SPICY BUTTER MILK (NEER MOR) RECIPE- SUMMER COOLER.

  Neer Mor or Masala Chaasis prepared usually during rama navami along with Kosumalli and my mom makes this almost everyday during summer. It is a very healthy drink .

INGREDIENTS:

PLAIN YOGURT	1 CUP
WATER	2 CUPS
GREEN CHILI	1 NO
GINGER	1 SMALL PIECE
CORIANDER LEAVES	FEW
CURRY LEAVES	FEW
OIL	FEW DROPS
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
SALT	AS NEEDED

METHOD:

• Grind chili, ginger, coriander leaves, curry leaves coarsely.
• Whisk the yogurt with a hand whisk and add 2 cups of water to this.
• Add the coarsely ground mixture to this and add salt to this.
• Temper with mustard seeds and asafoetida.
• Serve chilled.

KOSUMALLI – CARROT AND CUCUMBER SALAD – RAMA NAVAMI RECIPE

     Kosumalli or kosambari or vada paruppu is a traditional dish prepared in our family during all festivals and grand feasts. During rama navami also they prepare this along with neer mor(spiced butter milk) and panagam. Though i wanted to post the panagam recipe, when i was about to make this i noticed that i was running out of jaggery which is the main ingredient of making panagam. So i headed upon to post the recipe of kosumalli.

Will update stepwise pictures soon.

INGREDIENTS:

YELLOW MOONG DAL	1/4 CUP
CARROT	1 NO
CUCUMBER	1 NO
SALT	AS NEEDED
OIL	1/2 TSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
GREEN CHILLI	1 NO
COCONUT GRATED	1 TBLSP(OPTIONAL)
LEMON JUICE	1 TSP
CORIANDER LEAVES	FEW

METHOD:

• Boil a cup of water nicely and when it comes to a rolling boil, switch off the flame and put the yellow moong dal to this and let this sit for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Drain the water and add the transfer this to a wide bowl.
• Grate the carrots and cucumber and add to the dal.
• Add salt and temper with mustard seeds, green chili , asafoetida and coriander leaves.
• Mix well. Add lemon juice and mix nicely.
• Add the grated coconut(if using) just before serving.

KARUVEPILLAI KUZHAMBHU RECIPE – TAMARIND GRAVY WITH CURRY LEAVES

WITH GARLIC

     As kids are around at home, though i cook something new , i couldn’t take pictures. This recipe was lying in  my draft  and wanted to share this with you.

INGREDIENTS

TAMARIND EXTRACT	2 CUPS( FROM A GOOSEBERRY SIZED LEMON)
RED CHILLI POWDER	1TSP
CORIANDER POWDER	1 TSP
GARLIC	5 PODS
SMALL ONION	7-9 NO
CURRY LEAVES	2 FISTFUL
SESAME OIL	2 TBLSP
TURMERIC POWDER	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	2 PINCHES
SALT	AS NEEDED
JAGGERY	1/4 TSP
FENUGREEK SEEDS( VENDAYAM)	1/4 TSP
CHANNA DAL	1/4 TSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP

 

• Dry roast curry leaves (3 pods)and garlic separately for few minutes.

• In a pan, add oil and throw in the mustard seeds, vendayam, channa dal .
• Peel the skin of garlic and shallots(small onion)

• Add this to the oil and fry them till golden brown.

• Add the tamarind extract and add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Add salt, asafoetida and jaggery to this.

• Grind the roasted garlic and curry leaves into a smooth paste.
• Add to this tamarind gravy and boil nicely in a medium flame, till it reaches a kuzhambhu consistency.

• Enjoy with rice smeared with sesame oil and this taste yum with any type of kootu.

I am going on a break for a week, and this space will be updated as usual as i don’t want to disappoint my readers. Will be back to routine from 2nd of April.

Keep visiting.

PARUPPU PODI RECIPE

Recipe of paruppu podi updated with video.
 Paruppu podi is one of the simplest recipe and we all love this podi with hot rice and papad. any variety of kootu will go will this. Check out my garlic paruppu podi recipe too.


                                              Video of how to make paruppu podi 

Preparation time: 5 mins| Cooking time:15 minutes| Yields: 1/2 cup plus approx.
INGREDIENTS:

TOOR DAL	1/2 CUP
PEPPER CORNS	1 TSP
RED CHILI	2 NO
ASAFOETIDA	1/4 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED

• Dry roast the ingredients till the toor dal turns into a golden brown color.

• When it is cool, grind it into fine powder.

• Enjoy with hot rice.
• Garlic flakes can be added while roasting if you like the garlic flavor in the podi

KOVAKKAI CHUTNEY , KOVAKKAI THOGAIYAL | TINDORA CHUTNEY

Kovakkai Chutney recipe, with video, a chutney with tindora pairs well with rice and with idli and dosa too.   
 A few days back when i was invited for lunch by my friend she made a wonderful platter of Andra Meals. She is a very talented cook and i have learnt a lot of cookery tips from her. In that menu there was a yummy thogaiyal and when she told it was made from tindora| kovakkai i  was so surprised and i took the recipe from her and tried kovakkai chutney today. Hurray! i got the exact taste.


INGREDIENTS: Serves 3-4

KOVAKKAI | TINDORA (CHOPPED)	1 CUP
RED CHILLIS	4 NO
CUMIN SEEDS	1 TSP
CHANNA DAL	1 TSP
URAD DAL	1 TSP
TAMARIND	A SMALL GOOSE BERRY SIZE
COCONUT(GRATED)	2 TBLSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
ONION	1 NO
CORIANDER LEAVES	A HANDFUL
GARLIC	2 cloves
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

 
                                                 Video of how to make Kovakkai thogayal

METHOD:

• In a pan add 1 tsp oil, and throw in the curry leaves, Garlic, channa dal, urad dal, red chili, tamarind and when the dals turn golden brown add the cumin seeds and put off the flame and allow this to cool.

• In the pan, add the kovakkai and cook it covered in a medium flame for 7 to 8 minutes.

• When this cools down, grind it in a mixer along with the roasted dal mix.
• Add coconut while grinding.

• When 3/4 th is done,

• add finely chopped onions and coriander leaves and grind coarsely.
• Add a little of water while grinding.

• If you want just temper with mustard seeds at the last before serving.

• Enjoy with hot rice smeared with oil.

NOTE:

1. This can be had with dosa or chapathis too.
2. I loved the Kovakkai Chutney  with breads too as a spread.

LEMONADE – WITH HOME MADE LEMON SYRUP

   Summer has started and most of us don’t feel like eating anything rather than drinking lots of water and having fruit juices. My mom’s sister makes this lemonade with home made lemon syrup, one for every summer and even my athai also makes this. Suddenly i thought of making this and i asked my mom to pass on the recipe to me from her sister.

INGREDEINTS:

LEMON JUICE(SQUEEZED FROM FRESH LIME)	1 CUP
SUGAR	2 CUPS
GINGER	A BIG PIECE
WATER	2 CUPS
SALT	A PINCH

METHOD:

• Peel the skin of the ginger and roughly chop it.
• Put sugar, water and ginger pieces in a vessel and boil till the sugar comes to one string consistency.

• Put off the flame, cover it  and allow this to completely cool.
• Discard the ginger. Add a pinch of salt.
• Squeeze out lemon juice from fresh lemons.
• Filter this and add to the sugar syrup.

• This yields approximately 2 and 1/4 cup of syrup.

• Store this in a clean glass bottle.
• While serving add 1/4 portion of lemon syrup to 1 portion of water.
• Add a tblsp of extra syrup if you want more.
• Mint leaves can be added while serving and fresh lemon wedges can also be added while serving.

NOTE:

1. Never add the lemon juice when the syrup is hot or warm.
2. Do not squeeze out too much of  juice from the lemon. This will give a bitter taste to the lemonade.
3. This syrup if properly handled will stay good in refrigerator for 30 to 45 days

EGGLESS BANANA BREAD – NO EGG NO BUTTER BREAD RECIPE

Recipe of banana bread updated with video    
 I was searching for a eggless banana bread recipe for a long time but somehow when i saw this recipe  here, i tried this and the out come was so amazing and i am trying this for the fourth time and the first time when i tried i tried with all purpose flour, and later i tried replacing half with whole wheat flour and replaced brown sugar with white sugar. Each version tasted so yummy in its own way and kids enjoyed this thoroughly.

INGREDIENTS:

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR	3/4 CUP
MAIDA| ALL PURPOSE FLOUR	1/2 CUP
BANANA	2 (I used the long one)
BROWN SUGAR | WHITE SUGAR	3/4 CUP
YOGURT	2 TBLSP
MILK	1/4 CUP
OIL	4 TBLSP
SALT	1/4 TSP
VANILA ESSENCE	1 TSP
BAKING SODA	1 TSP
RAISINS	A HAND FUL
ALMONDS( CHOPPED)	1/4 CUP( OPTIONAL)

                                            Video of how to make banana bread

   

• Blend the banana in a mixer or mash nicely with your hands.
• Mix this banana puree along with sugar, milk, yogurt, vanilla essence, oil and salt.
• Sift the flours along with baking soda for even mixing.
• Add this wet ingredient mix to the flours and mix gently and evenly.

• Add raisins and chopped almonds(if using). Mix evenly.

• Grease a bread loaf pan and transfer the batter to this pan.
• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius and bake for 40 minutes.
• Mine got done in 35 minutes.
• Check inserting a tooth pick and if comes out clean the bread is done.

• This can be  baked as a cake also ( if you don’t have a bread loaf pan)

BABY POTATO FRY – MINT FLAVORED - NO ONION NO GARLIC

   It has been a very long time i have cooked baby potatoes. I have book marked this recipe from shanthi’s space and when i saw these cute potatoes few days ago in the vegetable shop i bought and made this for yesterday’s lunch and we enjoyed this delicious curry with mysore rasam(recipe coming soon).

RECIPE SOURCE:SHANTHI'S THALIGAI
INGREDIENTS:

BABY POTATOES	20
MINT LEAVES	1 FISTFUL
CORIANDER LEAVES	1 FISTFUL
CUMIN SEEDS	1/4 TSP
GREEN CHILLI	1 NO
BLACK PEPPER POWDER	1/4 TSP
KASTURI METHI	1/2 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
OIL	2 TBLSP

METHOD:

• Boil the potatoes and peel the skin and prick them with a fork.

• Grind the mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chilies into a fine paste. Add salt to this and mix this with the boiled potatoes. Let this sit for 1/2 an hour in the refrigerator.

• In a pan, add oil and throw in the cumin seeds and when it crackles add the marinated potatoes.
• Fry until you see the golden spot on the potatoes.
• Add the pepper powder and the crushed kasuri methi to this and stir well.

• Enjoy with any rice. This can be had as a starter too.

• As we everybody were waiting to have food, i clicked only these 3 pictures. Will update with some good pictures when i make next time

DRUMSTICK KOOTU | MURUNGAKKAI KOOTU RECIPE

This kootu recipe is the one which i cooked for the first time when i was in 10 th standard. Right from my childhood i am fond of cooking and helping my mom in cooking. This drumstick is one of my most favorite recipe and one day i assisted my mom in making this drumstick kootu.  My father appreciated me so much as the kootu tasted the same as the one my grand mom(father’s dad) makes. He always says the touch of my hands in cooking reminds him of his mother.

INGREDIENTS:

DRUMSTICK	3 NO
COOKED MOONG DAL	1 CUP
SAMBAR POWDER	1 AND 1/4 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER	A PINCH
SALT	AS NEEDED
COCONUT OIL	2 TSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
COCONUT(GRATED)	3 TBLSP
CUMIN SEEDS	1/2 TSP
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

METHOD:

• Cut the drumstick into small size (2 inches size)
• Cook this in a pan with a cup of water and add the sambar powder , turmeric powder and salt to this.

• Pressure cook 1/2 cup of moong dal with a pinch of turmeric.
• Grind the coconut and cumin seeds into fine paste adding little water.
• When the drumstick gets cooked , add the cooked moong dal and the ground coconut mixture to this.

• Mix well and bring it to a boil.
• Temper with mustard seeds ,asafoetida and curry leaves.

• Enjoy this with plain rice and papad.

• If you feel the gravy is little thin add a tsp of rice flour in water and mix without any lumps. Add this to the boiling kootu to make this to rech right consistency