Yellow moong dhal payasam

PAASIPPARUPPU PAYASAM:

Boil 1 ½ cup of green gram with enough water until the dhal is well cooked.

Add either 2 ½ cups of sugar or 3 cups of mashed jaggery and 1 cup milk to this. Let it cook on a medium fire for some minutes.

Add 1 tsp of cardamom powder, one pinch of saffron, fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Lastly add either 1 cup thick coconut milk or 1 cup of finely shredded coconut.

When it starts to boil, put off the fire.

SAMBAR SADHAM

SAMBAR SADHAM:

Ingredients:

 Raw rice- 2 cups

Lentils- 1 cup

Water- 7 ½ cups

Tamarind- a lime size

Fenugreek seeds- 1tsp

Red chillies-4

Coriander seeds-4 tsp

Gram dal [pottukkadalai]-2 tsp

Bengal gram- 2tsp

Poppy seeds- 1tsp

Peppercorns- 10

Asafoetida- a small piece

Mustard seeds- 1tsp

Oil-3tbsp

Ghee- 3 tbsp

Chopped onions-1 cup

Green chillies-4

Chopped tomatoes-4 cups

Small brinjals-4 [finely cut into small pieces]

Big carrot-1 [finely shredded]

Big potato-1 [finely shredded]

Turmeric powder- 1tsp

Chopped coriander leaves- a handful

Curry leaves- 2 springs

Salt to taste

Method:
Wash the raw rice with the lentils, add the water and enough salt  to it and pressure cook this up to 5 to 6 whistles.

Soak the tamarind for half an hour and extract the juice out of it.

Dry fry the fenugreek seeds, red chillies, coriander seeds, pottukkadalai, bengal gram, kuskus, and peppercorn.

In a little oil fry a small piece of asafoetida and powder all these spices.

Heat a kadai and add the oil and the ghee.

Add 1sp mustard seeds and when they splutter add the chopped onions and slit green chillies.

Fry well for a few minutes, add 2 cups of chopped tomatoes and cook for some minutes until the oil floats on the top.

Add the chopped brinjals and fry for a few minutes.

Then add the shredded carrot and potato and fry for a few minutes.

Now add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and enough salt.

Let it simmer for a few minutes until its raw flavour goes and the gravy thickens. Then add the powder and mix well.

Reduce the fire.

Now add the cooked rice and dhal and mix well.

Add chopped coriander leaves, curry leaves and more ghee.

Mix well and put off the fire

SAMBAR SADHAM

SAMBAR SADHAM:

Ingredients:

 Raw rice- 2 cups

Lentils- 1 cup

Water- 7 ½ cups

Tamarind- a lime size

Fenugreek seeds- 1tsp

Red chillies-4

Coriander seeds-4 tsp

Gram dal [pottukkadalai]-2 tsp

Bengal gram- 2tsp

Poppy seeds- 1tsp

Peppercorns- 10

Asafoetida- a small piece

Mustard seeds- 1tsp

Oil-3tbsp

Ghee- 3 tbsp

Chopped onions-1 cup

Green chillies-4

Chopped tomatoes-4 cups

Small brinjals-4 [finely cut into small pieces]

Big carrot-1 [finely shredded]

Big potato-1 [finely shredded]

Turmeric powder- 1tsp

Chopped coriander leaves- a handful

Curry leaves- 2 springs

Salt to taste

Method:
Wash the raw rice with the lentils, add the water and enough salt  to it and pressure cook this up to 5 to 6 whistles.

Soak the tamarind for half an hour and extract the juice out of it.

Dry fry the fenugreek seeds, red chillies, coriander seeds, pottukkadalai, bengal gram, kuskus, and peppercorn.

In a little oil fry a small piece of asafoetida and powder all these spices.

Heat a kadai and add the oil and the ghee.

Add 1sp mustard seeds and when they splutter add the chopped onions and slit green chillies.

Fry well for a few minutes, add 2 cups of chopped tomatoes and cook for some minutes until the oil floats on the top.

Add the chopped brinjals and fry for a few minutes.

Then add the shredded carrot and potato and fry for a few minutes.

Now add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and enough salt.

Let it simmer for a few minutes until its raw flavour goes and the gravy thickens. Then add the powder and mix well.

Reduce the fire.

Now add the cooked rice and dhal and mix well.

Add chopped coriander leaves, curry leaves and more ghee.

Mix well and put off the fire

KEERAI KOOTU

KEERAI KOOTTU:

Ingredients:

Lentils- 3 handfuls

Oil-3 tbsp

Cumin seeds-1sp

Chopped onions- 1 cup

Slit green chillies-4

Chopped garlic-2 tbsp

Crushed tomatoes-2 cups

Salt to taste

Method:

Cook 3 handfuls of dhal in cooker.

Heat a kadai and pour 3tbsp oil. Add 1sp cumin seeds.

When they splutter, add 1 cup chopped onion, 4 slit green chillies, 1tbsp chopped garlic and 2 cups of chopped tomatoes.

Cook until all of them are well cooked and the tomatoes are well mashed.

When the oil comes on the surface, add the dhal and 3 cups of chopped keerai with enough salt.

Cook for some minutes.

KEERAI PARUPPU KOOTTU

KEERAI PARUPPU KOOTTU

Here I am going to post the traditional keerai koottu recipe which my mother, mother in law and grand mother prepared and fond of. For this, mulai keerai, arai keerai and ponnangkanni keerai are suitable.

Ingredients;

Keerai- 1 bunch
Chopped Small onions- half cup
Ripe tomato [chopped] – half cup
Cumin seeds- 1 sp
Peppercorns- half sp
Shredded coconut- half cup
Small garlic flakes-5
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder-half sp
Asafetida- half sp
Green gram or tuar dal- half cup
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Gingelly oil- 3 tbsp
Chilli powder- ¼ sp
Coriander powder- ¼ tsp

Procedure:

Wash and chopp the keerai .
Pressure cook the dal.
Grind the coconut with the half of the cumin and the pepper corns to a fine paste.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the remaining cumin seeds.
When they splutter add the onions with the turmeric powder, asafetida, garlic flakes and the tomato.
Cook them until the tomato is mashed well and the oil floats on top.
Add the chopped keerai with quarter cup of water and the powders.
When the keerai is half done, add the ground paste and the cooked dal.
Cook for a few minutes.
The keerai should not loose its green colour.
Add the chopped coriander and mix well.
The hot keerai koottu is ready now for serving.
This is most suitable as a side dish for puli kuzhambu, vatral kuzhambu varieties.
This can be also had with ghee, hot steamed rice and potato fry!