Coconut milk pulao recipe | Thengai paal sadam

 Coconut milk pulao is a simple pulao recipe, where the basmati rice is cooked with aromatic spices and coconut milk, served with a spicy gravy. Amma rarely makes this thengai paal sadam, which she learnt from her friend. But we will look forward to this yummy rice and the combo at our home with be spicy aloo subzi. I still remember one of those rainy days, after i delivered Varun, i pestered amma to make this combo of coconut milk pulao and aloo subzi, and literally feasted on it. I used store bought coconut milk. You can use home made coconut milk too. 

Mixed Veg Raita | Thayir pachadi | South Indian raita recipes

Mixed veg raita | Thayir pachadi, a simple South Indian style raita made with a mix of raw veggies, pairs well with rice, parathas and can be consumed as it is too. As the summer is in peak,raitas are a part of our of daily lunch menu. I have already posted few raita recipes in jeyashris kitchen. I made this mixed veg raita today to pair with bisi bela bath, the meal i posted in my instagram page today.

Mixed veg raita

  Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 2 Mins |Serves: 3-4

     Mixed Vegetables*   1/2 cup
     Chilled yogurt  1 cup
     Salt  as needed
     Sugar  1/4 tsp
     Mustard seeds   1/4 tsp
     Oil  1 tsp
     Urad dal  1/4 tsp
     Green chili  1
     Curry leaves   few
     Asafoetida  a pinch
    Coriander leaves   few 
 *I used carrot, cabbage, capsicum,tomato and cucumber.
You can add onions and radish too.    
                                                  Video of mixed veg raita 

                

Method:

• In a wide bowl add chilled yogurt. Whisk it without any lumps. 
• If the curd is sour, add 1-2 tblsp of cold milk.

• Add salt and sugar. 
• Finely chop all the veggies. Alternatively you can grate carrot and cucumber too.
• Mix well.

• Just before serving, temper the mustard seeds, slit green chilies, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves in 1 tsp oil.

• Add chopped coriander leaves.
• Mix well.
• Serve immediately. 

• You can have this mixed veg raita with any rice variety like sambar sadam, tomato rice, puliyodarai.

Notes:

1. Ensure that the yogurt is chilled.
2. If it is sour add 1-2 tblsp of cold milk to this.
3. If the yogurt is not too thick, put this in a clean cloth or a tea strainer and filter the water.
4. Give the tempering just before serving. The urad dal should be crunchy.
5. You can add grated ginger to the tempering.

    

Veg saagu recipe | Mixed veg sagu

Veg sagu is a kannadiga special recipe made with lots of vegetables in aromatic gravy with Indian spices. Though i have never tasted Veg sagu in MTR restaurant here, i have tasted this in my friend's place long back but couldn't remember the taste. A reader and good friend of mine shared her traditional recipe of making Veg saagu with me. I tried it yesterday and we all loved it. This veg sagu pairs well with set dosa and poori. 

Teh tarik recipe | Condensed milk tea

Teh tarik, the term i heard it first when i moved to Singapore. It is nothing but our tea with condensed milk. They don't use milk for making this tea. In the local Kopitiam(cafe) language it is called Teh . This a popular Malaysian beverage. The terms they use for different beverages are quite unique and you should really know the Kopitiam language before placing the order. Though i live here for almost 9 years now, i never visited any local food court Kopitiams. Few years back i had Teh tarik, when we went with a group of friends to toast box, after a morning run. When we were kids, amma used to make tea with milk and whenever we have condensed milk at home, after making some kheers, she will pour some hot water to the tin and add it to the boiling milk tea. This tea will be thick and the taste will be awesome. Those days buying condensed milk is very rare and we will look forward to that too.
 Very recently, when i accompanied one of our friend to a hospital, after the consultation, we went to the Kopitiam inside the hospital campus. I ordered this Teh  and since it was an open kitchen, saw the guy making the tea. He made it in 2 minutes and it really tasted very nice. I had a tin of condensed milk at home and tried it this morning. I could say it tasted so perfect to the one served in the cafe. When you plan to make any payasam recipe using condensed milk, try out this teh at home.
In traditional teh tarik, after adding all the ingredients they will bring it to froth, which they call pulled tea. But i haven't seen that here in Singapore,but feel free to froth it up if you wish that way.
Disclaimer: I don't claim that it is the authentic way of making Teh tarik. If you have any tips or variations on this recipe please share in comments section

Corn kebab recipe | Corn kabab

Corn kebab | corn kabab recipe i tried for the first time during the kids term break. When i called Varun's friends for a lunch at home, i made corn kebab and paneer pizza for the boys. The kebabs were vanished in no time. I have posted corn cheese balls in jeyashris kitchen but these corn kebabs are not there. I made this yesterday and clicked the pictures. I wanted to take a video of corn kebab recipe but couldn't make it. Will upload an video when i make it next time. Check out my Hara bhara kebab recipe with video. 
Please check the notes section to see more healthy variations.

Pineapple Mocktail recipe | Summer cooler recipes

Pineapple mocktail made with pineapple, curry leaves, ginger and tender coconut water. I ahve already posted a pineapple orange juice combo and a grape orange juice with ginger. Last week when Raks visited our house casually, i made a Pineapple juice for her by adding freshly squeezed orange juice to this. I made it for everyone at home and it was a super hit at home. So i thought of making this as a post for jeyashris kitchen and took the video of pineapple mocktail yesterday. Thsi time i tried with tender coconut water and replaced mint leaves with curry leaves. I thoroughly enjoyed a tall glass of pineapple elaneer mocktail after shooting the video and the clicks. Stay hydrated this summer and enjoy this summer drink.

Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwich

Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable sandwich, is made with roasting veggies on tawa and stuffed inside the sandwich. Usually i make corn spinach sandwich and open bread masala sandwich for kids. I have watched a recipe of Mediterranean sandwich recipe in Venkatesh bhat show last year. When i recently, saw a pack of Panini bread in Fairprice shop, it reminded me of this sandwich recipe and tried at home. Since the video visuals are clear in my mind, i just went ahead and tried it for kids lunch box last week. To my surprise it was a huge hit, especially Varun who is bit fussy about trying new foods, loved it a lot. I had a pack of whole meal bread at home so wanted the sandwich using with that. Try this recipe and home and let me know how it turned out. Check out the notes section for variations.
We had this sandwich along with a pineapple coconut water mocktail. Will post the recipe soon.

Kadala paruppu payasam | Chana dal kheer

Kadala paruppu payasam | chana dal payasam made with coconut milk and jaggery is used for sweetness. Generally in most of the Tamil brahmin homes we make paruppu payasam for all occasions. We make it using paasi paruppu and jaggery. Some people add little chana dal to that. Recently one of my friend shared this kadala paruppu payasam, in kerala they call it as kadala parippu pradaman. Generally Keralites make it in traditional uruli(a heavy bottomed brass vessel), as the kheer needs to boil for a long time. I don't claim this as authentic kerala pradaman but we all loved it a lot. I was about to post caramel payasam today but the video didn't turn out well. Will post it soon. Since tomorrow is Tamil new year | Vishu, make this kadala paruppu payasam and celebrate the New year.

Check out my other Tamil new year recipes

Neem flower Rasam | Tamil New year recipes

Neem flower rasam |vempam poo rasam is made in all South Indian homes on Tamil New year | Tamil varusha pirappu. I have already posted the veppam poo rasam of my mil's version few years back. Though i am not a big fan of this neem flower rasam, this version i loved it very much. I learnt this from my cousin who taught me when she visited me few months back. I have posted a garlic rasam(with coconut milk), which i learnt from her. This is yet another flavourful and tasty neem flower rasam, which is her signature recipe too. As Tamil new year is coming up in few days (April 14th), i wanted to post this recipe of neem flower rasam |vempam poo rasam. Check out my full collection of Tamil new year recipes. 

Pavakkai curry recipe | Bitter gourd curry

Pavakkai | bittergourd|Karela dry curry made with fresh ground peanut based masala. We are a big fan of pavakkai curry from the childhood. Though it sound wierd, but yes,we are,as our mom makes it so yummy and we will look forward to it. We get one more variety of pavakkai, the mini ones called as medhi pavakkai, which i had rarely seen in chennai. We used to get it quite often in our native place. I haven't shared my mom's version of pavakkai curry in jeyashri's kitchen yet. This version i learnt from my friend Revathi. She shared the recipe and also made it one day and sent for me for tasting. Two days back i made this curry and we all liked it. Some how kids also had a small portion of the curry too. Check out my Bitter gourd fry recipe.