Verkadalai Vatha Kuzhambu

Verkadalai Vatha Kuzhambu

Verkadalai Vatha Kuzhambu 




Groundnuts(peanuts,verkadalai) is one of my favorite bean(though it's called a nut it's actually a legume) ,I love it in every form roasted,salted,steamed,boiled etc

Green Bread Upma | Masala Bread Upma

Green Bread Upma | Masala Bread Upma

Green Bread Upma | Masala Bread Upma


Green bread upma recipe or Masala bread upma

Bored of eating bread sandwiches?
Try this different masala bread upma. It is called green bread upma referring to the green colour of the dish .We make a special masala paste and add it to the upma it tastes absolutely delicious.It's my family's yet another very tasty heirloom recipe. Check out how to make this yummy green bread upma recipe below.


Ingredients

Sandwich bread-1 packet( cut to cubes)
Onions-3 nos chopped lengthwise
Salt to taste
Oil-2 tsps.

Grind Together-

Grated coconut-5 tbsps
Onion-1 no chopped
Coriander leaves- small bunch
Ginger-1 inch piece
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Green chillies-4-5 nos
Cinnamon,cloves-2 each

Method

👉Grind the ingredients given for grinding to a fine paste set aside.
👉Cut the bread to medium sized pieces along with the edges and dry roast them in kadai and set aside.
👉Now heat oil in a kadai saute the onions until its cooked.
  👉Next add the masala paste along with little water.Cook till raw smell goes, add salt(note that bread also has salt in it so add carefully).
👉Finally add the roasted bread pieces and mix everything well so that the masala completely coats the bread pieces.
👉Fry for few minutes.Check for salt .
👉Serve hot.

Preparation Time-20 mins
Serves-4-5

Note-

✍️You can use any type of bread you like .
✍️Milk and sweet bread tends to become too mushy,so I have used sandwich bread.
✍️Using the same masala(after adding salt to it) you can smear it on both sides of the bread slices and toast it in tawa with little ghee and yummy masala toast is ready.

Oats Sambar

Oats Sambar

Oats Sambar


Oats sambar


Who said sambar can be made only with pulse and not a cereal?
With dhal prices sky high we have to look for an alternative to make our staple sambar varieties, so I tried it by replacing dhal with

Cauliflower Kurma

Cauliflower Kurma

Cauliflower Kurma


Cauliflower Kurma

Cauliflower Kurma is a delicious Kurma variety made with cauliflower, masala powders and specially ground coconut paste. I have prepared this cauliflower kurma in pressure cooker but if you are not comfortable cooking in pressure cooker you can cook it in kadai itself.

Cauliflower is considered as one of the world's healthiest food.
💪Did you know that it's rich in Vitamin C?It contains about 80 % of recommended daily value of vitamin C.
It's also rich in vitamin k.
💪Rich in fibre which help in weight loss and prevents leaky gut syndrome.
💪  It also contains decent amount of other B complex vitamins,and certain minerals like calcium,manganese,potassium, iron etc.
💪Itcontains a phyto-nutrient called Sulforaphone and a plant sterol called Indole-3-carbinol which function as an anti-estrogen agent and together these compounds prevent  breast,cervical,ovarian cancer in women and prostrate and colon cancer in men.
💪Moreover cauliflower is rich in anti-inflamatory compounds and has antioxidants which help in preventing heart disease,diabetes,stroke,Alzheimers and Parkinson's disease and even protects the eye from macular degeneration.

This cauliflower kurma recipe is my family's style of kurma which is made only with cauliflower .So do try it I am sure you'll like it too.

Ingredients 

Cauliflower -1 flower cleaned and chopped 
Onions -2-3 nos chopped 
Tomato -1-2 nos chopped
Ginger Garlic paste -1 tsp
Curd -1/4 cup
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder -1 tsp
Dhaniya powder -2 tsps
Garam masala powder -1/2 tsp
Cinnamon,cloves a few 
Bay leaf -1 no
Fennel seeds -1 tsp
Salt to taste 
Oil-2 tsps
Coriander leaves a few 

Grind Together -

Grated coconut -1/4 cup
Cashews -6 nos
Khus khus(poppy seeds)-2 tsps(soaked in water for10 minutes )

Method 

👉First grind the ingredients given for grinding to a paste and set aside .
👉Clean the chopped cauliflower set aside.
👉Heat oil in a pressure cooker add cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, bay leaf, onions, ginger-garlic paste fry well then add tomatoes saute for 2 minutes followed by cauliflower.
👉Add all the masala powders. Then add the slightly whipped curd, salt and little water to cover the cauliflower.
👉Cook for one whistle.
👉Now release the pressure and open the cooker and mix the ground paste finally, mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Check for salt.
👉Garnish and serve hot with chappati,poori,dosai,vegetable pulov etc..


Serves -4 
Preparation time-15 mins.

Note

✍️You can also make a mixed vegetable kurma using the same method.

Mint Peas Rice | Pudina Pattani Sadam

Mint Peas Rice | Pudina Pattani Sadam

 Mint Peas Rice | Pudina Pattani Sadam


Mint and peas rice or Pudina Pattani Sadam

Mint and peas rice is an yummy and easy to make south Indian rice variety.It is an ideal lunch box recipe.
As we all know that mint is an aromatic herb and widely used in Indian cuisine,

Yellow Pumpkin Curry | Parangikai Masala

Yellow Pumpkin Curry | Parangikai Masala

Yellow Pumpkin Curry | Parangikai Masala 



Yellow pumpkin curry is a delectable nutritious curry that showcases the vibrant flavours of this versatile vegetable. 
Yellow pumpkin also known as parangikai or manjal poosanikai  ( in Tamil) is a very rarely used vegetable but it comes packed with lot of health benefits. To start with it is very low in calories, has fibre, protein and very little fat. Moreover, it helps in feeling full(satiated) and lowers blood pressure. It is rich in beta carotene which helps in good vision.
It also has vitamin C.
It's good for your heart too. 
So enjoy these benefits by incorporating such vegetables into your diet daily.


Ingredients 

Yellow pumpkin -1 1/2 cups chopped( outer skin removed and deseeded)
Onions-2 nos chopped
Garlic -4 cloves
Turmeric powder-1/2 Tsp
Red chilly powder -1  tsp
Mustard seeds -1 /2 tsp
Urad dal -1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil-1 -2 Tsps
Curry leaves and coriander leaves a few.


Method 

👉Pressure cook the pumpkin with very little water for 1 whistle. Discard the water and set the pumpkin aside( use the water as a soup or in Rasam).
👉Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds,urud dhal, and curry leaves and allow it to splutter.
👉Then add onions and garlic, and cook well.
👉Add cooked yellow pumpkin, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, and salt.Mix everything gently as the pumpkin tends to break. Fry for 2 minutes. Garnish and serve hot.


Serves-4
Preparation time-20 mins.

Note


✍️You can cook the pumpkin in Kadai itself after frying onions. i have cooked in a pressure cooker to save time. but be careful while cooking it as it tends to break and become mushy.
✍️This is a very basic recipe you can improve it according to your taste for example you can add dhaniya powder,garam masala powder, jeera powder etc.
✍️You can also add grated coconut at the end if you like.

Vadagam Thuvaiyal

Vadagam Thuvaiyal

Vadagam Thuvaiyal


VADAGAM THUVAIYAL

Vadagam Thuvaiyal  is an absolutely delicious and my family's traditional heirloom recipe.Its a rare and unique thuvaiyal(chutney) variety.

Ragi Dosai | Instant Finger Millet Dosa

Ragi Dosai | Instant Finger Millet Dosa

Ragi Dosai | Finger Millet Dosa


Ragi dosa or Finger millet dosa

Ragi dosai is a traditional south Indian dosa variety and definitely an alternative for our regular dosai.
Ragi (finger millet ) is a rich source of protein.it contains all the essential amino acids needed for the body.
Moreover it's also rich calcium and B complex vitamins.Check out the traditional ragi dosai recipe below.

Ingredients 


Ragi flour (finger millet)-1 cup
Rice flour-1/2 cup
Cumin seeds-2 tsps
Peppercorns -1tsp(optional)
Onions -2 nos chopped
Green chillies -4 nos finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil

Method 

👉Mix all the ingredients in water to make a thin dosa batter.check for salt.
👉Heat tawa and pour the batter randomly instead of going in circles., add oil and cook the dosai on both sides till crispy. serve hot with chutney or sambar.


Serves-2
Preparation time -10 mins



Drumstick Brinjal Potato Gravy

Drumstick Brinjal Potato Gravy

Drumstick Brinjal Potato Gravy

Drumstick Brinjal Potato Gravy


Drumsticks brinjal potato gravy is delicious healthy side dish variety cooked in coconut milk and spice powders in a pressure cooker.This gravy goes very well with rice , dosa, appam, Idiyappam and chapati . This is my family’s heirloom recipe do give it a try .

Ingredients 

Drumsticks -1 no chopped
Brinjal -1 cup chopped
Potatoes -1 cup chopped
Onions -2 nos chopped
Garlic -5 cloves
Sambar powder -2 tsps
Coriander powder-2 tsps
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Thick Coconut milk -1 cup
Cumin seeds (jeera) -1 tsp
Oil-2 tsps
Salt to taste
Curry leaves n coriander leaves a few


 Method 
👉Heat oil in a pressure cooker add cumin seeds, onions, garlic and sauté for a minute.
👉Next add all the chopped vegetables followed by sambar powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix everything well ,finally add coconut milk and little water just enough to cover the vegetables.
👉Pressure cook them for 3 whistles.
👉Garnish and serve hot .


Preparation time-20 minutes 
Serves-4-5