Mochai kuzhambu recipe |South Indian gravy recipes

Mochai kuzhambu | மொச்சை குழம்பு in tamil, is a tamarind based gravy made using fresh mochai(field beans) which is in season now. From the child hood, whenever we get mochai in the market, amma used to buy so often and make kootu, sambar and vatha kuzhambu using it. Later she also learnt a new way of making Mochai curry also and we also loved it. Recently i saw fresh mochai, we used to say pacha mochai, in the little India market and picked up the same. It is always good to take out the mochai from inside and store in a air tight box and keep inside the refrigerator for later use. I wanted to try a gravy, similar to a puli kuzhambu recipe and made this last week. This mochai kuzhambu goes well with rice and even with dosai too. Check out my collection of South Indian Kuzhambu recipes.

Gajar matar subzi recipe| Carrot peas subzi

Gajar matar subzi is an easy dry curry made using winter vegetables like Delhi red carrots and fresh green peas. I have never bought these red carrots. First of all,i came to know about these only after coming to Singapore. I have never seen this in Chennai, when i lived there. Generally they make gajar ka halwa with this carrots. As this gajar matar combo is a popular one i thought i will post this recipe using the red carrots which is in season now. You can use normal orange carrots which we get throughout the year. This subzi goes well with rice and roti too. I have posted punjabi aloo beans subzi,i adapted the similar recipe and made slight modifications in that recipe.

Mango Ginger Thokku recipe | Maa inji thokku

Mango ginger thokku recipe | Maa inji is a seasonal root vegetable,which is generally used to make pickle. I have already posted a very simple version of no cook maa inji pickle. During my childhood days i never liked this mango ginger, but some how when i started making this after marriage, i started liking the pickle slowly. Though we make the simple version of the maa inji pickle, never tried the thokku version. I got a bunch of maa inji from little India market last week. I some how vaguely remember that my friend makes this thokku and pinged her for the recipe. She told me that it is similar to the mango thokku and gave me few tips too. Try this at home and let me know how you liked it.

Pasta Primavera recipe | Easy Pasta recipes

Pasta Primavera is basically a pasta loaded with fresh vegetables. We don't use any pasta sauce in this  pasta recipe. I adapted this recipe from a magazine, the book i had bought 4 years back. After i bought i kept it inside by book shelf and totally forgot about that. Recently while cleaning the entire book shelf found this magazine and wanted to try out this Pasta Primavera recipe from that. It was super easy and the main part is kids loved this very much. I used zucchini, sweet corn and capsicum in this recipe, you can use broccoli, carrot, olives and veggies of your choice also. Pasta, veggies, cheese, what else can we need to make the kids happy. Make this kids friendly pasta recipe and let me know how it turned out.

Sevai using Sevai nazhi | Idiyappam recipe

Sevai using Sevai Nazhi (சேவை நாழி ,in tamil)Sevai | Idiyappam |String hoppers, is a popular South Indian breakfast or tiffin recipe. During my childhood days amma always makes sevai for tiffin and also it will be extended for dinner too. We never had idiyappam for breakfast. Sevai will always be done using sevai nazhi at out place. It is quite laborious but i still amaze at my mom as how she manages to do this tiring work even at this age with so much of enthusiasm. Though she was a working women, she used to make this sevai,after coming back from her work. Both mom and paati will sit together in the kitchen and do this 'Project Sevai'. this sevai takes place in my mom's kitchen especially when we have guests. Since many will not do sevai using sevai nazhi, she loves to serve them this rare tiffin for them. Recently my mom visited me and her 40 years old sevai nazhi is passed on to me. We are not a big fan of idiyappam or sevai but i wanted to try my hands on making this. Amma makes different varieties of sevai such as Lemon sevai, Thenga sevai, ulundu sevai, Thayir sevai and Vella sevai. When ever i wanted to make sevai, i use the instant ones available in the market.
 Though i helped my mom in making this many times, never tried on my own. I don't know how many of you will try this at home, but i want to post this recipe just for my memory and also to kindle the memories of many people reading this post.
  Please share your experience in the comments section, if you have seen your mom or grandmother using this sevai nazhi at home.

Veg Mayonnaise sandwich recipe | Mayo sandwich

Veg Mayonnaise sandwich recipe with video. I have been planning to post this mayo sandwich recipe for a long time but here i have never seen Eggless Mayonnaise in any stores. Last year i bought from Nuts n Spices Chennai but before i plan and make the sandwich, somehow it got over. This time i got the Eggless Mayo again and finally made the sandwich recipe for post. Check the notes section the last to see the variations and tips. Let's see how to make Mayo sandwich.

Peas Paratha recipe| Matar Paratha

Peas Paratha | Peas stuffed paratha,with green peas and fresh masala powder. Peas paratha i have tried many years back but some how didn't like the way i made,and after that i have never attempted to make Green peas paratha. Few months back, when we organised a meet up,we ordered Peas Kachori from a friend here. It was so awesome and when i asked for the recipe, she passed on a box of peas filling which she made,to me. I tried Paratha with that filling and it tasted so yum. Later i got the recipe from her and finally today i tried Peas paratha following her recipe. She told that this is basically a Bengali peas kachori filling recipe, which she learnt from her friend's mother in law. I loved the aroma of the freshly spice mix used in this paratha. Check out my

• Gobi mutter paratha
• Pumpkin Paratha

Peas Paratha recipe

  Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 25 Mins |Serves: 5 parathas

     Green peas  1/2 cup
     Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
     Salt as needed
     Sugar  1/2 tsp
     Oil  2 tsp
     Green chili  1
     Ginger  a small piece
     Atta | Whole wheat flour  1 cup 
    Ghee or oil  to smear on the paratha
     Asafoetida  1/4 tsp
For the spice mix
    Red chili  2-3
    Cloves   2
    Elachi | cardamom  1
    Coriander seeds  2 tsp
    Cumin seeds  1 tsp 
    Fennel seeds | sombu  1 tsp
    Cinnamon  a small stick
Method:

• Knead the dough and keep it aside. Divide this into lemon sized equal dough balls.
• I used frozen peas. If using fresh peas, pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Drain the water completely and keep aside. Let this cool completely.
• Dry roast the coriander seeds,red chili,cumin seeds,cinnamon,cloves and cardamom for few minutes in a low flame.
• Switch off the flame and add the fennel seeds.
• Allow this to cool.
• Grind this into a powder. This powder only we are using as Paratha masala. It yielded 4 tsp of masala.
• Grind the peas, green chili and ginger into a coarse paste.
• In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add asafoetida. Now add the coarsely ground peas mixture.
• Add 2-3 tsp of the spice mixture, the parantha masala, turmeric powder and salt.
• Mix well and cook till the mixture becomes dry.
• Switch off the flame and let this completely dry.
• Take one dough ball and dust this with dry flour.
• Roll this into a thick disc.
• Place 1 tblsp of Peas mixture on this.
• Cover this as how we do for modakam,by bringing the edges together.
• Dust this in the dry flour and roll this gently into parathas.
• I always love my parathas bit thinner, if you want this thick roll accordingly.
• Heat a tawa and cook the paratha on both sides. 
• Smear oil or ghee on both sides.
• Serve hot with plain yogurt.      

   The filling was perfect for 5 parathas. I was left with one dough ball. So you can add 2 tblsp extra peas to make the filling more for that extra dough.  
     

Method with step wise pictures:

• Knead the dough and keep it aside. Divide this into lemon sized equal dough balls.

• I used frozen peas. If using fresh peas, pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Drain the water completely and keep aside. Let this cool completely.
• Dry roast the coriander seeds,red chili,cumin seeds,cinnamon,cloves and cardamom for few minutes in a low flame.
• Switch off the flame and add the fennel seeds.

• Allow this to cool.
• Grind this into a powder. This powder only we are using as Paratha masala. It yielded 4 tsp of masala.

• Grind the peas, green chili and ginger into a coarse paste.

• In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add asafoetida. Now add the coarsely ground peas mixture.
• Add 2-3 tsp of the spice mixture, the parantha masala, turmeric powder and salt.
• I added 3 tsp but felt it was bit more. So reduce to 1.5-2 tsp.
• Mix well and cook till the mixture becomes dry.
• Switch off the flame and let this completely dry.

• Take one dough ball and dust this with dry flour.
• Roll this into a thick disc.

• Place 1 tblsp of Peas mixture on this.
• Cover this as how we do for modakam,by bringing the edges together.
• Dust this in the dry flour and roll this gently into parathas.

• I always love my parathas bit thinner, if you want this thick roll accordingly.
• Heat a tawa and cook the paratha on both sides. 

• Smear oil or ghee on both sides.
• Serve hot with plain yogurt. 

Notes:

• The same can be made as kachori. For making kachori, check out my Dal kachori recipe for the outer cover.
• I made this peas paratha slightly spicy, if you want this mild spice, add 1-2 red chili or skip the green chili.

       

Samba Wheat sakkarai pongal recipe| Wheat rava sweet pongal

Samba wheat rava Sakkarai pongal, Pongal festival is around the corner, and i have Collection of Pongal festival recipes in Jeyashri's Kitchen. Few days back when i was cleaning my bookshelf, i came across a old Aval Kitchen book, Jan 2015,where my picture of Sakkarai Pongal was published as a cover page. When i saw inside the book, there was a collection of Pongal recipes by Madam Menu rani Chellam and this samba wheat sakkarai pongal was also there. I wanted to try this for the pongal festival 2018. You can make this for navaratri, aadi velli neivedyam, thai velli neivedyam and any other festivals too.

Beetroot Thepla recipe

 Thepla is a traditional Gujarati dish and i have posted a Methi thepla recipe long back. Recently when i learnt the Gujarati Methi thepla recipe from our Gujarati friend(who gave me the recipe of Bajra vadi). The interesting part in this recipe adding cooked rice to the dough. She said that it brings softness to the theplas. I wanted to make it as a beetroot thepla, so followed the same recipe by adding some grated beetroots to that. They turned so well and since we all love beetroot, we liked the theplas so much. Try this beetroot theplas at home and let me know how they turned out.

Palak poori recipe | Spinach puri

Palak poori recipe is poori made with spinach puree. I have tried Palak poori once for my Kutties Kitchen cook book. Recently i got a box of baby spinach from the Fair price shop here in Singapore. I wanted to make Dal palak as kids love it very much. I was thinking of some other recipe using palak leaves then this palak poori recipe flashed my mind.I wanted to make a video of palak poori recipe but couldn't do it. We enjoyed the palak pooris with channa masala. You can make this pooris for kids lunch box too. Use a cookie cutter to shape the pooris and make it kids friendly.
Check out my

• Bhatura recipe
• Methi poori recipe