Prawn Biryani

Ingredients :

1. Patta, elakki,lavangam and curry leaves - few
2. ginger garlic paste - 3 Tsp
3. Green chillies - 12
4. Onions (Big)- 2, finely chopped
5. Turmeric powder
6. Salt - to taste
7. Prawn - tail less and cleaned
8. Pudhina/Mint - a handful
9. Basmati rice - 3 cups

Preparation method :

1. Add 1 cup of water and pressure cook the prawn for 5 min.


2. Add 4.5 cups of water to the washed rice and let it cook in an electrical cooker.


3. Add oil to the pan and add the ingredients above in the same order.


4. After adding the prawn, reduce the flame and simmer for 15 min till the masala gets to gravy consistency.


5. Now add the cooked rice onto a aluminium tray and spread well.


6. Add the prawn gravy over it and DO NOT mix.


7. Cover the tray with aluminium foil and let it cook in a conventional oven at 325 Degree F for 30 min.


8. Yummy prawn biryani is ready!

Kuzhi Paniyaram

Ingredients :

Dosa batter - 2 - 3 cups(prepared by grinding 4 cups of idly rice with 1 cup of Urad dhal)

For seasoning:-

• Curry leaves(chopped finely)
• Bengal gram - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Black gram - 2 tsp
• Asafoetida- 1/2 tsp
• Salt - As reqd
• Green chillies(finely chopped) - As reqd
• Ginger - 1/2" piece(chopped finely)
• Oil - 4 tbsp

Preparation Method :

1)Heat oil in a pan.

2)Splutter mustard, black gram and Bengal gram.

3)Once they turn light brown, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, chillies and ginger and salt and saute for 2 mins.

4)Add this to the dosa batter and mix well. ( If the batter is little thick, add 1/2 cup of water and then add the above mix.)

5)Heat a paniyaram vessel with a little oil in each of the opening.

6)Add the batter 3/4 the holder and let it cook for 2 - 3 mins per side

7) Serve hot it with chutney.

Set Dosa

Ingredients :

Rice - 2 1/2 cups
Black gram - 1 cup
Rice flakes(Aval/Poha) - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds- 2 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp

Preparation Method:

1)Soak rice, black gram and poha separately for 4-5 hours.
2)Soak cumin seeds and poha for 45 minutes.
3)Grind all ingredients and make a fine batter.
4)Keep the batter overnight.
5)Add salt.
5)Make set dosas by adding one spoon full of batter in the middle of the pan but not spreading as in ordinary dosas.

PS: This set dosa tastes good with veg kurma and coconut chutney.

Appam with coconut milk

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 4 cups
Cooked rice - 1 cup
Coconut - 1 no
Coconut water - 1/2 cup
Salt– As reqd


Preparation Method:


1)Soak the rice for 4-5 hrs.

2)Grind together raw rice, cooked rice, coconut water & grated coconut to a smooth batter of dosa consistency.

3)Add salt to the batter and mix well.

4)Keep the batter to rise for about 5-6 hours.

5)Before making appams, stir well.

6)Heat a non-stick appam chatti.

7)Pour one big spoon of the batter, rotate the pan and close with lid.

8)When the steam starts coming out, open the lid and take out the appam.

9)Serve hot with coconut milk. (Add sugar to the warm coconut milk before serving).

Vegetable Kurma

Ingredients :

Vegetables :

Green beans

Carrot

peas

potato

To grind :

Onion - 1

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Garlic pods - 5-6

Green chillies - 8

For frying :

Patta - 1/2 inch

Cinnamon - 2-3

Elachi - 2

Cut Onions - 2

Cut Tomato - 1

Turmeric powder

Salt

Oil for frying

water - 100 ml

Coconut Milk - 25ml

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Preparation method :

1. Fry the wet ingredients in little oil and grind in a mixer.

2. Add oil in a pan and fry patta, cinnamon, elachi, onion and tomato.

3. Add the ground masala and fry till a nice aroma is felt.

4. Add the cut vegetables and fry

5. Add turmeric powder ,salt & water and allow to cook.

6. When the vegetables are well cooked add the coconut milk

7. When the kurma comes to a boil, add coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis, dosa or idly.

Fish Fry

Ingredients :

Fish - 4 tilapia slices

Red chillie powder - 4tsp

Salt

Turmeric powder

Tamarind Paste/lemon juice - 1tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp

Oil - for frying

Preparation Method :

1. Mix the ingredients except oil in a large dish

2. Smear the wet mixture on both sides of the fish.

3. Leave in the refrigerator for an hour

4. On an oiled pan, fry the fish slices one by one till they are cooked and turn golden brown.

5. Yummy fish fry is ready!

Tomato Rice

Ingredients :

Oil for frying

Mustard seeds

Groundnut

Chana dal

Urad dal

Green chillies - to taste

Curry leaves - a few

Tomato puree from 5-6 tomatoes (I prefer using the round tomatoes)

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder

Coriander leaves

Preparation method :

1. Add oil in a kadai and add all the ingredients in the same order as above till the tomato puree except the coriander leaves.


2. Boil this till it becomes thick and gets a consistency of thokku.


3. Now mix this with rice and adjust salt.


4. Add coriander leaves and serve.

Curd rice

Ingredients :

oil for frying

Mustard seeds

Chana dal

Urad dal

Green chillies - as per taste

Full red chillies -2-3

Ginger - cut into smaller pieces

Asafoetida - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Green grapes

Cashewnuts -broken into pieces

Raisins

Cooked rice

Thick curd - 1 cup
Whole milk - 100 ml

Coriander leaves

Preparation method :

1. Add oil in a kadai and add the ingredients till asafoetida in the same order as given above.


2. Now add this fried mixture to the rice.


3. Add salt, green grapes, cashewnuts and raisins.


4. adjust the salt and add the whole milk.


5. Add the chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Obbattu (Poli)

Ingredients :

Chana dal/cocnut gratings -1/2 kg

Jaggery -1/2 kg

Allpurpose flour (Maida) - 1/2 kg

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Oil - 100 ml

Salt - As reqd

Preparation method :

1)If you are using chana dal then wash and boil this with 1/2 tsp of salt and water till it is very soft. If you are using grated coconut then skip this step and proceed to step no 3.

2)When it is slightly cold, strain it using a strainer.

3)Add jaggery and cardamom powder and grind to a fine paste. If it is sticky, put it on a low fire and dry up completely.

4)Knead maida with 1/2 tsp of salt and water. It should be soft

5)Add oil and knead it till oil is absorbed and make equal balls of above sweet mixture and kneaded maida.

6)Roll maida balls into small pooris.

7)Fill it with the sweet ball.

8)Make it into a ball and roll to a poli.

9)Heat oil in a pan and fry it dry turning both sides.

10)Serve this melted with pure ghee.

Ennai Kathirikkai

Ingredients :

Small Round Brinjals - 6 Nos (Slit each of them to four pieces with the stalk holding them together)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cloves - 4 nos

Cinnamon - 1" Stick (crushed)

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsps

Onion(medium) - 2 nos(finely sliced)

Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 2 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - As reqd

Tamarind extract - 3 tbsp

Cashew paste - 2 tbsp

Coconut paste - 2 tbsp

For seasoning:-

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Dry red chillies - 2 - 3 nos

Curry leaves - A few

Preparation method :

1)Heat oil in a pan and add cloves and cinnamon and stir.

2)Add ginger garlic paste and fry well.

3)Add onion and saute until brown.

4)Lower the flame and add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.

5)Mix well with onion and ginger garlic paste.

6)Add brinjals, tamarind extract and water.

7)Mix all ingredients well.

8)Cover and cook, till the brinjals are done.

9)When brinjals are cooked well, add cashew and coconut paste and mix well.

10)Set it to cook for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally.

11)Season with mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry chillies.

Avial

Ingredients :

Raw banana - 1 no
Carrot - 1 no
Drumstick- 1 no
Potato - 1/2 cup
Cucumber - 1/2 cup
Beans - 3 nos
Green chillies - 3 nos
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves - A few
Water - 1/4 cup
Thick curd- 1 cup
Mustard seed - for seasoning

For grinding:-
Grated coconut - 1 1/2 cups
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1/2 sprig

Preparation method :

1. Half cook the vegetables in water with turmeric powder and salt.

2. Add the ground paste to the cooked vegetables and stir for a minute.

3. Once they blend along, add curd and mis well. Boil for a minute (do not over boil) till the curd

gets along with the water.

4. Season the above reparation with oil(coconut oil is preferred), mustard seeds and curry

leaves.

5. This dish goes well with adai, rice etc..

Masala Bread

Ingredients :

Oil

Onions - 2, chopped

Tomato - 1, cut

Capsicum - 1, chopped

Green chillies - 4

Salt for taste

Turmeric

Brown/white bread

Preparation method :

1. Add oil in a kadai/pan and fry onions till they turn slight brown.


2. Add cut tomato, green chillies & capsicum and fry well.


3. Add salt and turmeric powder and little water.


4. Cook for 1-2 min (do not over cook).


5. Spread this masala on the bread and cover with another slice of bread.


6. Leave it for an hour and when ready to eat, heat it in a microwave for 30 seconds.

Mutter Paneer

Ingredients :

1. Fried paneer
2. Boiled Peas - 100 gms
3. Onion - 2 nos
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
5. Tomato - 1 no
6. Garam masala - 1tsp
7. Cloves - 2 nos
8. Cashews - 3-4 nos
9. Grated coconut - 6-7Tbsp
10. Chilli powder
11. Turmeric powder
12. Salt
13. Oil for frying

Preparation method :

1. Grind the onions and keep aside.


2. Grind the tomatoes seperately with 3 cashews and coconut and keep aside.


3. Add oil in a kadai or pan and add the onion paste and the ginger garlic paste. Fry till the onion paste turns golden brown.Add the tomato, cashew and coconut paste now and fry a little.


4. Add cloves, boiled peas, chillie powder, garam masala, turmeric powder & salt and fry.


5. Once the water content in the mixture evaporates, add the fried paneer and water.


6. Cook for 7-8 minutes and Mutter paneer is ready.

Pal Payasam

Ingredients :

1. Milk - 2 cups
2. Semiya
3. Sugar - as reqd
4. Ghee - 3 Tsp
5. Cashews - 5-6 nos
6. Raisins - 5-6 nos
7. Saffron - a pinch

Preparation method :

1. Add a teaspoon full of ghee to a kadai and fry the semiya (do not deep fry)


2. Keep this aside and add the rest of the ghee and fry the cashews and raisins. Keep aside.


3. Pour the milk in a pan and once it comes to a boil add sugar.


4. Mix the sweetened milk and add a pinch of saffron.


5. Once the saffron turns the milk light yellow in colour, add the semiya, cashews and raisins.


6. Cook for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.


7. Serve hot or cold.

Curd Vada

Ingredients :

1. Whole Black gram – 200 gm
2. Pepper - 20 nos
3. Asafoetida – A pinch
4. Grated coconut – 1 cup
5. Green chillies – 5 – 6 nos(finely chopped)
6. Dried red chillies - few
7. coriander leaves
8. curry leaves
9. Salt – As reqd
10. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
11. Oil for deep frying vadas

Preparation method :

1) Wash the black gram well and soak it in water for about 1½ hrs.

2) Grind it to a thick paste.

3) Add salt, pepper and asafoetida and mix well.

4) Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.

5) Make vadas with a small hole in the middle and fry until golden brown.

6) Once the vadas are made, drop them in plain cold water for a minute.

7 ) Meanwhile, grind together grated coconut, green chillies and curry leaves into a thick fine paste.

8) Mix together the above paste with the curd along with salt.

9) Add seasoned mustard seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves into it and mix well.

10) Remove the vadas from the plain water and drop them in the curd mixture.

13) Garnish with coriander leaves.

Rasmalai

Ingredients :

1. Whole Milk - 4-5 cups
2. Lemon juice - 1tsp
3. Sugar - 1 ¼ cup
4. A pinch of saffron
5. crushed cardamom seeds - ¼ tsp
6. blanched almonds - 3-4 tsp
7. crushed pistachios - 2 tbsp

Preparation method :

1. Boil 2 cups of whole milk to half the quantity and add lemon juice.

2. Mix it well and when it starts curdling, strain the granules using a muslin cloth and keep aside for an hour.

3. After an hour, crush the contents of muslin cloth, knead into a dough and make small balls as done in gulab jamoons.

4. Add the rest of the milk to a hot pan and boil till it gets into half its quantity.

5. Add the sugar and saffron to it. mix well.

6. Now add the milk balls into it and slowly keep stirring,making sure the balls do not break.

7. Once the milk thickens well, switch off the heat and decorate with almonds and pistachios.

8. Chill in refrigerator and serve.

Mango rice

Ingredients :

1. Rice - 2 cups(cooked adding salt while being cooked)
2. Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
3. Grated mango (raw) - ¾ cup
4. Ghee - 2 tbsp
5. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
6. Dried red chilly – 2-3 nos
7. Green chillies(finely cut) - 3 nos
8. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
9. Salt - 1 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
11. Cashewnuts - 12 nos(cut in small pieces)
12. chana dal - 1 tsp
13. urad dal - 1tsp

Preparation method :

1)Heat ghee in a large pan over medium heat.

2)Add mustard seeds, 2 red dried chillies broken into halves.

3)Add green chillies,chana dal and urad dal. Stir for few seconds.

4)Add curry leaves, a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.

6)Add grated mango, coconut, fried cashews and raisins and cook till it becomes a thick paste.

7)Add rice to this thokku. Switch on the gas to low flame and slightly stir for another 3 minutes to mix all the ingredients well.

P S: This "thokku" can be frozen and used for next 1 month.

Kozhukattai

Ingredients :

1. Roasted rice flour – 2 cups
2. Boiled water - 1 1/2 cups or more
3. Salt - As reqd
4. Grated coconut - 1 cup
5. Jaggery – ½ cup or as reqd
6. Cardamom - 2 nos

Preparation method :

1)Boil about 2 cups of water in a vessel along with the reqd salt.

2)Mix together the roasted rice flour and the boiled water.

3)Knead them well to form a dough.

4)Add coconut, jaggery and cardamom in a mixer and blend well.

5)Coat your hand with extra flour to prevent sticking and Make 10 small balls off the above dough and flatten them.

6)Place a small quantity of the coconut mix in the middle of the flattened balls.

7)Seal the edges so as to form the shape of a ball.

8)Repeat the procedure for the remaining balls.

9)Steam these balls for 10 mins.

Uthappam

Ingredients :

1. Idli Batter - As reqd
2. Onion - 1 no
3. Carrot - 1 no
4. Coriander leaves - As reqd
5. Green Chillies - 2-3 nos
6. Oil - As reqd

Preparation method :

1)Cut onion and coriander leaves into small pieces and grate carrot.

2)Mix them well together.

3)Pour 1 tbsp of oil on a tava.

4)Pour 2 ladle of idli batter or idli mavu and spread a little ( do not spread it very thinly as in case of dosas).

5)Sprinkle chopped onion, carrot and coriander leaves.

6)Flip the side to cook the other side too.

7)When both the sides are cooked, remove from the tava and place it on a serving plate.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients :

1. Carrots - 1 lb
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Sugar - 1 cup
4. Ghee - 3 tsp
5. Cashew nuts - for garnishing
6. Raisins - for garnishing

Preparation Method :

1)Peel the carrots and grate them.

2)Soak the grated carrots in the milk and pressure cook.

3)Heat sugar and ghee in a non stick pan.

4)Add the pressure cooked carrots and milk. Stir well.

5)Keep the lid closed when the milk and ghee boil together.

6)When the halwa begins to thicken, remove from flame.

7)Garnish with cashews and raisins roasted in ghee.

Masala Vada

Ingredients :

Chana dal - 2 cups

Coriander leaves - A small bunch

Curry leaves - 5 leaves

Onion(small) - 1

Green chilly - 1

Salt - As reqd

sonf (sombu) - a pinch

Oil - 1/4 kg

Preparation method :

• Soak Chana dal 3 hours before.


• Take one handful of chana dal separately & then grind the remaining dal into a paste.


• Cut onion, chilly and coriander leaves into small pieces.


• Mix together the ground paste, soaked chana dal and all the other ingredients.


• Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.


• Make small balls off the above mixture and then pat it on the top into patties.


• Fry, until they turn golden brown.

Mor Kuzhambu (Majjiga pulusu)

Ingredients :

Buttermilk

Grated Coconut - 1/4 of a coconut

Small onion (cut into small pieces) - 3-4

Toor dal - 1/2 tsp

rice - 1/2 tsp

Green/Red chillies - 2-3

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - A few

Preparation method :

• Soak the toor dal and rice in water for 30 min and grind along with grated cocnut and green/red chillies.


• Add butter milk to the ground paste along with salt and keep on a low flame.


• Keep stirring and let the buttermilk become warm. Do not let it boil.


• Heat oil in a pan.


• Splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves. Add this seasoning to the buttermilk mixture, let it come to a boil and serve hot with urad dal vada or masala vada for rice.

Mangalore Bajji

Ingredients :

Allpurpose flour (Maida) - 2 cups

Butter milk - As reqd

Onion(big) - 1 (finely chopped)

Green chillies - 2 - 3

Coriander leaves - A bunch (finely chopped)

Soda - A pinch

Salt - As reqd

Oil for deep frying

Preparation method:

• Mix together maida, onions, chillies, salt, coriander leaves and baking soda along with buttermilk.


• Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.


• Deep fry them just like you make pakoras.

Cabbage Vada

Ingredients :

1. Urad dal - 1 cup (Soak in water for 1 hour)

2. Rice flour- 2 tsp3.

3. Gram flour - 2 tsp

4. Salt to taste

5. Ghee 1 tsp

6. Finely chopped green chillies 2 (according to taste)

7. Hing

8. Cumin seeds, (jeera) 1/2 tsp

9. Curry leaves

10. Finely chopped coriander leaves

11. Chopped Cabbage 1/2 cup

12. Oil to deep fry

13. Grated Ginger

Preparation method :

1.Grind Urad dal with minimum water, till frothy.

2. Add Chopped Green chillies, Curryleaves, Coriander Leaves, Chopped Ginger, Cumin seeds, Salt, Cabbage, Rice flour and Gram flour to the Urad Dal Batter and Mix well.

3. Make Vadai and Deep Fry in oil till golden Brown.

Chana Batura

Ingredients :

For Batura :

Maida - 2 cups

Milk - 1 cup

Curd - 1/2 cup

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 2 tsp

Salt - As reqd

Oil for deep frying

For Chana/chole :

Kabuli chana - 1 cup

Onion(large) - 1 no

Tomato - 1 no(finely chopped)

Green chillies - 2 nos(finely chopped)

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1 tsp

Spices - 2 each

Oil - 1/4 cup

Salt - As reqd

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation method :

Batura:

1)Mix together all the ingredients for making batura.

2)Knead them together to make a smooth dough.

3)Keep it aside atleast for 1 hour.

4)Make medium sized balls off the dough.

5)Roll them out to thick big poories.

6)Deep fry them in oil.

Chana/Chole :

1)Soak the channa overnight.

2)Pressure cook it, till done.

3)Grind onion to a smooth paste.

4)Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.

5)Splutter cumin seeds and spices(cloves, cardamom and cinnamon).

6)Add onion paste and ginger-garlic paste and saute, till the oil starts to separate.

7)Add all powders and salt and saute for a few seconds.

8)Add tomatoes and green chillies and saute, till the tomatoes blend well.

9)Add the cooked channa and mix well.

10)Cook, till the gravy thickens.

11)Garnish with coriander leaves.