Bittergourd/Pavakkai Thokku

Bittergourd or Pavakkai thokku is quick and easy side dish and goes well with rice.Try this spicy thokku and u will love it......  

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Bittergourd- 5medium size(Cut into thin slices and remove the seeds)
2.Onion-2(Finely chopped)
3.Tomato-1(Finely chopped)
4.Garlic-10pods(Remove the skin)
5.Tamarind-1lemon size
6.Tamarind pulp-1Cup
7.Chilli powder-3tbs
8.Turmeric powder
9.Jaggery-5tbs
10.Salt to taste
11.Seasoning-Mustard,Curry leaves
12.Oil-8tbs

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• First boil the chopped pavakkai with tamarind with little water until cooked and strain the water and remove the tamarind and keep it aside.
• Now heat little more oil in a pan,add mustard,curry leaves,garlic and onion saute it untill brown.Then add tomato and fry it well and add cooked Pavakai,chilli powder,salt,turmeric powder and tamarind pulp water and cook it untill thick.
• Finally add jaggery and mix it well and let it cook for 5-10 mins in the low flame or untill the oil comes up and now its ready to serve.

 GOES WELL WITH:
        Plain rice

Chow chow Pepper Kootu (Kamalas Corner)

Tried recipe from another blog........

INGREDIENTS:
Chow Chow – 1 No
Green Gram Dhal – ¼ cup
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Salt – ½ teaspoon or as per taste

To fry:
Red Chilli – 2 Nos
Black Pepper – 1 teaspoon
Jeera – ½ teaspoon
Urad Dhal – 2 teaspoon
Coconut gratings – 2 tablespoon
Oil - 1 teaspoon

For seasoning:
Oil – 1 teaspoon
Mustard – ½ teaspoon
Urad Dhal – 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves – few
Sambar Onion - 2 Nos

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• Cook Green gram dhal along with a pinch of turmeric powder in open vessel till soft.
• Remove the skin from chow chow and cut into small pieces. Add these pieces to the dhal along with turmeric powder and salt. Cover with lid and cook on medium flame till soft.
• Meantime, in a kadai put a teaspoon of oil and fry red chillies, urad dhal, pepper, jeera for one to two seconds and finally add the coconut gratings and fry for one more second. Remove and cool it. Grind it to a fine paste.
• When the vegetable is cooked well, add the ground paste along with little water and mix well. Allow to boil for few minutes on low heat.
• Season it with mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves and chopped onion.

Tips: You can prepare the above Kootu with Bottle gourd also.

GOES WELL WITH:
       Plain rice and Chapathi

RATING:
***

Egg fry ~ Kulamma

Egg fry is an quick,very simple and easy indian food recipe which is prepared with boiled eggs and spices.Lets see how to make it.....

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Egg - 4(Boiled)
2.Onion-2(Sliced)
3.Tomato-1(Sliced)
4.Ginger,garlic,cinnamon,cloves,saunf paste-2tbs
5.Pepper powder-2tbs
6.Turmeric powder-1/4tbs
7.Seasoning-Mustard,Curryleaves
8.Salt to taste
9.Oil-2tbs

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• First Peel and quarter 4 boiled eggs. 
• Heat oil in a vessel, add Mustard, few curry leaves and sliced onions and saute for 5mins.
• Now add the grinded paste and fry it for few mins and add tomatoes,turmeric powder and salt to taste cook untill oil comes up.
• Then place the quartered boiled eggs and combine carefully.Cook on low flame for 4mins.
• Finally add Pepper powder combine again and cook for another min and turn off the heat and garnish with chopped corriander leaves.

GOES WELL WITH:

        Biryani

Puliyodharai (Prishiv-innovation)

Another Tried Yummy Recipe.....

INGREDIENTS:
1.Tamarind - Lemon Size
2.Turmeric - 2tbsp
3.Salt - As you want
4.Cooked raw rice

Grinded Items:
1.Fenugreek Seeds -1tbsp
2.Coriander Seeds -1tbsp
3.Curry Leaves -10
4.Red Chilli - 7
5.Urad Dal -1tbsp

For Seasoning:
1.Mustard Seeds - 1tbsp
2.Peanut - Few
3.Hing -1tbsp
4.Bengal Gram - 2tbsp
5.Gingelly Oil - 6tbsp

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• Soak tamarind for 30minutes, extract the juice and keep it in a bowl.
• Keep pan in the gas stove, add oil, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, bengal gram, curry leaves and red chilli. Fry well until it becomes golden brownish colour.
• Let it be cool. After it becomes cool grind these item in a mixer and keep it aside.
• In the mean time you can prepare the peanut. Fry peanut for 5minutes, and remove the skin for the peanut and the peanut should be in half pieced shape. Take it in a bowl.
• Now keep pan in the gas stove pour the gingelly oil and put the mustard seeds, hing, urad, bengal gram, curry leaves and peanut.
• Fry these items until it becomes golden brownish colour.
• Now pour the tamarind water and salt, boil until the raw smell of tamarind vanishes.
• Put the grinded items and allow this to boil until it comes like thick paste.
• Puliyodharai is ready to mix in the cooked rice.
• Before mixing puliyodhara paste, if you want, add gingelly oil in the plain rice. Then mix the paste you can feel the real taste of puilyodhara rice.

GOES WELL WITH:

      Potato Fry or Papad

RATING:
*****

Red Pepper Chutney (Menutoday)

Tried recipe.....

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Red Capsicum-1
2.Fresh Red chillies 3 to 4 according to taste
3.Jaggery-Little
4.Salt to taste
5.Tamarind - Small lime size
6.Oil
7.Hing
8.Seasoning-Mustard,Urad dhal,Curry leaves

METHOD OF PREPARATION: 

• Chop the Capsicum and chillies and keep aside.
• Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a tawa and fry this chilli pieces for a while.
• Cool and Grind along with Jaggery,Tamarind,Salt and Hing.
• Heat one tsp of oil and temper the Mustard seeds,Urad dhal and Curry leaves.

GOES WELL WITH:

      Dosa and Idly

RATING:
***

Okra rice (Kavis kaimanam)

Yet another tried recipe....

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Boiled rice - 1 cup
2.Lady's Finger - 1 cup - cut into 1 inch long pieces
3.Onion - 1 - chopped
4.Garlic - 2 nos - finely chopped
5.Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6.Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
7.Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
8.Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size - extract juice adding 1/4 cup of water
9.Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
10.Salt - 1/2 tsp or as per need
11.Oil - 5 tsp
12.Curry leaves - few
13.Coriander leaves - few
14.Roasted peanuts - few(optional)

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan, add chopped garlic, then lady's finger.
• When it is half cooked, add salt and fry again. when cooked well, add 1/4 tsp of pepper, stir well, turn off gas and keep it aside.
• Heat 3 tsp of oil in a pan, splutter cumin seeds, add onion, curry leaves and fry until golden brown in onion.
• Add tamarind juice now, turmeric powder, cumin powder and salt(very little) and let it boil until oil gets separated.
• Finally add the remaining pepper powder, roasted peanuts, coriander leaves and mix well.
• Add cooked rice now, mix well and serve with any raitha.

GOES WELL WITH:

     Vathal or Papad

RATING:
****

Spicy Tangy Mochai Curry (Homecook recipes)

Tried recipe from Homecook and outcome is really very tasty.....

INGREDIENTS:

1.Mochai-1 cup(soaked for 12 hours and pressure cooked up to 7 whistles)
2.Raw Banana- 1/2(cutted in round shape)
3.Onion-1(finely chopped)
4.Tomato-1(finely Chopped)

For Grinding:
1.Ginger-1/2 inch size
2.Garlic- 4 cloves
3.Green Chili- 1
4.Dhania/Corriander Seeds- 1tsp
5.Grated Coconut- 3 tbsp
6.Cumin- 1 tsp
Grind the above in to a thick coarse paste and keep it aside. the aroma it arises is definitely not forgettable.

Preparing Tamarind Water:
In Half a cup of warm water soak a small lemon sized tamarind for about 10 minutes. then add the following list of powder's to it.
1.Turmeric Powder- 1/4 tsp
2.Chilly Powder- 3 tsp's
3.Pepper Powder- 2 tsp's
Mix all the above powders to the tamarind water and keep it aside.

For Seasoning:
1.Mustard-1 tsp
2.Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp
3.Curry Leaves- 8
4.Dry Red Chilli-3
5.Oil -1/4 cup( you can reduce, if you are not using Raw Banana)

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• In a kadai, add oil and heat it, now add mustard and Wait till it crackles. now add fenugreek and let it turn brown in color, now add red chilli's, curry leaves and roast them.
• Now add finely chopped onions and fry them till they get reduced in size and come along together. now add finely chopped tomatoes and fry well.
• Now add turmeric powder a pinch and salt a pinch and fry them well.
• Add the Raw Banana to it and mix well. let the raw banana cooked in slow flame for about 7-10 minutes.
• Then add the Grounded Paste and Mochai and allow it to boil.
• Now add the tamarind water and allow it to boil.
• Add salt and water accordingly.

GOES WELL WITH:

       Hot steam rice

RATING:
****

Iyengar Puliyodharai (Geetha Radhus kitchen)

Tried this recipe from Radhus kitchen and the result is outstanding so give it a try and the link is below this pic....
 

 GOES WELL WITH:

      Chicken fry

WEBSITE LINK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWDaFoq7vEQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUDfTkJCg0o&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdu3gU-9HJU&feature=relmfu

RATING:
*****

Kathrikai Kothsu

Kathrikai kothsu making it in a simple version with less ingredients is a very good side dish for any kind of Biryani.Try it out ...

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Brinjal small - 6nos(Slit it into four,the base should be intact)
2.Tamarind-Small lemon size (soaked for 5 minutes, squeezed and juice collected)3.Chili powder-3tbs
4.Corriander powder-2tbs
5.Turmeric powder-1/2tbs
6.Onion-1(Chopped)
7.Seasoning-Mustard,Urad,Curry leaves,Asafoetida
8.Fried sesame and Mustard powder-1/4tbs
9.Salt to taste
10.Oil

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• First in a medium bowl,add chili powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder and salt and mix it together without adding water and apply this mixture in between the cut brinjal.
• Now In a pan add oil,mustard,urad dhal,once it starts spluttering add onion, asafoetida and the stuffed brinjal and close the lid let it cook for 10mins in the medium flame.
• Then add little thick tamarind pulp water  and let it cook for 5-10mins or untill oil comes up on top.
• Finally add fried sesame seeds powder and.methi powder and switch off the gas immediately.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

GOES WELL WITH:

      White rice and Biryani

Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberry milkshake is a quick fix and a very healthy protein drink prepared in few minutes during a morning rush or in the relaxed evening.Here is how i make it for my kids....
 

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Strawberry-6nos
2.Boiled milk-1/2cup
3.Sugar-1tbs
4.Almond-2(Skin removed)
5.Saffron-Pinch
6.Vanilla icecream-1scoop(Optional)

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• Blend all the ingredients from 1 to 6 in a blender untill smooth and serve cold.

GOES WELL WITH:

           Toasted bread

Thalicha dosa

Thalicha dosa is nothing but a seasoned dosa with onion,green chili etc usually used to make it with the leftover sour batter which tastes better.This is all u need to make it...

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Dosa batter-2cups
2.Onion-1(Chopped)
3.Green chili-3(Chopped)
4.Curry leaves-few
5.Corriander leaves-4strands(Chopped)
6.Seasoning-Mustard,Urad,Channa
7.Salt to taste
8.Oil

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• Heat oil in a pan,add seasoning one by one and add onion,curry leaves fry till turns light brown and finally add chopped corriander leaves and switch off the flame ,let it cool down.
• Now add this mixture to the batter with enough salt and mix it well and the batter has to be little thick.
• Then heat a griddle sprinkle some oil and pour a ladle of batter and spread in a circle motion and make it little thick and add oil around it and flip it over,keep it in the medium flame and cook it till its done and serve hot .

GOES WELL WITH:

       Any chutney

Babycorn Manchurian ~ Lakshmikarthik

 Baby corn manchurian is a excellent,spicy and delicious indo-chinese starter for any party.Here is the recipe adopted from my friend....

INGREDIENTS U NEED:
1.Baby corn-25nos
2.Corn flour-1/2cup
3.Riceflour-2tbs
4.Biryani powder or chicken masala powder-1/2tbs
5.Chili powder-1/2tbs
6.Ginger garlic paste-1tbs
7.Pepper powder-1tbs
8.Salt to taste
9.Green pepper-1(Chopped)
10.Onion-1(Chopped)
11.Spring onion-5strings(Chopped)
12.Oil to deep and shallow fry

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• Mix the ingredients from 2 to 8 all together well with little water untill thick like a batter.
• Then dip the baby corn in the batter and deep fry or shallow fry in the oil untill crisp take it out and keep it aside.
• Now in a hot wok add oil,once its hot add spring onion,green pepper,onion fry it for few mins and then add Chings manchurian sauce and mix it well.
• Finally add deep fried baby corn and saute it well and switch off the flame and serve hot.

GOES WELL WITH:

    Noodles and Fried rice

Mint/Pudhina Thuvayal ~ Ananthlakshmi

Yet another Tried recipe from online videos and the outcome is excellent.So try the link below.... 

GOES WELL WITH:

        Biryani and  Dosa

LINK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_YpojoZeAI

RATING:
****

Sweet Vada/Theepu Vadai

Theepu vadai in telugu is a traditional sweet which make during our festival. This vadai comes up really good when you grind it with the grinding stone and it tastes excellent with ghee on top and mashed with banana.Here is the proportion.....

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Whole urad dhal-2cups
2.Channa dhal-1/2cup
3.Jaggery-11/2cup
4.Salt-Pinch
5.Oil for deep fry

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• Wash and soak urad dhal and chana dhal for about an hour and drain the water completely.
• Now grind the soaked dhal,salt and jagery using the grinding stone or grinder without adding any drop of water untill smooth.
• Then take this dough in a bowl and shape them into flat using ziploc cover and make a hole in the center and deep fry them in medium hot oil untill they attain dark brown color.
• Now once its cooled store it in the airtight container.

NOTE:
You can store this vada for 3-5days in airtight container.

GOES WELL WITH:
        Banana mixed with ghee

Chicken 65 ~ Indiainteracts

Chicken 65 is a famous hot and spicy dish goes great with rice and sambar.This is one of the simplest recipe taste truly delightful which i tried from sulekha.The link is below .....

GOES WELL WITH:

     Sambar or Rasam rice

LINK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au51uTkSg24

RATING:

**** 

Karasev

I tried out from Indian cooking of Kalvenky  and it came out pretty good and the link is below...

GOES WELL WITH:
         Tea

LINK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG3Ry_6ocw4

RATING:
****

Thattai ~ Naga

Thattai also called as Elvadai is a crispy savory snack made for Diwali or any festival.Here is how we make it...

INGREDIENTS U NEED:

1.Rice flour-4cup
2.Fried gram dhal/Pottukadali-1/2cup
3.Peanut-3/4cup
4.Red chilli powder -1tbs
5.Sesame seeds-2tbs
6.Channa dhal-1/2cup
7.Salt to taste
8.Oil-to deep fry

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

• First soak the channa dhal for an hour in the water and strain it and keep it aside.
• Fry the gram dhal and peanut seperately untill light brown and remove the skin from the peanuts and grind it coarsly together without adding water.
• Now in a large bowl,add rice flour,grinded coarse powder,chilli powder,salt,sesame seeds,drained channa and mix the ingredients with little oil or butter and add water slowly and mix till you can make a ball out of it,the dough will be like a chapathi dough.
• Then take a small ball of the dough and press it on the puri presser by using zipploc paper(Apply oil on both sides of the paper so it won't stick in it) or using hands.
• Heat the oil in a wide bottom pan in a medium flame,add the thin round disc and cook both sides till its golden brown and then drain in the paper towel.
• Once they are cooled store it in the air tight container.

NOTE:
Thattai stays for about 3-4weeks in the airtight container.

GOES WELL WITH:

              Tea