PEARL MILLET FLAKES DUMPLING/ கம்பு அவல் கொழுக்கட்டை

Millets have lots of nutrients, it helps in weight loss too. Instead of making upma I thought of making this. Tried for evening snack and it cam out so good. Kids liked it. 

INGREDIENTS

Peral millet flakes / கம்பு அவல் - 1 cup

Onion - 1

Green chili - 4

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - few

Salt to taste

For Tempering

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

urad dhal - 1 tbsp

Channa dhal  - 1 tbsp

 

METHOD

Soak the flakes / Aval in water for 15 minutes. And wash it.

In a strainer add a cotton cloth and add the soaked flakes and drain it nicely. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, let it splutter. Add urad dhal, channa dhal and saute. Add chopped onions , green chilis , curry leaves and coriander leaves. saute.

Add grated coconut and salt and sauté nicely. 

In a bowl add the drained flakes mixture.

Add the sautéed onions etc and mix well. 

Grease the Idli plate and make balls or desired shapes and steam it for 5 to 7 minutes.

Enjoy with your choice of chutney.

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. 

 

THENKUZHAL ( RICE MURUKKU ) தேன் குழல்

Thenkuzhal is a favorite savory at my place. I have tried with roasted urad dhal powder at home. Saw this in todays samayal in FB using boiled urad dhal. Tried it and it came out so well and crisp.

 

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour - 4 cups

Urad dhal - 1 cup

butter / ghee - 2 tbsp

cumin seeds or seasame seeds - 2 tbsp

hing  / Asafoetida - 1 tsp

salt to taste

METHOD

In a vessel  add the urad dhal , add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3  whistles, drain it  and grind to smooth paste by adding little water.

In a wide bowl add 4  cups of rice flour , hing , salt, cumin seeds, butter or ghee and mix it thoroughly. 

Add the grounded urad dhal to that and mix well.

If needed add the drained water from the boiled urad dhal or normal water and make a dough.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and make murukkus using the presser. 

Store it in a air tight container.

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.

கருப்பட்டி அக்கார அடிசில்/ PALM JAGGERY AKKARA ADISAL

Akkara adisal is a traditional Iyyengar dish. We make this on Aadi pooram , Andal's birhtday and koodavalli in marghazi . It's cooked in milk and consistency will be semi solid. I made this today with karupaati with palm jaggery. 

INGREDIENTS

Raw rice - 1/2 cup

Moong dhal - 2 tbsp

palm jaggery - 1 cup

Milk - 1 litre

Cardamon powder - 1 tsp

Saffron - few strings

Ghee -  2 tbsp

Cashew and dried grapes

METHOD

Wash the rice and moong dhal and drain the water completely. 

In a pressure pan dry roast the  rice and dhal till a nice aroma comes.

Add 3/4 th of the milk to that and cook for 4 whistles. 

 In  a pan add palm jaggery add water till it covers and dissolve , strain it and keep it aside.

Once the pressure settle mash the rice well.

Add the jaggery syrup, cardamon powder, saffron , ghee and the milk and cook for 2 minutes.

It should be semi solid consistency , add milk if its solid.

In a pan heat the  remaining ghee and fry cashew and dried grapes and add .

 

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.