13 December 2011

RAGI ROTI RECIPE


Ragda is a famous street food of India. It is served with patties, samosas, cutlets and so on.. It is also served separately as a chaat. Today I made this as a side dish for my ragi roti



Ingredients for the Ragda:
Dry white peas -1 cup(soaked overnight)
Onion -1 (finely chopped – reserve 1 tbsp for garnish)
Tomatoes – 2 (finely chopped – reserve 1 tbsp for garnish)
Ginger and garlic - 1 tsp each (finely chopped)
Fresh Coriander - 3 tbsp (finely chopped – reserve 1 tbsp for garnish)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Everest Chole masala - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
Dry mango powder - pinch
Chaat masala - pinch
Water - 1 cup (Use the water in which peas was cooked)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt as reqd

Method:
Pressure cook the peas with ½ tsp salt for about 2 whistles reserve the water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and bay leaf once it cracks add onion and sauté it well.

Now add the ginger n garlic mix well and add the tomatoes stir well and close the lid.

After 3 min remove the lid add the tamarind paste, chole masala, chilli powder, turmeric powder, mango powder, chaat masala  and salt.

Add the peas, water and let it cook for 5 mins.

Transfer the radga to the serving dish, add lemon juice and garnish with chopped onion, chopped tomato and cilantro.

Ingredients  for Ragi roti:
Ragi flour - 1 cup
Wheat flour – ½ cup
Salt - pinch
Oil - 1 tsp
Water as reqd

Method:
Knead all the ingredients divide the dough roll the rotis and cook on non stick tawa on both the sides.

Serve the ragda with the garnishing and enjoy!!!

07 December 2011

Aval Pori Urundai - Karthigai Deepam Special


Karthigai Deepam a festival of lamps celebrated during Tamil Karthigai month. Agal vilakku and pithalai viakku are lit in all Tamil houses.

              “Bow to Lord Shiva Bestower of Good and Destroyer of Evil”

Its mainly pori urundai which plays another major importance on karthigai deepam.


Recipe adapted from Sharmis passions

Ingredients:
4 cups - Aval Pori
¾ cup - Jaggery grated
½ cup - Water (just enough to immerse jaggery)
Pinch - Elaichi powder
Ghee to grease hands
 Method:
In a bowl add grated jaggery and water and let it get dissolved completely.

Using a strainer remove the dirt from the jaggery and transfer to another vessel.

In a small bowl add ¼ cup water and keep it aside.
 In a non stick pan add jaggery syrup and add elaichi powder. Stir it continuously till it reaches the hard ball consistency.
 To check add a drop of jaggery syrup on the bowl which is kept aside, it should not get dissolved in water it should be hard this is the right consistency.

Switch off the stove and add the aval pori and let them get coated completely in the jaggery syrup. Grease the palms and roll into tight balls.

Do the Neivedhyam light the home with n number of vilakku and get the Lords blessings!!! 

21 November 2011

ACHAARI DAHI BHINDI

Deciding on curry for dinner is the toughest task... While watching cookery show on a TV channel came to know about this dish and googled about it and this was inspired from Tarla Dalal.
Ingredients:
Ladies finger - 25 nos
Ginger - 2 teaspoon
Tomatoes -1 cup 
Yogurt - ¼ cup
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Chilli powder - ½ tsp
Coriander powder - ¾ tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as req
Water - ¼ cup


For dry roasting and grinding to powder:
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry roast both the ingredients till golden brown and grind to coarse powder.
Method:
Wash, wipe dry and cut the ladies finger into lengthy pieces.


Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and saute the ladies finger in it for 10 minutes or until it becomes slightly brown.  Set aside. 


Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan add ginger and saute well. Add tomato and cook until it becomes soft and the mixture starts to leaves oil.


In the mean time, in a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, turmeric powder, achaari masala, chilli powder, asafoetida, coriander powder and salt and set aside.



Add the ladies finger and the yogurt spice mixture to the tomato mixture and cook for 2 minutes or till they blend well with the spices.

Serve hot with chapathi or any other bread. 

01 November 2011

KARPURAVALLI (CUBAN OREGANO) RASAM

Karpuravalli leaf is an excellent cure for cough and cold. Adding these leaves to rasam during winter season helps recover severe wheezing and also bronchitis related issues. 
Ingredients:(Recipe Source - National TV)
Karpuravalli leaves - 15 nos
Tomato - 1 no 
Tomato puree - 1/4 cup
Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
Rasam powder -  1 tbsp
Cooked thoor dal - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves n Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - pinch
Salt as reqd
For tempering:
Red chilli - 1
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tsp


Method:
In a bowl add 2 cups water, tamarind paste, tomato puree, salt, hing and rasam powder and boil for 10 minutes.
Mean while blend tomato and karpuravalli leaves to fine paste and add to the boiling rasam mix.


Let the raw smell go approx 5 mins, now add cooked thur dal and and let it boil for 5 minutes.


Mean while heat ghee in tempering pan add mustard once it cracks add cumin seeds, pepper powder and red chilli and add it to the rasam.Serve hot with plain rice!!!

24 October 2011

Deepavali Mixture

Many different varieties of snacks are mixed together like Kaarasev, Split fried gram murukku, Naada pakoda n Thenkuzhal with some more additions..n made this mixture for deepavali..


Recipe inspired from many Tamil magazines.
Thenkuzhal:
Rice flour - 1¼ cup
Urad dal - ¼ cup
White sesame seeds - ¼ tsp
Unsalted butter - 1 tsp
Salt - as reqd
Oil for frying
Method:
Mix all items with enough water and press through mould over hot oil, cook in low flame till crisp.

Split fried gram Murukku:
Rice flour - 2 cups
Fried gram flour - ½ cup
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
Asafoetida powder - ¼ tsp
Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp
Salt – as reqd
Oil for frying
Method
Mix all together with enough water to a stiff dough and press over hot oil cook in low flame till crisp.

Kaarasev:
Gram flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 3/4 cup
Asafoetida powder -1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - Pinch
Pepper , crushed coarsely - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Unsalted butter – 2 tbsp
Salt – as reqd
Oil for frying
Method:

Mix all together with enough water to a stiff dough and press over hot oil cook in low flame till crisp.


Naada pakoda: (Came from MIL's house)
Rice flour - 1 cup
Gram flour - ¾ cup
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
Unsalted butter – 2 tbsp
Salt – as reqd
Oil for frying
Method:
Take both flours in a bowl, add melted butter, chilli powder, salt and asafoetida. Mix well. Add enough water to make a stiff dough.                

Press over hot oil; cook in low flame till crisp.

Other Ingredients:
Rice flakes - 2 cups
Ground Nuts - 1 ½ cup
Split fired gram - 1 cup
Badam and Cashew nuts - 50 gms each
Curry leaves
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - as reqd
Oil for frying

Method:
Fry the curry leaves and rice flakes until crispy separately.

Fry the groundnuts, split fired gram and nuts until it turns slightly golden in color.

Crush the mixture add all the ingredients; now add the chilli powder, sugar and salt. Mix them well.
Happy Deepavali n Enjoy this treat!!!!!

24 August 2011

APPAM AND KERALA STYLE VEGETABLE STEW

Everyone who have tasted authentic Kerala dishes will love appaam n puttu. Appam is the one dish which my mother and grand mother have never tried. 

Always i was in love with these appams.. with crispy edges n soft pillowy inside. A big bowl of coconut milk goes well with these appams.. But my love for veg stew has no limits.. A very quick to make side dish if all ingredients are in hand..
Ingredients for Appam:
1 cup - Raw Rice
1 cup - Idli Rice
1/2 cup - Urad dhal
1/4 tsp - Fenugreek seeds
1/2 cup - Coconut milk (which i did not add)
Water - as req


Method:
Wash and soak the above ingredients for 3 hrs and grind them to smooth and thin batter. Add salt mix well and ferment overnight.


Next day morning mix the batter well and make appams in appam pan.


Ingredients for Vegetable stew: 
3 – Potatoes, cubed
1 – Carrot, cubed
¼ cup – Frozen Green Peas 
1 no – Onion, sliced (white onion preferred)
½” – Ginger, thinly sliced
4 no - Cloves 
1/2” - Cinnamon 
4 pod - Cardamom 
6 no - Black pepper corns (slighlty crushed)
8 no - Green chillies, slit
½ cup – Thick Coconut milk 
2 sprig - Curry leaves 
1 tbsp - Coconut oil or any cooking oil
Salt 

Method: 

Pressure cook potato and carrot for 1 whistle with ¼ tsp salt.


In a pan heat oil, add onion, ginger, chillies, curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon n cardamom jus mix them and add the veggies to it add salt add ½ cup water and close the lid. (Onions should not be fried the color should be retained)


In 4 min the vegetables will be cooked add coconut milk and simmer for another 3 min and switch off the stove. Serve hot with appam!!!

17 August 2011

MW Paal Kova / Thiratti Paal for Krishnashtami


Chanting the mantra ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.’ and offering tulsi leaves on Krishnashtami connects us to the Supreme Being.  

Krishna Jayanthi is a function liked by all of us. Lot of sweets and savories are made for this function. Microwave Paal Kova is the simplest sweet but the yummiest. Lord Krishna's favorite milk, ghee and yogurt are used to make this yummy sweet so lets serve n get the Lords blessings!!!

Ingredients:(Recipe source from my friend)
1/2 can - Sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp - Yogurt
6 tbsp + 1 tsp - Ghee
1 tbsp – Chopped Cashews, Pista, Badam

Method:
In a microwave safe glass bowl pour in condensed milk, yogurt and 2 tbsp ghee mix it and microwave for 4 minutes.

After 1 min standing time remove the bowl using hand gloves and mix it gently add 2 tbsp ghee and microwave for 2 minutes.

After 2 min standing time remove it and stir it gently. Now you can find that the color has started to change. Add 1 tbsp ghee and then cook for another 2 minutes.

Now after 1 minute standing time you can jump up because the consistency has started coming up. Stir slowly add the remaining 1 tbsp ghee and cook for 2 minutes.

After standing time you can find that the ghee is bubbling need to be very careful in handling it because it was damn hot n ensure that kids are not around. Now add just a tsp of ghee and microwave for one more min.

Now you can find the perfect sweet shops made paal khoa in minutes. Add in the chopped nuts and do the neivedhyam!!!

NOTES:
1. Ensure to prepare in glass ware microwave safe bowl.
2. Kitchen gloves a must and resting stand is a must.
3. Kids not allowed while preparing this.
4. Measure the ghee and keep it aside.
5. Initially it may look loose once it becomes cold it thickens up it can also be sliced up.
6. Microwave settings differ so it’s better to try it with lesser timings to avoid burnings.

Serve to the lord n get his blessings!!!!

04 February 2011

MAAVILAKKU – THAI VELLI SPECIAL


In my mother in laws house maa vilakku is offered on Thai Vellikizhamai for the family goddess (Kula Deivam - Vaathalakadu Magamayee)

My hubbys manni gave me a detailed demo last year on the same and now I am on my own…

The lamp is lit by wearing madisaar (iyer style - 9 kajam saree)

Rice flour and jaggery is mixed and the lamp is lit inserting a wick in it with ghee.



INGREDIENTS:

2        Cups - Raw Rice
1        Cup - Jaggery  (crushed roughly)
2 Nos – Cardamom (powdered)
2 Tbsps - Ghee
2- Panju Thiri (wick)

Method:

Wash the rice and soak it for 15 minutes, drain the water and spread it on cloth so that the moisture in the rice is absorbed by the cloth and it dries off quickly.

Grind the rice in a mixer slowly (the mixer becomes hot) and sieve it. 

Now to the rice flour add the powdered jaggery and cardamom powder.

In a clean silver plate / thambalam spread the mixture make two small insertions in the middle of the mixture pour ghee in the middle and place the wick.

Place the thambalam on the maa kolam and surround the vilakku with flowers and place the coconut and neivedhiyam offerings. 


The lamp is lit and the puja is done as per the custom.

Before the lamp goes off the wick is removed with the help of thengai naar (coconut) using two hands and kept on the other thambalam.

Coconut is diced and mixed along with the maa vilakku and offered as prasadham with vetrilai pakku to near and dear ones.

Above all traditional customs and beliefs I love to eat this prasadam (maa vilakku) it tastes yummy.