Kothamalli thokku

                                       Generally in my home ,we prepare chutney a lot than thokku or thogayal. When i was in bangalore ,in andra restaurants they used to serve gongura thokku which goes well with rice. I like the taste of thokku and rice combination. Some used to have it as a side dish like curry but i love to mix it with rice. My friends used to enjoy it more, by adding enormous amount of ghee along with this rice mix. These thokku once prepared in large quantity ,can kept it for long time if we preserve correctly.When there is kothamalli (cilantro) season,we can buy  bunches of it and prepare this thokku( this thokku requires many bunches of kothamalli leaves). Preparation is very simple.

Ingredients:

Kothamalli/coriander/cilantro leaves - 4 bunch
Red chilli - 9 no
Tamarind - very small size( 2 tbsp paste)
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Fenugreek seed - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 6 tbsp

Recipe:

* Wash kothamalli in running water,pat dry and chop into pieces.Can use the stem if needed.

1. In kadai,add 1 tsp oil and roast red chilli and fenugreek seed.(Don't burn the fenugreek seed).Just remove the red chilli and fenugreek seed,powder them without adding any water.
2.Take a big kadai and add 1 tbsp oil.Once it is warm,add chopped coriander leaves.Fry till the leaves is cooked .Now add tamarind at this stage and cover the lid and cook for 2 more minutes. Cook till the tamarind is soft.Switch off the stove.
3.Now grind the coriander leaves mix,ginger along with salt and hing. Use pulse setting to grind.The thokku should be thick and coarse in texture.( Don't grind it like paste).
4.Take a wide thick botom pan and add 5 tbsp of gingerly oil.Once it is hot,add mustard seed .Once it splatters,add grinded thokku and red chilli fenugreek mix. Mix well and cook in low flame till the thokku is cooked and oil oozes out. While stirring the thokku ,it should stir without sticking to the pan(Like halwa).Once it is done, switch off the stove and cool down .Once it is cool down,transfer to a air tight container and refrigerate .

Serving:
* Cook the rice like we used to prepare for preparing variety rice.(Non sticky/Uthiri uthiriya).
* While serving, sprinkle some gingerly oil or ghee on top of hot rice and mix well.
* Now add enough thokku and mix well.
* Have this kothamalli rice with appalam or papadam or vadagam.

Note:

* Don't add too much of fenugreek seed,it will give bitter taste to the dish.
* This thokku can also be served as side dish for dosa or as a spread for bread.

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Vegetable puffs ( without using puff pastry)

                                In US, though in some shops ,our hometown famous puffs are available. They are bit costlier and taste is not up to the mark.So i thought of preparing it in home. I heard making pastry sheet in home is not an easy one.The alternative way,buying pastry sheets and preparing it in home just the filling. I don't know when ever i buy pastry sheet,either i won't use till expire date and only remind it when it got expired,else when i remember it and try to make it ,the sheet would be jammed well and fellt difficult to roll it.So most of my sheet will be wasted.I found an alternative way in net to prepare puffs. In my home freezer,we always have frozen parota. I heard we can make puff using frozen parota sheet. Sounds intresting,right. So whenever we feel to have puffs,we use the parota sheet and preparing filling for it or use leftover curries.


Ingredients:

Frozen parota - 2
Egg - 1
Water - 2 tbsp

Filling :
Potato - 1 big
Chopped vegetable - 1 cup(Carrot,peas,beans,cauliflower)
Onion - 1 medium size
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp (chopped)
Curry leaves - 2 tbsp(Finely chopped)

For baking:
Baking tray - 1
Aluminium foil - to cover baking tray
Oil spray

Recipe:

* Chop all the vegetables and onion into fine pieces.
* Thaw the parota sheet alteast for 20 minutes.
* Pre-heat conventional to 325 degree.

1.In a kadai,add oil .Once it is warm,add onion,curry leaves and all vegetables. Cover and cook for 6     minutes.Once the vegetables are cooked ,now add potato and all dry  ingredients . Mix well and cook for 3 more minutes. Finally add coriander leaves and mix well. Transfer to a bowl and cool it.
2. Take the parota sheet which is in room tempertaure. Cut it in the center into half.Cut the circle into two semi circles.Apply little oil on top of the sheet and keep the filling in one corner of semi circle sheet and fold it with other corner.Apply water on corners to seal the edges.(If needed,we can cut the pointed edge ,so that we can get exact square shape of the puffs).
3.Beat the egg in a bowl and apply as a coat on top of the puffs.Place all the prepared puffs on oil coated aluminium foil.
4.Place the baking tray in conventional oven and bake for 10 minutes on each side.

Serve it hot alone or with tomato ketcup.

Note:

* We can add any vegetables to the filling.
* To get more puff thickness,instead of cutting the sheet,just fold the sheet and use it.
* Vegetarians can avoid coating egg,instead can use oil as coating.
* While baking,keep the tray in middle rack.

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Vegetable gothumai adai

                           My mom used to prepare gothumai rotti ,which is my favorite one. She used to prepare it with wheat flour,chilli powder,salt and water. It will be thick like adai. Since my husband don't like i,t as it is thick and don't have any special taste. So i added chopped vegetables and some powder to make it make tastier. I just love the crunchiness of vegetables and nice aroma of spices which i have added.Two gothumai adai is more than enough for a normal person. It goes well with coconut chutney and sambar.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1 cup
Onion - 1 big
Finely chopped vegetables - 1 cup(Carrot,beans,cauliflower,cabbage)
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Jeera - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 3 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 5 tbsp
Water - as per consistency.

Recipe:

* Chop onion and vegetables into very fine pieces.
* Mix all the ingredients together,by adding enough water. The dough should be little thick(not like chappathi dough)
            Heat thick bottom dosha tava, sprinkle some oil on top and when it is slightly warm,take a handful of wheat adai dough and place it in center of the tava and dip your hand in a bowl filled with water and slowly spread the adai using wet hand. From center spread the dough towards out. Spread the dough as thin as you can. After spreading sprinkle some oil around adai.Leave for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn the adai to other side and make very small 3 or 5 holes on adai and sprinkle in holes and around the adai. Cook for 5 more minutes in medium flame. Now again turn the adai and cook for 2 more minutes(To make adai crispier).Once done,serve with coconut chutney and sambar.

Note:

* Add any type of vegetables,it is purely optional.
* Instead of adai,we can also dilute it to dosa consistency and prepare dosa.
* Usually normal wheat rotti will be very thick and hard to chew,but this adai will be crispy and easy to chew when we have hot hot.
* If you are preparing this dosa for adults alone, can also add finely chopped green chilli.

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Fried modak / fried kollukattai

                                   In my life i have tasted four types of kolukattai. kara kolukattai,sweet kolukattai,paal kolukattai and pidi kolukattai. As vinayagar chadurthi is few days away,I searched net for dishes which are prepared on this festival. There were different type of kolukkatai's ,one thing which sounds different and  intresting is fried kolukattai. In south india, we used to prepare kolukatti/modak using rice flour,but this dish is prepared using wheat flour. When i tried to make sweet version, i feel difficult to get the correct modak shape. But making and getting shape of fried kolukattai is easy.

Ingredients:

Outer cover:
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt - as per taste
oil - 1 tbsp
Warm water - 3/4 cup
Rava - 1 tbsp

Inner filling:
Grated Jaggery / urunda vellam - 3/4 cup
Shredded coconut - 1 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Recipe:

1.In a thick pan,add grated jaggery . Cover it and cook it by adding very little water. When jaggery thickens up,cool it down and strain it using strainer(To remove impurities and stone in it).Once again keep it in stove and add grated coconut,cardamom powder and a pinch of salt( To enhance sweetness).Cook for 10 minutes,till the coconut and jaggery mixed well and thickens up.Transfer to a bowl and cool it.
2.Take a bowl and add wheat flour,salt,oil,rava(to get crispy modak) and warm water.Mix and make a dough like chappathi.Rest it for 30 minutes.
3.After 30 minutes,make small balls and roll it like chappathi . Take a small portion of sweet filling,make a ball and keep it in center of the chappathi.Close the corners of the chappathi and form a modak shape.
4.Prepare all the modak and deep fry it in oil.
5.Transfer to a plate with paper towel. Serve to god and have it.

Note:
* Prepare the chappathi either by rolling or using hand, but the thickness should be thin else the outer cover will be hard after frying.
* After frying all the kolukattai once, once again fry it to get crispy kolukattai.
* You can also add soaked dhal while preparing sweet filling.

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Chatshop kaalan

                             This is one of the famous chat item specially prepared in and around coimbatore area,India. The main ingredient in this dish is mushroom. My husband and my brother who are staying out of coimbatore city, likes to have it whenever they come to hometown.From my childhood i don't eat mushroom,So i am not fond of this dish but the craziness about this dish by youngsters made me to prepare it at home. After coming to US, my husband missed it so much. Through net, i learned this recipe and tried it. I didn't taste this dish but the aroma indirectly tells me ,it is perfect.Without tasting , i can't give a good feedback, so i prepared this dish using cauliflower too . Finally tasted it, i can feel the taste of the aroma which i felt in kaalan in this dish too.Happy that i could recreate the famous chat food in my kitchen.

Ingredients:

For mushroom bhajji:
Mushroom - 1 pack( I used button mushroom)
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Maida - 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
Food color - a pinch( Use orange color, i don't have so mixed red and yellow color)
Egg - 1 (Veg can use baking soda)
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp( for mixing)
Oil - For frying

For powder:
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1
Cardamon - 1
Cloves - 2
Anise - 1/2
Saunf - 1 tsp
Coriander seed - 1 tbsp
Black peppercorn - 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder - a pinch
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Other:
Onion - 1 big
Oil - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Spice powder - 2 tbsp( Garam masala or chicken masala )
Salt - as per taste
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Recipe:
* Chop onion into fine pieces.

For powder:
1.Grind all the ingredients into fine powder.

For kaalan liquid:
1.In kadai,add oil and fry 1/4 th of chopped oinion and fry till they are soft. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell fades away.
2.Now add 4 cups of water , 2 tsp of prepared powder and salt.Bring to boil. Once it boiled for 10 mintues,switch off the stove and Cover the kadai and keep aside.

For kaalan bhajji:
1.Chop kaalan lengthwise into thin slices.
2.In a bowl, mix all purpose flour,corn flour,ginger garlic paste,food color,salt and egg.If needed add little water and mix.The batter should be thin so that the bhajji coating should't be too thick.
3.Fry all the bhajji and keep aside.

Final preparation:
(* Heat the liquid which was prepared using powder, before starting this process)
1.In big wok or kadai, add oil . Once it is hot ,add kaalan bhajji .Fry for 3 minutes.
2.Add 1 1/2 cup of liquid (Prepared earlier) and cover the wok and cook for 10 minutes in slow flame.
3.After 10 minutes, add chilli powder,chicken masala powder or garam masala,salt.Smash the bhajji along with added powder and bring to gravy consistency. Now add 1 more cup and cover the lid and cook for 5 more minutes.
4.After 5 mintutes,check the consistency.Add more liquid according to the consistency needed. The final consistency should be little bit thick and mushy.
5.Finally add chopped onion and coriander leaves and mix well.

While serving,serve it in a small wide plate topped with onion and crushed poori's.

Note:

* I have used salt in different levels,so be cautious while adding.
* Same way we can prepare using cauliflower,
     Boil the cauliflower in salt water ,drain and keep it in a plate. Marinate using same mixer and fry it in oil. Follow same procedure.But before tasting it ,i just poured some pani poori water on top and little bit of lemon juice . It gives a awesome taste. You can prepare gobi 65 and prepare this dish. (who don't like the raw smell of cauliflower in the dish).
* You can prepare the powder and store it in refrigerator for long time.
* Prepare this dish in a thick pan,else the kaalan will stick to it's bottom.
* This dish is prepared in four steps.Powder preparation,Liquid preparation,kaalan bhajji preparation and final mixing.It sounds difficult, if we prepare this powder and store it in fridge. We can prepare liquid and bhajji simultaneously.Just half and hour before serving, we can finally mix it.
* We can add any masala powder at last. Garam masala or chicken masala or muttun masala.

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Kadappa recipe

                                      This is a speciality dish around kumbakonam/tanjore  areas. It goes very well with idli,dosa and idiyappam. I came to know about this dish through my friend. When i heard the name, i thought it is andra dish and it will be spicy, but it is totally oppposite. It is mild spicy.When i tasted it,the taste is like the potato masala we used to prepare for poori/chappathi. This is just a combination of dhal,coconut paste and some spices.

Ingredients :

Moong dhal/ pasiparuppu - 1/2 cup
Potato  - 2 medium size
Tomato - 1 big
Onion - 1
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cloves -  2
Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric powder - a pinch

To grind :

Coconut - 1/4 cup
Green chilli - 4 small
Fennel seed - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 pods
Poppy seed - 1/2 tsp

Recipe:

* Chop onion into small pieces.
* Soak poppy seed for 10 minutes and grind it along with other ingredients which are given under "To grind".
* Pressure cook moong dhal and potato for 3 to 4 whistle.
                                 
                                   In a kadai, add oil and once it is warm,add jeera,cinnamon and cloves. Fry for a minute and add onion,curry leaves.Once the onion turn translucent ,add tomato,salt and turmeric powder.Once the tomato is mussy and oil starts to ooze out,add grinded paste.Cook till the raw smell fades away. Now add pressure cooked dhal and potato mixture.(Cook dhal according to the need, slightly mushy or fully mushy). Cook for some more minutes.Add water according to the consistency needed.Finally add coriander leaves and mix well. Serve it with dosa or idli.

Note:

* If you are preparing this dish as a side dish for chappathi, don't cook moong dhal till it is mushy.
* Generally kadappa will colourless or creamy color, to make it attractive i have added turmeric powder.It is purely optional.
* The moong dhal will become thick so soon,so add enough water while cooking ,so that it will be remain semi liquid even after keeping it for long time.
* Smash few pieces of potato in the gravy to give a different taste.
* Since the dhal has a bland taste, adjust green chilli and other spices according to the need.

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