Vaazhai Ilai

Vegetable Dum Biryani

2012-01-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...
Layer 1: Spiced Vegetables

Layer 2: Basmati Rice with Jeera, Cloves, Bay Leaves, Cardamom, Cinnamon sticks sprinkled with Yogurt & Cilantro

Layer 3: Repeat of Layer 1
Layer 4: Repeat of Layer 2
Layer 5: Garnished with caramelized onions

Chettinad Kaara Kuzhambu

2012-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Malli Masala Dosai

2011-12-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

Fremont... Errr... Some-Mexican-City's Malli Masala Dosai. Stay tuned for the recipe...

Roasted Petite Golden Potatoes

2011-09-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

No, I won't post a recipe for this easiest thing. Just make sure you buy Petite Golden Potatoes.

Pani Puri

2011-09-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Idiyappam & Kurma

2011-08-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Tandoori Paneer with Veggies

2011-06-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Saiva Meen Kuzhambu

2011-03-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Nava Dhaanya (9 grains) Kuzhi Paniyaram

2011-02-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Upma Kozhukattai

2011-02-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Baked Aloo Tikki

2011-01-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Egg & Tofu Kothu (Minced) Parotta/Paratha

2010-02-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

White/Brown Eggs - 2 Nos.
Parotta - 2
Extra Firm Tofu - 1 pack
Red Onion - 1
Garlic - 6 cloves
Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli - 4
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Peas - 1/4 lbs.
Curry Leaves - a small bunch
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - To Taste

Procedure

Sauté the chopped Onions, Green Chilli, Curry Leaves, Garlic & Ginger on a thick pan
When the onion turns golden brown, break the eggs and pour it on the pan and keep stirring the mixture so that you have a bhurji (scrambled eggs) kind of a texture
When its nicely sautéed, add the chopped tofu & green peas onto the above mixture with Chilli & Turmeric powders
Now, add the finely chopped Parottas (frozen parottas is perfectly fine) to the pan (Assuming that you cooked the parottas in a pan already and you're chopping the cooked parottas)
Add some salt and keep mixing them until they're cooked (probably for 10-15 mins)
Enjoy your Egg & Tofu Kothu (Minced) Parotta/Paratha

PS: I had some leftover Mutter Tofu and I used that instead of sautéing my tofu & green peas. So, you can be very creative with your leftover side dishes too.

Stir Fried Tofu & Vegetables

2010-01-27T20:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, Yup & Yeah! That simple!

Sambhar Vadai

2010-01-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Urad Dhal - 1 cup
Green Chilli - 1
Curry Leaves - 1 branch
Asafoetida - One small pinch
Salt - To Taste
Oil - To deep fry

Procedure - For Vadai

Soak urad dal overnight for atleast 8 hours. Finely (I mean, very finely) chop Green Chillis & Curry Leaves
In a grinder, finely grind the soaked urad dal. Don't add too much water, just add as much as it needs to keep the grinder working. (Yes, you can use a mixie too, but if you grind it, you'll get more for your buck!)
When its done, add the above finely chopped items to the ground mixture with salt and asafoetida
Now, take a ping-pong sized ball of this mixture, place it on your four fingers, make a small hole in the center of the vadai and slowly drop it in boiling oil
Keep the stove in medium flame so that you'll let the vadai cook properly and turn golden brown as well
In an electric stove with medium flame, it takes about 8-12 minutes for the vadai to come out properly. When its done, keep the fried vadai's on a tissue paper and you'll have a "Oh! My God! See how much oil!" moment, and that's perfectly Okay! No need to call 911...
Now, drop these vadai's (that is, after they've cooled down a bit) in some yummy sambhar and let it soak for atleast 6 hours. Don't worry, it won't become soggy

Procedure - For Sambhar

Come on, now don't tell me you don't know how to make a Sambhar! Are you flipping kidding me?

Oh btw, one free advice - The best consistency (பதம்) for the ground mixture is, when you take it in your hand/spoon and keep it upside down, it shouldn't fall down.

Stuffed Peppers

2009-06-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

By far, my favorite vegetable is bell pepper. I just love to buy it, cut it, cook it, eat it and the flavor of it in anything (stop your wild imagination right there! "Anything" = A vegetarian soup/salad/entree), is fantabulous.

Ingredients

Red Onion - 1
Bell (Green/Red/Orange/Yellow) Peppers - 6
Garlic - 4/5
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Serrano Chilli - 2
Potato - 1
Carrot - 1
Peas - 4 tbsp
Kernel Corn - 4 tbsp
Red Kidney Beans - 1/2 cup
Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 4 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
Mozarella Cheese - 1/4 cup

Before Baking...

After Baking...

Procedure

Soak the Red Kidney Beans for 12 hours. Add salt to the soaked red kidney beans and pressure cook the same (one whistle)
Keep the stove on medium flame. Add oil & cumin seends and let it splutter
Finely chop Onions, Ginger, Garlic, Serrano Chilli and add it to the pan
Once the onions turn golden brown, add cut potatoes, carrots, peas, kernel corn & pressure cooked red kindey beans to the pan
Add Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder to the above mixture and close the pan
Cook it like this for 10-15 minutes until the flavour of the powders gel well with the vegetables and beans
While this mixture is getting ready, wash the bell peppers thoroughly and cut the top portion so that it's like a cap for the bottom portion of the pepper. Goes without saying, you have to clean the seeds inside and trash them
Mix salt to 3 tbsp of oil and rub this salted oil mixture throughout the peppers (inside-out)
Now, stuff the vegetables and beans into each of the peppers and garnish it with cheese.
Close the stuffed peppers with the cut portion that and neatly arrange in a baking dish (Take a picture of the same if you'd like to post in your blog!).
If you are smart enough, you should preheat the oven to 350F before starting the stuffing so that you can shove it in oven right after you're done. Otherwise, its not the end of the world, preheat it now and put the stuffed peppers into your oven
It takes anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending on the oven, so, after 20~ minutes, keep looking at the peppers to see if they're done. If you like it well done, you can leave it for a while, but don't get your peppers black eyed!
And yes, its a little painful to eat the peppers as such, so, use your expertise with a knife and fork and I hope you enjoy it

Stuffed Tandoori Aloo

2009-05-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Big Russet Potatoes - 4
Green Peas - 2 tbsp
Finely Chopped Red Onion - 3 tbsp
Serrano Chilli - 1
Mozzarella Cheese - 6 tbsp
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 4/5
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Amchoor Powder - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Tandoori Masala - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
Salt - To Taste
Cashew - 6 to 8
Raisins - 1 tbsp

Before Baking...

Procedure

Clean the Russet potatoes well in cold running water. Then, steam the potatoes with water and salt for like 5 minutes. You can 0it (or) put it in a cooker
When its done, peel the skin and cut the potatoes into two, length wise. Scoop the inner portion of the potatoes slowly with a spoon so that the scooped potatoes look like a small boat (Lousy example, I know, but for the lack of a better explanation, I had to do it!)
Don't throw away the scrap that you've scooped, we're going to need that for the filling
For marinating, grind the ginger, garlic, amchoor powder, chilli powder, tandoori masala, oil, a pinch of salt and a little bit of water in a blender. Take the cut & scooped pieces of potatoes and apply the above ground mixture on all sides of the potatoes. Set it aside for a few minutes
For the filling, take a bowl and put the scrapped potatoes, green peas, red onions, serrano chilli (chopped), mozzarella cheese (3 tbsp), Turmeric, Garam Masala, Chilli Powder, a pinch of salt and mix it really well. If you want to add little bit of hot water, please do, so that it'll jell better
Now, take the marinated potatoes and put the hollow portion with the filling you've prepared in #5 above. Be a little generous when you fill it
When you're done with the stuffing, lay the potatoes in a baking dish neatly. Garnish each filled potato with finely chopped cashew, raisins and mozzarella cheese
When you're done garnishing, shove it in the oven which is presumed to be preheated at 400F and ready!
It takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on the oven, so, after 20~ minutes, keep looking to see if they're done or not
Serve it with Tomato Ketchup (or) Green Chutney (the kind you get in a chaat shop)

PS: The 'After Baking...' picture is not here because we ate the potatoes when they were done. Yup! the usual ஆர்வ கோளாறு!

Sweet Corn Soup

2009-05-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Kernel Corn - 2 cups
Carrot - 1
Peas - 4 tbsp
Onion - 1
Green Onion - 2/3
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 bunch
Veg. Broth - 2 (16 oz.) cans
Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
White Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp
Chilli Sauce - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
Salt & Crushed Black Pepper - To Taste

Procedure

Steam the corn in pressure cooker for 10-12 minutes
Grind half of the boiled corn in a blender with the corn flour
Finely chop Onions, Serrano Chilli and sauté in a pot with oil
Add the grounded corn mixture when the onions turn light brown
Put the rest of the boiled corn, cut carrots, peas to the above mixture
Add soy sauce, chilli sauce, white vinegar with a pinch of salt and black pepper
Let it boil for 10 minutes and garnish with coriander leaves and green onions
Done

Burrito Bol

2009-05-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

An attempt to replicate the bestest Burrito Bol from here

Ingredients

Tomato Salsa

Medium sized fresh tomatoes - 3
Red onion - 1/2
Serrano chilli - 1
Lemon - 1 (For Juice)
Chopped Cilantro - 1/2 cup
Salt and pepper - To taste

Salsa Verde

Tomatillos - 3
White onion - 1/2
Green Onions - 4 stems
Chopped Cilantro - 1/2 cup
Lemon - 1 (For Juice)
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Serrano Chilli - 1
Salt - To Taste
Cumin Powder - 1 small pinch

Guacamole

Buy it from a store, seriously. I did it from scratch and hence I know how big a pain in the rear end it is. Please, will you listen to me?

Pinto Beans

Pinto Beans (or) Red Kidney Beans - 1 cup
Red Chillis - 2
Salt - To Taste

Rice with Lemon Juice

Basmati Rice - 2 cups (uncooked)
Green Onions - 2 stems
Cilantro - 1/3 cup
Lemon - 2 (For Juice)
Salt

Procedure

Tomato Salsa

Remove stems and finely dice the tomatoes and Serrano Chilli
Finely chop the Onions and mix it with the diced tomatoes & chilli
Squeeze juice from 1 lemon and add it with salt and pepper to the above mixture
Now, garnish this with chopped cilantro, mix it really well & refrigerate

Salsa Verde

Remove stems from the tomatillos and Serrano Chilli
Add the tomatillos, Serrano Chilli, White Onion, Green Onion, Cilantro to a food processor and grind it for 15-20 seconds along with Cumin powder, Sugar & Salt
Consistency for this ground mixture should be a little coarse
Add fresh lemon juice to the ground salsa, mix it really well & refrigerate

Pinto Beans

Soak the Pinto Beans for 2 hours and pressure cook with the red chillis and salt
Drain the water and keep it aside

Rice with Lemon Juice

Cook the rice and let it cool for about 30 mins
Take a pan and saute` the green onions and cilantro a bit and add the rice with salt
Now, add freshly squeezed lemon juice on the rice and close it for a while so that the juices blend with the rice

Now, add all of these together, garnish with some sour cream, lettuce and enjoy maadi. Yes, its a bit laborious, but you can Añadir Cocina Mexicana su curriculum vitae!

Punjabi Kadhi with Spinach Kofta

2009-05-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

For Spinach Kofta

Spinach - A couple of bunches, say about 1 lbs
Gram Flour - 1/2 cup
Breadcrumbs - 3 tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Serrano chilli - 2 Nos.
Oil - 2 tsp

For Punjabhi Kadhi

Gram flour - 1 cup
Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Yogurt/Buttermilk - 1/4 gallon
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - A small pinch
Dry Red Chillis - 2 nos.
Oil - 2tbsp

Before Baking...

After Baking...

In the Punjabi Kadhi...

Procedure

For Baked Spinach Kofta

Parboil the spinach and have the Green Chillis finely chopped
Put the parboiled spinach and green chillis and grind it really well
Mix the ground mixture with gram flour, salt, oil, breadcrumbs with little bit of water
Keep mixing the above things until you feel you can make nice balls of kofta
Rub oil in your hand and make small kofta balls as shown above and place it evenly on a baking sheet
Bake it at 300F for about 15-20 mins

For Punjabhi Kadhi

Add turmeric powder, gram flour, salt and red chilli powder to the Yogurt/buttermilk and beat it really well so that there are no lumps
Take a cooking bowl and sauté the onions until it turns golden brown
Now, add the mixed yogurt/buttermilk to the onions and keep the stove in low-medium flame for about 10 minutes
Let the Kadhi thicken a bit and then do a Tadka with dry red chillis and asafoetida and pour it on the boiling Kadhi
By this time, the baked kofta should be ready and simmer those kofta balls in the kadhi for about 30 minutes before serving
Makes an excellent side dish for Roti's or Jeera Rice

Oh btw, the guilt feeling is a little less even after eating a lot of kofta's this way as its not deep fried. Obviously, the baked kofta's aren't as nice as the deep fried ones, but is definitely a healthy substitute and really, its not as bad as you think it might be. So, give it a shot.

Sweet Corn Tamale

2009-04-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sincere Advice: Don't even torment yourself by trying this at home. It's so ridiculously laborious that it's not worth the time, when you're done making it. And, if you have eaten a Tamale Cake here, you will feel dumb to have tried this at home. That's your "Duh!" moment.

If you still don't want to listen to my wisdom, be my guest and try it out based on the recipe here

Baked Veggie Cutlet

2009-04-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Potatoes - 4 nos.
Carrot - 4 nos.
Beans - 1/4 lbs
Beets - 1 nos.
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Salt - To Taste
Tandoori Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Wheat Bread - 4 slices

Before Baking...

After Baking...

Procedure

Boil all the vegetables with little bit of salt and peel off the skin
Now, mash all of the boiled vegetables with some salt, Tandoori & Chilli Powder
Grind the wheat bread into a fine powder in a mixie and keep it aside
Make patties of the mashed vegetables, and coat it with powdered wheat bread (you can just put the patty on the bread powder and it will stick onto the patty automatically)
Grease a baking dish or cookie sheet with some oil and keep these patties on them
Shove it in the oven (400F) for about 20-30 mins and you have a healthy, yet, yummy snack.

Tom Yum Gai

2009-03-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

I love this Thai soup, a very good supplement if you're on a diet. If you have a cold/cough, and if you're a vegetarian, trust me, this will definitely soothe you.

Ingredients

Red Onion - 1
Green Peppers - 1
Garlic - 4/5
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Serrano Chilli - 2
Potato - 1
Carrot - 1
Cauliflower - 1/2 (small sized one)
Broccoli - 1/2 (small sized one)
Peas - 1/2 cup
Kernel Corn - 1/2 cup
Firm Tofu - 1 cup
Green Onions - 4/5
Fresh Basil - 4/5 leaves
Lemon Grass - 1 stem
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Veg. Broth - 3 (16 oz.) cans
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 1 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
Chilli Sauce - 2 tbsp
Sweet & Sour Sauce - 2 tbsp

Procedure

Cut ingredients #1 thru' #9 in whatever shape and size you prefer. (But, don't chop it very finely as you'll not be able to appreciate the taste of each of those)
Take a pot, and sauté Onion, Green Pepper, Garlic, Ginger, Serrano Chilli for a couple of minutes in medium flame
Add the potato, carrot, peas, corn, 3 cans of Veg. Broth to the sauteed items in the pot
Add the sauces (Soy, Chilli, Sweet & Sour), Tofu, Fresh Basil, Lemon Grass to the broth
If you like to eat basil, you can finely chop it, otherwise put the full leaves as-is so that you just get the flavor of it
Let it boil for 15-20 minutes so that you let the carrots and potatoes cook enough
Now, add Broccoli, Cauliflower, finely chopped coriander leaves and green onions to the pot and turn off the flame. Close the pot with a lid for 5 minutes. This will make the brocolli and cauliflower to a steamed consistency and that's exactly how it should be. You don't want these to get too much boiled and disintegrate in your soup
Done

Tips

Try to use Less Sodium Soy sauce. More the sodium, more the unhealthy your soup is!
If you want this carb-free, ditch potatoes

Pineapple Thai Fried Rice

2009-02-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Basmati/Brown Rice (Uncooked) - 2 cups
Tofu - about 15-20 cubes
Potatoes - 2 nos.
Green Pepper - 1 no.
Carrot - 1 no.
Beans - 1/4 lbs
Baby Corn - 1/4 lbs
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Pineapple - 1 small can (if you don't get fresh pineapple)
Basil Leaves - 6
Onion - 1 no.
Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
Garlic - 6 cloves
Soy Sauce - 4 tbsp (use Low Sodium)
Sweet & Sour sauce - 2 tbsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 4 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

Cook the rice in a cooker and refrigerate it for a couple of hours so that its not like sticky rice. Also, boil/steam all of the julienne cut vegetables to your preferred consistency.
Sauté the tofu in Oil for sometime so that it doesn't separate when you mix it with the rice
Add julienne cut onions, garlic, thai green chillis to the above tofu after your tofu turns golden brown
When this is all properly Sautéd, add the boiled/steamed vegetables and chopped pineapples along with the cooked & cooled rice
Now, add the Soy, Sweet & Sour & Chilli Sauces to the mixture. You can add more Soy sauce to enhance taste and try to use Low Sodium version of the Soy Sauce. There is absolutely no difference in taste and your fried rice will be less salty (unlike the ones you might have eaten in your Chinese take-out) & more healthier!
Now, add finely chopped fresh basil leaves and mix it together with the rice
You can be a little generous with the oil if you think the noodles is a little too dry, after all, you won't be making this every single day and you can walk an extra mile to burn off this fat (or) wash it down with hot green tea.
That's it! Enjoy your Pineapple Thai Fried Rice!

Pad Kee Mao

2009-02-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Flat Rice Noodles
Tofu - about 15-20 cubes
Potatoes - 2 nos.
Green Pepper - 1 no.
Carrot - 1 no.
Beans - 1/4 lbs
Baby Corn - 1/4 lbs
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Basil Leaves - 6
Onion - 1 no.
Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
Garlic - 6 cloves
Soy Sauce - 4 tbsp (use Low Sodium)
Sweet & Sour sauce - 2 tbsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 4 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

Boil the flat rice noodles with salt and little bit of oil so that it doesn't stick together. Also, boil/steam all of the julienne cut vegetables to your preferred consistency.
Sauté the tofu in Oil for sometime so that it doesn't separate when you mix it with the noodles
Add julienne cut onions, garlic, thai green chillis to the above tofu after your tofu turns golden brown
When this is all properly Sautéd, add the boiled/steamed vegetables along with the boiled flat rice noodles
Now, add the Soy, Sweet & Sour & Chilli Sauces to the mixture. You can add more Soy sauce to enhance taste and try to use Low Sodium version of the Soy Sauce. There is absolutely no difference in taste and your Pad Kee Mao will be less salty (unlike the ones you might have eaten in your Chinese take-out) & more healthier!
Now, add finely chopped fresh basil leaves and mix it together with the flat rice noodles
You can be a little generous with the oil if you think the noodles is a little too dry, after all, you won't be making this every single day and you can walk an extra mile to burn off this fat (or) wash it down with hot green tea.
That's it! Enjoy your Pad Kee Mao!

PS: I love to add steamed Broccoli on my Pad Kee Mao, but since the Missus hates the smell of Broccoli, I resigned myself from using it. If you like it, go for it, it'll be heavenly.

Baked Spaghetti in a Marinara Sauce

2009-02-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Spaghetti - 1/2 lbs
Mixed Bell Peppers - 2 nos.
Red Onion - 1 No.
Big Roma Tomatoes - 6
Basil Leaves - 6
Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
Garlic - 6 cloves
Salt - To Taste
Cheese - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Before Baking...

After Baking...

Procedure

Boil the Spaghetti with some salt and oil so that it doesn't stick together. Drain the water and keep the cooked spaghetti aside
Now, boil the tomatoes and peal the skin. Ground them in a mixer/blender with Garlic, Basil Leaves & Green Chilli
Sauté the onions & bell peppers. When the onions turn golden brown, add the ground mixture and spaghetti
Mix it thoroughly and transfer the contents to a baking dish. Sprinkle some Cheese on the top and shove it in the oven for 30 mins (350F)
Enjoy it with some grated cheese and crushed red peppers.

Baked Ravioli

2009-02-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Cheese & Spinach Ravioli - 1/4 lbs
Red Onion - 1 No.
Big Roma Tomatoes - 6
Basil Leaves - 6
Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
Garlic - 6 cloves
Salt - To Taste
Cheese - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

I didn't make the ravioli from scratch, bought one from the store. There are several kinds of ravioli's and I don't like a lot of cheese, so, just went with the cheese & spinach ravioli. Just open up the cover and put the ravioli's in boiling water for a while, drain the water and keep the ravioli aside
Now, boil the tomatoes and peal the skin. Ground them in a mixer/blender with Garlic, Basil Leaves & Green Chilli
Sauté the onions and when it turns golden brown, add the ground mixture let it boil for sometime
Now, add the ravioli and mix it thoroughly. Transfer the contents to a baking dish. Sprinkle some Cheese on the top and shove it in the oven for 30 mins (350F)
You're done!

Masal Vadai

2009-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Channa/Gram Dhal - 1 cup
Red Onion - 1
Garlic - 4/5
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Green Chilli - 1
Crushed Red Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 branch
Asafoetida - One small pinch
Salt - To Taste
Oil - To deep fry

While frying...

After frying...

Procedure

Soak gram dal for about an hour. Finely (I mean, very finely) chop Onions, Green Chillis, Garlic, Ginger & Curry Leaves
In a mixie/blender, coarsely grind the soaked dal with the crushed red pepper
When its done, add the above finely chopped items to the ground mixture with salt and asafoetida
Now, take a ping-pong sized ball of this mixture and place it on a ziploc sheet (or vaazhai ilai, literally speaking) and pat to flatten it (You can sing this song though!)
Slowly, drop the patted vadai in boiling oil. Keep the stove in medium flame so that you'll let the vadai cook properly and turn golden brown as well.
Serve with Coconut/Mint Chutney and put on a lot of weight!

Okra & Tofu Manchurian

2008-12-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Bell (Green/Red/Orange/Yellow) Peppers - 1
Extra Firm Tofu - 1 pack
Okra - 1/4 lbs
Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
Chilli Sauce - 2 tbsp (or based on your spicy level, you can reduce/increase it)
Sweet & Sour Sauce - 4 tbsp
Oil - 1/4 lbs.

Procedure

Cut the Okra's length wise and Tofu into little cubes. Deep fry them separately and have them ready
Cut the bell peppers into little squares and sauté them in a pan with some little oil
Now, add the deep fried Okra, Tofu and all of the sauces and sauté them until the sauces are well spread over the Peppers, Okra & Tofu
Enjoy this tasty, but unhealthy snack :)

Kadai Paneer, Manchurian Style!

2008-11-30T09:08:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Big Red Onion - 1
Bell (Green/Red/Orange/Yellow) Peppers - 2
Panneer - 1/2 cup
Serrano Chilli - 2
Garlic - 5 cloves
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Green Onions - 8 stems
Fresh Basil - 4 leaves
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
Chilli Sauce - 2 tbsp (or based on your spicy level, you can reduce/increase it)
Sweet & Sour Sauce - 4 tbsp
Salt - To Taste

Procedure

Cut Onions, Bell Peppers & Serrano Chilli length wise and sauté them for a while in a pan with 2 tbsp of Oil
Add finely chopped ginger & garlic to the pan along with some turmeric powder and mix it well for a few minutes
Once the fresh smell of garlic is gone, add the length wise cut panneer to the pan and mix it well
Now, add all the sauces (Soy, Chilli, Sweet & Sour) & salt to the pan and stir the whole mixture properly
Add half of the chopped green onions & fresh basil leaves to the above mixture and close the pan
Keep your stove in medium flame, open and stir the contents every 2-3 minutes. You have to leave this in the pan for nearly 10-15 minutes so that the panneer gets marinated well with the sauces and juices from onions & peppers
Now, garnish the kadai panneer with the rest of the chopped green onions & fresh basil leaves. Turn off the flame and keep the pan closed for atleast 1 hour. Basically, this dish will taste better when its marinated well for a long time. Just before you serve, heat it in medium flame for a few minutes
That's it! Enjoy with your Roti's and/or Rice!

Note (சூது வாது...)

If you don't have fresh basil leaves, use dry basil leaves (duh!)
If you're so diet conscious (or) a vegan (or) lactose intolerant, replace panneer with Extra-Firm Tofu
To marinate well and keep it warm, once you've made the kadai panneer, preheat the oven to 300-400F and turn it off. Now, transfer the kadai panneer to a baking dish and shove it in the oven and leave it for an hour or so. This way, you don't even have to heat it just before you serve (சித்தப்பு, நாங்கல்லாம் யாரு...)

Ras Malai

2008-10-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Gulab Jamun

2008-10-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for the recipe...

Baked Peppers in Coconut Milk

2008-10-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Mixed Bell Peppers - 2 nos.
Basil Leaves - 6
Thai Green Chilli - 4 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
Garlic - 6 cloves
Coconut Milk - 1 can
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 tbsp (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Procedure

Cut the bell peppers into little squares and mix it with little bit of oil & salt. Put them on a baking dish and shove it in the oven for 30 mins (350F)
While the bell peppers are getting baked, finely ground the garlic, Thai Green Chillis & Basil Leaves in a mixer/blender and keep them aside.
Now, take a pan and add the ground mixture with a can of coconut milk and keep it on medium flame.
When the bell peppers are baked, add them to the pan and let it simmer for another 10-15 mins.
You're done. Most easiest & quickest thing to make. Enjoy it with some steamed rice or Rotis.

Aval (Poha) Upma

2008-09-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Thick Poha - 2 cups
Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 2 Nos.
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 bunch
Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

Soak the thick poha in water for 5 mins and squeeze the water out and let it dry for a few minutes
Add the cut vegetables onto a pan with some oil keep sautéing it for a few minutes.
Now, add all the powders and then add the poha and keep stirring it until the powders are cooked properly
Finally, add finely chopped tomatoes and garnish it with coriande leaves. We add the tomatoes at last as it doesn't make the Poha Upma watery
Enjoy it with some thick Yogurt and chips, it'll be heavenly.

Baked Farfalle in an Alfredo Sauce

2008-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Farfalle - 2 cups
Red Onion - 1
Bell (Green/Red/Orange/Yellow) Peppers - 1
Garlic - 4/5
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Serrano Chilli - 2
Potato - 1
Carrot - 1
Beans - 1 cup
Peas - 4 tbsp
Kernel Corn - 4 tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Crushed Black Pepper - To Taste
Oil - 4 tbsp (Olive/Vegetable/Canola)
All Purpose Flour / Maida Flour - 2 tbsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Milk - 16 oz
Mozzarella Cheese - 1/4 cup

Alfredo sauce...

Boiled Farfalle with Vegetables in the pan...

Farfalle, before baking...

Farfalle, after baking...

Procedure

Boil Farfalle with salt. When its done, filter the water and add 1 tbsp of oil to the farfalle and mix it well so that it doesn't get sticky
For the alfredo sauce, put the butter in a pot and while its melting, add all purpose flour with salt and pepper. Mix it real well with the butter so that these don't remain as lumps.
Add milk to this butter-flour mixture and keep stirring it. You'll see that the sauce will be become more viscous as you keep stirring it. Just get it to a tomato ketchup consistency and turn off the stove
Microwave the cut carrots, potatoes, beans, peas & corn for like 4 to 5 minutes
Add oil to the pan and saute onions, peppers chilli, garlic & ginger. Add the vegetables from microwave to this and keep frying it for a while
Add the boiled faralle to this veggie mixture and stir real well. Add salt and pepper as necessary
Now, transfer this to a baking dish and mix the alfredo sauce with it
Garnish it with cheese and shove it in the oven, which I presume is preheated to 400F and ready!
Done

Note: The "real" alfredo sauce needs cheese and parsley, so if you want to make it so authentic, your wish!

Thai Green Curry

2008-08-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Potatoes - 2 nos.
Green Pepper - 1 no.
Carrot - 1 no.
Basil Leaves - 6
Lemon Grass - 2 nos.
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Small Egg plant - 2 nos.
Onion - 2 nos.
Thai Green Chilli - 6 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
Garlic - 6 cloves
Ginger - same quantity as Garlic
Dhaniya (Corriander) Seeds - 3 tbsp
Salt
Coconut Milk - 1 can
Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure

Cut 1 1/2 onions, garlic, ginger, thai green chillis into big cubes. Grind them all together with Corriander seeds, 3 basil leaves, 1/2 green pepper (This will give a very nice green color and flavor)
Cut rest of the vegetables into big cubes and finely chop the remaining basil leaves
Add the oil in a pan and fry the remaining 1/2 onion until it turns golder brown
Now, add the cut vegetables and the grounded mixture together with some salt. Let it boil in medium flame for few minutes
Add the whole can of coconut milk on the pan and let it boil will till the curry gets more viscous
Your Thai Green Curry is all set. You can just mix this with cooked Basmati rice and enjoy

Aloo Vindaloo

2008-08-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

As I don't eat the the things that come in Animal Planet, I had to customize and replace the lamb with potatoes. The major difference between other North Indian side dishes and a Vindaloo is that the latter is more a ginger based gravy. Lets get into the details.

Ingredients

Baby Potatoes - 1 lbs
Onion - 2 nos.
Green Chilli - 4 nos.
Garlic - 6 cloves
Ginger - 200 gms
Jeera (Cumin) seeds
Red Chilli Powder
Dhaniya (Corriander) Powder
Tamarind Paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder

Procedure

First of all, we have to marinate the potatoes in a mixture and leave it in the refrigerator for atleast 12 hours.
Marinating Procedure

Peel off the skin from the Baby Potatoes and cut them into two pieces. With a small needle put some tiny holes in the potato pieces so that when we marinate the juices will get in nicely
Chop the ginger, garlic and green chillis into pieces
In an air tight bowl, add the tamarind paste, the above finely chopped items, potatoes, salt, turmeric powder and mix well
Marinated Aloo...
Close the bowl fully and put it in the refrigerator for atleast 12 hours

When the mixture is properly marinated, carefully remove just the potatoes from the mixture and set them aside.
Now, grind the rest of the mixture in a mixie so that your gravy doesn't have the ginger, garlic or green chillis in a chopped fashion
Add oil in a pan and add onions and cumin seeds
Add the grounded paste when the onions turn golden brown color
Let the gravy boil for a few minutes, then add garam masala and chilli powder. Also, add a little more salt to taste
Gravy for Vindaloo...
After a few minutes, add the potatoes and keep the stove on medium flame. Close the pan with a lid.
Leave it on medium flame until the potatoes are well cooked
Your Aloo Vindaloo is all set and garnish with a little bit of fresh coriander leaves.
A very nice side dish for Rotis and Peas Pulao

Dahi (Curd/Yoghurt) Aloo

2008-07-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

This is not as difficult as you might think it is, lets dwell right onto the details.

Ingredients

Potatoes - 2 lbs
Green Chilli - 4 nos.
Garlic - 4 cloves
Ginger - same amount as Garlic
Jeera (Cumin) seeds
Red Chilli Powder
Dhaniya (Corriander) Powder
Turmeric Powder
Salt
Wheat Flour - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder
Thick Dahi a.k.a. Curd a.k.a. Yogurt - 1.5 cups

Procedure

Pressure cook all the potatoes with a salt and turmeric powder for 3 whistles. While the potatoes are in the cooker, prepare the gravy
For gravy, beat the thick curd into a less viscous liquid. Not as watery as butter-milk, but somewhere in between
Add Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala, Dhaniya Powder on the curd and beat again. Set this aside
When the potatoes are done, peel the skin and mash half the potatoes and cut the other half of potatoes into uniform sized cubes
Add green chilli, finely chopped ginger & garlic, wheat flour to the mashed half of potatoes
Add oil in a pan and add cumin seeds
Add the mashed potatoes mixture onto the pan
Add the curd immediately and stir it pretty well until the mashed potatoes and the curd mixture jell well. Add salt as needed.
Keep the stove on medium flame and close the pan with a lid. Leave it for 10 minutes
After 10 minutes, add the other half of the cubed-potatoes and stir well. Leave the whole mixture for another 10 minutes on medium flame
Your Dahi aloo is all set and garnish with a little bit of fresh coriander leaves.
A very nice side dish for Rotis and Parathas.

Vegetable Jalfrezi

2008-07-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is a no-brainer, as long as you have some time, these ingredients you should be, as how they say in Taco Bell, good-to-go.

Ingredients

Vegetables, a lot of them (Potato, Carrot, Bell Peppers, Onion, Tomato, Green peas, Cauliflower, Broccoli etc)
Green Chilli - 4 nos.
Garlic - 4 cloves
Ginger - same amount as Garlic
Jeera (Cumin) seeds
Red Chilli Powder
Dhaniya (Corriander) Powder
Turmeric Powder
Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder (or any Jalfrezi mix. I used 'Khana Khazana')
Water - 2 tumblers

Procedure

Cut vegetables into cubes (as shown above) and keep them aside
Add oil in a pan and add cumin seeds
Add onion, green chilli, ginger, garlic and fry till it changes color a bit
Add the bell peppers, tomato and saute` the mixture a bit
Add rest of the vegetables
Add all the above mentioned powders in any order as you desire
Sprinkle 1/2 tumbler of water and mix everything together
Reduce the flame to medium and close the pan with its lid, keep mixing it every 5 minutes by adding water as needed
In 20 minutes, this is what you get...

A very nice, easy to make sabjhi for Roti's, Peas Pulav, Tacos.

Mango Sevai

2008-04-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Rice Sevai - 2 cups
Red Onions - 1 Nos.
Green Chili - 2 Nos.
Tomatoes - 2 Nos.
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 bunch
Fresh Green Mango - 1/2
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

Boil water with some salt and add the Rice Sevai for a few minutes. Filter out the water and let the sevai dry out for a few minutes
Julienne cut the onions and Green Chillis and sauté them on a pan until they turn golden brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté for a few more minutes
Finely grate the fresh green mango and then add it to the pan with sevai and all the other powders. Cook for a few minutes until the powders are nicely done.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and enjoy

Aloo Methi

2008-04-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Potatoes - 1 lbs
Red Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Green Chillis - 2
Methi (Fenugreek) leaves - 1 bunch
Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

Boil/Steam the potatoes, peal the skin and keep them aside
Finely chop the onions & green chilli and sauté them till they turn golden brown.
Add the finely chopped tomatoes & Methi (Fenugreek) leaves to the onions continue to sauté them
Now, add the boiled potatoes with all the powders and keep stirring it until the masala's are properly cooked
Serve with hot Roti's or Peas Pulav.Not a great delicacy, but works like a charm when you don't have a lot of things at your disposal.

இலந்தப்பழம். Period.

2008-01-23T22:59:00.000-08:00

My mouth is still as juicy as it was when I saw this in Chennai this time, so, wanted this to be a memorabilia!

We once had this fruits' tree next to our house when I was in my 2^nd / 3^rd standard. Any variations of this, இலந்த வடை, for instance, should not be missed if you ever were given a chance.

Owners Pride, Neighbors envy மாதிரி, கொஞ்சம் உங்க வாய்லயும் எச்சில் ஊற வெக்கலாம்னுதான்!

Potato & Onion Fry

2007-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Potatoes - 1 lbs
Red Onion - 1
Chilli Powder - 2 tbsp
Dhaniya (Corriander Powder) - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

Boil/Steam the potatoes, peal the skin and keep them aside
Julienne cut the the onions & sauté them till they turn golden brown.
Now, add the boiled potatoes with all the powders and keep sautéing it until the spices are properly cooked
This is a defacto curry for any entree. Enjoy with any rice.

Milagai (Mirch/Chilli) Bajji

2007-11-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Mini Bell (Green/Red/Orange/Yellow) Peppers - 5
Paprika powder - 2 tbsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Peanut Powder - 2 tsp
Besan Flour / Chick Peas Flour / Kadalai maavu - 1 cup
Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 1/4 lbs.

Before Frying...

After Frying...

Procedure

The smartest way to make this Bajji is to buy the right kind of peppers. If you buy an Anaheim Chilli or a Jalapeno, you can reserve the loo for the next morning and take the day off from work, because you ain't coming out of that haven. Try to select mini bell peppers or pepper specifically for the the Bajji. You can check this in your Produce department and they should be able to help you with the Pepper's spiciness level.
You have to make a batter with Besan Flour, Chilli Powder & Salt. Make it a little viscous.
Make a paste/mixture with the rest of the powders (Paprika, Cumin, Turmeric, Corriander & Crushed Peanut Powder) & oil
Now, cut the peppers length wise and stuff the above mixture onto the peppers
Dip the above stuffed peppers onto the batter and deep fry them
This would be a wonderful afternoon snack especially when its cold outside. Ofcourse, its not a healthy snack, otherwise it wouldn't taste this good.

Ennai (Oil) Kathirikkai Kuzhambu

2007-11-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

This is not just another variation of Vatha Kuzhambu, but a truly enriching experience, both to cook and eat with suda-suda sadham. I learned this from Harini's Amma, and if you don't know Harini or her Amma, wait for some more time. Harini's Amma is one real important person in my cooking life. Will come to that later and lets take a plunge onto the details... (yea, kelambu kelambu kaathu varattum dhan...)

Ingredients

Kutti Kathirikkai (Small Brinjals a.k.a. Egg Plant) - 5 or 6
Puli - a small lemon size
Kadalai Paruppu - 2 tbsp
Milagai Vathal - 6 or 7 (For, 'sema hot machi', use 9 or 10)
Dhaniya - 2 tsp
Perungayam - A small pinch
Kadugu - 1 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp (Use this
Karuveppilai - 5
Salt - As much as you want

Procedure

Put the tamarind in boiling hot water with salt and leave it for 15 minutes. This will ease your work of squashing the tamarind and getting the water out of it
While the tamarind is soaked, put a heavy vessel on the stove (As usual, I used my vaanali!)
Add a few drops of oil in the hot pan and add the Kadalai Paruppu, Dhaniya, Vatha Milagai
Fry till it turns golden brown and transfer the contents to a mixie. Let is cool for sometime and grind it to a coarse powder (The less oil you use for frying, more powderized it is!)
Wash the kathirikkai nicely in running water and cut the stem. Make sure the kathirikkai's are small, say the size of a plum fruit that we get in India
Now, make 2 cuts in the center of the kathirikkai's, from the top, so that the two cuts are perpendicular. Remember, don't cut it fully and the kathirikkai should be as a whole
Stuff the powder that you just ground in the mixie, in the kathirikkai's (Remember, how a kezhavi in front of our schools would stuff milagai podi in the mango? Do just like that. If you don't know how she would stuff the milagai podi, go to school again and trust me, you've missed a few delicacies in life!). Stuff the powder in all the kathirikkai's and keep it aside. You should have some powder left at this point in time, keep it safe, as we will need it later in the game
Put the same vaanali in the stove and add 4 tbsp's of oil (yes, the kuzhambu should live upto its name, so, we need more oil!). Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and let is splatter
Place all these kathirikkai's in the vaanali with great care, make sure the kathrikkai's doesn't break and ensure that the stuffing doesn't pop out totally. (Of course, you can't help a little bit of the powder coming out of the kathirikkai's, but don't turn it upside down and make yourself look like a clown!)

In the meantime, get your tamarind water ready and add it to the vaanali after the kathrikkai's are well fried. Pour it carefully from the sides, so that the kathirikkai's doesn't break
Add salt to taste and let it boil till the viscosity increases, keep the stove in medium flame (The more you keep the more viscous it gets!)
Before you switch off, add the remaining powder and perungayam

Your Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu is all set to be attacked with any of the options I had listed for Vatha Kuzhambu.

Variations: You can add 5 or 6 black peppers with the red chillis, to increase the spice and flavor. (I would be debarred by Harini's Amma though!)

Vaazhakkai Fry

2007-10-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Vaazhakkai (Raw Banana) - 4 Nos.
Chilli Powder - 2 tbsp
Dhaniya (Corriander Powder) - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

Peal the skin off the Raw Bananas and cut them into round pieces (as shown above)
Add the cut pieces onto a pan with some oil with all the powders and keep sautéing it until the spices are properly cooked
You can add more oil as needed to roast it really well.
That's about it

Paruppu (Lentils) Thogayal

2007-10-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Toor dal - 3 tbsp
Channa dal - 2 tbsp
Fresh coconut - 1 tbsp
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2
Asafoetida - A small pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5 or 6
Salt - To taste
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure

Take a pan, preheat the oil and fry ingredients (#1 thru' #5) until it turns golden brown
Let it cool and grind them all together adding a little bit of water and salt to it. It should be pretty viscous
When its nicely ground, do a Tadka with mustard seeds, curry leaves & asafoetida and garnish the Thogayal
It makes an ultimate combination with a Vatha Kuzhambu

Vatha Kuzhambu & I...

2007-10-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

... are like nagamum-sadhayum.

I used to get this in a dabara soon after Amma is done preparing it and will just drink it as if it were a soup. I don't remember when I started eating this, but I for sure remember when I first made one all by myself. Well, I had to call another prodigy to ask how to do it, as Amma used to be in Pondicherry at that time. (I will talk about prodigies sometime later, as there are quite a few people who deserve just more than a mere mention in this space, who were, in some way or another, an inspiration to me.)

When there is Vatha Kuzhambu at home, you can easily find me doing one (or) more of this --

Plain-a, verum-na, dabara la oothi, spoon pottu soup madhiri kudipaen

Vadaam, Poricha Appalam, Thaenkoozhal, Murukku - idhula edhavadhu onna eduthu Vatha Kozhambu la thochu-thochu saapiduvaen (I understood from my Manni the other day that Sid is doing the same thing these days, well, prodigies seldom differ!)

Edu vaazhai ilai-la (literally, all right), suda-suda sadham pottundu, paruppu, nei oothi pesanju, side-la konjam/neraya Vatha Kuzhambu oothi, thottu-thottu saapta - aah..ha... "Sorgame Endralum..."

Adhe Edu vaazhai ilai-la (pinna, ovvuru saadhathukkum elai maathuvaangala?), suda-suda sadham pottundu, nall-ennai (Gingely Oil) vittu, Vatha Kuzhambu oothi pesanju, Poricha Arisi Appalam-oda (they say Sutta arisi appalam is the best combo, but I like it this way) thottundu saapta, it will be heavenly divine!

Aprm, Adhe Edu vaazhai ilai-la, sadham pottundu, nalla gettiya thayir vittundu, pesanjuttu, oru pidi thayir sadham eduthundu, right hand nadu viralala kuttiya oru kuzhi madhiri pottukanum (Just like you would while doing Ulundhu Vadai). Andha kuzhi-la Vatha Kuzhambu oothi gulp-nu vaaila pottunda, ada ada ada - pramadhama irukkum. I used to be a spoilt kid when it came to food and Amma would never let me eat anywhere else, ellarum naan saapidaradha paathu kannu pottuduva appadinu, as if their kannu-pottufying will elachufy me! anyways, the spoilt part is, i would ask amma to oothify the vatha kuzhambu in that kuzhi while i am eating thayir sadham, and amma would diligently do it for me though. Chae, adhellam oru kaalam...

Idhellam panninaaaa.... train vandhurum (purilena, Anbe Sivam poi paarunga!)

Ingredients

Puli (Tamarind) - a small lemon size
Kadalai Paruppu (Channa Dhal) - 1 tbsp
Vendhayam (Methi seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Perungayam (Asafoetida) - 1/3 tsp
Milagai Vathal (Red Chilli) - 5-6 (Sometimes, I use 10 to make it real hot!)
Karuveppilai (Curry Leaves) - 5-6
Kadugu (Mustard Seeds) - 1/3 tsp
Vellam (Jaggery) - 1 tbsp
Sambhar Powder - 2 tbsp
Manjal Podi (Turmeric) - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt - As much as you want
Any of these vegetables - Onion, Drumstick, Okra, Egg Plant, Sweet Pumpkin

Procedure

Put the tamarind in boiling hot water with salt and leave it for 15 minutes. This will ease your work of squashing the tamarind and getting the water out of it
While the tamarind is soaked, put a heavy vessel on the stove (Typically, I use a vaanali / uruli. Amma had a kal chatti and this requires "special" care. I neither have the patience nor the knowledge to use that, so I just stick to my vaanali/uruli)
Add the oil in the hot pan and the mustard seeds, curry leaves
After the splattering, add Kadalai Paruppu, Vendhayam, Red Chillis, Asafoetida and fry it in the oil
When it turns golden brown, add the vegetables (say, onion), curry leaves and turmeric powder on top of it
Fry it till the onion turns golden brown and add the tamarind water to the whole mixture
Add sambhar powder & salt to the boiling contents and let it boil till the viscosity increases, keep the stove in medium flame (The more you keep the more viscous it gets!)
Just before you switch off the stove, add the jaggery to the Kuzhambu and let it boil for exactly 2 minutes (This is just to add flavor and trust me, this wont make the kuzhambu sweet!)

Variations: You can add manathakkali kaai, appalam, sundakkai vathal, thaamarai kezhangu, kothavarangai vathal instead of the vegetables. Basically, you will fry any/all of these and add it in the boiling kuzhambu.

Your Vatha Kuzhambu is all set and it just has to be attacked with any of the options I would normally do as mentioned above.

Note: The Vatha Kuzhambu in the picture was made by Anu yesterday. I better give her the credit, if not I ain't gonna get one such in the near future!

Payatham Paruppu Adai a.k.a Pesarattu

2007-09-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

We decided to make Payatham Paruppu (Moong Dal) Adai a.k.a Pesarattu, as a close friend of ours' called up and said they're coming over for dinner and we ran out of usual options for roti & side dishes, poori & masal, briyani & raita. Mainly because, we were too bored to do those usual things and/or the fact that we didnt have enough to prepare one such. Just before we could pluck our last hairs to decide what we should make for them, something struck our minds and we started off with this simple, yet mouth watering dish...

Ingredients

Moong Dhal - 1 1/2 cups
Plain raw rice - 1/2 cup
Red Chilli - 5-6
Asafoetida - 1/3 tsp
Salt - As much as you want
Curry Leaves - 12-15
Corriander Leaves - 5-7 stems

Procedure

Soak the Moong Dhal and Raw Rice in water for 90 minutes. (True, you can get this going as fast as this)
Grind the soaked contents with Red Chillis, Asafoetida, Salt (Dont grind it fine, let it be a little coarse - just like you would do for adai)
Cut the Curry Leaves & Corriander Leaves into small pieces and mix it well with the grounded mixture
Heat kadai and pour a little oil and lay the batter just as you would for dosai/adai and cook on medium flame
Don't over heat the kadai as the adai would become dark (karinju poidum)

Serve hot with Tomato Pickle/Chutney, Sambhar and Curd.

Variations: You can add finely chopped onions/spinach/cabbage to the batter.

For the record - Nobody called up and said they would come for dinner, I was just trying to accentuate just for the sake of this post.

Ellam... eye wasss...

What is Vaazhai Ilai for me and you?

2007-09-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

How/Where do I start if I have to say how much I am crazy about food? The best way would be to cite an example and then proceed further. A small dialogue sequence from Sindhu Bhairavi... (J.K.B. and Sindhu would be so immersed talking about carnatic/classical music and J.K.B. would ask Sindhu something like this...)

J.K.B: Apdina, Sangeetham-na unakku saapadu madhiri-nu sollu.
Sindhu: Illa, swasam madhiri.

For me, saapadu is... swasam madhiri.

Build ups apart - I will fill this space up about my encounters with various eatables, eateries & cookeries. I will try to enrich it with pictures as nicely as this, but no guarantees.

Stay tuned...