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

SPROUTED GREEN MOONG DAL SANDWICH RECIPE

iNDIAN SANDWICH RECIPE.

   Today I am sharing a very easy and healthy breakfast recipe which i made last sunday for breakfast . We all are big fan of sandwich and i normally make sandwiches quite often with the veggies available. This one is  a super hit one and here comes the recipe of sprouted green gram sandwich.

INGREDIENTS:

HOME MADE SPROUTS	3/4 CUP
POTATO	2 NO
CARROT	1/2 NO
ONION	1 NO.
OIL	2 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER	1/4 TSP
CUMIN SEED POWDER	1/4 TSP
GARAM MASALA	2 PINCHES
LEMON JUICE	1/4 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
BUTTER	TO TOAST THE BREAD
CORIANDER LEAVES	FEW

METHOD:

• Boil the potatoes and mash this with your hands.
• Chop the onions and carrots finely.

• In a pan add oil and saute the onions till golden brown.

• Add the carrots, sprouts, salt, red chili powder , cumin seed powder and garam masala.

• Add the mashed potatoes and mix together nicely.
• Switch off the flame and add the chopped coriander leaves ( i didn’t add)and lemon juice. Mix well.
• 
• In a tawa, toast two slices of bread with butter.

• When this becomes golden brown in color,  arrange it in a plate and spread the filling. Use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture.

• Keep the other bread on the top of this.

• If you want this can be cut into triangles.

• Serve with tomato ketchup and enjoy with a glass of juice.

Note:

1. Finely chopped capsicum, grated cauliflower, grated paneer| tofu can also be added to enhance the taste.
2. Garam masala can be replaced with pav bhaji masala.
3. Butter can be skipped while toasting, in that case consume it immediately else it will become dry.
4. I used white bread, you can use whole meal bread also.
5. Green Chutney can be used , inthat case spread this on one side of the bread where you are going to keep the filling, after toasting the bread.