Channa Masala

CHANNA MASALA
Ingredients:
White Channa - 1/2 cup (soaked)
onions - 2
tomatoes - 2
green chillies - 3
corriander leaves - a handful
ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
grated coconut - 2 tbsp
masala powder - 1 + 1/2 tsp
red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
salt to taste
corriander powder - 1/4 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
oil - 5 - 6 tbsp
bay leaves - 1
cardamom - 1
cloves - 2

Method:

- pressure cook the channa until cooked
- do not over cook them
- in a pan add oil
- add the onions and green chillies and fry till the onion changes its colour to golden brown
- add chopped tomatoes, coconut and ginger garlic paste
- when the tomatoes gets smashed add the corriander leaves, salt to taste, red chilli powder, masala powder, turmeric powder and corriander powder
- fry till the raw smell is gone
- allow it to cool and then grind that to a fine paste.
- in a pan add oil
- add cloves, bay leaves and cardamom
- add the cooked channa alone without any water
- fry for 2 - 3 mins
- add the ground masala and the water
- cook until thick and serve.

Thanks goes to:
This recipe was given to me by my friend Jerry's mom Jesita.
This recipe was communicated to me by phone, never thought that it was easy and would come out this well. Thanks Aunty!!!!

Stuffed Capsicum

STUFFED CAPSICUM
Ingredients:
capsicum - 3
potato - 2 (boiled)
salt to taste
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
oil - to fry
garam masala - 1/4 tsp
bread crumbs - a handful

Method:
- cut the capsicum into vertical halves
- clean the inside of the vegetable
- smash the boiled potatoes
- mix salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, pepper powder, green chillies
- add these to the boiled potato and mix well
- add oil in a pan
- add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone
- then add the masala and fry till the raw smell is gone
- now stuff this masala inside the capsicum
- spread the bread crumbs in a plate
- roll the capsicum into the bread crumbs and shall fry the stuffed vegetable until crispy
- serve with rice / chappathi.

White Channa Sundal

WHITE CHANNA SUNDAL
Ingredients:
soaked white channa - 1 cup
salt to taste
red chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 6 - 7
urad dal - 1 tsp
channa dal - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
- add channa, salt, water in a pressure pan and cook for 2 whistles
- drain the water
- add oil in a pan
- add mustard seeds when the oil is hot
- add channa dal, urad dal and curry leaves
- now add the chilli flakes and fry for 30 seconds
- add cooked channa and fry for two mins
- serve!

Semiya Kheer

SEMIYA KHEER
Ingredients:
semiya - a handful
milk - 1/2 lt
sugar - 1/4 cup + 5 tbsp
cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
chopped cashews and whole cashews - 2 tbsp
raisins - 1 tsp
ghee - 3 tbsp
Method:
- in a pan add 1 tsp of ghee and fry the cashews and raisins till they turn golden brown and leave them aside
- in the same pan fry the semiya for 1 min
- bring milk to boil and boil until it reduces 1/4 of its quantity
- add sugar, cardamom powder, semiya, cashews and raisins and fry
- leave it to cook for 5 - 7 mins
- add some ghee, mix well, cook for another 2 mins and serve

Sakkarai Pongal

SAKARAI PONGAL
Ingredients:
Rice - 3/4 cup
moong dal - 1/4 cup
ghee - 1/4 cup
cashews - chopped - 3 tbsp
raisins - 2 tsp
cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
milk - 3 cups
water - 2 cups
jaggery - 1/2 cup
Method:- wash and soak the rice and moong dal for 15 mins
- in a pan add 1 tsp of ghee and fry cashews and raisins till golden brown and leave them aside.
- in the same pan add the rice and mong dal and fry till the water is completely absorbed
- add water and milk and cook for 6 - 7 whistles
- in a seperate pan add jaggery and water and bring it to boil
- when the jaggery is completely dissolved, strain it remove the mud
- add that to the rice and start cooking
- add the cardamom powder, cashews and raisins and fry
- add the ghee little by little and when the moisture is gone to some extent remove and serve.

Rava Ladoo

RAVA LADOO
Ingredients:
rava - 1 cup
sugar - 3/4 cup
water - 1/4 cup
cashew nuts - chopped - 4 tbsp
raisins - 2 tsp
cardamom powder - 2 pinches
dry coconut (kopra) - grated - 1/2 cup
ghee - 4 - 5 tbsp




Method:
- dry roast rava and leave it aside
- add 1 tsp of ghee and roast the cashews and raisins until golden brown
- in a pan add sugar and water and bring it to boil
- add 2 tsp of ghee
- add the roasted rava and coconut and mix well
- add cardamom powder
- mix well
- add the fried nuts and raisins
- add another tsp of ghee and when it forms a ball remove
- leave it to cool for 2 mins
- then by applying ghee on both your hands, make smalls balls from the mixture.
- leave it on a plate and leave it to cool for an hour, while it hardens while it cools.

Aval kadalai

AVAL KADALAI

This recipe is also used as a snack to give for the small kids. This recipe is usually prepared for Ganesha Chathurthi.

Ingredients:
Dry coconut - grated - 2 tsp
pottu kadalai - a handful
jaggery - 3 - 4 tbsp (grated)
aval - (poha) - a handful

Method:
- mix all the above ingredients well
- Offer to Lord Ganesha and eat!!

Ganesha Chathurthi

GANESHA CHATHURTHI

Hi All,
Happy Ganesha Chathurthi Wishes!!!!!!!
I somehow managed to prepare something for Ganesha, performed pooja and left him in the Ulsoor Lake yesterday!

I have prepared a lot of dishes. I started preparing at 6 am. Started with the first dish - White channa sundal, Sakkarai pongal, Milagu pongal, Aval kadalai, Dhal, coconut chutney, 5 types of Modak (Fillings are with til seeds, coconut, channa dal, rava, kara urundai), Semiya payasam, rava ladoo and Medu vadai.

This is the first year I did all these by myself.


Hope you all had a wonderful Ganesha Chathurthi.. I managed to click some of the recipes pictures.. but was not able to take pictures for medu vadai, modak's etc

Will post the recipes for which i have pictures...remaining will be done later ..

Stuffed Ennaikathirikai

STUFFED ENNAI KATHIRIKKAI

Ennai kathirikai.. as I call and as everyone calls..O man nothing comes to this taste when one thinks about a south indian recipe/curry.

This recipe goes with hot rice or even tastes good when served with Dosa/ idli.I remember the rainy days when Mom makes this as a dinner with boiling hot rice. I always love to eat this curry with rice which gives a sizzling sound in my toungue.

I miss all those days when it used to rain and mom makes thsi every alternative day for dinner atleast for me!!I miss you mom.

Here goes the Recipe:

Ingredients:
small purple brinjals - 10 (slit into + so its cut in between)
finely grated coconut - 1/4 cup
tamarind paste - 2 tsp
salt to taste
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste
pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
cloves - 2 -3
onion - 2
oil - to fry

Method:
- add oil in a pan
- add cliced onions, cloves and fry
- add the salt, coconut, red chili powder, corriander powder, pepper powder
- fry
- add tamarind paste
- fry well
- grind them to a fine paste
- avoid adding water until necessary while grinding
- stuff this paste into the inside of the brinjal- in a pan add oil- add all the brinjals
- add the remaining masala's
- fry well for 4 - 5 mins
- add water and close the pan with a lid
- when the brinjals are cooked and teh water has become thicker, remove and serve

This recipe goes for the EVENT :

Viki's Kitchen

Pepper Rice

PEPPER RICE

I tasted this recipe first when my mother in law made. I was like whats this?????
But the taste was too good. She asked me to eat as its very good for cold.Second good thing about this rice is easy to make and third is that this could be made using left over Rice.
Thanks Mami!!

Ingredients:
cooked rice - 1 cup
oil - 5 - 6 tsp
salt to taste
bay leaves - 1
cloves - 2
cardamom - 1
onions - 1 (sliced into thin strips)
pepper powder - 1 tsp

Method:
- in a pan add oil
- add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves
- add the onions and fry till golden brown
- add salt and pepper
- add the cooked rice and mix well
- Serve hot!!!!

Brinjal Fry

BRINJAL FRY
This recipe is one of my most favourite one. This is prepared with my most favourite veggie BRINJAL.

This was taught to me by my friend Sheeba's mom in Pondicherry. This was like 6 years back when I had been to Pondicherry on a Business Trip. I used to stay in Rangapillai street in Pondicherry. This is where Sheeba came to spend some time with me and her stay continued for 2 weeks when we decided to invite her mom and sister to spend the weekend with us. This recipe was prepared by her mom, with a simple Theeyal and Rice.

And as a keralite, her mom's recipes were prepared with coconut and that was quite rich. But this one was a very simple but a delicious side dish.. So here follows the recipe :

Ingredients:
Purple big brinjals - 2
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
salt to taste
dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
oil - to fry

Method:

- mix all the ingredients together except for brinjal and make a fine paste

- slice the brinjal into thin rounds

- apply the masala well

- leave it for 20 mins

- in a tava add oil, add the brinjal rings

- close the tava using a lid

- leave it to simmer for 3 mins

- then turn it over and add oil

- again close the tava with a lid and leave it for 3 - 4 mins

- prepare all the brinjal rings the same way- Serve

Lemon Rice

LEMON RICE

This is a easy rice. This could also be prepared with left over rice. Pretty easy and ven more tasty when served with some spicy side dish.

Ingredients:
cooked rice - 1 cup
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste
oil - 2 tsp
red chillies/green chillies - 2
hing - 2 pinches
curry leaves - 10
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:
- add salt and lemon juice to the cooked rice
- mix well and leave it aside
- add oil in a pan
- when the oil is hot add mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves
- when the dal changes colour add turmeric powder and hing
- add this to the rice and mix well
- serve

Variation:
- can fry finely chopped onions till they are crisp and add to the rice
- can add fried cashew nuts to the rice
- can add finely chopped ginger and add to the rice.

Murungakkai Thakkali Masala

MURUNGAKKAI THAKKALI MASALA
Ingredients:
murungakai (drumstick) - 2(cut them into 2" pieces)
tomatoes - 2 (chopped into squares)
onions - 2 (thin sliced)
green chilies - 2 (slit them in between)
oil 2 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
corriander leaves - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp



Method:
- add oil in a pan
- add mustard seeds, urad dal when the oil is hot
- add green chillies, onions and drumstick
- fry them until the onions are golden brown
- add tomatoes and fry til they are smashed up
- add red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder
- fry till the raw smell is gone
- add corriander leaves and fry for 2 mins
- add water and cook until the drumstick turns tender
Serve with rice, dosa, chappathi, roti etc



This goes to the EVENT:

Viki's Kitchen

Paneer Vegetable Sabji

PANEER VEGETABLE SABJI
Ingredients:onions - 2 (finely chopped)
tomatoes - 2 (finely chopped)
potatoes - 2 (remove skin and finely chopped)
carrot - 2 (remove the skin and finely chopped)
beans - a handful (cleaned and finely chopped)
green peas - a handful
crumbled paneer - 1 cup
garam masala - 1/ 4 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
cinnamon - 2
cloves - 2
cardamom - 2
oil to fry
corriander leaves - 2 tsp (finely chopped)

Method:
- pressure cook peas, carrot, beans and potato
- in a pan add oil
- add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom
- add the onions and fry till they golden brown
- add the tomatoes and ginger garlic paste and fry
- add the pepper powder, red chilli powder, turmerier powder, salt, garam masala
- mix well and fry till the raw smell is gone.
- add the vegetables and fry till the water is fully absorbed.
- add corriander leaves and paneer
- mix well until its cooked and dry
- serve with chappathis

This is for the EVENT:

Viki's Kitchen

Potato and Peas Curry

POTATO AND PEAS CURRY
Ingredients:
potatoes - 1/2 kg
green peas - 1/4 kg
oil - to fry
salt to taste
To grind:
grated coconut - 1/4 cup
grated dry coconut - 1/4 cup
red chillies - 8
poppy seed - 1.5 tsp
garlic - 10 flakes
onions - 3 (chopped)
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp


Method:
- pressure cook peas and potatoes.
- peel the skin and dice the potatoes
- grind "to grind" masala to a fine paste
- add salt to taste
- add oil in a pan
- add the ground paste and the vegetables
- mix well
- add water if necessary and cook until the raw smell is gone.
- serve hot with chappathi's

Thanks goes to :
Mallika Badrinath Book "100 Delicious Vegetarian Curries" at page # 34.

This is for the EVENT:


Viki's Kitchen

Thuvar Dal Chutney

THUVAR DAL CHUTNEY
Ingredients:
thuvar dal - 4 tbsp
coconut - grated - 2 tsp
red chillies - 2
tamarind - 2 pinches
salt to taste
oil - to fry
curry leaves - 6 - 7
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp



Method:
- add 1 tsp of oil in a pan
- when the oil is hot add tuvar dal, red chillies and tamarind
- fry till they change their colour to golden brown
- add them along with coconut to a mixer grinder and using minimum water grind to a fine paste.
- in a pan add oil
- add mustard seeds and urad dal when the oil is hot
- when the urad dal changes colour add the curry leaves and add them to the ground chutney
- add salt, mix well and serve

Chilli Parotta

CHILLI PAROTTA
Ingredients:
To make dosa:
maida - 1 cup
water
salt to taste
oil
To make masala:
egg - 2
onion - 1 (finely chopped)
tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
salt to taste
oil
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tspbay leaf - 1
pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
curry leaves - 10
corriander leaves - 2 tsp (finely chopped)

Method:
To prepare dosa:
- mix maida, salt and water and make a dosa batter
- make thick dosa
- apply oil on the sides
- then turn it over and cook until crisp
- do the same for making all the dosas
- then cut then into thin strips
- keep it aside
To prepare masala:
- in a pan add oil
- add bay leaves
- add onions and green chillies
- fry till they turn golden brown
- then add the tomatoes and ginger garlic paste and salt
- fry till they are pulpy and smashed
- add garam masala, turmeic powder, pepper powder,r ed chilli powder and fry
- cook till the raw smell is gone and the masala is sepertae from teh oil
- now break open the eggs and make burji
- mix well
- add the chopped dosa and mix well
- mix until the masala is coated and serve with raita

Version 2:
- deep fry the chopped dosa slices until crisp to the egg masala
- mix well and serve immediately with raita

Jeera Rice

JEERA RICE
Ingredients:
cooked rice - 2 cups
jeera - 1 tsp
jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
green chillies - 3 (finely chopped)
ginger - 1" slice (finely chopped)
onion - 1 (finely chopped)
oil - 4 tbsp
salt to taste
cashews - 4 - 5
curry leaves - 10

Method:
- cook rice with salt and 1 tsp of oil
- cool the cooked rice
- and the rice should be cooked in such a way that each grain in seperate
- add oil in a pan
- add jeera, green chillies, ginger and onion
- add cashews and curry leaves
- fry till the onions turn golden brown
- add jeera powder
- add salt if necessary (remember that the salt is already there in rice too)
- add the cooked rice and mix well- fry for 2 - 3 mins- serve!!!!!!

Cabbage Rice

CABBAGE RICE
I just had onions, green chillies and cabage at home. I had to prepare something to eat and pack for office as well. SO this recipe was too handy. I couldn't make a curry for this. But managed with some boondi.

Ingredients:
cooked rice - 2 cups
finely grated cabbage - 2 cups
onions - 2 (finely chopped)
salt to taste
oil - to fry
to grind:
green chillies - 8 -9
roasted gram (pottu kadalai) - 2 tbsp
corriander leaves - 3 - 4 tsp
ginger - 1"
grated coconut - 1/4 cup
to season:
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
channa dal - 1 tsp
red chillies - 2
cashews - broken - 10 - 12
curry leaves - 8 - 10
cumin seeeds - 1 tsp
to garnish:
curry leaves - 4 (finely chopped)
corriander leaves - 2 tsp (finely chopped)

Method:
- grind "to grind" ingredients to a fine paste by adding some water
- leave it aside
- cook the rice in such a way that the rice are seperate and not over cooked
- and add salt to rice while cooking
- now add oil in a pan
- add "to season" ingredients
- when they change colour, add the onions and fry till they turn golden brown
- add some salt (remember some salt is added to the rice as well)
- add the cabbage and fry for 2 mins
- then add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell is gone and the masala is fully spread on the cabbage
- add the cooked rice and "to garnish" ingredients
- fry well
- serve hot with some curry.

My thanks goes to:
Mallika Badrinath. Her books are with me. I found this recie under rice delights in page 55. This recipe has been my favourite for quite sometime and after that I just forgot about this as and when I prepare something new.