Masala dosai (Dosa with potato stuffing)

Masala dosai - Preparation time 20mins  if dosa batter is available

We usually use the potato gravy that was prepared for puri. Potato masala can be prepared little more than the required quantity so we can use it for making masala dosai if the dosa dough is readily available. 

Ingredients:-
Dosa batter - 2 cup
Ghee or sesame oil - to prepare dosa
Boiled potato - 3 (pressure cook the potato, peel off the skin and chop to big cubes)
Carrot - 1 finely chopped (optional)
Small onion - 10 (chopped to thin strips)
Green chili - 2 (chopped to small pieces)
urad dhal - 1 tbsp
mustard seed - ¼ tsp
Sesame oil - 2 or 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Coriander leaves - finely chopped 1 tbsp
Curry leave 1 string - finely chopped  

Preparation method:-
For making dosa flour refer making of dosa flour
First refer puri masala or we will make the potato masala which is required to keep in the dosai.
In a pan add oil, mustard, urad dhal and fry till the dhal is golden brown. 
Add the chopped green chili, onion, carrot (optional), curry leaves, salt and fry till the onion is cooked softly.
Add turmeric powder, required water to cook. Add mashed potato pieces and coriander leaves to fried items. 
Let the masala be slightly thick so that it can be spread over the dosa we are going to make.
Heat the dosa tawa.

Make a thin dosa using dosa batter and leave it to cook for few seconds. When the color of dosa flour changes it has been cooked.
Spread the masal over the dosa as thin as possible and leave the dosa to roast. 

When done fold the dosa and serve with coconut chutney and sambhar (which we used to make for idli).

Vellai poosanikai kootu (ash gourd gravy)

Vellai poosanikai kootu (ash gourd gravy) - preparation time 15 mins
We used to make vellarikai kootu every fortnight but when i tried the poosanikai kootu it turned out to be more tasty than vellarikai kootu so started included in our weekly lunch or dinner. Actually ash gourd (poosanikai) contains many nutrient values like vitamins, minerals, anti oxidant, etc and heard from my friends and Dr it is really good for health.

Ingredients:-
Poosanikai (ash gourd) - Chopped to small cubes 1 cup (150 gm)
Coconut - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Toor dhal (thuvaram paruppu) - 3 tbsp (softly pressured cooked along with required water)
Cummin seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper  - 1/2 tsp
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 string
Water required amount
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Thalikkum vadagam or (mustard, urad dhal) to garnish
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Green chili - 1

Preparation method:-
In a vessel add water, turmeric, sambhar powder, salt and boil along with ash gourd. When it is cooked softly add cooked and mashed toor dhal and switch of the flame.
Grind cummin, pepper, green chili to coarse paste along with coconut and little water.
Add this paste to cooked poosanikai (ash gourd) and boil for few second. This will become thick. Transfer to serving bowl.
For garnishing - Heat a tawa. Add sesame oil, mustard to splutter, urad dhal to golden brown or used thalikkum vada, curry leaves and add to the poosanikai kootu.
This will go well with any rice and deep fried pappad.

Baby corn crispy fry

Baby corn crispy fry or cholam baji - Preparation time 10 mins

When I bought baby corn to make some side dish for chapathi i thought of making this fry. It was

tasty and a good for a snack. It is easy to make.

Ingredients:-

Baby corn - 4 (medium size)

Oil - to deep fry

Salt - to taste

Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp (as your spice level)

Bengal gram flour (kadalai mavu) - 1 tbsp

Rice flour(aarisi mavu) - 3/4 tbsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Water - little (to bind the flour)

Preparation method:-

Cut the baby corn into four piece remove the soft portion in the middle of the baby corn. 

In a bowl 2 inch in length and thinly cut baby corn, the flour's, salt, red chili powder, asafoetida along with little water (sprinkle). 

Mix well all the ingredients along with the baby corn. Sprinkle some water so the mixture will be coated over the baby corn. 

Heat the oil , drop into heated oil so that they don't stick together.

When cooked and bubbles goes off remove from oil . Cook in slow flame.

Sirukeerai kootu (Tropical Amaranth leaf gravy)

Sirukeerai kootu (Tropical Amaranth leaf gravy) - preparation time 20 to 25 mins 
Sirukeerai is rich in calcium and have anti inflammation properties. You can use the leaves and tender stems of this green. If the stem is hard it won't boil properly and will spoil the taste of the kootu. This green is rich in calcium

Ingredients:-
Sirukeeria - 2 cups (wash, remove the root and chopped well). 
Turmeric - ¼ tsp
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 1 cup (till the greens get immersed)
Mustard seed - ¼ tsp
Cumin seed - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu) - one cup (pressure cooked).
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Cumin seed - ½ tsp  {Grind this with coconut and pepper make a paste}
Sesame oil - 1 tsp

Preparation method:-
Boil water with little cumin seed, turmeric, sambar powder and salt. When water boils add sirukeerai and cook till the greens are tender/cooked. 
Add cooked dhal to greens and boil.
In a tawa add mustard seed (it splutters), urad dhal (turns golden brown), cumin seed (jeera will splutter) or if you have thalikkum vadagam (which contains jeera, urad dhal, onion, mustard, etc) it can be used.
Add to boiling sirukeerai and paruppu kootu
Add coconut paste to kootu and serve with white rice and ghee. 
Sirukeerai kootu rice will goes well with spicy sepankizhangu or potato spicy dry curry or vazhakai poriyal.

Note: While cooking any greens don't cover the vessel with lid because greens color 
will become dark. 

Easy Channa masala (Vellai kondakadalai kuruma )

Easy Channa masala (Kondakadalai kuruma ) - Preparation time 20 mins for soaked and boiled channa
My mom used to prepare channa masala for puri. It is a very long process because she used the proper method of grinding tomato paste, onion paste, ginger garlic paste, etc it will be really delicious and we all used to take some extra puri's if she prepare's this side dish. I want to prepare the dish for puri's but i don't want the long process so i used to prepare in my way (with minimum or no grinding process). I also don't use the readily available channa masala powder because i don't know what ingredients or spice's they use to prepare it.

After few research and analysis from internet i thought of adding the spice which we like at the same time i have to get the flavor and taste of the channa masala. For example i don't like the cardamom flavor in kuruma or rice so i don't add that spice. This is the advantage when we prepare the masala in our home another important thing is we have to refrigerate the masala because i don't know what will be the shelf live of the masala. We can prepare this easily when it is required provide the spices are available in our home. Refer channa masala powder

Ingredients:-
Kabuli Channa (Vellai kondakadalai) - 1 cup  (soaked overnight and pressure cooked with required water for 4 to 5 whistle)
Onion - 1 ( chopped finely to small cubes)
Tomato - 2 chopped finely to small cubes
Green chili - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped to fine strips or crushed)
Garlic - 4 ( chopped finely)
Bay leaf - 1 (split to small pieces)
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp (roasted and powdered)
Cloves - 2
Channa masala - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil - 3 tbsp

Preparation method:-
In a pressure pan (or some heavy bottomed pan) add oil, bay leaf and roast. Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, sortae for few mins. Nice aroma will come.
Add chopped onion, green chili,little and fry till the onion is slightly cooked. Now add turmeric powder,coriander and cumin powder.
Fry for few seconds and add chopped tomato and sortae till the tomato is cooked.
Now goes in the softly cooked channa dhal,1 tbsp of coriander leaves, channa masala andmix well.
Add extra water in the boiled channa and pressure cook for one whistle. Switch of the flame.
The juice of the gravy will get into the boiled channa. This will be very tasty. If you want cook till the gravy is thick and oil separates.
Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve this with hot chapathi or puri.