Posts Tagged ‘Small Pieces’

The month Margazhi is fast approaching.  After singing thirupavai it is usual to to do Venpongal as naivedyam to Aundal. Here I am giving you the method of doing the ven pongal.

Ingredients

Raw rice – 1 cup

Moong Dhal – 1/2 cup

For Seasoning

Black Pepper – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Fresh Curry leaves – 15-20 nos

Ginger – 1/2 inch (cut into small pieces)

Cashew nuts – 10 to 15 nos ( break it into half)

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Procedure

-Soak the rice and dhal for half an hour.

-Pressure cook them by adding 3 1/2 cups of water.  Allow 4 whistles in high flames and simmer  it for 10 minutes.

- In a thick bottomed pan apply 1 tsp of ghee and fry the cashew nuts till they are golden brown.  To uniformly fry the cashew nuts break it into 2 halves and then fry.

-Again add 1 tsp of ghee and fry jeera and pepper one by one and atlast add curry leaves and  ginger and fry them too.

-Take 1/2 a cup of milk (hot) and add hing and allow it to dissolve.

-Soon after the cooker gets released add all the fried ingredients and then the milk with hing and the required amount of salt and mix it such a way that the rice – dhal mix is well smashed.

Tasty ven pongal is ready for serve.  For each and every serve you can add melted ghee to enhance the taste.

Chutney,  sambar,  gotsu, paringikai- mochaikottai pulikuzhambu and thalaga kuzhambu are the best side dishes for this ven pongal.

if you want the flavor of hing to be heavy, then add the hing to the rice -dhal mix and pressure cook it.

This is a very tasty and nutritious kuzhambu.

Ingredients

Tamarind – lemon size

Vegetables – 1 cup ( diced)

The vegetables usually used for this kuzhambu are chow-chow,  ash gourd (pooshanikai), parangikai or chakarai pooshinikai, or brinhal cut into small pieces.

Soaked Chenna dhal or peanuts – 1 cup

Salt – 1 tsp

Turmeric pdr – 1/4 tsp

To fry and grind

Urud dhal – 1 tsp

Chenna dhal – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 1 table spoon

Red chillies – 7-8

Black pepper – 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida(hing or perungayam) – 1/2 tsp

Fry all the above ingredients except coconut and asafoetida  in a pan with 1 tsp of oil, till they are golden brown.

Allow it to cool and make it into  a paste ( neither too coarse nor too smooth) and set aside.

Procedure

-Pressure cook the soaked chenna or peanuts by adding salt.

-Strain the tamarind by adding 2 cup of water.

-Now add the diced vegetable, salt and turmeric powder and cook the vegetables untill they are soft.

-Add the cooked chenna or peanuts , the prepared paste and allow it to froth.

-Season it with mustard and fresh curry leaves. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

It can be served with dosa, idili, pongal as well as hot white rice.

Hotel Sambar

Ingredients

Thoor Dhal – 1 cup
big Onion – 2 Nos
Sambar Vegetables – 1 cup
Tomato – 4 Nos Salt – 1tsp
Tamarind – small size lemon
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 10 to 15 leaves
finely chopped coriander – 2tsp
Asfoetida (perungayam) – 1/2 tsp

To fry and grind

Red Chillies – 6 nos
Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) -1 1/2 Table spoon
Chenna dhal – 1Table spoon
Methi Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Black pepper – 1/2 tsp
Cumin’s seeds (jeera) – 1tsp
Curry leaves – 1 hand full

For seasoning

mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
broken urud dhal – 1 tsp
oil – 2 table spoon

Sambar procedure

-Pressure cook thoor dhal with little turmeric powder
- Cut the sambar vegetables in small pieces. Also chop onion and tomato longitudinally .
- Apply some oil in the kadai and fry the things to be grounded. Let it cool and make it into a fine powder.
-Again apply some oil in the kadai season the mustard seeds , broken urud dhal and onion. When the onion gets fried little add the Sambar vegetables. Saute it and then add the chopped tomato and the required amount of salt. Saute for few about 2 to 3 minutes.
- In the mean time stain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Add it to the seasoned vegetables
- Allow the mixture to boil till the raw smell vanishes and all the vegetables are well cooked
- Now add the well smashed thoor dhal and the prepared powder to the mixture. Mix it well and allow it to boil for another 5 minutes.
- Add few curry leaves and chopped coriander.

A very tasty hotel sambar is ready to be served with hot hot dosas.

Navarathri is fast approaching and I am sure every one will will offer different variety of sundal to Goddess Lalithadevi on all 9 days. To start with let me tell you how to make kondaikadalai sundal in different ways.

You can use both variety of Kondai kadalai – both white and black.

- Soak the chenna dhal over night or atleast for 8 hours.

- Pressure cook the soaked CHENNA adding the required amount of salt and water . Let two whistles come and simmer it for 5 minutes.

( Say for 1 cup (200 gms) of dhal , 1/2 heap of salt and the chenna should submerge in water) You can also add 1 pinch of turmeric powder to give an appealing color.

-After the pressure cooker releases, drain the excess water and allow it to cool.

- In a pan add 1 table spoon of oil . Add mustard , let it splutter add 4 split green chillies and a red chilly along with fresh curry leaves, and add 1/4 tsp of hing (perungayam) and then add the cooked chenna.

- Season for 5 minutes till the water in the chenna dries up and add 1 table spoon of freshly grated coconut. Season it for another 2 to 3 minutes.

This is the basic procedure for doing the kondaikadalai sundal.

We can also modify this a little bit. The first three steps remains the same. Those who don’t prefer to use much coconut do it this way.

-After draining water from chenna just add 2 tsp of oil to the pan. Add 2 red chillies, 2 green chillies, one teaspoon of grated ginger & add the chenna and season it for 5 minutes. Then add small pieces of coconut amount to 1 tsp. Season for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool down little, then add 1/2 tsp of lime juice and garnish it with coriander.

I am sure paneer dishes are favorite among children.  Relish the kadai paneer  recipe which I have detailed below.

Ingredients

Paneer – 250 grams ( cut into into medium sized cubes)

Onion – 2 cups (finely chopped)

Tomato – 2 cups (cut into small cubes)

Dahi – 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tps

Capsicum – 1/2 cup

Baby corn – 1/2 cup (cut into small pieces)

Butter – 1 Tsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – 2 tsp

Dhania  powder -1 tsp

Turmeric powder -1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

kasuri methi – 1 tsp

Chopped coriander – 1 tsp ( for garnishing)

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Procedure

- Use  a thick bottomed  pan for this preparation.  For any kadai preparations use thick bottomed pan to avoid burning)

-Heat the pan,  add 1 tsp of  butter and season jeera in it.  Once the spluttering is over add the finely chopped onion and fry till it is golden brown.

-Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw flavor vanishes.  Now add 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp dhania powder,  2 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder  and cook till the raw flavor vanishes.

-Add 2 cups of chopped tomato and cook for 5 minutes.  After that add 1 cup of  dahi,  1/2 cup capsicum,  1/2 baby corn , the required amount of salt , 1/2 tsp sugar and the 1/2 cup of water .  Let this mix boil for about 5 minutes.  The baby corn and capsicum will get half cooked by this time.

-Add paneer cubes and leave the vessel closed for 2 minutes.  At last add kasuri methi .  Bring it to boil.  Switch off the stove.  Garnish it with coriander before serving.

It is an excellent side dish for roti , naan  chapathi  & kulcha.

This is a very simple variety of kootu made out of cucumber and  chenna dhal.

INGREDIENTS

Cucumber – 2 cups ( chopped into small pieces in the form of cubes)

Chenna Dhal – 2 tbl spoons

Grated coconut – 2 tbl spoons

Cumin(jeera) seeds – 1 tsp

Red chillies – 2 nos (to taste)

Salt – 1/2 tsp ( to taste)

Raw rice – 1/2 tsp

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PROCEDURE

-Pressure cook the chenna dhal and cucumber by adding 1/2 cup of water, salt and one pinch of turmeric powder.  Just allow three whistles and lower the flame for 2 minutes.

-Grind the coconut, jeera , raw rice and red chillies into a fine paste,  by adding little water.

- Add this paste to the cooked cucumber and allow it to boil for 2 minutes.

-Season it with 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/4 spoon asafoetida and fresh curry leaves.

This a very tasty kootu.  Because of its mild nature kids will like it.  It also serves as a side dish to chapathi.

( We all know that cucumber is a watery vegetable. When cooked by adding water it becomes all the more watery.  Don’t drain the excess water.  Instead use it for grinding the coconut paste.  Its nutritious value will be preserved. As far as possible never drain the water used for cooking the vegetables.  All the nutrients will be lost)

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Ingredients

Tomato – 3 Nos
Onion (big one) – 1 Nos
Green chilies – 4 Nos
methi powder
- 1/4 tsp

For seasoning
mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
broken urud dhal – 1 tsp
curry leaves – 10 to 15 nos
oil – 1 tsp

Procedure

-Chop onion , chilies and tomatoes into small pieces. Apply 1 tsp of oil in the kadai and fry them till the onion is softly cooked.

- Allow it to cool and grind it into a paste .

- Season it with mustard, urud dhal , methi powder and curry leaves.

This chutney goes well with chapathi, dosa, idili and poori. You can also use it as a spread for bread toast.

Ingredients

To Grind
Pure grated coconut – 1 cup
Fried gram (pottukadalai) – 1 Table spoon
green chillies – 2 Nos ( If you need little bit hot chutney increase the nos of chillies)

For seasoning
mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
broken urud dhal – 1 tsp
curry leaves – 10 to 15 nos
oil – 1 tsp

Procedure

- Season the mustard seed, urud dhal and the curry with oil.
- Fry the green chillies
- Now grind the coconut, fried gram and green chillies and make into a paste.
- Add the necessary quantity of water to dilute the paste and the seasoned things.
- Add a 1 pinch of perungayam and1/2 tsp lemon juice ( if you like then grind a small piece of tamarind. But adding lemon juice, we will get a new flavour).

Always add the seasoned things at the time of serving to retain the freshness.

You can make small changes to do different kind of chutneys

1 Coriander Chutney

The procedure is same as that of pure coconut chutney. While grinding you have to add finely chopped coriander.

2Pudhina Chutney

The only change you have to make is add pudhina (mint) leaves.

Remove the leaves form the stem. Wash it thoroughly. Apply some oil in the pan and saute the leaves for about 2 minutes.

Grind it with coconut, fried gram and green chilies.

Mint is full of iron . At least try to have it once a week. Seasoning and the other things remain the same.

3 Capsicum Chutney

The procedure is same as that of pudhina chutney. Instead of pudhina use capsicum.
Cut into small pieces and fry them in the kadai. You need not fry for a longer period. Just 2 minutes of cooking will do.

Hotel Sambar

Ingredients

Thoor Dhal – 1 cup
big Onion – 2 Nos
Sambar Vegetables – 1 cup
Tomato – 4 Nos Salt – 1tsp
Tamarind – small size lemon
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 10 to 15 leaves
finely chopped coriander – 2tsp
Asfoetida (perungayam) – 1/2 tsp

To fry and grind

Red Chillies – 6 nos
Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) -1 1/2 Table spoon
Chenna dhal – 1Table spoon
Methi Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Black pepper – 1/2 tsp
Cumin’s seeds (jeera) – 1tsp
Curry leaves – 1 hand full

For seasoning

mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
broken urud dhal – 1 tsp
oil – 2 table spoon

Sambar procedure

-Pressure cook thoor dhal with little turmeric powder
- Cut the sambar vegetables in small pieces. Also chop onion and tomato longitudinally .
- Apply some oil in the kadai and fry the things to be grounded. Let it cool and make it into a fine powder.
-Again apply some oil in the kadai season the mustard seeds , broken urud dhal and onion. When the onion gets fried little add the Sambar vegetables. Saute it and then add the chopped tomato and the required amount of salt. Saute for few about 2 to 3 minutes.
- In the mean time strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Add it to the seasoned vegetables
- Allow the mixture to boil till the raw smell vanishes and all the vegetables are well cooked
- Now add the well smashed thoor dhal and the prepared powder to the mixture. Mix it well and allow it to boil for another 5 minutes.
- Add few curry leaves and chopped coriander.

A very tasty hotel sambar is ready to be served. It can be had with raw rice, idli, dosa etc.

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As I already told rasam is one of the delicious south Indian soups. Here I have explained the preparation of rasam, and small tips to make it all the more tasty.

Ordinary Dhal Rasam

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lime size
Tomato – big one
Rasam Powder – 1 tsp ti 1 1/2 tsp ( depending upon the strength of the rasam powder)
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 Tbs with its water
Asafoetida powder -1/2 tsp

For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure

-Strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Instead of putting the tomato as pieces you grind the tomato and add the puree. This will enhance the color of the rasam.

-Add the rasam powder, turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of the rasam powder vanishes

-Now smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Add coriander leaves, saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves add it to rasam. Finally, after the whole procedure is over add asafoetida and immediately close it at least for 10minutes so that the flavour is not lost.

Tasty yummy rasam is ready.

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Lime Rasam

Ingredients

Tomato – 2 big one
Rasam Powder – 1/2 tsp
Green Chilies – 2 Nos
Ginger – a small piece about 1″
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 Tbs with its water
Asafoetida powder -1/2 tsp
Lime – 1 in nos

Procedure

-Finely chop the tomatoes. Slit the green chilies longitudinally and chop the ginger into small pieces.

-Mix the chopped tomatoes, ginger, chillies rasam powder, turmeric powder and salt in 1 1/2 cups of water and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of the rasam powder vanishes.

-Now smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Add coriander leaves, saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

-Remove the rasam form the fire and then add the juice of one lime and serve.

-Lime should be added only after removing rasam form the fire. Lime juice will turn soar when cooked.

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Pineapple Rasam

Pine Apple Rasam Variety
Pineapple rasam is the delicacy of SouthIndia.

The procedure is same as that of doing lime rasam.

The only difference is you have to reduce the quantity of lime juice to half and add a cup full of chopped pineapple. You can also extract the juice of the pineapple and add to it.

After rasam is done , garnish it with ripe pineapples.

Orange Rasam

The same procedure can be followed in preparing orange rasam .
Add orange juice instead of pineapple juice.

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Mysore Rasam

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lemon size
Tomato – 1 big in size
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp along with water

To fry and grind

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp, Thoordhal – 1 tsp, ChennaDhal – 1 tsp, Red Chilies – 4 (or 6, if u need a spicy rasam)Nos, Black pepper – 1/2 tsp, Methi seeds- 1/4 tsp, Asafoetida -1/4 tsp. Roast the above in a spoon of ghee or oil. Add 1/2 tsp of jeera and Coconut – 1 Tbl spoon, grind it to a smoot powder.

For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure

-Strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Instead of putting the tomato as pieces you grind the tomato and add the puree. This will enhance the color of the rasam.

-Add turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of tamarind vanishes. Now add the powder you prepared.

-Smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Add coriander leaves, saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

Lime Mysore Rasam

Instead of adding the tamarind in the beginning add the lime juice at last, as you did for the lime rasam.

Brinjal Mysore Rasam

Slit the small brinjals into four without fully cutting them.

Cook the brinjal in tamarind water and repeat the same procedure.

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Pepper – Jeera Rasam

Already in my previous post I have explained to you about the preparation of pepper – jeera rasam powder. Always keep it handy.
This can be done with or with out tomatoes.

Ingredients

Tamarind – size of small lemon if you are using tomato
size of a big lime if tomato is not used.
Rasam Powder – 2 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 Tbs with its water

Procedure

Strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Instead of putting the tomato as pieces you grind the tomato and add the puree. This will enhance the color of the rasam.

-Add the rasam powder, salt and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of the rasam powder vanishes.

-Now smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

For this rasam asafoetida & coriander are not required. Instead just crush few fresh curry leaves with a pinch of salt and garnish the rasam.

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Poricha Rasam

This rasam is done without tamarind. But it is very tasty.

Ingredients

poricharasam variety
Tomato – 1 big in size
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp along with water

To fry and grind

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp, Thoordhal – 1 tsp, ChennaDhal – 1 tsp, Red Chilies – 2 Nos, Black pepper – 1/2 tsp, Asafoetida -1/4 tsp. Roast the above in a spoon of ghee or oil. Allow it to cool and grind the ingredients with 1 Tbl spoon of fresh coconut.

For Seasoning

Cumin’s seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure

-Grind the tomato and boil it just for 2 to3 minutes by adding little water, so that its raw flavour will vanish.

-Fry the things given above and make it into a paste. Mix the paste with the boiling tomatoes.

- Let it forth. Switch of the stove. This rasam need not be boiled for a very long time like other rasams because all the ingredients are already cooked.

-Saute cumin’s seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

- Garnish the rasam with chopped coriander and finely chopped ripped tomatoes.

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Garlic Rasam

This rasam can be prepared in 2 ways

I METHOD

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lemon size
Red Chillies- 2 nos
Black pepper – 1/2 tsp
Jeera- 1/2 tsp
Dhania – 1 tsp
Thoor Dhal -1 tsp
Chenna Dhal – 1 tsp
Garlic – 6 flakes

Procedure

-Fry all the above ingredients except tamarind till they are golden brown. While frying add garlic only when the dhal is golden brown in colour colour. Since garlic has water content if you add it first itself, it will get cooked faster and the remaining things will not get fried.

-After adding garlic you should fry till nice aroma comes.

- Grind all these into a smooth paste by adding sufficient water.

-Strain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes after adding salt to it.

-Add the ground mixture to the boiling rasam and again allow it to boil for about 2 minutes.

-If the rasam is strong dilute it with water. Saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

METHOD II

Garlic Rasam Variety
Prepare pepper – jeera rasam as I have explained above.

Saute mustard in ghee & add 10 flakes of garlic, roast it well and add it to rasam. Close the vessel.

As the garlic gets soaked in the rasam, it will give a rich flavour and taste.

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Gottu Rasam or Bachelor’s rasam

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lime size
Tomato – big one
Rasam Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Raw Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder -1/2 tsp

For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure

- Cut tomato into small pieces. You don’t need cooked thoor dhal for this rasam.

-Add tamarind, tomato pieces rasam powder, turmeric powder, raw thoor dhal and salt and allow it to boil till the thoor dhal is cooked ( Killu padam i.e you must be able to break the cooked dhal in a single pinch).

- Add water and dilute the rasam to the required quantity.

-Add coriander leaves,saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves add it to rasam. Finally after the whole procedure is over add asafoetida and immediately close it atleast for 10minutes so that the flavour is not lost.

This is very simple but delicious rasam.
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Butter Milk Rasam

You can call it as emergency rasam. Can be done in two methods.

Method I

Ingredients

Butter Milk -2 cups
Red chillies – 4
Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp
ChennaDhal – 1 tsp
Dhaniya- 1 tsp
Methi seeds -1/4 tsp
Coconut -2 tsp
Trumeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/4 spoon

Procedure

- Fry Red chillies ,Thoor Dhal ,ChennaDhal ,Dhaniya and Methi seeds till the dhal is golden brown in colour

-Allow it to cool and make it into a fine paste by adding coconut and asafoetida.

- Mix it with the butter milk and add required amount of salt.

-Saute mustard along with curry leaves and 1 pinch of turmeric powder in 1 tsp of coconut oil (preferable) and add it to rasam. Garnish it with coriander leaves

Method II

Keep 2 cups of butter milk ready.

Add 2 tsp of coconut or cooking oil to the pan. Pre heat the oil.
Add mustard seeds and when it starts spluttering, add 2 tsp rasam powder, 1 pinch methi powder, 1 pinch turmeric powder, 1/4 asafoetida and finally curry leaves and add it to butter milk.
Garnish it with chopped coriander and 1 tsp of freshly grated coconut.

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