• Vazhakka                            : 1 no
• Onion                                  : 1 no, chopped
  
• Grated coconut                   : 1/2cup
• Coriander seeds                  : 2 tsp
• Fennel seeds                       : 1.5 tsp
• Red chillies                         : 5nos
  
• Urad dal                              : 1 tsp
• Tamarind                            : small goli size
• Mustard seeds                    : 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds                      : 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida  pdr                  : 1/ 8tsp 
• Turmeric pdr                      : 1/4tsp
  
• Curry leaves                      : 1 sprig
• Salt to taste
• Gingelly oil                      : 2 tbsp

Method: 

• Pressure cook vazhakka till soft. Peel it and mash them with a fork to small pieces, keep aside.

 

 

•  In a pan dry roast Chillies, urad dal, coriander seeds, fennel seeds. When it is done add grated coconut to this and fry for 2 mins. Add tamarind to this and grind in a mixie to a coarse powder.

 

• In a pan heat gingelly oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. When it splutters add chopped onion and saute well. 

 

• Then add the turmeric pdr and mashed vazhakka to this. Mix well and add the powdered masala to this mix well. Simmer for 2 mins and remove from fire.

 

• Remove from fire, transfer to a serving dish.  Vazhakka podimas ready! A tasty side dish for rice!!
  

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour                         : 1 cup
• Spinach                               : 1 cup
• Green chilli                         : 1 no
• Ginger                                 : 1/2 "
• Cumin powder                    : A generous pinch
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method: 

• Wash the spinach thoroughly. Boil  4 cups of water  add spinach and green chilli and ginger. Switch off  the stove and drain the spinach and dip  it in cold water. 
• Grind it along with spinach and ginger to a paste.
• Take the wheat flour in flat vessel add the spinach paste and cumin powder and salt.

•  Mix it together and knead it well. Add water if needed and make a smooth dough. 

• Take lemon sized balls and roll it into 2-3" diameter round.  The puri should not be too thick or too thin.

• Heat oil in a frying pan and  fry each puri in hot oil.
• Fry all the puris and have it with desired side dish.....Here I made chana masala for this puri.
  

Method:

 

•  Pour in small cups and place it in a steamer.

Ingredients:

Method:

• Soak chana dal for 20 mins. Cut the ridge gourd into cubes.

 

 

• Pressure cook chana dal adding 2 cups water, little turmeric pdr and pepper pdr for 4 whistles and keep aside.
  
• In a kadai heat oil add cumin seeds, let it splutter then add finely chopped garlic. Sautee till the color changes and add  chopped onion, saute again till it turns pink. Then add the chilli pdr, turmeric pdr and coriander pdr. 
• Fry till the raw smell goes away and add tomato pieces.  Sautee till the tomato pcs become mushy. 
• Open the cooker and mix the dal, add the ridge gourd, the onion tomato masala, salt and mix well.

 

 

• Pressure cook again for 4 whistles. Cool the cooker and open it, mix well.
• Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds, when it splutters add curry leaves and pour this to the curry. Ridge guard koottu is ready!!
  

• Varagu (Kodo millet)              : 4 cups
• Urad dal                                  : 1 cup
• Fenugreek seeds                     : 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method: 

• Soak varagu rice separately  and urad dal and fenugreek seeds seperately  for 3 hours.
• Drain urad dal & fenugreek and grind it in a mixie or grinder to a smooth paste.  Transfer to a container.
• Drain varagu and grind it to a paste and add this to the dal paste. Add salt and keep it for fermentation at least for 8 hours.
• when it fermented mix it well. 

 

• Grease the idli plates and pour one ladleful of batter on the plates and steam it for 7 mins.
• Remove from the steamer and dip a spoon in water and take out the idlis with this. 
• Serve with chutney & sambhar!! 
  

Ingredients:

Method:

Ingredients:

• Chama /Samai  ( Little millet)                    : 2 cups
• Urad dal                                                      : 1/2 cup
• Fenugreek seeds                                         : 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil as per required

Method: 

• Soak millet and urad dal  separately  for 2 hours. Add fenugreek seeds  along with urad dal.
• Grind urad dal adding  water little by little to a creamy consistency.
• Now grind the millet adding salt. Careful while adding water it may not  need much water, otherwise the batter will become more watery.
• Combine the two batters together and keep it overnight  or for 6 hours for fermentation.
• Next day morning mix the batter well. If the batter is too thick add a little water.  Heat a Dosa tawa pour a ladlefull of batter in the centre of the tawa and spread it in circular motion to make a thin dosa. Drizzle oil on the sides of the dosa. When it is cooked on one side  flip it over and cook for one more minute. Take out the dosa and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
• Dosa is ready and serve it with coconut chutney or any desired side dish. 

Ingredients:

• Dosa batter                           : 3 cups   (Click here for dosa batter recipe)

• Ghee                                     : 1 tbsp

Method:

• Prepare dosa batter previous night, let it ferment.  
• Before making dosa mix the batter well. Heat the tawa, pour  a ladle of batter on the centre of  the tawa and spread out in circular motion to make a thin round shape dosa.

• Drizzle ghee on the sides of the dosa and let it slightly change the colour. slowly fold it and remove from the tawa. Either you can fold it or make it like a cone of roll it. 
• Ghee roast is served in different shapes in different restaurants, you can make it according to your taste. 

•  If you are making it a cone shaped dosa, then just cut one side of it upto the centre and fold it like a cone. 

• Serve the dosa with chutney, sambhar or your desired side dish.

Ingredients:

• Boiled rice                          : 2 cup

• Jaggery                               : 300gms

• Coconut                              : 1/2

• Cardamom pdr                   : 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Wash the rice well drain. Dry roast it. Keep aside.  Grate the coconut and keep aside.

• Melt jaggery,  flter it to remove impurities. Heat 5 more minutes to make it a thin syrup.

•  Grind the roasted rice to a powder.  Add the grated coconut to this and just pulse it again to mix it with coconut.

• Now transfer it in a wide pan. Add the cardamom powder to this.  Add the jaggery syrup to this and mix well. Now take a small portion of this and make a ball with it.  Do this with the remaining rice mixture.

Ingredients:

• Chamai                                  : 1 cup
• Urad dal                                 : 1/4 cup
• Flattened rice(Aval/Poha)      : 1/4 cup(optional)
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak urad dal and rice seperately  for one hour.  If using poha soak it just 10 mins before  grinding.  
• Grind  it and keep it for six hours for fermentation.  We can grind it previous night and make idli next day morning for breakfast.
• Poha is using for making idlies softer.  But without poha also the idli was soft.

• Next day morning mix the batter well and pour it in idli mould and steam it. When cooked remove from the mould and have it with chutney or sambhar.

Ingredients:

• Paneer cubes                              : 7 pcs
• Yoghurt                                      :1/2 cup
• Besan                                         : 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste                    : 1 tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli pdr              : 1 tsp
• Turmeric pdr                              : 1/8 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Capsicum                                   : 1/2
• Onion                                         : 1/2
• Lemon juice                               : 1tsp

• Butter                                          : 2 tsp
• Bay leaf                                      ; 1
• Onion                                          : 1 finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste                      : 1tsp
• Chilli pdr                                     : 1 tsp
• Coriander pdr                              : 1/2 pdr
• Turmeric pdr                               : 1/8 tsp
• Cumin pdr                                   : 1/8tsp
• Garam masala                             : 1/4 tsp
• Tomato puree                              : 1/2 cup
• Cashew paste                              : 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Kasuri methi crushed                  : 1tsp
• Oil for roasting

Method: 

• Cut onion & capsicum into cubes and separate into petals.
• Take 2 ripe tomatoes and grind it to a puree and keep aside. Soak 10 cashews for 10 mins and grind it to a paste.
• In a bowl mix besan, curd,salt, chilli pdr, turmeric pdr and ginger garlic paste together.
• Whisk it it to become a creamy and add lemon juice, paneer cubes, onion cubes and capsicum pieces. Mix gently,  marinate it for 20 mins.

•  Heat oil in a tawa and roast the paneer cubes, onion and capsicum. 

•  Heat butter in a pan, add bayleaf,  finely chopped onion and saute. Then add ginger garlic paste and saute again.  Reduce flame and add chilli pdr, turmeric pdr, coriander pdr, cumin pdr, garam masala & salt. 
• Now add the tomato puree and  cashew paste, saute it till the oil separates.
• Add one cup water mix well and add the roasted paneer pieces to this mix it.
• Cover it and cook for 6 to 7 mins and open the lid add crushed kasoori methi.  The paneer tikka masala is ready to serve!

• While adding water check the consistency, adjust the level of water to make it semi gravy. 

Ingredients:

• Coriander seeds                      : 2 tbsp
• Red chillies                            : 7  adjust according to your taste
• Fennel seeds                           : 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom seeds                    : 3
• Cinnamon sticks                    : 2' pc
• Black pepper seeds                : 10 seeds spprox
• Cloves                                    : 6 nos
• Turmeric pdr                          : 1/4tsp

 

Method: 

• Heat a pan and roast all the ingredients except turmeric pdr.
• Roast it until crispy and golden brown.
• Switch off the stove and add the turmeric pdr & mix it.
• First crush the chillies in a mixie, the add all the other ingredients and grind it to a powder.
• The meat masala is ready. When cool store it in an airtight container.
• Use as per your taste when in need.....!

Ingredients:

• Rice flour                             : 1 cup

• Salt                                       : a pinch

• Water                                    : 1 cup

• Oil                                        : 1tsp

• A pinch of oil for greasing the hands

For filling:

• Grated Coconut                     :1 cup

• Powdered Jaggery                 : 1 cup

• Cardamom                            : 2 pods

• Ghee                                     : 1 tsp

Method:

• Place a pan on the fire with powdered jaggery and 1/4 cup of water to this. When the jaggery melts strain it for impurities and wash the pan and again boil the jaggery to make a syrup. Stir it frequently. To check the consistency, take a small bowl and add a drop of syrup to it. It will stuck to the bottom and you can make a soft small ball out of it. 

• Now you can add the grated coconut to the syrup and mix well till the moisture evaporates and form a mass. Add cardamom powder and ghee, mix well.
• Cool and make small balls out of it. keep aside.
• Boil one cup of water. Add a pinch of salt and one tsp of oil to this. Take the flour in a wide pan, pour the boiled water little by little stirring it frequently. Mix it well with a spoon, when the heat is manageable knead it to a smooth dough.

• Take a portion of the dough and make it a ball, flatten it like a disc. Take a ball of filling and stuff it and shape it back to a ball shape bringing together the edges.
• Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling. Make sure there are no cracks.

• Now hear a steamer and steam the stuffed balls in high flame for 10 mins. Switch off the flame, cool it and serve it!!

Ingredients:

• Pearl onions                            : 6 nos
• Onion                                      : 1
• Tomatoes                                : 2
• Green chilli                             : 1
• Ginger                                     :1/2 " pc
• Garlic                                      : 4 nos
• Cumin seeds                           : 1/4 tsp
• Saunf/Fennel seeds                : 1/8 tsp
• Coconut grated                       : 1/4 cup
• Chilli pdr                                 :1 tsp
• Coriander pdr                         : 2tsp
• Turmeric pdr                          : 1/8 tsp
• Chicken kheema                     :1/4 cup
• Oil                                           : 2 tbsp 
• Khus khus                              : 2 pinch
• Salt to taste
• Chopped coriander leaves      : 1 tbsp

Method:

• Heat  one tbsp of oil and add fennel seeds fry for 2 secs and add pearl onion and pieces of one tomato to this saute for 2 mins and add the coconut to this and again fry for one more minute.
• Remove from the fire and cool it and  add poppy seeds, ginger and garlic to this.Grind it in a mixie to a paste and keep aside.
• Heat balance oil in a pan and add chopped onion and tomato, saute for 2 minutes. Then add the ground paste to this and saute for a while, now add one cup water and salt to this . Then add  chilli pdr, coriander pdr and turmeric pdr to this. Add the green chilli and chicken kheema. Mix well and cook for 10 more minutes.  Check the consistency, if it is too thick add some more water. The salna is a side dish for parotta, roti or biryani, ghee rice etc.. So the gravy should be medium thickness. Now transfer this to the serving bowl and chopped coriander leaves.

•  Salna can be prepared even without chicken.   The whole process is same, without adding chicken kheema. Empty salna, this also goes well with rotis, rice etc. 

• Idli batter                                    : 2 cups
• Carrot                                          : 1 

Method :

• I already posted idli in this blog. You can refer this for making Idli batter.

• Wash the carrot and grind it to a paste.  Mix the paste in the batter well. Now  take the idli mould, place a small round piece of carrot over each idly mould and pour the batter evenly in the mould.