Capsicum Sambar recipe, Paasi paruppu sambar

Capsicum Sambar recipe| Kudamilagai sambar| Paasi paruppu sambar, recipe with step by step pictures, no onion no garlic version of Sambar, pairs well with idli, dosa, pongal and also with rice. We usually add ladies finger, drumstick, small onions, brinjals, Pumpkin to Sambar. During my childhood days, capsicum is a rare thing to find in our place. Also it used to be very expensive too. So whenever we get capsicum in our market, amma makes Capsicum bajji. After i got married and moved to chennai, capsicum used to be available in most of the shops at reasonable price. I was introduced to Capsicum Sambar by my mil. She loves capsicum and puts in aval upma, sambar.. The smell of capsicum sambar used to be so divine for me, i still enjoy making sambar with capsicum.
This sambar i made using yellow moong dal | paasi paruppu. Generally sambar is made using toor dal in our homes. Paasi paruppu sambar is made for Tiffin items like idli, dosa and pongal. Do give this sambar a try and let me know how it turned out.
Also check out my

• Kalyana sambar
• Varuthuaracha sambar

Don't miss to check out the complete collection of No onion no garlic recipes. 

Bonda soup recipe

Bonda soup recipe| Urad dal bonda in moong soup, a popular Karnataka recipe, shared with step by step pictures. I tasted Bonda soup for the first time in a restaurant in Chennai. I loved the taste and wanted to make that at home one day. My friend who is a native of Karnataka passed the recipe to me few weeks back. As Bonda soup is a no onion no garlic recipe, i wanted to post it during this time. It is similar to our Tamil nadu Rasa vadai recipe. I made this during the weekend and it's a huge hit at home. I wanted to take the video but couldn't make it as i made this on  a weekend. Will try to upload when i do it next time. Do give this Bonda soup a  try, it's quite filling a and very tasty recipe. Check out my complete collection of No onion no garlic recipes.

Kozhukattai recipe, How to make Kozhukattai

Kozhukattai recipe in tamil, how to make kozhukattai, Kozhukattai recipe with sweet poornam, made using coconut and jaggery, detailed recipe step by step pictures.
Modakam | Kozhakattai we usually make for Ganesh chaturthi or Varalakshmi nombu. Also during aadi velli and thai velli also we make kozhukattai. I have already posted modakam recipe with video. Generally we use home made rice flour or idiyappam flour for making kozhukattai. I have posted different ways of making kozhakattai maavu. This recipe is made using raw rice, that is the outer poornam is made by grinding the soaked rice into a wet batter. This method gives really super soft kozhukattais and you never get lumps in the dough. Read the entire post thoroughly and go through the tips to get a perfect super soft kozhukattais. The same base works out well for ulundu kozhukattai as well.

Check out my complete collection of Ganesh chaturthi recipes.

Curd murukku recipe, Thayir muruku

Curd murukku | Thayir murukku recipe with step by step pictures and video, a simple murukku using rice flour and sour curd. Even if you are living in a place where you don't have access to any other stuff, you can do it using only rice flour. I loved the taste of sour curd with spices in this murukku. This is similar to the sago murukku which i posted already. The murukku was crispy and the slight sour sour taste added up to the taste. As janmastami is coming up, i thought i will post this easy murukku recipe. Even for diwali also we can make this curd murukku.
Check out my

• Uppu seedai recipe
• Vella seedai recipe
• Besan murukku

Ellu podi recipe

Ellu podi recipe, a simple south Indian podi recipe, perfect accompaniment for rice. I wanted to try this ellu podi recipe for a long time, recently while talking to amma, asked her for the recipe. This ellu podi recipe is a perfect bachelor recipe. Even you can mix this with hot rice and temper with mustard seeds and pack for lunch box too. I have posted some interesting podi recipes in Jeyashri's kitchen. Check out

1. Pavakkai podi
2. Puliyodarai podi

I used white sesame seeds for making this ellu podi, you can use black sesame seeds also.

Vella Sevai, Sweet idiyappam recipe

Vella sevai| sweet idiyappam, idiyappam with jaggery syrup, a traditional dish made using idiyappam or sevai, perfect for neivedyam for pooja. My mom always make sevai using traditional sevai nazhi, so whenever she makes that, apart from making he savory versions, she make this vella sevai too. I always love it but never tried it on my own. Last week when i posted a meal on Jeyashri's kitchen instagram along with this vella sevai, few of them messaged me to share the recipe. So made it today using store bought idiyapam. Do give it a try at home and you can make it for some festival days as a neivedyam.
Also check out some interesting Jaggery based traditional recipe

• Vella puttu recipe
• Vella aval
• Vella dosa

Puli pongal recipe

Puli pongal recipe with step by step pictures and video, a traditional recipe made using Broken rice and tamarind extract. This puli pongal is a no onion no garlic recipe. It tastes similar to puliyodarai but a one pot recipe made using broken rice | arisi kurunai. I haven't tried this but wanted to try it out for a long time. The recipe was shared by a reader of Jeyashri's kitchen, Mrs. Lakshmi, some time back. I used store bought arisi kurunai for making this puli pongal. If you want to make at home, was the rice and drain the water completely. Dry it in a shady place, inside the house for 10- 15 minutes. Pulse this in the mixie and use the kurunai for making puli pongal. Check out my arisi upma recipe to check how to make arisi kurunai at home. Traditionally puli pongal is made in a uruli (heavy bottomed brass vessel), but i made in pressure cooker to make it simple and easy.
Also check out

• Puli upma recipe
• Puli aval recipe

For my readers in Singapore, we get broken rice | arisi kurunai from Sri murugan stores outlets. We can use this kurunai for making puli pongal, arisi upma and pongal too. Sri Murugan stores has a wide range of grocery products, fresh vegetables and fruits. They do home delivery at your door steps. You can place your order through Sri Murugan iOs | android app.

Vella dosai recipe, Jaggery dosai

Vella dosai | Jaggery dosai recipe, easy to make instant dosa recipe with step by step pictures. I love vella dosai, i tasted it for the first time after marriage at one our relatives house. Later when i moved to Singapore one day i suddenly remembered the vella dosai and attempted to make it at home. But it was a flop show. I couldn't get the perfect measurements and so the dosai got struck to the pan. Later i left that idea and moved on. I have posted Vella adai and it turned so well.
Few months back when our instagram friend Madhu posted about her grand mom's vella dosai with measurements, i noted down the measurements. Yesterday while going through the old notes in my phone, i saw this Lachu patti's version of Vella dosai. I want to share the recipe of no fail, instant vella dosai recipe today.

Mor milagai recipe, Sun dried chillies

Mor milagai, Sund dried chillies, also called as Sandige Menasu in karnataka, is a popular sun dried thing made in summer time, using chillies and sour butter milk. My mom regularly makes mor milagai at home during summer season and stores it for a year. Mor milgai is a perfect accompaniment for Curd rice, also we use it for making Puli upma, puli pongal and the raw mango rasam. The chillies are soaked in sour curd and sun dried till they becomes crispy and stored in air tight bottles.  Whenever needed, we fry them in oil and use it.  So why are we soaking the chillies in sour curd, sour curd balances the spiciness of the chillis. I always buy and keep a pack of store bought Mor Milagai from shops. Last month when i went to chennai, i saw a cart full of bright, green Thanjavur milagais, which are used to make this mor milagais, in West mambalam market. Though i don't have terrace or balcony at home, i still got some chillies and packed it carefully and brought it home. Two years back i have attempted making mor milgais at home, when my mom was here, but couldn't dry it completely due to lack of direct sunlight.

I have a friend, who moved to our apartment last year and she lives in a house which has a huge terrace. So kept it at my house for 3 days and later passed it to my friend, and my friend's mother in law took the complete responsibility of drying it to perfect crispiness and returned back to me after a week. Many thanks to her initiative of doing this for me. Here in Singapore we get rains often and so it took a week. For the summer in Chennai it generally gets dried in 3 days. Let's see how to make mor milagai at home.

Vendhaya keerai thokku, Methi leaves thokku

Learn how to make Vendhaya keerai thokku with video and step by step pictures. Methi leaves thokku| vendhaya keerai thokku is a popular no onion no garlic thokku available in Grand sweets chennai. I have tasted this long time back in a friend's place during Navaratri and was too much hooked by its taste. After that i completely forgot about the thokku. Recently while i was seeing the fresh vendhaya keerai in the market, i thought i will try out this vendhaya keerai thokku. As it is holiday season, this Vendhaya keerai will be perfect for long distance travels. Also this is a perfect one to send it for kids who study abroad. They can mix this with rice and have it with plain yogurt too.

In South Indian Thokku varieties, pickle varieties, podi varieties, asafoetida plays a great role in enhancing the taste and flavour. It gives a nice aroma to the dish. I used SSP asafoetida, the no gum added asafoetida, the new shaker bottle and that did a magic in the taste. I have used SSP asafoetida in my coconut hing chutney recipe. This time we get the asafoetida  in a new shaker bottle which is super easy to handle. Asafoetida is used in South Indian cuisines more widely. And in rasam, sambar and kootu recipes it is one of the main taste enhancer.  Though it is slightly priced higher compared to other brands, but a very tiny pinch of  SSP asafoetida gives more flavour to the dish. So if a recipe calls for 1/4 tsp of asafoetida, when you are using SSP perungayam, you can use 1/8th tsp of it. Their products are available Amazon and for my readers in Singapore, you can buy from Saravana stores Singapore, located at Rangoon road. They have a wide range of products and i used Ultra powder asafoetida in this recipe. To buy SSP asafoetida Please visit  Amazon link for purchase and also the SSP pandian website to see about their wide range of products.

Vendhaya keerai thokku

• Recipe Cusine: Indian
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook time: 35 Minutes
• Serves: 1 cup
• Author: Jeyashri
• Recipe Category: Lunch | Dinner| Breakfast
• Description: Learn how to make Vendhaya keerai thokku with video and step by step pictures.

     Vendhaya keerai  2 cups
     Red chili    10-12
     Urad dal  1 tblsp
     Channa dal  1 tblsp
     Dhaniya | coriander seeds  1 tblsp
     Asafoetida | hing  1/4 tsp
    Sesame oil  3 tsp + 2 tblsp
    Salt  as needed
    Tamarind  a small lemon sized.
    Mustard seeds   1/4 tsp
    Jaggery   a small piece

Method  :

• Wash the vendhaya keerai| methi leaves and pat dry it. 
• Take out the leaves and keep it aside. No need to chop the keerai.
• Soak the tamarind in hot water and keep it aside.
• In a pan add 1 tsp oil and add the red chili, coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal and 1/8th tsp of asafoetida. I used SSP powder asafoetida. 
• Saute till the dals turn nice golden colour.
• Once done switch off the flame. 
• Add the venthaya keerai to this. Saute in that heat itself and allow this to cool completely. 
• Let it be in the pan itself. 
• Once it is cool grind this into a fine paste. 
• You can add water to this. I added 1/2 cup of water while grinding. 
• Extract the tamarind juice from the soaked tamarind using 3/4 cup of water.
• In a pan add 2 tblsp sesame oil and add the mustard seeds. 
• Add the 1/8th tsp of asafoetida. 
• Once the mustard splutters add in the tamarind extract. At this stage always simmer the flame or better to switch off an add the tamarind juice. 
• Add the ground vendhaya keerai paste to this. 
• Add salt and the jaggery to this.
• Mix well.
• Cook this in a medium low flame for 10- 15 minutes. 
• The mixture will come to a thokku consistency.
• Do not cook in high flame as this will splutter. 
• Switch off the flame and smear 2 tsp of sesame oil. This step is optional. Add oil only if you want. 
• But it gives a nice glossy texture and enhances the taste. 
• Allow this to cool completely.
• Transfer this in a clean dry jar.
• Store this in the refrigerator. If using for travel, you can easily keep it in room temperature for 2-3 days. As the summer is too high we can't keep it outside for more than 3 days.
• Enjoy the vendhaya keerai thokku with curd rice, idli, dosai and chapathi.
• You can mix this thokku with rice and temper with peanuts and pack for lunch box too. 

Notes:

1. Always keep this thokku in a clean dry jar and use clean dry spoon to handle it.
2. This Vendhaya keerai thokku stays good for 20-25 days in refrigerator.

    

    Video of how to make Vendhaya keerai thokku

        

Method with step by step pictures :

• Wash the vendhaya keerai| methi leaves and pat dry it. 
• Take out the leaves and keep it aside. No need to chop the keerai.
• Soak the tamarind in hot water and keep it aside.
• In a pan add 1 tsp oil and add the red chili, coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal and 1/8th tsp of asafoetida. I used SSP powder asafoetida. 
• Saute till the dals turn nice golden colour.
• Once done switch off the flame. 

• Add the venthaya keerai to this. Saute in that heat itself and allow this to cool completely. 
• Let it be in the pan itself. 

• Once it is cool grind this into a fine paste. 
• You can add water to this. I added 1/2 cup of water while grinding. 

• Extract the tamarind juice from the soaked tamarind using 3/4 cup of water.
• In a pan add 2 tblsp sesame oil and add the mustard seeds. 

• Add the 1/8th tsp of asafoetida. 

• Once the mustard splutters add in the tamarind extract. At this stage always simmer the flame or better to switch off an add the tamarind juice. 

• Add the ground vendhaya keerai paste to this. 
• Add salt and the jaggery to this.

• Mix well. 
• Cook this in a medium low flame for 10- 15 minutes. 
• The mixture will come to a thokku consistency.
• Do not cook in high flame as this will splutter. 
• Switch off the flame and smear 2 tsp of sesame oil. This step is optional. Add oil only if you want. 

• But it gives a nice glossy texture and enhances the taste. 
• Allow this to cool completely.
• Transfer this in a clean dry jar.
• Store this in the refrigerator. If using for travel, you can easily keep it in room temperature for 2-3 days. As the summer is too high we can't keep it outside for more than 3 days.
• Enjoy the vendhaya keerai thokku with curd rice, idli, dosai and chapathi.
• You can mix this thokku with rice and temper with peanuts and pack for lunch box too. 

Notes:

1. Always keep this thokku in a clean dry jar and use clean dry spoon to handle it.
2. This Vendhaya keerai thokku stays good for 20-25 days in refrigerator.
    

Lemon aval recipe, Quick breakfast recipes

Lemon aval recipe| lemon poha is a quick and easy, bachelor friendly breakfast recipe made using poha| aval, with a tangy flavour of lemon.  Most of the days when we are running out of time or out of idli dosa batter, you can make this lemon aval recipe. Even this recipe comes as a savior for weeknight dinner too. I used getti aval | thick poha for this recipe. You can sue red aval too. Thin aval | lacy poha will not work well for this recipe as the poha will not get separated easily when using the thin ones.
Poha| aval| rice flakes are commonly used to make upma and we use it in making idli dosa batter as it gives softness. Also aval is widely used in making payasam, kesari and puttu. I have posted the popular batata poha recipe in jeyashri's kitchen. In the mango season do try the Mango masala poha recipe. Also we have the South Indian version of Milagu aval, puli aval, mor aval and vella aval recipe. Do try this variety of poha recipes from Jeyashri's kitchen and enjoy your breakfast.

Mango Pulihora recipe, Raw mango pulihora

Raw mango pulihora| Mango pulihora| mamadikaya pulihora an easy no onion no garlic chitranna recipe, using raw mango and other freshly ground spices. This South Indian rice variety is a perfect lunch box recipe too. Generally the raw mango rice is called as Mango pulihora. I saw the name in an instagram page some time back and wanted to try this using the spices we use for the Iyengar puliyodarai. As tomorrow is Ugadi festival i thought i will try this Mango pulihora today and share the recipe of the same here.
  Raw mangoes are in season now and generally we make cut mango pickle or avakkai orugai using raw mango. For the Tamil new year and Telugu new year( ugadai pandigai) we make Chitranna| variety rice in the menu along with Mango pachadi and neem flower rasam. Also holige| Obbatu | poli is made in some houses for ugadi | tamil new year. Check out my complete collection of Ugadi |tamil new year festival recipes. 

Magali Kizhangu Urugaai, South Indian pickle

Magali kizhangu urgaai| mahali kizhangu pickle, is a popular tamil brahmin style, zero oil pickle recipe. The Mahali root has lots of health benefits, mainly it helps in purification of blood. When it comes to the taste of the pickle, it has 2 extremes, either people will love it the most or hate to the core. Many don't like even the smell of the magali root. But for the magali pickle lovers it's a heavenly combo with curd rice. Generally curd is added to this pickle and popularly known as Magali thayir oorugai. Though i don't like this magali pickle(yes 😉) i wanted to document this heirloom recipe in jeyashri's kitchen.
My brother in law got this magali kizhangu from West mambalam station road, Chennai.
This Magali pickle recipe comes with an amature video of my mom telling how to make the magali pickle. I was insisting her to tell her on the same day we made the pickle but she was too much tied with other chores and was reluctant to stand for a video. Also i stayed in her place for a day only. Yesterday my sister sent me this video, took from her mobile. Even the step by step pictures are taken by me using mobile as i didn't take my camera during this vacation.
Stay tuned to more pickle recipes coming up in Jeyashri's kitchen.

Chow chow thogayal, Chow chow chutney recipe

Chow chow thogyal recipe| Chow chow chutney is an easy South Indian recipe made using Chayote  squash also called as seema kathrikkai or bangalore kathrikkai. We usually make thengai thogayal at home, which is our family's favorite one. Recently my cousin was asking insisted me to post Chow chow thogayal, which her mom makes so often. I have posted Peerkangai chutney, which is similar to this chow chow chutney recipe. As i am travelling this week i want to share simple recipes, so tried the thogayal and sharing the recipe of the same. It tasted similar to the thengai thogayal.
Do check out the

1. Kovakkai thogayal
2. Raw mango thogayal
3. Kothamalli thogayal

How to season iron tawa, Dosa kallu seasoning

How to season iron tawa, procedure to season iron tawa, with detailed video. This method does not require the usage of rice kanji, seasoning made with simple ingredients. I always have a mind block that seasoning iron pan is a difficult and time consuming thing. Two years back when i bought an iron dosa tawa in Srirangam temple shop, Trichy, the shop keeper told me few easy tips for seasoning it. This method  of seasoning the dosa tawa does not need any arisi kanji. But after i came back to Singapore, i got a Lodge pre seasoned Cast iron tawa from my friend in US. Since it was a pre seasoned one, i started using that from that time and completely forgot about this iron tawa which i bought from Srirangam. Recently, when i met a friend, he was telling that he was looking for iron tawa and it flashed me of the one which i had. I told him that i will do the seasoning and give that iron tawa. Also i planned that i will take a video of How to season iron tawa to document my work. So let's go into the detailed post on How to season iron tawa. Scroll down to see the notes section to find the tips.

Cabbage Paruppu usili recipe

Cabbage paruppu usili, a traditional tamil brahmin recipe, made with lentils and veggies, a perfect accompaniment for rice. Generally we make paruppu usili with beans, broad beans and cluster beans. My mother in law is an expert in making Paruppu usili and she makes Vazhaipoo paruppu usili always. Also i learnt to cook paruppu usili from her only. We always make the steamed version of paruppu usili in our house. Never tasted the non steamed version also never tried at home too. The non steamed version involves little extra oil, so i always prefer the steamed version. But last week i casually tried this version of paruppu usili with beans. It was quite good and shared the picture in Jeyashri's kitchen instagram too. Many asked me for the recipe and here comes the recipe of cabbage paruppu usili with step by step pictures and video.

Do not forget to check the notes section at the end of the post to see the tips.

Kashayam for Cold and Cough, Home remedy

Kashayam for common cold and cough | கஷாயம் in tamil, with a video and step by step pictures, with clear explanations on how to make a Kashayam with easily available ingredients at home and home garden. Generally my mom never gives us any medicine for common cold and cough, as she always says it will last for a week and give us only home remedies. Being a nurse by profession, she never allow us to take medicine for common cold. Later when my kids started growing up i too followed the same practise. For the past few days me and husband are having cough and finally today i made a kashayam at home and i had some time at my disposal and so blogging it too. I am sure many homes follow different methods of kashayam, this is the common one we used to make at home. If you omit one or 2 ingredients also it is fine. I have given alternatives for that in the ingredient table itself.
I got the chitarathai from Sri Murugan stores, Singapore. They have got wide range of nattu marundu products in their shop in small packets. We can store this in the refrigerator for later use. I always buy my monthly grocery from Sri murugan stores and they do home delivery too. We can also order through their Android or iOs mobile app.
Also check out our Inji sorasam and Turmeric milk recipe 

Sambar Podi recipe, Home made sambar masala

Sambar powder recipe| How to make sambar masala at home, South Indian style Sambar masala made using coriander seeds, red chili and other spices used for making sambar, rasam and curries too. Usually we make Sambar powder in bulk and it is grind in mill back in India. I have posted the bulk version of Sambar powder recipe long back, but  is used to get mails for the recipe in small quantity, which can be made at home in small quantity. It was too difficult for me to work on the ratio and proportions and later i forgot. Last 2 weeks i got few messages in social media regarding the same. So i called my mom and we both discussed on the ratio for making sambar podi in small quantity and finally concluded with the measurements. I tried the same at home and it was quite flavourful too. For many readers who live in abroad, we run out of stock, those times this recipe will be handy. You can use the same podi for sambar, rasam, and curries like potato, cauliflower, ladies finger..

Rasam sadham recipe, Rasam rice

Rasam sadham recipe | Rasam recipe a simple and easy one pot meal, recipe with video and step by step pictures. Recently i attended my cousin's wedding in Chennai and the food served on all the 3 days was so awesome and a wide spread too. They served Rasam sadham in one of the dinner menu and it was totally yum. I was so attracted by the simplicity and taste of the dish. The next day i asked the caterer the method of how to make Rasam sadham. He was sweet enough to tell as how it was made. The caterers generally make in big open pot but i chose the pressure cooker method. It turned out so well and my son who never eats rasam, loved this rasam rice. The hot rasam rice and the Arbi fry| seppankizhangu fry on the side made a yummy lunch today. Do try this recipe at home and let me know how it turned out.
Also check out my

• Rasa vadai recipe
• Rasam powder recipe

Millet Kalkandu bath, Pongal special recipes

Millet Kalkandu bath recipe with video and step by step pictures, a popular sweet made during Pongal festival in Tamilnadu. Traditionally we make Sakkarai pongal for pongal festival in Tamilnadu. Sakkarai pongal and Ven pongal is also given as one of the prasadams in temples in most of the places in South India. Kalkandu bath | kalkandu sadam, is a creamy sweet | dessert, made using rice, milk and sugar candy. I have posted kalkandu pongal but this one is with Millets. Varagu gives an excellent replacement of Raw rice. I wanted to make it using panakarkandu| palm candy, but ended up by making millet kalkandu bath. I will try to post the panakalkandu version of pongal too. Though we don't kalkandu pongal on the Pongal festival day, this can me made on the kannu pongal day. Needless to say this is the best neivedyam for Navarati and other traditional festivals.
The addition of milk in this sweet candy pongal makes it more creamier and delicious. You can add some condensed milk in the last to enhance the richness and taste.
I got the Sugar candy | Kalkandu from Sri Murugan stores Singapore. They have both the small and big variety of Kalkandu. Since i used the big variety for making my kalakandu pongal with rice, i chose the small diamond kalkandu. Sri murugan stores has a wide range of Indian grocery and even the millet i used for this pongal is got from there. They deliver island wide and order can be placed through Sri Murugan Android and iOs app too.
Check out my Complete collection of Pongal festival recipes.