Dhideer rasam [ instant soup ]

Ingredients :

• Red big tomatoes - 1 / 4 k. g.
• Sambhar powder - 1 /2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Lime juice - 1 table spoon
• Salt - as required
• Coriander leaves - little

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Green chilli [ slit ] - 1
• Fresh ghee - 1 tsp

Method :

Boil the tomatoes and extract the puree.Take  a  deep vessel, boil the sambhar powder, turmeric, asafoetida, and salt along with the tomato puree and 3 cups of water.Keep in a low flame for 5 minutes. Add  1 / 2 cup of water if needed. Melt the  ghee in a small pan, add the mustard seeds when it pop add the  cumin seeds. Add slit green chilly in the same ghee saute it and add to the rasam. Remove from the gas and add the lime juice to that and garnish with coriander leaves.

Tasty tip :
Add a pinch of pepper powder to the seasoning for extra flavour.

Sabudana upma

Ingredients :

• Sabudana [ javvarisi ] - 2 cups [ soaked in water  ]
• Moong dahl - 3 / 4 cup [ boiled not fully 3 / 4 th  cooked ]
• Salt - as required
• Fried peanuts - 1 handful
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 / 2 cup
• Green chillies - 2 [ chopped ]
• Ginger - 1 inch piece [ chopped finely ]
• Curry leaves - little
• Sugar - 1 / 2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - little
• Lemon juice - 2 table spoon 

For seasoing :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dahl - 1 tsp
• Bengal gram dahl - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Green chillies - 2 [ chopped ]
• Ginger piece - 1 piece [ chopped ]
• Oil - 2 table spoon

Method :

Wash sabudana and drain excess water. Keep little water in sabudana adding require salt and keep aside. [This can be done even in previous night also]. Heat oil in frying pan and add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add urad dahl, bengal gram dahl, chopped green chillies, chopped ginger and curry leaves. Add the sabudana mixture, boiled moong dahl and mix well in low flame. Fry well till it is cooked and dry. Afterwards, add fresh coconut, sugar and lemon juice. Mix nicely before it is removed from gas. Add fried peanuts and chopped coriander leaves. Your yummy breakfast is ready.

Potato masala

Ingredients :

• Potatoes - 1 / 4 k.g. [ boiled,peel and make small cubes ]
• Onions - 100 gms. [ cut in to small pieces ]
• Tomatoes - 2 to 3 [ chopped ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ chopped ]
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tablsp.
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Red chillie powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 1 / 2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - little

Method :

Boil the potatoes, peel and make small pieces. Keep a kadai on the gas, and add oil. When it becomes hot, add chopped onion and saute till it becomes golden brown in colour. Then add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder and chopped tomatoes. Mix well. Finely add boiled potatoes and fry for 5 mints in low flame. If  the subji becomes thick add little water. Allow it to boil for few seconds. Remove from the gas. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves. It goes well with teplas.

Mirchi ka saalan

Ingredients :

• Bajji chillies - 250 gms.
• Til seeds- 1 handful
• Peanut - 1 / 4 cup
• Cashew nuts - 1 handful
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Tamarind paste - 1 / 2 tsp
• Jaggery - 1 tblsp.
• Oil - 3 tablsp.
• Salt - as required
• Onion - 2 to 3 [ cut into pieces ]

Method :

Crush onion, cashew, til seeds, peanut, coriander, chilli powder in mixer and make a smooth paste. Then clean chillies and fry in oil till it become soft. Keep aside. Add oil in a pan, season with curry leaves, and add the ground paste, tamarind, salt, turmeric,   and  jaggery. Cook till oil leaves the masala. If the masala sticks to the kadai add required water and allow to cook in low flame till the raw smell goes. Add the fried chillies and cook 5 mints more.Then remove from the fire. Serve hot with roti, parathas etc.

Vadakari

Ingredients :

• Bengal gram dhal - 2 cups [ soaked in hot water ]
• Onion big - 3 [ peel and chopped ]
• Green chillies - 3 to 4
• Tomatoes - 2 [ cut into small pieces ]
• Cinnamon - 2 small pieces
• Cloves - 2
• Mint leaves -1 / 4 cup [ chopped ]
• Red chilli powder - 1 1 / 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Oil - 250 ml.
• Ginger garlic - little [ chopped ]
• Fresh coriander leaves - little
• Salt - as required

Method :

Soak and grind bengal gram dhal along with green chillies,and salt. Mix chopped mint leaves to the dhal. Then keep a kadai on the fire, add oil. When it becomes hot add small roundels of ground bengal gram dhal, and fry till half done. Keep it aside, keep kadai on the fire add oil. When the oil becomes hot add gram masala, chopped onion, chopped ginger garlic and fry till it becomes golden brown in colour. Then add cut tomatoes and fry well.. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder saute well. Add the vadas to that  and a cup of water. Allow to boil for 5 mints in low flame till the raw flavour goes. Remove from the gas and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with  roti ,and dosas.

Surti oondhia

Ingredients :

Surti papdi [ avarakkai ] - 400 gms.
Kand [ purple yam or kavathu ] - 100 gms.
Sweet potatoes - 100 gms.
Potatoes - 100 gms.
Surti brinjal - 100gms
Big nanthra pazam [ kerala ]  - 1
Salt - as required
Green pess - 1 / 2 cup
Green thuvar seeds - 1 / 2 cup

Masala :
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Grated coconut - 2 cups
Green garlic with leaves - 1 / 2 bunch
Ginger chilli paste - 3 tbsp.
Soda bicarb - 1 / 4 tsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Oil - as required

For muthia :
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Oil - 2 1 / 2 tbsp.
Coriander cuminseed powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
Sugar - little
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Methi leaves chopped - 1 / 4 cup
Mix all the masalas and methi leaves with wheat flour. Prepare a semi soft dough with the help of a little water, prepare small muthias from the dough and deep fry till only half fried.

Method :

Split the papdi into two. Peel and cut the kand, sweet potatoes, and potatoes in to big pieces. Cut the bananas into 1 inch pieces. Put a verticle slit on banana pieces. Then chop the coriander leaves and green garlic very finely. Mix with grated coconut. Add salt, sugar and ginger chilli paste. Mix well and keep aside. Then heat oil in a big kadai. Add the papdi along with its dana [ seeds ] Add soda bicarb and mix well. Put little of the prepared masala over the papdi and cook for about 10 mints. Add the pieces of potatoes, yam, and sweet potatoes over the cooked papdi. Put a slit in the brinjal, fill up a little masala in the slit. Also fill up masala in banana slits. Arrange the stuffed bananas and brinjal over the cooked vegetables sprinkle the remaining masalas. Add the muthias also. Cover tightly with a lid. Also place a thali placing upwards with a little water in it on the brims of the  kadai. Cook till all the vegetables turn tender.

Manoharam

Ingredients: 

• Raw rice - 4 cups
• Whole urad dal - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 250 ml
• Salt - As required
• Jaggery - 300 gms (powdered)

Method: 

Combine the rice & dal together & grind them in a machine to a fine powder. Sieve the flour & salt. Then add gradually water & mix well. Make small balls of the mixture & keep aside. Meantime, heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium flame. Add the balls to the thengozhal maker & press over the hot oil. Fry till it changes to golden brown colour & then remove. Then brake them into small pieces & transfer to a plate. Then boil the jaggery in a cup of water till it gets dissolved completely. Stain the jaggery water & boil again till it changes to slightly thick (pagu). Pour this pagu over the broken thengozhals. After it becomes cold (room temperature), seperate the same accordingly. Your Manoharam is ready.

Papaya halwa

Ingredients :

• Ripe papaya pieces - 4 cups
• Ghee - 1 / 4  cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Milk or koa - 1 / 2 cup
• Kaju and raisins - 1 / 4 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Vanilla essence - few drops

Method -
Remove outer skin, inner seeds etc from the papaya.Cut into small pieces. Mix fruit with sugar, milk  and heat in heavy kadai stirring constantly till it becomes thick and fruit becomes soft [ complete moisture is absorbed ]. Add ghee and stir well till it leaves side and keep stirring till thick halwa consistency is reached. Fry kaju, raisins in little ghee, mix cardmom powder,  essence and  add  to  halwa  and  remove from fire. Your tasty papaya halwa is ready to eat.

Mezuku varati [ dry subji ]

Ingredients :

• Diced malabar yam [ senai kilangu ] - 1 cup [ 1 inch cubes]
• Raw banana - 1 cup [ peel and cut into 1 inch cubes ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp

For Seasoning:

• Curry leaves - little
• Coconut oil - 2 tbl sp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Grind together for masala :

• Coriander seeds - 1table spoon
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Black pepper - 1 / 4 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 3 to 4
• Poppy seeds - 1 / 2 tsp

[Fry all these ingredients except dry red chillies in kadai without oil.] Fry red chillies in little oil.

Method:

Peel the skin of the vegetables and dice them into small pieces. Add salt & turmeric, boil them in enough water till the vegetables becomes soft. Drain the water & keep aside. Take one kadai, add coconut oil, season with mustard seeds & curry leaves. When the mustard seeds pops, add those vegetables along with masala powder & fry for 5 mins till the masala quoted to the vegetables become dry. Garnish them with curry leaves.

Pulikuthe uppery

Ingredients :

• Tamarind paste - 2 tsp
• Raw rice - 1 tbls.
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 7 to 8
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp

Used vegetables :

• Ladies finger - 4 to 5 [ cut in to 1 inch pieces ]
• Red pumpkin - 1 / 2 cup [ peel and cut intosmall pieces ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ slited ]

Grind together:
Red chilllies, fenugreek, asafoetida, and  raw rice [ fry above spices in little oil and grind in mixcer to smooth powder. ]

Foe seasoning :

• Coconut oil - 2 tsps.
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 / 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - little

Method :

Boil the vegetables in tamarind water, adding salt, turmeric powder. When the vegetables become soft add the ground  masala  powder to that. Allow to boil in low flame for 10 mints till the kuzambu becomes little thick. Season mustard seeds, and curry leaves in coconut oil and add to the kuzambu. Serve hot with steam rice.

Chikku milk shake

Ingredients :

• Sweet ripe chikkus - 2 to 3
• Concentrated cool milk - 4 cups
•  Chopped chikku pieces - few
• Sugar - as required

Method :

Wash chikkus, peel the  skin and cut into pieces. Put in a mixie, add sugar, milk and blend well. Add the remaining milk, chooped chikkus and mix well. Keep inside the fridge to cool till serving time. Serve in glasses.

Drumstick leaves poritha kootu

Ingredients :

• Drumstick leaves - 1 cup [ heaped ]
• Moong dal - 1 / 4 cup
• Potato - 1 big [ cut in to cubes ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Tamarind - gooseberry size
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Curry leaves - little

For wet grinding :

• Urad dal - 1 tsp [ fried ]
• Red chillies - 2 to 3 [ fried ]
• Fresh grated  coconut - 1 cup

For seasoning :

• Coconut oil - 2 tspn
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 / 2 tsp
• Grated coconut - 1 tbls
• Curry leaves - few

Method :

Pressure cook moong dal, potato adding enough water, salt, turmeric powder , tamarind paste. Fry leaves separately in little oil till it shrinks.[ do not over fry ] Heat one tspn oil in a kadai, fry urad dal and red chillies till urad dal is golden in colour. Add grated coconut and powder finely or grind to a fine paste. Add this to the boiling vegetable mixture.Check for salt, and add more water to get required consistency. Simmer and boil for 5 mts. Season with mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and 1 tbspn grated coconut in coconut oil. When the coconut turns golden, pour over along with drumstick leaves to  the  boiling mixture. Mix well and remove from the heat. Serve hot with rice.

Vengaya kara kuzambu

For this recipe seasoning is done in the beginning
For seasoning :

• Till oil - 3 tbspn
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Channa dal - 1 / 2 tsp

Other ingredients :

• Sambhar powder - 2 tsp
• Tamarind - lemon size [ extract the plup ]
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Jaggery - 2 tbspn

Vegetables can be  used :
 [ red pumpkin, brinjal, drumstick cut it in a cubes ]

Grind together :

Grind 1 big onion, 1 big tomato, and 2 table spoon fresh grated coconut in a mixer and keep aside. 

Method :

Heat oil in a kadai, add the ingredients given in order. When channa dal is golden in colour, add sambhar powder and fry for 2 mintues in low flame. Then add any one  vegetables and fry some more time.When the diced vegetables are roasted well add the extracted tamarind plup. Add  salt, turmeric,asafoetida, jaggery and boil well till it is  reduced to 1 / 4 of the quantity. Now add the ground masala with required water and boil well adding curry leaves. When the required thickness is achieved, remove from the gas.Serve with hot rice, papads, wafers, kootu or roasted curry.

This recipe i learnt  from  my  elder  sister  lakshmi.

Home made cookies

Ingredients :

• Maida flour - 2 cups
• Dalda ghee - 2 cups
• Powdered  sugar - 1 3 / 4 cup
• Rawa - 1 / 2 sp
• Baking powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Vanilla essence - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Almonds - 1 / 4 cup [ blanched and chopped finely ]

Method :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Cover a baking tray with foil neatly and grease the foil. Blend sugar and dalda ghee smoothly. Add vanilla essence, maida flour, baking powder and mix well without lumps and kneed a dough. Make small pedas from that.  Press in the middle with thumb and keep little grated almonds. Bake in a heated oven for 30 mts. When a good smell  check with a sharp knife.If the knife comes out without sticking, it means the cookies are ready.When completely cooled it becomes  more crisp.Store in an air- tight container. 

Cauli flower masala subji

Ingredients :

• Cauli flower - 1 / 2 k. g. [ cut into small pieces ]
• Big onions - 2 to 3
• Big red tomatoes - 3
• Turmeric powder - 1/ 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli powder - 1 1 /2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/ 2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbl. sps.

Method :

First grind onions and tomatoes together  in  mixer. Keep aside.  Then take one deep bottom kadai heat oil and add cumin seeds. When it pop add ground masala and fry till raw smell goes. Then add cut flower pieces, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, sugar and enough water. When the flower become soft and the gravy becomes thick remove from the gas.  Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with roti, paratha, and rice.

Channa pulav

Ingredients :

• White kabuli channa - 1 / 2 cup [ boiled ]
• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Tomatoes - 3 big
• Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Small onions - 1 / 2 cup [ peeled ]
• Garlic flakes - 4 to 5
• Oil - 3 tbl. sps.
• Coriander leaves - 1 / 2 bunch
• Green chillies - 2 to 3
• Kasoori methi - 1 tbl. sp.
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cardamoms - 2 to  3
• Cloves - few
• Bay leaf - 1
• Ghee - 2 tsps.

Grind together :

• Small onions - 8
• Dry red chillies - 4 to 5
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Garlic flakes - 3
• Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbl. sps.

[ heat a tsp. of oil, fry red chillies, cumin seeds, garlic, and onion. Cool and grind along with coconut. ]

Method :

Soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain water completely, heat a tsp. of ghee and fry the rice for 1 or 2 minutes. [ till the moisture is absorbed. ] Then soak channa for 10 hours before and pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Blanch tomatoes in hot water for few minutes. Remove skin and grind into paste. Heat oil in a pressure pan and fry cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Add garlic and fry till brown and then add slit green chillies and small onions. Fry for a minute and add ground masala paste. Fry till good smell comes in medium flame. Add tomato paste, kasoori methi, salt, little sugar, garam masala powder and boil for few minutes. Then add cooked channa and coconut milk. When it starts boiling add rice, mix well and reduce flame. Close the cooker and  wait  for 2 whistle to come. Remove from the gas. When the pressure goes open the lid and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fried cashewnuts.  Serve hot with raitha.

Dahiwali toovar dal

Ingredients :

• Toovar dal - 1 / 2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Chopped onions - 1 / 2 cup
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Dhania jeera powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Besan [ bengal gram flour ] - 1 tsp [ mixed with 1 / 2 cup water ]
• Low fat curds [ dahi ] whisked
• Chopped coriander [ dhania ] - little [ for garnish ]

Method :

Clean, wash and soak the toovar dal in water for 2 to 3 hours. Drain and keep aside. Mix the dal, turmeric, salt and 1 cup of water and pressure cook for3 whistles. Alow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Remove, whisk well and keep aside. Then heat a non- stick pan on a medium flame and when hot, add the cumin seeds. When it pops add the onions and fry till they turn light brown in colour. Then add the cooked dal, chilli powder, dhania jeera powder, and mix well.  Last add the besan paste and curds, mix well and cook for 5 minutes in lower flame. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice and roasted papad.