Instant Mor Kozhambu

I love all the authentic recipes a lot and being from brahmin family I enjoy a variety of such lovely lovely dishes. When sunday comes amma prepares either sambhar sadam and vadam or mor kozhambu and thenga/paruppu thogayal. They sound yummy and also taste yummy .Amma also prepares pacha mor kozhambu which is an instant mor kozhmabu and which can be prepared in a jiffy :) When I run out of time and when my tongue longs for mor kozhambu at weird hours I make this instant version .Here goes the preparation.

Ingredients:

Sour curd

Mustard seeds

Green chilies

Grated coconut

Cumin seeds

Salt

Preparation:

1.In a mixer add grated coconut, green chilies ,mustard seeds and cumin seeds and grind it to a fine paste.

2.Mix the ground paste in sour curd along with the salt.

3.Yummicious instant mor kozhambu is ready for serving.

Vathakozhambu

On telling the name itself my mouth starts to water. Such a big fan I am when it comes to Vathakozhambu. I have gained a sort of gaga with this dish for the very first reason that it can be cooked within few minutes and does not take much time. This is also my savior most of times and whenever I feel so tired and could not prepare anything, I try this one. So here I go with the recipe

Ingredients:

Oil

Mustard seeds

Fenugreek seeds

Tamarind

salt

Sambhar powder

Vegetables(of ur choice ,I always go with either potato or big onions. At times when I run out of veggies I use either dried turkey berries(Sundakai) or Manathakali vathal)

water

Jaggery

asafetida

curry leaves

Preparation:

1.Take tamarind and add water. Extract thick juice from it.

2.Wash veggies of your choice and slice it to your desired shape.

2.In a wok, add generous amount of oil and wait till it is heated.

3.Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.

4.Add fenugreek seeds and wait till it turns golden color.

5.Add veggies/Sundakai/Manathakai vathal and curry leaves at this stage and sauté it for 2 minutes.

6.Add sambhar powder and give it a nice stir.

7.Now add tamarind water and then add required salt.

8.Wait till the raw smell of tamarind goes and the liquid changes to a thick consistency also when the oil leaves the side and floats. This is the required consistency.

9.Add a very small piece of jaggery and stir well until it melts and mixes well with the vathakozhambu .Also add asafetida.

10.Switch the stove off and eat it with steamed rice along with vadams or appalams :)

Molagu Jeeraga Rasam

I reach home by 8pm from my office and by the time I reach home, I lose all my energy because of the traffic and stuffs. My eyes are always longing to hit the bed to have a deep slumber but our stomach con't skip the dinner. All I manage to prepare these days is either vathakozhambu or Molagu jeeraga rasam and eat it with steamed rice.The preparation time for these dishes are very less and not more than 15-20 minutes :)My hubby and I love both the dishes and so my hubby never abject :) Both of us love dishes that taste tangy and so almost all the dishes I prepare has high tangy flavor. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Pepper(to your need)

Cumin seeds(to your need)

tamarind(small ball size)

tomato

Asafetida

ghee

salt

curry leaves

coriander leaves

mustard seeds

water

Preparation:

1.Mix pepper and cumin seeds and grind it to fine coarse powder. I prepare this powder in large quantity and store it bottle for handy use.

2.Add water to the tamarind ball and squeeze juice out of it and pour it in a vessel.

3.Finely smash tomato and add it in tamarind water.

4.Add salt to the tomato tamarind water and place it in medium flame for few minutes till the raw smell of the tamarind goes and nice aroma of tomato spreads around.

5.At this stage add the cumin pepper powder ,stir well and allow it to boil for another 2 minutes and add asafetida. Switch off the stove.

6.In a separate wok add ghee and once heated add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter and finally add curry leaves.

7.Add this seasoning to the rasam and garnish it with coriander leaves.

I prepare this rasam often and we consider this as a heal for our cold and caught :) We use to drink it in tumbler(that much crazy we are when it comes to molagu jeeraga rasam).Also if you prepare pepper cumin powder in advance, this dish will not take more than 15 minutes for the entire preparation .You can enjoy aromatic rasam sadham with vadams :)

Mor Kali aka Uppalva

I love this recipe like something. It is my all time favorite and I love to eat this dish specifically prepared by mom. I tried several times but it does not come out as tasty unlike mom's preparation .May be because mom adds the secret ingredients called love and affection to prepare the dish :).I can have this dish for my breakfast, lunch and dinner too :)I make my plate so clean and like a mirror when my mom prepares this. So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Sour curd(higher the sour content tasty is your dish)

Rice flour

Asafetida

mustard seeds

curry leaves

Mor molaga(green chilies soaked in curd ,sun dried for days and afterwards stored in bottle)

oil

Salt

water

Note:

If the quantity of sour curd is less you can add tamarind water to the curd and mix it and can use it. Tamarind brings the tangy effect to the dish.

Preparation:

1.Take rice flour.Add salt.mix well.

2.Add sour curd to the rice mixture and bring to a liquid(pouring) consistency .If needed add water and make it a bit watery Do not dilute it so much that makes the flour contents to lose its flavor. Pouring consistency would be fine.

3.Take a wok and add oil(generous amount).

4.Once the oil gets heated add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.

5.Add asafetida and curry leaves and stir in for a minute.

6.Now add mor molaga and wait till the mor molaga changes to brownish black in color.

7.At this stage add the rice flour curd mixture.

8.Stir constantly so that no lumps are formed.

9.The mixture will boil well in theoil and with the water curd contents in it.

10.Wait till oil comes out from the sides and floats at the top. The consistency at this stage would be like the consistency of the halwa.

11.Switch the stove off.

12.you can serve it with pickle.

13.Alternatively you can take a plate and rub it with oil or ghee and drop the wok contents to the plate and spread it evenly. Allow the mixture to cool and cut into you desired shapes with knife and call it as Uppalva.

Puttu

Puttu is one recipe I have tasted hardly. My mom does not make it often and perhaps that could be the reason why I am not so crazy about this dish...All I knew about Puttu few days ago is ,it is a kerala dish and it goes very well with chenna as its side dish. After marriage I saw Puttu maker in my MIL's place and being so ignorant about the preparation I never dared to use it. Last weekend my MIL was busy washing the rice and allowing it to dry when enquired I came to know that puttu preparation was going on. I was a mute spectator on that day and my MIL made it. I bring it to you the preparation I saw and here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Rice(Puzhungal arisi)

Puttu maker

Salt

Water

Grated coconut(optional)

Preparation:

1.If you are going to prepare Puttu in the evening,soak the rice in water by morning.

2.After few hours drain the water out from the rice and dry the rice in a neat white towel.

3.The rice should have moisture content and it should not be dry. At this stage powder the rice using a mixer. Make sure that you don't grind it as a fine powder and let it be bit coarse.

4.Take water and add salt to it and mix well.

5.Sprinkle the salt water in the rice powder and mix it well. You should reach a consistency when you are able to hold the powder and make a shape out of it also the shape should crumble when you break it. This is the right consistency for Puttu.

6.Now place the bottom part of the puttu maker with water on the stove.Wait till vapor comes from the water.

7.Fill the top part of the puttu maker with the rice powder and fix it with the bottom part.

8.Wait till vapor comes out from the top part.This is the stage when you need to switch the stove off.

9.Carefully remove the top part of the puttu maker and tap the puttu from it with the help of provided helper and Voila the kozha puttu is ready.

10.If you wish to have puttu with cococnut.Grate the coconut.First fill a portion of the top part of the puttu maker with rice powder then with grated coconut and alternate the mixture and place it in the bottom part. Once done you will get puttu accompanied with grated coconut.

You can serve the dish with just plain sugar or with Channa masala or side dish of your choice. My MIL made it with PachaPayaru masala(Green gram masala).

Spicy plantain powder

My mom makes this plantain powder always. She prepares vazhaikai aravanakal and vazhaikai podi frequently.She also prepares podi varieties a lot and she carefully stores it in plastic bottles. Whenever we feel bored of having kozhambu and rasam these powders acts as a relief. We just cook the steamed rice and mix it with spicy powderand add nalla yennai/ghee and have it :) I have also gained liking for home made podis. Posts will follow soon on homemade podi preparations. Now I take you to plantain powder preparation.

Ingredients:

Raw plantain

oil

urad dal-3 to 4 spoons

mustard seeds-1/2 spoon

dry red chilies

tamarind-a small ball size

salt

Preparation:

1.Cut the raw plantains into 4 pieces.(you need not have to cut it into small pieces ,the pieces can be large).

2.Cook the raw plantains in water. Make sure that it does not becomes mushy and it is not fully cooked.

3.remove the plantains from the water. Cool it and peel the skin.

4.In a wok, add oil and once heated add mustard seeds.

5.Allow the mustard seeds to splutter.

6.Add urad dal and wait till the dal turns golden yellow color.

7.Add dry red chilies and stir the mixture.

8.Finally add the tamarind and switch the stove off.

9.Cool the mixture.

10.Grind this mixture along with the half boiled plantains. You need not make the powder to be fine. It is good and better to the have the powder as a coarse mixture. Add required salt to this mixture

Spicy plantain powder is ready. You can mix the powder with steamed rice along with oil/ghee and enjoy the taste...My mouth is already watering :)

Vaangi Baath-Version2

This version I learnt it from my MIL.For those who love foods to be spicy with masala flavor this version will suite better. Now going directly to the recipe

Ingredients:

Brinjal

mustard seeds

turmeric powder

oil

salt

To grind:

Cinnamon sticks

Bay leaves

Cloves

Cardamoms

nutmeg

Urad dal

Channa dal

dry red chillies

grated coconut

Roasted bengal gram(pottukadalai)

Preparation:

1.Add oil in a wok.Once heated add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.

2.Add turmeric powder to the oil.

3.Cut brinjals to your desired size and drop it into the oil.Let the brinjals cook in the oil.If needed sprinkle water so that brinjal cooks fine.

4.In another wok.Add little oil.once heated add cinnamon,cloves,nutmeg and cardamon.Wait till you get nice aroma.Then add ural and channa dal.Wait till the dal turns golden color.Finally add dry red chilies. Roast it for a minute and switch the stove off.

5.Cool the above mixture and grind it with grated coconut. Keep the mixture aside.

6.If the brinjals are cooked fine.Add the ground powder to it.

7.Make roasted bengal gram powder and add it to the brinjal mixture.

8.Add salt to the mixture and stir well to make sure that masalas are coated well with the brinjals.

9.Switch the stove off.

10.Mix it with steamed rice and vaangi baath is now ready.

You can serve it with raitha of ur choice.We had it with onion raitha and the taste was yummicious.

Bhajji

It was my evening stroll and I was walking in the market road...The fresh leafy veggies and fruits were so soothing to my eyes...Greens were so fresh and I got one bunch :) While I was glancing on the veggies "Bhajji molaga" caught my eyes...One part of me said "get it" while the other said "don't get it" and finally I decided not to get it and came to home. That evening my hubby asked me for bhajji...sigh! Scanned through the available veggies at home and managed to have Brinjal,Potato and onion.decided to make bhajji with the above veggies.It is one sooper cool evening snack.What else you need in your life when you have bhajji on your plate accompanied by aromatic chai and a nice movie on the tv...pure bliss I would say.

Ingredients:

Besan flour-1 cup

Rice flour-1/4 cup

Asafetida-a pinch

Dry red chili powder-as required

Salt-as required

oil

water

veggies of ur choice

Preparation:

1.Take a vessel add besan flour,rice flour,asafetida,salt and red chili powder.

2.Heat a wok and add 2 spoons of oil. Wait till the oil gets heated.

3.Pour the oil into the flour mixture(pouring heated oil in the flour is to ensure that bhajis turns out so soft).

4.With a spoon mix the flour well without any lumps.

5.Add water to the mixture and bring it to fine paste(it should not be watery or too thick, let the consistency be of a smooth paste).

6.Cut the veggies of your choice. Make sure to cut the veggies as thin slices.

4.Now dip a veggie in the batter and coat the batter on both the sides of the veggie.

5.In as separate wok add required oil,wait till it gets heated. Drop the veggie coated with batter into the oil.

6.Fry the bajjis in the oil till it turns golden yellow color.

7.Remove the bajjis and drain the oil and serve it hot.

Bhajji goes well with coconut chutney. We had it with tomato sauce :)And did I say a thing ?The bhajji were fluffy...

Vaangi Baath( Brinjal rice)-Version 1

I love brinjal a lot...Always loved to eat my granny's yenna kathrika(oil brinjal curry)...My mom makes yummy bringal curry. The curry always has tangy flavor which makes the dish still more yummy. I learnt vaangi baath preparation from my mom and so named it as version1.Version 2 of vangi baath preparation would follow soon.Version2 ,I learnt it from my MIL. With no delays I am directly going to the preparation of vangi baath.

Ingredients:

Brinjal

mustard seeds

turmeric powder

Sambhar powder

salt

channa dhal

oil

Asafetida

Curry leaves

To grind:

Coriander seeds

Channa dhal

grated coconut

dry red chilies

Method:

1.Take a wok.Add a spoon of oil to it.

2.Once heated add coriander seeds, channa dhal and dry red chillies.

3.Roast it till you get a very nice aroma and until the dhal changes to golden color.

4.Cool the mixture and grind this mixture along with grated coconut and make it as fine powder.

5.Wash brinjal and slice it to required shapes(let it be thin in size).

6.Take another wok.Add oil.Wait for the oil to get heated.

7.Add mustard seeds.Allow it to splutter

8.Add channa dhal and wait till it turns golden yellow color.

9.Add turmeric powder, sambhar powder,asafetida and curry leaves and stir it for a minute.

10.Now add the cut brinjals to it and stir it fine so that brinjals are coated finely with turmeric and sambhar powder.

11.Wait till the brinjals are cooked fine in the oil. If needed sprinkle water to the brinjal mixture for making it to cook well.

12.Once you feel the brinjals are cooked fine add the powder(coriander ,channa dhal,red chilly and coconut powder).

13.Mix well so that brinjals are coated well with the powder and allow the whole mixture to cook for 3 minutes.Add required salt at this stage.

14.Switch the stove off.Add this brinjal mixture to the steamed rice, mix well and serve it hot. You can serve it with Raitha of your choice or with vadams or apalams.

Javarusi Vada/Sago Patties

I always related Sago with 2 dishes which my mom prepares... one is javarusi vadam and the other is javarusi kanju...Never heard of sago patties.It was a get together at home and everyone of us decided to make one dish and when we were discussing about the dishes Vani manni said she will bring Sago patties :) I admired the name a lot but was not sure of the taste. The D day arrived and Vanni manni made Sago patties and gave the first fry to me and I totally loved the taste and after the get together she gave me the batter and I took it home also prepared patties and had it the next day. I asked her for the recipe and promptly she told me. Thanks a lot Manni for letting me know about it. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1.Sago

2.Green Chilies

3.Potato

4.Peanuts

5.Salt

6.Oil for frying

Method:


 

1.Soak sago in water 5 hours before the preparation and after 5 hours sago will turn very soft.Drain the water from it and transfer it in a bowl.

2.Grind green chilies and make it as fine paste.

3.Dry roast peanuts...remove the coverings from it and grind it to a fine powder.

4.Boil potato. Cool it and smash it well.

5.Add smashed potato, roasted peanut powder ,chili paste and salt to the soft sago and mix it well and make sure that all the ingredients are mixed well and is uniform.

6.Take a wok and heat oil in it.

7.Make a small ball from the sago mixture and press it between ur palms and make it as patties.

8.Drop the patties carefully once the oil is heated.

9.Deep fry till the sago patties turn golden yellow color.Drain excess oil.

10.Serve the patties hot.

I ate it without any side dish because of its yummicious taste. But you can have it with the chutney/Sambhar of ur choice.

 

 

Paani poori

Paani puri:

I am not a great lover of paani puri but I go crazy when I see sweet paani…I pour the sweet paani in a bowl and have it all the time…I refrigerate it and even taste it after a week…But my hubby loves paani poori…It was a Sunday evening and I felt so bored…Wanted to try something different for the evening snack…I had never tried paani poori at home till that day and decided to prepare it.Asked my hubby to buy ready made pooris for paani poori and finally made and gobbled it as soon it was prepared.

Here is the preparation method:

Ingredients:

Ready made pooris(small pooris-A separate post will follow on the preparation of paani poori)

Ingredients for sweet paani:

Seedless dates

Tamarind-of a small ball size

Jaggery

Cumin powder

Red chilli powder (only a pinch)

Water

Preparation of sweet paani:

1.Add water to the tamarind ball and squeeze juice out of it.Let the juice be as thick as possible.

2.soak dates in water for 5 minutes and grind it to a fine paste.

3.Powder the jaggery.

4.Take a wok.Add the extracted tamarind juice.To it add the powdered jiggery and dates paste and stir well.If you think the paani is very thick add water to it.Keep it in medium flame for 5 minutes.

5.Add cumin powder and red chili powder and stir for a minute.

6.The sweet paani would be ready by the time.Add water or keep it medium flame for some more minutes if you feel the paani to be too thick or too watery.

Ingredients for green paani:

Coriander leaves

Tamarind(of a small ball size)

Jaggery(a very small piece)

Green chilies

Cumin powder

Garam masala powder (a pinch,I had no chaat masala powder and so used garam masala…If you have chaat masala powder please use it)

Salt

Water

Preparation of green paani:

1.Wash coriander leaves and grind it along with tamarind and red chili and make a fine paste.

2.Powder jaggery.

3.Add cumin powder,garam masala powder,salt and jaggery powder to the ground paste and stir well and make sure that the jaggery is completely dissolved.

4.Add water to your desired consistency and the green paani is ready

Ingredients for the filling:

Filling is of your choice.I had only potato and onions, so did the filling with it. you can choose pulse fillings or any other filling of your choice.

Potato( Boil and cool the potato and smash it well)

Onions finely chopped

Salt

Red chilly powder

Garam masala powder

Preparation of the filling:

1.To the smashed potato add salt, garam masala and red chili powder and mix well.

2.keep the mixture aside

Preparation of paani poori:

1.Take a poori and gently tap at the center.

2.Add the smashed potato mixture to it also add the finely chopped onions.

3.Pour sweet or green paani to the tapped hole of the poori and awww the paani poori is all yours.

Mint Pulao

I did loathe mint leaves a lot...Whenever my mom made mint chutney I would run miles away…I mocked mint chutney as colgate chutney. Just because of me my mom never made any of the mint dishes and poor people at home never had an opportunity to taste it…But my mother-in-law adds lots of mint leaves in VegBriyani and in Pulao. She says mint gives an extra flavor to the dish and also asks me to add it in generous amount. At the start I did hate  mint a lot and many a times I refrained it, but now gradually I have started liking the taste because it is being cooked by my MIL in a different way…The one and only mint recipe that I love the most is "Mint Pulao". I learnt the recipe from my MIL and sharing it here.

Ingredients:

1.Fresh mint leaves

2.Onions

3.Tomatoes(optional,I try to add tomatoes in all my dishes to bring extra tangy effect…you shall omit it and it is optional)

4.Garam masala

5.Green chilies

6.Salt

7.Ginger garlic paste

8.Cinnamon stick

9.Cloves

10.Cumin seeds

11.Cooking oil

12. Rice variety( of your choice)

13.Bay leaves

Preparation:

1.Wash the rice and soak it in water for a while.

2.Chop the onions and let it be fine pieces.

3.Wash mint leaves and make a fine paste using the mixi.

4.Blend tomatoes and make it as fine paste and keep it aside.

5.Make fine paste of green chilies.

6.Heat oil in a wok and once heated add cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cloves.

7.Once you smell the nice aroma add cumin seeds and let the seeds turn to golden color.

8.Add ginger garlic paste(I omit ginger and go only for garlic paste).

9.Allow the paste to fry for a minute.

10.Add the finely chopped onions and wait till it turns golden color.

11.Add tomato puree and chilly paste at this stage.

12.Now add the mint paste to this mixture and stir the mixture. Add required salt and garam masala at this stage and stir it.

13.Wait till the oil leaves the side of the vessel .

14.Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to this paste.

15.Coat the rice with this paste on medium flame for 2 minutes and switch off the stove.

16.Transfer this mixture in a pressure cooker and add required water for the pulao.

17.Pressure cook for a whistle or two and switch it off.

18.Serve the mint pulao hot with raitha of your choice.

I love Peas Pulao and Mint Pulao a lot J

Tomato chutney

Tomato Chutney:

My mom makes this version of tamato chutney always.It is one easy dish which you can do it in 5 to 10 minutes and I always love to have this as ma side dish with Idli and Chapathi...I always end up licking my plate and make my plate clean whenever my mom prepares this chutney...My mouth is watering by the sheer thought of it and so I go directly to the recipe.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes

Green chilies

Salt

Cooking oil

mustard seeds

Method:

1.Wash tomatoes and green chilies. Wipe out the water with the towel and drain it.

2.Cut the tomatoes.

3.In a mixi jar add sliced tomatoes and green chilies.

4.Make a fine paste and keep it aside.

5.Keep a wok in stove and add oil.

6.Wait for the oil to get heated and add mustard seeds.

7.Once the seeds splutters add the ground paste(tomato and chilly paste).Also add required salt at this stage.

8.Let this mixture cook for a while.

9.Wait till the oil leaves the side of the vessel and floats at the top. Switch the stove off at this stage.

10.Serve it as a side dish with hot idlis and chapathis :)

Karuvepillai Kootu

Last weekend my hubby bought fresh curry leaves from the market...The aroma was so delightful and I love this aroma a lot...The first thing that came to ma mind is to prepare "Karuvepillai kottu"...My mom prepares it all the time because she has curry leaves tree at the backyard of my home and that allows her to prepare this dish often...This kootu preparation is not a laborious task...Proceed further to know about the method to prepare this dish.

I am not giving the exact quantity of the ingredients used and it is left to reader’s choice to use their own quantity.

Ingredients:

1.Curry leaves

2.Cooking oil

3.Pepper

4.Dry chilies

5.Tamarind (of a small ball size...If you prefer the kootu to be tangy, then add bit more of tamarind).

6.Mustard seeds

Method:

1.Remove curry leaves and throw the stick away.

2.Wash the leaves well and let it drain for 5 minutes.

3.In a mixi jar add drained curry leaves, tamarind ,dry chilies and peppercorns and grind it to a fine nice paste. Let the paste be so fine.

4.Take a wok and put it in stove. Add sufficient oil(you need to use more oil for this recipe, if you are very much diet conscious then add oil to ur need).

5. Add mustard seeds in the wok. Allow it to splutter.

6.Once the mustard seeds splutters add the ground paste to it(Curry leaves, pepper, tamarind and dry chili paste).

7. Add required salt to this mixture.

8.Allow this paste to boil in the oil and stir occasionally .

9.Wait till the oil comes out from the side of the vessel and starts to float at the top. Switch the stove off at this stage.

10. Cool in and put it in a bottle and you shall refrigerate this mixture for a week.

This kootu goes well with steamed rice. You can also use this as a side dish for Dosa, Idli, Chapathi etc.

My mom says this kottu is rich in iron content and this my favorite kootu anytime...try it out and let me know how it turned out :)