Potato Methi Fry

Ingredients:

• Potato - 4 Medium chopped
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urud Dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Curry Leaves - to season
• Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Sambar Podi - 1/4 tsp ( Optional )
• Gram Flour - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Take 4 medium size potatoes and cut into small cubes.
2. Take a pan and add oil and heat it.
3. Then add mustard seeds and after it splutters add the urud dhal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and saute them well.
4. Then add the chopped potato cubes and saute them well. Add some water and cook the potatoes well but don't let it smashed up. ( You can also cook the potatoes in microwave for some 6 to 8 minutes ).
5. When the potato is cooked then add the chilli powder and mix them well. Then add 1 tsp of gram flour and saute well.
6. If required add some oil and mix well.
7. See that the potato gets roasted well.
8. Once it is done then add fenugreek leaves or the dried Kasturi Methi in it
9. Saute for  some one minute and turn off the stove.
10. Tasty, Mouth watering and delicious potato roast curry is ready.

Dosa Batter

Dosa Batter Preparation:

Ingredients:

• Par Boiled Rice - 3 Cup
• Urud Dhal - 1 Cup
• Pacha Arisi - 1/4 Cup
• Vendhayam - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak the above ingredients for 3 hours.
2. Then grind the soaked mixture in a blender. 
3. Then keep the grounded mixture overnight and see that the batter gets its texture ( Maavu pulichirukanum)
4. Thats it, the batter is ready to go for Dosa, Idli etc.
   

Pinto Beans - Rajma Sundal

Ingredients:

• Coconut - 3 tbsp
• Rajma - 1/2 Cup
• Pinto Beans - 1/4 cup
• Salt - as required
• Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

To Season:

• Oil
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Urud Dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli - 2

Method:

1. Soak Rajma and pinto beans for atleast half an hour.
2. Then cook the beans in the pressure cooker and leave for atleast 4 to 5 whistles.
3. Then take a pan and add oil.
4. Once it gets heaten up, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters  add urud dhal, channa dhal, red chilli and saute them till they turn golden brown color.
5. Then add the cooked beans in it, add salt adn saute them for 2 minutes.
6. Then add the shredded coconut and mix them well and turn off the stove.
7. Garnish  with Cilantro or coriander leaves.
8. Yummy sundal snack is ready to get into your tummy :)

Vegetable Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• Carrots (grated) - 2
• Red Pepper/Capsicum (chopped) - 1
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp 
• Garlic cloves - 3 chopped
• Red Pepper Flakes - 1 tsp
• Medium tomatoes pureed - 2
• Water - 1 Cup
• Broccoli - 1/2 cup
• Cabbage - 1/2 Cup Chopped

Method:

1. Take a pan and pour water till that the spaghetti gets immersed.

2. Then boil the content until the spagheti gets softened up which will take 10 to 12 minutes.

3. In the mean time, take a pan and add olive oil to that.

4. Once the oil heatens up, add the garlic and saute them fine. Dont allow it to burn.

5. Add Chilli flakes and saute them again.

6. Then add the grated carrot and cabbage and saute well.

7. After done just remove the content and place them in a plate.

8. Then add some more olive oil and add the bell pepper and broccoli and saute them for a minute and then keep it aside along with carrot and cabbage.

9. Then add the tomato puree to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

10. Once the tomato puree is cooked then add the vegetable mixture to the puree and cook for 2 more minutes until the vegetables are cooked well.

11. Thus the sauce for the spaghetti is done.

12. Then mix the cooked spaghetti along with the sauce prepared and the pasta is ready to serve. 

13. Thus the pasta is served. you can also serve the spaghetti with the sauce spread on top.

Vegetable Rava Upma

Ingredients:

• Oil - 1 Tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Urud dhal - 1 tsp
• Channa Dal - 1 tsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves
  
• Salt - as required
• Hing
• Green Chilli - 1 chopped
• Tomato - 1/2 chopped
• onion - chopped
• Ginger - 1 tbsp grated
• Rava - 1 cup.

Method:

1. Take a pan and add 1 tsp of ghee and saute the rava for few minutes. Then keep the rava aside.
2. Then add oil in the same pan. once the oil is heated add msutard seeds.
After they splutter add urud dhal, channa dhal, jeera, chilli, ginger, Curry leaves and saute them.
3. When the dhal changes color add chopped onions and saute them


4. Then when the onion turns golden brown color, then add tomatoes and add salt and saute them.
5. Once everythign is done then add water in this proportion (i.e.) for 1 cup rava 11/2 - 2 cups of water and boil well.
6. Once the water comes to good boil, add the roasted rava slowly into water and stir occasionally to avoid lumps.
7. Then turn off the heat and add 1 tbsp of ghee and stir well and close the pan.

8. Thus tasty upma is ready to serve. you can serve with Coconut chutney/ Coriander chutney.

Pongal Sambar (Without Toor Dhal)

Ingredients:

Onion – chopped
Tomato – chopped
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – a fistful
Roasted gram – a fistful
Salt

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.
Temper it with mustard seeds and fennel seeds.
Put onion, pearl onions and sauté it for 2 minutes.
Then put salt (putting salt will help to cook soon) and tomatoes and sauté it.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, and remaining salt and water. Let it boil for few more minutes.
Grind coriander seeds and roasted gram into a smooth powder without adding water.
Then make it into a paste by adding water so that lumps will not be made when added into the sambar.
Put the paste into the sambar and let it boil for few more minutes.
Sambar is ready to serve.

You can serve this samber for Pongal, Dosa, Idli.

Okra/ladies finger Vatha Kozhambu

Ingredients:

• Okra - 10 nos
• Sambar podi - 3 tsp
• Sesame oil - 2 1/2 tbsp
• Hing - Pinch
• Curry Leaves
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Channa Dhal - 1 tsp
• Tamarind - 1 tsp if it is paste or small lemon size
• Jaggery - small quantity
  

Method:

1. Take 2 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil and heat it.
2. Put 1/2 tsp of Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp channa dhal, 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds. After they splutter, put curry leaves, 3 tsp of Sambar podi and fry them in that oil. Then put the okra/vendaikkai, and fry them along with that.
3. After the vegetable gets cooked, pour the tamarind water into the mixture. ( You can use 1 tsp of tamarind paste also)
4. Then pour some 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to boil.
5. Then put perungayam/hing, Salt as required. then again boil till the mixture becomes thick.
6. At last add some small quantity of jaggery and again boil it .
7. Okra Vathakuzhambu is ready to serve.
   

Tips:

1. Use quite more oil to prepare this dish which will help to keep the vatha kuzhambu fresh for more than a week.
2. You can use Onion, Shallots, Garlic, Manathakkali, sundaikkai ( West Indian Turkey Berry ) also to make vathakuzhambu.

Paasipparuppu Sambar ( Moong Dhal Sambar )

Ingredients:

• Shallots / Pearl onions - 15 nos.
• Onion - 1/2 chopped ( Optional ).
• Tomato - 1/2 chopped.
• Cilantro - as required to garnish
• Moong Dhal - 3/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - pinch
• Hing - pinch
• Salt - As required
• Sambar podi - 1 tsp ( Optional ).
  

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp.
• Urud Dhal - 1/2 tsp.
• Kadalai paruppu - 1/2 tsp.
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
  

Method:

1. Take a pan, drop 1 tsp of oil.
2. After oil gets heated up, put mustard seeds. After they splutter, add urud dhal, kadalai paruppu, cumin seeds.
3. When they turn golden brown, then put hing, turmeric powder,shallots, onion and saute them.
4. When the onion and shallots turn golden brown then put tomatoes and saute them.
5. Put salt as required and pour water, bring them to boil.
6. Then add the cooked moong dhal into the mixture and boil for some more minutes.
7. After it is done, garnish the sambar with cilantro and the sambar is ready to serve.
8. This Sambar will go well with Pongal, Dosa, Idli.

Another Version of this sambar:

You can replace the moong dhal with toor dhal and can add 1 1/2 tsp of sambar powder and tamarind water and follow the same procedure to make another version which will also go well with Pongal, Dosa and idli.