Oats Kuzhakkattai

Ingredients:

Instant Oats –  500 gms / ½  kg
Beans-1 cup finely chopped
Coconut- ½ cup shredded ( Optional, if cooking for diabetic patients skip this)
Urad dal / Ulundu-1 tsp
Mustard seeds / Kaduku-1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli – 2 cut into small pieces
Curry leaves -1 spring
Water-500 ml / ½ liter
Oil-1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Take oats in a dry pan and roast it for 5 mins till you get nice aroma..Allow this to cool a bit..Take it in a blender and powder it coarsely. Set this aside for a moment.

Now heat oil in a kadai and add mustard and urad dal. Add dry red chilli and curry leaves and mix well.

Add beans and coconut in this and sauté for 3 mins. Pour in 500 ml of water and add salt to this.

Bring this to boil and add in oats slowly while stiring constantly.

When everything is mixed well. Cover it with a lid and let it cook on a very low flame for 5-8 mins.

Now allow this mixture to cool down and form small balls out of it.

Put those dumplings in a oiled steamer basket ( I used my idli stand) and steam it for 10 mins.

Remove and serve it with chutney or as it is..

                        

Oats Pongal

Ingrediants:

Oats – 2 cup

Yellow Moong Dal / Pasi Paruppu – 1 cup

Onion- 1 chopped finely

Green Chilli -1 sliced

Ginger – 1 tblspn minced

Mustard Seeds / kaduku – 1tsp

Urad Dal / Ulundu -1 tsp

Channa Dal / Kadala Paruppu -1 tsp

Whole pepper -1 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam -1 tsp

Cashews -1 tblspn

Sultanas / Kishmish -1 tblspn

Salt to taste

Ghee -2 tblspn

Method:

Heat 1 tsp of ghee and roast oats till nice aroma comes..Remove it to a plate..

Heat 1 tsp of ghee and roast moong dal till nice aroma comes..Pour 5  cups of water and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 mins untill the dal is cooked..

Add salt to the dal and slowly add in oats and mix well..Cook on a slow heat covered till the water is completely absorbed.

Remove this to a bowl and make the seasoning.

Heat remaining ghee in the kadai and add mustard, channa dal, urad dal, cashews, raisans, pepper, cumin and mix well.

Now add in ginger, green chilli and onions and sauté this for few minutes.

Now add in the cooked dal and oats and mix well. Let it get heated all the way through.

Serve with any chutney.

Moong Sprouts Uthappam

Ingredients:

For Grinding:

Moong Sprouts - 3 cups

Onion - 3 tblspn chopped

Dry Red Chilli - 3

Other Stuffs:

Cumin Seeds / Jeerkam - 1 tsp

Onion - 3 tblspn finely chopped

Green Chilli - 2 chopped

Turmeric Powder / Manjal podi - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves / Cilantro - 3 tblspn chopped

Salt to taste

Method:

Take moong sprouts, onion, dry red chilli in a blender and make into a smooth paste.

Transfer that to a bowl and make into dosa batter consistency.

Now add in the other stuffs and mix well.

Heat a tawa on medium heat.

Pour a ladleful of batter in the tawa and drizzle some oil.

cook it for a min on one side.

Flip over and cook for another min on other side too.

Now serve with chutney.

Tomato-Malli Chutney

Ingrediants:

Coconut-1 cup

Coriander leaves- ½ cup

Tamarind paste-1 tsp

Ginger-1 small piece

Green chilli-3 or as per taste

Salt to taste

For Tempering:

Oil-1 tblspn

Mustard seeds / Kaduku-1 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeerakam-1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulunda parupu-1 tsp

Curry leaves -1 spring

Method:

Take coconut,tamarind,coriander,salt,ginger and green chilli in a blender..

Add some water and make into a smooth paste..

Tip this in a bowl..

Make tempering by heating oil and crackling.mustard seeds,urad dal,cumin seeds,curry leaves...

Pour this over the chutney and mix well.

Serve with idli or dosa.

Tomato Garlic Chutney

Ingredients:

Tomato-2 big chopped

Garlic-20 cloves

Dry red chilli-4

Oil-1 tblspn

Salt to taste

For Tempering:

Oil-2 tblspn

Mustard seeds / Kaduku-1 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeerakam-1 tsp

Channa dal / Kadala paruppu-1 tsp

Urad dal / Ulundam paruppu-1 tsp

Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya podi- ¼ tsp

Curry leaves-1 spring

Dry red chilli-2

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and add in garlic..Fry this for 2 mins or untill fried..

Now add in dry red chilli and tomato...Mix well..

Add salt and mix well..Cover this and cook till the tomato is mushy.

Now let this mixture cool down...Take this in blender and make in to a fine paste..

Tip this in to a bowl..

Now make tempering by heating oil and crackling mustard,channa dal,urad dal,dry red chilli,cumin seeds,asafoetida and curry leaves.

Pour this over the chutney and mix well.

Serve with dosa or idli..

Thakali Kothamali Chutney / Tomato Cilantro Chutney

Everyone looks for simple sidedishes for dosa or idli..Often we will make coconut chutney,onion chutney and so on..If you want to indulge in a special one then make this and have.

I love the combination of tomato and cilantro packed together in one delicious dish..I want everyone to give it a try...I hope you will..

 

Ingrediants:

Tomato-4 large chopped

Onion-1 chopped

Dry Red chilli-4

Cilantro / Coriander leaves-2 cups

Tamarind-1 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeerakam-1 tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar-1 tsp

Oil-1 tblspn

For Seasoning / Tempering:

Oil-1 tblspn

Mustard seeds / Kaduku-1 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeerakam-1 tsp

Channa Dal / Kadala Paruppu-1 tsp

Urad dal / Ulundam paruppu-1 tsp

Asafoetida / Kaya podi / Hing- ¼ tsp

Dry red chilli-1

Curry leaves-1 spring

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai..Add in cumin seeds and dry red chillies..Fry them for 1 min.

Add in onions,tomatoes,tamarind,salt and sugar..Cook this for 5 mins.

Add in chopped cilantro and mix well.Let this cool down.

Blend it into a smooth paste..Set this aside for a moment.

Now make tempering by heating oil and crackling mustard and cumin..Add in urad dal,channa dal,dry red chilli,hing and curry leaves..

Now pour the blended chutney in this and mix well.

Serve hot with idli or dosa..

 

Spicy & Tangy Red Chilli & Garlic Chutney – Quick & Instant Chutney / Combo with Dosa or Idli

If you are in a  hurry and need any quick side dish for dosa or idli then this is the answer..Currently I am a kind of addicted to this chutney, I have it all day.. And you won’t believe it, I am having a jar of this in my fridge always..Because Amma liked it and she told me to make In a large quantity to store in fridge so that she can have it any time with no effort.

Ingredients:

Dry Red Chilli – 5

Garlic – 6 fat cloves ( if using small garlic use 12)

Onion – 1 finely chopped

Lemon Juice – 3 tblspn

Mustard Seeds / Kaduku -1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil- 5 tblspn ( try to use Indian Gingelly oil / Nala Ennai)

Method:

Heat 1 tblspn oil in a kadai. Add red chilli and garlic and fry till light golden.

Remove this to a blender and add salt and lemon juice and make into a fine puree. Add some water if needed. Put this into a bowl.

Heat 5 tblspn of oil in a pan.  Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.

Now add in finely chopped onions and fry them till they turn golden. Pour this oil over the chutney and mix well.

Serve with dosa or idli.

Mangai Inji

Pickles are an integral part of Indian meals. I for one feel my meal is incomplete without the daily dose of curd rice and pickle. Though I love my pickles, I hardly try to prepare them myself. Every year I get my quota of pickles from my mom. So now you know why I haven’t posted even a single recipe for a pickle on my space.

My grandmother, an expert in making a variety of pickles ranging from avakkai, maagai to kadugu mangai also prepared many instant pickles with raw mango, ginger, green pepper (pachha kurumilagu) etc. I love the green peppers preserved in lemon and salt. They taste absolutely divine. With the green pepper, she also prepares this mango ginger pickle, which was not one I liked. Recently I saw it in the market and got a whole lot of it wanting to have the pickle. No other go, had to oblige, so prepared it. But to my surprise, I found myself reaching out to the pickle jar very often. It was good to have it after a very long gap.

Mangai Inji or mango ginger is a root which is a look alike of the ordinary ginger. It smells like mango and has taste similar to ginger, however, the taste is not as sharp as ginger. Predominantly found in south India. Here is the how to prepare this instant pickle which tastes best with curd rice.

What you’ll need

1. Maangai Inji/Mango Ginger – 1 ½ cup
2. Green Chilly – 2
3. Juice from 2 medium sized lemons
4. Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash and pat dry the mango ginger. Peel and finely chop it.
2. Finely chop the green chillies too.
3. Squeeze out the juice from the lemon.
4. Transfer the chopped mango ginger and green chillies into a mixing bowl.
5. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.
6. Mix/toss well.
7. Transfer into glass bottles and keep refrigerated.
8. Stays fresh for 10 to 15 days when refrigerated.

Nellikkai Achar

What you’ll need

1. Gooseberry – 1Cup heaped, deseeded and cut into pieces
2. Red Chilly Powder – ½ tbsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
5. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
6. Oil – 2 tbsp
7. Roast and powder
8. Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ tsp
9. Asafoetida – small piece

Method

1. Heat a Kadai, dry roast the fenugreek seeds till they change colour and become red.
2. Remove the roasted fenugreek and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in the same kadai, add the asafoetida, once it puffs up remove and place it along with the fenugreek.
4. Powder the fenugreek and asafoetida in a mortar and pestle. Keep aside.
5. In the same Kadai, add mustard seeds, once they splutter add the gooseberry pieces.
6. Add turmeric powder and salt and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or till the gooseberry pieces become slightly soft.
7. Remove from heat and then add the red chilly powder and the powdered fenugreek and asafoetida.
8. Mix well.
9. Cool and store in airtight container.

 

Manga Curry

Today's recipe popularly known as Maangai curry, is a family favorite. If there are a couple of mangoes in the refrigerator then, one of them surely turns into this mouthwatering pickle. 

And this can be made in a jiffy. The only time consuming process being chopping up the mango into small pieces. It has to be refrigerated and consumed within 2 to 3 days.

 

Its my Appa's Favourite...

 

What you'll need

1. Raw Mango – 1 (preferably Kili Mooku)
2. Chilly Powder – ½ tbsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Musatard Seeds – ½ tsp

Roast and Powder

1. Asafoetida – a small piece
2. Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ tsp
3. Seasame Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

1. Chop the mangoes into small pieces.
2. Add the salt and chilly powder. Toss well.
3. Heat a small frying pan, with a tsp of oil.
4. Add the asafoetida, once it puffs up, add the fenugreek seeds and fry till a good aroma comes.
5. Cool and grind to a coarse powder.
6. Add this to the chopped raw mangoes.
7. Heat the small frying pan, with the remaining oil, temper with mustard seeds and pour over the mangoes. Mix well.

 

 

 

 

Mysore Rasam

What you’ll need

1. Tomatoes – 2
2. Thin Tamarind Extract – ¾ cup
3. Asafoetida – a generous pinch
4. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Water – 2 cup
7. Cooked and mashed Toor Dal – 1 tbsp
8. Powdered Jaggery – 1 tsp
9. Curry Leaves – few
10. Coriander Leaves – chopped 1 tbsp

To Roast and Grind

1. Toor Dal – 1 tbsp
2. Coriander Seeds – 1 Tbsp
3. Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp
4. Dried Red chilly – 1 or 2
5. Black Peppercorns – 8 to 10
6. Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ tsp
7. Scraped Coconut – 1 tbsp

For tempering

1. Ghee – ½ tsp
2. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
3. Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp

Method

1. Grind the tomatoes and pour it into the vessel in which you are going to boil the rasam.
2. Add the tamarind extract to it.
3. Add turmeric powder, asafetida and salt to taste. Mix well. Add about 1.5 cups of water and start heating on low to medium flame.
4. In the meanwhile, roast all the items mentioned under “roast and grind” till a nice aroma arises and the toor dal and slightly changed color. Grind everything into a smooth paste using a little water.
5. Add this ground paste also to the simmering rasam. Mix well. Also add a tsp of jaggery.
6. Let everything simmer for about 15 minutes. Make sure you cook on low to medium flame if your keep it on high the rasam will boil very quickly and will boil over. You can add a ladle in the vessel while it is simmering to prevent the rasam from boiling over.
7. Add the remaining half cup of water to the cooked and mashed dal mix well and add it to the simmering rasam. Add chopped coriander and curry leaves. Remove from heat when rasam starts frothing. Do not boil.
8. Heat a small frying pan with ghee and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Pour this over the rasam close with lid and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
9. Serve hot with rice and some spicy potato curry.