Milagu, Jeeraga (Pepper and Cumin) Rasam

Milagu and jeeraga (Pepper & Cumin) rasam - preparation time 10 to 15 mins
Best recipe for rainy season. Can prevent cold as we are adding spices like pepper and cumin. Surely include this rasam in your weekly/ once in 15 days. Healthy diet.

My mom used to make this rasam monthly once. It will be tangy, spicy and tasty. We love it with white rice and roasted papad. It will be hot and spicy but, anyway we will like and eat it. We feel very refreshed when we take this rasam. When mom cooks and transfers to serving vessel surely we will take a sip. Mom used to make in tradition way. In below recipe i have modified a bit.

She used to roast the whole pepper in ghee and grind it along with soaked tamarind pulp along with rock salt in the stone grinder i.e. ammi & kozhivi. As i don't have them in my apartment kitchen; i choose below method. If you are going to cook for big family you can follow my moms method and grind to paste in mixer.

Health tips: Pepper contains medicinal values to reduce cough and cold. So ground pepper can be roasted in ghee and taken for cough. It is good for digestion and can be used for cooking so that the chili powder can be added in less quantity. It is a good antioxidant, Can be included in food for people who have constipation and cold problem. Ulcer patient don'consume any spicy food (which contains chili or pepper)

Ingredients:-
Pepper - 2 tbsp (Don't take in heap. The pepper have to be grounder coarsely and used. If you use finely grounded powder the rasam will be like kashayam (medicine) so take care)
Cumin seed - 1 tbsp
Tamarind paste - 1 or 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Toor dhal paste - 4 or 5 tbsp (Pressure cook toor dhal and mash. Dilute with 2 cup of water )


Preparation method:-
In a tawa add ghee, cumin seed. When cumin seed is roasted add the pepper powder and roast slight. Add the tamarind paste and little water (so that the pepper won't burn i.e. karugathu).
Let this boil till the raw smell of tamarind juice goes off. Finally add the dhal water and leave it to boil.
This is best rasam during rainy season, people who are sick, people who are tired or with body pain.
You can increase the spice level by adding more pepper powder. This has to be taken with white rice and roasted papad. You cant stop eating so surely you will also cook more frequently.
I hope surely you people try it out and provide your feedback.


Note: If you want you can also add coarsely ground cumin seed along with pepper powder. It will also taste good.

Kovakkai poriyal (Ivy Gourd dry curry)

Kovakkai poriyal (Ivy gourd dry curry) preparation time 15 to 20 mins

In my moms place they wont cook certain vegetables (like kovakkai, vellarikai, pudalanga). Only in my in-laws place they used to cook these vegetables. Since my husband like these vegetables i started cooking them along with other vegetables. Only few months before i cooked this kovakka poriyal. I haven't tasted in my in-laws house so, i really don't know the taste and what to add. I cooked in my style. After tasting my husband told it is good but, when my mom cooks it wont shrink and will get some saunf taste. The second time i tried the below one.

Health Tips :- Kovakkai (Ivy Gourd) is very good for diabetic patient. So they can add Kovakkai weekly once. This is rich in beta carotene according to research. Contains vitamin and nutrient values.

Ingredients:-
Kovakkai chopped - 1 cup (chop to circle not too thin or too thick)
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt  - To taste
Saunf - 1 tbsp (or you can take little according to your spice taste)
Garlic pods - 2
Water - 3/4 or 1 cup
Mustard seed - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 5


Preparation method:-
In a vessel boil water along with turmeric. Add chopped kovakkai and cook till it is tender.
Crush the saunf along with garlic pods and keep aside.
In a tawa add oil, mustard. Leave it to splutter. Add the curry leaves, boiled kovakai, salt, chili and mix well.
Cover it for few minutes. Stir and see whether the kovakkai is slightly brown over the edges. If so then the dry curry is done.
You can take this yummy kovakkai poriyal with thakkali or poondu rasam. I hope you and your family will like it. If want you can add grated coconut (optional) after switching of the flame. 

Coconut Garlic Onion chutney

Coconut & Garlic onion chutney - preparation time 10 mins
Coconut is good when taken uncooked and limited quantity. We can make it much more health by adding few other ingredients. Last week i tried adding garlic and small onion and tried our normal coconut chutney (i.e. coconut, roasted gram & green chili). It came out well and nice with ven pongal. As garlic is good for heart and it will be difficult to consume raw you can add it chutney. So we will be able to take it raw. Happy and healthy living.

Ingredients:-
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Green chili - 2 (you can add according to your spice level)
Garlic pods - 2
Small onion - 2
Roasted channa spilt (Pottukadalai) - 1 ½ tsp
Mustard - ¼ tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - required amount

Preparation method:-
In a mixer add grated coconut, green chili,garlic, small onion and blend to smoot paste. Finely add roasted channa, salt and little water (don’t add too much water it will bring down the taste of chutney. Add water which is required to grind) and grind again.
Heat 1 tsp oil to tawa with mustard, urad dhal and fry till dhal is light brown. Add this to chutney and take with idli/dosa/chapatti.
If you provide feedback it will be valuable for me and i will come to know whether you like tradition cooking with some healthy fusion.

Badam Cake

Badam Cake/ Badam burfi - preparation time 45 to 1 hr
My regular deepawali sweet dish because even if we cannot cut cake we can serve this as halwa :-). During first time it came bit sticky which I corrected by stirring for few more mins with some water sprinkled.

The Badam(almond) is costly but we can make It in little quantity and eat. When you buy badam cake or halwa in sweet shop it will be very costly. For this diwali surely try this sweet dish and enjoy. We don't require much sugar also ( as we use for mysurpa) and ghee is required only to coat the plate.

You can make the cake thin so that people won't waste the sweet. Badam cake will be rich in taste and also good for health. For festival occasion like diwali surely you should make this sweet, share and enjoy the happiness.

Hope this sweet dish will get into your deepawali snack list. Mom used to make cashew cake but I prefer badam as it contains less cholesterol when compared to cashew. Also for cashew cake you have to add little more sugar because of the slight bitter taste which will be present in cashews.

We went to friends home last week. I thought instead of getting sweets why don't prepare in home, so that it will be special. I decided and made badam cake. To my surprise it came out well. I made this sweet for deepavali but this time it came better when compared to that. I thought of sharing this to you all. This recipe is easy and can be made with little amount of ghee.

Ingredients:-
Badam paste - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 or 3/4 cup
Water - 1 cup
Saffron - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - pinch
Ghee - 3 tbsp


Preparation method:-
Soak the badam for 1 hr and peel of the skin. Soak the peeled badam for another 1 hr. Grind this to paste (little fine than rawa/sooji but, not to very soft paste).

In a heavy bottom pan boil sugar with water. This should be one string consistency.

Add the badam paste and stir continuously.

Soak the saffron in i tbsp of hot milk and crush so the milk changes to beautiful yellow color. To this add the turmeric.
Mix this with the badam and stir continuously.

Meanwhile coat a plate with ghee and keep.
When you keep stirring the bubble will be slightly white. At this stage add 2 tbsp of ghee and stir.
Transfer this to the ghee coated plate and cool this plate in water so it will become hard.

In a knife coat the ghee and make to cake when it is bit hot.

Yummy home made badam cake is ready. Enjoy this healthy snack. You can use less sugar also.

Pori orundai (Puffed rice flake ball)

Pori orundai - preparation time 30 to 45 mins
For karthigai deepam i tried pori orundai first few pori orundai came out well. I am not fast enough to make the balls so pori started absorbing the vella pagu. Try in small quantity. The pagu will be hot so be careful while making the pori orundai.

Ingredients:-
Grated Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/4 cup (To melt the jaggery and remove the dust)
Aval Pori - 1.5 cup or 2 cup
Rice flour - 2 tsp
Cardamon powder - 1 tsp
Chopped coconut - 3 tbsp

Preparation method:-
Using flour seive or filter remove the nice dust from the aval pori you got from shop. Or use a clean dry cloth and rub the aval pori so the dust will stick to the cloth. Keep this in air tight container.

Melt jaggery along with water. Remove the dust by filtering and boil it till the jaggery comes to thick consistency. Add cardamon, chopped and roasted coconut to boiling pagu.

When you drop the pagu in plate and cool it will become hard like small ball (when you hit it sound will come) this is correct stage.
Now mix the aval pori with the pagu.

Coat your palm with rice flour and take the pori pagu mixture to make balls. It will be hot and stick so be very careful. If it is very hot you can make balls after it is bearable.

If you find difficult it making balls don't worry it will taste well so you can serve in cups.


Note: You can add roasted groundnut/roasted bengal gram to this mixture and make pori orundai it will be tasty.

Cashew cake

Making of Cashew cake - Preparation time approximately 45 to 1 hr.

Hope you all celebrated Deepavali well. This time i made few more sweets along with Gulab jamun & Pooran boli which already exist in this blog. I am sharing the cashew cake recipe below. 

Regularly i will make cashew cake but this time it became a big adventure for me. When i made and transferred to greased plate it didn't come as cake so again i transferred to pan and boiled again to get the correct texture. Finally it came out well and made cashew cakes.

Ingredients:-
Cashew paste - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup

Preparation method:-
Soak cashew in water (i tried with hot water this time but, you can use normal water also) for 2 hrs.
Grind soaked cashew in blender to coarse paste (before fine paste state).
In a heavy bottom pan, add sugar, water & mix well when it is dissolved, start boiling till you get one string consistency (you stick the pagu between two finger and take the fingers one small string will appear.
At this stage add the cashew paste to the pagu (if you want you can switch of the stove, mix well and then boil again)
You have to keep on stirring the mixture till it leaves the side. Add the ghee slowly when the whole texture becomes fluffy (will be white and bubbling ,will start to come up).
Coat ghee in a plate and transfer the cashew mixture. When it is cool you cut using ghee greased knife. It will be good.
It will come fine even you are not able to make cake don't worry you can serve as cashew halwa. You will be able to make only if it is transferred in correct texture. If you don't take in correct state it will become to powder state.


Try it out surely you will like this sweet. If you are trying for first time try in very little quantity.

Pudalangai masal (Snakegourd curry)

Pudalangai masal (Snake gourd masal) - Preparation time 15 to 20 mins
Snake gourd is rich in iron, calcium, fibre and vitamins. Improves laxative and is an antibiotic. We have to add Snake gourd to our food so it will be good for health. We can make dry curry, kootu and take along with rice or chapathi. When i asked my sister in law to cook some different side dish for chapathi she prepared this (as per her daughter's suggestion) curry.

Ingredients:-
Pudalangai - 2 Chopped to thin slices (remove the inner portion of snake gourd)
Tomato - 1 Chopped to small cubes
Onion - 2 chopped to strings
Green chili - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - As required
Sambar powder - 1tsp
Curry leaves - 10
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation method :-
In a tawa heat oil. Add mustard seed, when splutters add urad dhal and fry till it becomes golden brown.
Add slitted green chili, chopped onion and sortae for few mins.
Add tomato and fry for 5 to 10 mins. Now chopped pudalangai goes into the tawa. Add turmeric, sambar powder and sprinkle little water. Cover the tawa and stir occasional so that the gravy wont stick to tawa.
Cook till all the vegetables are tender. Finally add curry leaves and transfer to serving bowl.
This can be taken with rice or chapathi. It will be tasty and healthy dish. You can add little water and make as gravy or take as dry masal. I liked it, you might also like.

Panagam (Drink with sweet, sour, spicy taste)

Panagam - preparation time 5 to 10 mins.
Mom used to make this during festival like ramanavami,etc. This will have different taste and it is good for health when taken.

Ingredients
Cardamon pods (powdered) - 2
Dry ginger powder - 1 tbspn or ginger juice
Jaggery powder - 2 tbspn
Water - 150 ml
Salt a pinch
Lemon juice - 1 tspn

Preparation method :-
Mix jaggery with water and leave for few minutes. Mud and dust will get settled in bottom of the vessel. Filter and take.
Add ginger powder, cardamon, lemon juice, salt and mix well. Salt is added to bring up the sweet taste. (This can be heated if you want)
You can adjust the ingredients according to your taste because some people like when ginger is added more or if its sour, etc....

Thick Potato fry - (Urulai kizhangu varuval)

Thick Potato fry - preparation time 15 to 20 mins
Potato is all time favourite food. This can be taken as snacks or as side dish for variety rice. My mom use to prepare and give lime rice along with this thick potato fry for my lunch box. Potato contains Vitamin C , other vitamins like b1, minerals like potassium ,etc. Rich in carbohydrate, dietary fibre.

Ingredients:-
Potato - 2
Oil - to deep fry
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp
Kadalai mavu(Besan flour)- 2 tbsp
Arisi mavu (Rice flour) - 3 tbsp
Asafoetida (Perunkayam) - pinch
Salt - To taste
Water - to make thick paste

Preparation method:-
Wash the potato well. If you want you can wash the potato in hot water and cut with skin or peel the skin and cut. Cut the potato into four and make into slice (it will be like half moon). If you want you can cut to thick strips. Pieces should be 3 times thick than potato chips.
Wash the pieces in water so the starch will be removed.
Make paste with besan flour, rice flour, chili, salt, Asafoetida and little water. The paste has to be thick so it can be coated mildly over the potato.
Now heat oil and deep fry the coated potato in less flame then only the potato will be cooked. Drain the oil and put in tissue paper so, excess oil will be removed.
This will be yummy and crisp outside but, soft inside. Try it out surely you will like it.

Masala pori (Masala puffed rice)

Usually puffed rice will be a good snack for small kids because it is made of rice, soft and easily digestable. When i go to moms house it is my favourite snack (along with roasted groundnut). It will be bit salty. Some people like when we make it interesting.

Masala pori (Masal puffed pori) - Preparation time 5 to 10 mins
Ingredients
Puffed rice - 2 cup
Mor milagai - 1 (green chili soaked in butter milk with salt and dried in hot sun)
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp (slight crush it)
Cummin seeds - 1/2 tsp (slightly crushed)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 or 1 tsp (to your spice)
Curry leaves - 10
Oil - 1 tsp (oil that you like)
Salt - to taste


Preparation method:-
In a pan heat oil, add mor milagai, coriander seeds, cummin seeds, curry leaves and fry till nice aroma comes. Now add chili powder along with turmeric powder, salt.
Mix this with pori (puffed rice). This can be a crispy and good snack for all. Can be made within 5 to 10 minutes.
Keep this in an airtight container to be crisp.

Herbal leaves in our daily life - Part I

Herbal leaves in our daily life - Part I
We might use many herbal leaves in our daily food preparation but we might don't know the real values or medicinal properties. I am providing few details which i came across through parents, friends, etc. This might be useful and handy sometime. You have to consult doctor for medicinal problems below is for few handy tips.



Karpuravalli elai(Coleus amboinicus) - It is good to take when you have cold, cough. Good for digestion. You can wash the leaves and take directly it will taste good. Some people will consume as baji but, eating fresh will be healthy. You can plant the stem with few leaves in small pot and kept in your balcony.


Karuveppilai (Murray koinegii) - Good antioxidant, digestion and rich in iron content. We use it fresh for its aroma but it has medical properties so can be consumed along with food. When adding to dish take care to chop finely and add towards end so it will be fresh and can be consumed along with food. Very good for hair. You can take as a juice or karuveppilai thogayal.


Kothamalli elai (Coriander leaf) - Good antioxidant, improves digestion, contains iron, vitamins,i ncreases good cholesterol. Simple way to consume is, chop finely and mix with buttermilk along with few crushed ginger. Garnish the dishes with coriander leaves only after transferring to serving bowl so that the nutrition value can be retained. It is good for skin. You can try kothamali chutney.


Murugai keerai(Moringa oleifera leaves) - Is nutrition very rich in iron, vitamin c, potassium, vitamin A and calcium. The leaves should be cooked rightly it should not be less cooked or over cooked because it might lead to digestion problem. It is best to consume as kootu instead of dry curry. Leaves can be mixed with Adai flour and cooked . When you are melting butter for ghee you can put some drumstick leaves and fry so that ghee will smell good. Cook as murungai keerai kootu or murungai keerai poriyal


Vendaiya keerai (Fenugreek leaves) - It is rich in iron, vitamin c, potassium, calcium, fibre and protein. This can be consumed as gravy (vendaiya keerai kootu) or can be added to some dry curry. We can cook and use in chappati flour to make methi roti. Increases iron in blood. Good for diabetic. Constipation, gastric problem can be overcome by taking fenugreek leaves. It can be taken with yam to gain body wait.


Karisalankanni keerai - Contains more iron, vitamin A, reduces blood cholesterol. It is good for skin, improves complexion and eye sight. So you can occasionally take with food. The juice of karisalankanni leaves can be boiled with coconut oil, apply to hair it will improve hair growth. This will increase the red blood cells and reduce anaemia. Good medicine in siddha for liver problems, jaundice, etc.


Manathakkali keerai (Solanum nigrum) - The leaves are good for mouth ulcers. Clean the fresh leaves and chew them keep the juice for few mins in mouth and swallow. The leaves can be cooked along with toor dhal and taken as cooling agent. Reduces body heat so try to cook atleast once a week. It will taste slightly bitter. You can make manathakkali keerai kootu and consume


Vetrilai (Betel leaves) - In tamilnadu people used to take vetrilai along with sunnabu & pakku usually after a good feast. Good for digestion, removes gastric problem. For kids mom used to boil vetrilai & omam with little water and give so it will digest the milk the kid takes. Usually they will give this after head bath. The juice can be mixed with honey and given to reduce chest cold for kids. I heard that more quantity of pakku has to be taken in morning, in afternoon sunnabu has to be more and vethalai has to be more during night time.


Will continue......

Plantain dry curry (Vazhakai kara poriyal)

Vazhakai kara poriyal (Plantain dry curry) - preparation time 15 to 20 mins
Mom used to prepare this dry curry bit spicy so it will be very tasty to eat. Plantain contains many nutrition values

Ingredients:-
Vazhakai (Plantain) - 1 (cut into small cubes)
Chili powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp or less
Salt - to taste
Water - to boil plantain
Small onion - 4 (chopped into small squares)
Curry leaves - 1 string
Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Urad dhal -1 tbsp
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Rice flour - 1 tbsp 
Bengal gram flour - 1/2 tsp

Preparation method:-
In a vessel boil required water (the plantain should be soaked ), add chopped plantain. Cook till the plantain is tender. Drain the water and keep the plantain.

Take a tawa. Heat oil, add mustard to splutter, roast urad dhal to golden brown, chopped onions, curry leaves, cooked plantain, chili powder and roast.

When the onion is fried well add cooked plantain and soartae.

Finally add the rice and bengal gram flour; sortae for few minutes.

Serve hot with rasam rice or curd rice or moor kuzhambu.

Maida paniyaram (Maida sweet)

Maida sweet paniyaram - Preparation time 20 to 25 mins
Sometime you like make some sweet quickly and eat in that situation you can try this one. It will take only few minutes. Mostly you will have all the required ingredients so, making maida paniyaram is easy. I dont have paniyaram vessel to cook so i cooked in normal deep frying kadai only. My mom used to make this sweet during gokulashtami.

Ingredients:-
Maida - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Powdered cardamon - 1/2 tbsp
Saffron color - Pinch
Sugar - 1/2 or 3/4 cup (take same cup you measured for maida)
Water - as required
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Oil - to deep fry

Preparation method:-
In a vessel add sugar with few tbsp of water.

When sugar is dissolved completely add maida, grated coconut, cardamon powder and optional saffron color.

The mixture should be of thick paste. If take in laddle it should be in pouring consistency ( take care that in should not be so liquid because the shape on paniyaram wont be good).
In tawa heat oil in very low flame (lowest flame in your stove).
When oil is hot pour one small laddle of the flour mixture. It will rise to the surface of the oil. 

Keep turning the paniyaram so that it will be cooked evenly. The color changes slightly and bubbles will come down.
Take out from oil and transfer to tissue paper to take out the excess oil from the sweet.

You and your family might like this sweet.

Vellam Aval (Flattened rice with jaggery)

Vellam aval - preparation time 10 to 15 mins

Easy to make and very healthy snack. We used add grated jaggery, fresh coconut so will be fresh and tempting

Ingredients:-
Aval - 1 cup (75 or 100 gms)
Grated jaggery (vellam) - 1/4 cup (15 or 20 gms) you can increase or decrease according to your sweet level
Grated coconut (thenkai) - 3 tbspn
Water - to wash the aval

Preparation method:-
Wash the aval and drain the water (leave few drops to soak the aval). After few minutes the aval will become soft.
Now add grated jaggery & coconut and mix well.

This can be prepared in few minutes and served to kids as evening snacks. Jaggery (Vellam) is rich source of iron and aval is easily digestible rich source of carbohydrate.
If you like cardamon flavour you can add powdered cardamon.

Milagu Aval (Pepper with flattened rice)

Milagu aval - preparation time 10 to 15 mins

Aval is easily digestible , rich in carbohydrate, very easy and quick to make. You can carry this with required spice so when you feel hungry you can make it and eat instantly in no time. We can try different varieties in aval so you like to eat. Here i tried making aval with pepper and cumin seed.

Ingredients
Aval - 1 cup ( or 75 gms)
Salt - to taste
Crushed pepper (Milangu) - 1 tbspn
Curry leaves - 1 string
Crushed cummin (Jeeragam) - 1 tbspn
Sesame oil (or ghee if you prefer) - 1 tbspn
Water - required amount

Preparation method:-
Wash the aval and filter the water. Sprinkle some water and keep aside for 10 mins. Check whether the aval has become soft.
Now in a tawa heat the oil (or ghee). Add pepper, cumin seed, curry leaves and switch of the flame. Add the soaked aval, salt and mix well. If you want you can sprinkle little water and mix.
This will be good evening snack. Can be made in few minutes if you have aval in home. Try it out.

Kadalai mavu dosai (Bengalgram/Besan flour dosai)

Kadalai mavu (Bengal gram/Besan flour dosai) dosai - Preparation time 10 to 15 mins
Some recipe will be interesting and will come from our mom. When we say mom that we are very hungry. During college days i used to travel a lot in private bus so, by the time i return from college i will be very hungry. After refreshing, will be sitting for food. One day she didn't cook lunch so made this dosa which i felt very delicious. You might also like it.


Ingredients:-
Kadalai mavu (Bengal gram flour) - 1 cup
Aresi mavu (Rice flour) - 1/2 cup
Chopped onion - 1 (into small cubes)
Chopped green chili - 2
Curry leaves - 1 string
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Sesame oil - 3 or 4 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Water - Required to mix the flours for dosai mavu consistency

Preparation method:-
In a tawa add 1 tbsp of sesame oil. When it is hot add mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown colour. To this add chopped onion, chili, curry leaves and fry.
In a bowl mix the flours (bengal gram & rice). Add the above seasoning, water slowly to avoid lumps.
Required amount of salt is added. Asafoetida is added for digestion and mix all the ingredients well for dosai flour consistency.

Heat a tawa and add little oil. Now pour one ladle full of flour and make dosai. This dosai will be in beautiful & pleasant yellow colour.

You can take this even without any side dish. If you want to can take with coconut chutney or idli podi.

Hope you love this. It will be different and can be made in very short time.


Note: If you are left out with plain dosa dough and it is sour , don't worry add 2 ladle of kadalai mavu and mix it well. Fry mustard seed, urad dal, chili, ginger, chopped onion in little sesame oil and add to dough. You can make dosa and serve hot as new dish. Hope you don't waste the dough anymore.

Rava upma

Rava upma - preparation time 15 to 20 mins

Yesterday my husband took dinner with his colleague so, i thought i would try some dish which i didn't cook for long time. I made rava upma which came out well in few minutes. Now i can cook this for my husband. My mom make rava upma very well. When she come home i will ask her to prepare some dish which i won't prepare (due to not coming well). She prepared this for me when she came last month it was very tasty.

Ingredients
Rava - 1 cup (or 100 gms)
Onion - 1 (chopped into thin long strips)
Green chili - 1 or 2 (finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 or 1/2 (chopped into medium pieces)
Sesame oil - 4 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Mustard seed - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Urad split dhal - 1 tbsp
Water - 3 cup (same measuring cup you used for rava)

Preparation method:-
Roast rava with 2 tbsp of oil till it is light brown in color. Transfer to a plate and keep.
In a kadai heat oil and add mustard to splutter. When done add urad dhal and leave to brown.
Add chopped onion, chili and turmeric. Onion should cook in oil. Add tomato, water, salt and boil.

Mix the roasted rava and cook in slow flame.

Close the kadai when the mixture is thick and cook till the rava is transparent (there wont be and white spots when the rava is fully cooked).
Add one tbsp of ghee (optional) and mix well.

This will be tasty when taken hot along with coconut chutney. You might enjoy it.

Potato and Carrot kurma (Urulai kizhangu & carrot kuruma)

Potato & Carrot kurma - preparation time 15 to 20 mins
When we went to mother-in-laws home. We (me & my sil) asked her to suggest some different kuruma or sidedish for chapathi she asked her to try this one. It came out well and everyone enjoyed with chapathi.

Ingredients:-Carrot - 2 (Peel the skin & chop into cubes)
Potato - 2 (medium size, peel the skin and chop to cubes)
Onion - 1 (chopped to strings)
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 string

Grind below ingredients to paste with little water
Pattai (Cinnamon) - 1 small piece
Red chili -2 or 3
Garlic pods - 3
Karambu (lavangam) - 2
Fennel seed (perum jeeragam) - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 5 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Preparation method:-
In a pressure pan add oil, mustard to splutter . Now add few curry leaves, onion, carrot & potato. Sortae for few mins add salt and pressure cook for 2 or 3 whistle.
When vegetable is cooked add the ground paste and cook till raw smell goes.
You can take this with Roti or Chapathi. This is very simple and easy to make recipe.

Keerai & Poondu kadaisal( Green & Garlic gravy)

Mullai Keerai and Poondu kadaisal (prepataion time 15 mins)
Garlic is very good source to bring down cholesterol. In below dish we are going to add raw and boiled garlic to keerai and make one paste like gravy. You can take this with white rice and little ghee.

Greens should be taken during day time because it will take more time (approximately 7 to 8 hrs) to digest so try avoiding greens during night time

Ingredients:-
Mullai keerai - 1 bunch ( cleaned and chopped)
Poondu (garlic) - 7 to 8 pods
Green chili - 1
Water & Salt as required

Preparation method:-
Boil water and add keerai, salt, green chili & 5 garlic (poondu) pods and cook till the keerai is cooked.
Leave this to cool and put in a blender along with the uncooked 2 garlic pods.
Blend it with smooth paste and serve with white rice.
This recipe is very simple and easy to make healthy dish.

Seeru keerai, vengaiyam, thakali kootu (Keerai gravy)

Seeru Keerai thalicha kootu (preparation time 20 to 25 mins)

When i married and came to my husbands house i saw, my in-law making this dish. I was wondering how this dish will be.
She told that in some variety of green leaves the smell will be different and we don't like so, to over come this onion, tomato & garlic is added.
She made this with seeru keerai. It is widely available in tamilnadu but don't know about other places.


Ingredients:-
Seerukeerai - Clean and chopped finely
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Garlic pods - 10
Tomato - 1 chopped to small cubes
Onion - 1 chopped to small pieces
Urad dhal - 2 tsp
Red chili - 2
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seed - 1 tbsp
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - to cook
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup pressured cooked for 10 to 15 mins and mashed.

Preparation method:-
Boil water in a vessel along with turmeric, salt & sambar powder. When it boils add the chopped greens and cook till it is soft. Add cooked toor dhal and boil for 2 minutes.
Now in a tawa add oil, mustard seed to splutter, urad dhal to slight brown color, cumin to splutter, split red chili to slight brown. Add garlic pods, onion and cook for few mins along with little salt.
When done add the chopped tomato and cook. Finally add the pepper powder and transfer to seeru keerai kootu.
This goes well with rice and chapati.

Kudai milakai & venkaiya (Bell pepper & onion) chutney

Kudaimilagai & venkaiya chutney - Preparation time 10 to 15 mins

We always end up with similar type of chutneys and sometimes it will be bored to make same chutney. One day I thought of replacing plain green chili with bell pepper in onion chutney. Surprisingly it ended up well. If the spice of bellpepper is not sufficient you can spice it up with additional chili as i did in below one. Actually i tried with green bell pepper first time and next time with red one. Try it out, surely you all will enjoy.

Ingredients:-
Kudaimilagai (Bell pepper)- one (chopped to cubes)
Onion (Venkaiyam ) - one (peeled and chopped to medium size cubes)
Chili (green or red) - 1 or 2 (according to taste)
Salt - To taste
Sesame oil - 2 tbspn
Mustard seed - 1/2 tspn
Urad dhal - 1 tbspn
Tamarind paste - 1/4 or 1/2 tspn (according to taste)


Preparation method:-
In a pan add 1 tbspn oil, chopped onion, chili & bell pepper (kudaimilagai). Fry till they are cooked. Leave it to cool
Grind the fried items with salt and tamarind paste.
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard , urad dhal. when done garnish the chutney with this.
This goes well with dosa, idli and chapathi.