Cauliflower varuval (Cauliflower fry)

Cauliflower varuval (Cauliflower fry) - Preparation time 10 to 15 mins
When mom used to buy cauliflower she used to make the varuval with the whole cauliflower. She make two types of snack using cauliflower, one will be like baji another is the crispy cauliflower fry. Now i am going to tell/share you about crispy fry. Within few seconds the plate will become empty when mom starts frying the cauliflower fry. As today is my niece's b'day this recipe is to her. She loves cauliflower and starts eating the boiled cauliflower even before frying it :-).

Ingredients:-
One cauliflower- Make this into small florets with little stem
Salt - to taste
Chili - 1/2 tsp
Bengal gram flour (Kadalai mavu) - 2 tbspn
Rice flour (Arisi mavu) - 1 and half tbspn
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Water - If required
Asafoetida (Perungayam) - a pinch
Oil - to deep fry

Preparation method:-
Boil water in a bowl along with turmeric and little salt.
Add the cauliflower florets to the boiling water. Boil for few seconds, switch of the flame, close the bowl and keep for few minutes.
Filter the water and keep the florets in mixing bowl.
First in a bowl mix bengal gram flour, rice flour, chili powder, salt, asfoetida and check the spice and salt level.
You can keep this mixture permanently in an airtight box so that you can use it for fries and for making baji when you have a surprise visitors.
In a deep fry tawa heat required amount of oil to fry lady's finger.
To the mixing bowl add handful of boiled cauliflower and add the flour mixture as required using a spoon (don't hurry while cooking in kitchen. If you want the menu to be tasty you have to spend time). Let the flour mixture coat the vegetable. The boiled cauliflower will have some water content so water is not required to mix the flour.
When the oil is hot bring down the flame and add the flour coated snake gourd and fry slowly till it becomes slightly brown in color.
If you cook in high flame the vegetable will become brown quickly but it won't be cooked well inside (Not alone for this fry for any deep frying cook in hot oil but medium or less flame).
Transfer this to a plate with tissue paper to remove excess oil.
Repeat the cauliflower and flour mixing process and fry it.
If the fry is not crispy it will become soggy so serve hot. Actually even before transferring to plate all will start eating and complete before you finish frying :-) 

Kothavarankai,katharikkai kootu (Cluster beans & brinjal gravy)

Kothavarankai,katharikkai (Cluster beans & brinjal) kootu - preparation time 15 mins
When i went to relatives home they served this dish. It was nice so i started making this dish also. Usually due to the slight bitterness i used to make only sambhar or paruppu usili using kothavarangai.

Ingredients:-
Brinjal - 4 (chopped small cubes)
Cluster beans - handful or 100 gms(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)
Mustard seed - ¼ tsp
Cumin seed - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu) - one cup (pressure cooked).
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp (optional)
Cumin 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 cluster beans and cook. When the cluster beans is half boiled add the chopped brinjal and cook till tender/cooked.
Add cooked toor dhal to cooked vegetables and boil.
In a tawa add mustard seed (splutters), urad dhal (turns golden brown), cumin seed (jeera will splutter or If you have thalikkum vadagam (which is made of jeera, urad dhal, onion, mustard, etc) it can be used.
Add the garnish to kootu, coconut paste (optional) and curry leaves to boiling kootu and serve with rice/chapatti/roti.
If you have  roasted and powder cumin seed add it finally and mix. This will give a unique flavour and enhances the taste of kootu.

Puli idiyappam (Tamarind idiyappam)

Pulli idiyappam (Tamarind idiyappam) - Preparation time 15 mins
Make idiyappam using idiyappam flour and idyappam mould (refer to making of idiyappam dough). Steam it in idli cooker for few mins. Color will change slightly when idiyappam is done. Transfer to a plate, leave it to cool. It will be like noodles make it to pieces. I love this puli idiyappam very much because of spicy and sour taste.

Ingredients:
Tamarind juice or extract - 1 tbsp (or extracted from 1 lemon)
Red chili - 3 broken to pieces (remove the seeds)
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - 6
Salt - as required
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Split Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Split bengal gram - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-
In a kadai add sesame oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal, bengal gram to golden brown. Now add chili, few curry leaves. Slightly sortae. 
Add tamarind juice, salt and turmeric. Leave this to boil so the raw smell of tamarind extract will goes off. When boils switch of the flame.
Add the cooked idiyappam (2 cup),little more fresh curry leaves. Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil if required and mix well. Taste it and correct the salt level. 
Mix well till all the ingredients blend with idiyappam.
This is very tasty, easy to cook idiyappam. During weddings they used to serve this dish along with other tiffen items like idli gosthu, poori and potato masal, sweets, vadai, dosai, etc. 

Ullunthu, milagu,thenkai bonda (Urad dhal, coconut & pepper ball snack)

Ullunthu milagu bonda (Urad dhal, coconut & pepper ball snack) - preparation time 20 to 25 mins
I was afraid to try this ulundhu bonda for several years. Last week when i went to relatives home they made this bonda. I used to wonder home the same urad dhal used to taste that much different when made as vadai or bonda. Really our people are genius buy adding different ingredients they changed the taste entirely. Try it out.

Ingredients:-
Urad Dhal - 1 cup (cleaned and soaked for 30 mins. When dhal is white in colour it is new and fresh. The bonda will be very soft, crispy and tasty)
Coconut - chopped into small squares 2 tbsp
Pepper - 10 to 15

Preparation Method:- 
Stain the water from urad dhal fully and put in a mixer. Add salt, 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 round bonda.
Put the batter in a bowl and chopped coconut, pepper and mix well.

Make small ball from the batter. 
Heat the oil and drop the ball shaped bonda very slowly (if you drop fast the oil will split out so be very careful).

After few mins roll the bonda evenly so all the sides will become golden brown in color.

Cook in medium or low flame then only the batter inside will be cooked well.

The outer portion will be crisp inside will be soft.
Remove and place this in tissue to remove excess oil. When you take a bite of bonda the coconut piece and pepper will give a unique taste.

Forgot to tell actually when  i tried first time it came out well and my husband told that it was really good. But mom's is the best as usual. Take this with coconut chutney