Paruppu Usli with Beans

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Ingredients:

Toor Dhaal - 1 cup
Green Beans - 1/2 kg beans top and tailed
Red Dry Chillies - 6 to 8
Channa Dhaal - 1 or 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida - One pinch
Turmeric - One pinch
Oil - 1/4 cup.
Salt - To taste.

Method:

1.  Soak the toor dhaal and chillies in water(warm)  for around an hour.


2.  While the toor daal is soaking, cut the beans into small pieces.


3.  When you are able to break a soaked toor dhaal with your finger, it is ready.


4.  Transfer this to a mixie and grind it a little bit coarse with salt. (Add only minimal quantity of water)


5.  In a kadaai, heat half of the oil.
6.  Add in the mustard seeds and when it splutters, add the channa daal and saute them.
7.  Then add in the turmeric and asafoetida and mix it.


8.  Now add in the ground tood daal paste into this oil and keep stirring it.


9.  The daal will start to get cooked and the oil will be absorbed.
10.  Now add in the reminder of the oil and keep stirring the toor daal mix in the kadaai.
11.  In the mean time, cook the beans with some salt for around 10 minutes in a microwave (use minimal water) so that they are partially cooked.
12.  After a while of stirring the toor dhaal with oil in the kadaai, the toor daal will start to get separated.


13.  At this point, add in the cooked beans and mix it thoroughly.


14.  Let this simmer for around 10 minutes so that the beans is cooked fully with the toor daal (Keep stirring it on and off)


15.  Check for salt and add more if necessary.
16.  Best served with Vengaya Sambar rice or Gojju (pulikozhambu) rice.
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Vaangibaath

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Vegetables:

2 or 3 Capsicums or Eggplants - Cut into thin slices



Ingredients for the powder:

Channa Daal - 2 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - 4 tbsp
Red Chillies - 8 to 10
Cinnamon Stick- One piece
Cloves - 4 or 5 pieces
Cardamom Pods - 4 or 5 (opened)
Poppy Seeds - 1 tbsp
Coconut (Dry) - 2 tbsp (optional)
Tamarind - Small Lemon sized (soaked in 1/2 cup of water)
Oil - 2or 3 tbsp





Ingredients for seasoning:

Raw peanuts - One handful
Cashews - One handful
Mustard Seeds - 1 tbps
Channa Daal - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1/2 cup
Asafoedita - One pinch
Turmeric - One pinch

Salt - To taste

Method:

Preparing the powder:

1.  Heat a kadai with 2 or 3 tbsps of oil
2.  Add in the channa daal, coriander seeds, red chillies and saute them until golden brown.  Keep aside.
3.  In the same kadai, saute the cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom for 20 seconds and then add the poppy seeds and coconut (if using), saute for another 5-7 seconds.  Add this to the channa daal mix.


4.Transfer everything to a grinder and powder it.  (Don't powder it too nice, but not very coarse either)

Preparing the Vaangibaath:

1. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a kadai.
2.  Once the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3.  Now add in the channa daal, cashews and peanuts and saute them until they are golden brown.


4.  Now add in the capsicums, salt and mix it thoroughly and let it cook.
5.  In the mean time extract the juice from the soaked tamarind and extract again using another 1/2 cup of water.
6.  Check if the capsicum is half cooked and then add in the tamarind extract and let it boil.


7.  Once the capsicum is properly cooked, add in the powder from the grinder and mix thoroughly to avoid any lumps.


8.  Let this boil for around 5-10 minutes until the oil comes up. (Keep stirring it on and off)


9.  Check for salt and add if necessary.
10.  Cool some cooked rice in a tray or a wide bottomed vessel.
11.  Pour around 3-4 tbps of gingelly oil and turmeric on the rice and mix it.


12.  Scoop enough of the vaangbath mix onto the rice and use a spatula to mix it very softly.


13.  Add more if needed (You may need to add salt to this rice mix.)
14.  Best served with cucumber raita. (Post to follow).


Comments (1)

Kuzhipaniyaaram

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Ingredients:

Idli / Dosai batter
Cashews (Broken into pieces)
Ginger
Chilli
Channa dhaal - One tbsp
Asafoetida - A pinch
Oil
Mustard Seeds - One tbsp

Method:

1.  Grind the chilli and ginger into a paste.
2.  Heat  4-5 tbsp of oil in a kadai.
3.  Add in the mustard seed when the oil is hot and let it splutter.
4.  Next add the channa daal and cashews and roast it until it is golden brown.
5.  Add in the asafoetida and the chilli/ginger paste.
6.  Add this into the idli/dosai batter and mix it thoroughly.


7.  Heat the kuzhipaniyaram tawa.


8.  Put 1/4 spoon of oil in each of the 'kuzhi' and then pour in the idli/dosai batter just enough to fill in the 'kuzhi'.
9.  Repeat this for all the 'kuzhis'.




10.  Pour 1/4 spoon of oil along the sides of the 'kuzhi' and let it roast.
11.  Use a fork and a skewer to turn around the paniyarams so that the other side of the paniyaram is cooked as well.  (Use oil if u want to after the paniyaram has been turned.)


12.  Transfer to the plate.


13.  Devour with any chutney.
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Sambar Sans Sambar Powder.

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Ingredients:

Vazhaikai or Pumpkin or Spinach or Okra


Toor dhaal - 1/2 cup
Channa Dhaal - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 2 (slit lenghtwise)
Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized, soaked in 2 cups of water
Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder -  A pinch each
Curry Leaves - few.
Mustard Seeds - 1 tbps
Oil - 2 or 3 tbsp
Salt - To taste.
Rice Flour - 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:

1.  Pressure cook the toor dhaal with enough water to 3 whistles.
2.  Extract the juice out of the tamarind and keep aside.
3.  In a kadai, heat the oil, add in mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4.  Now add in the channa dhaal and fry the same.
5.  Throw in the chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric powder and saute for around 10 seconds.


6.  Carefully add in the extracted tamarind juice.
7.  In the mean time, cube the pumpkins/vazhaikai or chop the spinach.
8.  Add the vegetable/spinach onto the tamarind juice, salt, cover it and let it boil.


9.  Mash the cooked toor dhaal and reserve it.
10.  Check if the vegetable/spinach has cooked and then add in the mashed toor dhaal.


11.  Let it boil for around 5 minutes and simmer it down. Keep stirring it.
12.  If you think that the sambar is too watery, you can add the rice flour at this stage and stir well.
13.  Let this boil for another 2-3 minutes, check for salt.


14.  Switch off the gas and serve this sambar with hot rice.
15.  Accompanients can range from raita, curry, papads or vadam.
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Pumpkin Raita.

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Ingredients:

Pumpkins (deseeded, cored and skin removed) - 250 gms
Dry red chillies - 2
Channa Dhaal - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seed - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - A pinch
Oil - 2 or 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste.
Curd / Yoghurt - 2 cups

Method:

1.  Cube the pumpkins, add salt, add 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook in microwave for around 10 minutes.
2.  Once cool, mash the pumpkins thorouoghly and let it cool


3.  In a small kadai, heat oil.
4.  Add mustard seeds and after it stops spluttering, add in the channa dhaal.
5.  Once the channa daal is fried, add in the red chillies and asafoetida.
6.  Saute for not more than 10 seconds, more like 5 seconds,  and transfer this onto the mashed pumpkin.


7.  Mix thoroughly and then add in the curd/yoghurt.


8.  Check for salt and add more if needed.


9.  Can be served with any sambar rice, vaangibath.
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Pasta....

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Ingredients for Pasta:

Pasta (uncooked) - 500 gms
Water - Enough to cook the pasta
Oil - 1-2 teaspoons
Salt - One tbsp.

Ingredients for the Sauce:

Carrots - 2 (big ones)
Capsicum - 1
Onions - 2 (medium sized)
Broccoli - 2 flowers
Baby corn - a bunch (optional)
Mushrooms - a handful (optional)
Potato - 1 (medium sized)
Chillies -2 (optional)
Ginger - A medium sized piece
Garlic - 1 or 2 pods (optional)
Oil - 4-5 tbsps.
Salt - As required
Mushroom Sauce (Condensed soup) - 2 cans



Method:

Cooking the Pasta:

1.  Take enough water in a vessel, add salt, oil and heat it
2.  When the water is boiling add in the pasta.
3.  Keep stirring it for the first 2-3 minutes since the pasta tends to catch at the bottom of the vessel.
4.  After 10-12 mins, pick out a pasta and squeeze the centre of it.
5.  If the centre is soft and the pasta  breaks, then the pasta is cooked.
6.  Switch off the gas and transfer the pasta to a colander to drain the hot water.
7.  The most important step is to wash this pasta using COLD water. (Just turn on the tap on the pasta and wash it thoroughly.  This will prevent the pasta from sticking together).

Making the Sauce:

1.  Cut the onions and capsicum into strips.  Reserve.
2.  Wash, peel and cut carrots and potates into strips.  Cut the broccolli into flowerettes.
3.  If using baby corn, break them into one inch pieces.
4.  If using musrooms, clean them and cube them.
5.  Grind the ginger and chilli into a paste with garlic, if using.
6.  Heat oil in a kadai, add the ginger/chili paste and saute it.


7.  Add in the onions and saute them until cooked.


8.  Next add in the capsicu and saute them until they are cooked.


9.  Now add in the reminder of the vegetables, add salt, mix them thorougly and cover it to be cooked.


10.  No need to add water, since the salt releases enough water for the vegetables to cook. ( If you think  that there is less water, then add in 1/4 cup of water)
11. Keep stirring this vegetables on and off until they are well cooked.
12. Now add in the mushroom sauce.


13.  Mix this thorougly with the vegetables and let it cook until one or two bubbles come up in the sauce.


14. Switch off the gas as soon as the bubbles are formed.
15.  Take some pasta in a bowl, add in this sauce, mix it and you are ready to have lunch/dinner.





Comments (3)

Milagu Kozhambu

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Ingredients:

Black Pepper - 1/2 cup
Fresh ginger - 1/2 cup (cut into small pieces)
Curry Leaves - 3-4 twigs
Tamarind - A small lemon sized ball
Oil - 1/4 cup
Salt - to Taste

Method:



1.  Heat 4-5 spoons of oil in a kadai.
2.  Add in the pepper, ginger, curry leaves and the tamarind and saute it thoroughly. (You can feel the aroma filling in the kitchen)



3.  Switch off the gas, spread this in a plate and let it cool.
4.  Once cooled, transfer it to the mixie, add water and grind it nicely.


5.  Add salt and more water if required (The consistency should be that of idly batter).


6.  Heat the remaining oil in the kadai.
7.  Once the oil is hot, gently pour in the pepper mix into the oil.


8.  Keep stirring it on and off.


9.  After some time, you can see that the mix starts to thicken.



10. Switch off the gas. Check for Salt and add more if necessary.
11.  Spread some cooked rice on a plate, scoop out some of this pepper mix, add a teaspoon or two of gingely oil, mix it and devour the rice.
12.  Potato fry / Appalam / Vadam are the best acompanients for this. (No raita please. :-) )
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Perungaya Ennai (For Idli)

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Ingredients:

Oil - 5-6 spoons
Mustard Seeds - One spoon
Asafoetida - 2-3 pinches
Salt - to Taste
Chilli Powder - 1-2 tbsps (optional)

Method:

1.  Heat oil in a small kadai (the one that is used for seasoning)
2.  Once it is hot, add the mustard seeds.
3.  Switch of the gas after it starts spluttering.
4.  Now add the asafoetida and mix it well
5.  Optional step is to add the chilli powder.
6.  Add in the required amount of salt and mix it thoroughly.


7.  Arrange idlis in the plate and spread this oil on the idlis.


 

8.  Now you can pig out on the idlis. :-)
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Puli Aval Uppuma / Tamarind Poha Uppuma

Author: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner // Category:
Ingredients:

Aval - 200 gms
Tamarind - Medium lemon sized ball
Trumeric Powder - A pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Peanuts - Fistful
Cashews (broken) - as needed
Green Chillies - 2 (slit lengthwise)
Channa Daal - One teaspoon
Oil - 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - a bunch
Mustad Seeds - One teaspoon

Preparation:

1.  Soak the tamarind in one cup of water for 15 mins and extract the juice.  Add another cup of water to the tamarind and extract the juice again.
2.  To the tamarind juice, add the pinch of turmeric, salt, asafoetida and mix it thoroughly.  Check for salt.
3.  Now add the aval, mix it and let it soak for around 1/2 hour.



4.  After 1/2 hour you can see that the volume of aval has doubled.  All the water should have been absorbed.  If there is any water, drain it. Also, squeeze out extra water from the aval.


5.  The soaked aval should be wet and soft. 



Method:

1. Heat the oil in a kadai.
2.  Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3.  Now add the channa daal, peanuts and cashews and fry them
4.  Once the cashews are golden brown, add Asafoetida, curry leaves and chilli and saute them.
5.  Switch off the stove and add this to the aval.


6.  Mix it thoroughly using a spatula.



7.  Check for salt and add if necessary.  Serve with a dollop of yoghurt.
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