Koozhu

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice

4 tsp gingili oil

2 or 3 red chillies

Salt to taste.

Method

Soak rice for 2 hours, grind to smooth paste and set aside for 10 -12 hours.

Mix 4 cups of water to the above batter add salt and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustards, when it starts spluttering  add red chillies.

Now add the above batter and stir continuously, keep the gas in low flame.

Mix well till it becomes thick and has a glossy look. 

Serve hot with a spoon of gingili oil on the top.

Vazhakka Puttu

Ingredients

5 small raw bananas (Big 2)

¼  tsp mustard

1 tbsp gram dhal

1 red chilli

A pinch asafetida

Few curry & coriander leaves

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 green chilli & 1 red chilli

2 tbsp coconut

2 tsp oil

Salt to taste

Method

Steam  vzhakka with skin in cooker for 1 whistles.

(Keep in cooker without water)

Let it cool and remove the skin and grate it.

Now heat oil in a pan, add mustard when it starts spluttering

add channa dhal, red chilli, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves and sauté.

Add grated vzhakka  slat and cook for 4 minutes.

Now add coconut and mix well, cook for 2 more minutes.

Add coriander leaves.

Ready to serve hot vzhakka  puttu.

Goes well with smabar / rasam / curd rice. 

Stuffed Brinjal (Ennai Kathrikka)

Ingredients

½ kg small brinjals

Tamarind lemon size(Soaked in warm water and extract the juice)

1 tbsp gram dhal

1 tbsp urad dhal

5 red chilli

A pinch asafetida

A pinch turmeric powder

3 tsp gingelly oil

Few curry leaves

Salt to taste

Method

Wash the brinjals and slit them into four.

Apply a pinch of salt in each brinjal .

Boil the tamarind juice with a pinch of turmeric powder till

raw smell goes and keep aside.

In a pan add  a tsp of oil in that add gram dhal & urad dhal fry them

till brown colour, now add red chilli & asafetida.

Once it's cooled grind them coarsely.

Stuff the above powder in each brinjal.

Heat oil in a  pan , add the stuffed brinjals one by one gently, add turmeric powder.

Cover it with a lid and cook on low flame for 10 minutes. Stir in between gently.

Then add boiled tamarind juice with little water and salt.

Now add the left over dhal powder and cook on low flame for 5 more minutes.

Finally season it with mustard & curry leaves.

Goes well with hot rice.

Tip for working women

Prepare the stuffing powder previous day night, for next day morning.

You can even stuff the brinjal and keep it in the fridge, in an air tight container.  

So that, you can save the preparation time next day morning.

Rava Idli

Ingredients

2 cups Bombay rava  (roasted)

2 cups sour thick curd

Oil and ghee each 3 spoons

2 tsp finely chopped curry  leaves

1 tsp finally chopped green chillie 

Few cashew nuts 

¼ tsp mustard

¼ tsp gram dhal

Method

Soak the  rava in curd with salt, mix well and set aside for ½  hours.
In a pan, add oil and ghee. In that add mustard, 
when it starts spluttering add all the above ingredients one by one.
Finally add cashew nuts and pour this on idly batter.

First steam the cooker well then keep your idli plates ready and greased with oil.
Take a ladle full of batter to the idli plate and pressure cook without weight.
Steam it for 10 -12 minutes.
Rava idlis are ready.
Serve hot with  any chutney, Idli molaga podi.

Kanjeevaram Idli

Ingredients

2 cups raw rice

2 cup whole urad dhal

Oil and ghee each 4 spoons

1 cup fresh thick curd

½ spoon crushed black pepper

¼  spoon jeera

Few cashew nuts (fried)

salt to taste

Cooking soda a pinch (optional)

Method for batter

Soak dhal and rice together for 3 to 4 hours.

Grind to coarse consistency by using as little water as possible, batter should be thick.

Add salt and mix well. Ferment the batter 8 to 10 hours.

Before steaming add oil and melted ghee, pepper, jeera, curd, soda and fried cashew nuts

to the batter and mix well. Now the kanjeevaram idly batter is ready.

Method for idli

First steam the cooker well then keep ready your idli plates greased with oil.

Take a ladle full of batter to the idli plate and pressure cook without weight for steaming.

Steam it for 8 to 10 minutes. Now hot kanjeevaram idlis are ready.

Serve hot with any chutney.

Rava Kichadi

Ingredients

1 cup rava

2½  cups water

¼ spoon turmeric powder

oil & ghee each 2 spoons

¼  spoon mustard

¼ spoon urad dal

¼ spoon channa dal

2 onions

1 tomato

Small piece of ginger

few curry leaves & coriender leaves

1 green chillie and red chillie

2 spoons carrot(boiled)

2 spoons Peas (boiled)

salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan add mustard when it splutters add  urad & channa dal.

Now add the chopped onions , ginger , curry leaves, green chillie and

turmeric powder saute  for 2 minutes then add tomato and boiled carrot and peas.

Now add water and salt when it starts boiling add rava slowly. ( keep the gas in low flame)

Close the pan with a lid & cook it in a low flame till water is absorbed completely.

Finely add ghee and coriander leaves, mix well.

Ready  to serve hot kichadi with curd or any pickle

Thogayal

Ingedients

1 Cup urad dhal

8 - 10 Red chillies

A pinch asafetida

1 spoon oil

Method

In a pan add one spoon oil and urad dhal roast them in brown color.

Now add red chillies and asafetida and allow to cool.

Grind it to coarse powder and store in air tight container.

This powder can be used for all types of thogayal or chutney.

Ex :  If you want to do coconut and coriander leaves thogayal or chutney

Soak tamarind in water for 5 minutes.

In a pan add few drops of oil and coriander leaves sauté for a minute.

Add some coconut, tamarind and salt grind to a  paste.

Now add the above powder 2 spoons with this paste and mix well.

Like this you can do so many thogayal or chutneys.

Goes well with hot rice.

Mango dhal (mamidikaya pappu)

It is an Andhra recipe called mamidikaya pappu.

They will add more green chillies to this dhal.

Ingredients

1 cup toor dal

1 cup chopped  mangos

1 spoon oil

Turmeric powder - a pinch

¼ spoon chillie Powder 

¼ spoon mustard

¼ spoon urad dal

¼ spoon jeera

1 red chillie  (1 green chillie – optional)

Few curry leaves

Salt to taste

Method

Pressure cook toor dal with turmeric powder and mash it well.

Now cook mango with little water, red chilli powder and salt till mangos are soft.

Combined both dhal and mango and cook for 5 minutes in low flame.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard when it splutters, add urad dal, jeer, and red chillie

when it turns brown add curry leaves.

Simple mango dhal is ready to serve.

This can be served with hot rice and little ghee.

Lady's finger fry

Ingredients

½ kg Lady's finger

4 spoons oil

Turmeric powder - a pinch

¼  pepper powder

Salt to taste

Method

Wash ladies finger well, remove both ends and cut it into small pieces.

Heat oil in a pan add ladies finger and turmeric powder cover it and cook for 5 minutes in low flame.

Now remove the lid and saute in between.

Cook in a low flame more than 10 minutes.

Finally add pepper powder and mix well.

Simple lady’s finger fry is ready to serve.

This fry can be served with hot rice and little ghee / side dish for rasam / sambar.

(If you want you can season this with jeer or musted and urad dal)

Health benefits

Treats Bowels.

Heals Ulcers.

wheat dosa

Ingredients

1 cup dosa batter

1 cup wheat flour

oil

salt to taste

Method

Mix Wheat flour along with salt and add enough water to make a thin batter.

Add this to dosa batter and mix well.

Heat a nonstick tawa/iron tawa pour a ladle of the batter in the centre of the tawa

and spread it out from the centre making round shape.

Drizzle a tsp of oil around the dosa, after it cooked one side flip it over and cook other side also.

Simple wheat dosa is ready to serve.

Goes well with onion chutney / molagapodi.

Onion chutney

Ingredients

2 onions

1 tomato

1 red chilli / ¼ spoon red chilli powder

salt to taste

Method

Grind the above all to a fine paste.

Simple onion chutney is ready to serve with dosa.

Beetroot stir fry

Ingredients

¼ kg Beetroot

1 Onion (optionai) or 2 spoons coconut

1 spoon oil

¼ spoon mustard

¼ spoon urad dal

¼ spoon pepper powder

 Method

Cut onions and beetroot. Boil beetroot with very little water.

In a pan add 1 spoon of oil season with mustard, urad dhal and curry leaves.

Add onion saute for 2 minutes.

Add boiled beetroot and salt cook on low flame for 5 minutes.

Finally add pepper powder and mix well.

Option II  - For cutting beetroot

While you keep your regular cooker (rice and dhal) you can keep beetroot without water.

Once out of the cooker, cut the boiled beetroots. It’s very easy and time saving method.

Health benefits

Beetroots are  very good source of fiber, manganese and potassium.

It is an excellent food during pregnancy as it contain natural folic acid.

It is good for treating anemia and blood pressure.

Improves immunity levels.

Aviyal

Ingredients

1/2 kg Mixed vegetables (White and yellow pumpkin, potato, carrot, karamani, podalanga and drum stick)
100 gms greated coconut.
1 cup thick curd beaten well
¼ spoon turmeric Powder
¼ spoon rice flour
4-5 green chillies
Few curry leaves
1 spoon coconut oil (optional)
Salt to taste.

Method

Grind coconut, green chillies, rice flour and few curry leaves to a fine paste.
Cut all the vegetable length wise pressure cook with turmeric and salt.
Do not overcook it, just for only one whistle, otherwise they will become mushy.
Boil drum stick separately.

Option II

If you want you can cook all vegetables one by one separately also.
Each vegetable take its own time to cook.
Mix the coconut paste with cooked vegetables allow to boil for 5 minutes.
Finally add curd and cook until it become frothy. Do not boil it.
Finally add coconut oil and curry leaves.
No need of any seasoning for this aviyal.
Simple and delicious aviyal is ready.
Goes well with hot rice / Adai / roti.

  

Avrakkai (broad beans) stir fry

Ingredients

½ k.g  Avrakkai (Broad beans)

4 spoons grated coconut

1 spoon oil

¼ spoon mustard

A pinch turmeric powder

¼ spoon urad dal

1 red chilli or green chilli

Method

In a pan add 1 spoon of oil season it with mustard, urad dhal and green chillie .

Now add avarakkai, turmeric powder add very little water, cover it and cook on

low flame, until the vegetable are cooked well.

Finally add salt, curry leaves and coconut, mix well and cook for 2 minutes.

Health benefits

No cholesterol

Low in sugar

Very high in dietary fiber.

Seppan Kizangu fry (colocasia)

Ingredients

¼ kg seppan kizangu

¼ spoon red chili powder

1 spoon corn flour

A pinch asafetida

¼ spoon mustard

Salt to taste

5 – 6 spoons oil

¼ spoon tamarind paste (optional - for those who feels throat irritation of seppan kizangu)

Method

Pressure cook seppan kizangu, peel the skin and cut into pieces.

Do not overcook it, just for 1 or 2 whistle, otherwise they will become mushy.

Heat oil and splutter mustard, add boiled seppan kizangu with salt fry well for 5 minutes.

Then add red chili powder, asafetida and corn flour (tamarind paste) cook well until they are crisp.

Cook for at least 10-15 minutes in low flame. 

Ready to serve hot with rice/ sambar / rasam.

Podalanga Kootu ( snake gourd)

Ingredients

100 gms Toor dal (pressure cooked and mashed well)

¼ cup coconut

¼ spoon Jeera

1 or 2 red chillie

¼ spoon Urad dha

¼ spoon rice flour

Turmeric powder a pinch

1 spoon oil

Salt to taste

Method

In a pan add podalanga with little water and cook for 3 minutes.

Add turmeric powder and salt and cook till the vegetables are soft.

Grind coconut, red chilli, jeera and rice flour to a fine paste.

Add this masala to boiled podalanga and cook for 2 minutes.

Now add the mashed dhal along with this and allow to boil for 5 more minutes.

Heat oil and splutter mustard add urad dal when it turns brown add curry leaves.

Podalanga kootu is ready. Serve hot with rice along with Raitha/ salad / tuvayal/ any chutney.

Like this you can prepare various types of kootu, by using same ingredients and cooking method.

Change the vegetables. (Variations)

Mixed vegetables like carrot, peas, cauliflower, chow chow ( Bangalore kathirika)

Vazhai thandu (banana stem)

White pumkin

Yellow pumki

Cabbage

Greens

Murungai Keerai kootu ( Drumstick leaves)

Ingredients

100 gms Toor dal (pressure cooked and mashed)

¼ cup grated coconut

¼ spoon Jeera

2 red chillies

¼  spoon urad dal

Turmeric powder a pinch

¼ spoon rice flour

1 spoon oil

Salt to taste

 Method

Separate the drum stick leaves from the stalk.

Wash the keerai and filter it. No need to chop it.

Cook for 4 minutes with little water adding a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.
Grind coconut, jeera, red chillie and rice flour to fine paste.
Add this paste to the above and cook for 2 minutes.

Now add the mashed dhal along with this and allow to boil for 2 more minutes.

In a pan add 1 spoon of oil season it with mustard, urad dhal, jeera and red chilli.

Serve hot with rice along with mango salad / any raitha.

Health benefits

Drum stick leaves are high in nutrients and medicinal properties.

Rich in vitamin A, C and calcium.

It is good for digestive disorders.

It is extremely useful during pregnancy period for calcium deficiency.

It will increases lactation post delivery.

       

   

Cabbage and green peas stir fry ( Poriyal)

Ingredients

1/2 kg Chopped cabbage

4 Spoons green peas 

4 Spoons grated coconut

1 Spoon oil

1/4 spoon mustard

A pinch turmeric powder

1/4 Spoon urad dal

Half green chilli

Few curry leaves

Salt to taste

Method

Wash the cabbage well and chop it into small pieces.

In a pan add 1 spoon of oil season it with mustard, urad dhal and green chilli.

Add cabbage and peas with a pinch of turmeric powder.

Sprinkle 2 spoons of water cover it and cook on low flame.

Stir in between and add salt now.

Finally add grated coconut and curry leaves mix well.

Cabbage and peas stir fry is ready.

Onion Salad

Ingredients

2 onions

½  lemon

¼ Spoon red chillie powder

Salt to taste.

Method

Cut onions add red chilli powder and salt.

Finally squeeze the lemon juice and mix well.

Keera Kootu

Ingredients

50 gms Toor dal (pressure cooked and mashed well)

6 Spoons grated coconut

¼  spoon Jeera

¼ Spoon rice flour

1 or 2 Red chillie

1 Spoon urad dal

Turmeric powder a pinch

1 spoon oil

Salt to taste

For grinding

Roast urad dal and red chilli in little oil.

Grind the above with  coconut, jeera and rice flour to fine paste.

Method

Wash the keerai for 3 to 4 times with lots of water and filter it.

Chop it and cook well with little water adding a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.

Add coconut masala to the above and cook well.

Now add the mashed dhal along with this and allow to boil for 2 more minutes.

In a pan add 1 spoon of oil season it with mustard and urad dhal.

Goes well with hot rice.

Combination onion salad, mango salad or any raitha.

Keerai Masiyal

Ingredients

1 Bunch - Arai keerai

¼ Spoon mustard

¼ spoon Urad dal

1 Red chilli

1 Spoon oil

A pinch of turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method

It is very simple and easy to cook this recipe. Only thing, it will take time to clean.

Wash the keerai for 3 to 4 times with lots of water and filter it.

Chop it and cook with little water adding a pinch of turmeric powder.

After cooked add salt and mash it well.

Heat oil and splutter mustard add urad dal and red chilli when it turns brown add to masiyal.

Now mashed Keerai masiyal is ready.

This goes well with hot rice and curd rice also.

Do not overcook greens.

Health benefits

Rich in fiber, folic acid, iron and calcium.

Low in calories and ideal for weight management.