Ginger - Curry Leaf Thogayal

Ginger and Curry leaves are usually limited in the quantity we consume and most people generally tend to pick them out from the food and waste them. The health benefits of these two wonderful ingredients are countless and i personally love these two and this thogayal.

Thogayals, i feel are a powerhouse of not just flavor but nutrients too. Not to forget that you can prepare them within 10 minutes. They can be served with plain hot rice and ghee, or even as an accompaniment for Rotis or a topping on soups/ salads. The possibilities are endless. Oh and the silver lining, they can hold good when refrigerated for 4 -5 days at the least.

so make them when you have time to have something nutritious and yummy to fall back on when you don't have time to cook an elaborate meal.

Ingredients:

• Ginger - 20 Gm
• Curry Leaf - a handful/ 1 cup
• Salt
• Tamarind -  the size of a gooseberry
• Broken Urad Dal - 2 Tbsp
• Coconut - 2 Tbsp
• Asafoetida - 1 Tsp
• Red Chilli - 4 to 5
• Gingelly Oil - 1 Tsp

Method:

• Clean and skin the ginger and cut them into small 1 inch pieces.
• Clean and dry the curry leaves
• Heat a pan and add the oil. Once it is hot, first add in the toor dal and roast it on slow flame till it becomes golden brown in color.
• Then add in the ginger, tamarind, Red chillies, adafoetida and cook them for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Switch off the heat and transfer them to a mixer jar
• Add in the coconut and salt and grind to a coarse thick consistency
• serve with main course of your choice

Note:

• You do not have to roast the coconut. The coconut would take off some heat from the ginger and would prevent a burning sensation in your stomach from just ginger.
• Adjust red chilli and salt, as per your taste.

Mom's Tomato Soup

Hey Guys,

This is a very healthy aromatic soup, that used to make me drool, while the smell wafted through the house as my mom made it in the kitchen. We used to have it in the evenings, once we were back from school, and now that we are a little older ( not much though), we are happy to have this for a light yet healthy dinner.
This is a must try soup that would tick all your senses.

Ingredients:

• Ripe Tomato - 1 Kg
• Potatoes - 2 Big or  3 Medium sized
• Onions - 2 Big or 3 Medium sized
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Water - 1 Liter
• Bread croutons for garnish

Method:

• In a pressure cooker, pout in some water and add the tomatoes, onions (peeled and cut into half) and the potatoes.
• Pressure cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once the pressure subsides, open the pressure pan and let it cool.
• Skin the tomatoes and the potatoes.
• Blend in all the ingredients and add in water.
• Salt and pepper can be added as per your taste.
• Bring to a quick boil, so that it all comes together.
• Top it up with croutons if would like an element of crunch.
• Serve hot

Note:

• The potatoes are added to bring in the soupy consistency, instead of adding corn flour.

Pasta in White Sauce

Who doesnt love a bowl of cheesy hot comfort food, especially in monsoons. Why i would say all seasons. This is another of my quick to make but huge on taste recipes. Go ahead and give it a try.

Ingredients:

• Penne Pasta - 1 Cup
• Flour (Maida) - 2 Tbsp
• Finely chopped garlic - 1 Tbsp
• Finely chopped onion - 1 Medium size
• Italian seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper Powder
• Spring Onion finely chopped - 1 Tsp
• Capsicum (Green, Red, Yellow) - 1/2 Cup in total
• Milk - 1 Cup
• Water - 1/2 Cup
• Olive Oil - 2 Tbsp
• Butter - 1 Tbsp
• Grated Parmesan Cheese  - 1 cup

Method:

• In a big bowl/ pan, bring water to boil along with a teaspoon of salt. Add the Pasta and cook till its 90% cooked. It should not be too soft and mushy, but should retain a slight stiffness to it.
• Drain the water and run it under cold water. This would stop further cooking and also remove the starch. 
• Sprinkle 1/2 Tsp of oil on top and mix it well, so it does not stick to one another.
• Heat the pan with the rest of the oil and the butter and add in garlic and onion. 
• Fry them till they are translucent. 
• Add in the capsicum and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. we do not want the capsicum to lose the crunch. 
• Add in the flour and fry for a minute.
• Now, add in the milk slowly, while continuing to stir, so that no lumps are formed.
• Add in some water to loosen it up, and allow the sauce to thicken naturally.
• Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning as per taste.
• Now mix in the cooked pasta and let it incorporate the sauce for a couple of minutes.
• Top it up with half of the grated cheese and spring onion.
• Serve hot with grated cheese and seasoning as garnish.

Note:

• For a healthier option, you may substitute maida with wheat flour (atta) and pasta with wheat pasta.
• I have added a combination of butter and olive oil. You may choose to skip butter and go only with olive oil.
• If you do not have olive oil, you can substitute it with your regular cooking oil.
• Add vegetables of choice - like broccoli, corn kernels, zucchini, cauliflower, beans, carrot, peas. Ensure that the vegetables are not cooked soft but retain a crunch.
• you can prepare the white sauce separately and store it in advance. 

Cucumber Salad (kosumari)

A lot of us love food on the fly thats not just healthy but tasty too. What better than cucumber which is light on calories, with a dash of pulses to amp up your protein intake? Sounds like a steal right. you will also save up on time and not miss out of healthy food.

Ingredients:

• Cucumber ( Peeled and chopped finely) - 2
• Green chilli - 1/2 to 1 (Deseed and chop finely)
• Salt - To Taste
• Juice of half a lemon
• Coriander finely chopped - 2 Tsp
• Green Gram (skinned and broken) - 2 Tbsp

Method:

• Soak the pulse in water for 15 to 20 minutes. Whenever I am running out of time, i heat it up in the microwave for a couple of minutes to soften it up faster.
• Mix all the ingredients. squeeze up the lemon juice on top and garnish with coriander.
• Serve chilled.

This can be eaten as is, as a salad, although kosumari is usually served in traditional elai sapadu as an accompaniment. A healthy snack in itself, you can indulge in this without an iota of guilt.

Enjoy and let me know how you do it.

Peas Pulao

Some of my posts would be one pot meals, which do not compromise on health and taste, as I find it very easy to finish off cooking and look forward to eating them quickly. Peas Pulao is one such dish that can be cooked in a jiffy. This is also such a great party dish that will impress your guests for sure. As they say, food is tasty when the cooking is simple.


Ingredients:

• Shelled Peas: 1 Cup 
• Basmati Rice: 1.5 Cups
• Onion - 1 Big or 2 medium
• Cloves - 4
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick
• Cardamom Powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Bay Leaf - 1
• Salt - To Taste
• Coconut Milk (Thick) - 1 cup
• Green Chilli - 6 to 7
• Water - 2 cups
• Oil - 1 Tbsp
• Ghee - 1 Tbsp
• Coriander - For garnish

Method:

• Wash and soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes.
• Heat the vessel, and add ghee + oil.
• Once hot, add in the bay leaf, cloves, cardamon powder, cinnamon. Let it splutter.
• Add the green chilli and the onions.
• Cook till the onions are translucent. Add in the peas and stir for 5 minutes.
• Add in the rice and stir for a couple of minutes. Add Salt as per taste.
• Pour in the coconut milk and the water.
• Allow to cook and serve hot.

Note:

• As I have given this recipe for 1.5 cups of basmati rice, a total of 3 cups of water should suffice ( I have taken 1 cup of coconut milk plus 2 cups of water). You can adjust the proportion depending on how rich you would want this dish to be.
• I use frozen peas. You can use fresh peas as well. 
• If you increase the proportion of coconut milk, the dish would be richer in taste.
• I do not prefer a higher proportion of coconut milk, as it overpowers the mild fragrance and the lightness of this dish.
• Salt and Green chilli can be added as per your taste preference. 
• Best served hot with a simple onion raita and chips. the taste will definitely bowl you over. 

AVIYAL

Hey guys,

Thinking about Aviyal always transports me to the thought of full meals on a green banana leaf that would not just fill your stomach but also your heart. Always there on the menu, this healthy dish is not just easy on the stomach but time to cook as well.

Go on and give it a try. You will thank me for this recipe, which is a sure shot flavor bomb!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups of mixed vegetables
• To grind to a fine paste
• Coconut - 4 Tbsp
• Green Chilli - 7 to 8
• Butter milk (thick) - 1 Cup
• Salt - To taste
• Oil - 2 Tbsp (Coconut Oil Preferred, but not mandatory) 
• Water - 1 Cup
• Mustard - 1 Tsp
• Curry leaves - a sprig

Choice of Vegetables:

Aviyal is such a versatile dish that you can add any vegetable. Take care to not add sticky vegetables like ladies finger or Arbi, as we do not want to spoil the texture of the dish.

you may add vegetables, from the below list but not restricted to just this dish :)

• Potato
• Sweet potato
• Broad Beans (Avarakaai)
• Tendli
• Brinjal
• White Pumpkin (poosani Kaai)
• yellow Pumpkin (Parangi Kaai)
• Carrot
• Beans
• Peas
• Cluster Beans (Kothavarangai)
• Snake Gourd (Podalangai)
• Yam (Senaikazhangu)

Method:

• In a vessel, add 1 Tbsp of oil and saute the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Add salt as per taste.
• Add water and close the vessel, to allow the vegetables to boil and cook.
• Ensure that the vegetables are not completely cooked, that it turns mushy. They should retain slight firmness and the cut.
• Grind the ingredients as listed above into a fine paste.
• Once the vegetables are ready, ensure that there is not much water in your vessel. As we would be adding buttermilk as well, we do not want a very watery consistency. 
• You may separate some water and keep it for later use as vegetable stock, if there is plenty water in your vessel. Else, proceed with adding the ground paste.
• on a low flame, let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
• switch off the flame, and after 2 to 3 minutes, add the butter milk and stir well.
• Heat a small kadai, add the other Tbsp of oil, and splutter mustard and curry leaves
• Garnish the avial with the mustard and curry leaves.
• Delicious aviyal is ready to be served.

NOTE:

• Aviyal goes well as a side dish with any mixed rice, or as one of the side dishes in Elai Sapadu (banana leaf serving).
• It can also be consumed as is, or served with plain rice and some pickle.
• Dont add the buttermilk when the flame is on, or when the aviyal is very hot. This may spoil the texture. Let the dish rest for a coupe of minutes before adding the buttermilk.

Venpongal!

Hi Guys,

For many of us who have grown up in the south, our mornings are synonymous with the wonderful aroma of filter kaapi, venpongal, chutney, sambar, vadai and The Hindu newspaper.

A much loved staple, very nutritious and very mildly spiced wholesome one pot dish, that can not only be cooked in a jiffy but is a wonderful comfort food, which we have all yearned for at one point of time or the other. Not to mention the pongal-induced stupor that follows, for it is quite a filling dish. Lets get started.

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice: 1 Cup
• Payatham Parupu: 1/2 Cup
• Pepper Balls - 1to 1.5 Tbsp
• Jeera - 2 Tsp
• Grated Ginger - 1 Tsp
• Salt - To Taste
• Asafoetida - 1/2 Tsp
• Ghee - 2 Tbsp
• Cashew - 10 to 12
• Curry Leaf - A sprig
• Water - 5 Spoonfuls

Method:

• Wash and cook the rice and Daal together till they are mushy.
• In a small pan, heat half the ghee and add Jeera, pepper balls, grated ginger, asafoetida and curry leaf. Let them splutter. Transfer them on to the cooked rice+ Daal.
• Heat the remaining ghee and roast the cashew nuts till they are golden brown in color.
• In a small cup, take some water and add the required salt for the pongal and stir till it dissolves. Add this salty water to the pongal and stir well.
• Pongal is ready to be served hot.

Note: 

• Pongal tastes best when served hot with a dollop of ghee on top
• Eaten best with Coconut chutney, sambar and Vada
• Pongal is best when it is mushy and has a very slightly runny consistency.
• I have dissolved salt in water and added to pongal to ensure that salt is mixed well and there is no inconsistency in the taste. 
• If you add salt while cooking the rice, it may hamper the mushy consistency and separate the grains.

Morkozhambu

Morkozhambu has always been a comfort food for me and i used to love eating it with Sundal when growing up. I still think it is a wonderful combination. It does not take too much time to prepare and would taste good even if you do not have sour buttermilk. So go ahead and give it a try sometime.

This dish is light on oil and spices and is a must try healthy dish. Morkozhambu can be put together in less than 30 minutes and is always a delight to eat.

Ingredients:

• To Roast
• Coriander Seeds - 2 Tsp
• Jeera Seeds - 1 Tsp
• Green Chilli - 3 to 4
• Asafoetida - 1/2 Tsp
• Daal (1 Tbsp Toor Daal + 1 Tsp Channa Daal: Soaked in water for Half an hour)
• Grated Coconut - 1 Tbsp
• Salt - To Taste
• Sour Buttermilk (Thin) - 1 Cup
• Water - 1/5 Cups
• Vegetable of choice - 1/2 Cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Mustard - 1/2 Tsp
• Oil (Coconut Oil Preferably) - 1 Tsp
• Curry leaves - A Sprig

Method:

• Soak the Toor and Channa Daal in water for 15 to 30 mins. 
• In a dry pan, add all the ingredients under the " To Roast" Section and roast till they become slightly brown in color. by this time, they would also smell so wonderful that wafts through the air.
• Transfer the content to the mixer, along with the coconut (Coconut need not be roasted) and grind to a smooth paste, adding little water.
• In another pan, add some water and boil the vegetable of choice, along with little salt and turmeric powder.
• Once the vegetable is boiled (should not be over boiled that it becomes mushy. The vegetable should be firm and 90% cooked), add in the ground paste and let it come together in medium flame.
• After being on the stove for about 5-7 minutes, switch off the flame and add in the buttermilk after 5 minutes.
• Crackle the mustard and curry leaves in coconut oil and add to the morkozhambu. This lends a wonderful flavor to the curry. 
• Serve hot

Note:

• If you do not have sour buttermilk, normal buttermilk would also suffice. Though the taste would be less tangy, it would still be delicious a dish.
• Choice of vegetables can be any type pf pumpkins, carrots, ladies finger, beans. Generally prepared with water vegetables like the pumpkins.
• If you do not want the pumpkin to taste bland, you may add very little tamarind water to the vegetable when it is boiling, so that it tastes tangy. Do not carry forward the tamarind water when cooking the morkozhambu.
• Coconut does not need to be roasted and can be ground fresh.
• Adjust the number of chillies, as per your taste.

Iyengar Akkaravadisal

Hi Guys,

Am quite excited to be sharing this authentic recipe for one of the most popular Iyengar desserts - Akkaravadisal. Thirukanamadhu (payasams) as they are called, evokes find memories of functions at home, getting dressed up, smelling the wonderful food,not to forget the feasting and the feast-induced sleep after that, sevichufying the elders and getting money ( even a 10Rupee note would cause a 10 inch wide smile of happiness on our faces)

Before getting lost in those happy thoughts, lets have a look at the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Full Fat milk - 1.5 Liters
• Raw Rice - 1/2 Cup
• Payatham Parupu (Green Gram - broken and de-skinned) - 2 Tbsp
• Jaggery - 5 Tbsp
• Saffron - Few Strands
• Cashew nut - To garnish
• Dried Grapes - To Garnish
• Cardamom Powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Pachai Kalpooram (Edible Quality Camphor) - A pinch
• Ghee - 2 Tbsp

Method:

• First and foremost, roast the raw rice and the daal with a small dollop of ghee, till a nice aroma wafts through the air.
• Wash the rice and Daal, after it is roasted ( Trust me, the taste would be delicious using this way of preparation). Do not wash the rice and Daal, before roasting it in ghee for sometime.
• Pressure cook the rice and Daal together, till they are slightly mushy.
• It is essential, we take a heavy bottom pan/ vessel for this dish, as this would require long duration on the stove.
• On low heat, add the milk to the vessel and stir occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom, nor boil over.
• Keep stirring at intervals, till the milk quantity reduces to less than half of the original quantity. This is the most time consuming step.
• by this time you would notice that the milk has acquired a slightly pink color, and has reached a thick Basundi- like consistency.
• Add the jaggery and stir in till it dissolves and is incorporated in the milk,
• Next add the rice+ Daal mixture and stir in well.
• Sprinkle the cardamon powder, saffron strands and the Pachai Kalpooram and continue to stir.
• Finally, you can add the garnish of Cashew nut and dried grapes deep fried in ghee and give it a gentle mix.

Note:

• You may serve this hot or cold. It tastes absolutely wonderful either way. I prefer eating it hot. 
• It is important to keep stirring to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. We do not want the milk to get burnt.
• a heavy bottom pan is a must for this dish, as this requires to be on top of the heat, for a good couple of hours while the milk reduces
• Milk would take at least 2 - 2.5 hours, depending on the quantity, to reduce and achieve the desired consistency.
• Adjust the Jaggery depending on your sweet levels. I personally like my desserts to not be too sweet. 

Go ahead and give it a try during one of the weekends. You will have a wonderful dessert to your collection. 

Mint Rice (Pudhina Rice)

Hello Everyone,

Its the mid of week and it is quite a task to drag yourself to get ready in the morning and amidst the usual question of what to cook, decided to put the mint leaves that i had stocked up to good use.

This is an easy peasy one pot dish that comes in very handy especially when you are crunched for time and is not only flavorful, but also very healthy. Do give it a try and let me know your feedback.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice: 2 Cups
• Mint/ Pudhina - 1 Cup
• Coriander - 1/4 Cup
• Green Chili - 5-6 (As per taste)
• Cashew Nuts - 7 to 8
• Saunf - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - To taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Onion - 2 medium size
• Tomato - 2 Small or 1 Medium size
• Oil - 1 Tsp
• Ghee - 1 Tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp

Method:

• Wash and soak Basmati Rice in water for 30 minutes
• Chop the onion and tomato finely.
• Grind Mint, Coriander, Green chilli and cashew nuts together, till it becomes a smooth paste.
• Heat the vessel, and add Oil+ghee. Once hot, splutter saunf, and add onions.
• Fry till they become translucent.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute or two, till the raw smell gives way to a wonderful aroma.
• Add the finely chopped tomatoes, along with the turmeric powder and cook on medium flame till it cooks well for about 5- 6 minutes.
• Add the ground paste, and cook well, till the oil comes out from the sides.
• Now, add in the soaked rice and stir in for about a couple of minutes.
• Add required water and salt to taste and cover till it cooks well.
• Garnish with mint/coriander leaves.

Note: 

• Basmati Rice requires less water than normal rice to cook. As we do not want the rice to stick and become mushy, 1:2 ratio usually works well (1 cup rice requires 2 cups of water).
• This can be served with Raita/ Papad
• Serve hot