Pooran poli (Sweet stuffed pancakes)

Pooran Poli (Sweet pooranam stuffed poli) - Preparation time 2 hrs

                          Wish you happy and joyful new year 2014

I thought my 250th recipe should be a traditional sweet dish. I am publishing my favorite dish. Thanks for visiting, following and recommending this blog to your friends. Blogging is not possible without your support.

The process of making this dish is time consuming but will be worth making it. Mom used to make this dish during diwali that too on late night after we go to bed because we will eat all the sweet she is preparing for the festival :-).

The jaggery, coconut and the bengal gram which we add to prepare the pooram will bring the richness to this sweet dish. People prepare in different methods but I have shared the method that mom used to prepare this recipe. You can try this traditional recipe this deepawali.

Ingredients:-
Bengal gram (Kadalai paruppu) - 1 cup (100 to 150 gms)
Jaggery - 1 ball (when crushed will come to 1 heap cup)
Half coconut - grated
Cardamom - 4 (powdered)
Water - 1/2 cup to melt the jaggery
Maida - 250 gms 
Water - to mix maida and make a stretchable dough
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Saffron colour - a pinch
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-

Making of pooranam.
In a heavy bottom pan boil water (3 cups). Add washed bengal gram till it becomes soft when crushed with hand. One tip to know whether the kadalai paruppu (bengal gram) is cooked well is to check whether the centre portion of the dhal is not white.
When cooked remove the excess water and cool it.
Add water to crushed jaggery and melt. Filter and remove the dirt from the jaggery syrup.
Boil the syrup till it is thick. Add grated coconut, boiled channa dhal, cardamom and cook for few mins.
Cool the above mixture and grind to soft paste. Add this to heavy bottomed pan along with ghee and sugar. Cook till the mixture is thick. Take care because when we cool it will become more thick.

Make small size balls from pooranam and keep.

Making of dough for poli.
Mix half flour with 1 tsp of oil and other with water . When mixed separately add both the dough and make a sticky and stretchable dough.

Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil and coat the dough with the oil. Close and keep the dough for 3 hrs.
Making of poli
Take a pooranam ball.
I used to make poli using plantain leaf. If it is not available you can use thick silver foil sheet because while putting in tawa it should not melt.
Spread 1 tsp of oil on the inner side of plantain leaf (bring glossy side of the leaf). Take little maida dough and spread with hand (it will be difficult only).

Now add one pooranam ball in the middle of the stretched dough and cover the pooranam fully with the dough.
While covering make sure the pooranam is fully covered else pooranam will come out when you start flattening the pooranam.

Gently press the covered pooranam using hand and make to thin pan cakes or circle.

Heat a tawa. Spread 1/4 tsp of ghee and in a very low heat cook the poli. Put the poli over the tawa and remove the plantain leaf slowly. It will come out nicely as we spread sesame oil on the leaf before we make poli.

When one side is cooked turn the poli very carefully and cook the other side also. It will become slightly brown.

Cook only in very low flame else the poli will be burnt.
Slightly apply ghee over the poli and remove from tawa.

If you want to store cool the poli and store. It will remain for 3 or 4 days if the pooranam is prepared well and poli is cooked properly or you can refrigerate and use for 1 week or 10 days.
Make sure to bring to room temperature if you refrigerate poli, then slightly heat and serve with ghee.
This is an yummy traditional recipe.

Semiya kesari (Sweet prepared using semiya)

Semiya kesari - Preparation time 15 mins
My dad told that my grandmom used to convert semiya payasam to kesari because he used to like very much. I tried making semiya kesari which came out well. I am sharing this to you. Try out surely will like this recipe.

Ingredients :-
Semiya - 1 cup (keep the same cup for all (sugar, water) measurements)
Sugar - 1.25 cup (one-nay kaal cup)
Water - 2 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Finely chopped cashew - 1 tbspn
Kesari color powder - Little (usually 2 to 3 pinch)

Preparation method:-
Roast the semiya with 1/2 tspn of ghee till it changes colour to light brown. Take care and don't burn it. Try to do in low flame.
When nice aroma comes and semiya is roasted, add the measured water and boil. Semiya will absorb all the water and become thick.
Add measured sugar, 1 tspn of ghee, kesari powder and cook.
The kesari will become thick and starts getting shiny look from sugar. Slowly keep adding the ghee and mix. 
Roast cashew in ghee and garnish. Turn of the flame when it becomes thick. It will become dry when it starts cooling. Try this one surely you love it. 

Mudakathan keerai dosai (Cardiosperum halicacabum/ballon vine leaves)

Mudakathan keerai dosai (Cardiosperum halicacabum/ballon vine leaves) - Preparation time 15 mins

This keerai is full of health benefits. Good for bone and joints. Removes body pain.

Whenever mom get fresh mudakathan keerai she used to make this dosa for us. The green color itself will be attractive but, when she serves along with dark red vengaya kara chutney hmmmmm it will be very delicious to us. I don't know whether you people like this taste because when i love this dosai my husband doesn't like it much. Sometimes i used to force him to take atleast one.

Mom used to do this dosai different that is soak rice , urad dhal grind it and finally add the fresh mudakathan leaves and grind along with the flour as she will make it large quantity and everyone will eat. But now only for me i used to make this dosa so i used this shortcut method. Easy preparation of mudakathan dosai

Ingredients:-
Mudakathan keerai - 2 handful (clean and keep the leaf alone)
Dosai batter or idli batter - 2 cup

Preparation method:-
In a mixer grind the mudakathan keerai to fine paste along with required amount of salt (take care because the dosai or idli batter will also contain salt in it).
In a bowl mix the mudakathan keerai paste and dosai batter well (i like it very green so will add more keerai paste. If you want you can add little paste while starting and adjust according to your taste).
Adjust to pouring consistency using water.

Heat iron tawa and pour the mudakathan keerai dosa mavu in the tawa and make thin dosa. You have be careful while doing this process else it won't come in good shape.

It will be crisp and tasty. Serve this hot with kara chutney.
Or 

Regular method of preparing mudakathan dosai

Ingredients:-
Boiled rice - 1 cup 
Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Mudakathan leaf - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Soak rice and dal for 4 hrs. 
Grinding method:-
Grind along with mudakathan leaf mix required amount of salt and leave to ferment for 5 hrs to 6hrs.

Note :- First try in small quantity i.e take a small measuring cup and use.

Mulai keerai poriyal (Green leaf dry curry)

Mulai keerai poriyal - Preparation time 15 mins
One of the health recipe that mom used to make. If you want to consume more amount of keerai then making keerai poriyal is the best and only option. 

Ingredients:-
Mulai keerai - 1 bunch (Remove the root, infected leaves, wash and chop finely)
Split moong dhal - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Red chili - 2
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp
Water - to cook keerai.
Small onion - 6 (finely chopped)
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-
Boil required amount of water (i.e when chopped mulai keerai is added it should not immersed fully or 1/2 cup) along with salt and washed split moong dhal.
When water starts boiling add chopped greens and boil till the stems are cooked softly because it will take more time than leaves.
While cooking any keerai (greens) don't cover the vessel with lid else the greens will loose the fresh green colour and because brownish green.
If more water is remaining drain it and use for making soup/rasam/sambar.
In a kadai heat oil, add mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown colour and red chili. Sortae for few seconds and add chopped small onion and cook. Add the boiled keerai and grated coconut to kadai.
When the keerai's little water is absorbed switch of the flame and transfer immediately to serving bowl to preserve the colour.
You can mix this with white rice and take. Also goes well with rasam or curd rice.

Making of curd

Making of curd
We used less fat milk for drinking purpose. Everyday we use same milk to prepare curd. Usually in every house we will have curd with which we used to ferment curd for days/months/years. But really it will be fresh daily. 

Curd is a must in our daily dishes i.e for Rice, Idli, Dosa, Adai,Idiyappam,etc. My mom's friend told that if you don't have curd to ferment you can try with red chili seed which i haven't tried yet. As we will have curd in home, people will come to me to get curd for fermentation.

Coming to curd preparation. Boil the milk, cool it and bring to medium temperature i.e. temperature is bearable by your finger (wash your hand before checking the temperature).

Add 1/2 tsp of buttermilk to the milk and mix well. Leave the milk undisturbed for 6 to 7 hrs (differs according to the season). Milk will be fermented and fresh curd is ready to consume.  Refrigerate to avoid further fermentation.

Dal powder (Paruppu podi)

Dal powder (Paruppu podi) :- Preparation time 20 mins
Mom used to make this podi and store for long time. It will be spicy and tasty.

Ingredients:-
Toor dal - 1 cup
Pepper - 10
Red chili - 6 to 8 (to your spice level)
Salt - to taste

Preparation method:-
Roast red chili to crisp and keep aside. 
Roast toor dhal along with pepper in a low flame. When the dal turns golden brown and smells pleasant switch of the flame and cool it.
Add salt to the roasted ingredients (it removes water content in salt) and grind in a mixer to fine powder.
This go very well with white rice, ghee and roasted pappad.

Are you new to kitchen??? - Part II

I will share with you my experience and which i learnt in my kitchen (i.e. en-anubhavam). In starting i used to get scars while cooking now learn't by experience. If planned and organised cooking can be finished very quickly.

Be relaxed while cooking. If anything goes wrong don't get tensed it will make the situation worse. Find out what alternative can be done. I share with you that how organised you can do the cooking.

First keep the cooking place neat and clean. Don't make the kitchen messed up because that is the most important place i.e. heart of families health.

Be happy while entering the kitchen. Love the cooking process and do with passion as you study, do your work, drive, play or watch movie etc. Because it surely reflects in your cooking dish.

Keep the most essential things for cooking in accessible distance.Before start cooking, plan what are the menu items you are going to cook.Check whether all the required ingredients are available in the kitchen before you start cooking.

Try to use minimum number of utensils so that your vessel cleaning process will come down. Reuse the kadai/cooking vessel while cooking. For e.g. If you want to prepare onion chutney. First fry the garnishing items (mustard, urad dhal,etc) transfer to serving bowl and then fry the onion for chutney. Wash it and fry the dry curry in same kadai. 

Chop all the required vegetables for cooking and keep before you start the cooking process (switch on the gas). While cooking vegetables for dry curry boil vegetables only with required amount of water and for correct time to retain the nutrient value and color of the vegetable.Always cook in low heat or medium heat so you don't burn down the vegetable, energy is saved and cleaning of vessel will be easy.

Use less amount of salt. If salt is less it can be added on later stage also but, too much of salt will spoil the whole dish.

Keep small tsp in oil bottle/box/vessel so that you use less oil for garnishing the curries and gravies.

Will share more.......

Lemon, ginger and honey juice

Lemon, ginger and honey juice
This cleanses the stomach, for digestion problem, to remove the chest cold. Mom used to give this monthly ones. Usually she used to give this early morning (like bed juice).
　

Ingredients:-
Ginger - 30 gms
Lemon - 1/2
Honey - 1 tbsp
Water - 1 cup

　
Preparation method:-
Peel the skin of ginger (it is really bad for health). Chop to small cubes and crush it. In a mixer add the crushed ginger and grind with 1/2 cup of water.

Filter this and transfer to closed container and leave in the fridge overnight.

In the morning you can see that white content will get settled in the bottom of the container. Remove the juice alone and warm it.

To this warm ginger juice add lemon juice, honey and mix well.

Take this in empty stomach (morning). This cleanses the stomach, removes bad breath, chest cold and you feel refreshed.

Pachaipayaru dosai (Green mung dhal dosai)

Pachaipayaru dosai (Green mung dhal dosai) - Preparation time 20 mins if ordinary dosa batter and soaked green gram is available
One day i had dosa batter which is slightly sour. I thought of trying something new so i ground 1 cup of soaked and sprouted green gram (I soaked for 4 hrs and left overnight to sprout for making sundal) and tried this dosai for morning tiffin. It really came out well. Easy to make
　
Ingredients:-
Soaked and sprouted green gram - 1 cup
Dosai batter - 1 cup
(or) Soak 1/2 cup boiled rice, urad dhal 1 tbsp and fenugreek seed - 1 tsp and grind to smooth dosai batter consistency.
Green chili - 2
Ginger - small piece
Salt - To taste
Water - to grind mung dhal

Preparation method:-
Grind mung dhal (green gram) to paste along with ginger, chili and salt. Add water only if required because the soaked and sprouted mung dhal will be soft and water is not required.
Mix the mung dhal batter with dosa batter and mix well.
If you want you can sortae few chopped small onion and add to batter to enrich the taste of dosai.
Heat the tawa and make the green gram dosai using prepared batter. Use sesame oil (nalla ennai) to the side of dosa.
This dosai will be crisp,  slightly greenish brown and tasty. Try it out. Goes well with

Potato bonda (Urullai kizhangu bonda)

Potato bonda (Urullai kizhangu bonda) - Preparation time 20 mins
Mom used to prepare this snack occasionally but when consumed hot along with coconut chutney (will be yummy even when consumed without chutney). This is dish is my first dish for my sister-in-law and her (now our) grandfather when they came to see me before marriage. I don't know whether she remembers it :-(.
We make this interesting by adding grated carrot and peas.
Ingredients:-
Potato - 3 medium size
Green chili - 1 (finely chopped)
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Carrot - 1 (grated)
Coriander leaf - 1 tsp
Peas / Soaked channa dhal and boiled - 1 tbsp
Salt - as required
Bengal gram flour - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Water
　
Preparation method :-
In a bowl mash the boiled potato and mix chopped green chili, salt to taste, 1/4 tsp chili powder, grated carrot, coriander leaf, boiled channa dhal (or) fresh peas.
Make the above potato mixture into small balls.
In another bowl mix bengal gram flour, rice flour, remaining chili powder, asafoetida and little water. The consistency of the batter should be slightly thick so that it can evenly coat the potato balls.
Heat oil in a kadai. Dip the potato ball in the mixed batter, coat evenly and drop carefully into the hot oil.
Cook the bonda in medium flame and remove from oil when the coating is slightly brown.
Transfer to the tissue paper to remove excess oil (if the oil is heated correctly and bonda is cooked in medium flame the bonda won't absorb oil).
Serve this hot to your family and friends with coconut chutney.

Javvarisi Payasam (Sago sweet)

Javvarisi Payasam (Sago sweet) - preparation time 25 to 30 mins
When mom used to make this payasam. The payasam looks very beautiful. She used to add kesari colour to this payasam so it will be like orange beads floating. We both (myself and my brother) don't like sweet so we don't even taste during childhood. Now I am tasting and preparing for my husband :-)

If you want the payasam to be white don't add kesari colour.

Ingredients:- 
Sago (small nylon javvarisi) - 100 gms
Sugar - 100 gms (or less if you don't want it to be too sweet)
Coconut milk - 1 cup which gives a rich taste or Boiled and cooled milk.
Crushed cardamom - 4
Cashew - 8 (finely chopped)
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Kesari color - one pinch (dissolve in little water and keep) - optional
Water - required amount (2 cup approximately to cook sago)

Preparation method:-
Roast javvarisi (sago) with 1 tbsp of ghee.

The sago will become pure white from transparent white and will start crackle.

Add water and boil till sago is cooked well (will become transparent).
If not cooked add little hot water and cook.
When cooked add required amount of sugar. 

Add the coconut milk, boil for few mins. Switch of the flame.
Roast the cashew till brown in ghee. Add to sago payasam along with crushed cardamom.
Serve this hot payasam with masal vadai (or any vadai varieties). You can also serve chill during summer season.

Mint leaves Paratha (Puthina elai paratha)

Mint leaves Paratha (Pudina elai paratha) - Preparation time 10 mins
Aroma of the paratha will be very good. The green leaves will be very attractive to eat. Puthina is very good for health. Try it out. You and your family will like this recipe very much.

Ingredients:-
Mint leaves - 1 handful (Wash, remove excess water and chop finely)
Salt - required amount
Coarsely crushed cumin seed - 1/2 tsp
Wheat flour - 2 cup
Water - To knead the dough

Preparation method:-In the kneading bowel, add wheat flour, chopped mint leaves, crushed cumin seed & salt.
Mix well and check the salt level. Add required amount of water and make tight dough (for chapathi or paratha consistency).
Make small balls and chapathi's. Heat the tawa and cook the chapathi. This goes well onion and potato green chili kuruma.

Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad - preparation time 1 hr
My husband like fruit salad very much so when I got married and came I started preparing this dish. In my mom's place I used to prepare ice creams. Sure all your family members especially kids love and like this fruit salad very much. It is an healthy way to make kids eat fruits.
　
You can make this salad with the fruits you like. Make sure you use hard and non watery fruits (avoid melon fruits)

Ingredients:-
Apple - 2
Orange - 2
Mosambi - 1
Pomegranate - 1
Honey - 2 tbsp
Vanilla Custard powder - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Guava - 2 (optional)
Dates - 10 (Remove the seed)
Sugar - 10 tsp (add according to your taste. Some fruit will be very sweet so you can add less sugar)
Ice cream - As required (optional)
　
Preparation method:-
Peel the skin of apple, remove the seeds and chop to small cubes. Sprinkle some sugar over the apple cube to avoid oxidation.
Take the flesh or orange and mosambi . Make to small pieces
Remove the pomegranate seeds or pods.
In a pan boil the milk and bring to room temperature. Mix custard powder with water or warm milk and add to boiled milk.
Heat the milk, sugar and custard mixture. Bring to boil and switch of the flame. It will become thick. Cool the mixture.
Mix all the fruits in a bowl along with chopped dates. Add the custard milk and mix with the fruit.
Refrigerate and when cool serve along with honey and ice cream.
Very delicious and healthy sweet is ready.

Note:-
You can add sweet seedless Grapes, Guava, banana, pineapple, papaya if you like these fruits.

Peerkangai Kosthu

Peerkangai Kosthu - preparation time 20 mins When some people are allergic to brinjal how we can serve them the tasty gosthu recipe so it tried making this and to my surprise it came out very sell. Try it out you might like this recipe.

Ingredients:-
Ridge gourd (Peerkangai) - 1 (Check whether the peerkangai is not bitter by tasting the flesh part of ridge gourd)
Small Onion - 20 (finely chopped i.e. small strips of 1/2 inch)
Roasted and ground red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Green chili - 1slit in middle
Curry leaves - 5 (washed and finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 4 (washed and finely chopped)
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Tamarind juice - 1 tsp
Water - Required to cook brinjal and onion
Mustard - ¼ tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Roast till nice aroma comes and powder- 2 tbsp of coriander seed, 1 tsp gram dhal, 4 pepper & 1 red chili
Salt to taste

Preparation method:-
Roughly take the hard skin part of ridge gourd (peerkangai). Chop the peerkangai to small pieces.
Add one tbsp of oil to a kadai, add chopped peerkangai (without water), turmeric a pinch, salt to cook.
Sortae for few mins and sprinkle little water so the peerkangai will be cooked softly.
Mash this using a ladle and transfer to a bowl.
Clean the tawa and add 1 tbsp oil, mustard, urad dhal, green chili & chili. When dhal is golden brown add the chopped onion fry to transparent colour.
Add remaining turmeric, water, salt and boil till the onion is cooked.
Now add the tamarind juice, cook till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. (Take care while adding the tamarind juice. This gravy will be tasty only when all the taste and required proportion)
Add boiled and mashed peerkangai to the boiling onion and tamarind gravy.
When vegetables blends with all the ingredients it will become a thick gravy. If you want you can add little water to the gravy.
Add coriander, roasted ground red chili powder, coarsely ground powder (roasted coriander seed, gram dhal, pepper & chili) to the gravy and boil for few minutes. Due to dhal it will become thick.
Heat 1 tsp of gingely oil and add to the peerkangai kosthu. This will give the appropriate colour and taste to the peerkangai kosthu or Ridgegourd kosthu.
Finally transfer to a bowl and garnish with curry and coriander leaves.
Goes very well with dosa and idli.

Rava dosai

Rava dosai - preparation time 20 minsFew days before I tried making this dosai. It came out well so I thought of sharing it. It was thin and crisp.

Ingredients:-
Rava flour - 1 cup
Maida flour - 1 tbsp
Rice flour - 1/2 or 3/4 cup ( first add 1/2 cup if you want still thin we can always add the flour in later stage)
Salt - to taste
Onion - 1 (chopped to small cubes)
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped finely)
Chili - 1 (chopped finely)
Pepper - powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin seed - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 string chopped finely
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Preparation method:-
Heat a tawa with oil. Add mustard to splutter, urad dhal, onion, chili, little salt and fry till the onion is slightly cooked.
Transfer the cooked ingredients to a vessel. Now add the flour (Rava, maida and rice flour) mix well along with ginger, curry leaves, pepper, cumin, salt and with onion.
Add little water and make to paste so that we can avoid lumps. If you add all the water in beginning it will be difficult to get rid of lumps.
When the paste is fine add water to make batter consistency. This batter should be little more thin than normal dosai batter. Leave the batter for 15 mins.
Heat dosai tawa and pour the batter in the circle form. Remember you have to pour batter from outer part (you cannot pour the batter like normal dosai in middle and spread the flour to big circle) of circle and fill the inner part with little more batter.
More holes will be present which will make the dosai cook well. Pour little oil round. When it starts browning the dosai carefully and roast other side also.
This will be very tasty. If you want it to be little more crispy slight increase the rice flour.

Note: Try it out. If didn't come well don't worry adjust the batter consistency or flour and try again. Surely you will become an expert in making crispy rava dosai.

Cauliflower paruppu usili (Cauliflower and Bengal gram dry curry

Cauliflower paruppu usili (Cauliflower and Bengal gram dry curry) - Preparation time 30 minsSome people don't like cauliflower flavour, for them you can try this dry curry.

Ingredients:-
Cauliflower florets - 1 cup (make into small floret pieces)
Bengal gram (Kadalai paruppu) - 1/4 cup (soaked for 2 hrs)
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Red chili powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Water - To boil cauliflower florets
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 6 (finely chopped)

Preparation method:-
Soak the bengal gram for 2 hrs. Drain the water completely and transfer to mixer. Crush the ginger and add to dhal. Grind to coarsely
In a vessel add water. Boil the water with salt and turmeric. Add cauliflower florets and cook till it is soft.
Heat a heavy bottomed tawa. Add oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
To the above pan add the grind channa dhal and fry till the dhal becomes separate. If you want you can add another 1/2 tbsp of oil.
In goes red chili powder (adjust according to you spice level) add cooked cauliflower. Sortae till the kadalai paruppu and cauliflower is mixed well.

Onion and Cucumber raitha

Onion and Cucumber raitha - preparation time 5 minsThis we tasted in my sister-in-laws home. I just made it bit spicy. It goes well with any variety rice or pulao.

Ingredients:-
Cucumber - 1 grated
Small onion - 5 (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (wash, remove the skin and chop to fine pieces)
Coriander leaf - 1 tsp finely chopped (chop leaves along with stem)
Green chili - 1 (very finely chopped)
Salt - to taste
Curd - 1 cup
　

Preparation method:-
In a bowl mix grated cucumber, finely chopped onion, coriander, green chili and ginger.
Before serving add thick curd and salt. Mix well and serve.
If you mix salt and curd to the vegetable and keep it will become watery.
This will be hot, tasty, healthy and fresh.

Lemon & honey juice

Ellumichai & theane (Lemon & honey) juice
Lemon is rich source of vitamin C. Good to consume in the form of juice. Rich in antibacterial property and good anti anti-oxidant. If your allergic to lemon don't try this juice.
　

Ingredients:-
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Honey - 1 tbsp
Water - 1 cup (100 ml)

　
Preparation method:-
In a glass mix lemon and honey . Add the water to lemon and honey.
Preferably take this in morning after you brush your teeth.
I use room temperature water to prepare this juice.

Vengaya Poondu Puli kuzhambhu (Onion, garlic and tamarind paste gravy)

Vengayam Poondu Puli kuzhambhu - preparation time 15 mins to 20 mins
When vegetable is not in home or we return from home town after annual leave (during school days those 2 months vacation gives the whole energy for next year :-)) mom used to cook pulikuzhambu with katharikai vathala which grandma used to prepare during our summer vacation.
Really I wonder how much she used to do during every summer.Grandma used to prepare vadagam, appalam, idiyappam maavu, vathal, variety of snacks, unique and different type of dishes to eat along with fresh butter, ghee, milk kova, thick curd.... hmmm story won't end easily.
I still remember how she used to make me to learn each and every thing and extract work. Now a days grandparents don't scold but pamper a lot.
　

Ingredients:-
Tamarind extract - Got from small gooseberry size tamarind ball
Sambhar powder - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Jaggery - small piece
Thalikkum vadagam - 1
Garlic pods - 10
Brinjal - 2 chopped to cubes(optional)
Small onion - 10 (chopped to 4 pieces each)
Sesame oil (nalla ennai) - 1 or 2 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seed - 1/4 tsp
　
Preparation method:-
Heat kadai, add sesame oil, thalikkum vadagam, urad dhal. When nice aroma come add fenugreek seed along with chopped onion, garlic pods. If using brinjal add that also.

Fry till the colour of onion changes slightly. Add turmeric, sambhar powder, salt, sortae for few mins.

Add the tamarind extract and boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes off. Check the spice level and adjust to your taste at this stage.

When the gravy become thick and oil start to separate add jaggery and boil.

Take this with white rice, fried arisi vadagam and paruppu thogayal.

Nothing stands before this. The onion and garlic fried in sesame oil will enrich the taste of pulikuzhambu.

Beans paruppu usili

Beans paruppu usili (Beans and Bengal gram( channa dhal) dry curry) - Preparation time 30 minsThis is one of my favourite dish. Moms used to make this with different vegetable. I will now write about beans usili which she used to make frequently. You can try it out. This goes well with more kuzhambhu.

Ingredients:-
Beans - 1 cup (chopped to small pieces)
Channa dhal - 1/4 cup (soaked for 2 hrs)
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Red chili powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Water - To boil beans
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 6 (finely chopped)

Preparation method:-
Soak the Bengal gram for 2 hrs. Drain the water completely and transfer to mixer. Crush the ginger and add to dhal. Grind to coarse paste.
In a vessel add water. Boil the water with salt and turmeric. Add chopped beans and cook till it is soft.
Heat a heavy bottomed tawa. Add oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
To the above pan add the grind bengal gram and fry till the dhal becomes separate. If you want you can add another 1/2 tbsp of oil.
In goes red chili powder (adjust according to you spice level) add cooked beans (take care while cooking beans. Add only required amount of water to cook the beans if more water drain it and add to sambhar or rasam).
I love to eat this alone. But goes well with more kuzhambhu and rasam rice.

Beetroot spicy chips (Beetroot kara varuval)

Beetroot spicy chips (Beetroot kara varuval) - preparation time 10 to 15mins
Spicy beetroot chips, I tasted this chips when I got married and came to my in-laws house. Initially i didn't like it as it will contain little bit sweet along with spicy taste. Later i used to make it regularly. The beetroot has to be fresh and hard.

Ingredients:-
Beetroot - 2 (medium size)
Oil - to deep fry
Chili powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Bengal gram flour (kadalai mavu) - 1 tbsp
Rice flour(aarisi mavu) - 3/4 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Water - little (to make thick sticky paste)

Preparation method:-
Peel the skin of beetroot and make this slices. Using chips grater or knife
In a cup mix the flour's, salt, chili powder, asafoetida along with little water (it has to be thick paste to coat the raw banana slices)
Heat the oil , Coat the paste slightly over the beetroot slices and drop into heated oil one by one. When cooked and bubbles goes off remove from oil . Cook in slow flame or you will burn it.
You will like the taste. It will be different.

Badam paal (Almond milk)

Badam paal (Almond milk) - Preparation time 20 minsBadam milk is a health drink. You can consume this when ever possible along with low fat milk and less sugar. During occasions you can prepare this and serve chill or hot (which ever way you like)

Ingredients:-
Badam - 10 (Soaked for 3 hrs, peeled and grinded to smooth paste)
Sugar - 3 tbsp or as required (Use less sugar to make this drink healthy)
Saffron - few strings (optional)
Boiled Milk - 2 cup (200 or 250 ml)

Preparation method:-
Soak the badam and make to smooth paste. In a vessel add the paste, cooked milk and leave it to boil. Keep stirring.
When raw smell of badam goes off mix the saffron mixture and sugar. Boil it and transfer to serving cups.
Hot or cold both taste good.

Maravalli kizhangu varuval (Tapioca spicy chips)

Maravalli kizhangu kara varuval (Tapioca spicy chips) - preparation time 25 mins
Anything made out of moms hand will be the tastiest, best dish in the world. I admired mom in any ways as you all do. Which ever dish she makes will be in required quantity and the best. My friends used to keep on kidding that if I come to moms home i permanently sit in dinning table and keep on eating.
Even a simple butter milk/thogayal/kottu .....taste the best. We can do anything for our parents because they brought up in a very good way with little earned monthly salary.

I am trying to cover most of the recipes that mom used to make but I think I haven't covered even 25 percent. I dedicate this blog to my mom who supported and guided me in right and truthful path. Thank you mom.
This chips will be bit spicy, sweet, astringent in taste. Try it out.

Ingredients:-
Tapioca - 1 (remove the skin, wash well and keep)
Oil - to deep fry
Chili powder - 1.5 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Bengal gram flour (kadalai mavu) - 2 tbsp
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Water - little (to make thick sticky paste)

Preparation method:-
Using chips slicer slice the tapioca. Take care while grating because this vegetable will have a nerve in the middle.
To make the slicing process easy cut the tapioca into two part and keep.
Separate and keep the slices.

In a cup mix the flour's, salt, chili powder, asafoetida along with little water (it has to be thick paste slightly coat the (maravalli kizhangu) tapioca slices (if you coat more paste it will become like baji take care :-)))

Heat the oil , slide the coated slices into heated oil one by one. When cooked and bubbles goes off remove from oil . Cook in slow flame or you will burn it.

See also other chips varieties.