Pavakkai Sambar:

Tamil Nadu Vegetable Sambar. Karela Sambar. Bitter gourd Sambar.

I have seen most of them in Tamil Nadu either stir-fry or deep fry bitter gourd. Although its not uncommon.....some people like sambar. Well....My grandma makes this sambar quite often. My mommy told me, before her wedding...when Dad's people met her and finalised wedding, Dad could'nt make it. So Dad came alone later...without prior notice. It seems they had made this Sambar on that day. And grandma said...she can't offer something bitter for the first time....so she prepared something new for him. So....Dad and Mom often tell this incident and whenever they make this sambar at home. Although it doesnt make any sense....sentiments afterall.

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd 4-6 (sliced)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in chopped bitter gourd and fry for 2 minutes.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.

Hot n Spicy Shrimp Noodles:(Indo-Chinese)

Ingredients:

Noodles 1 box(wheat based)
Shrimps with tail fins on 20 numbers
Carrot 1
Beans 50 grams
Cabbage shredded 50 grams
Bell pepper/Capsicum( red/green/yellow )1
Eggs 3
MSG pinch
Salt
Thick Soy Sauce few spoons
Hot Sauce 1 spoon(optional)
Garlic based soy sauce few spoons
Asian Red chili Paste 1/2 spoon(optional)
Asian Garlic Sesame oil few spoon
Chinese 5 spice powder 1 spoon
Spring Onions a bunch to garnish.

Method:

Chop all the veggies into 1 inch size bits. Set aside.

Wash shrimps and marinate in soy, hot sauce, chinese 5 spice powder, salt and MSG.

In a large croak pot, boil water. Stir-in noodles. Cover and cook for few minutes.

When the noodles is done soft, run this water over a large colander. Drain well. Wash this cooked noodles with cold water. This avoids stickyness. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large wide, heavy bottomed wok. Crack eggs, Add enough salt and scramble them well. Then set aside.

In the same, heat little more oil. Add veggies and stir-fry for a while. Add salt and MSG. Set this aside too.

Heat oil, stir-fry the marinated shrimps over high heat. When they turn crisp set aside.

Now heat oil again, stir-in noodles. Add scrambled eggs, veggies,shrimps, soy sauce, garlic soy, chili paste and chinese 5 spice powder. Stir-fry over high heat.

When they are aromatic and well fried. Remove from heat and garnish with spring onions.

Serve warm with tomato ketchup. Enjoy!

Pineapple Salad:

Pineapple Cuts served in its Shell.

Ingredients:

Pineapple 1
Choice of your other fruits(mixed fruits,diced)
Sugar or Honey.

Method:

Cut pineapple vertically along with its cone and leaves. Now carefully scoop the contents, without damaging the shell.

Dice the fruit. Dice other fruits of your choice. Now sprinkle sugar over it. Let this sit in fridge for 2 whole hours.

Then serve them in pineapple shell instead of plate or bowl!

Stuffed Capsicum:(Version 2)

Stuffed Bell Peppers. Stuffed Simla Mirchi.

Ingredients:

Large Capsicum - 2 or 4
Potato 1 medium size - boiled and mashed
Green chilies 3 - finely chopped
Garlic 2 cloves crushed
Onion 1 large - finely chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Cilantro leaves alone - few
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana & Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, chana and urad dal...allow this to pop.

Then add green chilies and fry for few minutes. Then followed by garlic...fry this real good too.

Now add onion and fry them till they go translucent. Further add salt and turmeric.

Stir-in mashed potatoes. Cover and cook. Let them blend well.

When they come to thick stuffing consistency....add cilantro leaves too. Set this aside.

Wash the capsicum and pat dry it. Chop down at the stalk end, like a cap.

Scrape away its seeds(deseed). Now stuff in the masala made above in this capsicum. Repeat the same for remaining capsicums.

Preheat oven over 350 degree. Spray oil or butter in a oven tray. Place this capsicum and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve steaming hot as an evening tiffin. It could be considered as full meals.

Podalangai Poricha Kootu:

Ingredients:

Snake Gourd/Ash Gourd 1/2
Moong dal 1/2 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Ghee few spoons.

To be Fried in Ghee and Wet-Ground to Paste:

Ghee
Black pepper 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 4
Urad dal 2 spoons
Coconut grated 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 1 spoon.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee few spoons.

Method:

Peel the skin from chow chow and finely chop them.

Pressure cook dal with salt, turmeric and ghee. When dal
is done soft, remove from heat.

Now bring the chow chow in a deep pan. Add the above cooked dal
to it. Cover and cook.

When the vegetable is done soft. Add the fried and wet-ground spice
paste to it. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

In a shallow pan, heat ghee. Fry all the tempering items
said above. Runt his seasonning over the 'kootu' prepared.

Serve warm a side dish to Soutn Indian Meals.

Beet Root Thuvaiyal:

Ingreients:

Beet Root 1-2 - Chopped
chana dal 1 fistful
Urad dal 1 fistful
Dry red chilied 7
Garlic 6 beads
Black peppercorns 1/2 spoon
Salt
Oil few spoons.

Tempering:

Oil few spoons
Mustard sees 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Heat few spoons of oil in a wok. Add chana and urad dal to it. Toast til real good, till golden brown. Set aside.

In the same oil, add garlic, pepper, dry red chilies and chopped beet roots. Fry real good.

Add salt too. When the beet roots are semi done, remove from heat. Allow htis to cool.

In a blender, wet-grind the above toasted and fried items togather. Add very little water.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Fryt he tempering items and run over the 'thuvaiyal' prepared above.

serve as a side dish for rice and chappathi.

Brinjal Sambar:

Tamil Nadu Vegetable Sambar. Eggplant Sambar. Baingan Sambar.

Ingredients:

Italian Eggplants/brinjal 4-6
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

Slice the eggplants and leave it in cold water, until cooking. Maybe one could add salt, lemon juice or turmeric to this water....to avoid coloration.

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in sliced eggplants and fry for 2 minutes.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.

Potato Thin Fries:

Thin Fries. Potato Thins. Spicy Potato Fries.

Ingredients:

Potato 1 large
Oil for Deep frying.

For Garnishing:

Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon.

Mehtod:

Thinly slice and cut the potatoes to matchsticks thickness.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan, fry these potato sticks till crispy.

Leave over kitchen tissues for a while.

Repeat the same for remaining batch.
As always said...fry few at a time.
Always maintain the stove over medium heat.

Now while the fries are still warm, add salt, turmeric and
chili powders to it. Toss them well.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store them in air-tight
containor.

Brinjal-Chana Curry:

Kathirikkai Kondai-Kadalai Kara Kuzhambu.

Ingredients:

Eggplants 6
Black Small Chana - 1 cup
Garlic 1 whole head, peeled & crushed
Onion 1 large sliced
Toamtoes 2-3 chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1-2 spoons
Tamarind water 1 cup
Grated coconut 1 cup
Oil few spoons.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Soak chana for atleast 12 hours in water. Never soak them on
Kitchen counter. Always leave them in fridge, while soaking.
As if you leave them on kitchen counter...they may ferment sometimes.

Now the next day/after 12 hours.

Chop the brijal(if it is too big) or if you use mini-eggplants,
just slit tehm twice. Leave them in cold water until cooking.

Pressure cooked the well-soaked chana with limited salt in it.
Maybe for 1-2 whistles. Then set aside along with its water.

Make a thick puree out of fresh grated coconut(i used frozen tho')
Set this aside.

In a large crock pot, heat oil. Add garlic and fry real good,
maybe til its fragrant enough.

Then followed by onions, fry till they turn to golden color.

Now turn-in chopped toamtoes. When the turn pulpy, add salt,
turmeric, chili powders and tamarind water.

Add eggplants and chana to this. Cover and cook over medium heat.

When the veggie is almost done, add coconut puree to this. Bring
this to a boil.

In a seperate pan, heat oil.
Add all the tempering items mentioned above. Wait till they pop
and crackle well. Run this seasoning over the curry prepared.

Spinach Cream Soup:

Ingredients:

Spinach fresh/frozen 1 cup
Whole milk 2 cups
Salt
White pepper
Butter a cube.

Method:

Melt butter, add spinach and cook until it wilts.

Then make a thick puree out of it.

In a pan, boil milk. When milk is reduced half the way, stir-in
spinach puree and cook till it consolidates like a soup.

Add salt and pepper, just before serving. Add a drop of double
cream as a garnish. Serve warm!

Bitter Gourd Gojju:

Pavakkai Thokku.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourds 2-4
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Jaggery lemon size
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Chop the bitter-gourd to bite size bits.

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustards and asafoetida.
Wait till it crackles.

Then add bitter gourd and fry for a minutes.

Add all the above mentioned items, cover and cook over medium heat.
Do not add any water. let it get cooked with its own water content.

When the vegetable sis done, without any moisture...remove from heat.

Serve warm to go with steamed rice or as a side dish to South
Indian Meals.

Vazhaikkai Perattal:(Chettinad Style)

Vazhaikkai Thuvattal.

Ingredients:

Green plantain 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 6-8
Fennel seeds 1-2 spoons
Thoor dal 1 fistful(or pottukadali)
Poppy Seeds 2 spoons
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a blender powder all the above said items(except oil and plantain)

Slice plantain into length wise, 2" -3" size pieces. Leave them
in cold water until cooking.

Boil the chopped plantain in limited water for 6-7 minutes.

When the veggie is half done, drain the water.

Now dust this semicooked plantain with the spice mixture prepared.

Let this sit for 20 minutes or so.

In a wide, non-stick skillet...heat oil. Spread this well-coated
plantains. Pan fry till it becomes crispy outside and aromatic!

Serve warm as a side dish to South Indian Meals.

Chow Chow Kootu

Chow Chow Poricha Kootu:

Ingredients:

Chow Chow/chayote 2
Moong dal 1/2 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Ghee few spoons.

To be Fried in Ghee and Wet-Ground to Paste:

Ghee
Black pepper 1 spoon
Dry red chilies 4
Urad dal 2 spoons
Coconut grated 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 1 spoon.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee few spoons.

Method:

Peel the skin from chow chow and finely chop them.

Pressure cook dal with salt, turmeric and ghee. When dal
is done soft, remove from heat.

Now bring the chow chow in a deep pan. Add the above cooked dal
to it. Cover and cook.

When the vegetable is done soft. Add the fried and wet-ground spice
paste to it. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

In a shallow pan, heat ghee. Fry all the tempering items
said above. Runt his seasonning over the 'kootu' prepared.

Serve warm a side dish to Soutn Indian Meals.

Bitter Gourd Thokku:(Country Style)

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd 4
Garlic 8-10 cloves fienly chopped
Purple Onion 1 large -finely chopped
Tomatoes 3 fienly chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Jaggery 2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide pan, heat oil. Add mustards and wait till it pops.

Then add garlic and fry till fragrant.

Add onions and fry till it turns golden color. Add toamtoes, salt, turemric, chili, jaggery and tamarind paste. Cover and cook til they become pulpy.

Now stir-in bitter gourd. Fry for few minutes. Cover and cook. Do not add any water. Let it get cooked with its own water content.

When the vegetable is done and oil shows up on sides, remove from heat.

Serve warm with plain steam cooked rice.

Potato n Eggs in Rich Tamarind Sauce:

Urulai-Kizhangu Muttai Kara-Kuzhambu. Aloo n Anda Curry.

Ingredients:

Potaoes medium size 6-8(One can use baby potaoes/ large one cubed)
Hard Boiled Eggs 4-6
Cricket ball size tamarind or 1 spoon of thick tamarind paste
Red onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 large peeled and semi crushed
Tomato 1 large chopped
Jaggery or brown sugar 1 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Rice powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Wash and clean the potatoes. Retain its skin or if you prefer....scrape the skin-off. Slice if it is regular potato and leave in salted water to avoid discoloration.

In a deep pan heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic, fry till its raw smell goes off. Further add onions, fry till they turn to golden brown color. Now add tomatoes, fry them till they loose their water content.

Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder, sugar and rice powder. Blend them together.

Add the potaoes now. Fry them for a while. Maybe till they are kind of fried a little.

Meanwhile peel the hard boiled eggs and make 2-4 slits in them or better use fork to poke all over the eggs.

Then add tamarind paste and 2 cups of water. Now drop the above eggs to thsi gravy. Cover and cook over medium flame.

Once the vegetable is done and eggs too look well incorporated with gravy.... Run the sesonning on the top. (In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, chenna dal, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well.) Run this seasoning over the gravy.

Serve this along with plain steamed rice. Run a spoon full of ghee over it.....just before serving.

Vermicelli Payasam:Version 2(Arcot Muslim Style)

Semiya Payasam.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli (extra fine texture) 1 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Whole Milk 2 cups
Half n Half 1 cup
Condensed milk few spoons
Saffron 1/4 + 1/4 spoon
Cordamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Kewra essence 1 spoon
Ghee/Clarified butter few spoons
Cashew nuts 25
Golden Raisins 25.

Method:

Soak 1/4 spoon of saffron in 2-4 spoons of milk for about 2 hours. Using mortar and pestle wet-grind it. Set aside.

Break the vermicelli into bite size bits and set aside.

In a large vessel, heat ghee. Toast vermicelli for few minutes and set aside.

In the smae vessel, add sugar + 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to syrup like consisteny.

Add whole milk, half n half and condensed milk to this. Continues boiling. Stir regularly.

When the milk is half the way reduced, add cardamom seeds powder, kewra essence and wet-ground saffron to it.

Add vermicelli as well. Cook over medium heat for a while. Maybe till the vermicelli is done and the milk really thickens to pudding.

Heat few more spoons of ghee, in a seperate pan. Fry cashewnuts till golden and set aside. In the smae ghee, fry raisins till they pop. Set them aside as well.

Transfer the payasam made to display vessel. Garnish with saffron, cashewnuts and raisins. Chill and serve.

Serve chilled, warm or at room temperature.

Shrimps Masala:(Country Style)

Ingredients:

Shrimps 25
Green chilies 3 fienly chopped
Purple Onions 2 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 whole head - finely chopped
Country tomatoes 3 fienly chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/4 spoon
Black pepper 4-6 numbers
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

In a irok wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, chana-urad dal, Fenugreek seeds, peppers and curry leaves. Let it pop and crackle.

Now add chilies and allow it to crackle. Then add garlic...fry till they are fragrant.

Add onions and fry real good too. Now actually add your salt, turmeric and chili powders. Fry for few more minutes.

Add toamtoes and fry til they turn pulpy. Stir-in shrimps. Fry real good. COver and cook for 6-8 minutes. Cooking too long can make your shrimps go rubbery. So remove from heat, when they are done right.

Serve with palin steam cooked rice. Enjoy!

Aloo Palak Gravy:

Ingredients:

Potatoes 2 medium (boiled, peeled and cubed)
Spinach 1 large bowl
Green chilies 3
Onion 1
Ginger-garlic paste a spoon
Tomato puree 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Garam masala powder 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Butter 1-2 cubes.

Method:

Melt a cube of butter, add chilies, onion , ginger-garlic paste and toamto puree. Saute' for few minutes. Mayeb till their raw odour leaves.

Now add spinach and fry till they wilt. Take this whole thing and blend to thick puree. Set aside.

Melt an another cube of butter, Stir-in potatoes. Add salt, turmeic, chili, coriander, cumin and garam masala powders to it. Stir-fry till theya ll coat to it.

Now add spinach puree as well. Add 1-2 cups of water. Cook over medium heat, tillt he gravy consistency is acheived.

Serve warm as a side dish for chappathi or rice.

Mixed Pineapple Fried Rice:

Ingredients:

Cold Cooked Long Grained Rice 1-2 cups.
Mixed Vegetables 1 cup
eggs 3
Bell pepper red 1 sliced
Pineapple diced 1 cup
Chicken cubed 1/2 cup
Shrimps 15 - tails-on
MSG
Soy sauce few spoons
White pepper few spoons
Corn Flour few spoons
Spring Onions 1 bunch to garnish
Asian Sesame oil a cup.

Method:

In a each seperate bowl, marinate chicken and shrimps with salt, MSG, pepper and soy sauce. A quick 20 minutes mariantion will do!

Heat few spoons of oil, in a wide, large and heavy bottomed wok. Add eggs. Scramble them well. Sprinkle salt and pepper, set aside.

In the same wok, heat oil. Add veggies, salt and MSG. Stir-fry over high for few minutes. Set aside as well.

Now heat oil. Stir-fry the marianted chicken over high heat. When they are done set aside. Repeat the same for shrimps as well.

Heat oil. Stir-in cold cooked rice. Let the oil coat well. Stir-fry over high. Add soy sauce. Add allt eh above veggies, eggs, chicken, shrimps, bell peppers, diced pineapple and spring onions. Fry over high for few minutes and serve steaming hot!

Serve steaming hot with toamto ketchup.

Vada Mor-Kuzhambu:

Ingredients & Method for Medhu Vadai:

Urad dal 1 cup
Raw rice 1 fistful
Saggo powder 2 spoons
Rice flour 2 spoons
Salt
Whole Peppercorns 1 spoons
Ginger 2" size fienly chopped
Coconut 1/4 finely chopped
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Soak urad dal plus raw rice for about 30-45 minutes.

Now wet-grind this by adding very limited water. The batter should be
like a butter....so soft to touch. If you drop a spoon of batteer
in a water filled cup, the batter should settle down.

Now mix all the other above mentioned ingredients, except oil.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Maintain it over medium heat.

Wet you palm or a clean cloth. Now take a lemon sized batter
and pat it to a vada. Fry them in warm oil till goldent o reddish
brown color.

Leave theese fried vadas over kitchen tissues for a while.

Serve warm with mint or tomato chuteny. Enjoy as a snack or as a side
dish.


I ngredients for Mor Kuzhambu:

Wet Grind these to a Thick Paste:

Pepper 1-2 spoons
Green chilies 5
Thoor dal 1 cup
Tomato 1
Ginger 3-4 inch size. peeled.
Garlic 4 -5 cloves

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons
Oil for shallow frying.

Method:


Heat a deep heavy bottomed vssel. Add oil and these wet ground paste to it. Fry them till they loose their raw smell.

Further add asafoetida, salt, turmeric and yogurts. Mix them well. Let them come to 1-2 boil.

Now dip each vadai in warm water first and quickly remove. Now drop them carefully in the mor kuzhambu prepared.

In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, red chilies, pepper and curry leaves. Fry for a while...till they pop and splutter. Now run this seasoning over the gravy made above.

Serve warm along with plain steam cooked rice. Enjoy!

Rice Kheer: (version 2)

Rice Phirni. Chawal Phirni. Basmati Phirni or Firni. Rice Pudding. Basmati payasam

This recipe was once prepared by my UnderGrad classmate Naazima. She prepared this dish for Talent show or something. I happend to taste it. Though she didnt win any prize on that day...it was appreciated by everyone. Though Basmati/Rice kheer is a common dish...she used green coloring agent, just a pinch....on that day. Well...that gave a faint green tint to the kheer, it was awesome! So....I was thinking of making this kheer for a long time and here it is today!

Ingredients:

Basmati(extra long rice) 1/4 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup
Whole Milk 2 cups
Half n Half 1 cup
Condensed milk few spoons
Saffron 1/4 + 1/4 spoon
Cordamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Kewra essence 1 spoon
Ghee/Clarified butter few spoons
Silvered/sliced almonds to garnish
Saffron few to garnish.

Method:

Soak 1/4 spoon of saffron in 2-4 spoons of milk for about 2 hours. Using mortar and pestle wet-grind it. Set aside.

Crack the rice in a blender(well its only optional).

In a large vessel, heat ghee. Toast rice for few minutes and set aside.

In the smae vessel, add sugar + 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to syrup like consisteny.

Now stir-in toasted rice and continue cooking.

Add whole milk, half n half and condensed milk to this. Continues boiling. Stir regularly.

When the milk is half the way reduced, add cardamom seeds powder, kewra essence and wet-ground saffron to it.

Cook over medium heat for a while. Maybe till the rice is done and the milk really thickens to pudding stage.

Transfer them to display dish. Garnish with saffron and silvered almonds. Chill and serve.

Serve chilled, warm or at room temperature.

Fried Veggie Noodles:

Ingredients:

Noodles 1 box(wheat based)
Carrot 1
Beans 50 grams
Cabbage shredded 50 grams
Bell pepper/Capsicum( red/green )1
Eggs 3
MSG pinch
Salt
Thick Soy Sauce few spoons
Garlic based soy sauce few spoons
Asian Red chili Paste 1/2 spoon(optional)
Asian Garlic Sesame oil few spoon
Spring Onions a bunch.

Method:

Chop all the veggies into 1 inch size bits. Set aside.

In a large croak pot, boil water. Stir-in noodles. Cover and cook for few minutes.

Whent he noodles is doen soft, run this water over a large colander. Drain well. Wash this cooked noodles with cold water. This avoids stickyness. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large wide, heavy bottomed wok. Crack eggs, Add enough salt and scramble them well. Then set aside.

In the same, heat little more oil. Add veggies and stir-fry for a while. Add salt and MSG. Set this aside too.

Now heat oil again, stir-in noodles. Add scrambled eggs, veggies, soy sauce, garlic soy and chili paste. Stir-fry over high heat.

When they are aromatic and well fried. Remove from heat and garnish with spring onions.

Serve warm with tomato ketchup. Enjoy!

Cous Cous with Saffron Chicken Tower:

Cous Cous-Saffron Chicken.

Ingredients:

For Cous Cous:

Cous Cous 1 cup
Salt
Dry parsley 1 spoon
Dried Garlic powder 1 spoon
Olive Oil 4 spoons.

To Garnish:

Tomato 1
Cilantro or parsley leaves few.

For Chicken:

Chicken boneless, skinless - shredded 1 cup
Cilantro leaves alone 1/4 cup
Saffron few strands
Milk 1-2 cups
Salt
Butter a cube.

To Garnish:

Tomato 1
Cucumber 1/2
Cilantro leaves few.

Method:

For Cous Cous:

Heat oil, in a pan. Add 1 cup of water. When it comes to boil, add salt, garlic and parsley powders. Then add cous cous to it. Simmer and cook.

When it is done absorbing all the moisture. Remove from heat. Spread in a tray and fluff a little with fork.

Now core the tomatoes. Discard the seeds. Chop the fleshy part alone. Garnish with this chopped tomatoes plus cilantro leaves. Set aside.

For Chicken:

Melt butter in a crockpot. Add shredded chicken and fry for a while.

Now turn in milk and saffron. Continue cooking over medium heat. Maybe until the chicken is done and creamy.

Further add cilantro and cook for few more minutes. Maybe till they wilt.

Remove from heat and wait till it cools down.

Meanwhile core away the seeds from tomatoes. Chop the fleshy part.

Add this chopped tomatoes plus clatro to the chicken. Set aside.

For Tower:

Bring a can or coffee mug. Spray a little oil. Fill in with cous cous, real tight.
And mount this over a plate.

Make a patty from the chicken prepared. Sett hsi carefully over the cous cous tower.

Well all set, now slice down your cucumbers and decorate your plate. Enjoy!

Bhindi Achaari Curry:

Okra in Pickle Style Gravy. Vendaikkai Oorugai Kuzhambu. Lady's Finger in Rich mustard curry.

Ingredients:

Whole Okra/Lady's Finger - 12 numbers
Green chilies 3 slitted
Garlic 6 cloves - paste
Onion 1 small - made into paste
Tomato puree 1 cup
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Oil for deep frying or pan-frying
Mustard Oil few spoons.

To be Toasted each Seperately and Powdered Togather:

Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Onion seeds (nigella/kalonji) 1/2 spoon
Kastoori Methi dry 1/2 spoon(dry fenugreek leaves)
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-6.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Mustard oil few spooons.

Method:

Wash and pat dry the okras. Trim their ends off.

Heat oil for pan-frying/deep frying. Fry okras crisply without any stickness. Leave them over kitchen tissues.

In a seperate pan, heat mustard oil. Add chilies and wait till it crackles.

Then add garlic + onion paste. Add salt too. Fry real good.

When the raw odour leaves, add toamto puree and continue frying.

When oil shows up on sides, add turmeric, chili powder and tamarind paste.

Add 2 cups of water, cover and cook. When the gravy thickens, add the fried okras + powdered spices. Continue to cook over medium heat withour lid.

When it turns aromatic, oil shows up on top. Remove from heat. Transfer to dispaly vessel.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the seasonnig items. Then run this seasonning over the gravy prepared.

Serve warm as a side dish for Indian bread(chappathi, naan) or with plain rice.

Beet Root Poriyal:(Version 2)

Ingredients:

Beet Roots 3 - peeled & sliced
Salt
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-6 tear into pieces
Curry leaves few
Fresh Grated COconut 1/2 cup
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, chana and urad dal. Let it crackle well.

Then add chilies and curry leaves. Add beets and fry for a while. Maybe till oil coats well.

Add salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Cover and cook over medium heat.

When the vegetable is done, add coconut and remove from heat.

Serve warm with palin steam cooked rice.

Wheat Meat Soup:(Muslim Style)

Ramzaan Nombu Kanji.

Ingredients:

Cracked Wheat 1/4 cup
Moong dal 1/4 cup
Minced meat 1 cup(lamb or goat - but I used chicken today)
Fenugreek seeds 1-2 spoons
Green chilies 3 slitted
Onion 1 small chopped
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Tomatoes 1-2 chopped
Cilantro leaves chopped 1/4 cup
Mint leaves alone 15-20
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Garam masala powder 1/4 spoon
Cloves 3
Cinnamon sticks 1
Cardamom pods crushed 3
Bay leaves 1
Ghee few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves.

Then add onions and fry for a while. Followed by ginger-garlic paste. Fry until it raw odour leaves.

Then add tomatoes, mint and cilanto leaves. Fry till it becomes pulpy. Now add salt, chili powder, fenugreek and garam masala powders. Fry for few minutes.

Add cracked wheat and moong dal(lentils/payatham paruppu). Add 4 cups of water. Cover and pressure cook for 6 long whisles.

When the soup is done, remove from heat. Serve warm. Garnish with cilanto leaves.

Maybe add little more warm water at the time of serving, as the lentils may suck all moisture...when left to room temperature!

Chiraka Kuzhambu:

Cheeraka Kuzhambu. Cumin Seeds Gravy. Jeera Curry.

Ingredients:

Cumin Seeds 1 fistful
Cricket ball size tamarind or 1 spoon of thick tamarind paste
Red onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 large peeled and semi crushed
Tomato 1 large chopped
Jaggery or brown sugar 1 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Rice powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5
Curry leaves

Method:

1. Dry toast cumin for few minutes. Hand pound the cumin seeds coarsely. Set aside. If you don't have mortar and pestle....grate them in a blender. Set aside.

2. In a deep pan, heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic, fry till its raw smell goes off. Further add onions, fry till they turn to golden brown color. Now add tomatoes, fry them till they loose their water content.

3. Add salt, turmeric, chili powder, jaggery and rice powder. Let it blend together.

4. Later add tamarind paste and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium flame.

5. Once the gravy consolidates...add pounded cumins to it. Allow it to boil once.

6. In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, chana dal, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well. Run this seasoning over the gravy.

Serve this with plain steamed rice. Run a spoon full of ghee over it.....just before serving.

Turkey Bajji:

Ingredients:

Turkey breast- cubed
Salt
Ginger-garlic paste
Turmeric powder
Chili powder
Garam masala powder
Oil for deep frying.

For Batter:

Gram flour(besan/kadalai mavu) 1 cup
Salt
Baking soda 1 pinch
Turmeric power 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Garam masala powder 1/4 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds power 1/4 spoon.

Method:

Bring all the batter ingredients togather in a bowl. Add water slowly to this and make a runny consistency batter. Set aside.

Now in a sauce pan, heat 1-2 spoons of oil, add ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, chili and garam masala powders. Now stir-in turkey and stir-fry for few minutes.

Now heat oil in a deep frying pan. Dip a piece of turkey in the batter and fry it. Maybe till golden color. Fry few at a time. Repeat the same for all the batches.

Serve warm with mint chuteny.

Tomato Salsa:(Version 1)

Ingredients:

Country Tomatoes 6-8
Banana Chilies/Bajji Milagai 1
Bell peppers/Capsicum 1
Purple Onion 1 large
Cucumber 1 small peeled
Serrano Peppers/Green Chilies 2
Jalapenos 2
Garlic 2
Lime 1 fruit
Vinegar few spoons
Cilantro Leaves 1/4 cup
Salt.

Method:

Chop all the above veggies roughly. Mix salt, lime juice and vinegar.

Now take about 30% of the above mixture and blend in the food processor.

Combine them again. Let this sit for 2 hours.

Serve chilled or at room temperature as a dip for corn chips.

Raspberry Sorbet:

Ingredients:

Raspberry (fresh/frozen) 1 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup
Mint to garnish.

Method:

Make a sugar syrup. Set aside till it cools down to room temperature.

Make a puree out of berries. Now mix this puree with syrup. Freeze them for 2 hours.

Blend them quickly just before serving. Garnish with mint leaves.

Pavakkai Thayir Pachadi:

Bitter Gourd Yogurts Salad. Fried Bitter Gourd in Yogurts. Karela Raita. Kakarkkai Perugu Pachadi. Pavakkai Pachadi.

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourds - 3 medium size
Yogurts 2-3 cups
Oil for frying.

To Wet-Grind These:

Fresh grated coconut 3-5 spoons
Green chilies 2-3
Salt
Yogurts 1/4 cup.

For Tempering:

Oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Trim their ends off the bitter gourd. Then slice then thinly.

Heat oil in a shallow wok. Deep fry bitter gourd slices. Fry till they are dark brown to black and crispy.

Leave them over kitchen tissues for a while.

Now wet grind coconut, green chili, salt and 1/4 cup of curd.

Combine fried gourd and wet-ground above paste in yogurd. Mix them well.

In a shallow frying pan...heat oil and add sesonning items and wait till they pop.

Then run this above sesonning over mixed beets-yogurts set-up.

Serve chillied or at room temeprature as a side dish.

Mint Lentils Fritters

Gharai:

Mint Vadai. Mint flavoured Medhu Vadai.

I happend to taste this recipe while I was in Hyderabad hostel, on a Sankranthi day(Pongal Festival). Kranthi said...she liked it very much and so did I. This was much like keerai vadai but in Urad batter! Nice and aromatic! Later when I visited Kranthi's home, her mommy prepared this too. She tossed, mint, cilantro and other greens in it. Wow....it was awesome! So thought of giving it a try today, although I couldnt match the taste....it turned out okay!

Ingredients:

urad dal(ulutham paruppu) 1 cup
Rice 1/4 cup
Sago/saboodana/jawarisi 6 spoons
Salt
Crushed black peppers 1 spoon
Cumin 1/2 spoon
Green chilies 3-6 finely chopped
Mint leaves alone 1 small cup finely chopped
Cilantro leaves alone 1/4 cup
Fenugreek leaves few
Small onion 1 fienly chopped
Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Soak urad dal with rice and sago 1 hour before. Wet grind it using very limited water. The batter should look like a butter, without any lumps. Grind for a long duration(than usual) but with limited water.

Now mix all the above said ingredients to it(except oil). Mix thoroughly and leave it in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Now heat oil, in a deep frying pan. Take a small lemon sized batter, using wet hands. Pat like 'vadai' and drop in oil. Repeat the same for remaining batter too. Fry few at a time.

Fry them till golden brown. Leave them over kitchen tissues for a while.

Serve warm with mint or cilantro chutney as a snack.