Masala Peanuts , Milagu Rasam and a Long Break

Hello Friends...I am taking a long break after this post as We have planned to move back to India next month.. Life is so busy for the last couple of months and finally we are packing everything..And kids are more excited to see their Grand parents , aunts and cousins after a long time..

I just want to contribute to blogger friends Divya and Priya before the hiatus.. Pepper is a common and everyday spice in the Indian kitchen..I like the combi of Milagu rasam and hot rice..For Milagu rasam I make freshly grounded masala which gives special aroma to the rasam.

Ingredients

Tamarind - 1 tsp Tomato - 1 Whole Pepper - 1 tsp WHole Jeera - 1 tsp Toor Dal - 1 tsp Hing - a pinch Mustard - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - few Coriander leaves - chopped - 1 tbslp Red chillies - 2 Garlic minced - 2 Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp OIl - 1 tsp Salt to taste Method

• Grind whole pepper , jeera and toor dal into a coarse powder.
• Chop the tomatoes into small pieces or give a 1 min run in a mixer.
• In bowl mix tomato , tamarind paste and 2 cups of water. Combine well.
• Take oil in a kadai.Add mustard , methi , crushed red chillies hing and curry leaves.
• When it starts splutter add the powder and the Tomato - Tamarind liquid.
• Add the minced garlic too.When the rasam starts boiling add the coriander leaves and remove from the stove and add salt.
• Serve with hot rice.

And this is off to Divya's Think Spice - Pepper started by Sunita Masala Peanuts

Ingredients

Peanuts - 1 cup

Besan flour - 1/4 cup

Rice flour - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Minced Garlic - 1

Hing - a pinch

Salt to taste

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Method

• Mix everything together with a tsp of water.
• Add water just to bind everything together..
• In a MW plate spread the masala peanuts and MW high for 4 min.
• Mix in between.

This is a quick and easy snack for the kids and surprise guests.

I am sending this to Priyas's MEC savoury snacks started by Srivalli.

Wish you all a Happy Ugadi , Tamil Puthandu.See you all with

Amma's yummy recipes..

Pumpkin Dal

This recipe was noted down long before

I started blogging . So I could not remember

the name of the blogger . I have never used

pumpkin with dal . As Cham of spice club

said the tamilians use only plain dal . We liked

this pumpkin dal so much.

Ingredients

Masoor dal - 1 cup

Pumpkin Chopped into cubes - 1 cup

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chopped onions - 2 tbslp

Butter - 1 tblsp

Salt to taste

Method

• Soak masoor dal in water for 30 min.
• Cook the dal after 30 min with chilli powder and turmeric powder for 3 whistle.
• Meanwhile heat butter in a kadai.
• Add jeera . Once it splutters add onions , ginger garlic paste and stir well.
• Now add the chopped pumpkins .
• Pour 1/2 cup of water and close it with lid and allow the pumpkin to cook.
• Now add the cooked dal to it and adjust salt to taste.
• Cook in the medium flame for 2 min.Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Serve with hot rice or rotis . This goes to Madhuram hosting AFAM Pumpkin.

started by Maheswari.

Mochai Kuzhambu

Except some festivals and marriages this gravy

features every Thursday in our place.

Ingredients

Mochai ( whole Val ) - 1/2 cup

Eggplant chopped - 1/2 cup

Drumstick chopped - 8

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coconut paste - 2 tblsp

Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp

Chopped garlic - 2

Tomato chopped - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Chopped onions - 2 tblsp

Mustard and urad dhal - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Method

• Dry roast the mochai for 2 min . Add 2 cups of water and soak for 2 hrs.
• Cook the mochai in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles.Keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai . Add mustard and urad dal.When it starts splutter add curry leaves.
• Add chopped onion and saute it well.
• Add chopped tomato , garilc, eggplants and drumsticks.
• Stir well.Now add all the powders one by one with salt and 1 cup of water.
• Close it with lid and allow the veggies to cook.
• Now add the cooked dal , Tamarind and coconut pastes .
• Cook in the lower flame till the gravy comes together.
• Serve with Rice and papads.

This is my entry to My Legume Love affair hosted by Sra and Susan

Vazhaipoo Kuzhambu

Vazhaipoo is Banana flower in tamil . Each part

of the banana tree is so good for health ..right

from the leaf , stem , flower , plantain and the

ripe banana..My grandpa had a farm full of

banana trees..So we have loads of vazhaipoo

at grandma's place..We make this kuzhambu

similar like Fish curry.

Ingredients

Vazhaipoo - 2

Shallots - 5

cumin powder - 2 tblsp

chilli powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tblsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Method

• Peel the flower layer by layer.The flowers of outer layers can be used for making vada.
• Once the inner layer comes collect the flowers.

• Cut the center piece into half.
• Clean the flower in butter milk .
• In a vessel boil a cup of water and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Cook the flowers in the water for 2 min.
• Remove the flowers from the water.
• Grind shallots to a coarse paste.
• To this add all the other ingredients and 1/2 cup of water.
• Allow it to boil. When it starts boil add the Cooked vazhaipoo.
• Cook in the low medium flame till the gravy comes together and oil separates.
• Serve with rice.

Vendakkai ( Okra ) Puzhi Kuzhambu

Puzhi means tamarind in Tamil and Kuzhambu

is gravy.Other than Sambhar Puzhi Kuzhambu is the next

most popular veg gravy in TamilNadu . Veggies that is

more suited for this gravy are Eggplant , Okra , Bitter gourd ,

Potato ...Here I am using vendakkai to make this Kuzhambu.

Ingredients

Okra - 1/4 kg

Onion chopped - 2 tblsp

Tomato chopped - 1 tblsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard , urad dal - 1 tsp

Method

• Wash okra in water and using a kitchen towel pat dry them.
• Cut into thin small rounds and spread separately in a big round plate . Allow them to dry completely.
• In a kadai heat oil . Add mustard urad dal .
• After it splutters add onions and saute well . Then add tomato and stir well .
• Now add the okras and saute well . Okra tends to be very sticky . Stir well .
• Then add the dry powders and 1/2 cup of water.
• Allow it to boil and add tamarind paste and salt.
• Keep in the medium flame and once a thick gravy forms switch off the flame.
• Add 1 tblsp of coconut paste if you want a thick gravy.

Serve hot with rice and pappads.

Sundakkai Vathal Kuzhambu

Vathal Kuzhambu is one of the most

popular dish in TamilNadu . Vathal

means sun dried Vegetables . Vathal

kuzhambu is made with different kinds

of vathals . The more popular one is

sundakkai vathal .

Ingredients

Sundakkai - 10

Shallots - 10 chopped

Tomato - 1/2 chopped

Drumstick - 7

Garlic crushed - 3 pods

Ginger - 1 inch crushed

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Sambhar powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tblsp

Hing - a pinch

Fresh coarsely grinded pepper - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil 2 tblps

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a kadai and fry the sundakkais till golden brown . Take out the sundakkais from the kadai and keep it aside.
• In the same kadai add mustard seeds . Add hing and pepper.
• Now add onion , ginger , garlic and drumsticks.
• Saute well . Add all the powders and tamarind paste and stir well.
• Add 1/4 cup of water and salt .
• Cook in the medium flame till the gravy thickens.

The Kuzhambu is a great combu with rice and pappads.

Potato Kurma and my first crocheted bag and hat

Happy Ganesh chathurthi to all of

my friends .

Kids are back at school . For the past

2 1/2 months it has been hectic with

kids and could not participate in lot of events

and blog hopping regularly.

And coming up with simple and

delicious potato kurma .

Ingredients

Potaoto - 2

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1 chopped

Green chillies - 3

Cinnamon - 1 "

Cloves - 2

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

To grind

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Poppy seeds - 2 tsp

Ginger - 1 "

Garlic - 2

Method

• Grind all the things (under the heading to grind )to a nice paste.
• Cook the potato in the pressure cooker for 2 whistles with enough water.
• Chop the onions and green chillies into juliennes.
• Remove the potato skin and crumbled it into small pieces.
• Take oil in kadai . Add cinnamon , clove.Then add onions and green chillies.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and stir well.
• Add crumbled potatoes , and all the powders and water.
• Allow it to boil.Now add the grinded masala to this and salt.
• Cook it till the raw smell disappears and the gravy becomes thick.

Serve with pooris and chappathis.

Now coming to the crocheting . I learnt crocheting

during my school days but don't even know the

name single crochet , double crochet etc...other

than chain stictch.And also I didnot make

any completed projects . But inspired by

Nupur and Shilpa I started crochet .

Amma has always been in my side to help whenever

I start learning new things . This is

my first project without Amma's help.

I made a hat and small bag for my daughter.

Vegetable Kurma

Kurma is a coconut based gravy served

with Chappathis and Rotis in South India.

My son prefers veg gravies most of the time and

so vegetable kurma features in our home often.

Ingredients

Chopped veg - 2 cups

( carrots , potatoes , peas , cauliflower )

shallots - 8

Garlic - 6

Green chillies - 8

Ginger - 1 " piece

Coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Tomatoes - 2

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Cashew - 10

Ghee - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

To Grind

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Method

• Heat oil in a kadai . Saute shallots , ginger , garlic , green chillies and cashew.
• Cool down and grind it to a nice paste.
• Now heat the ghee in the pressure cooker,Saute the grinded shallots paste well.
• Add chopped tomatoes . Saute well till soft . Now add the chopped vegetables.
• Now pour the coconut milk and add coriander powder and salt . Close the lid of the cooker .
• Cook it for 2 whistles and switch off the cooker.
• Open the cooker after the pressure releases and add the coconut - poppy seeds paste.
• Cook it in medium flame till the desired consistency.

Serve with Chappathis.

Note

Since both coconut milk and coconut paste are added

add more chillies according to your taste . I have used

less chillies for my kids.

This is my another entry to Srivalli's Curry Mela.

Peas - Tomato curry

This recipe is adopted from Ms.Mallika Badrinath's Vegetarian Gravies. It is so simple to make and delicious too . Ingredients Peas - 1 cup Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp salt - to taste Oil - 3 tblsp To Grind Tomatoes - 3 Ginger - 1 inch Green chillies - 4 Coriander - a small bunch Method

• If using dried peas soak in water for 6 hrs and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
• Grind the ingredients under to grind to a nice paste.
• Heat oil in the kadai.Add the grinded paste and saute well till the oil separetes.
• Add 1/2 cup water , peas and salt.
• Cover it and cook peas under the medium flame.
• Sprinkle pepper powder and switch off the flame after getting desired consistency.

Serve with rotis and pooris.This is my entry to Srivalli's Curry Mela.

Aloo Mattar

Aloo ( Potato ) mattar ( Peas ) is the most popular

dish in North India.A simple delicious gravy and a

great combo for Rotis and Parathas.

Ingredients

Potato - 2

Peas - dried/frozen/fresh - 1 cup

onions - 3

Tomato - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

coriander powder - 1 tblsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2

salt - to taste

Butter - 1 tblsp

Saunf - 1/2 tsp

Method

• If using dried peas , soak it for 5 hrs.
• Peel the skin of potato and cut into cubes and pressure cook along with peas for 2 whistles.
• Take some butter in a kadai.Add onions,tomatoes.Stir it for 2 min.
• When it cooled down grind it to a nice paste.
• Take the remaining butter in the kadai.
• Add saunf , ginger garlic paste and green chillies.
• Now add the grinded paste and fry till the oil separetes.
• Then add all the powders and 1 cup of water.
• When water comes to boil add the cooked potato and peas.
• Switch off the flame when the gravy thickens.

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer butter masala is my daughter's fav.Sauting of

the onions and tomatoes helps the gravy done quicker

and avoids the raw smell of onions in the gravy.

Ingredients

Part 1

Onion - 2

Tomato - 3

Green chilli - 1

kasoori methi - 1 tsp(crushed)

Garlic - 2 pods

Ginger - 1 " inch

Part 2

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Milk - 1/4 cup

Heavy cream - 1/4 cup

Paneer cubes - 1 cup

Butter 2 tblsp

Method

• Heat 1 tsp of butter in a kadai.
• In a low medium flame toss the paneer in butter slightly.
• Keep it in warm water until use.
• Saute the ingredients under Part 1 in the same kadai.
• Let it cool for 10 min and grind it to a nice paste.
• Take another kadai.
• Add 1 tblsp of butter and the grinded paste.
• Stir well.
• Now add all the powders one by one.
• Cover the kadai with a lid and cook it in a low flame for 10 min.
• Add milk and keep the flame low for 2 min.
• In the end add paneer cubes and cream.

Serve with Naan or parotas.

Carrot - Drumstick Sambhar

My grandma 's sambhar is unique and very yummy and delicious.Though amma too makes good one , my grandma has a special touch in her sambhar.The recipe goes like this.

Ingredients

Toor dhal - 1 cup

Small onions - 10 nos

Tomato - 2

carrot - 1

Drumstick - 10 nos

Green chillies - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp

Sambhar powder - 2 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

mustard , urad dhal - 1/2 tsp

curry leaves

coriander leaves

salt to taste

Oil - 1 tblsp

Method

Cook toor dhal in a pressure cooker with

turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp oil for 10 min.

Chop onions,tomato,carrots,green chillies.

In another kadai add remaining oil and mustard

urad dhal.

Once it splutters add hing,curry leaves and all

the vegetables.

Saute it well.

Add this to mashed toor dhal.

Add 1 cup of water,sambhar powder and salt.

Let it cook in cooker again for 1 whistle.

After the pressure released add tamarind paste.

In the end add coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice.

Mushroom curry

This is one of my daughter's favourite curry.

Ingredients

Mushroom - 12 oz

chilli powder - 1 tsp

coriander powder - 2 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

onion - 1 big

salt to taste

oil - 1 tblsp

Method

• Wash and chop the mushrooms
• In a kadai heat oil.Saute the onion well in the oil.
• Add mushrooms and stir it till the moisture comes out.
• Now add all the powders one by one.
• Add salt to taste and 1/2 cup of water.
• Keep it in low flame till the mushroom gets cooked.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.