Idiyappam

When  I came to USA from India, I really missed this Idiyappam. Whenever I try making these, from the rice flour we get from the stores, it just came very hard or flour won't even come out of the Idiyappam press. Later I found out we have to fry the flour in medium flame for 15 - 20 mins. But now a days we are getting idiyappam flours in the market, which we don't have to fry and it's good too.

Ingredients:

Raw rice flour - 2cups
Salt - 1/4tsp
Water - 3-4 cups

Put the rice flour in a vessel and add salt to it. In a seperate vessel boil the water and pour it in the flour little by little. Mix the flour using a spoon and knead it like chappathi flour and close and leave it aside for 10mins. Take  the flour and put it in the idiyappam press and press it on the idli plates and steam it for about 7mins. When it is done serve it with veg kuruma or Aattukal paaya(goat leg soup).

Carrot,Cabbage & beans poriyal

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1cup (chopped)
Beans - 1cup (chopped)
Cabbage - 1cup(chopped)
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Greenchillies - 3 (slit in the middle)
Turmeric powder - 1/8tsp
Salt -3/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 2tsp


Seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Urad dal - 1tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 3tsp

In a pan, add oil. When it becomes hot add all the ingredients for seasoning. Then add the greenchillies and onion, saute it for a minute or two. Now add the veggies, turmeric powder and salt. Sprinkle some water and close the lid and cook. When it is done, if you want add coconut at this time and turn off the stove. Serve it with Rice and sambar.

Chicken soup

Mexican Chicken Quesadilla

Ingredients:
Tortillas - 12
Shredded cheese - 1 cup
cooked Chicken pieces - 1 and 1/2 cups
Salsa - 1 cup

To make the cooked chicken:
In a pan add a tsp of butter and boneless chicken, pepper powder -1/4tsp and little salt. Let it boil and cook. When it is done chop it into bite size pieces.

To make salsa:
Shallots(small onions) - 3
Tomato - 1
Jalapeno - 1
Cilantro(coriander leaves) - 3 strands
Lime juice - 3 tsp
Salt - 1 pinch

Chop the shallots, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro finely. Put it in a blender and bled it for 3 SECONDS. If we do it more than that, it will becme paste. We don't want it like that. After blending it add lime juice and salt. While using it in the quesadilla, strain the juice out of the salsa.


Quesadilla

Heat the pan, spread some butter or oil, place the tortilla and sprinkle about 2tsp of cheese and let it  melt. Then keep it aside in a separate plate. Again,  place another tortilla and sprinkle about 2tsp of cheese and let it  melt. Then spread little salsa and some shredded chicken. Now bring the tortilla from the plate and close it on top of the chicken. Wait until the cheese melts and blends. Cut it into 4 and serve.

Vendakai poriyal

Ingredients:

Okra (vendakkai  or  ladies finger)- 1 lb
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
salt - 3/4 tsp
Curd or tamarind water- 1/2 tsp(optional)

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 2 tbl sp

Chop the okra into small circular pieces. In a pan pour 2tblsp of oil and all the seasoning ingredients. Then add the chopped vegetable. Now add the turmeric, chilli and pepper powders and salt into it. Sometimes the vegetable will become very mushy and squishy while cooking. Just to avoid that we can add a tsp of curd or 1/2 tsp of tamarind juice. Cook it until it is done.

Masal vadai

Ingredients:

Kadalai paruppu - 1 1/2 cups(channa dhal)
Onion -2 chopped
Ginger, garlic & greenchilly ground paste - 1 tbl sp
Coriander & curry leaves - 1/2 cup (chopped)
salt - 1 tsp
Sombu powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil for frying

Soak the dhal for 1 hr and grind it coarsely. Add all the remaining ingredients to the ground dhal  and mix it. In a separate pan, pour some oil and let it heat. Then take approximately 2 tblsp of  the dhal and press it into the vadai shape in your palm and gently slide it(don't drop) into the oil. When it turns into brown color, take it out and serve hot. It is really yummy.

Cauliflower poriyal

Hi All,
After a very long break Iam posting this now. Hope you enoy this.
When we are in a hurry, this is a quick way to make the cauliflower.  This tastes so good with curd rice, if we make it more spicier,.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower-1
Garlic-2
chilli powder-1/2tsp
turmeric powder-1/4tsp
oil-2tsp
salt -upto taste
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds-1/4tsp
urad dal-1/2 tsp
curry leaves few

Cut and clean the cauliflower. Crush the garlic. In a pan add 2 tsp of oil, then put mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. After it splutters add thegarlic and saute it. Now add the cauliflower, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and 1/2 cup of water. Cover and let it cook until the veg is done.

Kathirikai Gothsu (Brinjal curry)

Ingredients:

Brinjal - 1 finely chopped

Onion -  1/2 chopped

Tomato - 1 big

Garlic - 2 or 3 finely chopped

Moong dal - 1/4 cup

Chilli pwdr - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric pwdr - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp

salt to taste

In the pressure pan add all of the above ingredients and add water. Cook it for one whistle. In a separate pan, season by adding 3tsp oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves  and add it to curry and mix it. 

Serve it with ven pongal. 

Ven pongal

Ingredients:

Ginger - 1inch piece chopped finely
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
curry leaves
Rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1/2cup
Oil - 6 tsp

In the pan pour oil,and add ginger,jeera, pepper, curry leaves and asafoetida. Then add the washed rice and dal and fry it for 2 mins.                                                                                                                             

Add water in the ratio 1:3, I used 4and 1/2 cups of water. Add salt and stir. Cover and cook it for 3 sounds in medium high heat.If u want you can fry cashews in ghee and add it to pongal now. (Non ghee and cashew is healthier version :)   ) 

Serve it  hot with gothsu or chutney!! 

Avarakai kathirikai poriyal

Ingredients:

Avarakai -1 lbs
kathirikai -3
chilli pwdr - 3/4 tsp
coriander pwdr -1 tssp
turmeric pwdr - 1/4tsp
pepper and jeera pwdr - 1/2 tsp
salt
onion - 1/4 cup
tomato - 1

In a pan add chopped onion, tomato, avarakai, brinjal and masala pwdrs(except pepper and jeera pwdr) and salt. Close it and let it cook by adding little water. Once the vegetables are cooked keep it aside. Season in a separate pan by  adding  3tsp oil, mustard and curry leaves. Now add the cooked vegetables in the seasoning pan and mix it by adding the pepper and jeera pwdr and cook for a min.

Serve it with rice.

Bisibelabath

Ingredients:

Rice - 1cup

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Urad dal - 2 tsp

Red chillies - 10

Coriander seeds-4tsp

Pepper - 10

Fenugreek - 1tsp

Khas khas - 2tsp

Kadalai paruppu - 1tsp

Tamarind juice - 2 handsfull

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1

Cilantro

Lots of vegetables like brinjal, carrot, beans, peas,chayote squash(banglore kathirikai), Peerkangai, Sambar onion, White poosanikai, Cauliflower, Kohlrabhi(nookal), Radish, Bottle gourd(surakai). 

You don't have to have all of  the above veggies, any 5 or 6 veggies should do.

Fry  urad dal ,red chillies, pepper, fenugreek, khas khas,coconut(grated), kadalai paruppu and grind it

without adding water.

 

In the cooker add oil, mustard and jeera. Then add onion, tomatoes and all the veggies and fry till tender. Now add the ground powder, salt,  turmeric pwdr, tamarind . Add the water in the ratio 1:3. For ours I used 4 1/2 cups of water. Add coriander leaves and cook in medium heat for 3 sounds.

Before serving add ghee and serve with appalam.  

 
 

Muttai masala (masala egg)

This is vishruth's favourite side dish. Whenever I make this, he never complains to eat his food. Actually he is the one who started calling this as masala egg. In our home we call this puli pottu varuthathu.



Ingredients:
Egg-6
Tamarind juice- 3tsp
Garlic crushed- 1tsp
turmeric pwdr- 1/4 tsp
Chilly pwdr-  1/2 tsp
Pepper and jeera pwdr- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 3/4 tsp or to taste
Oil- 3tsp

Boil the eggs for 8 -10 mins by adding a tsp of salt(It helps to peel the eggs nicely). Then peel it and cut it into halves.

Combine the tamarind juice, garlic, salt and masala powders in a small cup and mix it by adding little water.

In a pan add oil and pour the mixture and spread it. Now add  the eggs and saute it carefully for sometime
(5 mins)with out breaking the eggs.

Take it out now and Serve it with rice.

Mutton Biriyani

         My friend Adline gave me this recipe. This is a very popular dish in our family. We all love it very much!

Ingredients:

Rice-4cups
cinnamon sticks-4
cloves-4
elaichi-4
star ani-4
Bay leaves-2
G.chillies-4


In oil add the masalas except rice and saute it, then add it to the rice and cook it with 5 cups of water.


Ingredients for gravy

Onion-3 big
Tomato-5 tomatoes
Cinnamon-4
Cloves-4
Green chillies-4
Ginger garlic paste-4 tsp
chilly pwdr-1/2tsp
sombu pwdr-1 tsp
jeera pwdr-1tsp
pepper pwdr-1/2tsp
coriander pwdr-1tsp
mutton -3 lbs
Oil - 2 cups

         In oil add cinnamon, cloves, green chillies, and onions. Saute it for some time, then add the ginger garlic paste. Saute it in high heat. Now add chilli, sombu, geera, pepper, and coriander powders, and saute. Then add the mutton and cook in slooooooow flame for 1 hour, by adding salt, cilantro, and mint.

         Mix the cooked rice and mutton gravy. Add 1/2 cup - 1 cup milk, and mix with the rice. Spread the rice in a oven-safe tray, and cook it for 30 - 45 mins in 375°.

        

         Serve it with your fav curry, or eat it just like that!

                                 Bon Appetite!

Chicken Biriyani

This is Keerthana's favourite food. Earlier she loved to eat any chicken biryani, but now a days she is not at all eating the store bought biryani. My daughter and my son loves this biryani. It's very funny how they eat it though. Vishruth always finishes the rice first, leaving the chicken pieces on the side, but Keethu always finishes the chicken pieces first, then goes for the rice.

Ingredients:

Cinnamon- 2 sticks

Cloves-4

Bay leaves- 3

Elaichi- 3

Onion -2 large

Tomato- 3

ginger garlic pst-3 tsp

Green chilly-4

Basmathi rice - 3 cups

Coconut milk - 3/4 cup

Cilantro- 3/4 cup

Mint - 2-3 strings leaves

salt to taste

Oil - 1/3 cup

Chicken-2 lbs

Curd- 1 cup

Ginger garlic pst- 2tsp

Turmeric pwdr- 1/2 tsp

Chilly pwdr-3/4 tsp

Coriander pwdr-1 1/2 tsp

Shan bombay biryani masala-2tsp

Salt

Wash the chicken and combine everything together from curd till salt and marinate it for 1hr, or we can leave it overnight for marination. If you are in a hurry you can cook it without marinating :).  If you can't find Shan Bombay biriyani masala just add any other biriyani masala 1/2 tsp and increase the chilly powder to 1 tsp and coriander pwdr to 2 tsp.

In a pressure cooker pour oil, add whole garam masalas, onion, and saute it well. Then add ginger garlic paste and saute it and add tomatoes then saute it. Now add chicken and cook for a few mins.  Now, add the coconut milk and water(combined 4 1/2 cups).  When it starts boiling add rice.  Add salt and cilantro, cover the lid and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Serve it hot with raitha, and enjoy!

Keerai Masiyal

Ingredients:

Spinach - 1 bunch/packet
Green chillies - 10
Onion - 1 medium
Garlic - 2-4 pods
Coconut grated - 1 tblsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Water - 1/2 cup

1. Add all the ingredients in the pressure cooker and add 1/2 cup of water.

2. Pressure cook for 1 whistle
3. Remove the contents from the cooker and grind it with coconut in the mixer.

Serve it with steamed rice and ghee!