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Poornam Boorelu Recipe – How To Make Poornalu – Andhra Burelu

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Poornam boorelu
Poornam Boorelu/Poornalu/ Burelu (In Telugu) is one of the most important Neivedyam /Prasadam recipes for Varalakshmi Vratham in Andhra. Most of the people make this during Diwali and Ganesh chaturthi too. Boorelu is very similar to Tamil nadu style Suzhiyam/Suzhiyanrecipe but the ingredients used for the outer covering is different. In suzhiyan, maida and rice flour is used for the outer covering whereas boorelu needs rice + urad dal batter (Just like dosa batter) for the covering. Otherwise, the procedure for making Pooranam is one and the same. Pooranam ( Stuffing) can be made with Senaga pappu ( Chana Dal ), Pesarapappu ( Moong dal ) or Kobbari ( Coconut). This morning I tried it for pooja and of course to post this special recipe on this Varamahalakshmi festival day. Even though its my first attempt, it came out very well and I am happy with the result. For this recipe, I asked my neighbor Sowjanya who is from Andhra. She told, on Varamahalakshmi, they make a count of 9 boorelu/poornalu and offer to God. It should be consumed only by the family members after the pooja. So its a must and should sweet recipe to be made for them during this festival.She shared her recipe along with some useful tips too. Thank you Sowjanya for the perfect recipe. We all loved it. Do try this Andhra special sweet recipe for festivals and have a great celebration. Ok, Lets see how to make Pooranam Boorelu ( Poornalu) with step by step pictures.
Andhra boorelu

Pooranam Boorelu Recipe


Pooranam Boorelu RecipePooranam Boorelu - Andhra style senagapappu boorelu recipe
Cuisine:Indian
Category:Sweet
Serves: 9 nos
Prep time:5 Hours
Cook time:3 Minutes
Total time:5H03Minutes
For the stuffing/Pooranam
  • Chana dal - 1/2 cup
  • Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup
  • Water - 1/3 cup
  • Cardamom - 2 nos
  • Grated coconut - 1//4 cup
For the outer covering
  • Raw rice - 1/2 cup
  • Round white urad dal - 1/4 cup
  • Water - as needed
  • Salt - A pinch
  • Sugar - 1/2 tsp
  • Cooking oil - to deep fry
METHOD

  • Wash and soak the rice and dal together for minimum 4 hours. Over night soaking is also fine. Grind it to a slightly coarse paste in dosa batter consistency adding required water. Make sure batter is not too thin. Set the batter aside for one to 5 hours. But I used it immediately without resting time.
  • Wash and pressure cook chana dal adding enough water. Chana dal should be blossomed and retain its shape ( i.e when you press the dal, it should become mushy) Do not over cook the dal. Grind it to a coarse paste without adding water or mash it with a ladle.
Poornalu - Poornam boorelu
  • In a pan, melt jaggery adding water. Strain it to remove the impurities using a metal strainer. Boil the syrup till it becomes frothy or reaches one string consistency. Add the ground chana dal paste, cardamom powder and grated coconut. Mix well till it becomes a whole mass and leaves the sides of pan. Switch off the stove and let it become warm. Make balls of golf balls size and arrange in a plate.
 Poornam boorelu
 Poornam boorelu
  • Heat oil to deep fry. Test the oil temperature by dropping a pinch of batter. If it rises to the top, oil heat is just right. Simmer the flame completely.Take the ground batter, add sugar, mix well. Dip a stuffing ball into the batter using a spoon. Wipe the excess batter in the sides of vessel and deep fry the balls in medium flame till it turns slightly golden with brown spots.Do not fry for long time. Remove in a tissue. Offer to GOD and get the blessings. Enjoy  eating!
 Poornam boorelu
 Poornam boorelu
 Poornam boorelu
NOTE : You should make 9 or 5 balls and offer to GOD. It should be eaten only by the family members.Do not give this as prasad to others.

Tip 1 : Adding sugar in the batter gives a mild sweet taste to the outer covering too. So it won't taste bland.
Tip 2 : Poornam should be thick and there should not be any moisture content in it else it will disperse in oil when you deep fry the balls.So add besan flour if needed to make the stuffing thick.
Tip 3 : If the batter is thin, you can add some rice flour to bring the right consistency.


Note
  • You can use the remaining batter to make dosa or punugulu.
  • While cooking dal , if u add more water , drain the excess water and grind to a smooth paste. 
  • If there is more moisture in the cooked dal, you can add some besan flour to thicken the stuffing quickly.
  • It stays soft and good for 1-2 days.
Enjoy this delicious traditional Andhra sweet at home !
Pooranam boorelu

Vazhaipoo Dosai Recipe – Banana Flower Dosa

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Vazhaipoo dosai
Recently I tasted vazhaipoo uthappam in Salem Saravana bhavan – Aasai Dosai restaurant. It was very tasty and I din’t have the feel of eating vazhaipoo. As its a healthy dosa, I wanted to try at home. I was able to guess the ingredients of the masala(topping) and recreated the same. It came out very closeDancing. Sendhil loved it a lot. Most of us make Vazhaipoo usili, vazhaipoo vada  and even vazhaipoo adai at home. This vazhaipoo dosa is sure a welcome change from them. The consumption of banana flower would be more in this dosa. Make this dosa for your husband and ask him to guess the ingredientsWinking. He would love its taste for sure and definitely becomes surprised to know it is a vazhaipoo recipe. This dosa tastes the best with coconut chutney . Make sure you use fresh banana flower and its not bitter to taste.Ok, let see how to make restaurant style, healthy vazhaipoo uthappam recipe for your breakfast/dinner with step by step photos.
Don’t forget to check out my how to clean vazhaipooVazhaipoo kuzhambu, Vazhaipoo vadai, vazhaipoo poriyal, Vazhaipoo usili and vegetable uthappam recipes.



Banana flower dosa

Vazhaipoo dosa/ Banana flower dosa recipe


Vazhaipoo dosa/ Banana flower dosa recipeVazhaipoo/Banana flower dosa recipe – Healthy dosa variety for breakfast/dinner
Cuisine:South Indian
Category:Main - Breakfast
Serves:7 nos
Prep time:10 Minutes
Cook time:15 Minutes
Total time:25 Minutes
1 cup - 250ml
For the masala
  • Vazhaipoo/Banana flower - 1 no
  • Big onion - 2 nos
  • Green chillies - 2 nos ( thinly sliced)
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Chilli powder or sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Salt & water - as needed
  • Lemon juice – few drops (optional)
To temper
  • Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
  • Hing/Asafetida - a big pinch
METHOD

  • Wash and clean the vazhaipoo ( Refer this post on how to clean vazhaipoo). Chop it finely and keep them immersed in water till use. Finely chop the onion and green chillies.
Vazhaipoo dosai
  • In a kadai, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds.Add finely chopped green chillies and saute till its color changes. Add onions,curry leaves and saute till transparent.
  • Vazhaipoo dosai
  • Now add the turmeric powder, chopped vazhaipoo, red chilli powder or sambar powder, required salt. Mix well. Mix well until vazhaipoo shrinks and cooks well. Cover the kadai with a lid and simmer the flame. Let the vazhaipoo cook soft. Stir it once in the middle.Switch off the flame and add few drops of lemon juice if needed. Check for taste.
Vazhaipoo dosai
Vazhaipoo dosai
  • Heat a dosa pan and pour 1 ladleful of batter. Spread it slightly for making uthappam. After you see the bubbles over the dosa, spread the vazhaipoo masala over the dosa and drizzle a tsp of gingely oil over the dosa. Flip the dosa carefully and cook for a minute.

Vazhaipoo dosai
  • Remove the dosa and serve hot with chutney or sambar ! Enjoy !
Vazhaipoo dosai
Note :  Add more green chillies or chilli powder as per your wish.

Yummy, healthy vazhaipoo dosa is ready to serve with coconut chutney and sambar !
 Vazhaipoo dosa


Hotel Style Idli Sambar Recipe – How To Make Tiffin Sambar – Easy Version

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Hotel style idli sambar
Usually I make Tamil nadu Hotel style idli sambar adding freshly roasted & ground spices. To make my job easier, I started making Idli sambar powder in bulk and use it to my need. Few months back, I watched Venkatesh Bhat’s hotel style idli sambar recipe in Samayal Samayal cookery show. It is a simplified & quick version of restaurant style idli sambar without any grinding job. As I had already tried Kerala ulli sambar recipe ( Vengaya sambar), I found this recipe very close to it. So I tried it confidently. As expected, it came out really well. I started making it regularly with my own modifications. This has become Raksha’s favorite idli sambar. It tastes good for all tiffin recipes like Idli, dosa, vada, Pongal and rice upma as well. For variations and to make it more healthy for your kids, you can add vegetables like potato, carrot & use few pieces of pumpkin instead of jaggery to give a natural sweetness in sambar. If you like the taste of this sambar, you can use this sambar recipe for making mini idli sambar and sambar vadai. Try this easy version of idli sambar and prepare a quick side dish for idli, dosa during busy morning hours. Ok, lets see how to make hotel style idli sambar in an easy way !
Check out my other Idli Sambar varieties too !
Hotel idli sambar

Hotel Style Idli sambar Recipe


Hotel Style Idli sambar RecipeHotel style idli sambar recipe - Quick version
Cuisine:South Indian
Category:Side dish For Idli, dosa
Serves:Serves 3
Prep time:10 Minutes
Cook time:20 Minutes
Total time:30 Minutes
1 cup - 250ml
  • Toor Dal - 1/4 cup
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Cooking oil - few drops
  • Water - 2 cups
  • Big onion - 1 no (cubed)
  • Ripe tomato - 2 nos (Small sized, Do not chop it, use whole tomato)
  • Asafetida/Hing - a big pinch
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Red chilli powder – 3/4 tsp
  • Dhania powder – 1.5 tsp
  • Grated jaggery - 1/2 tsp
  • Besan flour – 1 tsp
To temper
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
  • Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
Ghee & coriander leaves - to garnish

** Skip onion to make no onion, no garlic idli sambar
** Use 3 pumpkin cubes along with dal to get natural sweetness in sambar.
**Add mixed vegetables like carrot & potato with dal to make it more healthy.Use one tomato if its bigger in size or sour in taste .
         
METHOD

  • Wash and take the toor dal in a pressure cooker base. Add 2 cups of water and let it soak for few minutes till you chop onions. Chop the onion and add to the cooker.Add one whole tomato ( Do not chop the tomato because dal may not cook mushy), turmeric powder, curry leaves, hing and few drops of cooking oil. Add enough water and cook the dal in low flame for 2 whistles. Remove the lid after the steam is released. Mash the dal + tomato very well. Make sure dal is well cooked and mashed well.
Hotel style idli sambar recipe
  • Add red chilli powder, dhania powder, jaggery and required salt. Dilute besan flour in 1/4 cup of water and add to the cooked dal ( ** Adding besan flour helps to get a creamy texture to this sambar and blends well with dal). Mix well. In a kadai, heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal & sambar powder. Saute for few seconds without burning sambar powder. Do not change its color. Add the mashed dal to the kadai. Boil the sambar for  few minutes by adding chopped coriander leaves and ghee. Switch off the flame ,cover the sambar with a lid and give a standing time of one hour before serving.
    Hotel style idli sambar recipe
  • Enjoy with hot idli, dosa & pongal. Drizzle a tsp of sesame oil or ghee if you like !

Try this easy version of hotel idli sambar at home and enjoy with piping hot idlis !
You will love it Love Struck
Hotel style idli sambar recipe

Poha Kheer - Choora Kheer - Aval Payasam - Krishna Janmashtami Recipes

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Poha kheer
Poha kheer also known as Choora Kheer ( Aval Payasam in Tamil, Pressed rice/Rice flakes pudding in English, Atukula payasam in Telugu, Avalakki payasa in Kannada) is a creamy, rich North Indian dessert recipe made using Milk, pressed rice, sugar, nuts and cardamom powder. Krishna Janmashtami/Gokulashtami festival is around the corner. We South Indians i.e Tamil people make sweet seedai, Salt seedai, Kai murukku, Paal payasam and appam for the festival whereas North Indians make their specialty recipes like Rice Kheer/ Poha kheer, Kalakand, Shrikand, Gopalkala, Mathura Ke peda and many more. Actually I bookmarked these recipes long back but I couldn’t try them.So this year I started with a North Indian recipe for Krishna Jayanthi festival.. I followed Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe but used more milk than the mentioned quantity. Its so easy to make and it came out creamy and delicious.This kheer can be given for babies too. Actually Sendhil  & Raksha is not a big fan of Poha kheer with sugar. But they liked this a lot. Try this easy kheer recipe for this Janmashtami festival and offer to God. Lets see how to make poha kheer with step by step photos and a video ( Will update soon) !
Check out my other Krishna Jayanthi recipes HERE
Poha kheer recipe

Poha kheer/ Aval Payasam


Poha kheer/ Aval PayasamPoha kheer/Choora kheer recipe - Krishna Janmashtami Recipes
Cuisine:North Indian
Category:Dessert
Serves:Serves 2-3
Prep time:5 Minutes
Cook time:15 Minutes
Total time:20 Minutes
1 cup - 250ml
  • Thick poha/Aval/Rice flakes - 1/4 cup
  • Milk – 1.5 cups
  • Sugar – 2.5 tbsp
  • Cashews, Almonds and Raisins - 5 each
  • Saffron threads - few
  • Cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp
  • Ghee - 1 tbsp
METHOD

  • Boil milk in a pan. In the mean time, heat ghee in a kadai. Roast cashews, almond and raisins. Remove in a plate leaving the ghee in the pan. In the same ghee, roast poha for 2 minutes. It will roast with a nice flavor. (Skip roasting poha. Just wash and add to milk. Some versions call for this method too)
Poha kheer recipe
Poha kheer recipe
  • Add the roasted rice flakes to the boiling milk. Cover and cook the poha in very low flame. It takes nearly 10 minutes to cook. Mix it well once or twice in between. Make sure the bottom is not burnt. If needed, add 1/4 cup more milk in the middle.
Poha kheer recipe
  • After the poha is cooked well, add sugar and mix well. Add cardamom powder and roasted nuts. Add saffron threads if you wish. Mix well and give a boil. Switch off the flame and serve warm.
Note : This kheer thickens over time. So add more milk and sugar while serving to adjust its consistency and sweetness. Boil for a minute and serve warm. Enjoy !

Easy, yummy Poha kheer is ready to enjoy !
Poha kheer recipe


Gopalkala Recipe / Dahi Poha – Easy Krishna Janmashtami Recipes

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Gopalkala recipe
If you are looking for an easy Janmashtami recipe, Gopalkala is the best choice. It is a most popular dish prepared on the occasion of Janmashtami/Krishna jayanthi in North India. It is prepared in temples, offered to Lord Krishna and served as prasad during the festival for the devotees. When  Lord Krishna was young, he used to mix all his Cowherd friend’s lunch recipes with his favorite curd, butter, milk, made this dish and served his friends. 'Gopal' is the name of Lord Sri Krishna. 'Kala' means the mixture. So this dish is named as Gopalkala. It is is a mix of beaten rice/ poha, curd,milk, ghee, green chilli, sugar, salt and cucumber.This is also called as Dahi poha. I followed the recipe from this space. There is no hard and fast rule to make this dish. This salty and sumptuous dish is prepared in every home in North India where the festival of Janmashtami is observed. It is extremely easy to prepare and hardly takes few minutes to prepare. Try this easy Janmashtami recipe and have a great celebration !
Gopalkala recipe

Gopalkala recipe


Gopalkala recipeGopalkala recipe - A mix of beaten rice, curd - Easy janmashtami recipes
Cuisine:Indian
Category:Festival recipes
Serves:Serves 2
Prep time:5 Minutes
Cook time:10 Minutes
Total time:15 Minutes
1 cup - 200ml
  • Poha/ Thick Rice flakes - 1/2 cup
  • Boiled milk - 3 tbsp
  • Curd - 1/4 cup
  • Butter - 1/2 tbsp ( Optional)
  • Sugar - 1/2 tsp
  • Salt - as needed
  • Cucumber - 2 tbsp ( chopped)
To temper
  • Ghee - 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Green chilli - 1 no ( finely chopped)
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Ginger - few pieces
METHOD

  • Wash the poha/Thick rice flakes twice or thrice. Remove all the debris. To this, add milk, curd, butter, salt and sugar. Mix well. Let it soak for few minutes.In a small kadai, heat ghee. Temper cumin seeds, green chilli, curry leaves and ginger pieces.Add this to the poha mix.Add finely chopped cucumber pieces. Mash the poha well and serve. It thickens over time. So add more curd, mix well and serve accordingly.
Gopalkala recipe
Gopalkala recipe
Enjoy !
Adding butter and milk is optional. You can add finely chopped guava and banana pieces too. Gopalkala thickens in time. So add more curd and mix while serving.

 
Easy, no cook Dahi Poha/Gopalkala is ready to offer to Lord Krishna !
Dahi poha

Uppu Seedai & Vella Seedai Recipe With Store Bought Rice Flour

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Uppu seedai - Vella seedai
Uppu Seedai/Salt seedai and Vella seedai/Sweet seedai recipes using store bought rice flour with tips and tricks to avoid bursting. Seedai is one of the most important Neivedyam recipes for Krishna Jayanthi @ Gokulashtami festival in Tamil nadu. Usually we make seedai recipes with homemade processed rice flour and roasted urad dal flour. I have already shared our traditional uppu seedai and vella seedai recipes long back. This year, I tried cheedai using store bought rice flour as it is easy and quick to make. I used Anil Kozhukattai flour. I guess Idiyappam flour works well too. It came out equally crispy and crunchy compared with the traditional ones. It din’t burst at allHappy. Cracks in the sweet seedai is unavoidable though. Friends, If you don’t have enough time to make processed rice flour but still want to make seedai, try this easy version with store bought rice flour. Follow the steps carefully if you are a beginner. You can make it really well. Have a great Krishna Jayanthi celebration Happy . Check out my other Krishna jayanthi recipes in THIS LINK. Lets see how to make uppu seedai and vella seedai with rice flour ( Kozhukattai flour).
Vella seedai recipe
Uppu seedai recipe

Uppu seedai and Vella seedai recipes


Uppu seedai and Vella seedai recipesUppu seedai and vella seedai recipe with store bought rice flour/Kozhukattai flour
Cuisine:Indian
Category:Snacks
Serves:-
Prep time:10 Minutes
Cook time:20 Minutes
Total time:30 Minutes
For vella seedai : 1 cup - 250ml

For Vella Seedai
  • Idiyappam flour OR Kozhukattai flour - 1/2 cup
  • Roasted urad dal flour or Powdered gram flour – 1/2 tbsp 
  • Softened butter – 1/2 tbsp (at room temperature)
  • Sesame seeds or cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Ground coconut – 1 tsp
  • Grated jaggery - 1/4 cup + Water – 3 tbsp ( to melt jaggery)
  • Cardamom seeds - 1 no
  • Water - as needed
For Uppu seedai
  • Idiyappam flour OR Kozhukattai flour - 1/2 cup
  • Roasted urad dal flour or Powdered gram flour – 1 tbsp
  • Softened butter – 1/2 tbsp ( at room temperature)
  • Ground coconut – 1 tsp
  • Sesame seeds or cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Asafetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp
  • Salt & Water - as needed
Cooking oil – to deep fry
METHOD

  • Dry roast 1 cup( 250ml cup) of  rice flour till it starts to emit vapour. Keep roasting in medium flame for few minutes to see the vapour. Try to draw a line to check if the flour is roasted well. Do not burn the flour.  Let the flour cool down. Follow the same steps for Idiyappam flour as well.
Vella seedai

For Vella seedai/Sweet seedai 
  • Measure 1/2 cup of roasted rice flour in a sieve. To this, add either roasted urad dal flour OR roasted gram flour ( Pottukadalai maavu). Sieve them very well in a bowl. This step helps to avoid bursting. So do not skip this step. Add sesame seeds or cumin seeds, salt, hing, ground coconut (optional) and softened butter ( unmelted butter). Mix well with your fingers. Make sure butter is well spread with the flour. Set aside.
Vella seedai
  • In a kadai, take the grated jaggery. Add 3 tbsp of water and melt the jaggery by boiling it. Strain the syrup through a metal strainer. Mix this syrup, cardamom powder with the sieved rice flour mixture. Mix well. Add little water and make a non-sticky smooth dough. Make small balls out of it and spread them in a newspaper. Make one or two small cylindrical shaped Seepankuzhal too ( Refer main picture). Let it air dry for 20 minutes. ( If you are a beginner, go for frying seedai in a mini kadai ( tadka pan) with little oil to check whether seedai burst or disperses in oil. Put just 2 balls and stay a feet away. Check if the seedai burst or disperses in oil.
Vella seedai
Vella seedai
  • Heat oil in a kadai and when it gets heated, put a pinch of seedai dough and check the oil temperature. If it comes up immediately, oil temperature is correct. Now simmer the flame to medium and drop seedai balls. Stay 2 feets away for safer side. Do not disturb for few seconds. Then toss the balls and  put the balls and deep fry for few minutes.Keep turning both the sides for even cooking.Remove after it turns golden brown. Do not wait for the bubbles to stop. Drain them in a tissue. Cracks are unavoidable in sweet seedai. Store after it cools down.Enjoy !
Vella seedai
Vella seedai

For Uppu Seedai Recipe / Salt seedai
  • In a wide bowl, take 1/2 cup of roasted rice flour, urad dal powder or gram flour. Sieve twice to avoid bursting. Add cumin seeds, asafetida, salt and mix well. Add in soft butter and mix well with your finger tips. Make sure butter is well spread with the flour. Add some water little by little and make a dough. Make small balls using three fingers. Do not give pressure while rolling. Let the balls dry in a newspaper for 15-20 minutes.
Uppu seedai
Uppu seedai
Uppu seedai
  • Heat oil & check the oil temperature by dropping a pinch of dough. When it rises to the top, simmer the flame to medium & put a handful of seedai balls.Stay 2 feet away. Do not disturb the balls for few seconds. Then toss the seedai & cook till bubbles cease to 90%. Remove when the seedai turns golden. Let it cool down completely & then store in a box.Enjoy !
Uppu seedai
Uppu seedai


Note
  • First important thing to avoid bursting is to “SIEVE” the flour once or twice. U should sieve all the flour ( urad dal flour, rice flour). Sieving the flour properly reduces 90% of bursting.
  • Second thing, you should not roll the seedai very tightly. U should roll it to a loose ball using three fingers. No problem if its not a proper round.
  • One more tip is to prick the seedai with a small needle to avoid bursting. Dry the seedai in a paper or towel for 20 mins before frying.This is also very important.
  • Beginners can try deep frying few seedai in “small tempering kadai” .If it comes out well , proceed in a big kadai. Color variations may be there slightly. But u can check whether it bursts or disperses in oil.
  • If sweet seedai breaks or dissolves in oil , it means jaggery may be more or oil temperature is too high or too low.
  • If Seedai bubbles too much after u drop into oil ,it shows the fat ( ghee or butter or oil) content is more.So add more rice flour to the dough & make again.
  • The color of seedai depends on the color of urad dal flour. If u roast the dal to golden brown, seedai will also turn brown.
  • Uniform heating is also important. In my observation, I feel medium flame is enough to get a nice colored and crispy seedai.


Try this easy seedai recipes for this Krishna jayanthi and have a great celebration !
Seedai recipes

Vegetable Paya Recipe - Side dish For Appam, Idiyappam

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Vegetable paya recipe
Appam paya – Many of you would have heard this combo or even tasted in restaurant. Paya – Popularly known as “Attukal Paya” is one of the most popular side dish for appam & idiyappam in Tamil nadu. It is basically a South Asian food that is served in festivals and occasions. Paaya means “Feet” in Urdu and Hindi.This dish is prepared by cooking goat legs (Trotters in English) in a spicy masala curry.This dish is adapted in local cuisines and this paya recipe vary regionally.The cooked leg pieces is served as soup for patients as it is considered to be healthy.I have heard about this dish from my Chennai friends. I thought it would taste more like ParotaSalna. Recently my friend Shalini told she tasted appam with vegetable paya in Saravana bhavan Grand style hotel in Salem. It tempted me to try this recipe at homeHappy. I browsed few mutton paya recipes and got this particular version from Mullai’s blog. I tweaked the recipe slightly as per my convenience and used potato instead of mutton.I made it for our Sunday breakfast as a side dish for South Indian appam recipe.It came out finger licking delicious. Sendhil and myself loved it a lot. I am sure, I will make this vegetable paya recipe often in my kitchen. Friends, do try this side dish for appam and idiyappam for a change. You will love it like usLove Struck. You can prepare this gravy with mixed vegetables too. Ok, Lets see how to prepare paya recipe with potato ( Vegetarian version) with step by step photo !
From tomorrow I will start posting Ganesh chaturthi recipes Happy
Vegetable paya

Paya recipe - Vegetarian version with potato


Paya recipe - Vegetarian version with potatoPaya recipe - Side dish for appam with potato
Cuisine:Indian
Category:Side dish
Serves:Serves 2-3
Prep time:10 Minutes
Cook time:20 Minutes
Total time:30 Minutes
1 cup – 250ml 

  • Potato - 2 nos
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Tomato - 1 no (Use 2 if small)
  • Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch
  • Cloves - 2 no
  • G&G paste - 1 tsp
  • Cardamom - 1 no
  • Bayleaf - 1 no
  • Black stone flower - 1 no
  • Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
  • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( I used kashmiri chilli pwd)
  • Garam masala powder– 1/2 tsp
  • Salt & water - as needed
To saute & grind : Paste 1
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Medium sized Big onion - 1 no or small onion - 6 nos
  • Coriander seeds/Dhania - 1.5 tsp
  • Green chillies - 2-3 nos ( use 4 for more spicy taste)
For paste-2
  • Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
  • Pottukadalai/Fried gram - 1 tbsp
  • Water – to grind
Mint + coriander leaves – to garnish
METHOD

  • Wash and peel the skin of potato. Cut into strips of 2 inches and set aside.I chopped it lengthwise to resemble goat legs ; )) Chop onion,tomato and keep apart.
  • In a kadai, heat oil and saute one chopped big onion, dhania seeds and green chillies. Switch off the flame and let it cool. Grind it along with coconut + Fried gram dal as I did. OR As per the original recipe, you should grind Dhania+green chilli+ onion to a smooth paste (Paste 1). Grind coconut + fried gram dal to a smooth paste separately ( Paste 2).But I ground everything together.
Vegetable paya
  • In a cooker base, heat oil and saute cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf, black stone flower, cardamom and fennel seeds. Add the chopped onions, g&g paste ( If you grind dhania+ chillies+onion paste separately, add it at this stage. Saute until its raw smell goes off.) Now add tomato, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and saute until mushy.To this, add the sliced potato strips. Mix well for sometime. (Add coconut paste.i.e paste 2 if you have ground it seperately)
Vegetable paya
  • Now add the ground coconut paste and saute for a minute. Add 1.5 cups of water and garam masala powder. Mix well and pressure cook for 2 one whistle in low flame or till the potato cooks soft but retain its shape.
Vegetable paya

Vegetable paya
  • Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mix well and check for taste and consistency. Add more salt, water and chilli powder if needed. Give a boil and finally garnish with mint+coriander leaves. This gravy thickens over time. So add more water accordingly.
Vegetable paya

Enjoy !


Note
  • Adjust the quantity of chilli powder and green chillies as per your taste.
  • You can skip adding coconut paste and make a watery gravy too.
  • Instead of potato, you can use mixed vegetables like carrot, cauliflower, peas and beans.
Delicious Vegetable paya with appam is a delectable combo. Do try it and enjoy !
Appam paya - Paya curry recipe

Ganesh Chaturthi – Pooja Procedure/Puja Vidhi/ Vidhanam

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Ganesh chaturthi pooja vidhanam
Last year I made a post on with details about Abishekam things, pooja items along with its procedures and Ganesh chaturthi recipes links. But it is purely based on my family’s tradition and practice. Some people have the practice of keeping Kalasha & Gouri on this day. Recently one of my readers requested me to share Ganesh Chaturthi Pooja Vidhanam/Puja vidhi along with mantras just like my Varalakshmi Vratham pooja post. So I referred my book “Avanai maadha Pooja Vidhanam” ( My friend Shalini’s gift) and shared the slokhas, detailed pooja method with pictures and Ganesha story in PDF format ( you can see at the end of post) to help people who wish to celebrate Ganesh chaturthi pooja in an authentic way. I have shared pooja vidhanam in Tamil. So I have mentioned some useful links for pooja vidhi in Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada at the end of the post. Hope you find them useful.
Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha.He is the first worshipped God before any holy puja or occasion.This year 2016, Vinayagar Chaturthi festival falls on September-5th, Monday. This festival is also known as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chavithi' .It is observed during the Hindu month of Bhadra in Hindi /Avani in Tamil (mid-August to mid-September). For more information on Ganesh chaturthi festival, click this link.
Click this Video on how to make Homemade Ganesh using Kozhukattai dough.
For Ganesh chaturthi Kolam/Rangoli designs, please Visit my in-laws blog for Learn kolam.
Disclaimer : The pictures and pooja procedures I shared in this post are from a devotional book gifted by my friend. This is just one of the ways of celebration. It may vary from place to place. Please consult the elders in your family and follow your tradition.Beginners can follow this if you don’t have any specific procedure at home. Thanks for visiting this page.
How to celebrate Ganesh chaturthi at home

Ingredients 

List for Abishekam, pooja & neivedyam
  • Ganesh idol

  • Wooden plank or peeta to place Ganesha

  • Flowers

  • Milk

  • Curd

  • Honey

  • Tender coconut water

  • Water

  • Rice flour

  • Sesame oil

  • Turmeric powder

  • Shikakai powder

  • Kumkum,Sandal paste

  • Panchamirtham (Curd based delicacy consisting of Panch(5) items: Milk, Sugar, Ghee (clarified butter), Honey, Bananas)  Some items are not shown in pic.

    Ganesh chaturthi pooja

     

    For Decoration & pooja

    • Vastram for Ganesha ( New blouse bit or dhoti cloth)

    • Mupiri nool for poonool ( 3 threaded string)

    • ArugamPul (Bermuda grass (English). Arugampul (Tamil), Dhub (Hindi), Durva (Sanskrit). Karuka (Malayalam), Garikagoddi (Telugu), Garikoihallu (Kannada))

    • Tulsi leaves ( Its allowed only on this day)

    • Vellerukku Malai ( White flower garland, refer the above picture)

    • Yellow rice/Akshathai

    • Flowers

    • Kumkum & Sandal powder

    • Incense stick

    • Camphor

    • Sesame oil & ghee for lamp

    • Fruits,coconut,betel leaves & betel nut for offering

    • Banana leaf

    • Turmeric powder for manjal pillayar

        For Neivedyam recipes
        Click THIS LINK for Neivedyam recipes collection.

    • Coconut

    • Jaggery

    • Chana dal/Moong dal

    • Sugar

    • Besan

    • Urad dal

    • Green chillies,ginger,salt ( for pooran)

    • Raw rice for payasam

    • Urad dal for vada

    • Wheat flour,banana & jaggery for appam

    • Sesame seeds for ellu urundai

    • Click HERE to see the no onion no garlic lunch menu cooking with ingredients

    how to celebrate ganesh chaturthi
    Abhishekam Orderhow to celebrate ganesh chaturthi

    Benefits of Abhishekam
    PANCHAGAVYAM - Removes all sins of mankind
    PANCHAMRUTHAM - Gives wealth
    GHEE- Gives Moksha state
    MILK - Gives long life
    CURD - Gives Good Children
    HONEY - Melodious voice
    RICE POWDER - Frees from debts
    SUGAR CANE JUICE - Gives good health and removes enmity
    LIME JUICE - Removes fear of death
    TENDER COCONUT JUICE - Gives enjoyment and full satisfaction in life
    SANDAL PASTE - Gives Lakshmi's Grace
    SUGAR - Removes enmity
    Source : http://www.teluguone.com/devotional/content/what-are-things-used-in-shiva-abhishekam-its-effects-56-27598.html#sthash.kCQAROkq.dpuf
    how to celebrate ganesh chaturthi

    Abhishekam should be done by the elders of the family. In our house, my daughter sits with my husband and do the abhishekam :)  Refer the above picture. If you are having Ganesha made of Turmeric powder, soft clay or Kozhukattai dough, pour water and other abhishekam items only in spoons else Ganesha will dissolve in water.

    You can chant this Ganesha Gayathri mantram while doing Abhishekam.
    Om Tatpurushaya Vidmahe Vakratundaya dheemahi, Tanno Danti Prachodayat”

    Take all the abhishekham items in a plate as shown in the picture. Keep a bowl full of water.Keep some flowers in a plate. Keep an incense stick and a camphor ready.Take a wide plate ( thambaalam). Place a wooden plank inside it and keep the Ganesh idol. Start the abhishekam by putting some flowers and few drops of water. Before doing abhishekam,keep this mind. Ganesh idol should not fall down during abhishekam. So do not pour more water. Touch the idol carefully with support. First do the sesame oil abhishekam, then apply shikakai powder.Wash it well by adding water.Then apply turmeric powder, light the incense stick and show the dhoop & dheep. Mix rice flour in water and do the abhishekam.Then comes milk, lemon juice, tender coconut water, curd, panchamirtham followed by honey. Collect the panchamirtham with honey in a plate.Pour some water and then continue with sandal paste, Kumkum and lastly viboodhi abhishekam. Finish the abhishekam with little milk.Show the dheep. Pour water and start to decorate the Ganesh. Collect all the abhishekam water in the wide plate and pour in tulsi plant or under some trees.

    Lord Ganesha Decoration
    Wipe the idol with a clean cloth. Put a poonool / Mupiri nool(3 threaded string) from left to right keeping Ganesha facing towards you. Then wear a new cloth for the idol. Decorate with Tulsi leaves (Generally Tulsi should not be used to decorate Ganesha. But it is allowed only on this day.) Vellerukku malai, arugampul malai and flowers. After abhishekam & decoration,start doing the pooja.

    How to do pooja
    Check out this PDF for detailed pooja stotras in Tamil. Please download it and follow the directions.
    Before you start the pooja, keep lots of flowers, leaves and Arugampul in a plate. Make a small cone shaped pillayar/Ganesh with turmeric powder and keep a kumkum dot. Keep a small bowl full of Panchamirtham and a spoonful of honey in a bowl.
    If you are placing Kalash, It should be placed firmly on a Copper/Silver plate with rice spread on it. A Coconut is placed over the mouth of the Kalash. Five mango leaves are placed inside the kalash before placing the coconut (like a skirting).
    The decorated Ganesha Idol can be placed above on a table/stool and the Kalasha and its plate can be placed in the ground. Light the lamp on the sides of Ganesha. Keep the small turmeric Ganesha( made of turmeric powder mixed with little water) nearby the idol. Keep kumkum & flowers. Place a plate with 5 types of fruits, broken coconut, betel leaves & nuts in front of the God.
    In another plate or banana leaf,spread the neivdeyam recipes. Kozhukattai varieties comes to the left side of Ganesha. Rice and other items has to be kept in the usual order. Refer picture for the idea. Keep payasam and aval.pori kadalai/Puffed rice with peanuts in small bowls. Start doing the pooja.
    For any pooja, Poorvanga pooja is considered as Pradhana pooja. So keep the turmeric Ganesha before the Ganesh idol and start the poorvanga pooja mantra. Check out this PDF for detailed pooja stotras with method in Tamil. Please download it and follow the directions. For complete Puja vidhi in Hindi, Tamil, English, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam, Please refer THIS LINKFinish the pooja with mangala aarti !

    Ganesha Chaturthi pooja vidhi with mantras in sanskrit / english
     http://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/ganesh-chaturthi/ganesha-chaturthi-puja-vidhi.html
    Please use http://www.virtualvinodh.com/aksharamkh/aksharamukha2.php to transliterate the mantras to your script (tamil / telugu / kannada ) from Devanagari.

    Siddhi Vinayaka Ashtottara sata namavali  in other languages


    Sanskrit -  http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_ganesha/vinaayaka108-5.html?lang=sa
    Tamil -  http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_ganesha/vinaayaka108-5.html?lang=ta
    Telugu -  http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_ganesha/vinaayaka108-5.html?lang=te
    English - IAST - http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_ganesha/ganesha108.html?lang=iast

    AUDIO,VIDEO LINKS FOR OTHER LANGUAGES
    • Click this LINK for Pooja Vidhanam Audio in Telugu
    • Check this LINK , LINKfor Pooja Vidhanam Audio in Tamil
    • For Hindi version,check this youtube video LINK
     After celebration procedures

    On Chaturthi evening, make wheat flour appam and do the neivedyam.The next day morning, you can keep idli for neivedyam or simply fruits would do. On afternoon,keep dal & rice with ghee for neivedyam. Continue this neivedyam till Ganesha stays in your house.The next day or the third day, take the ganesha idol along with flowers & vastram,some puffed rice,jaggery and fried gram dal(Do not remove anything from idol) and put it in water.Let the Ganesh idol dissolve  in water and take away all the misfortunes of people.
      Click THIS LINK for Neivedyam recipes collection.
    ganesh chaturthi pooja vidhanam

    Neivedyam Recipes









     

     
     
    Please click this LINK for full collection of neivedyam recipes.This is the LINKfor Kozhukattai making Videos & Homemade Ganesh idol using rice flour dough.

    Disclaimer : The pictures and pooja procedures I shared in this post are from a devotional book gifted by my friend. This is just one of the ways of celebration. It may vary from place to place. Please consult the elders in your family and follow your tradition.Beginners can follow this if you don’t have any specific procedure at home. Thanks for visiting this page.
    Wish you all a very happy Ganesh chaturthi ! Happy
    Thanks for visiting this page !



    Sweet Ammini Kozhukattai Recipe – Easy Kozhukattai Recipes

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    Sweet ammini kozhukattai recipe
    Ammini kozhukattai also known as Ammani / mani kozhukattai in Tamil, mini rice balls in English, Undrallu/Bellam Kudumulu in Telugu is a very easy to make kozhukattai variety. People make sweet and spicy version of this kolukattai for evening snacks and during Ganesh Chaturthi festival as an offering to God. Long back I shared ammini kozhukattai under low calorie snack. But this is the first time I tried sweet ammini kozhukattai i.e Vella Kozhukattai and masala ammini kozhukattai/Spicy kozhukattai. Sweet kozhukattai can be prepared in various ways. I made this with store bought rice flour by directly cooking it in jaggery syrup just like sweet pidi kozhukattai. Usually I make kozhukattai with store bought idiyappam flour but this time I tried with Anil kozhukattai maavu. It came out super soft, delicious and flavorful. If you are looking for an easy sweet kozhukattai recipe without making pooranam/stuffing part, this is the best choice. Kids would love it too. Even bachelors can try this for Ganesha pooja. Make this easy, cute looking sweet ammini kozhukattai/ Inippu kozhukattai for this Vinayaka chaturthi festival and enjoy ! Lets see how to prepare soft and tasty sweet ammini kozhukattai with step by step photos !
    Check out my Full collection of Ganesh Chaturthi recipes HERE
    Sweet kozhukattai recipe

    Sweet Ammini Kozhukattai Recipe


    Sweet Ammini Kozhukattai RecipeAmmini kozhukattai/ mani kozhukattai - Sweet version using store bought rice flour and jaggery.
    Cuisine:Indian
    Category:Sweet
    Serves:Serves 2
    Prep time:15 Minutes
    Cook time:5 Minutes
    Total time:20 Minutes
    1 cup - 200ml
    • Rice flour - 1/2 cup ( I used Anil Kozhukattai flour)
    • Grated jaggery or powdered jaggery - 1/4 cup
    • Water - 3/4 -1 cup
    • Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
    • Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
    • Oil - to grease hands and idli plate
    METHOD

    • Take the powdered jaggery in a kadai. Add 3/4 to 1 cup of water and heat it. Melt the jaggery and strain it with a metal strainer.
    Sweet ammini kozhukattai
    Sweet ammini kozhukattai
    • After straining the syrup, boil it till frothy. Simmer the flame and add grated coconut, cardamom powder. Mix well & boil. Add the measured rice flour. Mix well till all the syrup is absorbed by the rice flour. It will become a thick, soft dough.
    Sweet ammini kozhukattai
    Sweet ammini kozhukattai
    Sweet ammini kozhukattai
    • After the dough turns warm, make small balls by greasing your hands with oil. Grease the idli plate with gingely oil or cooking oil. Boil the water in an idli pot or kadai. Keep the idli plate only after the water starts to roll boil. Steam it for 5-7 minutes. Do not steam for more time. It will make the balls hard.
    Sweet ammini kozhukattai
    • To check whether its cooked, take one ball and drop in a plate. If it bounces, ball is cooked. If it sticks to the plate, balls are not cooked. Switch off the flame after the balls are cooked. Let it rest for 5 minutes and then remove the balls in a plate.Enjoy ! I garnished with grated coconut & served it.
    Sweet ammini kozhukattai


    Note
    • Add more jaggery if you need more sweetness. You can add upto 1/3 cup. I felt adding 1/4 cup itself was sufficient.
    • Water quantity depends on the flour you use
    • Homemade rice flour may need lesser water.
    • Do not steam the balls for more time. It will become hard. To avoid this, place the idli plate only after the water in the idli pot starts to roll boil. By doing this way, kozhukattai gets cooked fast and remains soft too.

    Try this easy sweet kozhukattai for this Ganesh chaturthi and enjoy your celebration !
    Sweet ammini kozhukattai

    Fried Modak Recipe With Wheat Flour- Fried Mothagam Recipe-Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes

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    Fried Modak- How to make deep fried modak
    Fried modak is nothing but deep fried dumplings( Kozhukattai) filled with jaggery and coconut stuffing. In North India especially in Maharashtra, people make Ukdiche modak(steamed modak) and this deep fried modak during Ganesh Chaturthi festival.They call it as “Talniche Modak” in Hindi. Generally maida and sooji/Rava is used to make the outer covering and coconut + sugar is used for stuffing/pooran. But I’ve used wheat flour and jaggery. Last year my MIL made nearly 54 fried mothagam during our house warming ceremony for Ganapathy HomamLove Struck. She is really the best.It tasted great and stayed good for several days. Inspired by her, I tried this recipe today to share under North Indian style Ganesh Chaturthi recipes.I was feeling tired even before I complete a count of 11Whew . But the final result made me feeling refreshed. It came out really wellParty. I tried deep frying the modak made of rice flour as well. It came out well and crispy but it drank more oil when compared with wheat flour fried modak. I have shared a picture of it below.Friends, Do try this wheat flour modak recipe for this Vinayaka Chaturthi festival. I am sure you will love it. Lets see how to prepare deep fried modak with wheat flour for Ganesh puja.



    Fried Modak Recipe

    Fried modak recipe


    Fried modak recipeDeep Fried modak with wheat flour & jaggery - North Indian Ganesh Chaturthi recipes
    Cuisine:Indian
    Category:Sweet
    Serves:8-10 nos
    Prep time:10 Minutes
    Cook time:5 Minutes
    Total time:15 Minutes
    1 cup - 200ml
    • Wheat flour - 1/2 cup
    • Salt - a pinch
    • Melted ghee - 1/2 tsp
    • Rava/Sooji – 1 tsp ( optional)
    • Water - as needed (I used around 1/4 cup)
    • Cooking oil - to deep fry
    For stuffing/Pooran
    • Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
    • Powdered Jaggery - 1/3 cup
    • Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
    • Dry Roasted poppy seeds - 1 tbsp ( Optional)
    METHOD

    • First make the stuffing/Pooran part. For this, take the grated coconut, powdered jaggery and dry roasted poppy seeds in a kadai. The quantity of jaggery should be less than coconut. Do not add water.Mix well in medium flame.
    • Let the jaggery melt in heat and mix well with coconut. When the mixture starts to become thick without moisture and leaves the pan, switch off the flame and transfer the stuffing to a plate. Spread it well and let the stuffing cool down. (If you heat the stuffing for long time, it will become chewy and hard. So remove the stuffing as soon as jaggery is melted and mixed well with coconut. Initially it will look as a wet mass. But when it cools down, it will become crumbly.)
    Fried modak recipe
    Fried modak recipe
    • In a wide bowl, take the wheat flour, melted ghee, a pinch of salt and mix well. Add water little by little and make a stiff, thick dough. The dough should not be too soft. Knead for sometime and cover with a wet cloth. Let the dough rest for just 5 minutes.
    fried modak
    • Take a small ball of dough and dust in wheat flour. Make a thin circle of poori size. Remember the sides of circle should be thinner than the center. As this is made of wheat flour, it will become dense after deep frying. So make the poori thin.Cover the remaining dough with a wet cloth.
    fried modak
    • Now take a small lid and cut the circle of uniform shape. Place 1 tbsp of stuffing the middle and make 5-7 pleats in the dough. Refer picture and do the same way. Join all the pleats and make a coconut shape modak.Make sure the modak is sealed properly else the stuffing will ooze out in oil while frying.
    fried modak
    fried modak
    fried modak
    fried modak
    • Heat oil in a kadai and when it gets heated, put a pinch of dough. If it rises to the top immediately, oil temperature is just right.Now drop 3-4 modak and cook in medium flame.Cook till starts to turn golden brown.Flip the other side and cook till done. Remove in a tissue. Fried modak is ready. Offer to Lord Ganesha and seek his blessings !
      Enjoy !
    fried modak
    • It stays crispy till its hot. If you wish, you can serve them immediately or this modak can be stored in an air tight box and consumed for a week. It stays good and edible.

    Note
    • For stuffing sugar can be used instead of jaggery.
    • For making dough, maida/All purpose flour can be used. If you wish, you can add 1 tbsp of rava/Sooji too.
    • Do not stir the coconut+jaggery mixture for long time. It will become chewy and hard.So remove the pooran as soon as jaggery is completely melted and mixed with coconut without any moisture content.
    • You should deep fry the modak as soon as you make the shapes else modak may crack while frying. If you make the modak in advance, keep it covered with a wet cloth till you deep fry.
    • Oil temperature is very important while frying. If the heat is more, modak will not cook inside and the outer covering becomes brown soon.So fry in medium flame patiently.
    Fried modak with rice flour covering
    Deep fried modak is ready to offer to Ganapathy Bappa. Wish you all a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi. May the Lord makes all our dreams come true !

    Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai – Vella Kozhukattai Recipe

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    sweet pidi kozhukattai recipe
    We make sweet pidi kozhukattai for Chitra Pournami, aadi velli and Navratri as well. Recently I heard from my friends making pidi kozhukattai for Ganesh chaturthi too. Some people call this as Vella kozhukattai/Vellam kolukattai. So I thought of making this post for this festival. Usually I make pidi kozhukatti with homemade processed rice flour. Today I have shared a version with store bought rice flour( I used Anil kozhukattai maavu).Its cooking procedure is very similar to sweet ammini kozhukattai recipe. Only the shapes are different. So its like a two in one recipe. Do try this easy and simple sweet kozhukattai variety for this Ganesh chaturthi and have a great celebration ! Lets see how to do this easy sweet pidi kozhukattai recipe with rice flour.Check out my Easy Kara Pidi kozhukattai too !
    sweet pidi kozhukattai recipe

    Sweet pidi kozhukattai recipe


    Sweet pidi kozhukattai recipeSweet pidi kozhukattai with rice flour, jaggery and coconut
    Cuisine:Indian
    Category:Sweet
    Serves:-
    Prep time:10 Minutes
    Cook time: 5 Minutes
    Total time: 15 Minutes
    1 cup -- 200ml
    • Rice flour - 1/2 cup ( I used Anil Kozhukattai flour)
    • Grated jaggery or powdered jaggery - 1/4 cup
    • Water - 3/4 cup ( 1 cup based on flour)
    • Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
    • Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
    • Oil - to grease hands and idli plate
    METHOD

    • Take the powdered jaggery in a kadai. Add 3/4 cup of water and heat it. Melt the jaggery and strain it with a metal strainer.
    • pidi kozhukattai
    • pidi kozhukattai
    • After straining the syrup, boil it till frothy. Simmer the flame and add grated coconut, cardamom powder. Mix well & boil. Add the measured rice flour. Mix well till all the syrup is absorbed by the rice flour. It will become a thick, soft dough. pidi kozhukattai
      pidi kozhukattai
    • Grease your hands with oil and take a small ball sized dough. Press it with 4 fingers towards inside and make an impression as shown in the picture below. Make all the kozhukattai and arrange them in a greased idli plate.

    sweet pidi kozhukattai
    • Boil water in a idli pot and let it start to roll boil. Place the idli plate with kozhukattai.Steam it for 5-7 minutes in high flame. It will look shiny. Check if it bounces on a plate. Switch off the flame and let the kozhukattai be inside the pot for 5 minutes. Then remove them from the plate and serve.Enjoy !
    sweet pidi kozhukattai


    Note
    • Do not add more water if you add less jaggery because kozhukattai tastes less sweet in this case.The quantity of jaggery and water should be proportionate.
    • You can add more jaggery i.e Rice flour & jaggery in 1:2 ratio of you want sweeter kozhukattai.

    Easy, delicious sweet pidi kozhukattai is ready to offer God !
    Pidi kozhukattai recipe

    Ulundu Kozhukattai–Urad Dal Poornam Kozhukattai- Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes

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    ulundu kozhukattai recipe
    Traditionally we make Ulundu kozhukattai/ Ulutham paruppu kozhukattai by making a spicy stuffing with urad dal.We call it as Ulundu poornam Kozhukattai. Some people call it as uppu kozhukattai too. Chana dal pooranam or coconut poornam kozhukattai, Ellu kozhukattai and Urad dal kozhukattai should be in our naivedyam for Ganesh chaturthi festival. Apart from this, we make other kozhukattai varieties based on our personal choice. I have already made a post about this ulundu kozhukattai under my “3 Kozhukattai varieties” post. But still, I want to have a separate post for this recipe.Sometimes we make this kozhukattai for dinner too.Its a healthy, protein packed dish.I have also shared an easy ulundu kozhukattai version for beginners. Do check it out.Now lets see how to make Ulundu kozhukattai with poornam.
    Check out my easy ulundu kozhukattai too !
    ulundu kozhukattai recipe

    Ulundu kozhukattai - Urad dal poornam kozhukattai


    Ulundu kozhukattai - Urad dal poornam kozhukattaiTraditional ulundu kozhukattai - Dumplings made of stuffing with urad dal
    Cuisine:Indian
    Category:Festival recipes
    Serves:10 nos
    Prep time:30 Minutes
    Cook time:20 Minutes
    Total time:50 Minutes
    1 cup - 200ml
    • Rice flour - 1 cup ( I used Anil kozhukattai mavu)
    • Water - 1.5 cups
    • Cooking oil or ghee - 1 tsp
    • Salt - a pinch
    For stuffing/Poornam
    • Urad dal – 1/4 cup
    • Green chillies – 2-3 nos
    • Ginger – 1/2 inch piece
    • Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
    • Asafetida / hing – 1/4 tsp
    • Salt – as needed
    To temper
    • Coconut oil or cooking oil - 1 tbsp
    • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
    • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
    • curry leaves – few
    • Hing – a pinch
    METHOD

    • Always make the pooranam first & then make the outer covering.Wash and soak urad dal in water for 30 minutes.Drain the water completely and take the urad dal in a mixie jar. Put green chillies, hing, salt, ginger and pulse the mixture once or twice.Make a coarse paste.Do not grind for more time.
    Ulundhu kozhukttai
    • In a idli pot , grease the idly plate and spread the ground urad dal mixture.Make a hole in the center for uniform cooking.Steam it for 10 – 15 minutes.
    Ulundhu kozhukattai
    • After it cools down, crumble the mixture using your hands and run it in the mixie once or twice for easy perfect crumbling and keep it ready..
    ulundu kozhukattai
    • Heat oil in a kadai, temper the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves with a pinch of hing.Then add the crumbled urad dal mixture and mix well.
        Finally add the grated coconut , mix well and switch off the flame. Stuffing is ready.

    ulundu kozhukattai
    TO MAKE KOZHUKATTAIDOUGH
    • In a broad bowl , take the flour and add the salt.Mix well and set aside.
    • In a bowl, take the required water and add a tsp of sesame oil.
    • Let it boil for few seconds in high flame.When it starts to roll boil, switch off the flame and add the water to the flour little by little. Mix the flour with a wooden ladle. Kozhukattai maavu
    • Add more water if required. Mix well and make a whole mass like chapatti dough. (initially u need a ladle to mix but when the dough becomes warm, mix it well with ur hands to make a soft , non- sticky dough.)
    • Apply a tsp of sesame oil over the dough to cover it. ( this prevents the dough from drying).Cover it with damp cloth and lid , set aside. Have a look at this VIDEO for more details. kozhukattai dough tile2
    TO MAKE KOZHUKATTAI
    • Make a ball from dough and press it to make a cup. Place a tbsp of stuffing & cover it as shown in the pictures.
    Ulundu kozhukattai
    Ulundu kozhukattai
    Ulundu kozhukattai



    ulundhu kozhukattai
    TIPS FOR MAKING KOZHUKATTAI WITHOUT CRACKS
    1. Use good quality rice flour. If u r planning to make by grinding rice, buy raw rice ( in tamil nadu we call as “maavu arisi) ie. the rice used for making rice flour.Its a different quality , not the one we use for pongal.It is cheaper in cost too.
    2. I use store bought rice flour - Idiyappam flour or Anil kozhukattai maavu. I always add 1.5 cups of water adding a tsp of oil for making dough. For home made rice flour, water quantity may vary.
    3. Always add the required water while making the dough.If the dough becomes sticky or dry, u’ll get crack.
    4. Keep the unused dough covered with a wet cloth and then with a lid while u make modakam.
    5. Its always better to prepare the outer covering after making pooranam/ stuffings to prevent the dough sitting for long time.
    6. U can refrigerate the unused dough covered by wet cloth be keeping in an air tight box & use the next day or the same evening.
    7. Pooranam can be prepared the previous day and refrigerated.
    8. Apply sesame/gingely oil in ur hands every time when u make the shape.
    9. Last but not the least , do not cook the kozhukattai in idli pot for long time which may lead to cracks.( maximum of 8-10 mins is enough)
    10. Always place the idli plate filled with kozhukattai after the water in the idli pot starts roll boiling. This helps for quick cooking & also the kozhukattai remains white in color and crack free.
    11. U can identify the cooked kozhukattai by its shining look.
    12. Always remove the kozhukattai after it becomes warm.Do not remove when it is hot. Kozhukattai may break.
    Ulundu kozhukattai recipe

    Kerala Parippu Curry Recipe – Onam Sadya Parippu Curry

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    Kerala Parippu curry
    Parippu Curry ( Cherupayar parippu curry in Malayalam, Split green gram dal @ moong dal curry in English) is the most important dish served in Kerala Onam Sadya. Its a very simple dish that can be made with easily available ingredients in a pressure cooker. Authentic Onasadya menu would begin with serving this parippu curry along with rice. I have been following this paruppu curry recipe from Vanitha Magazine since 2012 and prepare it for every Onam sadya. It comes out really well and flavorful. I saw few recipes with toor dal, onion, garlic and even without coconut. But I make it with moong dal adding ground coconut paste and its a no onion no garlic recipe as well. With Puli inji as side dish, it tastes the best when mixed with rice adding few drops of ghee.This is my favorite combo tooHappy. Ok, Lets see how to make Kerala Parippu curry with step by step photos !
    Onam sadya recipes
    My last year Onam sadya menu Happy

    Kerala Parippu curry recipe


    Kerala Parippu curry recipeKerala Parippu curry recipe with moong dal and coconut
    Cuisine:Kerala
    Category:Main - Dal Recipes
    Serves:Serves 3
    Prep time:5 Minutes
    Cook time:15 Minutes
    Total time:20 Minutes
    1 cup - 200ml
    • Moong dal - 1/4 cup
    • Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
    • Cooking oil - few drops
    • Water - as needed
    To grind
    • Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
    • Green chilli - 1 no ( big)
    • Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp
    To temper
    • Coconut oil - 2 tsp
    • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Red chilli - 1 no ( pinched )
    • Curry leaves - few
    • Ghee - few drops while serving
    METHOD

    • In a pressure cooker base or in a kadai, dry roast the moong dal till it emits nice smell. Add 1 cup of water to it, turmeric powder and pressure cook it for 2 whistles in very low flame. Let the pressure release by itself. Open the cooker and mash the dal well.
      Kerala Parippu curry
    • Grind coconut + green chilli + Cumin seeds to a smooth paste adding enough water. Add this paste to the cooked dal. Mix well and add some water if needed. Add salt, check for taste and boil the dal for few minutes.
      Kerala Parippu curry
    • Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilli in coconut oil and add to the dal.Mix well and serve with rice adding few drops of ghee.Enjoy !
    Note
    • In the original recipe, turmeric powder is not mentioned but I used it.
    • Add more green chilli if you want this dish to be spicy.
    • Some people also use toor dal instead of moong dal. But I guess moong dal gives the best flavor.
    • If you wish, you can add finely chopped onions and garlic while tempering. But its not done in the authentic parippu curry recipe.
    Enjoy this delicious Parippu curry mixing with red rice and few drops of ghee!
    Kerala Parippu curry

    Kerala Varutharacha Sambar – Onam Sadya Sambar Recipe

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    This is the first time I prepared authentic, Kerala style Varutharacha sambar (Thrissur recipe). People call this as Onam sadya sambar. I have already tried Kerala ulli sambar and Varutharacha sambar recipe without coconut for my onam sadya menu earlier. Yesterday I made this thenga aracha sambar for our lunch following this recipe. The smell of roasted spices along with coconut takes this sambar to the next level.  The nice aroma of this sambar while cooking will surely tempt you to have the food quickly.Its a must try sambar recipe for Onam festival. But it needs a resting time of at least 30 minutes for all its flavor to blend well. I have used drumstick/muringa, onion/ulli and ladies finger/vendakkai. For variations, you can also use carrot, potato and even bottle gourd ( Kumbalanga in Malayalam). This sambar can also be made using sambar powder and roasted coconut. I will share that version later.
    Kerala Varutharacha sambar recipe
    The ingredients used in this recipe is very similar to our Tamilnadu style Arachuvitta sambar except the quantity of coconut. Recently I tasted Onam sadya lunch menu in Kumarakom restaurant in HSR layout. It was a simple ona sadya yet tasted delicious. I loved their sambar, moru curry and sambaram the most. This sambar tasted close to the one I had in restaurant. Friends, do try this Kerala type sambar recipe for your lunch. I am sure you will make it more often. Lets see how to make Kerala Varutharacha sambar recipe with step by step photos.
    Check out my Kerala Ulli Sambar recipe and Varutharacha sambar without coconut if interested !
    Varutharacha sambar recipe

    Check out my

    Kerala Varutharacha sambar recipe


    Kerala Varutharacha sambar recipeKerala Varutharacha sambar recipe - A must try sambar for Onam sadya
    Cuisine:Kerala
    Category:Sambar varieties
    Serves:Serves 4
    Prep time:10 Minutes
    Cook time:20 Minutes
    Total time:30 Minutes
    1 cup - 200ml
    • Toor dal - 1/2 cup
    • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
    • Water - 2 cups
    • Cooking oil – few drops
    • Drumstick - 1 no
    Tamarind – Small lemon size
    To saute & grind
    • Coconut oil - 2 tsp
    • Chana dal - 1 tsp
    • Urad dal - 1 tsp
    • Dhania/Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp ( 3 tsp)
    • Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
    • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Red chillies – 4-5 nos
    • Curry leaves - 5 leaves
    • Hing/Asafetida – 2 pinches
    • Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
    • Small onion - 2 nos or big onion - 1/4 no
    To temper & saute
    • Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
    • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
    • Red chilli - 1 no
    • Curry leaves - few
    • Big onion or small onion - 1/ 10 nos
    • Tomato – 1 no ( Optional, I din’t use)
    • Ladies finger - 10 nos
    • Coriander leaves - to garnish
    METHOD

    • Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for 15 minutes and take the extract. In the mean time, pressure cook toor dal adding required water, turmeric powder and few drops of oil. Chop drumstick into finger size and keep it in a small bowl inside pressure cooker. Do not add water in drumstick. It will get cooked with the help of steam inside cooker.Cook for 2 whistles in low flame. Open the cooker and mash the dal well and set aside. Keep the cooked drumstick separately.
    • In a kadai, heat coconut oil and saute all the ingredients given under “ To saute & grind”. Saute till you get nice aroma.Do not burn any of the ingredients. Let them cool down. Grind everything to a smooth paste adding required water. Set aside.

    • In the same kadai, heat coconut oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves. Add chopped ladies finger and onion, saute till turns transparent. Add this to the cooked dal, tamarind extract, ground coconut paste and cooked drumstick pieces. Check for taste and add more salt if needed. Let the sambar roll boil for few minutes. Nice aroma wafts through.
    • Garnish with coriander leaves and give a boil. Switch off the flame and cover it with  a lid. Give a standing time of 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy mixing with plain rice. Add few drops of ghee while serving !

    Note
    • You can also add chopped carrot, potato. Add them to the drumstick in a separate bowl and cook inside the cooker.
    • Adding tomato is optional. I din’t use it.
    • Add red chillies as per your taste.
    Delicious Kerala sambar is ready to serve with rice. I served it along with Kerala parippu curry and beans mezhukkupuratti. It tasted yum !
    Varutharacha sambar recipe kerala

    Parippu Pradhaman–Kerala Parippu Payasam Recipe

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    Kerala parippu pradhaman
    Parippu pradhaman @ Parippu payasam is one of the most important Kerala payasam recipes served in Onam sadya. Last year I shared Ada pradhaman and palada payasam recipes. So this year I tried Pasi paruppu pradhaman with moong dal, jaggery and coconut milk. In Malayalam,it is known as Cherupayar Parippu payasam (Moong dal kheer in English).I referred many blogs for this recipe and tried it. It came out very well. This payasam can also be made with Kadala Parippu (Chana dal). In Tamil nadu, we make Paruppu payasam with jaggery and cow’s milk. We add very little quantity of coconut milk at the end whereas this payasam is completely made with coconut milk (Thenga paal) which is the highlight of this dessert recipe. Ok, Now lets see how to make Kerala style Paruppu payasam in detail.
    Check out my other Payasam varieties too !
    Kerala parippu payasam

    Paruppu pradhaman recipe - Kerala Parippu payasam


    Paruppu pradhaman recipe - Kerala Parippu payasamKerala style parippu payasam - Paruppu pradhaman recipe for Onam sadya
    Cuisine:Kerala
    Category:Sweet
    Serves:Serves 4
    Prep time:10 Minutes
    Cook time:20 Minutes
    Total time:30 Minutes
    1 cup - 200ml
    • Moong dal/ Pasi paruppu - 1/4 cup
    • Water – 1 cup ( Use thin coconut milk instead of water)
    • Thin coconut milk – 3/4 - 1 cup
    • Thick coconut milk – 1/2 cup
    • Grated jaggery - 1/3 cup ( Use 1/2 cup for more sweetness)
    • Water - 1/3 cup  ( to melt jaggery)
    • Sliced coconut bits – 2 tbsp
    • Ghee or coconut oil – 1 tbsp
    • Cardamom powder + dry ginger powder – 1/2 tsp
    METHOD

    • Grind 1 cup of grated coconut adding 1/2 cup of water and take the thick coconut milk. Set aside. Again add 1/2 –3/4 cup of water and grind it smooth. Take the thin milk and keep aside.
    • In a pressure cooker base, add ghee or coconut oil and roast the coconut bits.Remove it.In the remaining ghee, roast the moong dal till it turns golden brown. Add water or thin coconut milk and pressure cook for 2 whistles in very low flame. I cooked in water and added thin coconut milk later. You can do as per your wish.
      Parippu pradhaman
    • After the steam is released, open the cooker and mash the dal well with a ladle or whisk. Melt jaggery in a wide bowl adding enough water and strain the syrup through a metal strainer. If your jaggery is pure, no need to filter it. 
      Parippu pradhaman
      Parippu pradhaman
    • Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked dal and mix well.Give a boil and add second coconut milk ( Thin coconut milk). Let it roll boil for few minutes. Once it starts to thicken, add the first coconut milk( thick coconut milk) and give only one boil in low flame. Do not boil for more time because it may curdle.
      Parippu pradhaman
      Parippu pradhaman
    • Switch off the flame and add the crushed cardamom+ dry ginger( sukku) powder. Mix well and lastly garnish with fried coconut bits or cashew nuts. Serve hot or warm. This payasam tends to thicken over time.So adjust the consistency by adding little milk as per your need.
      Parippu pradhaman
      Enjoy !

    Note
    • Adjust the quantity of jaggery as per your taste. As per the original recipe, Dal : jaggery is 1:2. But I added 1:1.5 ratio.
    • Add more thick coconut milk ( first extract) for richness.
    • Do not boil the payasam for long time after adding thick coconut milk.
    • Adding dry ginger powder gives a punch to the dish. So add it if you have in hand.
    • If the payasam is too thin, refrigerate it for a while to thicken. If its too thick, add some plain boiled milk to bring the consistency.
    Enjoy this creamy, Kerala style Parippu payasam at home during this Onam festival !
    Parippu pradhaman

    Onam Sadya Recipes – Kerala Onam Sadhya Vibhavangal/ Lunch Menu

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    I am extremely happy and proud to share my 5th Onam sadya lunch menu with you allHappy.Since 2012, I have been sharing varieties of Onasadhya feast during ThiruOnam festival. Every year I used to attempt some new, authentic Kerala dishes in my Onam sadya. I take this as a chance to learn many Kerala recipes and to express my passion for their food. Moreover Sendhil and myself loves to have feast and treat ourselves with Kerala delicacies.Initially I started with a simple Onam sadhya menu in 2012. Later I started making around 15-20 dishes for the onam feast every year. Onam sadya preparation is the one and only thing that makes me busy in my kitchen and cook continuously for 3-4 hoursWinking. Pre Planning and organization is very important to cook a sadhya. So I have shared Onam sadya items list, its preparation procedure, Onam sadya serving order etc according to my knowledge and experience. Please excuse me and correct me if there is anything wrongPraying. Most of the dishes are tried from our fellow food bloggers of Kerala. I have given the links for each recipes. I hope this post would help you plan and prepare Kerala Onam sadya easily and quickly. Lets see how to prepare Onam sadya lunch menu in detail.
    Onasadya Serving order : From tip of banana leaf : Salt, Papadam, Nendran banana, chips, upperi, Puli inji, Pickle, Olan, Kalan, Erissery, Puliserry, Avial, Kootu curry, Thoran, Mezhukkupuratti, Pachadi, Kichadi. In the center of leaf : Rice, Parippu curry, ghee, Sambar, Moru curry, ulli theeyal, rasam, Sambaram, Parippu pradhama, Payasam varieties on the top corner. Refer image below.
    Onam sadya serving order
    Wish all my readers and friends a very happy Onam.”ONAM ASHAMSAKAL” !!
    How to prepare onam sadya

    Onam sadya Recipes - Kerala Lunch Menu


    Onam sadya recipesOnam sadya lunch menu recipes - Kerala Onam vibhavangal
    Cuisine:Kerala
    Category:Onam sadya
    Serves:Serves 2-3
    Prep time:60 Minutes
    Cook time:180 Minutes
    Total time:4 hours
    Onam sadya items list for cooking
    • Vegetables I used for this menu ( Yam, Raw banana, Drumstick, Ash gourd/Kumbalanga, Carrot, Potato, Beetroot ) for thoran, Mezhukkupuratti, Pachadi, Olan, Kalan, Kootu curry, erissery, moru curry, sambar
    • Small onions
    • Ginger for Puli inji
    • Moong dal for Parippu curry
    • Curry leaves
    • Tamarind
    • Red chillies
    • Green chillies
    • Cumin seeds
    • Brown chana
    • Black eyed peas/Cow peas
    • Coconut oil
    • Coconut
    • Banana
    • Nendran banana
    • Moong dal for Parippu pradhaman
    • Jaggery
    • Semiya for semiya payasam
    • Sugar
    • Coconut milk
    • Cardamom seeds
    • Dry ginger powder
    • Papad
    • Salt & water
    • Sour Curd for moru curry
    • Buttermilk for Sambaram
    • Mustard seeds + Urad dal + Red chilli - For tempering
    Onam sadya recipes with links
    Side dishes
    Payasam recipes
    Sambaram

    Other recipes ideas for menu
    Onam Sadya menu
    METHOD
    • Plan the menu, buy the vegetables and other items one day before Onam. Soak the tamarind for sambar, rasam and brown Chana( Kadala) overnight.
      • In the morning, after taking bath, start cooking. Soak the Ada in water for 30 minutes if you are making ada pradhaman.
      • I used 2-3 cookers of 3 liter capacity for making this menu.
    • Last year when I made sadya,I noticed that most of my time was spent in pre preparatory works like grating coconut, extracting coconut milk, grinding masala, chopping vegetables and for cooking dals & vegetables.This year I wanted to make all these works simple and easy. So instead of grating 2 coconuts, I made small slices of it using a ladle edge with thick & blunt handle as u see in the picture.Make sure your mixie blades are in good condition else it may break.Then I dry ground all the coconut slices together and divided them into 2 parts.I used one part for taking coconut milk and the other part for masala.It saved lot of time for me. Take the required amount of coconut for each dish. Most of the dishes call for grinding coconut +green chilli+ jeera to a smooth paste. So grind it by taking a portion of coconut.Keep it and use wherever needed.Use the remaining coconut for taking coconut milk.Add in payasam.
      How to prepare onam sadya
    • To this mashed dal ,Also I dry roasted the moong dal for parippu curry and pressure cooked it along with toor dal for sambar together in my big pressure cooker by placing moong dal in the bottom of cooker and toor dal for sambar in a tiffin box.Please refer the picture.U can even keep a plate of mixed vegetables required for sambar over the toor dal. When the dals are cooking, You can chop the vegetables for sambar, avial or kootu curry, olan, Pulisssery, pachadi, kichadi & inji curry.By this time,steam would be released from the cooker.Remove the toor dal box and mash the dal well.Similarly mash the moong dal too.Add little ground coconut paste and boil well. Parippu curry is ready.
      How to prepare onam sadya
    • For cooking Vanpayar and vegetables for olan,kalan and erissery, i again used my big cooker and cooked them together by keeping one above the other in small bowls and plates.As all these veggies gets cooked in one go,u just have to add them in coconut mixture and boil it.For thoran, I cooked it in my small cooker adding very less water and cooked in high flame for two whistles.
      How to prepare onam sadya
    • After removing this,cook the red rice adding 1:12 water and drain the excess water.Keep the rice aside. Make sambar, rasam and other dishes. Make the payasam at the end using the cookers ! It takes nearly 2-3 hours.
    Disclaimer: I know these are not the authentic method of cooking Kerala food but to make my job easier, I followed these steps and I hope it would help beginners.Friends,please excuse me Happy.
    I have planned to make  few posts for the above mentioned recipes with stepwise pictures. Sorry I couldn’t do it now.Thanks for visiting this page. Hope u will try all these recipes and like it.Once again,I wish u all a very happy Onam. Enjoy the feast!
    Onam sadya items
    Make a grand Onam spread on Festival day and enjoy with your family members.
    Wish you all a very happy Onam Star
    Onam sadya recipes

    Tomato Rasam Recipe–Kerala Style Thakkali Rasam Without Rasam Powder

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    Kerala tomato rasam recipe
    In Kerala, Tomato rasam/Thakkali rasam is mostly served in Onam sadya. Basically Kerala style rasam can be done easily with instant rasam powder or with freshly ground spices.I was looking for a simple and easy rasam recipe without rasam powder and found inthis blog.It came out super delicious and flavorful.After a long time, myself and Raksha had a plateful of rasam rice along with our favorite side dish papadamWinking.Do try this yummy Kerala Rasam for this Onam sadhya and enjoy like me. Lets see how to make Kerala thakkali rasam without rasam powder.
    Check out my other Onam sadya recipes.
    Tomato rasam recipe - Kerala style

    Tomato rasam recipe - Kerala style rasam


    Tomato rasam recipe - Kerala style rasamKerala style rasam without rasam powder - Kerala tomato rasam for Onam sadya
    Cuisine:Kerala
    Category:Rasam
    Serves:Serves 2
    Prep time:10 Minutes
    Cook time:20 Minutes
    Total time:25 Minutes


    INGREDIENTS

    • Ripe tomato - 2 no (small)
    • Tamarind – Medium gooseberry size
    • Red chilli powder – 3/4 - 1 tsp
    • Coriander powder/Dhania powder - 1 tsp
    • Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
    • Salt & water - as needed
    To grind
    • Small onion - 3 nos OR Big onion – 1/2 no
    • Pepper corns - 1 tsp
    • Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
    • Garlic cloves – 3 nos
    To temper
    • Coconut oil or ghee - 1 tbsp
    • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Red chilli - 1 no ( Pinched)
    • Green chilli - 1 no ( slit)
    • Curry leaves - few
    • Coriander leaves - to garnish
    METHOD
    • Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water for 20 minutes.Take the extract.Chop tomato into small pieces. Grind onion, pepper corns, cumin seeds,garlic coarsely without adding water. Set aside.
      Kerala style tomato rasam recipe

    • Heat oil or ghee in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds,red chilli, curry leaves and green chillies.Saute for few seconds. Now add the coarsely ground paste. Saute for a minute. Add salt, chopped tomato, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and dhania powder. Mix well till tomato turns mushy .Add the tamarind extract. Tomato rasam recipe - Kerala style
    • Boil well for 2-3 minutes till rasam becomes frothy. Add chopped coriander leaves and give one boil, switch off the flame. Transfer to a vessel and cover it with a lid. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.It helps for all the flavor to blend well. Serve with hot rice and papapdam. Tomato rasam recipe - Kerala style
        Enjoy! Adjust the quantity of chilli powder based on your spice level.

        Flavorful Kerala style tomato rasam is ready to serve with rice. Enjoy with papad !
        Tomato rasam recipe - Kerala style

        Kerala Semiya Payasam Recipe – Vermicelli Kheer – Kerala Payasam Recipes

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        Kerala semiya payasam recipe
        In Kerala, People make varieties of payasam recipes for Onam sadya menu. My neighbor told they make nearly 3-4 different types of payasam with jaggery and sugar.Semiya payasam@vermicelli kheer is one of the most popular and easy Kerala payasam recipe.Some people make it by adding condensed milk (Milkmaid) whereas I prepare in Nadan style with reduced milk following a chef’s recipe from Vanitha magazine.I modified the recipe and prepared in pressure cooker to make it quickly. Even though the ingredients of Kerala semiya payasam is very similar to Tamil nadu semiya payasam, its preparation is slightly different from ours. It comes out very rich, tasty and creamy. Do try it for special occasions in your family. I am sure everybody will love it. Lets see how to make Kerala style semiya payasam with step by step photos !
        Check out my Kerala Onam sadya feast in this link
        Kerala vermicelli payasam recipe

        Semiya Payasam - Vermicelli Payasam ( Kerala style)


        Semiya Payasam - Vermicelli Payasam ( Kerala style)How to make Kerala Special semiya payasam using pressure cooker
        Cuisine:Kerala
        Category:Sweet
        Serves:Serves 2-3
        Prep time:5 Minutes
        Cook time:20 Minutes
        Total time:25 Minutes
        1 cup - 200ml
        • Semiya/ Vermicelli - 1/4 cup
        • Full fat Milk - 1.5 cups
        • Water - 1/2 cup
        • Sugar - 1/4 cup
        • Ghee – 1 tbsp
        • Cardamom powder -1/8 tsp
        • Roasted cashew nuts & Raisins/dry grapes - 2 tbsp
        METHOD

        • In a pressure cooker base, take the milk + water.Allow it to boil in medium flame.Keep an eye on it to prevent from spilling.
          In the mean time, heat a kadai with ghee. Roast cashews till golden and remove in a plate leaving the ghee in the pan. Roast raisins( dry grapes) till it turns plumpy. Remove in a plate. In the remaining ghee, add the semiya/vermicelli and roast for few minutes till it turns golden in color.
          Kerala semiya payasam
        • Add the roasted vermicelli to the boiling milk and pressure cook in very low flame for 1 whistle. Remove after the pressure is released by itself. Open the cooker and stir well. Vermicelli would have cooked well in milk. Now add sugar, cardamom powder and boil till sugar melts. Remove and serve warm or chilled by refrigerating the payasam.
          Kerala semiya payasam
          Kerala semiya payasam
        Enjoy !

        Note
        • Adjust the quantity of sugar based on your taste.
        • Use thick milk for best taste. You can even use 3 cups of milk milk, reduce it to half of its quantity before cooking the semiya.
        Creamy, delicious Kerala special Vermicelli Payasam is ready to relish !!
        Kerala semiya payasam

        Ulli Theeyal Recipe – Kerala Style Small Onions/Shallot Curry

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        Ulli theeyal recipe Kerala
        Ulli Theeyal is a Kerala special, gravy kind of side dish served for rice. Ulli means onion in Malayalam.Theeyal curry preparation is usually made with pearl onions (Shallot/Small onions) as the main ingredient. For variations, drumstick(Muringakka), Bittergourd(Pavakka) or ladies finger(Vendakka) can also be added along with onion.It is also served in Onam sadya. This gravy tastes similar to Tamilnadu Arachuvitta Puli kuzhambu.Traditional, authentic theeyal recipe calls for roasting coconut along with whole spices like coriander seeds, red chilli whereas I followed an easy and quick version from Marias menu.I have used Dhania powder and red chilli powder along with coconut.It came out really well and finger licking delicious.I am sure I will make this kuzhambu very often in my kitchen.Lets see how to make Kerala style Ulli theeyal recipe with step by step photos !
        Check out other Kerala recipestoo
        Ulli theeyal recipe Kerala

        Ulli theeyal recipe - Kerala style Shallot curry for rice


        Ulli theeyal recipe - Kerala style Shallot curry for riceUlli theeyal recipe - Kerala special spicy, tangy gravy made with small onion/Shallots
        Cuisine:Indian
        Category:Side dish for rice
        Serves:Serves 2-3
        Prep time:10 Minutes
        Cook time:20 Minutes
        Total time:30 Minutes
        1 cup - 250ml
        • Small onions/ Shallots - 15 nos
        • Tamarind - Big gooseberry size
        • Salt & water - as needed
        To saute in oil
        • Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
        • Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
        • Red chilli powder – 1.5 - 2 tsp
        • Dhania powder - 2 tsp
        • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
        To temper
        • Coconut oil – 1.5 tbsp
        • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
        • Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 tsp
        • Curry leaves - few
        • Red chilli - 1 no ( pinched)
        METHOD

        • Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes and take the extract.Wash and peel the small onions. Slice it into two if its very big. Set aside.
        • In a big kadai, heat oil and roast the grated coconut along with 5 small onions.Roast till coconut starts to turn golden brown with a nice roasted smell. It takes nearly 10 minutes to do this. So stay nearby and roast it patiently with continuous stirring. Keep the flame medium. Finally add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and dhania powder. Mix well for a minute and switch off the flame. Let it cool down completely. Then grind them to a paste.
          Ulli theeyal - Kerala style
          Ulli theeyal - Kerala style
        • Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves. Saute the  small onions till transparent. To this, add tamarind extract and required salt. Boil the gravy till onions cook well. After the onion is cooked, add the ground coconut paste. Check for taste, add more red chilli powder & dhania powder if it tastes tangy. Boil well till the gravy thickens and leave oil.
          Ulli theeyal - Kerala style
          Ulli theeyal - Kerala style
        • Enjoy ! This gravy thickens  more in time. So adjust the consistency by adding some water and give a boil before serving. check for taste and add more salt or red chilli powder, dhania powder if needed. Boil and serve !
        • This gravy stays good for weeks stored in refrigerator ! Use clean spoon for every use.

        Note
        • Add more chilli powder if you like spicy gravy.
        • This gravy tastes the best with small onions. so its better to use it. If you don’t have them in hand, you can use big onion but flavors may differ.
        • Add less tamarind if its more tangy.

        Yummy, finger licking Kerala ulli theeyal is ready to serve ! I served with Chena Erissery, Nendran chips and rice !!
        Ulli theeyal recipe

        How To Cook Millet – Thinai, Varagu, Samai, Kuthiraivali, Kambu

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        How to cook millets 
        After a long time, I am making a post about Millet (Sirudhaniyam in Tamil). As we all know, Millets are a super healthy grain with loads of fiber, calcium, minerals & iron.People have started switching to millets and include it in their regular cooking as a replacement of rice for breakfast, dinner and lunch as well. Millets can be cooked on stove top( In a open pan), in a rice cooker, pressure cooker and even in microwave just like rice. But most of us are not sure about how to cook millet in a fluffy way like rice, pulao, biryani or for making Indian style recipes like Pongal, porridge, koozh with a mushy texture.Its always confusing about the water ratio for different types of millet like Varagu arisi (Kodo millet), Samai (Little millet), Kuthiraivali (Barnyard millet), Thinai rice (Foxtail millet) and Kambu (Pearl millet). I have not discussed about Quinoa in this post. Quinoa and thinai are different millets.I will make a post on that separately. So in this post, I have shared how to cook Indian millet in 3 different ways i.e Open pan method, In a pressure cooker and in an electric rice cooker. Water quantity may vary based on the quality of millet. Some millet may need less water and some may need more. So please keep this post as a reference and do the trial and errorHappy .


        Warning about millets
        I would like to emphasize this point before going to this post. Even though, Millet is a super healthy food, one should consume it moderately based on their body. Over consumption may lead to indigestion, stomach bloating, loss of appetite, imbalanced thyroid levels. So please include different types of millet in your diet thrice or 4 times in a week. Do not consume the same millet repeatedly. Try to include varieties of millet in your cooking. I have heard people consuming millet for all the 3 times in their daily food just for weight loss by completely avoiding rice. Recently I read in an article that Millets would slow down the thyroid activity. So moderate consumption is advised for people with thyroid problems. In general ” Too much of anything is good for nothing”. So please consume it in moderate quantity and reap all it benefits. Maintain a healthy life style. This is my kind advice based on my own experience Happy.
        For people who are new to millet, please check my “All about millet” post for a better understanding. 
        How to cook millets in pressure cooker

        Millets names in different languages

        ENGLISH– Finger millet, Kodo millet, Pearl millet, Barnyard millet, Little millet, Foxtail millet
        HINDI - Nachani /mundua, Koden/Kodra, Bajra, Jhangora, Kutki, Kangni/Rala 
        TAMIL– Ragi, Varagu, Kambu, Kuthiraivali, Samai, Thinai
        KANNADA– Ragi, Harka, Sajje, Oodalu, Saame, Navane
        TELUGU – Ragula, Arikelu, Sajjalu, Odalu, Sama, Korra
        MALAYALAM– Panjipullu, Koovaragu, Kambam, Kavada pullul, Chama, Thina

        How to cook millets in different ways

        How to cook millets in different ways

        How to cook Millet


        How to cook MilletHow to cook different types of millet - Thinai rice, varagu rice,samai, kuthiravali and kambu
        Cuisine:Indian
        Category:Millet Recipes
        Serves:Serves 2
        Prep time:5-30 Minutes
        Cook time:10 Minutes
        Total time:15-40 Minutes
        1 cup - 200ml
        • Varagu arisi (Kodo millet), Samai arisi (Little millet), Kuthiraivali ( Barnyard millet) - 1/2 cup
        • Water – 1.25 cups to 1.5 cups ( 1:2.5 to 1:3 ratio)
        • Cooking oil - few drops (optional)
        For thinai & kambu, water quantity may vary. Soaking is needed.
        • Thinai rice( Foxtail millet) - 1/2 cup
        • Water - 1.5 cups
        • Kambu / Pearl millet – 1/2 cup
        • Water – 2 cups
        For making pongal, bisibelebath, thick porridge : use 1: 5 ratio of millet & water and use pressure cooker.
        For making pulao, biryani : use 1:2 or 1: 2.5 ratio of millet and water. It is better to cook in open pan to get fluffy rice.
        METHOD

        • Try to buy unpolished millet because its healthier than polished ones. Wash the millet at least twice or thrice.Use a strainer or metal sieve with fine holes to filter it. Some millet may contain husk, dust particles or even small stones. So wash it well.
          HOW TO COOK VARAGU, SAMAI AND KUTHIRAVALI 
        • In Open pan : For 1/2 cup of varagu arisi, measure 1.25 cups of water ( 1:2.5 ratio). No need to soak in water. Heat water in a pan. When it starts to roll boil, simmer the flame completely.
         
        • Add the washed and drained millet to the  boiling water. Lower the flame completely. Cover with a lid & cook for 5-7 minutes. Fluff it gently once in the middle using a fork. Cook till all the water is absorbed. Switch off the flame and keep it covered for 10 minutes.
        • It will get cooked in the resting time and becomes fluffy.After 10 minutes, you can remove it and serve with any sambar or any kuzhambu OR use it for making variety rice. Enjoy !
        How to cook in rice cooker : Wash 1/2 cup of millet and drain the excess water. Boil 1.5 cups of water and add the millet ( 1:3 ratio). Cook it till the lights turn to warm mode. Open the cooker & check if its cooked well. If not, add 1/2 cup more water and cook for some more time.
        How to cook in Pressure cooker : For cooking in pressure cooker, wash the millet and drain the excess water. Heat a cooker base with 3 cups of water. In a cooker vessel, take 1/2 cup of varagu/ kodo millet, Kuthiravali/ barnyard millet and add 1.25 cups of water (1:2.5 ratio) . For Samai/ Little millet, add 1 cup of water ( 1:2 ratio). Add few drops of cooking oil if you need fluffy rice. Cover with the lid and pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles. Make sure flame should be the minimum. It takes nearly 5-7 minutes to cook. If not, cook for 5 minutes in low flame and switch off the flame. DO NOT COOK the millet directly in a cooker base. It may lead to burnt bottom layer. So its better and safe to cook millets by placing them inside a vessel.
        If you are making pulao or biryani, you can directly cook it with spices and vegetables. In that case, add 1:2.5 water and keep an eye. Switch off after cooking for 6-7 minutes in very low flame. Open the cooker after the steam is released.
        HOW TO COOK THINAI/ FOXTAIL MILLET
        • In a open pan : Wash the foxtail millet twice to remove the dust. Soak it for minimum 30 minutes. For 1/2 cup of thinai/ foxtail millet, heat 1.5 cups of water. When the water starts to roll boil, add the soaked thinai. Mix well and add a few drops of cooking oil. Cover and cook till all the water is absorbed. Toss it once or twice in the middle. Actually thinai takes long time to cook than other millets. So keep checking for the water content and add 1/4 cup more only if needed.
        • In a rice cooker : Wash 1/2 cup of foxtail millet and drain the excess water.Soak it for an hour. Boil 1.5 cups of water and add the millet. Cook it till the lights turn to warm mode. Open the cooker & check if its cooked well. If not, add 1/2 cup more water and cook for some more time. How to cook in Pressure cooker : For cooking in pressure cooker, wash the millet and drain the excess water. Heat a cooker base with 1.5 cups of water for 1/2 cup of thinai. Let the water roll boil. Add the washed millet, few drops of cooking oil and mix well. Cover with the lid and pressure cook in very low flame just for one whistle. Make sure flame should be the minimum. It takes nearly 5-7 minutes to cook. If not, cook for 5 minutes in low flame and switch off the flame. Cooking for longer time burns the bottom layer. So keep an eye.
        How to cook thinai
        How to cook thinai
        • HOW TO COOK KAMBU/ PEARL MILLET : Wash the kambu well. Soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain the excess water and spread in a cloth. Let it dry for 5 minutes. Grind it coarsely in a mixie to remove the husk. Sieve it well. Boil 2 cups of water for 1 cup of kambu. When the water starts to roll boil, add the kambu, mix well without lumps and cook till all the water is absorbed. Cover & cook it. Kambu cannot be cooked fluffy. It comes out mushy in texture.
        • In pressure cooker : Take 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 1 cup of kambu. Cook for one whistle in low flame or 3 whistles in medium flame.
        Enjoy with sambar, kootu and poriyal !
        How to cook millet


        Note
        • The quantity of water may vary. +/- 1/2 cup difference may be there.
        • Cooking time may vary for the cooker and open pan method. So keep an eye if you are cooking for the first time.

        MILLET RECIPES


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