Semiya or Vermicelli Payasam

Semiya Payasam or vermicelli payasam - preparation time 25 to 30 mins

Ingredients:-
Roasted Semiya - 100 gms
Sugar - 100 gms (or less if you don't want it to be too sweet)
Boiled milk - 1/2 or 1 cup
Cashew - 8 (finely chopped)
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Raisins - 6
Kesari colour - one pinch (dissolve in little water and keep)
Water - required amount (2 cup approximately)

Preparation method:-
Use roasted semiya or roast the semiya till it becomes slight brown.
Boil the water and add to roasted semiya. Boil till it is cooked (if you press the semiya it will be soft).
Add the sugar and boil till it is thick. Add the milk, kesari color ; mix till the colour blends evenly and boil.
Roast the cashew and raisin till brown and add to semiya payasam.
Serve this hot payasam with vadai .

Potato & Onion Kurma (Urulai kizhangu & Vengaya kuruma)

Potato & Onion Kuruma (Urulai kizhangu & vengaya kuruma) - preparation time 15 to 20 mins

Potato and onion will be available in home so if you decide to make roti or chapathi you can try this simple but yet delicious kurma. If you like you can also add fresh peas along with onion and make this kuruma. Try it out.

Ingredients:-
Boiled Potato - 2 (chop to cubes)
Onion - 2 (Chop to small thin strings)
Green chili - 3 (Adjust to your spice level)
Salt to taste
Saunf - ½ tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Poppy seed - ½ tsp (optional)
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Garlic pods - 10
Ginger - 1 inch piece

Preparation method:-
Grind coconut, chili, little saunf , poppy seeds with water to paste.
In a kadai heat oil. Add remaining saunf and roast till brown and add bay leaf, mashed ginger, garlic, onion and fry till onion is light brown in color.

Add potato, little water and grind paste. Boil this till it becomes thick gravy.

Take this potato & onion kuruma with chappathi or puri or vegetable fried rice or even with curd rice.

Vegetable Kurma

Vegetable Kuruma - Preparation time 25 to 30 mins
Good side dish for chapati, Vegetable pulav or even rice. As i mentioned in aviyal we are using variety of vegetables to get nutrition value of all the vegetables.

Ingredients:-
Chopped vegetables - 2 cup (carrot, beans, potato, onion)
Garlic pods - 10 (without skin)
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Saunf - ½ tsp
Cinnamon - 1 piece
Clove - 4
Coconut - 4 tbsp
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation method:-
In a tawa heat oil and add spices (Saunf, cinnamon & clove) roast till brown. Add ginger, garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes off.
Add the chopped carrot, beans and fry for few mins and add the onion and fry. Finally add the potato.
Add salt, water and boil the vegetable till it is cooked.
In a mixer grind coconut, saunf and chili powder. Add this gravy to cooked vegetable and boil.
This goes well with roti/chapati.

Peerkangai thogayal (Ridgegourd chutney)

Peerkangai thogayal (Ridgegourd chutney) - preparation time 15 to 20 mins
Peerkangai is cold vegetable and contains more nutritional value.

Ingredients:-
Peerkangai - chopped 150 gms (remove only sharp edges of the skin)
Green chili - 2
Coriander leaf - ½ bunch (cleaned and chopped)
Tamarind paste - ½ tsp
Salt - to taste
Gingelly oil - 4 tbsp
Water - little to sprinkle
Mustard seed - ¼ tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-
Fry the peerkangai with 3 tbsp of oil, chili and salt in a tawa.

Cook till the vegetable becomes ½ or ¼ th. Switch of the flame and add the coriander leaves

In a mixer add the cooked ridgegourd, tamarind paste, chili, coriander. Grind to paste
(without adding water).

In a tawa add oil, mustard, urad dhal and roast till dhal is golden brown.
Add this to peerkangai thogayal (ridgegourd chutney). If the chutney is more liquid fry the chutney in the tawa and bring to thick (thogayal).

Take care and stir in low flame. It will be sticky.
You can take this spicy chutney with idli, dosa or along with plain rice and gingelly oil.

Kathirikai thogayal (Brinjal thick chutney)

Kathirikai thogayal (Brinjal chutney) - preparation time 15 mins
My favourite recipe. Mom used to make this thogayal bit spicy. She won't grind in mixer. She will use ammi to make this tasty thogayal.

Ingredients:-
Brinjal - chopped 150 gms
Red chili - 3 (roasted in oil and powdered)
Tamarind paste - ½ tsp
Salt - to taste
Gingelly oil - 4 tbsp
Water - little to sprinkle
Mustard seed - ¼ tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-
Fry the brinjal with oil and salt in a tawa. Sprinkle little water to cook.
In a mixer add the cooked brinjal, tamarind paste, chili powder. Grind to paste using whipper button.
In a tawa add oil, mustard, urad dhal and roast till dhal is golden brown.
Add this to brinjal chutney or kathirikai thogayal. You can take this spicy chutney with idli, dosa or along with plain rice and gingelly oil.

Cabbage (muttaikos) & Carrot kootu

Cabbage (muttaikos) & Carrot kootu

Carrot - ½ cup (chopped small cubes)
Cabbage - ½ cup (chopped to small pieces)
Turmeric - ¼ tsp
Sambar powder - ¼ tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 1 or 1 ½ cup water (till the vegetables get immersed)
Mustard seed - ¼ tsp
Cumin seed - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu) - 1/2 cup (pressure cooked)
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp (optional)
Cumin seed & Pepper - ½ tsp each (optional) {Grind this with coconut and make a paste}
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 6 (finely chopped)

Preparation method:-
Boil water with turmeric, salt & sambar powder. Once it starts boiling add carrot and cabbage.
Cook till tender/cooked. Now mash the cooked dhal and add. Let this boil.
In a tawa add mustard seed (it should splutter), urad dhal (it should become golden brown), cumin seed (jeera will splutter or If you have thalikkum vadagam (which is made of jeera, urad dhal, onion, mustard, etc) it can be used.
Add coconut paste (optional) to boiling kootu, curry leaves and switch of. Taken with rice/chapati/roti.