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. Did you know that you make vathakkuzhambu using Groundnuts?
Yes in south India its one of the varieties of vathakkuzhambu or Puli Kuzhambu.
This recipe is my family's version of it.

Ingredients

VERKADALAI(Groundnut)-1 cup(cooked)
Tamarind extract-from big lemon sized tamarind
Onions-2 nos chopped
Garlic -6 cloves
Sambar powder-5 tsps
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/4 tsp
Curry leaves a few
Gingelly oil-2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Sugar-1 tsp(optional)

Method

Cook the VERKADALAI(ground nut)in pressure cooker for 5 or 6 whistles with 1/2 tsp salt and just enough water to cover the ground nut set aside
Heat gingelly oil in a kedai add mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,curry leaves and allow it to splutter.
Next add the onions and garlic saute for few minutes.
Add the sambar powder fry for few seconds and then add the tamarind extract followed by required amount of water and salt , sugar allow it to cook until raw smell goes.
Finally add the cooked Groundnuts to it and allow the Kuzhambu to thicken to desired consistency. Check for salt.
Serve hot with rice,idli ,dosa, appam, poori, chappati.

Serves-6
Preparation time- 20 mins

Note

I have used ready to use Groundnuts which are deshelled (available in all supermarkets.)
If you use fresh Groundnuts with the shells wash them thoroughly and cook the along with the shells and after cooling remove them from the shell and then use.since this is a tedious process I used ready to use Groundnuts.(Donot buy salted or roasted groundnuts).

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 covers the bread pieces.
Fry for few minutes.
Check for salt .
Serve hot.

Preparation Time-20 mins

Serves-4-5
Serves-4
Preparation time-15 mins


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.

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 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.
It contains 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 try it I am sure you'll like it too.

Ingredients 

GRIND Together -

Method 

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,it has numerous health benefits such as the following:
👉Rich in antioxidants.
👉It's anti inflammatory -it contains Rosmarinic acid which prevents inflammation and also cure allergy symptoms,asthma.
👉Mint has menthol which cures sore throat and infection .
👉It's a soothing herb which treats stomach upset and flatulance.
👉Relieves menstrual cramps and pain .
👉Boosts immunity .
👉Prevents bad breath .
👉Prevents cancer. 
👉Cures stress and depression.

The preparation of mint peas rice or pudina pattani sadam is quite simple ,firstly the ingredients given for the masala are sautéed in oil for a minute and then ground to fine paste. The basmati rice is cooked separately and allowed to cool so that the grains are separated.Then in a kadai ghee n oil are heated and the mint paste is added and sautéed for few minutes then cooked rice and other ingredients are added and covered and cooked for 10 mins.Finally lemon juice is added and served hot.

Check out how to make this healthy and tasty mint and peas rice below.

Ingredients 

Basmati rice-1 cup
Peas -1/2 cup
Lemon juice -2 tsp
Salt-to taste
Ghee+oil-1tbsp

Grind Together

Pudina leaves-1 cup
Coriander leaves -1/2 cup
Small onions -12 nos
Green chillies -6 nos
Grated coconut -2 tbsps
Ginger -1 inch piece
Garlic -4 cloves
Cinnamon,cloves a few

Method 

👉Fry the ingredients given for grinding in little oil for few mins and grind to a fine paste adding little water and set aside.
👉Cook the basmati rice separately in pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups of water and half salt and set aside to cool.
👉Now heat ghee+ oil in a kadai add the mint/pudina paste and cook for few minutes next add peas and cooked rice and mix well.check for salt.
👉Close the kadai and allow the rice to DUM for 10 mins.
👉Atlast add the lemon juice and mix everything.
👉Serve hot with chips and onion raitha.


Serves -4
Preparation time -20 mins.


Note-
✍️I have added frozen peas it doesn't need to be cooked separately.if you don't want peas you can avoid it.
✍️Lemon juice is also optional (it tastes better with the juice)

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 less fat.Moreover it helps in feeling full(satiated) and lowers blood pressure .Its 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 in your diet on daily basis.

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,curryleaves and allow it to splutter.
👉Then add onions and garlic,cook well.
👉Add cooked yellow pumpkin, red chilly powder,turmeric powder, 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

✍️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 Thuvayal  is an absolutely delicious and my family's traditional heirloom recipe.Its a very rare and unique thuvayal(chutney) variety.In those days my grandma and mom will make the Kulambu thalippu vadagam at home . Nowadays it's available in all supermarkets as Kuzhambu thalippu vadagam or vengaya vadagam.This thuvayal goes very well with idli,dosa,gothumai appam etc.. Check out how to make traditional vadagam thuvayal recipe below.



Ingredients 

KUZHAMBU THALIPPU VADAGAM -1 piece
Onion-1 chopped
Garlic -4 cloves
Red chillies -10 nos
Tamarind -small gooseberry size
Rock salt- to taste
Gingelly oil-2 tsps.


Method

Heat gingelly oil in a kadai add onions,garlic,red chillies and fry for few minutes.

Then add the vengaya vadagam (thalippu vadagam) and fry for few seconds.

Grind everything together in a mixie along with tamarind piece,rock salt and very little water,to a fine paste.

Serve with idli,dosa,poori, chapati,rice.

Serves -4
Preparation time -5 minutes.

Note
This Thuvayal can be kept for 1 week.
While serving pour 1/2 tsp of gingelly oil on top of the Thuvayal .
Don't fry the vadagam too much as it will taste bitter.

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.cook the dosai on both sides till crispy. serve hot with chutney or sambar.


Serves-2
Preparation time -10 mins

This gravy is cooked using pressure cooker.
It's really simple  and can be made in a jiffy.This recipe is my family's heirloom recipe .

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

 Method 
Heat oil in a pressure cooker add cumin seeds ,onions ,garlic and saute for a minute.
Next add all the chopped vegetables followed by sambar powder,dhaniya powder,turmeric powder,salt mix everything finally add coconut milk.
Pressure cook them for 3 whistles.
Garnish and serve hot .


Serves -4
Preparation time-15 mins.

Notes

You can add any VEGETABLE of your choice.
This gravy is best combination for rice,dosai ,chappati,poori etc.