like the same. It looks much like a cake. For a family of 4 just 1 large bowl full of this ‘blood cake’ will do. One could buy this in Indian market….by previously telling to your stall owner/ butcher. And the recipe is also simple to fix.

Ingredients:

Goat’s blood – 1 large bowl full(looks like a deep red cake after coagulation)
Garlic 1 large head – peeled and semi crushed
Salt
Turmeric powder ½ spoon
Black pepper powder – 2-4 spoons
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil 1 cup.

Method:

Steam cook the blood for about 10 minutes. It further becomes solid after this. Then chop them into bite size cubes. Set aside.

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add mustards and cumin seeds. Let it pop and splutter well. Then add chana and urad dal, fry till it turns to golden color.

Add curry leaves and garlic now. Fry real good, till fragrant.

To this add….salt, turmeric and pepper powder. Now add the chopped blood cubes. Fry them real good. Maybe now sprinkle little water, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. (One could possibly scramble the chopped blood with spatula or leave it intact.)

Then remove the lid and cook over medium to high heat for 2-5 minutes or until oil shows up on sides and it looks really fried enough.

Remove from stove and serve hot.

It can be serves a s a side dish for regular South Indian meals or Chettinad meals.

Mac n Cheese Salad:

Ingredients:

Macaroni Sheels 1 cup
Whole Milk/Half n Half - 2 cups
Salt to sprinkle
Butter 1 cube
Cheese - velvetta 4-6 slices.

Method:

Cook macaroni shells in whole milk till tender. Alway cook this over low-medium heat. The milk may split if you over-heat!

When macaroni is done, stir-in cheese and butter. Blend them well.

Serve as a warm salad or cold salad!

Tofu Bajji:

Soy Paneer Ki Bajji. Tofu Fritters. Deep Fried Tofu. Fried Tofu.

Ingredients:

Tofu 250 grams
Bengal Gram Flour 1 cup
Rice flour 1/4 cup
Salt
Baking Soda 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Egg 1
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Chop 'Tofu' into 3" long with 1" thickness rectangle bars. Set them aside.

In a bowl....sift, salt, soda, chili powder, gram and rice flour. To this add 1 whole egg and mix thoroughly. Add little water and make a runny consistency batter.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Dip each piece of tofu bar, in the batter and fry them in hot oil.

Let the batter coat evenly on the tofu. And fry till golden to reddish color. Never beyond this point.

Fry few at a time...never crowd the oil. Maintain the stove at medium to high heat, throughout the process.

Leave the fried tofu over kitchen tissues for some time.

Serve hot as a snack or as a starter/appetizer. Serve along with tomato ketchup.

Vendhaya Sambhar / Menthilu Sambar / Fenugreek Seeds Sambhar

Vendhaya Sambar:(Tamizhar Style)

Fenugreek Seeds Sambar. Fenugreek Seeds-Lentils Soup. Methi Sambar. Menthi Sambar.

Folks Remedy:

The seeds of fenugreek are used medicinally. Esp' diabetes(Take 1 spoon full of seeds and swallow with water early in the morning)! Its also body coolant(make sambar or swallow with water)! It helps to lower the temperature. It can be a solution for dry scalp, dandruff(soak the seeds and make a thick paste...apply to your scalp and rinse only after 20 minutes).

Boring Details:

Fenugreek seeds contain alkaloids (mainly trigonelline) and protein high in lysine and L-tryptophan. Its steroidal saponins (diosgenin, yamogenin, tigogenin, and neotigogenin) and mucilaginous fiber are thought to account for many of the beneficial effects of fenugreek. The steroidal saponins are thought to inhibit cholesterol absorption and synthesis. While the fiber may help to lower blood sugar levels. So Fenugreek can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels in people with moderate atherosclerosis and non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes. Since Fenugreek lowers elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, it is also interesting that fenugreek does not lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels.


Ingredients:

Fenugreek Seeds 1 small cup full – soaked overnight (or 2 or more days till it sprouts)
Thuvar dal 1 cup
Large white Onions 2 sliced
Country tomatoes 3 chopped into chunks
Salt
Turmeric powder ¼ spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Sambar powder 2 spoons(preferably freshly home made)
Tamarind paste ¼ spoon dissolved in ¼ cup of water
Oil few spoons
Mustard seeds ½ spoon
Cumin seeds ½ spoon
Chana dal ½ spoon
Urad dal ½ spoon
Asafoetida ½ spoon
Green chilies 3 slitted
Curry leaves 1 cup

For Decoration:

Coconut grated few spoons
Coriander leaves 1 cup.

Method:

Either soak fenugreek overnight or more than 2 days(if you prefer sprouted ones).Then mash it with simple kitchen pestle or using a back of a spatula.

Cook Thuvar dal with 1 cup of water, salt plus few spoons of oil in a pressure cooker. Maybe till the dal is soft. (3-5 whistle sounds)

Bring oil in wok, heat over medium range. Add mustard and cumin to it. Let it pop and splutter well.

Add chana and urad dal….fry for few seconds. Add asafetida, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry for few more minutes.

Now stir in onion and fry till golden brown. Followed by soaked and mashed fenugreek seeds. Add salt, turmeric, chi and coriander seeds powder at this point. Fry them real good.

Add cooked thuvar dal and chopped tomatoes too. Bring this to boil or till the fenugreek seeds are done soft.

Now add sambar powder, tamarind juice grated coconut and coriander leaves. Bring this to boil once and then remove from stove.

Serve warm along with steam cooked rice. Its perfect choice during rainy yucky days or after recovering from a fever. Its one the best ‘body coolant recipe’ I know! Never hesitate to try this!

Spicy Bread Toast:

Spicy Toast. Masala Bread. Masala Egg Omlette with Bread.

Ingredients:

White or Brown Bread 4 slices
Eggs 3
Onion paste from 1 small onion
Ginger paste 1 spoon
Garlic paste 1 spoon
Green chilies 3 – made into paste
Mint + coriander paste 1 spoon
White pepper 1 spoon
Salt
Milk 4 spoons
Oil or butter ¼ cup.

Method:

Cut bread diagonally like a ‘triangle’. Set aside.

In a large bowl…..bring salt, onion, ginger-garlic, chili paste, coriander + mint paste and white pepper.

Now slowly add few spoons of milk to this and mix thoroughly. Maybe till the salt dissolves well.

Break eggs carefully and mix to the above. Beat really well. Maybe using an electric egg beater. Let the egg come to foamy 3 folds.

Heat a griddle or tawa. Smear few spoons of ghee or butter or oil.

Now gently dip the bread slices in this mixture and ‘toast’ them on heated griddle/tawa. Toast both the sides till golden to reddish color.

Serve warm as a snack or as breakfast toast.

Strawberry Sorbeth:

Strawberry Sarbeth. Strawberry Juice. Strawberry Sorbet.

Ingredients:

Strawberries 1 cup preferably frozen(fresh or frozen)
Sugar ¾ cup

Method:

Quarter strawberries. (Cut 1 strawberry into 4 pieces)

Heat sugar by adding ¼ cup of water to it. Let it come to syrupy consistency.

Now mix frozen or fresh quartered fruit to this syrup. Leave it in the freezer for 6 hours or until ‘well frozen’.

Variation 1: Thaw to room temperature and serve in a wine goblet.

Variation 2: Now blend this well frozen mixture for few minutes. Serve in a wine goblet.

Serve chilled in between appetizer and main course. Its served for the purpose of cleaning the palate in Mughalai meals. Generally ‘sorbet is served in between the main course and never as dessert. Its perfect thirst quencher, so can be served along with food!

Bahara Baingan

Bagara Baingan:(Hyderabadi Style)

Dum ki Baingan. Hyderabad Baingan ki Salan. Dhum ki Baingan. Vengaya Pulusu (Hyderabad Style).

Rich Egg Plant Gravy. Egg Plant in Rich Creamy Peanut Sauce. Egg Plant I rich creamy peanut-Sesame Sauce. Brinjal in Groundnut gravy. Rich Brinjal Serwa. Nawab Style Kathirikkai Curry.

Bahara Baingan is an other traditional dish, that stole my heart. Initially I associated 'Bahara Baingan' with 'Arcot Brinjal Sheruva' and 'Vellore Yennai Kathirikkai'...since all these dishes, sound very similar to me, with very little differences in the preparation tho'! However Sheruva is accompained with Biriyani!! Later I came to know that Bahara Baingan is not served with Biriyani!Bahara Baingan is one of popular dish in the city, a good blend of local influence with mughal touch...made it perfect to relish!!!

Ingredients:

Small even sized Purple/violet Eggplants 6 (brinjal/ Baingan)
Onion 1 small – made into paste
Ginger paste 1 spoon
Garlic paste 1 spoon
Tomato puree 2 cups
Peanuts/ground nuts 1 cup
White sesame seeds 1 cup
Tamarind ¼ spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder ¼ spoon
Chili powder 1- 2 spoons
Green chilies 3 slitted
Black pepper ½ spoon
Cumin seeds ½ spoon
Mustard seeds ½ spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil 1 cup.

Mehtod:

Toast peanuts and sesame seeds separately and wet grind it to thick paste. Set them aside.

In a large, deep wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin and black pepper to it. Let them pop and splutter well.

Add green chilies and curry leaves too. Let it turn crispy.

Now add onion paste and sauté it for few minutes. Then followed by ginger + garlic paste. Fry them real good, maybe till its raw smell leaves.

Add salt, turmeric and chili powder and fry for few seconds. Add slitted eggplants(brinjal) now and fry them for few minutes. Maybe till the oil coats on it and purple color turns to burned smoke color.

Now add tomato puree to this, cover and cook over medium heat.

When the eggplant(brinjal) is almost done, add tamarind pulp, ground peanuts and sesame paste to it. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes. Then remove from stove and transfer this gravy to ‘Display Vessel’.

Serve warm as a side gravy for Biriyani, Pilaf or Pulav or any mild flavoured rice.

Somas:(Country Style)

Sweet Recipe.Kajjikaya in Andhra. Karanji in Gujarat. Somas in Tamil Nadu. Traditional Sweet Recipe.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

All purpose flour 2-3 cups
Baking soda ¼ spoon
Salt as per taste
Warm water 1 cup
Ghee or clarified butter 1 cup
Working Flour few spoons
Working oil or ghee few spoons.

For Filling/Poornam:

Sooji/Bombay rawa 6 spoons
Poppy seeds 6 spoons
White Sesame seeds ¼ cup
Finely grated Coconut ¼ cup
Finely chopped Cashew nuts ¼ cup
Sugar ¾ cup
Ghee few spoons.

For Somas:

Refined Oil – for deep frying.

Method:

For Dough or Crust:

Add salt and baking soda to warm water. Let it dissolve well.

Bring all purpose flour in a large bowl. Make a well….now run the above solution to it. Slowly throw in the flour and prepare a smooth dough. Add ghee or butter while making the dough or as a finishing touch. Keep them refrigerated for 20 minutes(well covered).

For Filling:

Heat a deep wok over low-medium range. Toast gently sesame seeds and set aside.

Toast Bombay rawa and set aside too.

Now in a clean bowl, bring toasted sesame seeds, toasted rawa, poppy seeds, grated coconut, chopped cashew nuts, sugar and ghee. Mix them real good and set aside.

Making Somas:

Now make equal parts out of the dough. Maybe each varies into small lemon size.

Knead them gently using limited working flour or ghee.

Now take a spoon full of filling mixture and place right at the centre of the above chappathi/kneaded sheet. Cover them to one side(like a semi-circle) Gently twist the edges without having any gap. Repeat the same for as much as ‘Somas’ needed.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Gently fry the ‘Somas’ in it. Maybe till the outer crust is crispy and turns to golden color. Fry only few at a time, never load the oil.

Leave the fried ‘Somas’ over kitchen tissues for few minutes.

Repeat the same for each batch. Allow them to cool and then store in a air-tight container.

Serve warm or later as a Tea time snack. Can be taken as a dessert after meals too.

Fried Lentils Halwa:

Chandra Kaantha Sweet Recipe. In Andhra they call this Chandra Kaantalu. Fried Halwa. Fried Lentil’s Cake. Fried Dal Halwa. Fried Dal Cake.

Ingredients:

Lentils/Split moong dal – 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Grated coconut 1 cup
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Cashew nuts finely chopped ½ cup
Ghee ½ cup
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Bring moong dal + ½ cup of water + few spoons of ghee, in a pressure cooker. Cook till the lentils/moong dal is done.

In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat ghee. Stir in the ‘cooked dal’ , sugar, coconut and cardamom seeds powder. Constantly stir it. Cook till all the water evaporates.(melted from sugar & dal cooked water)

Add ½ cup of ghee and reduce the heat. Allow the halwa to consolidate.

Now smear a spoon full of ghee over a tray / wet a cheese cloth (muslin cloth). Then spread the halwa over this (either wet cheese cloth or ghee smeared tray)

Smear a non – serrated knife with oil/ghee/ water. Cut the halwa into 2” size squares or diamonds. Or simple make balls out of it(its up to you)

In a heavy bottomed plus deep kadai/wok, heat oil. Allow it to heat over medium-high range.

When the oil is hot enough, fry the lentils halwa(lentils cut cakes) Fry till it turns to golden color at the edges. Leave them over kitchen tissues for a while.

Always fry few at a time, never load the oil.

Serve this warm or chilled as a evening snack or as a dessert for Indian meals.

Madurai Idly Kadai Special - Kushboo Idly.

Kushboo Idly:

Plumpy Idly. Big Fluffy Idly. Soft Big Idlies. Malli Poo Idly. Malligai Poo Idly. Just like Jasmine flower ‘idlies’. Panju Podhi Idly. Just like Cotton Balls ‘Idlies’.

Honestly, I feel awful to use such a name for the idly. But can't help it...now a days people identify everything with Cinema Stars. Madurai Idly Kadai is kind of very famous in the deep South (district of Tamil Nadu, India). You see, one can find 'steaming hot idlies' even in the mid night. Its the only place in Tamil Nadu, where one can find tiffin 24/7. Hmmm, pretty impressive huh. Thats right...through out the clock, Idly is served there with mutton kuzhambu or Madurai famous Ayirai Meen Kuzhambu. This recipe is adopted here, for you'll. I happened to discover that they use lots of castor seeds to make their idly very fluffy. (so that it resembles the Star Kushboo, sounds delicious already huh?!)

Ingredients:

For Batter:

Par-boiled rice 2 cups
Urad dal ½ cup
Saago 1 table spoon
Castor seeds 10-15 (shell removed)
Fenugreek seeds 2 spoons
Salt
Baking soda ½ spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup.

Just before Cooking:

Sesame oil or ghee for smearing the idly plates.

Method:

For Batter:

Soak rice, castor seeds and fenugreek together…for about 5 hours. Wet grind coarsely to thick batter. Maybe by not adding too much of water. ( batter -1)

Soak urad dal and sago for about 2-3 hours. Wet grind to thick fine paste. Maybe by not adding too much of water. ( batter – 2 )

Mix batter 1 and 2 together and mix thoroughly. (Idly batter)

Add salt + soda in ½ cup of cold water. When it dissolves….mix this solution to the above idly batter. Further add sesame oil too. Mix well.

Allow this to ferment overnight or 7-9 hours. (To fasten the fermentation process…one can add yeast powder. And its always optional.)

Just before Cooking:

Smear the idly plates with sesame oil preferably or one can still smear with ghee too.

Now take a scoop of fermented batter and drop over the idly molds. Repeat the same for all the idly plates.

Well, here I skipped the idly mold to achieve that huge-bulky size' used cheese cloth as my mold, just mounted it onto the steaming pot.

Note: Never overflow the batter above the idly mold level. Keep it bit less. As while steam-cooking….it bulges 2-3 fold.(depends upon how it fermented)

Now steam cook them for about 10-12 minutes. (To check whether it is done…..take a tooth-pick and dip in the middle of the idly. If the idly is sticky….it should be cooked for some more time.)

Now remove carefully the bulgy idlies from the plate and transfer to serving bowl.

Serve warm. Serve with mutton or chicken kurma.

Angaya Podi:(Vathal Podi)

Vatral Podi. Vatha podi. Bitter Podi. Vepam Poo Podi. Sundai kai Podi. Manathakali Podi. Neem Flower Podi. Nemm Flower Spice Powder.

Ingredients:

Sundaikkai Vathal – 1 fistful
Manathakaali Vathal – 1 fistful
Vepam Poo dried (dry neem flower) – 1 fistful
Salt
Asafoetida ½ spoon
Black pepper 4-6 spoons

Ghee few spoons – just before serving
Steam cooked warm rice – just before serving.

Method:

Dry toast ‘sundaikkai vathal’, ‘manathakaali vathal’ & ‘dry neem flower’ each separately in a warm wok. Maybe till aromatic at the same time….do don’t burn them to charr.

In a blender bring, salt, asafetida, pepper and the above toasted material….all together. Grind them coarsely.

Allow it to cool and store in an air-tight container.

To a steam cooked warm rice(approximately 1 cup rice) add 1-2 spoons of this powder and run few spoons of ghee over this. Mix and Enjoy!

Note: This has distinct ‘bitter’ taste…..so either you like it or hate it, depends upon the palate.

Potato Egg Salad

Potato-Egg Salad:

Ref : Kathy

Actually I had strange aversion towards any kind of bland food, being myself ‘spice lover’. It was all till I happen to encounter this ‘salad’. It was prepared by Kathy, AK’s friend. I really enjoyed it…I tried to crack down the ingredients here, hopefully it turned out good ( not as great as she did) well….will keep on trying for it. Hmmmmm still now I haven’t asked her ‘ how you prepared this?’ so.....here it goes my trial & error version!

Ingredients:

Potato 1 large – boiled and mashed with little chunks
Eggs 4 – boiled and peeled - chopped
Green chilies 1 – cored and chopped very finely
Cucumber ½ of small one – peeled, cored and very finely chopped
Scallions 1 – very finely chopped
Vinegar 1 spoon
Salt – as per taste.

Method:

Bring all the above said ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix them well. Leave it in Fridge for 1-2 hours.

Enjoy!

One can have this as such as main dish or as a spread to your bread. I personally prefer eating with Indian bread too. Sound good huh!

Complete balanced diet – Potato – carbohydrate
Egg yellow – fat
Egg white – protein
Cucumber – fiber.

Paruppu Podi:(Tamizhar Style – Version 1)

Plain & Simple Paruppu Podi. Plain Dal Powder. Lentil’s Powder – to go with Rice.

Ingredients:

Thuvar dal 1 cup
Raw rice ½ cup
Asafoetida 2-3 spoons
Dry red chilies 15
Salt.

Method:

Heat a iron wok over medium heat. Dry toast ‘thuvar dal’ for few minutes. Maybe till it turns golden color.

Dry toast he rice too. Dry toast chilies and asafetida too, maybe each separately.

Now coarsely powder them all together.

Leave this powder on a wide tray for some time. Then store in an air-tight container.

Serve this along with rice. Mix this ‘powder to steam cooked rice. Run few spoons of ghee/ clarified butter/sesame oil on the top. Enjoy!

Nellai Idly Podi:(Tamizhar Style)

Thirunelveli Style – Idly Podi. Karuppu-Ulundhu Idly Podi. Black-Gram Powder to go with Rice. Chutney Powder. Taste Powder. Spice powder.

Ingredients:

Black Gram(Karuppu-Ulundhu) 1 cup
Chana dal(kadalai paruppu) ½ cup
Black/brown sesame seeds ¼ cup
Dry red chilies 25-35
Garlic 15 cloves(optional)
Asafoetida 3-4 spoons
Curry leaves 2-6 twigs
Salt
Sesame oil few spoons(optional)

Method:

Dry toast black-gram, chana dal, sesame seeds, dry red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida each separately. Maybe till crisply and fragrant.

In the same wok, heat oil and fry garlic till golden color.

In a blender…..dry grind coarsely all the dry toasted items. Set them aside, in a wide tray.

In the same blender, coarsely grind the garlic. Mix them to the powder as well. Add salt too.

Store them in an air-tight container for later use.

Serve them along with steam-cooked idlies, dosas or even plain steam-cooked rice. Mix this powder along with sesame oil/ghee/clarified butter.

Almond's Milk

Thandai:

Almond’s Milk. Badam Juice. Almond Drink. Badam Drink. Badham Paal.

Ingredients:

Almonds 25
Sunflower seeds ¼ cup(I used sarai paruppu)
Sugar 1 cup
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Saffron few strands
Black pepper powder – ¼ spoon

Just before Serving:

Cold Milk or Cold Water – 1 cup
Water melon seeds few – for decoration

Method:

In a bowl of warm water(1 cup water) add almonds, sunflower seeds for 20 minutes.

In a blender add this soaked nuts and seeds…..grind it into thick paste.

In a boiling water, add sugar, pepper, saffron and cardamom seeds powder. Let it come to syrupy consistency.

Then add the ground paste to it. Allow it to boil for 3-5 minutes. Then remove from stove. Store in jar and leave in the refrigerator.

Just before Serving:(Serves 1)

In a tall glass tumbler…add ¼ portion of prepared juice + 1 cup of cold water/cold milk. Mix well. Garnish with melon seeds.

Serve chilled.