BISI BELA BATH

INGREDIENTS

Tur dal - 1/2cup
Rice - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Tamarind - size of a lime
Red chillies - 6nos
Green chillies - 4nos
Mustard - 2tsp
Curry leaves - few
Cashewnut -10
Ghee for frying
Mixed vegetables of ur choice(optional)
Small onions - 10 to 12
Salt to taste

FOR POWDERING

Red chillies - 6nos
Fenugreek seeds - 1tsp
Coriander seeds - 1tsp
Grated dry coconut (copparai)
Cloves - 4
Channa dal - 1 tsp

PREPARATION

Wash rice and dal thoroughly. cook it in a container with 21/2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric powder and chopped vegetables and green chillies.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the ingredients for powdering until fenugreek turns golden brown in colour. Powder and keep aside.

Soak tamarind in a little water and extract juice. Add the powder to the tamarind extract and boil it with the required salt.

once this boils pour this mixture to the rice and mix it well over the stove for some time.

Heat oil, add red chillies, mustard and curry leaves. When mustard crackles, add to rice and mix well.

Heat a little ghee and fry Cashewnuts until golden brown in colour. Add to rice Mix well.

Remove from fire. Serve with papad, raita or potato chips .

This is Karnataka spl item. I first tasted this one when i was 10 yrs. My mom's kanadika friend (i could'nt remember her name but her daughter Anjana was my sister's class mate so we call her as Anjana's mom) prepared and gave us in such a big bowl spreaded with ghee. wow it was so yummy to had that hot and with onion raitha. When ever that aunty prepare Bisi bela she used to share us too. Thanks to Anjana's mother. My mother learnt this from her and now me from my mom. Here u go .......... one of my favourite dish....

GOBI MANCHURIAN (DRY)

Last week we went to a hotel to celebrate my birthday. Gobi Manchurian is our all time favorite starters. It was awesome and just the way they make it is delicious, spicy and dry. I always wanted to try it but didn’t get a good recipe. Now that I got a recipe, I tried it and it really came out well. I shared it with my family and neighbours. They loved it. Here you go….

INGREDIENTS I:

Cauliflower florets - 4 cups
Chopped onion - 1 cup
Green chilly - 2
Green onions - 1/4 cup (in Tamil we call it as vengaya thal)
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped garlic - 2 tsp ( use Ginger garlic paste also)
Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - a few
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Green chilly sauce - 2 tbsp
Tomato sauce - 3 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

INGREDIENTS II (Preparation of cauliflower fritters):

All purpose flour/Maida - 1/2 cup
Corn flour - 6 tsp
Rice flour - 2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

METHOD

Cut the cauliflower into medium size florets and add it to the boiling water and leave it for 4-5 minutes
Remove from heat before it gets overcooked and then drain the water. Keep it aside
Make a thin batter with water using the ingredients II except oil
Heat oil in a deep bottom pan
Now dip the florets in the batter and drop it in oil. It should be golden brown
Like this repeat the process with the rest of the florets
Turn both the sides and fry. Leave enough space between the florets while frying
Keep them aside
In a wide pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil
Add onions and fry till they become translucent
Now add the ginger and garlic or paste and saute
Now add the chopped green chillies, green onions and toss for a few seconds
After that add the red chilly powder, pepper powder and salt
Combine them together and keep on frying till you get rid of the raw smell
Add soy sauce, green chilly sauce, tomato sauce and 3 to 4 tbsp of water. Combine them
Now add the fried cauliflower to it and toss it carefully till the masala sticks to the cauliflower
Add water if required. Leave it for 5 mts.Remove from heat and garnish with coriander and green onions

WATCH MAN UNCLE

My little demon was not well last week. So I took him to hospital for check up. We were waiting for Doctors consultation where others also with their kids. A gentle man who was wearing a big dialed watch standing beside us and watching something else. My boy started his routine. Showing the watch he said mamma this is watch…. He is man so this uncle is watchman uncle right mamma. I whispered no adhvith this is uncle. This is his watch don’t say like this. No mamma what I am saying is right; A man who wears a watch is watchman. That’s why I am saying this uncle is watch man uncle. The gentleman heard and laughed at him. The nurse saved me by calling us inside.

BINDI MASALA

INGREDIENTS

Ladies finger – ½ kg
Green chilli - 3 T
omato 2 Onion 3 to 4
Salt to taste
Jeera powder - ½ tsp
Coriander seed powder – 2 tsp
anni seeds ½ tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts - 10 to 15
Oil ½ cup
Curd ¼ cup

METHOD

Cut all the ladies finger in to 1 inch pieces.
Cut onion, tomato, green chilli.
Fry poppy seed. cashews and Anni seeds in a dry pan. Grind all items.
Keep the ground gravy aside.
Deep fry all the ladies finger in to oil.
In little oil add some jeera, hing, fenu greek saute till its golden brown.
Add the masala gravy in to that and stir it for 2 to 3 mts until the oil mixes well within that.
Add garam masala, all fore mentioned powders and thick curd in to the gravy.
Allow to cook for couple of mts.
Now add the fried ladies finger in to the gravy cook for 2 mts by stirring occasionally.



Now your yummy bindi masala is ready to have with paratha or chappaties

This is my daughter's favorite one. She loves it very much. If this the side dish one more chapati ll go for her.

KADALA CURRY

INGREDIETNS

Onion 2
Tomato 1
Green chilli 2
Ginger garlic paste 1tsp
Chilli powder 2 tsp
Turmeric powder pinch

To grind

Grated coconut 3 tsp
Pepper 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Poppy seeds 1tsp
For seasoning
Cinnamon(crush it to pieces) 1 inch
Anni seeds, cloves and cardamom each little

METHOD


Soak the chenna overnight or approx 8 hrs.
Boil it with half salt, keep aside.

Cut the onion in length wise thin long pieces. Cut tomatoes, Green chili as same. In a pan season all the things and add onion and green chillies. Fry till turns golden brown and add ginger garlic paste stir it for few times and add tomatoes. Stir till all mixes well and and add chilli powder, turmeric powder salt cook for some time until the raw smell goes. Now add the ground paste stir it. When oil leaves add cooked black chenna and pressure cook it. 1 or 2 whistle is enough as the chenna was precooked.

Though its spicy it goes even for chapati, puri or parata items. My friend told me it accompanies with rice also. I did not try with rice. I used it for duel purpose for puttu and for Stuffed paratha.

PUTTU

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

METHOD

Add salt and approximately 3 table spoons of grated coconut into the flour and mix well. Add water little by little to the rice flour and mix it. The flour should be wet enough for steaming, but we have to be careful when you add water to the flour. The consistency has got to be right. It should not become too watery. Puttu has to be made in a Puttu maker. Layer the Puttu maker with some grated coconut first, then the rice mixture and then the grated coconut again. Steam for 2-3 minutes, take out and serve hot.
You can have Puttu with either Kadala Curry/steamed plantains or bananas.

This is Kerala special dish. I learnt this from my keralite friend. first time i tried this with kadala curry.
it seems to be ok. Both my kids did not like this as it was dry and Kadala curry s too spicy.

CURRY LEAVES KULAMBU

INGREDIENTS

Curry leaves 1 cup
Garlic 6 to 7 pearls
Tamarind extract 2 cups
Red chilli 6 to 8
Gram dal, Urid dal, Toor dal, each 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
Pepper 2 tsp
Hing a pinch
turmeric powder a pinch
salt to taste
oil and mustard for seasoning

PREPARATION

In little oil fry all dals,pepper,fenugreek, red chilli and garlic,
curry leaves at last.
Grind them in to paste.
Pour the thick tamarind extract add salt,turmeric and hing.
Add the paste stir it well.
Allow to boil till the raw smell goes.
Season with seasoning items.

My mom prepare this very tasty and yummy. Its our favourite one and goes well with white rice. Accompanies with appalam.

WHEAT HALWA

 

INGREDIENTS

Wheat flour 1 cup
Sugar 2 cups
Ghee 1 cup
Kesar color pinch
Badam,cashew and raisins to garnish.

METHOD

Mix the flour in to a cup of water.
Make it like a idli batter or little bit thinner.
Fry cashews and badam in little ghee keep aside.
Add the batter to the pan stir contineously.
Add color by dissolving it in water.
Few mts latter add the sugar.
When the mixture starts thickening add ghee a little at a time.
Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring and adding ghee, till halwa appears to get rubbery and collects in the center of the pan.
Transfer to a plate when done. Please note that the halwa should be cooked over slow fire throughout.

POHA UPPUMA

INGREDIENTS

Thick poha - 1 cup
onion 1 (optional)
Chilli powder(Dosa millagai powder)- 1 tsp
Oil
Mustard
curry leaves
Hing
Urid dal and gram dal for seasoning

PREPARTION

Soak the poha in little water for few mts (spinkle water dont pour more)
In a pan pop up mustard and add dals,hing fry till it turn golden brown.
Add onion fry for some time. and add poha, salt and curry leaves in to that.
sprinkle dosa chilli powder stirr it well.
cook for few mts till the poha get soften.
If necessary sprinkle little water to soften the poha.

Even i dont like this but i prepare this to show the variety in our break fast.
My husband like this much.
Its easy to make and healthy too,. We can use little tamarind extract instead of plain water.
Then it ll be Tamarind Poha uppuma.

TOMATO AND ONION CHUTNEY -A TASTY COMBO

INGREDIENTS

Tomato - 3
Onion - 2
Green chilli-2
Red chilli-2
Cilantro- 1/4 bunch
Fried Gram- 3 tsp
Grated coconut -3 tsp
Salt to taste
oil,Dals and mustard for seasoning.

PREPARATION(method 1)

Cut onions, tomato and green chilli.
Fry all ingredients in little oil but for the
fried gram,coconut and cilantro.
Let it cool and grind along with grated coconut,cilantro and salt.
Season with the seasoning items.

All of us like the chutney very much. This is our favourite one goes with all tiffin items.

METHOD 2

Instead of fried gram and cilantro use chenna dal and urid dal at the time of frying. Then add onion and tomatoes and green chilli.
Stir it well. Grind them as said before.

This method I learnt it from my sister-in-law(elder one).When i was in early stage of cooking and newly married. I often prepare this, as it was so easy and favorite to every one in my family.

LORD BALAJI

 

This is the first one painted by my daughter in her grandma's house.
My sister taught her to paint.
She is also planning to do someother in her Dasara holidays.
She feels so happy on seeing her works posted in the blog and the comments she got.
let her have a word from the veiwers of this.

VEG KURMA

 

INGREDIENTS

Potato - 2
Carrots - 4
Beans - 50 gms
Tomatoes -2
Cauliflower few flowers
Onions - 2
Green peas 1/2 cup
Oil
Ginger & Garlic
Aniseed Poppy Seeds
grated coconut- 4 tsp
Chilli Powder
Coriander Powder
Garam Masala
Turmeric Powder
Salt
Coriander leaves to Garnish

METHOD

Pressure Cook all the Vegetables.

Grind coconut, Poppy seeds, Aniseed, Ginger, Garlic.

Then heat the oil in a pan and add cloves, Green Chillies, then Onions.

When the Onions become golden brown add tomatoes, when it starts to leave oil add the ground paste and then all Chillies Powder Coriander Powder Garam Masala.

Then salt to taste, add all the vegetables cooked add little water and cook for some time.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

CHO CHWEET PILLAIYAR

This is my elder ones painting. (who is 7 years old)

As I said earlier she is very passionate to art and craft work and hand works.
This is her second painting work. The first one is Lord Balaji. Yet to upload in my page.

This one we made it ready for this year Ganesh Chaturthi and celeberated the pooja with this pic.

My sister is her inspiration for these work. She only helped her to finishing these pictures.

Ganesha is her favourite God.

She gifted this pic to her beloved chitthu(chithappa-Peternal uncle) in Canada.

CILANTRO RICE

INGREDIENTS

Cocked rice 1 cup
Onion 1
Green chilli 2
Peas 1/4 cup
Cilantro 1/2 bunch
Cumin powder 2 tsp
Garam masala 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
salt to taste

METHOD

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.

cut onion and green chilli length wise.

When the cumin seeds start spluttering, add onion, green chilli and fry until the onions turn transparent in color.

Then add cumin powder, turmeric, garam masala and salt. Add peas and stir till u get the good flavour and raw smell goes.

Add rice and cilantro. mix well.

Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot.

NOODLES ON TOAST

INGREDIENTS
Bread slices – 4
Ghee to toast
Cooked noodles – one cup
Tomato ketchup or jam -

PREPARATION

Toast the bread slices in a tawa.
Spread the noodles on the bread slices as toppings.
Add the ketchup or jam on the centre top of that.

It looks so nice and very easy to prepare if u have left over cooked noodles.
I suddenly had this thought when I have nothing in my hand to give evening snacks for my kids but for the bread and cooked noodles. It’s very boring to have always a plain toast. They denied to have plain toast that day. So I thought of
giving them the usual one in a different manner. Believe me they enjoyed this very much.

PLAIN RASAM

INGREDIENTS

Tamarind - lemon sized ball
Rasam powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - pinch
Salt - to taste
Hing - pinch
Green chilli - 1

Ghee and mustard seeds for seasoning
Cilantro and curry leaves for garnishing

PREPARATION

Dilute the tamarind extract approx to 3 to 4 cups.
Add all ingredients up to chilli. (cut the chilli in length wise)
Allow to boil for few mts. Add dal water(optional).
Bring it to boil few more seconds and pop up up mustard seeds in ghee along with hing.
Garnish with cilantro and curry leaves.


This i will do when i am too tired and too lazy to cook any other variety. This is so simple and accompanies with any veg or even chips or vadams, appalam items.

sss

DRUMSTICK MASALA

INGREDIENTS

Drumstick - 2
Onion 1
Tomato 2
Green chilli 1
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder pinch
salt to taste
Oil to cook
Mustard and oil for seasoning
curry leaves for garnishing

PREPARATION

Cut the drumsticks in to 1 inch pieces and par boil it.
Cut onion and green chilli length wise chop the tomatoes.
In a pan pop up mustard seeds, hing and add green chillies onion and tomatoes one after other.
Fry till it turns golden brown and mixes well with tomato.
Add salt, chilli and turmeric powders.
Add par boiled drumstick pieces and pour little water to make gravy.
Allow to boil for few mts until the essence of the gravy mixes with drumsticks.
Don't over cook as the drumsticks may broken and water will get dried.
Now your drumstick masala is ready.

It goes well with white rice and good side dish for curd rice too.

CHENNA PULAO

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 500 gm
Kabuli channa
Tomatoes 2
Coconut 1/2
Oil 2 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves
Green chillies 3
Chana masala powder or pinch of garam masala powder
Cloves 2
Bay leves 2
Onions 1/2(to grind)
Red chillies 3
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coconut to grind

Method:

Soak the kabuli channa overnight.
Pressure cook for 20 minutes or upto 6 whistles.
Blanch tomatoes for few minutes. Remove the skin and grind them to a paste.
Extract coconut milk from 1/2 of the coconut. S
oak the rice and after 10 minutes and cook them till done.
Heat oil in a pan and add the masala spices and green chillies.
Add cut onions when they splutter. Fry onions till brown.
Grind to a paste onions, red chillies, cumin seeds and coconut after frying them in a little oil.
Add this paste to the onions along with chana masala powder, tomato paste, coconut milk and salt.
Cook for 2-3 minutes or till you get a good smell.
Add the cooked kabuli channa and cook for few more minutes.
Add the cooked rice to this mixture and keep stirring till both the mixture and the rice gets mixed nicely.
Serve hot.

TUMMY MACHINE

My cute little boy troubling me every time to have his food. U know what he has done this morning.... as usual he was troubling me to have his break fast chappati.I was running behind him here and there and tried all possible ways to stuff him at least a half. At last I said to him see adhvith mamma going to switch on your tummy button, then your mouth machine will chew the chapattis fast and send it to yr tummy OK. Saying this I have given him a small pinch, now machine started chewing fast ready.... The next second he has given another pinch and said mamma now I switched off the tummy machine and the chapattis ll come out and he literally spited that piece from his mouth. Che I totally got vexed and at the same time could not control my laugh.

ADAI (DAL DOSA)

INGREDIENTS

· Raw rice 2 cups
· Redgram 1 cup
· Bengal gram ½ cup
· Urid dal ¼ cup
· Chenna 10 to 15
· Red chilli 10
· Green chilli 2
· Hing Pinch
· Salt to taste
· Finely chopped onion, grated carrot,beet

root, potato cabbage 1 cup
· Curry leaves little

PREPARATION

· Wash and soak the rice and the dals for about 4 hours.

· Drain and grind the rice and dal to a coarse batter.

· Add and grind the green chillies, curry leaves with red chillies and salt in last round of

grinding.

· Rest the batter for about an hour..

· Mix the grated vegetables to this batter and mix well. Check for salt and keep aside.

· Heat a heavy dosa griddle, smear oil and spread one ladle full of this batter to a thick

circular shape. Make a few holes in the center. Pour oil on the sides and in the center and

cook over low heat.

· Turnover and pour the oil and let it cook till it is crisp all around and golden brown in color.

. It goes well with any varieties of chutney particularly with AVIAL jaggery and butter will make this so yummy.

Usually i ll use all dals except chenna and ll add vegetables like carrot, onion, potatoes but not beet root as it change in to red color. But my sister in law Vidhya gave me the tips to add chenna dal and grated beet root. It ll add more taste and colourful too. Now i never forget to add the both to my adai. Thanks to vidhya.

Tips On Cutting & Peeling

• Wash vegetables before peeling or cutting to preserve the water soluble vitamins.

• Peel vegetables as thinly as possible to preserve the minerals and vitamins.

• Soak potatoes and eggplant after cutting, to avoid discoloration.

• If you boil vegetables in water, do not throw the water, keep it to make gravies.

• To avoid browning of apples after cutting, apply a little lemon juice on the cut surface. The apples will stay and look fresh for a longer time.

• Keep coriander leaves in a muslin (cheese) cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.

• Remove the stems of green chilies while storing them .This will help them to stay fresh for long.

• After peeling onions cut in half and soak in water for about 10 minutes before cutting to avoid crying.

• Soak almonds in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes .The skin will peel off easily.

• Chopping vegetables can be done in different ways using a sharp knife and a wooden chopping board. Cutting on a marble slab will blunt your knives.

• Wrap the fruits and vegetables in newspaper before refrigerating to keep them fresh for long.

• Chopping dry fruits - Freeze them first for one hour & then dip the knife into hot water before cutting them.

TIL LADDUS( ELLURANDAI)

• 1 Cup til
• 2 Cups jaggery
• 4 tsp Ghee


Roast the til dry till it turns slightly brown.
Make powder of roasted til. (optional. u can prepare whole roasted til itself)
Heat the pan .
Put jaggery in hot pan and mix well till it melts.
Now add ghee and the powder. Mix well.
Make laddus from it immediately.
Now Til laddus are ready

FENUGREEK SEED DOSA WITH MINIT LEAVES CHUTNY

INGREDIENTS

Red gram - 1/2 cup

Boiled Rice - 4 cups

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 cup


PREPARATION

1. Soak all above said for 4 to 5 hrs.

2. Grind them to batter. Leave the batter for minimum 2 hrs.

3. Now the batter is ready to make delicious healthy dosas.

4. U can have this with any chutny and sambar.

Fenugreek is good for health and it ll add good flavour and taste to dosa. Sure it ll be a different one.