Search This Blog

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Arai Keerai Kootu

Ingredients:
arai keerai - 2 bunches
moong dal - 1/4 cup
coconut - 2 tbsp
sambar powder -  1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
onion - 1
tomato - 2
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
green chilli - 2 or 3
salt to taste
oil - 1 tbsp
mustard seed and urid dal for seasoning.

Preparation:


  • Cook the moong dal in a pressure cooker with enough water and turmeric powder.(2 whistle sound and keep it in sim for 5 mins)
  • Wash the keerai well 2 to 3 times to remove the sand and chop them finely with the stem.
  • Chop the onions and tomato into small pieces.
  • Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and green chilli with little water.
  • Take a pressure cooker and add onions, tomatoes, keerai, coconut paste with 1 cup water and enough salt. Leave 2 whistle  sounds and then switch the stove.
  • Remove the weight when the pressure is gone, and finally add the cooked moong dal and mix it gently.
  • Let it boil for 5 mins.
  • Remove from fire and pour it into a serving bowl.
  • Finally add tempered mustard seeds and urid dal.

  • To make the kootu a little more tastier
  • Take two tbsp of finely chopped onions in a frying pan with enough oil and fry them till it is dark brown and a nice aroma comes out.
  • Add this as a finishing touch to the kootu.

  • Arai Keerai Kootu is now ready. It tastes well with rice and as well with parathas too.




Monday, April 23, 2012

Badam Halwa


Ingredients:
Badam(Almonds) - 1 cup;
Sugar - 1 cup;
Kesari colour - a pinch;
Ghee - 1/2 cup;
Saffron - little;
Milk- 1/2 cup.

Preparation:
  • Soak the almonds in a hot water.
  • Remove the skin, add the milk and grind into a fine paste.
  • Add little water to the sugar and mix and prepare a sugar syrup in a kadai (prepare the sugar syrup into a single line consistency)
  • Then add the almond paste, stir the contents well, till it becomes thick,
  • Add the kesari colour and the saffron soaked in a little milk, and mix well.
  • When the mixture starts to stick into the kadai, add the ghee little by little and stir well.
  • When it reaches the halwa consistency, switch off the stove.
  • Badam Halwa is ready

Another method:
Directly add the sugar to the badam paste, and cook the contents in a kadai. Add the ghee when it starts to stick on the kadai. (Actually this method consumes more ghee). I usualluy prefer this method because, this is very tasty then the other one.

Dal Kachories


Ingredients:
Maida - 2 cups;
Oil - 6 tbsp;
Salt - 1 tsp;
Water

For Fillings:
Moong dal - 12 tbsp;
Coarsely grinded fennel seeds - 1 tsp;
Dhania powder - 1 tsp;
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp;
Asfoetida - 1 pinch;
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp;
Ginger, green chilli paste - 2 tsp;
Salt to taste;
Sugar - 1 tsp;
Lemon juice - 1 tsp;
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:
To make the crust:
  • Mix the oil and salt with the maida well(Mix it with your fingers, it looks like the bread crumbs).
  • Then add water little by little and mix into a dough.
  • Knead the dough well, cover it with a wet cloth and keep it aside.

To make the filling:
  • Soak the moong dal for 2 hours.
  • Then cook the dal in a kadai, until the dal is cooked and the water is completely absorbed, (keep the stove in sim, so that it don't get burnt.)
  • Let the cooked dal cool for sometime.
  • Take another kadai,heat some oil in it, then add fennel seeds powder, ginger green chilli paste, dhania powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Lastly add the besan flour.
  • Stir the contents well for about a min and then add the turmeric powder, salt, sugar and the cooked dal into it.
  • Mix well, and smash the dal well with the laddle.
  • When the mixture is completely dry, switch off the stove.
  • To this add the lemon juice and coriander leaves.
To make Kachories:
  • Divide the dough into equal portions. Make small  pooris out of the dough.
  • Place the fillings (make the fillings into lemon size balls) in the center of the pooris.
  • Slightly apply water around the dough and close it making into a ball shape.
  • Repeat with rest.
  • Now using the base of your palm, just flatten them.
  • Deep fry them in a medium heat, till it is golden brown in colour.
  • Serve the kachories with the sweet chutney, coriander chutney or even with yoghurt.
 Tips:
We can use urad dal or channa dal instead of moong dal.


Monday, March 21, 2011

Curd Kuzhambu

Ingredients:-
  • Thick curd (sour) - 2 cups
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Oil - 2 tsp
  • Mustard and cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp each
  • Red chillies - 2 nos
  • Asafoetida Powder - 1 pinch
  • Curry and coriander leaves
  • Salt to taste
To grind:-
  • Grated coconuts 1/4 cup
  • Green chillies - 5 nos
  • Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
  • Pepper - 1/2 tsp
  • Roasted grams - 1 tbsp
  • Onion Big - 1 no
  • Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Preparation:-
  • Add water, turmeric powder and salt to the above paste in a pan and boil it till the raw smell goes out.
  • Then add beaten curd and keep it in a flame to one boil. In another pan add oil and fry mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies with Asafoetida Powder.
  • When the seeds starts spluttering add this to the curd kuzhambu.
  • Garnish it with curry and coriander leaves.
  • Now the curd kuzhambu is ready to serve.

Flavor tips:-
To get the best taste out of this dish, thick curd must be used. Boiled vegetables of your own choice like chow chow or white pumkin cubes may be added.


Fried lady's finger can also be added. This dish mixed in white rice will go well with potato onion curry as side dish.

In tamil it is called MORE KUZHAMBU.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Paal Payasam (Sweet milk poridge)


Ingredients:-
Milk - 1 ltr
Basmathi rice - 50 gms
Sugar - 1 cup
Cashewnut - 1 tbsp
Almonds - 1 tbsp
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Preparation:-
Wash the rice, add a cup of water, place it in a pressure cooker. After a whistle, cook this under low flame for 15 minutes. Mash the rice with a ladle, add milk, keep it in a low flame by stirring non-stop. When the mixture thickens and turns slight yellowish in color (this stage comes in 20 minutes) , add sugar and keep stirring for another 10 minutes. In another pan, fry the finely chopped cashews , almonds and raisins separately in ghee. Add this to the Payasam. When done, add Cardamom powder and serve hot.
Ah, the mouth watering payasam is ready. This is my daughter's favorite dish.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Peas Butter Masala

Ingredients:-
  • Peas(shelled) - 1 cup
  • Onion - 3
  • Tomato - 5
  • Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder - 2 tsp
  • Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
  • Fenugreek & Cumin seeds
  • (roasted and powdered) - 1/2 tsp
  • Butter 1 tbsp
  • Cloves and cardamom - 3 each
  • Fresh cream (optional) - 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
Preparation:-

Grind the Onions and tomatoes into fine paste. Heat butter in a pan and fry the spices, then add the onion and tomato paste and fry well till the ghee separates. To this, add the ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, Coriander power and salt. Saute for few minutes, sprinkle water now and then (so that it doesn't get burnt). Add a cup of water with the peas and cook till the peas are done. Finally add the powdered cumin & fenugreek with a tsp of ghee and mix well. Dot with fresh cream.

Serve hot with chappatti or puri.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...