Carrot & Broad bean gravy (Avarakkai, carrot kootu)

Carrot and Broad bean gravy (carrot & avarakkai kootu) - Preparation time 15 mins
Usually we won't be make carrot kootu as it will be too sweet so we can add carrot to avarakkai and make the below kootu. When i went to one of relative house they cooked this kootu. Actually they did with small piece of carrot but i tried with little more. You can try it out

Ingredients:-
Avarakai - 1 cup (chopped to small pieces)
Carrot - 2 small size (Skin peeled and chopped to small pieces)
Turmeric - ¼ tsp
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 1 or 1 ½ cup water (till the greens get immersed)
Thalikkum vadagam - 1
Pepper coarsely ground - 1 tsp
Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu) - one cup (pressure cooked).
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp (optional)
Cumin (Jeera) seed - ½ tsp (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. When water boils add avarakai, carrot to cook.

Add cooked dhal to vegetable and boil. Switch of the flame

In a tawa add thalikum vadagam (which is made of jeera, urad dhal, onion, mustard, castor oil, etc) to splutter and pepper powder.

Ground coconut along with cumin seed to coarse paste. Add this to the kootu and mix. Finally curry leaves.
Kootu and 1/4 tsp of ghee can be mixed with rice and taken. It will be very tasty.

Mangai ingi salad (Galangal salad)

Mangai ingi salad - Preparation time 5 mins
This is seasonal usually we will get more dring year end. If will be like ginger but will contain little taste of mango also. Goes well with curd rice. Simple to make.

Ingredients:-
Mangai ingi - chopped finely 1 cup (Wash well and remove the skin part. Chop to small cubes)
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Mustard - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Preparation method:-
In serving bowl mix chopped mangai ingi, lemon juice and salt. Mix well and check the taste.
You can serve this with curd rice. It will taste good after few hours because it will absorb the essence into mangai ingi.
If you want you can garnish. Heat oil, add mustard to splutter and garnish the mangai ingi.

Vellai karamani kurma(Blackeye bean gravy)

Vellai karamani (my version of dal makkani using Black eye bean gravy) - Preparation time 20 mins

Innovation of this recipe is interesting. I soaked vellai karamani for making sundal but my husband called and told that he will be coming late. I thought if he takes sundal late night then taking dinner will get postponed so I thought of converting the sundal into some side dish for chappathi.

In hotel we used to take dal makkani for chapathi i liked the taste of makkani very much. So implemented that into blackeye bean. It came out well and tasty.

Ingredients:-
Blackeye beans - 50 gms or try out with two handful bean (Soak for 4 to 5 hrs)
Onion - 1 (chopped to small sq pieces)
Tomato - 1/2 or 1 according to your taste
Ginger - 1 inch size (chopped finely)
Small garlic pods - 8 to 10 (chopped finely)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Green chili - 1
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed - 1/2 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp ( I used my home made masala for this )

Preparation method:-
Pressure cook the soaked black eye bean for 3 whistle with required amount of water. Mash slightly and keep
In a tawa add oil, cumin to splutter and onion. when onion slightly cooked in goes finely chopped ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, chili powder and tomato. Cook till tomato's raw smell goes off.
Add the excess water from the cooked black eye bean.
When it starts boiling add salt and slightly mashed bean along with the garam masala powder.
Leave this to boil for 10 mins. You can add water if you want the gravy to be little thin.
This will be tasty and goes well with chapathi.

Bitter Gourd fries (Pagarkai varuval)

Bitter gourd fry (pagarkai varuval) - Preparation time 20 mins

When mom make bitter gourd fries we enjoy eating it. It will be bitter, spicy and crispy. She will prepare this as a side dish for rasam rice but as usual we will finish eating before lunch and end up with appalam  for rasam rice. This can be taken as evening snacks also.

Ingredients:-
Bitter gourd - 2 medium size
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Bengal gram flour - 2 tbsp
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Water - if required
Oil - to deep fry

Preparation method:-
Slice the bitter gourd into thin circular pieces. If you like you can keep the seeds else you can remove it.
In a bowl mix bitter gourd, chili powder, salt. If you want you can increase the spice level by adding little more chili powder. Leave this for 15 minutes marination.


Heat the oil in a deep fry tawa.

In another vessel take 10 to 15 marinated pieces of bitter gourd and mix equal amount of flours.
Take care it should not be too soggy then only the fries will be crispy.
Add this mixture to hot oil and cook over medium flame. Remove from oil when the bubbles reduces and the colour changes slightly.

Transfer to a tissue to remove excess oil.
It will surely be bitter but we loved it. Try out and put your feedback. 

Baby potato dry curry (Chinna Urulai kizhangu poriyal)

Baby potato dry curry (Chinna urulai kizhangu poriyal) - Preparation time 30 mins
Everyone love potato. Baby potato will bit more tasty when compared to normal potato. I tried this one when dad came home. He liked the spicy dry curry. Try out this dry curry. It goes well with rasam rice and also with chapati.

Ingredients:
Baby potato - 10
Red chili powder - 1 tsp or 2 tsp ) according to your spice level
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Rice flour - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 10

Preparation method:-
Pressure cook the baby potatoes and peel of the skin. Prick all the baby potatoes with fork in two or three places.
In a bowl add the baby potatoes, 1 tbsp of sesame oil, red chili powder, salt, turmeric powder, coriander and cumin powder. Mix them well and keep aside for marination (15 mins).
In a tawa add remaining oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown, curry leaves and finally goes the marinated potato along with rice flour.
Roast till the outer part turns roasted. This will be crispy outside and soft inside.
With hot rasam sadam (rice) and baby potato dry curry you love your lunch.

Note : Take care while cooking baby potato. It should not be too soft because it will get mashed while roasting.

Coconut and Groundnut chutney

Coconut & Groundnut chutney - Preparation time 10 mins
When you add roasted groundnut instead of roasted bengal gram (pottukadalai) this chutney will taste different and you surely like this. Two days before i tried this chutney and served with idli. It was really tasty i think i might also go well with Chapthi & Dosai.

Ingredients:-
Coconut - 1 cup (you can grate 1/2 coconut)
Garlic pods - 4
Roasted groundnut - 1 tbsp (10 to 15 groundnut)
Red chili - 4 or 5 (according to your taste)
Salt - to taste
Water - To grind the above ingredients
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp

Preparation method:-
In a tawa dry roast the raw groundnuts till the raw smell goes of. It will start slightly bursting. Roast in low flame. Peel off the skin and keep.
In a mixer add roasted groundnut, coconut, garlic, salt, chili with required water. Grind this to paste. Transfer to serving bowl.
In a tawa add sesame oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown and garnish the chutney.

Gooseberry pickle (Nellikai oorugai)

Gooseberry pickle (Nellikai oorugai) - Preparation time 20 mins to 30 mins
Gooseberry is rich in vitamin C, iron, calcium, etc. In helps to bring down the cholesterol level, Keeps you young, Good for diabetic patients. This can be consumed as juice (only if it suits to your body because some people might be allergic). We can prepare gooseberry pickle with less oil and salt but surely you have to refrigerate and use. Below i am using required amount of oil, salt and chili powder.

Ingredients:-
Gooseberry - 10
Red chili powder - 1 to 1&half tbsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Preparation method:-
Wash well the gooseberry. Pressure cook gooseberry with 1/2 cup of water for 2 to 3 whistle. It will be cooked soft. Remove the gooseberry seeds and keep the flesh part alone.
In a tawa heat oil. Add mustard to splutter, asafoetida, fenugreek powder, turmeric, chili powder and add the mashed gooseberry along with required amount of salt.
Cook the above ingredients till the oil separates. You can check and increase the spice level according to your taste.
If you don't want to refrigerate then you have to use more oil (the oil should be stagnant over the pickle :-( . This is not good for health, so I use less oil)
Try out in limited quantity if you like it you can make and keep.

Note : Instead of boiling you can also grate the gooseberry and fry directly in tawa with little water to cook.

Carrot Kheer

Carrot Kheer - Preparation time 10 to 15 mins
Carrot is rich source of fibre, vitamin A, antioxidant,etc. Can wash and consume raw to get all the health benefit's. You can make some delicious and yummy drink for your family. Surely they will love this drink.

Ingredients:-
Carrot - 2 (peel the skin and pressure cook or boil till it becomes tender)
Sugar - 1 cup (50 gms to 75 gms according to your taste).
Cardamon powdered or coarsely crushed - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cashew - 5 (chopped to small pieces)
Milk - 150 ml

Preparation method:-
Boil the carrot and grind to paste.
Heat a tawa add one tbsp of ghee and cashew. Roast till the cashew turns golden brown and transfer to serving bowl.
In same tawa add the remaining ghee, grind carrot and cook for few mins.
In another vessel mix sugar with little amount of water and make sticky sugar syrup and keep.
Add the required amount of sugar syrup to boiling carrot. Mix the milk and check the sugar level.
Carrot kheer is ready transfer to serving bowl. Mix the cashew's with the kheer.
During rainy season you can serve hot and during summer you can serve cold. Both will taste good.

Lady's finger dry curry(Vendakai curry)

Lady's finger dry curry (Vendakai curry) - Preparation time 15 mins
My husband like this side dish for chapathi's. Simple to make.

Ingredients:-
Lady's finger - chopped one cup or 100 gms (1 or 2 inch length) . Slit them diagonally.
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger - slice thinly a one inch piece
Onion - 1 cut to thin strips
Saunf, Cumin seed - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seed - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon stick - small piece
Salt - to taste
Sesame oil - 2 to 3 tsp

Preparation method:-
Dry roast saunf, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon and grind to powder. Keep this separately to add finally according to your taste.
Heat a kadai add lady's finger, oil and ginger. Fry this till the vegetable is half boiled and the stickiness goes off.
Now add onion and fry along with turmeric, salt and chili powder. When lady's finger and onion is cooked it will become soft.
Add the powdered masala to the dry curry and cook for 5 mins. The raw smell will go off.
Serve this with phulka or chapathi's

Chow Chow and Carrot kurma

Chow chow & Carrot kurma - preparation time 20 mins
In my in-laws house they prepared this kuruma. As we are adding vegetables it became more healthy and tasted good & different.

Ingredients:-
Chow chow - 1 cup (chopped to small cubes)
Carrot - 2 (chopped to small cubes)
Onion - 1 (chop to thin strips of one inch)
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 5 pods peeled and 3 with skin
Coconut - grated 2 tbsp
Saunf, cinnamon, clove - little & according to your taste
Badam paste - 1 tbsp (soaked and made to paste with little water)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Water - as required

Preparation method:-
Crush peeled ginger, little saunf and garlic with skin. Keep them separately.
In a heavy bottomed tawa heat oil and add the spices. When saunf turns light brown add crushed ginger and garlic.
When raw smell of onion goes off add chopped onion, chow chow, carrot and sortae for 10 mins.
Add water till the added vegetable are immerses. Close the tawa till the vegetable get cooked well and soft.
Grind the coconut to paste. Add coconut paste, chili powder, turmeric powder, badam paste and cook the raw smell goes off and slightly oil separates.
Serve this with hot chapathi or puri's.

Rasagulla

Rasagulla - preparation time 45 to 60 mins
I love this sweet very much. My dad used to go to calcutta for official work, when he returns he used to buy us this famous rasagulla. We used to fight for this sweet. Still the taste lingers in my mouth. Old memories are very beautiful. I tried this sweet when one litre of milk curdled. Don't worry when the milk is curdle just check whether it doesn't smell bad and sour. Usually we used to drain the water, wash well and mix with sugar and take else i will give to person who is helping on my household work. This time i thought of making rasgulla in the curdled milk.

I asked friends and start trying out.They asked to boil on vessel but, i used pressure cooker and prepared.

Ingredients:-
Milk - 1 lt
Curd - 1/2 cup to curdle the milk 
Sugar - 100 gms or 150 gms according to your taste
Water - 2 cups

Preparation method:-
Boil the milk in a vessel and add the curd.

The milk start curdling. When you get clear water and panner drain the water using filter.

Wash the panner well so the sour taste of curd/lemon will goes off.
Put the panner in a thin white cloth and hung it so all the water in panner goes off. You can also tie the cloth tightly keep this over a filter and keep some weight over it. The water drains down.

Knead the dough using your hand atleast for 20 to 25 mins i.e. till the dough becomes soft.

Now start making very small ball (1 inch or less). Keep these ball separately.
In pressure cooker add sugar and water. When water starts boiling add the balls slowly and carefully.

Close the cooker and wait for 3 whistle. Switch off the flame.
When you open and see the small will twice the size when compared to original one.

Take care and use big cooker so, space will be enough and it will become spongy and soft.
When cool keep in refrigerator and serve chill. Surely all your family members will love it. When i gave to my dad he told it tasted as in shops. This is big credit to me.

Karuveppillai thogayal (Curry leaf rice paste)

Karuveppillai thogayal (Curry leaf rice paste) - preparation time 10 mins
My mom's place (grandma's home) is very big. On backside they had a curry leaf tree. When we go for annual leave we use to enjoy grandma's cooking (including my mom). We used to climb tree and prick the leaves fresh for this thogayal. Curry leaves is very rich in iron content and good for hair. You can cosume this directly as leaf or make this thogayal and take with hot white rice and roasted pappad. It will be very tasty.

We can make wonders with curry leaves also :-)

Ingredients:-
Curry leaves - 1 cup (leaves taken from 15 to 20 strings and washed well)
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Red chili - 3 to 5
Asfoetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind paste - less than 1/4 tsp or little tamarind water
Sesame oil - 2 tbspn
Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Preparation method:-
In tawa heat oil. Add urad dhal, roast to golden brown. Keep aside.
In same tawa add the red chili and roast to dark red color. Keep along with roaste urad dhal. Now roast the hing and add to the other ingredients.
When roasted ingredients are cool grind to coarse powder along with hing, salt, sugar and tamarind.
Now add the curry leaves and little water to grind. Make to thick thogayal by adding required amount of water.
Heat the tawa add little oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to brown and garnish karuveppillai thogayal.
Mix this paste and sesame oil with white rice and take with roasted papad. Surely you will love this dish.

Note:- Some people don't like the raw smell of curry leaves for them you can add the curry leaves paste in the garnishing tawa along with spluttered mustard, brown urad dhal and fry with little sesame oil for few mins and transfer to serving bowl.

Herbal (Healthy) Vegetables in our daily life - Part I

Herbal (Healthy) Vegetables in our daily life - Part I
We might use many vegetables in our daily food preparation but we might don't know the real values or vitamins, minerals it have. I am providing few details which i came across through parents, friends, etc. You have to consult doctor for medicinal problems below is for few handy tips.



Carrot (Daucus carota)
Good for eyes. It is an attractive colourful vegetable. Improves the eye sight when consumed raw in the form of salad if not take as a soup or add in your cooking or juice. When you cut the vegetable the line patterns by itself resembles eye. Rich in beta-carotene, vitamin A, potassium & anti-oxidant , contains soluble fibres to maintain good cholesterol along with other vitamins and minerals in less quantity. It might contain ring worms. Take care to wash thoroughly and peel of the skin. Some research say it might fight against cancer.



Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)
Rich in betaine, vitamin C & A, folate, antioxidant, potassium, magnesium, fibre, etc. When consumed improves the cardiovascular health. This might bring down the blood pressure when consumed as fresh juice. Contains rare vitamins like b1, b2,b3,b5, b6 & b9. Can be take in the form of salad, or curry or juice. Good anti-aging and people with urinary problem should take care and consult proper physician before consuming.



Cucumber(Cucumis sativus - Vellarikai)
Most easily available vegetable and mostly through out the year. Very high in water content so can be consumed in large quantity during summer season in the form of salad or juice and make your body cool. Reduces constipation problem because of fibre, less in calories also contains vitamin K, beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin C, A. Good for skin and cleans your body. Take raw slices or include in your bread sandwich. Take as raitha or salad or cucumber kootu.



Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia - Pagarkai)
Very good for diabetic patients when included in food or consumed as juice. It is very rich vegetable with vitamins, anti agents (antiviral, gastro disease, fever, cancer, etc) fully packed. Good for digestion. Contains, Beta-carotene, Vitamin A, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, folate and other minerals. Brings down the sugar level and an alternative to insulin. Purifies the blood and improves the circulation of blood, brings down the piles problem and joint pains. It is bitter but very very good for health (like our daily life :-). face it happily). When you make bitter gourd kootu or bitter gourd poriyal you won't taste that much bitterness. Bitter gourd fries will be yummy but dunno whether all the goodness will be retained when deep fried.



Cabbage (Brassica oleracea - Muttaikose)
It will reduce the ulcer problem, bad cholestrol when consumed as juice. Contains rich amount of potassium which is required to maintains the blood pressure, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, folate, iron, anti-oxidant and fibre. People having thyroid problem should avoid because it simulates those hormone. The fibre content in cabbage helps reduce the risk of cancer. Make poriyal using cabbage



Beans
Beans is rich in Vitamin A, phosphorus, manganese, good source of dietary fibre, iron. We will be adding in most of the recipes like kuruma, aviyal, pulavo and dry curry. Fights against aging an anti-oxidant and other nutrition factors. Because of fibre content it will slowly improves the blood sugar so it is very good vegetable for diabetics. Brings down the bad cholesterol and improves the heart functioning.

Pagarkai kootu (Bitter gourd gravy)

Pagarkai kootu (Bitter gourd gravy) - Prepartion time 15 to 20 mins

Pagarkai is very good for health and contains more vitamins and minerals. Make bitter gourd your families favourite vegetable. We used to make bitter gourd kootu and take along with white rice. Usually people who are under siddha or ayurvedha medication should avoid this vegetable.

Ingredients:-
Pagarkkai - 1 cup (chopped and remove the seeds if it is hard)
Toor dal - 1 cup (pressure cooked)
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - required amount
Coconut - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed - 1 tbsp
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Milk or coconut milk - 2 tbsp
Water - required amount
Thallikum vadagam (or) -1
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp, Urad dal- 1 tsp

Preparation method:-
In a vessel heat water with sambar powder, salt, turmeric. When it is boiling add the pagarkkai and cook till it is tender.
Mash cooked toor dal with milk and add to pagarkai. Cook for few mins and switch of the flame.
Grind grated coconut with cumin seed to coarse paste. Add this to pagarkai kootu and mix well.
Heat oil, add mustard to splutter, urad dal to brown and garnish the kootu (or) fry the thalikkum vadagam or you can use mustard, urad dhal and garnish.
This goes well with rice and ghee. It will be slightly bitter.

Note:-
One method to bring down the bitter taste is to cut the bitter gourd to half and stick the cut portions to the floor of kitchen slab for half an hour.
Another method is to put the chopped pagarkai in a bowl which contains the rice washed water(Usually they say kazhani thanni).

Vengaya uthappam (Onion thick pan cake or uthappam)

Vengaya uthappam (Onion thick pan cake) - Preparation time 15 mins
Usually mom used to make uthappam when we get bored on dosai & idli and also when the idli flour is sour. It will be bit spicy so can be taken without any sidedish. You can try it out in fermented idli dough only thing is the batter has to be thick as we use for idli.

Ingredients:-
Small onion - 10 (peeled and cut into small semi circles)
Green chili - 2 (finely chopped)
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 string (finely chopped)
Tomato - 1/2 finely chopped and this is optional
Ginger - 1 tbsp chopped
Idli flour - 2 cup

Preparation method:-
Heat a kadai. Add 1 tbsp oil, mustard seed to splutter, urad dal to golden color, add the chili, onion, ginger, little salt to cook.
Add the garnish and curry leaves to idli flour and mix well.
Heat the kadai and pour one small ladle of uthappam flour. Don't spread too much because, it will become dosai instead of uthappam. If you like now you can top the uthappam with chopped tomato.
Cook in low flame and cover with a lid. After few mins remove the lid and see whether the bottom side has become brown.
Now turn the uthappam carefully and leave the other side to cook and become brown (don't cover now). The side will be crisp and center portion will be soft.
This will be a colorful and tasty dish. I am sure you all will love it. Only if you cook in slow flame it will be cooked well.

Apple milk shake

Apple milkshake - preparation time 5 mins
Ingredients:-
Apple - 2 (You can peel the skin and chop to small pieces and sprinkle sugar syrup slightly to avoid oxidation or browning)
Milk - 100 or 150 ml
Sugar - 2 to 3 tbsp (according to your taste) or you can add honey if you like the taste

Preparation method:-
Add sugar, apple cubes, milk and blend in a mixer. If consistency is thick you can add little water.
Serve apple milkshake with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and one cherry or sliced strawberry over the ice cream.
It will be creamy and you surely like to have another glass.

Beetroot kara poriyal (Beetroot spicy curry)

Beetroot kara poriyal (Beetroot spicy curry) - preparation time 20 mins
Most people don't like beetroot poriyal because it will be too sweet to take. My mom used to make beetroot poriyal in below method so i love taking along with rasam sadam in particular. It will be sweet and also spicy sometime you might need this spicy taste. You can try out with thick curd rice also.

Ingredients:-
Beetroot - 2 cup/200gms (chopped small cubes)
Mustard seed - ¼ tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Red chili powder - 1 tsp (adjust to your spicy taste)
Bengal gram flour - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 10 (finely chopped)

Preparation method:-
Boil the chopped beetroot in required amount of water till it becomes soft. You can also pressure cook the beetroot along with skin, peel the skin off and chop to cubes. I prefer only first method.

In a tawa/kadai add oil and mustard. Once mustard splutters, add the urad dhal, cooked beetroot, chili powder, salt and roast it.
After few minutes add chopped curry leaves, bengal gram flour and cook till raw smell of flour goes off.

Surely you will love to take it with tomato rasam rice.

Mixed vegetable raitha

Mixed vegetable raitha - preparation time 15 mins
We are adding carrot, tomato, fresh coriander leaves to curd and making this raitha. It will be very colorful and rich in nutrient value. If you like you can add the onion with cooking. I fried here because some people might not like the raw onion or they might catch cold it consumed the onion raw.

Ingredients:-
Small onion – 6 (finely chopped)
Carrot - 1 (finely grated)
Tomato - 1 (remove the seed and chop to small squares)
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Urad dhal – ½ tbsp
Mustard – ¼ tsp
Oil – ½ tsp
Curd – 1 cup
Salt – to taste

Preparation Method:-
In a tawa add oil, mustard. When mustard splutters add urad dhal and roast to brown color.
Add chopped onion, salt and roast till light brown. Transfer to serving bowl.
Mix grated carrot, tomato to cooked onion.
Add to curd before you serve (because, if you add curd and keep in beginning it will become water) along with chopped coriander leaves.
This goes well with rice/chapathi.

Green Urad Vada (Ulunthu keerai vadai)

Green Urad Vada (Ulunthu keerai vadai) - preparation time 30 to 35 mins
Urad dal is very good for health especially for ladies. The best way to take is ulunthu kali but we make keerai vadai in which i will add lot of chopped fresh greens along with urad flour so that we might little benefit of greens and dal

Ingredients:-
Urad Dhal - 1 cup (cleaned and soaked for 30 mins. When dhal is white in color it is new and fresh. The vada will be very soft and tasty)
Small onion - 10 cup (chopped into small squares. Usually they won't put onion for keerai vadai but i feel this also add taste to vada)
Green/red chili - 2
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped)
Greens - (onion leaves or mulai keerai or arakeerai)

Preparation Method:-
Stain the water from urad dhal fully and put in mixy. Add salt, chili, ginger, little(1 tbsp or 2 tbsp) water to urad dhal and grind to fine paste. Don't add more water then it will be difficult to do vada.

Put the batter in a bowl and add onion, finely chopped greens and mix well. 

Make small ball from the batter and flatten (you can use plastic sheet or make in hand).
Heat the oil and drop the vada very slowly (if you drop fast the oil will split out so be very careful).
After few mins turn the vada repeat this till the vada is golden brown in color.
Remove and place this in tissue to remove excess oil. Tasty vada is ready for you.

Venpongal (Pongal)

Venpongal (White pongal) - Preparation time 15 to 20 mins
My husbands one of the favourite breakfast is milagu pongal. This is very good. easy to digest and tasty dish. It goes well with thengai chutney and along with keerai vadai or bajji. Mostly we will have all the ingredients in home so we can prepare immediately.
As we are adding pepper, ginger, cumin, mung dhal and ghee it contains health benefits from all added ingredients. Take same measuring cup for rice, water and mung dhal

Ingredients:-
Rice - 1 cup
Mung dhal - 1/4 cup or you can add little more
Water - 2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seed - 1 tbsp
Ginger - chopped finely 1 tsp
Cashew chopped - 1 tsp
Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp
Pepper - 10
Salt - to taste

Preparation method:-
Roast mung dhal slightly in a tawa to enhance the taste of pongal and transfer to a bowl to pressure cook along with required amount of water.
In another vessel clean the rice using water. Add measured water, milk to rice.
Add little ghee in a tawa and heat. Now add cumin seed to splutter and add pepper (be careful because it will burst out). When it is slightly roasted add chopped ginger and roast.
Add this to rice. Add few raw cumin seed also.
Now pressure cook the rice and mung dhal in two separate vessel for 4 to 5 whistle. Simmer for 5 to 10 mins and switch off the flame.

In tawa add little ghee, roast cashew to golden brown, add pepper powder.

Mix this with pressure cooked rice along with cooked mung dhal and salt. If required you can add little more milk and mix.

This will be very tasty and goes well with coconut chutney. Serve hot with keerai vadai or baji.

Coconut and Pudina chutney (Thenkai pudina chutney)

Coconut and pudina chutney - Preparation time 10 mins.
Pudina is very good for health you can add to coconut and make a delicious chutney. This go well with dosai, idli and chapathi. Try it out.

Ingredients:-
Pudina leaves - 10
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Green chili - 2
Tamarind - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Roasted bengal gram (pottukadalai) - 1 tsp
Water - to grind
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Split urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil - 1/2 tsp

Preparation method:-
In a mixer add grated coconut, coriander leaves, pudina leaves, green chili, tamarind, salt, and  water . Grind these ingredients.
When it is almost done add the pottukadalai (roasted bengal gram) and grind to fine chutney. Transfer to serving bowl.
In a tawa heat oil, add mustard to splutter and roast urad dal to light brown. Garnish this on chutney.

Yellow Pumpkin sweet gravy (Manjal poosani/Parangikai paal kootu)

Manjal Parangikai paal kootu (Yellow Pumpkin & milk gravy) - Preparation time 15 mins
Usually I don't cook pumpkin varieties. Few days before dad brought us yellow pumpkin slice and gave/ I thought of trying out some recipe using pumpkin. My husband won't like it but, anyway i want to try it out. I don't like many sweet dishes but, i liked this one. You can try out once and see whether you like it. This might taste like sweet pachadi and very easy to make. Pumpkin is good for health rich in fibre and an anti-oxidant.

Ingredients:-
Pumpkin - Remove the skin and chop to small cubes one cup
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - little
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Milk - 3 tbsp
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Water - to cook
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Red chili - 2 to 3 (usually i don't like the seeds so i will remove the seeds and use only skin part)
Curry leaves - 10

Preparation method:-
Boil required amount of water with turmeric, pinch of salt. Add chopped yellow pumpkin cubes to boiling water and cook till it becomes soft. (Take care that you use only required amount of water i.e. the vegetable get immersed).
Now add the sugar, rice flour mixed with milk to the cooked pumpkin. The gravy will become thick. You transfer to the serving bowl.
In a tawa add oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown and transfer to the parangikai paal kootu.
Chop the curry leaves and garnish. This will be tasty. You can take this with rice or chapati or you can eat this as a dessert also. Enough eating :-)

Kathirikai & Palakottai kootu (Brinjal and jackfruit seed gravy)

Kathirikai & Palakottai kootu (Brinjal, jackfruit seed kootu) - Preparation time 20 mins
We will buy jack fruit and eat the delicious, sweet jack fruit and throw off the seed part. But the seed will be good when we roast and eat or cook with vegetables as kootu. Next time if you get jack fruit don't thrown the seed try this kootu.

Ingredients:-
Jackfruit seed - 6 crushed
Brinjal (Kathirikai) - 8
Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Toor dhal - pressure cooked 1 cup.
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Water - to cook brinjal
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Curry leave - 6 (chopped finely)

Preparation method:-
Pressure cook the jack fruit seed for 2 to 3 whistle (you can keep this when you cook white rice. don't worry it will be cooked well) and keep aside.
In a vessel add water, turmeric, sambar powder, salt and boil. Add the chopped brinjal cubes. When cooked half way add cooked jack fruit seed.
Once brinjal is cooked add mashed toor dhal and leave it to boil.
In a kadai add sesame oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to brown & cumin to splutter, curry leaves. Garnish the kootu and boil.Serve hot with white rice.

Keerai puli kadaiyal (Sour Green gravy)

Keerai puli kadaiyal (Sour green gravy for rice) - Preparation time 15 to 20 mins)
Many people love pulicha keerai gravy which we usually get in most of Andra hotels when we visit balaji temple. But in some places we don't get the pulicha keerai (greens with tamarind taste - Sorrel or gongura) in that case you can try this one. Surely you will love the taste.

Ingredients:-
Green - cleaned and chopped 2 cup (I tried out in 2 type - Mullai keerai & Arakeerai)
Green chili - 2
Roasted coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind paste - 1 - 2 tbsp (if you want too sour you can take 2 tbsp)
Salt - to taste
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Water - to cook the green
1/2 Onion - chopped finely

Preparation method:-
Cook the greens with required amount of water, salt and green chili.
When keerai (green) is cooked add the tamarind paste. Cook till tamarind raw smell goes off.
Cool the cooked keerai. Grind in mixer to paste.
Heat a tawa add oil and mustard to splutter. Add chopped onion, little salt & coriander powder. Fry till onion is cooked.
To this add the grind keerai paste and mix well. Switch off the flame after 5 mins.
Delicious keerai puli kadaiyal is ready with available keerai. You don't miss the taste of gongura any more.
Try it out. It goes very well with white rice and roasted pappad.