Thattai

Ingredients:

• Rice-4 cups
• Urad dal-1 cup
• Butter
• Bengal gram- 1/2 cup
• Garlic-2 cloves minced
• Red chillies(crushed) -2 tsp
• Chilli powder-1 1/2 tsp
• Salt
• Sesame seeds-1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida
• Oil

Preparation:

• Wash,clean and dry the rice well.
• Fry the urad dal in a pan .
• Powder both the rice and urad dal.
• Soak the gram in water for 1 hr.
• Make a dough out of rice flour, urad dal flour, soaked gram, asafoetida powder, crushed chillies, minced garlic,chilli powder, sesame seeds, salt and butter with very little water.
• Take small amount of dough and press it flat and round.
• Fry them in hot oil .
• Store it in air-tight container.

Ash gourd (white pumpkin) Kootu

Ingredients:

• Ash gourd - 1/2 kg
• Chana dal -1 tbsp
• Coconut grated - 1tbsp
• Mustard -1 tsp
• Curry leaves-4-5
• Red chillies-3
• Urad dal-1 tsp
• Oil
• Salt

Preparation:

• Cut the ash gourd into small cubes.
• Cook it in microwave for 3 mins with a little water.
• In a pan,heat a little oil and season mustard, urad dal,chana dal,red chillies, and curry leaves and add the cooked ash gourd.
• Saute and add salt .
• Add coconut on it and turn off the heat.
• Serve with rice

Technorati Profile

Kovakkai (ivy gourd) poriyal

Ingredients:

• Kovakkai (ivy gourd) - 1/4 kg
• Onion - 1
• Peanuts - 10
• Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Red chilli - 2
• Oil
• Salt
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

• Cut each Kovakkai into 4 pieces lengthwise.
• Cook it in microwave for 6-8 mins without water.
• In a pan,heat oil and season mustard, urad dal, chana dal, peanuts and red chillies.
• Once they are seasoned add the chopped onion to it and saute until it turns transparent.
• Add the cut Kovakkai and saute.
• Add the chilli powder,salt ,coriander powder and turmeric powder into it and keep sauteing it.
• Turn off the heat when it turns golden brown.
• Serve with rice.

Milagu / Pepper Curry

Ingredients:

• Lamb leg steaks- 1/4 Kg cut into small pieces.
• Pepper powder(freshly ground) - 1 1/4 tsp
• Ginger paste-1 tsp
• Chilli powder-1 tsp
• Onion-1 chopped
• Tomato-1 diced
• Garam masala -1/2 tsp
• Fennel seeds-1/4 tsp
• Cloves-3
• Oil
• Water
• Salt

Preparation:

• Cook the lamb pieces in a pressure cooker.(3 whistles)
• Heat oil in a deep pan and saute onion,fennel seeds and cloves in it.
• Once it turns golden brown,add ginger paste,pepper powder,chilli powder,garam masala powder to it and saute for 1 min.
• Add the diced tomato to it and saute again.
• Now add salt and also the cooked lamb in to it.
• Add a little water from the pressure cooker (used for cooking the meat) to this and turn the heat to medium.
• Allow it to cook until it forms a thick mixture.
• Take care not to break the pieces.
• Serve with rice.

Oinion Theeyal

Ingredients

• Onions-1 chopped
• Tamarind paste -1 1/2 tbsp
• Grated coconut 1/2 cup
• Red chillies -8
• Coriander seeds 1 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves -5
• Black peppercorns -1 tsp
• Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
• Sugar -1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida
• Water
• Oil
• Salt

Preparation :

• Heat oil in a small pan and saute coconut till it is light brown.
• Add the 6 red chillies, coriander seeds, pepper ,cumin seeds and fry.
• Add the turmeric powder to the above.
• Turn of the heat and cool it and grind it.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and the remaining red chillies. When it starts to splutter, add asafoetida and onions.
• Saute for 5 minutes .
• Now add the ground powder to the above and saute.
• Add water, tamarind extract, salt and sugar to it and keep it on medium heat (the theeyal should not be too watery).
• Serve hot with rice.

Valaikai puttu / Raw banana puttu

Ingredients:

• Raw Banana-1
• Coconut grated-2 tsp
• Oil
• Salt
• Red chillies-2
• Mustard-1/2tsp
• Cumin Seeds-1/2 tsp
• Split urad dal -1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves-5
• Water

Preparation:

• Cut the Banana into two halves .
• Take water in a microwave bowl and drop the banana pieces in it and cook for 4 minutes.
• Now allow it to cool and just slit the banana peel open and remove it.
• Now grate the cooked banana .
• In a fry pan ,heat oil and add mustard,split Urad Dal,curry leaves and once it starts spluttering add the red chillies and fry it.
• Now turn the heat to low and add the grated banana and salt to it and just mix it.(since the banana is already cooked,do not keep it on heat for a long time).
• Turn off the heat.
• Sprinkle grated coconut on the top to finish it.
• Serve with rice as a side dish.