Filter Coffee / South Indian Filter Coffee With Step By Step Pictures

My mom used to make instant coffee with Bru. Its my favorite. I love it from my childhood days. I had a thought only Brahmins make filter coffee at home. So I used to call filter coffee as “ Brahmin’s coffee” / “Iyer coffee”.. But I changed my thoughts after marriage when I tasted superb filter coffee from my MIL’s hands. She use Coffee day, Indus Coffee powder & sometimes Cothas too. Everything tastes good. I should say Iam addicted to the taste & smell of it. Sometimes I feel giddy after having a strong coffee. So my husband tells me to avoid coffee/tea. He scolds me whenever he sees a cup of coffee in my hand. Though I try to refrain from drinking coffee, I cannot do it. I drink minimum of one cup per day. I know most of you love coffee like me. Do try this recipe with some tips i’ve given below. I am sure it helps. I have given “ How to make Bru instant coffee for beginners” from my mom. Please have a look at the end .. Also don't forget to read the tips section. I’ve given the explanation for “Degree coffee “ which I got from wikipedia. Its interesting!

Filter coffee

How to make south Indian filter coffee

Cuisine: Indian Category: Beverages Yields: Serves 1-2

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes Total Time: 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

For decoction Coffee powder – 3 tbsp Roasted methi seeds powder – A big pinch (optional) Sugar – 1/4 tsp Water – As needed To make coffee Milk – 1 cup Sugar – 1.5 – 2 tsp **Coffee filter picture is given at the end of this post**

HOW TO MAKE FILTER COFFEE - METHOD

Take the coffee filter's percolator ( ie. the part with perforations/holes)sprinkle little sugar at the beginning before adding coffee powder.This helps for faster filtration of decoction.Add the coffee powder & roasted methi powder. Press it gently with ur fingers and then place the strainer.Add hot water till half of the filter.Tap it with the lid and close it immediately Wait for 10-30 mins for the first thick decoction.Reserve the first decoction in a tumbler.U can make coffee with the first thick decoction if u want strong coffee ( this is called first degree coffee,kumbakonam degree coffee). If u wanna light or medium strong coffee,then add little more water to the filter and wait for some more time to get the second thin decoction.Mix the first & second decoctions and add as per ur taste. My MIL says this method gives the best tasting coffee .. To make coffee for one person, boil the milk and add 1.5 – 2tsp of sugar to one cup of milk.Then add the decoction as per ur taste and swish it OR add sugar and decoction in the bottom of tumbler and add milk.It will come up with a nice color. Serve it frothy !! Piping hot frothy filter coffee is ready to enjoy with ur favorite snacks !! We usually serve in traditional “Davarah- tumbler” which u can c in the picture .. Enjoy !

Some interesting information and my notes

For methi powder : In a kadai,dry roast a fistful of fenugreek seeds and powder it in mixie.Add this powder to the coffee powder while making decoction.This gives additional bitterness & flavor.Its healthy too. Diabetes patients can give this a try. But its completely optional for others... I have used “Coffee day coffee powder “ with chicory.If u use INDUS or COTHAS or COFFEE DAY coffee powder without chicory add 2 tbsp instead of 1 tbsp..U can make 3 cups of coffee with the coffee powder quantity i’ve mentioned. I have used small size filter/ percolator. If you use bigger ones,increase the quantity of coffee powder twice or thrice. Please don’t use the same quantity for big filters. f you have left over decoction, you can keep it in a refrigerator and use it the next day. But please avoid keeping decoction for 3-4 days. It may become a poison.  If you feel the decoction is brewed very slowly, tap it once on the umbrella like strainer or show the filter over the flame for few secs before adding coffee powder. I’ve mentioned to add sugar before adding coffee powder This is also for quicker brewing.. A term often heard for high-quality coffee is degree coffee. Milk certified as pure with a lactometer was called degree milk owing to a mistaken association with the thermometer. Coffee prepared with degree milk became known as degree coffee.. Another explanation for degree coffee is that chicory beans were used to make the coffee. The South Indian pronunciation of chickory became chigory then digory and finally degree. :) Yet another explanation is that, when coffee is decocted for the first time, it is called as the first degree or simply as the "Degree Coffee". This has the strongest flavour and the necessary strength to mix with milk without watering down the taste. In less affluent households, in earlier days, coffee was decocted for a second or third time from the same initial load; this became the second degree coffee and naturally, is not as strong. Affluent households drank first degree or the famous "Degree Coffee" only. Interestingly, there is a Kannada name for coffee "Boondh Bisneeru". "Bisneeru" sounds a great deal like "bisi neeru," or "hot water," thus leading to speculation that the terms are connected. Although not used currently, this was used by ladies two generations ago. The Srilankan Tamil name for coffee is "Kottai Vadineer". For cleaning the filter , drop the bottom part in hot water for few mins. Also pierce the holes with a needle to clean it. In Hotels , they used to add hot water till half of the filter and after it drips down,they again add hot water for half filter.This way helps to extract the full essence of coffee powder and also the coffee tastes great. Also they keep heating the milk using double boiling technique with which milk is heated without burnt smell. They swish the milk till frothy and make coffee. This also matters for a good coffee :)

Here is the picture of coffee filter with its parts

**COFFEE FILTER / PERCOLATOR You'll need a traditional FILTER which is made of 4 parts. 1. The lid that comes on top of the percolator. 2. The percolator, you can also see the base is punched with holes 3. Strainer, this looks like an umbrella . 4. Collector, The fourth part forms the base which collects the strained decoction.

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT BRU COFFEE

My MIL says making instant coffee is also an art. She says, sugar should be just rite. Sometimes it may become too bitter or too sweet to taste. She also says my mom makes good instant coffee. So I got this ratio of sugar & coffee powder from my mom , tried it and posted for beginners.. Experts , please excuse me.

INGREDIENTS Boiled milk – 1 cup ( 200 ml ) Bru instant  powder – 1/2 tsp Sugar – 1-1.5 tsp Water – Add very little(say 1 tbsp) ( If milk is too thick. My mom said milk shouldn’t be too thick for good coffee..) METHOD Boil the milk  adding water and take one cup of it. Add sugar, coffee powder and froth it. Check for taste and add more coffee powder for strength and color if necessary. I love coffee to be mild, so I add very less coffee powder. Please adjust as per your taste. Frothy , hot instant bru coffee is ready to enjoy !! ** Please don’t add more sugar for the mentioned amount of Bru because you wont get the bitter taste and sweetness would be more. For 3 people , you can add 1 tsp of coffee powder.

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Simple Potato Poriyal - Urulaikilangu poriyal recipe | Aloo Curry

This is my mom’s style potato curry recipe. I make this twice a week for my daughter. She loves this curry a lot. Its very simple to prepare .Tastes the best with dal rice & rasam rice. I’ve given the quantity of chilly powder according to my doter’s taste. I make it less spicy. Please adjust as per your tastebuds .

INGREDIENTS

Potato – 4 nos ( If medium sized) Big onion -  1 no (finely chopped ) Ginger – 1/2 inch piece (-do-) Garlic cloves – 5  nos (-do-) Chilly powder – 1 tsp ( U can replace with sambar powder) Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp Salt – As needed Curry leaves – a few Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp Urad dal – 1/4tsp Jeera – 1/4 tsp Cooking oil – 2 tbsp Coriander leaves – to garnish Lime juice – a few drops.

METHOD

Pressure cook potatoes with little turmeric powder. Cut into bite sized pieces. In a kadai , heat oil and temper with mustard seeds , urad dal & jeera. Add the finely chopped onions , ginger & garlic pieces , curry leaves and saute for few mins. Then add the potato cubes , turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt. Toss well for few minutes and finally garnish with coriander leaves. Switch off the flame and add a few drops of lime juice.Mix well and serve. Serve with rice . It goes well with lemon rice too…

Note :My mom adds G&G paste. But we don’t like it. So I add pieces of G&G. If you want, you can add garam masala powder at the end to make it more flavourful. The same can be used as a stuffing for masala dosa, stuffed buns etc. It tastes good with roti..

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INSTANT RAW MANGO PICKLE RECIPE | மாங்காய் ஊறுகாய்

My mom makes this instant raw mango pickle for my dad . A very simple yet delicious pickle that goes well with curd rice & dal rice( paruppu sadam). I hope most of u make this kind of pickle at home . A simple , easy to make pickle for beginners.Here comes the recipe..

INGREDIENTS

Raw mango – 1 no (medium size) Red chilli powder – 1-1.5 tsp (adjust) Hing / Asafetida – 2 pinches Roasted & powdered methi seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional , I dont add) Salt – As needed To temper(optional) Sesame oil - 2 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves -  few

METHOD

Chop mango into very small pieces.Add salt and hing. Mix well and allow to sit for 30 mins.. The mango and salt leaves water and it gets soaked well. Now add the red chilli powder ,mix well.. Finally temper with the above said ingredients if desired.Usually I do it. But this step is completely optional as my mom don't do the tempering every time.

NOTE

1. My MIL also makes an instant version in which she mixes finely chopped green chillies & salt along with raw mango pieces . Keep it for 10 mins , mix well and enjoy.. This also tastes equally good as the above said pickle. Try this too.

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Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe | Tamil nadu Tiffin Sambar - Side Dish For Idli Dosa Pongal

I think most of you would have tried varieties of Tamil nadu hotel style idli sambar recipes at home. Even I too posted an idli sambar with toor dal long time back which learnt from my MIL. It tastes similar to the hotel ones. But I should say this is the exact recipe for restaurant style sambar. I got this recipe from Aval vikatan’s supplementary.

Yesterday I tried this for my guests. My guests liked it so much, I was showered with compliments and they were asking for the recipe. Thanks to Mrs. Revathy shanmugam for this yummy hotel kind of recipe. It tastes mildly tangy with more of dal, less spicy and you can even drink this sambar.

 

You can use this as basic Tiffin sambar recipe for making sambar vada,Mini idli sambar etc. It’s a great side dish for Idli, dosa recipes. My friend Jayarani gave me a tip recently. She told me to add pumpkin instead of jaggery and she also suggested me to use drumstick.

 Yes, as she told adding pumpkin gave a mild sweetness and drumstick gave a nice flavour. I have updated the recipe adding them. Do try this, I am sure you’ll get the exact taste as in most of the restaurants. It goes well with idli , dosa , Venpongal and vada. 

Check out this recipe for another version of hotel sambar if interested.

Check out my MINI IDLI SAMBAR RECIPE too.

Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe

Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe - Restaurant style Tiffin Sambar Recipe

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 15 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Toor dal OR Moong dal – 1/3 cup Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Cooking Oil – A drop Pumpkin – 4-6 pieces ( cube sized) Drumstick – 1 no ( Chop into small pieces) Vegetables ( Carrot & potato) – If needed. Tamarind – 2 seeds (approx. small gooseberry size) To roast and grind Cooking Oil - 1 tsp Dhania / Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp Chana dal – 2 tbsp Red chillies – 6 nos Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp To temper & saute Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal –1tsp Jeera / cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Red chillies – 2 nos (pinched) Curry leaves – a few Asafetida/Hing – few pinches Small onion - a cup Tomato – 1- 2 nos Sambar powder – 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves – to garnish Jaggery – 1 tsp ( Add if you don’t use pumpkin) Ghee – 1 tbsp

HOW TO MAKE HOTEL IDLI SAMBAR - METHOD

Soak tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes and take the extract. Set aside. Peel the onions and chop the tomatoes. Pressure cook the dals with turmeric powder, pumpkin pieces and a drop of oil. Mash and set aside. Cook drumstick and other vegetables separately and set aside In a kadai roast all the above said ingredients and make it a fine powder.   In the same kadai , add oil and temper all the items in the same order. Now add the sambar onions and saute till transparent. Then add the tomatoes ( crush it with your hands before adding , this makes the sauting process faster ) and required salt. Saute till tomatoes turn mushy and juicy. Add the tamarind extract , raw pinched curry leaves , hing, sambar powder and turmeric powder. Allow to boil till the onions get cooked. Now add the mashed dal,cooked vegetables ( if using) and the ground powder. Mix well so that there are no lumps. Boil for few minutes. It will thicken. Add more water if necessary. Switch off the flame add garnish with coriander leaves. Last but not the least, don’t forget to add a tbsp of ghee & Cover it with a lid until you serve..  Enjoy with idli, dosa and pongal!

Note

U can use the combination of moong dal and toor dal in equal quantities and make this sambar. Adding pumpkin gives a sweetness to the sambar. So no need to add jaggery or sugar. If you don’t add pumpkin use either jaggery or sugar while sambar boils. Make this sambar atleast 3-4 hours before serving because all the tastes blends well. U can reheat it while serving. For variations, you can add a tbsp of grated coconut while roasting the powder ingredients and powder them. Tastes great the next day with full aroma !!

ENJOY THIS SAMBAR WITH SOFT IDLIES.CRISPY DOSA & VEN PONGAL !!

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Bhakri Recipe & Masala Dal - Ajwain Paratha

I saw this in jaya tv’s “Anitha vin samayal”. I found it simple and healthy.I gave a try. It was excellent in taste. We loved it. I have made it thrice so far. Thanks to Mrs.Anitha kuppusamy .  She used ghee in the actual recipe but i used oil..Please go through the recipe.

BHAKRI

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Wheat flour – 1 cup Jeera – 1 tsp (OPTIONAL) Ajwain – 1.5 tsp Salt & water – As needed. Oil – 1 tbsp ( She told to use 2 tbsp of ghee)

METHOD

• Take a broad bowl and mix all the ingredients given above.Knead well .
• Make rotis and cook on tawa drizzling little ghee or oil around it.
• Enjoy with masala dal or any kurma of ur choice !!

MASALA DAL

INGREDIENTS

 1 cup - 200ml

Toor dal –1/8 cup Masoor dal – 1/8 cup Moong dal – 1/8 cup Channa dal – 1/8 cup Black gram dal – 1/8 cup Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt & water- as redq To grind Coriander seeds -  1 tbsp Red chilly -  4 nos ( She told to use kashmiri red chilly for nice color.But i used normal ones) Jeera / cumin seeds – 1 tsp Ginger – one inch piece Garlic – 7 – 8 cloves or (replace with ginger garlic paste) Cinnamon – 1 small stick Cloves -  3 nos Pepper – 8 nos Saunf – !/2 tsp (optional) Water – as needed. To saute Oil – 1tbsp grated onion -  2 nos tomato – 2 nos Coriander leaves – to garnish

Method

• Pressure cook all the dals together with little turmeric powder and a drop of oil.
• Grind all the ingredients given under “ To grind” by adding little water to make a smooth paste.
• Heat oil/ghee in a kadai and  add the items given under saute.Saute till the tomato mushes. Then add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell emanates.
• Add the cooked and mashed dals and add enough water and salt.
• Let it boil for sometime. Please keep the medium flame and cover the kadai while it boils otherwise it splashes everywhere.
• Add water whenever needed. Allow it to boil for 5-10 mins.
• Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves

Serve hot with rotis /Phulka or paratha !!.

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Mint Lemon Juice | Pudina Juice Recipe

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

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.

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

Chitra Ganapathy

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. 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. 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 !

 

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PULI SADAM / TAMARIND RICE RECIPE / PULIYOGARE / PULIYODHARAI

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

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.  Add the turmeric powder , salt , curry leaves and hing as given above. (everything should be raw) In a kadai , heat oil and roast the methi seeds till it crackles. Keep aside. In the same kadai , roast channa dal and red chilly till golden brown. 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. 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. After it reduced to half add the powdered jaggery , ground powder and allow it to boil.. 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.. ) 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.

  

 

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




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. 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. Always make the paste minimum one day in advance because it takes time to get all the taste blends into it. 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.. The taste of tamarind paste increases day by day. 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. 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.. After mixing the paste and rice check for salt , add more if necessary.Add more sesame oil if it looks dry. 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.. 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. . 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. 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. 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. 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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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.

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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Sorakkai Sweet Kootu & Paal Kootu Recipe - Bottle Gourd Recipes

 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.

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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Flax Seeds Idli Podi / Flax seeds, horsegram Gun Powder

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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