Tricolor kurma / Tricolor coconut gravy

 Simple vegetarian kurma. Goes well with hot rice and chappathis.

Ingredients:

1. Chopped carrot, peeled & chopped potato, green peas - each 1 cup
2. Cooking oil - 4 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad dal - 1 tbs
4. Curry leaves
5. Onion & tomato - each 1 finely chopped
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbs
7. Salt to taste
8. Edible coconut oil - 3 tbs

To grind:
Fresh grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 4 nos
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tbs
Garlic pods - 3 nos

Method:

• Boil and cook veggies with enough water in a pressure cooker / a wide pan till they turn tender. Keep it aside.
• Heat cooking oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves.
• Add onion, tomato, turmeric powder + salt and saute till tomato is cooked.
• Now add the veggies and mix well. After 2 - 3 minutes add the ground paste and cook for 5 mins.
• Switchoff the stove n garnish with chopped cilantro & coconut oil.

Chettinad Crab Masala / செட்டிநாடு நண்டு மசாலா

First time i am posting a seafood. Learnt this recipe from my mom. The way seafoods are being cooked in chettinad are very spicy and different. I would suggest this as a side dish for a bowl full of creamy curd rice.

Ingredients:

Crab - 1/2 kg
Cooking oil - 8 tbs
Mustard seeds + urad dal - 1 tbs
Fennel seeds / Saunf - 1/2 tbs
Curry leaves - few nos
Chopped onion - 3 nos
Chopped tomato - 3 nos
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chicken masala (or) red chilli powder (or) garam masala - 1/2 tbs (choose the masala powder according to ur taste)
Salt
Chopped cilantro - 1 handful

To grind:

Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Pepper corns - 4 tbs
Fennel seeds - 1 tbs

Method:

• Clean the crab as u like. Some like to have the whole crab, some people like to broke crab into small portions. Wash well the crab in water 2 - 3 times.
• Grind into fine paste the ingredients mentioned under to grind and keep aside. Grind into fine paste the 3/4th  portion of chopped onion + all the tomato seperately.
• Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal + mustard seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves @ 30 sec interval.
• Add remaining 1/4th portion of chopped onion and saute for a min.
• Add onion-tomato paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. Now add the crab and mix well.
• After 2 mins add pepper-coconut paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt + 3 cups of water.
• Cook in medium flame till u get a tight gravy consistency.
• Sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Vendakka pulikari / Okra sour sauce (semi gravy)

This is a karaikudi special recipe. Will be of good combination with paruppu soup.

Ingredients:

Vendakka / Ladies finger - 1/4 kg (chopped into small pieces)

Cooking oil - 3 tbs

Big red onion - 1 (chopped)

Big tomato - 1 (chopped)

Tamarind juice / paste - 3 tbs

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbs

Coriander powder - 1 tbs

Red chilli powder - 2 tbs

Salt to taste

Chopped cilantro - 4 tbs

For seasoning:

Sesame oil - 3 tbs

Mustard seeds + urad dal - 1 tbs

Vendhayam / Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbs

Curry leaves - 5 nos

Method:

• Heat cooking oil in a pan and stir fry the okra till the sticky liquid goes off. Keep it aside.
• Heat sesame oil in pan and add the ingredients mentioned under for seasoning @ 30 sec interval.
• Add chopped onion & saute till tranparent. Now add chopped tomato and saute till the juices oozes off.
• Add tamarind paste & all powders + salt + 3 cups of water. Bring them to boil and add sauted vendakka/ okra.
• Close the pan with lid and cook in medium flame. Stir consiously at regular intervals.
• Once the veggie is cooked and gravy turns to semi solid, sprinkle chopped cilantro & serve hot. 



Bindi Masala (I call it as Yummy masala ;) ) / Okra Masala / வெண்டைக்காய் மசாலா

Its my favourite recipe. Easy to prepare - Medium spicy - very tasty dish. Goes well with chappathi, Sambar rice or Plain rice. Kids may like it very much.

Ingredients:
1. Vendaikka / Bindi / Okra - 1/2 kg or 1 pack
2. Cooking oil - 4 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad dal - 1/2 tbs
4. Curry leaves - 5 nos
5. Big Onion - 1 no - chopped
6. Tomato - 1 - chopped
7. Garam masala - 2 tbs
8. Dhania / Coriander powder - 2 tbs
9. Red chili powder - 1 tbs
10. Salt to taste
11. Cashew nuts - 6 to 8 nos
12. Grated fresh coconut - 1/2 handful

Method:
1. Soak cashew nuts in warm water. Do this as a first step of preparing the dish.
2. Wash whole Okras, dry & cut them into small pieces. Usually i used to wash the vegetable and spread it on a newspaper overnight. If you are using a frozen okra pack, keep the washed vegetable in air for atleast 30 mins.
3. Heat 2 tbs oil in a non stick pan and saute the okra till the sticky liquid from it vanishes. Keep this aside. (you dont have to stir the vegetable continously for this. Once in every 5 mins gently stir).
4. Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds + urad dal, Curry leaves and onion @ 30 sec interval. Cook till onion turns transparent. Now add chopped tomato and cook till its smashed. Now add sauted okra and add all powders + salt. Cook in medium flame for 10 mins.
5. Grind the soaked cashew nuts and grated coconut together into a fine paste. Add 2 tbs of water if required. Add this paste to okra and cook for 10 more mins.
Serve hot.

Spinach - scrambled egg masala

Medium spicy side dish, goes well with chappathi, Toasted Bread, Sambhar rice and plain rice. For those who dont like spinach dal, can try this one.

Ingredients:
1. Egg - 2 nos
2. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad dal - 1/2 tbs
4. Saunf / Sombu - 1/4 tbs
5. Curry leaves - 4 nos
6. Onion - chopped - 1 handful
7. Tomato - chopped - 1/2 handful
8. Turmeric powder - pinch
9. Red chili powder - 1 tbs
10. Garam masala - 1 tbs
11. Salt to taste
12. Spinach - Washed and finely chopped (amount - as you wish)
13. Lemon juice - 1 tbs (optional)

Method:
1. Heat cooking oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal, saunf, curry leaves, onion @ 30 sec interval in the same order. Saute the onion till its transparent. Now add the chopped spinach and saute well till the green smell goes off.
2. Once the spinach reduces 3/4th of its volume add chopped tomato and saute till its smashed. Now add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala and cook till the gravy boils.
3. At this point break the eggs one by one and pour into the gravy. Add salt at this stage & stir well. In medium flame cook till the gravy thickens. Switch off the stove and sprinkle the lemon juice. Serve hot with chappathi or Bread Toast.

Note: - I have prepared this dish very thick. If you are planning to serve with plain rice add some more water and stop cooking when the dish is in gravy consistency.

Pattani kuzhambhu / Green peas gravy

Medium spicy recipe, goes well with hot steamed rice / chappathi. Both Channa dal (chick pea) and Green peas can be used for preparing this dish. Cooking this recipe using channa dal tastes like lamb !

Ingredients:

1. Green peas - 1 cup (soak the peas overnight in water)
2. Cooking oil - 4 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1/2 tbs
4. Curry leaves - 4 nos
5. Big brown onion - 2 tbs (sliced)
6. Tomato - 1 no (chopped)
7. Tamarind juice - 1/4 cup
8. Sambhar powder or any masala powder - 3 tbs
9. Salt to taste
10. Chopped cilantro for garnishing

To grind

1. Big brown onion - 1/2 (sliced) or small onion - 10 nos (small onions are prefered for this dish)
2. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbs
3. Khaskhas / Opium poppy (கசகசா) - 1/2 tbs
4. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

1. Wash and cook pattani / green peas in a pressure cooker. Pour enough water till peas get immersed (but not soaked) for cooking. Keep this aside.
2. Heat 1 tbs oil in a pan and saute the ingredients mentioned under to grind except coconut. Saute till onion turns trasparent. Once the sauted ingredients cooles down grind them into a fine paste (dont forget to add coconut while grinding). Keep this aside.
3. Heat remaining oil in the pressure cooker, add mustard seeds, urad dal. Once it pops add curry leaves and onion. Once onion turns trasparent, add tomato and cook till it gets smashed.
4. Now add grinded ingredients, cooked peas, sambhar powder, tamarind juice, salt, 1 cup water (if required) and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Close the pressure cooker lid and cook in medium flame for 10 mins.
5. Garnish the recipe with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with rice / chappathi.

Tip:- If the gravy wants to be very thick do not add water other than used for cooking peas.

Ennai kathrikaai (எண்ண கத்திரிக்காய்) / Stuffed brinjal curry

Very delicious dish. Can be served with hot white rice or sambhar rice.
My hubby hate brinjal whereas i like this vegetable. Tried 2 other recipes using brinjal to make him eat and finally this recipe grabbed his attention.

Ingredients:

1. Violet brinjal - 6 nos
2. Cooking oil - 3 tbs
3. Gingelly / Sesame oil - 3 tbs
4. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1/2 tbs
5. Finely chopped onion - 2 tbs
6. Finely chopped tomato - 2 tbs
7. Curry leaves - 4 nos
8. Salt to taste

To grind

1. Big brown onion - 1/2 roughly chopped
2. Grated / shredded coconut - 3/4 cup
3. Red chilli (big & dried) - 5 nos (no other spice will be added to the dish, based on ur taste adjust the red chilli nos)
4. Ginger - 2 nos small
5. Garlic - 2 nos small
6. Peanut (dry roasted) - roughly 1 handful
7. Turmeric powder - pinch
8. Mint & cilantro - 1/2 handful (optional)
9. Sesame seeds - 1 1/2 tbs (if u dont have sesame seeds, can use sesame oil instead)
10. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 2 tbs sesame oil in a pan and saute the ingredients mentioned under to grind. Grind well the sauted ingredients into a fine paste. Keep this aside.
2. Wash and slit the brinjal at the centre (cut the brinjal from top like spliting it into 2 halfs but do not complete the cut. Stop at half inch above the bottom. Do similarly, perpendicular to the above cut) as shown below and stuff the brinjal with grinded paste.

3. Heat cooking oil + remaining sesame oil in a pan and add mustard seeds + urad daal + curry leaves. Once mustard seed pops add chopped onion and tomato. Cook till the tomato gets smashed.

4. Add 1 cup of water to the remaining grinded paste and add it to sauted tomato. Add little salt and wait till the gravy boils. Now place the stuffed brinjal inside it carefully and close the pan with a lid.

5. Cook the dish completely in medium flame. For every 2 mins open the lid and stir well without disturbing the brinjal. If required, sprinkle oil consiously.

6. Cook till oil seperates out. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Tip:- Place the cut brinjal inside water before stuffing.

Paruppu soup / Chettinad dal soup / Indian lentil stew

Famous soup recipe of karaikudi. Can be eaten as conventional soups by adding salt & pepper. Can be served for hot steamed rice also. In case of serving with rice, any spicy side dish could be the best combination. Healthy recipe and a good appetizer.


Ingredients:

1. Ghee - 1 1/2 tbs
2. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
3. Bay leaves - 1
4. Cinnamon stick - 2 small
5. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
6. Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2tbs
7. Curry leaves - 5 nos
8. Turmeric powder - pinch
9. Big brown onion - 1/2 sliced
10. Tomato - 1 sliced
11. Splited green chilies - 3 nos
12. Tuvar daal / red gram - 1 handful
13. Moong daal / splited pigeon peas - 1 handful
14. Cilantro / coriander leaves - 1/2 handful (need not chop)
15. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the daal (lentil) & Soak in water for 20 mins.
2. Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker and add the ingredient nos from 3 to 8 together and wait till mustard seeds pops.
3. Add chopped onion + green chilies and cook till onion is trasparent. Now add tomato & saute for a min. The tomato need not get smashed.
4. Strain water completely from daal and add it into the pressure cooker. Saute well the daal in medium flame for 7 - 9 min. Stir consiously for every 2 mins. Now add the cilantro.
5. Add 3 1/2 cups of water + salt. The soup should be very watery before cooking. After the daal gets cooked, the soup will come to a eatable consistency.
6. Close the cooker lid with whistle and cook in medium flame for excatly 10 mins. The cooker need not whistle. Switch off the stove and remove from fire.
7. Open the cooker lid after the pressure goes off and sprinkle some more cilantro leaves and boil in medium flame for 2 mins.
Thats it. Delicious soup ready. Serve hot.

Vellapoondu pulikulambhu (பூண்டு புளி குழம்பு) / Garlic sour gravy

Goes well with hot steamed rice.

Ingredients:

Main ingredient
Garlic pods - 8 to 10 nos

1. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
2. Gingelly oil / Sesame oil - 3 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 2 tbs
4. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbs
5. Curry leaves - 4 tbs
6. Big brown onion - 1/2 chopped or small onions - 10 nos chopped
7. Tomato - 1 chopped
8. Tamarind juice - 3/4 cup
9. Red chilli powder - 2 tbs
10. Coriander powder - 2 tbs
11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbs
12. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat sesame and cooking oil in a pan and add mustard seeds + fenugreek seeds. Once mustard pops, add curry leaves.
2. After few sec add chopped onion & garlic pods and cook till onion is transparent.
3. Add tomato and cook till its smashed.
4. Add tamarind juice, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, 2 1/2 cups of water together and mix well.
5. Cook till the gravy gets thicken.
Serve hot with hot steamed rice. Pappad could be the best combination for this.

Tip:- If u dont like sour taste, use 1/2 cup of tamarind juice.
Cooking the dish completely in sesame oil will enhance the taste.

Arachuvitta sambhar (அரச்சுவிட்ட சாம்பார்) / Sambhar with coconut garnishing

This is one more version of sambhar (indian vegetable lentil stew). I learned this recipe from my friend. Thanks to my friend V... The dish is simple to cook. Can go well with hot steamed rice, Idli, Dosa. If this dish is prepared in a thick consistency, then its a tastier combination for paratha and chappathi.

Ingredients:

to cook

1. Thuvaram paruppu / tuvar dal - 3/4 cup
2.Turmeric powder - pinch
3. Tomato - 1 (do not cut the tomato, squeeze with hand while adding to the dish)
4. Big brown onion - 1 roughly chopped
5. Any vegetable of ur choice (optional)
6. Cilantro / coriander leaves - 1/2 handful
7. Tamarind juice - 1/4 cup
8. Sambhar powder - 3 tbs
9. Salt to taste

to grind (grind with 1/4 cup of water into a fine paste)

1. Fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
2. Jeera / cumin seeds - 3/4 tbs
3. Saunf - 3/4 tbs
4. Dried red chili - 3 nos
5. Garlic pods - 2 nos

to saute

1. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1/2 tbs
3. Hing / Asafoetida - pinch
4. Curry leaves - 4 nos

Method:

1. Wash and cook tuvar dal in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water & for 2 whistles. Keep this aside.
2. Once the gas goes off open the cooker lid and add all the ingredients mentioned under to cook and the grinded paste (mentioned under to grind) + 1/2 cup of water. Mix well, check salt and cook again in the same pressure cooker for 4 whistles.
3. Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds + urad dal, hing, curry leaves. Saute for a minute and garnish the recipe with this.

Serve hot with rice or paratha or chappathi.

Chettinad kaara koli(kozhi) kulambhu / Chettinad spicy chicken gravy

Starting a sunday with a sumptuous breakfast 'Idli - chicken gravy' is delightful. Last sunday for no reason i woke up bit early and surprised my hubby with this breakfast combination. He didnt think of lunch till 2 00 o'clock afternoon ( :P).... In my hometown this chicken gravy is served for idiyappam (rice hoppers) or appam (bowl shapped indian pancake). Spicy recipe, Non veg lovers may like this taste very much.

Ingredients:

To saute

1. Cooking oil - 5 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1/2 tbs
3. Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1/ tbs
4. Suanf / Sombu - 1/2 tbs
5. Curry leaves - 6 nos
6. Big brown onion - 1 finely chopped
7. Tomato - 1 finely chopped
8. Cilantro - 1/2 handful (finely chopped)
9. Mint - 1/2 handful (finely chopped)
10. Ginger galic paste - 1 1/2 tbs
11. Turmeric powder - pinch
12. Butter (optional) - 1 tbs

To cook

1. Chicken meat - 1/4 kg (cut into cube shapes, wash well and drain the water completely)
2. Any chicken masala powder or sambhar powder - 4 tbs or chili powder + coriander powder + garam masala powder - each 1 1/2 tbs
3. Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, heat the cooking oil and add one by one the ingredient numbers 2 to 5 mentioned below to saute at 30 sec interval.
2. Add chopped onion and cook till it is transparent. Add the chopped tomatos and cook till its smashed. Add chopped cilantro, mint, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and chicken masala or sambhar powder or masala powder (ingredient no 2 of to cook )together and mix well with tomato gravy. Cook this gravy in medium flame for 5 mins. Now add the chicken pieces and salt, mix well so that tomato gravy coats the chicken. Cook the chicken in medium flame for 7 mins. Add butter and stir consiously.
3. Add 3 cups of water to the chicken, close the pressure cooker lid without cooker whistle. Cook in little higher flame than medium. Once the steam comes out of the vent put the cooker whistle and cook for 4 whistles. Serve hot with Idli / dosa / cooked rice / idiyappam / appam.

Tip:- In step 2, cooking the chicken in medium flame in the tomato gravy will increase the taste of the recipe. Becoz at that stage, chicken oozes out water and tomato gravy penetrates into the chicken.

Paruppu urundai kulambu / Spicy gravy out of splited chick pea balls / Channa ball spicy gravy

This is a healthy-spicy recipe goes well with hot cooked rice. Chettinad special dish - pappad could be the best combination for this recipe.

Ingredients:

-to saute

1. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
2. Sesame / gingelly oil - 3 tbs
3. Vendhayam /Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbs
4. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1/2 tbs
5. Curry leaves - 4 nos

- to cook

1. Big brown onion - 1/2 finely chopped
2. Tomato - 1 1/2 finely chopped
3. Tamarind pulp - 1 small lemon size ball (soaked in 1 cup of water for 30 mins, squeeze the juice and discard the husk) or tamarind juice - 6 tbs
4. Red chili powder - 1 1/2 tbs
5. Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tbs
6. Salt to taste

- for chick pea balls

1. Kadalai paruppu / Spilted chick pea / channa daal - 1 cup (soak in water for 45 mins)
2. Big brown onion - 1/2 finely chopped
3. Green chili - 1/2 finely chopped
4. Jeera / cumin seeds / Seeragam - 1 tbs
5. Salt to taste
6. 1/2 handful of cilantro - washed and finely chopped
7. Hing / Asafoetida - pinch


Method:

1. Wash the soaked chick pea and drain the water completely. Add salt & hing to it and grind coursely. Add 1/4 cup of water while grinding !!! do not add more than 1/4 cup water, the batter will be watery and cant make balls !!!
2. Add the remaining ingredients mentioned below for chick pea balls and blend with chick pea batter (pic 2 of row 1). Make them into small balls and steam in a idli cooker or rice cooker (1st n 2nd pic of row 2) for 20 mins. Keep the cooked balls aside.
3. Heat cooking + gingelly oil in a pan and add the ingredients one by one mentioned under to saute in 30 sec interval. Add chopped onion to this and saute till it onion turns transparent. Then add chopped tomato and cook till it gets mashed. Then add tamarind juice, chili powder, coriander powder, salt, 3 cups water. Mix them well and cook in medium flame.
4. Once the above mixture (mentioned in step 3) boils drop the chick pea balls one by one. Cook the chick pea balls in spicy gravy for 20 mins and remove from flame.
Serve hot with cooked rice.

Easy sambhar / Quick indian lentil stew

At times when i do late cooking this recipe immediately flashes in my mind bcoz the cooking + preparation time is 20 mins only.
We call this as Idli sambhar. Quick Moong daal recipe (south indian paasi paruppu sambhar) goes well with Idli / Dosa / Ven Pongal / Cooked rice.

Ingredients:

-to saute

1. Cooking oil - 4 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
3. Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tbs
4. Curry leaves - 4 nos
5. Hing / Asafeotida - pinch

- to cook

1. Moong daal / Pasiparuppu - 1/2 cup
2. Toovar daal / Red gram - 1/4 cup
3. Big brown onion - 1/2 finely chopped
4. Tomato - 3/4 finely chopped
5. Cilantro - 1/2 handful (washed and chopped)
6. Turmeric powder - pinch
7. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tbs
8. Green chili - 1/2 (splited)
9. Salt to taste

Method :

1. Wash Moong daal + Toovar daal in a pressure cooker and strain the water. To this add all the ingredients under to cook + pour water till the ingredients gets immersed and mix well.
2. Heat oil in a small pan and add all the ingredients under to saute one by one at 15 sec interval and add the saute to the pressure cooker.
3. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 4 whistles. Open the cooker lid after the gas goes off. Thats it. Serve hot with Idli / Dosa / Rice.

Ennai kathrikai kulambhu / Sauted egg plant gravy (Karaikudi special)

Ennai kathrikai kulambhu / Sauted egg plant curry - excellent combination for steamed white rice. Most popular dish in Karaikudi (Chettinad).

Ingredients:

-to cook
1. Brinjal / Kathrikai / Egg plant - 300 grams.
2. Tamarind pulp - 1 lemon size ball (soak in one cup water for 30 mins. Squeeze the juice and discard the husk)
3. Red Chili powder - 2 tbs
4. Coriander powder / Malli thool - 2 tbs
5. Salt to taste

-to saute
1. Cooking oil - 2 tbs
2. Gingelly oil - 2 tbs
3. Vendhayam / Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbs
4. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
5. Big brown onion - 1/2 chopped or small onion - 10 nos chopped (small onion will enhance the taste of this recipe)
6. Tomato - 1/2 chopped
7. Salt to taste

Method
1. Cut and remove the brinjal stem. Slit vertically at the centre in all directions (see pic). Put the slited brinjals in water and wash well. Heat a pan and saute the brinjal deeply. The skin color will change as shown below. Keep aside the sauted vegetable.
2. Heat cooking + gingelly oil together in the same pan and add fenugreek seeds first. After 30 sec add mustard seeds and wait till it splatters. Then add onion and saute till its transparent. Next add tomato and cook till its smashed.
3. Add tamarind juice, chili powder, coriander powder, salt and 2 cups of water & mix well. Bring this mixture to boil. Add the sauted brinjal to this and cook till the gravy thickens. Stir consiously after every 5 mins. Remove from fire and serve with hot steamed white rice.

Thakkali kulambhu / Tomato dal gravy

Thakkali kulambhu / Tomato gravy - An equal mix of tomato and dal. This recipe is less spicy and goes well with rice and Parota (paratha). The cooking time is hardy 30 mins.

Ingredients:

-to saute
1. Cooking oil - 4 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad dal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
3. Curry leaves - 4 nos
4. Perungayam / Hing / Asafoetida - pinch

-to cook
1. Green chili - 4 nos (no need to cut)
2. Big brown onion - 1 (chopped)
3. Tomato - 3 nos (diced)
4. Cilantro - 1 handful (washed)
5. Red chili powder - 2 tbs
6. Tuvaram paruppu / Toovar dal / Red gram - 200 grams
7. Salt to taste
Method:

1. Wash the toovar dal / red gram and cook in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Remove the cooker from flame after 4-5 whistles. Open the cooker cover once the pressure goeas off and smash the cooked lentil with hand mixer (see picture).
2. Heat 4 tbs of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds + urad dal, hing and curry leaves. Once mustard seeds starts splattering add green chili. Immediately add the chopped onion and cook till it is transparent. Add the diced tomato and cook till its smashed.
3. Add the smashed dal, chili powder, cilantro and salt to tomato & mix well. Cook in medium flame. Bring this mixture to boil. Switch off the stove and serve hot.

Vengar rasam / Onion rasam / Indian hot and sour soup

Rasam is indian hot and sour soup goes well with hot rice. Its made of tamarind / tomato / lemon juice.
In south india rasam is being used as a medicine for fever (paati vaithiyam). Add hot rasam to smashed cooked rice, mix well and drink this semi solid at bearable warmth. This secretes enormous sweat and so the body loses the excess heat.

This version of rasam i am posting is very simple. 1-2-3 --> Squeeze-Grind-Heat

Method

To squeeze
1. Tamarind pulp - 1 lemon size ball
2. Tomato - 1

Soak the tamarind in one cup of water, extract the juice and discard the husk. Cut the tomato into 2 halfs and squeeze it in the tamarind extract.

To Grind
1. Cumin seeds / Jeera - 2 tbs
2. Garlic cloves - 3 nos (dont remove the skin)
3. Red chili (big) - 1 no
4. Pepper corns - 1 tbs
5. Big brown onion - 1 (roughly chopped) or small onions - 10 nos

Grind (coarsely) everything except onion in 1/2 cup of water. Add onion and grind for 5 sec.

To Heat
1. Turmeric powder - pinch
2. Hing / Asafoetida - pinch
3. Salt to taste
4. One handful of cilantro - washed and chopped

Mix everything from step 1 , 2 and 3 together and heat in medium flame. Do not stir the mix while heating. Slowly bubbles get formed on the top of rasam (as shown in the fig above). At this stage remove flame. Serve hot.

Mulanghi sambhar / Raddish-lentil stew [without odor :) ]

Sambhar is a traditional south indian vegetable-lentil stew goes well with Idli & White rice. The flexiblity of the dish is, with the same procedure we can choose our choice of vegetables.

Raddish gives a green smell like cucumber even after cooking. Using it in sambhar disturbs the real taste of sambhar. Here follows the recipe for raddish sambhar without green smell. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- to cook
1. Raddish - 300 grams (washed and cut in round shapes)
2. Toovar dal - 150 grams
3. Big brown onion - 1 (rougly chopped) or small onions - 10 nos (without chopped)
4. Tomato - 1 (roughly chopped)
5. Tamarind pulp - 1 small lemon size ball (soak in water for 15 mins and squeeze juice and discard the husk)
6. Cilantro - 1 handful (washed and chopped)
7. Sambhar powder - 4 tbs

- to saute
1. Cooking oil - 3 tbs
2. Mustard seeds + urad dal - 1 tbs
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tbs
4. Hing /Asafoetida - pinch
5. Curry leaves - 4 nos
6. Turmeric powder - pinch

Method:

1. Wash and cook the toovar dal / lentil with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker. 3-4 whistles is enough. Let the cooked lentil in the cooker itself.
2. Heat 1 tbs oil in a pan and add everything under saute one-by-one in 30 sec difference. Add the chopped onions and cook till its transparent. Add tomatos and cook till its smashed. Add this mixture to cooked lentil.
3. Heat the same pan and put 2 tbs oil. Saute the raddish till its green smell goes off. Use medium heat. Consiously stir the raddish then only the green smell will completely go off. Add this also to the lentil.
4. Add salt, tamarind juice, sambhar powder and cilantro to the lentil + one more cup of water. Mix everthing once and close the cooker. Cook for 3-4 whistles. Serve hot.

Channa masala / Chickpea spicy gravy

Channa Masala / Chickpea gravy is a traditional north indian recipe. Its a spicy dish so goes well with neutrals (chappathi, rice, naan...). Early i was afraid of making this dish, somehow it got registered in my mind that its very difficult. From my sister i got this simple recipe and frequently preparing it now a days. Thanks to my sister.

Ingredients:

- to saute
1. Cooking oil - 2tbs
2. Bay leaves - 2 nos
3. Cinnamon sticks - 2 nos
4. Saunf - 1/2 tbs
5. Cumin seeds /Jeera - 1/2 tbs
6. Aldi / turmeric powder - 1 pinch
7. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1 tbs
8. Curry leaves - 3 nos

- to cook
1. Channa daal / Chickpea - 250 grams (soaked overnight or atleast 3 hours)
2. Brown onion - 1 (finely chopped)
3. Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbs
5. Cilantro - 1 handful (finely chopped)
6. Besan flour / Gram flour - 1 tbs
7. Garam masala - 2 tbs
8. Salt to taste
9. Lemon - 1/2

Method

1. Wash the soaked channa / chickpea and cook in pressure cooker (with water level upto channa is immersed) for 4 whistles and keep it aside.
2. Heat 2 tbs of cooking oil in a pan and add mustard seeds + urad daal, Cumin seeds, saunf, bay leave, cinnamon sticks one by one. Once it started splattering add curry leaves. Immediately add the chopped onion and cook until it is transparent. Followed by onion add the tomatos and cook it until it gets smashed. Then add the ginger garlic paste and cook until the fresh aroma goes off.
3. Open the pressure cooker and add the above paste to the cooked channa. Add garam masala, cilantro and salt. Dissolve the besan flour in 3/4 cup of water and add it to channa. Sqeeze lemon juice over it and mix everything once. Cook the channa once again in the same pressure cooker for 4 whistles.
Serve hot with chappathi.

Keerai puli kuzhambu / Spinach sour gravy

Puli kuzhambhu / Sour Gravy is a traditional south indian gravy recipe goes well with hot rice and pappad. The gravy becomes more tasty while cooking with certain combination of vegetables. Spinach is one such combination.

Ingredients

-to saute
1. Gingelly oil - 2 tbs
2. Cooking oil - 1 tbs
2. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tbs
3. Mustard seeds + urad daal (white lentil) - 1/2 tbs
4. Curry leaves - 3 to 4

- to cook
1. Fresh Spinach - 1 bunch (If the spinach leaves are very big to cook, wash and chop the bunch)
2. Tamarind - one small lemon size (Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water and sqeeze it for juice) or 1/2 cup tamarind juice
3. Onion - 1 (finey chopped)
4. Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)

- Masalas
1. Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tbs
2. Coriander powder - 1/2 tbs
3. Salt to taste

Method

1. In a hot pan, heat 1/2 tbs cooking oil. Wash the spinach leaves and cook in it. Spinach reduces 75 % of its volume during this process. Keep aside the sauted spinach.
2. Heat 2 tbs of gingelly oil and 1 tbs of cooking oil together in a pan. Put fenugreek seeds and then mustard seeds + urad daal. After 30 sec put the curry leaves. Followed by curry leaves immediately add chopped onion and cook till it becomes transparent. Then add the tomatos. Cook the tomatos till it gets smashed.
3. Add the sauted spinach to this and cook for 1 min. Then pour the tamarind juice to this + 2 more cup of water. Add the ingredients under masalas one by one and mix well.
4. Boil the gravy till it gets thicken and then remove from fire.
5. Optional - If you feel the recipe is spicy add 1/4 cup of coconut milk 5 mins before removing from fire. Serve with hot rice and pappad.