Puli Ingi/Ginger in spicy tamarind gravy-A great way to sneak the ginger into an yummy dish

 

I had so much of ginger left in my fridge and the first dish that came to ma mind was “puli ingi”.Though pealing the skin and cutting it into fine pieces is definitely a tedious process I thought of the outcome and tried ma hand on it for the first time.The outcome was just yummilicious.If ginger is not sneaked in this form I am sure I would not even touch the dish.Thanks to Lakshmi mami who gave us the snape shot of this dish and the very same day I tried it and loved it.

 

Ingredients:

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Ginger	3 big size gingers
mustard seeds	1 tsp
curry leaves	a sprig
asafetida	a generous pinch
turmeric powder	a pinch
tamarind	a small ball size
Green chilies	4
jaggery	a small piece
water	2 cups
oil	2 tsp
Salt	as required

 

Method:

1.Wash and peal the skin of the ginger.Cut it into fine pieces.

2.Cut green chilies into fine pieces.

3.Add water to the tamarind and squeeze juice from it.

4.Take a wok add oil and wait till it gets heated.Add mustard seeds,once it splutters add curry leaves,green chilies and ginger pieces followed by asafetida,salt and turmeric powder.

5.Stir well in medium heat for 5 minutes and then add the tamarind water and change the flame to high.

6.Wait till tamarind water completely boils …when it gets boiled and before the tamarind water gets completely absorbed add jaggery and stir well and wait for it to solve completely.

7.When all the tamarind water is absorbed and the whole mixture turns to solid,switch off the stove.

8.Allow it to cool and store it in airtight container.

 

Notes:

1.You can replace green chilies with chili powder.

2.If you do not want the recipe to be solid you can complete the recipe when it  is at gravy stage.I wanted it to be a solid one and did wait for the tamarind water to get observed.

3.I love to have it as side dish with curd rice

Technorati Tags: ginger recipe,how to make puli ingi,puli ingi,spicy ginger in tamarind gravy,sidedish,sidedish for curd rice,pickles

Home made Sambar powder/Sambar Podi

 

Sambar powder is an essential ingredient in all our households right?I have never seen my mom using store bought powder till date and so is my MIL.When sambar powder is reaching its expiry my mom  immediately prepares the powder in a jiffy and store it for the forthcomings months.Below is the method which my mom uses to prepare sambar podi and the proportions she uses will yield sambhar powder for 3 whole months.You can adjust the proportions according to your nee.

 

Ingredients:

Dry red chilies	1 kg
Coriander seeds	3/4 kg
Split chenna dal	1/4 kg
Tur dal	1/4 kg
Turmeric powder	100g
Pepper corns	100g
Fenugreek seeds	100g

 

Method:

1.Mix all the above ingredients and make it as fine powder.(you can give it in the mill to make it as fine powder).Store it and use it.

Technorati Tags: How to make Sambar powder,podi,Sambar

Corn flour halwa

 

One of the easiest sweet I have ever learnt.I thought Kesari was the easiest sweet that can be made in jiffy but only after making this halwa I felt corn flour halwa is very much easy.I prepared this halwa for  diwali and for the first time and it came out well.Henceforth I am gonna make this halwa often :) Also this sweet does not require too much of ghee and it has only 3 major ingredients.Does it not sound sweet?

 

Ingredients:

 

Corn flour	1 cup
Sugar	1.5 cups
Water	2 cups(approx)
Ghee	2 tsp
Kesari powder	a pinch

 

 

Method:

 

1.Take corn flour,sugar,kesari powder mix it well and add water to form a watery consistency.The batter should be bit more diluted than dosa batter consistency but do not dilute beyond that.

 

2.In a wok add this batter and keep it stove.Stir continuously till the liquid turns to solid mass.Add a tsp of ghee and stir well.At one stage the mass will start separating from the sides.Switch off the stove at this stage.

 

3.Before you start the preparation keep a plate smeared with ghee ready.

4.Add the solid mass into the plate and spread it well.

5.Use a ghee smeared knife and cut the halwa to your desired shapes once the halwa turns warm.Serve it or store it and use it for a day or 2.

 

Notes:

1.You may add the cashews fried in ghee while stirring the liquid mixture.

2.Kesari powder is added for the colour.

 

Technorati Tags: How to make corn flour halwa,corn halwa,halwa

Thattai

Diwali is over yet I have lots and lots of recipes in my draft and wish to post everything.Thattai is one easy recipe if you have all the ingredients ready.Mom makes this savoury item often during festive occasion.When I was in school or college I never had any intention to learn the recipe and was more interested in eating it but after marriage I try to learn all the recipes from my mom.I closely watched my mom while she was making thattais and now I can say I can make it all by my own self :)



Ingredients:

Raw rice flour	5 cups
Urad dal powder	1 tsp
Roasted bengal gram(pottukadalai)	1/2 cup
Red chili powder/Pepper powder	As per you savoury level
Asafetida	1/2 tsp
Curry leaves	a sprig
Butter/dalda	2 tbsp
Chick peas(split)	1/2 tsp
water	to knead
Oil	for frying

Method:



1.Soak the raw rice in water for half an hour and dry the water and spread the rice in a clean cloth for half an hour.Grind the rice to a fine powder


2.In a wok add the rice powder and roast it for 2 minutes without changing the color


3.Grind urad dal and roasted bengal gram each separately into  a fine powder.


4.Soak split chick peas in water for 15 minutes and drain water after 15 minutes and keep it ready.


5.In a wide vessel add rice flour,urad dal powder,roasted bengal gram powder,red chili powder,asafetida,butter and curry leaves and add sufficient water to make a dough which is little loose in consistency than chapathi dough.


6.Take a plastic cover and smear oil in it.


7.Squeeze a small ball of lemon size from the dough and put it in plastic paper and  pat it to circular or close to circular shape.




8.Heat oil in another wok, once heated carefully take the flattened patties in your hand and drop carefully in the oil.Wait till it turns golden colour on both sides.Remove from oil and drain it and serve it or store it in a container.



Notes:


1.You can replace pepper powder for chilli powder as I did.


2.I used dalda but I am very sure that butter will make the recipe still more delicious.


3.I didnot use split chick peas.But you shall include it.

4.I have heard people usig sesame seeds as well for thattai but I did not use it.
5.Using groundnut powder a bit enhances the taste well.

Technorati Tags: thattai recipe,savouries,how to make thattai,diwali snacks,snacks

Coconut Burfi

Coconut burfi is one recipe which requires minimal usage of ghee and this sweet can be prepared in a short span of time.In most of the occassions my mom makes this sweet and this is my favourite too.Now let us see the method of preparation.

Ingredients:

Grated coconut	1 cup
Sugar	1.5 cups
Ghee	1 tsp
Cardamom powder	1 tsp
Water	as required

Method

1.Add sugar in a wide vessel and add water.Add water till the sugar gets immersed.

2.Keep the sugar mixture in a stove and stir it well, till a single thread consistency appears

3.At the same time take a plate and smear ghee in it.

4.Once sugar reaches single thread consistency add the grated coconut and stir continously.

5.At once stage you will find foam bubbling up and the mixture leaving the sides..add cardamom powder and switch off the flame.The mixture would be semi-solid.Do not worry.. once it gets cooled the pieces would become solid.

6.Transfer the coconut mixture to the ghee smeared plate and spread it well.Let it cool for a while.When the mixture becomes warm enough cut it into pieces of your desired shape with a ghee smeared knife.Enjoy the simple but sumptuous sweet.

Vepampoo Rasam/Neem flower rasam

 

My mom says “vepampoo” has got high medicinal value.It cures stomach related illness.Though it tastes bitter it is one recipe that is very much good for health.My mom does not prepares this often but when we have a feast/sumptuous menu then the next day she prepares pepper sambhar and neem flower rasam.Below follows the recipe.

 

Ingredients:

Neem flower	2 tbsp
Tamarind	a small ball size
water	as required
Salt	as required
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Dry red chilies(broken to pieces)	3
Ghee	1 tsp
Curry leaves	a sprig

 

Method:

1.Take a vessel add water and tamarind to it.Squeeze the tamarind and extract juice out of it.Discard the tamarind strands.Add salt to the tamarind water and keep it in the stove.

 

2.Wait till the raw smell of the tamarind vanishes.At this stage switch the stove off.

3.In an another wok add ghee once heated add mustard seeds and wait till it splutters then add broken red chillies followed by neem flower and curry leaves.Wait till neem flower gets roasted to golden color(Do not burn it).Add this seasoning to the tamarind water and serve the rasam hot with steamed rice.

 

Note:

This rasam will taste little bitter because of the neem flower.

 

Technorati Tags: Rasam,how to make neem flower rasm,vepampoo recipe,vepampoo rasam,soup

eBook - "100 Yummy Diwali Recipes” from IndusLadies

IndusLadies has compiled an eBook for this Diwali consisting of "100 Yummy Sweets & Desserts recipes", contributed by various Food Bloggers! Go ahead and download it @ http://www.indusladies.com/100diwalisweet.
Feel free to share it with your family & friends. 
Have a wonderful Diwali!!"

P.S I have downloaded my copy,what are you waiting for!Download your copy soon!

Technorati Tags: ebook,Mycontribution for diwali sweets,Indusladies initiative for diwali

Idli-Staple diet for many!

 

 

Idli remains to be a stable diet for most of the South Indians,I am definitely not exceptional.My hubby can eat Idli for all 365 days.So Idli batter will be prepared every week and twice a day in a week would be devoted to idli and dosa.My mom prepares very soft idlis that puts everyone to awe.The secret behind the soft idlis is the urad dal that we use.Below is the method which my mom uses to prepare idlis.

Ingredients:

Rice(Par boiled)	5 cups
Urad dal	1 cup
Rock Salt	hand full
Water	as required for forming the batter

Method:

 

1.Soak rice and urad dal separately for 1 hour and grind them separately to a fine mixture using little water.

2.Mix both the ground mixture together and  rock salt and stir well.

3.Allow the batter to ferment for 12 hours or overnight.

4.Once after fermentation stir the batter well.

5.Smear the idli plates with oil and add a laddle of the batter in each hole of the idli plate.

6.Steam the batter for 10 minutes or till the idlis are cooked fine.

7.Serve it hot with tomato chutney or any other chutney of your choice.

 

 

Note:

1.The softness of idli depends on the type of urad dal you use.

2.The ratio of urad dal,rice and salt depends totally on the variety you use.The above given measure is a rough estimate and it is sure to vary with the variety.

 

Technorati Tags: breakfast,dinner,tiffin

Aki Roti

I was first introduced to this Karnataka based  “Aki Roti” by my MIL.She prepared it in a jiffy.That was the first time I came to know about this recipe.I have not tried this for long time.All of a sudden I wanted to give it a try and Voila I made it :)




Ingredients:

Rice flour	1 cup
Green chilies finely chopped	1 tsp
Curry leaves finely chopped	a sprig
Coriander leaves finely chopped	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
oil	3 tsp
Grated carrot(optional)	1 tsp
Grated cabbage(optional)	1tsp
Grated coconut(optional)	1tsp
Salt	as required
Water	as required for kneading

Method:


1.Take a wide vessel and add rice flour,chopped green chilies,coriander leaves,curry leaves,cumin seeds and gated carrot,cabbage,coconut(I did not add carrot cabbage and coconut).


2.Form a dough and the consistency is similar to chapathi dough.You must be able to pinch a ball out of it.


3.Take a  banana leaf and smear generous oil in it.


4.Smear oil in your hands and make a ball of dough and put it in the banana leaf.Pat the dough into a round shape or near to round shape with your hands as shown below.



5.Take a griddle and heat it.


6.Carefully invert the banana leaf into the griddle so that the roti sits on the griddle.


7.Drizzle oil around the roti and wait till both the sides of the roti cooks and becomes little golden color.


8.Serve it hot with raitha/pickle/chutney.




Note:


1.You can add your own grated veggies to the roti and make it still more delicious.

Technorati Tags: roti,tiffin

Kesari-an easiest sweet ever!

Kesari:

 

 

 

 

The one sweet that I can say I am very confident of making without any disaster is "Kesari".It is an easy and quick recipe and many a times this particular sweet acts as a saviour when guest arrives without giving any prior notifications.My hubby mocks me by saying I know to make only Kesari when it comes to desserts.I make this sweet often and I mastered it to an extent lol :)Now on the recipe part :)

 

Ingredients:

Rava/Sooji	1 cup
Water	3cups
Sugar	1.5 cup
Ghee	2 tsp
Raisins	few
Cashews	Few
Kesari powder	a pinch
Cardamom powder	a pinch

Method:

1.In a wok dry roast rava/sooji till it attains golden color and nice aroms wafts in your kitchen.Keep in aside.

2.Take a heavy bottom vessel and add the water.Wait till the water boils and vapour starts to come out.

3.Add the sooji slowly into water.Adding slowly will not allow the lumps to form.

4.Stir continously and at a point sooji would be completely boiled and you will not find any traces of water.The mixture would be semi solid.Add Kesari powder at this stage and stir well.Kesari powder is added for the color.

5.Add sugar slowly to avoid lumps.When you add sugar the mixture becomes litte watery.Not to worry.Keep stirring the mixture.

6.When the sugar dissolves completely and the whole mixture becomes semi solid add cardamom powder and  switch off the stove.Because once you cool the mixture would reach solid consistency and it is good to switch off at the semi solid consistency.

7.Roast cashwes and raisins in ghee in a separate wok and add it to the kesari.

8.Add a dollop of ghee around the Kesari and serve it hot.

Note:

1.You would not find any traces of nuts and raisins in ma picture.Yes you are right I ran outta raisins and nuts and so skipped it.But the taste was divine.

2.I have heard people using milk instead of water and making milk kesari.I have not tried.Should probably give it a try.

Technorati Tags: desserts,sweets

100 Diwali sweet recipes from Indus Ladies:

                   Indus Ladies largest community for Indian women is going to compile "100 yummy diwali sweet recipes" for the upcoming diwali on October 26th.It is going to be an ebook and which is going to be available as a free download.

             If you are interested send your recipe to partners@indusladies.com by 8th of October along with your recipe name,blog url link,recipe url link and with the recipe picture.Your recipe will get featured in the ebook.Also you need to do 2 more things.

1.Post a writup about this initiative by Indusladies on your blog so that co-bloggers also can contribute.
2.Point the recipe which you are contributing for the ebook.

I am sending my recipe Jeera Poli

Jeera Poli

Jeera Poli:

            Be it "Avani avattam" or any other function "Poli" remains to be a must menu in our feast."Paal Poli", "Pooran Poli" and "Jeera Poli" are the 3 flavours of Poli which my mom prepares often.I love Paal Poli a lot.During navaratri mom prepares a kheer and a sweet every day and during this navaratri too she prepared lots and lots of sweets.Jeera Poli is one amongst the many.It is one easy sweety recipe which can made in a jiffy if you have all the ingredients ready.Here I go with the method of preparation:

Ingredients:

For making Poli:

Maida/All purpose flour	1 cup+1/4 cup for dusting the balls
Salt	As required
Water	For kneading

For the sugar syrup:

Sugar	1.5 cups
Cardamom powder	1 tsp
Kesari  powder	A pinch

For frying the polis:

Oil	As required for frying the polis

Method:

1.Sieve maida/All purpose flour and add it in a wide vessel.Add required salt to it.

2.Add little water and form a dough.The consistency of dough is smiliar to that of chapathi flour.

3.Leave the dough to rest  for 15 minutes and make small balls out of it.

4.Dust the balls with all purpose flour and make the balls into round chapathis(The very same way as you roll chapathis).

5.In another wok add oil and heat it.

6.Once the oil gets heated add the chapathis made and fry on both sides till it turns golden color and the result is yummy poli.Allow the polis to cool and keep it ready.

7.In a separate wok add the sugar and add water to it.(Add water in such a way that the sugar gets immersed in water).

8.Add cardamom powder and a pinch of kesari powder to the sugar mixture(Kesari powder is added for the color).

9.Wait till the sugar reaches string consistency.(To check for the consistency take a vessel and pour water in it.Add a drop of sugar syrup into the vessel.With your index finger touch the sugar syrup and with the help of your thumb finger see if you can get a string with the sugar syrup.If you are getting it then the sugar has reached the string  consistency else allow the sugar to boil for some more minutes till it attains the consistency).

7.Switch the stove off and allow the sugar syrup to cool.

8.Once the sugar syrup is cooled immerse a poli into the sugar syrup and make sure that the poli is coated with the syrup.Turn  the poli and make it to get coated in other side as well.Drain excess sugar syrup from the poli and store it in a clean container.

9.The jeera poli is ready for serving.

Bindi fry

Bindi Fry/Ladys Finger Fry:

Fried bindi

            My mom make this yummy Bindi fry often as we love to have it with kozhambu or rasam sadham.It is a very simple dish and can be done in few minutes.I never liked ladys finger because of its sticky texture but when it is sneaked it this recipe form I can gobble it.

            To make this dish you need the below ingredients.

Ingredients:

Ladys Finger	10
Besan flour	3 tsp
Red chili powder	1 tsp
Salt	As required
Oil	For frying
Water	to sprinkle

Method:

1.Wash the ladys finger and pat it dry using a clean towel and cut it into fine pieces.

2.In a wide vessel add the cut ladys finer,salt,chili powder and besan flour .Sprinkle water and form a mixture.The mixture should not be semi solid or liquid and should be solid.Allow the mixture to marinate for 5 minutes.

Marinated mixture

3.In a separate wok add oil and allow it to heat.Add the marinated bindi in the oil.(drop the bindis carefully in the oil as we do it for pakoda).

4.Take the fried bindis out from the oil once it gets crispy and golden brown and drain the excess oil.

5.Serve it hot as a side dish for rice