POONDU KUZHAMBHU RECIPE | GARLIC KUZHAMBHU

Poondhu kuzhambhu | Garlic kulambhu is an authentic chettinad recipe . Though i have tasted this many times at my friend’s place during my school days, never know how to make poondu kuzhambhu. When a reader asked for this recipe i casually asked my sister whether she knows this recipe of chettinad poondu kuzhambhu she immediately told the recipe . I tried it few days back and enjoyed with rice and Kootu. We love to have any coconut based curry or kootu for spicy gravies.
Also check out

• Chettinad karuveppilai kuzhambu
• Venthaya keerai kara kuzhambu

INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 4-5)

GARLIC FLAKES	10- 15
TAMARIND EXTRACT	2 AND 1/2CUP
RED CHILLI POWDER	3 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER	A PINCH
SALT	AS NEEDED
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
SESAME OIL	2 TBLSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

TO ROAST AND GRIND:

CORIANDER SEEDS	3 TSP
BLACK PEPPER	1/2 TSP
CUMIN SEEDS	1/4 TSP
VENDAYAM (FENU GREEK SEEDS |METHI SEEDS)	1/4 TS[
SMALL ONION |SHALLOT	4-5

METHOD:

• Peel the skin of the garlic and keep it aside.In a pan dry roast the ingredients given under the table To Roast and Grind. Saute it in a medium flame till they become evenly brown.

• Grind this into a smooth paste.
• In a pan add oil and add in the mustard seeds and add curry leaves. Add the peeled garlic flakes too.
• 
• When the garlic turns soft add the tamarind water.

• Add red chilli powder , turmeric powder and salt.

• Add the ground masala to this and bring it to a nice boil till it reaches the kuzhambhu consistency.

   

• Transfer it to a serving bowl and enjoy with rice and and roasted papad or any curry of your choice.

      

DAL PALAK RECIPE | PALAK DAL RECIPE

SPINACH DAL

Dal palak | spinach dal is an easy and comforting dish and though i have tasted this in restaurants never tried at home. But my friends here, used to make this often for rotis. For a change from usual Keeari masiyal and keerai poriyal i tried this dal palak which a bunch of palak which i got from the Indian store . To my surprise the kids and hubby loved this a lot and they finished the entire bowl in no time.

CARROT AND GINGER SOUP RECIPE

Soup is always welcome at my place and i always try new combos in making soups. Few years back when we went to Kottayam, we stayed in a resort and since we are vegetarian most of the time the chef prepared the meal  according to our specifications and one rainy day evening he made a carrot ginger soup and till we tasted the first spoon he was beside us waiting for our response. It was too good and he told me the recipe too as i can make it at home for kids too. Though i tried this few times never blogged the recipe and finally today i am sharing the recipe

I am going for vacation from today but have scheduled some posts. For any queries , please keep posted will get back to you in  the New year 2013.
Check out my

• Roasted bell pepper soup
• Vazhaithandu soup

CABBAGE KOFTA RECIPE | SIDE DISH FOR ROTI

LOW FAT KOFTAS

Cabbage kofta recipe, low fat koftas using cabbage, cooked in a tomato based gravy.

   I never know that we can make koftas with Cabbage  and this is the first time i attempted and it turned out well and was a super hit among the kids. Actually i wanted to deep fry the kofta ballas as i did for Malai Kofta Recipe, but after i start putting one ball in oil, i felt it absorbed more oil. So i immediately changed the idea of deep frying it and made it in a paniyaram pan. Though it took little extra time , but still we can have guilt free koftas.

INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 4-5)
FOR KOFTAS –(MAKES 12 KOFTAS)

CABBAGE ( FINELY CHOPPED)	2 CUPS
PANNER(SCRAMBLED)	1 CUP
BESAN | KADALAI MAAVU	3 TBLSP
RED CHILLI POWDER	1 AND 1/2 TSP
GARAM MASALA	2 PINCHES
SALT	AS NEEDED
OIL	1- 2 TBLSP

FOR GRAVY:

ONION	2
TOMATO	2
RED CHILLI POWDER	1 TSP
TOMATO KETCHUP	1 TSP
GARAM MASALA	TO TASTE
KASOORI METHI	2 PINCHES
GARLIC	3 FLAKES
MILK	1 CUP
OIL	2 TBLSP

METHOD: for making koftas.

• Add the chopped cabbage and scrambled paneer in a wide bowl and add salt.
• Keep this aside for 15 minutes after mixing well.
• 

• Now squeeze out the extra water as much as you can and keep it aside.
• Add red chilli powder, garam masala, little salt,besan and mix well.
• Now start making balls. If you still can’t bind this properly add 1-2 tblsp of besan to this cabbage paneer mixture and start making balls.
• It yielded approximately 12 balls for me.

• Heat a paniyaram pan, and add little oil to this and start cooking the kofta balls in a medium low flame. This will take little time but instead of deep frying this method is ok.
• Cook all sides by turning it around till it becomes golden brown in color.

• Koftas are ready. Keep this aside.

For gravy:

• Roughly chop the onions and peel the skin of the garlic.Saute this in a tblsp of oil till the onions turn brown.
• Grind this into a smooth paste along with tomatoes,chilli powder, kasoori methi and tomato ketchup.
• In a pan add oil and add the ground masala.
• When it leaves oil on the side add the milk ( i used full cream milk) and add 1 cup of water too. Make the gravy little thin as after adding the koftas the gravy will thicken . Add garam masala to this and mix well.

• When the koftas are completely cool, add to the hot gravy and switch off the flame.

• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note:

1. These koftas stayed in the gravy as it as for 4- 5 hours.
2. Always ensure that  the water is completely squeezed out from the cabbage paneer mixture.

         

KEERAI VADAI RECIPE | MASALA KEERAI VADAI

Keerai vadai |spinach vada can be made with either urad dal or channa dal as we do for masala vadai too. I have nice memories of keerai vadai when i was first introduced to this when i was in 7 th std. There used to be one sweet stall near our house ,run by a mami and her son at their house and during week end evenings they make special snacks like bajji, bonda and one among them was this Keerai sweet. There used to be a board kept outside their house “Today’s special” and we though my mom makes yummy snacks at home we always crazily look forward for this weekend board from the “Ambiees Sweet stall”. One day they have placed a board named “ Keerai vadai” and we were new to this and immediately urged our dad to buy this one before this could get over. And it tasted awesome and couldn’t forget the taste.
So this is the first time i made keerai vadai at home and it turned out yum and stayed soft even after 4-5 hours.
Also check out

• Cabbage vadai
• Vegetable vadai recipe

INGREDIENTS: (YIELDS 10 TO 14 VADAS)

CHANNA DAL	3/4 CUP
TOOR DAL	1/4 CUP
SPINACH	1 CUP(TIGHTLY PACKED)
FENNEL SEEDS	1/8 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
ONION	2
ASAFOETIDA	2 PINCHES
RED CHILLI	4-5
CURRY LEAVES	4-5
OIL	FOR DEEP FRY

METHOD:

• Soak the channa dal and toor dal for 2 hours.
• Drain the water and grind this along with red chilli, salt ,fennel seeds and asafoetida.
• Grind them coarsely. You can add few spoons of water if u need while grinding.
• Add chopped onions to this and finely chopped and cleaned spinach to this.

• Mix it nicely with hands. Take a portion of batter and flatten this with hands. Normally keerai vadai is slightly bigger than the regular masala vadai.

• Heat oil in a wok for deep frying, when it is hot carefully place the patties to the oil. do not put too much in a batch.
• Flip it after few minutes and cook in a medium flame.
• Do not keep the flame too high, the inner side will not get cooked.
• Do not keep it too low also. It will make the vadai soggy.

• When it turns golden brown colour, drain this in a kitchen towel and enjoy hot with a cup of coffee or tea.
• We had some left over vadais which we had for dinner along with Curd rice.

Note:

1. This vadai can be made with Urad dal batter too.
2. For more crispiness add 1 tsp of ghee in the batter after grinding and mix well before frying.

 

  

POTATO CURRY RECIPE | POTATO FRY

Simple potato fry | curry is my family’s favorite and kids will eat a little extra rice if i make this curry. This Potato fry is quite popular in Tamil brahmin houses.  A very simple recipe with potato goes well with sambar , rasam and curd rice.
Also check out my

• Urulai kara curry
• Madurai potato pottalam

INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 3-4 PERSON)

POTATO	5
SAMBAR POWDER(Can be replaced with red chilli powder)	1-2 TSP
SALT	TO TASTE
TURMERIC POWDER	1/4 TSP
OIL	2 TBLSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

METHOD:

• Peel the skin of the potatoes and chop into cubes.
• If you are going to make the curry immediately proceed further, else transfer the chopped potatoes in a bowl of water. This is to avoid the decolouration of potatoes.

• In a pan,add oil and temper with mustard seeds and asafoetida.
• Add the potatoes (if immersed in water drain the excess water and pat dry them in a kitchen towel) and add it to the pan. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt.

• Gently mix and let it get roasted in a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes. Saute in between to avoid getting burnt.
• Serve with any rice of your choice.

KASHMIRI PULAO RECIPE | KASHMIRI PULAO

Easy to make restaurant style Kashmiri pulao with step by step pictures

Kashmiri pulao is unlike the normal pulao recipes will not be spicy. Even when we go to restaurants also we never order this kashimir pulao as it will be slightly sweet. But i have tasted this in parties and buffets. This recipe was asked by a reader of mine and i tried this in a restaurant last weekend and somehow incorporated the same taste at home. A friend of mine also gave me few tips on the recipe of Kashmiri pulao.
This kashmiri pulao can be had with spicy curry especially with  Paneer based gravies.

INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 4)

BASMATHI RICE	1 AND 1/2 CUPS
MILK	1/2 CUP
WATER	2 CUPS
SAFFRON	2 PINCHES
RAISINS	2 TBLSP
CASHEW NUTS	2 TBLSP
ONION	1
GHEE	2TBLSP
MACE (JAVITRI)	1
CLOVES	2-3
CARDAMOM	2
POMEGRANATE	3 TBLSP
SUGAR	1/2 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED

METHOD:

• Wash the rice and soak it in water for 20 minutes.
• In a heavy bottomed deep pan, add ghee (reserve 1-2 tsp for roasting the nuts)and add the whole spices (mace,cloves and cardamom) and add sugar.

• Add in the soaked rice to this (keeping the water aside).
• Saute well, without changing the colour.
• Soak the saffron in a tblsp of warm milk.
• Add the water and milk to the rice. Add 3/4 th of the saffron mixture.

• Add salt and cook this in a medium low flame.
• Once the rice is cooked fluff it with fork and add the remaining saffron milk mixture.
• In a small pan add ghee and roast the raisins and cashew nuts.

• thinly slice the onions and fry them till golden brown and add to the rice.

• Lastly add the pomegranate seeds and gently mix everything.
• Kashmiri pulao is ready to serve.

Note:

• You can add finely chopped pineapple or grapes to this.
• Do not reheat after adding fruits.
• If you want to make it very rich you can add cream instead of water while cooking.(just replace 1/2 cup of cream for 1/2 cup of water). do not add too much else it will be very heavy and u cannot even eat more than 4-5 spoons.

          

RASAM POWDER RECIPE | HOME MADE RASAM POWDER RECIPE

   My mom always make rasam with home made sambar powder, so also follow the same. Even my mil also make it same but she will add freshly ground pepper and jeera powder to give an extra flavour. But i remember my mom makes separate rasam powder as my Dad is a huge fan of rasam. but after my dad amma started making rasam with sambar powder only. But yet it will be very flavorful and awesome.

When a reader asked me for the recipe of homemade rasam powder i asked my mom but she couldn’t recall the proportion for spices she use and finally my sister told the recipe for rasam powder.
INGREDIENTS: (YIELDS APPROX. 1/2 CUP)

TOORDAL	2 TBLSP
BLACK PEPPER	1 TBLSP
RED CHILLI	5
VENDAYAM(FENUGREEK SEEDS)	1/2 TSP
CUMIN SEEDS	1 AND 1/2 TSP
CORIANDER SEEDS	1 AND 1/2 TBLSP

METHOD:

• Dry roast all the ingredients in a medium low flame till they get evenly browned.
• Allow this to cool and grind in a mixer into a fine powder.
• after some time store this in a air tight container.

• If making rasam for 4 people use 1- 1 and 1/2 tsp of this rasam powder.
• For Tomato Rasam recipe click Here.
• Even you can make Mysore Rasam too.

For my readers who asked for my version of sambar powder  will keep posted in the new year as i am running out of stock of my home made sambar powder. Will bring enough once i am back from my vacation.