KATHIRIKKAI PODI CURRY | BRINJAL PODI CURRY RECIPE

Without much introduction to the recipe, let me explain how to make Brinjal curry with freshly ground spices. Generally it is made by stuffing the spice powder into the brinjal, but since we like it this way more than the Stuffed Brinjal curry, I made it in this way. This Kathrikkai podi curry was lying in my drafts for more than 2  months i wanted to post this today. I have few more simple recipes lying in my draft which i will post in the following weeks and will post new recipes soon.

INGREDIENTS: SERVES 3 - 4

SMALL BRINJAL	10-12
OIL	2 TBLSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4TSP
SALT	TO TASTE
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

INGREDIENTS: TO ROAST AND GRIND

CORIANDER SEED(DHANIA)	1 TBLSP
RED CHILLI	5-6
CHANNA DAL	1 TBLSP
URAD DAL	1 TSP
KOPRAI (DRY COCONUT)	2 TBLSP

METHOD:

• Take out the top portion(paavadai) of the brinjal and cut the brinjals into slices.
• Soak it in the water to avoid getting it black.
• Roast all the ingredients under the table “Roast and Grind”into golden brown color.
• Grind this into a fine powder.

• In  a pan, add oil and mustard seeds and when it crackles add the brinjals (drain the water and add it)
• Add salt, turmeric powder and this spice powder. Mix well and keep the flame medium low.

• Stir in between and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once it gets cooked and roasted switch off the flame.

• Garnish with curry leaves . You can have this with plain hot rice smeared with ghee.

Check out my Simple brinjal curry and Stuffed Brinjal recipe too.

Note:

1. You can make the powder in advance and store it in  an airtight container.
2. always use the small purple variety of Brinjals for best results.

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VENGAYA VATHAKUZHAMBHU RECIPE | ONION VATHAKUZHAMBHU RECIPE

Vengaya Vatha kuzhambu with Video

We are just back from a week trip to Vietnam. We had a good break but i badly missed cooking and our South Indian food too. Eating a week in restaurants will make me and my family too crave for home made vatha kuzahmbhu. Though my friends cooked for me when we were back home i made this Vengaya vathakuzhambhu long back and clicked the picture too. My mom makes the best vengaya vathakuzhambhu and we all are a big fan of that. Though during the initial days of my cooking i didn’t get the exact taste, but now a days i make the same of my mom’s vengaya vathakuzhambhu. So here comes the simple and tasty recipe of vengaya vathakuzhambhu.

I missed many posts of my fellow bloggers and will catch up soon as I am currently hooked up with helping kids to finish their holiday projects.

MAALADOO | POTTUKADALAI URUNDAI |MALADOO RECIPE

Maladoo | Maaladoo is a sweet dish made for diwali or janmashtami . It is made with pottukadalai |roasted gram and my grandma always tells it is very healthy for kids. I have few extra packets of pottukadalai left as my friend passed it on to me as she shifted from here. So i wanted to try the Maladoo which is made with roasted gram. It turned out very well and it got over on the same day it is made. Try out this easy Maladoo recipe .

INGREDIENTS : MAKES- 11 BALLS

POTTUKADALAI | CHUTNEY DAL	3/4 CUP
SUGAR	3/4 CUP
GHEE	1/2 CUP MINUS 1 TBLSP
CARDAMOM POWDER	A PNCH
CASHEW NUTS	8-10

• Grind the pottukdalai | chutney dal into a fine powder in a mixer.

• Powder the sugar too finely.

• Sieve this powdered dal and sugar to ensure even mixing.

• Add the cardamom powder to this.( I didn’t add)
• Break the cashew nuts into tiny bits. Fry them in little ghee and add it to the sugar pottukadalai powder mixture.
• Melt the ghee and add it .
• Mix gently with a spoon.

• When it is warm , make it into round balls.

• You keep in the refrigerator or can be stored in an airtight container too  at room temperature.

           
Note:

• Sugar can be reduced 2-3 tblsp less if you want it little less sweet.
• In that case reduce 1 tblsp of ghee
• If you feel the mixture is not binding after adding ghee, sprinkle 1 tsp of milk and bind.
• But adding milk will reduce the shelf life of the maaladoo.

Technorati Tags: maladoo recipe,Maaladoo recipe,diwali sweets recipes. coconut burfi. Thengai mithai,diwali recipes,janmashtami recipes,krishnajayanthi recipes

VEPPALAIKATTI | VEPPALAI KATTI RECIPE

Veppalakatti is a very traditional tamil brahmin recipe which i have always seen in a store in my home town, where they sell Applams, vadams and vathals.  My amma always buys from there and if you are wondering from the name what it is, it is a dish made with Lime leaves and used as a pickle kind of side dish for Curd rice. A friend of mine shared this recipe with me recently, when i was telling her that i was left with few lime leaves after trying the Thai green curry.

     
INGREDIENTS:

LIME LEAVES	12-14
RED CHILLI	7-8
OMAM | AJWAIN	1/2 TSP
SALT	TO TASTE
ASAFOETIDA	1/4 TSP
LIME JUICE	FEW DROPS (OPTIONAL)

METHOD:

• Wash and pat dry the lime leaves. Tear the leaf and take out the middle stem.
• Take it out for all the leaves.

• Grind this in a mixer along with red chilli, omam, asafoetida and salt.(no need to roast any ingredient)

• after a day or 2 the color will change to brown. So no need to worry about that.
• If adding lemon juice add it while grinding. I didn’t add. Store it in the refrigerator and handle with a clean dry spoon always.

Technorati Tags: veppalaikatti recipe,side dish for curd rice,tamil brahmin recipes,how to use lime leaves,lime leaves recipes

PULI KUZHAMBHU | BRINJAL AND DRUMSTICK PULI KUZHAMBHU RECIPE

  Puli kuzhambhu is a rare item which i make in my kitchen as except me rest all in my family will not prefer this pulikuzhambhu much. Whenever we order Lunch thali meal in Saravana Bhavan this pulikuzhambhu will be in their menu and i like to eat this curd rice or have with plain rice and papad. I wanted to try this out at home for a long time. One of my friend makes this pulikuzhambhu very nicely and i called her up and asked for the recipe. she elaborated the recipe and the puli kuzhambhu turned out super yummy. Traditionally Kathrikkai and murungakkai are added to this kuzhambhu. You can make with ladies finger and even bitter gourd too.

INGREDIENTS:

BRINJAL (SMALL)	3-4
DRUMSTICK | MURUNGAKKAI	1
SHALLOTS(SMALL ONION)	5 + 3
TAMARIND WATER	2 CUPS
COCONUT SCRAPPED	2 TBLSP
JEERA|CUMIN SEED	1 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER	2 TSP
TOMATO	1
SESAME OIL	1 TBLSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
CURRY LEAVES	FEW
VENDAYAM | FENUGREEK SEEDS	1/4 TSP
SALT	TO TASTE
TURMERIC POWDER	1/4 TSP

METHOD:

• Chop the drumsticks into medium size pieces. Cut the brinjals into four.
• Peel the shallots and finely chop the  tomato.

• In a wide vessel, take the tamarind extract(taken from 1 medium gooseberry sized tamarind).
• Grind the 3 shallots, coconut, jeera, red chilli powder, turmeric powder into a fine paste by adding little water to this.

• Add this to the tamarind extract and add the drumstick and brinjals.
• Add salt and mix it nicely using clean hands.

• In a pan add sesame oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and vendayam.
• When the mustard splutters add the peeled shallots and chopped tomatoes.
• Add the veggie, masala ,tamarind water mix to this.

• Keep this covered till it comes to a boil.
• When it starts boiling, take out the lid and let it boil nicely in a medium low flame, till the gravy reaches the kuzhambhu consistency.

• Switch off the flame and garnish with curry leaves.
• Make this in the morning and have it for lunch as it will be more flavourful.

Note:

1. You can add sambar powder instead of red chilli powder if you want.
2. Originally fennel seeds (sombu)is used instead of cumin seeds. Since i don’t like the flavour much i added jeera.

           

Technorati Tags: puli kuzhambhu,kathirikkai pulikuzhambhu South Indian gravy,kuzhambhu varieties

• In a pan add oil and

OATS TIKKI RECIPE | OATS RECIPES | OATS TIKKI WITH MOONG DAL

I have a pack of Oats and i wanted to try out something new recipe with Oats, other than the Oats Upma and Oats Idli . I came across this recipe of Oats recipe , a healthy and diabetic friendly recipe snacks with oats. Try out this easy and tasty oats tikki which i adapted from Tarla Dalal’s cookbook.

INGREDIENTS: YIELDS 11 TIKKIS

QUICK COOKING OATS	1/2 CUP + 1/4 CUP
YELLOW MOONG DAL	1/3 CUP
ONION	1
CARROT	1
GARAM MASALA	1/4 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER	1/4 TSP
CORIANDER LEAVES	FEW
OIL	3-4 TBLSP
MILK	2-3 TBLSP
SALT	TO TASTE

METHOD:

• Dry roast the  1/2 cup of Oats  in a pan for 5 minutes, without getting it burnt.
• When it is cool make into a fine powder.

• Cook the yellow moong dal till it becomes soft. No need to pressure cook it. If you soak it for 10 minutes in water and cook in open flame it will be done in 10 minutes.

• Drain the excess water and allow this to cool.
• Grind the moong dal coarsely without adding any water.
• Put this to a wide bowl and add the oats powder, finely chopped onion, grated carrot,coriander leaves, red chilli powder,garam masala and salt.

• Combine this nicely and make it into small tikkis.

• Dip this in milk and roll in the dry oats (1/4 cup which is mentioned in the ingredient list).Coarsely grind this before using.

• Place this on a tawa and cook it by adding little oil on both sides till it becomes golden brown.

• If you wish to deep fry also can do it.
• Serve it hot with  green chutney.

             
Note:

• While grinding the moong dal ensure that it doesn’t have water in it.
• Instead of moong dal you can add boiled potato too.
• Finely chopped capsicum, cabbage , corn kernels can be added to the tikkis.
• I used the rolled oats, you can use the quick cooking oats too.

Technorati Tags: Oats tikki,oats recipes,Indian oats recipes,diabetic recipes,healthy recipes . Oats recipes