Narthangai Kuzhambu | Narthangai Pachadi recipe

Narthangai Kuzhambu | Narthangai pachadi is made with Citron, a seasonal fruit. Some people call it as kedarangai too. It is also called as Kaffir lime. This is widely available in South east asia and we South Indians make narthangai rice,Narthangai oorugai(both wet and dry version),Narthangai rasam and this pachadi too. Two weeks back when I went to Chennai for a family function,my mom packed few Narthangai for me. I made pachadi after coming back. The recipe is similar to the Orange peel pachadi recipe. 
During my childhood days i somehow don't like this pachadi. My mom,paati and my sister used to love this and me and appa never enjoy this. But somehow after marriage things changed and i started eating this pachadi. My mil's house they don't make this one but she makes the dry narthangai oorugai. I love the way she cuts the fruit using the aruvaalmanai,the traditional cutter. I used up the remaining citron for making panagam,by replacing lemon with narthangai.

Date Truffles recipe | Easy no cook date truffles

Date truffles with video

Date truffles is a simple no cook recipe made using 3 main ingredients, dates,cocoa powder and nuts. It is more similar to our Indian dry fruits ladoo. Valentines day is even more special to us as it is our son Varun's birthday. This year he is celebrating his 12th birthday. When i was thinking of what to post for today,this idea of dates truffles came to my mind. Last week we went to India for my sister's son Upanayanam(sacred thread ceremony) Generally bakshnams like murukku,ladoo will be distributed to all the relatives during weddings and upapanayam in our tradition. But she wanted to make it healthy and gave a Dates packet for all of them. I loved that idea of giving dates and she packed few extra packets for me too.So i thought i will try this dates truffles recipe for valentines day. You can also pack this dates truffles for kids snack box too. Check out my

• MicrowaveChocolate cake
• Donut mug cake

Dahi ke kabab recipe

Dahi ke kabab| Dahi ke kebab is an easy party starter snack recipe. I have first tried this for my cookery demo with Alvas yogurt Singapore, last year. This dahi kabab was a super hit in that cookery demo. Yesterday i had a big batch of home made yogurt,so wanted to try this try out this kabab recipe again to post in Jeyashri's kitchen. I took the video of dahi kabab recipe and shared my lunch platter also in Jeyashri's kitchen Instagram. The first time i have seen this recipe in Venkatesh bhat's show. I remember him using chutney dal powder(pottukadalai)as a binding agent for making this kabab. I have once tried with that but some how i felt gram flour | kadalai maavu suits my taste. You can use millet flour or sathu maavu too.
The kabab was super crunchy outside and melting soft inside, the taste of paneer and the crunchiness of the nuts and the flavour of chaat masala complimented each other. Try this at home and let me know how it turned out.
Check out my

• Sweet potato cutlets
• Hara bara kabab
• Corn kebab

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
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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.