Vellai cholam, Ulunthu kuzhipaniyaram (Jowar and Black gram snack)

Vellai cholam, Ulunthu kuzhipaniyaram (Jowar and Black gram snack) - Preparation time 8 to 9 hours (including soaking and fermenting)

One day mom's friend brought me varagu aarisi and vellai cholam when she came to my home. She asked to try out some recipes which she tried out and came well. First she asked me to try this panniyaram so, i tried last month (don't want to spoil the mood in year beginning by trying new dish). To our surprise it came out very well and also tasty. I am sharing the recipe to all.

Ingredients :-

Vellai cholam (Jowar) - 3/4 cup

Ulunthu (black gram) - 1/4 cup or one laddle

Fenugreek seed - 1/4 tsp

Velam (Jaggery ) - 1/2 cup

Cardamon - 3 

Water - little

Ghee - to fry sweet paniyaram

Salt - As required

Small onion - 6

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

Split urad dhal and bengal gram - 1/2 tsp each

Green chili - 2 finely chopped

Ginger 1 inch - finely chopped

Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp

Sesame oil - For garnishing and frying

Preparation method:-

Wash and soak jowar (vellai cholam), Black  dhal (ulunthu) and fenugreek seed for 3 to 4 hours.

Grind to smooth paste using very little and required water. Mix little salt and rest the flour for 5 hours.

For making sweet panniyaram.

Melt the jaggery with 1/2 cup water. Filter and remove the dirt from jaggery water. Boil the jaggery with 2 tbsp grated coconut and cardamon. 

Switch of the flame when the jaggery syrup is slightly thick. 

Take half of the fermented flour mix the jaggery syrup little by little and check the flour consistency it should be like dosa flour not thick or thin.

Heat the kuzhipaniyaram kadai. when hot add little ghee and pour each cup with 3/4 th and cover the kadi for few mins.

Using the panniyaram stick turn the panniyaram and cover again for few mins.

When the sweet panniyaram turn golden brown color and cooked well remove and serve hot.

For making kara panniyaram.

Heat kadai add oil, mustard seed to splutter, urad dhal, bengal gram to golden brown. Now add chopped onion, green chili, ginger fry till cooked.

To the remaing half fermented flour add the garnishing, salt and water. Mix all the ingredients well and make to dosai consistency batter.

To the hot kadai add sesame oil and fill the batter till 3/4th of the panniyara kadai.

Close and cook the kadai for few mins. when the panniyaram is cooked on one side (it will be slightly brownish) turn the panniyaram one by one and cook for another 5 mins.

When other side is also cooked well remove and serve hot with kothamali chutney or kara chutney.

Enjoy the healthy snack. If you use not stick kadai the oil usage will be less. If you want the kara paniyaram bit more spicy crush the green chillies and add to the batter. You can view in the image itself , i didn't use much ghee or oil.

Thiruvathirai kaali (Roasted rice sweet)

Thiruvathirai kaali (Roasted rice sweet) - Preparation time 20 mins

During fasting mom used to make this. It is a mild sweet dish which will be very good for a snack also. First you try in small quantity and serve . This will be a light to eat and filling also. 

Ingredients:-
Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 and 3/4 cup
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamon - 2 (ground to powder)
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cashew - 10  (broken to pieces)

Preparation method:-
In a kadai dry roast the rice till it becomes slightly brownish white.

Leave it to cool and grind to coarse powder using a mixer.

In a vessel melt the jaggery with the given amount of water and filter the dirt from the jaggery. 

To the coarse roasted rice powder add the filtered jaggery water.

In a pressure cooker keep the rice, jaggery mixture and pressure cook for 5 whistle

Keep the flame on low for 5 mins and switch of the flame.
When the pressure is released.

To the cooked rice jaggery kaali add the grated coconut, cashew roasted in ghee, cardamon powder (or can be added to the jaggery syrup as above). Mix well and serve hot.
This will be a tasty and satisfactory dish to take. Also healthy one with less ghee and jaggery.

Sambhar for idli or dosai

Sambhar for idli or dosai - Preparation time 20 mins

 

We love holidays because mom used to serve with hot and tasty idli sambhar. The idli's soaked in sambhar will be very delicious. We used to fight for the potato's which she used to boil and put in the sambhar because she used to boil one or two potato's, break them and add to sambhar.
When we go to restaurant we will get sambhar for idli but for me idli will be bit spicy but it will be to our taste when cooked in home. We use only small sambhar onion's to make this gravy which adds taste to this dish. 
One day when my brother came to my home i made this idli sambhar. When i asked him to come for breakfast after seeing the sambhar quantity (3/4 in a serving vessel) he asked me why you prepared sambhar for me alone and not for you people :-( i was stunned) i told him wait we all will take breakfast together :-) . This how it will be when we were kids and fighting for breakfast.

Ingredients:-
Small onion - 15 (peeled and cut to 4 pieces all the onion)
Curry leaves - 1 string
Coriander leaves - 3 strings
Tomato - 1 (cut into pieces)
Boiled potato - 2 (medium size) peeled and break to small pieces
Mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
Red chili - 5 (break into pieces remove the seeds)
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Channa dhal - 1 tsp
fenugreek seed - little (optional)
Peppercorns - 5
Coriander seed - 1 tbsp
Tamarind - little (only if you don't have sour tomato)
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Boiled toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Water required amount (roughly 1.5 or 2 cup)
Milk - 1 tbsp

Preparation method:-
In a kadai add coriander seed, pepper, channa dhal and 1 red chili. Dry roast till nice aroma comes and ground to coarse powder. Keep this aside.
In kadai add sesame oil, mustard to splutter, red chili , fenugreek (optional) roasted to brown add chopped onion.

Fry till the onion's are transparent and add chopped tomato along with little curry leaves and coriander leaves.

When tomato is cooked add sambhar powder, turmeric powder and fry. Now add required amount of water to the ingredients, close kadai with a lid  and leave to boils.
Once raw smell of sambhar powder goes off and onions are cooked (if you use tamarinf add at this stage and boil till the raw smell goes) add the potato pieces. Let this cook for few mins so the potato's absorbs the taste of sambhar.

Now mix softly boiled toor dhal with milk and add to the boiling gravy. The sambhar will becomes thick.

Finally add 1 tbsp ghee, chopped curry and coriander leaves. The powder (channa dhal, pepper, coriander and red chili) to sambhar. When in boils switch of and transfer to serving bowl.

Make idli's, keep in plate (minimum 3 to 4 ) and pour the sambhar over the idli's so that the whole idli is covered with sambhar. Over this add 1 tsp of sesame oil.

When you start eating (be careful it is really hot) you will feel the taste which i felt when i am writing this recipe. Happy and Healthy eating.

Kabuli channa and green mung dhal snack (Kondai kadalai and pachai payaru vadai)

Kabuli channa and green mung dhal snack (Kondai kadalai and pachai payaru vadai) - Preparation time 10 to 15 mins if soaked dhal is available

One day i made channa masala with half of the soaked channa dhal and don't know what to do with remaining half of soaked channa. I also had sprouted mung dhal to make sundal. Since i don't want to waste both the legume thought to make some new dish. 

I then tried making vadai using both. This vadai tasted very good and full of nutrition ( i know deep fried items are not good for health but occasionally it is okay). Vadai was soft in inside and crispy from outside. As we are adding ginger and saunf the digestion will also be easy.

Ingredients:-
Soaked channa dhal and mung dhal - 1/2 cup 
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green chili - 1 or 2 
Fennel seed - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 10 finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Oil - to deep fry

Preparation method:-
In a grinder coarsely grind channa and mung dhal along with ginger, fennel seed and chili.
In a bowl mix the ground dhal, chopped curry leaves, salt and onion.
Make small balls from the mixed dough and keep.
Check the salt and spice level ( if you want you can add red chili powder to increase the spice).
Heat oil in a kadai. Once the oil is hot bring the flame to medium. Flatten the ball you made using the dough and slowly drop in the oil. 
Leave it for few mins and turn the vadai. Cook the vadai well by flipping the sides of vadai.
When the color of vadai is turned to golden brown remove from the oil and serve hot.
Surely everyone will love this yummy, tasty and healthy vadai and ask for more vada's.