My friend Sangeeta have told about arbi tuk that they will double fry arbi and it will be delicious. I make even arbi fry very rarely out of guilt of deep frying. So double frying made me thick twice before trying. But when I planned for a Sindhi lunch menu last time, I wanted to try it. So when I am trying, I wanted to post it too. Vj and Aj loves this to have as side dish, but for first time I am making. Perfect as accompaniment for rice along with any gravy or even dal tadka.
aloo-took

Aloo tuk recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Side dish
Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Serves: 3

Ingredients

Potato , medium	5
Red chilli powder	1 tsp
Coriander seeds powder	3/4 tsp
Amchoor powder/ dry mango powder	1/2 tsp
Salt	As need
Oil	For deep frying

Method

Peel and wash the potatoes. Slice them to thick slices and keep immersed in cold water.

Heat oil in a kadai. Drain the potatoes and sprinkle salt over it. Mix and deep fry in hot oil. Just until it becomes soft from inside.

Drain from oil in a paper towel and pat it gently to remove excess oil. Keep aside.

At the time of serving, heat oil again and fry the potato slices again. Let them fry in medium flame. Fry until golden in colour.

Drain from oil and immediately sprinkle the masala powders and toss well. Repeat the process in batches to finish.

Notes

No need to fry the potato slices for long time in the first time. You can deep fry to change its colour second time when you are frying.
Second time frying should be done in medium flame to get crispy result.
Press the potatoes slightly as if you press too much, it will stick to the kitchen towel.

Serve hot as starter or accompaniment for rice. We had with Sindhi Tomato kadhi , rice, rolled papad as in thelunch menu 43.

aloo-took-recipe

Technorati Tags: aloo tuk recipe,aloo tuk,aloo took recipe,aloo took,sindhi cuisine,sindhi recipes

For this lunch menu series, these days I don’t plan ahead, just plan, cook and post the very same day. Today when I was going through my recipe index and the lunch menus, I thought I should post something that I haven’t covered yet. The first thing I could recognize is lachha paratha. And mutter paneer. So I knew I am going to make this. My kid, though he likes North Indian lunch, he also needs steamed basmati rice and dal to finish his meals. Though I have not kept rice in this picture, I kept basmati rice for him. That’s it, my lunch menu is planned. I had Jamun made with ready made mix that my MIL gave it to me to make it for her boys. She wanted to make it when we went to Chennai few month back, but she had no time. So she gave it to me and asked me to make after coming here. 2 days back I made it for them. I added this to my menu to make it more tempting to you Winking

. So here’s how I cooked this week’s lunch with Lachha paratha, mutter paneer, dal fry, jamun, curd, pickle.

Mutter paneer, Lachha paratha, dal fry -Lunch menu 44

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Lunch
Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook time: 45 mins | Serves: 3

Pressure cook dal for dal fry. Prepare dough for lachha paratha.

Do the cutting, slicing works. Slice 2 onion and chop 2+1 tomato for mutter paneer and dal. Keep all the other ingredients ready – green chilli, ginger, coriander leaves, masala powders, kasuri methi, ghee, lemon, peas, paneer etc. Reserve some onion, tomato, green chilli and coriander leaves for salad.

Shallow fry paneer after thawing it. Keep it immersed in hot water until use. Microwave cook frozen peas.

Prepare dal fry first once dal is done. Do mutter paneer next. Mix onion tomato salad with lemon.

Lastly make lachha parathas when you are ready for lunch.

Serve with curd, pickle, Jamun for dessert.

Check out the links for the recipes :

Check out my other paratha recipes, paneer recipes and this instant mango pickle that can go well with this.

Technorati Tags: lachha paratha,mutter paneer,dal fry,gulab kamun,north indian recipes,lunch ideas,lunch menu ideas,indian lunch ideas

We make ammini kozhukattai (AKA ammani kozhukattai, mani kozhukattai, mini kozhukattai) in a different way. We call it as neer urundai. I have posted that one when I just started my blog here. We boil water and add the rice balls in that water to cook it, instead of steaming. It has totally different taste and texture than this ammini kozhukattai. I love that so much Love Struck

. This is totally different in both making process and taste. I love this as snack. I have never made this way, this is the first time I am making, after my MIL made this for evening snack when I was there in Chennai few months back. Me, Aj and my MIL rolled the balls chatting and watching TV. It was fun job for Aj. He totally enjoyed making it. But he doesnt like to eat this. I thought this will be the apt time to post this as Ganesh Chaturthi 2014 is nearing. Though there are many variations in this ammani kozhukattai, this is my version! mani-kozhukattai

Ammini kozhukattai recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Snack
Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 2

Ingredients

Rice flour(I used idiyappam flour)	1/2 cup
Water	1 cup
Moong dal/ Pasi paruppu	2 tblsp
Coconut, grated	1/4 cup
Sesame oil	1 tsp
Salt	As needed

To temper

Oil (I used coconut oil)	1 tblsp
Mustard	3/4 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Method

Soak moong dal in hot water. In a heave bottomed vessel/ non stick pan, boil water and add salt, sesame oil and flour to it.

Briskly stir and keep mixing until it forms a dough. Initially it can be looking as if there is some lumps forming. But as you stir, it will be alright.

Let it cool down a bit. Once you are able to handle the heat, grease your hands and knead the dough. Start making tiny balls. Keep the dough covered and knead now and then to prevent drying.

grease idli plates with sesame oil and arrange the balls on it. Boil water in idli pot, keep the soaked moong dal in a small bowl, with only water just enough to immerse it. Add salt to it.

Keep the idli plate over it. And steam for 10 minutes or until the balls are done. If you have a different type of idli pot, cook moong dal separately. Just make sure you just cook it without over cooking.

By the time the mini kozhukattais gets cooked, the moong dal also would have been got just right cooked, since we have pre soaked it in hot water. Now heat a kadai and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table in order.

Add the steamed mini kozhukattais and mix well.

Add grated coconut, cooked dal (if little water is there, no problem) and mix gently.

Notes

Soaking dal helps cook easily. If cooking separately, just boil water and add the soaked dal, boil for 2 mins and drain the water.
Keep the dough always covered and knead every now and then with greased hands to prevent from drying.
You can do the same with left over urad dal pooranam too.

Flavorful, eye appealing, cute little ammini kozhukattais are ready to be offered to Ganesh as well as your family would love it as prasadam.
ammini-kozhukattai

Technorati Tags: ammini kozhukattai,mini kozhukattai,ammani kozhukattai,mani kozhukattai,ganesh chaturthi recipes,ganesh chaturthi 2014 recipes,ganesh chaturthi 2014,vinayagar chaturthi recipes,pillayar chathurthi recipes

Ganesh Chaturthi 2014 recipes

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Festival recipes
Ganesh Chaturthi recipe collection for this year 2104 (29th Aug,Friday). Click on each picture to get the recipe! Please refer this page to see how to prepare homemade rice flour for making Kozhukattai, if you wish to prepare form scratch. You can make with store bough rice flour or Idiyappam flour too for easy finish! Wishing you all a Happy Ganesh Chaturthi/ Vinayagar Chathurthi :)We make sure to offer Pillayar with kozhukattai made with Jaggery and Coconut mainly. You can even quickly whip up the instant wheat flour appam below, which takes hardly 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes of cooking time. I am yet to post another version of kondakadalai sundal (with black channa and spice powder), so stay tuned!

Some Useful videos for you!

Technorati Tags: ganesh chaturthi recipes,ganesh chaturthi recipe,vinayagar chaturthi recipes,ganesh chaturthi 2014,vinayagar chaturthi 2014,recipes,tamil,south indian recipes

I myself have rarely bought this black channa, but somewhere I ate this tiny little channa sundal, it was too tasty, so different from the other one. Still bought this after ages and made this sundal for this post. I actually made both the simple version and this sundal podi version and made this kondai kadalai masala sundal. I have used a similar sundal podi in my pattani sundal recipe, but this one with one extra ingredient that I roasted and powdered – channa dal. You can try this sundal podi version for a change, for a spicy punch and flavor. I really loved this version of sundal both with kala channa and this masala powder. Wishing you all a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi 2014 Happy

Kondakadalai sundal / Kadla channa sundal recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Snack
Prep Time: 12 hrs soaking time | Cook time: 15 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

Kala channa / Kondakadalai	1 cup
Salt	As needed
Grated coconut	4 tbslp
Asafoetida	A pinch

To roast and grind

Channa dal/ Kadalai paruppu	1 tblsp
Coriander seeds	1 tsp
Pepper	1 tsp
Jeera/ cumin seeds	1 tsp
Red chilli	2
Asafoetida	A pinch
Oil	1 tsp

To temper

Oil	2 tsp
Mustard	3/4 tsp
Urad dal	2 tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Method

Wash and soak channa overnight. Drain water and pressure cook with water just enough to immerse the channa completely. Add salt and asafoetida. Pressure cook for 4 or 5 whistles in medium flame. 1-cook

Heat a kadai and roast the ingredients under ‘To roast and grind’ table. Add jeera and asafoetida lastly as it will burn. Roast until channa dal turns golden in colour and aroma wafts. Cool down and powder. 2-roast

Heat the kadai and temper with the items under ‘To temper’ table. Add the cooked channa, drained form water. If 2-3 tblsp water is retained, no problem.Stir well. 3-temper

Add the powdered masala and grated coconut. Mix well for 2 minutes in medium flame. 4-ready

Notes

Adding salt to the channa prevents over cooking. Also adding asafoetida enhances flavor.
You can make this same without the powder too. Just temper with 2 red chillies.

Offer for pillayar, enjoy this healthy flavorful sundal as snack. I loved it snacking the whole day going here and there and eating this sundal Blushing

Technorati Tags: vinayagar chaturthi recipes,ganesh chaturthi recipes,pillayar chadhurthi recipes,kala channa sundal,black channa sundal,brown channa recipes

Oreo milkshake is one of the most tempting items for chocolate and oreo lovers. I love chocolates, not all, only very few selected chocolates. But have to admit I am not a big fan of oreo biscuits. I will be feeling like eating mud and a greasy cream in between. But I had to post this to make use of the Oreo biscuits left over in the fridge after I used it for making cookies and cream ice cream. So made this 2 weeks back to finish off it. Aj being cocoa allergic, I cant even make it for Aj, just for the intension to make a post of Oreo milkshake recipe. I am a big fan of Coffee bean Singapore Mud pie drink. I wanted to bring that taste in this. You too try this for your kid if he/ she is a oreo fan. It’s so simple, even your kid can make it, fun time for them Cowboy

Oreo milkshake recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Continental | Recipe Category:Breakfast/ Drink
Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook time: 0 mins | Serves: 1

Ingredients

Milk	1 cup
Vanilla or chocolate ice cream	2 scoops
Chocolate syrup (optional)	2 tblsp
Oreo Biscuits	3

Method

Place all the ingredients in the blender and whip(grind) until frothy. Add the oreo biscuits crushed for easy blending. 1-beat

Notes

I have used chocolate sauce and 2 scoops of ice cream which gives sweetness to this drink. You can use 1 scoop of ice cream alone and skip chocolate sauce and add sugar instead.
You can top with whipped cream.
I used raw milk (pasteurized & Homogenized). If you want you can boil, cool and then make this milkshake.

Serve immediately with more crushed oreo for topping and more chocolate sauce. You can even sprinkle some sugar sprinkles or chocolate sprinkles as topping to make it more appealing for kids.
oreo-milkshake-recipe

Technorati Tags: oreo milkshake recipe,milkshake recipes,cookies and cream milkshake,biscuit milkshake recipe,kids milkshake recipes,kids recipes

I have never liked pavakkai in my life until I started making crispy bitter gourd fries (pavakka chips). And thought I will like it only if I make it that way – deep fried. But recently, after watching a TV show, my MIL asked me to try it that way. Since I too liked the recipe, tried it. I made it twice now and totally loving it. I could not believe I am cookign pavakkai and I am eating too. Vj too liked it who has same thoughts about pavakai like me. I am so glad I tried this one and once again, thanks to mami Blushing

. Try this out, you would love too if you have any wrong impression about bitter gourd.
pavakka-fry-recipe

Pavakka fry (Bitter gourd stir fry) recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Lunch / side dish
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 3

Ingredients

Bitter gourd, thinly cliced into circles	2 cups
Curd (sour best)	1 cup
Sambar powder	2 tblsp
Onion	2
Turmeric powder	1/8 tsp
Oil	2 tblsp
Salt	As needed

To temper

Oil	1 tblsp
Mustard	3/4 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds)	1 tsp

Method

Wash and thinly slice pavakkai as shown in the picture. Discard any seeds if its there. Soak this sliced pavakkai in curd and salt for 15 mins. Thinly slice onion too. Heat kadai with oil and temper with mustard, jeera.

Add onion and fry till dark golden brown, taking care not to burn the onion.

Add cut bitter gourd, squeezed out from the curd, turmeric, sambar powder. Add salt if needed. Mix well and keep the flame in medium. Cook covered for 4 minutes.

Add oil little and keep frying until the bitter gourd turns deep brown in colour and gets cooked as you stir fry. Add oil little by little as you fry.

Notes

Onion must be more for good taste and flavor.
Also browning both onion and the bitter gourd only brings the taste.
Using sour curd is important for taking out the bitterness.
If you feel the bitterness is still there more, add some tamarind juice or lemon juice while frying. But you have to balance the spice too accordingly.

Serve as accompaniment for rice with sambar, rasam or curd rice…

pavakkai-fry-recipe

Technorati Tags: pavakkai fry,pavakkai kari,bitter gourd stir fry,bitter gourd recipes

I tried replacing rice with varagu (Kodo millet) and tried the regular adai recipe with slight modifications. It turned out great. I am trying out recipes to include millets in day to day recipes and I really liked this one. Spicy, flavorful, with lentils to add on. You can use the same recipe and make paniyarams as well. To see how varagu looks like, check out my varagu kanji post. Millets AKA siru dhaniyam can be easily consumed as we can replace certain millets in place of rice and get the benefits.

Varagu arisi adai recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Breakfast
Prep Time: 5 hr (soaking + resting time) | Cook time: 15 mins | Makes: 8

Ingredients

Varagu	1 cup
Channa dal / Kadalai paruppu	1/4 cup
Toor dal/ Thuvaram paruppu	1/4 cup
Urad dal	2 tblsp
Moong dal	2 tblsp
Poha/ aval	2 tblsp
Red chilli	6
Asafoetida	1/8 tsp
Onion	1
Coriander leaves, chopped	2 tblsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Ginger, chopped	2 tsp
Salt	As needed

Method

Wash and soak varagu separately and other dals, poha together separately for 3 hours. In a mixie, first powder red chilli, salt and asafoetida.

Add soaked varagu, drained from water. Smooth to a little coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl.

Add soaked, drained dals and grind coarsely.

Transfer to the bowl.Mix well and set aside for minimum 2 hours. Add all the other ingredients, chopped onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger just before making adai.

Heat a dosa pan, grease with oil and make small thick adais. Cook in medium flame and flip, cook until golden in colour.

Notes

Poha, urad dal and moong dal makes the adai soft.
Standing time gives softer adais, otherwise, adai will be had.
Add water carefully, otherwise the adai batter may become watery.

Serve hot with avial or even powdered jaggery or Naatu sakkarai.
kodomillet-adai

Technorati Tags: varagu adai recipe,spicy varagu adai,varagu kaara adai recipe,south indian millet recipes,millet recipes,Kodo millet recipes,kodo millet adai recipe,step by step recipe,healthy

This peas masala dosa idea was given to me by my little co-sister after she had this in a restaurant. She told me to try this giving hints of the ingredients what she saw in the masala and I tried it as she said. When I tried and showed the picture, she was so happy as it was looking the same as she ate in the restaurant. Its so simple and you can try this when peas is in season. I used frozen peas what we get here. I am a dosa fan and in addition to

this peas masala dosa also adds on to my masala dosa favorites. Do this for a weekend spl breakfast and your family gonna love you for this.
peas-masala-for-dosa

Green peas masala dosa recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Breakfast
Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins | Makes: Stuffing enough for 6 dosa

Ingredients

Peas (I used frozen)	1 cup
Onion	1 large
Tomato	2 large
Red chilli powder	1 tsp
Coriander seeds powder	1 & 1/2 tsp
Garam masala (or any masala powder like tandoori, pav bhaji, kitchen king)	1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/8 tsp
Coriander leaves, chopped	3 tblsp
Sugar	1/2 tsp
Salt	As needed
Dosa batter	As needed

To temper

Oil	2 tblsp
Cinnamon	1 inch piece
Jeera or fennel seeds (Soambu/ saunf)	1 tsp

Method

Heat a kadai and temper with cinnamon and jeera or fennel seeds. Add finely chopped onions and fry till transparent.

Add ginger garlic paste, fry for a minute in medium flame.

Add finely chopped tomatoes, followed by red chilli powder, masala powder, turmeric, coriander powder and salt. Fry till everything turns mushy and to a masala.

Add the peas, sugar and mix well for a minute in medium flame.

Add 1/4 cup water, cook covered for 5 minutes in low flame (or until peas are cooked).

Sprinkle water if its too dry and mix well. Add coriander leaves finally.

To make dosa (I used my idli dosa batter itself), pour a laddle full of batter and spread evenly. Let it get cooked half way, then place the masala, 2tblsp, in the mid. Fold Slightly in one side as shown below.

Again fold the same size in the other two sides to make a triangular shaped dosa. You can fold into two simply as well.

Notes

Let the consistency of the peas masala be thick, not too runny gravy.
Cinnamon, fennel, gg paste and masala powders makes it the best flavorful masala. So do not skip it.
Do not stuff more masala than mentioned.

Serve hot. I had with sambar and red chuteny, you can pair it with coconut chutney or peanut chutney best too.
peas-masala-dosa--recipe

Technorati Tags: peas masala dosa recipe,peas masala dosa,masala dosa ideas,different masala dosas,masala dosa for kids,green peas masala dosa,green peas masala dosa recipe,masala dosa with green peas

Karuvepillai is one healthy ingredient we use in our cooking. But sadly we pick and throw it. Its rich in iron, so I always want to consume it, not for anything, just for the sake of hair fall and now to avoid grey hair Blushing

. My mom used to have curry leaves plant in our back yard, but sadly it is not that big tree that we can get leaves from it, we just tried very hard to keep it alive Raised Eyebrow

. After coming here, I too planted one in a pot from the berries I got from my SIL here and it was really growing decently. And I used to make use of it for emergencies when I run out of curry leaves. But once when I came for vacation to Chennai, it wilted and died Doh

. So now a days, when I have lots of curry leaves either form little india or from Fairprice pack, I try making something like karuvepillai kuzhambu, karuvepillai podi… Sadam is in my list for so long, I have a version with garlic, but my MIL told to try this version. I tried after long time she said and loved it very much too. It was completely different from my karuveppilai podi. Packed this for Vj’s lunch box. So makes an easy lunch box too.
curry-leaves-rice

Karuveppilai sadam recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Lunch
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

Rice	1 & 1/2 cup
Salt	As needed

To roast and powder

Curry leaves	1 cup, packed
Channa dal	2 tblsp
Toor dal	2 tblsp
Jeera	2 tsp
Pepper (Whole dry black pepper)	2 tsp
Dhaniya	2 tblsp
Red chilli	6
Oil	2 tsp

To temper

Oil/ ghee	1 tblsp
Mustard	1 tsp
urad dal	2 tsp
Green chilli	2
Cashew nut	6

Method

Cook rice with ratio 1 : 2 water for 3 whistles in medium flame and once done, cool the rice in a broad vessel with a tsp of sesame oil. Set aside.

Roast all the items under ‘To roast and powder’ table except curry leaves. Roast until you can see channa dal turn golden in colour.

Add curry leaves and switch off the flame. Mix well and let it be over the stove as such. Once cooled, the curry leaves will turn crisp, so it will get easily powdered.

Powder it in a mixer to a slightly coarse powder.

Temper rice with the items given under ‘To temper’ table and add it to the rice.

Add the powdered curry leaves powder and mix well.

Notes

Choose curry leaves that are not too old, it should be atleast all leaves fresh and green. Not the dry, black colored leaves.
Cashew nut can be skipped.
Clean and wash curry leaves the before day itslef and dry it completely over a clean kitchen towel.

Flavorful curry leaves rice is ready, this is healthy for your family too! Serve with any poriyal, curry, kootu or vadams.
curry-leaves-rice-recipe

Technorati Tags: karuveppilai sadam recipe,curry leaves rice,easy lunch box recipes,south indian curry leaves recipes

I always have seen this pack of Bajra flour (Bajri in Marathi, Gujarathi, Rajastani, Sajje in Kannada, Sajjalu in Telugu, Kambam in Malayalam, Kambu in Tamil Courtesy: Wikipedia) packet in Mustafa and have heard few north Indians make Bajra roti out of it. Then later realized its Kambu flour. I wanted to try kambu koozh for my co-sis who came here last month. But some how forgot. Then one day when I was so hungry for dinner, I was wondering what to eat, then thought of trying this instant kambu karacha maavu dosai. I wanted to skip rice flour too in this karacha maavu dosai, so thought of mixing wheat flour. And it turned out to be crispy and tasty dosas, which I had guilt free for my dinner. I already finished half the pack making dosas so far Blushing

. My mom makes karacha maavu dosai so often for dinner. I have already posted

so far to prove I am mom’s daughter and really I too make it often for myself. Of them rava dosa is also made for Aj as its Aj’s favourite. So try this buying bajra flour, sure it will be handy, and a healthy one too!
instant-kambu-dosai

Instant kambu dosai recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Breakfast
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins | Makes: 4 dosas

Ingredients

Bajra flour / Kambu maavu	1/4 cup
Wheat flour	1/4 cup
Onion	1/2, finely chopped
Coriander leaves, chopped	1 tblsp
Jeera	1 tsp
Finely chopped ginger (optional)	1 tsp
Salt	As needed
Oil	As needed

Method

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix it using a whisk adding water gradually. It should be watery enough to pour and spread by itself.

Heat a tawa, drizzle with oil, pour the dosa batter, first outer circle, then to fill it. Cook in medium flame. You can cook covered and skip flipping or flip and cook, its up to you.

Notes

Let the batter consistency be not too thick.
When you pour, the tawa should be hot and small tiny pours should be seen as you pour. That is the right consistency of the batter.
If batter is too thin also it will get stuck to the pan.
Always grease the pan first well before pouring the batter. While its cooking also you can drizzle few drops of oil to make it crisp.

Serve hot and I had with red chutney and idli milagai podi as side dish. I finish my last dosa with curd too.
bajra-dosa

Technorati Tags: instant kambu dosai,kambu dosai recipe,kambu dosai,bajra dosa,bajra recipes,millet recipes,south indian millet recipes,easy millet flour recipes,millet flour,easy dinner ideas,easy breakfast ideas. healthy millet recipes

After 2 weeks break because of festive mood, I am here with another simple lunch menu that I made few days back with an almost going to empty vegetable tray in my fridge. I this time wanted to make the lunch menu in weekdays and schedule it for weekend instead of making last minute cooking and post after lunch Not talking

. I added a cabbage vada to make this menu fancy. I took very little urad dal batter that I ground for idli dosa batter and refrigerated. It came only 4 vadas, perfect enough for the little organic cabbage left over in my fridge. This puli sadam is a recipe contributed by my friend Gayathri, my favorite since she brought it to our hostel in a big thooku. Her mom is so sweet enough to make and send it for every one. We dig-ed in and had for 2 days. yes, it keeps good for the next day too!

Puli sadam, mix veg kootu -Lunch menu 45

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Lunch
Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1 Hr mins | Serves: 4

On wake up soak for vada. Grind after 3 hours and keep refrigerated and we can do this lastly before serving to serve it hot.

After beakfast, while you are sitting, you can peel small onion and garlic for this puli sadam. Soak tamarind.

Then when you enter kitchen for cooking lunch, keep rice, extract tamarind juice.

Mean while, chop veggies, cabbage for vada. Cook the veggies for kootu. Chop the onion, garlic as needed.

Grate coconut and grind for kootu. Finish cooking kootu.

Keep all the other ingredients ready, like curry leaves, red chilli etc for tempering.

First temper for kootu, mix and keep aside. Next prepare the puli sadam gravy.

Mix the gravy with cooked/ cooled rice. Keep aside.

Lastly when your family is ready for lunch fry vadams (if desired), mor milagai and make vadas lastly.

I took 3/4th of the rice for tamarind rice and remaining for curd rice and kept the curd rice simple with just tempering.

Lunch with puli sadam, mixed veg kootu, curd rice, cabbage vada and some homemade condiments to fill the plate.

Lunch menu 45

Check out the recipes

The onion vadam (killu vadam) from my MIL. You may also be interested in puliyogare recipe, other kootu recipes, masala vadai recipe.

Have a great weekend Love Struck

Technorati Tags: lunch menu ideas,rakskitchen lunch menu ideas,lunch menu,south indian lunch menu,south indian food

Sabudana vada is one of the most famous snack in Maharashtra. I have been to Pune once, but I feel really bad that I missed to taste this once to know this authentic taste of the vada. My little co-sis have told it will be really delicious as the live in Pune. I was thinking to try this for long time but never had a recipe, Finally my friend Sangeeta read my mind seems, she sent the picture of sabudana vada through whats app, that she made for a get together dinner. I really drooled over it. I asked for recipe and she sent it immediately, I was surprised by the simplicity of the recipe.

After trying sabudana kichdi, a similar ingredients for this as well, but I liked this one better, obviously, its deep fried, so sure it will be tastier. It is one of the vrat ka khana, so as Navratri is fast approaching, this would help many of you for making get together or for your family's evening snack. Its soft from inside and crispy outside, just no one can stop eating. Too good to resist!
sabudana-vada-recipe

Sabudana vada recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Snack
Prep Time: 3 hrs | Cook time: 25 mins | Serves: 20 vadas

Ingredients

Sago	1 cup
Potato	2, small
Peanut	1/4 cup
Green chilli	2, chopped
Coriander leaves, chopped	2 tblsp
Lemon juice	2 tsp
Rice flour	1 tbsp
Salt	As needed
Oil	for deep frying

Method

Soak sago for 3 – 4 hrs. My sago is black pepper sized. Depending on the size, the soaking time will differ. Cook potato just right as well.

Roast the peanuts in medium flame to ensure even roasting. Cool down.If its with skin, remove skin.

Powder coarsely. Squeeze the sago properly, with out mashing it, peel potato, mash it, place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Mix everything, no need to add any water. It will form a dough together.

Make equal sized balls out of it and if you want you can make patties too ready and arrange in a plate while the oil is getting heated.Slide the patties and deep fry in medium flame.

Cook both sides golden brown. Drain in paper towel. 6-fry

Notes

Soak just right, not too long. If you press the soaked sago in between two fingers, the centre should be soft.
Overcooking will make the potatoes retain water and make the vada sticky and soggy.
Make sure the oil is hot while you drop the patties and later cook in medium flame to ensure even cooking.
Sago should be more and the potatoes is just to bind it together. So Use only one potato if its medium sized, mine was very small. so used 2.
Rice flour is for crispiness, do not skip it.
Use good quality sago, and minimum use the size I have used or more than that.

Serve hot, can have as such, if you want, try green chutney as side dish. The peanuts add a nice texture for this vada.
sabudana-vada

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When I moved to Singapore, I started learning cooking and tried new recipes seeing cook books. One day when I saw this Kashmiri pulao recipe in the cook book I had, I planned to try and pack it for Vj. I bought all the ingredients it asked for. 1 tinned pineapple can, fresh cream, etc etc; though I was pessimistic just by seeing the ingredients, I went ahead, cooked and packed for his lunch. Before I tell you what happened, I have to say about Vj’s way of giving feedback. He never says his feedback himself unless otherwise I ask or, or only if its extraordinarily good or worst to the end. Otherwise he knows I think, that I can taste and judge my cooking myself.

So when he came back that day he told - never ever make kashmiri pulao again. It’s terrible! And I knew that because the ginger garlic paste smell never went along good with the other ingredients. Then really I forgot the kashmiri pulao until I made this. Almost 9 years! I have not tasted in any restaurants as well, so had no clue how it would taste really. Again, recently MIL asked me to try and passed me the recipe. I know my MIL doesn’t like the ginger garlic paste and other masala smells, so I was sure the recipe will be good. And she too told a mild recipe which sounded good and I tried in very small quantity and turned out to be good Peace Sign

. The best thing I love in this pulao is almonds Hee hee

Kashmiri pulao recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Lunch
Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook time: 35 mins | Serves: 2

Ingredients

Basmati rice	1 cup
cashew nuts	10
Badam	15
Raisin	15
Onion	1
Saffron	few strands
Milk	1/2 cup
Pomegranate	3/4 cup
Salt	as needed
Ghee	2 tsp
oil	1 tblsp
Sugar	1/4 tsp

To temper

Ghee	1 tblsp
Cinnamon	1/2 inch piece
Cardamom	1
Clove	1
Bay leaf	1

Method

Wash and soak rice in warm water for 30 minutes. Soak saffron in little milk (luke warm). In a pan, heat ghee and fry the nuts in medium flame until golden in colour. You can add whole or broken, its up to you.

Ad raisins and fry until it turns fluffy. Keep aside.

In the same pan, add oil, fry onion first in medium flame with sugar. Keep the flame low and stir occasionally to let the onion caramelize.

The onion will be golden in colour and crisp in texture. Keep aside.

In the same kadai, temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. Add milk + 1 cup water.

Bring to boil and add the well drained soaked rice along with the soaked saffron, required salt. Again let it boil for 3-4 minutes.Most of the water should be absorbed and the rice would have been cooked 80-90% . Then put the flame to lowest possible and cook covered for 10-14 minutes.

Make sure it doesn’t get burnt at the bottom. Once the rice is cooked, switch off the flame and add fried nuts, onion and the pomegranate.

Notes

You can also add cut pineapples, glazed cherries, paneer along with pomegranate. Pineapple tends to change the whole flavor of the dish. So if you like, you can add.
Soaking rice is important for easy cooking.
I did only with 1/2 cup rice, so did it in kadai itself.
I added less saffron, so my rice colour remained unchanged. But be careful while adding saffron, if you add more, then it may over power and spoil the flavor and taste.

I had as such, but you will see some dal in the picture, its just for that, I am not sure with what this goes best. Let me know in comments section if you have any suggestions about the side dish Big Grin

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Of the millets my parents gave me, samai (Little millet in English, Kutki in Hindi, Sama in telugu, Same in Kannada, Chama in Malayalam) is the last one to try. One day I was craving to have pongal, but wanted to try with millets. So tried my hands with samai. It came out really superb. I used to make our regular pongal this way, i.e; temper directly in pressure cooker and cook all together for pongal – my mom’s way. Its been a long time since I made this way. My mom never adds turmeric anyways. But I added. If you want to replace rice in your diet, this is one of the best option to make pongal. You hardly will know its not rice.
Samai / Little millet recipe

Samai/ Little millet pongal recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Breakfast
Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 2

Ingredients

Samai / Little millet	1/2 cup
Moong dal / Payatham paruppu	2 tblsp
Ginger	1/2 inch piece, crushed
Turmeric	1/8 tsp
Ghee	As needed

To temper

Ghee	2 tsp
Pepper (Black whole pepper)	1 tsp
Jeera	3/4 tsp
Green chilli	1
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Asafoetida/ Hing	A pinch

Method

Heat a small pressure cooker with ghee, first pop pepper, add jeera the other ingredients together (green chilli slit) and give a stir. Add ginger, moong dal and fry for a minute. Wash samai, add it into the cooker. Mix well.

Add 2 cups water, salt and mix well. Bring to boil and close the cooker, give 4 whistles in medium flame. Once done, let the pressure release by itself. Open and mash well.

Notes

For 1/2 cup samai, 2 cups water is perfect, so do not hesitate to add.
If its too dry, mix 1/8 cup hot water and mix.

Serve hot with ghee topped if desired, with sambar and coconut chutney.

samai-pongal-recipe

Technorati Tags: samai pongal,samai recipes,millet recipes,little millet recipes,how to cook samai,how to cook millets,south indian millet recipes,easy millet recipes,millet breakfast recipes

This weekend lunch menu is simple comfort food with this puli saru, which is less noticed recipe here, its amazingly delicious and flavorful. And made ladies finger poriyal for Aj & Vj and the kathirikkai poriyal one and only for me. My mom makes this puli saru best Love Struck

, I still don’t have that consistency in taste while making this. I usually do not like rasam with curd rice combination which few people eat. But except this one. I love this puli saru with mor sadam. Some also call this puli saru as vengaya rasam. My mami also makes this puli saru, but totally different. Bit I like my mom’s version the best when it comes to puli saru. My MIL makes it with garlic and all those things and it will be more like a diluted vatha kuzhambu/ poondu kuzhambu.

Puli charu, Brinjal, Vendakkai poriyal

-Lunch menu 46 Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Lunch
Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook time: 45 mins | Serves: 3

Pressure cook rice, soak tamarind. Peel and chop onion, tomato for puli saaru.

Chop ladies finger poriyal. Cut and keep the brinjal immersed in water. Grate coconut for both poriyals.

Keep all the other ingredients like small onion to grind for poriyal, green chillies, curry leaves for puli saru, poriyals. Extract tamarind juice.

Prepare puli saru first, ladies finger poriyal next and lastly brinjal poriyal.

Both frying ladies finger and binjal poriyal takes some time. So you can use 2 kadais and do side by side and finish sooner.

Check out the links for the recipes :

I served this easy to cook lunch along with store bought nendran chips, my most favorite in this whole world Cool

, but linking to the plantain chips.

You can check other rasam recipes, Ladies finger curry recipe, brinjal curry recipe too.

Have a happy weekend!

Technorati Tags: easy south indian lunch menu,easy lunch ideas.,easy south indian lunch ideas,easy indian lunch ideas

Atta halwa recipe is one of the easiest sweet that can be made in a jiffy. This was told by my friend Sangeeta as Atta kesari. I could relate the texture to kesari, so may be it’s named so. I love the south Indian wheat halwa, I recently tried and will be posting soon as well. This north Indian atta halwa is on contrast to it, this takes very less time to prepare where that is time consuming. Both are totally different in texture, taste and flavour. But I liked both. I loved the simplicity in this method and this can be quickly done, which I loved the most. So you can prepare this for your guests visiting for Golu Blushing

Easy atta halwa recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Sweet
Prep Time: 2 mins | Cook time: 8 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

Atta / wheat flour	1/2 cup
Sugar	1/2 cup
Water	1/2 cup
Ghee	1/4 cup + more if needed
Cardamom powder	A pinch
Cashew nuts	5
Badam (Optional)	For Garnishing
Salt	A pinch

Method

Measure and keep all the ingredients ready. Heat a non stick pan, add ghee (add cashew nuts and fry till golden *if adding*), followed by flour.

Keep stirring in low or medium flame to ensure even browning. Roast until the colour changes slightly red and nice aroma rises. Take care not to burn by putting flame in high.

Add water with salt, keep stirring while you pour. It will become thick and get cooked soon. Add sugar and mix.

Flame should be in low or medium at all the times. Keep stirring until it turns glossy and ghee oozes out. Takes hardly 2-3 minutes.

Notes

If ghee is less, add more. Do not reduce ghee as while you add water, it may form lumps.
Reduce sugar as per your need. I am sweet toothed. Salt is optional, but it enhances the sweetness.
I didn’t add cardamom or nuts as Vj is not a big fan of it.
I made only 1/2 the quantity as mentioned above just for 2 of us. So perfect for making in a jiffy when you have sudden sweet cravings.

Delicious, rich, atta halwa AKA atta kesari as my friend names it is ready in no time.

atta-kesari-halwa

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For past few years, I have started keeping kolu at my home here in Singapore. I have grown seeing my mom keeping kolu every year and inspired by her to do here as I love this a lot. As a kid, I never understood the work behind all these preparations for keeping kolu. Just enjoyed it, helping mom to arrange. Now my mom, inspite of her health conditions, never fail to keep kolu and have the same interest as she used to be when I was a kid. Amma, you are a true inspiration to me. These days, when I have skype call with her, she shows all her hand work, pre preparations for kolu and I was totally awestruck by her enthusiasm and creativity, that too with the material constrains she have! My mom is equally excited and coping up with my niece kid Raksha. She instructs my mom from Bangalore and my mom have specially arranged a mini kolu for her sake in addition to the regular kolu she has kept.
I know there are so many people keeping kolu and are with extra oardinary talents and they put amazing display of kolu, but for me, my world, my mom’s is the best and I always admire that, I always get inspired from her, I always get energised by her. Now a days, my dad only helps her with the arrangements and they keep saying one another as senior engineer for this sake. I know many of you wondering what I am doing this year, I am yet to set up my kolu, this year, last three days alone, as we have planned for a holiday trip to Vietnam as Aj’s exams are over and he has got a term break. Will be back from vacation and after setting my kolu, I will share the pictures with you all!

Now these are some ideas for Navaratri special sundal recipes and snack, sweet ideas that you can give as prasadam for the guests visiting your house. Just dont forget to soak the legumes when ever needed, as some needs 12 hours soaking time for easy cooking, depending on the sundal you choose for the next day. Sundal doesnt take much time to cook, it take under 30 minutes to prepare, but other recipes you have to check individual for cooking time and prep time. For the idiyappam recipes, replace fresh idiyappam with instant sevai available in stores to make your job easy and quick. You can check this no onion no garlic recipe collections too.

Happy Navaratri !

Navaratri sundal recipes, Navratri snacks

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Festival recipes

Sundal recipes

Sweet recipes

Snacks/ rice / Sevai

Technorati Tags: navaratri sundal recipes,navarathri sundal recipes,sundal recipes,easy sundal recipes,navaratri special sundal recipes,navratri snacks recipes,navratri recipes,navratri 2014,navratri snack ideas,navratri sundal ideas

Last year I planned few sundal recipes with different topping ideas suggested by my MIL. But could not post and this year too as we planned our short vacation, I have not set kolu and I am scheduling this simple sundal recipe. This is no fancy recipe, simple and just like the other basic sundal recipes. Karamani – Black eyed peas – Lobia has one advantage. Even If you forgot to soak overnight, just 3 hrs soaking is fine for this. It gets easy cooked. We usually make karamani kuzhambu which I will post soon, but I tried making sundal very recently only. Karamani is one flavorful legume, so even when you make it simple, it makes a yummy sundal.
karamani-sundal-recipe

Karamani sundal recipe

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Breakfast
Prep Time: 3 hrs soaking | Cook time: 10 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

Karamani / Black eyed peas/ Lobia	1 cup
Grated coconut	1/2 cup
Salt	As needed

To temper

Oil	2 tsp
Mustard	3/4 tsp
Urad dal	2 tsp
Red chilli	2
Asafoetida	2 generous pinches
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Method

Soak karamani atleast 3 hours in hot water. Drain water. Add enough water, salt and pressure cook for 4 whistles in medium flame.

Heat a kadai, temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table in order, followed by karamani.

Stir for a minute until any retained water evaporates and add grated coconut. Stir for 2 minutes in medium flame.

Notes

Let some moisture remain in step 3, otherwise sundal might turn too dry.
You can try topping with unique ingredients like beetle leaves, tulsi leaves for a twist.

You can make this on regular days as well for a healthy snack!
black-eyed-peas-sundal

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I took a pack of palak to make palak poori for Aj’s lunch box, but somehow I could not make it,So was wondering how to cook it before I leave to Vietnam. I wanted to avoid poori, so made it as roti with the same dough, I have done this a lot of times before with the left over dough after making palak poori for Aj. I was thinking of making palak paneer too, but Aj was not in mood of eating palak paneer, so he asked to make a pulao and paneer butter masala. I had some channa left too, so wanted to finish of it. Find other suggestions for combos at the bottom of the post.

Lunch menu idea 47

Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Lunch
Prep Time: 30 mins + Overnight soaking | Cook time: 45 mins | Serves: 3

Soak channa overnight. Soak rice for pulao 30 mins prior cooking in warm water. Boil water and keep paneer immersed until you use for PBM.

Clean and chop palak. Slice onion for pulao, PBM, a tomato and keep other ingredients ready.

First prepare Channa pulao, while it is being cooked, first sautee palak and let it cool, then onion for PBM.

Grind for paneer PBM, heat kadai and prepare PBM. While its getting sauteed, grind palak and prepare dough for palak roti. Keep aside.

By now both pulao and the PBM will be ready. Soak boondi in salted warm water. Mix in curd once its doubled in size.

Lastly prepare roti, papad and serve your family.

Check out the recipes:

You can replace channa pulao with jeera riceorjeera pulao. Palak roti with palak poori or triangle paratha too.

Happy Weekend! Happy

Technorati Tags: lunch menu,raksktichen lunch menu,indian lunch ideas