Avaraikai Masala Vada

Ingrediants :

• Avaraikai - 1 cup


• Small onions - 150gms


• Green chillies - 3-4


• Cinnamon - 1\2 inch piece


• Clove -2-3 piece


• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp


• Khus-khus- 1 tsp


• Saunf - 1 tsp


• Red chillies - 2 flakes


• Salt to taste


• Curry leaves -15 leaves


• Corriander leaves - 1\4 cup

Method:

• Grind corsely avaraikai with cinnamon,clove,red chili,khus-khus,saunf .
  
• Chop onions,greenchili,curry leaves and coriander leaves.
  
• Mix chopped onion,green chili,curry leaves,ginger garlic paste and coriander leaves with avarikai batter with salt.(you can stir in these things in blender itself before removing avaraikai batter from  the blender)
  
• Now shape it and fry it in oil and serve it with mint chatney.

Shai Jeera Pulav

ingredients:

basmati rice -1cup
shai jeera-1tsp

sugar-1tsp

green chili-2no(chopped)

onion slicied-1/2cup

coriander leaves-few strands

ginger garlic paste-1/4 tsp

salt to taste

oil-2tsp

boiling water-1 to 1 1/2 cup

method:

• soak basmati rice for 10 to15 min and strain it.
• in thick bottomed pan add 2tsp oil and add shai jeera and add sugar to it and caramelize it ,be care full do not burn it.
• now add onion,ginger garlic paste,green chili and saute for min.do not worry if onion is dark brown,its because of sugar.
• now add strained rice to it and mix well be carefull not to break the rice.
• at this point add boiling water 1 to 1 1/2 cup depending on rice quality,once it starts boiling simmer stove let it cook till water is completely absorbed it might take 10 t0 20 min.
• sprinkle coriander leaves on top.
• serve this rice with any mugalai gravy.

(Plain) Rasam

Tamil: Rasam; Kannada: Saaru; Telugu: Chaaru; Malayalam: Rasam; Tulu:Resa

Rasam in Tamil means "essence," and, by extension, "juice" or "soup". Historically, it was prepared mainly with black pepper and tamarind, both ingredients are native to and abundant in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and South India in general. It is also referred to as Chāttamudu by Iyengars.

Sourashtras, an immigrant community living in Madurai from the 16th century, still refer to it as Pulichaar (Puli or Pulipu means tart (tamarind).

It is known as Saaru in Kannada and Chaaru in Telugu. Incidentally, rasam is the basis of mulligatawny soup, which is an Anglo-Indian version of the same.

Source: Wikipedia

Well, that's enough history, Onto the Recipie ! ☺

Ingredients:

• Tamarind - lemon size
  
• Jeera powder - 1tsp
  
• Coriander powder - 1/2tsp
  
• Pepper powder - 1tsp
  
• Red chili - 2
  
• Turmeric - 1/4tsp
  
• Hing - 2pinch
  
• Tomato - 1/2
  
• Garlic - 2pods(crushed)
  
• Curry leaves- 1 string
  
• Coriander few
  
• Salt to taste.
  
• Mustard seeds - few
  
• Oil - 1/2 tsp
  

(Optional - You can add 1 or 2 pinches to elevate it's flavor.)

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind and take out the thick pulp.
2. Add tomato, coriander leaves, coriander powder, jeera powder, pepper powder, turmeric and squeeze it by hand till the tomato is smashed well, now add water and adjust the taste by adding salt.
3. Turn on the stove keep a kadai ,add oil, once oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds , crushed garlic, curry leaves, dry chili and pour rasam mixture to it.
4. Once it gets ready to boil turn of the stove and add hing.
5. Serve with rice.
   

Enjoy.

Cucumber Kurma

ingredients:

•  Cucumber diced-1cup(skin peeled)
  
• yellow split moong dal-1tbs
  
• Jeera-1/2tsp
  
• Red chili-3
  
• Coconut scraped-1/2 cup
  
• Hing-2pinch
  
• Oil-1tbs
  
• For seasoning:oil,mustard,urad dal,curry leaves.
  

method:

• Steam diced cucumber.
  
• Fry moong dal and grind with chili,coconut,jeera,and hing.
  
• In a kadai pour the mixture and let it boil till raw smell is gone now add steamed cucumber and salt.
  
• Now season it with musturd ,urad dal and curry leaves. garnish with coriander and serve.
  
• Goes well with rice and chapatis.
  

Rice vadagam

Ingredients:

• Left over rice - 1 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 3 to 4
• Salt to taste
• Hing - a pinch

Method:

• Take a mixie(blender) and add cumin seeds ,salt ,hing and green chilies and grind it once then add left over rice and grind till all ingrediants blend together
• Take a murukku press put the blended mixture into it and press it on a plastic sheet and keep that sheet in sun for two days to get it dried completely.
• After it is completely dried it is ready to fry.
• Take a pan add oil allow to it, now turn on the fire,once oil becomes hot ,fry dried vadagams in it.
• Once it splutters take it out and put it on a kitchen tissue .
• It is ready to eat as snack or as a an accompaniment to lunch.

Sweet Potato Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1. Sweet potatoes - 1 cup
2. Coconut(scraped) - 1tbs (optional; used for garnishing)
3. Oil - 1 tbs
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
5. Channa dal - 1 tsp
6. Urad dal - 1 tsp
7. Curry leaves - 1 tbs
8. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - a pinch
10. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the potatoes properly then cut them into half inch pieces, soak them in water till we use it. (This is to prevent it from changing color)


2. Now add oil to a pan let it get heated then add mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal and curry leaves.


3. Next add the sweet potatoes and stir fry for few seconds and then add half cup of water and close lid till the potatoes are cooked soft.


4. In between remove the lid and add salt , chilli powder and turmeric powder and close the lid till water evaporates completely.


5. Now open the lid and mix it once and garnish with coriander leaves and scraped coconut.


6. Turn off the stove. It is now ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Capsicum in Pumpkin Gravy

Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin - 1 cup
2. Capsicum - 1 small
3. Tomatoes - 3 nos
4. Cumin seeds -1 tsp
5. Sugar - 2 tsp
6. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
7. Maze flower - 1 pinch
8. Cardamom - 1

Method :

• Peel the skin of pumpkin boil it and grind to paste.
• Then take 2 tomatoes blanch it, remove the skin and make a fine paste .
• Now cut capsicum and one tomato saute in butter for few seconds and keep aside.
• Take a thick bottomed pan, Add two tbs of oil and add cumin seeds ,cinnamon, maze flower,cardamom and sugar.
• Let the sugar be caramalised then add grinded pumpkin and tomatoes , cook it till oil comes out.
• Then add salt ,chili powder,coriander powder and saute for few seconds and then add finely chopped green chillies and ginger juliennes,and lastly add the capsicum and tomatoes that have been sauted in butter earlier.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve with chapatis and puries.