Tamilzhar samyal Tuesday

Sakkarai Pongal with Jaggery ( Pongal spl )

January 14, 2014 By

Pongal / Makar sakranti is celebrated all over India but as am a Chennaite I used to enjoy those pongal holidays a lot. We used to get 4 days holidays and lots special program in TV was so much fun . Other than that our neighbors used to share all those yummy treats they made for pongal . Sugar cane is another reason why i love pongal festival ,I just love to enjoy the juicy sugar canes which i miss today. Pongal / Makar sakratri is winter harvest festival celebrated all over India by different names . As am a north indian we make sweet and savory vada’s but in Tamil nadu it is celebrated for 4 days – Bhogi, Thai pongal, Mattu pongal , Kaanam pongal each day has it own significance.

People make sweet savory pongal varieties and vadas this day , served ( bhog/ padayal) to god then they enjoy the festival with family. On the last day thats is on kaanam pongal with family they have a fun time at beach or some entertaining places like to watch movie etc . So this festival bring so many happy faces to enjoy !! So I made sakkarai pongal and masala vadai for this auspicious day 🙂 Wish you have a very happy pongal / makar sakrantri 🙂 ..Ok now over to the recipe..

Ingredients

Moong dal – 1/4 cup
Rice – 1/2 cup
Milk – 1 cup
Water – 1 1/2 cup
Ghee – 3- 4 tbsp
Cashew nut – 4-5 Nos
Raisins – 3-4 Nos
Jaggery pd – 1 cup
Cardamom pd – a pinch

Method

Wash and Soak rice and dal for 15 mins.
Drain the water from rice and dal , In a pressure put rice , dal, water ad milk.
Pressure cook them for 3- 4 whistles then turn off the flame .
After the pressure subsides open the lid and and mash them well with a ladle.
In a sauce pan take the jaggery pd and 1/2 cup water , boil them till one string consistency .
To check the one string just drop the syrup with a ladle it should form a string while flows drown.
After it attains the one string consistency add the syrup to the cooked and mashed rice and dal also add the cardamom pd .
In a low flame mix them well till well combined and add ghee .
Cook them for 2 mins while mixing them .

In a another sauce pan heat 1 tbsp ghee and saute cashews and raisins till they turn slight brown .
Transfer the roasted cashews and raisins to the pongal and mix well.
Enjoy them warm!!

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh .

Chettinadu Kuzhi Paniyaram ( With Idli Batter)

December 25, 2013 By

I love chettinadu foods a lot and mainly the kara paniyaram which i use to enjoy in the restaurants back in chennai 🙂 I always love to hear the sizzling sound the paniyarams make when the are poured in to the paniyaram pan . I make them most often at home and we enjoy them a tea time snack warm with tomato chutney. Panitarams are one among the array of delicious food from chettinadu cuisine and this is an super simple way i make them at home.

This is the most loved by my H and he keeps on telling me make them again n again .He gives me a lot of compliments for this one especially This recipe I experiment first for French dosa toast when my H told me that it tastes just like paniyaram I thought of making them as a paniyaram and here am with this crispy and delicious paniyaram . We usually like the over part of paniyaram little crispy and spongy inner part so i fried them to light golden brown but if you like the outer part to be soft too then you can fry them lighter .For serving you can serve them with any chutney but we love to have them dipped in sambhar like sambhar idli we like sambhar paniyaram too..so lets move on to the recipe . Check Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 35

Ingredients

Idli Batter – 2 cups
Onion – 1 medium size ( Chopped)
Green chilles – 2- 3 No ( chopped)
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Urad dal / black gram dal – 1 tbsp
Channa dal / bengal gram dal – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Oil – 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds after they splutter add curry leaves.
Add urad dal and channa dal saute them til they turn light brown in color.
Then add onion , green chilles and saute the till translucent.
Switch of the flame and transfer the mixture on to the batter add required amount of salt and mix them well.
Now add one tsp of oil in each hollow of the paniyaram pan and heat them .
After the oil in hot simmer the flame and add a tsp or so of batter in each kuzhi / Hollow.
Cook the paniyarams both the sides till light brown. Use a skewer to turn them.
Enjoy hot paniyarams an a snack or breakfast with any chutney :).

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh .

Arisi paruppu sadam /Arisemparupu ( Kongunadu cuisine )

December 11, 2013 By

Today am here with a kongu nadu recipe which is one of my fav region from tamil nadu I love to cook and enjoy the kongu nadu recipes . Have seen this delicious rice preparation in a friends home and they tasted yumm . Kongunadu is an western region in Tamil nadu and the food has a slight variation too. Arisemparupu, famously known only in Kongu region is an one pot meal which is quick to make and has its own goodness in taste. My H loved this delicious arisemparupu and make them again N again . This is a very very quick to make one pot meal which taste so yummy and I served this yummy rice with Potato vadhakal . Lets move to the recipe quickly !!

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup
Toor / Tuvar dal – 1/2 cup
Whole Red chilli – 2 No
Green chilli – 2 No ( split)
Channa dal – 1 tbsp
Urad dal – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 No Medium size ( Chopped)
Tomato – 1 No large size ( Chopped)
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Sambhar pd – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Water – 3 – 4 cups or as required
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

In a pressure cooker heat oil add mustard seeds, once they splutter add curry leaves, urad dal, channa dal .
Saute them till they are light brown in color.Add ginger garlic paste , green chillies and whole redchillis and saute .
Add the chopped onion and saute them for a while till they turn translucent .
Now add tomatoes and cook them till they turn mushy.
Add sambhar pd ,turmeric pd , salt and mix well .
Now add the washed rice and toovar dal and mix well.
Add required amount of water to cook them in pressure cooker I used 3 1/2 cup water here.
Close the lid and cook the rice for 2 to 3 whistles.
Once the pressur subsides open the lid and mix the rice gently .
Serve them hot with potato fry or any stir fry.

Sending to Jagruti’s Potluck party

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh .

Urulai kizhangu vadhakal / Potato stir fry

November 27, 2013 By

I love to drink soup in a rainy day and so it rained and I made our very own south Indian soup for lunch today and thinking of what to do for side dish I made my fav potato fry . This is my fav side from my child hood , My mom used to tell If I and bro had this potato fry as a side you both used to finish your food with in minutes but still I and my bro never used to have this fry as a side we just used to finish the food and atlast had these fry so that we don’t miss the delicious taste of it :). Potato fry goes so well with almost every rice and i love them as is too . While thinking of Tamizhar samayal this week I thought of sharing this very simple and easy to make tamil nadu spl urulai kizhangu vadhakal which is so simple to make with very less ingredients. So without any futher ado lets move on to the delicious and crispy vadhakal recipe.

Ingredients

Potato – I No ( Big )
Sambhar pd- 1 tbsp
Red chilli pd – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Cumin pd – 1/4 tsp
Coriander pd – 1/4 tsp ( optional)
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/4tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves – for garnish
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Oil – 2 tbsp

Method

Chop the potatoes in to small cubes.
In a pan heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds .
After they splutter add curry leaves , chopped potatoes and saute for few seconds .
Add turmeric and salt and saute them well til the potatoes are half done .

Now Add sambhar pd, red chilli pd, cumin pd , coriander pd and stir them well .
Simmer the flame and saute them well till they are fully covered with masala and attains a little crispy outer .
This might take 20 – 30 mins so keep on stiring in regular interval in a very low flame .
Once the potatoes are fully covered with masala and attain a little crispy outer part switch off the flame .

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with warm Rasam rice or it can be a great side dish for dal chawal/ curd rice even.

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh .

Mor Kali / Mor Kuzhu – Tamil nadu spl

November 12, 2013 By

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When I was thinking about what to make for Tamizhar samayal tuesday I was so eager make the koozhu which my neighbour used to share with us every year but due to no proper ingredient i was unable make it this time . So I wanted to share an easy breezy recipe for this week tamizhar samayal . As am a chennaite I have learned some recipes and known few recipes from my neighbours and friends back in chennai. One such Breakfast variety i have heard about this from a neighbor.

This is a very quick and easy to make breakfast or you can enjoy it anytime . Mor kali is name of this traditional tamil nadu dish which is prepared with buttermilk and rice flour and the main ingredient in this which makes it more interesting is Mor milagai . Mor milagai or curd chilli is my all time favorite with buttermilk rice or curd rice . Mor milgai is nothing but chillies are soaked in buttermilk overnight and the those chillies are dried under the sun light til they are dried and crispy . Now these curd chillies are sauteed in oil till they under brown and then they can be had as is or as a side for buttermilk rice . Now adding this curd chilli to this Mor kalli is an yummy way to bring the authentic taste but you can add green chilli or dry red chillies. They are generally gooey and tangy / sour because of the butter milk in it to taste but very very delicious though . Lets move to this traditional tamil nadu breakfast or tiffin variety which is super quick to make.

Ingredients

Buttermilk – 1 1/2 cup ( preferably made with sour curd)
Rice flour – 1 cup
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Urad dal / black gram dal – 1 tbsp
Channa dal / Bengal gram dal – 1 tsp
Mor Milagai / Dry red chilli – 2-3 No’s
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Asafoetida – a pinch
oil – 1 tbsp
salt to taste

Method

In a bowl add buttermilk, rice flour and salt. Mix them well and form a smooth batter with out any lumps
Heat oil in a sauce pan , add mustard seeds after they splutter add asafoetida curry leaves,urad dal , channa dal.
Saute till they turn light brown then add mor milagai and saute till the turn light brown too.
Now add the buttermilk mixture and cook them in a low flame.
A one stage they come together as a mass like a soft dough .
Transfer this mixture to greased tray and cool then cut them into desired shape and serve warm.

This doesn’t require any side dish but if you like you can accompany this with pickle.

Tips

You can also set them in individual bowls and serve them.
They taste good when they are had warm .
If you don’t find mor milagai you can use dry red chillies even

If the curd you are using i s not sour add extra curd and make butter milk out of it. As this kali is required to be tangy .

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh .

Makkan Peda – Arcot spl sweet

October 22, 2013 By

Makkan peda are very very famous sweet in Arcot I first heard about this sweet in an regional tamil TV show where she used khoa for making them but I have experimented this cheat recipe for makkan peda if you are out of khoa available 😉 . I have made use of Instant home made khoa by using milk pd and cream which can an be prepared in minutes and can be used in any dessert which calls for khoa . I made the authentic Arcot , Tamil Nadu spl Makkan peda with this Instant and quick to make khoa . I was so happy after seeing the results . I bet No one will find out you have made this sweet with milk pd and cream . My H was asking me whether you made this with khoa isn’t it ??? 😉 so it tastes very very similar and thus I invented a cheat recipe for makkan peda today :).

Makkan Peda is a very popular sweet in arcot, tamil nadu ( south India) mainly in Northern part of arcot and also famous by the name of Arcot sweet . This delicious sweet is similar to khoa gulab jamun but they are given peda shape . A traditionally this sweet is made with home made khoa which is made by thickening milk in low flame till form a mass , which is a very long process.So using Milk pd and cream will make it much more easier and very quick to make .This sweet is an integrate part of arcot tradition which prepared there from generations over there and each every sweet stall will have this peda on their menu. some dry fruits are stuffed in this peda traditionally but as have done the cheat version I haven’t tried stuffing them but you can do so. My cheat method was so liked by H and he was so immersed and glad to taste this tamil nadu arcot sweet at home 🙂 They turned out super soft and delicious . Let move on to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday spl recipe – Makkan Peda

Ingredients

For Peda

Milk pd ( I used Instant Non fat Milk pd) – 1 cup
Heavy cream – 1/2 cup
Maida – 2 tbsp ( If you feel the dough is very loose after adding it to khoa and mixing them only then add extra maida else not required)
Baking soda – A pinch

For Sugar syrup

1 1/2 cup – sugar
1/4 cup – water
saffron – few strands
cardamon pd – 1/4 tsp

To garnish

Chopped nuts ( almonds, pistachios and cashews)

Method

To make Pedas

In a pan put cream and milk powder give it a mix.
Now turn on the stove and stir them constantly till they form a mass without any lumps and doesn’t stick to the pan anymore.
Switch of the flame and transfer this to another bowl.
Now let the khoa sit till it cools down a bit and is easy to handle .
After the khoa cools down a bit add maida, baking soda and knead well to form a smooth dough .
If the dough is crumbly you can add few drops of water to make it smooth .
Divide the dough into equal sized balls and form disc shape and set aside covered.

For sugar syrup

To prepare sugar syrup put sugar and water in a saucepan and heat it.
Boil them till all the sugar is melted no need to see for one or two string consistency for this .
Heat the syrup till it bubbles well and is a bit thick.
Add saffron strands and cardamom pd and switch of the flame .

How to proceed

Now heat oil in a kadai and start frying the pedas in a low flame one by one till they turn golden brown from both sides.
Once they are fried and golden brown immediately remove the pedas from oil with a ladle and transfer it to the Hot syrup ( The syrup should be hot still).
Do this till all the pedas are fried and immersed in to sugar syrup
Let the pedas sit in sugar syrup till the pedas are well absorbed with syrup.
It will take less time for pedas to absorb the syrup as the Hot pedas are immersed in Hot syrup so it helps in absorbing the syrup soon.
Serve the Makkan pedas with little sugar syrup and garnished with some chopped nut .

Tips

While making Instant khoa that is while heating up milk pd and cream stir them constantly less it might burn .
Knead the pedas well and form them in to a smooth dough. Don’t get tempted to add water in go just a drops and try to form a smooth dough.
Fry the peda’s in a very low flame till golden brown . These are very soft so be cautious while frying.
Sugar syrup doesn’t need any one or two consistency when it starts bubbling then your syrup is ready.
You can also make you of fresh khoa if have instead of milk pd and cream . You can just milk maida , baking soda and form a dough with it too by adding little water .
To avoid cracks while shaping them you can grease your palms lightly .

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh .

Sending to cooks joy

Madras Masala Paal

October 8, 2013 By

Yesterday it was so raining and was so pleasant, I thought something warm to drink would make it more pleasant so made this Madras spl Masala paal . I have tasted this Milk in saravana bhavan , chennai a decade ago. This is a very healthy and flavorful drink which is most popular in Tamil nadu . So for todays Tamizhar samayal I wanted to make this yummy and delicious drink perfect for rainy days and winter .

Masala paal is a south indian rich and healthy drink which can be had by any aged people . This healthy drink is always served Hot in winters so that the heat of the spices in this milk keeps us warm. I love this delicious drink warm in rainy days !! Lets move on to the authentic drink from Madras aka Chennai :)..

Ingredients

Badam – 8-9 No’s
Cashews- 4-5 No’s
Pistachios – 2-3 No’s
Milk – 2 cups
Pepper pd – a pinch
Cloves – 3 No’s
Cinnamon stick – 1″
Cardamom – 3 No’s
Sugar – 1/4 cup ( adjust to your taste)
Saffron – few strands
Turmeric – a pinch (optional)

Method

Blanch the almonds and remove the skin.
In a blender grind badam, cashew and pistachio with little water into smooth paste and keep it aside.
In a saucepan heat the milk , Once it starts boiling add cinnamon , cloves, cardamom , saffron and lower the flame to simmer.
Now boil the milk in simmer with all these spices till it reduces a bit and becomes a little thick.
Constantly stir the milk as it might burn in the bottom .
After it thickens add the ground nuts paste to the milk and stir them .
Boil it for a while ,till the nuts paste is well combined to the milk.

Switch off the flame and let them cool a bit.
Strain in a glass and serve the warm.

Tips

If you want you can add some chopped nuts to the drink even.
Adjust the sugar level to your taste.

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh .

Thirunelvelli Sodhi / Mappulai Sodhi And Thogayal with inji (Nellai Spl )

September 24, 2013 By

Today am sharing an traditional and authentic recipes originated from Nellai/ Thirunelvelli , Tamil nadu . We know thirunelvelli halwa is very famous next to halwa comes this very comforting and popular festival recipe. For today’s letter T I have chosen an Thirunelvelli/ Nellai , Tamil nadu spl Sodhi with Thogayal.

Sodhi is a very famous dish in thirunelvelli as they are a part of the menu in marriages. In marriages they have two day fair in which the groom / Boy side family Host the next day meal and prepares this sodhi for Girls / Bride’s family ( For thanking ) so they name this dish as “Mappulai sodhi”. As this stew is cooked in coconut milk they are generally heavy and are accompanied with ginger thogayal for easy digestion.

As you all be knowing there is a new group TST ( Tamizhar samayal Tuesday ) I was thinking a lot and came up with this authentic thirunelvelli / Nellai spl gravy from Tamil nadu 🙂 and Luckily It matched my BM theme too so linking it Both the events.

Lets move on to the recipe of nellai spl Sodhi and Inji thogayal.

Ingredients

Coconut milk (thick) – 1/2 cup
Moong Dhal boiled -1/2 cup
Lemon juice-1 tbsp (squeezed from fresh lemon)
Carrots-1 No ( chopped)
Drum stick- 1 No ( cut in to 2 – 3 inch length)
Potato-1 No ( Chopped)
Onion -1 No ( Medium sized chopped)
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp

To grind

Grated coconut 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Green chillies 2-3

Method

Take the coconut milk (I used the canned thick coconut milk), and dilute it in water to make one can of thin coconut milk about 1- 2 cups and let the vegetables cook in the diluted coconut milk in a pan. Cook till the veggies are nice and soft then it aside. In a pressure cook moong dal with little water for 3 whistles.

Grind the ingredients Under “To grind”.
Now In another pan heat oil add chopped oinion saute for a while then add ginger garlic paste and saute them well.

Add the boiled veggie with coconut milk and let them boil.
Add the ground paste and cook them for a while.
Now add the cooked Moong dhal with turmeric pd ( mash the dhal well before adding ) and bring it to nice boil.
Switch of the stove after they boil for few Minutes .
When Sodhi cools down add salt and lemon juice .
Heat oil in a pan add mustard, curry leaves and urad dhal . Transfer this tempering to sodhi.

Note: Try not to heat the sodhi and have it with piping hot rice or idiyappam.

Sodhi is normally is made for lunch as it is a very heavy dish, but it taste awesome the night it is cooked and they also go well with plain idiyappam.

Inji / Ginger Thogayal

Ingredients

Ginger – 1 finger size ( chopped)
Red chilli – 2-3 No’s
Coconut – 2 tbsp (grated)
Salt to taste
Jaggery (powdered) – 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds – 1/4 tsp
Tamarind – 1 small marble size soaked in water and extracted.
Oil – 1 tbsp
Urad dal – 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method

Heat a pan, dry roast red chilly, Coriander seeds and coconut .
Grind the all the roasted ingredients along with chopped ginger by adding little amt of water to make them in to paste.
Add the thick tamarind extract and salt and let it blend for a second.
In a pan with oil, temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, Urad dhal and add the mixture and let it boil for in medium flame till the sides leave out oil.
Just before you take it off the stove, add a jaggery and Mix well.