Sago soup - Javarisi payasam

Ingredients:
Sago - Javarisi - 1 cupSugar - 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:

1. Cook sago in a vessel/pressure cooker till it becomes transparent. No need to boil water first. Some soak for 1 hour. It depends on the quality. Once it is cooked in water, add sugar and keep stirring till it resolves.
2. 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

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:

1. Wash and cook the dal and keep it aside. Cut tomatillos into small pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, fry bengal gram dal, asafoetida, red chillies and coconut gratings and grind them to a paste.
3. 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

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:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water and make a paste out of it. Dust particles has to be removed using filter. Keep other ingredients ready.
2. 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.
3. 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

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:

1. Wash and peel the vegetable using peeler. First wash and remove the skin then slit as shown above. No need to boil separately.
2. 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

Ivy gourd/Gentlemen's Toes/Tindal curry - Kovakkai varuval

Ingredients:
Ivy gourd/Gentleman's Toes/Tindla - Kovakkai - 1/2 kgRed 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:

1. Wash and cut the vegetables into round shape as shown in the picture.
2. 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.


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

Ash guord sambar - Poosanikkai sambar

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

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:

1. Wash and peel mango and slice it using chopper/slicer. Slit green chillies and keep other ingredients ready.
2. 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.
3. 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

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:

1. Wash and squeeze the lemon and extract juice. Chopp tomatoes and squeeze with hand. Keep other ingredients ready.
2. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. Next we have to clean and cut the vegetable into 1/2 inch size. Pressure cook or microwave adding little salt.
3. 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.
4. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. Make ginger paste, wash and cut white pumpkin into small cubes. Keep other ingredients ready. Make yoghurt.
3. 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.
4. 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

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:

1. Chopp onions and tomatoes. Make tamarind paste. Peel off the skin from garlic, grind coconut to a paste and keep other ingredients ready.
2. 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.
3. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

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:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract paste from it. Wash and cut vegetables into small cubes and keep it aside.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. You will get the peeler readymade in shops. Chopp onions, green chillies and keep other ingredients ready.
3. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, splutter mustard seeds, black gram dal, curry leaves and add this to the carrot.
4. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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