Thattu vadai set

                  One of the favorite roadside snacks around Salem. I haven't tried it , but my friends used to say about this snack often. I can imagine that it will be crunchy, spicy and tasty. I made this snack only through learning recipe from my friend who had it in the shop. After tasting it, I got addicted to it.

Ingredients:

Thattai:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Urad dhal flour - 2 tbsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
Soaked channa dhal - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

Coconut chutney :
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 4
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Spicy chutney :
Onion - 1 big
Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garlic - 2

Garnishing :
Carrot - 1
Beetroot - 1
Onion - 1 big
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Recipe:

* Prepare coconut chutney by grinding all the ingredients given . Add very little water.
* Prepare spicy chutney by grinding all the ingredients and fry that chutney in small kadai till the moisture is absorbed and the chutney should become thick paste.
* Shred carrot and beetroot separately.Chop onion into small small pieces and mix little bit of beetroot color into it,to get a good color.
* Prepare thattai by mixing rice flour,urad dhal powder,chilli powder,salt and oil with little water. The consistency should be soft and thick dough.cover it with damn cloth for sometime. Take oil in a wide pan and bring it to medium hot temperature.Take a plastic sheet and apply oil on top.Take a small piece of dough and slowly press to make it flat.Slowly slide it to oil and fry it slowly on both side till bubble sound from oil fades.

Serving thattuvadai:

1.Take one thattai and apply coconut chutney in one side.
2.Take another thattai and apply spicy chutney in one side.
3.Keep one thattai in bottom and place shredded carrot,beetroot and onion on top.Squeeze some lemon juice on top and place the other thattai on top.

Just have it as it is like sandwich.

Note:

*Prepare thattai little bit thinner than normal thattai.
*Adjust spiciness to chutney according to taste.

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Kara chutney

                                There are different version of kara chutney. Some use to prepare it in raw version while others prepare like this one. Personally i like this version for idlies. If you prepare this chutney, everyone in home will have a extra idli . Idli is tasteless one, so most of the guys hate to have idlies but if we serve some spicy chutney along with it, idli will go inside mouth without any complaint. I also prepare this chutney for paniyaram too.


Ingredients :

Small onion -  1 1/2 cup
Tomato - 2 no
Garlic - 4 cloves
Red chilli - 4
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Salt - as per taste

Tampering :

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
Broken urad dhal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 stem
Asafoetida - a pinch

Recipe :

* Chop small onion length wise.
* Chop tomato, garlic into small small pieces.
             In a kadai,pour 1 tbsp oi, followed by garlic and red chilli. Fry till red chilli is crispy and slightly brown. Now add small onion, fry till they turn slightly brown. Now add tomato and salt. Cook till tomato is cooked well and blend with onion . Finally add coconut, fry it for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove and allow to cool. Grind this mixture without adding water. ( water content in tomato and onion is enough for grinding).
After grinding, transfer to a bowl. In a small kadai, add oil, followed by mustard seed, broken urad dhal,curry leaves and asafoetida. Once the mustard splattered, pour it to the chutney.

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Beetroot chutney

                          Do you like to surprise your kids with some attractive dishes, try this beetroot chutney. It is more colorful and tasty too. I heard kids used to avoid taking vegetables as poriyal, preparing chutney with vegetables in attractive way makes them to eat without hesitation. We can use this chutney as spread for bread , chappathi and even for dosa.

Ingredients :
       
Beetroot - 2 medium size
Red chilli - 4
Channa dhal - 1 tsp
Coconut - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 5 cloves
Tamarind paste- 1/2 tsp

Recipe :

One way :
1. Chop beetroot  into small small pieces.
2.Broke red chili into small small pieces.
3.In a kadai, add 1 tbsp oil and add channa dhal, red chili , curry leaves. Fry it for awhile. Now add beetroot and sprinkle some water on top. Add salt and close the lid. Cook for 5 minutes, till beetroot is cooked well. Now add coconut and fry till coconut is fried well. Switch off the stove and let it cool down for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, grind it in small jar in mixie along with tamarind paste without adding water. No need of tampering.

Other way:
1. Cover the beetroot with thin wrap sheet.Keep it directly in microwave and cook it for 4+4 minutes.Once it look cooked ,take it out and pierce it with a fork. If the fork goes all the way inside,it is perfectly cooked. Allow it to cool for some more minutes. Remove the skin and chop it into small pieces.
2. In kadai, add oil, followed by channa dhal,red chili,curry leaves,coconut , bettroot and salt. Fry it for awhile and allow it to cool. After some times, grind it in small mixie jar along with tamarind paste without adding any water. If needed, can sprinkle some water.
      This chutney goes well with dosai,chappathi and bread.

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Thakkali dosai

                        One of my favorite dosai is thakkali dosai. The tangy taste in dosai makes me to eat extra dosai. Having a kid in home, we have to try different dish and experiment different ones. They feel bored if we feed same type of dish again and again. They wont say it in words, their expression say thousand words. My son loves dosai, esp crispy crunchy dosai. I like to prepare different type of dosai apart from onion dosai, masala dosai..... i tried this dosai and my son love it.


Ingredients :

Idli rice - 1 cup
Sona masoori rice - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 4
Red chili - 5
Jeera - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 "
Curry leaves - 1 tbsp (chopped)

Recipe :

 * Soak rice for 4 to 5 hours.
 * Chop tomato,red chili ,ginger and curry leaves into small pieces.

                   Grind all the ingredients with enough water and salt. The consistency of the batter should be like paper dosai . Take a dosa tava, pour the batter in the center and spread in circular motion towards outward. Sprinkle some oil on top. Cover the tava with a lid. After some 2 minutes, fold the dosa and transfer to serving plate.(No need to turn upside down). Serve with coconut chutney.

Note:
       
* Can sprinkle some finally chopped onion and coriander leaves on top.
* No need to ferment the batter.

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Tandoori chicken

          Tandoori chicken is most favorite dish for non-vegetarians. I have tried this dish many times but i am not satisfied by the texture . Either it will crispy out and not juicy inside. In conventional oven, i tried normal mode but the outer layer wont be that much crispier. Recently i tried broiler mode, tandoori chicken came out so so good, outside so crispy and inside juicy.

Ingredients :

Chicken leg - 2
Thick curd - 1/2 cup
Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
Chicken tandoori masala - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1/2

Chutney :

Cilantro or kothamali - 1/2 cup
Curd - 1/4 cup
Green chilli - 5
Ginger - 1 " piece
Salt - according to taste

Recipe:

                        Take a big bowl, add curd,chilli powder, tandoori masala powder,salt and mix it well. Now add chicken leg and marinate well. Transfer this to a plate and cover it with thin wrap and  refrigerate for 4 hours. After 4 hour, pre-heat the oven in broiler mode for 10 minutes. Take a oven safe plate and coat it with oil and place the chicken legs. Keep it inside conventional oven. Cook it for 20 minutes and take it out ,flip to other side and again keep it inside oven. Repeat this till the outer layer is crispy. Once done, poke with a fork to check whether it is cooked inside. Finally squeeze lemon on top.
            For chutney,just grind all the ingredients and serve it with tandoori chicken.

Note : 

*When you are keeping it in broiler mode, keep the tray in top layer stand.
* In conventional mode, the heat comes from bottom of the oven whereas in broiler mode, the heat comes        from top of the oven. That's why we should keep tray in top layer.
* When you are grilling something, use broiler mode.

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Mango lassi

                          What do you think when the climate is very hot? swimming or cold drink. I like to take some fruit juice or fruit smoothie or .....lassi. Now here in US, it is mango season. So i like to try mango lassi. My son love mango drinks. I love to see his bright huge eyes , when i say.. i prepared mango lassi.

Ingredients :

Ripe yellow sweet mango - 2 

Yogurt - 1 cup

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Milk - 1/2 cup

Saffron - a pinch

Ice cubes - 1/4 cup

Recipe :

* Chop mango into small small pieces.

* Soak saffron in little milk.

             

                       Add mango pieces,yogurt,sugar, ice cubes, milk ,saffron and cardamom powder in mixie/ blender.Adjust milk accordingly to the thickness of the lassi. Adjust sugar according to taste. Transfer it to a bowl and store it in fridge. While serving, pour it to glass tumbler and top it with yougurt, cardamom powder and nuts(optional).

Notes:

* Same way we can make other fruit lassi.

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Vegetable rice

Some times we used to feel bored of having biryani and  normal variety rice, this vegetable rice is the right choice to have something non spicy and filling. Usually i prepare vegetable rice using only veggies but once my family fallen in love with meal maker, i try to add it in variety rices like biryani,vegatable rice,tomato biryani. My son who is eggetarian,likes having meal maker ,so i tried to add in most of my dish Adding meal maker to this dish give a different taste.

Ingredients :

Basmathi rice - 2 cup
Whole spice - 2 each ( clove,cardamom,cinnamon, bay leaves, aniseed )
Onion - 1 big
Garlic - 10 no
Ginger - 2 " piece
Green chilli - 4 no
Coriander leaves - 4 stem
Veggies - 1 cup ( carrot,beans,green peas, cauliflower,potato )
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Water - 3 cup

Recipe :

* Chop onion lengthwise.
* Chop vegetables in big pieces.
* Soak meal maker 5 minutes before.
* Chop garlic and ginger. Just smash it roughly.

In a pressure cooker, add ghee or oil. Add whole spices and fry for awhile. Now add onion,green chilli,ginger and garlic. Fry till onion is crispy. Add chopped vegetables and fry till all vegetables are fried well in oil. Now add meal maker,turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Now add rice and fry it in oil for a while and then add enough water( I took water in 1 : 1 1/2 ratio) .Check for the salt and spiciness . If spicy is less,add garam masala and chilli powder according to the need. If needed ,can squeeze lemon juice on top. Finally add chopped coriander leaves and 1/2 tsp ghee. Cover the pressure cooker and leave it for one whistle . After first whistle, reduce the flame to sim and cook for 5 to 8 more minutes. Switch off the flame after 8 minutes and open the cooker after 5 minutes. Yummy vegetable rice is ready. Serve with raita or potato fry.

Notes:

* Adding garam masala can be avoided ,if you like to have non spicy food.
* You can add chopped tomato before closing the cooker lid, i like to have chuck piece of tomato in vegetable rice.
* It is easy to make and best take away food when we plan for a picnic .

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Channa sundal

  There are different varieties of sundal which are prepared in south india. I love the white channa sundal.


Ingredients :

White channa - 1 cup
Onion - 1 big
Curry leaves - 3
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 4 no
Coconut - 1/4 cup ( shredded)

Recipe :

* Soak channa for 3 hrs and pressure cook adding enough water,salt and turmeric powder.

In a kadai  , add oil followed by mustard seed,broken urad dhal,onion,red chilli and curry leaves.Fry till onion r crispy. Now add shredded coconut and fry for awhile. Finally add cooked channa and stir till the mixture coated well on channa. We can take this as side dish for variety rice or just as a snacks.

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Microwave lady's finger fry

      I read this recipe from some book. It look intresting and simple. Pre preparation time is less but it take more time to prepare. It is worth to take time and prepare this dish. This fry will be crispy like vadagam. Best side dish for curd rice.

Ingredients :

Lady's finger - 15 no
Turmerice powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Recipe :

* Chop lady's finger lengthwise.

                    Take a bowl, add turmeric powder,chilli powder,salt and oil. Mix it. Now add lady's finger into the mixer and mix well. Wrap the bowl with a foil and keep it in fridge for 1 hour. Take a plate ,place a paper towl and spread this marinated lady's finger and keep it in microwave for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, take out and mix it and again keep it in microwave for 3 minutes.( My microwave dont have low,medium,high settings, so kept it in normal settings) once again mix it and keep it in microwave for 4 more minute. Should be carefull in the last setting in microwave, chances are there to get burnt. I used to keep for 3+3+4 minutes. The final output will be , crispy crunchy lady's finger.

Note:

* Can also some other spicy like amchur powder, garam masala.
* We can marinate this in night and prepare it next day morning.
* Can prepare in big batches and store it in air tight container.
* Should not place lady's finger one above other while keeping it in  microwave.

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Ven pongal

        In south india, ven pongal is famous dish in hotels in morning times. Basically they are prepared using ghee and enriched by adding fried cashew. The taste will be blond if we have it discarding the fried black pepper corns,jeera and cashew. Even i used to discard the pepper corns because of its spiciness, but my husband used say it taste yummy when we have ven pongal with pepper corn and cashew.

Ingredients :

Raw rice - 1 cup (Pacharissi)
Moong dhal - 1/4 cup ( Pashi paruppu)
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Balck pepper corns - 1 tbsp
Ginger - 1 " piece
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cashew - 10 no
Asofateida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 2 stem

Recipe :

* Fry dhal in non stick pan and soak it with rice for 30 minutes.
* Chop ginger roughly.

In pressure cooker, add rice ,dhal,salt and water ( I add water in 1 : 2 cup ratio). Keep it for 3 whistle. Once it is cooked, open the lid and smash it with spatula. In a kadai, add ghee. Once it is hot, add asofateida, ginger, jeera,black pepper corns, curry leaves and cashewnuts. Add this to rice dhal mixture. Mix well and serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney.

Note :

* Add water according to the consistency needed.

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Arishi paruppu sadam

     This is one of my favorite food. My mom and my MIL used to make it often. It is simple and easy to make.I love to prepare it little bit mushy but my husband like to have it like variety rice( non sticky). We can have this just adding some ghee or coconut oil on top ,mix and have it with vadagam or pickle.


Ingredients :

Rice - 1 1/2 cup
Thur dhal - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 10 no
Small onion - 5
Curry leaves - 3
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Coriander seed - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Homemade powder (sambar powder ) - 2 tbsp
Tomato - 1 big
Salt - as per taste
Asafoetida - a pinch

Recipe :

* Chop onion and tomato.
* Soak rice and dhal together for 30 minutes.

                In a cooker,add oil. Once it is hot,add jeera,coriander seed and asafoetida. Once jeera splatter, add onion, peeled garlic(whole garlic),curry leaves. Fry for awhile. Now add tomato,turmeric powder ,sambar powder and salt. Cook till the tomato is cooked well and slightly oil oozes out from the mixture. Now add soaked rice and dhal to this mixture. Add enough water ,stir and close the lid. Cook for 2 whistle and switch off the flame. Don't open the lid till all the pressure is released. Leave it for 5 minutes and then open. Slowly stir the rice ,so that we will get a fluffy non sticky rice.Either we can add the ghee on top and close the cooker lid for sometimes, so that  the smell of ghee incorporate in rice. Else we can add ghee when we have food .

Note :

* To get a sticky rice,add 3 cup of water to 1 cup of rice. To get non sticky rice like biryani,add 1/2 cup less water .
* Since i love raita,i like to take it with any type of variety rice. I like the combination of arishi paruppu sadam and raita. Some use to have it with pickle or vadagam or any poriyal. Its upto your preference.

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Ginger chutney( Inji chutney)

I love the ginger pickle which is served in marriage's in south india. It has an unique taste. I thought of trying it ,but i know my kid cant have it because of its spiciness . So i planned to prepare ginger chutney which all my family members can have. I prepares this as one of the side dish for dosa , i also like to have it with ven pongal too. Sounds wierd, but i like that combination.

Ingredients:

Tamarind – Big Gooseberry Sized
Ginger – 1/4 cup
Red Chilli – 7
Fenugreek Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Broken urad dhal – 2 tbsp
Jaggery – 3 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Curry Leaves – 3 stem

Recipe:

* Chop ginger into small small pieces.

* Soak tamarind in water .

          Take a kadai,add oil. Once the oil is slightly hot,add mustard seed and  broken urad dhal. Once the mustard seed pops, add fenugreek seeds.Fry till they brown,add red chilli and asafoetida . Fry for some more minutes.Finally add curry leaves and fry till curry leaves get crispier. Grind this mixer with raw ginger,turmeric powder,salt, jaggery and tamarind water. Grind it either it as thokku consistency or chutney consistency. If needed, finally can tamper this chutney with mustard seed and curry leaves.

Note:

* Some of them used to use the skin of ginger too,but in this recipe i removed it,

* Those who don't like raw smell of ginger can fry it in oil slightly and then grind it.

* Adjust red chilli according to the need and taste.

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Pavakkai puli kulambu

  This is one of my husband and my son favorite kulambu. Generally kids hesitate to have pavakkai but my son loves to have it. This is my amma way of preparing puli kulambu. Very simple one and tasty too.

Ingredients:

Pavakkai ( Bitter gourd) - 3 small
Tomato - 1
Small onion - 5
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 3
Homemade sambar powder - 3 tbsp
Tamarind - very small piece
Curry leaves - 2 stem
asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seed - 1 tbsp
Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Recipe:

* Chop pavakkai either round or into small pieces.
* Chop onion and tomato into small small pieces.
* Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water.
* Grind coconut ,jeera and garlic together and make a paste.

Take a thick bottom kadai,add oil. Fry pavakkai first till they are crisper. Once it is fried well, add chopped tomato to it. Cook till tomato is mushy. Now add turmeric powder,homemade sambar powder and salt. Fry for sometime ,till raw smell goes away. Once it is cooked, add grinded coconut paste. If the paste is too thick,add little water and cover the kadai with a lid. Cook till the raw smell of coconut and jeera is faded and mixed well with tomato. Now add tamarind water ,jaggery and bring to boil. Cook this kulambu till it is thicken up .In small kadai,add oil. Once it hot enough, add mustard seed,chopped onion,curry leaves and asafoetida. Fry it and add to kulambu. This goes well with hot rice. 

Note:

* Jaggery is added to give a slight sweetish taste to the kulambu and also the bitterness will also will be balanced.
* Preparing this kulambu using gingerly oil,enhance the taste .
* Those who dont like bitterness of bittergourd can soak chopped bittergourd in salt water for 10 to 15 minutes and use it in kulambu.

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