ONION SAMOSA

Ingredients:

Sliced onion- 2 cups
Fennel powder- half sp
Chilli pr- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- quarter sp
Ginger paste- half sp
Garlic paste- half sp
Tomato paste- 1 tsp
Chopped coriander- 1 tbsp
Chopped mint- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tbsp
pastry sheets

Procedure:

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion with the turmeric powder. Fry it till it turns golden brown. Add all the ingredients with enough salt. Fry for a few mintes. Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature as per instructions. Pre heat the oven to 160 deg F. Stuff the onion mixture , close the edges and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Instead you can fry the samosas in hot oil to golden brown after preparing the outer cover with plain flour.

THATTAI

There are so many varieties of recipes to make "Thattai". In this recipe, you must roast the ground wet flour on a dry pan to a light brown colour.
If you add a large quantity of butter or ghee, then it will puff up like a puri. Pottukkadalai will also make it very soft.


Ingredients:

Raw rice- 600gm
Black gram- 100gm
Green gram- a handful
Bengal gram- a handful
Gram dal [pottukkadalai]- 100gm
Red chillies- 15
Shredded coconut- 2 cups
Asafetida powder- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
White sesame seeds- 2 tbsp
Dalda- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Enough oil to fry

Procedure:

Soak the rice for 1 hour, drain the water and pound the rice into a fine powder. Sieve it twice. Soak the green grams and the Bengal grams in enough water for 2 hours. Roast the black gram in a dry pan to a golden brown colour. When cooled, grind it to a fine powder and sieve it once. Grind the pottukkadalai with the red chillies, kaayam, and the coconut to a fine paste. Add the ground paste, powder, dalda, curry leaves and the soaked dals to the rice flour with enough salt and knead to a soft dough. Make smalls, flatten them on a cloth thinly with the fingers and then fry them in hot oil to golden colour.

ALMOND MACROONS

Soak 50gms of almonds in boiled water for 30 minutes and then remove their outer skins. Then powder them coarsely. Or chop them finely. Apply a little butter in a baking tray and brush it with yr fingers so that it coats the whole tray. Then sprinkle some plain flour on it. Add 2 egg whites and 150gms of icing sugar to a bowl and place the bowl on flat vessel which is filled with boiling water to its half level. Beat well the contents of the bowl until the mixture thickens. Then add the almond mixture, mix well and pour it in the baking tray. Or you can spread the mixture to the desired shapes with the help of an icing nozzle. Then bake at 160 deg C in an oven for 10 minutes.

PUFF PASTRY

Ingredients:

Plain flour- 2 cups
Butter- 175gms
Margarine-50 gms
Lemon juice- 1 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Ice clod water- ¾ cup

Procedure:

Cream the butter well. Chill it again in the refrigerator. Sieve the flour with the salt and put this in a bowl. Add the margarine, cold water and juice and make a stiff dough. Cover the dough with a damp towel and keep it aside for half an hour. On a board, sprinkle some flour and roll out the dough into ¼ inch thickness. Place the butter in the center. Fold the pastry in to thirds. Roll little to seal the layers. Fold in thirds again. Repeat rolling and folding four times. After each rolling wrap the pastry into a grease-proof paper and chill for 15 minutes. This will make the pastry easy to roll and the pastry extra flaky. Roll the pastry in to desired thickness. Cut into desired shapes, brush of the extra flour, and place it on a greased baking sheet. Desired fillings can be filled in and again closed. Bake in a hot oven [220deg C to 235 deg C] for the first 15 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 125 deg C and bake till brown.

EGG FILLING:

Ingredients:

Onion [finely chopped]-2
Ginger and garlic paste- 1 tsp
Tomato[crushed] – half cup
Cinnamon powder- 2 pinches
Fennel powder- half tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- half tsp
Salt to taste
Hard boiled eggs-4 to 6
Coriander leaves-2 tbsp
Oil- 2 tbsp

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the oil. When it becomes hot add the chopped onion and tomatoes. Fry them until they are mashed well. Add the pastes and fry for a few minutes until the raw flavour disappears. Cut the eggs into small pieces without breaking them Add them carefully to the onion tomato mixture. Sprinkle the salt and the powders. Mix careful and cook on slow fire for a few seconds. Sprinkle the coriander leaves.

Vegetable Filling:
For vegetable and potato filling, avoid the cinnamon powder and add green chilli paste instead of red chilli powder. You can increase the quantity of tomato and the onion according to yr taste.

NEER URUNDAI

Ingredients:

Raw rice- 2 cups
Green gram- half cup
Red chillies-4
Black gram- 2 tbsp
Shredded coconut- half cup
Mustard seeds- half sp
Asafetida pr- half sp
Curry leaves- a few
Gingelly oil- 2 tbsp
Enough salt

Procedure:

Soak the rice and the dal for an hour and then grind them with enough salt smoothly. The batter should be watery. Heat a pan and pour the oil. When it becomes hot add the mustards. When they splutter add the black gram, red chillies, asafetida powder and the curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds on slow fire. Pour the batter and cook until it becomes solid. Put off the fire and allow it to cool a little. Add the coconut and mix well with yr fingers. Make small smooth balls and steam them for 15 minutes.

PAU BAAJI

Ingredients:

Small buns- 12 to 15
Butter- 250gm
Finely chopped onion- 2
Big tomatoes [crushed]-3
Cauliflower florets- 100gms
Peas- half cup
Carrot [cut in to pieces]-1
Green chilli paste- 1 tbsp
Ginger paste- 1 tbsp
Chopped coriander- 1 cup
Garam masala- half sp
Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Lime juice- 1 tsp
Potatoes [cut in to small pieces]-500 gms
Salt to taste
Oil-3 tbsp
Turmeric powder- half sp

Procedure:

Cook the vegetables in enough salted water. Then drain the water and keep it up. Mash the vegetables. Heat a pan and add the oil along with 3 tbsp of butter. Add the onion and fry for some time. Add the pastes with the turmeric powder and cook for a while. Add the tomatoes and cook until it is mashed and the oil floats on the surface. Add the mashed vegetables with enough salt and cook for a few minutes. If needed, add the reserved water. Add the garam masala and cook for a few seconds. Sprinkle the lime juice and coriander leaves.
Cut the bun in to halves. Just before serving, melt some butter on the tawa and toast the buns on both sides. Again melt some butter and fry some prepared curry in it.

PAU BAAJI MASALA:

INGREDIENTS:

Red chillies-25
Coriander seeds- 3 tbsp
Peppercorn- 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds-3 tbsp
Cinnamon- 3 tbsp
Cloves-3 tbsp
Black cardamom-3
Fennel seeds-2 tbsp

PROCEDURE:

Dry roast the spices in a pan until a nice aroma floats on the air. When they are cooled, pound them in to a fine powder.

THATTAI

Ingredients;

Raw rice- 2 cups
Black gram- 50 gms
Gram dal- 50 gms
Shredded coconut- a handful
Red chillies- 5
Shredded coconut- quarter cup
Dalda- 1 tbsp
Green gram- a handful
Bengal gram- a handful
Asafoetida powder- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Soak the rice in enough water for an hour. Then drain the water and allow the rice to dry. Pound the rice into fine flour and then sieve twice. Fry the black gram in a dry pan to golden brown. When cooled grind it to a fine powder along with gram dal. Grind the coconut with the red chillies to a fine paste. Soak the green gram and the Bengal gram in enough water for an hour and then drain the water. Add these to the flours along with the dalda, asafoetida powder, salt, sesame seeds, coconut paste and curry leaves. Make smooth dough with the help of a little water. Make small balls, flatten them on a white cloth in to thin thattais. Fry them in hot oil to golden brown.

MASALA PEANUTS

Ingredients:

Peanuts- 1 cup
Gram flour- 1 cup
Rice flour- half cup
Soda bi carbonate- quarter spoon
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Asafoetida powder- 1 tsp
Coarse Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves- a handful
Oil to fry

Procedure:

Slightly fry the peanuts in a dry pan and then remove the skins. Add all the ingredients to it. Mix with a little water to make a thick mixture. Heat the oil. Put 2 tbsp of peanuts masala in it. Wait for a second. Then spread the peanuts with the help of a flat spoon. Allow the peanuts to fry into golden brown. Thus complete all the peanuts. You may add extra gram flour or lessen the quantity according to the texture of the peanuts.

ALOO BHUJIYA

Ingredients:

Cooked and mashed potato-4 cups
Math gram flour[matki ki flour]- 2 cups
Gram flour- 1 cup
Chilli pr- 1 tsp
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Chat masala- 1/2 tsp
Dry ginger pr- 1/2 tsp
Asafotida pr- 1 tsp
Enough salt and oil

Procedure:

Mix well all the ingredients with enough salt and water to make a smooth dough. Fill in the murukku press using the sev blade and press the dough into hot oil. Thus prepare all the dough.

THAVALAI VADAI

There are a few varieties on ‘Thavalai vadai’. This is my favourite.

Ingredients:

Lentils- 1 cup
Black gram-1 cup
Bengal gram- 1 cup
Raw rice- 1/2 cup
Par boiled rice- 1/2 cup
Green gram- 1.21/2cup
Sag0- 1/2 cup
Chopped coconut-1 cup
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Peppercorns- 2 tbsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Red chillies-6
Salt to taste
Gingelly oil- 2 tbsp

Procedure:

Soak the rice varieties and other dal varieties separately in enough water for 2 hours. Grind all the ingredients with the red chillies and enough salt to a thick dough. Add the coconut, and the curry leaves. Heat a small pan and pour the gingelly oil. Add the mustard seeds and the peppercorns. When they splutter add this to the vadai dough. Mix well. Take a big ball, flatten it, make a hole in the centre and fry it in the hot oil to golden brown colour. Thus finish all the dough.

BOTTLE GOURD BAJJI

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd- half of a medium bottle gourd
Soda bi carbonate- a pinch
Onion-1
Green chillies-2
Shredded ginger- 1 sp
Plain flour- 1 cup
Corn flour- half cup
Hot oil- 2sp

Procedure:

Peel the outer skin of the bottle gourd and cut it like French fries. Add the soda bi carbonate with enough salt and mix well. Keep it covered for 30 minutes. Grind the onion with the green chillies and the ginger in to fine paste. Add this to the flours. Make a smooth thick batter by adding enough salt and the hot oil. Heat a pan and pour enough oil to fry. Squeeze out the water from the bottle gourd, then dip a few in the batter and toss them in hot oil. Fry them to a golden brown colour. Thus complete all the pieces.

FISH CUTLET

Ingredients:

Steamed and mashed fish- 5 cups
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Onion-3
Chopped coriander- 1/4 cup
Mashed tomato- 1/2 cup
Boiled and mashed potato- 1 cup
Salt to taste
Eggs-2
Fresh breadcrumbs- 2 cups
Enough oil to fry

Grind these ingredients coarsely with water:

2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 piece cinnamon, 8 garlic flakes, 1 tsp shredded ginger

Procedure:

Heat a pan and add 3 tbsp of oil. Add the onion and fry well. Then add the tomato with the turmeric powder and fry for a few minutes until the tomatoes are mashed well and the oil floats on top. Add the ground paste and fry for a few minutes. Add the mashed fish with enough salt and cook for sometime till every thing is blended well. Put off the fire. Add the coriander and the mashed potato. Mix well. Make small balls and flattened them. Dip them in to the beaten eggs and coat them finely with the fresh bread crumbs. Fry them in hot oil to golden brown colour.

Vazhaippoo cutlet

Ingredients:

Vazhaipoo-1 [chop it finely, and steam it for 15 minutes]
Bengal gram- 1/2 cup
Boiled and mashed potato- 1 cup
Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
Green chilli paste- 1 tsp
Onion- 2
mint leaves- a handful
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Enough oil to fry

Procedure:

Soak the Bengal gram for 2 hours and then grind it coarsely. Heat a pan and pour 2 tbsp of oil. Fry the onion till it turns to a golden colour. Then add all the pastes with the turmeric powder and fry well. Add these with the greens, mashed potato and the steamed vazhaippoo to the ground paste. Mix well with enough salt.Make small balls, flatten them and fry the cutlets in hot oil to a golden colour.

THENKUZHAL

Ingredients:

Raw rice- 4 cups
Black gram- 1 cup
Butter- 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 2 tsp
White sesame seeds- 1 tsp
Enough salt and oil
Asafotida powder- 1 tsp

Procedure:

Soak the rice in plenty of water for 1 hour and then drain it in a colander. Then pound the rice into fine flour. Sieve it twice. Roast the rice flour on slow fire until it changes colour. If you try to draw lines with the flour, it must flow freely from yr fingers. That is the correct texture. When cooled sieve again. Roast the black gram on slow fire again on a dry pan to a light brown colour. When it is cooled, powder it finely. Sieve this flour also. The fried rice and black gram flours must be in the ratio of 4:1. Mix these flours and add all the ingredients in a bowl. Add enough warm water to make soft dough. Immediately make thenkuzhals with the help of murukku press.

Thattai

Regarding thattai-make thin discs. If the fire is very high, then the thattai will be changed in colour very quickly-but it will be soft inside. In medium fire, when the thattai turns golden brown , it will be cooked inside also. In this way it will be crisp always.

bout Samosa

For crispy outer cover for samosa, add ice cold water, a little oil and a little baking powder to the plain flour and make a stiff dough. You can fill any masala inside. Roll the outer cover very thinly.

RICE FLAKES POTATO BONDA[உருளைக்கிழங்கு அவல் போண்டா]

This is a different bonda with a delicious taste. I have recently found an old diary with full of recipes which were written some 25 years ago. I was thrilled to see so many different recipes in it. This is one of them. The combination of rice flakes and potato with a spicy batter gives a very different taste.


Ingredients:

For the filling:
Potato-250gm
Rice flakes [poha]- 250 gms
Finely chopped onion-1
Finely chopped green chillies-5
Finely chopped coriander-3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 4 tbsp

For the batter:

Gram flour- 1 cup
Chilli powder- half sp\
Soda bi carbonate- 1/4 sp
Salt to taste

Grind the following ingredients to a paste:

Fried cumin seeds- half sp
Green chilli-1
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Ginger- half sp

Procedure:

Boil the potatoes and mash them finely.
Soak the rice flakes for 5 minutes and drain the water completely.
Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the onion with the green chilies
Fry them until the onion turns golden brown.
Add the mashed potato with enough salt and the chopped coriander.
Cook on slow fire for some minutes.
Add the rice flakes, mix well and cook for a few minutes.
Now the filling is ready.
Allow it to cool down.
Make small balls.
Mix all the ingredients for the batter with enough salt.
Prepare the batter as dosa batter adding enough water.
Dip the balls in the batter and deep fry them to golden brown.
Now the tasty rice flakes potato balls are ready to serve!!

COOKED RICE PAKODA

Last week, with the left over cooked rice, I have made this pakoda. It was very tasty and delicious. When using cooked boiled rice, the batter becomes a little watery after some minutes. So the pakodas must be fried immediately after mixing all the ingredients. There is no need for a side dish like chutney for this. Just ketchup is enough.




சாத பகோடா
Ingredients:

Cooked rice-3 cups
Ginger- 1 tsp
Green chillies-7
Garlic flakes [small]-4
Fennel seeds- tsp
Gram flour- 2 cups
Plain flour- half cup
Finely sliced onion-3
Mint leaves-half cup
Salt to taste
Enough oil to fry

Procedure:

Sieve the flours.
Grind the cooked rice with the ginger, green chillies, garlic, fennel seeds and salt to a coarse paste.
There is no need to add water.
Add flours, mint and onion to make a smooth mixture.
Heat enough oil.
The fire should be medium.
Fry the batches of pakodas to golden brown.

Tip:If you keep the sadha pakoda mixture a little longer, it will turn a little soggy and watery. So after preparing the mixture, immediately fry them as pakodas. If the mixture is soggy, add some more gram flour with half of rice flour and a little salt to it. The mixture will be thick again!

CHICKEN CUTLET

CHICKEN CUTLET:
Boil 1 PAIR of chicken leg pieces with the thighs and one breast piece in water for some minutes until the chicken pieces are well cooked.

Drain the water, remove the flesh and mince them in a mincer.

Heat a kadai and pour 3 or 4 tbsp oil.

When it is hot, add 5 onions which are chopped.

Fry them to a golden brown.

Grind 1” piece of ginger with 2sp fennel seeds and 4 green chillies to a fine paste. Add this ground paste with 1 sp turmeric powder to the onion.

Fry them again well on a slow fire.

Add the chicken mince and enough salt and cook for a few minutes.

Add chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.

Finally add 3 mashed potatoes.

Mix well and put off the fire.

Make balls, flatten them into cutlets, dip well in beaten eggs, roll them in fine breadcrumbs and deep fry them in hot oil.

Boondhi

BHOONDHI:

Make a batter like idli batter with 1 cup of gram flour and a pinch of salt.

In little ghee, fry 1tbsp broken cashew nuts to a light brown colour.

Then heat a kadai and pour enough ghee. The fire should be medium.

Hold a bhoondhi karandi above the oil and then pour 1 heaped spoon batter on the karandi.

The small pearl like balls will fall on the oil.

Fry them to a light crisp texture.

It should not be exactly crisp.

Take them out and place them on a big kitchen paper towel.

Finish all the batter like this.

In another kadai, pour ½ cup of water and add ½ cup sugar to this.

Make ‘kambi paagu’ and then add a little cardamom power and the cashew nuts. Reduce the fire and add all the bhoondhi and mix well until the water dries.

Put off the fire.