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March 26, 2012

Mint Lemon Juice | Pudina Juice Recipe


pudhina lemon juice
My husband told me to prepare mint lemon juice after having this in a juice corner. I googled the recipe and found it very simple. I tried immediately and we loved it. Its a refreshing , coolant for summer. Do try this,u’ll like it.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 200ml
Name Quantity
Mint leaves 1/4 cup
Lime juice 1 tbsp ( adjust)
Water 1 cup
Salt As needed
Sugar A pinch
Pepper powder 1/4 tsp (optional)

METHOD

Remove the mint leaves from the stem and wash it well. Now grind it along with lime juice to make a smooth paste by adding required water. Drain the juice and add more water. Add the required salt.Sprinkle pepper powder on top and serve chill!!

NOTE

  • If u wish to make a sweet juice, add a tsp of sugar for the above mentioned recipe.
  • U can add more mint leaves if u want a strong flavor of mint in the juice.Also adjust the lime juice accordingly.
  • I’ve used pepper powder but its purely optional. It doesn’t blend with the juice . It just floats on top but it doesn’t spoil the taste.So its ur choice of adding it.
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March 14, 2012

Restaurant style Vegetable Stew Recipe - Kerala Style Side Dish For Appam

Kerala style vegetable stew recipe

I wanted to try Kerala style vegetable stew recipe for a long time and I finally got it from my neighbor. A big thanks to Mrs.Prema .This recipe was a super hit at home. We loved it. It was very simple to prepare , flavorful and delicious to relish with aapam. My husband loved this combo. What else I need to share this recipe in my space. Its really a good side dish for appam and idiyappam.

Do check out my aapam recipe using idli,dosa batter if interested.

Kerala style vegetable stew

Vegetable stew recipe for appam


Vegetable stew recipe for appam How to make vegetable stew for appam
Cuisine: Kerala
Category: Side dish for appam
Serves: Serves 2-3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • **Thick Coconut milk – 3/4 – 1 cup
  • Boiled Milk – 1/4 cup 
  • Carrot - 1 no  ( I inch length)
  • Potato - 1 no (-do-)
  • Big onion - 2 nos (slice thinly)
  • Green chilly - 2 nos (slit)
  • Ginger - 1 inch piece ( Finely chopped)
  • Salt - As needed
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Curry leaves - Few
To temper
  • Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
  • Cloves - 2 nos
Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

**Grind one cup of grated coconut with 1/2 cup warm water and extract the milk.
HOW TO MAKE VEGETABLE STEW - METHOD

  • Heat coconut oil in a kadai, saute the cinnamon, cloves. Then add onion slices. Sauté till it turns transparent. Now add the slit green chillies and chopped ginger pieces. Sauté for a minute. Then add the chopped carrot and potato pieces. Toss well.
    Kerala style vegetable stew
  • Now add the water and salt to cook the vegetables. Close the kadai with a lid and allow the veggies to cook completely. Meanwhile, add little warm water to the grated coconut and grind in the mixie. Extract the thick milk from it. Set aside.
    After the vegetables are cooked , add the coconut milk, pepper powder and boil for few seconds. Remove the kadai from stove and add the boiled milk if the stew is very thick. Stir well & transfer the stew into a serving bowl and add the raw pinched curry leaves. Close it with a lid to retain the aroma.
    Kerala style vegetable stew
Enjoy !
NOTE
  1. Coconut oil gives the flavor to this stew. So please don’t substitute it with cooking oil.
  2. If you feel the gravy is very thick, you can add milk at any time even during serving. Also adjust the salt accordingly.
  3. You can cook the vegetables in thin coconut milk instead of water.

Enjoy Appam with this delicious vegetable stew and have a yummy breakfast !
Vegetable stew recipe 
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March 8, 2012

PULI SADAM / TAMARIND RICE RECIPE / PULIYOGARE / PULIYODHARAI


tamarind rice

Puli sadam/Tamarind rice/Puliyodharai is loved by all. Its one of the best lunch box recipes.Ideal for travel. You can prepare this pulikachal ( Tamarind rice paste) in advance and store it for weeks in fridge. With papad or vadam as side dish, it tastes divine!!
                 I would say my MIL makes the best puliodharai which I’ve tasted so far. Its taste would be equivalent to temple puliogare (Kovil puliyodharai) but I would say its our home style version ;). We are a big fan of her tamarind rice recipe. Yesterday we made this for our trip to Tirupathi. It was very flavorful and tasty. Though there are many varieties of pulikachal recipes in this blogosphere, I wanted to share my version. I’ve tried to give the step by step pictures for beginners & bachelors.Thanks a to ton to my MIL for teaching me this wonderful keeper recipe.Please have a look at the “Points to remember “ section before proceeding.I have shared some useful tips on how to make perfect tamarind rice learning from my MIL :) Lets see how to make Pulikachal & Puli sadam/ Tamarind rice at home following these simple steps and video.




INGREDIENTS FOR PULIYOGARE PASTE


  • Tamarind – Lemon size
  • Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
  • Hing / Asafetida – 1/4 tsp
  • Salt – As needed
  • Powdered Jaggery – 1 tsp
  • Water – 3 cups
To temper:
  • Cooking oil – 3 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal –1 tsp
  • Channa dal – 2 tbsp
  • Red chillies – 10 nos (pinched..refer the picture)
  • Hing – 2 pinches.
  • Curry leaves –  1 sprig
To roast and grind:
  • Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp 
  • Chana dal – 1 tbsp
  • Red chilly – 1 no
ingredients

METHOD


  • Soak tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for 20 mins . Extract the tamarind juice using 2 cups of water. Set aside. Pinch red chillies and keep it ready for tempering. In the video, I have used 5 red chillies for roasting and 5 for tempering. 
tampinched chillies
  • Add the turmeric powder , salt , curry leaves and hing as given above. (everything should be raw)
hing & cury
  • In a kadai , heat oil and roast the methi seeds till it crackles. Keep aside.
roasted methi
  • In the same kadai , roast channa dal and red chilly till golden brown.
roasted channa
  • Now powder the roasted methi seeds ,channa dal and red chilly to a coarse powder. Set aside. (just run the mixie twice or thrice quickly)
  • Heat the kadai with 2 tbsp of cooking oil or gingely oil and temper all the items in the same order.
tempering
  • Then add the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for 10-15 mins or till the mixture reduces to half. It depends on the flame you keep.
boil
  • After it reduced to half add the powdered jaggery , ground powder and allow it to boil..
IMG_4069
  • As soon as u add the powder , gravy starts to thicken and bubbles arise with a gala gala sound. Please watch the video below if you are interested. I hope most of you know this sound. This is for beginners & bachelors..My MIL says this is the important step to know the final stage of tamarind paste getting ready. So I thought of inserting a video here..
  • We call it salangai satham in tamil..Boil it for few seconds and switch off the flame..(Make sure the gravy is in semi solid consistency.Don’t allow it to boil much after adding the powder because the gravy would thicken and there would not be enough paste to mix in rice.. )
IMG_4070
  • Allow it to cool down. Store in air tight container.

HOME MADE PULIKACHAL / PULIYOGARE PASTE IS READY..For the above measurements u can make 2-3 cups of tamarind rice for 5 people.

  PULI SADHAM COLLAGE

 

HOW TO MAKE TAMARIND RICE

INGREDIENTS

  • Cooked rice – 2 cups
  • Tamarind paste – As needed
  • Sesame oil – 3 tbsp ( use as needed)

METHOD
  • Pressure cook the rice in the ratio of 1:2 if u use basmati rice, We always use steamed rice or raw rice. So I add 2.5-3 cups of water. Add a tsp of oil in the rice before cooking to get the rice separate and fluffy.
  • Take the cooked plain rice in a wide plate or bowl and add sesame oil.Allow it to cool a little.
  • Add the puliogare paste little by little and mix well using a fork like ladle. Check for taste.Add more salt & oil if needed.
  • Enjoy with papad !!


  • POINTS TO REMEMBER


    1. Raw curry leaves, hing and roasted methi seeds gives the flavor to puli sadham .So do not compromise in adding those ingredients. Please don’t forget to add raw curry leaves and hing in the tamarind extract as well as while tempering.That’s the important step.
    2. My MIL sometimes reserve a tsp of the roasted powder and adds at the end on the plain rice before mixing the paste.She says this gives an additional flavour. But this step is purely optional.
    3. Always make the paste minimum one day in advance because it takes time to get all the taste blends into it.
    4. The shelf life of the paste is 1 week without refrigeration. U can keep it for two weeks provided you reheat it every 3 days by adding little water. If refrigerated it stays good for a month too..
    5. The taste of tamarind paste increases day by day.
    6. U can try adding coriander seeds while roasting the channa dal and red chilly. It gives an additional flavour.But some people may not like this.
    7. Also add the roasted peanuts in the end before switching off the flame if u wish to use it. We don’t like peanuts in tamarind rice,so i’ve not added it..
    8. After mixing the paste and rice check for salt , add more if necessary.Add more sesame oil if it looks dry.
    9. If u feel its too spicy for u , add more sesame oil and little salt to reduce the spiciness. Here i’ve given measurements for mild spiciness.That would be enough..
    10. If u love to have more spicy rice , then add 2 more red chillies while roasting and powder it along with methi seeds and channa dal. .
    11. Also to reduce the tanginess in tamarind paste, just pinch and roast more red chillies and add it to the paste , mix well and add it to the rice after some time.
    12. Please prepare the tamarind rice at least one hour before serving. We should give some setting time for the rice to absorb all the taste in the paste.
    13. When you make it for lunch box or travel , use ladle to mix the rice and paste . Please don’t use your hands to mix it. Rice will spoil quickly.
    14. Vadagam or vathal would be the best accompaniment for puli sadham. My mom makes a thogayal with fried gram dal /pottukadalai. I’ll post it soon. It goes well for tamarind & lemon rice.


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February 29, 2012

Inji Kuzhambu Recipe For Rice / Ginger Gravy

I learnt this from my MIL. Lots of ginger were lying in my fridge for long time and I was thinking how to use it. I usually make ginger pachadi. But this time I wanted to try something new and different like a gravy kind. Then my MIl told me about this kuzhambu which tastes similar to vathakuzhambu but with ginger flavor. Ginger lovers would sure love this. It was tasting great when mixed with plain rice topped by sesame oil.. With papad as side, you can have a plateful of rice.. It serves as a best side dish for curd rice and dal rice too.

INJI KUZHAMBU

INGREDIENTS
  • Ginger paste- Gooseberry sized ball
  • Tamarind- Lime sized ball
  • Sambhar powder – 1 –1.5 tsp  (Heaped) (I used 1 tsp heaped)
  • Salt –As required
To temper
  • Oil – 2 tbsp
  • Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Jeera – 1 tsp
  • Toor dal –1 /2 tsp
  • Small onion – 5 nos (chopped finely)
  • Garlic cloves – 5 nos (-do)
  • Curry leaves – few (-do-)
METHOD
  • Soak tamarind in hot water for few minutes and take the extract.
  • Grind the ginger pieces to get the gooseberry sized ball by adding little water.
  • Add the ginger paste to the tamarind extract . Add sambhar powder, salt and required water.
  • In a kadai , temper all the ingredients in the same order.Then add the tamarind extract mixture.
  • Allow it to roll boil for few minutes. Boil till the oil separates. Add liitle jaggery for taste.
  • The gravy thickens . Add water if necessary.Switch off the flame..
Enjoy mixing with plain rice adding ghee / sesame oil..

NOTE:
  1. It tastes the best from next day. Its shelf life is around 10 days when kept in fridge.
  2. Can be taken for travel too..
  3. The amount of ginger paste and tamarind paste should be equal. If needed quantity of tamarind paste can be increased . All the tastes gets blended the next day .So make the changes only next day.. (ie, adding salt , Sambar powder or tamarind extract)


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February 16, 2012

Sorakkai Sweet Kootu & Paal Kootu Recipe - Bottle Gourd Recipes

Sorakkai kootu
 I learnt this Sorakkai Kootu recipe ( Suraikai in Tamil, Sorakaya in Telugu, Bottle gourd in English, Lauki in Hindi) from my MIL.Whenever I buy bottle gourd, I prepare this sweet kootu or paal kootu for rice. With vathakuzhambu, it tastes divine. We make this kootu in two ways. One version tastes sweet and the other one is a spicy version. But my vote goes to the sweet version. I love it a lot.!! Try whichever you like. Lets see how to make Sorakkai kootu for rice in 2 different ways.
Bottle gourd kootu

Sorakkai Kootu - 2 versions


Sorakkai Kootu - 2 versions How to make Sorakkai kootu/Bottle gourd kootu recipe
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Side dish
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 250ml
Sweet Version

  • Bottle gourd – 1 no (small size) or use half if it is big
  • Green chilli – 1 no ( finely chopped)
  • Salt & water – As needed
  • Powdered Jaggery – 1/4 cup (adjust )
To grind
  • Coconut – 1/4 cup
  • Rice flour – 1 tsp
  • Water – as needed
To temper
  • Coconut oil - 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli – 1 no ( no need to pinch,whole chilli)
  • Curry leaves – a few
  • Milk (optional) to add at the end.
Spicy Version
  • Bottle gourd – 1 no (small size) or half if it is big
  • Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
  • Salt & water – As needed
To grind
  • Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup
  • Green chilli – 1 no ( Use 2 nos for spicy kootu)
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp , Rice flour – 1 tsp
  • Water – as needed
To temper
  • Coconut oil - 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilly – 1 no ( full , no need to pinch)
  • Curry leaves – a few
MILK – 2 tbsp, ADD AT THE END

METHOD

SWEET KOOTU
  • Wash and peel off the outer skin of bottle gourd . Cut into two halves.Now remove the spongy center portion which has seeds.
  • Finely chop the hard portion and add the salt and water. Pressure cook up to one whistle.Meanwhile , grind the grated coconut,green chillies with rice flour adding little water or milk.
  • Now open the cooker and add the powdered jaggery . Mix well. Let it boil for few minutes.Finally add the ground coconut mixture and allow it to thicken .. Add milk at the end if necessary .Temper all the ingredients given above in the same order. Add to kootu .Mix well and serve with Vathakuzhambu. Enjoy !
SPICY KOOTU
  • Wash and peel off the outer skin of bottle gourd .
  • Cut into two halves. Now remove the center portion which has seeds.
  • Finely chop it and add the salt and water.
  • Pressure cook up to one whistle in low flame. Meanwhile , grind the grated coconut with green chilli, cumin seeds, small onion (optional),  rice flour adding little water or milk.
  • Now open the cooker and add the ground coconut mixture and allow it to boil . Add milk at the end if you like it.
  • Temper all the items given above and add to kootu.
Enjoy with rice and papad !
For variations, add sambar powder instead of green chillies.


    Cooking Tips
    • Select small, tender, and firm bottlegourds (light green and fresh-looking); prick the skin, and if it's thin, it's tender. You can use tender bottlegourd with the peel and tender seeds. To use mature bottlegourd, remove the peel and seeds.
    • Taste the bottlegourds before cooking, as they can sometimes be bitter.
    • Wrap in plastic cover and refrigerate to keep the bottlegourds fresh.
    • Use them for curries, soups, salads, chutneys, jams or desserts. Their neutral taste lends itself to a variety of dishes, both savory and sweet.
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February 1, 2012

Flax Seeds Idli Podi / Flax seeds, horsegram Gun Powder

FLAX SEEDS IDLI PODI
When I saw this flax seeds idli podi recipe in Viki’s kitchen , I immediately tried it on the same day. It was very flavourful and tasted excellent for idly / dosa. It tastes like the idly podi we make with sesame seeds. I made some little changes according to my husband’s liking. I should say its really a healthy idly podi as it contains horsegram and flax seeds. What more to say , lets go on to the recipe 

INGREDIENTS 
1 cup - 250ml


  • White round Urad dal – 1/4 Cup
  • Channa dal – 1/4 cup
  • Flax seeds – 1/4 cup
  • Horsegram – 1/4 cup
  • Red chillies - 10-15 nos
  • Hing / Asafetida – 2 pinches
  • Garlic cloves – 5 – 7 cloves (Optional , only for garlic lovers )
  • Salt – As needed.
  • Curry leaves – a few
HOW TO MAKE FLAX SEEDS IDLI PODI - METHOD
  • In a kadai , roast all the ingredients except salt & garlic given above adding a tsp of oil.
  • She told to roast one by one for uniform roasting but I did everything at the same time.
  • Roast till the flaxseeds start to pop. Also you’ll get a nice aroma and color change of all the dals.
  • Add the curry leaves at the end and toss for few minutes. Then switch off the flame. Please make sure no ingredient gets burnt. That totally changes the taste.
  • Once it cools down run it in mixie twice .Now add the chopped garlic pieces and the required salt.
  • Grind to make a fine powder or little coarse based on your taste.
Yummy , healthy idly podi is ready to enjoy with idlis & dosas. Mix with sesame oil or ghee !!

NOTES
  • Always make in small batches so that it tastes and smells fresh .
  • It can be carried for travel too. It stays good.
  • If you want to make the same for rice, add more chillies and little pepper corns too. Mix with ghee and plain rice..
  • I’ve added equal quantity of urad and channa dal as I always want the flavor of urad dal in my idly podi. But the actual recipe dint call for urad dal . She had used only channa dal.
  • My husband loves the garlic flavor in idly podi. So I added garlic cloves at the end , But its optional. U can add 2-3 pinches of hing while roasting instead of garlic..
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January 25, 2012

Instant Stuffed Idli Recipe - Idli Stuffed With Vegetables

I am making this stuffed idli recipe for the third time. Whenever I get bored of usual idli sambar , I make this dish. This is one of the best ways to incorporate vegetables into idli. My daughter never eats the vegetables I add in idli sambar. But she likes this stuufed idli a lot. U can just play around with different combinations of stuffing in it. I’ve given my method of making the filling. Do try this and leave your feedback.
STUFFED IDLY
INGREDIENTS 
1 cup :250ml
For stuffing
  • Carrot – 2 nos
  • Beans – 6 nos
  • Potato – 1 no
  • Green peas – 1/4 cup
  • Big onion – 1 no
  • Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Salt – As needed
  • Red chilly powder – 3/4 tsp
  • Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp
To grind
  • Cinnamon – 1 inch piecee
  • Cloves – 1 no
  • Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Grated coconut – 1 tbsp
  • Dalia / Fried gram dal – 1 tsp
  • Ginger – small piece & garlic – 6 cloves or GG paste – 1/2 tsp
To garnish
  • Coriander leaves – a few
  • Lime juice -  As needed.
METHOD
  • Heat a kadai with a tbsp of oil and add the onion pieces.
  • Saute till it turns transparent. Now add the ground masala paste.
  • Saute till the raw smell disappears.Then add the cooked vegetables and the powders.Mix well for few mins.
  • Add the required water and boil well till the  stuffing thickens.
  • Finally  add the lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
  • In an idly pot, pour a tbsp of batter and keep a tsp of filling in the center.
  • Then pour another tbsp of batter to cover the filling.Steam for 15 mins.
  • Insert a fork, if it comes out clean, the idly is done.
Serve hot with sambhar ,coconut chutney  or tomato chutney !!

stuffed idly collage
Here is a picture of stuffed idiyappam which I made the next day with the left over stuffing.

Stuffed idiyaapam
Note:
  • U can make the above version in chinese style by adding cabbage , little soya sauce , ajinomotto and white pepper powder. But avoid using garam masala pwd, red chilly powder and ground masala paste. Hope you all know this. Sometimes I make like this too.
  • If you dont want to stuff the idly, just mix the above stuffing in the batter directly and make idlies.It tastes good in that way too..
  • While making for kids , add a tsp of ghee over the stuffing in each idly. That gives an additional flavor..
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January 21, 2012

Sprouts Pulao And Mixed Vegetable Raita

 SPROUTS PULAO
I made this for my hubby’s lunch box today . I got these recipes from Tarla dalal’s website.Both the recipes were given under Protein rich , low calorie , healthy food category. So I chose these recipes for our lunch.I made some slight changes in the actual recipe according to our tastebuds.It was nice & filling too.. Thanks to tarla dalal…About the raita , I should have named this as beetroot raita because the color of beetroot is predominant here. I’ve added carrots and cucumber to the raita. But its not visible Winking smile.So adding beetroot is purely optional. If u want a nice color , please omit it or add less beetroot pieces.Please find the raita recipe below.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Sprouted green gram / Sprouted moong – 1/2 cup
  • Carrot – 1 no
  • Rice – 1/2 cup
  • Water – 1.5 cups (adjust if u use basmati )
  • Salt – As needed.
To temper
  • Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
  • Cinnamon – 1 small stick
  • Cloves – 2 nos
  • Bayleaf – 1 no
  • Ginger- Garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
  • Green chilly – 1 no (chopped finely)
  • Big onion – 1 no (-do-)
  • Coriander powder – 3/4 tsp
  • Chilli powder – 1/2tsp
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp
Lime juice – few drops
Coriander leaves – to garnish
METHOD
  • Heat the pressure cooker base with a tbsp of oil and add all the items given under “to temper” one by one in the same order.
  • When the onion becomes translucent , add the carrot pieces and sprouts. Saute well for a minute. Then add all the powders.
  • Mix well for a few minutes and add the rice.
  • Toss it well. Finally add the water & reqd salt.
  • Pressure cook upto 1 or 2 whistle.
  • Add a zing of lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
ENJOY EATING HOT WITH RAITA !!

MIXED VEGETABLE RAITA
RAITA

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Cooked carrot and beetroot cubes – 1/2 cup
  • Cucumber pieces - few
  • Fresh curd – 1/2 cup
  • Green chilly – 1/2 no (Chopped finely)
  • Roasted jeera powder – to sprinkle
  • Water – as needed to dilute the curd
  • Salt – as reqd
METHOD
  • Cube cut carrot and beetroot into small pieces.Cook them for 1 whistle adding little water.
  • Mix the fresh cucumber pieces with the cooked vegetables.
  • Add the thick curd , reqd water and salt.( sometimes water may not be needed as the water in the cooked vegetables may be enough)
  • Finally sprinkle the roasted jeera powder..
Serve with parathas and pulao !!

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