Brinjal Gothsu - Kathirikai gothsu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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