Vazakkai Kootu [ hotel style ]

Ingredients :

• Vazakkai - 4 no [ cut in to cubes ]
• Bengal gram dal - 1/2 cup
• Small onions - 8 to 10 [ chopped ]
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Coriander leaves - few

Grind to gether :

• Fresh grated coconut - 3 tbsp
• Red chillies - 5 to 6
• Small onions - 5 to 6
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

[ grind all together to a smooth paste ]

Method :

First pressure cook raw banana,  dhal along with turmeric, small onions, asafoetida, and 1 tsp of oil for one whistle and keep aside. [ do not over cook ] After the pressure  goes, open the cooker.  Then heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and saute for a minute and  add to the banana along  with ground masala. Mix well and allow to boil for 5 minutes more in low flame. Finely add curry leaves and coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice, sambhar and rasam . It will be a good side dish for roti  too.

Ginger Thogayal

Ingredients :

• Ginger - 3 to 4 table spoon [ chopped ]
• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Tamaraind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Red dry chillies - 2 to 3
• Curry leaves - - little
• Salt - as required
• Jaggery - little
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch

Method :

Take a pan, add a tsp of oil and add urad dal, red chillies. Fry till the dal change in to golden in colour. Then add tamarind paste, curry leaves, chopped ginger, jaggery,  asafoetida and salt. Finely add grated coconut and  mix well. After it  becomes  cool grind in a mixer to a smooth paste. [ while grinding don't add much water. ] Serve with hot rice, idli and dosa.

Restaurant style vegetable biryani

Ingredients :

• Basmathi rice - 2 cups
• Mix cut vegetables - 1 cup
• Onions - 1/2 cup [ sliced and fried ]
• Saffron - 1/2 tsp [ dissolved in 1/2 cup warm milk ]
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Cashews - 6 to 7
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Full fat curd - 1/2 cup
• Green chilli - 2 [ slit ]
• Biriyani masala - 1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Mint coriander leaves - 1/4 cup [ chopped finely ]
• Salt - as required

For masala :-

• Cashew nuts - 6
• White  poppy seeds [ khus khus ] - 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

For seasoning :

• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon - 1 thin piece
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom - 2

Method :

First grind the cashews, poppy seeds and cumin seeds in to a smooth paste using little water and keep aside. Then deep fry the sliced onions in hot oil till it becomes light brown and crisp, drain the oil on a paper towel. Fry cashews in same oil till its change in to golden brown and keep aside. Wash the rice and soak in the water for 20 minutes. Mean while take a pressure pan, add oil in a medium flame. When the oil becomes hot, add seasoning cashews  wait for a second, then add the ground paste, slit chilli, ginger garlic paste,  fry for a second then add dry masala powder mint and coriander leaves and saute them well.  Then add the curd to it and mix well immediately to prevents it from curdling. Now add the vegetables, salt, soaked rice, soaked safforn  and  with  required water. Now close the pressure  pan and wait for 2 whistle to come. After the pressure goes open the lid and  mix the fried onions, and fried cashews, mint and coriander leaves. Your yummy restaurant style biryani is ready. Serve with raitha and papad.

Tirunelveli's Thangai (Coconut) Araycha Kuzhambu

Ingredients :

• Cut vegetables - 1/2 cup [red pumpkin, brinjal, drumstick, tomato and bhindi]
• Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Oil - 2 tbsp

For grinding :

• Tuvar dal - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 6 to 7
• Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup

[Fry all the ingredients in oil till it turns into golden colour [ except coconut ]. After that switch off the gas, add the coconut in same kadai and mix well. After it becomes cool, grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.


For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Dry red chilli - 2 [ broken ]
• Curry leaves - little
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Method :

First take one deep bottom vessel, add the required cut vegetables along with tamarind paste, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, jaggery, asafoetida and required water. Mix well and allow to boil in the gas till all the vegetables becomes soft. Then add the ground masala to the kuzhambu. If it is thick, add little more water. Allow to boil for 10 minutes more in low flame. When the kuzhambu gets ready, garnish with curry leaves. Remove from the gas. Take one small kadai, add coconut oil, when the oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds along with broken dry red chilli and add it to the kuzhambu. Serve with hot rice, idli and dosa.

Shai Kurma [ without onion and garlic ]

Ingredients :

• Mix vegetables - 1 cup [ carrot, beans, cauli flower,  and green peas cut in to small cubes ]
• Paneer - 100 gms.[ cut in to small cubes ]
• Cashews - 10 gms.
• Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
• Melon seeds - 2 tsp
•  [soak all three in hot water and grind to a smooth paste. ]
• Tomatoes - 2 [ make  it to a puree and keep aside ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Kasoori methi - 1/4 tsp [ crushed ]
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh cream - 2 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Butter - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - little
• Chopped dry fruits or nuts - 1 tsp

Method :

First take one small pressure pan, add oil and butter. When its becomes hot, add cumin seeds, wait for a second and add chopped vegetables. Fry for 5 minutes in low flame. Then add tomato puree and mix well. Add salt and other dry masalas mix well then add ground masala along with paneer cubes.  Add kasoori methi and fresh cream along with required water. Then close the pressure pan and wait for 2 whistle to come.  When the pressure goes open the lid and garnish with coriander leaves and chopped nuts. Serve with roti, parathas  and  poori.

Masala Papad

Ingredients :

• Urad dal papad - 2
• Oil - 2 to 3 tsp [ for roasting the papad ]
• Onio - 1/4 cup [ finely chopped ]
• Tomato - 1/4 cup [ finely chopped ]
• Green chilli - 1 small [ stem and seeds removed and finely chopped ]
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp [ finely chopped ]
• Salt - as required 
• Chat masala - 1/4 tsp
• Fine sev - 1/4 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method :

Take chopped onion, tomato, and coriander leaves in a bowl. Add salt and chat masala and squeeze some lemon juice. Mix well and keep aside. Now roast the papad, take two urad dal papad. Heat the pan on medium heat. Pour a tsp of oil and speared around. Once oil is hot put the papad. Roast the papad by pressing it with spatula. After few seconds, flip it and continue cooking by pressing. Keep flipping and roasting the papad till it gets golden brown and crispy. Put the roasted papad on a serving plate sprinkle the prepared onion - tomato mixture evenly and garnish with fine sev.  Serve the papad immediately with in few minutes, papad will starts to get soft and soggy.

Chakka (Jack Fruit) Ela Adai

Ingredients :

• Roasted rice flour / Appam powder - 1 cup
• Salt - As required
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Banana leaf - 6-7 pieces

Filling :

• Chakka varati - 1/4 cup
• Jaggery (Grated) - 1/4 cup
• Coconut (Grated) - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - A pinch

Method :

Take one bowl, add chakka varatti, grated jaggery, and mix well with a spoon with out any lumps of jaggery.  Now add grated coconut,  cardamom powder and salt, mix well and keep aside. In another bowl add a cup of roasted rice flour and add water little by little till you get the roti dough (the dough should not stick in hands, for easy spreading).

Divide the dough into small size balls. Cut the banana leaf uto 15-20 cms (length & width). Spread the balls into round shape on the banana leaves as a thin layer. With the fingers in the water & spread if needed. Keep the tbsp full of filling, lightly spread the filling on one side & close with the other side. Heat the water inside the idli steamer & allow the water to boil. Spread the ella ada evenly over the idli steamer base plate. Close with the lid & steam for about 15 mins till the ada gets cooked properly. If the ada cooks, you would be able to peal the banana leaves from the ada easily from both the sides. Your yummy ela ada is ready to eat.