Mushroom Masala – For Chapati, Roti & Paratha

This is a very simple yet delicious recipe.Kasuri methi brings real good flavor to this dish.

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

Mushroom – 10 button mushrooms (you may use any other white mushroom available)
Onion – 1 medium size
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Garlic paste – 2 tsp
Tomato – 1 big
Red chilies – 6-7
Kasuri Methi – 1 tsp crushed (Dried fenugreek leaves)
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Yogurt or Cream – 2 tbs
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Method:

1) Heat oil in a pan and saute the finely chopped onion till it turns golden brown.

2) Add garlic and ginger paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.

3) Next add finely chopped tomatoes.

4) Once the above are well cooked, turn off the heat and cool the ingredients.Grind these in a mixer to make a coarse paste.

5) Heat oil in the pan and  add cumin seeds.

6) Next add the coarse paste and cook for 5 minutes.

7) Add the chopped mushroom and garam masala.Crush kasuri methi between your palms and add it to the gravy.

8)When the mushrooms are cooked, add the red chilies.

9) In the end, add cream or yogurt.

Mushroom masala is ready to be served. Let me know how this recipe turned out in your kitchen.

Beet Leaves Dish – Beet Greens Poriyal

Ingredients:

Beet leaves – from 3 beets
Onion – Medium
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Red chilies – 2
Sambar powder – 1 tsp
Grated fresh coconut or Coconut powder
Salt
Oil

Method:

1) Finely chop the beet leaves and onion.

2) In a pan , heat the oil and add cumin seeds.Saute red chilies and onion.

3) Once the onion becomes golden brown add the chopped beet leaves.

4) Add the required amount of salt.

5) When done add sambar powder and coconut powder. Turn off the heat after few minutes.

Beet leaves poriyal is done.

Beet leaves appear to have more nutrients than beets.In places like US, UK where greens are scarce when compared to India, this dish gives us an option to enjoy the deliciousness of  greens.

Avasara Kaala Dosai – Emergency Dosa – Wheat Dosa

This is quick , yet delicious meal.This is an optimum dish when you hardly have time to prepare dinner/breakfast.

My mom coined this name “avasara kaala dosai”.

Take 1 cup wheat flour ,mash a spoon of jeera between your palms before adding to wheat flour.Add required amount of salt.

You can also add finely chopped onion, which is purely optional.

Mix all these ingredients with enough water to make batter of dosa/pan cake consistency.

Better results are seen if we use non-stick pan.

You can have this dosa with coconut chutney or any thokku of your choice.

Elephant foot yam fry – Senai Kizhangu Varuval – Suran Fry

This spicy fry is very easy to prepare and delicious too.I have prepared this recipe with frozen yam, if you get fresh one chop them like you do for potato finger fries.

Ingredients:

Yam
Coconut – grated / dessicated
Ginger& garlic paste
Coriander seeds
Clove, Cinnamon
Red chilies

Method:

1) Deep fry the chopped yam(1/2 kg or 1 lb) in oil and keep them aside.

2) Grind freshly grated coconut(1/2 cup), red chilies(4), coriander seeds(1 tbs),cinnamon(1), clove (1), ginger (1 inch) and garlic (3 cloves) into a coarse paste.

3) Heat oil in a pan and cook the above paste till the raw smell is gone.When the paste is well cooked add required amount of salt and yam pieces.

4) Keep sauteing till the yam becomes crispy.

You may use desiccated coconut instead of freshly grated coconut,garam masala instead of cinnamon&clove, coriander powder instead of coriander seeds, chili powder instead of whole red chilis and ginger-garlic paste instead of fresh ginger/garlic.
But remember fresh ingredients always add to taste. 🙂

Enjoy the yam fry!! Catch you soon in the next post.

Kollu Paruppu Masiyal – Mashed horse gram

Ingredients:

Horse gram / Kollu Paruppu – 1 cup
Onion – 1 medium size
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – 1 tbs
green chilies or red chilies – 5
garlic – 3 cloves
turmeric – 1 tsp
tamarind – nutmeg size ball
salt
Oil
Method:

1) Pressure cook one cup of horse gram with 3 cups of water, tumeric powder and little chopped onion(optional) for 3-5 whistles until well done. You should be able to mash the gram with hand.

2) Let the horse gram cool down, mean while saute the chopped onion,chopped garlic ,cumin seeds , coriander seeds and slit green chilies in a pan with required amount of oil.

3) Drain excess water from cooked horse gram and add tamarind, salt and the sauteed items to horse gram and grind coarsely.Add little water if necessary.

Kollu paruppu masiyal is ready to be served with rice.

Serves : 4 adults

You can prepare Kollu rasam using the kollu cooked water.

Black Eyed Beans Curry – Thattai payaru Kuzhambu

Mixed Vegetable Kurma

Ingredients:

Mixed vegetables (Carrots,Beans, Green peas – preferred, corn will make the kurma taste sweet)
Onion – 1 medium size
Ginger – 1 inch
Garlic – 3 cloves
Cinnamon – 2 sticks
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 1
Poppy seeds – 1/2 tbs (Optional)
Coconut grated – 1/2 cup
Coriander powder – 2 tbs
Chilli powder – 1 tbs
Oil
Salt
Curry leaves (Optional)

Method:

1) Grind grated coconut, one cinnamon stick, poppy seeds, ginger and garlic into fine paste.
2) Heat oil in a pan and saute cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
3) Next saute finely chopped onion and curry leaves till onion gets translucent.
4) Add chopped vegetables , salt and ground paste. Saute for few minutes.
5) Next add coriander powder and chili powder, again saute for few minutes.
6) Add one cup of water and pressure cook till the first whistle.
7) Garnish with coriander leaves.

This dish goes well with chapati, pulav and paratha.

Okra Tamarind Curry – Vendaikkai Puzhi kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Okra – 5-8
Onion – 1 medium size
grated coconut – 1/2 cup
tomato – 2
cilantro – chopped 1/2 cup
Tamarind extract – 1 cup
Sambar powder – 1 tbs
turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds & Curry leaves for seasoning
Oil
Salt

Method:

1) Saute half portion of finely chopped onion till it becomes golden brown.Add grated coconut in the end and turn off the heat.

2) Grind the above items with tomato and cilantro leaves.

3) In a pan add 2 tbs of oil splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves.Saute the remaining onion,slit green chilies and cut okra.

4) Once okra is well fried add the tamarind extract and boil for 1-2 minutes.

5) Next add some salt , tumeric powder and sambar powder. Cook for few minutes.

6) Finally add the ground paste and cook until it becomes thick.

Puzhikulambu is ready to be served with rice & vadagam.

Kollu Chutney (Horse gram chutney) – For Idli & Dosa

Horse gram, rarely known legume is rich in iron and also a good source of protein.It is commonly used in Kongu Nadu cuisine. Horse gram is known to generate too much heat in body, so care should be taken while consuming during summer and during pregnancy.

This recipe was taught to me by my mother-in-law and this dish goes well with dosa and idli.

Ingredients:

Horse gram (Kollu paruppu) – 1/2 cup
Onion – 1 medium size
Cumin seeds (Jeera) – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
red chilies – 3
tamarind raw – nutmeg size ball
Oil
Salt
Sugar

Method:

1) Fry horse gram till it turns brown in 1 spoon oil and keep it aside. You can find nice aroma by now.

2) Saute finely chopped onion till it becomes translucent. Turn off the heat and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, red chilies and tamarind. Saute these items using pan’s heat.

3) Cool all the above ingredients and grind with salt and a pinch of sugar. Add little water if necessary.

Kollu chutney is ready to be served with idli and dosa.

Pakkoda

This is one of the favorite snack made by my mom, so crunchy… so yummy!!

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 2 cup (raw rice)
Roasted gram flour – 1 & 1/2 cup (Pottu kadalai maavu)
Ginger paste – 2 tbs
Garlic paste – 2 tbs
Onion – 1 small size
Green chilies – 5
Margarine or Butter – 1/2 stick or 4 tbs
Curry leaves
Oil
Salt

Method:

To prepare flour:

i) Soak rice for 2 hours. Drain the water and grind the rice. Sieve the moist rice flour.

ii) Grind roasted gram and sieve the flour.

To prepare pakkoda:

1) Finely chop the onion, green chilies and curry leaves.

2) Mix all the ingredients together.

3) Heat around 4 cups of oil in a deep pan.

4) Sprinkle water to little portion of the mixture.

5) Knead the little portion and make pinches of dough as shown in the picture.

6) Once the oil is heated up, put these dough pinches and fry them till golden brown.

Here is the mouth watering end product.