Arai Keerai Kootu

Ingredients:
arai keerai - 2 bunches
moong dal - 1/4 cup
coconut - 2 tbsp
sambar powder -  1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
onion - 1
tomato - 2
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
green chilli - 2 or 3
salt to taste
oil - 1 tbsp
mustard seed and urid dal for seasoning.

Preparation:

• Cook the moong dal in a pressure cooker with enough water and turmeric powder.(2 whistle sound and keep it in sim for 5 mins)
• Wash the keerai well 2 to 3 times to remove the sand and chop them finely with the stem.
• Chop the onions and tomato into small pieces.
• Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and green chilli with little water.
• Take a pressure cooker and add onions, tomatoes, keerai, coconut paste with 1 cup water and enough salt. Leave 2 whistle  sounds and then switch the stove.
• Remove the weight when the pressure is gone, and finally add the cooked moong dal and mix it gently.
• Let it boil for 5 mins.
• Remove from fire and pour it into a serving bowl.
• Finally add tempered mustard seeds and urid dal.
• 
  
• To make the kootu a little more tastier
• Take two tbsp of finely chopped onions in a frying pan with enough oil and fry them till it is dark brown and a nice aroma comes out.
• Add this as a finishing touch to the kootu.
• 
  
• Arai Keerai Kootu is now ready. It tastes well with rice and as well with parathas too.

Badam Halwa

Ingredients:
Badam(Almonds) - 1 cup;
Sugar - 1 cup;
Kesari colour - a pinch;
Ghee - 1/2 cup;
Saffron - little;
Milk- 1/2 cup.

Preparation:

• Soak the almonds in a hot water.
• Remove the skin, add the milk and grind into a fine paste.
• Add little water to the sugar and mix and prepare a sugar syrup in a kadai (prepare the sugar syrup into a single line consistency)
• Then add the almond paste, stir the contents well, till it becomes thick,
• Add the kesari colour and the saffron soaked in a little milk, and mix well.
• When the mixture starts to stick into the kadai, add the ghee little by little and stir well.
• When it reaches the halwa consistency, switch off the stove.
• Badam Halwa is ready

Another method:
Directly add the sugar to the badam paste, and cook the contents in a kadai. Add the ghee when it starts to stick on the kadai. (Actually this method consumes more ghee). I usualluy prefer this method because, this is very tasty then the other one.

Dal Kachories

Ingredients:
Maida - 2 cups;
Oil - 6 tbsp;
Salt - 1 tsp;
Water

For Fillings:
Moong dal - 12 tbsp;
Coarsely grinded fennel seeds - 1 tsp;
Dhania powder - 1 tsp;
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp;
Asfoetida - 1 pinch;
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp;
Ginger, green chilli paste - 2 tsp;
Salt to taste;
Sugar - 1 tsp;
Lemon juice - 1 tsp;
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:
To make the crust:

• Mix the oil and salt with the maida well(Mix it with your fingers, it looks like the bread crumbs).
• Then add water little by little and mix into a dough.
• Knead the dough well, cover it with a wet cloth and keep it aside.

To make the filling:

• Soak the moong dal for 2 hours.
• Then cook the dal in a kadai, until the dal is cooked and the water is completely absorbed, (keep the stove in sim, so that it don't get burnt.)
• Let the cooked dal cool for sometime.
• Take another kadai,heat some oil in it, then add fennel seeds powder, ginger green chilli paste, dhania powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Lastly add the besan flour.
• Stir the contents well for about a min and then add the turmeric powder, salt, sugar and the cooked dal into it.
• Mix well, and smash the dal well with the laddle.
• When the mixture is completely dry, switch off the stove.
• To this add the lemon juice and coriander leaves.

To make Kachories:

• Divide the dough into equal portions. Make small  pooris out of the dough.
• Place the fillings (make the fillings into lemon size balls) in the center of the pooris.
• Slightly apply water around the dough and close it making into a ball shape.
• Repeat with rest.
• Now using the base of your palm, just flatten them.
• Deep fry them in a medium heat, till it is golden brown in colour.
• Serve the kachories with the sweet chutney, coriander chutney or even with yoghurt.

 Tips:

We can use urad dal or channa dal instead of moong dal.

Curd Kuzhambu

Ingredients:-

• Thick curd (sour) - 2 cups
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard and cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp each
• Red chillies - 2 nos
• Asafoetida Powder - 1 pinch
• Curry and coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

To grind:-

• Grated coconuts 1/4 cup
• Green chillies - 5 nos
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Roasted grams - 1 tbsp
• Onion Big - 1 no
• Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp

Preparation:-

• Add water, turmeric powder and salt to the above paste in a pan and boil it till the raw smell goes out.
• Then add beaten curd and keep it in a flame to one boil. In another pan add oil and fry mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies with Asafoetida Powder.
• When the seeds starts spluttering add this to the curd kuzhambu.
• Garnish it with curry and coriander leaves.
• Now the curd kuzhambu is ready to serve.

Flavor tips:-

To get the best taste out of this dish, thick curd must be used. Boiled vegetables of your own choice like chow chow or white pumkin cubes may be added.

Fried lady's finger can also be added. This dish mixed in white rice will go well with potato onion curry as side dish.

In tamil it is called MORE KUZHAMBU.

Paal Payasam (Sweet milk poridge)

Ingredients:-
Milk - 1 ltr
Basmathi rice - 50 gms
Sugar - 1 cup
Cashewnut - 1 tbsp
Almonds - 1 tbsp
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Preparation:-

Wash the rice, add a cup of water, place it in a pressure cooker. After a whistle, cook this under low flame for 15 minutes. Mash the rice with a ladle, add milk, keep it in a low flame by stirring non-stop. When the mixture thickens and turns slight yellowish in color (this stage comes in 20 minutes) , add sugar and keep stirring for another 10 minutes. In another pan, fry the finely chopped cashews , almonds and raisins separately in ghee. Add this to the Payasam. When done, add Cardamom powder and serve hot.

Ah, the mouth watering payasam is ready. This is my daughter's favorite dish.

Peas Butter Masala

Ingredients:-

• Peas(shelled) - 1 cup
• Onion - 3
• Tomato - 5
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek & Cumin seeds
• (roasted and powdered) - 1/2 tsp
• Butter 1 tbsp
• Cloves and cardamom - 3 each
• Fresh cream (optional) - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Preparation:-

Grind the Onions and tomatoes into fine paste. Heat butter in a pan and fry the spices, then add the onion and tomato paste and fry well till the ghee separates. To this, add the ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, Coriander power and salt. Saute for few minutes, sprinkle water now and then (so that it doesn't get burnt). Add a cup of water with the peas and cook till the peas are done. Finally add the powdered cumin & fenugreek with a tsp of ghee and mix well. Dot with fresh cream.

Serve hot with chappatti or puri.

Dry fruits&nuts halwa

Ingredients:-

• Figs - 10 to 15
• Cashewnut - 10
• Almonds - 10
• Pista - 10
• Raisins - 1 tbsp
• Black dates - 10
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 1/2 cup

Preparation:-
Wash and soak all the nuts and fruits in water for 1/2 hour.
Peel the almonds skin and grind everything into a smooth paste (use the soaked water for grinding.
Heat a pan, add little ghee and pour the mixture into it.
Stir well and when the moisture dries up add sugar. Mix well, add ghee little by little, till halwa consistency obtained. When ready, convert the content into a bowl coated with ghee.

This instant halwa is very easy to cook and very very tasty indeed.

Peas Pulav

Ingredients:-
Basmathi Rice - 1 cup
Green peas (shelled) - 1 cup
Small onions - 1/2 cup
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Refined oil - 1 tbsp
Bay leaf - 1
Cardamon and cloves - 2 each
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp (optional)

To Grind:-
Small onions - 10 nos
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies - 5 nos
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Preparation:-

• Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes.
• In a pressure cooker take ghee and oil and heat it.
• Then add the cardamon, cloves and bay leaf and saute it for 1 minute.
• Add the onions and saute till it turns golden brown.
• Then, add the peas and grinded paste and cook them in a low flame till the raw smell goes out and a nice flavour reaches your nose.
• To this, add the coconut milk, water with enough salt and sugar and mix it thoroughly.
• When the mixture starts boiling, add the rice into it.
• Cover the cooker with lid and pressure cook for 10 to 15 minutes in a low flame.

When done, serve hot with onion raithas or vegetable kurma.

Potato Masala

Ingredients:-

• Boiled potato - 1/4 kg (smashed)
• Onions - 3 nos (cut into long thin slices)
• Tomato - 2 nos (chopped into small cubes)
• Green chillies - 4 or 5
• Turmeric power - 1/2 tsp
• Musturd, Urid dhal - 1/2 tsp each
• Refined Oil - 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped
• Salt to taste
• Water - 1 cup.

Preparation:-

• In a microwave bowl add musturd and urid dhal with one tsp of oil and cook in a micro medium high for 3 minutes. (cover the bowl half while cooking).
• When done, add the chopped onions, green chillies and tomatoes with one tbsp of oil to the bowl and cook them in a micro high for 4 minutes. (without covering the bowl and stir it in between once).
• Finally, add the smashed potatoes, turmeric power, salt, water and cook at micro high for 5 minutes.
• As a final touch, add coriander leaves and serve after 3 minutes.

As this potato masala is cooked in a unconventional way, it retains the flavour and goes well with chappathi and puri.

Bread & Nuts kozhukattai

Ingredients:

• Bread slices - 5
• Cashewnuts - 15
• Almonds - 10
• Dry grapes - 1 tbsp
• Black dates - 4 to 5 (seed removed !)
• Sugar - 1 tbsp (to be powdered)
• Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp.

Preparation:

• Cut the bread edges and put it in a blender to make them crumbs.
• Roast cashews and almonds in ghee and grind coarsely.
• Slightly fry the grapes and dates in ghee and also grind to make them bits and pieces.
• Mix all the grinded ingredients with sugar and bread crumbs.
• Heat a tbsp of ghee and pour it over the mixture and mix well. (use hands to mix well (:-)
• Make them into a desired shapes (like kozhukattai )

See, this is a instant dish and here there is no steaming business. Indeed it is very tasty and rich diet, especially for kids

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

• Grated Carrot - 3 cups;
• Milk - 11/2 cups;
• Sugar 11/2 cups;
• Ghee - 2 tbsp;
• Cashewnut - 10 to 12;
• Badam - 10 to 12;
• Pista - 10.

Preparation:

• Saute the grated carrots in a two teaspoons of ghee for a few minutes.
• Add milk to this and pressure cook it until one whistle.
• Put the resultant mixture in thick bottom pan and saute till it thickens.
• Then add sugar and mix well till we get the halwa consistency.
• While doing the above process, add ghee now and then.
• Stir well till the ghee separates.
• Finally, give a finishing touch to the halwa with the roasted nuts.
• Wow, that is the colorful carrot halwa that absorb your kids like a magnet.

(to get the fine taste and flavour, use Delhi carrot)

Vadai Curry

Ingredients:
Bengal gram dhal - 1 cup;
Onions - 2(finely chopped);
Onions - 4 (cut into long thin slices);
Garlic - 2( separate the pods and peel);
Tomatoes - 4 0r 5;
Cashewnuts - 10 or 15;
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp;
Sugar - 1 tsp;
Salt to taste.

For Grinding:
Onion - 1;
Red chillies - 5;
Green chillies - 4;
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece;
Garlic - 5 flakes( finely chopped);
Cardamom - 2;
Cloves - 3;
Chutney gram - 1 tbsp;
Aniseed - 1/2 tsp.



Preparation:

• Wash and soak the dhal for atleast two hours. Drain and grind it coarsely with enough salt.
• Mix the finely chopped onions.
• Heat oil in a pan, and drop the dough into small rounds and deep fry.
• Remove the vadas when it turns into golden brown ( do not fry the vadas to deep brown) and keep it aside.

For the gravy:

• Blanch the tomatoes in hot water, remove the skin and make it into a smooth paste.
• Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and fry the garlic and the onion.
• When it turns to golden brown in colour, add the ground mixture, and fry it till the oil separates from it.
• Now add the tomato puree and fry till a good smell comes out.
• Add three cups of water with turmeric powder, and enough salt and sugar.
• When the water starts boiling add the fried vadas and let it boil for a few minutes.
• If the water is not sufficient, add little more water, otherwise the vadas absorb the water and the gravy becomes very thick.
• When the gravy is thick and is of flowing consistency, remove from fire.
• Convert into the serving bowl.
• Add the cashewnuts soaked in water( the taste would be different);
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Cashewnut Burfi

Ingredients:

• Cashews - 100gms;
• Milk - 1 litre;
• Sugar - 21/2 cups;
• Ghee - 200 gms;
• Saffron - a pinch;
• Caradamom - 2 (to be powdered).

Preparation:

• Make a smooth paste with the cashews adding little water to it.
• Place a kadai in the heat, pour the milk into it, when it starts toboil add the sugar to it.
• Then add the saffron, and let the milk boil until reduces to one-third.(Keep stiring the milk, otherwise it would get burnt).
• When milk gets to thick consistency, add the cashew paste and keep stiring.
• Keep adding ghee to it little by little, until the mixture reaches a thick consistency(that of an halwa)
• Sprinkle the caradamom powder over it and mix well.
• Pour the entire content, to a greased plate.
• Cut into your desired shape.

• Now the tongue tickling cashewnut burfi is ready.

Paneer Surprise

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 200gms;
• Onion - 3big;
• Tomato - 5;
• Ginger, garlic paste - 2 tsps;
• Coriander powder - 2 tsps;
• Chilli powder - 2tsps;
• Garam masala - 1 tsp;
• Fresh cream - 2 tbsp;
• Ghee - 11/2 tbsp;
• Cashewnuts - 12;
• Butter - 1 tsp;
• Refined oil - for frying the paneer;
• Sugar - 1 tsp(optional);
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp;
• Coriander leaves;
• Salt to taste.

Preparation:

• Cut the paneer into cubes, deep fry them in oil, and plunge them in warm water and keep them separately.
• Blanch the tomatoes in hot water, peel the skin and grind into a smooth paste.
• Heat the ghee in a pan, add the cumin seeds, when it starts to splutter add the grated onion and saute them in a low flame.
• Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and enough salt fry till the ghee separates from it.
• Now mix the tomato paste and boil till the gravy thickens.
• Add the fried paneer cubes with butter and sugar and mix well, reduce the flame completely, and keep it undisturbed for a few minutes with the lid on.
• Finally add the fresh cream, before removing from the fire.
• Garnish it with fried cashews and finely chopped coriander leaves.
• This dish goes well with chappatti or poori.

Hurry up friends, rush into the kitchen and try out this recipe and enjoy it with your family. If you were really impressed with my recipe, please do post your feedback.
Bye!!!!!!!!!!!

Seppankizhangu(Colocasia) Fry

Ingredients:
Seppankizhangu - 1/4 kg;
Refined oil for deep frying;
Sambar powder - 1 tsp;
Salt to tast.




Preparation:

• First boil the vegetable in a pressure cooker;
• Then, peel the skin and cut into thin slices;
• Heat oil in a frying pan, and fry the slices till it turns to golden brown;
• Finally mix the sambar powder and salt.
• Yummy seppankizhangu fry is ready.

Note: If you prefer you could go with the pepper powder inspite of sambar powder.

Coconut Milk and Mushroom Pulav

Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 2 cup
Mushroom - 200 gms
Coconut Milk - 3 1/2 cups
Garlic - 20 flakes
Salt to taste.

Preparation:

• Wash the rice and soak it for about 15 mins.
• Wash the mushrooms in a hot water and then cut them into slices.
• In a pressure cooker, directly add the rice, coconut milk, garlic flakes, sliced mushrooms with enough salt.
• Place it in fire, when the steam comes out place the weight, reduce the flame and cook for about 20 mins.( We can use the electric rice cooker for this recipe, as it works out well).
• When done, switch off the fire and let it cool.

This is extremely an wonderful dish, and it goes well with double beans masala or chicken gravy.
this would be something different recipe, try this out friends and if you feel, that it is really different, please post back a feedback to me.

Cashewnut Masala Gravy

Cashew nuts, like all nuts, are an excellent source of protein and fiber. They are rich in mono-unsaturated fat which may help protect the heart. Cashew nuts are also a good source of potassium, B vitamins and folate. They contain useful amounts of magnesium, phosphorous, selenium and copper. Like peanuts, cashew nuts are often salted. This added sodium content may contribute to increased blood pressure. So buy plain roasted cashew nuts without added salt.

Ingredients:
Cashewnuts - 1/2 cup;
Kashmir Chilly - 6 or 7;
Garlic - 6 cloves;
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp;
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp;
Onion - 1(big);
Coconut milk - 1 cup;
Tamarind pulp - a little;
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp;
Vinegar - 1 tsp;
Oil - 4 tbsp;
Jaggery - 2 tbsp(for taste);
Salt to taste.

Preparation:

• Cut the onions into small pieces and keep it separately.
• Take the cumin seeds, garlic, chillies, mustard seeds, turmeric powder and the vinegar and grind it into a smooth paste.
• Place a kadai over the heat, put the oil. When it is hot add the chopped onions till they are golden brown.
• Then, add the grounded mixture together with the jaggery and saute it well until the oil separates from it.
• Now, we have to add the cashews and mix well so that the masala gets coated well with the cashews.
• At this stage, we have to add the coconut milk and mix well at a low flame.
• Lastly, we have to add a little bit of tamarind extract and mix well.
• Let the mixture be at a low flame, so that it does not get burnt.
• When the gravy is been done, garnish it with chopped coriander.
• Serve hot with parathas or rotis with lemon and raw onion.

Paal Paniyaram

Ingredients:

• Raw rice - 1 cup
• Urad dal - 1 cup
• Coconut - 1
• Sugar - 3 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1tsp
• Oil for deep frying.

Preparation:

• Soak urad dal and rice for about 3 hours.
• Add little salt and grind to make paste.
• Extract coconut milk and add cardamom and sugar.
• Heat oil and fry one tsp of the above paste in it. It should form round balls.
• Add them to the coconut mixture.
• Paal paniyaram is ready to serve.

Paneer Makkanwala

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250 gms;
Butter - 2 1/2 tbsp;
Oil- for deep frying;

To be grinded:
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 4
Garlic - 6 flakes
Grated coconut - 1 1/2 tbsp
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Red chillies - 3
Coriander(finely chopped) - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - a few
Cardamoms - 2
Cloves - 3
Dhania powder - 2 tsps
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste.

Preparation:

• Cut the paneer into cubes and deep fry them in the oil.
• Heat half of the butter and one little oil, add the grounded masala and fry them well.
• When the ghee starts to separate, add the fried paneer cubes and rest of the butter, with enough water.
• Cook the dish in a low flame covered with a lid.
• Stir carefull in between.
• Remove from the fire and garnish with the corainder leaves.
• This dish goes well with chappattis and puris.