PULI AVAL (UPMA)RECIPE |TAMARIND POHA

   I am just back after 2 weeks break and still not in a mood to enter into the kitchen and to add up my friends are pampering me to take rest and sending me food for the past 2 days. So finally today i made a simple breakfast with aval| poha| rice flakes, which my mom makes very often. I have already posted a similar kind of puli upma with rice flour. Click Here for the recipe. This is a easy breakfast recipe and can be made in a jiffy.

I thank all my fellow bloggers who visited my space in my absence and commented on my recipes. Soon I will catch up with all the yummy recipes which i missed out.

THICK POHA	1 CUP
THICK TAMARIND EXTRACT	4-5 TBLSP
OIL	2 TSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
URAD DAL	1/4 TSP
CHANNA DAL	1/4 TSP
PEANUTS	1- 2 TBLSP
RED CHILLI	2 NO
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
TURMERIC POWDER	A PINCH
SALT	AS NEEDED

• Wash the poha | aval and drain the water.
• Make a thick extract from a small goose berry sized tamarind . I used the Store bought tamarind paste( 1 tsp)
• If using tamarind paste, mix this well with 4 tblsp of water.

• Add this to the washed poha and mix evenly.

• In a pan add oil and throw in the mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, peanuts and red chilli .
• When the mustard seeds splutter and the dals turn brown.
• Add in the turmeric powder , salt and asafoetida.

• Add the tamrind poha mixture to this and mix gently.
• If you feel it is dry just sprinkle few drops of water.
• Garnish with curry leaves.

• Always serve this hot with roasted papad.

MANGO LASSI RECIPE | MANGO YOGURT SMOOTHIE

  Though i love to eat mango as it is, my kids wanted mango lassi after tasting many times in restaurants. So I made for them and i am sharing the  recipe of mango lassi.

INGREDIENTS:( FOR SINGLE SERVING)

MANGO PIECES	1 CUP
YOGURT	3 TBLSP
MILK	1/4 CUP
WATER	3-4 TBLSP
SUGAR	1-2 TBLSP
CARDAMOM POWDER	A PINCH

• Blend all the ingredients in a mixer and serve immediately.
• I used chilled milk. Always ensure that the milk should not be warm too.
• This will make the lassi curdle.
• Adjust the sugar according to the sweetness of the mango.
• Never use sour curd.

AVARAKKAI PORICHA KUZHAMBHU RECIPE| PORICHA KUZHAMBHU RECIPES

   Poricha kuzhambhu | kootu is a usual one which we make at home almost every week. Usually i make this as an accompaniment for rice and Vatha kuzhambhu. You can even mix this with rice and enjoy with papad and pickle.

Poricha kuzhambhu can be made with any veggies likes chow chow,beans and even with mixed veggies too. Today I am sharing the recipe of avarakkai (broad beans)poricha kuzhambhu.

INGREDIENTS:

CHOPPED BROAD BEANS(AVARAKKAI)	1 CUP
YELLOW MOONG DAL	1/3 CUP
TURMERIC POWDER	A PINCH
SALT	AS NEEDED
COCONUT OIL | SUNFLOWER OIL	2 TSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP

TO GRIND:

URAD DAL	1 TBLSP
RED CHILLI	2 NO
PEPPER	6-7 NO
CUMIN SEEDS	1/4 TSP
COCONUT SHREDDED	3 TBLSP

METHOD:

• Roast the ingredients given the “To grind " table with little oil.
• When it becomes cool, grind this into a smooth paste adding little water to this.

• Wash and cook the avarakkai and moong dal and in pressure cooker for 3 whistles, by adding salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Add 3/4 cup of water to the dal and veggie while cooking.

• In a pan add oil and throw in the mustard seeds and when it splutters andd a pinch of asafoetida to this.
• Add the cooked dal and veggie to this and mix well.

• Now add the ground ingredients  to this and mix well .

• Add little water to reach the right consistency. Garnish with curry leaves.

Note:

1. If the kootu becomes watery, just mix 1 tblsp of rice flour in water, without any lumps and add to the kootu before and boil this in a medium flame for a minute.

Technorati Tags: broad beans kootu,avarakkai recipes,poricha kootu recipes,Tamil brahmin recipes,poricha kuzhambhu recipes,healthy recipes,south indian recipes

Vengaya Sambar recipe, Arachuvitta vengaya sambar

SAMBAR WITH FRESH GROUND MASALA

Recipe updated with video

     “Vengaya sambar-  Arachuvitta vengaya sambar is a tasty sambar
recipe made using freshly ground Sambar masala, a lentil-based onion gravy, cooked in tamarind sauce, popular in the South Indian cuisine. Addition of shallots to this sambar gives a delicious aroma. My mother used to make this Arachuvitta vengaya sambar whenever we had guests at home, especially newly-weds. She used to brilliantly make this along with Urulai Kizhangu fry, appalam and tomato rasam. To this day, we have a special soft corner for this sambar. Over to my mother’s version of this recipe.
Also check out my

• Vendakkai sambar recipe
• Kalyana sambar

INGREDIENTS: ( SERVES 4-5) | Preparation time: 40 minutes

TOOR DAL	1/2 CUP
TAMARIND EXTRACT	1 CUP
SAMBAR POWDER	1 AND 1/2 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER	1/4 TSP
SAMBAR ONION| SHALLOTS	1/2 CUP
CORIANDER SEEDS	1 TBLSP
CHANNA DAL	1 TBLSP
RED CHILLI	2+ 1
COCONUT SHREDDED	2 TBLSP
OIL	1 TBLSP
ASAFOETIDA	2 PINCHES
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
VENDHAYAM |METHI SEEDS	1/8 TSP
SALT	TO TASTE
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

                       Video of how to make chinna vengaya sambar

METHOD:

• Cook the toor dal with 1 and 1/2 cup of water and a pinch of turmeric powder in pressure cook till 3 whistles.

• Peel the skin of the onions and  wash this nicely.

• Make tamarind extract from a gooseberry sized tamarind soaked in hot water.

• In a pan add oil and throw in the mustard seeds , fenugreek seeds (if adding) and 1 red chilli broken into pieces.

• Add the sambar onion and saute in a medium low flame till the onions become  turned golden brown.

• Add the tamarind extract and add sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida and let this boil till the onions become soft and gets cooked. Do this in a medium low flame.

• Meanwhile in a small pan, add a tsp of oil and roast the channa dal, coriander seeds, redchillis till they become golden brown. When it is done add coconut to this and allow this to cool.

• Grind this into a smooth paste adding little water and keep aside.

• Add the cooked toordal to the boiling tamarind mixture and add the ground masala to this and mix gently.

• Add little water to reach the right sambar consistency.
• Add 1/2 tsp of jaggery . It's optional only. Feel free to omit.
• Bring this to a nice boil without getting the sambar burnt at the bottom.
• Garnish with curry leaves.
• Serve hot with rice and Potato curry

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE RECIPE

   Last week I bought a box of strawberry to make a fruit salad for a kids party near the poolside and i was left over with few strawberries and when i was thinking of making Strawberry smoothie, Varsha gave the idea of making milkshake and even i thought to go ahead with that idea so that i can click the picture for a post too.

    I added store bought strawberry milk and Hershey’s strawberry syrup too. You can add Home made strawberry Ice cream too, to make it more rich and thick.

 

INGREDIENTS( FOR 2 SERVINGS)

STRAWBERRY	7-8 NO
STRAWBERRY MILK | PLAIN MILK	1 CUP
SUGAR	1-2 TBLSP
WATER	2-3 TBLSP
STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM	1 SCOOP ( OPTIONAL)
HERSHEY’S STRAWBERRY SYRUP	1 TBLSP(OPTIONAL)

METHOD:

• Combine all the ingredients in a blender till the strawberries smoothly blend with the milk.

• Serve immediately.
• You can use plain milk also. But always cool the milk and use, never use warm milk also.
• Addition of strawberry ice cream will give a very yummy milkshake.

CAULIFLOWER PEAS KORMA RECIPE | SIDE DISH FOR ROTI

     Usually kurmas are doesn’t take place in my kitchen frequently, though i make chapathi almost everyday. Me and my hubby are not a great fan of korma and my kids too. One day when i made rotis for dinner, I was very clueless what to make as a side dish for roti and finally i landed up in making cauliflower and peas korma. Without any much complaints everyone had this.

INGREDIENTS:

CAULIFLOWER( MEDIUM SIZE)	1 NO
GREEN PEAS	1/4 CUP
ONION	1 NO
TOMATO	1 NO
CORIANDER SEEDS	1 TSP
FENNEL SEEDS	1/4 TSP
COCONUT SHREDDED	3 TBLSP
CURRY LEAVES	FEW
CARDAMOM	1 NO
OIL	1 TBLSP
CASHEW NUTS	7-9 NO
GREEN CHILI	2 NO
GARLIC PODS	2 NO
CUMIN SEEDS	1/4 TSP
SALT	TO TASTE

METHOD:

• Cut the cauliflower into small florets.
• Cook the cauliflower and peas ( i used the frozen peas) in a pan adding little salt to that.

• Drain the water and keep it aside.
• chop the onions finely.

• In a pan add little oil and add the onions and saute till golden brown.
• When it is done add the tomato and saute for 2 minutes.

• since i added tomato paste i didn’t saute this.
• Add green chilli, garlic, fennel seeds, cardamom , coriander seeds, cashew nuts and coconut to this and grind this into a smooth paste.

• In a pan add oil and throw in the cumin seeds and add the curry leaves and immediately add the ground masala.

• After a minute add the cooked cauliflower and green peas to this , mix well and let this boil for 2 minutes in medium low flame.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rotis.

Technorati Tags: Cauliflower korma,Peas masala,how to make korma,easy gravies,side dish for rotis | chapathi,South indian Kurma

COCONUT POLI | THENGAI POLI RECIPE

   
Thengai Poli or Sweet Poli is my most favorite sweet which we normally make for Bogi (the before day of Pongal festival) and for Aavani avittam. Though my mom usually make poli with channa dal poornam i love this Thengai poli more than that.
Thengai Poli is one of my most favorite one and though my mom makes poli mostly with channa dal pooranam, i am not a great fan of that. She always makes 2-3 polis separately for me with  coconut poornam(filling).

PINEAPPLE JUICE RECIPE ( WITH ORANGE)| SUMMER DRINKS RECIPES.

   Before going on to the post, I am happy to mention that my recipe of Tomato Sweet pachadi got featured in The Hindu, a popular daily Newspaper in India. Click THIS LINK to read the recipe.

    Summer  is   still at the peak and i wanted to try a combo of pineapple and orange for a long time. When i saw this fresh cut pineapples in the wet market, I got a packet and made juice after coming home. This tasted so yum and my kiddos too loved this.

 

INGREDIENTS:

PINEAPPLE CUBES	1 CUP
ORANGES	2 NO
SUGAR	3 TSP
WATER	1/2 CUP
ICE CUBES	FEW

METHOD:

• Cut he pineapple into cubes and squeeze out the juice from the oranges.
• Blend in a blender along with sugar.

• Once done filter this and add water and ice cubes.

• Enjoy this easy pineapple juice along with oranges .

Note:

1. Addition of a small piece of ginger while blending, will enhance the flavor and will be more refreshing too.
2. Honey can be replaced for sugar.