Simple Dal

Ingredients

  1. Toor dal- 1 cup
  2. onion- 3 #
  3. tomato- 3#s
  4. ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp
  5. green chilli slit- 5 #s
  6. red chilli powder – 1 tsp
  7. coriander powder – 1tsp
  8. turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
  9. garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
  10. Jeera- 2 tsp
  11. Asafoetida powder-1/2 tsp
  12. salt
  13. oil- 4 tbsp
  14. chat masala and amchoor powder – 1/2 tsp each (optional)
  15. Coriander leaves- for garnishing

Method

  •  Wash the toor dal and place it in a cooker and pour water until the dal is fully immersed. Add little turmeric and  cook it  until 5 whistles.
  • Cool and mash the dal with a spoon.
  • Chop the onions and tomatoes.
  • Heat oil. Add jeera, curry leaves. Add onion and fry till translucent.
  • Add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes
  • Add green chilli and tomatoes. Fry till tomatoes are pulpy.
  • Add all the powders and fry till raw smell goes.
  • Finally add the mashed dal with 1/2 to 1 cup water and boil until the desired consistency is reached.
  • Garnish with fresh coriander and curry leaves.
  • Dal goes very well with rice and chappatis. The consistency of dal is an individual option.

Spicy fish fry

Ingredients

  1. Fish (any fish)- 1/2 kg
  2. ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp
  3. lemon juice- of one lemon
  4. red chilli powder- 2 tsp
  5. coriander powder – 3 tsp
  6. turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  7. salt
  8. pepper crushed coarsely – 1 tsp
  9. garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
  10. oil for frying

Method

  • Clean the fish thoroughly and wash with turmeric powder.
  • Make a marinade with above ingredients using little water.
  • Apply it on fish slices  and keep in the fridge for atleast half hour.
  • Heat a pan and drizzle some oil and place the fish and fry both the sides until cooked.
  • Spicy fish fry is ready.

Masala rice

Ingredients

  1. Rice- 1 cup
  2. onion- 2 #s
  3. tomatoes- 2#
  4. green chillies -4 chopped
  5. red chilli powder, dania powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder- 1 tsp each
  6. green peas -1/2 cup
  7. mushroom-1/4 cup
  8. ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
  9. Whole garam masala (clove, cardamon, cinnamon, bay leaf)- 2 each
  10. oil- 2 tbsp
  11. salt
  12. coriander leaves
  13. water – for 1 cup rice add 2 cups water for normal raw rice (for basmati rice add 1.5 cup water for 1 cup rice)

Masala rice

Method

  •  Soak rice for 1/2 hour.
  • In pressure cooker heat oil. Add whole garam masala. add onion and fry
  • Add ginger garlic paste. fry till raw smell goes
  • add chopped chillies and add tomatoes. fry
  • Add all powders and fry
  • Add green peas and salt and fry
  • Add the rice and fry  for a minute or two
  • Add water and  close the cooker with weight and wait for 3 whistles.
  • Simple masala rice is ready. garnish with coriander leaves.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients

  1. Rice – 2 cups
  2. Tomato-5-6 big ( grind to a paste)
  3. onion-2 #
  4. Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
  5. Dania powder – 2 tsp
  6. Turmeric powder _ 1/2 tsp
  7. Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
  8. Coriander leaves- a little
  9. salt
  10. sombu/saunf- 1 tsp
  11. oil-2 tbsp
  12. peas-1/4 cup ( optional)
  13. mushroom -1/4 cup (optional)
  14. soya chunks- 1/4 cup optional (soak in water for 1/2 hour and squeeze out the water and use )
  15. Whole garam masala- clove, cinnamon,cardamon,bayleaf- 2 each

Grind to paste

  1. Small onions-8 -10 #s
  2. green chillies-4-5
  3. ginger-small piece
  4. garlic-4-5 #
  5. coconut – 1/4 cup

Method

  1. Soak rice for 1/2 hour. Dilute the tomato pulp with water so that the ratio of rice and tomato juice comes to 1:2 ( for 1 cup rice 2cups diluted tomato juice)
  2. In pressure cooker heat oil add saunf, whole garam masalas, curry leaves.
  3. Add onion and fry. Add the grounded paste and fry till nice aroma comes.
  4. Add red chill , dania and turmeric powder. Fry.
  5. Add peas, mushroom, soyachunks and coriander leaves.
  6. Add rice and fry and coat all the grains of rice with oil
  7. Add watery tomato juice and salt.
  8. Close the cooker and put the weight and wait till 3 whistles. Open the cooker when the pressure is gone.
  9. Tomato rice is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

 

Stuffed Capsicum

Ingredients

  1. Capsicum- 6 #s
  2. Onion- 4 Chopped finely
  3. Green chilli- 4 chopped finely
  4. ginger garlic paste- 1tsp
  5. cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  6. carrot-2 # grated
  7. cabbage- 200 gms finely chopped
  8. potato-2 chopped finely
  9. green peas – small cup boiled
  10. paneer- 1 cup grated
  11. red chilli powder -1 1/2 tsp
  12. turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
  13. garam masala -1 tsp
  14. dania powder – 1 tsp
  15. salt
  16. chat masala powder – 1tsp
  17. bread crumbs – about 1 cup
  18. cheese- grated 2 tbsp
  19. oil- 2 tbsp

Method

  • Cut the top of the capsicum and remove the seeds.
  • Either steam the capsicum in the cooker without putting the weight for 5 minutes. Or blanch the capsicum in the boiling water for 10 minutes.
  • Take the capsicum and shake of the water and apply little salt inside the capsicum.
  • Heat oil. Add jeera ,green chillies, onion and fry well.
  • Add gingergarlic paste and fry well
  • Add carrot, potato, cabbage and let it cook.
  • Lastly add cooked peas.
  • Now add all the powders and salt  let it cook until raw smell goes
  • Add cheese and little bread crumbs. mix well.
  • Now the filling is ready
  • Stuff the capsicum with the above filling and seal it with cheese and bread crumbs.
  • Drizzle some oil in the non stick pan and keep the capsicum upside down and cover the pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes
  • Now the stuffed capsicum  is ready.

Ennai Kathrikai

This is one of my favourite dishes. Brinjals are multi purpose veggie. It can be used in curry, fries, grills, chutneys and what not. So presenting to you the queen of vegetables.

Ingredients

  1. Brinjal- 250 gms
  2. onion- 200 gms
  3. Tomato- 200 gms
  4. Fenugreek- 1/2 tsp
  5. Mustard- 1 tsp
  6. curry leaves- 1 sprig
  7. Whole red chillies- 2 #
  8. Tamarind- lemon size soak in 1 1/2 cup water
  9. Red chilli Powder- 2 tsp
  10. dania powder – 3 tsp
  11. turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  12. ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
  13. pepper coarsely powdered – 1 tsp
  14. salt
  15. gingelly oil – ladle

ennai kathrikai

Method 

  •  In tamarind water add red chilli, dania, turmeric powders.
  • Heat oil add mustard, curry leaves, fenugreek and whole red chilli for seasoning
  • Add onion and fry. Add ginger garlic paste
  • Add tomotoes and fry
  • Add brinjal and a half tea spoon of red chilli powder
  • Add salt and 1/2 to 1 cup of water and let the brinjal cook for sometime
  • Now add tamarind water and let it boil until the raw smell goes
  • Now add coarsely crushed pepper
  • Garnish with coriander leaves.
  • Ennai kathrikai is ready.

Chicken /Fish/Mutton Biryani

One of my friend makes wonderful and very tasty biryani. I share her recipe. The recipe is so hit in our family that we named the biryani after her name as “Raafiya” biryani . Thank you Raafiya for sharing such a tasty biryani.

Ingredients

  • Basmati rice- 5 cups
  • Sliced onions medium size- 20-25 #
  • Green chilli- 25 #
  • Jeera powder- 2 tsp
  • Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric Powder – 3 tsp
  • Garam Masala – 1 tsp
  • curry leaves
  • Pudina- 1 small bunch
  • Coriander leaves- 1 small bunch
  • Ginger garlic paster- 2 tbsp
  • Whole garam masala (cinnamon, cardamon, bayleaf, clove) – few each
  • Tomato- 3 medium size
  • lemon – 2 #
  • oil- 250ml
  • salt as per taste
  • Saffron or yellow colour soaked in little warm milk
  • Fried onion rings

Method

  • In a pressure cooker add onion, whole garam masala, little oil and little salt and close the cooker along with weight and cook until one whistle.
  • Open the cooker immediately and cook the onion until all the water dries up. Add oil if necessary . Add green chillies and fry till light brown colour.
  • Add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes.
  • Add jeera powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder. Fry again.
  • Add tomatoes and fry till nice brown paste and until oil floats.
  • Add curry leaves,pudina and coriander leaves.
  • You can prepare this paste and refridgerate this in freezer and can be used within 15 to 20 days for various non veg biryanis.
  • To this paste add chicken/mutton/seafood and let it cook . Add water if necessary. Also add lemon juice and cook until the meat is tender.
  • Soak the rice in salt water for half an hour to one hour.
  • Boil water in a big pan. When water is boiled add rice, whole garam masalas, lemon juice, little oil, salt and cook until rice is 3/4th cooked. Strain the water and keep the rice coated with oil.
  • Now do the dum. First put one layer of masala gravy, next add a layer of rice, upon rice sprinke little saffron liquid, fried onion rings, coriander leaves, curry leaves, pudina, tomato rings. Repeat this procedure until all masala and rice is done. Rice layer should be final.
  • Now either cover with aluminium foil or make a dough of atta and close the lid and seal it with atta and keep the pan on low flame for dum for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Enjoy biryani with raita.

Vatral Kuzhamboo

Vatral Kuzhamboo is made with variety of vatrals. Vatrals are sun dried vegetables which can stored and can be used whenever wanted. Vatrals can be many varieties like sundakkai, manathakkali, cluster beans , brinjal etc. Mainly vatral kuzhamboo is made with sundakkai or manathakkali vatrals. This kuzhumboo is made esp by brahmins during saturdays or fasting days without using onions and garlic. But here i tried to make it with onions and garlic which was fantastic. Vatral kuzhumboo’s best accompaniment is sutta appalam (roasted papad)

Ingredients

  1. Small onions – 150 gms ( use it whole)
  2. Vatral- 50 gms
  3. Garlic – 8 # (use it whole)
  4. Green Chilli – 2 #
  5. Tamarind – Lemon size
  6. Whole red chilli- 6- 8 #
  7. Pepper – 1 tsp
  8. Jeera – 1 tsp
  9. Fenugreek – 1/2 tsp
  10. Coriander seeds- 2 handful
  11. curry leaves- few
  12. Gingelly oil- 1 ladle
  13. Curry leaves- 2 Sprigs
  14. Whole red chilli – 2 #
  15. Mustard 1 tsp
  16. Tomato – 1
  17. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp

Method

  1. Firstly soak the vatrals in water for 10 minutes and clean it 2 to 3 times until all the salt and other dust is gone.
  2. Grind the ingredients from 6 to 11 to a paste.
  3. Heat oil. Add seasonings of mustard, whole red chilli, curry leaves.
  4. Add vatral and fry till little crisp.
  5. Add small onions, tomato, garlic, greenchilli and fry well.
  6. Add the grounded paste and turmeric powder. Fry well.
  7. Add tamarind water and salt and 1 or 2 cups of water.
  8. Cook until thick and oil floats at the top. Garnish with coriander `leaves.
  9. The vatral kuzhumboo is ready. It goes well with plain rice, idli, dosa.
  10. Tip:- If vatral kuzhamboo is too salty or too tangy add a little jaggery to balance the taste.

Quick Cabbage Fry

This is a very quick side dish for lunch. It is a very good accompaniment for kara Kuzhamboo or vatral kuzhamboo.

Ingredients

  1. Cabbage – 1 medium size
  2. Green Chilli – 2 to 3 #s
  3. Ginger chopped finely – 1 inch size
  4. Jeera – 1 tsp
  5. Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
  6. Grated Coconut- 4 – 6 tbsps
  7. Oil- 2 tbsp
  8. Salt as per taste

Method

  1. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter jeera, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves.
  2. Add finely chopped cabbage and cook in an open pan and add salt after sometime.
  3. Fry until all the water in the curry is dried
  4. Finally add the coconut.
  5. Simple and delicious cabbage fry is ready.

Tomato Onion Uttappam

A small quantity of idli dough was remaining , just thought of making some delicious uttappams.

Ingredients

Idli or dosa dough – 8 -10 ladles

onion chopped- 2 #

Tomato chopped- 1 big

green chilli- 4-6 #

curry leaves- 2 sprigs

jeera pepper coarsely powdered- 2 tsp

salt if required

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in the dough.


2. Heat the dosa tava and make uttappams and pour generous oil around the uttappam.

3. When one side is done , flip for the other side to cook.

4. The uttappam is ready to be served.

5. Uttappam can be served along with any chutney, chutney powder(idli molaga podi), sambhar or it can be eaten as such.

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