Mango Rasam

Ingredients :

• Mango - 1 small [ not fully riped ]*
• Green chilli - 2 [ chopped ]
• Ginger - small piece [ chopped ]
• Tuvar dal - small cup [ boiled and mashed ]
• Curry leaves - little
• Fresh chopped coriander leaves - little
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Rasam powder - 1  1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Tomatoes - 2 [ chopped ]
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

* Peal the skin, cut the pieces, boil them, make purie of that and keep aside


For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp

Method :

First boil the mango and grind in the mixer. Then take one vessel, add required water, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, rasam powder, asafoetida, green chilli and ginger. Allow to boil for 20 minutes in low flame. Add chopped tomatoes also. When the raw smell goes, add mashed tuvar dal and mango purie. Mix well. If you need water, add required water. When it starts boiling, add lemon juice and remove from the gas. Then keep a small kadai and add ghee. When it becomes hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and add to the rasam. Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Serve with fried subji and steamed hot rice, adding little ghee to that.

P.S. : This recipe I learned from my brother Kanna.

Samman Aaloo [ Kashmiri Dish ]

Ingredients :

• Baby potato - 1/4 kg
• Fresh paneer - 100 gms
• Mustard oil - 1/4 cup [ if you don't like mustard oil you can use normal oil also ]
• Salt - as required
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Maida - 2 tsp [ disolved in little water. ]
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kasmeri red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Fresh curd - 1/4 cup [ beaten ]
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Dry ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
• Fennel seed powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh chopped coriander leaves - little

For garam masala powder :

• Cinnamon - small piece
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom - 2 
• Black cardamom - 1
• Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Black pepper - 1/4 tsp

Dry roast all these ingredients in kadai and make powder in mixer.


Method :

First peel the potatoes and keep in the water [ It helps the potato remain white ]. Then keep one kadai on the gas. Add required oil. When the oil becomes hot, fry the paneer cubes till it changes into light brown color. Meantime, boil some water adding asafoetida. When the water starts boiling, remove from the gas and put the fried paneer in that [ It helps paneer to be soft ]. In the same oil, add the baby potatoes and fry till it changes into golden brown color. Then remove from the oil and keep aside. In the same oil, add all masalas [ salt, turmeric, red chilli, garam masala powder (which we grind in mixer), fennel seed powder, dry ginger powder ]. Mix well and then add beaten curd along with maida water. Stir nicely. When the oil leaves aside, add milk. Wait for 2 seconds and then add fried potato (aaloo), soaked paneer with water. Alow to boil for 5 minutes more. Then remove from the gas. While serving, first keep the aaloo and paneer in the plate and pour gravy on the top and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. It goes well with roti, parathas.

Oats Apple Keer

Ingredients :

• Any kind of oats - 1 cup [ washed  in  plain water for 2 times and squzeed the water and keep aside ]
• Red apple - 1 [ washed and grated with skin ]
• Whole milk - 1 litre
• Sugar - as per taste
• Cardmom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chopped dry fruits - 2 tbsp
• Kismis - 1 tsp
• Kesar - 1/4 tsp

Method :

Fisrt keep one non stick or heavy bottom vessel, pour the milk to that and allow boil for 1o minutes in low flame. When its starts boiling add required sugar and grated  apple to that and stir non stop, so that it won't stick in the  vessel. Allow to boil in low flame for 5 minutes more till apple becomes soft, and the keer becomes thick. Add cardmom powder, kesar, and chopped dry fruits, Mix well. Finely add kismis and remove from the gas, Serve hot or cold. Its tastes very yummy. Easy also.

Note : Wash the oats nicely. Other wise the keer becomes sticky. If the keer becomes more thick you can add milk to that.

Vazakkai Podi

Ingredients:

• Raw banana - 2 [ cit into half with skin ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 3 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Cooked rice - 1 cup

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 11/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 11/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - little

For grind masala :

• Channa dal - 3 tbsp
• Thuvar dal - 1 tbsp
• Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp
• Dry red chillies - 7 to 8

 [ fry all this ingredients in little oil and grind in mixer to nice powder and keep aside.
you can make this and store it in a fridge ]

Method :

First boil the raw bananas  in  enough water till it becomes soft. When it becomes cool, peel the skin and smash it and keep aside. Then take one kadai, add ghee. When it becomes hot, add seasoning. When the mustard seeds pop and the dal changes in to golden brown, add curry leaves and smash banana and mix well. Add salt, turmeric, asafoetida, and ground masala powder. Mix well and keep for 2 minutes in the gas. Then remove from the gas, add boiled [ cooked ] rice to that and mix well till masala completely  mix with  the rice. Serve with wafers or roasted curry and thick fresh curd. 

Pilaf [ pulav or biriyani ] of Indian Aromas

Ingredients :

• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Saffron - 1/4 tsp [ soaked in 2 tbsp warm water. ]
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Shah jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2
• Onion - 1 [ cut into slices ]
• Cashews or almonds - 6 to 7 [ split into 2 pieces ]
• Raisins - 1 tbsp [ optional ]
• Vegetables - carrot, french beans, green peas, flower
• cut into small pieces
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

For Paste [ grind with a little water. ] :

• Garlic flakes - 2
• Ginger - small piece
• Chhoti illaichi -2
• Moti illaichi - 1
• Cloves - 2
• Black pepper - 2 to 3
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

[ grind together in mixer to a smooth paste ]


Method :

Wash and strain the rice and keep aside for 25 minutes. Then heat oil in heavy bottomed pan. Add black cumin and bay leaves.Wait for a second till cumin crackles. Then add onion slices and stir till it change into light brown, add cashew,or almonds and raisins. Saute for a few seconds. Then add vegetables,  fry till it half cooked. Add ground paste, salt turmeric, red chilli powder and mix well. Then add rice, soaked saffron. Stir gently taking care not to break the rice grains.Add 2 cups of warm water. Mix well boil and  reduce the  flame and cook covered till the water dries up, for about 15 minutes. Serve hot with any raitha.

Baby Potato Masala

Ingredients :

• Baby potatoes - 200 gms.
• Garlic flakes - 2 [ chopped ]
• Small onions - 5to 6 [ peeled and chopped ]
• Salt -  as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - as required

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Fresh curry leaves - little

 


For masala grind together :

• Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - small piece
• Dry red chillies - 4 to 5
• Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Big onion - 1 [ peeled and chopped ]
• Red big tomato - 1 [ chopped ]
• Fennel seeds [ sombu ] - 1/4 tsp

 [ grind all together adding little water and form a smooth paste . ]

Method :

First boiled the baby potatoes adding salt and turmeric till it becomes soft. Then peel the skin and keep aside. Then take one kadai, add some oil. When the oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds. When its started pops add curry leaves, chopped small onion and  tomato. Fry for 5 minutes in low flame till the tomato becomes soft. Then add the ground masala to that, add some water and allow to boil till the raw smell goes. Then add the peeled potatoes to that. Mix well. Keep in low flame till all masalas coated to the potatoes. Then remove from the gas. and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. It goes well with roti dosa and ediappam.
 

Thondakkai Masala [ Kovakkai ]

Ingredients :

• Kovakkai [ tendli ] - 150 gms
• Onion - 1 big [ chopped finely ]
• Garlic flakes - 2 [ chopped finely ]
• Tomato - 1 big [ chopped finely ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 11/2 tsp
• Oil - as required

Fry and grind :

• Channa dal - 3 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Kaskasa - 1 tsp
• Fresh grated coconut - 3 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 3 to 4
• Coriander leaves - little
• Curry leaves - little

Fry all the ingredients in oil and grind in a mixer to a powder.


Method :

First wash and wipe tendli. Then cut into thin round pieces. Then take one kadai, add little oil. When the oil becomes hot, add finely chopped onion, garlic, tomato and tendli. Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and little water. Close with a lid and fry in low flame. In between stir. When the subji is completely done, add the ground masala powder to that and mix well. The masala should completely be coated to the subji when the subji becomes dry. Then remove from the gas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves. It goes well with roti, dal rice and rasam rice.