Red Capsicum Chutney

Ingredients
1. Red Capsicum(large) - 3 nos
2. Tomatoes or Tomato Paste
3. Mustard Seeds
4. Gingelly Oil
5. Urad Dhal - 1 tsp
6. Chilli Powder
7. Asafoetida
8. Curry leaves (Optional)
9. Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 tsp (Optional)
10. Vendiyam Seeds
11. Tamarind (Optional)
12. Salt to taste

Method de Preparation
1. Cut capsicum into fine small pieces.
2. Heat 2 tbsp Gingelly oil in a tava. Splutter mustard seeds when oil is hot
3. Add curry leaves, urad dhal, vendiyam seeds and the bengal gram dhal, a tsp of asafoetida and fry
4. When urad dhal is light brown, add the tomato puree(thick) or tomato paste
5. Mix the paste well with the other ingredients. You can add some water if the paste is too thick. Alternatively, if you like the sour taste, you can prepare tamarind water and add it too. I prefer it without tamarind
6. Add red capsicum when the tomato starts getting a cooked smell. The capsicum can be added with the seeds.
7. Simmer and let it cook on low flame. Cover the vessel with a lid. The capsicum needs to cook till soft, not get fried in the heat.
8. Add Chilli Powder to suit your spicy taste and continue to cook. Make sure you regularly mix the chutney to ensure it is cooked evenly. Add salt to taste
9. Turn off after 15 mins.
The chutney can be mixed with rice or eaten with any snacks (from idlis to samosas)
Enjoy!
Bon App!

Broken wheat thirukannamudhu

Ingredients
1. Broken wheat - 1 cup
2. Payatham parupu - 1/4 cup
3. Vellam (jaggery) - 4 pieces
4. Saffron - 2 strands
5. Elachi - 2 nos
6. Cashew nuts/raisins - 4 nos
7.Milk - optional

Method de preparation
1. Cook the broken wheat and payatham parupu in a cooker(2 to 3 whistles)
2. Take the vessel out of the cooker and place on the stove and heat.
3. Drop the jaggery pieces into this warming/boiling mix. The jaggery will begin to melt. Add milk if the mix is too thick/dry.
4. Meanwhile, in a tsp of butter, fry some cashew nuts (you can break them into smaller pieces) and raisins
5. When the mix is boiling, add this fried dry fruits and 2 strands of saffron.

This can be served warm/cold. Enjoy!
Usually, this mix thickens if it is set aside for few hours. To thin it, add some milk.
Bon App!

cheedai

Ingredients
1. Rice Flour - 1 cup
2. Urad flour - 1 tsp
3. White sesame - 1 tsp
4. Jeera - 1 tsp
5. Butter
6. Salt to taste
7. Asafoetida - 1 tsp, mix it in water and use this water to make the dough

Method
1. Lightly warm the rice flour
2. Add the urad flour to the warm rice flour
3. Along with sesame seeds, jeera, butter and salt and mix it into a dough. The dough must be soft and malleable
4. Make small balls (about the size of small bubblegum).
5. Heat oil in a pan. You must see the fumes rise before you start adding the balls of cheedai
6. Serve as a snack!
Bon app!

Sankarpaali

A tasty snack that can be made sweet or salty!
Ingredients
1. Maida - 1 cup
2. Salt to taste
3. Milk - half cup (optional)
4. Ghee/Butter/Oil - 2 tbsp
5. Oil to fry

Method de preparation
1. Mix maida, salt, milk(optional), ghee into a dough
2. Make small rounds like for chappati/roti
3. Using pizza cutter, cut them into small rhombus shaped pieces
4. Heat oil in a tava.
5. Deep fry and serve!

If you want to make them sweet, use sugar instead of salt. Additionally make some sugar syrup (boil water and sugar till it is brownish color) and mix shakar paali with the sugar syrup. This is supposed to be a dry snack.

Bon App

Saboodana Cutlet

Ingredients:
1. Saboodana - 1 cup (2 handfuls)
2. Potato - 1 large
3. Bread (optional)
4. Corriander leaves
5. Ginger - grated into small pieces
6. Green Chillis - 2 to 3 nos
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil to fry

Method de Preparation:
1. Soak the saboodana in water for 10 mins. The saboodana must be completely immersed in water
2. Boil the potato, peel it and mash it.
3. Squeeze the water out of the saboodana and add it to the mashed potato.
4. (optional) you can also soak the bread slice in water, take it out immediately and mash it with this mix. (remove the crust of the bread before soaking in water)
5. Add the ginger, finely chopped green chillis, finely chopped corriander leaves and salt to this mix
6. Make the mix into small round shapes like a cutlet
7. Deep fry this in hot oil
Serve with mint chutney, sauce or just eat as is!
You can be creative and add other veggies too, like boiled carrot, boiled beans, peas, onion etc

Bon App!

Pachai payir salad

This recipe can be eaten as a snack, with chips, even served in between slices of bread as a sandwich! Since this is crunchy, it is a great alternative to deep fried food :).

Ingredients:
1. Pachai Payir/Green gram Dal - 2 handfuls
2. Grated carrot - 1 cup
3. Green chillis - 1 or 2
4. Salt to taste
5. Lemon/lime juice - 2 tbsp
6. Corriander leaves

Method de Preparation:
1. Soak the pachai payir overnight till they sprout
2. Cut the green chillis finely
3. Mix the grated coconut, green chillis, the sprouted grams, salt in a bowl
4. Add the lime/lemon juice and toss it couple of times
5. Before serving, add the finely chopped corriander leaves

Yummous!
Bon App!

Green Coconut Chutney

My MIL found the coconut we get here not too tasty to make a good coconut chutney. She produced her interesting twist to a coconut chutney.
Ingredients:
1. Grated coconut - 1 cup
2. Green chillis - 2 nos
3. Red chillis (optional) - 1 nos
4. Coriander leaves
5. Curry leaves
6. Udaicha Kadalai/pottu kadalai (fried gram dhal) - 1 tbsp
7. Peanuts (optional)
8. Oil
9. Salt to taste

Method de preparation
1. Heat some oil in a tava and add red chillis, curry leaves, pottu kadalai, peanuts, red chillis and fry for couple of mins. Lets call this the roasted lot
2. In a mixie, add the grated coconut, green chillis, salt to taste, corriander leaves and the roasted lot and grind it with some water(if required). The chutney needn't be completely smooth. It is tasty even when it is slightly coarse.

That's it! Bon App!

Idly Ravai kozhakattai

This is my MIL's recipe. She made it one evening as a surprise for my husband. We all loved the taste. The best part is that these balls can be eaten as a snack or main course with any chutney, idli molakai (chilli) powder or even just plain curd!
Ingredients:
1. Idli Ravai - 1 cup
2. Mustard seeds
3. Curry leaves
4. Ginger(optional)
5. Urad dhal
6. Asafoetida powder
7. Salt to taste
8. Pepper seeds (optional)
9. Cashew (optional)

Method de preparation
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the asafoetida powder
2. Splutter the mustard seeds in the oil.
3. Add urad dhal, curry leaves and grated ginger
4. Add 1 cup water (the same measure as that of idli ravai) and let the soup boil with some salt
5. Add the idli rava slowly and keep turning the mix as you add the idli ravai. It should come to a consistency where you can make small balls (not too watery, not too dry either)
6. Once the mix cools a little, make small balls of the mix
7. Steam the balls (like you would do idli)

Bon App!

Chow Chow thol thogayal

Ingredients:
Chouchou Thol (Chayote Skin)
Urad Dhal - 2 tablespoons
Curry Leaves - 8 to 10 leaves
Asafoetida
Red Chillis (to taste) - 3 to 4
Corriander leaves or mint leaves
Mustard seeds - one teaspoon
Grated coconut - one handful
Tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method de preparation:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil and add asafoetida to the hot oil.
2. Splutter urad dhal.
3. Add the red chillis, curry leaves.
4. Add the chouchou skin, tamarind paste/piece and grated coconut and turn it around for 3 minutes
5. Grind the above in a mixer with corriander or mint leaves. Add salt while grinding
6. Splutter some mustard seeds in oil and add the ground paste. Take it off the heat right away
Ready to eat!
Bon App!

Thenkuzal

Ingredients:
Arisi Maavu (Rice Flour) : Ulutham maavu(Black Gram Flour) = 3:1
Jeera
Perungayam (asafeotida)
Salt to taste
Butter (vennai/naey)
Acchu (to make the template in maavu and them deep fry it in oil)
Oil (to deep fry)

Method de preparation:
1. Mix the two flours (arisi maavu and ulutham maavu) in the specified ratio
2. Add Jeera, asafoetida powder, salt and butter and mix it all into a thigh dough consistency
3. Make small balls and drop into the acchu. Make templates using the acchu on paper towels
4. Heat oil till you can see light fumes rising
5. Deep fry the templates and enjoy.

I will take pictures of these and post them the next time I make these Thenkuzal.
Bon App!

Elachi/Clove powder

Quick Tip: Freeze the elachi/clove in the freezer for about 10 mins and then grind them for a fresher smelling powder. The powder can be stored in air tight containers and used instantly for anything ranging from tea to kheer or biryani.

Bon App!

Brinjal Pachadi!

It might sound funny and not so tasty, but trust me, it can make even brinjal(aka Eggplant) haters slurp it up. Here is the trick to this tasty treat:
Ingredients:
Brinjal (Eggplant) - small round type - 2 nos
Dhania Powder - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 4 leaves
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curd/Butter milk - 1 cup
Oil to fry them all
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation
1. Microwave the brinjals for about 4 mins. Check for the consistency. They should be soft and mashable
2. Take out of microwave, mash it
3. Add the dhania, jeera and curry leaves to the mash
4. Heat a little oil in a pan, splutter the urad dhal and add the mash and lightly fry the mix
5. After letting the mash up cool, add the mash to the cup of curd/buttermilk.
6. Add salt to taste
Yummo!
I have this recipe for the small brinjals. You can alternatively grill the bigger brinjal and mash it with or without the skin. Let me know how it went!
Bon App!

Spicy Peanuts

Ingredients
1. Peanuts or any nuts that pleases you - 100 gms
2. Chilli Powder - 2 tbsp
3. Curry Powder - 1 tbsp
4. Salt to taste

Method de preparation:
1. Shell the peanuts and microwave them for 10 mins
2. Rub them between your palms to remove the skin
3. Mix the chilli powder, curry powder, salt with some water. The consistency needs to be as light as for crepes(lighter than pancakes)
4. Mix the peanuts in them.
5. Microwave this mix. The amount of water added should evaporate on microwaving the mix.
6. Eat!as is or splutter some mustard seeds, curry leaves and add them or add them to Bhel (which is what my MIL does).

Microwave ParuppuUsilli

Ingredients:
Thovaram Paruppu (lentils) one small cup
Red dry chilli 2 nos
Salt to taste
Vegetable: any one of the following: beans, cabbage, karamani (thinner version of beans)
Kadugu
Curry powder
Asafoetida
Oil to fry

Method de preparation:
1.Soak the lentils in water for about 10 mins.
2.Drain water
3. Grind along with red chilli, some salt to taste
4. Meanwhile soak cut vegetable in water and place in microwave for 8 mins
5. Heat some oil, splutter the mustard seeds and add asafoetida and curry powder to it.
6. Toss the vegetable into this.
7. Meanwhile microwave the ground mix of lentils, chilli for 5 to 10 mins
8. The mix might be a little tight, so grind them in the mixer till they become coarse powder
9. Add this to the cooking vegetables.
10. Cook for 2 mins
11.Done!


Drain, vathamulakai, salt, mixie, microwave for 5 mins.

Karacha Maavu Dosai

This is a south indian dish spruced up by my MIL.
Ingredients:
1. Arisi Maavu: Ravai: Maida - 1: 1.5: 0.75
2. Green chillis
3. Salt to taste
4. Jeera
5. Ginger small pieces or grated
6. Oil to cook

Recipe:
1. Mix all the three flour (arisi, ravai and maida) to a thin batter consistency
2. Add finely chopped green chillis, jeera, ginger shavings and salt to taste
3. Leave aside for about 15 mins
4. Heat a tava on stove
5. Pour a ladle full of batter, let it take its own form
6. Add some oil to get some crispiness
7. Let it cook for sometime on one side, turn it over and let it cook again
8. Remove and serve hot with either coconut chutney/green chutney

The advantage of this type of snack is that there is no prior set up required. All the three types of flour used in this dish are usually available at home...what a recipe for some unexpected guests too!

Pasta sans marinara

I am gearing up to leave for a 2 week break. This means time to clear the fridge! My husband enjoys pasta, but has never liked marinara (huh? yah..). Luckily, I did not have pasta sauce yday in my pantry and we were craving some good Italian food. With not too much energy left to go out, this is something I spruced up last night and served with some delicious sidees.
Ingredients:
1. Pasta - fettucini, linguini..your pick
2. Pesto sauce
3. Mixed vegetables - carrots, beans, cauliflower florets..your pick
4. Onions and garlic (must have for Italian)
5. Italian seasoning
6. Lemon Zest

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Method:
1. Boil the pasta with a dash of olive oil. This helps the pieces of pasta stay separate without sticking
2. On another stove, boil the mixed vegetables
3. After both pasta and veggies feel rightly cooked (check if you can squish them with just right pressure, not too soft, not too hard). Add the pesto sauce to this mix
4. Heat some olive oil in and when hot, add some onions. Cook onions till brown
5. Add the pasta and the cooked vegetables in layers, one after the other. This helps the two blend in evenly.
6. Add some Italian seasoning (usually a blend of thyme, rosemary and so on).
7. Take off the heat after coupla minutes
8. Serve on a dish with some zest of lemon
9. For sides, just heat up some bread in an oven with a layer of your favorite cheese.
This usually comes out as a little dry pasta. Add some roasted/toasted pine nuts for extra kick..
Bon App!