Raw Banana Podi / Vazhakkai Podi

Raw Banana Podi / Vazhakkai Podi

                

                      Vazhakkai podi is a rare and traditional recipe. I have learnt this recipe for chef venkatesh bhat cook book. this is goes well with sambar rice, curd rice and awesome combination with hot rice and ghee. Like parupu podi this too very tasty more spicy that it. Try this rare recipe and make your family to taste an new dish.  

Ingredients:

• Raw Banana - 1
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - as needed
• Oil - 2 tsp

Roast in oil and grind:

• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Toor dal - 1 1/4 tsp
• Red chilly - 10 (Round chilly)

Stepwise pictures for this recipe:

Method:

• Roast all the above ingredients in oil and grind. keep aside.

• Cut the banana into two halves and boil the raw banana in water with skin. add salt and turmeric powder into it.

• Raw banana should cook well like mashing consistency.

• Remove the skin and keep aside.

• Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds when it get splutters, add urad dal, curry leaves and hing. Pour it in a boil. Smashed the cooked banana with it. add the ground masala powder and mix well.

• Serve this vazhakkai podi with hot rice and ghee. 

Sprouted green Gram Curry

Sprouted green Gram Curry

                             Sprouted green gram is an excellence source of low-fat protein and fiber. It also rich in digestive enzymes. prefer home made sprouts than buying outside. it will fresh , healthy and tastier if you do it in home. This curry will be tasty and more delicious to eat with chapathi. I used to eat uncooked sprouts in this curry that gives rich taste and more healthy one.

Ingredients:

• Sprouted green gram - 1 cup
• Onion - 2 
• Tomato - 3
• Garlic - 8 to 10 flakes
• Green chillies - 2
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Red chilly powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 stem
• Coriander leaves - few
• Salt - as needed

For seasoning :

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

How to make sprouted green gram:

• Wash the green gram and soak in water for 6 hrs.

• Drain the water and wash it twice with water and trasfer it into an hot box and close the lid. 

• sprinkle some water after an hrs. Let it rest for 12 hrs. Sprouts are ready.

Method :

• In a mixer, add onions and garlic to make an ground paste. keep aside

• Heat oil  in a cooker , add fennel seeds and cumin seeds allow it to crackle.

• Add the ground paste of onion & garlic and saute it for 10 mins.

• Add all the masala powder with it and saute for another 5 mins.

• Atlast add the tomatoes , curry leaves and coriander leaves and saute it till tomatoes get mashed.

• Now add the ghee , sprouted green gram, salt with cup of water and allow it to boil, close the cooker.

• Open the pressure cook when the steam completely releases. 

• Serve hot with roti or chapathi.

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Karuveppilai Kuzhambu / Curry Leaves Gravy

Karuveppilai Kuzhambu / Curry Leaves Gravy

                     Curry leaves gravy is very good for health with rich taste. It helps to shines your hair black and grows well. Try this herbal gravy with delicious taste and share your comments. 

Ingredients:

• Tamarind - lemon sized ball
• Curry leaves - 3/4 cup
• Garlic - 8 to 10 flakes ( Chopped)
• Pearl onions - 10 to 12 (Chopped)
• Sambar Powder - 1 1/2 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as needed
• Pepper - 1 tsp

For Seasoning:

• Sesame seed oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Hing - 1 Pinch
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Toor dal - 1 tsp 
• Jeera seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

• Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water , extract tamarind water and throw the pulp.

• Toss curry leaves in low heat for 3mins . add little water and grind into an smooth paste and keep aside.

• Heat oil in a pan add the mustard seeds , fenugreek seeds , hing , urad dal , toor dal , jeera seeds after it get spluters. add the garlic and saute it for 2 mins.

• After that add the chopped onions and fry it till golden brown.

• Now add the tamarind extract , turmeric powder, sambar powder (instead of sambar powder you can coriander powder and chilly powder) , salt , ground curry leaves and add needed water into the gravy.

• Let it boil for 15 mins until the gravy becomes thick with good aroma and oil will float on top, atlast add the pepper powder and leave it boil for 2mins . 

• Now , switch off the flame and serve with hot rice and papadam.

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Tomato Sagu (Side dish for idly/chapathi)

Tomato Sagu (Side dish for idly/chapathi)

             Same old chutneys and gravies are not only boring to eat but to cook too. Try this outstanding tomato sagu for idly/chapathi. This is a very tasty and delecious one.

Ingredients:

• Onion - 5 or 6 (Chopped)
• Garlic - 10 flakes (Chopped)
• Tomato - 1/2 kg
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chilly - 7
• Grated cocunut - 2 tbsp
• Poppy seeds(gasa gasa) - 1 tbsp
• Roasted gram - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - few (Chopped)
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt - as needed
• Sugar - 1 tsp

How to make tomato puree:

• Boil a large pot of water.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 to 10mins.
• Remove the tomatoes from boiling water and allow it to cool.
• Peel off the skins of tomatoes and discard it. cut the tomatoes into two halves and grind it in a mixer.
• Filter the puree and keep aside.

Method:

• Finely chopped the onions , garlic and keep aside.

• Wash and puree the tomatoes.

• Heat oil in a pan , roast the coriander seeds , red chilly and jeera seeds till golden brown color.

• Without oil in a pan , roast the poppy seeds and keep aside.

• In a mixer , add grated cocunut , roasted gram ,poppy seeds, coriander seeds , red chilly and jeera seeds. all together add little water and make into an smooth paste and keep aside.

• In the same pan , heat oil add the mustard seeds after it gets splutters, add the chopped garlic and saute it till golden brown color.

• Then, add the chopped onion and saute it for 7 mins till golden browm color.

• Now Add the ground masala and saute well till nice aroma comes out.

• Atlast, add the tomato puree , salt , sugar and 1/4 cup of water into it.

• Cook till the gravy thicken for about 10 to 15 mins. garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

• Serve hot with idly or chapathi (awesome combination).

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Vegetable Pulao

Vegetable Pulao

                   Veg Pulao which has less spicy with mild flavours. It takes nearly 20 min to prepare, those who don't have time to prepare lunch can prefer this Veg pulao will be very easy and tasty food. This is one of the variety rice which can prefer for kids lunch box.

Ingredients:

• Basmathi Rice – 1 cup

• Water – 3/4 cup

• Onion – 2 (Chopped)

• Green chillies – 2 (slit Lengthwise)

• Capsicum – 1 (slit Lengthwise)

• Peas – 1/4 cup

• Carrot and Beans - 1/4 cup (Chopped)

• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp

• coriander Leaves - handful

• Ghee - 1 1/2 tsp

• Cashew nuts - 10 to 12 

• Salt - As needed.

Spices:

• Cloves - 2

• Cardamom - 1

• Cinnamon - 1 inch

How to pressure cook Basmathi rice :

• Soak the basmathi rice in water for 20 mins. Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a pressure cook, add the above spices(while adding spices flavour will get into the rice) and add the drained rice and saute it for 2 mins.

• Add 3/4 cup of water and add needed salt for rice. let them boil and close the pressure cook and leave it for 3 whistle.

• Apply 1 tsp ghee, and transfer it into an plate to avoid sticking together and keep aside.

Method:

• Switch off the flame and serve this funny plate decoration for kids with tomato sauce.

• Heat ghee in pan , Add the Onions and green chillies and saute till it turns transparent.

• Then , add ginger & garlic paste and saute it for 2mins.

• Then add the chopped beans, carrot, Peas, capsicum , coriander leaves , salt and saute it for 2 mins.(Veg should not be over cooked it should be crunchy). 

•  Atlast add cooked rice , white pepper and mix it well without breaking the rice and garnish with cashew nuts. 

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