Palak keerai kadayal or masiyal is a simple, healthy and yummy side dish for rice, idli and dosa. I am happy to add this to my Palak keerai recipes list in my regular cooking. Its procedure is simple but it tastes so good. Usually palak keerai kadayal is prepared with toor dal or moong dal. But this pasalai keerai kadaiyal is without dal. It tastes more like chutney or thogayal.
Friends, do try this palak keerai masiyal / kadayal without dal in this way. You will love it with plain rice, idli and dosa. For variations, you can make the same using arai keerai or mulai keerai.
Palak keerai kadayal / Keerai Masiyal recipe
Pasalai keerai kadayal / Masiyal without dal for rice, idli, dosa.
Wash the keerai several times. Chop roughly and set aside.
Heat oil in a kadai. Saute cumin, onion, green chilli, garlic and tomato till mushy.
Add the washed palak, turmeric powder, sugar and saute till it shrinks in quantity.
Switch off the flame and let it cool down. Add salt and grind to a smooth paste.
Temper mustard seeds, vadagam, curry leaves, red chilli and add to ground palak leaves.
Mix well and serve with plain rice adding ghee.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Wash the palak leaves and chop roughly. Set aside.
Heat oil in a kadai. Saute cumin seeds, onion, green chilli, garlic and tomato. Saute till tomato turns mushy.
Now add the washed palak leaves, turmeric powder, a pinch of sugar and saute till it shrinks in quantity. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.
Grind to a smooth paste adding required water and salt. Temper mustard seeds, vadagam (optional), curry leaves, red chilli and hing.
Add to the masiyal and mix well. Serve with hot rice adding ghee. Enjoy.
Note
You can use arai keerai , mulai keerai / Amaranthus instead of palak leaves.
For variations, use red chilli instead of green chilli.
Addition of turmeric powder and sugar helps to get bright green color.
Tempering vadagam is optional but it gives a nice flavor and taste to this kadayal. If you don't have vadagam, you can saute finely chopped small onion till golden and add to it.
Try this healthy Palak Keerai masiyal recipe and enjoy !
Recent days I started to include some organic traditional rice varieties like Kattuyanam, Poongar, Maapilai samba for my breakfast and dinner in the form of idli, dosa. Whenever I try a new grain at home, my first preference would be idli and dosa. Based on its taste, flavor and approval from family, I go for pongal, upma, porridge etc. Today I have shared Kattuyanam arisi idli dosai batter recipe without using idli rice.
Kattuyanam rice (காட்டுயானம் அரிசி) is a traditional rice variety of Tamil Nadu which is used to be a forest yield. It is a 7 Ft tall 210 days yield which is common in tropical land mass. It can provide bone strength equivalent to a “Forest Elephant” . Also the height of this Kattuyanam plant can hide an elephant. That’s why it is named as “Kattu Yanam”.
Nowadays many people have started using these organic rice varieties in their daily cooking due to their amazing health benefits. They are low in Glycaemic index, rich in fibre and anthocyanin which is a natural detoxifier when compared with our regular white rice. Its also a good source of Vitamin B, Zinc, Calcium and Manganese. So It helps to reverse diabetes, boost immunity, delays aging, reduces cholesterol and lose weight. This Kaatuyanam rice in Tamil, as its name suggests, it strengthens the body like a wild elephant. Its also called as Kattudai Oonan in Tamil.
Now lets see how to make Kattuyanam rice idli, dosa batter recipe with step by step pictures and video.
Wash the rice several times till the water runs clear.
Take in a wide bowl. Add urad dal and fenugreek seeds.
Wash it once and soak in enough water for minimum 5 hours.
Grind them to a smooth paste adding required water. You can use a mixie or grinder.
Transfer the batter to a big vessel and cover it. Ferment it overnight or 12 hours.
The next day, batter would have raised well. Add salt and mix it.
Boil water in an idli pot. Pour the batter in a greased idli plate.
Steam the idli for 15 minutes or till the tooth pick comes out clean.
Remove the idli plate and rest it for 10 minutes. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
In a bowl, take the kattuyanam rice and wash it thrice or several times till the water runs clear. Add urad dal and fenugreek seeds and wash everything once.
Add enough water and soak them for 5 hours. Alternatively you can soak the rice separately and soak the urad dal + fenugreek seeds separately.
After soaking, grind everything to a smooth paste adding required water. Do not grind it too thick or watery. Its consistency should be like our regular idli dosa batter. But the color of this batter would be slightly reddish. Transfer the batter to a vessel and cover it.
Ferment the batter and leave it over night or for 12 hours based on the weather in your place. The next morning, take the batter. It would have raised well. Add required salt and mix well.
Boil water in an idli pot. Grease idli plate with sesame oil. Pour the batter and place in idli pot. Steam it for 15 minutes.
Remove the idli plate and rest for few minutes. Now remove the idli using a small ladle. Serve with chutney and sambar.
Enjoy !
Note
I have not used idli rice in this recipe. If you want to use, add 1/2 cup of rice for this measure.
The ratio of rice and dal is 4:1. You can use 5:1 ratio too.
Do not skip methi seeds as it gives a nice flavor for this idli.
You can use and store this batter for 2 to 3 days.
Try this healthy Idli recipe and enjoy with your favourite chutney, sambar !
Recent days I am trying to include drumstick leaves /Moringa leaves in my cooking at least once in a week as its a super food. Drumstick leaves tree is a miracle tree. It has amazing health benefits. It is one of the richest plant sources of Vitamin A, B, C, D, E, K, Anti-oxidants and vital minerals like Calcium, Copper, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese and Zinc. The leaves, pods, seeds, gums, bark and flowers of Moringa are useful to treat mineral and vitamin deficiencies, support a healthy cardiovascular system, promotes normal blood-glucose levels, neutralise free radicals, provide excellent support of the body's anti-inflammatory mechanisms, enrich anaemic blood and support the immune system. It is also known to improve eyesight, mental alertness and bone strength. It has potential benefit in malnutrition, general weakness, lactating mothers, menopause, depression and osteoporosis.
Usually I make drumstick leaves soup or poriyal with it. For a change, I tried Murungai keerai podi for rice, idli and dosa so that I can pack it for Raksha’s lunch box as well. I asked my MIL for the recipe and tried it for the first time. It came out so well. This drumstick leaves chutney powder tastes yummy when mixed with plain rice adding few drops of ghee.
Friends, do try this Murungai keerai podi / Drumstick leaves powder for rice, Idli, dosa and enjoy. This podi stays good without refrigeration for a month. Lets see how to make Murungai keerai podi with step by step pictures.
How to use this powder : Take a tsp of this powder, mix with plain rice adding a tsp of ghee and enjoy it. You can also add a tsp of this powder in rice varieties like tomato rice, lemon rice, curry leaves rice or any vegetable rice. You can also have this powder as side dish for idli, dosa like our usual chutney powder. But use in moderation. Mix with ghee or sesame oil and enjoy with idli, dosa. Alternatively, you can sprinkle this powder over the dosa and enjoy it like podi uthappam. You can add this powder while making sambar or vathakulambu and enjoy its benefits. Tastes different and flavorful too.
Murungai keerai podi / Drumstick leaves powder recipe for rice
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp ( to get bright green color)
Salt - as needed
Cooking oil - 2 tsp
HOW TO MAKE MURUNGAI KEERAI PODI
Take out the leaves from the stem and discard the yellow and wilted ones.
Remove the small stalks and stems from the leaves and discard them.
Wash them and spread the leaves in a cotton towel. Let the leaves dry in shade for 2 days.
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a kadai. Roast urad dal till golden in color. Transfer to a plate.
Add 1/2 tsp oil in the kadai and roast chana dal till golden in color. Transfer to the plate.
Again add oil and roast the red chilli, curry leaves, pepper corns, cumin seeds till crispy. Do everything in low to medium flame patiently.
Add the roasted chillies to the plate. Lastly add the black sesame seeds and dry roast till it splutters. Add the coriander seeds and roast for a minute.
Switch off the flame and add the hing. For variations, you can roast all the above ingredients together in low to medium flame patiently and grind it.
Firstly grind the chillies and salt till coarse powder. Then add the roasted dals, pepper and cumin seeds. Grind to a smooth powder.
Lastly add the dried moringa leaves along with turmeric powder, salt and grind to a smooth powder.
Transfer to a box and store it. It stays good up to a month.
Enjoy mixing with plain rice adding ghee. Tastes great with idli, dosa too.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Take the drumstick leaves bunch and seperate the leaves from the stalk.
Discard the yellow and wilted leaves. Remove the small stalks as well.
Now wash the leaves and drain the water completely. Spread the leaves in a cotton cloth and leave it dry under the shade for 2 days. For instant version, dry it for 2 hours and then dry roast in hot kadai for few minutes till it turns crispy. Switch off the flame and let the leaves be in hot kadai for sometime.
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a kadai. Roast urad dal till golden with nice flavour. Transfer to a plate. Similarly roast the chana dal till nice and crispy. Transfer to the dal plate.
Now add 1/2 tsp oil and roast the red chilli till crispy. Remove and transfer to the plate.
Dry roast sesame seeds and coriander seeds till sesame seeds splutters. Add to the plate. Let everything cool down.
Firstly grind the red chilli, salt to a coarse powder and then grind the dals and seeds. It gives a nice color to the podi. Lastly add the moringa leaves and turmeric powder, grind it smooth. Transfer to a box and store it. Use up to a month.
Enjoy !
Note
Adjust the quantity of moringa leaves as per your taste.
Alter the quantity of red chilli as per your taste.
For variations, you can roast all the above ingredients together in low to medium flame patiently and grind it. But do it patiently without burning any.
Enjoy this healthy Moringa podi with rice, idli and dosa.
Vazhaithandu inippu Pachadi – Banana Stem sweet Pachadi Recipe is our family favourite recipe using banana stem. Usually we make Vazhaithandu poriyal, Vazhaithandu sambar and Kerala style Vazhaithandu pachadi with curd. But among all these recipes, we love this banana stem sweet pachadi more. It tastes so good with sweet and mildly sour taste. Its a good side dish for sambar and rasam.
Recently I went to Salem and stayed with my in-laws for a month. We made few banana stem recipes. I asked my MIL and prepared this sweet pachadi easily in a pressure cooker. It tasted so good. I enjoyed it with sambar sadam and appalam.
Friends, do try this Vazhaithandu sweet pachadi for a change and enjoy with your family.
In a pressure cooker, drain and take chopped vazhaithandu, green chilli, tomato, salt and little water.
Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle. Its cooked well. Mash it slightly and set aside.
Grind coconut and rice flour to a smooth paste. Add to vazhaithandu.
Add grated jaggery and boil everything well till it becomes thick like pachadi.
Lastly temper in oil and add to the pachadi. Mix well and serve with sambar, rasam rice.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Wash and chop Banana stem into small pieces. Immerse in buttermilk till use to avoid discoloration.
Squeeze the vazhaithandu and add to pressure cooker. Add finely chopped green chilli, tomato, a pinch of salt and little water. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
In the mean time, grate jaggery. Grind coconut and rice flour to a smooth paste adding water.
Open the cooker after the steam is released. Add ground coconut paste and jaggery along with some water if needed. Mix well and boil till thick.
Lastly temper mustard seeds, urad dal and red chilli in little oil and add to pachadi. Mix well and serve hot with sambar rice, rasam rice etc.
Note
You can skip tomato and add little tamarind extract instead.
You can also use sugar instead of jaggery but jaggery gives a better taste and healthy too.
Tempering one red chilli at the end gives a mild spicy taste and flavour to the pachadi.
Try this easy, healthy and yummy Banana stem sweet pachadi. People who don’t like banana stem too eat with pachadi without any complaints !
Mudakathan keerai in Tamil / Balloon vine leaves in English/ Harivay Soppu in Kannada/ Buddakakara in Telugu/ Gubbaara bel in Hindi is a super healthy and tasty greens that is widely used in the treatment of Arthritis (mudakku vatham in Tamil) for strengthening bones. It is also used to cure ear pain, cough and cold. It acts as a mild laxative and helps to relieve constipation and gas trouble.
Recently when I visited my MIL, she gave me a bunch of homegrown Mudakathan leaves from our backyard. Usually we make THIS DOSA with Mudakathan leaves. This time, I tried an instant Mudakathan keerai dosa with leftover idli dosa batter.
I referred some recipes from You tube and tried it. Though it had a mild bitter taste, I liked the dosa very much as it can be prepared instantly. We usually make raw garlic chutney / Poondu molaapdi as side dish for this Mudakathan dosai. I had it with coconut chutney this time and its also a good side dish I feel.
Friends, do try this Instant Mudakathan dosa / Balloon vine leaves dosa with leftover idli, dosa batter. I am sure you will love it like me.
Remove the stem and wash the mudakathan keerai / Balloon vine leaves thrice and set aside.
Heat oil and saute small onion, ginger, garlic, pepper corns and cumin seeds.
Switch off the flame and add the washed keerai. Saute for a minute.
Remove and grind to a smooth paste. Add to idli, dosa batter. Mix well.
Check for consistency and add little water if needed. Heat dosa tawa.
Spread thin or thick dosa, drizzle oil, flip and cook both sides.
Remove and serve hot with chutney !
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Take the Balloon vine leaves. Remove the stem and wash the keerai thrice to remove debris. Set aside.
Heat oil and saute small onion, cumin seeds, pepper corns, garlic and ginger. Saute till onion becomes transparent. Switch off the flame.
Add the washed mudakathan keerai after switching off the flame and saute in the heat of kadai. Flame should be off. Keerai shrinks in quantity. Remove and cool down.
Grind to a smooth paste adding little water. Add to the leftover idli dosa batter and check the consistency. Add salt and water if needed.
Heat a dosa tawa. Pour and Spread 1 ladleful of batter. Make it thin or thick as you like. Drizzle oil and cook in low to medium flame. Flip the other side and cook till done. Remove and serve hot with coconut chutney or garlic chutney. Enjoy !
Note
This dosa has mild bitter taste and raw flavor as its an instant version. So please don’t skip onion and other ingredients mentioned here.
Try this healthy, tasty Mudakathan keerai dosa and enjoy with coconut chutney or onion chutney !!
Amla / Gooseberry is a power house of Vitamins and minerals. Recently I am trying to include amla in our diet regularly. As I am bored of making Nellikai thayir pachadi, Nellikai thogayal and pickle, I wanted to try some other interesting recipes with it. I googled for some recipes and tried this Amla jam also known as Amla chunda in Hindi along with Amla candy adding jaggery. I will blog amla candy next.
This Amla murabba is a super healthy and tasty recipe with the blend of spices like cinnamon, cardamom and fennel seeds. It smells and tastes so good with sweet, spicy and sour taste. Tastes good with curd rice, roti/ chapathi, poori and even with bread.
Friends, do try this easy and yummy Amla jam recipe. You will love it for sure. You can make and store in a refrigerator for months. Lets see how to make Gooseberry jam recipe with step by step pictures.
Amla murabba / Amla Jam recipe
Amla murabba / Amla Jam recipe - Gooseberry jam recipe for rice, roti and bread.
Wash the Gooseberry and arrange in a idli plate. Let it steam for 15 minutes.
Remove and let it cool down. Deseed them and remove each into 4 pieces.
Grind the gooseberry pieces to a coarse paste without adding water.
Heat ghee in a kadai. Add the gooseberry paste and saute for few minutes in medium flame.
Crush fennel seeds, cinnamon and cardamom to a powder. Add to the paste.
Add red chilli powder, salt and jaggery. Cook till everything becomes thick.
Let it cook for few minutes till the jam leaves the sides of pan and looks glossy.
Switch off the stove and let it cool down. Store in a glass bottle and refrigerate.
You can use it for a month or twp. Use a clean spoon every time.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Wash Gooseberry and steam in idli pot for 15 minutes. Remove and cool down.
Deseed the gooseberry and cut into 4 pieces. Grind the cooked gooseberry into a coarse paste without adding water.
Heat ghee and add the gooseberry paste. Saute for few minutes. Add powdered jaggery, salt and mix well.
Crush fennel seeds, cinnamon and cardamom to a powder.
Add to Gooseberry paste. Add red chilli powder and mix well. Check for taste and add more jaggery if needed.
Cook till the raw smell goes and paste becomes thick and glossy. Cook till the paste leaves the sides of kadai.
Remove and let it cool down. Store in an air tight box and refrigerate it for months. Use clean spoon every time while handling it. Serve with roti/ chapathi, poori and curd rice. You can also spread in bread and enjoy. It tastes sweet, sour and spicy.
Enjoy !
Note
Adjust the quantity of jaggery based on your taste.
Fennel seeds, cinnamon gives nice flavour to this jam.
Make sure you cook the amla paste till glossy and thick. It stays good for long time.
.JPG "Kattuyanam rice")
