Tamil Veg Cooking

Oats upma

2011-11-14T01:34:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Oats - 1 cup
Onion - vengayam - 1 no.
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no.
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Udaitha ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Ginger garlic - Inji poondu - little quantity
Curry leaves - karuvepilai - Handful
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1 tea spoon
Oil - Ennai - For tempering
Salt - Uppu for taste
Lemon - elumichai pazham - for taste

Method:

Heat 1 tea spoon of oil in a pan and fry oats for some 3 minutes. Keep it aside. Peel off skin and chopp onions. Wash and slice tomatoes. Wash and peel off skin and keep ginger ready. Peel off skin and keep garlic ready. Now heat oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds, black gram dal, bengal gram dal, green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Now add turmeric powder, salt. Stirr well. Add 2 cups of water to it. Once it boils add fried oats to it. Keep stirring. Once it is cooked turn off stove. Now squeeze lemon on top of it. Upma is ready to be served. It can be served for 2 people. Requires hardly 15 minutes to cook.

Note: Any type of oats can be used. Oats is very good for health. Serve with any kind of chutny.

Optional: Red chillies can be added instead of green chillies. Coconut gratings, cashew nuts, coriander leaves can be added. Ingredients can be added/removed.

Groundnut/Peanut chutny - Verkadalai chutny

2011-11-14T01:25:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Groundnut/Peanut - Verkadalai - 1 cup
Red chillies - 3 nos.
Broken black gram dal - Udaitha ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Oil - Ennai - For tempering
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt - Uppu - For taste

Method:

Fry ground nuts in a pan/kadai and remove skin. Keep it aside. Heat a table spoon of oil in a pan, fry red chillies, ulutham paruppu, tamarind, add hing and add this content to ground nut, add little salt and grind it to a paste. Temper mustard seeds and add to it. This can be served as side dish for Idly, dosa, Pongal, Upma.

Note: Ground nuts should be of good quality, if it is not good even one peanut will spoil the whole chutny.

Optional: Coconut gratings can be added. Ingredients can be added or removed.

Potato bajji - Urulai kizhangu bajji

2011-11-14T01:10:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Bengal gram flour - Kadalai mavu - 1 cup
Rice flour - Arisi mavu - 1 table spoon
Chilly powder - Milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Ginger garlic paste - Inji Poondu vizhuthu - 1 table spoon
Potato - Urulai kizhangu - 1 no.
Hing - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt - Uppu - For taste
Oil - Ennai - For frying

Method:

Mix kadalai mavu, arisi mavu, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, hing, salt and add water and make it like idly batter. Wash potatoes and peel off the skin and cut into round pieces. Now dip potato into the batter. Heat oil in a pan/kadai when it is hot add potatoes one by one. When it is deep fried it is ready to be served. Serve with any kind of chutny.

Note: Kadalai mavu can be ground in mill or we get readymade in shops. Arisi mave also we can prepare or get readymade. Batter should not be too thick or too thin. Always cook in medium flame since if it is in high it will burn out and taste will not be good. It should be cooked well and should be crispy too.

Optional: Instead of potatoes, onion, pachai milagai, vazhaikai, peerkangai or any vegetables can be added.

Ragi Ball - Kali

2011-11-14T00:59:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Ragi flour - 1 cup
Rice - 3/4 cup
Salt - For taste

Method:

Mix ragi flour with water, consistency should be like dosa batter. Prepare this and keep for fermentation overnight. Next day morning heat this batter and stir continuously until the flour is cooked well and not sticky. Use wooden spoon and heavy bottom vessel for cooking. Now add alreay cooked rice or broken rice to this. If we use broken rice add enough water for cooking rice. Both ragi and rice must be cooked well and when it is hot make it to ball shape. Any spicy and hot side dish like vatha kulambu can be served for this.

Note: Broken rice is nothing but noi arisi. We will get this in shops. Or if left over cooked rice is there we can use that as well.

Optional: Side dish can be spicy kulambu, onion, chillies, keerai poriyal.

Poori

2011-06-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Wheat flour/All Purpose flour - Gothumai/Maida mavu - 2 cups
Salt - Uppu - For taste
Oil - Ennai - Small qty.

Method:

Mix flour with water. Water proportion is 45 % of flour. Add little salt and oil to the flour before mixing with water. Mix the dough well and cover with a wet cloth and keep it aside for some 30 minutes before making poori. Now make small balls and flaten the dough to make puris. Heat oil in pan/kadai, place one by one. Press kindly in the middle of puri so that it will bubble out. Hot puris are ready to be served. serve with Potato curry. This can be served for 4 people. Requires hardly around 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Always prepare the dough in advance. Dont flatten the dough too much then it will not bubble out. Press in the middle of puri in oil so that it will come up very well.

Optional: Any side dish like Kuruma, Thakkali thokku, Channa can be served for puri.

Rice dhal cake - Adai

2011-06-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 cup
Toor dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1/2 cup
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - Pachai paruppu - 1/4 cup
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 4 nos.
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Salt - Uppu - To taste
Oil - Ennai - Small Quantity

Method:

Wash and soak rice, dhal, red chillies and cumin seeds for 4 - 5 hours. Then grind into coarse paste. Add salt. Heat tava and pour one batter full of flour. Add oil. Heat both the sides. Serve hot with any chutney. This can be served for 4 people. It required hardly 20 minutes to prepare apart from soaking hours.

Note: For adai the flour must be coarse and must not be grinded into soft dough.

Optional: The proportion of rice and dals can be changed. Only rice and toor dal can be also be used.

Methi Roti - Vendaya Keerai Chappathi

2011-06-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - Gothumai mavu - 2 cups
Methi leaves - Vendaya keerai - 1 bunch
Salt - Uppu - a pinch
Oil - Ennai - Small quantity

Method:

Mix wheat flour with salt, 1 table spoon of oil and water. Usually water required is 45 % of flour quantity we take. Wash methi leaves and chopp it. Mix immediately with the dough. Place tava on stove when it is hot place the chappathis made, add little oil, heat both sides. Hot Methi Roti is ready to be served. Serve hot with curd and pickle. It can be served for 2 persons. Requires around 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Methi leaves should be mixed with the dough immediately when it is washed and chopped. Roti can be heated directly on stove without tava. But care must be taken so that it is not burned.

Optional: Roti can be served with any side dish as per your choice.

Brinjal Gothsu - Kathirikai gothsu

2010-11-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Brinjal - Kathirikkai - 1/4 kg
Moong dal - Pachai/Pasi paruppu - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small piece
Garlic - Poondu - 3 nos.
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Red chilly Powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1 tea spoon
Hing - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt - Uppu - To Taste
Oil - Ennai - For frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Split black gram dal - Udaitha ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - handful
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity

Method:

Wash and cut brinjal into small pieces and soak in water. Else it will turn into black colour. Wash and pressure cook dhal after adding brinjal, onion, tomatoes, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, hing, tamarind, ginger-garlic and cook it for some 15 to 20 minutes. Then heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, split black gram dal, curry leaves and add to the boiled dhal. Finally add chopped coriander leaves. Kathirikai gothsu is ready. This takes some 30 minutes to cook. It can be served for 4 people.

Note:

While cutting brinjal one must take care whether it is fresh, if it has any sort of damages just remove that portion. Soak immediately in water adding a pinch of salt or curd so that the colour won't turn black.

Optional:

Coconut gratings can be added. Green chillies can be added.

Vermicelli upma - Semiya upma

2010-11-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - Semiya - 2 cups
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium size)
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 3 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small piece
Bengal gram - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Split urad dhal - Udaitha ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - handfull
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Oil - Ennai - 3 table spoons
Salt - Uppu to taste

Method:

Dry roast the vermicelli in a pan after adding a tea spoon of oil. Keep it aside. Peel off the skin from onion and cut into lengthwise. Wash and cut green chillies. Keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, add bengal gram and urad dhal and fry for some time. Then add green chillies, onion, curry leaves, little salt and then add 3 1/2 half cups of water. One cup of semiya requires 1 3/4 cups of water. Then once the water is boiling add roasted semiya and let the mixture boil for some 10 minutes. Finally add coriander leaves. Once the mixture is cooked it can be served with any kind of chutney. This can be served for 2 people. It takes hardly 20 minutes to cook.

Note:

Always dry roast the semiya before cooking.

Optional:

Red chillies can be added instead of green chillies. Vegetables, tomatoes, green peas, turmeric, garlic can be added if we are preparing kitchadi. Rava/semolina can also be added to this.

Tomato rasam - Thakkali rasam

2010-06-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves/Cilantro - Kothamali - small quantity
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Rasam powder - Rasam podi - 1 table spoon
Salt - Uppu - for taste
Oil/Ghee - for tempering

Method:

Make tomato puree. Wash and put tomatoes in hot water and remove skin from it. Smash it in mixer/blender and extract puree. Make tamarind paste and extract puree. Keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil/ghee in a kadai/pan, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chilly, curry leaves, now add minced garlic, hing, tomato puree, tamarind extract, salt and let it boil for some 5 minutes. Now add rasam powder, turmeric powder and mix it well. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes and finally garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with any rice items. All kind of vada can be soaked in rasam and rasa vada is ready. This can be served for 4 persons. This requires 20 minutes to prepare.

Note: Remove dust particles from tamarind. Tomato seeds can also be removed as it is not good for men. Rasam powder I have mentioned how to prepare in Podi varieties. If you have excess water after cooking dal or vegetables you can make use of it to make rasam. It will taste good and also healthy.

Optional: If we want only tomato taste, tamarind need not be added as it will increase the sour content. Fenugreek seeds or fenugreek powder can be added for taste.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2000 of something

Mitch Hedgeberg

Broad bean curry - Avarakkai poriyal

2010-06-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Broad beans - Avarakkai - 1/4 kg
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1 tea spoon
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 1 no.
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt - Uppu - for taste
Oil - Ennai - for frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity

Method:

Wash, cut and boil vegetable in pressure cooker. Cut onions, tomatoes and keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seed, cumin seeds, black gram dal, curry leaves, add hing, onions, tomatoes, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, sambar powder, minced garlic and little salt. Sprinkle water and keep frying till the curry is cooked well. Serve hot with any rice items. This can be served for 4 persons. This required hardly 20 minutes to prepare.

Note: We can cut vegetables into any shapes as desired. It can be small or big.

Optional: Onion, tomato and garlic can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadbean

Never eat more than you can lift

Miss Piggy

Carrot sambar

2010-06-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Carrot - 200 gms
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no.
Tamarind - Puli - lemo size
Green chilly - Pachai milagai - 1 no.
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek powder - Vendaya podi - 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal Podi - 1 tea spoon
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - for garnishing

For tempering:
Oil - Ennai - for frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1/2 tea spoon
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 1 no.

Method:

Wash, cook and mash dal. Wash, peel off the skin from carrot and cut into small pieces (Shape as desired). Extract tamarind paste after removing dust particles. Keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilly, black gram dal, curry leaves, now add hing, then onions with little salt followed by tomatoes, now add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, sambar powder, hing, garlic, green chilly and then carrot. Add required salt, tamarind extract. Allow this mixture to boil until carrots are cooked. We can even cook carrot separately and add to the content. Now add mashed dhal, finally add fenugreek powder and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with idly, dosa, chappathi, rice. This can be served for 4 persons. This requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Always add fenugreek powder in the end. Do not allow to boil after adding because it will give bitter taste. Fenugreek is good for health. It will take off heat from the body. It will help to grow hair.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed. Grated/Shredded coconuts can be added.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

The art of dining well is no slight art, the pleasure not a slight pleasure

Michel de Montaigue

Curd rice - Thayir satham

2010-06-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 cup
Yoghurt/Curd - Thayir - 1 cup

For tempering:

Oil - Ennai - 1 table spoon
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity

Other items:
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt - Uppu - For taste
Coriander leaves - For garnishing

Method:

Wash and soak rice and pressure cook it adding 4 cups of water. Rice can be soaked for atleast 30 minutes to get softness. Keep other ingredients ready. Grind ginger and green chillies into paste. Now heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bengal gram dal, black gram dal, hing, curry leaves and finally ginger-green chilly paste. Now add this content to curd and add little salt. Add this mixture to the rice, add milk/water if required. Garnish with coriander/cilantro. Curd rice is ready to be served. It can be served for 4 persons. Requires hardly 30 minutes to prepare.

Note: Always use fresh yoghurt/curd/buttermilk. If ginger and green chillies are grinded into paste we won't have the problem of finding it spicy while eating. Also good for health.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed. Grated carrots, pomegranate, cucumber, cashew nuts, Kara boondi can be added for garnishing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoghurt

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

Mark Twain

Ivy Guard fry - Kovakkai varuval

2010-06-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Ivy Guard/Gentleman's Toes/Tindla - Kovakkai - 1/2 kg
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 1 no.
Red chilly powder - Milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal Podi - 1 tea spoon
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt - Uppu - For taste

For tempering:
Oil - Ennai - For frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity

Method:

Wash and cut kovakkai length wise, slit into two pieces. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal (Split), curry leaves, hing, then add onions, tomatoes, fry for some time. Then add kovakkai, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, little salt and fry for some 10 minutes till the vegetable is cooked well. Serve hot with any rice items. This can be served for 4 persons. Requires hardly 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Vegetable oil is good for health. Split urad dal can be used for tempering. Salt is not good for health, hence add only for taste.

Optional: Ingredients can be added or removed.

New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin

Mark Twain

Shallot sambar - Vengaya sambar

2010-06-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Shallot - Vengayam - 4 nos.
Red gram dhal/Toor dhal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 1 no.
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 1 no.
Green chilly - Pachai milagai - 1 no.
Red chilly powder - Milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek powder - Vendaya powder - 1/2 table spoon
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.

For tempering:
Oil - Ennai - for frying
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1/2 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham parupppu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity

Other items:
Coriander/Cilantro - For garnishing
Salt

Method:

Wash and soak dal in water for some 10 minutes. Add little turmeric, hing and a drop of oil and pressure cook it for some 15 minutes. Then cut shallots and keep other ingredients. Make tamarind paste, cut onions, tomatoes and keep pan in stove, heat oil, splutter mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilly, green chilly, black gram dal, curry leaves, garlic,then add shallots, tomatoes, red chilly powder, coriander powder, salt, sambar powder, tamarind extract, then allow the mixture to boil for some 10 minutes. Now add boiled and mashed dhal and cook the content for some 10 minutes. Finally add fenugreek powder and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice, roti, chappathi, idli, dosa. This can be served for 4 persons. It requires 30 minutes to prepare.

Note: Tamarind may have dust particles, so remove them using filter.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed. We can add cashew nuts, pearl onions if required.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shallot

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.

M.F.K. Fisher

Bread Upma

2010-06-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Bread Slices (Whole wheat/Plain bread)
Vegetables - Carrot, potato, green peas, cauliflower, green bell peppers/Capsicum - Mixture - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no.
Chilli powder - Milagai podi - 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Garam masala powder - 1 tea spoon
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Yoghurt/Curd/Butter milk - Thayir/Mor.
Peanuts - Verkadalai - small quantity
Shredded/grated coconut - Thuriviya thengai - small quantity

For tempering:
Oil/Butter - Ennai/Vennai - small quantity
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Fennel seeds - Sombu - 1/2 tea spoon
Hing/Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - little quantity
Urad dhal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Bengal gram dhal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Ginger-Garlic paste - Inji Poondu paste

Other items:
Coriander leaves/cilantro - for garnishing
Sugar
Salt
Lemon juice

Method:

Heat oil/butter in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, urad dhal, bengal gram dhal, curry leaves, hing, then add onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, peanuts, green chillies/red chillies, then add vegetables boiled then bread slices, little salt, sugar. Fry for some time. Finally add curd, shredded/grated coconut, coriander leaves and squeeze some lemon juice.

Bread upma is ready to be served. This can be served for 4 people. It takes hardly 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Bread can be whole wheat or plain bread. Use either curd/lemon juice, don't use both.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread

Man is what he eats - Ludwig Fenerbach

Mint/Mentha - Pudina Ilai

2010-06-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

http://tamilveg.blogspot.com/2010/06/ingredients-raw-rice-pacharisi-1-cup.html

http://tamilveg.blogspot.com/2008/05/ingredients-menthamint-leaves-pudhina.html

Mint/Mentha rice - Pudina rice

2010-06-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - Pacharisi - 1 Cup
Mint leaves - Pudina - 1 Bunch or 1/2 Bunch (Optional)
Curry leaves - Kaaruvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 3
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Ginger Garlic paste - Inji Poondu paste - 1 table spoon
Cinnamon, Cloves - Pattai, Lavangam - small quantity
Butter/Ghee/Oil - Vennai/Nei/Ennai - For frying
Salt - Uppu - For taste

Method:

1.Wash and soak rice in rice cooker adding a pinch of salt/drop of oil for some half an hour. Soaking will make rice softer and adding salt or oil is for not getting smashed. Rice will remain separated and this is most important for variety rice.

2. Wash pudina leaves, coriander leaves, curry leaves twice and grind them along with red chillies in a mixer and make paste. Keep other ingredients ready.

3. Heat oil/ghee/butter in a pan/kadai, add cloves, cinnamon, onions, ginger-garlic paste, some salt (not fully) and fry for some time. Then add pudina paste to it. Now add required salt and let it boil for some time till nice aroma comes and raw smell disappears. Then add this mixture to the rice. Serve hot with chips, appalam, vathal, pickle as desired. This can be served for 4 people. It requires half and hour to prepare.

Note: Always use fresh pudina leaves.

Optional: We can also use basmati rice for variety rice. Tomatoes, coconut gratings, cashew nuts can be added.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha

What is food to one, is to others bitter poison - Lucretius

Colacasia smash - Sepankizhangu masiyal

2008-10-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Colacasia - Sepankizhangu - 1/4 kg
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and boil colacasia in pressure cooker, remove the skin and smash it. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, add black gram dal, bengal gram dal, add ginger-green chilly paste, then vegetable and little salt. Mix well. Cook for some 5 minutes.

Colacasia smash is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served for 3 persons. It requires hardly 15 minutes to prepare.

Note: Always use fresh vegetables. If it has some green colour or if it is too hard don't buy.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colacasia

Hunger is the best sauce in the world
Cervantes

Broad bean curry - Avarakkai kootu

2008-10-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Broad beans - Avarakkai - 200 gms
Green gram dal - Pachai paruppu - 1/2 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1/2 tea spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 2 table spoons
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cook the dal adding required water and a pinch of salt and keep it aside. Wash and cut vegetable and boil it. Chopp onions and keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add a pinch of asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red chillies (broken into two pieces), black gram dal, chopped onions, little salt and fry for some time. Then add boiled dal and vegetable and mix well. Finally add grated coconut and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Broad bean curry is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served along with any rice item. It can be served for 3 persons. It requires hardly 20 minutes to prepare.

Note: Always use fresh vegetables. Dal may contain small stone or dust particles. Clean and then use it.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_beans

I refuse to believe that trading receipes is silly. Tuna fish casserole is atleast as real as corporate stock
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

Ginger Soup - Inji rasam

2008-10-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Green chilly - Pachai milagai - 1 no.
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Rasam powder - Rasam podi - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Salt - Uppu - 1 table spoon
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and squeeze tomatoes. Peel off the skin from ginger and smash coarsely. Keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, add tomatoe, ginger, green chilly (slit into two pieces). Add little turmeric powder, rasam powder and salt. Mix well. Add water if required. Finally add chopped coriander leaves.

Ginger rasam is delicious and ready to be served. It can be had like soup or along with white rice. It can be served for 3 persons. It takes some 15 minutes to prepare.

Note: Since green chilly and ginger are added rasam powder can be reduced a little.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

You can find your way across this country using burger joints the way a navigator uses stars
Charles Kuralt

Colacasia Yoghurt gravy - Sepankizhangu morkuzhambu

2008-10-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Colacasia - Sepankizhangu - 200 gms
Yoghurt/Curd - Thayir - 1 cup
Ginger - Inji - small piece
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1 table spoon
Red gram - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Rice - Arisi - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Turmeric powder - manjal thul - a pinch
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1/2 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1/4 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Prepare yoghurt gravy as I have mentioned in yoghurt gravy items, wash and boil the vegetable in pressure cooker without closing the lid fully. Dont put whistle, as it become too much boiled and smashed. Then remove the skin and cut into small pieces. Add this to the gravy.

Sepankizhangu morkuzhambu is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with white rice. Curd can be sour. It will suit this receipe.

Note: Always add a pinch of salt while cooking/boiling vegetables.

Optional: Red chilly can be added instead of green chilly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colacasia

We plan, we toil, we suffer - in the hope of what? A camel - load of idol's eyes? The title deeds of Radio City? The empire of Asia? A trip to the moon? No, no, no, no. Simply to wake just in time to smell coffee and bacon and eggs
J.B. Priestly

Beans Dal fry - Beans paruppu usili

2008-10-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Beans - Beans - small quantity
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1/2 cup
Red gram - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 3 nos.
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

For usili and seasoning please refer usili varieties. Wash and cut beans and boil it. Add to the usili.

Beans paruppu usili is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with any of the rice items. It takes hardly 20 minutes to cook. It can be served for 3 persons.

Note: Cut beans into 1/4 inch size.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beans

A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch
James Beard

Dal fry - Paruppu usili

2008-10-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1/2 cup
Red gram - Thuvaram Paruppu - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and soak both dals along with one red chilly and cumin seeds for an hour and grind them to a coarse paste. Add only little water. Pour the paste in idly plate and pressure cook it.
Then split into small pieces with hands. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red chilly, add little asafoetida and add the dal. Mix them well adding little salt. Fry them for some 5-10 minutes.

Paruppu usili is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with any rice item. Any vegetables can be cooked and added to this. It takes some 15 minutes to prepare other than soaking time. It can be served for 3 persons.

Note: Since red gram will be more soft when grinded only a table spoon is more than enough. While keeping in idly cooker care must be taken so that it is not overcooked, else it will become too hard to break. It can be kept in microwave oven also. Then 3 minutes is more than enough if kept in oven. Some pour water in the cooker, place a stand/Piramanai and keep a plate, apply little oil and place the grinded dal and cook it. Anyways we can cook the dal.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't eat has been proved to be indispensable for life. But I go marching on
George Bernard Shaw

Sago soup - Javarisi payasam

2008-09-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Sago - Javarisi - 1 cup
Sugar - Sarkarai/Cheeni - 1 cup
Cardamom - Elakkai - 1 no.
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - handful
Raisins - Dratchai - half of cashew nuts
Ghee - Nei for frying
Saffron - Kunguma poo - 1 tea spoon
Milk - Pal - 1 cup
Water - Thaneer - 2 cups

Method:

Cook sago in a vessel till it becomes transparent. Some soak for 1 hour. It depends on the quality. Once it is cooked in water, add sugar and keep stirring till it resolves.
Then add cardamom powder. In the mean while fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and add this to payasam. Soak saffron in milk and add this to the payasam. Add milk and keep stirring.

Sago payasam is delicious and ready to be served. It requires some 20 minutes to cook. It can be served for 4 persons. It can be served hot or cold. It is especially prepared during special occasions like Navarathiri, Pongal, Deepavali, etc., It is also served in functions like engagement and wedding and even for party.

Note: Sago must be transparent, it indicates it is cooked. It can be soaked in water for some time or it must be allowed to cook till it is boiled. Milk and saffron must be added in the end.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sago

What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?
Lin Yutung

Tomatillos (Raw) curry - Thakkali kai kootu

2008-09-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Tomatillos (Raw tomatoe) - Thakkali kai - 3 nos.
Red gram - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 3 nos.
Grated/shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 2 table spoons
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and cook the dal and keep it aside. Cut tomatillos into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, fry bengal gram dal, asafoetida, red chillies and coconut gratings and grind them to a paste.
Cut tomatilloes and heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, curry leaves, add asafoetida and add tomatilloes and little salt. Fry for some 5 minutes. Now add cooked dal and the paste and mix them well.

Tomatillos curry is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with any rice item. It requires some 20 minutes to cook. It can be served for 3 persons.

Note: Always use fresh vegetables.

Optional: Ingredients can be added or removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo

The breakfast slimes, angel food cake, goughnuts and coffee, white bread and gravy cannot build an enduring nation
Martin H. Fischer

Curry leaves kuzhambu - Karuvepilai kuzhambu

2008-09-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - 1 bunch
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Red gram - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 5 nos.
Black pepper - Karuppu milagu - 1 table spoon
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - a pinch
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 2 table spoons
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak tamarind in hot water and make a paste out of it. Dust particles has to be removed using filter. Keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, fry asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, red gram, bengal gram dal, curry leaves and grind them to a powder once it is cooled. Grind coconut to a paste. Care must be taken not to fry fenugreek for long since it will taste bitter.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, add asafoetida, curry leaves, red chilly and add tamarind paste and required water and salt. Mix them well, add turmeric powder and the grinded powder. Finally add grinded coconut.

Hot curry leaves kuzhambu is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with white rice. It can be served for 3 persons. It requires some 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Remove dust particles from tamarind. Wash curry leaves before using.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed. Pearl onions and garlic can be added while frying.

Nobody seems more obsessed by diet than our anti-materialistic, other wordly. New Age spiritual types. But if the material world is merely illusion, an honest guru should be as content with Budweiser and bratwurst as with raw carrot juice, tofu and seaweed slime
Edward Abbey

Beetroot curry - Senkizhangu/Akkarakizhangu poriyal

2008-09-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Beetroot - Senkizhangu/Akkarakizhangu - 1/2 kg
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and peel the vegetable using peeler. First wash and remove the skin then slit as shown above. No need to boil separately.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, curry leaves, red chilly broken into 2 pieces and finally vegetable with little salt. Mix them well. Fry for some time.

Hot beetroot curry is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served along with any rice item. It requires some 20 minutes to cook. It can be served for 3 persons.

Note: Since beetroot has its own water, no need to add too much water. Just sprinkle some water, thats enough. Beetroot is very good for health especially for blood circulation.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot

There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won't, and that's a wife who can't cook and will
Robert Frost

Gherkins/Gentlemen's Toes/Tindal curry - Kovakkai varuval

2008-09-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Gherkins/Gentleman's Toes/Tindla - Kovakkai - 1/2 kg
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1/2 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cut the vegetables into round shape as shown in the picture.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, then add vegetables, add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, little salt and mix well. Fry till it turns brown.

Hot kovakkai curry is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with any rice items. It requires some 20 minutes to cook. It can be served for 3 persons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gherkins

Rice is born in water and must die in wine
Italian Proverb

Ash guord sambar - Poosanikkai sambar

2008-09-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Red gram - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Ash guord - Poosanikkai - 1/4 kg
Pearl onion - sambar vengayam - 10 nos.
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Small)
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no. (Medium)
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Green chilly - Pachai milagai - 1 no.
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 1 no.
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1/2 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Sambar powder - Sambar thul - 1 table spoon
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1 table spoon
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and keep dal in pressure cooker adding little asafoetida, required water, turmeric powder and a drop of oil. Wash and boil ash guord and keep it separately.
Soak tamarind in hot water and make paste out of it. Remove dust particles. Chopp onions, tomatoes, green chillies and keep other required ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan or kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, add asafoetida, red chillies, green chillies, onions, curry leaves and fry for some time. Then add tomatoes and add red chilly powder, coriander powder and sambar powder, garlic and little salt and mix well. Sprinkle water if necessary.
Then add tamarind paste followed by vegetable. Let it boil for some time. In the meanwhile dal would be ready, add the fried contents to dal or dal to fried contents and mix them well. Finally add chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. Coconut can be grinded along with some pearl onions, garlic and curry leaves. It will add to flavour.

Hot sambar is ready and delicious to be served. It can be served with white rice, chappathi, idly, dosa, pongal, vada, etc., It can be served for 4 persons. It requires hardly 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Always use fresh vegetables. Remove dust particles from tamarind using filter. Sambar powder I have mentioned in Podi varieties.

Optional: Capsicum can be added to sambar. However care must be taken so that it doesn't make the sambar too spicy. Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_gourd

If junk food is the devil, then a sweet orange is as scripture
Audrey Foris

Mango rice - Mangai satham

2008-09-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Mango (Raw) - Pachai Mangai - 1no.
Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 1 no.
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali
Peanuts - Verkadalai - small quantity
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - small quantity
Grated/shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and peel mango and slice it using chopper/slicer. Slit green chillies and keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chilly, green chillies, curry leaves, black gram dal, bengal gram dal, fry for some time, then add peanuts and cashew nuts and fry for some time.
Finally add mango slices with little turmeric powder and salt and mix for some time. Add grated coconut. Meanwhile keep rice in pressure cooker or rice cooker or microwave, add only 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice and add a drop of oil and a pinch of salt so that it wont stick to each other. Once it is cooked spread over and allow it to cool. Then add the fried contents, add salt and mix well.

Mango rice is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served for 3 persons. It requires hardly 20 minutes to cook. Serve with potato chips, or any curry of your choice.

Note: Masala items like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bengal gram dal, black gram dal, red chilly, green chillies can be fried and grinded and added to this.

Optional: Grated coconut can be removed. Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango

If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food.
Sally Edwards

Lemon soup - Elumichai rasam

2008-09-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Lemon (Ripe) - Elumicham Pazham - 1 no.
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 2 nos. (Small)
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - a pinch
Rasam powder - Rasa podi - 1 table spoon
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and squeeze the lemon and extract juice. Chopp tomatoes and squeeze with hand. Keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, red chillies, mustard seeds, curry leaves, garlic, squeezed tomatoes, turmeric powder and little salt and mix it well. Let boil for some time. Now add rasam powder and mix, then add chopped coriander leaves and finally add lemon juice and serve hot.

Hot rasam is ready. It can be had as a soup or served along with white rice. It can be served for 3 persons. It takes hardly 10 minutes to cook.

Note: After adding lemon juice it should not be boiled too long. Keep it for some 2 minutes and immediately serve hot. We are adding lemon instead of tamarind. Rasam powder I have else where mentioned in podi varieties.

Optional: Ingredients can be added or removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon

It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a peer should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption
Edward Bunyard

Cluster Beans curry - Kothavarangai usili

2008-09-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Cluster Beans - Kothavarangai - 1/4 kg
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1/2 cup
Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Small)
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Red chilly powder - Milagai thul - 1/4 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1/4 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak bengal gram dal and red gram dal in water for some 2 hours. Grind it to a paste adding very little water along with cumin seeds and red chillies. Red chillies - 2 nos. and cumin seeds should be soaked along with dal.
Next we have to clean and cut the vegetable into 1/2 inch size. Pressure cook or microwave adding little salt.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, black gram dal and fry for some time. Then add chopped onions add very little salt and fry for some time.
Mean while the grinded dal should be kept in idly cooker or in an ordinary cooker keeping piramanai or a stand and keeping a plate over which the grinded dal should be spread over. Once it is boiled split it over hand and add to the kadai. Add the boiled vegetables and fry for some time.

Kothavarangai paruppu usili is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served for 3 persons. It requires hardly 20 minutes to cook. It can be served for lunch. It is a special item prepared during special occasions like wedding, party etc.,

Note: If we use only red gram dal it will become too watery, thickess will not come. Hence only 1 spoon can be added along with red gram dal.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_bean

An empty belly is the best cook
Estonian Proverb

Ash guord/White pumpkin yoghurt gravy - Poosanikkai morkuzhambu

2008-09-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Ash guord/White pumpkin - Vellai poosanikkai - small quantity
Curd/Yoghurt - Thayir - 1 cup
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 table spoon
Rice - Arisi - 1 table spoon
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Grated/shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - small quantity
Ginger - Inji - small piece
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - a pinch
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Green chilly - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak red gram dal, bengal gram dal and rice in water for 1 hour. Grind it to paste. Grind coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies to a paste.
Make ginger paste, wash and cut white pumpkin into small cubes. Keep other ingredients ready. Make yoghurt.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, cumin seeds, ginger, black gram dal, curry leaves and then add the dal paste and add little turmeric powder and salt.
Now add grinded coconut paste. Keep stirring. Finally add yoghurt. After adding yoghurt it should not be allowed to boil for more than 5 minutes. Finally add chopped coriander leaves.

Delicious morkuzhambu is ready to be served. It can be served for 3 persons. It requires hardly 20 minutes to cook. It can be served along with white rice.

Note: Always use fresh vegetables and curd can be little sour. It will taste good for this receipe.

Optional: Red chilly can be added instead of green chilly. We can mix yoghurt with asafoetida and turmeric powder. Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_gourd

If God has intended us to follow receipes, He wouldn't have given us grand mothers.
Linda Henley

Ladies finger/Okra/Bindi kuzhambu - Vendakkai kuzhambu

2008-09-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Ladies finger/Okra/Bindi - Vendakkai - 1/4 kg
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Thakkali - Tomato - 2 nos. (Medium size)
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Garlic - Poondu - 5 nos.
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Grated/shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - small quantity
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1/2 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Chopp onions and tomatoes. Make tamarind paste. Peel off the skin from garlic, grind coconut to a paste and keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, add cumin seeds, black gram dal, bengal gram dal, curry leaves and red chilly and fry for some time. Then add chopped onions and garlic (whole), then add tomatoes (Squeezed), allow it to boil for some time.
Now add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, little salt, then tamarind paste and add water so that it becomes like a soup. Wash and cut ladies finger and keep in oven for some 4 minutes, add this to the boiling kuzhambu. Let it boil so that thickness comes to more than a little half. Finally add coconut paste.

Mirchi/Spicy okra kuzhambu is ready to be served. This can be served for 4 people. This requires hardly 20 minutes to cook. This can be served along with white rice.

Note: Remove dust particles from tamarind using filter. Always use fresh vegetables.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra

We are living in a world today where lemonade is made of artifical flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons
Alfred E. Newman

Palak Panneer - Pasalai keerai Paladai katti

2008-09-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak - Pasalai keerai - 1 bunch
Panneer - Paladai katti - 1 packet (Cubed)
Tomato puree - Thakkali saru - 1 cup
Ginger - Inji - small piece
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1/4 tea spoon
Salt - Uppu - 1 tea spoon
Fresh cream - Eddu - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - Arisi mavu - 1 tea spoon

Method:

Wash and boil spinach in a vessel uncovered, if it is closed we cannot get fresh green colour. Grind it in a mixie. Fry panneer in a kadai in hot oil. We also get readymade fried panneer in shops. Some add without frying.
Make tomato puree and make ginger paste and keep other required ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, cumin seeds, black gram dal, turmeric powder, ginger paste, red chilly, red chilly powder, little salt and then tomato puree, allow it to boil for some five to ten minutes so that it is more than a little half.
Then add spinach to it. Then mix rice flour with water and make it to a paste form and add to this so that green leaves won't look more sticky. Finally add fresh cream and let the mixture boil for some 7 minutes.

Palak panneer is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served for 4 people. It requires hardly 30 miuntes to cook. Garnish with sliced tomatoes. This can be served with roti, white rice. Though this dish is familiar in north side I have added because it is tasty and delicious.

Note: Spinach leaves has its own salt and hence care must be taken to add only little salt.

Optional: Garam masala, garlic along with ginger, chopped onions, cumin powder can be added instead of cumin seeds. Fresh cream can be ignored. Milk can be added instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinach

A nickel's worth of goulash beats a five dollar can of vitamins
Martin H. Fischer

Chayote Sambar - Chou Chou/Bangalore Kathirikai sambar

2008-09-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Chayote - Chou Chou/Bangalore Kathirikai sambar - 1 no.
Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Pearl Onion - Sambar vengayam - 15 nos.
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no.
Green chilli - Pachai milagai - 1 no.
Red chilli - Kaintha milagai - 1 no.
Capsicum - Kudai milagai - small quantity
Red chilli powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1/2 tea spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - small quantity
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Oil and ghee for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract paste from it. Wash and cut vegetables into small cubes and keep it aside.
Wash Red gram dal and add 3 cups of water, turmeric powder, asafoetida and a drop of oil and keep it in pressure cooker. Boil vegetables in cooker or microwave oven and keep it aside.
Meanwhile chopp onions, tomatoes and green chillies, capsicum and keep other required ingredients ready. Grind 2-3 pearl onions along with little curry leaves, grated coconut, cumin seeds and garlic. Keep it aside. Sambar powder I have mentioned how to prepare in Podi varieties.
Heat ghee in a pan/kadai, add little asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chilly, capsicum, curry leaves, black gram dal, fenugreek seeds, green chilly, onions, tomatoes and sprinkle little water and fry for some time. Add little salt, red chilly powder, coriander powder, sambar powder and fry for some time. Now add tamarind paste and allow it to boil for some time.
Once the dal is cooked and the fried contents to the dal and mix well. Add vegetables and water if required. Then add the grinded coconut-onion paste to it. Finally add chopped coriander leaves to it. Mix them well.

Tasty chayote sambar is ready to be served. It can be served along with white rice, idly, dosa or any item of choice. It can be served for 4 persons. It requires some 30 minutes to prepare.

Note: We can use both ordinary big onion and pearl onion, use both green chilly, capsicum and red chilly. Be careful in quantity so that it does not become too spicy. Coconut-onion and curry leaves along with cumin seeds and garlic will give more flavour to sambar.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote

Chowder breathes reassurance. It steams consolation
Clementine Paddleford

Carrot Onion raita - Carrot Vengayam pachadi

2008-09-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Carrot - Carrot - 2 nos. (Medium size)
Curd/Yoghurt - Thayir - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Small size)
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and peel off the skin from carrots and immerse in hot water for some 3 minutes. Then peel it off as shown in the picture.
You will get the peeler readymade in shops. Chopp onions, green chillies and keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, curry leaves and add this to the carrot.
Add curd and a little salt to it. Onions must be added to this. It is served along with lunch item.

Tasty carrot raita is ready to be served. It can be served for 3 people. It takes some 10 minutes to prepare.

Note: Always use fresh vegetables.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

Sleep 'til you're hungry, eat 'til you're sleepy

Rava/Semolina Kesari - Ravai Kesari

2008-09-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Rava/Semolina - Ravai - 1/2 cup
Ghee - Nei - 1/2 cup
Sugar - Sarkarai - 1 cup
Water - Thaneer - 2 cups
Cashew nuts - small quantity
Raisins - Dratchai - small quantity
Elaichi - Cardamom - 2 nos.
Orange colour - A pinch
Essence - a drop

Method:

Heat 1 tea spoon of ghee in a kadai/pan, fry rava for some 5 minutes. Keep it aside. Add one more tea spoon of ghee and fry cashew nuts and raisins. Powder elaichi with little sugar either manually or in a mixie and keep it aside.
Now add 2 cups of water in the pan and let it boil till bubbles come, then add rava slowly and keep stirring so that lumps should not be formed. Then add ghee so that it will leave the sides of kadai, now add sugar, colour and essence.
Finally add cashew nuts, raisins and elaichi powder. Serve hot.

Rava/Semolina kesari is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served for 3 people. It takes 20 minutes to prepare. Usually this is prepared during festivals and special occasions.

Note: Powdered rava will be good for this kesari. Add only a pinch of colour and a drop of essence else it will spoil the whole sweet.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semolina

This is every cook's opinion -
no savory dish without an onion,
but lest your kissing should be spoiled
your onions must be fully boiled
- Jonathan Swift

Carrot poriyal

2008-06-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1/4 kg
Grated/shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 2 table spoons
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 3 nos.
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and peel off the skin from vegetables and boil it till it becomes soft.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram dal, red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and grated coconut. Now add boiled vegetable to it. Add little salt. Mix them well.

Carrot poriyal is ready to be served. Serve it with any rice varieties. It can be served for 2 people. It takes 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Use fresh vegetables to make them tasty.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

Dyspepsia is the remorse of a guilty stomach

A.Kerr

Beetroot kuruma - Senkizhangu Kuruma

2008-06-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Beetroot - Senkizhangu/Akkarakkizhangu 1 no.
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 3 flakes
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 3 nos.
Poppy seeds - Kasakasa - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Garam masala powder - Garam masala thul - 1 tea spoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and peel off the skin from beetroot and cut into small pieces and boil it till it becomes soft. Boil it after adding a little salt. Grind ginger and garlic and make to a paste. Grind coconut, poppyseeds, cumin seeds and green chillies and make to a paste. Popppy seeds has to be either fried or soaked in water for some 10 minutes before grinding. Chopp onions, tomatoes and keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add little garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, chopped onions, tomatoes and fry for some time. Then add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt and mix it well. Now add boiled vegetables to it and mix it well. Finally add grinded coconut paste and garnish with coriander leaves.

Beetroot kuruma is delicous and ready to be served. Serve with idly, chappathi or puri. It can be served for 4 people. It requires some 20 minutes to prepare.

Note: Always use fresh vegetables while cooking.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

I take a vitamin every day. It's called a steak-Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick

Guthi venkaya - Kathirikai masala

2008-06-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Brinjal/Eggplant/Aubergine - Kathirikai - 1/4 kg
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Groundnuts - Verkadalai - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Sesame seeds - Ellu (White) - 1 table spoon
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Corriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Cut brinjal into four pieces, just make a cut dont cut fully. One brinjal should look fully with 4 cuts. Soak it in water immediately after cutting. Fry groundnuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and powder it. Grind onions and tomatoes and make a paste. Keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter cumin seeds, add asafoetida, then add brinjals and fry till it becomes soft. Now add the grinded onion and tomato paste. Add red chilly powder, corriander powder, and finally groundnut paste. Add little salt. Mix them well.

Guthi venkaya is delicious and ready to be served. Serve it with hot rice. It can be served for 3 people. This takes 20 minutes to prepare.

Note: Brinjal should be cut into 4 and not into 4 pieces. It should look fully.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinjal

Worries go down better with soup

Jewish Proverb

Rice upma - Arisi upuma

2008-06-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 cup
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 3 nos.
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Break rice into uneven pieces using a mixie. Don't powder it, just turn on and off. A button is provided in mixie just to press and release for these kind of breaking.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, bengal gram dal, curry leaves and add asafoetida and salt. Mix them well. Add 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker add the fried items and broken rice and mix well. Keep it for some 15 minutes.

Rice upma is delicious and ready to be served. Serve with any type of chutney. It can be served for 2 people. It requires 20 minutes to prepare.

Note: Rice should be broken by turning on the mixie and immediately switching off.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

The greatest delight the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable. I am not alone and unacknowledged. They nod to me and I to them

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rava/Semolina Pongal - Ravai Pongal

2008-06-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Rava/Semolina - Ravai - 3/4 cup
Green gram dal - Pachai paruppu - 1/4 cup
Black pepper - Karuppu milagu - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - 6 nos.
Ghee - Nei - 1 table spoon
Butter - Vennai - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste

Method:

Add a tea spoon of oil in a pan/kadai and fry rava for some time. Wash and boil dal in pressure cooker for some 20 minutes adding 6 cups of water. Don't smash it too much. Let it be boiled and be visible. Now add fried rava to it and add finely chopped ginger, salt, asafoetida and boil it for some time.
Heat ghee and butter in a pan, when it is hot add black pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves and cashew nuts. Now add this mixture to the already cooked rava-dal.

Serve hot with any of the chutney items. It can be served for 2 people. It requires 30 minutes to prepare.

Note: Rava has to be fried little and not too much. Use powdered rava and not the whole rava. Be careful while boiling dal as it will easily come out of the pressure cooker while boiling.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semolina

Eat little, sleep sound

Iranian Proverb

Dal ball Kuzhambu - Paruppu urundai kuzhambu

2008-06-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 4 nos.
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Onion - vengayam - 1 no. (Large)
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Corriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal Podi - 1 tea spoon
Garlic - Poondu - 3 flakes (Medium)
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and soak red gram dal for 2 hours alongwith red chillies and cumin seeds. Grind them to a smooth paste and now add sambar powder, little turmeric powder, little salt and keep it in idly plate and boil it for some 3 minutes if kept in oven and 10-12 minutes if kept in pressure cooker. Make them to small balls.
Heat oil in pan/kadai (Preferably sesame oil), splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chilly, curry leaves, garlic flakes, now fry onions, then tomatoes and tamarind paste (After removing dust particles). Now add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and little salt. Let it boil for some 10 mintues. Transfer the dal balls to this boiling kuzhambu. Finally add coconut paste to this.

Paruppu urundai kuzhambu is delicious and ready to be served. This can be served for 2 people. This requires 30 minutes to prepare.

Note: Always soak dal for 2-3 hours before preparation. Remove dust particles from tamarind

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

It's bizarre that the produce manager is more important to my children's health than the pediatrician

Meryl Streep

Dal Idly - Paruppu Idly

2008-06-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 cup
Green leaves - Keerai - 1 cup (Any kind)
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Green chilly - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 2 flakes
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and soak bengal gram dal in water for 2-3 hours along with cumin seeds and red chillies. Grind them to a smooth paste after adding ginger-garlic, green chillies, green leaves (Chopped) and curry leaves. Grease idly plate and pour this batter and keep it for 3 minutes if kept in oven or 10-12 minutes if kept in Idly cooker.

Dal idly is healthy and ready to be served. Serve it with any of the chutneys.

Note: Any kind of green leaves can be used.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

Large, naked raw carrots are acceptable as food only to those who lie in hutches eagerly awaiting Easter

Fran Lebowitz

Rice pudding - Arisi kanji

2008-06-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Boiled rice - Puzhungalarisi - 1 cup
Water - Thaneer - 3 cups
Salt to taste

Method:

Fry rice in a pan/kadai and break it little using mixie. Then add water and keep it in pressure cooker for some 15 minutes.

Rice pudding/kanji is ready to be served. This is given to those who fall sick. But this is a healthy food and can be given to all kind of people. If desired curry leaves, chopped green chillies can be added to this. Add little salt and serve hot. This is usually had for breakfast and not for lunch as it is very light. It can also be served with any of the curry varieties or kuzhambu varieties.

Note: This is usually done in a vessel, but if kept in pressure cooker it takes hardly 15-20 minutes to cook.

Optional: Rosematti rice is very good for health and I will mention about the same in some more days. It can be used for making kanji and is very good for health.

A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat

Old NewYork Proverb

Mango Jaggery - Mangai Pachadi/Manga vellam

2008-06-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Mango (Raw) - Mangai - 1 no.
Jaggery - Vellam - 1 cup
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Sambar powder - 1 table spoon
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Salt - a pinch
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and peel off the skin from mango and grate finely. Boil it for some 5 minutes till it becomes soft to touch. Grate jaggery and boil it in water and filter all the dust particles. Add it to the mango.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves and add it to the mango-jaggery mix. Add a pinch of salt not more than that. Now add sambar powder, red chilly powder. Let it boil for some 10 minutes.

Mangai pachadi is ready to be served. This can be served with any of the lunch items. This can be preserved in bottle and kept refrigerated and used for 3 to 4 days.

Note: Always use fresh mangoes.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango

If organic farming is the natural way, shouldn't organic produce just be called "produce" and make the pesticide-laden stuff take the burden of an adjective

Ymber Delecto

Okra/Ladies finger sambar - Vendakkai sambar

2008-06-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Okra/Ladies finger - Vendakkai - 200 gms
Pearl onion - Sambar vengayam - fistful
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Garlic - Poondu - 2 flakes
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Capsicum - Kudai milagai - 1 no. (Small)
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Corriander powder - Dhani thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1 table spoon
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1 table spoon
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seed - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Corriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Salt to taste
Ghee - Nei - 1 table spoon
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and cut okra into small cubes and boil it in pressure cooker or oven adding a little salt. Wash and keep red gram dal in pressure cooker adding 3 cups of water, little turmeric powder, asafoetida and a drop of oil. Boil it for some 20 minutes.
Meantime soak tamarind in hot water and make a paste after removing dust particles. Chopp onion after peeling off the skin, chopp tomatoes and keep it aside. Cut green chillies into two lengthwise and keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram dal, red chillies, green chillies, curry leaves, then add chopped onions, tomatoes, capsicum and fry them well. Add red chilly powder, corriander powder, turmeric powder, sambar powder and add the boiled vegetable.
Make tamarind paste and mix well. Let it boil for some 10 minutes. Meantime grind coconut, cuminseeds, 2 pearl onions and curry leaves to a paste. Now add boiled dal to the mixture which is boiling. Finally add the coconut paste, a table spoon of ghee, corriander leaves and mix them well and let it boil till sambar becomes thick.

Hot, tasty okra sambar is ready and delicious to be served. It can be served for 3 people. It takes 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Remove dust particles from tamarind. Choose okra if is easy to break at the end. Else it won't be nice.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

I don't think America will have really made it until we have our own Salad dressing. Until then we're stuck behind the French, Italians, Russians and Caesarians

Pat McNelis

Potato fry - Urulai kizhangu poriyal

2008-06-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Potatos - Urulai Kizhangu - 1/4 kg
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Corriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and keep potatoes in pressure cooker or in oven. Peel off the skin and cut into small cubes. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and add boiled potatoes. Add red chilly powder, corriander powder, turmeric powder and little salt.

Potato fry is ready to be served. It can be served with any rice item. Serve hot. It can be served for 3 people. This can be prepared in 20 minutes.

Note: Always use fresh potatoes and don't select one with green dots. It should be soft to touch.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato

In Mexico we have a word for Sushi:bait

Jose Simons

Brinjal/Eggplant/Aubergine-drumstick poriyal - Kathirikai Murungakkai poriyal

2008-06-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Brinjal/Eggplant/Aubergine - Kathirikai - 200 gms
Drumstick - Murungakkai - 1 no. (Large)
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium)
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos. (Small)
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1 tea spoon
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Garlic - Poondu - 2 flakes
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and cut brinjal and soak it in water. Cut drumstick to 3 inch size. Boil both of them for 5 minutes till it becomes soft. Take care that it is not over boiled. If kept in pressure cooker keep till 1 whistle comes.
Chopp onion, tomato and keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, blackgram dal, curry leaves, asafoetida, onions, then tomatoes, red chilly powder, corriander powder, turmeric powder and little salt. Fry them well. Add garlic flakes and finally the boiled vegetables. Mix them well.

Brinjal-Drumstick poriyal is ready to be served. This can be served with any of rice varieties. This can be served for 3 people. It takes 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Brinjals must always be soaked in water. Little curd or salt or lemon juice can be added to the water so that it wont turns brown or black.

Optional: Ingredients can be added or removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinjal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drumstick_%28vegetable%29

It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a home grown tomato

Lewis Grizzard

Drumstick leaves poriyal - Murungai keerai poriyal

2008-06-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Drumstick leaves - Murungai keerai - 1 bunch
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 3 nos.
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 2 table spoons
Ground nut powder - Verkadalai thul - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Remove leaves, wash and keep them aside. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, red chillies, curry leaves and little salt and asafoetida.
Add green leaves and mix them well. Now add grated coconut. Mix them well.

Drumstick leaves poriyal is ready to be served. Serve with any of the rice item.

Note: This can be had for lunch and not for dinner as it will take some time for digestion.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed. Green gram dal can be cooked and added to this. It will give more taste. Care must be taken that it is not over cooked.

Anybody who believes that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach flunked geography

Robert Byrne

Dal Payasam - Pachai paruppu payasam

2008-06-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Green gram dal - Pachai paruppu payasam - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - Vellam - 1 cup
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - 2 table spoons
Raisins - Dratchai - 1 table spoon
Cardamom - Elakkai - 2 nos.
Milk - Pal - 1 cup
Ghee - Nei - 2 table spoons

Method:

Wash and boil green gram dal in pressure cooker adding 1 cup of water. Mean time grate jaggery and keep it aside. Fry cashew nuts, raisins in ghee and keep it aside. Make cardamom powder adding little sugar.
Once the dal is boiled add grated jaggery and grated coconut to it. Finally ad ghee and fried cashew nuts and raisins and add cardamom powder. Add milk to this and allow to boil for some 5 minutes.

Dal payasam is ready to be served. It can be served for 6 people. It requires some 30 minutes to prepare.

Note: Green gram dal will be more in quantity after boiled, hence 1/2 cup is more than enough. Always boil this dal in medium or low flame as it will come out easily when kept in pressure cooker.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

Great eaters and great sleepers are incapable of anything else that is great

Henry IV of France

Okra/Ladies finger/Bindi Masala - Vendakkai masala

2008-06-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Okra/Ladies finger - Vendakkai - 1/4 kg
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium)
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no. (Medium)
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Besan flour - Kadalai mavu - 1 table spoon
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Corriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Garam masala powder - Masala thul - 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - a pinch
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - small quantity
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and cut ladies finger into 1 inch size. Chopp onions, tomatoes. Make ginger-garlic paste, cumin seeds powder and keep other ingredients ready.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste, besan flour, onions and fry them well. Now add tomatoes and mix well. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, cumin seeds powder, salt and asafoetida. Finally add okra and mix them well. Fry for some 10 minutes.

Bindi masala is ready to be served. It can be served along with rice. This can be served for 3 people. It requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Cut okra into 1 inch cubes. We get ready-made besan flour in shops. Garam masala, I have mentioned in Podi varieties.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra

Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat

Fran Lebowitz

Paneer Butter Masala

2008-06-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Paneer Cubes - Paladai katti - 1 packet (Readymade)
Butter - Vennai - 2 table spoons
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium)
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos. (Small)
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - 1/2 cup
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - small quantity
Fresh cream - Pal edu - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Garam masala powder - Garam masala thul - 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Fry paneer in oil or if it is already fried paneer keep it aside. Grind onion (Raw) and keep it aside. Grind tomato and make puree. Soak cashew nuts for 1 hour and grind to a smooth paste. Peel off the skin from ginger and garlic and grind to a smooth paste. Keep other ingredients ready.
Heat butter in a pan/kadai, add ginger-garlic paste, onion paste, fry for some time. Now add tomato paste and add little salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and mix well. Add fried paneer to it. Now add fresh cream. Stirr well. Finally add cashew nut paste and mix well.

Paneer Butter masala is delicious and ready to be served. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!! It can be served for 3 people. This requires 30 minutes to cook apart from soaking cashew nuts. This can be served with chappathis puri or nan.

Note: Add only little garam masala as it will spoil the entire content if added more.

Optional: Milk can be added instead of fresh cream.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paneer

Never work before breakfast; if you have to work before breakfast, eat your breakfast first.

Josh Billings

Cauliflower fry - Pookosu fry

2008-06-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - Pookosu - 1 no. (Small flower)
Besan flour - Kadalai mavu - 2 table spoons
Rice flour - Arisi mavu - 2 table spoons
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and cut floretts and soak in hot water. Boil it for some 5 minutes. Mix besan flour, rice flour, red chilly powder and little salt. Heat oil in a pan/Kadai and leave florettes one by one. Turn till it becomes golden brown.

Cauliflower fry is ready and delicious to be served. This can be served for 2 people. This requires hardly 20 minutes to prepare.

Note: Cauliflower should always be soaked in hot water because it may contain some germs in it. Remove that water, add fresh water and boil again.

Optional: Kesari colour (Red) can be added to this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast

John Gunther

Brown Garbanzo beans - Karuppu mookadalai/Kondakadalai sundal

2008-06-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Brown Garbanzo beans - Karuppu mookadalai/Kondakadalai - 1 cup
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham Paruppu - 1 table spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 3 nos.
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 2 table spoons
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and soak garbanzo beans in water for 8-10 hours. Boil it in pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves and add grated coconut. Add little salt and asafoetida. Mix them well.

Brown mookadalai sundal is ready to be served. This can be offered to God and is very good for health. This can be served as evening snack item.

Note: Sprouted garbanzo beans are much healthier than normally soaked.

Optional: Grated coconut can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbanzo_beans

The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese

G.K. Chesterton

French toast - Rotti

2008-06-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Bread - Rotti - 4 slice (Wheat or sandwich or any bread)
Milk - Pal - for dipping
Sugar - Sarkarai - 1 table spoon

Method

Dip bread in milk adding little sugar, remove it immediately as soon as you soak as it will become too soft and roast it in a tawa or pan. Turn both sides till it become golden brown. This can be roasted using bread toaster. This is a read made food item which can be done quickly.

Bread roast is ready to be served. Serve with jam or it can be had like that also.

Note: Bread toast made manually in pan will be very tasty

Optional: This can be had as it is or with jam or sauce or butter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread

If only it was as easy to banish hunger by rubbing the belly as it is to masturbate

Diogenes the cynic

Carrot Onion raita - Carrot vengayam pachadi

2008-06-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Carrot - Carrot - 1 no.
Pearl onion - Sambar vengayam - 6 nos.
Curd/Yoghurt - Thayir - 1 cup
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cut/grate carrots. Chopp onions and green chillies and keep it aside. Mix carrot, onions and curd. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, green chillies and curry leaves and add to the carrot. Add little salt.

Carrot onion pachadi is ready to be served. It can be served along with any rice items.

Note: Carrots can be cut into small pieces or grated. Usually this will be grated.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

We are all dietic sinners; only a small percent of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to waste and loss of energy

William Osler

Cucumber onion raita - Vellarikkai vengayam pachadi

2008-06-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Cucumber - Vellarikkai - 1 no. (Small)
Pearl Onion - Sambar vengayam - 6 nos.
Curd/Yoghurt - Thayir - 1 cup
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cut or grate cucumber into small pieces. Chopp onions, green chillies and keep it aside. Mix cucumber, onions and curd. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, green chillies, curry leaves and add to cucumber. Add little salt.

Cucumber onion pachadi is ready to be served. This can be served with any rice item.

Note: Use fresh curd.

Optional: Onion (Regular) can be added instead of pearl onion.

When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste.

Laiko Bahrs

Lemon juice (Sweet) - Elumicham pazham charu

2008-06-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Lemon (Ripe) - Elumicham pazham - 1 no. (Small)
Sugar - Sarkarai - 1 table spoon

Method:

Wash and cut lemon into two halves (Horizontally not vertically). Squeeze the lemon using squeezer or by hand. Take care to remove the seeds. Add plain or cold water and ice cubes if desired. Add sugar and mix well. Serve chill.

Lemon juice is ready to be served.

Note: Always make sure that you remove the skin and other particles which have to be filtered. Cut in proper way since there is a wording that says not to cut into the other way.

Optional: Can add little salt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon

My favourite animal is steak

Fran Lebowitz

Cucumber carrot salad - Vellarikkai Carrot Pachadi

2008-06-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Cucumber - Vellarikkai - 1 no.
Carrot - Carrot - 1 no.
Lemon - Elumichai pazham - to squeeze
Pepper powder - Milagu thul - for dressing
Salt - Uppu - for dressing

Method:

Wash and peel off the skin from cucumber and carrot and cut into round shape or any shape you desire. Squeeze lemon juice and dress with pepper and salt.

Cucumber carrot salad is ready to be served. Its very good for health. Carrot is good for eyes. Cucumber removes heat from the body. Cucumber can be cut and kept on eyes to remove eyes dark circles.

Note: This can be cut into any shapes, round, lengthwise or square.

Optional: Onions, tomatoes, red chilli powder can be added to this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

You can say this for ready-mixes-the next generation isn't going to have any trouble making pies exactly like mother used to make

Earl Wilson

Methi Dal - Vendaya Keerai Masiyal/Kadayal

2008-06-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Fenugreek leaves - Vendaya Keerai - 1 bunch
Red gram dal - Thuvaram Parupu - 1/2 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium)
Tomato - Thakkali - 1 no. (Medium)
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Red chilli powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 tea spoon
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Garlic - Poondu - 2 flakes (Small)
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuruviya thengai - 2 table spoons
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and cut fenugreek leaves and keep it aside. Wash dal and keep it in pressure cooker along with green leaves, chopped onion, tomatoes, garlic, tamarind paste, green chillies, red chilly powder, grated coconut and little salt. Pour 1 cup of water and boil it for some 15 minutes. Smash it.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, curry leaves and add it to the boiled dal.

Methi dal is ready to be served. It can be served along with white rice, chappathi or roti. It can be served for 2 people. It requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Remove dust particles from tamarind. Peel off the skin from garlic, onions.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methi_leaves

The bagel, an unsweet ened doughnut with rigor mortis

Beatrice & Ira Freeman

Okra/Ladiesfinger fry - Vendakkai varuval

2008-06-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Okra/Ladies finger - Vendakkai - 1/4 kg
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 tablespoon
Corriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1/2 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and cut okra and keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add mustard, when it pops up, add cumin seeds and okra. Fry for a minute. Now add red chilly powder, corrinader powder and little salt. Fry well. If required add oil in between.

Okra/Ladies finger is ready to be served. It goes well with rice. It can be served for 2 people. It requires some 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Use fresh vegetables and if the tail of the vegetable is sharp and easily breakable it can be selected. Else the quality wont be nice.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

You can say this for ready-mixes-the next generation isn't going to have any trouble making pies exactly like mother used to make

Earl Wilson

Mango milkshake - Mambazha kulirbanam

2008-06-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

HAPPY COOKING

Ingredients:

Mango (Ripe) - Mambazham - 1 no.
Milk - Pal - 1/2 cup
Condensed milk - Thirattu pal - 1/2 cup
Sugar - Sarkarai - 2 table spoons

Method:

Wash and remove the skin from mango and remove the seed from it. Add sugar, milk, condensed milk and blend it.

Coollllllllllllllllll mango milk shake is ready to be served. It can be served for 1. It takes some 5 minutes to prepare.

Note: Use fresh ripe mangoes. Some kind of mangoes may not be good for milk shakes. Select and use.

Optional: Add some ice or ice cream of your choice. It can be served on the top of this and served.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango

The bagel, an unsweet ened doughnut with rigor mortis

Beatrice & Ira Freeman

Banana milk shake - Vazhaipazha kulirbanam

2008-06-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Banana (Ripe) - Vazhaipazham - 1 no.
Milk - Pal - 1/2 cup
Condensed milk - Thiratu pal - 1/2 cup
Sugar - Sarkarai - 2 table spoons

Method:

Remove the skin from banana, add milk, condensed milk and sugar and blend together. Serve it chill.

Note: This can be served as starter or dessert item. This takes 5 minutes to prepare and this can be served for 1 person.

Optional: Can add some vennila or any kind of ice cream if desired.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana

It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of one or two things still safe to eat

Robert Fuoss

Bananas - Vazhai pazham

2008-06-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Bananas are very good for health. It is rich in Potassium. It should be had daily along with our daily food. Many dishes can be prepared out of bananas. It can be mixed with milk and served as banana milk shake. Bananas are plants and not tree. It is a very famous fruit and offered to God and used during all festivals and occasions. It is good for free motion. Those who have less potassium should eat this fruit. It can be given to children. Its for all ages. There are so many varieties in bananas.

Three fruits are considered most important, they are mangoes (Ripe), bananas and jack fruits.

Fruit salad - Pazha vagaikal

2008-06-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Red apple - Sigappu apple - 1 no.
Green apple - Pachai apple - 1 no.
Grapes - Dratchai - 1/2 cup
Pomegranate - Madulam pazham - 1 no.
Bananas - Vazhai pazham - 1 no.
Mango - Mampazham - 1 no.
Cherry - Cheery pazham - 2 nos.
Pineapple - Annasipazham - small quantity
Papaya - Pappalip pazham - small quantity
Milk - Pal - 1 cup
Custard powder - 1 table spoon
Sugar - Cheeni/Sarkarai - 1 table spoon
Vennila essence/Vennila ice cream - little

Method:

Wash and cut all the fruits desired. Add sugar, custard powder and milk. Any ice cream can be added at the end and served chill.

Note: Don't ever add citric fruits. It will make the milk spoil.

Optional: Fruits can be added according to one's choice. Ingredients can be added/removed.

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating

Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own story

Rice flour sweet - Pidi Kozhukattai

2008-06-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Rice flour - Arisi mavu - 1 cup
Grated jaggery - Vellam thuriviyadu - 1 cup
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1/2 cup
Green gram dal - Pachai paruppu - 2 table spoons
Ghee - Nei - 2 table spoons
Salt - Uppu - a pinch

Method:

Fry rice flour in a kadai till nice aroma comes out. Fry for some 15 minutes in a low flame. Meanwhile grate the jaggery and keep ready. Add 1/4 cup of water in a kadai and add jaggery. Boil it till nice bubbles come.
Now remove the rice flour from the stove, add grated coconut, green gram dal powder - this has to be fried and made to a powder. Now add ghee and the jaggery. Mix them well. It should not be too thin or thick.
Now make small balls like how we make for chappathis. Then keep inside the palm and just press as shown in the picture. Apply little oil in idly plates/idly cooker and arrange these in that. Keep for some 10-15 minutes.

Tasty kozhukattais are ready to be served. It can be served for 3 people. It requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Add only 1/4 cup of water while heating jaggery beacuse jaggery will melt and become watery. So no need to add more water.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_flour

Edible, adj.: Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad. a toad to snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm

Ambrose Bierce

Coconut milk rice - Thengai pal satham/Birinji

2008-06-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Coconut milk - Thengai pal - 1 cup
Raw rice/Basmati rice - Pacharisi/Basmati arisi - 1 cup
White onion - Vellai vengayam - 1 no. (Big size)
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 3 flakes
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - 5 nos.
Garam masala powder - Masala thul - 1 tea spoon
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 3 nos.
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Ghee - Nei - 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Chopp onions and make ginger-garlic paste. Grind coconut and extract milk from it. Grind green chillies, cumin seeds and cashew nuts and make a paste.
Heat ghee and oil in a pan/kadai, add cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste, onions, garam masala powder, little salt, and then the coconut paste. Now add rice to it mix well. Add 2 cups of water. Boil it for some 20 minutes.

Hot, tasty coconut milk rice is ready. It can be served with any kind of pachadis, paneer butter masala, pakoda kuruma. It can be served for 2 people. It requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Garam masala powder can be made at home. I have mentioned in podi varieties. It can be got readymade from shops.

Optional: Leema beans or any vegetables can be added to taste. Ingredients can be added/removed.

Welcome to the church of the Holy Cabbage

Lettuce Pray

Pakoda gravy - Pakoda kuruma

2008-06-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Pakoda - 7 nos.
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 3 flakes
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 3 nos.
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1/2 cup
Garam masala powder - Masala thul - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - 2 nos.
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Poppy seeds - Kasakasa - 2 table spoons
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Make pakodas. I have mentioned how to make pakodas in snack items. Cut onions, smash tomatoes in a mixie. Make ginger-garlic paste after peeling off the skin. Grind grated coconut, poppy seeds, green chillies, cumin seeds, cashew nuts and make them to a paste.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste, onions, fry them well, now add tomatoes which are smashed, add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, little salt, curry leaves and boil them for some 3 minutes. Now add coconut paste. Finally add pakodas and garnish with coriander leaves.

Pakoda kuruma is ready to be served. Yummy!!!! It can be served with white rice, idly, dosa, chappathi, poori. It can be served for 2 people. It requires hardly 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Add only little salt to kuruma and salt is already added to pakodas. Pakodas should be soaked in the kuruma for atleast half-an-hour so that the taste will be really good.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it

Buddy Hackett

Parsnip sambar - Mullangi sambar

2008-06-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Parsnip - Vellai mullangi - 1/4 kg
Red gram dal/Pigeon pea - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Small)
Pearl onion - Sambar vengayam - 1/4 kg
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Capsicum - Kudai milagai - 1/2
Red chilli powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 1 table spoons
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1 table spoon
Garlic - Poondu - 2 flakes

Method:

Soak tamarind in hot water for about 10 minutes and extract paste from that after removing the dust particles.
Wash and keep red gram dal in pressure cooker after adding required water, a pinch of turmeric powder, asafoetida and a drop of oil.
Chopp onions, pearl onions, tomatoes and green chillies and keep other required ingredients ready. Grind grated coconut, 2 pearl onion, 2 flakes of garlic, little curry leaves to a paste. Wash and peel off the skin from parsnip and cut it into round shape and boil it for some 10 minutes and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram dal, curry leaves, red chillies, green chillies, black gram dal, bengal gram and onions. Fry them for some time. Then add tamarind paste. Now add red chilly powder, coriander powder, little salt and mix them well, Boil it for some time. Now add cooked vegetable and smashed dal. Allow it to boil for some 10 minutes. Finally add the grinded coconut-onion paste. This adds to taste. Add a table spoon of ghee and garnish with coriander leaves.

Hot parsnip sambar is ready to be served. It can be had with white rice, idly dosa. It can be served for 4 people. it takes 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Parsnip is white in colour and raddish is red in colour. There are many varieties in this vegetable. Sambar powder can be prepared at home, I have mentioned in podi varieties.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of one or two things still safe to eat

Robert Fuoss

Colacasia fry - Sepankizhangu varuval

2008-06-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Colacasia - Sepankizhangu - 1/2 kg
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Sesame oil for frying

Method:

Wash and keep colacasia in pressure cooker. Don't close the lid tightly. Just keep the top inverted. See every 10 minutes whether it is soft. Keep it for atleast 20 minutes. Now take it off, allow it to cool and peel off the skin.
Cut into desired shapes, add salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder and mix them well. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, then the colacasia and mix them well.

Colacasia fry is ready to be served. It can be served with rice. It can be served for 2 people. It requires hardly 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Curry should not be smashed. Only required amount of water should be added while boiling. Always add asafoetida to the oil once it is heated. This will add to taste.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colacasia

Chemicals, n: Noxious substances from which modern foods are made

Milk - Pal

2008-06-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

Milk is very good for health. It should be had daily. Atleast 2 glasses of milk must be taken daily, one in the morning and one in the night.
Little honey, saffron, badam, pista powder can be mixed to it as well. Milk will take away the heat from the body. Its good for eveyone (All ages).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk

Sweet Lassi - Thayir innipu

2008-06-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Curd/Yoghurt - 1 cup
Sugar - Cheeni/Sarkarai - 1 table spoon

Method:

Rinse curd using oven or physically. Add sugar to it and mix it well. This can be had as a dessert item or during any time.

Sweet lassi is ready to be served. This is for one serving. This requires 5 minutes to prepare.

Note: This is very good for health. Yoghurt should not be too sour. This is added to fruits and we get readymade in shops.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that's bad for you

Tommy Smothers

Bread toast - Rotti

2008-06-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Bread - Rotti - 4 nos.
Ghee - Nei - 2 table spoons

Method:

Spread ghee over the bread and roast it in a tawa or using oven. Turn both the sides and roast them till it becomes golden brown.

Bread roast is ready to be served. Serve with any kind of sauce or jam. It can be had as such. This is for one serving. Increase the quantity for more persons.

Note: Any kind of bread can be toasted.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread

No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut

Channing Pollock

Bread, butter, jam

2008-06-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Bread - 4 nos.
Butter - Vennai - 2 table spoons
Jam - Any type - 2 table spoons
Ghee - Nei for roasting

Method:

Spread ghee in breads and roast it in a tawa/microwave oven. Add butter in one side of a bread. Add jam to another bread. Attach both of them.

Bread, butter, jam is ready to be served. It can be served as breakfast or evening snack item. This can be served for 2 people. It takes hardly 10 minutes to prepare.

Note: Any bread, whether sweet, salt, wheat bread or sandwich bread can be used.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread

Shipping is a terrlible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.

Dosa - Dosai

2008-06-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Idli rice - Idli arisi - 6 cups
Black gram dal - Muzhu ulutham paruppu - 1 cup (If it is first quality)
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 3 table spoons
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and soak rice in water for about 4 to 5 hours. Black gram dal can be washed and soaked just for 1 hour. Soak fenugreek seeds when you soak black gram dal. Then grind them in a grinder. First grind dal and then rice, both separately.
Now add 2 table spoons of salt to it and mix the batter using hand. It should become sour for which only hands should be used. Allow the batter to stay for 8 to 10 hours.
Heat dosa tawa and add oil to it, you can use raw onion for spreading the oil. Insert knife inside the onion, soak in oil and spread it on the tawa. Now add dosa batter and make it round. If it is cooked turn the other side and add a little oil. When it is crispy and turns light brown remove it from the tawa.

Tasty dosa is ready to be served. Serve with chilly powder, sambar or chutney. This batter can be kept in a plastic box and can be preserved in a refrigerator for 1 week. Always add some water to the batter while making dosas. If it is idly no need to add water. This batter can be used for preparing both idlis and dosas.

Note: Batter should be left for 8 hours when it is summer season and 10 hours when it is winter season. Only hands should be used while mixing the batter after it is grinded.

Optional: Rice flakes can be soaked in water and can be added to get a smooth batter. Fenugreek seeds is good for health. It removes heat from the body and makes the batter smooth. At the same time don't add too much as it will make the batter look yellow in colour and the taste will not be good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa

" [When asked what he would eat if he was in a desert with no food in sight except a cow ] I'd find out what the cow was eating and join it."
Benjamin Zephaniah

All purpose flour Halwa - Maida Alwa

2008-06-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - Maida - 2 cups
Sugar - Sarkarai/Cheeni - 1 1/2 cups (One and a half)
Ghee - Nei - 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - small quantity
Orange colour - A pinch/few drops

Method:

Mix the flour with water (Usually 55% of flour). Make like chappathi dough. It should not be too thick or too thin. Keep it covered with wet cloth for one hour.
Add 2 cups of water in a vessel/bowl (Measurement equal to flour). Keep the dough inside the water and knead the dough well so that flour milk is extracted. The remaining part of the dough which remains after extracting the milk should be removed and thrown away. This requires some 10 minutes to extract. Then allow the extracted milk to stay for 1 hour. Now thin portion of the milk will be floating on the top of the milk and thick portion will settle down. Remove the thin portion and throw it away.
Now pour this thick milk to a heavy bottomed vessel or a non-stick pan and add sugar and orange colour. Let it boil for some 15 minutes. When it becomes thick like halwa add ghee and cashew nuts. It will start leaving the sides of the kadai. Now mix them well and once it is thick transfer to a greased plate (Ghee coated). Once it is cool cut into desired shape.

Sweet and yummy halwa is ready. Serve it as evening snacks. It can be served for 4 to 5 people. It requires 30 minutes to prepare apart from leaving the dough and milk to remain.

Note: Cashew nuts need not be fried. It can be added directly.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maida_flour

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Buttermilk - Mor

2008-06-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Curd/Yoghurt - Thayir - 1 cup
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamalli - small quantity
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 1 no.
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste

Method:

Beat the curd using mixie or manually. Chopp ginger, green chillies and coriander leaves. Add water to the curd and minse it with coriander leaves, ginger and green chillies. Add a pinch of asafoetida and salt.

Buttermilk is ready to be served. It can be served for 2 people. It requires 5 minutes to prepare.

Note: It's good for health and removes heat from the body.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai

High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Super squash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?

Annita Manning

Masala tea - Masala theneer

2008-06-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Tea powder - Tea thul - 1 table spoon
Sugar - Cheeni/Sarkarai - 2 table spoons
Milk - Pal - 1/2 cup
Water - Thaneer - 1/2 cup
Masala powder - Masala podi - 1/2 tea spoon

Method:

Grind cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, saffron and make them to a powder. Boil water in a vessel, add tea powder and garam masala and allow it to boil for some 3 minutes. Then filter it and add sugar and boiled milk and mix them well.

Masala tea is ready to be served. It can be served for 1. It takes 5 minutes to prepare.

Note: Add only little masala powder and not more.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai

We think fast food is equivalent to pornography, nutritionally speaking

Idly chilly powder - Idly milagai podi

2008-06-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 cups
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1/2 cup
Bengal gram - Kadalai paruppu - 1/2 cup
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Sesame seeds - Ellu - 3 table spoons
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 2 flakes
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Add a tea spoon of oil in a pan/Kadai and fry the ingredients separately (one by one) and allow them to cool. Add asafoetida and salt and grind them in a mixie.

Idly chilly powder is ready to be served. It can be served with idly and dosa. Add sesame oil or ghee to it while serving. It can be preserved in bottles or air tight containers and can be used for 2 to 3 weeks.

Note: Fry the ingredients one by one. First fry red chillies and then one by one after that. Allow it cool it and don't grind anything hot.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Chillies

There is a lot more juice in grape fruit than meets the eye

Channa masala - Mookadalai masala

2008-06-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Gorbanzo beans - Konda kadalai/Mookadalai - 1 cup
Onions - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium size)
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 3 flakes
Besan flour - Kadalai mavu - 1 table spoon
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Garam masala - Masala thul - 1/2 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Corinader leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Lemon juice - Elumichai pazham saru - few drops
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and soak garbanzo beans in water for about 8 to 10 hours. Then keep it in pressure cooker adding water and a pinch of salt. Keep it for 15 minutes in a medium flame. Once it is cooked keep it aside.
Chopp onions, smash tomatoes in a blender, make ginger-garlic paste, grind green chillies and little curry leaves.
Now heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, cumin seeds, besan flour, add onions fry them well, now add green chilly paste, ginger-garlic paste, little turmeric and salt and finally smashed tomatoes and fry them for some 5 minutes.
Now add boiled garbanzo beans. Add red chilly powder, corinader powder, garam masala powder and mix them well. Add little salt. Add curry leaves and garnish with corinader leaves. Squeeze little lemon juice over it. You can even decorate it with raw onions and tomatoes.

Tasty channa masala is ready to be served. It can be served with chappathis or pooris. It can be served for 2 people. It requires hardly 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Garbanzo beans should not be boiled for too long time since it may get smashed. Add only little salt and little garam masala as it may spoil the entire food if we add more.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed. Grated/Shredded coconut can be added if desired.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbanzo_beans

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity

Voltaire

Tamarind rice - Puli satham

2008-06-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Tamarind - Puli - 4 lemon size (Qty)
Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 cup
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 8 nos.
Fenugreek - Vendayam - 2 table spoons
Sesame seeds (White) - Vellai ellu - 1 table spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black pepper - Karuppu milagu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1/2 tea spoon
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - 4 nos.
Ground nuts/Peanuts - Verkadalai/Nilakadalai - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Salt to taste
Gingely oil/Sesame oil - Nallennai - 5 table spoons
Ghee - Nei - 1 table spoon

Method:

Wash and keep rice in pressure cooker and add a drop of sesame oil and add 2 cups of water to it and keep it for some 20 minutes. Once it is cooked allow it to cool it off by spreading in a wide plate.
Prepare tamarind paste by soaking in hot water. Remove all the dust particles by filtering it using filter. Add a teaspoon of oil in a pan/kadai and fry red chillies (4 nos.), fenugreek seeds, curry leaves (little), sesame seeds, ground nuts, black pepper, cumin seeds and make it a powder.
Add 1 table spoon of ghee, 4 table spoons of oil, splutter mustard, red chillies (2 nos.), curry leaves, black gram dal, bengal gram, cashew nuts, tamarind paste, asafoetida and finally the powder which we have made. Mix them well. Mix the content to the boiled rice. Garnish with fried cashew nuts.

Hot and tasty tamarind rice is ready to be served. It can be served with chips. It can be served for 2 people. It requires hardly 30 minutes to cook. Yummy!! Yummy!!!

Note: Always remove dust particles from tamarind. Avoid adding more sesame because it will create heat in the body.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarind

Vegetables are must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie

Jim Davis

Coriander rice - Kothamalli satham

2008-06-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Coriander leaves - Kothamalli leaves - 1 bunch
Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium size)
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 4 nos.
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Bengal gram - Kadalai paruppu - 1 tea spoon
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1/2 cup
Ginger - Inji - small piece
Garlic - Poondu - 3 nos.
Ghee - Nei - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and keep rice in cooker. Add 2 cups of water and a drop of oil so that the rice won't get smashed. After cooking spread in a plate and allow it to cool it off. Always add a pinch of salt or a drop of oil while preparing variety rice.
Wash and cut coriander leaves and keep it ready. Chopp onions and keep other ingredients ready. Add a tea spoon of oil to kadai and fry cumin seeds, red chillies, green chillies, black gram dal, bengal gram, tamarind ginger, garlic and grated coconut and finally chopped coriander leaves. Grind them to a paste.
Now heat ghee in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, cumin seeds, onions, curry leaves, then the grinded paste and little salt. Mix them well. Add to the boiled rice.

Coriander rice is hot and delicious to be served. Serve hot with pachadi or chips. It can be served for 2 people. It hardly takes 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Always use fresh ingredients. Don't add too much water while grinding paste. Don't add too much salt as it would spoil the whole rice.

Optional: Cashew nuts can be garnished at the end. Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriander

"I eat merely to put food out of my mind"

N.F. Simpson (1919)

Tea - Theneer

2008-06-10T01:47:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Tea powder - 1 table spoon/ Tea bag - 1 no.
Water - Thanneer - 1/2 cup
Milk - Pal - 1/4 cup
Sugar - Cheeni/Sarkarai - 2 table spoons

Method:

Boil water for 2 minutes, then add tea powder and allow it to boil for some 3 minutes, now add milk, let it boil for some 2 minutes, filter and take the tea content. Now add sugar and mix well.

Hot tea is ready to be served. This beverage is very good for health and the measurement said above is for 1 serving. It requires 5 minutes to prepare.

Note: Any tea powder of your choice can be used. If tea bags are used dip the bag in hot water and add milk and sugar and boil it for some 2 minutes. There are various kinds like ginger tea, cardamom tea, black tea, lemon tea. For lemon tea they won't add milk.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

"For the millions of us who live glued to computer keyboards at work and TV monitors at home, food may be more than entertainment. It may be the only sensual experience left".

Barbara Ehrenreich, author, social critic

Sambar powder

2008-06-10T01:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Black pepper - Milagu - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1 table spoon
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 table spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 2 table spoons
Bengal gram - Kadalai paruppu - 2 table spoons
Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 2 table spoons
Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 table spoon

Method:

Fry all the ingredients separately and grind them in a mixie. Cool it off and store in a air tight container.

Sambar powder is ready to be mixed in sambar. It should be preserved in air tight container.

Note: Red chillies (Kaintha milagai) and coriander seeds (Dhania thul) can be added separately or grinded along with this powder. If grinded along with this powder, it should be in the ratio of 1:2, that is if red chillies are 1, coriander seeds should be 2.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

"That's something I've noticed about food: whenever there's a crisis if you can get people to eating normally things get better".

Madeleine L'Engle (1918) - American author

Apple cake - Aapil cake

2008-06-10T01:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Apple - Appil - 1 no.
All purpose flour - Maida - 1 cup
Sugar - Cheeni/Sarkarai - 1 cup
Salt - Uppu - a pinch
Baking powder - 1 table spoon
Milk - Pal - 1 cup
Rose/Vennila essence - a drop
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - 5 nos.
Raisins - Dratchai - 5 nos.
Butter - Vennai - 1 table spoon

Method:

Mix all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, butter, apple juice, salt, essence. Apply ghee in a baking vessel and pour this mixture.
Preheat the oven to 350 degree farenheit. Keep this for 20 minutes. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts and raisins.

Apple cake is delicious and ready to be served. It takes hardly 30 minutes to cook. It can be served for 4 people. This is a dessert item.

Note: This can be baked only using conventional oven and not microwave oven.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

He hath eaten me out of house and home

William Shakespeare

Pineapple Kesari - Annasipazham kesari

2008-06-10T00:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Pineapple - Annasipazham - 1 cup
Semolina/Rava - Ravai - 1/2 cup
Sugar - Cheeni/Sarkarai - 1 cup
Ghee - Nei - 5 table spoons
Green colour - Pachai nira podi - 1 pinch
Rose/Vennila essence - Rojapoo essence - 1 drop
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - fistful
Raisins - Dratchai - 1 table spoon

Method:

Boil pineapple for 3 minutes and blend it to a paste. Heat 1 tea spoon of oil in a pan/kadai and fry rava for some 5 minutes. In the same kadai add 1 more tea spoon of ghee and fry cashew nuts and raisins. Keep it aside.
Now boil 2 cups of water in the kadai, when it boils and bubbles come add rava and mix slowly and gently so that it mixes well. No lumps should be there. Let it boil till it becomes soft. Now add ghee, now rava will start leaving the sides of the kadai.
Now add sugar and pineapple paste and mix them well. Let it boil for some 10 minutes. Add colour, essence and finally roasted cashew nuts and raisins.

Hot, tasty pineapple kesari is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served for 3 people. It requires 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Allow rava to become soft and then add sugar and fruits. Mix ghee so that it will be soft and tasty.

Optional: Yellow colour can be added because pineapple is also yellow in colour. Any colour can be added according to ones choice. Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple

At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely

W.Somerset Maugham

Brinjal, Drumstick, Mango sambar - Kathirikai Murungakkai Mangai sambar

2008-06-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Brinjal - Kathirikai - 2 nos.
Drumstick - Murungakkai - 1 no.
Mango - Mangai - 1 no. (Small)
Pigeon pea/red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 cup
Pearl onion - Sambar vengayam - 1/4 kg
Tomato - Thakkali - 2 nos.
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Red chilli powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Sambar powder - Sambar podi - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal Podi - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Tamarind - Puli - small quantity
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Black gram dal - Ulutham parupu - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai/koparai - 1 table spoon
Garlic - Poondu - 1 no.
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Ghee - Nei - 1 table spoon

Method:

Wash and keep dal in pressure cooker adding a pinch of asafoetida, turmeric powder and 1 tea spoon of oil. Pour 2 cups of water and keep for 20 minutes. Once it is boiled keep it aside.
Wash and cut brinjals, drumsticks and mango. Boil it and keep it aside. Peel off the skin from onions, chopp it and chopp tomatoes and keep ready. Soak tamarind in hot water, filter all dust particles and keep it aside.
Prepare sambar powder, grind grated coconut, pearl onion, curry leaves and garlic and make it to a paste.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram dal, fenugreek, add curry leaves, green chillies, red chillies and fry them. Now add pearl onions and fry them well. Add tomatoes and a little salt and fry them well.
Now add all the vegetables and let it boil for some 5 minutes. Now add tamarind paste and mix them well. Once it starts boiling add sambar powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and the coconut paste.
Finally add smashed dal and ghee and allow it to cook for some 15 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Hot sambar is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served with white rice. It can be served for 4 people. It is also called araithu vitta sambar. It requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Sambar powder can be prepared at home, I have mentioned how to prepare it in podi varieties.

Optional: Capsicum can be added to this. Ingredients can be added/removed.

At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely

W.Somerset Maugham

Fried gram dal chutney - Udaithakadalai chutney

2008-06-09T23:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Fried gram dal - Udaithakadalai - 1 cup
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Grind fried gram dal, grated coconut, green chillies and little salt with some water.

Fried gram dal chutney is ready to be served. It can be served for 2 people. It requires 10 minutes to prepare.

Note: Add only required amount of water.

Optional: Red chillies can be used instead of green chillies. One pearl onion can be added for taste.

I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is two weeks

Totie Fields

Garlic rice - Poondu satham

2008-06-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Garlic - Poondu - 10 flakes
Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 cup
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Black pepper - Karuppu milagu - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Pearl onion - Sambar vengayam - 5 nos.
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 4 nos.
Mustard - Kadugu - small quantity
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Salt to taste
Ghee - Nei - 2 table spoons

Method:

Keep rice in pressure cooker adding 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. Add a drop of oil or a pinch of salt.
Fry black pepper and cumin seeds and grind them in a mixie.
Cut ginger and garlic to small pieces. Keep other required ingredients ready. Heat ghee in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, ginger, garlic, pearl onion, red chillies, salt and fry them. Mix them to boiled white rice.

Garlic rice is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served for 2 people. It requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Peel off the skin from garlic and ginger. Always use fresh curry leaves. Add only 2 cups of water to rice and allow it to cool after boiling.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

Make hunger thy sauce, as a medicine for health

Thomas Tusser

Soya bonda

2008-06-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - Maida - 1 cup
Corn flour - Makkachola mavu - 1 table spoon
Rice flour - Arisi mavu - 1 table spoon
Soya flour - Soya mavu - 1 table spoon
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Medium)
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 3 nos.
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Baking powder - 1 tea spoon
Butter/ghee - Vennai/Nei - 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Mix all the flours in a vessel/bowl including soya flour, add little salt, ghee, chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves, corinader leaves, chopped ginger, asafoetida and baking powder. Mix water and make it like dosa batter. The dough should not be too thin or too thick.
Heat oil in a pan/kadai, leave 2 to 3 tea spoons of batter at a time. Fry till it turns brown in colour.

Hot soya bonda is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served as evening snack/tiffin item along with idlis, coconut chutney and sambar. It can be served for 4 people. It requires 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Bonda will almost look like a vada, hence dont try to make it look a ball. Leave 3 teaspoons of batter in the kadai at a time, it will be almost in round shape. This will really taste good.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

Thou should st eat to live; not live to eat

Socrates

Garam masala powder - Garam masala thul

2008-06-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Black pepper - Karuppu milagu - 2 table spoons
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 2 table spoons
Bay leaves - Birinji ilai - 1 no. (Large)
Cinnamon - Pattai - 3 nos.
Cloves - Lavangam - 3 nos.
Cardamom - Elakkai - 3 nos.
Fennel seeds - Sombu/Perunjeeragam - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek seeds - Vendayam - 2 table spoons
Coriander seeds - Dhania thul - 1 table spoon
Nutmug - Jathikai - 1 no.

Method:

Fry all the ingredients in a pan/kadai and grind them in a mixie

Note: There are so many other items/varieties which can be added to this to make garam masala powder. Chilly powder has to be added along with this powder for cooking. This has to be added very little since it can spoil the rice and not that good to health.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live

Socrates

Coffee - Kottai vadi neer

2008-06-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Coffee Powder - Kottai vadi neer powder - 1 table spoon
Sugar - Cheeni/sarkarai - 2 table spoons
Milk - Pal - 1/2 cup
Water - Kudineer - 1/4 cup

Method:

Boil milk and keep it aside. Boil water, add coffee powder (Any powder of your choice, whether readymade or grinded), sugar, boiled milk and heat it for a minute. This can be done even using microwave oven.

Apart from this filter coffee is there, for which people buy coffee seeds and grind them and then put it in filter and drink.

Hot coffee is ready to be served. This is for one person, you can accordingly increase if the number is more. This hardly takes 5 minutes to prepare. People usually prefer to have in the mornings. It can be had during any time.

Note: If you drink any other kind of coffee like starbucks, you have to take the starbucks cup, add sugar which will be kept in packets, add milk (If desired), then add coffee (Dikashan). It can be stirred well using a stick which will be provided and close with a lid.

Optional: Milk is optional for beverages like coffee or tea. Most people prefer to have black coffee in abroad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee

Food is the most primitive form of comfort.

Sheila Graham

Tomato rice - Thakkali satham

2008-06-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Tomatoes (Ripe) - Thakkali (Pazhuthathu) - 4 nos.
Raw rice - Pacharisi - 1 cup
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Pearl onion - Sambar vengayam - 1 no.
Ginger - Inji - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 3 flakes
Grated/Shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - 1 table spoon
Green chillies - Pachai milagai - 2 nos.
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 4 nos.
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 tea spoon
Garam masala powder - Garam masala thul - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamalli - small quantity
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Cashew nuts - Munthiri paruppu - small quantity
Ghee - Nei - 2 table spoons
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and keep rice in pressure cooker. For 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water should be poured if kept in pressure cooker and 4 cups if kept in microwave oven. Add a drop of oil or a pinch of salt so that rice will not get smashed and be well cooked. Always spread the cooked rice in a wide plate so that the ingredients will be mixed well and the variety rice will look good.
Chopp onions and tomatoes. Smash tomatoes after peeling off the skin. This can be done if tomatoes are soaked in hot water.
Grind ginger and garlic and make a paste. Grind grated coconut, pearl onion, green chillies, cumin seeds and make to a paste. Grind and keep garam masala powder, I have mentioned how to prepare garam masala in podi varieties. Keep other ingredients ready.
Heat ghee in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, add asafoetida, curry leaves, fry bengal gram and black gram dal, 4 red chillies, onion, now add ginger garlic paste, little salt mix them well and fry till it turns brown (in medium flame). Now add smashed tomatoes and little salt, chilly powder and garam masala powder. Mix them well.
The quantity should become half, we have to cook till it reaches that level. Now switch off the stove and mix with the boiled white rice. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried cashew nuts.

Hot tomato rice is delicious and ready to be served. This can be served along with onion/curd pachadi and potato chips. This can be served for 2 people. This requires only 30 minutes to cook.

Note: Add only 1 tea spoon of garam masala powder not more than that.

Optional: Ingredients can be added or removed. Tomato sauce can be added if required.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

If hunger makes you irritable, better eat and be pleasant.

Sefer Hasidim

Mango Pickle - Mangai Urukai

2008-06-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Mango (Raw) - Urukai/kilimooku mangai - 1 no.
Red chilli powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 2 table spoons
Turmeric powder - Manjal Podi - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Fenugreek powder - Vendaya thul - 1 tea spoon
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Gingely oil

Method:

Wash and cut mango into small pieces as shown in the picture. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder and salt. Fenugreek must be fried for a minute and powdered in mixie. Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds and asafoetida. Mix the seasoning to the mangoes.

Mango pickle is ready to be served. Serve it with rice. It goes with curd rice. It can be preserved in bottle or air tight container and can be used for a week. It requires some 10 minutes to prepare.

Note: Only orugai manga can be used for making this. All varieties cannot be used and won't be tasty.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango

Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat

Socrates

Orange - Kamala Orange

2008-06-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

Oranges are a great source of Vitamin C! One orange actually has all the Vitamin C you need for the day!

Oranges are oval to sphere-shaped fruits with leathery, porous skin. Their color ranges from orange to red-orange. Oranges may be confused with other citrus fruits, such as grapefruits and tangerines. However, grapefruits are usually much larger and more yellow than oranges, and tangerines have a more flattened sphere shape than oranges.

Oranges are green before they ripen.

Oranges are eaten as raw or added to fruit salads, can be made as juice. Oranges are offered to God.

If hunger makes you irritable, better eat and be pleasant

Sefer Hasidim

Red apple - Sigapu aapil

2008-06-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

An apple a day Keeps the doctor away

Apple should be added to our daily food items. It's good for health.

How to Store:

The best place to store apples is in the refrigerator! Sliced or cut apples stay white longer if dropped in a bowl of water containing 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Food is the most primitive form of comfort

Sheila Graham

Green Apple - Pachai aapil

2008-06-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

An apple a day Keeps the doctor away

Apples have a rounded shape with a depression at the top where the stem is attached. Some apples are almost perfectly round, while others are more rounded at the top and narrower at the bottom. In addition, some have knobby lobes at the calyx end (bottom) of the fruit. Apple fruits are firm and the skin is shiny and smooth. The color of the skin can be red, green, yellow, or a combination of those colors. The flesh is white or ivory.

This can be had as raw, that is as it is or can be made as juice, this can be even added to make fruit salad. Snacks items like pakoda can also be made from apples.

Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live

Socrates