=== ht cookbook === --- recipes --recipes...recipes...recipes india is a unique country having hundreds of languages and so many cultures.

it has been a melting pot of diverse cultures over the last three thousand years. it has a diversity of cultures that have amalgamated into a unique place. its population is comprised of descendents of almost every ethnic group from all over the world (with the exception of americans). every group brought with them a style of cooking food, and the other groups adopted it in their own cuisine. the result is that indian food is now most popular all throughout the world. here is an attempt to give you as many recipes that can make you happy. hope my efforts would put a smile on your face and contentment in your heart. (and also stomach).

--- rasams --rasam...rasam...rasam...rasam... no meal in south india is complete without rasam. rasam in its purest form consists of tamarind extract boiled with black pepper, jeera and salt. as variations, many other spices are used. with coming of chilies, pepper has mostly been replaced with chilies. rasam acts as a digestive aid, and increases the acidic content of stomach juice, which in turn helps digestion. carminative property dilates sweat pores and facilitates body cooling as well as removing body toxins and excess salt.

--- apple rasam --apple rasam this is a rasam that you would not have tasted so far. this rasam is very good for people who have allergy to tamarind and or tomato or kokum etc. this is prepared with raw green apples. apples from new zealand and washington are excellent. try this rasam and you would enjoy it to the core. (to serve four people 2 servings) thoram parappu stock 500 ml apple (raw) 1 no. chili powder 1/4 spoon jeera powder 1/2 spoon kothumalli leaves 1/4 cup salt to taste oil for tempering 1 tbsp mustard 1/4 spoon water 250 ml cooked dhall 1/4 cup rasam powder 3 spoons pepper powder (coarse) 1/4 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig sugar 1/2 spoon jeera 1/2 spoon asafoetida 1/2 spoon or 6 cloves of garlic

cook dhall in pressure cooker with a lot of water. in the same cooker keep pieces of one raw apple after removing the seeds and outer peel. mash the apple pulp and set aside. pluck kothumalli leaves, rough grind the kothumalli leaves, and keep aside the paste.

take the dhall with water and churn till it froths, and add salt, also add jeera and turmeric powder, curry leaves, mashed apple pulp, and set it to boil on a medium flame. after four minutes, add rasam powder, chili powder, coarsely powdered pepper and rough paste of kothumalli. let it boil for three minutes. take oil in a tempering ladle and temper the rasam with only mustard, jeeragam and asafoetida. cover immediately after tempering. use it 1 hour after preparing the rasam. the taste of this rasam is very different from conventional rasams using tamarind. apple acids have a fine tongue tingling bite which you would love. use as an appetizer or as a rice accompaniment. (if you want, avoid asafoetida and use garlic instead) enjoy !!! please post your feedback. and if you want more of my recipes. --- gounder's rasam --gounder's rasam two spoons of rasam podi (podi recipe as given some time earlier by me) half cup of toor dhall cooked and churned one and half teaspoons of jeera one small spoon of black pepper six to seven cloves of garlic one sprig of curry leaves one small ball of tamarind - soak and extract juice one medium sized onion diced into very small pieces. one medium sized tomato diced in small pieces oil for tempering two red chilies and half teaspoon of jeera for tempering. half a cup of kothumalli (cilantro) for garnishing salt to taste cook 3/4 of a cup of toor dhall and keep it aside. make a paste of jeera, black pepper and garlic and curry leaves add the juice of tamarind and salt to taste to dhall and set it to boil till raw smell of tamarind goes off. first add two spoons of rasam powder and boil for a minute or two now add the paste of jeera etc to the dhall and let it boil on a medium flame for about five to six minutes. add diced tomato. now temper the rasam with jeera and red chilies. garnish the rasam with freshly cut kothumalli (cilantro) and onion. onion must not be sauted or cooked. tomato pieces also must not be soft like onion. rasam should not be thin or watery but must be thick like sambar. enjoy.!!! with rice, or appetizer. you may increase amount of pepper if you want hotter rasam some friends prefer tempering with ghee. that is individual preference. this rasam is a hot favorite with all my north indian relatives. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- kothumalli rasam --kothumalli rasam this is a rasam that you would not have tasted so far. this rasam is very good for children and patients. also it is good for nursing mothers and food buffs like me. this rasam is very good for people who are recovering from or suffering from long illness. it is easy to digest and induces hunger. the best part is that this rasam uses both the leaves and stem of kothumalli (coriander) plant. try and tell me how you liked it. kothumalli 1 bunch (200 gms) rasam powder 3 spoons turmeric powder 1/4 spoon salt to taste jeera 1/2 spoon water 250 ml payar parappu (cooked) 1/4 cup jeera powder 1/2 spoon tamarind extract from marble sized tamarind oil for tempering 1 tbsp mustard 1/4 spoon asafoetida 1/4 spoon or 3 cloves of garlic

cook dhall in pressure cooker with a lot of water. pluck kothumalli leaves and discard root part. use only half cup of kothumalli leaves and keep the rest for other use. wash stem parts in water and prepare juice in a mixi after adding a cup of water. using a filter, filter off fibers and keep only green stem water /juice in a cup. set aside. roughly grind the kothumalli leaves and keep aside the rough paste.

take the dhall with water and churn till it froths, add the extract of tamarind and add salt also add jeera and turmeric powders, and set it to boil on a medium flame. when tamarind loses raw smell, add rasam powder and rough paste of kothumalli. let it boil for three minutes. now add juice of kothumalli stem and just boil for one minute only. set aside. take oil in a tempering ladle and temper the rasam with only mustard, jeeragam and asafoetida. no chilies are used except in rasam powder. cover immediately after tempering. use it 1 hour after preparing the rasam. enjoy !!! please post your feedback. --- pepper-jeera rasam --pepper-jeera rasam (mulligatawny soup anglicised from milagu thani pepper water) rasam powder two spoons thoor dhaal 1/4 cup 1 spoon jeera 1 spoon black pepper one tomato finely diced five to six cloves of garlic (optional) two sprigs of curry leaves 1/4 cup of kothumalli/cilantro 1/2 spoon of asafoetida one lemon sized tamarind ball soaked in water. salt to taste sugar 1/2 spoon a pinch of manja (turmeric) powder cook thoor dhall and keep it aside. coarsely grind black pepper and jeera keep it aside add 400 ml. of water to thoor dhall, churn fine and heat it in a vessel to boil. add salt and a pinch of manja (turmeric) powder along with extracted juice from tamarind. boil the above for six to seven minutes till raw smell of tamarind goes off. now add coarse powder of jeera and pepper along with rasam powder as mentioned above. you may add garlic at this stage if you want. add curry leaves and tomato now. boil the rasam on a medium flame for six to seven minutes. the water quantity would have reduced to about 350 ml. you may add a little jaggery or sugar and enough salt to taste now. temper now with jeera and two broken chilies along with a quarter spoon of asafoetida. add kothumalli/cilantro last and cover the vessel immediately after tempering. your jeera/pepper rasam is ready. always remember to crush garlic and not slice it. crushed garlic has better aroma than sliced, as on the application of pressure, the sulphurous compounds of garlic undergo a quick chemical change and give a better garlic smell. enjoy.!!!! and please post your valuable feedback because others are waiting for your feedback. --- salsa rasam --salsa rasam when i made salsa rasam, i was not sure if it is going to be accepted or liked. but when i had it, i knew that this was entirely different and probably first mexican rasam to see the light of the hearth. (lol) so without further ado, i am posting the maxindian recipe # 2. cooked thoram parappu 1/2 cup salsa (small pcs variety but med hot) 4 to 5 tbsp. tamarind juice 2 to 3 tbsp. garlic 2 to 3 cloves red chili powder 1/4 spoon turmeric powder a pinch (optional) pepper powder 3/4 spoon curry leaves (crushed) 1 sprig jeera powder 3/4 spoon rasam powder 1 spoon (optional) salt to taste sugar 1/4 spoon coarse powder jeera+black pepper 1/4 spoon each tempering oil/ghee 1 ladle red chili 1 no. jeera 3/4 spoon mustard 1/4 spoon

please follow all the directions as laid down by me in my rasam preparation given in my other rasam recipes. (gounder's rasam, pepper-jeera rasam, tomato rasam etc.) only difference is that you are going to add salsa last when you are done. .add salsa after tempering is over. cover the vessel and leave it for about fifteen to twenty minutes. reheat and serve with steaming rice. go easy on eating. this rasam is really spicy and tasty. you should know when to stop. don't forget to post in your feedback all you "usayers". i must add a note here for people who do not know what salsa is. salsa is a green salad consisting of diced tomatoes, green chilies, onions and some salt and other spices and (god knows what not). so try this recipe with these guidelines if you are from the usa, canada or mexico. --- tomato rasam --tomato rasam blanch or pressure cook 250 grams of tomatoes along with one medium sized onion and six to eight pods of garlic. when cold, put in a mixi and make a fine homogenous thick liquid. pour enough water in the vessel for two to three people and add salt to taste, add 1/4 spoon of turmeric powder, two spoons of rasam powder, one spring of curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. you may add a little sugar if you like. in case tomatoes are of sweet variety, you may add little tamarind paste to taste. one table spoon of freshly made paste of jeera, and two pods of garlic with quarter spoon of black pepper is to be added now. bring it to boil on a medium flame. temper with jeera and a pinch of asafoetida and one red chili in oil or ghee. add finely chopped coriander to taste. usually a quarter cup of the chopped coriander will be perfect. tomato rasam is ready!!!! the above rasam would be slightly hot. if you want, you may reduce rasam powder usage to half the quantity. some people use toor dhall to make thick tomato rasam. you may use the same if you like. --- shathabhishekam rasam --shathabhishekam rasam every journey in south india rewards me with something new. during my last visit, i happened to visit a small place which is famous for nadi joshiyam .. vaidheeshwaran koil is a small sleepy village which boasts of about 150 nadi readers. we stayed at a hotel called shathabhishekam which used to serve food only once during the daytime. this is where i was served a beautiful thickish rasam. on exercising my taste buds, i almost found out the recipe but this did not prevent me from asking the head cook as to how it was made. instead of the head cook, the recipe was discussed with me by the manager. he confirmed the ingredients as per what i had thought .but the method of preparation was totally different from what i had imagined. so here it is folks ! the shathabhishekam rasam. i am sure that you would come to like this as much as the gounder rasam. the manager confirmed my observation that the cook was preparing mostly chettinadu cuisine especially curries and rasams and kozumbus. thoram parappu 75 gms curry leaves 1 sprig garlic 8 to 10 cloves salt to taste tomato 1 no. tamarind 1 lemon sized ginger 1/4 " piece

powder the following black pepper 1 spoon + 1/4 spoon (raw) dhania seeds 2 pinches red chilies 4 to 5 nos curry leaves 1 sprig tempering & garnishing mustard seeds 1/2 spoon red chilies 1 or 2 nos. jeera 1/2 spoon oil

jeera seeds 1spoon + 1/4 spoon (raw) anise seeds (sombu) 3/4 spoon+ 1/4 spoon (raw) fenugreek 1 spoon oil for frying and tempering. 4 spoons

kothumalli 1/4 cup pressure cook thoram parappu and set aside. extract thick juice from tamarind and set aside. pluck kothumalli leaves . dice tomato, very roughly crush ginger and garlic with the back side of a flat serving spoon (arisi karandi) and set aside. take a little oil in a kadai and roast the ingredients for powdering as mentioned above. i would suggest you to fry red chilies and dhania first, followed by jeera and sombu, later light fry black pepper and curry leaves. fry fenugreek separately to light brown. mix all the fried ingredients and powder them. set the powder aside. now take 1/4 spoon of jeera, black pepper and sombu and make a coarse powder and set aside. now take some more oil in the kadai and add half spoon of jeera and mustard seeds. add a piece of red chili and set the flame on medium. when mustard crackles, add diced tomato and a sprig of curry leaves. when tomato pieces start leaving water, add roasted powder and fry for no more than 45 seconds to 1 minute. now add extract of tamarind and a cup of water and boil the mixture till tamarind leaves the raw smell (five to six minutes at the most). now add churned thoram parappu and salt. make the consistency of this rasam on a thickish side like a kozumbu. now add roughly beaten ginger and garlic pieces and set to boil for further three or four minutes. lastly add coarsely prepared powder of black pepper and jeera and sombu. give a last boil for two minutes. garnish with finely cut kothumalli leaves. cover the vessel and let the rasam mature for at least one hour. i would suggest you to prepare this rasam about two hours in advance. i bet you will be bowled over by the refreshing taste of this rasam. enjoy !!!!!!! please post in your feedback. i live on it. --- soups-salads --soups and salads soups and salads are an integral part of the diet. indian food has both, albeit they have been "indianized" by every state as per their own culture and taste. read some soupy facts at, http://www.businesswire.com/emk/borden/supportfiles/funfacts.htm if you want to "toss more salad" or discover what's beneath salad dressing, you may visit http://www.whattocook.com/search/salad.html

--- cheese-jeera soup --cheese- jeera soup (to serve four bowls) soups are an essential fare in western cookery. with changing taste and the indian palate becoming global, it is right time to post some exotic and not so exotic desi soups recipes. i have made certain changes in recipes to suit indian taste which i hope you won't mind.

butter 3 spoons maida flour 2 spoons onion powder 1 spoon garlic 4 to 5 cloves cheddar cheese 100 gms. jeera powder 1 spoon salt to taste

white onion 1 no. milk 200 ml. green chilies 1 no.

dice onion, finely cut green chili and skin the garlic. grate cheese and set aside. add water to maida and mix thoroughly. add butter and little water and whole pods of garlic after just injuring them by pressing them to flatten just a bit and cook on slow flame for five minutes. remove the garlic pods and discard. now add jeera powder and diced white onion to the milk and boil. add the boiling milk with spices to the maida butter mix. stir thoroughly or else the maida is likely to make an uneven mass. now add cheese (grated) and onion powder. if you think that you need water, add some and also add salt to taste . simmer for a minute or two and see that the cheese is melted. pour it in soup bowl, garnish with finely cut green chilies. enjoy this soup scalding hot with sprinkling of pepper and a dash of vinegar if you like. variation if you want, you may cut chicken meat from leg portion in small pieces, precook them with only a little salt and add to cheese soup. in such a case, avoid green chili. use halal, kosher, or organic free-range chicken for this purpose. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- cucumber pachadi (karnataka) --dosekai aavu-pachadi (sweet-sour cucumber pachadi from karnataka) this is a sweet and sour cucumber pachadi that is a specialty in karnataka cuisine, especially during summers and on special occasions. cucumber 1 medium jaggery 1.5 tea spoon or more as per taste tamarind extract 1.5 tea spoon make a paste of the following kadalai parappu 2 spoons or soaked peanuts paste 1 tbsp. coconut 2 nos. of 2" pieces green chilies 2 to 3 nos red chilies 3 to 4 nos. asafoetida 1/4 spoon cumin powder 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon salt to taste tempering oil 1 spoon mustard seeds 1/4spoon first make a thick paste of all the above ingredients. take care that there are no stones in jeera and mustard. if you have mustard powder it is good. red chilies may be not too hot variety. keep aside. some people add jaggery to paste and some add along with tamarind extract. you can mix both after you make paste of spices. kadalai parappu if used, fry in oil till light brown and then use it for paste. if you are using soaked peanuts , it is ok to soak it for at-least one or two hours . peel the cucumber and make finger digit pieces (1"). sprinkle some water on the cucumber pieces and keep aside. when you are serving the pachadi, add cucumber just before serving. if you add in the beginning, the cucumber would become very tough to chew. you must take care to match the amount of tamarind and jaggery so that the taste is exactly sweet and sour without being excess. this pachadi is a refreshing change from the other pachadis you have had so far. try it out and post the feedback please. --- cucumber-curd salad --cucumber-curd pachadi (karnataka) this is a very simple yet tasty salad. goes well with rice, pulao etc. it has four distinct tastes that fill the

want of any dish that lacks in any of the tastes. cucumber one small curds 1.5 cups green chili 2 nos. sugar 1 to 2 spoons salt to taste kothumalli 2 spoons mustard 1/4 spoon oil 1 spoon coarsely powdered jeera teaspoon peel the cucumber after checking if it is bitter or not. to see if it is bitter, slice the stem end and remove a small portion of white flesh. taste it. if it is bitter, discard the cucumber. if it gives a slightly odd taste, smear two pinches of salt and rub it. after some time, wash the salted end and use it. this process removes odd taste of cucumber. dice cucumber in small cubes of 1 cm to 1.5 cm size. slice green chilies in thin round rings (take care to remove seeds). adding coarsely pounded jeera is optional. pluck kothumalli leaves only and cut very fine. use curds that are not too sweet, it should be slightly on sourish side. add all the ingredients and then mix properly in a bowl. take oil in a tempering ladle and add mustard seeds. heat on a medium flame. when mustard starts to pop, add the tempering to cucumber salad. place the bowl in fridge and serve cold. this salad has sweet, sour, hot and salty taste. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- raitu/ raitha --raitha...raitu hundreds of recipes of raithas are available in books and on the net. the question is, "what is raitha?" basically raita/raitu is a gujarati dish which is neither pure salad nor a pickle and also not a chutney. it is somewhere between dish generally enjoyed with heavy sweets like ladoo made from pure ghee. it has a pungent smell and taste of nascent mustard which packs a kick. word raitha as it stands, is coined from the word, rai = mustard atho = to pickle/to ferment. in a raitha, two ingredients are a must. they are, mustard seeds and curds. i have been seeing a lot of recipes of so called raithas with most inconceivable ingredients like brinjals, and other vegetables. just as you can't call any ladoo boondi ladoo, you cannot call any curd dish minus mustard seeds raitha. a typical traditional raitha does not involve cooking of any ingredient. i am posting a basic raitha recipe of banana which is one of the traditional recipes. paka kela nu raitu ingredients ripe but firm bananas...... 1 nos small sized mustard seeds...1 tsp. fresh curds.................250 ml salt........................1/4 to 1/2 tsp (as per taste) green chilies..............1 no

ginger......................1/4" piece (optional) sugar.......................2 tbsp kothumalli/cilantro.........1 spoon. method of preparation coarsely grind mustard seeds in a mixi and remove black husk of upper skin layer and set aside. slice one green chili of medium hot variety in thin shreds, pluck kothumalli leaves, and set aside. take curds in a glass bowl and add ground and dehusked mustard. you may add salt at this stage. mix well. leave the mustard+curds mixture for about two hours at room temperature after covering it with a plate. after 2 hours, just smell the mixture. if it gives off strong pungent aroma of nascent mustard, then it is ready for further treatment. now just before lunch/dinner, first add sugar and mix it thoroughly. now make small pieces of banana and add to fermented mixture. add finely sliced green chili and shredded ginger (optional) and garnish with kothumalli. it tastes great with ghee sweets, roti/parathas and you can use it as a taste changer. you may use any fruit or bundhi to make this raita. please send in your feedback. !! enjoy!! --- mulangi-tomato salad (tadakiyun) --tadakiyun (mulangi kirai-tomato salad) salads are an integral part of any indian meal. unlike their western counterpart, indian salads are regular salads, salads with oil dressing, salads which have partially cooked or partially fried or deep fried ingredients. some salads have spices and some are just salads . i would be bringing to you some known and some unknown varieties .i trust you would try them out. happy salad days!!! i am partial to mulangi (radish) and my first salad comes in the form of mulangi kirai (radish leaves) salad which i bet you would never have tasted. this was my mother's favourite and is mine too!! so without much ado, here i go....... mulangi kirai (radish leaves) 10 leaves tomato 1 no. (big) asafoetida 1/2 to 3/4 spoon red chili powder 3/4 spoon salt to taste salad oil/groundnut oil 2 spoons select clean hot radish leaves (white mulangi ) remove center veins with a sharp knife. cut all the leaves similarly and arrange five leaves and cut leaves to make about 3 mm width long slices (ribbons). set aside. dice tomatoes into 1/4 " pieces. select tomatoes which are firm and not too sweet. now mix both mulangi kirai and tomatoes and all the dry spices. jeera is optional. i don't use it. add salt and finally add oil and mix thoroughly. remember to add slightly more salt as this tastes great with anything. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- tomato soup --tomato soup soups are an essential fare in western cookery. with changing taste and the indian palate becoming global, it is right time to post some exotic and not so exotic desi soups recipes. i have made certain changes in recipes to suit indian taste which i hope you won't mind. 250 gms. tomatoes

1/4 spoon black pepper powder 1/4 spoon chili powder 1 small onion diced in small pieces 1 spoon of ginger paste salt to taste 1 spoon of jaggery 1/4 spoon of jeera 5 cloves 2 nos. 2" pieces of cinnamon sticks 1 tea spoon of ghee for tempering 1 strand of curry leaves 1/4 cup of finely cut kothumalli leaves steam cook the tomatoes and when cold, remove the outer skin, add a little water and make a fine mixture with a blender. now add pepper powder, chili powder, salt and jaggery. add a little water and paste of ginger and boil it on a medium flame. take ghee in a thallikku karandi (tempering ladle) and add cloves, cinnamon and jeera. heat and when cloves get puffed up, temper the tomato soup. cover for five minutes. you may add onions fried in a little ghee at this stage. now add kothumalli and curry leaves and cover again. reheat before serving. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- tomato-curd pachadi --tomato-curd pachadi (andhra) this is a very simple yet tasty salad. goes well with rice, pulao etc. it has a distinct colour and taste which is very typical southern. this pachadi is a great accompaniment with rice and chapathis. tomatoes 4 medium curds 1.5 cups green chili 2 nos kothumalli 2 spoons curry leaves 1 sprig oil 2 ladles onion 2 spoons freshly grated coconut 1/4 cup. salt to taste asafoetida (mild) 1/4 spoon (optional) mustard 1/4 spoon

first make a thick paste of all the above ingredients. take care that there are no stones in jeera and mustard. if you have mustard powder it is good. red chilies may be not too hot variety. keep aside. some people add jaggery to paste and some add along with tamarind extract. you can mix both after you make paste of spices. kadalai parappu if used, fry in oil till light brown and then use it for paste. if you are using soaked peanuts, it is ok to soak it for at-least one or two hours . peel the cucumber and make finger digit pieces (1"). sprinkle some water on the cucumber pieces and keep aside. when you are serving the pachadi, add cucumber just before serving. if you add in the beginning, the cucumber would become very tough to chew. you must take care to match the amount of tamarind and jaggery so that the taste is exactly sweet and sour without being excess. this pachadi is a refreshing change from the other pachadis you have had so far. try it out and post the feedback please. --- chutneys --chutney...chutney...chutney... north, south, east or westanywhere you go in india, among the first items to be served on a meal plate would be chutney. chutney is essentially a concentrated taste-maker in its own capacity. idly or dosai cannot be imagined without coconut chutney. khaman dhokla or samosas can't be imagined without sweet tamarind chutney or pungent

garlic chutney or mint chutney. every conceivable form of chutney is available in india. it may be from skin of ridge gourd, raw tamarind, coconut or anything else for that matter. --- garlic chutney --garlic chutney garlic chutney is an universal chutney which adds proper spiciness to both the northern and southern dishes. garlic chutney is always hot and is made to last for at least six months to an year. 250 gms. of garlic pods which are of hot variety. 50 gms. of chili powder 3 ladles of edible oil 3 spoons of salt (table spoons) 1 spoon of mustard seeds for tempering mash garlic in a wooden mortar and pestle. if you don't have wooden, use metal. go on beating the garlic till garlic is almost mashed. now add chili powder and salt. start pounding for at least fifteen minutes. you will find a very hard mass of red garlic and chili powder. take out the chutney in a clean bowl. take oil in a tempering ladle (karandi) and add mustard seeds. when mustard starts to crackle, pour the oil on chutney . take out the red chutney and taste for salt. if you find salt is proper, take a clean glass jar and fill up the chutney. this chutney is to be used along with plain edible oil which is used to thin down the chutney. this chutney will last for at least one year without any problem remember that this chutney is very hot, so always take care to tone down the hotness with oil/ghee. variations you can add 30 gms. of tamarind to make a sour garlic chutney. for children, reduce the hotness by adding a lot of dry copra powder and oil. both the variations will last long. this chutney can be eaten with khichadi, upuma, dosai, idlies ,dhoklas, samosas etc. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- kothumalli chutney --kothumalli chutney (cilantro chutney) 1 bunch of kothumalli /cilantro 2 two to three cloves of garlic 1" piece of ginger 2 green chilies 1/4 spoon of jeera powder (coarse) 2 table spoons of groundnuts 1/4 spoon of salt 1/2 medium sized lemon 1 spoon of sugar (optional) pluck out only the leaves of kothumalli /cilantro. it should come to at least one and half to two cups. make small pieces of ginger, chilies and garlic and add to kothumalli leaves now powder jeera coarsely and also powder groundnuts in a mixi bowl. once the powdering is over, add kothumalli mix and run the mixi on churn speed only. take care that you don't make a smooth paste. at churner speed, the chutney will be slightly coarse, but the real taste lies in it being coarse. now take it out of the mixi bowl and taste for ingredients. if you feel that you need to add anything, add now. also please don't forget to add lime juice at this stage. adding sugar is optional. with dhoklas, bhajjis and other savories, the sugar variety will taste beautiful. with idlis and dosais, the nonsugared version will be fine. put the chutney in a glass bowl (medium sized) and keep it covered. it is prudent to put it in fridge till lunch/ dinnertime. try this out and let me know the result!! if you don't have groundnuts, you may use roasted bengal gram/chana dal (pottu kadalai- oduchhu kadalai). take care to make this chutney slightly hot. you may use 1/4 cup of coconut grating in place of groundnuts too. this taste will be very different. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback.

--- peerkanga skin chutney --peerkanga skin chutney (ridge gourd) (turai ki chhaal ki chutney) peeled skin of peerkanga (about one large cup) one spoon of ulundhu parappu (urad dhall) small ball of tamarind red chilies (about three to four) 1" piece of sliced ginger salt to taste 20 ml of cooking oil 1 spoon of asafoetida take 20 ml of oil in a kadai and on a medium fire, roast ulutham (urad dhall) and red chilies for about two minutes till ulutham becomes rosy brown. now add one spoon of asafoetida and immediately put all the skin and scraping of peerakanga in the kadai. also put a small ball sized tamarind piece. stir fry for about three minutes. do not under any circumstances cook peerkanga skin. now add salt and mix thoroughly. remove the kadai from stove and allow it to cool. when sufficiently cold, put the whole thing in a small / medium jar of mixi and make chutney. this chutney tastes great with rice and ghee. this also goes well with idlies and dosai. try once and tell me!! this chutney will keep good in fridge for three to four days. note: if the quantity of scrapings and skin is less, use about 15 ml of oil. if you want to use this chutney only with rice, you can add a green chili or two along with peerkanga peelings during frying. but you need to use ghee also for taste. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- tamarind-palm date chutney --tamarind-palm date sweet sour chutney this chutney goes fine with dhoklas, samosas, panipuri, bhelpuri and potato bondas and bhajees too. 15 nos. of dates of very sweet variety (black) 1 tablespoon of jaggery powder 1 large marble sized tamarind ball (extract juice) 1 small sized spoon of rock salt (black) 1 spoon of chili powder (or more to your taste) 2 spoon of dhaniya and jeera powder (both one) 1. 5 spoons of garam masala powder steam cook dates after removing the seeds. mash the cooked dates. add tamarind juice extract to dates, put it in a mixi bowl and blend it properly. add some water and boil the mixture on a low to medium flame. after about five minutes, add chili powder, garam masala powder, dhaniya jeera powder, rock salt and jaggery powder. boil the mixture for about further five minutes on a low flame. remove from fire and allow it to cool. your sweet- sour tamarind-date chutney is ready. please taste for any addition of salt or chili powder etc before you serve. point to remember the thickness/consistency of chutney should be slightly thinner than tomato sauce enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- sweets --sweets

life without love and food without sweets has no meaning. my father used to say that "only an unfortunate man cannot enjoy sweets." like all the other foods, sweets in india have many many forms, shapes, colour and taste..... "taste?" .....you may ask sweet has to be sweet...!! no i am right, sweets are also made with bitter ingredient like fenugreek, and spicy ingredients like ginger!! every state has a torchbearer sweet that it is famous for. due to my partiality towards curries and spices, i have not been able to develop my skills much in sweets area of culinary art. but may be i would make up for the lapse after i move to usa in coming months. --- adadiya --adadiya adadiya is a winter sweet made only by gujaratis, kutchis, kathiawaris and people of saurashtra. but adadiyas made by each region differs in taste and contents. adadiyas made by kathiawaris is generally liked more than other regions. there are two types of adadiyas, one made of dry sugar powder and other made with two-threaded sugar syrup. generally at home, the first variety is made. it lasts almost for a month or more without getting spoiled. adadiya increases the heat of the body, it is heavy to digest due to its ghee content, and it is reported to increase the vitality in men. urad dhall flour 500 gms. white gundar 15 gms. masalas dholi musali 20 gms. sunth 15 gms. sugar 500 gms. ghee 300 gms. badam, pista, 50 gms. each milk 1/2 cup

jaiphal/javantri 20 gms. cardamom 10 gms. black pepper powder 1 spoon

the urad flour should be coarse like rawa. add a ladle of ghee and milk to urad flour and mix thoroughly. this is called dhabo dewo. set it aside for about 30 to 45 minutes. then take a sieve for wheat (ghaun no chaino) and sieve the flour by pressing mildly. make sure that the sieved flour is like very coarse-grained sand. set it aside to dry further for about half an hour. powder the sugar and set it aside. now take rest of the ghee in a kadai and put on a medium flame. when the ghee is hot, add the sieved flour and stir and turn very briskly at medium/low heat for ten to fifteen minutes till the grains of urad flour assume medium brown colour. some people, especially in kutch, almost burn the flour and make it black. this is not good. see that the flour is light pinkish brown. now add powdered spices and stir for about a minute. now immediately add powdered sugar to the flour in the kadai. the whole mass will become thicker in a moment or two. go on stirring briskly and ensure that the sugar is thoroughly mixed and melted in kadai. fry the gundar (pounded in small grains) in ghee and add to adadiya dough. the gundar will puff up. now at this juncture, some people want more ghee. if your place is very cold, add some more ghee to the mass (about a cup) and remove the kadai from fire. add finely cut badam and pista. transfer the whole thing in a big container. when the whole mass is at workable temperature, make a typical adadiya-type small mountain-like adadiya in a plate and go on arranging in circles. after about a couple of hours, the adadiyas become mini mountains of sweets and they are hard and ready to eat. enjoy!!! sugar syrup method after you fry the urad flour (after sieving) in ghee, let it cool for 30 minutes. now make two thread sugar syrup. after adding all the spices and badam pista, add still hot sugar syrup to the dough. immediately start making adadiyas as before or smear some ghee in a plate and spread the adadiya dough in the plate. cut in squares and let it cool. enjoy!! winter in gujarat is never complete without adadiyas. prepare and let me know. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- badusha without layer --badusha (without layer) among the sweets, badusha is fairly simple to prepare and keeps for a long time. children are especially very fond of this sweet. in my opinion indian sweets, which are not milk based, must always be prepared

with pure ghee. thus all my sweets recipes will have ghee as the main ingredient. the reason is very special, pure ghee has its own special flavour and taste which you don't get in vegetable ghee or vanaspati. vanispati is also unnatural and contains an unhealthy type of oil. so i will start my sweet chariot with badusha... maida 450 gms. sugar 750 gms. pure ghee 250 gms. curds 4 tablespoons pista 25 gms. badam 25gms. rose petals - a few kumkum poo (saffron) 1 gm. first of all, heat about 30 to 40 gms of ghee and mix it with maida flour thoroughly. now add curds and little by little water and make dough. the dough should be loose like medu vadai dough. take little water in a pan and add sugar to it. heat it on a medium flame and make sugar syrup of one thread consistency. you can check with a drop of syrup put in a bowl of water also. if the syrup drop sits down without melting, the single thread syrup is ready. keep it aside to cool. now make small portions like you make for medu vadai (slightly less than that) and make small lemon sized balls and pat them on flat of the palm in vadai shape and make a small depression in the middle. make all the dough in vadai shapes. now heat ghee in a kadai and when it is sufficiently hot, fry the patties of dough to golden brown on low to medium flame. take care to turn the patties regularly. the colour should be uniformly light golden brown. when all the patties are fried, the sugar syrup would have cooled down, immerse all the badushas in sugar syrup and keep them dipped for about eight to ten minutes. the top layer of the badusha would absorb enough syrup. take out the badushas and arrange in a tray and let them cool down further. the sugar on the badushas would harden and make a fine uniform layer. decorate the badushas with nicely sliced pistachios and badams. you can also decorate further with rose petals placed at the center of depression. but in my opinion, decorate with sliced nuts and saffron and place rose petals when serving. this badusha will keep for at least two weeks and you will make all the guests happy. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- badusha with layer --badusha (with layer) please prepare the dough as per the first recipe of badusha, after adding just a little baking powder. now take the whole dough at one go and flatten it into a big flat roti. smear ghee on one side. slowly roll the big roti into a roll and make a cylinder of about 1.5 " thickness. now twist the roll as if you are wringing the clothes before drying. now cut one inch sized portions and as in last recipe, flatten them on your palm with a depression made in the centre. in this recipe, the sugar syrup consistency must be more than one thread, it should be two thread almost . fry the badusha in ghee as before and dip in sugar syrup. after about ten to twelve minutes, remove from syrup and arrange to cool in a tray. a white layer of sugar must be visible on this variety. try out and let me know. some people add cardamom powder to the dough, others add pacchai karpuram, but i am of opinion that it tastes fantastic as it is. enjoy!!!! --- churma na ladoo --churma-na-ladoo gujaratis in general and gujarati brahmins in particular are among the greatest lovers of churma-na-ladoos . i am yet to see similar love of ladoos (modakams) elsewhere. the real attraction of churma-na-ladoo does not lie in its sweet taste alone, but it lies in the amount of ghee that goes in. brahmins of gujarat were great ghee lovers. no occassion, may it be a marriage or 12th day ceremony after the departed soul, is complete without ladoos dripping with ghee. alas...the trend is changing now. even today, halavadiya brahmins of saurashtra are keeping up the tradition. their ladoos weigh around 200 gms each and i know people who can eat 12 nos of such ladoos. i am bringing to you the traditional churma-na-ladoo of saurashtra . ingredients

whole wheat flour 250 gms sugar(powder) 250 gms ghee 250 gms poppy seeds 50 gms ghee for frying 2 cups water/milk for dough a little spices nutmeg powder 1 tsp. or cardamom powder 1 tsp method of preparation take whole wheat flour in a wide mouth vessel and add just a little milk or water and make very tough dough. pressing in your fist, make very hard urundais (koftas). please ensure that the urundais do not break when dropped from 1 ft height. take ghee in a kadai and fry the urundais (koftas) at a low -medium flame till the outer surface becomes biscuit brown. set aside to cool. powder sugar, nutmeg/cardamom and set aside. when the fried urundais are reasonably cold, coarsely powder them in a blender/mixi large bowl at slow speed. the particle size of the broken urundais should be like rice rava for idly. to ensure uniform size, you can use a sieve. add sugar powder and spices first and mix thoroughly. heat 250 gms of ghee till it becomes hot but not too hot. slowly pour ghee on ladoo mix and using hands, mix thoroughly. the ghee should be hot, but not so hot as to burn or scald your skin. pre grease a large plate and using two cupped palms, prepare ladoos of about 100 gms each handful of ladoo mix. you must press the ladoos properly so that you feel ghee coming out from between your fingers while compressing the ladoos. prepare in a shape of half orange. once all the ladoos are arranged, smear poppy seeds on top of all the ladoos individually. let the ladoos set for about two to three hours. they will become set and firm. enjoy !!! these ladoos keep good for at least ten to fifteen days . please post the feed back it is very important for everyone

--- cashew nut burfi --cashew nut burfi ( kaju katli ) cashew nut burfi is among the most loved burfi which people do not get tired of enjoying. it is also one of the simplest sweets to make. you can surprise your deepavali guests with home made kaju barfi this year. cashew nuts pieces 500 gms silver foil 4 to 6 leaves (optional) sugar 250 gms water 1/4 cup

buy cashew nut pieces which are priced 25 to 40% less than whole cashewnuts. ensure that are very dry and if not, dry them in the sun for about two to three hours or put them in a preheated oven for three to four minutes when complete moisture is evaporated. now powder the cashew pieces to a very fine consistency of wheat flour. if there is any moisture left, the mixi will stop running and cashew lump will be formed. so you must ensure that the cashew pieces are absolutely without any moisture. now powder the sugar and make sugar syrup of one thread consistency on a low -medium flame. use only very white sugar. now add cashew powder slowly while stirring thoroughly. when the mixing is over, transfer the whole thing to a non-stick pan and heat while constantly stirring till the whole thing becomes thick and not possible to stir any more easily. smear some ghee on a large plate surface and transfer the kaju barfi to the plate. with flat of the hand, pat the barfi to a thin layer of 4 to 5 mm on the plate. you can use a roller pin to ensure even thickness. now stick silver foil on the surface of the barfi. using a very sharp and thin knife, cut the barfi when still hot into diamond shaped pieces. the barfi will set in about 30 minutes. no essence or artificial colouring should be used. take care to use minimal water when making syrup otherwise the barfi will not set properly and you will waste the ingredients if the mass starts sticking to the vessel.

there is another method of preparing cashew nut barfi. the cashew powder is made in to thick liquid first and then sugar is melted in that liquid over a low flame in hot condition. no syrup is made. when the sugar melts thoroughly, the mixture is heated till the whole mass becomes thick and pliable like vada maavu. it is now transferred to a plate and as in previous method, diamond shaped pieces are made. either way the sweet tastes heavenly. so enjoy !!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- milk/dry fruits cocktail --milk-dry fruits-cocktail this is very nourishing recipe full of minerals and vitamins. it should not be served more than twice as it is rather heavy. anyone tastes this once, will fall in love with it. it is very simple to make. 1 litre milk 50 gms. dates (cut in 1/2" pieces) 50 gms. dry dates (kharek) cut in same sized pieces as dates. 50 gms. figs (cut as above) 50 gms. jardaalu (aloo bukhaara) remove the centre hard seed and use the flesh 25 gms. raisins 25 gms. almonds 25 gms. pistachio 25 gms. cashew pieces 25 gms. walnut/akhrot 25 gms. charoli 1 gms. kesar /kumkumpoo 5 gms. elaichi/elaka powder or nutmeg (jajika) powder 175 gms. sugar boil milk and add sugar while the milk is boiling. add cardamom/elaichi powder or nutmeg powder while boiling. make a paste of kesar with spoon under side or a stone and add it to milk just before you remove from fire. you must either use cardamom or nutmeg. both should not be mixed. remove from fire and let it cool to room temperature. slice all the nuts like almonds, pistachio & walnut, etc in slices and small pieces. add them to milk at room temperature. taste for sugar now and add if you feel that it is less. make sure that your cocktail must taste sweet. dishes after cooling tend to taste less sweet. add raisins, and all the other dry fruits like dates, figs, etc now and put the vessel in the fridge to cool. serve the milk dryfruit cocktail to guests as a sweet and not as a dessert. enjoy !!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- munthiri kothu --munthiri kothu this sweet is slowly disappearing because of its humbleness. i am happy to revive it here. this is a cousin of andhra buralu sweet. green gram dhall (paiyar parappu) 1 cup jaggery 1.5 cups sesame seeds (yellu) 1/2 cup cardamom 10 nos. maida flour 1 cup turmeric powder 2 pinches salt 1 pinch oil/ghee for frying you may add a tablespoon of copra powder. but this is optional. roast dhall in a kadai. you may dry roast or with little ghee. cool it and make a fine powder. similarly roast sesame seeds also and powder. remove cardamom covers and put them in tea jar. powder cardamom and set aside. mix sesame seeds powder, dhall powder, cardamom powder, and jaggery. make small marble sized balls and arrange on a plate after smearing with a little ghee on plate surface. this will avoid sticking. make a batter of maida, turmeric and salt by adding water carefully to dosai maavu consistency. take care not to let any lumps being formed. now take a kadai and put ghee in it. heat on medium flame. deep fry batches marbles of sweet kothu till golden brown. keep a newspaper in a vessel and put fried sweet on it.

excess ghee will be removed. enjoy !!! and as usual dont forget to post the feedback. it is very important for all. --- mysore paak --mysore paak being in bangalore and not having tasted sri venkateshwara sweets mysore paak is impossible. but the one that i am posting is more of northern taste and is different. so here is my second posting in the series of sweets. kadalai maavu (besan) 500 gms sugar 500 gms pure ghee 1500 gms edible yellow colour 1 spoon mix the gram flour and half a cup of ghee thoroughly and set it aside. now prepare sugar syrup to two-thread consistency and remember to add the food colour to water for syrup. remove the scum with the method i have posted yesterday. the syrup must be made on a slow to medium fire. now ask a helper to add the besan to the syrup very slowly and you constantly keep on stirring the mixture. take care that no lumps are left. when done, heat the remaining ghee in a separate kadai and when it is melted and hot, add this ghee little by little to the kadalai maavu -sugar mix. see that the ghee is in hot condition throughout this operation. stop when you have about a fourth of the ghee remaining in kadai. now reheat the ghee till fumes start coming out and pour hot ghee to the mixture at one go. immediately transfer the hot mysore paak mix to a steel plate. after about ten to twelve minutes, make square cuts with a long sharp knife. the thickness of the mysore paak should not be less than 2". there is another method to mix hot ghee. the mixture in the second phase is transferred to a stainless steel plate and then hot ghee is poured evenly on top. the hot ghee percolates downward making sieves and raising the mysore paak. any way you do it, the mysore paak tastes heavenly. decorate with thinly sliced baadam or pistachio after you have made cuts. please try out this recipe in a mini version first and if you are sure, prepare with confidence whenever you like. enjoy !!! and as usual dont forget to post the feedback. it is very important for all. --- poli --poli (puranpoli) i am posting the recipe for poli without the usage of coconut or any other ingredients. poli is one of the most favorite dishes prepared in karnataka, maharashtra and gujarati homes. no birthday or a festival is complete without poli. gujaratis call this as puranpoli. the real way to enjoy poli is by using a lot of ghee and enjoying it when hot. polis are prepared with thoram parappu, channa dhaal or mung dhall. but in my opinion, poli made with thoram parappu or thuvar dhaal tastes best. for the filler 350 gms. thoram parappu (thuvar dhall) 500 gms. sugar 3/4th nutmeg or mace (1 spoon) (made in a fine powder) ingredients for roti for filler 250 gms. whole wheat flour enough water for the dough 2 tsp oil

ghee 1 cup

steam cook the dhall with just enough water in a cooker so that the dhall is properly cooked (cook till six whistles). when the cooker loses steam, remove dhall in a kadai and add sugar to dhall and heat on a

low/medium flame till the sugar melts. go on stirring the thick filler of parappu and sugar till the filler is thick. this will ensure a dry filler and burn excess of water. add the powder of nutmeg or mace now and mix properly. heat for further three minutes. now remove from stove and set aside to cool. when cold, make round balls of the filler of the size of small ladoos. these are to be placed in rotis to make poli. make dough from wheat flour to a roti consistency, first adding 2 spoons of oil to soften the dough. roll out rotis and now place the filler balls in the center. close the roti by gathering the side like you are putting some loose change in your handkerchief and tying the extra cloth on the top. now press the rounded roti with hand and re-roll the poli. remember that the size of the poli should be at least six to eight inches in diameter and the thickness must be not less than one centimeter. place the poli on a tawa and dry roast the same way as you would a parotta or a roti. when both the sides are properly roasted with just fine spotted design, remove from tawa and serve hot with a lot of ghee. the way to serve poli is by making indentations on the top surface with the rolling pin sides keeping the rolling pin standing and filling ghee in the indentation marks. take my word that people would fall in love with your polis. you can use cardamom powder in place of mace or nutmeg. enjoy !!! and as usual dont forget to post the feedback. it is very important for all. --- rossogolla --rossogolla this bengali sweet was an accidental invention. but it has captured the hearts of millions over the last 75 years. k. c. das in bangalore dishes out the best possible rossogolla and what i aim to post here is almost the near if not the same formula. cow's milk 2.5 liters citric acid crystals 10 gms water for syrup 1litre sugar 750 gms starch powder 2 to 3 spoons

heat up the milk till it rises. dissolve citric acid crystals in a cup of water and add this acidic water to hot milk. stir briskly for ten seconds. leave the milk aside. after ten minutes, the curdled milk will result. the water and white solid mass at the bottom will separate. filter the solid mass with a fine sieve or a muslin cloth. press with hand and remove all the acidic water remaining in the curdled solid mass. mix the starch with this curdled solid milk and pass it thro' a mixer or mix them with hands thoroughly. make it into a uniform smooth lump which is not too hard and not too soft. make playing marble sized round balls and keep in a plate covered with a wet cloth. make simple sugar syrup with 750 gms of sugar, just boil it for about four to five minutes. remember not to make a syrup like you get in some shops. sugar syrup which you generally have to the consistency of gulab jamuns which you get in hotels, will give you very hard rossogolla. take about a litre of water in a pan and boil it. when the water starts boiling, put milk marbles in the boiling water and allow them to cook. the rossogollas will puff up to twice their original size. remove from water and one by one put them in sugar solution after allowing the rossogollas to shed excess water through the frying ladle holes. the rossogollas are ready to be served after fifteen to twenty minutes. this recipe gives you very delicate and soft rossogollas as you find in k. c. das . there is another method of preparation. instead of boiling and cooking rossogollas in plain water, some shopkeepers cook the rossogollas in sugar syrup. they boil them in one thread syrup. this gives rossogollas that will last for a week, but the rossogollas are hard. you also need to make twice the size of marbles, as they do not puff up much. i also do not advocate using any essence. but if you like, add a hint of rose essence when the rossogollas are ready. enjoy!!!! --- rawa kesari --rawa kesari (semolina pak squares) sathyanarayana pooja cannot be imagined without rawa kesari. almost everyone must have grown up with

rawa kesari, as it is the first choice when guests drop in without prior intimation. it is so easy to make and also lovely to taste. so why not offer the same as prasadham to lord krishna who resides in our stomach??? he has said in srimad bhagvat geeta. aham vaishwanaro bhutwa praninam deha mashritah meaning "it is i who resides as the fire of hunger in the stomachs of all animals." god bless us all. semolina (fine variety) 1 cup cardamom 8 to 10 nos. raisins 4 tbsp ghee 1/2 to 3/4 cup. sugar 2 cups milk 2 cups almonds 10 nos. saffron /pineapple essence

powder cardamom and set it aside. put skins in tea jar. soak almonds in hot water for ten minutes, and when the brown skin is loose, remove and wipe the almonds dry. make very fine slices with a sharp knife and set aside. take a ladleful of ghee in a kadai and light fry rawa till golden brown. add milk in it and set the flame on simmer and let the rawa cook in it. just like upuma it will get cooked in about six or seven minutes. now add sugar and melt it in rawa milk mix. at this stage, add raisins and also add powdered cardamom. mix well. add remaining ghee and stir/fry for another two minutes. the consistency of the hot mix should be like vadai mix. now add saffron paste (little) or pineapple essence (a few drops). if you are using pineapple essence, add little citric acid crystals and mix well. you can also add pineapple pieces at second stage. now spread the rawa kesari in a plate (thattu) and sprinkle almond slices and press them lightly so that they would stick on surface. allow it to cool. better still put it in fridge. the whole mass would set and become hard. now with a knife, make diamond or square shaped pieces and serve... enjoy !!! and as usual dont forget to post the feedback. it is very important for all. --- shrikhand --shrikhand (sweet dewatered curds with dry fruits ) you can't separate a tamiz from sakkarai pongal, keralite from payasam, punjabi from gajar da halwa ,bengali from rossogolla, kannadiga from his poli and a gujarati from shrikhand. onset of summer means season of shrikhand in any gujarati home. yes, you guessed it right. i am posting the recipe for shrikhand today. it is probably the only sweet which does not require any heating process and it is so yummy that you would like to make it again and again. so here we go folks!!! (for a family of five two helpings each) fresh curds 5 litters sugar 1.25 kgs raisins 25 gms figs 5 to 6 nos badham (almonds) 15 nos pista (pistachio) 10 nos cardamom 10 nos saffron 1/4 spoon buy five liters of full fat milk in the morning, boil it and cool it. at about 8 pm, add quarter cup of curd to it. (use very good culture. you can buy dairy curd for this purpose). by evening 8 pm, the curd would have set. now take a fine muslin cloth (one meter ) and place the curd in it. tie all the corners and further tighten the neck and tie it with a string. hang it and keep a large vessel under it. by morning, complete water from curd would have dripped off. you have a nice creamy mass of solid white creamy looking curd chenna. take it down, sieve it thro a fine mash, knead it and make a fine creamy mass. set aside. if the water has not dripped off fully, agitate it with hand as if you are pressing the rubber horn of an old car .ensure that you have thick vadai consistency of chenna. soak badham in hot water for fifteen minutes and when the brown skin is loose, remove it and make wafer thin slices of badham with a sharp knife, and set aside. slice pista also similarly. make small 1 cm pieces of figs and set aside with raisins. check for insects in figs. de-skin cardamom and make a fine powder in a steel mortar (it is difficult to do it in mixi as the quantity is small). set aside. now soak saffron in two spoons of water for ten minutes .when it softens, crush it thoroughly using a pastel stone. now powder the sugar and add it to chenna. also add all the ingredients except sliced almonds and pista

and blend them thoroughly. ensure that powdered sugar is completely dissolved in chenna. and light orange colour of saffron is uniform. the shrikhand is ready. garnish the top with thinly sliced almonds, pista and if you want, use vegetarian varak (silver foil) after removing the shrikhand in individual glass ice cream cups. put the ice-cream cups now in your fridge and serve cold with hot phulkas or poories. if your friends eat this dish at your home, you are going to have them coming back and asking for the same , time and again, and that is a promise.!! enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feedback please. variation you can use only solid fruits like, mango, apple etc in place of dry fruits. warning !!!!!!!!!! your guests would feel terribly sleepy after lunch. so please provide them with sleeping quarters for rest of the day. if you are hosting a dinner, please make your own accommodation for the night at your neighbours or in your garage.!!!! --- tardhari lapashi --tardhari lapashi (broken wheat sweet) broken wheat means it should be slightly coarser than bansi rawa. take a kadai and put ghee, set it on a low flame. when ghee is hot, add broken wheat and light roast it for a minute and half maximum or till the wheat particles are slightly brownish in colour. now add water or milk and set the whole thing on a medium fire. after ten minutes or so, add sugar and let it dissolve. by now the wheat would have been cooked to 50%.add powdered cardamom now and mix properly. take a thattu and pour the lapsi in it, which would be of idly maavu consistency. if not, add a little water. now place this thattu on a stand or a large katora (use it as a stand) and steam cook it for fifteen to twenty minutes just like thattu idly. once you are satisfied that lapasi is properly cooked, remove from stand and let it cool. when cold, cut it in large squares, sprinkle broken sombu (aniseed) and serve. this lapasi is very nutritious and is well liked by children. broken wheat 1 cup sugar 2 cups milk/water 3 to 4 cups ghee 1/4 to 1/2 cup sombu 2 spoons cardamom 6 to 7 nos. ps, this lapasi takes a lot of water/milk , so add as much as needed to cook wheat flakes properly. increase primary cooking time before you add sugar till you are satisfied that it is at least half cooked. only then add sugar. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feedback please. --- tiffin --tiffin..tiffin...tiffin...tiffin..tiffin for any person outside of south india, word "tiffin" means lunch box. but in south india, tiffin has a different meaning. if you hear the words "tiffin aachha?" it means "did you have breakfast or light brunch?" in tiffin section, i have provided with all the light and not so light snacks, which serve as support at breakfast and early evening times . so enjoy the tiffin. --- batata wada --batata wada introduction batata wada is a savory which is extremely popular in gujarat, maharashtra and western india as whole. it is very easy to make and it tastes fantastic even with very simple spices which are used batata wada is usually eaten with spicy sweet sour tamarind / khajur chutney or plain tomato sauce. ingredients

( for five people one helping of about five wadas each) for the stuffing 1 kg. potatoes of thick skin variety 1 small bunch of kothumalli 5 nos. green chilies finely chopped 2" ginger piece finely sliced 1/2 sp. turmeric powder (optional) 2 sp. garam masala 2 sp. lime juice 3 to 4 sp. sugar 1 sp. asafoetida (perangayam) salt to taste other optional stuffings like raisins, dates, etc. can also be added for the batter 400 gms. besan/ kadalai maavu 1 sp. perangayam/hing 2 sp. chili powder 3/4 sp. turmeric powder 2 spoons salt water to make thick batter like dosai. 500 ml of cooking oil for frying method of preparation for the stuffing, first steam cook potatoes in a pressure cooker. remove the skin and let it cool. now add, salt, kothumalli, green chilies and garam masala, lime juice, sugar and salt, perangayam and slowly mix the ingredients thoroughly .don't make a paste type thing of the whole mass. the stuffing should not be totally smooth. let the potatoes be mashed to 1/4th inch size . once all the ingredients are mixed , taste for salt and other things. add anything you want at this stage. now take a big plate, smear some oil on the surface and start making small urundais (balls) of the potato stuffing and place in the plate. try making all of them of even size. rub some oil on your palms to avoid potato sticking to your palms. keep aside. preparation of the batter take kadalai maavu (besan) in a wide mouth vessel , add salt, chili powder, hing, turmeric powder and mix very well. now start adding water in small quantities and start making the batter. when you reach dosai maavu consistency, stop and taste for salt and other ingredients. grand finale dip the potato stuffing balls in the batter and fry in a kadai till golden brown. please make sure that you do not drip the batter in the oil much as it will leave a lot of bundi-like things burning in the oil. take care not to over fry on a high flame. all the deep frying should be done only at a medium flame. the frying of batata wada should be done after all the food is cooked .this is to ensure that the guests get steaming batata wadas. serve with tomato sauce to sweet sour chutney. if you want to serve only hot wadas, under fry the wadas about an hour or two before the lunch or dinner. re-fry them again on medium flame or micro it just before you serve the guests. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!!

--- bhajjis --bhajjis (bhajiya) bhajjis are the king of "tiffin". when the first showers come, the taste buds start tingling with fine aroma of frying bhajjis in gujarat and other northern parts of india. i am going to post hitherto never posted recipe of bhajjis which would surprise you with its aroma and taste. if you think that this is an over statement, try it out and you would agree with me.. for dough kadalai maavu (besan) 1 cup dhania 1 tbsp onion paste 1 tbsp garam masala 1/2 spoon chili powder 1 spoon curd/amchur/tamarind extract 1/2 spoon salt to taste oil for frying rice flour 1 spoon red chili (coarsely broken) 1 nos green chili (paste) 1no. dhania and jeera powders 1/2 spoon+1/4 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon asafoetida powder 1/2 spoon

for centre filler select big potatoes or onions or brinjals. make round slices of about 3 to 4 mm thickness in a slicer. put potato and onion slices in salt water for some time, and drain off and wipe dry with cloth or paper. if you are using big chilies, make a long slice on each chili , remove the seeds and keep them ready for dipping and frying.. coarsely pound dhania seeds and red chili and set aside. mix both kadalai maavu (besan) and rice flour thoroughly, make paste of a small onion and one green chili and add all the dry spice powders and salt along with onion-chili paste to the dough. also add any acidic medium like mango powder or a bit of tamarind extract or sour curd. taste for salt and use as per your taste. make sure that there should be just a hint of sourness. if you don't like it, you can avoid sour agents totally. add little by little water and make thick dough of dosai maavu consistency. if you want very crisp bhajjis, you can mix quarter spoon of cooking soda in half a spoon of oil, mix thoroughly first and then add in dough and stir-mix thoroughly. take oil in kadai (200 ml) and heat it on high flame. after some time drop a drop of dough and check if oil is ready for frying. if ready, the drop would immediately come on top fried. reduce the flame to medium or simmer. now carefully dip each filler like onion rings or potato slices or green chilies and coat it properly in dough. drop very carefully in oil and fry till the outer cover of bhajji dough becomes golden brown. never fry bhajjis till brown. using a frying sieve, remove the bhajjis in a vessel where you should keep a paper at the bottom to absorb excess oil. serve hot bhajjis with kothumalli chutney or tomato sauce. i bet , this recipe would bring loads of applause and appreciation from your loved ones and guests. --- bonda, mysore --mysore bonda mysore bonda is one item in hotels which is seen lesser and lesser nowadays. this simple preparation is a great nourisher and tastes fantastic with chutney. i prefer mysore bonda to medhu vadai for its rich creamy inside and a subtle taste. ulundhu (dehusked) 150 gms. payir parappau/thoram parappu 3 spoons coconut (2"piece) 1/4 cup ginger 1" piece green chilies 4 to 5 nos. black pepper 1 spoon jeera 1/2 spoon salt to taste oil for frying cooking soda two pinches the parappus dhalls) are to be soaked in water for at least three hours in winter and 2 hours in summer. chop chilies, grate ginger and cut a 2" piece of coconut flesh in small pieces. set aside. make a thick but very fine paste of both parappus (dhalls) .if you want very fluffy bondas, you can use the agitator or egg beater and make a frothy dough. but before doing that, add salt to taste. this dough should be of vadai dough consistency. so take care when you make paste. coarsely grind jeera and pepper . some people add whole peppers and pounded jeera. you can do as you like. mix cooking soda in a little oil and mix thoroughly till it turns milky. add this to dough .now mix all the ingredients with dough and see that they have evenly been mixed. now take a kadai and heat up oil. check if it is hot enough by putting a drop of dough. when ready, wet your palms and make a small lemon sized bonda by hand and put directly in oil. take care that you don't drop it from height or else you would burn your hand with hot oil. fry at medium

heat till the bondas are beautiful golden in colour. the frying should be evenly done or else the center portion would not cook properly. the bondas would be fine crispy on the outside and soft creamy inside. prepare coconut chutney also and serve hot bondas with chutney. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- chapattis --chapattis to make nice chappathis / phulkas which balloon when roasted on fire, you need to make the dough in the following manner. take required amount of (two cups) whole wheat flour. add three table spoons of cooking oil and half a spoon of salt. mix the oil , salt and the whole wheat flour thoroughly. now take some water and slowly start adding and kneading the dough. when the dough is sufficiently soft, keep it aside for at least one hour after smearing the whole kneaded dough with a spoonful of oil to avoid drying up. make urundais of only lemon size of dough to roll chappathis. (sometimes on keeping for an hour, you may have to still soften the dough with a little bit of water as wheat flour sometimes absorbs water more than usual). you must not add too much water or else the chappathis will not balloon and you will not be able to make thin chappathis or phulkas. take a little dry flour and set it aside. with a rolling pin, roll the chappathis on the stone. once the flattened dough is thin and starts sticking to roller pin, turn the chapatti in dry flour on both the sides and start rolling in round shape. you may have to turn the chappathis in dry flour twice or thrice in order to get very thin (2.5-3mm) thickness without sticking. now take the rolled flat dough and first place it on tava. as soon as slight bulges start forming, with a chimta remove the chappathi from tava and place directly on fire or flame of the stove. you will be amazed to see perfectly round phulkas. turn it and cook it on both the sides. remove from flame and apply nei (ghee) on the thinner side of the phulka. serve it hot. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- dhoklas, spongy --spongy dhoklas dhokla is a dish which gujarat is famous for. there are a number of variations of dhokla preparation. but i am going to post the most popular spongy double decker or dunlopillow dhokala recipe. 450 gms. besan (kadalai maavu) 50 gms. of soaked urad dhall 1 spoon of turmeric powder 1 spoon of chili powder 2 spoons of fruit salt/eno 2 spoons of ginger and chili paste 1 spoon of salt or to taste 1 spoon of perangayam (use mild perangayam) 1 pinch of extra citric acid 2 ladles of oil for smearing on plate and tempering 2 spoons of mustard seeds 2 spoons of white gingelly seeds 2 springs of curry leaves 1/2 cup of finely cut kothumalli/cilantro 250 ml of tempering water on top of dhoklas 2 spoon of sugar (add slightly more if you want typical gujarati taste) make a thickish dough of besan/kadalai maavu of thick bhajji maavu consistency, the consistency must be almost like idly maavu thickness. make a paste of soaked urad / ulandu dhall and add it to besan maavu. now add salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, ginger chili paste, sugar asafoetida, salt, citric acid into the better and mix thoroughly. taste the batter for ingredients. if you feel you need to add anything more to your taste, add it now. prepare a medium sized thali/thattu smearing oil on the inside surface thoroughly including the sides. keep it aside. take a large wide mouth vessel or a big kadai .put a small stand in it this is a metal stand which we use to stand earthen pots ) if you don't have it, you may use a wide mouthed dabbi or a big katora filled with water. put about 1 liter of water in the kadai. now add one spoon of eno /fruit salt to half the batter taken in a separate vessel and mix thoroughly by hand. the bubbles would start forming. immediately transfer the bubbling batter to the thali/thattu previously smeared with oil and put the whole thing in the kadai on the stand. cover the kadai and steam cook the batter for about fifteen minutes. check after ten to fifteen minutes if the dhoklas are cooked. if your finger does not stick to the surface, the dhoklas are cooked. cook the remaining batter in the same way. i have asked to use fruit salt separately from thali to thali because it should not lose the gas while the first installment is being cooked otherwise the second installment of

dhoklas would not be as spongy as the first one. after about ten minutes, temper 250 ml of water with oil , mustard seeds, gingelly seeds and curry leaves and also a pinch of asafoetida, after the tempered water is ready, take ladlefuls of this water with all the mustard and other seasonings and spread it carefully on the dhoklas. this water will be absorbed by the dhoklas in a short time. now decorate /garnish the dhoklas with cut kothumalli/cilantro spongy dhoklas are ready.!!! now take a sharp knife and make square cuts of the dhoklas. dhoklas are to be eaten with kothumalli/phudina chutney. you can enjoy the same with your tea or coffee. points to remember when you put batter in thattu/plate, fill only up to 3/4 of the height of the thattu wall. this is because the batter will rise during steaming to almost double the height. when you sprinkle the tempered water, take care that you don't over flood the dhoklas or else they will become soggy. never cover the dhokla batter thattu, cover the whole kadai. serve the dhoklas only after the sprinkled water has been absorbed. if the water remains on top, spread a tissue paper and absorb extra water. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- dosai, kadalai mavu --kadlai mavu dosai i am posting a recipe for making kadalai maavu dosas. the preparation time is 10 minutes. you need to have 250 grams of kadalai maavu, a small half spoon of omam seeds which are crushed, some salt as per ones taste, chili powder to taste and small half spoon of perangayam. mix a tumbler of water in the kadalai maavu, mix thoroughly so that small rounded pallets of maavu do not remain in the dough. add salt , chili powder, omam, and asafoetida in the dough which should have dosai maavu consistency. make dosas just like you make rice dosas on a tawa. even the oil is to me applied in the same manner. turn once on the other side and make the second portion slightly brown. the kadalai maavu dosai is ready. this can be eaten with aavakkai uruga or any pickle or chutney. this can be eaten with tea and coffee too!!! try it out once. this is a dish which takes only ten minutes in preparation enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- dosai, rava --rava dosai rava dosai is very easy to prepare and is a wholesome and healthy breakfast dish. it is best enjoyed with chutney and sambar. 250 gms. rava ( semolina )fine variety 1 cup buttermilk 5 nos. green chilies finely chopped one spoon of mustard seeds for seasoning 25 gms. rice flour 2" piece of ginger finely shredded oil for seasoning

mix rava and rice flour and pour the butter milk in a medium sized vessel. add salt, shredded chilies, ginger. pour a little water and set aside the mixture of the batter for at least four to five hours after tempering with mustard in oil. if you are in a country like india, you need about four hours time for batter to ferment, if you are in usa or canada, set aside the batter overnight at 28degree c. or keep the batter vessel near your room heater during the night. in short, give the batter a time of 8 hours at least. remember not to use chlorinated or zero bacteria water. water for batter must have some bioactivity. so keep the batter open in verandah for an hour or so. when the batter rises , prepare the rava dosas as you would any other rice dosas. variations one variation is to use finely chopped onions along with other ingredients. this is a really tasty variation. second variation is almost instant rava dosai. in this variation, you use all purpose flour or maida to an extent of 100 gms in the above recipe in place of rice flour. you can add onions, crushed cumin seeds one to two spoons and crushed pepper one spoon. garnish the batter with curry leaves and a little mustard seeds. set aside the batter for about two hours. then prepare the dosas as before. this variation may prove a bit tricky if you are a novice ..but the end result is very good and tasteful. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great.

--- dosai, vendhiyum --vendhiyum dosai (fenugreek dosai) after our cook kamala mami died, no body had prepared vendhiyum dosai in our house. in fact even myself had almost forgotten this rare dosai variety. rare because it is rarely mentioned and prepared as per traditional method. (i had to refer my archives to get the recipe) this dosai has its own charm if enjoyed with coconut chutney. i am bringing back the recipe which you would try and enjoy the result. rice flour 2 cups (200 gms) fenugreek (vendhiyum) 1.25 teaspoons aval (beaten rice (poha) 1 tablespoon ulundhu (black gram) 1 tbsp salt 1.5 tsp oil for frying needed qty prepare rice flour in a grinder or use readymade rice flour. soak de-husked black gram and aval (beaten rice) and fenugreek seeds (vendhiyum) for about an hour .using mixi or food processor, make a fine paste using water just to needed quantity. add rice flour now and salt to your taste. add enough water to bring it to dosai batter consistency. cover the vessel and let it ferment for at least eight hours at an ambient temperature of 24 - 26 degree centigrade. if you are living in a cold country, the best thing to do would be to keep the batter for fermentation near your room heater in the bedroom. or you can use a preheated oven to store the batter overnight. next morning you would have a very fine "pongification". i would suggest you to add just a pinch (1/8 spoon) of cooking soda in the batter. prepare dosas as you would any normal dosai. but vendhiyum dosai is fried on both the sides. enjoy with coconut chutney or sambar.!!! enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- idlis --idlis for every four portions of para boiled rice, take one portion of dehusked whole white urad. if whole white urad is not available, you may use urad dhall. soak both rice and dhall with a quarter spoon of fenugreek (methi) seeds for about four hours if you are staying in a medium / warm climate. about six hours if you are in canada or very cold place. now wet grind the rice and urad dhall and fenugreek separately to a thick consistency. don't make a paste. the broken grains must be of thin rava consistency. if you are staying in a cold place, warm up the batter to about 30 degrees and keep it near the room heater in the night. don't use chlorinated water which still smells of chlorine. this will hamper food fermentation. next day morning, the dough would have fermented nicely. take only as much dough as you want, add a little salt to taste and pour the dough in idli patram. take care to apply oil in patram or else the idlis will stick to the patram. if you want very soft idlis, you may add a pinch of baking soda in the batter. after wet grinding the dhall and rice separately, mix both of them and then allow it to ferment. if you have fermentation problem and if you want to make really soft idlis instead of adding some cooked rice, add cooked rice, leftover rice) directly to the batter and mix thoroughly. take care to beat/ mash the cooked rice very well. the quantity of rice to be used should be 25% of the dough weight enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- kaanda poha --a visit to maharashtrian home would invariably result in you being offered famous kanda-poha. my first taste of this wonderfully simple but very tasty dish was at pachmarhi in madhya pradesh in summer of 1978.

it was at the home of maharashtrian army colonel. i am giving the recipe as follows. kaanda poha is a traditional maharashtrian snack which sometimes works as main dish also. there are many variations . i am giving the one i like most. kaanda-poha (maharashtrian onion beaten rice) ingredients 3 cups beaten rice (poha) 1 medium sized potato,(diced) 1.5 to 2 ladles cooking oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp urad dhall (optional) 1 tbsp of kismis (raisin) 8 to 10 broken cashewnuts 1/4 to 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2to3 green chilies cut finely 1 medium onion, thinly sliced salt to taste little water to sprinkle 1/2 tsp lemon, juice chopped coriander leaves (1/4 cup) 2 sprigs curry leaves. method of preparation: select beaten rice(poha) which are firm and not waferlike. ask for jada/mota poha. poha is available in different thicknesses. hence select firm but not too thick and small poha. soak poha in enough water to cover for 5to 7 minutes. first drain excess water and squeeze out by pressing handfuls of beaten rice. don't press too hard or else poha will become broken useless mass. but don't let much water be left or else the end dish will become soggy. set aside . you may use absorbent paper to spread and then use poha. dice potatoes in small size of 3 cm cubes and set aside. heat oil in a kadai/skillet , add the mustard seeds, ulundhu/urad dhall, add cashew pieces when mustard starts crackling. when cashew becomes light golden , add curry leaves and finely cut green chilies. add kismis last. now first add the onion and then potato and saute for four to five minutes. take care to see that potato pieces are not tough. add salt and sprinkle little water, and cover with a plate. after 5 minutes, uncover, add the poha and saute for another 5 minutes. take care not to break poha in an irregular mass as it will lose its appeal. remove from flame add lime juice, turn it a little to let the lime juice mix properly. garnish with chopped coriander. serve hot. enjoy !! do not forget to post the feedback. --- khandavi --khandavi or khandvi when it comes to making savouries from besan, probably gujaratis have no equals. khandvi is one. besan rolls made without much fanfare but very tasty and appetizing. method of preparation is also simple. (however, you need a rather strong wrist and powerful and patient hand to make it). ingredients besan (kadalai maavu) 3 cups (250 gms)

butter milk about 3/4 liter to 1 liter green chilies 2 to 3 nos turmeric 3/4 spoon asafoetida 1/2 spoon salt to taste sugar (optional) garnishing kothumalli 1/4 cup copra 3 spoons tempering mustard 3/4 spoon jeera 3/4 spoon oil 2 to 3 ladles method of preparation make a batter of besan using butter milk. add salt, turmeric powder, and thinly sliced green chilies. add quarter spoon of asafoetida also. take a non stick pan or a thick bottomed kadai and cook on a medium flame .stir constantly so that the besan does not stick at the bottom. after some time, the besan batter will become very thick and it would be difficult for you to stir it. but do not stop till the besan is fully cooked and the dough is thick . now take a large plate (thattu).smear oil on the inner surface of the plate and spread the hot besan dough on the plate evenly.. you may smear oil on your palms and if needed spread pressing with palms gently. let it cool fully. now using a knife, make one and half inch strips and roll the cooled dough in small rills and stake evenly at a side of the plate. take some oil in tempering kadai. add mustard, jeera and part of hing (asafoetida). when mustard seeds crackle, spread the tempering on staked khandavi. garnish with kothumalli and copra. this dish can be served hot or cold. but best to serve slightly warm. enjoy !!! do not forget to post feedback please.

--- khatta dhokla --khatta dhokla dhokla is synonymous with gujaratis and they carry this flag wherever they go in this world. i have seen englishmen to americans and also japanese who have become fans of dhoklas. dhoklas are almost like idli and are prepared in the same manner. but the taste is entirely different. here goes the recipe. raw rice/boiled rice rava (coarsely powdered) 500 gms. bengal gram dhall/urad dhaal ( coarsely powdered ) 250 gms. ginger finely sliced 2" piece asafoetida powder 1 spoon soda bicarbonate 1/4 spoon turmeric powder 1/2 spoon oil for smearing green chilies finely cut 4 nos. salt to taste red chili powder for sprinkling 2 spoons butter milk (sour) 250 ml.

mix rice and dhall powders thoroughly and add salt, soda bicarb and turmeric powder and add a cup of water and make a fine loose dough. now add butter milk and leave the dough to ferment overnight. if you want to make the dhoklas in the evening, prepare the dough at about 9 am and leave it to ferment. by evening, the dough would have fermented just like idly maavu but not that much fermented. now add green chili/ginger, asafoetida and if you like, coarsely powdered black pepper also two spoons) slowly and mix. spread a little oil on small high sided plates ( something like thattu idly plates) and pour dhokla batter to 3/4 of its height. sprinkle red chili powder on top of the batter evenly. steam cook the dhokla batter just like idlis. after 15 minutes, the dhoklas are ready. remove from steam cooker and cut in square or diamond shapes. you may garnish with kothumalli and serve hot with garlic chutney.

try this out and let me know. ps. some people add soda bicarbonate after the batter has fermented, they add this to slightly give a bounce to dhoklas and some people avoid soda bicarbonate altogether. some people temper dhoklas with oil and mustard seeds before cutting in small pieces and some make small pieces of dhoklas and temper separately and add generous amount of sugar and serve piping hot. this also tastes heavenly. enjoy!!!!! and feedback as usual would be just great. --- masala dhall --masala dhall introduction among the savories, two items are every one's favorites. they are fried masala dhall and om podi. i am posting masala dhall which keeps for a long time. i am sure all of you would try these simple savouries and be happy enjoying them. ingredients bengal gram dhall (kadalaiparappu) 500 gms. chili powder 1 spoon turmeric powder less than 1/4 spoon jeera powder 1/4 spoon black salt (powdered) 1 spoon or to taste citric acid crystal powder one or two pinches curry leaves 1 sprig (optional) asafoetida 1/4 spoon (optional) soda bicarb 2 pinches oil for frying

method of preparation soak channa dhall over night in water but add two pinches of soda bicarb and quarter spoon of common salt. drain the water completely in morning and dry the dhall thoroughly by spreading it on paper for 1 hour. now the dhall is ready for frying. take about 250 ml of oil (double refined) in a kadai and fry the dhall on medium flame. fry till bubbles subside and the dhall becomes slightly creamy biscuit shade. never make the dhall brownish. you must drain all oil from dhall and place a paper in the vessel at the bottom where you empty the fried dhall. fry curry leaves last and remove . when the frying is over, add powdered black salt, chili powder, jeera powder, turmeric powder , curry leaves , asafoetida powder etc. mix thoroughly and keep it open for twenty to thirty minutes. the dhall would have become crisp by now. it takes about 20 minutes for the water to get evaporated from fried dhall completely after frying). taste for salt and chilies now. if you like you can add more. store in an air tight container. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! back to snacks/savouries

--- methi na gota --methi na gota & dakore na gota (vendhaiyum vadai) introduction

methi na gota are prepared from fenugreek leaves and generally used in winter. dakore gota can be made all the year round. ingredients 250 gms. fenugreek leaves 150 gms. of besan (kadalai maavu) 100 gms. of coarse wheat flour three spoons of chili and ginger paste coarsely powdered dhania and black pepper, quarter cup. this should be coarse. one spoon of fruit salt salt to taste sugar to taste. one spoon of asafoetida three spoonfuls of sour curds oil for frying

method of preparation

mix the flours and all the ingredients in a pan and add three spoons of oil. mix the ingredients in flour very well. taste the mixture for salt and hotness. if you need to add chilies or salt, add now. add small quantity of water and start making the dough go on adding little quantities of water till you get a soft consistency of workable dough. make small round balls of the dough and deep fry in a kadai on a medium flame. if you like vendhaiyum, you can add fenugreek leaves to the above dough and make vendhaiyum gota. these are very delicious . other variation is using only kadalai maavu. you may avoid using wheat flour and use only kadalai maavu. in such a case, use a little more of saapadu soda along with fruit salt as kadalai maavu alone tends to harden and does not give soft gotas. in my opinion, methi na gota tastes equally good.!!! enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! back to snacks/savouries --- medhu pakoda --medhu-pakoda my first taste of medhu pakoda was in 1962 when i returned to madras from my village in gujarat. just round the corner from my house, fourth building had two hotels. one was udipi hotel (now owners own swagath hotel royapettah) and adjacent to it was a non vegetarian hotel. medhu pakoda was consumed in the evening with kapee (coffee).a plate of medhu pakoda (four nos) and a coffee cost 4 annas. i still remember the taste of pakodas and dosas served there. i got this recipe from agra sweets bangalore. ingredients rice flour 100 gms kadalai maavu 150 gms chili powder 1 spoon green chilies 4 to 5 nos. curry leaves 1 sprig black pepper 1/2 spoon.

jeera 1/2 spoon omam 2 pinches cashew nuts 10 nos ghee /oil 4 to 5 spoons soda bicarb quarter spoon chili powder 3/4 spoon to 1 spoon salt to taste oil (groundnut) 250 ml water for dough a little method of preparation mix rice and bengal gram flour along with salt, chili powder, jeera, omam and coarsely pounded black pepper. add finely shredded curry leaves and thinly sliced green chilies in round rings. make a fine mix . now take a wide mouth cup and make a mixture of soda bicarb and ghee/oil . agitate with spoon or fingers to make a milky frothy paste . add this soda and ghee/ oil mix to the just mixed flour and once again mix thoroughly so that soda and ghee are mixed uniformly. heat oil for frying in a kadai, till the oil gets hot, make five or six portions of dry flour mix and take individual portion and add just a little water so that it will bind the dough and no more. if you add more water, the dough will turn into batter. so be careful when you add water. make small urundais of a large marble size. insert small pieces (halves) of cashew nuts in each pakoda urundais. dough will turn into batter. fry the pakodas till golden brown to slightly darker brown shade. some people add chopped onion to medhu pakodas also. if you want , you may add onion too. regular medhu pakodas you get in hotels do not have omam in it. instead it has onion. o if you are using omam, avoid onions. keep a paper in a vessel and drop the fried pakodas in it. serve hot.

--- khichadi, rava --rava khichadi (semolina hotch-potch with spices) first dice all the vegetables except tomatoes and onions, steam cook all the vegetables 3/4 in a pressure pan or a steam cooker. as usual, do not forget to add a little salt and a little sugar to vegetables to preserve colour before you steam cook. cut ginger and green chilies very fine and set aside. take ghee in a kadai and add the tempering items, set on medium heat. when the mustard starts to crackle, immediately lower the flame and add semolina (rava) and stir briskly and fry on low heat till rava starts becoming light pink. now add about 250 ml of water and immediately add diced tomatoes, onions, salt, turmeric, ginger and green chilies. add enough water so as the whole thing is like dosa batter. now set the flame on medium and go on stirring briskly to avoid rava sticking at the bottom. after about six to eight minutes, the rava when it gets fully cooked the khichadi will become thicker. check for salt and proper cooked rava .if water is less, add a little and stir briskly till you are satisfied that rava is fully cooked. now add 3/4 cooked vegetables and mix thoroughly. your rava khichadi is ready. you can garnish with freshly cut kothumalli and serve along with coconut chutney. remember that coconut chutney is a must with rava khichadi. semolina (slightly coarse) 150 gms. tomato (diced) 1 no. onion (diced) 1 no. green peas (shelled) 1/2 cup carrot (diced) 1 no. ginger 2" piece green chilies 3 to 4 nos. turmeric powder 1 spoon salt to taste for tempering mustard seeds 1 spoon urad dhall 1.5 spoons curry leaves 2 springs enjoy!!!!! red dry chilies 2 to 3 pure ghee 30 ml

and feed back as usual would be just great. --- naan, traditional persian --traditional persian nan nan is actually a persian bread, and it requires a lot of patience and proper technique to prepare the dough. if properly done, the nan comes out very well and tastes very good. nan can be eaten with mugalai chicken, kheema masala and mutton with gravy. vegetarians can enjoy with dhalls, pickles and chutneys. traditional nan is rolled in tear drop shape and baked in earthen pots and on coal/wood fire. maida/all purpose flour 500 gms. dried yeast 1 tea spoons sugar 1 spoon ghaghasa (poppy seeds) 2 spoons salt to taste milk 1 cup (150 ml. ) curd 2 ladleful ghee/butter 1/4 cup or 4 to 5 spoons white gingly (sesame) seeds 1 spoon

first mix yeast in warm milk and set aside for 30 minutes. take flour and salt in a large plate and make a depression in the center of the flour. add yeast mixed milk, salt, curd and ghee/butter. slowly knead the dough thoroughly .when the dough is ready, keep it aside for at least three to four hours in a warm place. if you are staying in canada or northern america or mountains, keep the dough near a room heater. when the dough has risen and assumes a large volume, make equal portions of the dough and set aside for further 20 minutes. now roll out round nans and then fold in triangles and re-roll in triangles or tear shaped nans. bake in a preheated oven taking care to turn and see that you get pinkish brown design on the sides. some bakers spread little gingelly/poppy seeds before placing in the oven after spreading a little butter or ghee on the rolled nan and then bake it. it is best to bake the nans when the guests are to be entertained, as the hot oven fresh nan tastes best. please let me know how the nans turned out. if you want to make custom made nans, write the names of the guests with thickly kneaded flour rolled like a thick twine and with hand fashion the names on top of the nan before placing in the oven for baking. press the names lightly to the flat rolled nan and place in the oven. the guests would be thrilled.!!! enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- paratha, dudhi-na thepla --dudhi-na-thepla (sorakka paratha) lauki ke paranthe dudhi-na-thepla is a wholesome, tasty and filling version of parathas. this is a gujarati specialty. this paratha is spicy hence you can enjoy as it is or you can use regular side dishes if you want. (enough for 15 thepalas) 2.5 cups of whole wheat atta 2 green chilies thinly sliced 1/2 spoon chili powder 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1 ladle of oil for making dough enough water for dough 3/4cup of julienned sorakka (dudhi) 1.5 spoon salt (to taste) 1 spoon dhaniya jeera powder 1/2 sp. each 1/4 spoon asafoetida powder 2 oz. of oil for tawa top frying of parathas

take a large piece of sorakka (lauki/dudhi).remove the outer skin with a peeler. using a hand held julienning device/food processor, julienne it. press the julienned mass in your hands and press, and remove excess water. this water may be used for dough making. some people discard this water and use plain water for dough. add oil and salt to atta (wheat flour)and slowly rub between two palms and mix the whole thing thoroughly. now add turmeric powder, chili powder, dhaniya jeera powder, green chilies and asafoetida and pressed julienned sorakka (dudhi) now. slowly knead the dough. you may use a little plain water also if there is no enough water of sorakka. make sure that the dough is not hard and not soft like that of rotis or poories. keep it for 30 minutes make eight equal portions of the dough and ball them up and keep covered with wet cloth or rub oil over each ball so that they don't dry. (taste for salt now) now roll the dough on a rolling stone or flat surface and make a round roti of at least six inches diameter. place the paratha on a roti tawa and make the paratha either with oil spread on the baked surface or you can use ghee. please use a slow to medium flame to roast to a golden shade. the roasting has to be done on medium/slow flame to ensure proper cooking of sorakka. this tastes great as it is or you may serve with tadka dhall or any dhall or any side dish. i am sure that once

you make this paratha and use it with any appropriate dhall or side dish, you would fall in love with it. ps if the atta you use is of a bit sticky variety, i would suggest you to add quarter spoon of baking powder in the dough making. this would ensure a fine crisp paratha. enjoy!!!!! and feedback as usual would be just great. --- paratha, phudina --phudina paratha phudina paratha is one thing that goes great guns with any dhall or side dish. the trick lies in preparing the dough with atta. (some would like maida but i think that atta is best) 2 cups of whole wheat atta (enough for 8 parathas) 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves (dry water after washing) finely chopped 3/4 spoon salt 50 gms. butter/ghee for making dough 2 oz. of oil or ghee for tawa top frying of parathas enough water for dough add butter/ghee and salt to atta (wheat flour)and slowly rub between two palms and mix the whole thing thoroughly. now add just enough quantity of water slowly and knead the dough .make sure that the dough is hard and not soft like that of rotis or poories. but not too hard. make eight equal portions of the dough and ball them up and keep covered with wet cloth or rub oil over each ball so that they don't dry. now roll the dough on a rolling stone or flat surface and make a round roti of at least eight inch diameter. now spread a teaspoonful of finely chopped mint leaves on exactly half of the roti. now fold the other half over the portion of the mint leaves. this will make a semi circular shape. now take some more of mint leaves and spread it on the half of the semicircular part. now fold the semicircular roti in to 1/4 of the original round shape . now re-roll the almost triangular roti into triangular paratha. place the triangular paratha on a roti tawa and make the paratha either with oil spread on the baked surface or you can use ghee. please use a slow to medium flame to roast to a rosy brown shade. serve with dhall makhani or any dhall or any side dish. i am sure that once you make this paratha and use it with any appropriate dhall or side dish, you would fall in love with it. ps if the atta you use is of a bit sticky variety, i would suggest you to add quarter spoon of baking powder in the dough making. this would ensure a fine crisp paratha. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- paratha, stuffed green peas --stuffed green peas paratha for stuffing shelled green peas 300 gms. boiled potato 1 large(150) gms. paste of onion 3 table spoons paste of garlic and ginger 2 spoons (optional) garam masala 1.5 spoons turmeric powder half spoon finely chopped green chilies 3 to 4 finely cut mint leaves 1/4 cup salt to taste fresh lime juice 2 spoons sugar 1 spoon for parathas whole wheat flour one large cup salt 1/2 spoon

oil 3 spoons water

boil/steam cook the potato and green peas such that the peas are full yet properly cooked. mash the

potato. now add mashed potato to steamed peas. now add salt, turmeric powder, , fresh lime juice, sugar and salt. mix all the ingredients properly with a soft hand taking care to see that you do not mash the peas . take a little oil in a kadai and when hot, add onion paste and ginger garlic paste, fry over a low flame for about a minute and half only. now add finely chopped mint leaves and fry for further 30 to 45 seconds. now add garam masala and turn twice or thrice and remove from fire. add the onion. ginger/garlic/garam masala/mint mass to peas potato mixture. slowly mix everything thoroughly and taste for salt and chilies , if needed add red chili powder. the stuffing you knead must be firm like upuma. now roll a paratha to about six inches diameter , place a ladleful of stuffing at the center and then gather the sides. twist the top gathering twice or thrice and then flatten the stuffed ball on a rolling surface and again roll the paratha as you would a poli. fry the paratha on a tawa with oil. serve very hot only. no side dish is needed but you may serve the stuffed paratha with tomato sauce or kothumalli chutney or khajur chutney. ps. sweet/sour addition is optional but in my opinion, add a little lime juice and add just a little sugar would be better. prepare the dough for paratha as you usually make as per your choice or as with above ingredients. the dough should not be tough but very fine and workable and soft. after kneading the flour after adding oil and salt), smear a little oil on the dough and set it aside. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- paratha, vendhiyum --vendhiyum paratha (methi-na-thepla) 15 parathas for a family of four kadalai maavu 3 tbsp curds 1/4 cup chili powder 1 spoon salt to taste oil for tawa frying needed quantity whole wheat flour 2 cups fenugreek leaves 3/4cup turmeric powder 1/2 spoon asafoetida 1/2 spoon oil for mixing 2 tbsps

pluck leaves of fenugreek after washing and patting dry. cut the leaves finely and set aside. to make nice fenugreek parathas, you need to make the dough in the following manner. take required amount of (two cups) whole wheat flour. add two table tbsps of cooking oil and half a spoon of salt or more as per taste. mix the oil , salt and kadalai maavu and the whole wheat flour thoroughly. now you can mix vendhiyum leaves, chili powder, turmeric powder and asafoetida thoroughly. now add curds and some water and slowly start adding and kneading the dough. when the dough is getting kneaded, remember to keep it a bit firmer than phulka dough. paratha dough must have lesser water content, keep it aside for at least one hour after smearing the whole kneaded dough with a spoonful of oil to avoid drying up. . make urundais of only lemon size of dough to roll chappathis. (sometimes on keeping for an hour, you may have to still soften the dough with a little bit of water as wheat flour sometimes absorbs water more than usual). you must not add too much water or else the vendhiyum parathas will not be cooked (tawa fried) properly and you will not be able to roll dry parathas on the rolling stone. take a little dry flour and set it aside, with a rolling pin, roll the parathas on the stone. once the flattened dough is thin and starts sticking to roller pin, turn the parathas in dry flour on both the sides and start rolling in round shape. you may have to turn the parathas in dry flour twice or thrice in order to get 4 mm thickness without sticking. now take the rolled flat dough and first place it on tava. as soon as slight bulges start forming, apply little oil all over with a spoon and after some time turn it on the other side. and repeat the process. a fine aroma of fenugreek parathas will start pervading. enjoy this paratha as it is or with sweet thokku or with tea or coffee. this is a fine dish for child bearing women and also for feeding mothers. --- parathe, muli ke --muli ke parathe 2 tender moolies (radish) 1 medium size katora of whole wheat flour. 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder 1/2 cup of leaves of muli(radish) shredded fine 1/2 spoon of chili powder

1/2 spoon of asafoetida powder 1 spoon of salt(individual taste ) 2 spoons of besan (kadalai maavu) 1/4 spoon of baking powder 20 ml cooking oil for mixing with flour julienne the tender radish. take care to use thinner julienning blade. set aside now shred leaves of mooli. remove the vein portion first. you will need about half cup of leaves shredding only. now mix besan and baking powder and two spoons of oil in whole wheat flour thoroughly. now add salt, turmeric, chili powder and asafoetida in the wheat flour and again mix homogenously. now add julienned radish and shredded leaves to the mix of flour . slowly knead it. add little water and reach a workable softness. roll out parathas of 2.5 to 3 mm thickness. as you have added besan, sometimes the dough will stick to the rolling stone and rolling pin, use dry wheat flour on top of the rolling stone and rub the dough in wheat flour while rolling. fry on a tava with usual smearing of oil on both the sided . this mooli ke parathe is different from the stuffed muli ke paranthe. take care not to drain natural water of radish as this has that strong taste and flavour. i also suggest that you should use very hot tasting variety of muli for this mooli ke tawa parathe. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- poori, masala --masala poori (as in bangalore) i was asked about masala poories by you some time back and i had promised that i will go to golu's chat and inform you. well...i visited two places in fact, and that too on the same day and had masala poories. i loved golu's preparation. my finding is as follows. i will give you the ingredients and follow it up with method of preparation. dry peas masala 1 ladleful crushed pani poories 3 to 4 nos boiled potatoes diced 2 spoonfuls boiled channa 1 spoon bhelpuri sev (ompodi) 3 spoons raw diced onions 2 spoonfuls sweet sour chutney 2 spoons kara watery chutney 2 spoons kothumalli 1/4 spoon green chilies finely cut 1/4 to 1/2 chili peas curry is made using dry peas , soaked overnight with soda and pressure cooked till very soft. make a curry with self gravy using garam masala , use this curry as base. buy panipuri sev from out side, precook the boiled channa for adding. prepare kara chutney using green chilies and kothumalli only , add salt and water. add a little salt .now prepare sweet sour bhelpuri chutney. i have given the recipe in this corner looooooong back. rest is easy. pani puris are bought out side. just crush the poories and mix all the ingredients and serve hot. so easy is 'nt it? enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- poori kizangu --poori-kizangu coimbatore salem belt, kumbakonam and madras is where you should try poori-kizangu. you would simply love to enjoy steaming poories with onion flavoured potato curry. i am not a great fan of poories but with kizangu curry, i am a game any day. i am posting this recipe so that you may enjoy the same on a sunday morning. ingredients for kizangu curry. potato (boiled) 500 gms onions (sliced) 150 gms kadalai maavu 1/4 cup ginger (shredded) 1.5 to 2" piece

turmeric powder 1/2 spoon salt to taste lime juice 1/4 lime tempering mustard seeds 1 spoon ulundhu parappu 2 spoons asafoetida 1/2 spoon curry leaves 2 sprigs green chilies 7 to 8 nos. sliced 1/4 onion for tempering oil for tempering 2 to 3 ladles method of preparation boil and dice potatoes in rather larger pieces and keep aside. slice onions and keep aside. take oil in a kadai and add ulundhu parappu and mustard seeds first. heat on a medium flame till mustard starts to crackle. now add onion for tempering and let it become biscuit brown. now add curry leaves and add larger portion of onions and let it become translucent. now add sliced green chilies. after five seconds, add ginger and diced potatoes. turn thoroughly. now add turmeric powder, salt and raw asafoetida. if you want, you may add lime juice now or omit it. mix well and let it become steaming hot. serve with hot poories made simultaneously. poories prepare poories the usual way. do not use all purpose flour. use only whole wheat flour. the poories for kizangu are rather large affair (about six inches in diameter). take care not to knead the dough to a loose consistency. you may add a little salt if you want. roll evenly using least amount of dry flour for rolling surface. (this leaves a reddish tinge on poories). fry on high to medium flame enjoy !! please post the feedback. for more recipes, please visit,

--- poori, plain --puries (plain) take a large cup of whole wheat flour. never use maida or any soft bread flour. add a spoon of oil and little salt to taste. briskly mix the flour till traces of oil are absorbed properly. now add little by little water and simultaneously start kneading the dough. the consistency should neither be too soft or too hard. when the desired level of softness is reached. make round balls of the dough and roll on a roller stone with a roller pin. the thickness of the rolled dough should be at least three mm. now take two ounces of oil in a kadai and when the oil is sufficiently hot on the stove, check with a small piece of dough flattened between the thumb and the finger. put it in oil. if it starts ballooning immediately, the oil is ready for poories. now fry poories on a medium flame. each poori will assume the tennis ball shape if it is small. roll larger, if you want large poories. variation masala poories add quarter spoon of chili powder and quarter spoon of asafoetida and quarter spoon of salt, a pinch of turmeric powder while kneading the dough. and as usual make poories. i bet the result would make you forget many dishes. it is extremely tasty. take one cup of whole wheat flour. little oil (one spoon) little salt water enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- potato vermicelli rolls ---

potato-vermicelli rolls potato-vermicelli rolls is a savory which is very easy to make and is so tasty that you would like to make it often. it is crispy and crunchy with soft centre. it tastes fabulous with very simple spices which are used just like in batata wada. it is usually eaten with spicy sweet sour tamarind / khajur chutney or plain tomato sauce. ingredients (for five people one helping of about four rolls each) for the stuffing 750 gms. potatoes of thick skin variety 50 to 75 gms of toast crumbs 1 or 2 onions(make crunchy rough paste) 1 small bunch of kothumalli 5 nos. green chilies finely chopped 1.5" ginger piece finely sliced 1/2 sp. turmeric powder (optional) 1 sp. garam masala 1 sp. of cumin+dhania powder 1/2 sp of cinnamon powder 2 sp. lime juice 2 to 3 sp. sugar 1 sp. asafoetida (optional) salt to taste for covering potato rolls 150 gms of vermicelli broken in very small pieces (use bambino or good branded semiya only) method of preparation for the stuffing, first steam cook potatoes in a pressure cooker. remove the skin and let cool. now add, salt, kothumalli, green chilies and garam masala, cinnamon and dhania-jeera powders, lime juice, sugar and salt. also make rough crunchy paste(don't make smooth paste) of onion. remove as much water content as possible by pressing with palm. add the crunchy onion paste to filling dough. finally add toast powder/crumbs and mix thoroughly . don't press very hard. bread/toast crumbs will bind the potato rolls and also give it uniform golden brown colour. perangayam and slowly mix the ingredients thoroughly . potatoes must not have lumps. the stuffing should be totally smooth except for crunchy onions. let the potatoes be mashed uniformly. once all the ingredients are mixed , taste for salt and other things. add anything you want at this stage. now take a big plate, smear some oil on the surface to avoid rolls sticking to surface. start making potato rolls of the potato stuffing and place in the plate. try making all of them of even size. rub some oil on your palms to avoid potato sticking to your palms. keep aside. take a plate and fill up nicely broken vermicelli/semiya to 1cm length, spread it and keep aside. heat oil in a kadai . while it is getting heated, take one roll and roll it lightly in semiya plate evenly spreading semiya sticking

to its surface evenly. take care to see that semiya is firmly sticking to potato rolls and will not come loose while frying in oil. drop it carefully in oil or place it on a poori frying zari (spatspoon). dip the zari (spatspoon) in oil if you don't want to get oil burns while dropping, and fry at medium flame. keep turning to give it an uniform golden colour. serve with sweet tamarind/khajur chutney or tomato sauce. tastes heavenly as it is also. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- rasiya muthiya --rasiya muthiya ( made from leftover rice) spiced rice balls in sauce: rasiya muthiya is one dish that you would love to have. generally as a rule, it is made from leftover rice. it is generally cooked in the evenings and eaten as it is and the sauce is enjoyed with rotis or chapathis. leftover rice 2 cups garlic paste 2 spoons+1 spoon chili powder 1 +1/2 spoon for the sauce: buttermilk 500 ml. kothumalli " 1/4 cup curry leaves 2 sprigs red chilies 3 nos. besan/kadalai maavu 1/2 to 3/4 cup turmeric powder 1/2 +1/2 spoons salt to taste water 250 ml. garlic paste 1 spoon tempering oil 2 ladles salt to taste green chili finely cut 3 to 4 nos. mustard seeds 2 spoons

first of all, prepare the sauce. take butter milk and add water to it. take some oil in a tempering ladle and add the temperings. when mustard starts to crackle, temper the sauce. now add little turmeric, chili powders and add 2 sprigs of curry leaves and a spoon of garlic paste. also add salt to taste. do not put too much of salt as the rice balls would also have salt. after the boiling is over once, add green chilies and kothumalli and remove from fire .cover and set it aside. preparation of spiced rice balls take the leftover rice ,add besan/kadalai maavu , salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garlic paste and little water. slowly mix everything thoroughly. see that the rice is properly mashed .make the mixed dough to a vadai or slightly softer than vadai consistency. taste for salt and chili . final preparation set the sauce to a boil and slowly drop the rice balls mixed dough with bare hands as you would make rice vadams. the drops of rice dough should be no more than a glass marble of small size , as they would assume a larger size after getting cooked in sauce. go on dropping the rice mix dough at regular intervals and complete the process in about five minutes. during this time, assure that the sauce is boiling or almost at boiling temperature. take care and ensure that the dough of rice does not separate, if it separates, it means that you need to put in some more kadalai maavu. also ensure that the sauce is enough, if not, add some more water. after about ten minutes of boiling, the rasiya muthiya is ready. after adding a spoon of ghee to each plate. you can eat as it is or with chapathi or rice too. --- roti, ghaun-bajar-na thepla --ghaun-bajari-na thepla (godumai-kambu maavu - roti) (enough for 15 thepalas) 2. 5 cups of whole wheat atta 8 to 10 cloves of garlic 1. 5 spoon salt(to taste) 1/2 spoon chili powder 1/2 spoon turmeric powder enough water for dough 2 green chilies or powdered black pepper 1/2 spoon 3/4 to 1 cup of kambu maavu (bajari atta) 1 spoon dhaniya jeera powder 1/2 sp. each 2 oz. of oil for tawa top frying of thepalas 1 ladle of oil for making dough

post partum diet for a nursing mother needs to be very carefully planned as per indian system . any food that causes gas, pitta and kapha is to be avoided. the food intake should be easy to digest for the nursing mothers and most importantly, it should not cause gas problem for the child. this is a roti version which is prescribed for the nursing mothers . but equally enjoyed by all at any time. this is a spicy mix flour indian

bread that can be enjoyed with any curry, but nursing mothers should use brinjal, ridge gourd curry only. peel garlic and using the flat bottom of a cup or a serving spoon, smash the garlic cloves till they are almost mashed in pulp. set aside. add oil and salt to atta mixture (wheat flour and kambu maavu)and slowly rub between two palms and mix the whole thing thoroughly. now add turmeric powder, chili powder, dhaniya jeera powder, green chilies and pressed garlic now. slowly knead the dough. you may use a little by little water. make sure that the dough is not hard and not soft like that of rotis or poories. keep it for 30 minutes. actually, if you are a nursing mother, you can use a little extra turmeric powder. make small balls (urundais) of the dough for rolling thepalas. now roll the dough on a rolling stone or flat surface and make a round roti of at least six inches diameter. place the thepala on a roti tawa and make the roti either with oil spread on the baked surface or you can use ghee. nursing moms can take ghee in place of oil. please use a slow to medium flame to roast to a golden shade. the roasting has to be done on medium/slow flame to ensure proper cooking of the thepalas. a thepala should not remain uncooked or improperly roasted as you are using kambu maavu (bajari atta), which remains sticky if not roasted properly. this tastes great as it is or you may serve a curry as mentioned above or with any dhall. i am sure that once you make this thepala and use it with any appropriate dhall or side dish, you would fall in love with it. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. note: if you have a problem rolling the thepalas on a rolling stone due to presence of kambu maavu, i would suggest you to place the dough on a plastic sheet pre-smeared with a little oil. put another sheet on that and using the roller pin, roll as you would any roti. once it is rolled flat, slowly remove the top plastic and using the palm , place the thepala on another palm and immediately put on roti tawa. --- roti, masala --masala rotis very few people know down south that rotis like rice can be prepared in almost a hundred different ways. additions of different ingredients results in totally different taste of the roti. as a morning breakfast or as an accompaniment to evening meal curry, rotis made with different ingredients and spices make a fine difference to the meal. they add on to the nourishing value too. i am giving below an easy method to make some different varieties. try and let me know the result. standard roti ingredients whole wheat flour 1 katora (150 gms.) salt 1 spoon oil / ghee 2 spoons in dough oil 30 ml for tawa frying. ingredients as add-ons turmeric powder, chili powder, vendhaiyum kirai, julienned ash gourd, julienned carrots, julienned ginger, omam seeds, gingly seeds, mulangi kirai, julienned radish, jeera, sliced garlic, curds, jaggery, garam masala powder, asafoetida etc. different flours like kadalai maavu, kambu maavu, cholam maavu etc are also added as add-ons for different rotis use the standard ingredients and as add on, choose any add on ingredient to make a different tasting roti. for example, if you are making masala roti, add quarter spoon of turmeric powder, quarter spoon of chili powder and any masala with a little asafoetida. mix them with standard ingredient and after adding enough water, knead the dough which is neither too loose or too hard. it should be workable under a rolling pin. roll out round rotis of maximum diameter of six inches to eight inches. once you put it on tawa, let it start bulging in small balloons. as soon as one side is slightly roasted, turn it and apply half a spoon or less of oil on the roasted side. now let the other side roast. repeat the process of applying oil and get fine tasting masala roti. you can use the method to turn out different tastes of rotis. for omam roti, just add half a spoon of omam in the dough of the above, and you get omam roti. thumb rule is that in masala roti, standard ingredients are salt, turmeric powder, chili powder and asafoetida. only when you are making garlic, avoid asafoetida. make and enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- sagodana wada --sago dana vada (jabbarasi vadai)

ekadasi brings a lot of varieties. sago being allowed form of starch, a lot of varieties are made with this bland tasting sago. one is sago khichadi and another most popular phala-aharam is sago vada. i am posting the recipe as we make vadais at home. ingredients 1.5 cups sago (jabbarasi) 1/4 cup groundnut powder (coarse) 3 nos small boiled potatoes 1/2" piece of ginger 2 to 3 green chilies 1/4 bunch of kothumalli 1/2 lemon 1 tsp. sugar 1.5 sp. jeera powder 1/4 sp. turmeric powder (optional) salt to taste oil/ghee for frying method of preparation select proven sago of good quality because some sago dana remain hard even after soaking in water for over two hours and the center remains hard. soak for about couple of hour (or more if you do not get soft sago )at the most (depending upon quality).when the sago absorbs water and becomes transparent, drain all the water and keep aside. if you are fasting , then steam/pressure cook potatoes , peel and mash and use it to mix with sago. or else, you may add about two spoons of kadalai maavu (besan) as a binder for other times along with boiled potatoes. make powder of groundnuts after lightly roasting . pound/grate chilies and ginger. set aside. now take a wide mouth vessel and mix all the ingredients and without using excess pressure, mix thoroughly. taste for salt. if you find anything lacking, add at this juncture. smear a little oil on your palms and make even sized small balls of large marble size. heat up about 400 ml of oil in a kadai and put two urundais at a time . fry on medium flame taking care to give it an even golden brown colour. the vadais can be enjoyed with coconut chutney or pickles and tea or just as it is. you can make a variation using kadalai maavu and asafoetida as extras and marvel at the change in flavour and taste. enjoy !! please post your feedback. it is very important for us all.

--- roti, phulkas --phulkas (gujarati ballooning roti) hello all of you!! to make nice chappathis/phulkas which balloon when roasted on fire, you need to make the dough in the following manner. take required amount of (two cups) whole wheat flour. add three table spoons of cooking oil and half a spoon of salt. mix the oil , salt and the whole wheat flour thoroughly. now take some water and slowly start adding and kneading the dough. when the dough is sufficiently soft, keep it aside for at least one hour after smearing the whole kneaded dough with a spoonful of oil to avoid drying up. make urundais of only lemon size of dough to roll chappathis. (sometimes on keeping for an hour, you may have to still soften the dough with a little bit of water as wheat flour sometimes absorbs water more than usual). you must not add too much water or else the chappathis will not balloon and you will not be able to make thin chappathis or phulkas. take a little dry flour and set it aside, with a rolling pin, roll the chappathis on the stone. once the flattened dough is thin and starts sticking to roller pin, turn the chappathi in dry flour on both the sides and start rolling in round shape. you may have to turn the chappathis in dry flour twice or thrice in order to get very thin (2.5-3mm) thickness without sticking. now take the rolled flat dough and first place it on tava. as soon as slight bulges start forming, with a chimta remove the chappathi from tava and place directly on fire or flame of the stove. you will be amazed to see perfectly round phulkas .turn it and cook it on both the sides. remove from flame and apply nei (ghee) on the thinner side of the phulka. serve it hot.

enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- uppuma (rava) in buttermilk --rava uppuma in buttermilk (mor upuma) rava uppumma is very nourishing and tasty nasta variety which , if prepared properly will win you praise from all those who taste it. i am posting a lesser known but equally tasty variation. rava (semolina) 1. 5 cup onions 2 nos cut in small pieces ginger finely chopped 1. 5 " piece salt to taste for tempering black gram dhall 1 spoon red chilies 2 to 3 ghee/oil 3 ladlefuls butter milk 500 ml (150 ml extra if needed) green chilies 4 to 5 finely chopped freshly cut coriander leaves 1/4 cup lemon juice (optional) 1/2 to 1 spoon

mustard seeds 1/2 spoon curry leaves 1 to 2 sprigs cashewnuts 5to 6 nos (broken)

dice onions, cut and chop/grate ginger and cut coriander and green chilies and set aside in a cup. now take oil/ghee in a kadai and when hot, add both the dhalls and mustard and red chilies. when mustard starts crackling, immediately add diced onions and sprigs of curry leaves and sliced green chilies and start turning. when the onion becomes translucent, add rava in kadai and fry for about two to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame. keep on turning the rava . at this stage, add chopped ginger and fry for 45 seconds. now add sour butter milk and desired quantity of salt to the onions in the kadai. take care that the semolina lumps are not formed. you must add the buttermilk very slowly and must keep on stirring the mix. let the whole mix simmer on a low flame. keep some more warm buttermilk on hand in case you feel that the it is less and the upuma becomes thick. when the buttermilk is completely absorbed and rava particles are fully cooked, remove from stove and you may decorate the upuma with chopped coriander and fried cashewnuts. as an accompaniment, you can prepare coconut chutney or serve with avakkai pickle or lemon pickle. adding lemon juice is optional. some people do not like very sour uppuma. so use your judgment. this variation of upuma tastes totally different. try and you might be surprised. please post your feedback. it is very important to all of us. --- uppuma, rava --rava uppuma rava uppumma is very nourishing and tasty nasta variety which , if prepared properly will win you praise from all those who taste it. it is best enjoyed with coconut chutney or avakkai mango pickle or lime pickle. semolina (slightly coarse) 150 gms. tomato (diced) 1 no. onion (diced) 1 no. green peas (shelled) 1/2 cup carrot (diced) 1 no. ginger 2" piece green chilies 3 to 4 nos. turmeric powder 1 spoon salt to taste for tempering mustard seeds 1 spoon urad dhall 1.5 spoons curry leaves 2 springs red dry chilies 2 to 3 pure ghee 30 ml

dice onions, cut and chop ginger and coriander and green chilies and set aside in a cup. now take oil/ghee in a kadai and when hot, add both the dhalls and mustard and red chilies. when mustard starts crackling, immediately add diced onions and springs of curry leaves and start turning. when the onion becomes translucent, add rava in kadai and fry for about two to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame. keep on turning the rava . at this stage, add chopped ginger and fry for 45 seconds. now add boiling water and desired quantity of salt to the onions in the kadai. take care that the semolina lumps are not formed. you must add the water very slowly and must keep on stirring the mix. let the whole mix simmer on a low flame. keep some more boiling water on hand in case you feel that the water is less and the upuma becomes thick. when the water is completely absorbed and rava particles are fully cooked, remove from stove and you may decorate the uppuma with chopped coriander and fried cashew nuts. as an

accompaniment, you can prepare coconut chutney or serve with avakkai pickle or lemon pickle. adding lemon juice is optional. some people do not like sour uppuma. so use your judgment. some people pre-dry roast the rava and keep it in an air sealed/tight bottle. in this case, you must temper the onion in a kadai and then add chopped green chilies , ginger and salt in kadai and add water and let the water come to a boil. add pre heated/roasted rava very slowly and keep on stirring to prevent lumps. rest of the things are same. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- uthappam, onion --onion uthappam please soak 200 gms of boiled rice and 75 gms of black gram dhall for half a day. wet grind soaked rice coarsely like idly batter. make black gram dhall in smooth paste. add a little salt to taste and let it ferment for about one night (10 hrs at least). next day, make dosais like shape on a tawa but thicker. sprinkle finely cut onion, green chilies and a little kothumalli on top of the spread batter. make uthappam like dosais. by spreading oil on sides and on top of the spread batter. once one side is properly done, invert and let onion side get fried on the tawa. serve with chutney and sambar. enjoy!!!!! and feedback as usual would be just great. --- new node ---

--- ven pongal --ven pongal (yellow lentil hotch-potch south indian style) pongal, as venpongal is known, is very popular breakfast item .it is enjoyed best with coconut chutney. 1 cup of rice (don't use very old rice) 1/2 cup of paiyar parappu (moong dhall) 1 tea spoon of jeera (pound with mortar ) 1/2 spoon of broken black pepper 1/2 spoon of whole black pepper 1/2 cup of ghee (small cup) 2 broken red chilies (optional) 8 cashew nuts broken in half or 1/4th 2 sprigs of curry leaves first roast the dhall in ghee till it turns light pink in colour. cook this roasted dhall along with fairly new rice in a pressure cooker. add along with dhall, whole black pepper 1/2 spoon and also 1/2 spoon of jeera in the pressure cooker. after four whistles , remove the cooker from stove and let steam subside. now take some ghee in the kadai and fry cashew nuts till they turn pinkish brown. frying must be done on a low flame. at the end of cashew frying, add curry leaves and 1/2 spoon of jeera turn it twice or thrice but no more than 15 seconds. immediately add the cashew and the contents of kadai to dhall rice mixture. now add salt to taste. some people prefer to add salt during steam cooking. i prefer to add half during cooking and half after the whole thing is ready. it is safe to follow my method. now thoroughly turn the ven pongal in the vessel so that salt, cashew, broken black pepper and jeera; mix well. close the lid of cooker again for fifteen minutes. this will ensure the jeera flavour spreads. jeera should be only roughly ground. now prepare coconut chutney and enjoy. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- handavo ---

handavo

in my introduction , i have written about our dog who had his own food preferences. this is the story of 1960s .we had a dog named tommy. in those days, almost all male dogs were called tommy and females were called jimmy. this mongrel was more than our family member. he had certain rights which we did not have. he always knew that handvo is being prepared. when my mom or kamala mami soaked the dhalls in the night, he would know that handvo was being prepared tomorrow. he would refuse to go out anywhere and sit in front of the kitchen like a sphinx in the same pose. from time to time, he would sniff and try and make out of the progress of baking. mind you , he would not leave the home to go to his usual rounds of streets where his concubines lived on walltax road, till we served his piece (king size) of handvo. he had many other preferences but that will come with his other likings or dislikings of certain dishes. gujaratis are the only people who prepare handvo which is a traditional salty-spicy cake. you can call handvo the cousin of dhoklas, but it is baked instead of steam cooked. t has a great taste and is generally a weekend meal (light) or an evening snack. many variations are there but i am posting a vegetable rich spicy version. ingredients for a family of four 2 helpings) boiled rice (parboiled) 1 cup kadalai parappu ( channa dhall ) 1/4 cup ulutham parappu (black gram dhall) 3 tbsp thoram parappu (red gram dhall ) 3 tbsp paiyar parappu (green gram dhall ) 3 tbsp rava (optional) 2 tbsp sour curds 1 cup julienned bottle gourd/carrots 1/2 cup onion (thin long sliced 1 no. capsicum 1 small green chilies (finely cut) 4 to 5 nos. grated ginger 1.5 " chili powder 1 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon sugar 1tbsp soda bicarb 1/2 spoon salt to taste ingredients for tempering oil 50 to 60 ml sesame seeds 1 tbsp mustard seeds 1 spoon curry leaves (optional) 1 sprig asafoetida 1/2 spoon

method of preparation soak all the dhalls and rice for 4 to 5 hours, drain and wet grind to a thick paste (coarse like vadai maavu). now add sour curds, salt and a little water and allow to ferment overnight. keep in a warm place to allow proper fermentation. adding a piece of stale bread would ensure proper fermentation. next stage is preparation of julienning of either carrots or bottle gourd (one cup), drain excess water from gourd and set aside. grate ginger, cut chilies very fine, slice onion and capsicum in thin slices and set aside. when the fermentation is over, add all the grated, sliced and julienned vegetables and spices like chilies, ginger, capsicum, etc to the fermented dough. also add chili and turmeric powders and sugar. mix soda bicarb in a spoon of oil and make milky solution and add it to the dough. mix thoroughly. if you add a little sour curds again at this stage, it will be great.. now prepare a non stick pan or a big kadai. add oil and all the tempering spices (except sesame seeds).set the flame on medium. when mustard starts to crackle, immediately add sesame seeds, they will immediately start crackling. now pour all the handvo dough in the pan/kadai and set it to a low flame .cover with a lid. or if you are using an oven, put it in pre heated oven at about 175 to 200 centigrade . late it bake for about 15 to 20 minutes in a non stick pan. check if the under crust is brown .if brown, turn the cake and let the other side cook in the non stick pan (inverting and removing the cake without breaking is very essential) .if you are using an oven, when you see the upper crust brown, turn the other side and let the underside brown also. some people do not let the underside brown if they are using an oven, this leaves inside uncooked. a fine aroma will prevade when the baking oven or the lid is opened. the handvo is ready. let it cool for about ten minutes. make cake like and cake sized pieces and serve steaming hot with chutney or sauce or with garlic chutney. enjoy!!! please post your feedback if you have enjoyed this dish. for more of my recipes , please visit my website,

--- powders --podi...powders...podi...powders spectrum of spices available in india has been further enriched and taken by enterprising housewives of ancient and not so ancient times, to a wonderful level by creating exotic and different aromas by combining different spices. no country in this world can boast of so many different powders/powdered spices as india. powders are like secret formulae of coke. every family has their own recipe. i have tried to present to you some of the most sought-after powders and "garam masala" powders as they are called, in this book.

--- garam masala --garam masala what is scent to a flower, is garam masala to a recipe. enhancement of taste is the essence of the success of any recipe. garam masala does that job very effectively. unfortunately people use garam masala without understanding its proper application. poor cooks pass off any substandard cooking by adding or masking the dish with garam masala. this is unacceptable! (3 month's supply for a family of 4) dhania 150 gms. jeera 50 gms

cloves 10 gms cinnamon 50 gms black pepper 10 gms cardamom 15 gms bay leaf 10 gms caraway seeds 1 spoon stone flower (dhagad phool) 5 gms anis star 5 nos (remove seeds) sombu (fennel) 2 spoons red chilies 5 nos dry all the spices in sun or light roast them in ghee and powder them to a fine nice semolina consistency. pack in a glass bottle .use in quarter spoon or one spoon measure only. this is all purpose masala which can be used in almost any preparation from curry to bisi bele bhath or pani puri or masala puri etc.. use your judgment in usage. enjoy!! please post the feedback, waiting eagerly for it. --- garlic pepper powder --one of the greatest telugu actresses, the thespian mother in law of telugu screen late surya kantham garu (my land lady in cit colony ) was not only a fire belcher on the screen but off the screen as well. she was a fire eater. her food was not for the soft hearted and soft tongued mortals. she would cook puliodhirais and other items when she was free and her measurement would be fistfuls of red chilies. god!!!. she used to sprinkle this red powder on rice and enjoy. wow!!! it was really great. but when you try this, be careful of after shocks.!!! garlic pepper powder this is a fiery but tasty mix and eat powder which i have termed jocularly as eo & et variety (eat once and enjoy twice). this is to be eaten with ghee or gingly oil with rice. ingredients garlic 100 gms (three medium pods) pepper corns 1 tbsp pottu kadalai/fried gram dhall 2 to 3 spoons. red chilies 8 to 10 nos copra grated 1cup curry leaves 2 sprigs tamarind 1 marble salt to taste (2 spoons) method of preparation clean garlic, destalk chilies (don't remove seeds). grate a desiccated (half) copra. lightly fry the chilies and curry leaves in a drop or two of oil or dry roast. similarly fry dhall in a drop of oil till brown. divide tamarind in small portions. now powder all the ingredients to a smooth consistency first. when done, add this powder to grated copra and again check for salt and hotness, if needed add black pepper and chili powder to taste. mix in a mixi jar and pack in a glass container. this powder goes well with rice , with dosai and adais. use with groundnut oil or ghee. you can use roasted gingly powder in place of kadalai or dhall . try and tell me .you would love it. enjoy!! --- gun powder for rice --gun powder (andhra)

anyone who has ever taken andhra meals in a genuine andhra restaurant, would be served with gun powder with rice and ghee. the most beautiful thing about gunpowder rice is, the more you have it, the hungrier you become. keep gun powder prepared in your house and i bet you will get addicted to having gun powder rice almost daily. i have seen people just having gun powder rice and almost nothing else. go ahead and try out. one of the most addicted person is my son who would not refuse it all the 365 days. the condition is, the rice must be steaming and the ghee should be hot. ingredients (for gun powder) puffed channa grams (oduchhu kadalai) 350 gms red chilies 10 to 15 nos garlic 75 to 100 gms ghee 2 to 3 spoons salt to taste (2 tbsp) method of preparation take a kadai and fry red chilies for just 30 seconds lightly. add puffed grams with chilies and fry/roast for about five minutes in ghee. the condition is that the grams should leave all the moisture and chilies must be dry. add peeled garlic and turn three or four times, add salt , mix properly and set aside to cool. when cold, powder it in a mixi. sift the gun powder to remove hard gram particles. at this stage taste for salt. powder the hard portion last. the powder should not be like maida. fill it up in a dry glass bottle with wide mouth. keeps good for months. prepare rice as usual up to your need. the rice is going to be served steaming so you must cook with minimum needed water. serve rice which is steaming. add two spoons of ghee on top of rice and add required gun powder on top. mix and enjoy!!! this rice must be eaten while really hot. the rice may feel dry to eat with gun powder but surprisingly it will not stick to your chest or throat. the more you eat, the hungrier you will become. so go and get hooked to this andhra wonder.!!! after ghee rice, i am sure that this will draw maximum response.!! ps. fix number of chilies as per your ability to withstand hotness. but i recommend that you must stick to specified quantity.

--- idly podi --idly podi anyone who has tasted idly podi with nalla ennai (gingly oil) in rama bhavan near thambu chetty street in madras, or tried rasams or sambar of this 777 dhideer mix birth place of excellent masala powders, would never forget the taste. it is a pity that very few people know that 777 dhideer powders was the pioneer in masala powders and instant mixes, in south india. the secret of the sambar taste of rama bhavan lies in their usage of pure spices and pure asafoetida. i am trying to reproduce that un-believable taste here in the form of idly podi. i make this podi at my home and has lovers of that all over. black gram 150 gms.(one cup) (dehusked) dhall/whole ) kadalai parappu 1 tbsp red chilies 10 nos dhania seeds 1 tbsp asafoetida 1 spoon tamarind 1 marble salt 1 tbsp gingly oil 1 tbsp fry dehusked black gram dhall/whole and channa dhall in a spoonful of oil till black gram dhall becomes pinkish brown. fry/roast chilies and dhania in the same kadai till dhania seeds start popping and chilies become crisp. take care that chilies should not burn. add salt and remove in a cup. when the ingredients cool down, using a mixi, powder the ingredients including a marble of tamarind (separated in small portions) coarsely. tamarind must be mixed properly and should not form lumps. i use a trick. i powder 3/4 portion coarsely and a quarter a bit nice powder of masala consistency. add raw asafoetida in the powder portion of podi. now mix both the powders thoroughly in a mixi. (i use pure asafoetida for this podi, so try and buy good asafoetida ) if you are using pure asafoetida, use only pea sized quantity.

check for salt and fill up in an air tight container. use with idly along with gingly oil. enjoy!! please post the feedback, waiting eagerly for it. --- karnataka sambar powder --karnataka sambar powder i am posting karnataka sambar powder (podi) recipe which was long overdue. there are two versions to this powder. one i have posted here. the second version has little cinnamon and moggu (maratti moggu) in it. that powder seconds as bisi bele bath powder also. red chilies 1 cup (1/2 cup bedagi+1/2 cup any hot variety) dhania 1 cup rice 3 spoons urad dhal table spoon channa dhal table spoon black pepper table spoon turmeric 1 " piece hing (asafoetida) 1 spoon curry leaves 3-4 sprigs mustard spoon jeera 2 spoons oil for frying (optional) dry roast all the items individually on a very low flame. first dry roast channa, urad dhal till light pink. dry roast mustard seeds till it mustard pops out. now dry roast dhania & chilies till dhania starts to pop out. turn curry leaves in the same kadai for about 45 sec and finally dry roast turmeric pieces and jeera seeds similarly (you can break it in small pieces with a mortar) for 1 minutes. again mix all the ingredients in the still hot kadai, switch off the gas. add one spoon of asafoetida and mix thoroughly. close the kadai with a lid & let it stand for one hour. after one hour, powder the ingredients. take care not to make a very fine powder. this amount of powder will last you for at least a week . i'm not in favour of storing sambar / rasam powders for long time. i promise that your sambar will taste heavenly when you prepare karnataka sambar with this sambar podi. note: some people roast chilies in a little amount of oil. you can choose to do likewise if you want darker sambar. the method of preparing udipi sambar with this recipe will be discussed later on. enjoy!! please post the feedback, waiting eagerly for it. --- madras curry powder --madras curry powder i am not in favour of using readymade powders but in present circumstances, using garam masala powder , curry powders and sambar rasam podis has become an integral part of cookery. this is due to paucity of time. so how can hemant escape from this???. i am posting madras curry powder today. this will be followed by garam masala and other powders and ready to eat podis like chutney podi, curry leaves podi and host of others . madras curry powder is a fantastic blend of spices which was popularized all over the world by the britishers. their chicken curry and mutton curry was too hot to handle for the uninitiated. this one curry powder has its humble origins in madras. the fisherman community and the pariahs were the people who according to me were the people who should be credited with this curry powder combination. i have taken curry rice in tokyo which was really so authentic, that i myself was perspiring profusely eating it. my japanese friends had their faces blood red and their language incoherent. yet they used to stand in a long line to enjoy this fire dragon . you would be surprised to know that in tokyo and osaka, the business district has many curry rice corners (hole in the wall) joints which are extremely popular. ingredients hot chilies 200 gms. dhania seeds 150 gms. black pepper 15 gms. fenugreek seeds 1 spoon mustard seeds 1. 5 spoons jeera 1. 5 spoons black gram dhall 1 table spoon

thoram parappu 1 table spoon idli rice 1. 5 spoons asafoetida 1 spoon turmeric powder 1/2 spoon curry leaves 1/2 cup method of preparation as all the powders in south, it is important that the ingredients need to be sun dried till chilies crumble when pinched and so should dhania. but since it may not be possible for most of you, dry roast each ingredient separately in an iron kadai just to let the moisture leave the ingredients. only rice needs to be roasted till the grains become light pink and curry leaves should crumble. use your mixi and grind to powder all the ingredients properly. use an uniform maida sieve to sieve the powder. the powder is to be stored in an air tight container. you must not use plastic jars or pet jars to store powders, a glass jar is a must. use this powder to make mutton curry, meen kozambu, chicken curry etc. please do not confuse this powder with sambar powder. foreigners repeatedly commit this mistake; they think sambar powder and curry powder are same. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please.

--- maharastrian goda masala --maharashtrian goda masala i would suggest you to make kolhapuri vegetables curry (cauliflower) or kolhapuri chicken with this masala. coriander seeds 100 gms. dry coconut 1/4 cinnamon 10 sticks 1" size asafoetida 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1 spoon dhagad phul 1 spoon javantri 1/2 spoon jeera 1 spoon not to be roasted cumin seeds 4 table spoons shahjeera 3 table spoons cloves 1 spoon red chilies 10 nos. pepper corns 1/2 spoon sesame seeds 5 table spoons jai phal (nutmeg) 1/4

take a kadai and put in a little oil. add all the ingredients except coconut and dhania seeds. roast for about four to five minutes. take down the kadai and empty the contents to cool. put dhania and coconut (copra) in the same kadai and dry roast for about four to five minutes. mix the roasted ingredients and powder in a mixi along with one spoon of jeera which is not roasted . fill in an air tight glass bottle. this maharashtrian goda masala is used in a number of dishes. you may try both vegetarian and non veg dishes using this masala. if you have a problem getting the ingredients, i will suggest a trick. buy any garam masala powder which is branded (except punjabi). add little jeera, dhania , sesame and dry coconut powders . presto. . . you have goda masala. --- methi masala powder --methi masala powder for khakhara 100 gms methi (fenugreek) 25 gms red chili powder (less if chili powder is hot) salt to taste hing a pinch black salt a little oil two to three spoons. very lightly fry fenugreek in oil and then mix with chili powder and salt and raw asafoetida and rock salt. now make a rough powder like idly podi. presto...your methi masala for khakhara is ready. use chili powder to your taste please.

spread a little ghee on a khakhra and sprinkle methi masala powder. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please.

--- milk masala powder --milk masala powder milk is an essential part of growing up. children have basic aversion to milk unless it is masked by chocolate or mango flavour or something like that. this is the sad part. milk is an emulsion and a bit hard on the stomach if it is a daily routine. it should be your endeavor to make children drink milk and that too without artificial flavours . i am posting milk masala which has ingredients to make milk palatable and also easier to digest. it will no more be a forcing ritual on children. you can treat and greet your guests too with milk masala powder. almonds 150 gms. cardamom 25 gms. saffron 5 gms. pistachio 50 gms. jajika (nutmeg) 10 gms. black pepper 10 gms. (optional)

soak almonds in hot water for fifteen minutes and when the brown skin is loose, remove it. immediately wipe clean almonds and dry them fully. if needed, put it in oven for a minute to desiccate as much as possible. clean pistachio. remove seeds from cardamom and don't discard the tough green covers. put them in your tea leaves jar. now powder all the ingredients including saffron in a clean mixi jar. take care that you remove the blades of the mixi first and clean it thoroughly with detergent. sometimes if you don't do that, your badham powder will smell of onion and garlic which get deposited under the blade. once you powder the ingredients, store in a glass jar. per glass of milk, you may use 1/2 spoon to 3/4 spoon of milk masala powder. method of preparing milk with masala powder when you want to use this powder, first warm the milk on medium flame. before it starts to boil, 3/4 of the way, add required quantity of powder, stir properly, and add sugar just when milk starts to boil. reduce the flame to simmer and let it simmer for about one minute. close the vessel for three to four minutes. now you can serve masala milk. enjoy!! feed your children milk with this powder and then post the feedback --- pulao-biryani masala --pulao-biriyani masala (2 months supply for a family of 4) dhania 100 gms jeera 15 gms white hot chilies 5 gms pepper 10 gms cloves 10 gms caraway seeds 10 gms cinnamon 10 gms cardamom 10 gms nutmeg 5 gms javantri 5 gms (red part of nutmeg outer shell) fennel seeds 5 gms bay leaf 3 nos poppy seeds 10 gms turmeric (powder) 3 spoons asafoetida 1/4 spoon ( optional) roast dhania, jeera, fennel poppy seeds , cloves ,cinnamon caraway seeds in ghee till light brown. let it cool and powder. cardamom, nutmeg, javantri, turmeric asafoetida , white chilies and bay leaves are to be light roasted and powdered mix both the powders in mixi and fill up in a dry clean glass bottle. use as per your needs. you can sundry the above spices and powder them and use .pounding the spices is always better than powdering in a mixi or a blender. i hope that you would try your own home made masalas. enjoy!!

please post the feedback, waiting eagerly for it. --- rasam powder --rasam powder to be used within 10 days. good for single person 1/4 cup red chilies 1/2 tablespoon channa dhall (kadalai parappu) 1/2 tablespoon toor dhall (thoram parappu) 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds 1/4 tablespoon urad dhall (ulundhu parappu) 1/4 cup dhania seeds 2 spoons jeera 1 spoon of black pepper 1 spoon of fenugreek seeds 1 spoon of asafoetida powder 2 or 3 springs of curry leaves dry roast all the dhalls till they are pink. keep aside. now dry roast chilies and dhania seeds coriander seeds) and curry leaves for two to three minutes on a medium flame. keep aside. now dry roast fenugreek and mustard seeds till they start popping out. dry roast black pepper similarly. mix all the above roasted ingredients once again and add 1 spoon of asafoetida. briskly turn the dry mix for 30 seconds to 45 seconds. remove the above from kadai and put it in a glass bowl. cover it for about 30 minutes. grind it in grinder to not too fine powder, but not too course. pack it in a glass air tight jar. use this podi in rasams of different varieties. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- sambar powder --sambar powder red chilies 1 cup urad dhal table spoon thoor dhal table spoon turmeric powder inch curry leaves 3-4 sprigs mustard spoon dhania cup channa dhal table spoon black pepper table spoon hing (asafoetida) 1 spoon fenugreek spoon jeera 2 spoons

(jeera is optional. karnataka sambar podi has jeera so if you want karnataka sambar, you may add jeera) dry roast all the items individually on a very low flame. first dry roast channa, urad, thoor dhal till light pink. dry roast fenugreek and mustard seeds till it turn pink and mustard pop out. now dry roast dhania & chilies till dhania starts to pop out. turn curry leaves in the same kadai for about 45 sec and finally dry roast turmeric pieces (you can break it in small pieces with a mortar) for 1 minutes. again mix all the ingredients in the still hot kadai, switch off the gas. add one spoon of asafoetida and mix thoroughly. close the kadai with a lid & let it stand for one hour. after one hour, powder the ingredients. take care not to make a very fine powder. this amount of powder will last you for 3 to 4 days. i'm not in favour of storing sambar/rasam powders for long time. i promise that your sambar will heavenly when you prepare with this sambar podi. note: some people roast chilies in a little amount of oil. you can choose to do likewise if you want darker sambar. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- tea masala --tea masala we gujaratis are famous for making masala for spiced tea in india. try the following combination for spice powder which we follow religiously since generations.

dry ginger 150 gms. cinnamon 50 gms. black pepper 50 gms. cardamom 25 gms. make a fine powder of the above and use about two pinches of powder per cup of tea. the best method of mixing the powder is just when the tea is mixed with cream and milk, and heated, if you are using indian method of making tea) or if you are making tea english style, you can add tea leaves and tea masala powder together. leave it aside covered for about five minutes. now you can mix cream to tea and use. i have reduced black pepper in the above version from our normal quantity by more than 50% as i think you do not like pepper much in your tea. ps. some people add cloves but i have found cloves rob the other spices of their spiciness. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- non-veg ---

--- andhra chili chicken --andhra chilli chicken first steam cook the chicken legs after marinating in light spices like garlic/onion/ginger paste and salt. remember the marinating must be very light for about 45 minutes . once the marinating is over, fry the chicken legs in oil or steam cook till 3/4th cooked. now make a semi paste of green chilies and capsicum. it would be better if you uses pounded chilies and capsicum. smear the semi cooked chicken with green chili/capsicum mixture and leave it for about another 45 minutes in a fridge. this is second garnishing. after 45 minutes, take out the chicken and saute the chicken (don't fry ) in a kadai with about three spoons of oil. this will ensure real taste of chilies be preserved and capsicum will impart fantastic aroma of chilies. when the chicken is done after six to ten minutes, serve hot. you may make a little gravy of chilies and capsicum and smear the chili chicken with that gravy. i am sure you would love the taste .please let me know how this chicken turned out. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- bombay duck --bombay-duck (stuffed and fried) bombay duck 4 nos (substitute with any flat fish which you can slit and open like a book) onion 1 no medium sized garlic 5 to 6 pods green chilies 2 to 3 nos. kothumalli 1 bunch ginger 1" piece jeera powder 1 spoon turmeric powder 1/2 spoon dhania powder 1 spoon (optional) chili powder 1/2 spoon besan/rice flour 1/4 cup salt to taste oil for frying if you take seafood of any coastal belt either northeast or west or south, every region has developed its distinctive style of cooking seafood ,but one common factor is usage of spices. the number of spices that go in preparation of most of the fish curries or most of the other sea foods is surprisingly limited to four or five basic spices like cumin, turmeric, chili, onion garlic and kothumalli. very rarely with an exception or two, garam masalas and other spices are used. but the sheer variety of cooking medium like coconut milk to mustard oil makes a whole lot of difference in the final outcome. i have taken sushi and sashimi during my sojourns to japan but frankly speaking i have relished bombay duck fried in oil or pomfret as cooked in goa more than sheer raw taste of japanese fish. juicy crabs and lobsters done ala kerala style or goan style have given me more satisfaction than done in continental style. may be because i am a spicy person from very young age and my tastes have been over spoiled by my aunt, mother and later on my wife and myself . i am starting with ever green bombay duck recipe .hope you would relish and let me know the result. since i am not cooking non veg. food, your feedback would be a great help. this variety of fish is most popular on western coast. this is a stuffed and fried fish without any gravy, the sheer taste of white meat with fiery spices still brings back memories. clean the fish thoroughly. make a slit lengthwise almost up to the other end. remove the centre bone carefully not leaving any piece .you should be able to open the fish like a book. some people keep it immersed in haldi water for some time. may be this is to disinfect it. press dry lightly and don't leave any

water in or out. set it aside. pluck kothumalli, and grate ginger for making paste. slice green chilies . crush garlic pods with stone and also crush onion with hard blows. make a paste of all the ingredients in a pestle .true flavours come with pounded and stone paste masalas. if you don't have the facility, use a mixi and make a fine paste. remember that you have no other chance to add salt. so check for salt now and add to paste before filling the fish. stuff the fishes and if you are afraid that the stuffing would spill, tie each fish with thread. generally careful frying will prevent spilling of stuffed masalas. now rub each filled fish in besan/kadalai maavu or rice flour lightly. some people add a little salt and masala to the flour also. you can do that if you want. once all the fishes are smeared in flour, fry in a kadai with not too much of oil. see that the fish is not immersed fully in oil. maintain that level of oil. better still is to shallow fry in a non stick pan .when the outer flour becomes darker, (it should not take much of frying time on a low medium flame for this fish to get cooked). check if the fish is properly cooked in each case. serve steaming hot with rotis. do let me know how you did. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- boneless chicken curry --boneless chicken curry 250 gms of chicken breast and boneless meat three fairly medium sized onions, four tea spoons of ginger garlic paste for marinating one spoon of paste of nutmeg and three to four cloves and five cardamoms two to three spoons of paste made out of six to seven cashewnuts or peanuts and poppy seeds for the gravy one spoon of cinnamon powder half a spoon of turmeric powder two spoons of chili powder (small) one cube of papaya fruit mashed ( this will make the chicken very soft) two tomatoes finely diced one spoon of lime juice two spoons of ghee/oil salt to taste two sticks of cinnamon four to five cloves make the paste of onions and keep aside make paste of ginger and garlic about four tea spoons add a little salt now gently smear the ginger and garlic paste on the pieces of chicken. now rub the pieces of chicken in the nutmeg ,clove and cardamom paste keep it in the fridge for about 45 minutes to one hour. when the marination is over , take the chicken out and let it be at the room temperature for another ten minutes or so. take a kadai and put ghee /oil, add a piece or two of cinnamon and four cloves for tempering. take the onion paste and put it in kadai when the oil is hot. turn the paste in kadai till the raw smell of onions goes off and oil /ghee starts to separate. add salt to taste. take into consideration the need of salt for gravy also now add diced tomatoes and one cube of papaya and saute till tomatoes become tender. now add the chicken pieces in the kadai, add two spoons of chili powder, half a spoon of turmeric powder and one cup of water cover the kadai with a lid and allow the chicken to cook on a medium flame . from time to time check for water and keep adding small quantities of water. when the cooking is 3/4 over, add cashew nuts paste with little water. mix thoroughly this is to avoid sticking of gravy at the bottom during cooking the chicken will take about fifteen minutes to get cooked. when the chicken if perfectly cooked, add little lime juice to taste. garnish with silver foil and cream if you want and serve hot. note. in my experience, if you are serving for dinner, it is better to cook the chicken or any spiced dish at least two hours before the dinner or lunch time. this brings out the best of the taste. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- chicken-dhall kofta --chicken-dhall kofta in korma curry (kozi masala urundai kurma). all would be mothers need extra nourishment and also a taste that induces them to eat more. at the same time their proteins and minerals requirements must be met. i have created a chicken dhall kofta curry in korma which would make them eat rich diet with spicy taste. and their protein, minerals and extra cholesterol/fat diet will be met. for gravy onion paste 1/2 cup garlic 10 cloves ginger 2"piece (thumb thickness) green chilies 2 nos.

coconut paste 1/4 cup tomato puree 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 spoon

poppy seeds paste 2 to 3 spoons fresh curds (not sour) 4 spoons

dry spices powders turmeric powder 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder 3/4 spoon clove powder of 3 cloves jeera powder 1/2 spoon dhania powder 1 spoon chili powder 3/4 spoon salt to taste garam masala powder 1/2 spoon (optional) fresh lime juice/ sour curds as souring agents to taste for chicken masala vada green chilies 2 to 3 nos. onion 1 no. red chili powder 1/4 spoon salt to taste kadalai parappu (channa dhall) 1.5 cups (soak for 2 hours) cooked chicken pieces (small) 150 gms. (1 cup) for tempering cinnamon sticks 3 to 4 nos. bay leaves 2 nos. cloves 5 to 6 cooking oil/ghee 2 to 3 ladles

make a paste of kadalai parappu of idly maavu particle thickness. don't make very fine paste .see that the consistency of the paste is thick like masala vadai, and use water to a bare minimum. set aside. slice finely chilies and onion. cook boneless chicken with salt and a little ginger garlic paste in a pressure cooker. make small pieces and keep aside. now add sliced chilies, onion and salt along with a little chili powder to the paste of dhall. mix thoroughly. now make flat round vadais in hand .place chicken piece in center and close sides. make a round shape of size a small lime. take oil in a kadai and deep fry the chicken urundais (koftas) till biscuit brown. set aside .. make pastes of all the ingredients of gravy and store in different cups. make powder of cinnamon, jeera, clove, etc. try and make fresh powder of dhania seeds also. keep aside all the pastes and dry spices. take a little ghee/oil in a kadai add onion paste after the ghee is hot, let it turn golden brown. add ginger and garlic paste and turn for two minutes, now add tomato puree and fry till oil separates, add fresh curds, coconut paste and stir for a minute. now add all the dry spices powders , garam masala powder and salt. fry for about another minute. now add poppy seeds paste. simmer for another five minutes .now taste for salt and chilies. if needed, add extra as per your taste. at this stage, add the dhall/chicken urundais (koftas). if you need more sour, add sour curds or lime juice to taste. mix thoroughly. now prepare tempering with rest of ghee/ oil and add cinnamon and cloves , bay leaves and jeera .when cloves start popping, temper the kurma and cover it. serve hot after 10 minutes. this dhall chicken urundai (kofta) in kurma would steal the hearts of all your loved once. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. i really value your words. --- lamb pasanda --lamb pasanda all the ingredients are for 4 people. neck fillets of lamb 500 gms. garlic (strong) 4 to 5 cloves curd (with natural fat) 1 cup (150 ml) water 1.5 cups cashew nuts paste/almond paste 1 table spoon ghee/rarified (salt less butter) 3 ladlefuls (50 gms.) dry spices coriander powder 2 spoons turmeric powder 1/2 spoon cinnamon powder 1/2 spoon garam masala powder 1 spoon onion thin sliced 2 large (pink) ginger 1" thumb thick piece cream or coconut milk 1 cup salt to taste

cumin seeds powder 1 spoon nutmeg powder 1/4 spoon red chili powder 1 .5 spoons fresh pepper powder just a pinch or two

slice onion in thin slices, make a paste of ginger and garlic by crushing them and not in a blender. set aside . i would advise you to take lamb neck fillets and cut in cubes of about an inch and half size or larger as per your choice. set aside. take ghee/rarified butter in a frying pan and heat it on medium flame. when hot, add sliced onions and fry till onions are pink ..now add lamb meat cubes (if you are serving the british, buy red meat or else halal meat). fry till meat is almost brown and tender. now add ginger garlic paste, turn for

30 seconds to a minute and then add all the dry spice powders and curds. fry them for exactly 30 seconds and then add water and bring it to boil. let the whole thing simmer for about 25 to thirty minutes ..the spices would work up in meat. by now the meat would be tender. now add cream or coconut milk and paste of cashew or almonds and garam masala powder. mix thoroughly and let it simmer for further four to five minutes. lamb pasanda is ready. serve after one hour of preparation after reheating. serve with indian bread, tandoori paratha or just any bread from indian cuisine. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. i really value your words. thanks to unknown contributor and kingshuk for recipe.

--- meen kozumbu --meen kozumbu sunday in madras city is reserved by simple minded cinema crazy footpath dwellers of pariah caste for meen kozumbu and mutton curry. if you take a walk around george town or park town, around nine am you would not fail to see on every foot path these being cooked. thayar amma was our house maid working for a salary of seven rupees per month. she used to stay near our house on the footpath and sundays were her meen kozumbu or karvade kozumbu days. it was fascinating for me to see her patiently cleaning the fish, using a stone to make paste of all the ingredients which she would have bought just enough for that day from nadar kadai. using an aluminum vessel and a coconut shell wooden ladle would make some finest curry and kozumbu. i was not a privy to taste it but her sons and son in-laws were always there to have it. i would try and bring the recipe to you and see for yourself how good it is. true meen kozumbu would have small unscaled or descaled fish cleaned and whole or not large pieces as they would break and become mushy. it can be dried karavddai fish too. fish can be of your choice as long as it is a sea fish. even stirring while cooking must be careful as not to break the fish. adding the fish pieces should be towards the end of cooking of the kozumbu. cooking further ten minutes to fifteen minutes on medium/slow fire should suffice. never over cook fish. fish (small ) of your choice onion 2 nos. medium dhania 2 spoons turmeric 1/4 inch piece coconut 2 to 3 pieces tamarind juice 1/4 cup 150 to 250 gms. garlic 6 to 8 cloves jeera 1 spoon poppy seeds 1.5 spoons kothumalli 1/4 cup salt to taste red chili 5 to 6 nos. mustard 1 spoon tomatoes 2 to3 nos. curry leaves 1 sprig oil for tempering 2 ladles

dice tomatoes, make a paste of all the ingredients except mustard seeds on a stone and fill up a katora and set aside. extract tamarind juice and add it to about 750 ml of water , add salt and set it to boil. when first boil is over, add tomatoes and let it blanch. now add the paste of all the spices and let it simmer on a slow flame for about five to six minutes. when fine aroma of kozumbu masala spreads, add previously cleaned fish. let it simmer on slow fire for about eight to ten minutes. keep the vessel covered. check if the fish is cooked. check for salt now. take the oil in a tempering ladle and add mustard heat it. when mustard crackles, pour it over kozumbu. cover immediately. there are two ways of using red chilies in this kozumbu. either you add it to paste or use it in tempering. use in proportions you like. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- madurai chicken --madurai chicken madurai has its distinct taste in its dishes because of confluence of many cultures. chettinadu, saurashtrian and deccan influence is amalgamated in its non vegetarian dishes. i am presenting this recipe of chicken curry in two versions. i am sure that all of you who appreciate spice factor in a dish would love this chicken. ingredients chicken pieces (with bone) 1.5 lbs cardamom 5+5 numbers cinnamon sticks 1" 3 to 4 nos. jeera 2 spoons

ginger 1.5 " piece garlic (optional) 4 to 5 cloves fresh curds/plain yogurt 1 cup salt to taste ghee 50 gms dry spices garam masala or cardamom +clove+ cinnamon +nutmeg powder 2 spoons chili powder or green chili paste 1 spoon method of preparation first prepare chicken pieces for marinating by pricking and making slice cuts . keep aside. prepare paste of poppy seeds, jeera, cardamom (four to five), and ginger. use of garlic is optional .if you are using garlic also, use just three to four cloves .add broken cashew pieces to spice paste .add this paste to yogurt , mix thoroughly and keep aside. now prepare dry powder of two to three pieces of cinnamon, a few cloves (two to three is enough), a small piece of nutmeg and if you wish , a little jeera and couple of cardamoms. set aside. now rub dry spice powder/garam masala on chicken pieces thoroughly after rubbing with salt to taste ,and set aside for ten to fifteen minutes. smear /dip the chicken pieces in spice paste mixed yogurt. let the chicken pieces marinate for three hours. take ghee in a kadai and add whole spices for tempering as shown above. when cloves puff up, add chicken pieces carefully and cook at medium flame till chicken pieces turn brown .add chili powder at this stage as per your taste. you have a choice to either use the dry chicken as above or prepare gravy of your choice. but its best to prepare gravy separately and add chicken pieces in it before serving. generally dry chicken curry is best with this recipe. you can garnish with lemon slices green pepper slices and onion slices. so cook and enjoy !!!

--- muttai kozumbu --muttai kozumbu egg curry south indian style

the real taste of muttai kozumbu lies in the gravy. you would be surprised to know that the gravy for muttai kozumbu in the restaurants is generally prepared using leftover gravy, stock of chicken and leftover kheema of chicken . but what i am posting is pure delight using fresh ingredients. muttai kozumbu goes great with steaming rice, parottas , poories and pulao. so here is lip smacking recipe of muttai kozumbu or egg curry. boiled eggs 4 nos. onion paste 1 cup tomato puree 1 ladleful curd 1 tea spoon oil for cooking 1 ladle masalas red chili powder 1 spoon, tempering ghee/oil i ladle poppy seed paste 2 tbsp. (ghasaghasa) ginger-garlic paste 3 tea spoons light roasted maida 1 spoon salt to taste

turmeric powder 1/4 spoon cardamom 5 to 6 nos.

garam masala powder 1 spoon cinnamon 3 to 4 sticks of 2" size

take oil in a kadai and when hot, add a pinch of mustard to check if hot. when mustard start to crackle, add first onion paste and start turning it till it becomes light pinkish brown and starts leaving oil. now add ginger garlic paste and briskly turn for two to three minutes. when the raw smell of garlic goes off, add tomato puree and fry for further two to three minutes. add curd at this juncture. and heat for about 1 minute now add water and let the whole thing simmer for about four to five minutes. add poppy seed

paste and roasted maida flour. stir briskly .you made mix some water with maida flour to avoid sticking. if you have any leftover curries or kheemas, you can add at this juncture (but take care about salt). now add chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder along with salt to taste. heat for a couple of minutes and see that the gravy is almost dosai maavu thick. if you want , you can add a little bit of lime juice to make the gravy to your taste , otherwise it will be perfect . now take ghee in a tempering ladle and heat cardamom and cinnamon. when cardamom gets puffed, pour it over the gravy. i advice you to shallow fry the boiled eggs in oil all over till a golden tinge shows on surface. carefully make two pieces of each egg .now place eggs pieces in the gravy .you may choose to place whole boiled and uncut eggs also. and serve hot after one hour. cook and let me know the result. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- rice dishes --rice...rice...rice...rice...rice...rice

--- biriyani musalmani --musalamani vegetable biriyani introduction this biriyani was taught to me by a muslim cook after three years of request. this biriyani is among the best i have ever tasted. among the hyderabadi and tamilnadu biriyani, tamilnadu biriyani tastes much superior and has a wonderful taste which lingers in the mouth for a long time. in madras, ahmediya hotel near old flower bazaar and taj coronation restaurant in broadway were two places where i have had the privilege of tasting the finest tamilnadu musalamani biriyani. ingredients 300 gms. old biriyani rice (1.5 cups) 2 medium onions sliced in rings 2 medium onions diced i cup of mixed vegetables diced (green peas, carrots, beans etc.) 3/4 cup medium sour fresh curd (200 ml) 3 medium tomatoes diced 5 green chilies sliced 2 spoons of raisins optional 10 nos. cashew nuts optional ghee and oil for frying and tempering salt to taste fresh lemon juice from 3/4 lime. wet spices 2+2 spoons of ginger and garlic paste 1 onion made in paste 1/4 cup of coarsely made paste of mint leaves (make this paste or freshly cut mint leaves five minutes before adding to spice mass) 1 spoon of paste of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and a little flakes of nutmeg. dry spices 10 nos. cloves 5 nos. 2" pieces of cinnamon sticks 15 nos. cardamom 2 bay leaves some strands of saffron 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1.5 spoons chili powder

method of preparation first heat a spoon of ghee in a kadai and light roast biriyani rice for about six to eight minutes .keep turning the rice .you must take care to wash and dry the rice first. set aside the rice. semi cook all the diced vegetables with a little salt and a little sugar. now prepare all the wet masalas and dry masala and keep them in a plate in different small cups. take care to cut mint leaves just before you are adding the same when needed. first semi cook rice with a little of salt and see that it is fully drained of water . set it aside. take two ladles of oil in a kadai and add rings of onions, fry on a medium heat. when the rings are brown, take out and drain the oil. set the onions aside. now add all the dry spices in the same oil, if oil is less, add a ladle or two. and when the cloves start popping, add diced onions and fry till the onions are translucent. now immediately add tomatoes and fry for about a minute. now add onion paste and ginger garlic paste. turn till the raw smell of onion, garlic and ginger goes off .this should take no more than two minutes. now add the cooked vegetables and stir and mix with the masala. at this stage, add curd and stir well. now add salt, turmeric powder, chili powder and paste of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom etc. heat over medium flame for about three to four minutes now add mint leaves at this time heat the mix for further one minute and remove from flame. second stage: mix the spiced mixture with rice by making alternate layers of rice and masala, let it stand for about 30 minutes. now re-cook the rice-masala mi. give it a dum in a biriyani handi by placing coals on top and cooking on a low to medium flame. if you do not have this facility, i would suggest you to cook both rice and vegetables fully and mix the masala and rice. you may add fresh lemon juice at this stage the final cooking will take about 30 minutes if you are giving it a dum or else, reheating the rice and masala can be avoided. leave the mixed rice for about one hour. fry cashewnuts and raisins in a little ghee and add this to biriyani. before serving, steam heat the biriyani by placing the vessel in a large aluminum vessel or reheating in a non stick deep pan. decorate with onion rings, sliced chilies and saffron. even though the process looks a bit complicated, in practice, it is not so .the end result is heavenly tasting biriyani made in true musalamani tamilnadu style. this biriyani is to be eaten with onion raitha , kurma or as it is. let me know how it turned out. enjoy !!!! variation chicken biriyani can be made in the same manner except, in place of vegetables, please cook chicken breast or chicken legs after marinating in the wet spices for about one hour and steam cooking along with either rice or separately. place the chicken in the rice before serving. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback.

back to rice dishes --- bisibelebhath ---

bisibelebhath 1 cup rice (new rice is better) 1/2 cup thoram parappu (thoor dhall) 1 potato diced in medium pieces (medium sized) 1 cup of small sambar onions or two big onions diced 100 gms of green peas 50 gms of beans cut in 1" pieces 1 ball of tamarind ( small) extract thick juice salt to taste masala 3 spoons of sambar masala (as given by me earlier) 8 nos. 1" cinnamon sticks 7 nos. cloves 25 gms of maratti moggu 10 nos. of red chilies of medium hot variety 1 spoon of asafoetida 1/4 cup of grated copra 1/4 cup ghee (about 100 gms). this is cooked in three stages. in first stage, cook the rice and dhall separately. if you have old rice, overcook the rice so that rice is not hard after cooking. dhall should not be over cooked or under cooked. see that it is properly cooked and keep them separately. take care to add one spoon of salt along with rice before cooking. in second stage, steam cook the vegetables till they are 3/4 cooked. take care to add little salt and 1/4 spoon of sugar to the vegetables before you steam cook. this will enhance the green colour of vegetables. take some oil/ghee in a kadai and fry onions till they are translucent. add the onions to semi cooked vegetables. preparation of spices powder take two spoons of ghee in a tempering ladle and put maratti moggu and heat on a medium flame. when the moggu starts bursting, immediately remove the moggu in a cup. now take one spoon of ghee and add red chilies and all the other spices as mentioned above. heat on low flame for exactly one and half minutes. keep on turning the spices in the meanwhile. add one spoon asafoetida just before you remove the spices from stove . now add these spices to maratti moggu. after the mix of spices cools down, make a powder of the spices. take care not to make very fine powder. it should be slightly coarse. also grate copra and set aside. grand final mixing take a large vessel and add rice and dhall mix thoroughly. now add partially cooked vegetables and spices powder and three spoons of sambhar powder. add tamarind extract, salt and grated copra. slowly mix the spices thoroughly. let this semi prepared bisibele bhath stand for about one hour or so. after one hour, add little water till the consistency of the bhath reaches thick dosai batter. now put the whole thing in a pressure cooker and cook till one whistle. remove the cooker from the stove and when the steam subsides, add three spoons of ghee and copra powder and mix well. serve bisibele bhath piping hot. there are a lot of quick fix versions of bisibele bhath recipes but this method will give you a taste that you will never forget.!! enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- cashewburfy --capsicum biriyani i am fascinated by capsicum. it is not hot but has fantastic flavour. it tingles up your taste buds when fried. i wanted to create a biriyani with absolutely different flavour but same taste that of conventional biriyani. this set me working. i had to let go of some spices without losing the taste and appeal of biriyani. i zeroed in on the following combination and did it work??? find out for yourself . rice 1cup (basmati/biriyani) green peas 1/2 cup carrot 1 no. diced in 1 cm cubes sour curds 1/2 cup beans 1/4 cup onion sliced 2 medium sized

tomatoes 2 nos. medium sized garlic 7 to 8 cloves ginger 1.5 " piece green chilies 2 nos. mint leaves paste 1/2 cup cloves 6 to 8 nos. turmeric powder 1/2 spoon chili powder 1 spoon garam masala 1 spoon cummins seeds 1/2 spoon oil 3 to 4 ladles salt to taste capsicums (podu mozaka) 2 medium sized cut in 3/4" pieces method of preparation make ginger garlic paste, slice onions shell green peas, cut beans in 1" pieces, dice carrots and capsicums and set aside. divide capsicum in two lots of equal proportion and set aside. if you are using basmati rice/ biriyani rice, ensure that the rice is old otherwise, if the rice is new, toast the rice after soaking in water for ten minutes and draining all the water and toasting in a kadai in two spoons of ghee till the rice is very light creamy or pinkish looking. toasting for about ten minutes would do. this would ensure your rice grains remains separate when cooking. cook rice such that the grains are properly cooked but not mushy. you must add a little salt before cooking rice. i suggest that you cook rice well in advance because, it will have enough time to separate. take one portion of capsicum, green peas and carrots in a pressure pan , add quarter spoon of sugar and little salt. pressure cook till 3/4 cooked. immediately remove the vegetables from fire and keep the lid of pan open. set aside. at this juncture make a coarse paste of chilies and mint leaves and keep aside. now take oil in a kadai and add cloves and cumin seeds when cloves puff up , add onions and diced green capsicum add little salt also. light fry till onions become translucent. when fine aroma of capsicums comes, ensure that you keep on turning the capsicums so as not to let them get over cooked, they must remain whole and yet just soft. add ginger garlic paste, fry just under a minute add turmeric and chili powders. also add garam masala powder (pulao masala ) last and briskly mix the whole thing. add fresh curds and fry for a minute. add diced tomatoes now and again cook for a couple of minutes. add mint chili paste last and required quantity of salt to taste. remember that there is salt in rice and also a bit in vegetables you pressure cooked. now let the whole masala cook for a no more than two to three minutes on low flame .now take down the cooked masala for mixing. remove the rice in a broad vessel. mix first the cooked vegetables and slowly ladle by ladle mix masala and thoroughly mix. cover the vessel after mixing and let it stand for about half an hour at least. reheat the capsicum biriyani in a non stick pan or in micro and serve steaming hot. the flavour of this capsicum biriyani and also the taste would surely take your breath away. believe me ..!!! enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- chitranna --chitranna---elumichha sadham-- lemon rice (with a difference) this rice variety is a favourite of mothers with school going children. most of us have been having this rice variety since we can remember. but i have tasted this rice in different places with different ingredients and i have imparted my special touch to the recipe which will make you ask for more. enjoy this rice as it is or with different curries. i assure you that you would come to love this rice once you taste it. ponni rice (old) 1 cup shelled groundnuts 1/4 cup onion diced 1 big turmeric powder 3/4 to 1 spoon mustard seeds 3/4 spoon kadalai parappu 2 spoons curry leaves 2 sprigs green chilies sliced fine 3 nos. red chilies 2 to 3 nos. (broken) gingly seeds 3 to 4 spoons lemon juice from 2 big lemons oil for tempering 3 ladles salt to taste black gram dhall (ulundhu parappu) 1 spoon vendhaiyum (fenugreek seeds) 1 spoon (for tempering) cook rice in usual southern manner with each grain separate. let it get s sufficiently cold. now add salt, lemon juice and turmeric powder. gently mix them thoroughly and set aside. take oil in a kadai and fry groundnuts on slow -medium flame. when they are brownish, remove and set aside. put gingly seeds in the same oil, and fry for about three to four seconds, when they become light creamy, remove from kadai and keep it with fried groundnuts. now add both the dhalls (parappus) and fry till the dhalls are slightly brown, remove and set aside. now put red chilies, mustard seeds in the kadai, when you find that mustard just starts popping, add fenugreek seeds 1 spoon .don't let fenugreek seeds to become dark brown or black. it will take only two seconds or so for fenugreek to become biscuit brown. immediately add diced onions, sliced chilies and curry leaves and fry till onions become translucent. pour the tempering with onions etc on rice and mix thoroughly. taste for salt at this stage. set it aside for 30 minutes. warm the rice before

serving and add fried groundnuts, fried gingly seeds and mix everything slowly and thoroughly just before serving .you can decorate the rice with freshly sliced green chilies and few kothumalli leaves . the groundnuts and gingly seeds should be crisp and not soft. you have seen that this rice has no spices or asafoetida and yet this rice is very tasty. try and taste for yourself. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- chutney chawal --chutney chawal this is a very tasty rice variety which has been appreciated by all our guests. hope that you too would try and come to love it. 1.5 cups of basmati rice/common rice (if you don't like basmati) 2 medium sized onions made into paste 2" piece of ginger 10 cloves of garlic 1 bunch (medium sized) of mint leaves 1 bunch of kothumalli same as above (the chutney of both the above should be at least one cup.) 1/2 cup of green peas 1/2 cup of beans (sliced and cut in 1" size) 1 large potato diced into small 1/2" cubes 1 small lemon (optional) 8 green chilies (increase or decrease the chilies as per taste) salt to taste oil for tempering and frying spices 4 2" pieces of cinnamon sticks 6 cloves 8 cardamoms 1 spoon jeera 1 bay leaf 1 spoon of garam masala powder cook the rice for biriyani / pulao fashion so that each grain remains separate. remember to pre salt the rice while cooking. fry onion paste in a little oil till oil separates. remove from flame and set it aside to cool in a cup. similarly fry garlic-ginger paste and set it aside. make long slices of chilies and fry in a little bit of oil till nice aroma starts coming. steam cook vegetables till 3/4 cooked. put quarter spoon of sugar and a bit of salt while cooking green vegetables. the green colour will stand out beautifully. set it aside. second stage of preparation take the fried onion paste in a kadai, add ginger garlic paste . mix on a low flame. now add all the 3/4 cooked vegetables to kadai and stir fry for about two minutes. add garam masala and cook only for one minute. now make chutney of kothumalli and mint leaves . remember not to make a paste or else mint will turn brownish black. to stop this add just a pinch of sugar. take this chutney and add it to the kadai now. stir fry only for three minutes. add chilies to the vegetable mass in kadai. add salt to taste. remember that the rice is pre salted. at this stage, if you want, you can add juice of lemon for taste. this is optional. stir the pre mix taking care that the vegetables are not mashed. now taste for any addition of salt or chilies etc. take an ounce of cooking oil add the dry spices as mentioned above. heat on a medium flame. when cloves start puffing , add the temperings to the pre mix of vegetables in the kadai. take care to see that the whole thing is semi solid and not watery. third stage of preparation when the spiced mix is sufficiently cool, start mixing with the rice bit by bit. take care to turn the rice carefully so as not to break the grains. when the mixing is over, the chutney chawal is 3/4 the ready. this is because the spices and rice have not mixed as yet. after about one hour, put some water in a big vessel, put the chutney chawal on steam

cooker stand in the aluminum container. cover both chawal container and the larger container separately. now put it on a stove and indirectly steam cook for about 20 minutes to 30 minutes. this is a variation of dum cooking. your chutney chawal is ready. serve steaming hot.!!! wait for appreciation by your guests and loved ones. you can make onion pachadi/ raita as a side dish. i personally like onion pachadi. ps. even though the recipe seems a bit complicated, in actual practice it is not so. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- coconut rice --coconut rice coconut rice or tengai sadham is a permanent fixture in southern menu. i have been enjoying this rice for many years, i have tasted this rice in different places with different ingredients. today i am posting this recipe which i like most. ponni rice (old) 3/4 cup onion diced /sambar onions 3/4 cup green chilies 3 nos. ghee /oil for tempering 3 to 4 ladles kadalai parappu 2 spoons coconut oil for flavour 2 to 3 spoons coconut grating 1 cup curry leaves 2 sprigs black pepper corns 1 spoon broken mustard seeds a little broken red chilies 2 to 3 nos. salt to taste

cook rice in usual southern manner with each grain separate. let it get sufficiently cold. now add salt, and coarsely broken pepper .mix thoroughly and set aside. grate coconut and set aside. take the ghee/oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, red chilies and kadalai parappu. heat up the ghee/oil and when you find that mustard just starts popping and kadalai parappu slightly brown, add curry leaves and coconut immediately and turn it briskly. the coconut grating needs to be fried on a low medium flame for about five to six minutes till coconut turns light pinkish and emits fine flavour. ensure that the ghee /oil starts leaving . empty the grating in a katora. take a little oil in kadai again and add a pinch of mustard seeds and heat. when the mustard crackles, add onions , fry till onions become translucent. remove from fire. add coconut grating back to kadai and also add finely cut green chilies and 2 spoons of coconut oil for extra flavour. now thoroughly mix with rice. before that, check for salt. reheat the rice immediately in the same kadai and serve it hot. however, i would like you to cook this rice about an hour before dinner or lunch. this will give delicate aroma of coconut . you can enjoy this rice with coconut chutney, plain or for that matter with pickles . enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- curd rice --curd rice open the tiffin box of any student in south india and chances are, it would have been packed with curd rice. this simple looking and simple tasting rice variety has been worked upon by me and i have tried variations with great success. curd rice which i used to pack in my son's lunch box won him ardent followers in his software company. today i am reproducing one of the variations. you too can try this and win hearts. rice (new) 3/4 cup fresh curds 3 cups milk 1/2 cup curry leaves 1 sprig green chilies 2 nos. ginger 1.5 " piece onion 1 medium sized grapes 20 nos. pomegranate 2 to 3 spoons pineapple 4 spoons mustard 1 spoon red chili 2 nos. asafoetida 1/4 spoon salt to taste kothumalli 3 to 4 spoons rose petals a few oil for tempering 3 ladles cook new rice as usual. if you do not have new rice, use old rice and pressure cook using more water than usual to ensure that the cooked grains are very soft. hard grains of rice rob the charm of curd rice. cut chili

in thread thin slices, grate ginger, cut onion in very small pieces of 1/4 cm size, prepare fruits of choice (don't mix two fruits). pluck kothumalli and rose petals .set aside all the ingredients. when the rice is sufficiently cold, add fresh curds, and all the ingredients except mustard, red chilies, rose petals curry leaves and kothumalli. mix thoroughly. taste for salt now. take oil in a tempering ladle and heat. add mustard and red chilies. when mustard starts popping out, add curry leaves and immediately pour the temperings on curd rice. stir and mix again. if you are going to serve curd rice immediately after tempering, it is not necessary to add milk. but if you are serving it after about an hour or more, add milk about ten minutes before serving. this would avoid souring of curd rice. decorate the rice with rose petals and green kothumalli . you must have noticed that i have not added asafoetida to tempering. asafoetida tastes wonderful when added raw in curd rice. it is the same case with raw onions which you have added in curd rice. as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please. enjoy!!! --- dry rasam rice --dry rasam rice (my own) when i want to surprise people, i come up with some of the most basic ideas with imaginative approach to a dish. dry rasam sadham is my one such recipe which will give you taste of rasam sadham without the watery feeling of the dish but the taste of rasam in it is tongue tingling. you are sure to make this dish a permanent fixture in your menu for its sheer simplicity and time saving method. so here we go................. ponni rice (old) 3/4 cup curry leaves 1 sprig asafoetida 1/2 spoon coarsely ground jeera 1.5 spoons sugar 1/4 spoon mustard seeds 1/2 spoon red chili pieces 1 chili salt to taste tamarind extract 1/2 cup (abt.60 ml) garlic 5 to 6 cloves (if you want to make garlic rasam) black pepper 1 spoon black pepper powder 1/2 spoon red chili powder 1/4 to 1/2 spoon ghee for tempering 2 ladles jeera for tempering 1/4 spoon kothumalli 1/4 cup

cook rice in usual southern manner with each grain separate. let it get sufficiently cold. set it aside make tamarind extract from tamarind about 1/2 cup. the extract should be thickish and free of stones. now take garlic, curry leaves, kothumalli leaves, jeera (coarsely ground), chili powder, black pepper (coarsely pounded) and also pepper powder and salt. make in a paste (thick and coarse chutney type). set it aside. take a kadai and put ghee/oil add red chili ,mustard and jeera. when mustard pops out, add asafoetida (if you are not making garlic rasam sadham). tamarind extract and fry till raw smell of tamarind goes of and the extract becomes thickish. this should take about three to four minutes at the most. immediately add the ground paste and fry along with tamarind extract for further two to three minutes. you may add salt to taste now. remember that you are adding salt for rice also, so that it should compensate for salt. add sugar. if you want you can add diced tomatoes after removing the rasam gojju from stove. now when the rasam concentrate is cold, slowly mix it with plain rice. taste for salt, if needed add sufficient salt. let it stand for about an hour. reheat the rice before serving. this rice will give you the same taste of hot pepper jeera rasam without the watery feeling. !!!!!!!!!!!! surprised!!!!!!!!!!! well you are sure to be. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. ps. if you want parappu rasam taste, you will have to use parappu. i can teach you a method of making dry cooked thoram parappu for quick fix usage. method to make cooked dry thorum parappu powder. cook a bout 1/4 kg of thoram parappu thoroughly. drain the water fully and place the thick parappu on cloth and underneath place old news papers. place a cloth on top also and further news papers. press with flat plate and drain all the moisture. you will have a flat mass of dry cooked parappu. dry it further in pre heated oven for a minute or two and when sufficiently dry, store it in a plastic jar and keep it in fridge. this will not spoil for a long time. you can add salt on top to prevent spoilage. this parappu will save a lot of your time when you are in a hurry. --- ghee rice --ghee rice karnataka special in today's atmosphere, everything is instant and due to work pressure and time restraints, housewives have little time to allot for cooking and yet the family demands good tasty food. there are some time

tested recipes from my own kitchen. try them and win hearts of people who love you. rice 1 cup (basmati/biriyani) onions 2 nos. diced in small pieces cloves 8 to 10 nos. cardamom 15 nos. raisins 15 nos. ghee 100 ml garlic10 cloves sliced in thin pieces green chilies 4 to 5 nos. cut in thin slices cinnamon sticks 5 nos. ,1 " size bay leaves 2 to 3 nos. cut in half cashew 15 nos. split salt to taste

slice garlic, dice onions and finely cut/ green chilies. keep aside. if you are using basmati rice/ biriyani rice, ensure that the rice is old otherwise, if the rice is new, toast the rice after soaking in water for ten minutes and draining all the water, and toasting in a kadai in two spoons of ghee till the rice is very light creamy or pinkish looking. toasting for about ten minutes would do. this would ensure your rice grains remains separate when cooking. now take rice and put directly in cooker without any separator. best to use is hawkins pressure cooker. add needed salt. add enough water to cook the rice and the .please ensure that you add just enough( 500 ml) for the above. but ensure that you use only old rice. water quantity must be fixed by you as per the quality and quantity off rice you use. now take ghee in a kadai and add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and cloves. when cloves and cardamom puff up, add sliced garlic, when garlic turns very light pink, add onions and sliced green chilies. light fry till onions become translucent , remove from fire and let it cool. keep aside. take little ghee in a separate tempering ladle and fry cashew nuts and raisins till raisins puff up and cashew nuts become light brown. remove from fire and keep aside. when the rice is completely cold, add fried onions, garlic & chilies with ghee to rice. also add fried cashew nuts and raisins and mix well. take care and ensure that the ghee rice has good amount of ghee and the rice is not dry. if needed, add some more ghee. cover with a lid and set it aside for an hour to let the spices aroma permeate in rice. (ghee rice is always white) as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please. enjoy!!! --- gun powder rice --gun powder rice any one who has ever taken andhra meals in a genuine andhra restaurant, would be served with gun powder with rice and ghee. the most beautiful thing about gun powder rice is, the more you have it, the hungrier you become. keep gun powder prepared in your house and i bet you will get addicted to having gun powder rice almost daily. i have seen people just having gun powder rice and almost nothing else. go ahead and try out. one of the most addicted person is my son who would not refuse it all the 365 days. the condition is, the rice must be steaming and the ghee should be hot. puffed channa grams (oduchhu/ pottu kadalai) 350 gms. red chilies 10 to 15 nos. garlic 75 to 100 gms. ghee 2 to 3 spoons salt to taste (2 s p) take a kadai and fry red chilies for just 30 seconds lightly. add puffed grams with chilies and fry/roast for about five minutes in ghee. the condition is that the grams should leave all the moisture and chilies must be dry. add peeled garlic and turn three or four times, add salt , mix properly and set aside to cool. when cold, powder it in a mixi. sift the gun powder to remove hard gram particles. at this stage taste for salt. powder the hard portion last. the powder should not be like maida. fill it up in a dry glass bottle with wide mouth. keeps good for months. prepare rice as usual up to your need. the rice is going to be served steaming so you must cook with minimum needed water. serve rice which is steaming. add two spoons of ghee on top of rice and add required gun powder on top. mix and enjoy!!! this rice must be eaten while really hot. the rice may feel dry to eat with gun powder but surprisingly it will not stick to your chest or throat. the more you eat, the hungrier you will become. so go and get hooked to this andhra wonder.!!! after ghee rice, i am sure that this will draw maximum response.!! ps. fix number of chilies as per your ability to withstand hotness. but i recommend that you must stick to specified quantity. as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please.

enjoy!!! --- instant vege biriyani --instant vegetable biriyani in today's atmosphere, everything is instant and due to work pressure and time restraints, housewives have little time to allot for cooking and yet the family demands good tasty food. there are some time tested recipes from my own kitchen. try them and win hearts of people who love you. biriyani is an all time favourite of south india .i have taken years to perfect this dish .i am thankful to the musalamaan khaansama of rafeeque ahmed & co. madras for teaching the original recipe of deccan madras special biriyani. (of course i had to beg for more than two years to learn & know the recipe). i have done my own homework in instant recipe and perfected it. i am sure this recipe would not disappoint you. please understand one thing that biriyani grains after cooking should not be very separate. neither they should be sticky. the grains should be together but not sticky like pongal. nor separate like puliodhirai.!! rice 1 cup green peas shelled 1/2 cup carrots diced 2 nos. onions 2 nos. cut in slices ginger 2"' piece finely shredded red chili powder 1.5 spoons oil (cooking oil of any brand) 3 ladles. bay leaves 2 to 3 nos. cut in half lime juice 1/2 spoon sour curds 3/4 cup (150 gms.) tomatoes diced 3 nos. garlic 8 cloves finely cut fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup turmeric powder 1/2 spoon cinnamon and cloves powder 1 spoon cloves 6 to 8 nos. cinnamon sticks 3nos cardamom 6 to 8 nos. salt to taste green chilies (shredded) 3 to 4 nos. (hot variety)

slice garlic, slice onions and finely cut/shred green chilies. keep aside. remove leaves of fresh mint and keep aside .i generally make a coarse paste of mint leaves and add to the spices just before closing the lid of the cooker. prepare the green vegetables like carrots, green peas and keep aside. if you are using basmati rice/biriyani rice, ensure that the rice is old otherwise, if the rice is new, toast the rice after soaking in water for ten minutes and draining all the water and toasting in a kadai in two spoons of ghee till the rice is very light creamy or pinkish looking. toasting for about ten minutes would do. this would ensure your rice grains remains separate when cooking. now take rice and put directly in cooker without any separator. best to use is hawkins pressure cooker. now add all the above cut spices and vegetables in it and add salt. now add all the dry spices and chili powder, spices powder and turmeric powder. add enough water to cook the rice and the vegetables. please ensure that you add just enough (500 ml) for the above. but ensure that you use only old rice. water quantity must be fixed by you as per the quality and quantity off rice you use. now take oil in a small kadai and add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and cloves. when cloves and cardamom puff up add sliced onions and green chilies to the oil and let it fry for about a three to four minutes till the onion slices become light pink. now add sliced garlic and finely cut or coarsely shredded mint leaves, add along with tempering with onion to the cooker. stir well. taste for salt and add if less. add lime juice and curds now. if the curd that you are using is sour , reduce or avoid lime juice or reduce to quarter spoon. close the lid and pressure cook for just two whistles. let the cooker get cold enough. keep the cooker open for some 15 minutes this will give time to rice to get properly set. after the whistles( 45 minutes )open the cooker. fantastic aroma of instant vegetable biriyani would tickle your taste buds when you open the cooker. this vegetable biriyani would immediately become your favourite. as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please. enjoy!!! --- instant vege pulao --instant vegetable pulao rice 1cup beans evenly cut 50 gms. green peas shelled 1/2 cup tomatoes diced 2 nos. garlic 8 cloves finely cut onions 2 nos. cut in slices fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup green chilies (shredded) 3 to 4 nos. (hot variety) turmeric powder (optional) garam masala powder 1.5 spoons oil (cooking oil of any brand) or ghee cloves 8 to 10 nos. cinnamon sticks 3nos cardamom 6 to 8 nos.

bay leaves 2 to 3 nos. cut in half salt to taste

lime juice 1/2 spoon

slice garlic, slice onions and finely cut/shred green chilies. keep aside. remove leaves of fresh mint and keep aside .i generally make a coarse paste of mint leaves and add to the spices just before closing the lid of the cooker. prepare the green vegetables like beans, green peas and keep aside. if you are using basmati rice/biriyani rice, ensure that the rice is old otherwise, if the rice is new, toast the rice after soaking in water for ten minutes and draining all the water and toasting in kadai in two spoons of ghee till the rice is very light creamy or pinkish looking. toasting for about ten minutes would do. this would ensure your rice grains remains separate when cooking. now take rice and put directly in cooker without any separator. best to use is hawkins pressure cooker. now add all the above cut spices and vegetables in it and add salt. now add all the dry spices , and garam masala powder. add enough water to cook the rice and the vegetables. please ensure that you add just enough( 500 ml) for the above. but ensure that you use only old rice. water quantity must be fixed by you as per the quality and quantity off rice you use. now take oil ghee in a tempering ladle and add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and cloves. when cloves and cardamom puff up , add the tempering to the cooker. stir well and taste for salt , add if less. add lime juice now. close the lid and pressure cook for just two whistles. let the cooker get cold enough. keep the cooker open for some 15 minutes. this will give time to rice to get properly set. after the whistles( 45 minutes )open the cooker. fantastic aroma of instant vegetable pulao would tease you when you open the cooker. this vegetable pulao would immediately become your favourite. as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please . enjoy!!! --- karivepillai-milagu rice --karivepillai-milugu rice this rice variety is" not taught " by the cook who had prepared a similar rice during the wedding i attended last week in madras. when i asked him, he gave a vague reply to method of preparation. he said "konchum milagu and naraiya kari veppilai. even though the taste was very drab, i liked the simplicity of the rice and flavour of curry leaves. i set working on innovative approach using some flavour and taste enhancing ingredients and came up with surprising three varieties of rice dish which i loved and so did my daughter who is a strict examiner. so here is the first result to make you fall in love with it. ponni rice (old)3/4 cup curry leaves 1 bunch (to make 1/2 cup of paste) black pepper powder 1/2 spoon mustard seeds 1/2 spoon coconut grating 3/4 cup black pepper 2 to 3 spoons coarsely ground ghee for tempering 3 to 4 ladles salt to taste

cook rice in your usual southern manner with each grain separate. let it get sufficiently cold. now add salt, now add coarsely ground pepper and pepper powder. mix thoroughly and set aside. grate coconut and with green curry leaves together re grind in a chutney bowl and make paste. set aside. take the ghee in a kadai and add mustard seeds heat up the ghee and when you find that mustard just starts popping, add paste of curry leaves and coconut immediately and turn it briskly. the paste needs to be fried on a slow medium flame for two minutes . ensure that the ghee starts leaving and a fine aroma of curry leaves is coming. let the fried paste cool sufficiently. now thoroughly mix the paste with rice .before that check for salt. .reheat the rice immediately in the same kadai and serve it hot. i , however i would like you to cook this rice about an hour before dinner or lunch. this will give off more delicate aroma of curry leaves . you can enjoy this rice with coconut chutney, plain curd or for that matter rasam. you can pack this rice in small katoris , press tightly and invert it in serving plate when you serve the dinner. try to serve coconut chutney with this form of katori serving. this rice will surprise you by its taste and its aroma. enjoy!!! ps. select mature curry leaves only. they have more aromatic oil content then young leaves. and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. enjoy!!! --- kashmiri zaafarani pulao --kashmiri zaafarani pulao saffron or zafraan pulao of kashmir is a famed variety. no marriage in kashmir is complete without the

legendary wazwan or "the big feast. first to arrive is the huge plate called trami filled with heaped zaffran pulao with succulent pieces of seek kababs along with rogan josh and methi korma and curry of lamb meat delicately spiced and cooked with utmost care. in total, a true wazwan has to have seven accompaniments with rice. once you sit-down for wazwan, it is an insult to the host if you get up in between. the 36 course dinner lasts for more than three hours. just imagine a huge kashmiri plate full of sweet scented saffron pulao steaming and spreading the aroma in the lazy cold night of kashmir, and the guests sitting around with samovars of kahava and santoor notes spreading the magic, and casting a spell. . . . . . . . oh god . . . . . . . it is unbelievable. (for a family of 4 once serving) rice 1. 5 cup (basmati/biriyani) green peas/carrots 1/2 cup (optional) cinnamon sticks 5 nos ,1 " size bay leaves 2 to 3 nos cut in half figs 3 to 4 nos cashew 1 5 nos split walnut 2 to 3 nos sugar 1 tbsp ghee 100 ml 1/2 cup tempering cloves 6 to 8 nos cardamom 10 nos raisins 2 table spoons onions 1 nos cut in rings cloves 6 to 8 nos cardamom 10 nos raisins 2 table spoons alu bukhara 4 to 5 nos almonds 10 nos saffron 1/2 spoon (1/4 gm) milk 1/4 cup salt to taste fresh fruits of choice (grapes, apple pieces etc)

cinnamon sticks 5 nos ,1 " size bay leaves 2 to 3 nos cut in half black cumin (shahjeera) this is optional 1. 5 spoons

if you are using basmati rice/biriyani rice, ensure that the rice is old otherwise, if the rice is new, toast the rice after soaking in water for ten minutes and draining all the water, and toasting in a kadai in two spoons of ghee till the rice is very light creamy or pinkish looking. toasting for about ten minutes would do. this would ensure your rice grains remains separate when cooking. now take rice and put directly in cooker without any separator. best to use is hawkins pressure cooker. add needed salt. . add enough water to cook the rice and the . please ensure that you add just enough( 500 ml) for the above. but ensure that you use only old rice. water quantity must be fixed by you as per the quality and quantity of rice you use. in kashmiri pulao, it is better to add salt and sugared milk and whole almonds (after removing brown skin) when you cook rice itself. clean all the dry fruits, crack a walnut and remove the shell, remove brown skin of almonds by soaking in hot water for ten minutes. cut figs in eight pieces, alu bukhara in four pieces (remove the seed nut). fry figs ,cashewnuts , raisins and alu bukhara in ghee a little and set aside. pressure cook steam cook/boil and cook carrots/green peas after adding a little sugar and salt to enhance green colour. pressure cook only 3/4 and don't fully or over cook. set aside. slice one onion in rings and fry the rings till they become dark brown and crisp. set aside take saffron in a katora and soak it in milk or water for 30 minutes and using a spoon, press it with reverse side of spoon and make a paste of saffron or use a pastel and mortar , prepare paste (1 spoon) set aside. now take ghee in a kadai and add cinnamon, cardamom ,bay leaves and cloves. when cloves and cardamom puff up , remove from fire and let it cool. keep aside. shah jeera (black cumin) is used as per the choice of the grand cook. if you want you can use it. when the rice is completely cold, mix 3/4 cooked green peas and or carrots , add fried cashew nuts and raisins ,. saffron paste with ghee to rice, and mix well. take care and ensure that the pulao has good amount of ghee and the rice is not dry. if needed, add some more ghee. cover with a lid and set it aside for an hour to let the spices aroma permeate in rice. after one hour, heat up the pulao with either indirect steam heat or in micro. ensure that the vegetables are completely cooked . place it in serving bowl, garnish with brown onion rings on top and serve piping hot with sweet raitha of grapes or pineapple you can serve it with korma also. other accompaniment is shallot curd raitha (sambar vengayam pachadi). enjoy !!!! as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please. --- masala khichadi --masala khichadi masala khichadi a very nourishing and tasty dish which can be eaten as it is or with coconut chutney or vengaya pachadi.

3/4 cup rice 1/2 cup thoram parappu (thoor dhall) 2 nos. onions diced 3 tomatoes diced 3 spoons of ginger garlic paste 2 cups of diced vegetables like carrots, beans, green peas etc. 1 potato (large) diced 3 nos. of green chilies sliced 2 spoon of garam masala 1/2 spoon turmeric 2.5 spoons of salt (add to taste) 1 spoon of chili powder (add more if you like it hot) 3 ladles of cooking oil for tempering tempering spices 4 nos. of 2" cinnamon sticks 8 nos. of cloves 1 spoon of jeera 1/4 spoon of mustard seeds take a cooker (hawkins) and add all the above ingredients directly in the cooker. now heat 3 ladles of oil in a tempering kadai or karandi. when it is sufficiently hot, add all the tempering spices .when cloves get puffed up, and mustard starts crackling, temper the ingredients in the cooker. add more water than you add for rice cooking. this is to give you a consistency of bisibele bhath. if you like pongal consistency, add slightly lesser water. check for salt at this stage. add more if less. cook for three whistles. your masala khichadi is ready in less than 30 minutes. enjoy it as it is or with coconut chutney or onion pachadi. as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please. enjoy!!! --- pudhina rice --phudina rice (mint rice) rice 1cup potatoes 2 nos. diced beans evenly cut green peas shelled 1/2 cup ginger 2" piece shredded garlic 6 cloves finely cut onions 2 nos. diced fresh mint leaves i bunch/1cup green chilies (shredded) 5 to 6 nos. garam masala powder 1.5 spoons oil ( cooking oil of any brand) cloves 6 nos. cinnamon sticks 3nos jeera/mustard 1/2 spoon lime juice 2 spoons salt to taste dice potatoes, shred ginger, slice garlic, dice onions and finely cut/shred green chilies. keep aside. remove leaves of a cupful of fresh mint and keep aside. i generally make a coarse paste of mint leaves and add to the spices just before closing the lid of the cooker. prepare the green vegetables like beans, green peas and potatoes and keep aside. now take rice and put directly in cooker without any separator. best to use is hawkins pressure cooker. now add all the above cut spices and vegetables in it and add salt. now add all the dry spices, chili powder and garam masala powder. add enough water to cook the rice and the vegetables. please ensure that you add just enough( 500 ml) for the above. but ensure that you use only old rice. water quantity must be fixed by you as per the quality and quantity off rice you use. now take oil in a tempering ladle and add jeera , mustard and cinnamon and cloves. when cloves puff up and mustard starts to crackle, add the tempering to the cooker. stir well and taste for salt and add if less. add lime juice now. close the lid and pressure cook for just two whistles. let the cooker get cold enough. keep the cooker open for some 15 minutes. this will give time to rice to get properly set. after the whistles( 45 minutes ) open the cooker. fantastic aroma of mint rice would tease you when you open the cooker. this mint rice would immediately become your favourite. as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please . enjoy!!! --- musalamani vege biriyani --musalamani vegetable biriyani this biriyani was taught to me by a muslim cook after three years of request. this biriyani is among the best i have ever tasted. among the hyderabadi and tamilnadu biriyani, tamilnadu biriyani tastes much superior and has a wonderful taste which lingers in the mouth for a long time. in madras, ahmediya hotel near old flower bazaar and taj coronation restaurant in broadway were two places where i have had the privilege of tasting the finest tamilnadu musalamani biriyani. 300 gms. old biriyani rice (1.5 cups) 2 medium onions sliced in rings

2 medium onions diced etc.) 3/4 cup medium sour fresh curd (200 ml) 5 green chilies sliced 10 nos. cashew nuts optional salt to taste

i cup of mixed vegetables diced (green peas, carrots, beans 3 medium tomatoes diced 2 spoons of raisins optional ghee and oil for frying and tempering fresh lemon juice from 3/4 lime.

wet spices 2+2 spoons of ginger and garlic paste 1 onion made in paste 1/4 cup of coarsely made paste of mint leaves (make this paste or freshly cut mint leaves five minutes before adding to spice mass) 1 spoon of paste of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and a little flakes of nutmeg. dry spices 10 nos. cloves 15 nos. cardamom some strands of saffron 1.5 spoons chili powder 5 nos. 2" pieces of cinnamon sticks 2 bay leaves 1/2 spoon turmeric powder

first heat a spoon of ghee in a kadai and light roast biriyani rice for about six to eight minutes .keep turning the rice. you must take care to wash and dry the rice first. set aside the rice. semi cook all the diced vegetables with a little salt and a little sugar. now prepare all the wet masalas and dry masala and keep them in a plate in different small cups. take care to cut mint leaves just before you are adding the same when needed. first semi cook rice with a little of salt and see that it is fully drained of water .set it aside. take two ladles of oil in a kadai and add rings of onions, fry on a medium heat. when the rings are brown, take out and drain the oil. set the onions aside. now add all the dry spices in the same oil, if oil is less, add a ladle or two. and when the cloves start popping, add diced onions and fry till the onions are translucent. now immediately add tomatoes and fry for about a minute. now add onion paste and ginger garlic paste. turn till the raw smell of onion, garlic and ginger goes off .this should take no more than two minutes. now add the cooked vegetables and stir and mix with the masala. at this stage, add curd and stir well. now add salt, turmeric powder, chili powder and paste of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom etc. heat over medium flame for about three to four minutes now add mint leaves at this time heat the mix for further one minute and remove from flame. second stage mix the spiced mixture with rice by making alternate layers of rice and masala, let it stand for about 30 minutes. now re-cook the rice-masala mix by giving it a dum in a biriyani handi by placing coal on top and cook on a low to medium flame. if you do not have this facility, i would suggest you to cook both rice and vegetables fully and mix the masala and rice. you may add fresh lemon juice at this stage the final cooking will take about 30 minutes if you are giving it a dum or else, reheating the rice and masala can be avoided. leave the mixed rice for about one hour. fry cashewnuts and raisins in a little ghee and add this to biriyani. before serving, steam heat the biriyani by placing the vessel in a large aluminum vessel or reheating in a non stick deep pan. decorate with onion rings, sliced chilies and saffron. even though the process looks a bit complicated, in practice, it is not so .the end result is heavenly tasting biriyani made in true musalamani tamilnadu style. this biriyani is to be eaten with onion raitha , kurma or as it is. let me know how it turned out. enjoy !!!! variation chicken biriyani can be made in the same manner except, in place of vegetables, please cook chicken breast or chicken legs after marinating in the wet spices for about one hour and steam cooking along with either rice or separately. place the chicken in the rice before serving. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- puliyodharai rice podi --puliyodharai rice podi puliyodharai podi is really a very sensitive podi. a small mistake and the rice taste goes off. after trying out many a versions of making puliyodharai using podi, i made my own additions and some changes in preparation to come out with a very beautiful tasting version. i am happy to share the podi recipe and method to use it as shown below. please send me your feedback after you try it out. puli (tamarind) for the rice

1 cup of red chilies (medium hot variety) 1 spoon bengal gram dhall 5 moru mozuka (fried in oil) 1/2 spoon perangayam powder puli and spices mix 8 red chilies pieces of 1" size 2 table spoons of channa dhall 1 spoon of turmeric powder 1/2 spoon of perangayam (asafoetida) 1 spoon of mustard seeds 120 ml of gingly oil

1/4 cup of coriander seeds (dania) 1 spoon ulandhu (dehusked) 1/4 spoon black pepper 1/4 spoon fenugreek (vendhaiyum) 5 green chilies sliced in two 3 table spoons of groundnuts 2" ginger shredded 1 medium cup of tamarind extract 2 spoons of jaggery salt to taste

method of making podi first dry roast chilies and dhaniya for two to three minutes to drive out moisture. then add a little oil and roast it vigorously turning it constantly. this is to prevent burning smell of dhania and chilies . just before removing from stove, add 1/2 spoon of asafoetida (perangayam) .keep aside. now roast each ingredient separately with just a little oil. dhalls should be roasted to light pink. hanna dhall must not be brown. black pepper also is to be roasted till it starts popping. vendhaiyum roasts very fast. take care not to over roast it. now roast mor mozaka and add them to all the other ingredients to powder. powder the spices well. please dont make a very fine powder. it should be of sambar powder consistency. your podi is ready. cook rice with little less water and some salt. and when ready, cool it and spread on a big plate so that each grain remains separate. now prepare the wet masala and other ingredients as shown. method of making puli and spices mix first dry roast chilies and dhania for two to three minutes to drive out moisture. then add a little oil and roast it vigorously turning it constantly. this is to prevent burning smell of dhania and chilies . just before removing from stove, add 1/2 spoon of asafoetida (perangayam). keep aside. now roast each ingredient separately with just a little oil. dhalls should be roasted to light pink. channa dhall must not be brown. black pepper also is to be roasted till it starts popping. vendhaiyum roasts very fast. take care not to over roast it. now roast mor mozaka and add them to all the other ingredients to powder. powder the spices well. please don't make a very fine powder. it should be of sambar powder consistency. your podi is ready. cook rice with little less water and some salt. and when ready, cool it and spread on a big plate so that each grain remains separate. now prepare the wet masala and other ingredients as follows. method of preparation take oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds and red chilies. just when they are about to crackle, add ground nuts and channa dhall. turn vigorously so that the dhall and groundnuts are fried evenly and also the mustard seeds do not burn. once the dhall turns golden brown, add the green chilies, asafoetida and tamarind extract. turn for about five minutes till tamarind loses its raw flavour and then add shredded ginger and a spoon of turmeric powder and salt to taste. turn for about two to three minutes. add jaggery and mix well. remove from fire. now add half of the dry podi in the wet mixture and mix it thoroughly . leave it till it becomes cold. grand finale of mixing and powdering mix wet puli masala mix and rice, in a large vessel by adding little by little masala and rice. when complete tamarind mix is mixed with rice, let it stand for about half an hour. after half an hour to 45 minutes, you will find that each rice grain is separate and hard. now with great care anoint and cover the remaining podi powder on the rice. decorate with green chilies on top and serve at room temperature. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- spicy salsa --spicy salsa-beaten rice indo-mexican venture # 1 after coming over to usa, my first venture was to adopt local ingredients and blend them with indian spices and create new dishes. the first recipe is as under. i promise you that you would just fall head over heels in love with this simple but magically tasty dish. aval (beaten rice) 150 gms. boiled potatoes 2 (medium) nos.

salsa hot/medium 5 to 6 table spoons green chili 1 nos (hot) sambar masala 1 spoon. chili powder 1/2 to 3/4 spoon salt to taste lime juice 2 spoons tempering cooking oil 3 ladles cloves 5 to 6 nos

onion cut in small pieces 4 to 5 tsps. curry leaves 1 sprig cumin powder 1/2 spoon asafoetida 1/2 spoon sugar 1 spoon cilantro/kothumalli 3 to 4 spoons

mustard 3/4 spoon cinnamon sticks 4 to 5 nos of 1" size

boil potatoes and when done, remove the skin and prepare 1/2 to 3/4 inches big cubes. set aside. pluck cilantro and cut chilies finely. set aside. soak aval in water for ten to 12 minutes till they are soft. using a strainer or filter, drain off excess water by slightly pressing the beaten rice. spread on a cloth or paper to dry off excess water. take a kadai and add oil. heat on a medium flame . add mustard first. when it just starts to crackle, add other temperings. when cloves puff up, first add green chilies and curry leaves and after 5 seconds add onions . when onions become translucent, add salsa. just stir for 10 seconds and immediately add the aval (beaten rice ). mix both salsa and aval a little. now add diced potato pieces . add all the dry spice powders like chili, turmeric, jeera , sambar powder etc. add salt, sugar and asafoetida (raw powder). mix thoroughly but very lightly. let it stand for about fifteen to twenty minutes if you have time. or else, just put it in micro for exactly one and half minutes. serve piping hot. the taste will steal the hearts of your family. even though i am against the usage of microwaves, if you are in a hurry and have no alternative, this is the form of cooking you may use. otherwise, please heat everything in a pan and serve piping hot. enjoy !!!!! please don't forget to post in your comments and feed back. for my other recipes, please visit my website, enjoy!!! --- sweet rice --sweet rice children's special we have so far talked of the grown up's tastes and have neglected children. i remember looking forward to sweet rice cooking done by my aunt on special occasions. she would dust off the spice dibba which housed all spices which were used rarely and then set about cooking the orange sweet rice. i never liked the orange colour but the rice in its heavenly sweetness was more than welcome may it be of any colour. i am bringing back the magic of sweet rice of course minus its artificial orange colour. i have made some changes in the recipe i hope the departed soul of my aunt would pardon me for that. (needless to say that she was a great cook) rice 1cup (basmati/ biriyani) powdered sugar 1cup cloves 8 to 10 nos. saffron strands 1/4 spoon (wetted) raisins 3 to 4 spoons ghee 75 ml. powdered sugar (with cloves 5 nos, cardamom 5nos) 1/4 cup cinnamon sticks 5 to 6 nos. cardamom 10 nos. bay leaves 2 to 3 nos. cut in half cashew 10 nos. split warm water 15 ml to 20 ml.

if you are using basmati rice/ biriyani rice, ensure that the rice is old otherwise, if the rice is new, toast the rice after soaking in water for ten minutes and draining all the water, and toasting in a kadai in two spoons of ghee till the rice is very light creamy or pinkish looking. toasting for about ten minutes would do. this would ensure your rice grains remains separate when cooking. cook this rice such that all the grains remain separate. cool the rice by spreading and keep aside. now take ghee in a kadai and add cinnamon, cardamom ,bay leaves and cloves. when cloves and cardamom puff up , remove from fire and let it cool. ensure that you remove the tempering in a separate cup or else it will burn the spices if left to cool in a kadai. take little ghee in kadai and fry cashewnuts and raisins till raisins puff up and cashew nuts become light brown. remove from fire and keep aside. when the rice is completely cold, add powdered sugar to rice. make powder of sugar along with cardamom, cloves and add that to rice. also add now saffron which is wetted and crushed with a mortar . gently mix the sugar and rice. we add a little sprinkling of water here because sugar when added to rice, hardens the grains. ensure thorough dissolution of sugar by sprinkling warm water along with sugar powder. you must ensure that the rice is absolutely dry before adding sugar and water or else the sugar adding with water would make it mushy. add the tempering and fried cashew nuts and raisins and mix well. take care and ensure that the rice is not dry (meaning with less ghee) .if needed, add some more ghee. cover with a lid and set it aside for an hour to let the spices aroma permeate in rice and let sugar to dissolve and mix. now place this rice in a milk boiler .this is to heat up

the rice by indirect heat and totally assimilate sugar .if you don't have a milk boiler, heat it up in a non stick pan or in a micro oven for a little while so that the cold rice becomes warm. serve just moderately hot to warm ..never serve sweet rice steaming hot. the aroma and taste of sweet rice would be just great. the success of this effort on your part can be measured by the length of the smile your children and guest's faces . this is a great rice dish for children's birthday party. enjoy!!!!! and ask your children to give the feedback please. even grown up members are considered as children when bhojyeshu mata is feeding them. --- tomato rice --tomato rice rice 1 cup tomatoes 300 gms. ginger 1.5"piece garlic 8 to 10 cloves carrots 1 no. curry leaves 2 sprigs mustard seeds 1/2 spoon jeera 1/2 spoon cinnamon stick !" 4 pieces chili powder 2 spoons oil 3 ladlefuls salt to taste garam masala powder 1 spoon onions 3 nos. shelled peas 1/4 cup green chilies sliced 4 to 5 nos. cloves 6 to 8 nos. turmeric powder 1/2 spoon black pepper powder 1/4 spoon

cook rice in a manner where all the grains are separate .take care to add a spoon of salt when you are cooking rice. set aside the cooked rice. dice tomatoes in small 1/4 " pieces , shred ginger ,cut garlic in very small pieces ,shell the peas and dice the carrots in small pieces. also cut onions in small pieces. now take half the quantity of oil in a kadai and set it on medium heat, add mustard and jeera seeds and when the mustard starts to crackle, add tomatoes and stir fry on medium heat till the tomatoes start leaving oil. now add diced onions and stir fry till onions become translucent and soft, now add cut garlic and shredded ginger and fry in the gravy for three to four minutes. finally add 1 spoon of garam masala to tomato mix and set it aside after frying the garam masala for fifteen to twenty seconds. some people prefer to fry garlic first and later add tomatoes and onion, but i am not of that view. steam cook carrots and peas after adding a bit of salt and sugar to retain the natural colours at this stage, add salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, green chilies and curry leaves. heat the mixture for about two minutes. the consistency of tomato gravy should be thick like puliohara gojju. now when the tomato gojju is medium cold, take one ladle of oil in a tempering ladle and add cinnamon and cloves and heat. when the cloves start puffing, pour the tempering in gojju. mix it well and finally start mixing vegetables and tomato gravy and rice layer by layer. finally mix the whole thing thoroughly and reheat in a large mouthed vessel with steam only. your tomato rice is ready.!!! serve piping hot. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- tomato rice (quick fix) --tomato rice (quick fix type) tomatoes 250 gms. rice 1cup ginger 2" piece shredded garlic 8 cloves finely cut onions 3 nos. diced chili powder 2 spoons turmeric powder 1/2 spoon garam masala powder 1.5 spoons pepper powder 1/4 spoon jeera powder (coarse) 1 spoon cloves 6 nos. curry leaves 2 sprigs oil (gingelly) 3 ladlefuls cinnamon sticks 3 nos. jeera/mustard 1/2 spoon each salt to taste dice tomatoes, shred ginger, slice garlic, dice onions and if you like it hot, add two or three green chilies sliced. keep aside. now take rice and put directly in cooker without any separator. best to use is hawkins pressure cooker. now add all the above cut spices and vegetables in it and add salt. now add all the dry spices like, turmeric, chili powder and garam masala powder. also add jeera powder which is coarsely powdered along with pepper powder. add enough water to cook the rice and the vegetables. please ensure that you add just enough ( 500 ml) for the above. but ensure that you use only old rice. water quantity must be fixed by you as per the quality and quantity off rice you use. now take oil in a tempering ladle and add jeera , mustard and cinnamon and cloves. when cloves puff up and mustard starts to crackle, add the tempering to the cooker. stir well and add couple of sprigs of curry leaves. taste for salt and add if less. close the lid and pressure cook for just two whistles. let the cooker get cold enough. keep the cooker open

for some 15 minutes. this will give time to rice to get properly set. after the whistles( 45 minutes )open the cooker. fantastic aroma would hit you when you open the cooker. this tomato rice would steal the hearts of your children and your husband too. enjoy!!!!! and feed back as usual would be just great. --- tri-colour vege rice --tri-colour vegetable rice in today's atmosphere, everything is instant and due to work pressure and time restraints, housewives have little time to allot for cooking and yet the family demands good tasty food. there are some time tested recipes from my own kitchen. try them and win hearts of people who love you. rice 1cup (basmati/ biriyani) onion diced 1 medium size cm. pieces garlic sliced 4 to 5 cloves cloves 8 to 10 nos. cardamom 6 to 7 nos. salt to taste carrots 2 nos. diced in 1 cm. cubes capsicums (podu mozaka) 2 medium sized cut in 1 green chilies 4 to 5 nos. cut in thin slices cinnamon sticks 5 nos. ,1 " size oil 3 to 4 ladles

slice garlic, dice onions and finely cut/ green chilies. keep aside. dice carrots and capsicums and set aside. if you are using basmati rice/ biriyani rice, ensure that the rice is old otherwise, if the rice is new, toast the rice after soaking in water for ten minutes and draining all the water, and toasting in a kadai in two spoons of ghee till the rice is very light creamy or pinkish looking. toasting for about ten minutes would do. this would ensure your rice grains remains separate when cooking. now take rice and put directly in cooker without any separator. best to use is hawkins pressure cooker. add needed salt.. add enough water to cook the rice and the .please ensure that you add just enough( 500 ml) for the above. but ensure that you use only old rice. water quantity must be fixed by you as per the quality and quantity off rice you use. take a little oil in a kadai and fry carrots till they are properly cooked. you may pressure cook the carrots also after adding a little salt and sugar. take care not to over cook the carrots. now take oil in a kadai and add cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. when cloves and cardamom puff up , add sliced garlic, when garlic turns very light pink, add onions and sliced green chilies. light fry till onions become translucent , remove from fire and let it cool. keep aside. put a spoon of oil on a tawa and when its hot, tawa fry the capsicum pieces briskly for a minute .when fine aroma of capsicums comes, remove immediately from tawa and keep it spread in a plate and set aside. you must take care never to over fry the capsicum and ensure that the green colour is not lost. when the rice is completely cold, add fried onions, garlic & chilies to rice. also add fried capsicums and cooked /fried carrots and salt, and mix well. take care and ensure that the rice has proper amount of oil and the rice is not dry. .cover with a lid and set it aside for an hour to let the spices aroma permeate in rice. tri colour vegetable rice looks and tastes very different from the other rice varieties posted so far by me. you may try to prepare this rice with ghee if you like. when you are serving this rice, reheat by placing in a micro or use indirect steam heating. you may also reheat in a non stick pan. but ensure that the rice is hot. the special aroma of capsicum adds a very different dimension to this rice. this rice can be enjoyed with raitha made of plain curd with cucumber/boondhi or plantain. you may also make kurma of ghee rice as an accompaniment as usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please. enjoy!!! --- vendhaiyum thalachu rice --vendhaiyum thalachu rice

this rice variety is my wife's favourite. she generally uses a shortcut of using the leftover rice .it is my favourite because i really love the simplicity of spices and great taste that goes along with it. enjoy this rice as it is or with avakkai uruga or with curd. i assure you that you would come to love this rice once you taste it. ponni rice (old) 1 cup chili powder 1.5 to 2 spoons turmeric powder 1/4 spoon (optional) asafoetida 1 spoon vendhaiyum (fenugreek seeds) 1spoons (for tempering) mustard seeds 1/2 spoon vendhaiyum 1 spoon coarsely powdered after frying in oil. curry leaves 2 sprigs red chilies 2 to 3 nos. oil for tempering 3 ladles salt to taste cook rice in your usual southern manner with each grain separate. let it get sufficiently cold. now add salt, chili powder and turmeric powder. add quarter spoon of raw asafoetida powder. gently mix all the ingredients thoroughly and set aside. now take oil in a kadai and add red chilies, mustard seeds .heat up the oil and when you find that mustard just starts popping, add fenugreek seeds 1 spoon and curry leaves .don't let fenugreek seeds to become dark brown or black. it will take only two seconds or so for fenugreek to become biscuit brown. immediately add rest of the asafoetida and immediately pour the tempering oil on rice. now take just a few drops of oil in still hot kadai and fry 1 spoon of vendhaiyum seeds till light brown. it will hardly take two to 3 seconds. coarsely powder it and add it to rice. mix thoroughly .reheat the rice immediately in the same kadai and serve it hot. this rice will surprise you by its taste rather than its aroma. enjoy!!! --- vangi-bhath --vangi-bhath karnataka (quick fix type) 1st variation this rice variety is the favourite of karnaka and maharashtrian cuisine lovers. vangi bhath has many recipes ranging from usage of maximum number of spices to a bare minimum fare. i am posting the recipe which is a shortcut method but equally tasty. you would marvel at the simplicity of preparation and the taste. i would post detailed traditional recipe in coming days. enjoy this rice as it is or with green chilies pickle or with avakkai uruga or with curd. i assure you that you would come to love this rice once you taste it. ponni rice (old) 1 cup black brinjals seedless 200 gms chili powder 1 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon mustard seeds 1/2 spoon curry leaves 2 sprigs ghee/oil for tempering 3 to 4 ladles lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

sambar masala powder (karnataka style) 3 spoons asafetida 1 spoon vendhaiyum (fenugreek seeds) 1/2spoons (for tempering) red chilies 2 to 3 nos. salt to taste

cook rice in usual southern manner with each grain separate. let it get sufficiently cold. now add salt, chili powder and turmeric powder. add quarter spoon of raw asafetida powder. gently mix all the ingredients thoroughly and set aside. here asafetida is optional. use long green brinjals of seedless variety. if you don't have this variety, get any seedless variety subject to it is sweet variety. dice the brinjals in 1.5" long pieces of middle finger thickness. immerse in water to prevent blackening of brinjals. now take ghee/oil in a kadai and add red chilies, mustard seeds . heat up the oil and when you find that mustard just starts popping, add fenugreek seeds 1 spoon and curry leaves . don't let fenugreek seeds to become dark brown or black. it will take only two seconds or so for fenugreek to become biscuit brown. immediately add rest of the asafetida and immediately add diced brinjals and salt (for brinjals), curry leaves and saute for four to five minutes till brinjals turn soft. now add sambar masala powder (karnataka style. ) and further saute for three minutes at the most. take care that the masala does not stick at the bottom. add lemon juice from quarter lemon. this prevents brinjals from getting mushy and adds a tang to taste. let rice get sufficiently cold. take a wide mouth vessel and mix the brinjal masala and rice. mix thoroughly.

reheat the rice immediately in the same kadai and serve it hot. voila!!!!!!!!!!!! vangi bhath is ready. another variation is use oil fried sambar onions /diced onions (50 gms) along with brinjals. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. ps. if you do not have karnataka sambar masala, add two spoons of the powder made from maratti moggu, cinnamon and two cloves to madras masala powder. --- sambars-dhalls ---

--- coconut milk kozumbu --coconut milk kozumbu (with brinjals) chettinadu special this is a pure chettinadu preparation but surprisingly it does not have anis seeds and black pepper. i was a bit apprehensive about the taste as this recipe has very simples pieces .but the end result was a surprise to me. it tasted superb with both rotis and rice. try and you too would like it. (for a family of 4 , two servings.) coconut milk 1cup +1 cup + 1 cup (1st , 2nd and 3rd milk from 1 full coconut.) brinjals 250 gms onion 1 no. tomato 1 no. tamarind 1 large marble sized (extract juice 1 cup) curry leaves 1 sprig ghee 3 tbsp salt to taste masala powder of the following thoram parappu 1 tbsp kadalai parappu 1tbsp ulundu parappu 1 tbsp dhania seeds 1 tbsp red chilies 5 to 6 nos cinnamon stick 1" 1 or 2 nos. poppy seeds 2 tbsp fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon asafoetida 3/4 spoon oil for frying 2 spoons tempering mustard seeds 1/2 spoon ghee 2 to 3 tbsp. asafoetida 1/4 spoon

get brinjals which are tender and sweet .it is important that they have few seeds or no seeds. cut them length wise in 1.5 inch pieces and set aside. cut onion and dice tomato also .take oil in a kadai and roast all the ingredients for three to four minutes only. take care not to brown the dhalls .when frying is over, cool the masala ingredients and powder. extract 1 cup juice from a large marble sized tamarind and set aside. grate a muthal coconut very fine. remove 1st milk after reworking in a mixi adding 1 cup of water and set aside.(1 cup) use a nylon/steel strainer to filter coconut paste. add one more cup of water to coconut paste and rework in a mixi. remove 2nd milk and set aside. similarly make 3rd cup of 3rd milk and set aside. discard useless pulp. now take ghee in the same kadai and add the temperings .when mustard starts popping , add asafoetida and immediately add cut brinjals and onion. fry till brinjals become soft but not cooked more than 50 percent. add tamarind extract and salt .also add curry leaves and diced tomato and set to boil for four to five minutes. now add the 3rd and 2nd milk along with the masala powder. add salt and let it boil for four minutes. now check if brinjals are cooked. add 1st milk and let it simmer for further three to four minutes. switch off the stove. check for salt and chili taste. if less add at this juncture. a fine aroma would spread by now. cover the vessel and let the spices permeate for 30 minutes. re heat and serve with rice. this chettinadu kozumbu seems to be a blend of malay and tamil cuisine. please post your feedback .it is very dear to us. --- dhall makhani --dhall makhani (whole black urad with rajma) dhall makhani is a very rare dhall where not even a single whole spice is used and still it has a fantastic taste when eaten with paratha, phudina paratha and rice.

150 gms. whole black urad (ulundhu) 50 gms. butter 8 cloves of garlic sliced in thin strips 150 gms .tomato (diced) 1/2 spoon turmeric 2 small onions sliced 1 spoon of dry mango powder / fresh lime

50 gms. rajma beans 50 gms. ghee 2" piece ginger sliced in small strips (or grated) 1 spoon red chili powder 4 nos. green chilies 3 spoons salt ( to taste)

soak rajma for twelve hours in water with a pinch of soda bicarb. soak whole urad (ulundhu) for six hours in lukewarm water. add sliced ginger and garlic in soaked urad and rajma, and add half spoon of turmeric and one spoon of salt. add enough water and pressure cook for three to four whistles. take care that urad cooks well and when cooked set aside. take 50 gms of ghee in a kadai and saut diced onion till it turns pink. now add diced tomatoes and turn till tomatoes become soft and the mix starts leaving ghee ..you may add half a spoon of freshly cut ginger at this stage and turn for a minute. add this to cooked urad rajma mix. add some more salt, one spoon of chili powder and sliced green chilies now and set the vessel to a boil for about fifteen minutes .keep on stirring or else the dhall will stick at the bottom. at this stage you may add amchur/lemon (but remember that this is optional) now add 50 gms. of butter. mix thoroughly and leave the dhall makhani for one hour. after an hour , reheat and serve hot. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- hariyali-pili mung dhall --hariyali -pili-mung dhall 150 gms .mung dhall (paiyar parappu) 1 no. onion sliced( fairly large onion) 2 nos. tomatoes (diced) 1 cup kothumalli/cilantro chopped finely 1 spoon red chili powder (teaspoon) 1 spoon turmeric powder 3 to 4 nos. green chilies 1 spoon pure ghee 1 spoon asafoetida (if the perangayam is strong, use only 1/4th spoon) 1 spoon of lime juice or one spoon of amchur powder salt to taste enough water for cooking cook dhall in a cooker along with one spoon of ghee, salt, red chili powder and turmeric. when the dhall is cooked, transfer to a patela and add green chilies and tomatoes .cook for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium flame. keep stirring or else the dhall will stick to the bottom. now add finely chopped kothumalli and cook for another 2 minutes .cover the vessel and remove from stove and set aside. take some ghee in a kadai and saut sliced onion till light pink. add a spoon of asafoetida (perangayam) just when the onion is turning pink. now add the onion to dhall and reheat the dhall for a couple of minutes. finally add a spoon of fresh lime juice and stir it well and keep for 15 minutes. reheat for a couple of minutes just before the food is served. this dhall goes great with any type of roti, paratha, naan, phulka or rice. this recipe is strictly followed in up and haryana. bengali method and taste come a way back and is poor second in taste to this dhall. please try and send in your feed back. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- kadhi --kadhi kadhi is mor sambar or mor kozambu of gujarat. usually it is made without any addition to it but a variation is also there where in you add ompodi and it is called as sevli kadhi. this is eaten with roti/chapathi and rice. 300 gms. of fresh curds of not sour type three to four cloves of garlic two table spoons of kadalai maavu one spoon of sugar 3/4 to 1 tea spoon of jeera powder/jeera one inch of ginger finely crushed quarter cup of kothumalli salt to taste

for tempering one table spoon of ghee 1/2 spoon of fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon of jeera 6 cloves two red chilies (broken) tej patta one or two sticks of cinnamon 1/2 " ginger piece (grated) one sprig of curry leaves 2nos.green chilies mix two spoons of kadalai maavu in buttermilk made out of curds. see that you add only about 400 ml of water. the maavu should be uniformly mixed and break any lumps if there are. don't use mixi to mix these two but churn with a matthu. add powdered jeera or whole jeera now. add crushed garlic now. boil this mixture on a medium to low flame for at least ten minutes. add salt to taste along with a spoon of sugar. now add curry leaves. kadhi will turn light yellow with addition of jeera/jeera powder. remember never add manja to kadhi to make it yellow. it spoils the taste. now temper the kadhi with cloves, jeera, red chilies cinnamon and tej patta and fenugreek seeds. when the cloves puff up, add the tempering to kadhi and immediately cover the vessel with a lid. use only ghee to temper and not oil. leave kadhi aside for at least an hour . now garnish with freshly cut kothumalli and serve hot. variation of sevali kadhi you can make fresh dough of channa flour with salt, chili powder and hing .make only one big laddu sized dough. this should be of kaimurukku consistency. make ompodi with a machine and drop it in kadhi at the primary stage of boiling. the other method remains the same. precaution kadhi preparation demands constant vigil while boiling . if you are nor attentive, the kadhi will start overflowing on the gas stove. kadhi tastes great with chappathi, poori and also with rice. if you don't like sweet kadhi, you may avoid using sugar and use sour curds instead of fresh curds. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- karakkozumbu --karakkozumbu (chettinadu special) calling karakkozumbu a sambar would be doing injustice to a distinctly different preparation .the spices and the ingredients are a bit different and the way it is prepared is also different. it is as different as chettiar manais in the great chettiar country in ramnath puram and adjoining districts is from typical tamiz house. enjoy it carefully as you are likely to be carried away and sssssssssweat later on for 4 people 2 servings onions (sambar vengayam) 150 gms. brinjals/muringakkai 150 gms/ 1 number cut in 1.5 " pieces tomatoes 4 nos. garlic 6 to 8 cloves 1 sprig of curry leaves 6 to 8 green chilies 3 spoons sambar powder 1/4 spoon of fresh black pepper powder (optional) salt to taste for tempering 2 tbsp of gingelly oil for tempering 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds spoon perangayam 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind (add make a paste of coconut 2 bathhe (2" pieces) gasagasa (poppy seeds) 1.5 spoons vegetables to be added muringakkai 1 no cut in 1.5" pieces or any other single vegetable. cut muringakkai, dice tomato. use brinjals (if you are using them) which are not acidic and must be seedless. cut in rather large pieces . take garlic, make long slices and set aside. take sambar vengayam, clean and peel them . make a fine paste of coconut and poppy seeds. and set aside. make extract of tamarind and set aside. take a kadai and put tempering oil, add mustard seeds, vendhaiyum and red chilies broken in it. heat at medium flame, when mustard starts to crackle, immediately add asafoetida and coarsely broken pepper. immediately add onions , green chilies (make single cut on each green chili. this 1/2 spoon channa dhall 1/4 spoon of roughly broken pepper 1 or 2 broken dry chilies water and extract thick juice)

will prevent them from exploding. fry for about two to three minutes. now add muringakkai and other vegetables. (if you are using muringakkai, better boil it first and semi cook it separately and use it along with its boiled water). stir and let it fry for about two to three minutes in hot oil. now is the time to add tomatoes , add them and fry till tomatoes are loose, immediately add extract of tamarind, mix and let it simmer for about three minutes, now add chili powder, turmeric and pepper powder( optional). after about one minute, add sambar powder. let it simmer for two minutes till fine aroma of sambar powder is felt. now add water and let it boil .this will take about five minutes .now add ground paste of coconut and poppy seeds. mix thoroughly. bring to boil and let it simmer for another three minutes. karakkozumbu is ready. enjoy!! and please post your valuable feedback because others are waiting for your feedback --- milagu-taneer --milagu-taneer please understand that there is a difference between milagu taneer and milagu rasam. milagu taneer is prepared without any dhall. 400 ml of water one tea spoon of black pepper coarsely powdered one tea spoon of jeera coarsely powdered one small lemon sized tamarind ball (extract juice with water) six pods of garlic (optional) two springs of curry leaves two spoons of rasam powder half a cup of kothumalli nicely cut ghee/oil for seasoning salt to taste quarter spoon of turmeric asafoetida half spoon (optional) take water in a vessel and add tamarind extract and salt. boil till raw smell of tamarind goes off. now add rasam powder and turmeric. boil till the liquid starts to froth. reduce the flame and add pepper and jeera powder. let the mixture boil on a low flame for about four to five minutes. now heat ghee/oil in a thalikku karandi and add a quarter spoon of jeera and asafoetida. season the rasam. finally add kothumalli and cover the vessel. after about 45 minutes, reheat the rasam to a boil. take a steel filter and filter the liquid. the filtered rasam is clear milagu taneer. this milagu taneer is to be used as an appetizer. it is to be served about 30 minutes before the dinner is served. cook enjoy!! and please post your valuable feedback because others are waiting for your feedback --- pachai payir kozumbu --pachhai payir kozumbu ( masala -khatte moong) today i am posting a very delicious version of pacchai payir kozumbu. this is generally not prepared in south. this is basically a west indian dish but i have taken liberty to post it here. i am sure you would enjoy once you prepare and relish this unique kozumbu. green gram (pachai payir) 150 gms. six to eight cloves of garlic (f the cloves are small, use ten to twelve cloves) ginger 2 inches piece dhaniya seeds 2 table spoons jeera 1 tea spoon green chilies 4 to 6 as per personal need sour curds 150 ml. oil for tempering jeera one spoon for tempering 1/4 spoon of mustard seeds broken red chilies 3 nos. half cup of finely cut kothumalli half spoon of turmeric salt to taste two springs of curry leaves pressure cook payir with at east six whistles to see that they are slightly over cooked. payir (moong) should not remain whole after cooking. keep the payir aside and prepare the following masalas crush ginger, garlic and green chilies in a mortar and make a paste. if you do not have a mortar, at least crush garlic with a stone or something heavy. don't use sliced garlic as the taste will differ. after crushing garlic, make a paste in a mixi/blender. keep it aside. now churn the payir (moong) till froth is formed. the payir consistency should be as thick as thick sambar. slightly roast dhaniya and jeera seeds and powder it and

add immediately to payir. boil for three to four minutes now add salt, turmeric. curry leaves and paste of ginger and garlic and green chilies. let the kozumbu boil on a medium heat for at least six minutes. now add beaten curds and let the mixture boil for another six to seven minutes. now temper with one spoon of jeera and quarter spoon of mustard and broken chilies. after that garnish with green kothumalli and set it aside for one hour. after an hour serve after reheating. i am sure that this would be a very different and refreshing change . this kozumbu is to be eaten with poori, chappathi and rice. cook and enjoy.!!!! and please post your valuable feedback because others are waiting for your feedback --- potato curry in mint chutney --potato curry in mint chutney (deccan variation) deccan has given some of the finest recipes. i was experimenting with this particular dish with different combinations. at last i could make a variation of the original style which is tastier and according to me is a gem . i assure you that if you make this once, your family will ask you to prepare this curry again and again. (for a family of four , two servings) potatoes 500 gms mint leaves paste 1/2 cup (60 gms) garlic (paste) 6 pods kothumalli/cilantro 1/4 cup (30 gms) paste ginger (paste) 1 " piece green chilies (paste) 3 to 4 nos. onions (paste) 2 medium capsicum (paste) 1 no. (small) tomato 1 no. medium salt to taste dry spices turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 3/4 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 teaspoon tempering cloves 4 to 5 nos. mustard 1/4 teaspoon oil 30 to 40 ml. cinnamon sticks 1" 3 to 4 pcs. jeera (optional) 1/4 teaspoon

dice potatoes after peeling in 3/4 " pieces. prepare paste of ginger, capsicum, green chilies and garlic, prepare separate paste of onion and set aside. pluck mint and kothumalli/cilantro and keep aside for making paste after potatoes are cooked. dice tomato in very small pieces and set aside. take a little oil in a kadai and add a pinch of mustard. set the flame to medium. when mustard starts to pop, add diced potato pieces . add about two cups of water . add half the quantity of required salt and a pinch of turmeric. set it to cook on medium flame. cover the kadai. it will take about ten to twelve minutes for potatoes to get cooked in water. (let only a little water remain). another variation is, fry those diced potatoes in oil till light brown and set aside to be added to mint gravy at a later stage. i prefer the second version. but remember to anoint potato in little salt and turmeric first before you fry. transfer the cooked potatoes in a vessel and clean the kadai. take remaining oil in the kadai again and add all the tempering spices. set the flame on medium. when cloves pop, add onion paste first and fry till it turns light brown. now add ginger/garlic/chili/capsicum paste. fry for about two minutes only till raw ginger smell leaves. add small diced tomato pieces and turn till tomato becomes soft. add remaining salt, chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder now and let the powders be light fried for twenty seconds or so. add a cup of water and set the flame on simmer and let it get cooked together. now make paste of mint and kothumalli. add the paste finally and mix thoroughly. let the curry simmer for about two to three minutes. put off the flame, cover the kadai and leave it aside for 1 hour. after an hour, reheat the curry and serve piping hot with chappathis, poories or parathas. tastes still better with rice. point to remember. . . .....the gravy must be thick and not watery.

enjoy!!! please post your feedback. --- pulusu --pulusu (mix vegetables in tamarind sauce) what is aviyal to a keralalite, pulusu is to an andhravadu. both are mix vegetable sauces but are as different and poles apart as the north and the south. but believe me , both are very elegant preparations. source of this recipe is again lady suryakanthamgaru my late land lady and one of the greatest actress south has ever produced. so here it is for your enjoyment. i must thank my wife for preserving the tradition of andhra cooking as learnt from her. thoram parappu 3/4 to 1 cup (cooked) drumstick 1 no. onion 1 no. tomato 1 no. curry leaves 2 sprigs sugar 1 tea spoon spices black pepper powder 1/4 tea spoon asafoetida 1/4 tea spoon tempering groundnut oil 1/4 cup fenugreek seeds 1.5 tea spoons mustard seeds 1/4 tea spoon at the onset, prepare all the vegetables. cut sweet potato, potato in about 1.5 to 2" large pieces. cut drumstick in same length pieces. cut capsicum in thickish slices. cut tomato in 1/4 inch pieces. cut beans also in longish cross cut pieces. cut onion also in long slices . pluck kothumalli (coriander/cilantro) .remove leaves from 1 sprig of curry leaves for tempering and keep the other sprig for boiling with sauce. extract concentrate from tamarind. cook about 75 gms of thoram parappu (toor dhall) in a pressure cooker. when cooked, churn and use. take oil for tempering in a kadai (wok) and set the flame on medium. add mustard seeds first. after five seconds, add fenugreek seeds. when fenugreek starts turning light brown, mustard seeds would start popping. add onion slices ,capsicum and plucked curry leaves and fry till onion becomes creamish. now add all the vegetables and turn the vegetables for about a minute in tempering .now add all the dry spices , cooked and churned dhall and salt, turn for further five minutes. now add tamarind extract and curry leaves and boil the pulusu for about fifteen minutes on a low/medium flame. keep the kadai partially open and cook till all the vegetables are cooked. now taste for salt and sourness. add asafoetida (raw) now and boil for further two to three minutes. when you are sure that all the vegetables are properly cooked, add sugar and kothumalli. stir well , put off the flame and let the spices work up for about an hour. reheat the pulusu and serve piping hot with rice. tastes equally great with chapathis and rotis. this pulusu would bring a new taste to your kitchen. but remember one thing. never prepare pulusu without drum stick and sweet potato. enjoy !!!!! one variation of pulusu does not use thoor dhall and pepper powder. also no asafoetida is used. enjoy !!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- sambar salem --sweet potato 1 no. potato 1 no. capsicum 1 no. beans 50 gms. tamarind extract from a large marble sized tamarind qty. salt to taste chili powder 1 tea spoon kothumalli 1/4 cup

salem sambar: thanks to mrs. mano for this recipe

pressure cook 3 handfuls of lentils. fry 1/2sp of cumin seeds, 1/2sp of coriander seeds, 1/2sp of peppercorn, 1sp of black gram, 1sp of bengal gram, 5 red chilies and a pea-sized asafoetida in a spoon of oil to a golden brown colour and then grind them with 3 sambar onions, 3tsp of shredded coconut and 4 garlic pearls coarsely. soak a lime sized tamarind for half an hour and extract its thick juice. heat a vessel and pour the cooked lentils with enough water and add 1sp of turmeric powder when the dal begins to simmer, add finely cubed pieces of radishes with one cup of finely crushed tomatoes and cup of sliced small onions.. add enough salt. when the vegetables are 3/4th cooked, add the tamarind extract and cook for a few minutes. now add the ground masala with a little of chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves. let the sambar cook for a few minutes. heat a small kadai and pour 3sp of gingelly oil. when the oil becomes hot add 1sp of mustards seeds. when they splutter add this to the sambar.

--- sambar, andhra --andhra sambar i have enjoyed sambars all thro' south india. there is such a great variety in taste that i always marvel at different preparations. coimabatore, salem madurai, udipi, mangalore, hyderabad and for that matter every single town or village will have something different in its preparation. this is because you can do anything with ingredients . andhra sambar as i have been enjoying goes a bit off the beaten road of its traditional method followed by tamilnadu and karnataka etc. there is a basic difference in tempering and it sets it apart from all its cousins. there are three varieties of andhra sambar, hot.....hotter.......hottest. this is the hot variety. 100 gms .thoram parappu (toor dhall) 4 nos. of onions (medium) 6 to 8 green chilies 1.5 spoon of perangayam(hing) 1/4 spoon of pepper powder 2 tbsp of gingelly oil for tempering 1/4 spoon of fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder salt to taste juice) 3 spoons of sambar powder (please refer to my sambar powder recipe) 1 sprig of curry leaves 1/4 cup of kothumalli 3/4 spoon jeera powder freshly made 1 medium sized tomato diced in 1/2 inch pieces 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/2 sp (asafoetida)perangayam for tempering 5 to 6 broken dry chilies one spoon chili powder 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind (add water and extract thick

cut muringakkai, dice tomato. use brinjals (if you are using them) which are not acidic and must be seedless. cut in rather large pieces . soak in water for some 30 minutes and then cook in a pressure pan after adding a bit of salt and quarter spoon of sugar till cooked. set aside. (this will prevent them from becoming mushy) cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of perangayam (hing) very well. keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes. now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside. take the onions and dice two onions , take green chilies, press them hard without breaking them on flat surface and add and saute in a little oil and add it to sambar. take care that you don't cook the onions and chilies there is another variation of adding the raw onions in the dhall and let it get cooked in dhall itself. i have found the second variation better for sambar taste. take other two onions and roast them over fire till outer cover burns to black. remove the burnt cover and make a fine paste of roasted onions and set aside. now add extract of tamarind to dhall along with salt. boil the dhall till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. add 3/4 cooked vegetables now and add required salt. add chili powder, turmeric powder and jeera powder also pepper powder now. let it simmer for a bout two minutes. now add semi cooked onions and chilies and half sprig of curry leaves. let it boil for about two to three minutes. now add sambar powder with freshly made paste of roasted onion to it and set it to boil. let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes. add diced tomato and freshly cut bunch of kothumalli last. mix well and let it simmer for three minutes. temper with mustard, chilies, fenugreek(vendhiyum) seeds, and perangayam in gingly oil. you may use groundnut oil also. the chilies are to be added first and when they start turning brown, add the other tempering. add asafoetida last in the oil. temper and cover it with a lid immediately. serve hot. points to remember sambar must be made at least two hours before you are to serve to self or the guests. the real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking. reheat the sambar and serve hot.!!!

enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- sambar, arichuvittu --arichuvittu sambar (hemant style) i have enjoyed sambars all thro' south india. there is such a great variety in taste that i always marvel at different preparations. coimabatore, salem madurai, udipi, mangalore, hyderabad, and for that matter every single town or village will have something different in its preparation. this is because you can do anything with ingredients. arichuvittu sambar as i have been preparing goes a bit off the beaten road of its traditional method .i use soaked masalas and pastes of coconut and chili and kothumalli. there is no roasting of ingredients here. try once and chances are you will fall for it.!! 150 gms. of thoram parappu (toor dhall) 100 gms. of sambar vengayam (small onions) shallots 1 sprig of curry leaves 2 green chilies 1.5" pieces of coconut 2 nos 1/2 cup of kothumalli 1 spoon of perangayam(hing) 3/4 spoon jeera powder freshly made 2 tbsp of gingelly oil for tempering 1 medium sized tomato diced in 1/2 inch pieces 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/4 spoon of fenugreek seeds 3 broken dry chilies one spoon chili powder 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind (add water and extract thick juice) 3 spoons of sambar powder (please refer to my sambar powder recipe) 1/2 spoon of broken dhania seeds 1/2 spoon of perangayam for tempering vegetables to be added baby onions (shallots) 150 gms. beans 50 gms. radish 1 no cut in rounds (long white/red variety) brinjal 1 no. long variety (four nos. if small round) muringakkai 1 no cut in 1.5" pieces avarekkai 50 gms.

soak in 30 ml of water, sambar masala powder, jeera powder,1 spoon of perangayam (hing), turmeric powder& chili powder for one hour. make a fine paste of coconut pieces and green chilies and 1/2 sprig of curry leaves. set aside. make coarse paste of kothumalli and set aside. cut murankka, dice tomato, cut beans in 1 ' pieces, and use avarakkai pods which are tender. use brinjals which are not acidic and must be seedless. cut in 1" pieces and then cut in four. soak in water for some 30 minutes and then cook in a pressure pan after adding a bit of salt and quarter spoon of sugar till cooked. set aside. cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of perangayam (hing) very well. keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes. now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside. take the baby onions and saut in oil for about three to four minutes. take care that you don't cook the onions . there is another variation of adding the raw baby onions in the dhall and let it get cooked in dhall itself. i have found the second variation better for sambar taste. now add extract of tamarind to dhall along with salt. boil the dhall till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. add 3/4 cooked vegetables now and add required salt. also add semi cooked baby sambar onions and half sprig of curry leaves. let it boil for about two to three minutes. now add the paste of sambar powder, with all the powders you have kept in sambar. add freshly made paste of coconut and green chilies to it and set it to boil. let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes. add diced tomato and freshly made paste of kothumalli last. mix well and let it simmer for three minutes. temper with mustard, chilies, fenugreek (vendhiyum) seeds, broken dhania seeds and perangayam in gingly oil. garnish with finely chopped kothumalli and set aside. point to remember sambar must be made at least two hours before you are to serve to self or the guests. the real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking. reheat the sambar and serve hot.!!! enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- sambar, avarekkai --avarekkai sambar karnataka has some fascinating dishes of which i have come to love avarekkai sambar very much. it comes under eo & et category. people who love real spicy, hot and tasty kozumbu/sambar would never forget the

taste. i have been experimenting with the different recipes given to me by different friends and i have come to like the following recipe most. i am sure that you would try this fiery sambar once and post your reactions. hurry up because the season of avarekkai would be over within another month or so. hubbers who are in the us or other countries can substitute avarekkai with any green beans. green avarekkai shelled 350 gms. onions 2 nos. (medium) garlic (cut in large pieces) 10 cloves green chilies 6 to 7 nos. (hot variety) tomatoes 3 nos. poppy seeds 1 table spoon coconut grated 2" pieces 3nos salt to taste cooking oil 2 ladlefuls dry spices cloves 6 to 7 nos., cinnamon sticks 2" 5 sticks dry spices for tempering cinnamon sticks 1" 4 nos., cloves 5 to 6 nos. first soak avarekkai seeds in hot water for three to four hours and then shell the skin of each seed. keep it aside. take about a ladle and half of oil in a kadai. frying pan and add the dry spices as mentioned above. when the cloves puff up, add onions, garlic, green chilies and turn for about a minute and half only. now add grated coconut and fry for further 30 seconds. remove from fire and let it get cold. when cold, make a fine paste of the whole thing and keep it aside. make paste of poppy seeds and keep it aside. dice the tomatoes in small pieces and keep aside. take some water in a vessel and add shelled avarekkai and steam/pressure cook the avarekkai till they become soft but not soggy or too soft. when ready, add the masala paste. add salt and over a slow/medium fire let it simmer for about ten minutes only. now add diced tomatoes and paste of poppy seeds and let it simmer for another four or five minutes or so. now take some oil in a tempering ladle and add spices for tempering. when cloves puff up, add the tempering to avarekkai sambar. cover immediately and leave it for 30 minutes. after 30 minutes, reheat the sambar and serve steaming hot with rice/poori /paratha or rotis. remember that this is a hot dish and take in quantity which is good for you. this sambar should be really thick like kurama variation some people add 2 ' piece of ginger made in paste at the final stages to give an extra kick along with finely chopped green chilies. the taste is really good but let me warn you that this can be very hot. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- sambar, bell pepper --bell pepper sambar ( capsicum sambar ) in my quest to find exotic tastes and exotic ingredients to be incorporated in south indian cuisine has made me try a lot of different ingredients ,culminating into some fine tasting dishes,. one of them is this bell pepper sambar (podumozakka sambar). mind you, i failed to achieve the desired flavour from capsicum on three or four trials. but ultimately i devised a way to get the right method. i am happy to bring the same to you. so folks!!! try this capsicum or bell pepper sambar and let me know. (for a family of four 2 servings) thoram parappu 100 gms. green chilies (sliced) 2 nos. asafoetida 1 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig chili powder 1/2 spoon fresh jeera powder 1/2 spoon tamarind 1 marble sized capsicum (2 nos. medium) 200 gms. onion (diced) 1 large sambar powder (karnataka/madras sambar powder) 3 spoons kothumalli 1/4 cup turmeric powder 1/4 spoon 1 medium sized tomato diced in 1/2 inch pieces (optional)

for tempering 2 tbsp of groundnut oil for tempering 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/2 spoon of perangayam for tempering

3 nos. of red chilies (broken) 1/4 spoon of fenugreek seeds

cut capsicum in 1. 5cm square pieces slice green chilies in thin strips. dice onion similarly and keep aside. dice tomato in small pieces. pluck kothumalli and set aside. soak tamarind and extract juice. take a roti/dosai tawa and add a spoon or two of cooking oil. heat on a medium flame. when the tawa is hot, add capsicum pieces along with sliced green chilies. sprinkle two or three pinches of salt on capsicum . tawa fry the capsicum thoroughly ,using a flat bottomed ladle(rice ladle) and press the underside of the ladle on flatly spread oiled capsicum pieces. see that the capsicum is slightly browned. the capsicum would have cooked to 3/4 and would be almost soft. a fine aroma of fried capsicum will spread. remove from fire and keep in a bowl. cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of perangayam (hing) very well. keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes. now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside. add half sprig of curry leaves in the dhall and now add extract of tamarind to dhall along with salt . boil the dhall till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. add turmeric powder , chili powder and jeera powder and half a sprig of curry leaves. let it boil for about two to three minutes. now add sambar powder . let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes. add diced tomato and freshly cut bunch of kothumalli . mix well and let it simmer for three minutes. take about two ladles of oil in a kadai and add red chilies, mustard, fenugreek(vendhiyum) seeds, when mustard starts to crackle, add asafoetida and diced onion. fry till onion pieces become translucent. add the onion along with tempering to sambar finally add 3/4 tawa fried/cooked capsicum pieces now ,and cover it with a lid immediately. check for salt . the capsicum will cook in residual heat and also add the flavour to sambar. your capsicum sambar is ready!! point to remember sambar must be made at least two hours before you are to serve to self or the guests. the real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking. reheat the sambar and serve hot. !!! enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! thanks to all the forumhubbers for making this happen --- sambar, muringakkai --muringakkai sambar (drumstick sambar) many of you would have wondered as to why your muringkkai and mulangi sambar tastes different and why no original flavour of muringakkai or mulangi (radish) is missing from sambar. the secret lies in the method of preparation of those two sambars. today i would be posting the correct method to prepare muringakkai sambar. i hope you would try it out and let me know. (use the same method for mulangi sambar) (for a family of four 2 servings) 100 gms thoram parappu muringakkai 2 or 3 nos 1/4 cup of kothumalli 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1. 5 spoon of perangayam (hing) jaggery/sugar 1/4 spoon 3 spoons of sambar powder (karnataka/madras sambar powder) 1 sprig of curry leaves 1/2 spoon of chili powder 1/2 spoon of fresh jeera powder 1 medium sized tomato diced in 1/2 inch pieces (optional)

for tempering 2 tbsp of groundnut oil for tempering 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/2 spoon of perangayam for tempering

3 nos of red chilies (broken) 1/4 spoon of fenugreek seeds

cut muringkkai of 2" length. soak in water for about 30 minutes. take about 150 ml of water in a vessel and add salt, sugar and muringakkai pieces, boil on slow simmer flame for ten to fifteen minutes till the muringakkai pieces are 3/4 cooked. set aside. dice tomato in small pieces. pluck kothumalli and set aside. cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of perangayam (hing) very well. keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes. now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside. add half sprig of curry leaves in the dhall and now add extract of tamarind to dhall along with salt . boil the dhall till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. add 3/4 cooked muringakkai pieces now along with water which was used for cooking

murungakkai and add required (extra)salt. add turmeric powder, chili powder and jeera powder and let it simmer for about two to three minutes. now add half sprig of curry leaves. let it boil for about two to three minutes. now add sambar powder. let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes. add diced tomato and freshly cut bunch of kothumalli and add jaggery last. mix well and let it simmer for three minutes. temper with red chilies, mustard, fenugreek(vendhiyum) seeds, and perangayam in groundnut oil. add asafoetida last in the oil. temper the sambar and cover it with a lid immediately. point to remember sambar must be made at least two hours before you are to serve to self or the guests. the real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking. reheat the sambar and serve hot. !!! enjoy!!! and post in your feedback when happy. --- sambar, pachhai --pachhai sambar (using only green ingredients) this sambar is from my own experiments and probably none of you would have ever tasted this sambar before. i started off with green thoram seeds and over the last two seasons of experimenting, i have perfected this sambar. i am very pleased to post the recipe for dear hubbers. this sambar can be prepared only during sep-nov period in india when all the green ingredients are available. green thoram seeds 200 gms spring onions 1 bunch green methi kirai 1 spoon green chilies 6 to 8 nos. kothumalli/cilantro 1/2 bunch green tamarind 3 to 4 fruits green tomatoes (unripe) 2 to 3 nos. curry leaves 2 springs salt to taste perangayam (asafoetida) lg one spoon oil for tempering 1.5 ladles mustard seeds 1/2 spoon steam cook thoram seeds to six whistles in a pressure pan or four whistles in a cooker. when cold, mash the thoram thoroughly and use a blender to churn nicely. the hard covers of pachai thoram will separate when you sieve thro' a sieve. discard the cover mass and collect the thoram parappu soft mass in a large katora and set it aside. cut spring onions till four inches from the base in small 1 cm pieces. don't use old leaves .like wise, pluck and cut finely coriander and vendhaiyum (fenugreek) leaves and keep aside. dice unripe tomatoes and keep aside. now prepare pachai puli (green tamarind) and green chilies paste. add about two large cups of water to thoram parappu paste and place it on a medium flame after adding salt to taste. add spring onion pieces and green tomato pieces directly to it and let onions and tomatoes be cooked in thoram liquid. add springs of curry leaves and methi leaves after about seven to eight minutes. please ensure that the sambar is being cooked on a low /medium flame. please also ensure that the onions are properly cooked. now add paste of pachhai puli and pachhai mozaka (tamarind and green chilies ) and boil for about four or five minutes. finally add finely chopped kothumalli/cilantro heat for under a minute and put off the flame. now take oil in a tempering ladle and put half a spoon of mustard seeds, sliced green chili. when the mustard starts to crackle add a spoon of asafoetida powder , temper the sambar. immediately cover the sambar your all pachhai sambar is ready . enjoy!!! variation i you may add precooked green beans /pachhai avarakkai/green brinjals, green radish kirai(leaves only)or only kirai of your choice. this would give a variety to your cooking of which i am very sure. variation ii if you use sambar powder, and grilled onion /coconut paste, the sambar would taste entirely different and would make all the members happy that you have brought variety in sambar. please revert to me after you have enjoyed for feedback. important point if you have a problem getting pachhai thoram kaai, you may substitute with green peas or pachhai avarakkai seeds, if you don't get fenugreek leaves, you can use fenugreek seeds.

enjoy.!!!! and please post your valuable feedback because others are waiting for your feedback. --- sambar, rayar --rayar sambar 3 spoons of sambar powder (please refer to my sambar powder recipe) 1 fairly large onion to be grilled on fire till outer cover is black and make paste of it in a mixi 150 gms. of thoram parappu (toor dhall) 2 sprigs of curry leaves 1 spoon of perangayam(hing) oil for tempering 1/2 spoon of fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon of perangayam for tempering one spoon chili powder 1/2 cup of kothumalli paste (approx 50 gms.) extract thick 100 gms of sambar vengayam (small onions)shallots 4 green chilies sliced into half 3 medium sized sambar tomatoes diced in 1/2 inch pieces 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/2 spoon of broken dhaniya seeds 3 broken dry chilies 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind (add water and

juice) 2 tea spoons of freshly made paste of coconut cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of perangayam (hing) very well. keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes. now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside. take the baby onions and saute in oil for about three to four minutes. take care that you don't cook the onions. there is another variation of adding the raw baby onions in the dhall and let it get cooked in dhall itself. i have found the second variation better for sambar taste. now add extract of tamarind to dhall along with salt .boil the dhall till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. now add semi cooked baby sambar onions and sprigs of curry leaves and sliced green chilies. let it boil for about two to three minutes. now add three spoons of sambar powder, one spoon of chili powder and diced tomatoes and turmeric powder. let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes. take down the half cooked sambar and keep it aside. take the grilled onion, remove the burnt outer cover and make a paste of the onion in a mixi. add the paste of coconut and onion now to sambar and also paste of kothumalli at this stage and boil the sambar for three to four minutes. temper with mustard, chilies, fenugreek (vendhaiyum) seeds, broken dhaniya seeds and perangayam. garnish with finely chopped kothumalli and set aside. point to remember sambar must be made at least two hours before you are to serve to self or the guests. the real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking. reheat the sambar and serve hot.!!! real taste of rayar sambar lies in the fine treatment of sambar with kothumalli and roasted onion paste. so please take care to select the best kothumalli . enjoy.!!!! and please post your valuable feedback because others are waiting for your feedback. --- sambar, spring onion --spring onion sambar spring onion sambar is a delicacy which very few people have tried so far. today, i am posting another vengaya sambar version as perfected by me. i promise you that the result will be really superb one bunch of tender spring onions with green leaves. 3 spoons of sambar powder (please refer to my sambar powder recipe) 3 medium sized sambar tomatoes diced in 1/2 inch pieces 1 fairly large onion to be grilled on fire till outer cover is black and make paste of it in a mixi 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind (add water and extract thick juice)

150 gms of thoram parappu (toor dhall) 4 green chilies sliced into half oil for tempering 1/2 spoon of fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon of perangayam for tempering one spoon chili powder 1/2 cup of kothumalli

2 sprigs of curry leaves 1 spoon of perangayam(hing) 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/2 spoon of broken dhaniya seeds 3 broken dry chilies 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder 2 tea spoons of freshly made paste of coconut

as informed to you in my last posting of vengaya sambar all the ingredients will remain common except the onions. in this version, take a bunch of spring onions. after washing it, cut the onion bulb portion in 1.5 inches length. do not slice the onion bulbs. cut the tender leaves of onion in 1/4 inch or slightly still smaller length. please remove two or three muthal layers from tops of the bulbs. if you don't do that, the skin layers will not get cooked and will cause chewing problems. please remember to use only tender leaves. now saute the onions and the leaves in oil for three minutes. add the onions to the dhall. please follow all the other steps as written before. you will have a very exotic sambar which would really tickle your taste buds for a long time. enjoy and let me know the result you can avoid using coconut paste in this version of sambar. --- sambar, udipi 1 --udipi hotel sambar - 1st version south canara, mangalore and udupi brahmins have a special sambar which is different in many aspects from most of the other sambars you would have tasted so far. this brahmins sambar goes a bit off the beaten road of other traditional method followed by tamilnadu , andhra and karnataka etc. there is a basic difference in usage of onions along with other ingredients.. this is a sambar which is generally available in udipi hotels and is known as udipi hotel sambar. mind you, only genuine udipi hotel with a reputation would serve you this sambar. otherwise, in bangalore, you would get only rice kanjee mixed with pottukadali powder and fiery sambar powder mixture with about one ton of jaggery in one katora .!!! (sorry for exaggeration but it is the truth) 100 gms thoram parappu 100 gms of sambar onions 1 large onion 1/4 cup of kothumalli 1/2 spoon of chili powder 1/2 spoon of jaggery 1 tbsp of rice powder 1no. of 2" pieces of coconut 3 spoons of sambar powder (karnataka sambar powder) 1 sprig of curry leaves 1. 5 spoon of perangayam(hing) 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1/2 spoon of fresh jeera powder 1 medium sized tomato diced in 1/2 inch pieces 3 nos of red chilies (broken) 1/4 spoon of fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon of perangayam for tempering 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind (add water and extract thick

for tempering 2 tbsp of groundnut oil for tempering 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder salt to taste juice)

if you want, omit asafoetida and add 7 to 8 cloves of garlic and a spoon of poppy seeds made in paste. this is to be added when you add onion paste. vegetables to be added you can add any vegetable like murunkai, brinjals etc but not more than two varieties in any version. cut murankai, dice tomato. use brinjals (if you are using them) which are not acidic and must be seedless. cut in rather large pieces . soak in water for some 30 minutes and then cook in a pressure pan after adding a bit of salt and quarter spoon of sugar till cooked. set aside. (this will prevent them from becoming mushy) cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of perangayam (hing) very well. keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes. now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside. for paste of coconut and first make slices and then make a very fine paste in a mixi. set aside . now a days, hotel sambar does not use coconut paste. take the sambar onions , clean and cut ends , take green chilies, press them hard without breaking them on flat surface and keep aside. take cleaned sambar onions and add the raw onions and half sprig of curry leaves in the dhall and let it get cooked in dhall itself. . take other large onion and roast it over fire till outer cover burns to black. remove the burnt cover and make a fine paste of roasted onion and set aside.

now add extract of tamarind to dhall along with salt . boil the dhall till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. add 3/4 cooked vegetables now and add required (extra) salt. add turmeric powder and chili powder and jeera powder and let it simmer for about two to three minutes. now add green chilies and half sprig of curry leaves . let it boil for about two to three minutes. now add sambar powder with freshly made paste of roasted onion and rice powder to it and set it to boil. if needed, mix rice powder first with little water and then add to sambar. . this rice powder gives body to hotel sambar. let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes. add diced tomato and freshly cut bunch of kothumalli and jaggery last. mix well and let it simmer for three minutes. temper with red chilies, mustard, fenugreek(vendhiyum) seeds, and perangayam in groundnut oil. tempering. add asafoetida last in the oil. temper and cover it with a lid immediately. serve hot. point to remember sambar must be made at least two hours before you are to serve to self or the guests. the real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking. reheat the sambar and serve hot. !!! enjoy!!! and post in your feedback when happy. --- sambar, udipi 2 --udipi sambar 2nd version south canara, mangalore and udupi brahmins have a special sambar which is different in many aspects from most of the other sambars you would have tasted so far. this brahmins sambar goes a bit off the beaten road of other traditional method followed by tamilnadu , andhra and karnataka etc. there is a basic difference in usage of coconut and onion. this is a mild sambar which is generally not available in hotels. so if you are from kerala, palakkad or a coconut buff, you must try this beautiful creation.. (for a family of four 2 servings) 100 gms of thoram parappu (toor dhall) 4 nos of onions (medium) 1 sprig of curry leaves 1/4 cup of kothumalli 2 tbsp of groundnut oil for tempering 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/2 spoon of perangayam for tempering salt to taste juice) 4 nos of 2" pieces of coconut 3 spoons of sambar powder (karnataka sambar powder) 5 to 6 nos green chilies( hot variety) 1.5 spoon of perangayam(hing) 1 medium sized tomato diced in 1/2 inch pieces 1/4 spoon of fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind (add water and extract thick

vegetables to be added you can add any vegetable like murunkai, raw banana, yam pieces or beans bhopala, brinjals, etc but not more than two varieties in this version. cut murankai, dice tomato. use brinjals (if you are using them) which are not acidic and must be seedless. cut in rather large pieces .soak in water for some 30 minutes and then cook in a pressure pan after adding a bit of salt and quarter spoon of sugar till cooked. set aside. (this will prevent them from becoming mushy) cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of perangayam (hing) very well. keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes. now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside. remove brown skin off the coconut and first make slices and then make a very fine paste in a mixi. set aside the coconut paste. take the onions and dice two onions , take green chilies, press them hard without breaking them on flat surface and add and saut in a little oil and add it to sambar. take care that you don't cook the onions and chilies .. there is another variation of adding the raw onions in the dhall and let it get cooked in dhall itself. i have found the second variation better for sambar taste. take other two onions and roast them over fire till outer cover burns to black. remove the burnt cover and make a fine paste of roasted onions and set aside. now add extract of tamarind to dhall along with salt .boil the dhall till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. add 3/4 cooked vegetables now and add required salt. add turmeric powder and let it simmer for about two to three minutes. now add semi cooked onions and chilies and half sprig of curry leaves. let it boil for about two to three minutes.

now add sambar powder with freshly made paste of roasted onion to it and set it to boil. let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes. add diced tomato and freshly cut bunch of kothumalli last. mix well and let it simmer for three minutes. temper with mustard, fenugreek (vendhiyum) seeds and perangayam in groundnut oil. temperings. add asafoetida last in he oil. temper and cover it with a lid immediately. serve hot. point to remember sambar must be made at-least two hours before you are to serve to self or the guests. the real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking. reheat the sambar and serve hot.!!! enjoy!!! and post in your feedback when happy. --- sambar, venkaya --venkaya sambar. cook the dhall after adding one small spoon of perangayam (hing) very well. keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes. now churn the dhall till the froth and keep it aside. take the baby onions and saute in oil for about three to four minutes. take care that you don't cook the onions. there is another variation of adding the raw baby onions in the dhall and let it get cooked in dhall itself. i have found the second variation better for sambar taste. now add extract of tamarind to dhall along with salt .boil the dhall till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. now add semi cooked baby sambar onions and springs of curry leaves and sliced green chilies. let it boil for about two to three minutes. now add three spoons of sambar powder, one spoon of chili powder and diced tomatoes and turmeric powder. let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes. take down the half cooked sambar and keep it aside. take the grilled onion, remove the burnt outer cover and make a paste of the onion in a mixi. add the paste of coconut and onion now to sambar and slowly heat it on medium flame until it boils for about three to four minutes. temper with mustard, chilies, fenugreek (vendhaiyum) seeds, broken dhaniya seeds and perangayam. garnish with finely chopped kothumalli and set aside. point to remember sambar must be made at least two hours before you are to serve to self or the guests. the real taste of sambar comes only after two hours of cooking. reheat the sambar and serve hot.!!! 3 spoons of sambar powder (please refer to my sambar powder recipe) 150 gms of thoram parappu (toor dhall) 100 gms. of sambar venkayam (small onions) 2 springs of curry leaves 4 green chilies sliced into half 1 spoon of perangayam(hing) 3 medium sized sambar tomatoes diced in 1/2 inch pieces oil for tempering 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds 1/2 spoon of fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon of broken dhaniya seeds 1/2 spoon of perangayam for tempering 3 broken dry chilies one spoon chili powder 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder 1/2 cup of kothumalli 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind (add water and extract 2 tea spoons of freshly made paste of coconut thick juice) 1 fairly large onion to be grilled on fire till outer cover is black and make paste of it in a mixi/blender optional additives you can add vegetables like brinjal, lady's finger .radish, kirai (bhaji) beans, carrots, etc for different variations of sambar. but venkaya sambar means pure venkaya sambar without any additives. --- tadka dhall --tadka dhall (yellow dhall spiced and tempered) anyone who has enjoyed tadka dhall once with tawa paratha or with plain rice would never forget the superb taste and flavour of simple spices. tadka dhall is probably the easiest dhall to make and yet it is among my most favourite of dhalls. i have enjoyed this dhall prepared by punjabis, bengalis and almost at all the places in deccan .but the following really caught on my fancy .i think this was in jalandhar in punjab. i am posting this gem for you all. try and you would never regret . thoram parappu (toor dhall) 175 gms. garlic 10 cloves lime juice from 1/2 lime. onion 1 no. ginger 1.5 " piece ( thumb thick) green chilies (thin round slices) 3 to 4 nos.

cloves 6 nos. jeera 3/4 spoon kothumalli optional as above salt to taste

red chilies 2 nos. turmeric powder 1/2 tsp. (optional) ghee/oil 2 ladles

pressure cook dhall for five whistles with 500 ml of water. when the steam subsides, remove from cooker and check if it has cooked properly. add needed salt now and slowly mix it with ladle. under no circumstances it should become homogenous mass . so you should not churn it .if you feel that the dhall is too thick, you may add half a cup of water now. but remember that you have to enjoy this dhall in its thick form only. slice onions, green chilies and set aside. make a rough paste of ginger and garlic. set aside. now take ghee/oil in a kadai and add red chilies on a medium flame. as soon as chilies start becoming dark brown , add jeera and cloves after five seconds cloves would puff up. now add onion slices and turn for about two minutes till onions are semi cooked. now add sliced green chilies and immediately add ginger garlic paste. turn for about 20 seconds at the maximum. do not over fry ginger garlic paste. pour the tempering on top of the cooked dhall. immediately cover the dhall. after five minutes, squeeze half lime on top of the dhall and with a ladle , now mix very slowly. the tempering with onion, etc. should mix properly. re heat before serving. enjoy with paratha, rotis and plain rice. usage of turmeric is optional. you may use kothumalli for garnishing . enjoy!! your feed back gives confidence to others please. --- tuver-ni daal --tuver-ni-daal (gujarati daal ) tuver-ni-daal is one of the pillars of gujarati diet. a gujarati thaali consists of dall, bhat, shaak and rotli gujarati dall is thinner in consistency and is sweet and sour surprisingly the usage of spices in gujarati dall is minimal, and it tastes great with rotli (phulkas) and bhat (rice) so here is the gujarati version of thuver daal thoram parappu 1/2 cup green chilies 2 nos tomato 1 no peanuts (optional) 1 tbsp salt to taste turmeric powder 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder 1/4 tsp tempering oil 1 ladle jeera 1/2 tspoon asafoetida 1/2 tspoon ginger 1/2 " piece kokum/tamarind 4 slices/small marble sized curry leaves 1 sprig sugar/jaggery 1/2 to 1 teaspoon jeera powder 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp

mustard 1/4 tspoon fenugreek seeds 1/4 spoon

cook thoram parappu in pressure cooker after adding a little asafoetida and a little jeera powder when cold, churn and keep aside. cut ginger and green chilies in small pieces first and then using a stone/poundmortar, make rough paste and set aside cut tomato in small pieces and set aside. soak peanuts in a little water soak kokum in little water for ten to fifteen minutes to make it softer and facilitate release acids faster while boiling. if you don't have kokum, use required amount of tamarind take churned dhall in a vessel (patela/tapela) add about 500 ml of water add salt, chili-ginger paste and soaked peanuts and kokum, turmeric and chili powders set to boil on a medium flame for about ten to fifteen minutes. now add rest of jeera powder and sugar or jaggery and boil for two to three minutes. taste for salt and other spices now take the tempering ladle and add oil and tempering spices. when mustard starts popping, add asafoetida and curry leaves and temper the dhall. immediately cover the vessel and set aside. serve after one hour after re-boiling enjoy!!! please send in your feedback as they inspire me --- vatral kozumbu --vatral kozumbu this kozumbu can be fiery tasting but equally great & tasty preparation. this is prepared in two variations. one using no garlic/onions , another using both garlic and onions . this is more on sour side and also a little

hot. tastes great with steaming rice. 1/4 cup (40 ml) of thick tamarind extract 2 spoons of sambar powder 1.5 spoons of rice powder 1 sp. jaggery 30 ml. gingelly oil 1/4 cup sambar vengayam 1 spoon perangayam( asafoetida) salt to taste 3 to 4 table spoons of vatral (manathakkali or sundakkai or any other vatral, but in my opinion sundakkai and manathakkali are the best tasting vatrals) for tempering 1/2 sp. mustard seeds 1/2 sp. fenugreek seeds 3 to 4 red chilies (broken) two strands of curry leaves for garnishing. fry vatral in little oil till dark brown and keep aside. fry sambar vengayam in little oil and cook for about five minutes. set aside. now take oil for tempering in a kadai and add mustard, fenugreek and broken red chilies. when the mustard starts popping, add sambar powder and immediately, add vatral which you have fried and add tamarind extract. add partially cooked onions now. take care not to burn the sambar powder. now on a medium flame let the whole thing simmer till raw tamarind loses its smell. now add water and salt and let the whole thing simmer for about four minutes. now add rice flour and stir well. let the whole mass become thicker. you may add asafoetida now. some people prefer to add asafoetida in tempering but i prefer towards the end. add jaggery, stir well and your vatral kozumbu is ready. now garnish with curry leaves and serve hot. vatral kozumbu is not used as much as sambar in quantity .so take care not to cook as much as sambar. people who prefer the kozumbu to be hot, they may add a spoon of chili powder extra ,over and above the sambar powder used. enjoy!! your feed back gives confidence to others please. --- yeh dil maange --yeh dil maange (butter milk) buttermilk is an inseparable part of indian food. the word chhachh has come from sanskrit shada rasa. meaning six tastes. it is sweet, salty, spicy, bitter etc. it has unmatched property to remove ill effects of heat and sunstroke. immersing the feet in buttermilk removes fever and prevents sunstroke. washing the face with buttermilk nourishes the skin and prevents blemishes. it increases the fairness of skin. it makes the skin look very young and healthy. warm buttermilk when used , cures atisara meaning loose motions. before the advent of tea and coffee in india, buttermilk was the welcome drink in every home . even today, it is the welcome drink in farmers and rural homes. i am posting different forms of buttermilk as consumed in india. i will start with south . majjiga (buttermilk) "it is said that the only place a telugu does not use chilies is in sweets. ". so buttermilk in andhra has to have chilies . and as if that is not enough, it is accompanied by ginger. so what is the net result? fire fighting with petrol. wrong. majjiga in andhra pradesh with chilies has a purpose. it induces perspiration and is used primarily to fight heat with heat. "vishasya visham aushadham" similia similibus curenter meaning poison cures poison. buttermilk 1 liter ginger 1/2 " piece salt to taste oil 1 spoon green chilies 1 no mustard seeds 1/2 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig kothumalli optional

andhra cuisine uses curds made out of raw milk hence the fat content is really tasty in the curds and buttermilk. take 350 gms of curds and add 650 ml of water. use a hand churner/ agitator or egg beater. if you are using electric blender, use it just for about five seconds. thinly slice one chili and grate ginger. add them directly to buttermilk and agitate again with churner for five more seconds. add salt. in andhra buttermilk, the salt content is slightly above normal. take oil in a tempering ladle and add mustard seeds. heat on a low flame. when mustard just start to crackle, add curry leaves and immediately pour the tempering on buttermilk. cover the vessel. after five minutes, again agitate the majjiga . put it in fridge and serve cold.

this majjiga is a powerful heat remover if you are coming from outside in sun. this is meant to be consumed after regular food also. so enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!! mor (tamilnadu) mosara (karnataka) buttermilk in tamilnadu and karnataka is a milder sister of andhra majjiga. here two three versions are used. i will be posting the most popular version. buttermilk 1 litre mustard seeds 1/2 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig kothumalli 3 to 4 spoonfuls (cut finely) ginger 1/2 " piece salt to taste oil 1 spoon

it is same except for , the curds are made of once boiled milk. the buttermilk prepared has edu or malai floating in buttermilk which gives a distinct taste. punjabi lassi you take out lassi from punjabi cuisine and you are removing the soul of punjabi food. every punjabi home will offer you a tall glass of lassi which would choke you if you are not accustomed to drinking 500 ml of liquid at a time. lassi is a heat beater available in two forms. one is the most popular sweet lassi ,and the other is salt lassi. you can use both. fresh curds 1 litre rose essence ( optional) sugar 175 to 200 gms

punjabi will treat you as a poor man if you add any water in curds to make lassi. the curd is made from thick buffalo milk. you need guts to drink that lassi. beat the curds and with a churner make a fine blend of sugar and curd, when the froth comes up, the lassi is ready. serve chilled or add a cube or two of ice. this lassi is very filling and cool on stomach lining. second version is with salt. use salt to taste in place of sugar and serve cold. chhash (gujarati) gujaratis are notorious spice users. they drink their tea also with spices. they use spices from sweets to sour. from tea to coffee. the only place they don't use masalas is in drinking water. so it is natural that you will find spices in gujarati chhash. curds 400 ml jeera powder 1/4 spoon salt to taste. water 600 ml dhania powder 3/4 spoon

churn curds and water till froth comes up. you may add salt and all the spices along in the beginning itself. the chhash is ready. serve chilled. jeera and dhania powders are magical medicines to remove excess heat from body. the taste too is beautiful. so start churning. !!! enjoy!!! and post in your feedback when happy. --- pickles ---

--- avakkai mango pickle 1 --avakkai mango pickle (andhra style) in andhra pradesh, preparing avakkai is almost a religion. this you must have read from my article (where are those happy days. . . . . ). any telugu worth his salt would swear by avakkai being the best pickle. this is true. i am also an ardent fan of avakkai since my childhood. i am posting the recipe as under which is rather very simple. (one big jar for a family of four) sour mangoes 12 nos. (2kgs) mustard powder 4 cups (500 gms..) nalla ennai (gingelly oil) 1 litre salt 3 cups (500gms) chili powder 4 to 5 cups (500 gms) asafoetida pure 2 spoons or asafoetida compound 1/2 cup

(75 gms) if you are in india, very next day of rohini nakshatra ending (for sun to leave rohini constellation) buy mangoes and start preparing the pickle. in pickle making, it is essential that you use only pure and cleaned ingredients. jar must be sterilized with hot water wash and if possible with salt water or acetic acid. dry and use. all mixing vessels and ladles must be clean. select only very sour , white and fully mature mangoes for avakkai. buy only real asafoetida if possible. buy small mustard seeds only and powder the mustard like fine rawa. set aside. if possible, powder chilies at home in a mixi. if not , use good quality chili powder and use it. i do not like to use iodized salt, so please buy plain salt or roast iodized salt for ten minutes and then let iodine evaporate and then use salt after cooling. pre wash the mangoes with water thoroughly and using a clean cloth wipe properly . clean the cutting knife properly ,cut the mangoes along with the inner hard shell and kernel. discard the seed part. if there is any black powder in mango seed/kernel, remove it, wash , dry and then use it. if you feel that there is dirt on cut pieces of mangoes, re wash with water, immediately pat dry with a dry cloth. pre heat gingelly oil for about ten minutes and cool it and set aside. take a wide mouth large vessel and first put mango pieces and salt. rub thoroughly . after about four or five minutes, add all the other ingredients except oil. add real asafoetida last . mix thoroughly for about ten minutes. now slowly start adding oil and simultaneously mixing it with a ladle. add oil till the masala and mangoes are very wet but not dripping with oil. retain the balance oil for adding later on. you may need another 250 ml for further addition. when mixing is over, taste the raw masala for salt and asafoetida. if less, add as per your liking. if it is more, add some more mango pieces . fill up the jar with raw pickle. close the mouth tightly and tie a clean cloth on the mouth and leave it in a dark place. after a week, open the jar during the day time, and add further amount of gingelly oil till the pickled mango pieces are immersed in oil. leave the jar for another 3 weeks. during the three-week period, shake the jar daily so that the ingredients are mixed properly. at the beginning of july, the pickle is ready. with the first rain, enjoy avakkai and steaming rice. your spirits will be in the 9th cloud. enjoy!!! do send in your feedback. --- avakkai mango pickle 2 --avakkai mango pickle (andhra style with garlic-ginger) in andhra pradesh, preparing avakkai is almost a religion. this you must have read from my article (where are those happy days. . . . . ). any telugu worth his salt would swear by avakkai being the best pickle. this is true. i am also an ardent fan of avakkai since my childhood. i am posting the recipe as under which is rather very simple. (one big jar for a family of four) sour mangoes 12 nos (2kgs) salt 3 cups (500gms) mustard powder 4 cups (500 gms) chili powder 2 cups (300 gms) ginger 250 gms garlic 250 gms. nalla ennai (gingelly oil) 1 litre mustard seeds 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds 1 tbsp red chilies 4 to 5 if you are in india, very next day of rohini nakshatra ending (for sun to leave rohini constellation) buy mangoes and start preparing the pickle. in pickle making, it is essential that you use only pure and cleaned ingredients. jar must be sterilized with hot water wash and if possible with salt water or acetic acid. dry and use. all mixing vessels and ladles must be clean. select only very sour , white and fully mature mangoes for avakkai. .buy small mustard seeds only and powder the mustard like fine rawa. set aside. if possible, powder chilies at home in a mixi. if not , use good quality chili powder and use it. i do not like to use iodized salt, so please buy plain salt or roast iodized salt for ten minutes and then let iodine evaporate and then use salt after cooling. pre-wash the mangoes with water thoroughly and using a clean cloth wipe properly .clean the cutting knife properly ,cut the mangoes along with the inner hard shell and kernel. discard the seed part. if there is any

black powder in mango seed/kernel, remove it, wash , dry and then use it. if you feel that there is dirt on cut pieces of mangoes, re wash with water, immediately pat dry with a dry cloth. pre heat gingly oil for about ten minutes and cool it and set aside. remove the outer skin of garlic cloves, wash ginger and dry it. make a rough pounded paste of ginger and garlic and set aside.(don't p\remove the skin of ginger) take about 3 to 4 ladles of oil in a kadai , add red chilies , mustard seeds and heat on medium flame. when mustard starts to crackle, add fenugreek seeds and as soon as they turn brow, add ginger and garlic paste. simmer the flame and fry paste for about three minutes to four minutes. put off the stove and cover the kadai. when it cools down, add the ginger garlic paste with tempering to raw avakkai along with mango pieces. take a wide mouth large vessel and first put mango pieces and salt. rub thoroughly. after about four or five minutes, add all the other ingredients except oil and ginger garlic . mix thoroughly for about ten minutes. now slowly start adding oil and simultaneously mixing it with a ladle. add oil till the masala and mangoes are very wet but not dripping with oil. retain the balance oil for adding later on. you may need another 250 ml for further addition. when mixing is over, taste the raw masala for salt .if less, add as per your liking. if it is more, add some more mango pieces . fill up the jar with raw pickle. close the mouth tightly and tie a clean cloth on the mouth and leave it in a dark place. after a week, open the jar during the day time, and add further amount of gingly oil till the pickled mango pieces are immersed in oil. leave the jar for another 3 weeks. during the three week period, shake the jar daily so that the ingredients are mixed properly. at the beginning of july, the pickle is ready with the first rain, enjoy avakkai and steaming rice. your spirits will be in the 9th cloud. beware " this pickle is very tasty , so kindly use judiciously or else the guests and visiting relatives would take one bottle for the road when they leave.!!" enjoy!!! do send in your feedback. --- chundo --chundo this pickle is an evergreen pickle which can be eaten with bread, chappathi, and with bondas bhajjis etc. two extra large sized mangoes of not too sour variety but with white flesh and very hard. salt chili powder turmeric sugar for garnishing little oil clove cinnamon sticks julienne two mangoes after removing the green skin. the julienned mass will look like a lump of vermicelli. put three spoons of salt and a quarter spoon of turmeric powder in that julienned mass , mix thoroughly and let it stand for about ten minutes. take a fine muslin cloth and put the julienned mango mix in to the cloth and tie it tightly. start squeezing the mass so that the water will start draining from the tied cloth. go on twisting the cloth ball and after some time, complete liquid will drain off. the mass of julienned mango would be almost dry. now take a stainless steel large mouthed vessel like patela and mix the mango mass with same weight of sugar thoroughly. add a little quantity of about two tea spoons of salt along with sugar and then tie the mouth of the vessel with a clean cloth. keep the steel vessel in the sun for about six days. take care to turn the pickle every day during this six days. at the end of six days, you will find that the sugar has melted and a thick raw pickle is ready. add four to five tea spoons of chili powder and mix thoroughly. garnish the pickle with ten to twelve cloves and five to six two inch sticks of cinnamon fried in veg. oil and pour it on chhundo. you see that the garnished cloves and cinnamon sticks are immediately mixed in the mass.

preserve this in glass jar. chuhundo will taste sweet and sour and will go well with a lot of things like roti, chappathi, bread, sandwich etc. preparation season is summer. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- date pickle --date pickle (sweet sour &spiced) this pickle is an evergreen pickle which can be eaten with bread, chappathi, and with bondas bhajjis etc. firm golden/black dates 350 gms. jaggery 200 gms. jeera 25 gms. chili powder 150 gms. oil (ground nut) 250 ml cinnamon 6 to 7 !" sticks salt to taste.(start with 60 gms) raw white sour mango 300 gms. dhania 50 gms. fenugreek 20 gms. turmeric powder 1 spoon cloves 1 spoon whole black pepper 3 to 4 spoons

select mature white and sour mangoes. make 1.5 " pieces including hard shell. take care to discard the kernel and black inner portions if any. wash with good water and first wipe it clean. now rub a fistful of salt and a spoonful of turmeric powder and let it dry in sun till the mango shrivels. this can be achieved in one afternoon drying itself. soak dhania, jeera and fenugreek in just a little water for ten minutes, then wash with water and then rub them dry. after fifteen to twenty minutes of drying, make a coarse powder (very coarse) of dhania, jeera, and fenugreek and then sundry. remove the seeds from dates . take a large vessel and then mix all the ingredients except spices (cloves, cinnamon). taste the masala for salt now. add sun dried mangoes and seed removed golden or black dates. add oil (half) and mix thoroughly. now take some oil in a kadai and temper the pickle with cloves and cinnamon. place the pickle in sun for three to four days. in between, mix everything with spoon daily. when jaggery has liquefied in thick syrup, add some more oil if you want and again check for salt. if you are satisfied, pack the pickle in air tight jars. enjoy this pickle with chapattis, parotta and bread. this pickle will last for an year. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- green chilies pickle --green chillies pickle (pacchai mozaka uruga) green chilies pickle can sweep anyone of his or her feet if it is used with any rice or with savories like bhajjis, bondas or gujarati ganthias. this pickle is having an universal appeal. a bite or two before meals will give you a hog's appetite .goes great with corn soup and kanjee. it is also the easiest pickle to make and can be made the whole year round. so what are we waiting for ? long green chilies (medium hot variety) 250 gms. mustard powder 1.5 cups turmeric powder 1 spoon salt 1/4 cup lime juice 1/4 cup lemons 4 to 5 oil (g/nut or mustard oil) 1/4 cup. buy long medium hot chilies. remove the stalk. wash properly and wipe them dry. now make a single slit in each chili from top to bottom and set aside. cut lemons in 8 pieces each and set aside. make lime juice from some more lemons and set aside. powder a cup of mustard seeds (small variety) .take a wide mouth vessel and mix mustard powder, salt turmeric powder, little lime juice and little oil. make a tight dough .take each slit chili and fill it up carefully. take a clean glass jar and fill up one layer at bottom with cut lemon pieces. now fill it up with stuffed chilies. in middle also place some more lime pieces. if you are left with mustard stuffing, sprinkle on chilies. slowly pour little leftover lime juice also. now arrange rest of the lemon pieces on top. sprinkle little salt also and close the lid of the jar tightly. within 48 hours. the juice and liquids would settle down at the base. carefully rotate the jar in such a way that again all the chilies are covered with lime juice liquid. repeat this for about a week. the pickle will get ready in about ten to fifteen days depending upon the ambient temperature. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please.

--- injumpuli --injumpuli injimpuli is almost like the wet masala of puliodirai as prepared in andhra except it has a small variation in terms of green chilies used. 200 gms. of ginger cut into small pieces 100 gms. of green chilies cut into 1/4th inch pieces one spoon of jaggery one large cup of tamarind extract (fairly thick) oil for frying (coconut/gingelly) salt to taste gingly seeds one teaspoon put four ladlefuls of oil in a kadai and when it is sufficiently hot, add green chilies and saute for about one and half minutes till they become tender. add ginger pieces and saute till they become tender. this will take only a minute or so. now add juice extract of tamarind and let it be turned on a medium flame till the mass becomes like a soft but thick consistency of thick vadai maavu. add about two table spoons of salt. please see that you don't end up having very salty preparation. so add salt to taste. remove from fire and garnish with powder of gingly seeds . cool it and store it in a glass bottle. this injumpuli will keep good in the fridge for more than three months but outside for only about three weeks or so. this is a great dish for hard workers. tastes great with white rice. you won't even need any sambar or rasam . a variation you can add fried channa dhal and some groundnuts and use it as a base for puliodirai. if you want a taste variation, add a bit of asafoetida in injimpuli. it will taste great. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- kathirikkai thoghayal --kathirikkai thoghayal ( tamilnadu + andhra variation ) brinjal chutney is a specialty which is very peculiar to southern cuisine. all the states of south have their own methods and variations . i will give the recipes mentioning the variation. thoghayals are best enjoyed with rice. seedless brinjals 4 nos medium sized fresh coconut (grated) 3 spoons tamarind 1 marble size asafoetida (optional) 1/4 spoon bengal gram dhall 1 spoon spicy variation red chilies 5 nos kothumalli chopped 2 spoons green chilies 2 to 3 nos oil 2 ladles turmeric 1/2 spoon mustard 1/2 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig garlic 5 cloves dhania+jeera powder 1/4 spoon each

select seedless and sweet variety of brinjals. dice into small 2 cm sized pieces and fry along with green chilies, dry chilies in a kadai using only little oil. do not use more oil. when brinjal pieces collapse, add extract of tamarind and fry for three to four minutes taking care to constantly stirring. now add all the powders, salt and allow the product to cool to room temperature. when cold, add chopped kothumalli and coconut using food processor/mixi , make chutney. if you are making spicy variation, avoid green chilies and fry red chilies. at the end add garlic pieces and immediately remove from stove and then add tamarind extract. rest of the method will remain the same. after making the chutney, take a little oil in the kadai and add the tempering including curry leaves and dhall. when the dhall becomes pink, and mustard starts popping, temper the chutney .. serve with steaming rice, dhosai and idlies too!! enjoy !!

please post the feedback, it helps us and others. --- kothumalli pickle --kothumalli pickle (coriander pickle ) when i had first tasted mtr's "coriander leaves pickle" , i fell in love with it immediately. so when the bottle got empty, i thought that i had to make it myself (with a little change in ingredients). so here is the result. this time i want you to tell me how you liked the pickle. this pickle is so versatile, that it goes great with rice, dosai, idlies , and with almost any main dish. coriander/cilantro 2 big bunches (400 to 500 gms) green chilies (hot) 5 to 6 nos tamarind 1.5 cup (thick extract) sugar just a hint (1/2 spoon) dry spices red chilies 6 to 8 nos jeera (cumin) 3 spoons (powdered) asafoetida 1/2 spoon jeera for tempering 1 spoon curry leaves 2 sprigs oil 5 to 6 ladles (3/4 cup to 1 cup) salt to taste acetic acid (strong) 2 spoons

fenugreek 1.5 spoons (powdered) chili powder 1.5 spoons mustard 2 spoons kadalai parappu (channa dhall) 1.5 spoons

roughly pluck leaves and tender stalk from the bunch and separate thick stem and other branches (to extract the juice). coarsely powder jeera and fenugreek and keep aside. wash kothumalli (cilantro/coriander) leaves and drain all water. using big jar of food processor/mixi, make a rough paste of kothumalli and green chilies. try not to add water. but if you find that the mass sticks to sides and does not become chutney, add a little water and grind to a rough paste. remove the thick paste and keep aside. now make a paste of stem and thick stalks and extract juice for adding to pickle. take oil in a kadai and add mustard, kadalai parappu and red chilies. heat till mustards is about to pop. immediately add jeera and after 5 seconds, add tamarind extract and on top of it, add raw asafoetida. using a ladle, keep turning the sizzling tamarind paste. when it leaves the smell of raw tamarind (five minutes ), add paste of kothumalli and chilies .also add curry leaves now. add juice extracted from kothumalli stems/stalks now. fry kothumalli paste on medium/low flame or at reduced heat till water content is no more and it looks brownish with a little hint of dark green ..this process will take about seven to eight minutes. go on continuously turning the paste in the mean while. now add powders of fenugreek , red chili and jeera .turn for a minute to mix properly and switch off the flame. do not cover the kadai .let the kothumalli pickle get cold as it is. this would remove any excess water content. when the pickle is cold, add strong acetic acid. if you feel that oil is less, heat a ladle or two and once it gets cold, pour over the pickle. your pickle of coriander is ready. enjoy!!! do send in your feedback. --- lemon pickle --lemon pickle (elumichu uruga) among the pickle lovers, we have one elumichidhasan. i am dedicating this recipe to him. he is not active for some time, nevertheless he deserves it. thaiyir sadham and elumichu uruga are inseparable like a married couple. i think both are made for each other. i am bringing my wife's recipe for all of you to enjoy!!. lemons 20 nos salt 4 to 5 spoons turmeric powder 1/2 spoon red chili powder 3 spoons for 2nd stage 1 spoon of jeera coarsely powdered 1 spoon of mustard seeds powdered 1 tbsp of fenugreek seeds, coarsely powdered after lightly roasting in oil. 3/4 spoon of black pepper powder 1 spoon of asafoetida powder

1 spoon of black rock salt powder. gingelly oil 50/60 ml mustard seeds 2 spoons (for tempering) 1st stage preparation buy spotless thin skinned lemons and wash in warm water. dry with a towel and cut the lemons in 4 pieces. if the lemons are large ones, make eight pieces. remove excess (30 %)of juice and store it separately for other uses. take a glass jar and add in it, lime pieces and salt. add turmeric powder and chili powder also. mix thoroughly with a steel spoon/karandi. close it tightly and set aside .next day without opening the jar , agitate it properly so that the lemon pieces are again covered in juice and salt. the third day, add the ingredient. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- mixed vege pickle --mix vegetable pickle carrot 1 no (small) bitter gourd 50 gms. cucumber 1 small (50 gms) raw tomato 2 small mustard powder 50 gms. salt 75 gms. cooking oil 200 gms. sugar 2 tea spoons turmeric powder 1 spoon cluster beans 50 gms. kovakkai 5 nos. raw mango 1 small cabbage center pieces 50 gms. ginger 50 gms. piece cut in small pieces green chilies (hot) 10 nos. (cut in slices) fenugreek coarse powder 50 gms. vinegar/lime juice 60 ml./75 ml. asafoetida 1/4 spoon

wash all the vegetables, raw mango, and ginger & chilies and pat them absolutely dry. now cut them in small pieces. cut mango in small 1cm pieces without the seed hard coat. remove seeds of bitter gourd and cucumber if any. using a blotting paper, pat the vegetables to remove any juices left after cutting them. take salt and turmeric and rub all the vegetables and green chilies and ginger with salt and turmeric powder and keep in a glass jar for three days. agitate the jar daily. on the fourth day, add oil , mustard and fenugreek powders , asafoetida powder and vinegar or lime juice. mix properly. taste for salt . mix thoroughly. close the jar tightly and use the pickle after a week. this pickle needs to be stored in the fridge. life of this pickle is three to four months (if your family lets it be that long) tastes great with anything.!! please send in your feedback. we look forward to it. enjoy!!! --- tamarind thokku --tamarind thokku tamarind thokku or puli thokku prepared in karnataka style is great in taste and goes very well with rice, dosai, idly or for that matter with chappathi or parotthas. you should be , however prepared to enjoy typically hot and tangy spiced taste with extra drinking water . for best enjoyment try out this thokku with ghee and rice. you would simply love it!! green tamarind fruits 250 gms green chilies 100 gms fenugreek 30 gms sugar 3 to 4 spoons salt to taste edible oil 50 ml asafoetida 2 spoons take fully mature , sour green fruits of tamarind and remove the hard coat as far as possible, also remove any seed part if present. remove fibres after pounding with mortar . set it aside. take chilies and remove

the stalk part. make 1/2" pieces and set aside. take oil in a kadai and heat it over medium flame. add fenugreek seeds. when the seeds start turning pink, remove them with a sieve or poori frying ladle. add chilies and let it fry for about 15 seconds, now add tamarind mass and asafoetida and salt. turn the whole thing thoroughly for about three to five minutes, first on medium and then on a low flame. ensure that the oil pervades on complete thokku mass ..when the frying is done, remove from fire and let it cool. now powder fenugreek seeds which were fried previously and add the powder to thokku mass. make a coarse paste in a mixi or a mortar stone. i do not advice to make a very fine paste as the appeal of green chili taste disappears if you make very fine paste. taste for salt and sugar at this stage. if less, you can add some and then fill up the tamarind thokku in a glass jar and store it in fridge. it does not get spoilt for a long time. enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- tomato chutney pickle --tomato chutney pickle (thakkazi teaser) this pickled chutney goes great with dosai, idlies, parothas etc. it is easy to make and will last for at least three to four months . (if your neighbours and children have not raided the fridge) firm ripe tomatoes 1 kg chili powder 3tbsps dhania powder 4 spoons clove powder 1/4 spoon asafoetida 1 spoon sugar 150 gms mustard 2 spoons tamarind 100 gms turmeric powder 1/2 spoon jeera powder 1 spoon black pepper powder 1/2 spoon cinnamon powder 1 spoon oil 100 ml salt to taste

select ripe red but firm tomatoes . wash and wipe dry. cut them in half horizontally and with a scoop or fingers, remove the seed and extra juice from them. now cut them in small 1 cm pieces. set aside. make thick extract of tamarind after soaking in water for 1 hour. remove all fibres and scum and filter in a sieve. take care not to leave any stones or grit. set aside. take a steel kadai or a non stick pan, take gingly/groundnut oil and put mustard on low flame. when mustard starts to crackle, add tomatoes and a spoonful of salt and raise the heat to medium. briskly stir fry till tomatoes turn into pulp and oil starts leaving. now add tamarind extract and give the same treatment. when almost all water evaporates, the fried tamarind and tomato pulp would be of idly maavu consistency. add sugar till you reach a sweet and sour taste to your liking. but all the while keep on turning the mass of tomato pulp. now add all the masala powders and turn briskly on low flame. take care that it does not stick at bottom. now taste for salt and add the required quantity. fry for maximum two minutes. by now the chutney would have thickened. remove it and let it cool . when cold, fill up in a clean glass jar. take care that there is enough oil. if less, add a bit on top and keep the chutney with enough oil. this would taste better than your tomato sauce or ketchup. try once and let me know. variation you may crush 8 to 10 cloves of garlic and 2 " piece of ginger grated and sauted in oil. add it after cooled to the above. but if you are adding garlic, omit asafoetida . enjoy!!!! and i would love to have your feed back please. --- currys --curry...curry...curry...curry. the term curry derives from kari, a tamil word meaning sauce and referring to various kinds of dishes common in south india made with vegetables or meat and usually eaten with rice in tamil cuisine, from which the word originated, curry refers to any dry preparation involving meat or vegetables shallow-fried with dry spices. used as a word in itself, it usually means chicken curry or mutton curry; the dishes made with vegetables are usually referred to with the vegetable as prefix - e.g. potato curry, beans curry. curry is usually eaten with rice and sambar or rasam. -wikipedia

--- aviyal --aviyal (mix vegetable curry cooked in coconut medium from kerala cut all the vegetables to at least 2" in length and see that the white gourd pieces are at least 1" cubes to 1.1.5 " size. the muringakkai (drum sticks) also must be about one and half inch long. cook the above vegetables on direct heat with water, turmeric, salt for about 15 minutes or pressure cook till 3/4th cooked. now add the ground masala of coconut and chilies (fine paste) and cook on a medium flame for further five to eight minutes till the vegetables are fully cooked. now take the curd and coconut oil in small bowl of mixi and churn for five seconds, add this to cooked vegetables. heat the aviyal for further two minutes and serve steaming hot with rice, poor or dosais. but it tastes best with rice. ash gourd 350 gms. raw banana 1 no. drum sticks 2 nos. sour curd ( medium) 1 cup turmeric powder 1 spoon salt to taste beans 50 gms. karna kizanga(yam) 100 gms. knol khol or potato or any other vegetable 100 gms. curry leaves 2 to 3 sprigs coconut oil 1 ladle (three tea spoons)

ground masala paste of the following coconut 3/4 grated green chilies 5 to 6 (take medium hot chilies of long variety) enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- baby tomatoes curry --baby tomatoes in curry this novel curry of whole baby tomatoes is the creation of a new kind. i have fashioned some whole vegetables curries which would , for the first time in cookery , you would be seeing. i am sure that this curry is going to be a standard fixture once you get the hang of its preparation and taste. baby tomatoes 300 gms ginger garlic paste 2 spoons turmeric powder 1/2 spoon spoon dhania powder 1 spoon salt to taste mustard seeds 1 spoon for gravy poppy seeds 1 tbsp gingly seeds 2 tbsp onion 1 large kothumalli 1/4 cup green chili 2 to 3 nos curds 1/4 cup red chili powder 1 . 5 spoons cumin seed powder 1/2 garam masala powder 1/2 spoon jaggery 1 tbsp curry leaves 1 sprig ground nuts seeds 1 tbsp cashewnuts paste 3 tbsp tamarind paste 2 tbsp ghee/oil 2 to 3 ladlefuls

select baby tomatoes which are not too sweet . put about 250 ml of water in a pan and heat to boil. now put the tomatoes in and after five or six minutes, the outer skin of tomatoes would be loose. this is blanching. remove from stove and carefully remove the outer skin of tomatoes. ensure that the tomatoes are not cooked and do not become mushy. if you are not sure of proper blanching , keep the skin intact and use in curry. but i would suggest you to blanch and peel them. the tomatoes would be about 30% cooked during blanching, put them in cold water to harden them and not to let them cook by residual heat. pluck coriander leaves , cut chilies in small pieces and set aside. make paste of onion and set aside. next stage is to prepare the gravy slightly roast all the seeds for gravy just for about a minute . now make a fine paste in a mixi and set aside. take care that cashew pieces are not left out. take oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, heat on medium flame. when mustard start to pop, add paste of onions and green chili pieces, reduce the flame to simmer and stir briskly. . now add the ginger garlic paste. fry for no more than two minutes. now add chili , turmeric and garam masala powder , salt etc and turn fry for maximum 40 seconds. now add curds and after about a minute, add the gravy paste you made with cashew, sesame and peanuts . stir well . now add the blanched tomatoes stir fry for another minute. don't let the gravy concentrate stick to bottom. if need be, add a cup of water. let the whole thing simmer for at least five to seven minutes. the tomatoes must have been cooked fully by now. take care to see that tomatoes are not mashed at any stage. (if you are afraid that the tomatoes would be over cooked, remove from gravy when they are 3/4 cooked and add just before serving. )

now add tamarind paste and curry leaves carefully mix it even while you are simmering it. . mix and cover the kadai. you must ensure that the gravy is thick like dosai batter. the whole tomato curry is ready. you may garnish with kothumalli leaves before serving. ps. this curry tastes best if it is sweet sour. so please balance yin and yang and serve. this is a truly a deccan style curry fashioned and created by me. . . tastes fantastic with rotis, chappathis, pulaos and biriyani. do send in your feedback please. --- beans (guwar nu shaak) --today i am taking you on a pilgrimage of the land of krishna. the cowherds who are his life and soul are a simple tribe of gopalas ahirs and rabaris. they are a nomadic tribe with very simple food habits. their curry and dhalls have no more than two or three spices .yet the curries taste fantastic with jowar or kambu rotis. rice and wheat is almost foreign to them. i am posting a couple of curries which have universal spices and you too will enjoy them. why not try out? guwar nu shaak (kotthuvaranka-cluster beans curry) ingredients cluster beans (kotthuvaranka) 350 gms. garlic 8 to 10 cloves red chilies 6 to 7 nos. (broken) groundnuts 3 to 4 spoonful dhania powder 1.5 spoons jeera powder 1/2 spoon sugar 1/2 spoon salt to taste mustard seeds 1 spoon oil 2 to 3 ladles method of preparation soak groundnuts (peanuts) about one hour in warm water and make a paste. set it aside. peel garlic pods and crush them on stone and keep aside. select cluster beans which are mature but not seeded. when you bend and break a bean, it should not display resistance due to fibers. remove the ends and cut each bean in two. soak in water and set aside for about ten minutes. pressure cook kotthuvaranka (cluster beans) in a pressure pan after adding sugar and a bit of salt. cook in such a manner that the beans are cooked properly and yet they are not mushy. take oil for tempering and put red chilies after breaking them in 1" pieces. heat on a low flame. when chilies turn brown, immediately add mustard seeds. when they crackle, add the tempering to cooked beans. add salt and add crushed garlic, dhania, jeera powders . and if the water is insufficient, add a little water and mix thoroughly. let it simmer for a couple of minutes. now add the paste of groundnuts .let it simmer for another two to three minutes. the curry is ready. this curry is to be enjoyed with roti/paratha and rice too.!! if you have noticed, chili powder is not used. the hotness is from red chilies used in tempering. in case you want to change, add one red chili to tempering and one spoon of chili powder to curry. ps. if you don't have groundnuts, sprinkle about a spoon of besan/kadalai maavu as the rabaris do. but take care not to let it get lumpy. enjoy!!! --- beetroot dry curry --beetroot dry curry (chettinadu style) one thing i like about chettinadu curries is their amalgamation of fennel and black pepper . it is responsible for a distinct flavour and taste which separates chettinadu food from the rest of tamilnadu food. i had tasted the beetroot curry in madras in a famous chettinadu eatery. since the customer's rush prevented me from getting the recipe, i had to rely on my test buds and visual capability to fathom out the intricate spice amalgam. i arrived at the following recipe and it turned out if not exact a slightly on a better tasting side. this curry ,according to my one and only judge (who had enjoyed the same curry in madras last month with me. ) is a great winner. goes fantastic with rice. it tastes so great that you would not touch kozumbu till you are fully satisfied. anything more, would be an over statement.

so here it is folks, on a platter. . . . . . . . . (for a family of four 2 helpings) beetroot 350 gms green chilies 2 nos. onion (diced) 2 nos (medium) spices / ingredients for powder: kadalai parappu (channa dhall) 1 spoon jeera (cumin) 3/4 +1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon red dry chilies 3 to 4 nos. oil 2 ladles lime juice from 1/4 to 1/2 lime. tempering: mustard seeds 1/2 spoon kadalai parappu 1 spoon red chilies 1 no. curry leaves 1 sprig in this curry, the trick lies in dicing the beetroots. just imagine a dime or a rupee coin. make four pieces each having at least one 90 degree angle. that's right. you need to dice the beetroots similarly in almost same thickness (3. 5 mm). once done, ensure that you have washed , patted dry and then diced them. dice onions and slice green chilies in small pieces and keep aside. take a little oil in a kadai and first fry dhall for spice powder. when slightly pinkish in colour, remove , now add all the other ingredients like fennel, black pepper, jeera dhania , chilies etc. for powdering. fry on a low flame for two minutes and remove and let it get cold. when the fried ingredients are cold, make powder in a mixi (food processor) and keep aside. take the rest of the oil in the same kadai and add the temperings. heat on a low flame, when the mustard starts to crackle, add onions and curry leaves first. stir and fry till onions become translucent,. now add diced beetroot and salt, stir and mix thoroughly and set the flame on slow. cover the kadai with a plate filled with little water to cover the surface. this is to ensure that the beet roots get cooked in own water/juice as the steam will condense and fall back in kadai. if the water is insufficient , add just a table spoonful of water . it will be fifteen minutes or so for the beetroot to get slightly more than 3/4 cooked. now add the spice powder you made previously. mix in a rotary fashion to ensure that each beetroot piece is anointed with spice powder. check for salt now , if the water is there at the bottom, fry without the cover and let the water get evaporated. add lime juice and mix again. let the spices get absorbed in the vegetable. reheat after 30 minutes and sprinkle freshly made powder of 1/4 spoon of jeera and black pepper on the curry and serve hot. this curry should make its mark to your favourites at the first try. !!! enjoy!!! --- baghare baigan --baghare baigan (dakshin style) when mughals came down to south, they brought with them, the art of cookery with delicate spicy cooking methods. this was in sharp contrast to fiery chili dominated southern curries and sambars and rasams. local food fare did not boast of any frills and were rather sparsely spiced and simple in preparation, but hot to the core. there has to come an amalgamation of food when the cultures meet. the gravy using sesame, poppy and cashewnuts was a distinct addition to southern fare. born was deccan style of food which used spices, oil seeds like peanuts, kaju, sesame and badam along with tamarind and local hot chilies. this is reflected in hyderabadi spicy-hot combination in the curries, biriyanis and meat dish preparations. dakshin cooking with peanut/sesame and poppy delivers the punch of spices and hot chilies taste with a velvet glove enclosing iron fist. this is unlike fiery rasams and curries which are hot when put in mouth. previously i had introduced you to one lovely but hot curry of mirchi ka salan . today, i will be introducing baghare baigan. (thalicchu kathirikkai). tastes great with parathas, rotis and biriyani or plain rice. fennel seeds (sombu) 1 spoon black pepper corns 3/4 spoon +1/4 spoon dhania seeds 3/4 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig salt to taste

ingredients baby brinjals (sweet) 12 nos green chilies 2 to 3 nos onions (medium) 2 to 3 nos tamarind extract 1/4 cup jaggery/sugar 1 teaspoon oil for cooking 4 ladles for gravy desiccated coconut (copra) 2" piece sesame seeds powder 1/4 cup groundnut powder 3 tablespoons khuskhus (poppy seeds) 2 tablespoons spices chili powder 1 tsp dhania powder 1.5 tsp jeera powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp. ginger 3/4 "piece garlic (optional) 10 cloves spices for tempering jeera 1 tsp mustard seeds 1/4 tsp red chilies 3 to 4 nos garnishing kothumalli 1/4 cup whole green chilies 4 to 6 nos method of preparation select only sweet variety of baby brinjals, which are soft when, pressed lightly. (hard ones have seeds). cut the stalk till end retaining the green sepals. make a crosscut in each brinjal from top till the sepals. take about two ladles of oil in a kadai and add the jeera red chilies and mustard. heat on a medium flame. when mustard starts to crackle, add all the brinjals .sprinkle half a spoon of salt, mix thoroughly and cover the vessel . reduce the flame after a couple of minutes to low and cook the brinjals for about further ten minutes. take care to see that brinjals do not collapse or get over cooked. remove and set aside. take a little oil in kadai, roast very lightly sesame seeds, copra and groundnuts for about a minute only. add poppy seeds last and remove from fire and let it cool. take onions and slice in round rings or long slices. fry onions till translucent. set aside. take same kadai and add sliced ginger and sliced garlic. light fry in oil for 45 seconds and set aside. now powder peanuts, poppy seeds, sesame seeds in a mixi. please see that poppy seeds are also fully ground. now add chili powder, dhania powder, and turmeric powder . run the mixi a little. now add all onions, ginger , garlic and green chilies along with the powder and make thick paste. at this stage, if you like, you may add garam masala to your taste. (1 spoon) remove the paste from the mixi bowl and set aside. take about 2 ladles of oil in the kadai and add a pinch of mustard seeds. heat on medium flame. when mustard starts to crackle, add tamarind extract and stir vigorously not letting the hot oil burn and coagulate the extract. when the raw smell of tamarind goes off, add the paste you have made and required salt to the kadai and keep stirring to avoid sticking at bottom. add a little water and cook the gravy till raw smell of peanuts goes off. this will take about five to six minutes. add jaggery or sugar now and mix thoroughly. a nice aroma will waft. add the pre cooked brinjals to the gravy . switch off the stove and keep for about ten to fifteen minutes covered. sprinkle finely chopped kothumalli and decorate with green chilies. serve hot. enjoy this hot curry with rice or parottas or rotis. enjoy !!! please post your feedback .

--- brinjal (baigan-bhartha) --baigan-bhartha (grilled/steamed brinjal cooked with spices) kathirika masala curry there are two ways of cooking this dish. one is by open fire roasting (grilling)of the egg plant/ brinjal or by steam cooking the eggplants in a cooker without adding any water for cooking. i have perfected steam cooking method which i am posting as under. this curry is neither dry nor it is with gravy but in between. this tastes great with rice, paratha, rotis or nans. big variety brinjals 2 nos. (750 gms) onion (large) 1 no. garlic 8 cloves ginger 2" piece tomatoes 2 nos. (medium) sour curds 200 ml green chilies 2 to 3 nos. red chili powder 1 spoon turmeric powder 1/2 spoon dhania powder 2 spoons jeera powder 3/4 spoon freshly cut kothumalli 1/2 cup oil for tempering 2 ladles (40ml) mustard 1 spoon salt to taste sugar 1 spoon select seedless variety of big brinjals which are meant for bhartha . smear oil/ghee over them , make a vertical cut on each and steam cook in a pressure cooker container without adding any water to the brinjals. add water only to cooker for generating steam. cook for five whistles. set the cooker aside and prepare the spices . make a coarse paste of ginger garlic .it should not be a paste. cut onions in very small pieces, also dice tomatoes, slice green chilies. cut kothumalli very finely. take oil for tempering in a kadai and add mustard seeds. set the gas flame on medium. when the mustard starts to crackle, add cut onions. turn the onion till it turns pink. add tomatoes and turn for about three minutes, now add ginger garlic paste and sliced chilies and fry for about further three minutes. now when the oil starts leaving , add curd and briskly mix the whole thing. add chili powder, turmeric powder and dhania and jeera powders. add salt and sugar ..mix the spices properly and let the whole thing fry on a low flame for another minute or two. set the spice gravy aside. take out the brinjals and remove the skin. also remove the stalk. see if there are any seeds. remove them also. carefully remove the cooked brinjal flesh in a separate vessel and mash it with forks and hand .do not use blender or else the whole thing will become sticky paste. when the mashing of brinjal flesh is over, add the same to the previously prepared spice mixture, set it on a medium flame, and turn it briskly so as to avoid sticking at the bottom. when the whole thing is steaming and almost bubbling, remove from fire and cover it immediately. your baigan bhartha is ready. garnish with freshly cut kothumalli and serve hot. if you taste this dish once, you are sure to fall in love with this for ever. method for roasting the brinjal (if you want the roasted type ) smear oil over each brinjal and over the fire, hold the stalk of each and roast it , taking care to turn it slowly to let it cook properly .when the whole outer skin is black, and the brinjal becomes tender, remove the burnt skin and use the cooked flesh. you can use grill or micro to do the roasting also. the rest of the recipe remains the same. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- brinjal (ringana-batata) --ringana-batata nu bharelu shaak (stuffed potatoes/brinjal curry) this is my most favourite gujarati curry. the stuffing varies so much that if you go on changing the stuffings, the curry tastes divine and different every time you change it and taste it. 250 gms. baby brinjals 350 gms. medium sized potatoes 25 gms. peanut coarse powder 25 gms. kadalai maavu (besan) 2 spoons of dhania powder 1/2 spoon of garam masala 2 spoons of cut kothumalli 2 nicely cut chilies 1 spoon of garlic paste 1 spoon of ginger paste 1/2 spoon of red chili powder 1/4 spoon of turmeric powder salt one and half times to your taste cooking oil for making stuffing

gingelly seeds for garnishing make a cross cut on brinjals and set aside. make one and half inch pieces of potatoes or better use same sized whole potatoes .make a deep single cut where you can stuff properly. set aside. now prepare the stuffing. take groundnuts without red skin and coarsely powder it. mix kadalai maavu (besan) red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, ginger - garlic pastes, kothumalli, finely chopped chilies, dhania powder along with ground nut powder and garam masala in a big katora, add about two spoons to three spoons of cooking oil to make the working dough of the stuffing. the consistency of the stuffing should be like thick upuma. you must remember to add more salt as the salt is to permeate in the brinjals and potatoes. stuff the potatoes and brinjals with the stuffing masala. take about two ladles of oil in a non stick pan and add mustard seeds and gingly seeds for tempering (some people temper with gingly seeds after the vegetables are fully cooked. i prefer the same way) when the mustard seeds start crackling, slowly place stuffed potatoes first and then brinjals in the pan. cover the pan with a lid .i would suggest you to cover with a thattu which is semi filled with water. this would ensure the water released from vegetables falling back in the pan and facilitate better cooking. it will take about twenty to thirty minutes on a low flame to cook this curry. take care to turn the vegetables slowly every five minutes. this will ensure proper all round cooking. now you can garnish with gingly seeds crackled in a little oil. decorate with finely chopped kothumalli. this curry is dry. but some people in gujarat do use a gravy of besan with spices and potatoes (mashed) the stuffed vegetables are placed in the gravy and served. this dish tastes heavenly with phulkas and rotis. surprisingly this goes great with rice also. variation instead of using ginger garlic, only asafoetida (perangayam) is used , peanut powder is avoided. the rest of the ingredients remain the same. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- brinjal-potato stuffed --ringana-bateta nu bharelu shaak stuffed brinjal-potato curry this is my most favourite gujarati curry. the stuffing varies so much that if you go on changing the stuffings, the curry tastes divine and different every time you change it and taste it. ingredients 250 gms. baby brinjals 350 gms. medium sized potatoes 25 gms. peanut coarse powder 25 gms. kadalai maavu (besan) 2 spoons of dhania powder 1/2 spoon of garam masala 2 spoons of cut kothumalli 2 nicely cut chilies 1 spoon of garlic paste 1 spoon of ginger paste 1/2 spoon of red chili powder 1/4 spoon of turmeric powder salt one and half times to your taste cooking oil for making stuffing gingelly seeds for garnishing method of preparation 1st stage make a cross cut on brinjals and set aside. make one and half inch pieces of potatoes or better use same sized whole potatoes .make a deep single cut where you can stuff properly. set aside. now prepare the stuffing. take groundnuts without red skin and coarsely powder it. mix kadalai maavu (besan) red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, ginger - garlic pastes, kothumalli, finely chopped chilies, dhania powder along with ground nut powder and garam masala in a big katora, add about two spoons to three spoons of cooking oil to make the working dough of the stuffing. the consistency of the stuffing

should be like thick upuma. you must remember to add more salt as the salt is to permeate in the brinjals and potatoes. method of preparation 2nd stage stuff the potatoes and brinjals with the stuffing masala. take about two ladles of oil in a non stick pan and add mustard seeds and gingly seeds for tempering (some people temper with gingly seeds after the vegetables are fully cooked. i prefer the same way) when the mustard seeds start crackling, slowly place stuffed potatoes first and then brinjals in the pan. cover the pan with a lid .i would suggest you to cover with a thattu which is semi filled with water. this would ensure the water released from vegetables falling back in the pan and facilitate better cooking. it will take about twenty to thirty minutes on a low flame to cook this curry. take care to turn the vegetables slowly every five minutes. this will ensure proper all round cooking. now you can garnish with gingly seeds crackled in a little oil. decorate with finely chopped kothumalli. this curry is dry. but some people in gujarat do use a gravy of besan with spices and potatoes (mashed) the stuffed vegetables are placed in the gravy and served. this dish tastes heavenly with phulkas and rotis. surprisingly this goes great with rice also. variation instead of using ginger garlic, only asafoetida (perangayam) is used , peanut powder is avoided. the rest of the ingredients remain the same.

--- brinjal (stuffed baingan) --stuffed baigan if you have taken this peas masala with bread slice in bombay halwa house on nsc bose road in madras or on mount road, you would never forget the taste. without being very hot, it was so beautifully spiced that anyone would make it a point to ask for the same dish again and again. i have brought that magical recipe for the hubbers. you are sure to be enchanted by this masala peas curry ,as i have been for over thirty years. i try to visit the outlet on nsc bose road even today when i visit madras. 1/4 portion 1/4 portion 1/4 portion 1/4 portion etc. of of of of vegetable mass. besan/nuts powder/khuskhus/dhalls. kothumalli (chopped along with ginger or garlic and other green spices like green chilies) dry spices like garam masala powder, salt, little oil, turmeric, asafoetida, jaggery , amchur,

soak peas overnight with quarter spoon of soda bicarb. next day drain the soda water and use fresh water and pressure cook the peas after adding little salt. keep a fairly medium sized potato for mashing purpose also. the peas must be cooked 100% and they should be slightly over cooked too. keep aside. mash the potato after peeling and keep aside. make paste of ginger and garlic along with green chilies. also make paste of raw onions keep aside. roast one onion on open flame and once the outer cover is burnt, remove it and make paste of the roasted onion and keep separately. take all the dry spices like pepper, jeera, dhania, cinnamon cardamom poppy seeds and powder them finely. if you do not have all the spices, you may take 1.5 spoons of garam masala but jeera and dhania quantity should not be reduced. take oil in a kadai and add just a pinch of mustard seeds to check the temp of oil .when mustard crackles, add onion paste. stir fry properly till it turns pinkish and raw onion smell goes. add ginger garlic chili paste. fry for about one minute. now add all the dry spices powders and fry the masala for one minute at the maximum. now add cooked peas, mashed potato and add the paste of roasted onion. add salt to taste. mash about 5% of peas in the vessel to make thick gravy of idly maavu consistency stir thoroughly and add 200 ml of water and amchur powder or tamarind paste and let it simmer for about four to five minutes on low medium flame. by now your taste buds would have been working overtime. but please wait .ensure that the curry is thick, very thick .this curry should not leave any water on bread. place a slice of sandwich bread and pour thick peas masala over it. garnish with kothumalli and finely chopped onions and serve steaming hot. don't forget to give a spoon also . enjoy!!!!!! and please post your feedback without fail.

--- brinjal curry --spicy brinjal curry this vegetable curry is specially concocted for pregnant women. this curry can be eaten with paratha, rotis, rice and its taste will linger for a long time. that is a promise. (for normal cooking, please reduce 200 gms. small round brinjals 2" ginger 2 ladles of fresh curds 1/4 spoon of turmeric powder 40 ml. of cooking oil 1/2 spoon mustard seeds the spices by exactly half.) 10 cloves of garlic 4 nos. green chilies 15 gms. cashew or groundnuts or two spoons of khus khus (gasgasa) 2 spoons of dhania powder 1 spoon jeera salt to taste

cut the brinjals in to four in a cross cut. don't make pieces but keep the stalk intact so that the brinjals cook properly. make a paste of ginger, and garlic, also grind and make paste either of groundnuts or cashew nuts or khuskhus (gas gasa) with little water take a little oil in a kadai and add the jeera and mustard seeds .when it starts to crackle, add paste of ginger garlic and fry for only two minutes on a very low flame. now add green chilies, turmeric powder, dhania powder and fry for another 30 seconds. remove from fire and let it cool. once it is cold, grind the mixture of masala in a mixi, now add two ladles of fresh curds to the grinding cup and churn the wet masala for 30 seconds. remove the wet ground masala in a separate cup. make a paste either of groundnuts/cashew nuts or khus khus. take some oil in a kadai again and put the brinjals in it when the oil is hot. add half the salt now and cover the vessel and add water to top cover. keep on turning the brinjals over a medium or low flame from time to time. the brinjals must not be over cooked or under cooked. it will take about 15 minutes for brinjals to cook. now add the wet ground masala to cooked brinjals and slowly turn thoroughly. add the other half of salt now. keep on cooking the mixed brinjals for another two minutes. taste now for salt and other ingredients. now slowly add the paste of khus khus/groundnuts/cashew nuts at this stage and add a little water so that the paste does not stick at the bottom. mix the masalas once again thoroughly and let it simmer for four to five minutes. garnish with freshly cut kothumalli and serve hot. please reduce the hot spices by half for normal cooking. this curry is hot because pregnant women usually like very spicy dishes. it is biologically good for pregnant women to eat chilies and other spices .they help in keeping the system clean, chilies are good pain killers and spices keep the blood flow proper. the sweat glands are over worked and they help in removing the toxins. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- brinjal curry (bihari) --spicy brinjal curry (bihari style) i was first introduced to bihari curry when i visited my uncle in raniganj on border of bihar. he had a lot of bihari workers in his workshop who would cook their daily curry . abdul was one worker who was from srikakulam but cooked curries bihari style. if i am not forgetting there were couple of others. they would patiently start grinding all the spices and making pastes on a stone .their work would start from plucking the fresh vegetables and then one would cut them and other would set about preparing the spices. it was a long process of patiently making a curry .my uncle who is one of the best cooks i have ever known, himself was all praise for the great bihari curry. even though i was not fully interested those days in intricate methods of cooking, i simply marveled at the heavenly wafting aroma which would spread around. i have recreated that bihari magic in the spicy brinjal curry. i have taken liberty to omit and add a couple of things from the ingredients. i have omitted mustard oil as it may not be much agreeable to our southern palate. brinjal (bhartha baigan variety large) 1 no. or sweet small brinjals 250 gms. tomatoes 2 nos. (medium sized) onion 1 no ( medium) garlic 6 to 7 cloves red chilies 4 to 5 nos. turmeric whole 1/2" piece dil seeds 1 pinch omam 1.5 pinch jeera 1 spoon poppy seeds 1.5 spoons dhania seeds 2 spoons fenugreek 1/4 spoon mustard 1/4 spoon onion seeds (if available) 1/2 spoon big elaichi 1 no. maratti moggu 4 to 5 nos. cloves 4 to 5 nos. cinnamon sticks 2 nos 1" size nutmeg (jajika) 1 small piece salt to taste mango powder /tamarind extract 3/4 spoon for tempering oil 2 to 3 ladles mustard, jeera, fenugreek , onion seeds all put together 1 .5 spoons

take about 30 ml of water in a katora and soak. all the dry spices , chili, turmeric (pounded in small pieces), cinnamon, cloves, jeera, onion seeds dhania, big elaichi, poppy seeds maratti moggu, nutmeg mustard, fenugreek for at least one hour and make a paste of all the spices in a mortar or in a mixi. but i would strongly advice to do it in a mortar. the paste should be thorough without any rough ingredients. this may take some time and patience and also careful handling. now take onion and garlic, crush and make a paste of both with stone if possible. or else make a paste in mixi. set it aside. dice tomatoes in small pieces. cut brinjal just before tempering and keep this as the last job. brinjal must be cut in pieces of about 1" to 1.5 " size. take oil in a kadai and put the tempering spices. heat on a medium to low flame. when mustard splutters, add tomatoes and turn for about three to four minutes tomatoes would leave juice .add brinjal pieces and turn for about two minutes. now add a cupful of water and salt. and cover the kadai and let brinjals get cooked on medium flame. check after four to five minutes .the brinjals get cooked very fast so you must ensure that they are 3/4 the cooked and not fully cooked. now add the paste of onion garlic and turn the curry thrice or four times till all the brinjal pieces are coated with paste. add paste of wet spices now mix properly and add 1/2 to 3/4 the cup of water to make thick gravy. set the flame on low and cover the kadai. cook for another five minutes or so. dont let gravy stick to bottom of kadai. the brinjals would have cooked by now. taste for salt. now add amchur powder or tamarind paste and stir carefully so that it mixes with gravy properly. by now the whole house would be full of an exotic aroma of bihari curry. leave it aside for about half an hour for spices to set. reheat and serve piping hot. bihari curry is always spicy and hot. enjoy with roti or rice. generally biharis enjoy all their curries with rice. exception being dry potato spicy curry. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- brinjal curry (ringana) --ringana nu shaak (brinjal curry) this curry is almost always enjoyed with kambu roti. but you can enjoy it with rice also apart from roti or parotta. ingredients brinjals long variety 350 gms. onion 1 no. garlic 8 pods tomato 2 nos. red chili powder 1 .5 spoons turmeric powder 1/4 spoon dhania powder 2 spoon jeera powder 1/2spoon sour curds (medium) 1/2 cup mustard/jeera seeds 1/4 spoon each red chilies 2 nos. salt to taste method of preparation cut brinjals (should be seedless or less seeded) in to 1.5 inches pieces first and then cut them in 4 pieces each. if the brinjals are thin, cut in half. if you don't get long variety of brinjals, you can use baby brinjals cut in two after removing the stalk. peel and crush garlic pods. crush onion also. if you don't have facility to crush onion, make a rough paste in a mixi. dice tomatoes and keep aside. take oil in a kadai and add the temperings. i.e., mustard jeera seeds and broken red chilies. when mustard starts crackling, add crushed onion and crushed garlic .fry for a minute and add brinjal pieces . add salt and turn three four times to mix the salt. lower the flame on low, cover the kadai and let brinjals get cooked in own juice along with onions and garlic .this will not take more than five minutes. when the brinjals are cooked, add tomato pieces, turmeric, chili and dhania jeera powders. mix and add quarter cup of water. now add curd and let it simmer for four to five minutes on slow flame. turn off the stove and let the curry set for about fifteen minutes. reheat and serve hot. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- brinjal kootu --i was preparing to try a different approach to kootu i had in mind but i just could not get the right combination. so yesterday evening when i went in the kitchen, i was blank and had no plan. one thing was

sure that i was not adopting any standers style like kerala kootu or tamilnadu kootu , neither was i going to use curds or lime. i just set about fashioning kootu powder with one after the other ingredients. for giving body to powder, i used a shortcut of using sambar powder but jeera was the magic i wanted to retain, it had to have a hot bite so more red chilies went in and then came the question of making it totally different , so asafoetida in raw state went in the powder. as a soothing touch, coconut (copra) powder also went in. the rest was elementary. you have the result in the form of recipe which got me 8.5 on a scale of 10 from a very strict daughter who gives marks as if she loses a million bucks with every mark awarded. so go ahead folks and try this keta kootu which stands for kerala tamilnadu kootu. national integration of the best kind i would say.!!

kathirikkai kootu (keta kootu) for a family of four 2 servings green/regular brinjals 350 gms tamarind juice 1 tbsp salt to taste kootu powder asafetida 1/2 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig coconut powder 2 table sp jeera 1/2 spoon tempering mustard seeds 1/4 spoon red chilies 2 nos (broken) kadalai parappu (channa dhall) 1 tbsp sambar powder (t. nadu style) 1 spoon (heapful) whole red chilies 2 to 3 nos

black gram dhall (ulutham parappu) 1 spoon oil (gingly) 60 ml (2 to 3 ladleful

first prepare kootu powder. this powder is different from the ones you might have used so far. fry kadalai parappu in a little oil till just it starts changing colour. under no circumstances, it should be even light brown or give off frying smell. fry green curry leaves and red chilies along with parappu. powder them after they are cold along with sambar powder, jeera, asafetida and copra (dry coconut ) . do not use desiccated coconut please. set aside. select green brinjals (long ) or usual dark brinjals of long variety. if not available, use others but brinjals should be of sweet variety and not acidic. cut in 1. 5 " long pieces of 4 pieces from one big piece. immerse in water for about ten minutes. this would remove the enzyme oxidase which browns it and sometimes gives it a funny taste. pat dry with a clean cloth. take oil in a kadai , add the tempering. set on medium flame. when the mustard seeds start popping, the black gram dhall would have turned slight brown. now add the brinjals and saut for four minutes at the most. now add a spoon of tamarind juice and salt. mix thoroughly and cook for further two to three minutes. by now the brinjals would be 3/4 cooked. now add the kootu powder you made and mix thoroughly. taste for salt. turn the mix properly for a minute and switch off the stove. cover the kadai and let brinjals cook in residual heat. after 30 minutes, check. the brinjal kootu would have cooked beautifully. reheat and serve with rice, rasam or sambar rice. tastes equally great with poories, chapattis etc. enjoy!!! --- brinjal masala --kathirikkai masala this dish looks very complex to make but it is easy in practice. this goes well with rice, chappathis dosai rotis etc. you can eat this along with any other rice preparation like lemon rice, pongal or even chicken or mutton biriyani.(this recipe is from indian express 1 4 1 1 4 a spoon of oil. table spoon of channa dhall whole red chilies sliced medium sized onion medium sized tomato cloves of garlic

the trick for making a good kathirikkai masala , says ramnath who is from tamilnadu himself, is to choose the right kind of brinjal. ideally, the brinjals should be small . these taste better because of the softer seeds. also the masala permeates better when the brinjals are small. for this recipe, take eight small brinjals and cut into quarters almost to the stem but not fully so that each brinjal remains whole. fry the brinjals in three tablespoons of oil till they are half-cooked, which should take about two minutes. keep aside. take a kadai and saute the ingredients over a low heat in about. when the mixture starts to leave the pan, take it off the flame, add a quarter cup of grated coconut and blend the whole thing in to a fine paste in a mixi and keep this paste aside. take about 10 ml of oil in a kadai, heat over a high flame. throw in a quarter spoon of mustard seeds. when it starts to crackle, add a medium sized onion sliced. fry till brown. at this stage, add the a paste made of three cloves of garlic and an inch of ginger. continue frying till oil separates from the paste, and raw smell of ginger and garlic disappears. turn down the flame and add quarter spoon each of chili powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder. fry on a low flame for about five minutes and then diced 2 numbers of tomatoes. turn back to high flame cooking till tomatoes become tender. once the tomatoes are cooked, they will release their juices in to the kadai. turn down the flame again and add previously made paste along with salt to taste, and continue cooking for further six to seven minutes. now add the fried partially cooked brinjals and cook tossing once or twice, see that the masala juices make way into the brinjals. now add about a strand of curry leaves. your kathirikkai masala is ready. enjoy!!! --- capsicum curry (dry) --capsicum curry in kadalai maavu (dry) capsicum curry in besan/kadalai maavu is a northern dry curry . this is a highly aromatic and tasty curry with only a few ingredients. goes great with parothas, chapattis and poories. does not spoil in fridge for a week or so. capsicum 3 medium sized kadalai maavu (besan) 3/4 cup turmeric powder 1/4 spoon asafoetida 1/4 spoon (with tempering) oil 1.5 to 2 ladles fenugreek 1/2 spoon green chilies 2 nos red chili powder 1/2 spoon asafoetida 1/2 spoon (raw) salt to taste mustard 1/2 spoon

take kadalai maavu (besan) and add chili powder, salt for maavu, turmeric powder, asa0foetida and mix thoroughly. now add a little oil and again mix. now add water and make thick batter like dosai batter. set it aside. dice capsicum in 1.5 cm cubes and slice green chilies in round slices and set aside. take oil in a kadai and add mustard and fenugreek seeds. heat on a low flame. when mustard splutters, add 1/4 spoon of asafoetida and immediately add capsicum and green chilies which you have diced add salt for capsicum. turn briskly for about two minutes. the capsicum would become slightly soft and a fine aroma would spread. now slowly pour the kadalai maavu batter in kadai and keeping the flame still on medium /low, go on briskly turning. the maavu would start simmering with bubbles of air bursting. take care not to let your hand be smeared with hot lava of kadalai maavu. you must see that the maavu does not stick at the bottom. all the water would get evaporated in about three to four minutes and you must also ensure that the maavu is properly cooked and does not remain uncooked. remove from fire and garnish with kothumalli and serve hot with roti/chapathi/poories. enjoy!!! --- channa-kootu --channa-kootu in coconut cream (udupi special) having failed to get this recipe from the bhattare cook of a udipi hotel, i set about doing a little homework on my own. at the third trial, i hit upon the nearest combination. i am bringing the love's labour here. this mild curry is so special in its taste, that you would appreciate it when you have it with steaming rice or plain roti alone. try and you won't regret it. coconuts 2 nos. fresh curds 1/4 cup channa 1/4 cup khol khol or cauliflower 1/2 cup

jeera seeds 1/2 spoon green chilies 3 nos. salt to taste

jeera powder 1/2 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig coconut oil 2 table spoons

soak channa (use red skin or kabuli white channa) overnight in warm water after adding 1/4 spoon of soda bicarb. next day drain off soda water , wash with plain water .take half a litre of water in a cooker directly and add half spoon of salt. add soaked channa and pressure cook the channa till almost over cooked. (it may take 7 to 8 whistles) remove the brown skin from top of both the coconuts and retain only white flesh. the coconut should not be too old and also not too new (elasu). grate both coconuts and add boiling water to the grated coconut (one cup). keep it covered and set it aside for at least 30 minutes. then using the mixi, make extremely fine paste of the coconuts along with green chilies. you may have to run the mixi for about 10 minutes for each coconut depending on its age or more. the paste should feel like ice-cream in texture. make small pieces of knol khol (like in aviyal) or small florettes of cauliflower and blanch in hot water for about ten minutes till 3/4th cooked. drain off the water take coconut oil in a kadai and add jeera, when it starts becoming brownish, add blanched vegetables and sprig of curry leaves. turn twice , add cream of coconut .add fresh curds (should not at all be sour). also add jeera powder . now add required salt set the flame on simmer and let it simmer for about two to three minutes. keep strict watch and stir properly so that coconut does not stick at the bottom. a heavenly creamy kootu ala udipi style is ready. serve steaming hot along with equally steaming rice or hot chappathis or poories. this dish is sure to get rave reviews from your friends and family members. ps. the recipe is almost same as aviyal but the taste um...........is different. the consistency of this curry is also like ice cream. enjoy!!! --- chhole (methiwale kabuli) --methiwale kabuli chhole (rajasthani style)

one remarkable thing about rajasthani recipes is, without the usage of onions and garlic , the dishes that are prepared are remarkably tasty . one such dish which stole my heart is methiwale kabuli chhole. (chick peas with fenugreek leaves). this curry is prepared both in dry and gravy version. but my suggestion is to prepare semi gravy version. if you taste this once, you would love to try this out again and again. enjoy this curry with parathas, rotis and rice. (two servings for a family of four) kabuli channa (white) 200 gms tomato 1 large green chilies 2 nos. jeera powder 3/4 tsp. garam masala 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. asafoetida (raw) 1/2 tsp. amchur powder/tamarind to taste salt to taste tempering jeera 1 tsp. cloves 4 to 5 nos. mustard 3/4 tsp. ghee 2 to 3 ladles fenugreek leaves 2 cups ginger 1" piece kothumalli 1/4 cup turmeric powder 1/4 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. besan/kadalai maavu 1 tbsp. cooking soda 1/8 tsp. or three to four pinches.

fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 3 nos of 1/2 " sticks asafoetida 1/2 spoon

soak channa for 6 to 8 hours in boiling water with cooking soda added to water. then pressure cook till channa becomes properly cooked. please ensure that the channa is really very soft. cut tomato in small pieces. pluck kothumalli, fenugreek and cut both very finely. grate ginger , cut green chilies finely and set aside. make thick liquid of kadalai maavu in water in a cup and set aside. take ghee in a kadai and add tempering spices. when cloves puff up and mustard starts to crackle, add green chilies and ginger. turn for a minute. now add 1/2 spoon of asafoetida and immediately add 2 cups of fenugreek leaves. add salt and turn the leaves in kadai for about four to five minutes. vendhi kirai (fenugreek leaves) would get cooked by now. add all the dry masalas including garam masala . turn for five seconds and add tomato pieces and turn for four to five minutes on medium to slow fire. ensure that the tomato pieces are softened . now add pressure cooked kabuli channa. mix the fenugreek masala thoroughly. crush about 10 percent of the channas. now add about 150 ml of water (one tumbler) and set the flame on medium and let it simmer for about seven to eight minutes.

now add thick solution of kadalai maavu in water to the gravy along with half a spoon of raw asafoetida powder , amchur powder, or tamarind extract to taste, and mix thoroughly. add cut kothumalli and let it simmer for further three to four minutes. your fenugreek kabuli channa is ready. serve piping hot. enjoy!!! --- chili-curry --chilli-curry (mirchi ka salan khajur wala) arrival of chilies from america in the 16 the century , changed the whole outlook of food in india and other parts of the globe. indians made use of chilies in all conceivable field .food being primary application, chili occupies the most important position after salt. chili in green state, when fried, make you seat up and notice "what is cooking". it announces its presence with over active tear glands, burning throat and coughing .but the tongue gears up for that heavenly taste that is going to follow. lets all give a glowing tribute to chilli. i will post different varieties of chili preparations in my chilli express. i am posting the chilli curry made in a blend of deccan/hemant style. i have made some changes and have tried to give a touch of mine in this curry. i grade this curry in eo&et category for the uninitiated in andhra food. onion 1 large dates 5 nos. curds 1/4 cup turmeric powder 1/2 spoon dhania powder 1 spoon tamarind paste 2 to 3 tbsp salt to taste ghee/oil 2 to 3 ladlefuls curry leaves 1 sprig for the salan (gravy) poppy seeds 2 tbsp gingly seeds 2 tbsp green chilies 10 nos. (150 gms to 175 gms.) kothumalli 1/4 cup ginger garlic paste 2 spoons red chili powder 1 .5 spoons cumin seed powder 1/2 spoon garam masala powder 1/2 spoon jaggery 1 tbsp (optional) mustard seeds 1 spoon

ground nuts seeds 1 tbsp cashew nuts paste 3 tbsp

select long green chilies which are not too hot or not too tasteless. if you cant get less hot variety, add equal number of capsicum pieces. cut them in two each and cut again each piece vertically in half. the slices should be of about 1.5"in length. or so. seeds are an integral part of this curry so don't discard the seeds. cut onion in long slices and pluck coriander leaves and set aside. deseed dates and make two pieces of each date and set aside. next stage is to prepare the salan. slightly roast all the seeds .just for about a minute. now make a fine paste in a mixi and set aside. take care that cashew pieces are not left out. take oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, heat on medium flame. when mustard start to pop, add sliced onions and green chili pieces, reduce the flame to simmer and stir briskly. the outer skin of chilies will start to whiten a bit. now add the ginger garlic paste. fry for no more than two minutes. now add chili , turmeric and garam masala powder , salt etc and turn fry for maximum 40 seconds. now add curds and after about a minute, add the salan paste (gravy) you made with cashew, sesame and peanuts. stir well. stir fry for another minute. don't let the gravy concentrate stick to bottom. if need be, add a cup of water. let the whole thing simmer for at least five to seven minutes. the chilies must have been cooked fully by now. take care to see that chilies are not mashed at any stage. now add tamarind paste and curry leaves carefully mix it even while you are simmering it. after a couple of minutes, add date pieces to the gravy. mix and cover the kadai. you must ensure that the gravy is thick like dosai batter. the chilli curry is ready. you may garnish with kothumalli leaves before serving. ps. adding jaggery is strictly optional. if you are entertaining northern friends, jaggery will be ok. but if you are with southern friends, avoid jaggery. dates will cool your tongue and alternate enjoying chilies and dates pieces. this is a truly a spicy curry not made for lesser mortals if over used. tastes fantastic with rotis, chappathis , pulaos and biriyani. enjoy!!! --- green peas (mutter shahane) --mutter shahane (green peas curry with julienned potato in spicy sauce)

this recipe that i created is dedicated to renuka shahane's mom who inspired me to create this curry. i was preparing spicy green peas curry. at that time tv artist renuka shahane's mom appeared on tv cookery show with julienned potato maharashtrian recipe. this gave me an idea to incorporate julienned potatoes in my curry. i used long potatoes and julienned pieces were at least 4" to 5" long. my son who came from office could not make out what long things were. they were like nothing he had ever known or tasted. thus a new curry form was born with above name and after that, i have confused people with julienned potatoes in peas curry and guests just cannot make out that they are potatoes. needless to say that this curry also is tasty. green peas 2 cups coconut 1/4 (quarter ) onion 2 nos medium ginger 1" piece cloves 5 to 6 nos jeera seeds 1/2 spoon mint leaves 1/4 cup garam masala 3/4 spoon oil for tempering 2 ladles potato 1 large (4" to 5" long) green chilies 4 to 6 nos garlic 8 cloves lemon juice 1/2 lemon cinnamon sticks 3 nos 1" size dhania jeera powders 1/2 spoon each kothumalli 1/4 cup salt to taste

select a long potato and peel the skin. using a multi- wafer machine, julienne it using thicker julienning side. if you are using a food processor, use larger holed julienning blade. the thickness of each strand must be at least 3 mm. take some water in a plate and place the julienned potato strands immersed in water. i use a quarter spoon of lime juice with water. this will keep the potato strands erect and turgid. cook green peas in pressure pan taking care that you don't over cook. don't forget to add a quarter spoon of sugar and a bit of salt to pressure pan. this helps to enhance green colour. once peas are cooked, set it aside. prepare a paste of onion, make paste of garlic and ginger also .set them aside. make paste of coconut and green chilies and set aside. lastly make a thick paste of mint and kothumalli and set aside . now take oil in a kadai and add jeera , cloves and cinnamon sticks. heat on a medium flame. when cloves puff up, add onion paste. fry till it leaves oil. now add ginger garlic paste. fry for another two minutes. now add coconut paste, dhania jeera powders, garam masala and fry the spices along with coconut paste for about a minute. now add cooked peas, julienned potato strands and mint kothumalli paste and salt to taste. turn carefully twice or thrice. add about a cup of water and let the whole thing simmer on a low heat for about four to five minutes. check carefully if potato strands are 3/4 cooked. in this curry, the potatoes must not be fully cooked, when you are satisfied that the curry is ready, add lime juice, stir properly and switch off the flame. keep the cover of kadai or frying pan partially open or else potato will get fully cooked and the curry will lose its appeal of surprise. the aroma and taste of this curry will be as good as the surprise on people's faces in trying to find out what long strands are. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- green peas curry --green peas curry (with potatoes) green peas and potatoes curry in thick gravy is a very wholesome and a delicious dish which goes best with roti/paratha and poories. it tastes equally great with rice too. 2 cups green peas 1 tsp chili powder 1tbsp dhania powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 3 nos. star anis 1 tsp garam masala salt to taste 1 tsp sugar 2 medium sized potatoes diced into 1/2 inch cubes 3 nos medium sized tomatoes diced into small pieces 1 large potato steam cooked and mashed for gravy 3 medium sized onions made into paste 2" ginger piece made into paste with onion 1 tsp asafoetida (milder variety) if strong variety, or pure, put only a pinch. 1/2 lemon for juice (you may use more if you like sour)

for tempering: 1 tsp jeera oil for frying and tempering( about 25 ml for frying and 10 ml for tempering) 6 cloves 3 nos of 2 cinnamon sticks 3 cloves of garlic cut into small pieces steam cook green peas and diced potatoes and 3 nos. of star anise. take care not to over cook. but it should be only 3/4th cooked. while steam cooking , add 1 spoon of sugar and 1/2 spoon of salt. this will give a very bright green colour to peas. when the peas and potatoes are 3/4th cooked, remove from the pressure cooker, and set aside. gravy preparation :

separately overcook (pressure) a large potato and mash it well and keep it aside. make a paste of 3 onions and ginger. take 20 ml of oil in a kadai and put the onion -ginger paste and fry on a low flame for four minutes. keep on turning so that the paste does not stick to kadai. when the oil starts to separate, immediately add diced tomatoes and stir fry for about five minutes till the tomatoes are fully fried and soft. now add garam masala, salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, asafoetida and add mashed potato. add a little water and cook the mix for about four to five minutes till boil. mixing : when the gravy is ready, slowly add partially cooked peas and potatoes take care not to mash any of the two. (in case you think that you have over cooked peas-potatoes, don't worry. pour ice cold water on the peas- potatoes after draining the pressure cooker /pressure pan hot water.) once the mixing is over in the pressure pan or another vessel, set it aside for at least 30 minutes. after about 30 minutes, taste for salt or other ingredients. add anything if you want. now pressure cook the whole thing again for only one whistle. remove the cooker from stove and immediately pour cold water over the unopened cooker or release the steam immediately by raising the whistle (weight).. open the cooker after ten minutes and now add lemon juice. tempering : take a little oil in tempering ladle and put pieces of garlic first. set the stove on slow flame. after 30 seconds, remove from fire and add this to the gravy. now take similar quantity of oil in the same ladle, add cloves, cinnamon, jeera. heat on a slow flame. when cloves start puffing up, add this tempering to the gravy. immediately cover the gravy . after a minute, thoroughly mix the tempering and decorate the dish with finely chopped kothumalli and serve hot. points to remember : if you have pressure pan, steam cook till three whistles and immediately pour cold water over pressure pan to subside the steam pressure. once the steam pressure is over, open the lid and keep it open. this will give you 3/4 cooked vegetables .you can also release the steam and bring the pressure to normal. enjoy!!! --- kaalan --kaalan karana kizangu (yam)150 gms. raw banana 1 no. curry leaves 2 to 3 sprigs turmeric powder 1 spoon black pepper powder 1/2 spoon coconut oil 3 spoons red chilies 2 to 3 nos. vendhiyum (fenugreek) seeds 1/2 spoon mustard seeds 3/4 spoon sour curd 2 cups salt to taste to make into paste coconut 1/2 grated green chilies 8 to 9 of medium hot variety cumin seeds 1 spoon first grind and make into paste coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies. you can use a mixi (oriental blender) to do this but in my opinion, if the paste is made in a mortar and pastel. the taste is far far better. make 1" cubes of karana kizangu (elephant yam), raw banana and pressure cook along with pepper powder, turmeric powder, salt and curry leaves. take care not to over cook as karana kizangu has tendency to get over cooked very fast. you can cook directly instead of pressure cooking, in a kadai. when done, add the ground paste of coconut and chilies along with curd and heat for about four to five minutes till it starts to simmer. now temper it with vendhaiyum (fenugreek), mustard and chilies heated in coconut oil. when mustard seeds start to crackle, pour over kaalan and immediately cover the vessel. after a minute, heat kaalan on a medium flame and bring to boil. use water judiciously as kaalan must not be watery like morkozumbu but should be medium thick like kurama. serve piping hot with rice . enjoy!!! --- kabuli chhole --kabuli chhole (frontier special)

among the lentils, channa (kadalai ) is the king. just imagine a kitchen without kadalai. almost all the sweets like bundhi laddu, mohan thal, poli magaj and so many other food items would disappear. not to speak of savouries like om podi, chivda, ganthias, bhajjis etc. among the curries from north, chole is a class by itself. i can't imagine punjabi or northern frontier food without chole. or for that matter a visit to marina beach without tenga manga sundal. i am posting the most favourite of my curry kabuli chhole which earned a name for me in my son's college. i am posting this recipe now for you to earn the same status. (for a family of four two helpings) kabuli channa (white) 1. 5 cups onions (paste made of) 1 large ginger 1. 5" piece green chilies 3 to 4 nos kothumalli 1 cup dhania powder 1 spoon garam masala 1. 5 spoons tamarind paste 1 spoon salt to taste for tempering: ghee/hydrogenated fat 3 ladles mustard 1/2 spoon cloves 3 to 4 nos channa dhall (kadalai parappu) 3 tbsp onion (diced ) 1 medium garlic 6 to 8 cloves tomatoes 2 to 3 medium red chili powder 1. 5 spoon (check for hotness as per your need ) jeera powder 1/2 spoon tea bags 2 nos sugar 1/2 spoon (optional)

cinnamon 5 nos 1 " sticks jeera 1/2 spoon bay leaves 2 nos

soak kabuli channa overnight in lukewarm water with quarter spoon of cooking soda. in the morning, soak kadalai parappu in a cup for 2 hours. wash kabuli channa with fresh water again and pressure cook it for four whistles after adding half a spoon of salt and keeping the tea bags, till they are properly cooked soft but not mushy. remove the tea bags and set aside. pressure cook the dhall separately for two whistles and over cook it. set it aside. make a paste of ginger and garlic, make a paste of one large onion and set aside both the pastes separately. soak little tamarind and extract juice . now dice another onion fine and also dice tomatoes in very small pieces. slice chilies thin . pluck kothumalli leaves and set aside all the things. take ghee/veg oil in a pan and add the tempering spices set the flame on simmer .. when the cloves puff up and mustard starts to crackle, add onion paste first and stir constantly. when ghee starts leaving, add ginger garlic paste and fry for one minute . now add sliced chilies and tomatoes and finely diced onion and fry for about two to three minutes till tomatoes become soft and start leaving the juice and onion becomes translucent. now add all the dry spices and garam masala, also add the required salt and briskly turn the gravy for 15 seconds . add the over cooked dhall after mashing it in thick coarse paste and mix properly and make thick gravy. now add the cooked channa and anoint the channa thoroughly with the gravy. turn on the heat to medium and add a spoon of tamarind juice and sugar (if you want). let the channa cook further in spices. check for salt and other ingredients like chili powder and so on. add if you want. if you want channa with gravy, add a little water and a bit of salt to compensate. if you want dry channa, let the channa simmer till the gravy is thick. when you set it aside for one hour, the channa will become dry. kabuli channa is ready to conquer the hearts. serve hot after garnishing with kothumalli ,and if you want , sprinkle finely chopped onions. goes great with parathas, rotis poories and as it is. enjoy!!! --- kadai-paneer --kadai-paneer punjabi and northern indian paneer dishes are a class by themselves. paneer curries are so numerous that you can bring out a volume only on paneer preparation. among paneer curries, mattar paneer and kadai paneer are real stealers. i have brought kadai paneer for the hubbers .i hope that it would bring a name to you when you prepare this for the family and guests. this curry is meant for enjoying with roti , poories , naan and parathas. for a family of four two servings paneer 350 gms capsicum 1 medium sugar 1 spoon (optional)

ingredients for gravy onion paste 1/2 cup garlic 6 to 8 cloves cashew nut paste 1/2 cup fresh curds (not sour) 2 spoons dry spices powders turmeric powder 1/2 spoon clove powder of 2 cloves chili powder 1 spoon salt to taste for tempering cloves 5 to 6 bay leaves 2 nos

ginger 1.5"piece (thumb thickness) green chilies 2 nos tomato puree 1/2 cup

cinnamon powder 1/4spoon pepper powder 1/4 spoon garam masala powder 3/4 spoon sour curds as souring agents to taste (optional) cinnamon sticks 3 to 4 nos cooking oil/ghee 2 to 3 ladles

make paste of all the ingredients of gravy and store in different cups. make powder of cinnamon, clove, and black pepper, etc. try and make fresh powder of all spices. keep aside all the pastes and dry spices. cut paneer in 1.5 " long square strips like finger chips. take ghee in a kadai and fry paneer till golden brown. set aside. take a little ghee/oil in a kadai add onion paste after the ghee is hot, let it turn golden brown. add ginger and garlic paste and turn for two minutes , now add tomato puree and fry till oil separates, add fresh curds, and stir for a minute. now add all the dry spices powders, garam masala powder, and salt. fry for about another minute. now add golden fried paneer and gently stir and mix in gravy. turn the flame to simmer. after two minutes , add cashew nut paste and water. mix properly. let it simmer for another five minutes or so. ensure that the gravy does not stick to the bottom. now taste for salt and chilies. if needed, add extra as per your taste. if you need more sour, add sour curds or lime juice to taste. mix thoroughly. now prepare tempering with rest of ghee/ oil and add cinnamon and cloves and bay leaves .when cloves start popping add finely cut capsicum pieces and sliced green chilies and turn on the flame to medium. keep on stirring. when capsicum is fried in oil and starts sending smoke signals, add it along with tempering to the gravy .cover immediately and switch off the stove. serve hot after 30 minutes after reheating. this kadai paneer would really make you very popular. you can decorate with silver foil and sprinkled kothumalli leaves. enjoy!!! --- kootu curry --kootu curry kootu is an integral part of any meal in south. the mix vegetable curry is great in its simple spice usage. except for red chilies, curry leaves and turmeric, no other spice is used .very rarely you find cumin used in kootu in kerala traditional palakkad recipes. come towards madras and other places in tamilnadu, there is liberal usage of cumin and other spices like cloves and cinnamon etc. i will start with palakkad type recipe first. it is in salutation to great cooks who come from palakkad. elephant yam 50 gms. potatoes 50 gms. green banana 1/2 curry leaves 2 sprigs salt to taste for tempering red chilies 2 nos coconut oil 1 ladle white pumpkin/doodhi 250 gms. beans 25 gms. green peas 1/4 cup turmeric powder 1/4 tsp. kootu podi 2 spoons mustard seeds 1/4 spoon ulundhu parappu(black gram dhall) 1/4 spoon

make kootu podi with 1 .5 spoons of rice, 1/4 spoon of black gram dhall and two red chilies. roast rice and chilies till the rice turns reddish. roast the dhall separately till it turns dark .now powder all together and set aside.

de-skin the vegetables, shell the peas and dice the vegetables to 3/4 " pieces .beans may be of about an inch in length. pressure cook the vegetables in a pressure pan with little water, add turmeric powder salt and curry leaves before you pressure cook. once done, remove the pan from stove and set aside. take one ladle of coconut oil in a tempering ladle and add mustard seeds, red chilies (broken) and ulundhu parappu (black gram dhall). when dhall turns dark pink, pour the tempering over kootu. reheat for another two to three minutes after adding kootu podi . serve hot with rice. i am more in favour of adding some more curry leaves when you are at the end. cover the vessel for five minutes after reheating and adding fresh curry leaves. the subtle aroma of curry leaves in coconut oil is very tempting. you can make kootu with different combinations of seasonal vegetables like potulagai, gourds, channa dhall etc. enjoy!!! --- kovakkai-mustard curry --kovakkai-mustard curry ( karnataka style) there is only one place in south india which probably is karnataka where you find this vegetable curry using mustard powder and not much of any other spices. i have liked this curry with rice. you too can try and see. kovakkai 250 gms. green chilies 2 nos. sliced ulutham parappu 2 spoons curry leaves 1 sprig salt to taste mustard powder 3 spoons sour buttermilk 1/4 cup red chili 2 nos. kothumalli 2 spoons

take mustard (small variety), powder it and add sour curd /sour buttermilk and set it aside at least for six hours. when you find that you get a fine strong smell and taste of mustard, it is fit to use in the curry. don't store in a fridge. sometimes, due to cold weather it may take longer for mustard to give off strong aroma. in such a case you may use a spoon of mustard oil to save the day. cut kovakkai lengthwise in slices (medium), slice green chilies in thick slices. take oil in a kadai and add ulundu parappu and red chilies. when parappu turns brown, add kovakkai and salt, stir fry properly. set the flame on low and cover the kadai. let kovakkai get 3/4th cooked in oil only. only if you want, you may add just a ladleful of water at a time to see that kovakkai are cooked. when done, add strong aroma giving mustard in curd , and marinate kovakkai thoroughly. add a little water and heat again on a low flame till all the water is evaporated. when done, garnish with curry leaves and if you want kothumalli also. serve with rice and sambar. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- kurma for ghee rice --kurma for ghee rice grate two onions along with little garlic, quarter coconut and two green chilies. if you want, add one tomato also. make fine paste. add cinnamon powder half spoon and one spoon of garam masala. fry whole thing in oil for about three to four minutes, add dry spices like a spoon of chili powder, quarter spoon of turmeric powder and salt. add water and boil for another three to four minutes. kurma for ghee rice is ready. it is not necessary to temper ghee rice kurma but if you want, you can do so. ginger is not added to ghee rice kurma. after one hour, heat up the rice with either indirect steam heat or in micro and serve piping hot with kurma. i have a long list of people who have fallen in love with ghee rice made with above recipe. you and your family would be joining them too!!!. --- kurma, south indian --korma (south indian style) north indian korma differs from southern counterpart in two ways. the northern kurma uses no ginger, no pepper and no jeera. usage of coconut is also absent. it is not spicy and for southern taste, it tastes bland. i am posting my favorite korma recipe which i hope you will try and enjoy. this korma or kurma goes great with almost anything as a side dish. for gravy

onion paste 1/2 cup garlic 10 cloves coconut paste 1/4 cup tomato puree 1/2 cup dry spices powders turmeric powder 1/2 spoon clove powder of 3 cloves pepper powder 1/4 spoon jeera powder 1/2 spoon chili powder 1 spoon salt to taste vegetables of choice green peas 1 cup diced carrot 100 gms. for tempering cloves 5 to 6 jeera 1/4 spoon (optional) anis star 1 no.

ginger 2"piece (thumb thickness) green chilies 2 nos. poppy seeds paste 2 to 3 spoons fresh curds (not sour) 4 spoons cinnamon powder 3/4 spoon anis star 1/4 flower fennel seeds (sombu) 1/4 spoon dhania powder 1 spoon garam masala powder 1/2 spoon (optional) fresh lime juice/ sour curds as souring agents to taste diced potatoes 150 gms. diced tomatoes 1 no. cinnamon sticks 3 to 4 nos bay leaves 2 nos cooking oil/ghee 2 to 3 ladles

make paste of all the ingredients of gravy and store in different cups. make powder of cinnamon, jeera (cumin), clove, fennel seeds, anis star (after removing the seeds) , black pepper, etc. try and make fresh powder of dhania seeds also. keep aside all the pastes and dry spices. semi cook all the vegetables in a pressure cooker/pressure pan after adding some salt and 1/4 spoon of sugar. this is to preserve and enhance the colour of green peas and carrots. take a little ghee/oil in a kadai add onion paste after the ghee is hot, let it turn golden brown. add ginger and garlic paste and turn for two minutes , now add tomato puree and fry till oil separates, add fresh curds, coconut paste and stir for a minute .now add all the dry spices powders, garam masala powder and salt. fry for about another minute. now add poppy seeds paste along with boiled vegetables and a little water if needed. you can use boiled vegetable water also . let it simmer for another ten minutes or so. ensure that the vegetables are properly cooked in spicy juice. now taste for salt and chilies. if needed, add extra as per your taste. if you need more sour, add sour curds or lime juice to taste. mix thoroughly. now prepare tempering with rest of ghee/ oil and add cinnamon and cloves , bay leaves and jeera .when cloves start popping, temper the kurma and cover it. serve hot after 1 hour after reheating. this kurma would steal the hearts of all your loved ones. ps. in non veg kurma, some badham and cashew nut paste is also added. enjoy!!! --- kurma, vegetable --vegetable kurma kurma preparation is a very fine art taken to its zenith by the deccan and southern muslim master cooks. i have been experimenting to prepare this work of art for a long time in different ways. it tastes different and really tasty in hyderabadi, tamilnadu, and for that matter any version you make. today i will post this recipe with a view to really make one happy to prepare and enjoy it afterwards. 350 gms. diced vegetables (potatoes, carrots, knol khol, beans green peas) 2 nos. medium sized onions made into paste 10 cloves garlic make in a fine paste 3" piece ginger make a fine paste 2 nos. medium sized tomatoes diced in small pieces 1 cup coconut milk (150 ml) or 2 spoons garam masala 25 gms. khus khus (ghasghasa) made into paste 1/2 spoon turmeric 2 spoons chili powder 6 nos. cloves 2" pcs, 3 nos. cinnamon 5 nos. cardamom 1/2 sp. cinnamon powder salt to taste 1 sp. lime juice oil for tempering and frying water as per need

partially steam cook the diced vegetables in a pressure pan after adding little salt and a little sugar to preserve the green colour of vegetables. set aside. take a ladleful of cooking oil in a kadai and heat on a medium flame. after the oil is hot, add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom when cloves start popping, add onion paste. stir and fry till oil starts separating. now add ginger and garlic paste and fry for about a minute and half. now add diced tomatoes and fry till tomatoes become soft. now add garam masala, chili powder, salt and turmeric powder and stir fry for 30 seconds. now add coconut milk or khus khus paste. if you are using khus khus paste, add 1 cup of water and bring the masala mix to a boil. once the masala mix is boiling, reduce the flame to slow. add this mix to semi cooked vegetables in the pressure pan .now cover with pressure lid and steam cook for two whistles. immediately cool the cooker with tap water. you can release the steam by lifting the whistle(weight) also. check if green peas are properly cooked, if not cook for further one whistle. once the kurma is ready , remove the lid of the pressure pan and check for salt. now add one spoon of lime juice and 1/2 spoon of cinnamon powder. cook on direct flame without lid for about two to three minutes. your vegetable kurma is ready. enjoy!!!!!! and please post your feedback without fail. --- lady's fingers, stuffed --stuffed lady's finger curry (bhindi basar) this is one curry from karachi which is very common among sindhis and memons of sindh. whenever this stuffed curry is cooked, i get appreciative glances and once more from my family. try this out once and you too would love to re cook the same again and again. small tender lady's fingers 350 gms onions grated 2 medium sized red chili powder 1.5 spoons jeera powder spoon turmeric powder spoon dhania/coriander powder 1.5 spoons dry mango powder/amchur spoon asafoetida spoon few drops of lemon juice salt to taste cooking oil 4 table spoons cut the tender lady's fingers at both the ends and discard the stalk. make a long slit in the middle for the stuffing. set it aside. now prepare the stuffing in the following manner. grate the onions and then squeeze the water by pressing in palm of your hand or use a tea filter. add coriander, jeera, turmeric and dry mango powders and also the salt. make a firm dough by mixing well. now carefully stuff each lady's finger carefully. take the oil in a kadai /frying pan and carefully put in the ladies fingers when the oil is hot. sprinkle fresh lemon juice drops over lady's finger and over a slow fire, fry them carefully, keep turning them till they become tender and get cooked, take care not to over fry or burn them or let them stick them at the bottom of the pan. when done, sprinkle fresh coriander leaves and serve with rotis/paratha or with rice. enjoy!!!!!! and please post your feedback without fail. --- malai kofta --malai kofta for kofta 250 gms. of potato, 1/2 cup of besan (kadalai maavu) 1 spoon of garam masala 1 spoon of dhania jeera powder 25 gms of raisins 25 gms of finely cut dates 2-3 finely chopped green chilies for gravy 1 boiled and mashed potato ginger garlic paste 2 tbs. 100 gms. of green peas, 100 gms. of finely cut paneer (cottage cheese) 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder 1/2 spoon of baking powder salt to taste. 1/2 cup of finely chopped cilantro/kothumalli

250 gms. of tomatoes or one large cup of tomato puree onion paste made out of 3 medium onions

sugar lime juice/vinegar(to taste) 1 spoon of chilly powder salt to taste malai kofta preparation is two fold.

cashew nut paste in water made out of 6-8 cashew nuts 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder 1 spoon of dhania jeera powder 100 ml of cream/malai.

method for preparing kofta: steam cook potatoes and green peas. remove potato skin and mash the potatoes. add all the above ingredients and mix thoroughly. take care to add green peas last. make a workable dough by adding enough water. the dough should not be hard or else the inner portion will remain uncooked during deep frying. now taste the mixture. add salt/garam masala if you find it less. make oblong shaped koftas like gulab jamuns an then deep fry in oil on medium/low flame. take care that you add enough channa flour so that the koftas do not separate while frying. keep koftas aside. you can add julienned carrots or gourd in the kofta dough to add taste and work as binder. heat 75 gms of ghee or oil in a kadai. add 8 cloves, 4 numbers of 2" cinnamon sticks, 8 cardamoms. when cloves start jumping out add onion paste. turn it till oil separates. add tomatoes/puree and fry for three minutes, now add ginger garlic paste, continue frying for another 2 minutes. add garam masala, turmeric and dhania jeera powder. turn it for a minute, add cashew nut or khus khus paste and bring the mix to a boil. take care to add enough water along with cashew paste. remove from fire and keep it aside. sweet and sour taste is optional. if you like sweet and sour taste, add sugar/lime/vinegar to taste after removing from fire. add koftas to this gravy after 30 minutes. keep this prepared dish aside or in fridge for at least 23 hours. this is to ensure enhancement of flavour and taste in the dish reheat at dinner time and serve after garnishing with malai/cream. enjoy!!! --- mulangi kirai curry --mulangi kirai curry in kadalai maavu (muli bhaji in besan curry) this is my most favourite curry in kadalai maavu series. unlike the capsicum curry, this is not dry but semi solid curry. best accompaniment for roti/parathas and poories. i won't get fed up if some one serves this curry all the 365 days . try once and chances are you would come to love this curry. 2 cups of mulangi kirai cut in 4 mm strips. grate 1 medium sized radish. green chilies medium sized 2 nos. kadalai maavu 3/4 cup red chili powder 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon asafoetida 1/2 spoon (raw) asafoetida 1/4 spoon (for tempering) salt to taste oil 1.5 to 2 ladles mustard 1/2 spoon fenugreek 1/2 spoon exactly as above except for some more water in batter to leave the curry semi solid at the end . take care to remove the mid rib of mulangi kirai leaves before you cut the kirai. select hot mulangi variety and ensure that the leaves are hot to taste too. you may substitute with radish with leaves if you are not getting white mulangi in country or place where you stay. the steps to cook remain the same till you pour the batter in kadai. you must make the whole mass like dosai batter and allow the curry to cook on low fire .cover the kadai for about five to six minutes to let the kadalai maavu get cooked. just keep a check that there is sufficient water and the curry does not stick at bottom. when done, remove from fire and serve piping hot only. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- onion (gutti vankaya kura) --gutti vankaya kura as a general rule, almost all the curries from andhra pradesh are eo & et type and are fire balls for the uninitiated. but once you get the hang of them and once you get a taste of andhra food, you would love to have them again and again. today i am posting first version of gutti vankaya kura

round small brinjals 250 gms. red chilies(dry) 7 to 8 nos. dry coconut (grated) 1/2 cup coriander seeds 1 spoon fried bengal gram dhall 3 spoons onion 2 nos. tamarind 1 medium lemon size salt to taste turmeric powder 1/2 spoon oil 2 ladle full cut brinjals (slit) in four but retain the stalk .make the cuts from the top as you are going to stuff them. take oil in a kadai and fry the brinjals till they are 1/2 cooked and are ready for stuffing. keep them aside. make a powder of red chilies, salt , coriander seeds, copra (dry coconut). when the powder is ready, add onion pieces and turmeric powder and make a paste of the whole thing in a mixi (oriental food processor). now take about three spoons of oil in the kadai and fry the paste for about two to three minutes stirring it constantly. remove from fire and let it cool. now stuff the brinjals with the fried paste and when the stuffing is over, keep the brinjals covered for about 15 minutes. now reheat the brinjals for about ten minutes on a low flame, taking care to see that the brinjals do not become too soft and soggy. serve piping hot along with plain rice. this also goes very well with chapathi and parotha. enjoy!!! --- palak-paneer --palak-paneer (spinach-cottage cheese curry) palak -paneer seems a simple preparation but is a little bit tricky in treatment of palak (spinach). some people steam/pressure cook spinach so much that the mild flavour of spinach is lost. palak is a very tender green and needs careful handling. this is an important curry known thro' the globe. having phudina paratha /tawa paratha with palak-paneer is a great satisfaction. i am posting my version of this great curry. hope you would like it. palak ( spinach ) 2 bunches tomatoes 2 nos (medium) capsicum 1 no. (small) garlic 6 to 7 cloves garam masala 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon thick cream 1/4 cup lemon juice from 1/4 lemon salt to taste tempering cinnamon sticks 1" 3 to 4 pieces cloves 2 nos oil/ghee 2 spoons onions 2 to 3 nos (medium) paneer (cottage cheese) 200 gms. (cut in small cubes) green chilies 1 or 2 nos. ginger 1" piece jeera powder 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cashewnuts paste 1/4 cup (3 tablespoons) ghee for frying 1/2 cup

cardamoms 3 to 4 nos jeera 1/2 teaspoon

blanch palak in boiling water . keep for 10 minutes . ensure that it becomes soft. better still is pressure cook in a cooker for only one whistle. when cold, churn 3/4 of palak in a blender to get fine homogenous paste. roughly mash the remaining palak and add it to the paste and set aside. make paste of cashew in a blender/mixi and set aside. keep heavy cream also in a cup. make paste of onions. slice green chilies . make paste of ginger capsicum and garlic and set aside. similarly make puree of raw tomatoes in a blender and set aside. you can use readymade puree also. take ghee in a kadai and saute cubes of paneer till they are golden yellow/brown. set aside. remove excess ghee after retaining two tbsp in the kadai. add the temperings to it . set the flame on simmer. when cloves start puffing , first add onion paste and sliced green chilies and fry it till golden brown and it sheds raw smell. now add ginger garlic and capsicum paste and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes only. add blended tomato puree and fry for further three minutes. now add paste of palak (spinach) and a little water. let it simmer for three to four minutes. now slowly add cashew paste and a little water and stir briskly while heating it on medium flame. there will be a beautiful green gravy now. add garam masala, jeera powder and chili powder . after half a minute add fried cubes of paneer. if you want, add a teaspoon of lemon juice at the end. give a final boil for a minute or two. taste for salt and other spices now. paneer - palak is ready to be served after 30 minutes. after 30 minutes, reheat the curry , put it in a bowl and add a quarter spoon of cream in each bowl and serve steaming hot with phudina paratha or plain paratha or rotis. enjoy!!!!

please post in your feedback without fail. it is important to all of us. --- pappu-kura --pappu-kura parappu-kirai (dhall-greens curry) leafy vegetables are an essential ingredient of indian food. they provide minerals, vitamins and fibers. combination of fibers and cellulose acts as a powerful combination to keep the intestines clean. a lot many greens (kirai) are available in southern india. i am posting "pappu-kura " a combination of red gram dhall and agathi kirai/ mullai kirai or tender thanda kirai (leaves and tender stem). this kirai goes well with rice and rotis also. (2 servings for a family of four) agathi/mullai kirai 1 large bunch onion 1 large tomato (optional) 1 large salt to taste spices dhania 1 tb spoon red chilies 4 to 5 nos. oil for frying 1 spoon tempering cooking oil 2 ladles black gram dhall 1/4 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig. red gram dhall (thoram) 175 gms. garlic 6 to 8 cloves tamarind extract 1/4 cup jaggery/sugar a little jeera 1/2 t spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon green chilies 2 nos (medium hot) mustard seed 1/2 spoon kadalai parappu (channa dhall) 1/2 spoon

wash the greens thoroughly after plucking the leaves. ensure that no sand or grit is left. cook thoram parappu (red gram dhall)in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles. cut onion in long slices, make large pieces of garlic. set them aside. once the dhall is cooked, pressure cook onion , garlic and greens and green chilies after finely chopping. please avoid cooking dhall and greens together as it somehow spoils the taste of dhall and the mashing it results in improper mixture. when pressure cooked greens along with onion and garlic is cold, mash using a blender or a mixi bowl, just roughly mash so as the greens do not become a homogeneous mixture. you may instead use flat under side of the rice serving spoon to mash the greens. similarly remove excess water from cooked dhall and mash the dhall to pulp. take little oil in a kadai and add dhania, jeera and red chilies when hot. fry them just for about ten second at the maximum , remove and powder when cold. set aside take two ladles of oil in a kadai and add tempering except curry leaves when oil is hot. when mustard starts splattering, add curry leaves and immediately add extract of tamarind. cook tamarind extract for two to three minutes till it loses raw tamarind smell. now add mashed greens first and after a minute, add mashed dhall. mix thoroughly. now add ground spices and turmeric powder. if you like it hot, you may add more green chilies. cook for about further five to seven minutes. (if the water is less, add a little dhall/kirai water. make sure that pappu kura is not watery. it should have a thick consistency. now add salt to taste. mix thoroughly and after a minute, switch off the stove. by now, a heavenly kirai aroma would have spread all around. serve hot with steaming rice or rotis/parathas. but this goes best with steaming rice cooked in southern indian style (each grain separate) enjoy!!! please post your feedback as it is important to us. --- peas masala curry --spicy peas masala curry with bread if you have taken this peas masala with bread slice in bombay halwa house on nsc bose road in madras or on mount road, you would never forget the taste. without being very hot, it was so beautifully spiced that anyone would make it a point to ask for the same dish again and again. i have brought that magical recipe for the hubbers. you are sure to be enchanted by this masala peas curry ,as i have been for over thirty years. i try to visit the outlet on nsc bose road even today when i visit madras.

potato 1 medium sized onions 2 medium sized ginger 1" piece pepper 6 to 7 corns jeera 1 spoon cinnamon 1/2 " piece poppy seeds 2 spoons salt to taste kothumalli 1/4 cup oil for tempering 2 ladles

dry white peas/green peas 200 gms. (in dry state) onion (roasted) 1 medium garlic 8 to 10 cloves dhania seeds 1 spoon cloves 2 to 3 nos cardamom 1 no. green chilies 4 to 5 nos hot variety amchur powder /tamarind paste 1 spoon (optional) onion cut in small pieces 2 nos sandwich bread 1 loaf sliced

soak peas overnight with quarter spoon of soda bicarb. next day drain the soda water and use fresh water and pressure cook the peas after adding little salt. keep a fairly medium sized potato for mashing purpose also. the peas must be cooked 100% and they should be slightly over cooked too. keep aside. mash the potato after peeling and keep aside. make paste of ginger and garlic along with green chilies. also make paste of raw onions keep aside. roast one onion on open flame and once the outer cover is burnt, remove it and make paste of the roasted onion and keep separately. take all the dry spices like pepper, jeera, dhania, cinnamon cardamom poppy seeds and powder them finely. if you do not have all the spices, you may take 1.5 spoons of garam masala but jeera and dhania quantity should not be reduced. take oil in a kadai and add just a pinch of mustard seeds to check the temp of oil .when mustard crackles, add onion paste. stir fry properly till it turns pinkish and raw onion smell goes. add ginger garlic chili paste. fry for about one minute. now add all the dry spices powders and fry the masala for one minute at the maximum. now add cooked peas, mashed potato and add the paste of roasted onion. add salt to taste. mash about 5% of peas in the vessel to make thick gravy of idly maavu consistency stir thoroughly and add 200 ml of water and amchur powder or tamarind paste and let it simmer for about four to five minutes on low medium flame. by now your taste buds would have been working overtime. but please wait .ensure that the curry is thick, very thick .this curry should not leave any water on bread. place a slice of sandwich bread and pour thick peas masala over it. garnish with kothumalli and finely chopped onions and serve steaming hot. don't forget to give a spoon also . enjoy!!!!!! and please post your feedback without fail. --- podulanga kootu --podulanka-kadalai parappu kootu (snake gourd- split chickpea dry curry ) hello kootu lovers, i am posting another rather different kootu which i hope you would try and like. for a family of four 2 servings podulanka (snake gourd) 350 gms . kadalai parappu ( 3 tbsp) 1/4 cup jeera powder 1/2 spoon tamarind juice 1 tbsp salt to taste kootu powder red chilies 5 to 6 nos. curry leaves 1 sprig coconut grated 1/4 cup. tempering mustard seeds 1/4 spoon red chilies 2 nos. (broken) kadalai parappu (channa dhall) 1 tbsp jeera 1/2 spoon

black gram dhall (ulutham parappu) 1 spoon oil (groundnut (1 ladleful )

soak kadalai parappu 3 hours before the kootu preparation. first prepare kootu powder. this powder is different from the ones you might have used so far. fry kadalai parappu in a little oil till just it starts changing colour. under no circumstances, it should be even light brown or give off frying smell. fry green curry leaves and red chilies and jeera along with parappu. powder them after they are cold along with , jeera and coconut ( grated). select green and very tender podulanka cut in long half pieces . remove seeds and pith. further cut in semi circular rings of 1/2 cm thickness. soak in water for ten to fifteen minutes.

pat dry soaked dhall with a clean cloth. take oil in a kadai , add the temperings. set on medium flame. when the mustard seeds start popping, add black gram dhall would have turned slight brown. now add podulanka first and saute for four minutes at the most. this would release the water from podulanka. now add kadalai parappu and saute for two to three minutes now add a spoon of tamarind juice and salt. mix thoroughly and cook for further five minutes on medium flame. . by now the dhaal would be 3/4 cooked. now add the kootu powder and half spoon of jeera powder and mix thoroughly. if you feel that there is no water or moisture to cook further, add just a ladleful or less than a quarter cup of water. turn the mix properly till water evaporates and the dhall is about 3/4th cooked. taste for salt again, and switch off the stove. cover the kadai and let the whole thing cook in residual heat. (if by chance your kootu is fully cooked, don't worry, leave it open under fan and let it cool down) after 30 minutes, check. the podulanka kootu would have cooked beautifully. reheat and serve with rice, rasam or sambar rice. tastes equally great with poories, chapathis etc. enjoy!!! please post in your feedback it is what sustains us. --- podulankai curry, stuffed --stuffed podulankai curry (stuffed snake gourd curry ) (for a family of four 2 helpings) paiyar parappu 2 cups onion 2 nos green chilies 4 to 5 nos chili powder 1 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon kothumalli 1/2 cup mustard seeds 1/2 spoon salt to taste small podulankas (five to six inches long) 6 nos ginger 1 "piece asafoetida/garlic 1 spoon/8 cloves jeera (coarsely powdered) 1 spoon pepper partly broken 1/2 spoon lemon juice from 1/4 lemon oil for tempering 3 ladles

soak paiyar parappu (moong dhall) for about 2 hours . strain and remove all the water. set aside. take baby podulankaas, cut ends carefully and make a long slit such that the podulanka looks like a boat. carefully remove all the seeds and other pithy parts and clean the inside properly. apply a little salt and oil in the inner surface and keep aside. if you can't get small podulankas, you may use regular ones which are very tender and have a maximum diameter of about 1. 5". cut in 6" length and use the same method of cleaning as above. plug both the ends with rather large piece of podulanka it self. slice onion in thin slices, make a rough paste of green chilies and ginger and set aside. coarsely powder jeera and pepper and set aside. pluck kothumalli leaves and cut finely and set aside. take oil/ghee in a kadai add mustard seeds. when mustard starts popping, reduce the flame to simmer and add sliced onions and salt. saut till onion is translucent. add either asafoetida or thinly sliced garlic, after ten seconds , add soaked dhall and add all the dry spices. also add half the kothumalli now. add little water and cover. from time to time check and add water and continue heating. within ten to fifteen minutes, the dhall would be almost done and it will be dry. remove from stove and allow it to cool. now taste for salt and other spices. take each podulanka and carefully fill it up with dhall curry. arrange in a non stick pan carefully in such a manner that the split part is on top. if you want to be careful, tie a thread in the middle so that the filling does not spill. take a little oil in a thalikka karandi (tempering ladle) and add a pinch of mustard seeds. when it starts to crackle, add it carefully to non stick pan on sides. add about a cup of water and a little bit of salt. cover the non stick pan and steam cook the podulankkas for ten to twelve minutes. check in between if the cooking is done. you can also use pressure cooker to cook stuffed podulanka. you can place all the stuffed pieces in a waterless separator and have water in the lower separator. pressure cook for only one or two whistles as it gets cooked very fast). when over, the water would have got evaporated and cooked podulankka with dhall would be ready to be served. garnish with rest of the kothumalli and lemon juice ,serve hot with rice, chappathis . enjoy!!!

i know that you would post in your feedback. --- potato curry (dry, spicy-hot) --spicy-hot potato dry curry (dakor style) this is a simple but tasty curry which i had enjoyed during my visit to gujarat (dakor). actually what is udipi to karnataka, dakor is to gujarat. folklore has it that lord krishna left dwarika and is now residing in dakor. everyday afternoon, prasadam is prepared by the temple cooks and is served to lord at 12 noon. this curry was cooked by the temple cook for bhog to lord krishna. the ingredients are simple and there is no usage of garlic/onion . this is a dry curry which is enjoyed both with hot rotis or plain rice and dhall/rasam. this is hot curry. so take care when using the spices. (for four people 2 servings) potatoes 400 gms oil for frying 500 ml spices turmeric powder 1/2 spoon dhania powder 1. 5 spoons asafoetida 1/2 spoon salt to taste chili powder 1. 5 spoons or more (as per taste) jeera powder 1/2 spoon clove+cinnamon powder 3/4 spoon

prepare the spices first. i would prefer you to make fresh powders of dhania, jeera, clove and cinnamon. if possible please use red chilies to make fresh powder . it is not necessary to make different powders. take all the spices ingredients in a small mixi jar and add salt to taste along with the spices and make a fine powder. collect the powder in a cup and set aside. wash the potatoes and wipe them dry with a cloth. now dice the potatoes with the skin to 3/4 to 1" size pieces. take oil for frying in a kadai and when the oil is hot, deep fry the diced potatoes with the skin, till golden brown and are done. spread an absorbent paper on a plate and spread the fried potato pieces till excess oil is absorbed. when the potato pieces are still warm, add all the spice powders and using a ladle, mix thoroughly. the diced potato pieces would assume a deep red /orangish hue. taste for salt. if less, powder a little salt in the mixi and add. do not cover the curry . let it be served immediately. this curry can be heated again only if you are using a micro. or else this can be enjoyed when cold also. so enjoy !!! please do not forget to post the feedback. --- potato (aloo basar) --aloo-basar (potato curry with onions) sindhi style i am presenting another avatara of potato in sindhi curry. as usual almost all sindhi curries are deep fried variety and generally are dry or semi dry. this potato curry is no exception. as most of the sindhi curries, this one tends to be on hotter side. but mind you it is also very tasty. tomatoes 175 gms. onions 175 gms. chili powder 1.5 spoons turmeric powder 1/4 spoon kothumalli 3 spoons mustard 1 pinch potatoes 200 gms. (diced in 4 to 5 mm thickness) green chilies 3 to 4 nos. dhania powder 1.5 spoons asafoetida 1/2 spoon (optional) oil 2 to 3 ladles salt (black) to taste

dice potatoes, cut onions in long thin slices and cut green chilies in very thin slices. dice tomatoes also in small pieces. set aside. take oil in a kadai and add just a pinch of mustard seeds set the flame on medium. when mustard seeds crackle, immediately add onions and potatoes. fry on a low flame stirring properly for about four to five minutes. onions would start turning pinkish. now add finely sliced chilies and fry along with onions and potatoes for further three to four minutes till onions are light brown. now add diced tomatoes, chili powder, dhania powder salt and asafoetida. fry the mixture in low/medium flame till all the water is evaporated and oil starts separating and tomatoes leave the juice. now add water , just enough to semi dip the potatoes. set the flame on medium, cover the kadai and let potatoes get cooked .this should take six to seven minutes at the most. check in between that potatoes do not stick to bottom check if the potatoes are properly cooked. now set the flame on low and remove the cover from kadai and let the extra

water get evaporated. when done, set down the kadai and garnish the potatoes with finely chopped kothumalli and serve with chappathi / poories or phulkas. goes very well with hot rice too. ps. this sindhi curry is spicy and has a fine aroma. take care when you are turning potato in kadai. here the potatoes are sliced more than diced with 90 degree angle. and they should not break. if you don't have black salt, you can use common salt.. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback --- potato (dum-aloo) --dum-aloo ( fried baby potatoes in spicy gravy) dum aloo is prepared in northern india from kashmir to bengal . each state has its own version and different ingredients and cooking methods are used. among potato curries, dum aloo can rightly be termed as the man among mice or the emperor among kings. the taste and the sheer visual appeal of this dish is great. i like this curry very much because it tastes different with roti and parathas and different with rice. the recipe i am giving, is as usual, different from all the recipes you would have tried so far and got tired using the same. so let us start being different. !!! i want to throw a challenge, i say that this curry will sweep you off your feet and you would love it for ever. and this is going to be another hottest in demand recipe . you would agree after you prepare it. (for a family of four , two helpings) note: for best results, please grind and powder dhania and jeera just before use. baby potatoes 300 gms capsicum (medium) 1 no. green chili (med. hot) 1 no onion paste (from) 2 onions ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp tomatoes 2 nos jeera powder 1/2 spoon dhania powder 1. 5 spoons turmeric powder 1/4 spoon chili powder 1 spoon garam masala 1. 5 spoons fresh curds 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 spoon tamarind paste 1/4 to 1/2 spoon oil/ghee for frying 200 ml oil/ghee for tempering 2 to 3 ladles. salt to taste tempering ingredients: jeera (cumin) 1/2 spoon cloves 5 to 6 nos cinnamon 1 " sticks 3 to 4 nos. cardamom 2 to 3 nos

select small baby potatoes of no more than an inch in diameter. wash and pressure cook in a pressure pan till 3/4 cooked . remove the pan from fire and peel the potatoes after they are slightly cold. if you let them cool fully, you will not be able to remove the skin easily. take a bout half a spoon of salt and a little turmeric and smear the potatoes with them properly and set aside to dry any excess moisture from surface. prepare pastes of garlic and ginger, onions, also make paste of green chili and capsicum and tomatoes and set aside. prepare all the dry spices and arrange in a dish. also keep all the tempering spices handy along with them. take oil/ghee in a kadai and fry the baby potatoes on a medium flame till each potato is golden brown. due to smearing of salt, the top layer may be a bit flaky and crisp. set aside. remove excess oil from kadai and retain about 60 ml and add all the tempering spices. heat on a low flame till cloves start puffing up. now add onion paste and salt . fry till golden brown , add ginger garlic pate and fry for exactly one minute. now add capsicum-chili paste and fry till oil starts leaving the mass. add tomato paste and continue frying and stirring. do not let the gravy stick to sides or bottom at any stage. now add all the dry spice powders and fry the gravy with powders for about a minute and half. add curd at this stage and mix thoroughly. now add the fried baby potatoes in the gravy and first marinate all the potatoes in kadai for about two minutes. now add water (two cups) and tamarind paste and sugar, and set the flame on simmer and let the curry simmer for five to six minutes. by now there will be a line of hungry souls waiting to taste the curry. but send them back to watch the tv. remove the dum aloo from fire and allow to mature for about 45 minutes. keep an eye on it in the meanwhile otherwise you may find tasting would have reduced the quantity by half. do not garnish with anything except your love . reheat and serve with parathas, poories or chapattis or rice. earn kudos and prizes (if you are cunning enough from husband) and be happy. do write how you did. enjoy!!!

this dish is brought back to you from almost extinction. it has been many years since i heard of this recipe. by chance i was reminded of this curry. i am bringing it to you with some innovation. i hope that you would like it for its newness and taste. --- potato curry --potato-curry (chettinadu style) i think potato is one vegetable which works wonders when treated in any country with any number of different recipes using different spices. i love potato bihari style, dum aloo style and i had a good fortune of learning this chettinadu style potato curry which i am sure you too would like. i aim to treat this king of vegetables in different avataras in recipes of different regions. potatoes 350 gms tomato 2 nos onion 1 medium sized garlic 2 to 3 pods ginger 1/2 " piece fennel seeds (sombu) 1 .5 spoon coriander seeds 1.5 spoons jeera 3/4 spoon black pepper 1/2 spoon red chilies 3 to 4 nos cloves 2 to 3 nos gingly oil 2 ladles cinnamon stick 1 piece (1" size) bay leaf (optional) 1 no. coconut grating 2 spoons garnishing curry leaves, 1 sprig dice potatoes and keep aside. dry grind chilies, coriander seeds fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and black pepper . grind coconut, with ginger, slice onion and cut garlic in small pieces. take the oil in a kadai and add cloves and cinnamon. when cloves puff up, add sliced onion and garlic. fry till the onion turns brown. remove from fire. when it turns slightly cooler , add the dry masala you have ground and turn briskly for about 1 minute. add coconut and ginger paste and again slightly fry on a very low flame for another two minutes. keep on turning the masala. add diced tomatoes now and on a low flame. add salt now and let it come to a boil. ensure that the tomatoes have left the juice. set aside the masala. pressure cook the potatoes to only 50% and add the semi cooked potatoes to the kadai having the masala. add little water and set the stove on a medium flame .cover the kadai and cook the curry till the potatoes are fully cooked. garnish with curry leaves and you may decorate with long sliced green chilies. if the tomatoes are not sour, you can add half a spoon of tamarind extract after the potatoes are fully cooked. this curry is neither dry nor it is with gravy. serve piping hot with rice or chappathi. this surprise from chettinadu is hot and is a bit biting on the tongue. but that is how it is meant to be. and you would have the lingering taste for a long time. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- potato curry (mint) --potato curry in mint chutney (deccan variation) deccan has given some of the finest recipes. i was experimenting with this particular dish with different combinations. at last i could make a variation of the original style which is tastier and according to me is a gem . i assure you that if you make this once, your family will ask you to prepare this curry again and again. (for a family of four , two servings) potatoes 500 gms garlic (paste) 6 pods ginger (paste) 1 " piece onions (paste) 2 medium mint leaves paste 1/2 cup (60 gms) kothumalli/cilantro 1/4 cup (30 gms) paste green chilies (paste) 3 to 4 nos. capsicum (paste) 1 no. (small)

tomato 1 no. medium dry spices turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 3/4 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 teaspoon tempering cloves 4 to 5 nos. mustard 1/4 teaspoon oil 30 to 40 ml.

salt to taste

cinnamon sticks 1" 3 to 4 pcs. jeera (optional) 1/4 teaspoon

dice potatoes after peeling in 3/4 " pieces. prepare paste of ginger , capsicum, green chilies and garlic, prepare separate paste of onion and set aside. pluck mint and kothumalli/cilantro and keep aside for making paste after potatoes are cooked. dice tomato in very small pieces and set aside. take a little oil in a kadai and add a pinch of mustard. set the flame to medium. when mustard starts to pop, add diced potato pieces . add about two cups of water . add half the quantity of required salt and a pinch of turmeric. set it to cook on medium flame. cover the kadai. it will take about ten to twelve minutes for potatoes to get cooked in water. (let only a little water remain). another variation is, fry those diced potatoes in oil till light brown and set aside to be added to mint gravy at a later stage. i prefer the second version. but remember to anoint potato in little salt and turmeric first before you fry. transfer the cooked potatoes in a vessel and clean the kadai. take remaining oil in the kadai again and add all the tempering spices. set the flame on medium. when cloves pop, add onion paste first and fry till it turns light brown. now add ginger/garlic/chili/capsicum paste. fry for about two minutes only till raw ginger smell leaves. add small diced tomato pieces and turn till tomato becomes soft. add remaining salt, chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder now and let the powders be light fried for twenty seconds or so. add a cup of water and set the flame on simmer and let it get cooked together. now make paste of mint and kothumalli . add the paste finally and mix thoroughly. add cooked/fried potatoes at this stage. let the curry simmer for about two to three minutes. put off the flame, cover the kadai and leave it aside for 1 hour. after an hour, reheat the curry and serve piping hot with chappathis, poories or parathas. tastes still better with rice. point to remember. . . .....the gravy must be thick and not watery. variation you can add either boneless chicken (pre cooked or fried) or boiled eggs and make chicken or egg curry. enjoy!!! please post your feedback. --- potato podimas --potato podimas this is a simple but tasty dish you can enjoy as it is or with main food as an accompaniment. you would have seen many recipes of this simple simon dish. i am giving a version of my own which would liberate you from messy potato paste if you over boil or steam cook it. so here goes the recipe. potatoes 300 gms kadalai parappu 2 spoons green chilies 3 to 4 nos onion 1 medium ginger 1" thumb thickness curry leaves 2 sprigs

asafoetida 1/4 spoon lemon juice 1/2 lemon oil for tempering 3 spoons mustard seeds 1/2 spoon

chili powder 1/4 spoon or more kothumalli 1/4 cup oil for frying 200 ml salt to taste

first cut green chilies very finely, then pluck kothumalli leaves and keep aside. take a kadai and fry dhall and curry leaves till light brown and powder it when cold along with chili powder and asafoetida . keep the podi aside. dice onion in very small pieces and set aside. (asafoetida and chili powders are to be added for just proper mixing. please don't fry them) remove the skin of potatoes and cut them in little finger thickness and long like finger chips. take oil in a kadai for frying the potato chips. when oil is hot, fry finger chips till light brown . take care that the chips are properly fried. remove oil in a container leaving just a little for frying onion. put some mustard in oil and when it starts to crackle , add onion chur in it and fry till translucent. half way thro, please add finely cut green chilies. when the chips are cold, using a sharp knife, make small cubes of the potato finger chips. now mix fried onion, podi powder and salt thoroughly. take care that the resultant curry is not mushy in any manner. grate ginger and mix with it. using the same kadai, slowly reheat the podimas and serve hot after adding lemon juice and sprinkling with fresh kothumalli leaves . the aroma and the taste would be so different than the podimas you have eaten so far that you would like to prepare this again and again. i will tell of a trick. just buy finger chips from any fast food outlet and make your podimas in ten minutes. how is it??? enjoy!!! please post in your feedback. i always look forward to your views. --- potato stuffed (tandoori aloo) --tandoori aloo (dry, stuffed potato curry ) mention of punjab cuisine, conjures up two things in our minds. first is shanja chulha (community oven) and tandoor. i have been a witness to this cooking in delhi and punjab. roasted rotis, chicken and different foods in tandoor have a taste of their own. even though the cooking method in tandoor (putting ones hands in hot tandoor) is not for the soft handed people, the robust life style of punjabis, makes this task look simple. today , i am requested to give you a recipe of tandoori aloo made in tandoori style but more suitable for the urban cooking methods. so my recipe for tandoori aloo will be using, oven or simple gas stove, whichever you are comfortable with. tandoori aloo with spicy stuffing and without stuffing can be prepared. but i will be posting the recipe with stuffing. tandoori aloo are best enjoyed with rotis/parathas and curds. (2 helpings for a family of four) potatoes 16/20 nos (1.5 to 2" sized) for the stuffing kothumalli 1/2 cup garam masala 3/4 spoon chili powder 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1/2 spoon sugar just a hint oil for frying 400 ml tempering oil/ghee 2 ladles jeera 1 spoon cloves 3 to 4 nos green chilies 2 to 3 nos onion paste 1/2 cup (water squeezed out) dhaniya +jeera powders 1 + 1/2 spoons each. lime juice or amchoor to taste salt to taste

mustard 1/2 spoon kalaunji (onion seeds) optional 1/4 spoon

select medium sized baby potatoes of no more than one and half to two inches in diameter. wash and pressure cook in a pressure pan till 3/4 cooked . remove the pan from fire and peel the potatoes after they are slightly cold. if you let them cool fully, you will not be able to remove the skin easily. take about half a spoon of salt and a little turmeric and smear the potatoes with them properly and set aside to dry any excess moisture from surface. take 400 ml of oil in a kadai and deep fry the potatoes till the skin becomes golden yellow. let the fried potatoes become cold. prepare pastes of onion and squeeze out water and set aside, also make paste of green chili and kothumalli and set aside. prepare all the dry spices and arrange in a dish. also keep all the tempering spices handy along with them. mix pastes of onion, kothumalli and chilies, and all the spices powders in a large cup. now add a ladleful of

oil and salt, amchur/lemon juice and sugar and make a fine mixture. the doughy stuffing is ready. taste for salt now. a little extra salt always helps when you are stuffing potatoes. now carefully make a large slit in each potato and carefully stuff with spicy filling. if by chance, you have over fried the potatoes and they start breaking when you are slitting, make an acute cut and remove a small portion of potato so that you have enough space to fill it. in such a case, you will have to use a baking oven/micro to give the final cooking treatment instead of shallow frying. browning process take a spoon of oil/ghee in a flat pan , heat it a little. now arrange the stuffed potatoes in the pan carefully and neatly, taking care not to spill the stuffing out. take oil/ghee in a different tempering ladle and add the tempering spices like jeera cloves mustard etc. when mustard starts to crackle, pour the tempering over potatoes. cover the vessel. let the potatoes get slightly browned. turn them over from time to time. this process should take about further 15 minutes. but remember to use low flame only. second method to brown is using preheated oven .set it to medium and bake for further five to six minutes. your stuffed tandoori potatoes are ready !! enjoy with rotis or parathas, also with fresh curds. please do not forget to post the feedback. enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- potato-bhaji curry --potato-bhaji (dry potato curry) i always look forward to this curry on thursdays and on ekadashi days since this curry is a phalagharam curry. but non the less it is one curry which does not need a main dish like roti etc. to be enjoyed. this curry is a heart stealer. try once and i am sure that you will fall in love with its taste and simplicity.. potatoes 1/2 kgs ginger 1.5 " thumb sized chilies asafoetida 1/4+1/4 spoon jeera 1 spoon curry leaves 2 sprigs green chilies 2 to 3 nos red chili powder 1/2 spoon (optional) if you don't use this add 2 more green oil for tempering 2 ladles ghee 1 spoon salt to taste

cook potatoes carefully in a pressure cooker ensuring that they are not over cooked and mushy. they should be firm but properly cooked. set aside and let them get cold enough to handle but should never be diced when they are cold. in fact, potatoes in this case are never allowed to become cold. dice them in 3/4" to 1" sized cubes/pieces. slice green chilies in thin round slices and grate ginger . keep them aside. take oil in a kadai and add jeera. when jeera starts becoming pinkish, add curry leaves and 1/4 spoon of asafoetida and finely cut green chilies, immediately add diced potatoes .turn the potatoes properly for about a minute or so. now add salt, chili powder, and grated ginger. add raw asafoetida 1/4 spoon and set the flame at medium and turn the curry briskly to mix all the ingredients properly. some people do not like to add chili powder when they are fasting, they can use more green chilies. cover the kadai with a lid. let the curry become steaming hot. switch off the stove and let the curry be set for about ten minutes before serving. ensure that the curry is not mushy and the diced potatoes are separate. when you serve it hot, just touch a drop or two of ghee per serving. you will have people asking for more and it is a guarantee. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- potatoes in spicy gravy --potatoes in spicy gravy potatoes 500 gms. onion paste 1/2 cup sugar 1 spoon green spices curry leaves 1 spring green chilies 2 to 3 nos. dry spices fresh curd 1 cup tomatoes puree 1 cup salt to taste ginger 2* piece coriander leaves 1/2 bunch

cardamom 4 to 5 nos. cloves 5 nos. chili powder 1 spoon turmeric powder 1 spoon

cinnamon stick 4 nos. 1" pieces pepper 1/4 spoon dhania and jeera powder 1+1/2 spoon

choose either small baby potatoes or if large potatoes, dice into 2cm cubes. take a little oil in a kadai and saut cook potatoes till they are properly cooked after adding a little water. this should take about 15 minutes. if you are short of time, pressure cook the diced potatoes till 3/4 cooked. but take care to add a little salt before pressure cooking. set aside the 3/4 cooked potatoes. grind the dry spices together to a fine powder and set aside. make a paste of green spices and set aside . now take enough oil in a kadai and heat , add a pinch of mustard seeds to check if properly hot. when the mustard starts crackling , add onion paste and fry till oil starts leaving. now add tomato puree and allow it to boil. add fresh curds and let it simmer for further three to four minutes. add all the green spices and dry spices and let the gravy simmer for two to three minutes. now add potatoes and salt and pressure cook for one whistle. let the steam subside. check if potatoes are properly cooked or not. i would suggest you to cook this dish in a pressure pan. garnish with freshly cut kothumalli and sliced green chilies and serve steaming hot. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! --- puliyakuthi upperi --puliyakuthi upperi i can say, puliyakuthi upperi is a keralan (palakkad) version of undhiyun, but much more simple. one thing i have admired about palakkad recipes is that the treatment of vegetables or other spices is to a minimum just like japanese cooking. there is no masking of vegetable taste and flavour or other food component by excess of spices. this is a sour and mildly spiced curry from kerala. best enjoyed with steaming rice. (2 helpings for a family of six) firm unripe bananas 3 nos brinjals 150 gms potato/knolkhol 1 no turmeric powder 3/4 spoon curry leaves 2 sprigs tempering gingly oil 2 ladles mustard 3/4 spoon curry powder [roast and powder following] rice 1.5 spoons fenugreek 1/4 spoon asafoetida 2 pinches red chilies 2 to 3 nos wash the vegetables and wipe them clean. peel skin of all the vegetables (except ladies finger and brinjals !!) and make pieces of about 1 inch. cut ladies fingers in 1 inch length. original method of cooking was by boiling in tamarind water and bringing to tender state and then tempering it. you can pressure cook. mix tamarind extract in two cups of water and add turmeric and salt. steam cook all the vegetables till properly cooked. remove from stove and let the pressure cooker cool. if you feel that your pressure cooker is taking undue long time to cool, just hold the cooker and pour cold water on the body of the cooker from sides. do not pour cold water on the lid please!!!!. take oil in a kadai and add mustard. when mustard starts popping up, add all the cooked vegetables in tamarind. turn for a minute or two. now add curry leaves and curry powder. turn and mix the spice powder properly. switch off the gas and cover the kadai. serve hot with steaming rice. enjoy!!! do not forget to post the feedback. that is my guru dakshina !!! enjoy!!! and as usual don't forget to post the feedback. --- sorakka-paruppu curry --sorakka-kadalai parappu curry colocasia 150 gms (sepankizungu) ladies finger 150 gms tamarind extract 1/2 cup salt to taste

(bottle gourd-chickpea curry) (for a family of 4 two servings) sorakka (b. gourd) 250 gms kadalai parappu 3/4 cup (100 gms) dhania powder 1/2 spoon chili powder 1/2 spoon kothumalli 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 spoon mustard seeds 1/4 spoon red chilies 2 nos salt to taste tomatoes 2 nos cumin seed powder 1/2 spoon garam masala 1/2 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon tamarind paste/lemon juice 1 spoon asafoetida 1 spoon cumin seeds 1/4 spoon oil for tempering 2 ladlefuls

soak channa dhaal (kadalai parappu) for two to three hours , strain and keep aside. select very young sorakka (bottle gourd) which has no seeds. remove the skin with a peeler and cut . remove the centre pith also. make first long pieces like long potato finger chips. cut further in cubes of 2 cms size. take oil in a kadai and add red chilies first, heat on a low flame, when chilies start becoming brown, add mustard seeds and after three seconds add jeera . when mustard starts to crackle, add a spoon of asafoetida and immediately add channa dhall and sorakka. add water (100 ml) and salt keeping the flame on medium, cover the kadai and let the curry simmer for fifteen minutes. check after fifteen minutes if vegetables and the dhall have got cooked. if not, cook further till they are properly cooked. now add all the dry spices . mix thoroughly. let it simmer further for three to four minutes. now add diced tomato pieces and sugar. cook on simmer for another four to five minutes. if water is less, add a little water. check for salt and souring. if less , add a little. when done, garnish with finely cut kothumalli leaves and sprinkle a little raw asafoetida on top and serve hot. this curry goes great with both rice and chappathis, parothas and poories. enjoy!! do drop in your feedback in my drop box (corner) --- tomato, stuffed --stuffed tomato in gravy (my special) when tomato was first introduced to the world from its birth place in south america, no body would have anticipated that indians would make the maximum use in their recipes. stuffed tomato is one such dish which can attract anyone with its colour appeal and a promise of good taste. the ripe red colour promises good health and sweet sour taste is liked by one and all. so what are we waiting for? let us get cracking on stuffing your loved ones with this great stuffed curry this curry would be best enjoyed with rotis, parothas and chappathis. surprising thing is, it tastes equally great with rice. for the filler onion paste 1/4 cup tomato paste 3 spoons kothumalli 5 spoons dhania powder 2 spoons garam masala 1/2 spoon salt slightly more than to taste oil for stuffing 2 spoons for gravy onion paste 1/2 cup curds 1/4 cup jeera powder 1/2 spoon salt to taste cloves 5 to 6 nos tomatoes (medium) 8 nos. (3/4 kg) green chilies 1 to 2 nos. coconut/groundnut/kadalai maavu as filler 1/8 cup or three to four spoons chili powder 1 spoon asafoetida 1/2 spoon jaggery (optional) 1/2 spoon oil for frying /tempering 5 to 6 spoons (for gravy) ginger grated 2 spoons dhania powder 1 spoon sugar 1/2 spoon cinnamon 2 sticks 1" size oil 3 spoons

tomato puree 1 cup chili powder 2 spoons turmeric powder 1/4 spoon garam masala 1/2 spoon sugar 1/2 spoon

filling preparation select firm but ripe tomatoes of not too large or not too small size. cut the top of the tomatoes such that you have access to all the three or five compartments of the inside of tomatoes. carefully remove the seeds and other mass from each segment with a small spoon or with your little finger. the top removed

should not be thicker than 1 cm. set aside. make paste of onions and drain the water from it but pressing firmly with hand or use a nylon sieve. set it aside. now make rough grating of tomatoes , remove excess juice. grate coconut /or ground nut use any one of the three alternatives. cut kothumalli very fine and also chilies. now take a wide mouth vessel and mix all the filling ingredients carefully. no water is to be added .add oil as binder and moisture of onion paste and tomatoes will act as binder. taste for salt and sweet sour taste. you can add a little amchur/tamarind paste if you like it sour. set the filling aside. now take each tomato and carefully fill all the compartments with a small spoon or using your fingers. once the filling is over, set it aside for at least 1 hour .this will give time to you to prepare gravy and also to let the tomatoes get marinated. gravy preparation. make paste of onions, puree of tomatoes .grate ginger. now take oil in a kadai and put cloves and cinnamon , set it on medium heat. when cloves pop out, add onion paste. turn briskly till it leaves oil. now add tomato puree and let it simmer for about three to four minutes. now add curds, grated ginger and all the dry spices and masalas. add salt and also about three cups of water. cook it on medium flame till the gravy is thick. cooking tomatoes take five to six spoons of oil in flat non stick pan and add a pinch of mustard. heat it. when the mustard crackles, place all the tomatoes slowly. add just a quarter cup of water and cover the vessel. set the flame on low and let the tomatoes get cooked in steam for about seven to eight minutes. the tomatoes would have got almost 3/4 cooked. now open and check if tomatoes are almost done.9if not, cook for little more time. but take care not to let the tomatoes collapse. final mixing if ok, pour the gravy around the tomatoes and not on the tomatoes. immediately switch off the gas ,decorate every tomato top with kothumalli a little .serve hot after about fifteen minutes. the recipe looks a bit long but in practice , it is simple. this curry is going to increase your fan following. so go ahead and start cooking............... don't you forget to let others know how you liked it. ps. use the cut tops of tomatoes to make puree or use it as a gravy thickener. enjoy!!!!!! and please post your feedback without fail. --- tomato-ompodi curry --tomato-ompodi sev-tameta nu shaak sweet sour curry this curry is exotic for southern pallet and i am sure people who love to try out different curries with their chapathi/rotis , would love it. sweet and sour taste would also go down very well with children's taste .this curry tastes best with parotha / chappathi / poories and rotis. take care to select slightly sour tomato variety. or else you may have to use a little vinegar in addition (a spoonful ) this curry is prepared in two stages. one stage involves making tomato curry with watery gravy and the second stage involves making fresh ompodi and cooking it in sweet-sour gravy. try out and enjoy!! for tomato curry ripe red tomatoes 350 gms. dhania powder 1 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon asafoetida 1/2 spoon salt to taste mustard seeds 1/4 spoon clove 4 to 5 nos. curry leaves 2 sprigs jeera powder 1/2 spoon chili powder 1 spoon jaggery 10 to 15 gms.. oil 3 spoons jeera seeds 1/4 spoon cinnamon 2 nos. 1" sticks

for om podi kadalai maavu/besan 1/2 cup chili powder 1/4 spoon turmeric powder 1/4 spoon salt 1/2 spoon water ........little to make ompodi dough. make a workable dough of ompodi consistency after adding all the ingredients, mixing the spices thoroughly and keep aside to be used later. you will need ompodi machine/murukku machine. use only medium sized ompodi sieve. dice all the tomatoes except two. make paste of two tomatoes in a mixi and set aside. take oil in a kadai and add mustard and broken chilies, when mustard starts to crackle, add cloves and cinnamon , after 5 seconds, add asafoetida and immediately add tomatoes (diced and paste both). now add curry leaves and

turn briskly till tomatoes start becoming soft. now add salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, jeera/dhania powders. let it get cooked on slow flame for about further three minutes. add one cup of water and allow to boil (curry) smear a little oil on the inside of ompodi machine and insert the ompodi dough. it will be just enough for one machine . when the tomato curry is boiling, slowly start adding the ompodi directly in curry (there is no oil frying of ompodi). add only 4 inches length of ompodi at a time. slowly turn the curry and after further one or two minutes, add another installment of ompodi. maximum three installments will complete your ompodi dough. allow the ompodi to be cooked in tomato curry for ten to fifteen minutes. the ompodi, on getting cooked, will slightly become thicker. keep on stirring the curry without breaking the ompodi. at the end, add jaggery or sugar and a little bit of raw asafoetida powder and give a final mixing stirring and cover the kadai. after 45 minutes, taste for salt/sour and chilies. if you find less, add. you may have to add a little water also since ompodi would have absorbed the water. after adding water, bring it to a boil and serve piping hot. the aroma of this curry would really get on to your taste buds and you would be happy to cook this curry again and again. addendum please add a little asafoetida to kadalai maavu dough also. enjoy!!!!!! and please post your feedback without fail. --- undhiyun (mixed vege) --undhiyun (mix vegetables curry gujarati style) undhiyun is a gujarati mix vegetable curry which is prepared during winter , especially after new year in january/february when different vegetables are available in plenty. gujarat has two distinct schools of cooking. one is general gujarati style (kathiawar) and the other surati style. most of the dishes prepared in surati style, may it be a curry or a dhall, is sweetened with sugar or jaggery to an intolerable level for us southern people. undhiyun is no exception. undhiyun prepared in surati style is sweet and is beyond the scope of our taste. hence i will post the recipe of undhiyun as prepared in kathiawari style. sweet potato 1 no. potato 2 no. tomato 2 nos semi ripe banana 1 no. vedhi kirai 1/4 cup sugar 1 tea spoon salt to taste spices chili powder 1 tea spoon kothumalli 1/4 cup jeera powder 1/2 spoon other additives raisins 2 spoons. soda bicarb 1/4 spoon tempering groundnut oil 350 gms asafoetida 1/2 spoon cloves six numbers jeera 1/2 spoon papadi (broad beans/naatu avarakkai (seedless) 100 gms baby brinjals 100 gms green thoram seeds (pacchai thoram kottai) 1/2 cup elephant yam 100 gms. other mix vegetables of liking 150 gms.(this may be cauliflower also) besan (kadalai maavu) 75 gms

asafoetida 1/2 tea spoon dhania powder 2 spoons cinnamon and clove powder 1/2 spoon grated coconut 1 to 2 large spoons

fenugreek seeds 1. 5 tea spoons mustard seeds 1/4 tea spoon cinnamon sticks 2" 2 nos.

first of all wash all the vegetables and wipe them dry. then split the broad be and after removing the vein (side fibers). cut potatoes, sweet potatoes and yam in 3/4 " pieces and set aside. cut semi ripe bananas with skin in 1. 5" pieces and set aside. make cross cut (only one) in each brinjal and set aside. now take kadalai maavu (besan), and add vendhi kirai leaves, a little salt and a little kothumalli. if you

want, you may add a little green chilies . now add little water and mix everything in the maavu. add a quarter spoon of cooking soda and prepare dough which can be worked with. make small round marble shapes and deep fry in oil to light brown colour. set the fenugreek vadais aside. now medium fry potato, sweet potato and yam till 3/4th fried and remove from oil and set aside. fill up split brinjals with salt+dhania+jeera+chilli powder which are mixed separately. take four to five ladles of oil in a kadai heat it. when oil is hot enough, put temperings which includes asafoetida and cloves etc. . when mustard starts crackling, add split beans (avarekkai), green thoram seeds and a little water. add a pinch of soda bicarb. cook for ten minutes. now add other semi fried vegetables. also add diced tomatoes. add chili powder, dhania jeera powder, powdered clove and cinnamon . if you like spicy curry, you may add a spoon of ginger and green chili paste . add salt to taste. (if you like to experiment, add a spoon of sugar). at this stage, add grated coconut, kothumalli . add a cup of water and allow the whole thing to simmer on a low heat for further ten minutes. add fenugreek vadai last at this stage after the heat is switched off. a heavenly aroma would fill the kitchen. now add fried fenugreek pakodas and mix thoroughly. cover the vessel. serve hot with phulkas/rotis after thirty minutes. enjoy!! if you have liked this dish, please post the feedback. --- vazappu-paruppu curry --vazappu-parappu curry (hemant style) my mother was a great lover of vazakka, vazappu and vazathandu curries fashioned out by kamala mami. i loved both the vazappu and vazathandu curries more than vazakka. she would make parappu mix curry which was by itself a thing away from tradition. she would add asafetida which was not used in traditional method. (this was because my mother loved perangayam so much and when kamala mami needed some advance money, she would add slightly more asafoetida in any curry or sambar. this pleased my mother very much. and her request would be granted). i have a confession to make here. as a male, i was forbidden to eat vazathandu curry as per kamala mami's orders. i had to steal when she was absent for a while from kitchen before my mother would notice the theft. but i don't regret it. you would have enjoyed vazapu poriyals prepared in traditional style. it is time you broke away a little and use a non conventional route to culinary bliss. i am giving a gujarati khaman dhokla -plantain flower curry which would be your favourite for years to come. (for a family of 4 two to three servings) for the parappu portion boiled rice 1/2 cup ulutham parappu 1/4 cup ginger 2" piece sour curds 1 cup water 1 tumbler salt to taste kothumalli leaves 1/4 cup. kadalai parappu 1/4 cup thoram parappu 1/4 cup green chilies 5 to 6 nos (hot variety) fenugreek seeds 1/4 spoon asafoetida 1spoon cooking soda two pinches

ingredients for vazappu curry vazappu 1 no oil 4 spoons mustard 1. 5 spoons ulutham parappu 2 spoons turmeric powder 1/4 spoon salt to taste onion 1 no (optional) asafoetida 1/2 spoon curry leaves 1 sprig powder coarsely all the dhalls (big rava size) and boiled rice . soak in buttermilk made of sour curd, add salt, fenugreek seeds and leave it for fermentation for ten hours to twelve hours. cut chilies finely and grate ginger . set aside. when fermentation is complete, add finely cut green chilies and grated ginger. check for salt and add if you need. also add asafoetida and turmeric powder and two pinches of soda bicarb. mix gently but well . now apply some oil in thattu which can come in your idly cooker , put it on a stand or a large katora using it as a stand , pour up to 3/4 height and steam cook the rice dhall mix (dhokla) for twenty minutes. when the surface of dhokla does not feel sticky, it is cooked. cook complete dough in this manner. remove dhokla after cutting in big squares from plates and allow to cool. now crumble the dhokla in a fine dry upuma like mass and set aside. remove top rough petals of vazappu and also hard stamen parts. cut in small bits and boil in water after

adding salt and turmeric powder. when it is 3/4 cooked, remove from water, drain all water thoroughly by straining. add the vazappu pieces to crumbled dhall-rice (dhokla) mix and mix gently. take about a full ladle of oil in a kadai and add ulutham parappu, mustard seeds and heat on a simmer flame. when mustard starts to crackle, add curry leaves, diced onion and asafoetida . let onion be sauted till translucent. immediately pour it over heaped vazappu -dhokla mix. gently turn it over and heat everything in the same kadai. serve it hot. you may garnish with finely cut kothumalli leaves. traditional poriyal is slightly wet . i have avoided its method of soaking and making a paste to steam cook. i hope that you would like this inter-state marriage of recipe. eat with rice, sambar and as it is. variation you can use only kadalai parappu with boiled rice also. rest remain the same. enjoy!! please post your feedback, it is very important for all of us. --- vege curry, mixed --mix vegetable curry yesterday night , i had my exams. i was forced to invent a recipe and that too it was to have gravy and it should be none of my old recipe. i was not to use coconut or cashew or peanuts or ghasaghasa for gravy and i was not to use any of the conventional spices like dhania, jeera garam masala powder etc. the curry was to be used both with parathas and rice. and i had to use all available vegetables in the fridge only. these were the conditions laid down by my wife and daughter. i had one hour and i had to think, plan and implement all in one hour. i took up the challenge and here is what i invented .i was really surprised that curry meant for six people was finished off in between three of us and our neighbours, and after a long time i had praises from both my family members. (you see , it is very difficult to please them now) so folks, here it is on the platter. potato 1 medium green peas 1/4 cup green brinjal 1 no. oil 3 ladles cardamoms 3 nos. for the gravy onion 1 +1 (two) capsicum 1 no. medium curds 1 ladle wet spices ginger 1 " piece garlic 6 to 7 cloves dry spices cinnamon sticks 1 " size 8 nos. cardamom 1 no. chili powder 1.5 spoons turmeric powder 1/4 spoon. slice onion in thin long slices, also slice capsicum in thin strips , cut tomato in small pieces (very) shell peas and double beans. cut beans in cross cuts and don't let any fibre remain in them. dice one potato in small cubes and another potato in larger pieces but thinner, as you are going to mash it for gravy. dice tomato making very small pieces. dice carrot also in small pieces. make paste of ginger and garlic. after that , make paste of another onion and keep aside. prepare powder of cinnamon and one cardamom .(do this before you wet grind the spices). when you powder these spices, it is better you add chili powder and turmeric powder to whole spices so that the grinding would be better. or else you will not be able to powder the spices properly. using a pressure pan, pressure cook large cubes of potato first and then when done, mash it and keep aside. now put all the other vegetables in it and add a bit of salt and quarter spoon of sugar. add just one cup of water and pressure cook for two whistles. immediately cool it under a tap and remove the lid. the vegetables would be 3/4 the cooked. set aside. take oil in a kadai and add cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon. when cloves puff up, add sliced onion, and little salt, fry for about three to four minutes, add capsicum slices and fry for another three to four minutes. now add ginger garlic paste, turn and fry for one or two minutes on medium flame. now add tomato pieces and salt. fry till tomatoes become soft .add all the dry spices now and also a ladle of curd. let it simmer for two to three minutes. now the mass of gravy would be ready. add the 3/4 cooked vegetables to kadai and also add mashed potato. add beans 100 gms. double beans 1 cup carrot 1 medium cloves/cinnamon 5 nos. and 2 to 3 sticks

tomato 1 no. larger than medium potato 1 no. medium

water and make thick gravy. set the gas on high and let it simmer for five to six minutes. check for salt now. add chili powder and salt as per your taste. when done, cover the kadai and let all the masalas work up in vegetables. this will take about 1 hour. reheat and serve hot!!!. this preparation would really surprise you. and that is a promise. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!! back to curries thanks to all the forumhubbers for making this happen --- vege curry, mixed (karnataka) --mix vegetable palaya (karnataka style) karnataka curries have a totally different type of taste than other southern curries. there is a very biting chili usage and there is a fine usage of mustard and coconuts in vegetable curries. i am posting a mix vegetable curry in coconut milk gravy . remember, that if you cannot get hold of coconut milk in indian stores, try a store which sells thai or malay food items. if you still cant get the same , you can use plain milk or cashew paste thinned to form milk. this palaya tastes great with rice and parathas and poories. 10 cloves of garlic 2" piece of ginger sliced 1 cup of coconut milk 2 nos. tomatoes finely diced 1/4 spoon turmeric salt to taste 250 gms. of vegetables like beans, potatoes, kholkhol. green peas etc. 1 small onion (optional) 4 to 5 green chilies (medium hot) 2" cinnamon stick little lime juice or a dash of tamarind is recommended to give a tang. 1 ladle of cooking oil for tempering and frying.

dice and cut the desired vegetables (don't use brinjals, ladies finger ) to 1/2 inch pieces, peel green peas .steam cook to 3/4 of cooking. don't cook fully. take a little oil in a kadai and add whole garlic cloves ginger and green chilies , sliced onion and cinnamon fry exactly for one and half minutes in hot oil. remove from kadai and when cool., make a paste in a grinder. keep it aside. take some more oil in a kadai and fry tomatoes .when the tomatoes start leaving oil, add coconut milk. stir for two to three minutes. now add all the semi cooked vegetables and cook on a medium flame for about five minutes. add turmeric powder and ground wet masala paste and salt and mix thoroughly. add a little water and let the palaya simmer on low flame for about five to seven minutes. add souring agent like lime juice or tamarind extract (one spoon) now. when the vegetables are fully cooked, garnish with kothumalli (optional) and serve hot. enjoy!!! and don't forget to post your feedback !!!