Thursday 24 November 2011

PineApple Pulav [It is not sweet pulav]











Ingredients:
  • Basmati rice - 2 cups [ boiled ]
  • Pineapple finely cut pieces - 1 cup
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 cup
  • Salt - as required
  • Red chili powder - 1/2 sp
  • Sugar - 1/2 sp
  • Bay leaf - 2
  • cinnamon - 2 pieces
  • cloves - 2
  • Cardamom - 2
  • Cumin seeds - 1 sp
  • Cashewnuts - 10
  • Raisins - 7 to 8
  • Ghee - 2 tbl sp
  • Oil - 1 tbl sp
  • Finely chopped coriander leaves - little

Method:
Soak the rice for 20 mins. Then pressure cook the rice and keep aside. Take one pressure cooker, keep on the gas, pour ghee and oil together, add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaves. Fry for 2 mins, and add the finely cut pineapples and mix well. Meantime mix salt, turmeric, red chillie powder in 1/2 cup of water. Add the masala water to the pineapple. When the oil leaves the side add the boiled rice and mix well in lower flame. Finally add fried cashews, raisins in 1 tsp of ghee and mix into the pulav. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with onion raitha.

Raw banana Roasted Dry Curry







Ingredients:
  • Raw banana - 3 to 4 [ peel the outer skin and cut into thin round pieces ]
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
  • Salt - as required
  • Tamarind paste - 1/4 sp
  • Red chili powder - 2 sp
  • Asafoetida - a pinch
  • Sambhar powder - 1/2 sp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp [ for seasoning ]
  • Urad dal - 1 sp [ for seasoning ]
  • Curry leaves - little [ for garnising ]
  • Oil - as required
Method:
Take one deep fry pan, place it on the gas and pour oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutters, add urad dal. When the dal turns to golden brown in colour, add the cut bananas, put salt, turmeric, red chili powder, sambhar powder, asafoetida, tamarind paste and mix well. Cook over moderate heat for 10 mins and close it with a lid. In between open the lid, add 1 table spoon oil and fry till the banana becomes dry. Add more oil and saute to give a fried look. Garnish with curry leaves. Serve with hot rice and sambhar etc.

Methi Paratha [ tepla ]


Ingredients
:
  • Wheat flour - 2 cups
  • Methi leaves - 1 cup [ chop leaves alone ]
  • fenu greek leaves
  • Salt - as required
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
  • Dhania jeera powder - 1 sp
  • Red chili powder - 1 1/2 sp
  • White seasame seeds - 1/2 sp
  • Thymol seeds [ omam ] - 1 sp
  • Curd - 2 tbl sp
  • Oil - as required [ for kneading, roasting ]
  • Green chili and garlic paste - 1 sp

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle enough water, oil and knead to a smooth dough. Make lemon size balls from the dough. Then spread it into chapatis of medium thickness. Roast on a hot tawa using half a tsp of oil for both sides of chapati. Serve hot with chunda, and thick curd. This type of tepla can be kept for 4 to 5 days. Perfect dish to take along with you while traveling.



Chunda [ sweet mango pickle ]


Ingredients:
  • Grated sour mangoes - 5 cups
  • Sugar - 4 cups
  • Salt - 1/4 cup
  • Red chili powder - 1 tbl sp
  • Methi seeds - 1 tsp [ soaked in little water ]
  • Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon - 2 pieces [ 1 inch piece length ]
  • Cardamom - 8
  • Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Method:
Select good sour mangoes and grate it and keep aside. Measure the grated mangoes.  Wash and soak methi seeds in little water. Powder coarsely cuminseeds, cardamom, cinnamon. Mix this with the chili powder, salt, sugar and drain the water from the methi seeds and add together with the grated mangoes. Mix well and keep the grated mangoes in a wide mouthed vessel. Close the neck of the vessel with a thin cloth and keep it in the hot sun for 10 to 15 days. After 15 days when it comes to the colour of honey, take it out and store in a glass jar or bottle. Serve with puries, chapatis.

Masal Vadai [ Parupu Vadai ]

Ingredients:
  • Bengal gram dhal - 1 cup
  • Finely chopped onions - 1 / 4 cup
  • Green chillies - 5 to 6
  • Crushed ginger - 1 tsp. [ optional ]
  • Chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves - 2 tabl . sp
  • Salt - as per taste
  • Oil - enough to deep fry.

Method:
Soak dal in water for 2 hours. Then drain water completely and grind with  4 green  chili  to coarse paste. Add salt, chopped onion, green chili [ finely chopped ], coriander leaves, curry leaves and mix well. Then make lemon sized balls, flatten and deep fry in oil [ 7 to 8 vadais can be deep fried at a time or till oil holds.] When the both sides becomes golden brown and crisp, remove from the oil. serve hot with coconut chutney.

Variations:
Grind red chili, cumin seeds, asafoetida and few small onions together. Mix with ground dal paste. Add drumstick leaves and aniseed. Make vadai as mentioned previously. Finely chopped mint leaves or any other greens can be added.




Sunday 20 November 2011

Methi Mutter Malai [ sabji ]







Ingredients:
  • Methi leaves - 1 cup [ chopped ]
  • Green peas [ mutter ] - 1/2 cup [ boiled ]
  • Salt - as per paste
  • Cashewnuts - 10 to 15
  • Ghee - 3 tabl . sp
  • Oil - 2 tabl .sp
  • Garlic - 2 flakes
  • Green chili - 2 to 3
  • Onion - 1 [ big diced ]
  • Ginger - 1 tiny piece
  • Sugar - 1 tsp
  • Fresh cream - 1 / 2 cup
Grind together:
Grind onion, ginger, garlic, green chillie, & cashews together in mixcer to form a fine paste & keep aside.

Method:
First take one bowl & put methi, mutter along with enough water & boil for 5 mints. Then drain the water & soak them in cold water for about 5 mins [it helps maintaining the green colour]. Then drain the water & grind  [do not grind fine grind coarse ] in the mixer. Then take one small cooker, keep on the gas & put some butter and oil together and fry the grind masala for 5 mins in lower flame. If the oil leaves the sides, add the grind methi mutter mixture to that along with salt, sugar. Add little water, fresh cream & mix well. When it starts boiling, close the cooker & wait for 2 whistles to come. Then remove from the gas, after the pressure goes open the  cooker. Serve with naan, parata & roti.



Pule Engi Pickle



Ingredients:
  • Tender ginger - 1/4 kg [ cut into tiny pieces ]
  • Green chili - 3 to 4 [ cut into small pieces ]
  • Salt - as per taste
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
  • Red chili powder - 4 to 5 tbl sp
  • Jaggery - 2 tbl sp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 sp
  • Asafoetida - 1/4 sp
  • Fenugreek - 1 tsp
  • Seasame oil - 1/4 cup
  • Tamarind plup - 2 cups

Method:
Take one deep mouth vessel, keep on the gas &  pour 1/4 cup oil,  heat it & add mustard seeds, asafoetida, dry red chili to that. When the mustard seeds splutter, add green chili, add cut ginger to that & fry for 5 mins. Keep the gas in lower flame. Add salt, turmeric, red chili powder & jaggery at the end. Pour the tamarind plup & mix well. Allow to boil for 15 mins till the ginger becomes soft & the mixture becomes thick. Dry roast fenugreek [ 1 tsp ] & powder it. Add to the pickle after removing from the flame. Store it in dry container. Use within 10 days. If you keep it in the refrigerator you can use it for a month. Serve with curd rice.

Party Pulav



Ingredients:
  • Basmati rice - 1 cup
  • Carrot - 1/4 cup [ cut into 1/2 inch length ]
  • French beans - 1/4 cup [ cut into 1/2 inch length ]
  • Fresh peas - 1/4 cup
  • Bay leaf - 1
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
  • Clove - 2
  • Cardamom - 3
  • Cumin seeds - 1 sp
  • Cashews - 10
  • Raisins - 10
  • Lemon juice - 1 tbl sp
  • Sugar - 1/2 sp
  • Fresh cream - 2 tbl sp
  • Ghee - 2 tbl sp
  • Oil - 2 tbl sp
Method:
Wash & soak the rice for 20 mins. Take one pressure pan heat oil & ghee together. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, bay leaf, cashews & raisins & fry for 2 mins. When the cashews becomes brown, add the cut vegetables, salt, sugar, lemon juice along with soaked rice & 2 cups of water. Before closing the lid, mix fresh cream to that & close the cooker. Wait for 2 whistles to come.Then remove from the gas. After the pressure goes, open the cooker & enjoy the pulav. Serve hot with dal fry or other side dishes.



Puthu Kottai Sambhar





Ingredients:
  • Ash gourd [ white pumpkin ] - 1/2 cup [ cut into dices ]
  • Yam [elephant ] Senai - 1/2 cup [ cut into dices ]
  • Yellow pumpkin - 1/2 cup [ cut into dices ]
  • Tamarind paste - 1 sp
  • Salt - as per taste
  • Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 sp
  • Green chili - 2 to 3
  • Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
  • Raw rice - 1 / 2 sp
  • Methi seeds - 1 / 2 sp
  • Coconut oil - 2 tabl . sp
  • Curry leaves - little
  • Sugar or jaggery - 1 sp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 sp
  • dry red chilli - 1 [ broken ]

Method:
Take one pressure cooker, keep on the gas and add cut vegetables along with tamarind paste, salt, turmeric powder, sugar & enough water. Mix well & close the cooker & wait for 1 whistle to come. Meanwhile, grind the coconut & green chili in the mixer. Grind it to a smooth paste.When the pressure goes, open the cooker & add the grinded masala to that. If the kuzambu is thick add little water. Before removing, dry roast the rice & methi seeds. Make powder in mixer & add it to the kuzambu. Allow to boil for 10 mins in lower flame. Then season in coconut oil with mustard seeds & broken red chili. Garnish with fresh curry leaves. Serve with hot rice.




Puries

Ingredients:
  • Wheat flour - 2 cups [ heaped ]
  • Salt - as per taste
  • Sugar - 1 / 4 tsp
  • Ghee or vanaspathi - 1 tsp
  • Milk or malai - 2 tsp
  • Water - for kneading the dough
  • Oil - enough for frying

Method:
Sieve (utensil used for straining) flour with salt. Mix sugar & ghee with the flour in a mixing bowl. Gradually add milk or malai, water & kneed to a soft dough. Keep for 5 mins. Then make small balls & speard  into  small puries. Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with channa.

P.S: Little sugar is necessary for the puries to puff up well & to keep it crisp.




Ivy gourd, Little gourd [ kovakkai ] Dry Subji





Ingredients:
  • Tender little gourd [ kovakkai ] - 1/2 kg.
  • Raw pea nuts - 1 handful
  • Salt - as per taste
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
  • Red chili powder - 1 tsp
  • Dosai milagai podi - 1 tsp
  • Grated fresh coconut - 2 tbl sp
  • Oil - 4 tbl sp
  • Curry leaves - little
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Broken black gram dal - 1 tsp
  • Sugar - 1/2 sp
  • Cut coriander leaves - little
Ingredients for dry masala powder:
  • Coriander seeds - 1 sp
  • Bengal gram dal - 1/2 sp
  • Broken black gram dal - 1/2 sp
  • Dry red chili - 4 to 5
  • White seaseame seeds - 1/2 sp
  • Roasted peanuts - 1 sp
  • curry leaves - little
  • Fresh grated coconut - 1 sp

[ fry all these ingredients in 2 sps of oil till it turns into gloden colour. Then make powder in mixer & keep aside]

Method:
Cut the little gourd in to round thin pieces. Soak 1 handful of peanuts in the water. Then keep one kadai on the gas, pour 2 sp of oil to that, heat it & add mustard seeds, broken black gram dal, curry leaves, when it splutters add  kovakkai along with soaked peanuts to that, fry for 3 mins, add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, dosai melagai podi, sugar  & mix well. Keep gas in lower flame.When the sabji becomes soft & peanuts are boiled, add the grind dry masala powder to that & mix well. Put 2 sps of  fresh grated coconut &  mix well. Before removing from the gas garnish with cut coriander leaves & curry leaves.Your sabji is ready. Have it with rasam, sambhar rice.




Jain Channa Masala [ without onion & garlic ]






Ingredients:
  • White kabuli channa - 1/2 kg. [ soaked in water for 8 hours ]
  • Red tomato - 3 to 4
  • Water melon seeds - 2 tbl sp
  • Cashews - 6 to 7
  • White seasame seeds - 1 tbl sp
  • Poppy seeds - 1 tbl sp
  • Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
  • Salt - as per taste
  • turmeric powder - 1 / 2 sp
  • Red chili powder - 1 sp
  • Everest channa masala powder - 1 1/2 sp
  • Sugar - 1/2 sp
  • Chopped corinder leaves - little
For wet masala:
Take one deep mouth vessel, pour some water, put tomatoes, cashews, poppy seeds, seasame seeds, water
melon seeds, 1 handful boiled channa,  ginger & keep on the gas. Boil nicely for 10 mins. Then remove from the gas, allow it to cool & grind it to a smooth paste & keep aside.

Method:
First wash the channa & add salt, turmeric powder, pour enough water & pressure cook in a cooker. [3 to 4 whistles] Then remove the channa from the cooker & keep aside. Keep the same cooker on the gas, pour 2 tbl sp of oil & add cumin seeds. When the seeds spulters add grind masala to that along with red chili powder, channa masala powder, sugar & mix well in a lower flame. If the gravy is thick add little water. Fry for 5 mins & add the boiled channa with the water. Mix well, check the salt & close the cooker. Wait for 1 whistle to come, then keep the gas in lower flame for 20 mins. Then remove from the gas. After the pressure goes, open the cooker & mix well. Your tasty channa masala is ready. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with puries.





Friday 11 November 2011

Potato Sag


Ingredients:
  • Potatoes - 1/2 kg.
  • Curds - 1/2 cup
  • Tamarind paste - 1/2 sp
  • Oil - 3 tbl sp
  • Green chilies - 2
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 sp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
  • Red chilie powder - 1 1/2 tsp
  • Salt - as per taste
  • Garam masala powder - 1/2 sp

Method:

Boil potatoes & peel the skin. Mash 2 potatoes alone & dice other potatoes. Then heat oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds. When it splutters, add split chilies, turmeric, red chilie powder & garam masala in the oil . Fry for 2 seconds & add curd, mix well and add potatoes and tamarind paste. Fry well till oil separates. Garnish with cut coriander leaves. Have it with roti, bread & hot rice.

Keerai Milakoottal






Ingredients:
  • Palak [ spinach ] - 2 bunches [ wash & cut finely ]
  • Moong dal or toor dal - 1 / 2 cup
  • Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 sp
  • Salt - as required
  • Curry leaves - little

For wet grinding:
  • Grated  fresh coconut - 1 cup
  • Cumin seeds - 1/4 sp
  • Dry red chillies - 2


For seasoning:
  • Coconut oil - 2 tbl sp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp

Method :

Cook palak for 5 mins adding very little water & turmeric powder. Then wash & cook moong dal till tender or pressure cook toor dal adding enough water. Grind together coconut, cumin seeds, dry red chili to a fine paste. Add the cooked  palak & blend for 2 mins. Mixed the grind mixture with the cooked dal. Add salt, turmeric powder & boil well. If  you want add  required  water at  this stage [make it to kuzambu constency]. Then season with mustard seeds, urad dal & curry leaves in coconut oil. Serve hot with rice.




Mysore Iyengar Milagu Rasam



Ingredients:
  • Dal water - 2 cups [ strained from cooked tur daal ]
  • Lemon - 1 or 2
  • Curry leaves - as required
  • Thick coconut extract - 2 tabl . sp
  • Sugar - little
  • Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tabl . sp
  • Salt - as per taste


Dry roast & powder:
  • Red chilies - 3 or 4
  • Asafoetida - a pinch
  • Black broken dhal - 1 tsp
  • Bengal gram dhal - 1tsp
  • Pepper - 1 /4 tsp
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Rice or wheat - 1/2 sp

Method:

Dilute dal water with another two cups of water. Add salt, sugar & powdered spices & bring to boil. Then add coconut extract & remove from the gas. Squeeze lemon & garnish with coriander, curry leaves. Your mysore iyengar milagu rasam is ready to serve.

Poricha Kuzambu






Ingredients:
  • Diced chow- small pieces
  • or white pumpkin - 2 cups
  • Snake gourd cut into small pieces - 1 cup
  • Brinjal cut into small pieces - 1/4 cup
  • Raw banana cut into dices - 1/4 cup
  • Drumstick - 1 cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • Moong dal or green gram dal - 1/2 cup

For seasoning:
  • Coconut oil -3 tbl .sp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 sp
  • Dry red chili - 1 [ broken into 2 to 3 pieces ]
  • Curry leaves - little

Grind together:
  • Broken black gram dal - 1 tbl sp [ urad ]
  • Red chilies - 4 to 5
  • Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Fry the above spices in little oil till it turns into brown in colour, & grind with grated coconut.


Method:

Scrape outer skin & dice the vegetables into 1 inch piece. Cook along with green gram dal or moong dal in just enough water till dal & vegetables becomes soft to touch. Then add grind fresh masala to that along with salt, turmeric powder. Boil for 5 mins till the kuzambu gets ready. Then heat coconut oil in a pan add seasonings & mix with kuzambu. Garnish with curry leaves.Serve with hot steam boiled  rice.



Mysore Rasam




Ingredients:
  • Toovar dal - 1 cup [ boiled ]
  • Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
  • Salt - as per taste
  • Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 sp
  • Asafoetida - a pinch
  • Rasam powder - 1 sp
  • Red tomatos - 3 [ cut into small pieces ]
  • Red chili powder - 1 sp
  • Sugar or jaggery -  1/2 sp
  • Green chili - 1 small
  • Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
  • Curry leaves - little
  • Finely cut coriander leaves - 1 tbl sp

Fresh masala powder for rasam:
  • Coriander seeds - 1 tbl sp
  • Bengal gram dal - 1 tsp
  • Dry red chillies - 5 to 6 [ fried in oil ]
  • Poppy seeds - 1 / 2 sp
  • Grated dry coconut - 2 tsp
  • Cinnamon - 1 / 2 inch piece
  • Clove - 2

[ fry all ingredients in 1 sp of oil till it turns into brown color. Then coarsely powder it in a mixer & keep aside]

For seasoing :
  • Ghee - 1 tbl sp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Dry red chillies - 1

Method:

Take one deep bottom vessel, keep on the gas & pour extracted tamarind plup, add turmeric powder, red chili powder, rasam powder, asafoetida, slit green chilli, ginger piece & salt. Add 2 glass of water to that & allow to boil. Add powdered fresh masala, finely chopped tomatoes & boil for 10 mins more in lower flame. After that add boiled mashed dal. Pour enough required water to that.When it begins to boil, remove from the gas. garnish with cut coriander leaves & curry leaves. Season with given ingredients in ghee. Serve hot with steamed rice.


Thursday 10 November 2011

Different Types Of Pickles







                                                      Aamla Pickle

Ingredients:
  • Amla - 1/2 kg
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
  • Asafoetida - A pinch
  • Red chillie powder - 3 tbl sp
  • Dry roast methi powder - 1/4 sp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 sp
  • Seasame oil [Til oil] - 1/4 cup.
Method:

First wash & clean the aamlas. Then boil the aamlas in cooker without water [just 1 whistle]. After it cools down, remove the seeds from aamla & keep aside. Then take one pan keep on the gas, pour 1/2 of the oil in the pan heat it, add mustard seeds to that. When it splutters,  put the aamlas along with salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, methi powder, asafoetida & mix well. If the masala is completely coated to the aamlas, remove from the gas. Keep it full day in the same vessel. Pour the remaining oil to that & mix well.  Then store in a jar. Tastes good with hot ghee rice & curd rice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                     Lemon Chutney

Ingredients:
  • Juicy yellow lemon - 10 [Cut into small pieces]
  • Salt - Required amount [approximately - 1 cup]
  • Turmeric powder  - 1 tsp
  • Red chili powder - 1/4 cup
  • Jaggery - 2 tbl sp
  • Sugar - 2 1/2 tbl sp.

Method :

Take one big bowl & put cut lemons in it. To this, add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder & mix them well. Then preserve it for 3 days, while you shuffle daily once. After 3 days, add sugar & jaggery to the stuff.. On the 4th day morning keep the pickle in to a close vessel & boil the same in cooker and switch off after 2 whistles. After the pressure goes, remove the pickle from the cooker, put into a mixer & grind for 2 mins (See the picture above). Change it into a glass or plastic container. Have it with paratas, roti, bread, idli, dosas or even curd rice. Enjoy the yummy katta meeta lemon chutney.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                        Kaduku Mangai

Ingredients:
  • Tender small fresh  mangoes - 6 glasses
  • Salt - 1 glass
  • Chilli powder - 200 gms
  • Mustard seeds - 100 gms
  • Rock asafoetida - 1 small piece [Fry in oil till it becomes crispy & make it powder].
Method:

Remove the stock of the mangoes, wash well, add salt & mix well. Keep in a closed ceramic jar or bottle for 4 to 5 days. When the mangoes are shrunk & all the salt has become watery, heat the salt water till it is reduced to 1/2 or 1/3 of its original quantity. Allow it to cool well. Then grind chili powder & mustard seeds in the cooled salt water. Add to the mangoes & mix well. Then dip a clean cloth [Cotton cloth] in til oil & put on the top of the mangoes. Tie the neck of the jar with a clean cloth & close the jar. Always use a clean dry spoon to take out the mangoes. Keep mangoes in a small bottle for using daily. Tastes well with curd rice, molakootal rice.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                         Avakkai Mango Pickle


Ingredients:
  • Big green sour mangoes - 3 kgs
  • [Wipe all  mangoes with wet cloth & dry them in a cloth]
  • Cut mangoes - 6 cups
  • Salt - 1 cup
  • Turmeric powder - 3 tbl sp
  • Red chillie powder - 1/4 kg
  • Methi dana - 100 gms
  • Mustard seeds powder - 200 gms
  • Asafoetida - 2 tsp
  • Whole small black channa - 100 gms
  • Til oil - 3/4 kg
  • Methi seeds - 1 hand full.

Method:

First of all mix all the ingredients & keep aside. Take one big clean dry ceramic jar. First put 1 layer of  masala powder in it. Then put 1 layer of  mangoes and a little til oil on top of it. Similarly, put all the other mangoes & masalas into the jar. Tie the neck of  the jar with a clean cloth & close the jar. The next day, add remaining oil to the pickle & stir it everyday for a week. Then preserve it & use a dry spoon for taking out the pickle while serving. Do not use hand while taking out the pickle. In this way the pickle will last longer. Tastes good with curd rice, parathas & dal rice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                           Mango Thokku


Ingredients:
  • Bangalore raw mangoes - 3 [Use less sour mangoes]
  • Salt - 1/2 cup
  • Turmeric powder - 2 tbl sp
  • Red chillie powder - 1/4 cup
  • Asafoetida - Little
  • Jaggery - 100 gms
  • Mustard seeds - 2 sp
  • Til oil - 1/4 kg
Method:

First scrap the outer skin of the mangoes, grate them & keep aside. Grind the mango along with salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder & jaggery to a smooth  paste. Then take one kadai, keep on the gas & pour til oil to that. Add mustard seeds when it splutters, add the grained paste to the oil & fry for 10 mins in a lower flame. When the thokku leaves sideways, [non sticky] remove from the gas. Let it cool & store it in a bottle. Your tasty thokku is ready.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                               Lemon Pickle


Ingredients:
  • Fresh lemon - 50
  • Salt - 1/4 kg
  • Red chili powder - 1/4 kg
  • Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
  • Methi seeds - 50 gms
  • Mustard seeds - 50 gms
  • Asafoetida powder - 2 sp
  • Til oil - 1/4 kg.

Method:

Wash the lemon & wipe with a cloth & cut them into 8 pieces. Do not use any brass or iron vessel. Use ceramic or glass jar. Roast methi seeds to a brown color & powder along with  mustard powder, turmeric powder & chili powder. Mix all these with lime & pack the jar. Then heat the oil in kadai well, add asafoedida powder. When it becomes cool, mix the oil with the pickle. For a week keep this jar in the sun by tying a white cloth to the jar. Then keep it tightly closed. The older the pickle the better it will be in taste.