Karakuzhambu

Karakuzhambu Ingredients 1 Onion
1 Tomato (Small)
4-5 Garlic pieces
Small lemon size Tamarind (Soak it in water)
Coriander leaves
Karipatha
1 tsp Jeera
3-4 Pepper corn
A Pinch Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
Any vegetable (Brinjal(2-3), Ladys finger (5-6), Drumstick (2-3)
1/2 cup Coconut Juice.( Coconut crushed with water in a mixer)
3 tsp Vegatable Oil
1 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder. Method: 1.       Put kadai on stove, pour oil on kadai. 2.       Put mustard let the mustard splutter. 3.       Put jeera, Pepper corn, sliced onion, sliced tomato, Karipatta and a pinch of Asafoetida. Saute for 3-5 minutes. 4.       Put the cut vegatable and saute it again. 5.       Pour the Tamarind Juice. 6.       Put the Chilli and Coriander Powder and Saute it. Let it boil till the vegetable is cooked. 7.       Pour the Coconut juice and allow it to boil for 5-10 minutes. 8.       Garnish it with Coriander leaves. Ready to serve with Rice.

Morkuzhambu

1 container Yoghurt (big one) 4-5 Green Chillies 1/2 cup Grated Coconut (dessicated can be used) 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp Methi seeds Curry leaves Salt to taste Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds and Coriander Leaves for seasoning

1.       Take the Yoghurt in a container and add little water and make it like like a uniform paste. Add methi seeds, turmeric powder, salt and keep it aside. 2.       Grind coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies in a blender and make a paste. 3.       Add the paste to the yoghurt. Keep it in the stove for a little while until nice foam comes up on the surface. Switch the stove off. (if you over cook it youghurt will get denaturated in to water) then season it with musterd seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and coriander leeaves.

Vengaya Sambar

Vengaya sambar.

Ingredients

Method

Sambar vengayam – 250 gm Murungakkai – 2 (slender) Thuvaram parrupu – 50 gm Kadalai paruppu – 3 tbsp Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp Asafoetida powder – as per your requirement Vendayam – 2 tbsp Red chillies – 5-6 Tamarind – A little Mustard seeds – A little Ground coconut – 1 handful

First peel the skin of sambar vengayam (small onions) and also cut the murungaikkai into small pieces. Steam cook the thuvaram paruppu in a cooker. Pour cooking oil in a frying pan and after it heats up, add kadalai paruppu, coriander seeds, vendayam, red chillies, asafoetida powder and fry the mixture. After this add the ground coconut with the mixture.When the paruppu varities turn gold in colour, stop the frying. Put the vengayam and murungakkai in a big vessel, pour water and cook them for sometime. Add tamarind water and heat it for sometime.In the meantime, grind the mixture of paruppu, coriander seeds, vendayam and red chillies and add it to the chinna vengayam mix after the tamarind is cooked well enough to lose its raw smell. Add the thuvaram paruppu. Cook the mixture in low flame. Add salt to it. The delicious aroma of the vengaya sambar will draw people to the dining table without your inviting them.

Mugalai Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken 3 lbs
Red chilies 4
Ginger paste 3tsp
Garlic paste 3tsp
Garam masala 2tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Cloves 6
Cardamom 6
Cinnamon 1 inch
Onion (cut into small pieces) 1
Potato (boiled and skinned) 2
turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Yogurt (beaten) ½ cup
Cooking oil 6 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Preparation
Grind red chilies, cumin seeds, turmeric powder cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon in to a smooth paste.
Cut the chicken in desired size . Apply ginger and garlic paste, half the ground ingredients, salt and half the yogurt and keep aside for 1/2 to 1hour.
Heat some oil in a pan and add the onions until light brown. Add the remaining ground paste and fry. Add the chicken pieces and fry  again.Add 2 tsp of Garam Masala Powder Add 1 cup of water and close the vessel so  that the chicken can cook.. Add the remaining yogurt and the boiled potatoes  and
let it come to boil. When the gravy becomes thick, remove from heat and sprinkle coriander leaves.

Venpongal

This is a typical south indian dish. Me and my husband like it very much. Sometimes, i make this for weekend breakfast. Its very filling and simple to do. I always accompany this dish with sambar, vada and cocunut chutney. I shall post those recipes later.

VenPongal

Mix 1 cup rice and 1 cup moong dal .Add 3 times water(6 cups) and steam until it is overcooked. Cut 3 green chillies and 1/4 inch ginger into fine pieces.Take 2 tsp ghee in a fry pan and add 1 tsp whole black peppers, and 1 tsp cumin seeds.When the peppers burst add chillie and ginger pieces and a pinch of turmeric powder.
You should be cautious while adding the black peppers and green chillie pieces in hot oil. They may burst all over. Therefore use low heat and a deep hollow vessel for this.
Add 10 – 15 cashewnuts and remove the pan when the cashews are roasted and begin to smell.Add this to cooked dal-rice mix.Add 1/2 tsp salt, a sprig of curry leaves and mix well. Add some ghee while serving. Serve with chutney and sambar.

Note : Please be very careful with the cooker. Allow it only for 3 or 4 whistles. If the water gets evaporated, it might burst. Also clean the cooker very well after you finish cooking.

Tomato Soup

I dont miss the soup when giving parties at home and this is one of my favourite and simple soup. All my guests liked it a lot. You try and let me know.

Tomato soup

Ingredients
Tomatoes, large 4 nos.
Mint leaves Salt & pepper
Preparation:

Place tomatoes in a heavy pan. Add water and bring to the boil. Add salt, mint and continue boiling for 10 minutes. When cool, blend the tomatoes in a mixer. Sieve to separate seeds and skin. If mixer is not available use a soup strainer for 2 minutes. Serve hot, each serving with 1 tbsp cream, 1 tbsp Cheese powder and a few
crunchy croutons.

Croutons
Heat oil in deep pan till smoking. Fry the pieces of bread till golden brown. Drain on paper.

Payasam

This is my husband’s all time favourite. I make this often just for him though i dont prefer much sweets. This payasam is cooked during most of the tamilian feasts / festivals.

Vermicelli Payasam  

Fry 1/2 cup vermicelli in ghee and keep aside. Heat 1 litre of milk in a vessel, . When the milk boils and begins to rise, lower the heat and add 1/2 cup of vermicelli(fried in ghee) and stir well. Continue heating the milk at low heat until the volume of milk reduces considerably. Remove from the stove and add sugar and mix well. Roast some raisins and cashews in ghee (until they begin to smell) and add it to the payasam.Add 1/4 spoon of cardomom powder. Its ready. Now sit back and enjoy your payasam.

Gajar Halwa

Let me post my first recipe with a sweet dish.

Carrot Halwa

Finely grated carrots – 1 1/2 cups, sugar – 1 cup, mixture of milk and water – 1 cup (the proportion may be as you like), cashews- 6, cardamoms, raisins - 4, ghee 3 tsp Peel all the carrots and grate them finely. Pour 3 teaspoons of ghee in a frying pan. Add 6 cashews and powdered cardamoms (4).Fry till you get the smell of roasted cashews.Pour the mixture of milk and water. Add sugar. When the water comes to boil, add 1 1/2 cups of grated carrot and stir slowly and constantly in low heat until the mixture turns into a soft paste. After adding sugar, you may have to cook around 7 – 10 minutes to get the desired consistency for halwa. Do not heat the mixture too long, so as to prevent it from getting hardened.

Hi everyone!!