Temple puliyodharai / Kovil puliyodharai

Temple puliyodharai / Kovil puliyodharai

Ingredients:

• Cooked rice - 1 cup.

For the pulikaichal:

• Gingelly Oil (Nallenai) - 3 tbsp
• Peanuts - a fistful (Skin removed)
• Mustard Seeds - ½ tsp
• Channa Dal - 1 tbsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Dried Red chillies - 2
• Curry Leaves - few
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Hing (Perungayam) - a generous pinch
• Tamarind - lemon sized ball
• Salt - to taste

For the powder:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Channa Dal - 2 tbsp
• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds - ½ tbsp
• Dried Red Chillies - 2
• Fenugreek Seeds(Venthyam) - ½ tsp
• cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper corn - 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Heat oil and roast the ingredients 'for the powder' as above until golden brown.Allow it to cool and grind it to a fine powder. Keep aside.Then add 1/2 cup water to tamarind, let it soak for 15 mins.Now squeeze out thick tamarind pulp and keep aside.

• Heat gingelly oil in a kadai on medium low heat and add the peanuts. Roast until slightly browned. Now add mustard seeds,channa dal, urad dal,curry leaves, red chillies, turmeric powder and hing. Toast until they are browned evenly.

• Check and add salt.Now add the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for 10-15mins and switch off the flame.

• Take the cooked rice spread it in a wide bowl, drizzle a tsp of oil on top, add the pulikaichal mix well without mushing up the rice.Add salt if required. Now add the roasted powder and give a quick stir. Keep covered and allow it to rest atleast for 30mins before you serve.

• Serve with any chips
  

Pottukadalai Murukku

Pottukadalai Murukku

Ingredients needed:

•    Rice flour - 2 cups
•    Whole skinned Urad dal flour -1/2 cup
•    Roasted gram dal/pottukadalai flour - 3/4 cup
•    Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp
•    Hing/asafoetida - a pinch
•    Melted butter - 1 tbsp
•    Hot oil - 1 tbsp
•    Salt to taste
•    Oil for deep frying 
•    Murukku maker 

Preparation

• In a pan/kadai, dry roast whole urad dal until it turns very light brown. Remove from the pan and switch off the flame.

• Dry roast the roasted gram dal slightly.

• After it cools, powder both separately to a fine powder and sieve it.

• Sieve rice flour too.

Method:

• In a bowl, mix together rice flour, urad dal flour and roasted gram dal flour and add cumin seeds, melted ghee, hot oil and mix well.

• In a bowl, mix together salt, hing and 1/2 cup of water.Do not add too much water as the murukku will keep breaking when squeezed through the murukku maker. 

• I used the 3 holes disc in the murukku maker for making this murukku.

• Now take a portion of the dough and put it inside the murukku maker. Press it and check it. If you find it hard to press, you can  add 2 or 3 drops of water and mix the dough well again.

• Grease 2 or 3 ladles or small plate with oil for placing the squeezed out murukku. Place the dough inside the murukku maker and press the dough through the 3 hole disc on the ladle or small plate, in a circle to form murukku. 

Making murukkus

• Heat oil in a kadai ,When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and slide the murukku from the ladle into the hot oil gently. You can fry 3 or 4 murukkus depending on the quantity of oil and the size of your kadai.

• After dropping the murukku into the hot oil, let it cook for a few seconds, then flip it over to the other side.

• Fry the murukku until golden brown color then drain the oil and transfer into plate.. 

• Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.

Curry Leaves Thokku / Karuveppilai Thokku

Curry Leaves Thokku / Karuveppilai Thokku

Ingredients:

To Grind into coarse paste:

• Curry leaves - 75 grams
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Tamarind - small gooseberry size
• Mustard seeds -  1/2 tsp

To make Powder:

• Gram dal - 1 tbsp
• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Jerra seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
• Hing - 1/2 tsp
• Red chillies - 8
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves,tamarind and ginger and saute it for 3 to 4 mins. Allow it to cool and grind the curry leaves, tamarind, ginger in to a coarse paste.

• Fry the items to be powdered in a teaspoon of oil separately, cool it and powder it.

• Again heat oil in a pan, and when it is hot, add mustard seeds. When it pops up add curry leaves paste and salt.

• Fry the paste for five minutes on low flame. Then add the ground powder and fry again for a few minutes. The oil will float on top

• Switch off the stove and let it cool. Store the prepared curry leaves thokku in a jar.
• Serve, this with hot rice. 

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Omapodi recipe

Omapodi

              One of the best snack that goes well with all chat items and perfect tea time snack for your kids.I usually prepare this often and also for Diwali and krishna jayanthi along with some other snacks.

Ingredients needed:

   Bengal gram flour/Besan/kadala mavu - 1 cup

   Ghee/Clarified butter -1 tsp

   Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

   Hing - a generous pinch

   Omam water - 2 tbsp

   Salt to taste

   Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Take besan in a bowl, add all the above ingredients, a tsp of ghee, salt needed and make a soft dough by adding water little by little.

• Make a small cylinder with the dough and put it inside the muruku maker. Heat oil, when the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium, then press the muruku maker in a circular motion over the hot oil.

• Fry both the sides(don't fry until color brown in color - ref below pic), Once it is done, the bubbling noise stops. Omapodi is done. Remove it with a slotted ladle and strain it in a colander.

• Repeat the same process for the rest of the dough.

• After it to cool and store it in an airtight container. 

Methi Khakhra recipe

Methi Khakhra

                      Khakhra | khakra is a crispy flat bread , originally a Gujarathi savoury snack.It was so easy to make at home and quite healthy as it is made with Wheat flour. It is bit time consuming but very much worth the effort and good diet. Try out this super healthy and easy tea time snack - Methi Khakra. Even if you are travelling you can make this and take as this will stay good for a week.

Ingredients needed:

• Whole wheat flour - 1/2 Cup
• Fresh Methi leaves or kasturi methi- 2 Tbsp
• Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
• Ajwain | omam - a pinch
• Turmeric powder  - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds|Jeera - a pinch
• Oil or ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt - as needed

Method:

• Add all ingredients in a wide bowl and add little water to make it into a stiff yet pliable dough. 
• Keep it covered in a wet cloth for 30 minutes.

• Make the dough into equal sized balls.
• Dust with flour and roll the ball into a very thin roti. The rolling should be very very thin as a paper.Dust with flour when needed. 

• Heat the tawa and place the roti on the tawa and apply ghee on it. 
• Switch to the low flame, When bubbles start coming up, using a potato masher or a clean cloth press the roti nicely, without allowing the air bubbles to pop up.
• Do this on both sides. ensure that the flame is low. So that you get crispy khakras.

• Cool them completely and store them in air tight containers. This will stay crisp for many days. Mine got over in a week.
• Serve with any pickle applied on top. wow awesome combination. i loved it.

Schezwan Egg Noodles recipe

Schezwan Egg Noodles

             Schezwan egg noodles is an very popular Chinese dish. It is easy to prepare and added lots of vegetables and scrambled egg to make it very healthy. It tastes good and every kids used to like noodles. Best breakfast to make our kids healthy.  

Ingredients needed:

• Spaghetti - 200 grams
• Egg - 3 no's
• Garlic - 1 1/2 tbsp ( Finely chopped )
• Spring Onion - 1/4 cup (Chopped)
• Carrot - 1 medium size (Julienned)
• Cabbage - 1/2 cup thinly sliced
• Beans - 4 to 5 (Finely chopped)
• Capsicum - 1 medium size
• Spring Onion greens - 1/4 cup for garnishing.
• Soya sauce - 1 tbsp
• Red chilly sauce - 1/2 tsp
• white pepper - as required.
• Salt - as required
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp

To make Schezwan Sauce (makes 1/2 cup sauce)

• Dried Whole Red Chillies - 15
• Seasame Oil - 1 tbsp
• sugar - 1 tsp
• Vinegar - 1 tsp
• Soya sauce - 1 tsp
• Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
• Garlic - 10 cloves(crushed)
• Schezwan pepper powder - 1 tsp
• 1 tsp salt - as needed

How to cook noodles:

• Add 3 to 4 cups of water in suace pan. Bring them to boil add a tsp of oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Then add noodles to the boiling water. Stir it now to avoid sticking together. should not over cook the noodles. Taste it and switch of the flame.

• Drain the hot water from the noodles and again add cold water stir it and drain the water to avoid it from sticking to each other.

• Transfer it into an plate and keep aside.

How to make Scrambled egg:

• Take a bowl , add tumeric powder , salt and little water mix well. Then break the eggs and add to the mixture.

• Beat the eggs very well and there should not be any lumb of spices.Mix it well and keep aside.

• Heat oil in the pan , pour beaten eggs and scramble the egg using laddle. atlast, add pepper powder and switch off the flame. keep it aside.

Method:

• First prepare the sauce. Soak the dry red chillies for 6 - 7 hrs in warm water. Remove the water. In a blender make a fine paste of the soaked red chillies and garlic. You may use 1 tblsp of water to make a smooth paste.

• Now heat the sesame oil in a pan and then add the chilly garlic paste, vinegar, sugar, pepper powder, soya sauce ,tomato sauce and salt. saute it for 2 mins and allow it to cool.

• Heat butter in a pan, add finely chopped garlic,onions and saute it for 2 mins.

• In a hig flame , add beans suate it for 3 mins followed by carrot , cabbage , capsicum , spring onion greens .(Veg should not over cooked it should be crunchy).

• Then add the schezwan sauce, tomato sauce and mix well. atlast, add cooked spaghetti and scrambled egg , white pepper, ajinomoto, salt and mix it well without breaking the noodles. 

• Switch off the flame and serve hot.

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Uppu urundai recipe

Uppu Urundai

                Uppu urundai/ Uppu kozhukattai is a traditional recipes made during Vinayagar chathurti. Its also known as modakam or kara kozhukatai in Tamil and  Modak in marathi. We can make this modak with different fillings. Ellu Mothagam or Cocunut mothagam.

Ingredients needed: 

• Raw Rice - 1 cup
• Water - as needed

To temper:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Channa Dal - 2 tbsp
• Urad dal - 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - few 
• Red Chillies -  6 broken
• Grated Coconut - 1 cup
• Hing - a generous pinch
• Salt - to taste

Method

• Soak the rice for nearly 3 to 4 hrs. Drain the water, take raw rice in a mixer , add water and grind it to a coarse paste. Set aside.

• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds , allow it to crackle then add all other items under 'to temper' let it to slightly brown, add coconut saute for 2 mins.

• Now add the ground mixture saute it until water is absorbed fully, the rice mixture will become thick  and solid to handle at this stage, switch it off.

• When the mixture is still warm - Grease your hands slightly with oil...Then take a fistful of the mixture and roll them into a cylindrical dumpling with your hands.Repeat the same till the mixture gets done. Steam the dumplings for atleast 10 to 15 mins.

• Serve hot with any spicy chutney.

Suji Appam

Suji Appam

Ingredients:

• Maida - 1 1/4 cup

• Bombay ravai - 1 cup

• Chopped cashew nuts - few

• Water - 2 1/2 cup

• Ghee - 2 tbsp

• Salt - 1 pinch

• Oil - for deep frying

Method:
For making outer dough:

• Make a soft dough by mixing flour,with 1 pinch salt  and needed water. 

• Knead it, add 2 tbsp oil and keep it covered for 3-4 hours. Let it remain soaked in oil.

How to make the Filling:

• In a pan , add ghee and roast the rava until the raw smell goes off and keep aside.

• In another pan add the sugar and water together, in a low flame keep stiring until the sugar gets disolved completely.

• Atlast add the ghee and roasted rava in boiling sugar and mix well.

• Once it reaches to halwa stage and when it leaves the sides of the pan, add the remaining ghee, chopped cashew nuts and switch off the flame.

• Divide the stuffing into gooseberry sized balls. Grease a plantain leaf with oil. Take a small ball of dough and place it on the plantain leaf.

• Grease your fingers with oil and flatten the dough with your fingers to form a small circle.

• Place a small ball of appam stuffing at the center and seal it on all sides forming a small ball.

• Now flatten the ball with the stuffing inside to form a thin small circle.

• Heat oil in a kadai and deep the stuffed appam in a low flame.

• Serve hot or warm crispy suji appam

Sweet Paniyaram

South Indian Sweet Paniyaram 

Ingredients needed 

• Idli batter- 11/2 cup

• Jaggery - 5 tbsp or as required

• Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

• Cardamom powder - a pinch

• Roasted Rava - 2 tbsp

• Sesame seeds - 1/4 tsp

• Salt - a pinch

• Ghee for cooking paniyaram

• Paniyaram pan

Method 

• Mix together idli batter, jaggery, roasted rava, sesame seeds, grated coconut, a pinch of salt and cardamom powder. Add needed water for batter mix well and keep aside.(batter should not be too thick nor thin, it should be moderate, Then only you will get fluffy perfect paniyaram).

• Heat the paniyaram pan and then add 1/2 a tsp of oil in each hole (kuzhi) of the pan.

• Then fill in the holes with the prepared batter.(fill only up to 3/4)

• Cover and cook on medium flame. Once the bottom starts browning, using a skewer, flip it over gently to the other side. 

• Cook the other side uncovered until golden brown.

• Remove from the pan and serve hot.

• Check out my another version of paniyaram in below link

             Kara Paniyaram

puran poli

Puran Poli

             Poli is very popular and traditional dish. In my aunt home they used to prepare poli for telugu new year. Already i have posted one version of mangalore poli . this is another version of puran poli . Try the different taste and enjoy it.

Ingredients needed

•    Maida -1 cup
•    Oil - 2 tbsp (sesame seed oil)
•    yellow food colour - 1 pinch

   For the stuffing

•    Bengal gram/channa dal/kadalai paruppu -1/2 cup
•    Jaggery - 3/4 cup
•    Coconut (grated) 1/4 cup
•    Ghee - 1 tsp
•    Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp 
•    Plantain leaf

Method:
How to make outer dough:

• Make a soft dough by mixing flour, yellow food color and needed water. 

• Knead it, add 2 tbsp oil and keep it covered for 3-4 hours. Let it remain soaked in oil.

How to make Poli stuffing: 

• Wash and soak bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) for half an hour.

• Pressure cook bengal gram dal with water (add enough water to cover the dal) for 2 whistles.

• In a bowl, add grated jaggery and just enough water to soak the jaggery. Cook on low heat until the jaggery dissolves. Once it gets dissolves, filter the impurities.

• Drain off excess water from the bengal gram. In a pan, add the filtered jaggery water, cooked bengal gram dal, grated coconut and a tsp of ghee.

• Cook on medium heat stirring continuously until it leaves the sides of the pan.

• Leave it to cool. Then grind it to a slightly smooth paste adding cardamom powder. Now our stuffing for poli is ready.

How to make poli:

• Divide the stuffing into gooseberry sized balls. Grease a plantain leaf with oil. Take a small ball of dough and place it on the plantain leaf.

• Grease your fingers with oil and flatten the dough with your fingers to form a small circle.

• Place a small ball of poli stuffing at the center and seal it on all sides forming a small ball.

• Now flatten the ball with the stuffing inside to form a thin small circle.

• Grease the tawa slightly with ghee and heat it. Now invert the plantain leaf with the poli over the tawa as seen in the picture below.

• After a few seconds, gently remove the plantain leaf.

• Now cook the poli both the sides until golden brown on very low heat.

• Once cooked, apply ghee all over the surface and remove from heat.

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