Methi Paruppu Usili

Ingredients :

• Methi keerai - 1 bunch [ cleaned and chopped ]
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Curry leaves - little

For the usili :

• Thuvar dhal - 1 cup
• Dry red chillies - 3 to 4
• ATsafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil [ coconut oil] - 1/4 cup

Method :

Soak the dhal in hot water [ enough to cover the dhal ] for about 20 minutes. Then drain the water and blend coarsely along with the other ingredients for the usili. Then steam for about 10 minutes in a rice cooker or flatten the usili and zap in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Insert a wooden fork and when it comes out clean. The usili done. Cool the steamed and crumble without limps by grating it or in the blender using the pulse speed. Then heat oil and pop the mustard. Add the usili mixture and stir well for 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Then heat a teaspoon of oil and the chopped methi leaves. Add salt and turmeric, stir for few minute till the methi is crispy. Take care that it is crunchy and not over cooked. Then add crumbled usili, and gently stir for 2 minutes over a medium heat. Add more salt if required. Add curry leaves and stir.Serve as a side dish or mixed with  rice.

Tip : Make the usili  in bulk and freeze. Add to cooked vegetables like beans, avarakkai, kothavarangai, cabbage, snake gourd or even a leftover red or yellow pepper. Usili can prepared with equal portion bengal gram.

Wheat Lapsi Payasam

Ingredients :

• Wheat lapsi medium size - 1 cup [ clean and soaked in water. ]
• Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - for frying
• Saffron - little
• Thick coconut extract - 1 1/4 cup

Method :

Pressure cook lapsi adding 2 1/2 cup water. [ nicely cooked ] When the pressure goes remove from the cooker and pour it into a big non- stick vessel, add the jaggery to that and allow to boil, till the jaggery and cook in reduced flame till it melts completely. Then add the coconut extract for another 5 minutes. Remove from the fire. Fry broken cashew nuts in ghee, mix the cardamom powder in that hot ghee and add to the payasam. Garnish with saffron.

Note : Borneal flakes [ pacha karpuram ] [ optional ] can be add to the payasam. [ very little. ]
Soak saffron in hot milk for few minutes. Crush well and mix and mix with payasam when its boiling.

Thengai [ Fresh Coconut ] Cucumber Kuzhambu [ Mangalore Recipe ]

Ingredients :

• Cucumber or bottle gourd [ duthi ] - 1 cup [ cut into cubes ]
• Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Dry red chillies - 4 to 5
• Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut oil - 2 tblsp

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1  tsp
• Broken black gram dal - 1/2 tsp
• Big onion - 1 [ peeled and chopped ]
• Curry leaves - little

Grind Masala:

Grained Fresh coconut, dry red chillies & tamarind paste, make a smooth paste of it & keep aside.


Method :

First take one deep bottom kadai & add 2 glasses of water. Add vegetable pieces along with salt & turmeric & boil them till it becomes soft. Then add the ground masala, mix well & allow to boil for about 5-10 minutes in a low flame till the raw smell goes. Then take one small pan, add 2 tbl sp of coconut oil. When it becomes hot, add mustard seeds & urad dal & wait for a second. When the mustard seeds pops, add the chopped onion & fry tilll it turns into golden color. Before removing that, add curry leaves & pour into the kuzhambu. Your kuzhambu is to ready to serve. Serve it with hot steamed rice & roasted curry.

Caramel Kheer

Ingredients :

• Milk - 1 litre
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Milk maid - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom - 5 to 6 [ powdered ]
• Kesar - a pinch [ for garnishing ]

Method :

First take one non-stick vessel. Add sugar to that, heat and prepare a caramel syrup by heating on medium flame. When sugar changes into brown colour, add milk, condensed milk and stir till the milk comes to boiling position. Boil till it is reduced to half of its consistency. Add cardamom, saffron and remove from fire. Your tasty caramel kheer is ready to drink. Serve cool or hot.

Kathamba Vadai

Ingredients:

• Thuar dhal - 2 cups
• Bengal gram dhal - 1 cup
• Black gram dhal [ urad dhal ] - 3/4 cup
• Raw rice - 1/2 cup
• Grated fresh coconut - 2 table spoon
• Cashewnuts - 6 to 7
• Dry red chillies - 5 to 6
• Salt - as required
• Curry leaves - little
• Oil - for deep frying

Method :

Soak all the dhals, rice together in water for 3 hours. Drain water and grind coarsely along with salt and coconut. Add little water while grinding. Mix well, add curry leaves  and  make lemon sized balls. Flatten and deep fry in hot oil till crisp and brown on both sides. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Jeeraga Kuzambu [ patheya kuzambu ]

Ingredients :

• Cumin seeds - 3 table spoon
• Tamarind paste - 2 tsp
• Small onion - 1/2 cup [ peeled ]
• Garlic flakes - 6 to 7 [ if u want  u can add more ]
• Drumstick - 1 [ cut into 1/2 inch pieces ]
• Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Dry red chillie - 4 to 5
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery - 1 tsp

Fry in oil and grind to a smooth paste :

fry red chillies in little oil till it become crisp, then add cumin seeds and curry leaves. When nice aroma comes remove from the gas. When its cool grind in mixer to smooth paste and keep aside.

For seasoning :

•  Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - little

Method :

Take one deep bottom kadai, add ghee. When it become hot, add seasoning, wait for 2 minutes. Then add  onion, garlic flakes. When onion change in colour, add drumstick, mix well. Then add sambhar powder along with required water, tamarind paste, turmeric,  asafoetida  and  jaggery. Allow to boil till vegetable become soft. Then add ground masala and mix well. If the kuzambu looks thick add required water and  boil well. Add curry leaves. Serve with hot rice, roasted or fried  papads and roasted curry. This kuzambu you can prepare and  keep for 2 weeks in  fridge. 


Note :  Those are not eating onion,, garlic thay can use any vathal. [ instead of onion garlic ]

Fruit Kuzhi Paniaram [ Any fruit ]

 Ingredients :

• Idli batter - 1 bowl
• Grated fruits - 1 cup [ pineapple, anar dana [ madulam pazam ], apple ]
• Ghee or oil - 1/4 cup
• Kuzhi paniaram kadai [ non- stick ]

Method :

Mix grated fruits in idli batter. [ Dont keep the batter after mixing fruit. Immediately prepare paniarams other wise the batter will become watery. ] Keep the kadai on the gas, add one drop oil and pour one table spoon of batter. Wait for 2 minutes, turn the paniaram upside down to cook on the other side. Then remove from the kadai. Serve hot with tomato ketchup and onion chutney.

Amla Chunda [ Sweet Pickle ]

Ingredients:

• Grated amlas - 5 cups
• Powdered Sugar - 4 cups
• Salt - a pinch
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  

Method:

Select good amlas, grate it and keep aside. Measure the grated amlas. Mix this grated amlas with salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for about 1 hour. Sqeeze the amla from that. Take one big deep bottom kadai, keep it on the gas and put the grated amal along with powdered sugar and stir  in a high flame till the sugar melts and become one string. Then mix the cardomom powder and remove from the gas. After it becomes cool put it in air tight glass container.

You can have it along with rotis, parathas, teplas, bread etc.

Amla Murabba

Ingredients :

• Amlas [ Indian gooseberries ] - 20 (500 grams) 
• Sugar - 2 1/2 cups (500 grams) 
• Cardamom (elaichi)  powder - 1/4 tsp 
• A few saffron (kesar) strands

Method :

Wash the amlas thoroughly. Prick them with a fork at regular intervals. Boil plenty of water in a pan, add the amlas and boil for 10 minutes over a high flame. Drain and keep aside. Dissolve the sugar in 3 cups of water and bring the syrup to a boil. Add the amlas and cook over a slow flame for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the amlas are soft. Allow the mixture to cool completely. Keep covered in a cool dry place for at least 48 hours so that the amlas soak in the syrup. Drain the amlas from the syrup, boil the syrup with cardamom powder and saffron till it reduces to a 2 to 3 string consistency. Add the amlas and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.Allow to cool completely. Bottle in a sterilised glass jar. Store for upto 6 months dry in a cool place. 

Aloo Methi Curry

Ingredients :

• Small potatoes - 7 to 8
• Methi leaves - 1/2 cup [ wash and chopped ]
• Onion - 2 [ peeled and chopped ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 11/2 tsp
• Oil - 4 tblsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - little [ garnishing ]

Method :

First boil / bake small potatoes. Then peel the skin, smash with hand and keep aside. Then heat 4 table spoon of oil in a fry pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add chopped onion and fry for 3 minutes in low flame. When its colour changes, add methi leaves and mix well. Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and little sugar [ optional ] and mix well. When the methi leaves changes into brown colour, add the smashed potatoes. Cook in medium flame. When all the water gets absorbed, remove from the fire. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with hot roti.