This is a very unique recipe which combines Greens and cabbage,its super nutritious and tasty.It can be made in a jiffy and is best suited for your busy morning schedule .

Ingredients

Amaranth(thandu keerai/molai keerai)-1 cup finely shredded
Cabbage-1 cup finely shredded
Onion-1 no shredded
Green chillies-3 nos chopped
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Urud dhal-1/2 tsp
Bengal gram dhal-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil-1 tsp

Method

Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds,urud dhal,bengal gram dhal,cumin seeds and allow them to splutter and turn to golden brown color.
Next add the onions and saute for few minutes.
Add the cabbage and fry for few minutes until it's half cooked,then add the amaranth leaves and allow them to cook.
Add salt.
Serve hot with rice,sambar rice,rasam rice,chappati etc.

Serves-2
Preparation Time-15 mins

Note
You can use any green leafy vegetables of your choice.
You can add ginger garlic also.

How to make traditional thavala vadai recipe or mixed dal vada

Thavala vadai is a famous and traditional tea time snack in Tamil nadu.
Though it has a funny name(THAVALA means frog in Tamil and it also means a vessel seriously nobody knows why it's called so...)it is a highly nutritious snack variety ,it's rich in protein since we use 4 types of dhals in it.Traditionally we add curd to the batter but I have avoided it because the vada will be a bit oily. In this recipe I have added Mint leaves to give it an extra flavour.
This recipe is similar to the ADAI recipe.

Ingredients

Raw rice-1/2 cup
Parboiled Rice -1/2 cup
Toor dhal-1/2 cup
Bengal gram dhal-1/2 cup
Green gram dhal-1/2 cup
Urud dhal -1/2 cup
Red chillies-8 nos
Small Coconut pieces -1 tbsp
 Fennel seeds(Sombu)-1 tbsp
Asafetida a pinch
Curry leaves,coriander leaves ,Mint leaves few
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method

Soak all the rice and dhal varieties except green gram dhal together for 1/2 to 1 hour.
Grind this mixture along with red chillies,fennel seeds,salt ,finally add the soaked green gram dhal  at the very end and grind everything to a coarse paste by adding very little water.
Now add the curry leaves,coriander leaves and Mint leaves and mix everything together and set aside.
Heat oil for deep frying in a kedai ,take lemon sized balls of the batter and put them gently into the hot oil and cook them till golden brown color is attained and when the oil stops bubbling.
Remove the excess oil from the vadais using a tissue paper.
Serve hot with Coconut chutney,coriander chutney or sauce.

Serves-6
Preparation Time-45 mins

Note
If you add curd (2 tbsps)the batter will be a bit watery so use a spoon and put a spoonful of batter randomly into the oil.
I usually grind the batter very coarsely to have crunchiness of the dhals.
You can make this VADAI in masala VADAI shape too by making small patties but traditionally it is in random shapes only.

Tomato Rice is a very common recipe but each family has its own style of making it this is my family's version .
We cook the tomato Rice in coconut milk..
It gives it a unique flavour.
This recipe is cooked in Pressure cooker method.

Ingredients-

Basmati rice-1 cup
Tomatoes-6 nos chopped
Onions-2 nos chopped
Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Red chilly powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Coconut milk-1 /2 cup
Cinnamon,cloves, bay leaves- few
Coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste
Ghee+oil-1 tbsp

Method-

Heat  ghee+oil in a pressure cooker add cinnamon,cloves,onions saute for few minutes.
Add the ginger garlic paste fry for few seconds then add the tomatoes followed by red chilly powder,basmati rice fry them for a minute then add 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1 cup water.
Add salt, mix everything.
Once the steam comes put the weight and sim the heat and after 10 mins increase the heat and cook for 2 whistles then  off the gas and allow it to rest for 2 mins and then release the pressure.
Check for salt and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with Onion raitha and chips.

 Serves-4
Preparation time-20 mins

Note-
You can exclude the coconut milk if you don't want it and cook the rice with water only (1 cup rice-1 1/2 cup water) and the remaining procedure is the same.
Don't cook in high flame as it tends to catch the bottom of the vessel since we are using coconut milk.

ADAI AVIAL is a very famous and traditional South Indian tiffin variety.
Adai is a dosai variety made using three types of dals and 2 types of rice varieties.
Avial is made by combining mixed vegetables with coconut masala and curd.
Both these are nutrition packed recipes and it  is a combination made in heaven.
Check out how to make traditional and absolutely delicious adai avial recipe below.




ADAI

Ingredients-

Thoor dhal,Bengalgram dhal,Urud dhal- 1 cup each
Raw rice- 1 cup
Parboiled idly rice- 1 cup
Red chillies-10-15 nos
Onions- 3 nos chopped finely
Curry leaves , coriander leaves a few
Salt to taste
Asafetida a pinch
Oil as required

Method

Wash and soak all the dals and rice together for 1/2 hour.
First grind the redchillies and then
 after draining the excess water add the rice and dhal mixture and grind very coarsely along with salt  using very little water.
Add onions, curry leaves and coriander leaves and pinch of asafetida to the  ground mixture and mix everything well.
Heat the tawa take a handful or laddle full of the batter and  place it on the tawa and spread it using your fingers to small adais.add oil .
Cook till one side becomes golden brown flip and cook the other side too.
Serve hot.

Serves - 6
Preparation time- 45 mins

Note-
Usually people soak the rice and dhal for 3 hours but I soak it only for 1/2 hour and I have no problem while grinding it .
For this quantity of rice and dal I prefer using the grinder for grinding but you can also use ur mixie .USE THE PULSE OR WHIP BUTTON IN YOUR MIXIE FOR GRINDING.and grind in batches.
You can add finely chopped Greens of your choice,traditionaly we add drumstick leaves and make adai.
You even add grated carrot to the adai.

AVIAL

Ingredients-

Mixed vegetables(Carrot,Drumsticks, Elephant yam, Bush Beans, Cluster beans, Raw Plantain ,White Pumpkin,Snake Gourd)- 2 cups chopped to 1 inch piece
Curd-1/2 cup slightly whipped
Salt to taste
Coconut oil-1 tbsp
Curry leaves- few

Grind Together-

Grated coconut-1/2 cup
Green chillies-4 nos
Raw rice-2 tsps
Cumin seeds-2 tsps

Method

Grind the ingredients given for grinding to to a fine paste and set aside.
Cook the vegetables in  a pressure cooker for 2 whistles adding little water making sure the veggies are soaked completely.
Release the pressure and add the ground paste,salt mix well and cook for 2 mins.
Add the slightly whipped curd to it.
Heat coconut oil add the curry leaves and allow it to splutter and pour over the AVIAL.

Serves-4
Preparation time-20 mins

 Note-

Cover the avial in plantain leaf (vaazhaiyilai) until serving as it adds flavour to the avial

This sambar is a traditional South Indian delicacy made during special occasions when you need large quantities of sambar. Its ideal for making recipes like mini idli sambar,sambar vadais.
(For those who don't understand tamil ARACHUVITTA means to add something that is ground).
The speciality of this sambar is addition of freshly roasted and ground masala .It's easy to make and is very delicious.

Ingredients-

Toor dhal-100gms
Onions-2 nos chopped
Tomatoes-2 nos chopped
Sambar powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Tamarind extract-from small lemon sized tamarind
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil-2 tsps
Curry leaves a few
Coriander leaves a few

GRIND TOGETHER-

Bengal gram dhal-2 tbsps
Dhaniya seeds-2 tbsps
Red chillies-8 nos
Grated dry coconut (kopparai)-1 tbsp optional

Method

First dry roast the ingredients given for grinding in a kedai and grind to a fine powder set aside.
Cook the dhal with turmeric powder,a pinch of asafetida,1/2 tsp oil in a pressure cooker for 6 whistles mash well, set aside.
Heat oil in a kedai add mustard seeds,curry leaves and allow it to splutter,next add onions saute for few minutes followed by tomatoes and cook well.
Add the cooked dhal,sambar powder,tamarind extract,salt and required amount of water and cook the sambar for 5 minutes until raw smell goes.
Finally add the ground powder and mix well so that there are no lumps and bring the sambar to a boil .
Garnish and serve hot with idli,dosa,vada Pongal etc.


Serves-6
Preparation time-20 mins

Note
Some people will make this sambar without the sambar powder and use only the ground powder but I personally feel that the Sambar tastes even better when you use both powders in combination.
The powder can be stored and used when needed.
After adding the ground masala the sambar will increase in quantity and will thicken so adjust consistency accordingly by adding hot water.
You can add vegetables also.