Plantain Stem Salad / Vazhai Thandu Thayir Pachadi

Vazhai Thandu Thayir Pachadi:(Reposting)

Plantain Stem with Yogurts.

Ingredients:

Tender plantain stem 60 cms
Yogurts 5-7 cups
Salt as per taste
Green chilies 6 finely chopped
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil fews spoons.

Method:

Clean and wash the plantain stem. Remove its outer bark.

Finely chop them. Leave them in salt water to avoid discoloration.

In a pan, heat oil. Add all the remaining items, except yogurts. Let them pop and splutter well.

Run this seasonings over yogurts. And mix this yogurts to finely chopped plantain stem.

A healthy salad is ready.

Iddiyappam / String Hoppers / Sandhagai / Sevai

Iddiyappam:(Kerela Style)


Idiyappam. Sevai. Semiya. Sandhagai. Coimbatore Special Sandhagai. Sri Lanka String Hoppers. Ceylon Hoppers.

Ingredients:

Mill Ground Fresh Rice Flour - 1 cup
Salt as per taste
Warm water
Ghee few spoons.
Traditional 'Iddiyappam-Pressing Mold'
Steam Cooker - with Iddiyappam plates/Idly plates.

Method:


Steam the raw rice flour for about 10 minutes.

In an large bowl, bring this warm rice flour. Sprinkle little salt and mix well.

Add warm water little by little. Make a smooth dough. One can run few spoons of ghee as finishing touch.

Now also greese your 'iddiyappam mold' with ghee. Scoop little dough and place them in the mold....while they are still warm.

On the other hand, grease the iddiyappam plates too. Now in circles press the mold's handle to release fine 'iddiyappams' on the plate.
-12 minutes.

To check whether it is done, touch them with wet fingers, if it is not sticky...its perfect.

Serve warm along with spicy mutton or chicken korma. Or with chettinad gravys. Or with regular stew and coconut milk. Iddiyappam with Paaya is very famous in Chennai/Madras.

Its very light and easy on digestion...so the combination makes it grand and rich. So select your side dish accordingly.

Plantain Flower Stir-Fry / Vazhaipoo Thoran / Vazhaipoo Poriyal

Vazhaipoo Thoran:

Ingredients:

Plantain flower 1 large
Coconut 1 large - grated
Green chilies
Shallots 1 or two (optional)
Ginger 1" grated
Salt
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Coconut oil few spoons.

Method:

Clean the plantain flower, wash and finely chop them. Leaves them in cold water until cooking...to avoid discoloration.

In a wide wok, heat oil and add the tempering spices. Wait till the pop. Now add chilies, ginger and onions.

Followed by finely chopped plantain flower. Further add salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook.

Once it is done, remove the lid and add grated coconut...stir-fry over high heat.

Serve as a side dish to South Indian meals.

Citron Rice / Narthangai or Nartham Pazham Sadham / Kichili Pazha Saadham

Dear Friends,

Thanks for all the love, mails, personal queries and wishes while I was gone...I enjoyed my vacation to the core:) India trip was great, and I had good time with my family:) Ever since I landed there...was always on the run, visited too many places this year...temples and temples and more temples (Dad's idea), met almost every possible distant cousin of mine and shopped like a maniac(scared to even see my bank balance now). I am cho tired...Finally...back to Oxford - Home Sweet Home:)Missed you all so much, can't wait to see your blogs, see y'll around buddies:)

Citron Rice:

Citron, is called as Narthangai or Nartham Pazham in Tamil. It is one of the fragrant species in Citrus family. Fruit has leathery skin and tangy pulp...both are edible, but the seeds are extremely bitter with traces of cyanide in it...so it will be good to omit the seeds while cooking.

I happened to taste this rice for the first time at my Hindi-Sanskrit class...one of my classmate brought this in her tiffin box. Ever since I wanted to try the same at home. By now, you all probably want to know about the recipe as well...simple - treat them like lemons...you got it:)

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Citron juice 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 6-8 slitted or chopped
Ginger 2" peeled and chopped
Curry leaves 1 few
Cashew nuts 1 few (optional)
Sesame oil 1 cup

Method:

1. In a pressure pan boil 2 cups of water. Add salt, few spoons of oil and rice to it. Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.

2. Spread the cooked rice in a wide tray. Allow them to cool. Let the rice be stiff and well separated.

3. Heat oil in a separate pan. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, cashew nuts, chana and urad dal. Let them pop and splutter well. Further add ginger, chilies and curry leaves.

4. Now add little salt, turmeric and lemon juice. Bring to boil and remove from heat.

5. Mix this above concoction to the rice. Using blunt spatula....mix them thoroughly. If needed add few spoons of hot oil. Pack them up in a small narrow vessel, and set aside for at least 1-2 hours...this actually brings up the flavor while serving.

Paneer Do Pyaaz

Ingredients:

Paneer / cottage cheese - sliced into desired length
Onions 2-4 sliced
Ginger 1" size peeled and grated
Garlic 3-5 beads minced
Salt
Tomato 1 sliced
Chili powder 1 spoon
Food color 1 pinch
Green chilies and curry leaves - fried
Cilantro leaves to garnish
Ghee 1/4 cup

Method:

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Heat ghee, fry the paneer and set aside.

Further add onions to the same oil...continue frying. Followed by ginger-garlic, tomatoes, salt and chili powder. Now also stir-in the fried paneer. Saute briefly. Garnish with fried curry leaves, green chilies and cilantro leaves.

Serve to go with naan, roti or pulkahs. Enjoy:)

Restaurant Style Mysore Bonda

Hotel Style Mysore Bonda:

Ingredients:Ingredients:

For Vadai:

Urad dal 1 cup
Salt
Ginger 2" peeled & chopped
Whole peppercorns 1 spoon
Cumin 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Coconut 4" piece finely chopped
Curry leaves few
Sago 1 spoon - powdered(gives crunch on the crust)
Rice flour 2 teaspoons - gives reddish tint
Oil for deep frying.


Method:

Soak urad dal and rice in water for nearly 1-2 hours.

Then drain off its excess water. Wet grind them to thick butter like paste.

Now mix all the above mentioned items to it(except oil)

Heat up the oil in deep frying pan. Wet your palm and make bondas as given in the pictures.

Fry till reddish brown. Let the outer side turn nice and crispy.

Serve warm as an evening meal, coconut chutney will be a best combo'.