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October 31, 2014

BABY CORN MANCHURIAN RECIPE-BABY CORN RECIPES


baby-corn-manchurian-recipe

Its been years i posted a manchurian recipe in my blog.In 2010, i shared vegetable manchurian gravy recipe.After that i couldn’t post any even though i keep making it very often in weekends.When we visit hotel/restaurant,most of the time we order gobi manchurian or baby corn manchurian for starter.Its our family favourite recipe.I like baby corn manchurian dry version too.I will try that & share here soon.But my daughter Raksha loves this gravy version more than the dry ones.So here we see how to make this crispy,kids favourite starter baby corn manchurian recipe with step by step pictures belowHappy.
Do check out my golden baby corn fry and Baby corn stir fry recipes !



Baby corn manchurian recipe


Baby corn manchurian recipe Baby corn manchurian recipe - Yummy starter recipe which kids would love it
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Starter
Serves: Serves 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
To pressure cook for one whistle
  • Baby corn - 10 nos
  • Salt & water - as needed
For batter
  • Maida - 4 tbsp
  • Corn flour - 2 tbsp
  • Rice flour - 2 tbsp
  • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
  • Ginger& Garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Cooking soda - a small pinch
  • Salt & water - as needed
  • Cooking oil - to deep fry
For sauce
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Big onion - 1 no
  • Capsicum - 1/2 no
  • Spring onions – few ( chopped finely)
  • Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp
  • Finely chopped garlic cloves - 5 nos
  • Green chillies - 1 no ( finely chopped)
  • Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp ( adjust as per ur spice level)
  • Pepper powder –1/4 tsp
  • Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
  • Soya sauce - 1/2 tsp
  • Corn flour - 1 tsp (dissolve in 1/2 cup of water)
METHOD

  • Wash and chop the baby corn lengthwise of 2 inch size.The thin u chop,crispy it would be.Pressure cook it adding enough water & salt in high flame just for 1-2 whistle.Remove & drain the excess water.Squeeze it & set aside.
Baby-corn-manchurian-step1
  • In a wide bowl,mix all the ingredients given under “to batter”. Add water little by little and make a paste like batter.Add the cooked baby corn pieces.Mix well and marinate for minimum 15 minutes-30 minutes.Overnight marination in refrigerator is also fine.Make sure the batter is not thick like bajji batter.It should be slightly thin.( If u make it too thin,baby corn wont coat well.If u make it too thick,the outer cover will separate while u put in sauce.so add water carefully.)
  • Deep fry now if u serve immediately.Else let it marinate & proceed to make sauce.
  • Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry.Deep fry the marinated baby corn pieces turning now & then.Baby corn should be well coated with the batter.Drop them one at a time and deep fry in batches.( If u keep less oil for deep frying,baby corn would stick to the bottom of kadai.So keep enough oil.)
Baby-corn-manchurian-step2
  • Cook till turns crispy and golden brown.Remove in a tissue.If the pieces are sticked together,remove them and set aside.
Baby-corn-manchurian-step3
  • For making sauce,heat oil in a kadai.Saute finely chopped onions,Stem part of spring onions,capsicum,ginger,garlic & chilli pieces.Then add the red chilli powder,salt,pepper powder & saute for few seconds.Then add the tomato sauce and soya sauce.mix well.Dilute corn flour in 1/2 cup of water and add it to the mixture.Let it boil till the mixture thickens.
  • Add deep fried baby corn to the cooked sauce.Mix well and switch on the flame.Mix well and then switch off the flame.
Baby-corn-manchurian-step4
Baby-corn-manchurian-step5

  • Garnish with chopped spring onion pieces and serve hot with tomato sauce.
Enjoy !



Note


  • If u want the baby corn to be crispy while serving,make the sauce first.Lastly deep fry the baby corn pieces & add it.Serve immediately.U can also follow this way to get crispy manchurian.ie deep fry the fried baby corn pieces again before adding to the sauce.It will be super crispy while eating. In restaurants they follow this method.
  • You can skip adding corn flour water if u want a dry mixture.
  • Adjust the quantity of red chilli powder as per your taste.If making for kids,make it less spicy.

Do check out my golden baby corn fry and Baby corn stir fry recipes !


Enjoy this yummy n delicious starter recipe with tomato sauce .I served my daughter with sauce & mosambi juice Smile

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October 29, 2014

NARTHANGAI SADAM | CITRON RICE RECIPE

Narthangai-sadam-recipe

I am a big big fan of Narthangai(Citron fruits in English). Narthangai has amazing health benefits. My MIL used to say Narthangai helps to cure 108 diseases. I am not sure how far it is true. But I know its very helpful for pitha troubles & indigestion which I have experienced it.

Before marriage I used to get narthangai pickle from my Aachi in Tirunelveli. I can have a plateful of rice with it. I was thinking that pickle alone can be made with narthangai. But after marriage, when I tasted Narthangai pachadi from my MIL’s hands, I loved it more than pickle.

Recently we had a trip to Kumbakonam. Sendhil’s maami gave us a bag full of citron fruits/Narthangai from their backyard. We prepared pachadi with almost 3/4th of the quantity and made this rice with the remaining. It tastes very similar to lemon rice. Sendhil love this a lot. Its one of the yummiest Narthangai recipes. Today I made this rice for his lunch box. and now it has become my favourite too. You can serve this yummy rice variety with fryums, chips, vadam & pickle. I know all your eyes goes to those colorful fryums, right ??

I bought them in a small shop in Lee bazaar, Salem just by seeing its different shapes & color.
Ok, Lets see how to make this flavourful, yummy narthangai sadam. Here is a picture of narthangai/citron fruit for your reference.

Narthangai

Narthangai sadam recipe


Narthangai sadam recipe Delicious rice variety using citron fruits/Narthangai - Tastes similar to lemon rice
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Lunch
Serves: Serves 3
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 25 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • Rice - 1/2 cup ( I use steamed rice. You can use raw rice too)
  • Water - 1.25 cups
  • Gingely oil - 1 tsp
  • Narthangai / citron fruit - 4 nos ( around 1/3 cup juice)
  • Salt - as needed
  • Asafetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp
To temper
  • Gingely oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 2 tsp
  • Chana dal - 1 tbsp
  • Red chillies  or Green chilli – 5-6 nos ( pinch into small pieces, use 6 if your chillies are less spicy)
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Asafetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp
  • Curry leaves- few
METHOD

  • Wash & Pressure cook rice adding required water & a tsp of oil. Rice should be fluffy & separate. In a plate spread the rice adding little salt & a tsp of gingely oil. It helps the rice to separate when it cools down.

  • Boil water in a pan & add the citron fruits/Narthangai( don’t cut it) to it. Let it boil for a minute. Then switch off the stove & remove the narthangai. It would become soft & now you can easily squeeze the juice using your hands. Take the juice from the fruit & strain the seeds. To this juice, add salt & hing. Set aside.
narthangai sadam - 1

  • In a kadai temper all the ingredients given under “ to temper” in the same order. Then add the extracted narthangai juice & switch off the flame immediately. Remove & keep in a bowl.
narthangai sadam - 2
  • Mix this juice with the cooked rice little by little. Add few tsp of gingely oil. Check for salt & adjust the taste.Yummy Narthangai sadam is ready to serve.
narthangai sadam - 3

  • I served with colorful fryums for my daughter & with narthangai pickle for us. It was yum!




Note

  • While squeezing the fruit, do not over do it because the juice will taste bitter if  you over squeeze it.
  • Boiling narthangai in water is optional. But it helps to remove the bitterness on the skin & it helps for easy squeezing too.
  • U can use combination of green chillies & red chillies while tempering. But my MIL used to say red chillies tastes the best for this rice. Here I used 2 byadgi chillies & 2 spicy chillies.
  • U may not need all the juice for the rice. So add little by little & check for taste whenever needed.




Serve this yummy rice with fryums, vadam & pickle. 
Narthangai sadam

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October 28, 2014

ADAI RECIPE-SOUTH INDIAN TIFFIN RECIPES


adai recipe
Adai is one of the most special & healthy breakfast/dinner recipes for South Indians especially for people in Tamil nadu & Kerala.Both mom & MIL usually make adai for dinner & especially for guests.Few years back i shared my mom’s crispy adai version.Today i have shared my MIL’s recipe here which she has been following for years.It comes out soft as well as crispy.Adai avial is the most famous combo everywhere.But i have not tasted it so far.We personally like adai with sugar & coconut chutney.Lets see how to make our family’s traditional adai recipe.
adai

Adai recipe


Adai recipe Adai recipe - South indian breakfast recipe using rice & lentils
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Breakfast
Serves: 15 nos
Prep time: 2 Hours
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 2H10M


INGREDIENTS

  • Boiled rice/Idli rice - 2 cups
  • Chana dal - 1/2 cup
  • Toor dal - 2 tbsp
  • Urad dal - 2 tbsp
  • Red chillies - 7-8 nos ( i used byadgi,if using spicy chillies add 5 nos)
  • Salt & water - as needed
To add in the batter
  • Small onions - 20 nos
  • Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
  • Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp
  • Finely chopped coconut bits - 1 tbsp ( optional)
  • Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp
METHOD

  • Wash and soak the rice for 2 hours.Wash & soak the dals together for 2 hours minimum.
  • While grinding,drain all the water.In a big mixie jar,take the red chillies,salt and hing.
adai recipe 1
  • Grind it coarsely without adding water.Then add the drained rice and grind it like rava adding required water.Remove the batter.Add the drained dals and grind it coarsely adding less water.
adai recipe 2
  • Remove and mix with rice batter.Add 1/4 tsp of hing.Mix well.Let the batter ferment for 3-4 hours as we want mild sourness.We usually soak rice n dal around 10 am & grind the batter at 12 pm.We make adai for dinner around 7 pm.So ferment the batter based on the weather in your place.U can also make this adai instantly without fermenting the batter if u don’t want sourness in the batter.

adai recipe 3
  • Before making dosa,add finely chopped onions,ginger,coconut bits,curry leaves and mix well.Adjust the consistency of batter adding 1/4 cup of water if it is very thick.Heat dosa pan and pour a ladle ful of batter.Spread it & make it thick or thin as per your wish.I always make it thin as my family likes that way.After making dosa,keep the flame medium high and drizzle a tsp of oil over the adai.Close it with a lid & cook for a minute.Then flip the dosa,add little oil if necessary & cook for a minute again.
adai recipe 4

Remove the dosa and Enjoy with avial/sugar or coconut chutney !


Note

  • For variations,u can add a tbsp of moong dal along with other dals.
  • To make crispy adai,grind the batter slightly coarse & make it thin adding little more water.
  • You can also add more toor dal to get crispier adai.



adai-recipe-1

Enjoy this healthy,yummy rice & lentil adai dosa with chutney & sugar.Sugar is my fav side dish for adai Winking smile
adai-with-sugar




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October 25, 2014

65 Chutney Recipes - South Indian Chutney Varieties For Idli, Dosa

Chutney recipes
Recently a reader requested me to share all the chutney recipes for idli, dosa in my blog as a collection under one page for easy reference. Then I realized I had posted nearly 65 chutney varieties as side dish for idli, dosa and other breakfast recipes like pongal, upma, paniyaram, neer dosa, wheat dosa, other instant dosa etc.

Generally we Tamil people make idli, dosa thrice in a week. So whenever I make idli dosa for breakfast, I used to hit my head thinking about the different types of side dish to prepare. And my search ended up with 60+ chutney recipes here. I have categorized them as list of  South Indian chutney varieties like coconut chutney recipes, tomato chutney recipe, onion chutney recipe, peanut chutney recipe, garlic chutney recipe, vegetable chutney recipe, spicy chutney for dosa without coconut, Chettinad style chutney, hotel style green chutney, few easy chutney recipes for working women, Andhra style chutney, brinjal chutney, Curry leaves chutney, mango chutney recipe, Travel chutney, Chat chutney, momo chutney and some thokku recipes for idli, dosa like tomato thokkku, tomato onion thokku and few more for easy selection.  All these recipes are with step by step pictures for easy understanding.

Basically I love making different and tasty side dish for idli and dosa.  Most of them are easy to make in busy morning hours and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. I have also shared my tips on how to make white colored coconut chutney like in hotels, greenish mint and coriander leaves chutney and bright reddish tomato chutney, how to grind thick chutney, tips to troubleshoot watery chutney during winter based on my experience.

I hope this post will be useful for beginners who look for varieties of chutney recipes for idli,dosa and pongal. Friends, do try these chutney varieties all through the month and take credits from your family members. Ok, lets see the different types of chutney recipes of Tamil nadu for idli, dosa with tips and tricks to grind perfect chutney.

UPDATED : Recently I have made few 3 in 1 video recipes on varieties of easy, no cook, coconut chutney recipes ( white coconut chutney, red coconut chutney and green coconut chutney), 3 types of spicy raw onion chutney recipes and 3 different peanut chutney recipes. I have shared them below. Please check it :)

3 Coconut chutney recipes video 👇



3 Peanut chutney recipes video 👇


3 Raw Onion Chutney Recipes 👇


Tamilnadu hotel coconut chutney


TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT CHUTNEY

These are the tips I generally follow to make my chutneys easily and to look colorful. I hope it would be useful for beginners and bachelors. Experts, do share your tips in my comment section.It would be helpful for all of us.
How to slice coconut


  • During early or busy morning hours,the most noisy and irritating job is to grate coconut in large quantities for chutneys. U can buy grated coconut from the shops, freeze it in a zip lock bag & use them whenever needed. But some people don’t like the the taste of frozen coconut. Its the same in my house too.
  • So what I do if I want to grind coconut without grating is, I slice or chop the coconut using the back of a thick ladle. I remove it as thin, small slices for the mixer to grind easily. I don’t use knife as it is risky. So I use this ladle (shown in the picture ). This makes my job easier. But one thing, don’t follow this procedure everyday. Ur mixie jar blade may worn out/break soon. Make sure your mixie is of high power say 750W. So try this option once in a while if you are in a hurry.
  • For some people, most of the time coconut chutney becomes watery & it separates from the chutney. To avoid this, first dry grind all the ingredients adding salt. U will get a wet coarse powder. Then add water little by little and grind it for more time. U will get a smooth thick chutney. ( U can also use little milk to get white colored chutneys but its shelf life would be reduced)
  • During winter season,whenever u grind coconut for chutneys, you will find a layer of whitish oil separated from the chutney. Chutney won’t taste good. Use warm water to grind the chutney. The problem will be solved !!

DO’s and DONT’s TO MAKE WHITE COCONUT CHUTNEY

DO’s:
1. Always use fresh grated coconut, little brown coating of shell skin is ok to use. More coconut less pottukadalai/Fried gram is also a must for white chutneys.
2. Less water for Khatti (thick )chutney, add only if its necessary to run your mixie.
3. Indian mixer or small jars are a must.
4. Use small green chillies and always use less green chillies for white color chutney and increase the spiciness by tempering with more red chillies.

DON’Ts:
1. Ready made flakes or desiccated flakes or frozen grated coconut will work but don't expect taste and color. Mostly yuck, pale white color with oily look. In that case, follow the above tip I mentioned for winter season.
2. No microwaving for reheating, just thaw to bring back to room temperature. Reheating makes it release more oil and which results in stinky coconut smell.
3. Blender will not work for thick chutney and adding more water will make it thin but consistency will be still coarse.


TIPS TO MAKE COLORFUL RED and GREEN CHUTNEYS

Chilli varieties
  • To get a bright red colored tomato or onion chutneys, use Byadgi red chilli variety (crushed ones) as shown in the above picture. I usually mix byadgi and spicy red chilli varieties to make my chutneys look colorful as well as spicy. Try this tip. It works great. If using chilli powder, use Aashirvad or MTR Kashmiri chilli powder. It gives a nice color to gravies and chutneys.
  • Bright green chutneys are always appealing to our eyes. To get a bright green colored chutneys, follow this tip. Saute coriander leaves or mint leaves in little oil for few seconds before grinding. Add a pinch of sugar while sauting and add a pinch of turmeric powder while grinding. If you don’t want to saute, just add a pinch of turmeric powder and sugar while grinding the chutney. It comes out in super green color.

HOW TO GRIND CHUTNEY IN RIGHT CONSISTENCY

  • When you grind the ingredients for chutney in a mixie jar, first grind it without adding water. After it turns coarse, add water little by little and grind smooth to the required consistency. This helps to avoid making too thick or thin/watery chutney.
  • If the chutney becomes watery, add little more grated coconut & fried gram dal ( roasted chana dal) and grind to make it thick.
  • If the chutney is too thick you can add little water and grind for more time to make it smooth.
  • Coconut chutney and chutney with dal thickens when it cools down and refrigerated. In that case, add 1 to 2 tbsp hot water, mix well and bring to desired consistency. Check for salt too.

Chutney recipes for idli,dosa - South Indian Chutney Varieties

Chutney recipes for idli,dosa Chutney recipes for breakfast/Dinner - Side dish for idli, dosa and pongal.
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Chutney Recipes
Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Major ingredients used in all chutneys
  • Coconut
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Peanut
  • Curry leaves, coriander leaves, mint leaves
  • Mixed vegetables
  • Chillies
  • Ginger, garlic
  • Tempering ingredients like mustard, curry leaves.


COCONUT CHUTNEY RECIPES




Tamilnadu hotel chutney
Tamilnadu hotel chutney
Karnataka hotel chutney
Karnataka hotel chutney
Karnataka Red coconut chutney
Karnataka red coconut chutney
Kerala red coconut chutney
Kerala red coconut chutney
Coconut chutney with onion
Coconut chutney with onion
Pottukadalai chutney
Pottukadalai chutney without coconut
Coconut chutney for idli
Fried gram dal chutney/Pottukadalai chutney
Red coconut chutney with garlic
Coriander leaves chutney
Mint chutney/Pudina chutney
Hotel getti chutney
Hotel green chutney
Coconut chutney for travel
Coconut chutney for travel


GARLIC CHUTNEY RECIPE



Easy side dish for chapathi-Tomato garlic chutney
Tomato garlic chutney for roti
Garlic chutney
Garlic chutney with onion
Momos chutney
Momos chutney
Kara chutney recipe
Garlic tomato chutney
Poondu molaapdi for vendhaya dosai


PEANUT CHUTNEY RECIPES



Hotel peanut chutney
Andhra hotel peanut chutney
Peanut chutney without onion, garlic
Peanut chutney without onion, garlic
Peanut red chilli chutney
Peanut red chilli chutney without coconut
Easy peanut chutney
Peanut onion chutney
Andhra Tomato peanut chutney
Tomato peanut chutney


TOMATO CHUTNEY RECIPES



Boiled tomato chutney
Boiled tomato chutney
Green tomato chutney
Green tomato chutney
Hotel kara chutney
Hotel Kara chutney recipe
Tomato mint chutney
Tomato chutney without onion garlic
Tomato Chutney without Onion Garlic
Onion tomato chutney
Tomato chana dal chutney
Tomato chutney with ginger
Hotel red chutney
Raw tomato chutney
Tomato onion chutney for ragi dosa
Onion chutney for Aapam
Tomato gram dal chutney
Tomato roasted gram dal chutney


VEGETABLE CHUTNEY RECIPES



Raw mango chutney
Raw mango chutney
Capsicum chutney
Capsicum chutney
Mixed vegetable chutney
Carrot chutney
Sutta kathrikai chutney/Brinjal chutney
Spring onion chutney
Radish chutney/Mullangi chutney
Radish chutney/Mullangi chutney
Kadamba chutney
Kadamba chutney
Beetroot chutney
Beetroot chutney


ONION CHUTNEY RECIPES



Onion chutney without tomato, coconut
2 ingredient raw onion chutney - Super easy
Raw onion chutney with garlic
Spicy raw onion chutney without garlic


SPICY CHUTNEY RECIPES



Ginger chutney/Inji chutney
Lemon chilli chutney
Green chilli chutney/Milagai thogayal
Garlic dip for momos
Chettinad vara milagai chutney
Kara chutney recipe


OTHER CHUTNEYS and THOKKU RECIPES



Curry leaves chutney
Onion chutney for travel
Walnut chutney
Onion tomato thokku
Onion tomato thokku - Chef's style
Easy tomato thokku Recipe
Easy tomato thokku Recipe
Tomato thokku - My mom's style
Thakkali thokku - My mom's style
Chat chutney recipe
Chat chutney recipes
Bombay chutney for poori,idli,dosa
Bombay chutney for poori,idli,dosa
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