DRUMSTICK SOUP/ முருங்கை காய் சூப்

 

Everyone knows drumstick has lots if nutrients. I don't make this soup because of the tedious work of removing the flush from the drumstick. When my friend Viji told me this method , I tried this and its  a hit in my home. Simple yet healthy snack. Very good as a evening snack on a rainy day. 

INGREDIENTS

Drum stick pieces - 15 to 20 nos

Shallots -  10 to 15 nos

Garlic pods - 5 to 6

Ginger - 1 " piece

Bay leaf - 1

Butter - 1 tsp

pepper powder or pepper corns as per taste

salt to taste

METHOD

In a pressure cooker add butter and add shallots, garlic , drumsticks , bay leaf and sauté nicely.

Add water and cook nicely for 3 to 4 whistles.

when it cools down , remove the bay leaf, add pepper corns if you are using  and grind to a paste. 

Add some  water to adjust the consistency , strain it and boil it .

Add salt and pepper powder if  you are using.

Enjoy with bread toast.

KARUPAATI MYSORE PAK/ கருப்பட்டி மைசூர் பா

I am using karupatti for lots of sweets and for coffee and tea. I usually make mysore pak with sugar.

Since  I stopped using white sugar for so many years. the consistency of the burfi  depends upon the nature of the palm jaggery. Mine was little chewy consistency .  When I searched I found this in my good friend Jeyasri s kitchen. 

INGREDIENTS

Besan / Gram flour - 1 cup

Palm jaggery -  1.5 cups or 1 1/4 cup

Oil - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Water - 3/4 cup

METHOD

Grease a tray with little ghee for pouring the mixture, I have used aluminum

 foil.

In a heavy bottom pan, add the besan and dry roast .

Transfer in a bowl and add oil and make a paste and keep it aside.

In the same pan add karupatti and water , let it dissolve , strain it and boil again in a low flame.

After sometime if you touch in between your fingers you will get on string consistency.

Add the besan paste and keep on stirring , add the ghee little by little.

When it thickens add the ghee gradually. 

If you drop  a little it in the greased tray , you should  make a ball out of that.

When it reaches the consistency pour it in the tray and let it cool and make desired shape. 

 

STREET SIDE SHOP STYLE SAMBAR / கையேந்தி பவன் சாம்பார்

This sambhar is easy to make and it tastes so yum. We can make this so quickly. We don't need dhal for this .Goes well with dosa also.

INGREDIENTS

Pearl onion - 20 to 25

Tomato - 3

Green chili - 1

Garlic - 5 to 6  pods

Fried gram dhal - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder  -  1 tsp    

Sambhar powder -  1 tbsp

curry leaves - few

For tempering

Oil , mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds  

    

Coriander leaves for garnishing

METHOD

In a cooker add onions, garlic, tomatoes, turmeric powder and chili powder. 

Add water and cook for 3 whistles. 

Let it cool and ground to a paste. 

In a pan add oil, mustard seeds , cumin seeds and curry leaves and allow it to splutter. 

Add onion and sauté well. 

Add the grounded paste add salt and cook well.

In  a mixie add the fried gram dhal and make a powder.

Add the grounded powder to the gravy.

Add water and cook till it reaches a correct consistency.

KONGU STYLE VEGETABLE KURMA

Usually I make  potato kurma , this kurma has a differnt taste and it had become our family's favorite. 
Goes well with idli, dosa and idiyappam.

INGREDIENTS

Pearl / small onion - 10 nos

Tomato - 2 nos

curry leaves few

Potato - 1

Carrot - 1

Cauliflower - few florets

Peas - 1/4 cup

Beans - 5 nos

To grind 

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Pearl onion -  10 to 15 nos

Garlic - 5 to 6 pods

Fennal seeds - 1 tsp

Coarinder seeds - 1 tsp

Cashews - 4 nos

Fried gram dhal -  1 tbsp

Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Cinamon - 1 " piece

Red chili - 6 to 8

METHOD

In a mixie jar add all the ingredients given to grind and make a paste. 

Cut all the vegetables , boil the potato . 

METHOD

In a pan add oil mustard seeds and urad dhal, add onions , tomatoes and saute well.

Add the grounded paste, salt  and cook till the raw smell goes.

Add the vegetables and cook and add the boiled potatoes.

Cook for few minutes adjust the consistency and garnish with coarinder leaves.

BOOST BESAN BURFI WITH PALM JAGGERY

 Made this during navarathri, it was in the draft for so long. you can try this with bournvita also.

Adopted from Raks kitchen. Substituted sugar with palm jaggery.

INGREDIENTS

Besan / gram flour  3/4 cup

Palm jaggary - 3/4 cup

Boost - 2 small sachet (5rs.) Or 1/4 cup

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Cashew - 10 to 12. 

METHOD

Grease a tray or a plate , keep it ready for pouring the mixture. 

Cut or break the cashews.

In a pan add ghee , when  it melts , add besan/gram flour to that and fry the gram flour nicely , till the raw smell goes and nice aroma comes. Make sure that the flame is low. Stir continuously. Keep it aside.

In a pan add 3/4 cup of palm jaggery and add water to cover it. Boil it and bring it to one string consistency. 

When it reaches add the roasted gram flour , mix well , add the boost to that and mix well.

Keep the flame in low, add the cashews  and mix well . Add a small drop to the greased tray  if you can roll nicely, that s the stage. Pour the mixture on the tray. 

Let it cool, when it is little warm cut into pieces.

 

PACHAI MOAR KULAMBHU/பச்சை மோர் குழம்பு

Pacha moar kulambhu is easy to make , no cooking is needed. That is why the name . Learnt this from my friend chitra . Everyone in my family loves this. Easy to make and taste yum too.

INGREDIENTS

Coriander leaf - 1 bunch

Green chili - 3 to 4

Hing - 1/2 TSP

Grated Coconut  - 2 tbsp or 4 pieces

Salt as per taste

Curd - 1 cup

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Mustard seeds - 2  tsp

METHOD

Combine  the coriander leaves, salt, hing, green chili, coconut  in a mixer and make a paste.

Beat the curd nicely and add this mixture to the curd.

Heat coconut oil in a pan , temper the mustard seeds and curry leaves.

The smell of the curry leaves will infuse in the oil and give a nice flavour to the mix.

Enjoy with sevai or iddiyappam.



 

BAKERY STYLE BUTTER COOKIES (EGGLESS)

These cookies are very delicate and delicious - a perfect balance of sweet and salty. They will remind you exactly of the biscuits at tamil bakeries. They are very easy to make! This recipe was from Gayathri Kumar 

 

INGREDIENTS

All Purpose Flour / Maida – 130 gm  (1 cup)
Custard Powder/Corn flour – 1 1/2 tbs
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Butter – 100 gm
Powdered Sugar – 50 gm
Vanilla Essence  – 1/2 tsp

Video Link of  Vidhas Kitchen

METHOD

In a bowl mix together maida, custard powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, add butter and powdered sugar along with vanilla and beat until creamy.

Add in the flour mix and gently mix to form a smooth dough.

Place the dough between two parchment papers and roll into a 1/4″ thick disc.

Using a cookie cutter, cut them into rounds and gently transfer them to a parchment lined tray. Do this until you have no more dough left

Once all the dough is used up, place the tray in fridge for 30 – 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 175°C.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.

Remove them and allow them to cool on a wire rack

Store these cookies in an airtight box and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!

WHOLE WHEAT EGGLESS BANANA WALNUT BREAD

Happy new year to all. Hope to be regular in posting recipes. This year I have started baking . Learnt this recipe from my good friend Hetal, Tried for the first time it came out so well.I was so happy to see the out come. I replaced sugar with brown sugar.

INGREDIENTS

Whole wheat flour - 1 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup ( I used brown sugar)

Banana - 2  Big ( I used 4 small bananas)

Refined oil  or Coconut oil - 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp

Or 

Oil 3/4 cup and butter 1/4 cup

Baking powder -  1 1/2 tsp

Baking soda -  1/2 tsp

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Finely chopped walnuts - 1/4 cup

Raisins - 1 tbsp 

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes  at 180 * degree

2. Mix the dry ingredients ( flour, Baking powder,baking soda, Walnuts and raisins.  

 3. Mash the bananas, and mix all the wet ingredients  ( oil, sugar and vanilla essence. )

Mix properly till the sugar dissolves nicely.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well. The       dough will be slightly thick,

5. Transfer to the Baking tray leaving space to raise.

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes , Adjust the timings according to your oven .

Insert a fork and check whether it has done

Enjoy your healthy banana bread.

NOTE

You can replace sugar with jaggery too.

You can increase banana , it gives more flavour and moist.

You can add choco chips or chocolate chunks

CHILI CHEESE TOAST

I am a big fan of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. I tried this recipe from his cook book. It tasted yum and all liked it. Good evening snack.

INGREDIENTS

Bread    - 8 slices

Cheese grated -  11/2 cups

Green Chilies   -  4 to 6

Onion   -  1 medium size

Capsicum   -   1 medium

pepper corns crushed - 1 tsp

coriander leaves    -- 1/2 cup

METHOD

Clean and chop green chilies, Capsicum , onion and coriander leaves. 

In a bowl combine grated cheese, chopped onions, green chilies,capsicum, crushed pepper corns and coriander leaves.

Toast bread slices on one side on a tawa.

Apply cheese mixture on non toasted side of the bread.

Grill it on a oven until the cheese melts. 

Serve hot with sauce of your choice.

NOTE:

You can make this tawa also.

Apply butter on one side of the bread and apply cheese mixture on the other side.

Toast the bread on tawa with lid to close the bread, Toast in a low flame until the cheese melts.

This is taking part in Valli's Cooking from cook book challenge.