Sorakkai mochai kootu is a delicious protein and fibre rich kootu variety.
Sorakkai( Bottlegourd) has numerous health benefits but we seldom use it in our diet.
It protects the heart.
It aids in digestion prevents constipation,cures ulcer.
Help in weight management
High in fibre.
Protects the skin and hair.

Mochaikai /mochakottai-
Rich in protein
Rich in vitamin A, B1 and C
Rich in fibre
Rich in iron ,copper, manganese and folate.

Ingredients

Sorakkai(Bottle Gourd/Lauki)-2 nos chopped 
Mochaikai(Field beans)-1/2 cup
Green gram dhal-1/2 cup
Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera)-1/2 tsp
Red chilly-1 no
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil-1 tsp
Curry leaves few

Grind Together

Grated coconut-4 tbsps
Green chillies-3 nos
Cumin seeds-1 tsp

FIELD beans (Mochaikai) outer skin removed

Method

 Wash and peel  the outer skin of the bottlegourd using a peeler and cut it length wise in the middle and remove the seeds then chop it into small cubes .
Cook the dhal in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles and set aside.
Now in the same cooker add the chopped surakkai, turmeric powder, field beans(mochaikai) little water and cook for 2 whistles.
Then release the pressure  again keep on heat and add the ground paste,salt,cooked dhal  mix everything well and bring it to a boil and finally temper it with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chilly and curry leaves .Serve hot .

Preparation time-15 mins
Serves- 4

Note

Mochaikai (Field beans) has a transparent cover on it you can either use it as such or remove the cover and use it ,for that you have to soak the beans in water for 1 hour and then using your thumb and forefinger lightly press the bean near the white line( refer pic) the outer cover will come off easily.
Fresh Mochaikai is available only during certain seasons especially in the month of December and January,but you get the packaged dried field beans in all supermarkets.

Pakoda and potato kurma is a very different variety of kurma (gravy) made with pakodas(pakoras) it tastes superb and goes well with idiyappam,appam.This is a traditional recipe and has been passed on for generations in my family.

INGREDIENTS-

For KURMA-

Paste 1-

Grated coconut-1 cup (Grind to a fine paste)

Paste 2 -

Onion-1 big chopped
Ginger-1 inch piece
Garlic-6 cloves
Green chillies-8 nos
(Fry  everything in a tsp of oil and grind to fine paste)

Other ingredients-

Curd-1/2 cup slightly whipped
Potatoes-2 nos cooked and diced to cubes.
Salt  to taste
Cloves-4
Cinnamon-2
Bay leaf-1
Oil-2 tsp
Coriander leaves few

FOR PAKODA

Bengal gram dhal-1 cup (soaked for 1/2 hr)
Green chillies-6 nos
Onion-1 chopped finely
Fennel seeds(Sombu)-1 1/2 tsp
Ginger-1 inch piece
Garlic-3 cloves chopped
Curry leaves and coriander leaves few
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method For Making Kurma

 In a bowl add the slightly whipped curd and the paste 1 and paste 2 mix well and set aside for sometime.

Pakoda mixture and curd mixture

Heat oil in a kadai add cloves,cinnamon,bay leaf and saute for a minute,then add onions fry till it's cooked well.
Now pour the curd mixture followed by salt and required amount of water and allow it to cook well .
Now add the cooked potatoes.
Simultaneously make pakodas and immediately add them to the boiling kurma. Allow it to thicken to desired consistency.Check for salt.






Garnish and serve hot with chappati poori,appam,idiyappam,dosa etc.

PAKODA

METHOD

Grind the soaked Bengal gram dhal to a coarse paste after draining the water completely along with ginger,garlic,fennel seeds and salt.
Now mix the chopped onion,green chillies , asafetida,curry leaves and coriander leaves to the paste and set aside.




Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai and when the oil is hot take the ground mixture and  using the tip of the fingers just drop small portions into the oil and deep fry till golden brown colour is reached and till the oil stops bubbling.
Immediately transfer the PAKODAS into the Kurma.


Preparation time-30 mins
Serves-6

Note

The pakodas should be added immediately to the kurma then only it will absorb the kurma and taste good.

Araikeerai masiyal is a simple yet tasty and nutritious recipe made with green leafy vegetable especially amaranth(Araikeerai in tamil).Its a great way to include greens in your diet.Even kids who don't like greens will love this dish.This is a very traditional tamil nadu recipe.

Ingredients

Araikeerai(Amaranth)-2 bunches
Onion-1 big diced roughly
Tomato -1 big diced roughly
Garlic-6 cloves
Green chillies-5
Tamarind-a small gooseberry sized
Salt to taste
Oil- 1 tsp
KUZHAMBU THALIPPU VADAGAM-1/2 piece(optional)

Method

First cut the root of the keerai wash them thoroughly for 3- 4 times.
Now in a pressure cooker add onions,tomatoes,green chillies,garlic and the keerai add just enough water and cook them for 1 whistle.
Release the pressure and allow it to cool,then grind to a fine paste in the mixie along with salt.
Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
If you want you can temper it with the Kuzhambu thalippu vadagam if you don't have it you can just temper with mustard seeds.
Serve with hot rice.

Preparation time-15 mins
Serves-4

Note
This recipe is only suitable for ARAIKEERAI(AMARANTH) other greens doesnot taste good with this recipe.
A simple potato fry is a wonderful side dish for this masial.

How to make traditional Small Onion Garlic Thokku recipe or Chinna Vengayam Poondu Thokku recipe

Small onion and garlic thokku is a delicious, spicy chutney/thokku which can be made very quickly and stored for a week .It can be used as a side dish for almost all the tiffin varieties.You can even mix it with rice. Learn how to make this traditional chinna vengayam poondu thokku recipe or spicy small onion garlic thokku recipe below.

Ingredients

Small onions-20 nos or 1 cup
Garlic-10 cloves(chopped)
Red chillies-8-10 nos
Tamarind-a small gooseberry sized
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Salt-to taste
Jaggery-1 tsp
Gingelly oil-2 tbsps
Curry leaves few

Recipe Video

Method

Grind the red chillies ,tamarind and salt to a fine paste adding little water set aside.


 Heat gingelly oil in a kadai add mustard seeds,curry leaves allow it to splutter.



Then add garlic fry for few minutes until they are half cooked,

Add small onions and cook well.


Now add the paste and little water and allow it to cook until raw smell goes and oil oozes on top and the thokku thickens




Finally add jaggery mix well . Cook for few seconds and switch off the stove.


Serve with idly, dosa, appam,kuzhi paniyaram,chappati ,poori and you can even smear it on bread and toast it .



Preparation Time-15 mins
Serves-4

Note
This chutney can be kept for one week.use a dry spoon .
It's a very spicy chutney so be careful while serving to kids and old people.

 After the  festive days its time for us to detox .Once people  hear the word detox they usually think about juices, but did you know that our simple spices does the job even better .

   Deepavali legiyum recipe | Diwali marundu recipe

This Deepavali legiyum is an essential part of South Indian tradition, it is as important as the sweets and snacks which we make during the festive season

Homemade khoya recipe | Homemade mawa recipe

 Adhirasam recipe |  Athirasam| Ariselu | Kajjaaya 

How to make traditional boondi ladoo or boondi laddu or boondi ke ladoo recipe

Boondi ladoo is a very delicious traditional Indian sweet made with bengal gram flour, sugar and ghee.there are few tips to follow to make a perfect ladoo such as-
1. The consistency of the batter is very important.

How to make papaya halwa recipe

How to make traditional Gulab jamun recipe with step by step pictures

 Jangiri recipe | Mini Jangiri recipe | Imarti recipe

to follow to make a perfect jangiri such as-

How to make traditional Mysore pak recipe

How to make traditional sweet somasi recipe or sweet somas or karanji recipe

Ingredients

Maida-1 cup
Chiroti rawa(very fine rawa)-1/2 cup
Ghee -2 tsps
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For filling

Fried gram(Pottukadalai)-1/2 cup
Grated coconut-1/2 cup
Sugar -1 cup
Khus khus -1 tbsp
Cardamom -1/4 tsp

Method

Mix maida,rava,salt and ghee in a bowl add water little by little and make it into a soft dough,cover it in a muslin cloth set aside for 1/2 hour.Again knead dough before using.


Now make the filling by dry roasting the ingredients given except for sugar and powder coarsely along with sugar set aside.


Next take a lemon sized ball of the dough make it into thin poori shapes,place 1 tbsp of filling in the centre and close the ends.then using a somasi cutter cut the edges and remove the excess dough and set aside. Or you can use the somasi mould.
 





Using Somasi MOULD
 



Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the somasi in medium flame till you get golden brown colour and until the oil stops bubbling.
Remove from fire and drain the excess oil using a absorbent paper.
Cool and store in a airtight container.

Yeilds-12 somasis

Note
Somasi mould is available in market you can use that too .
Make sure you close the ends tightly otherwise the filling will come out in the oil.
Somasi lasts for 10 days.

Omapodi | Besan Sev | Ompodi

Ingredients

Bengal gram flour(besan flour)-1 cup
Rice flour -1/2 cup
Oman(ajwain)-1 tbsp
Asafoetida- a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method

(You can either add the omam water only after straining the ajwain or you can grind the omam and add the paste).
👉First sieve Bengal gram flour,rice flour and salt into a bowl/plate.
👉Add asafoetida,omam paste or omam water to the flour and add water little by little and make a dough(neither too hard nor too soft).





👉Grease the murukku maker with oil.use omapodi aachu/disc in it.





👉Fill it with required amount of dough.


👉Heat oil and press the dough directly into the oil in circles just like making idiyappam.
👉Flip it and cook it until nice golden colour is reached and till the oil stops bubbling.


👉Remove from fire and drain excess oil in a absorbent paper.


👉After cooling crush it in to small pieces.store in an airtight container.

Preparation Time -30 mins

How to make traditional Milagu  Thattai or Pepper Thattai Thattai recipe

Ingredients

Homemade Processed rice flour-1cup
Roasted urad dal flour(varutha ulundu maavu) or fried gram dhal flour-1 tbsp
Butter-2 tsps
Pepper powder-1tbsp
Bengal gram dhal-1 tbsp
Fried gram dhal-1tbsp
Roasted and broken groundnuts- 1tbsp
Asafatida a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method

First soak the bengal gram dhal and fried gram dhal for 10 mins.
Mix both the flours ,salt,butter, asafoetida pepper powder ,the soaked dhals and roasted groundnuts together.then add 2 tbps of hot oil into it and mix the flours carefully.
Add water little by little to make a firm dough set aside for 5 mins.



Heat oil in a kadai.
Now take a small lemon sized dough and place it on top of butter paper/aluminium foil/greased plastic sheet and make into small poori shapes using the fingers or press it gently using the back of flat cup.Make sure you press it evenly .Now poke holes into the thattai all over to prevent it from puffing up like poori.


Deep fry them till golden brown and remove from fire when oil stops bubbling.
Drain the excess oil using a absorbant paper.



Store it in air tight container.

Note-

You can make kara thattai by adding a tsp of red chilli powder instead of pepper powder.
DONOT use ordinary rice flour as it will soften the thattai very soon and  the thattai wont be hard.