VENDAIKKAI KOOTTU [LADIES FINGER KOOTTU]

INGREDIENTS:

Chopped tomato- 1 cup
Shredded ginger- 1 tsp
Slit green chilles-4
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Curry leaves- a few
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Coarsely ground pepper- quarter sp
Ladies fingers cut into desired pieces- 2 cups
Turmeric powder- half sp
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Cooked green gram- half cup
Oil- 4tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Heat a pan and add 1tsp of oil. Add the ladies finger pieces and fry them for 10 minutes on medium fire. Take them away and again pour the remaining oil. Add the cumin seeds and when they splutter add the tomato, ginger, and the green chillies with the turmeric powder. Fry them until the tomatoes are cooked and the oil floats on top. Ad the green and fry for a few seconds. Add the ladies finger pieces with enough salt, pepper powder and the coconut milk. When the ladies fingers are almost cooked add the cooked green gram and cook for a few more minutes until the koottu is done.

BITTER GOURD PITLAI

INGREDIENTS:

Bitter gourd- 250gms
Tamarind- a small lime size
Turmeric powder- half sp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Chopped tomato- half cup
Tuar dal- half cup
Bengal gram- 2 tbsp
Green gram- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 4 tbsp

Fry the following ingredients in a tsp of oil to golden brown colour and grind them to a fine paste:

Red chillies-6
Coriander seeds- 2 tbsp
Bengal grams- 1 tbsp
Asafetida- a small piece
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 sp
Shredded coconut- 1 cup

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and extract its juice. Cut the bitter gourd in to small pieces and cook them in the tamarind water with the turmeric powder. When they are half-cooked, add the cooked dals, salt and the ground paste. When the bitter gourd pieces are fully cooked put off the fire. Heat a small pan and add the oil. Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the curry leaves and the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes until they are mashed. Ad this to the pitlai and mix well Cook the pitlai on slow fire for a few minutes.

YAM ROAST

Procedure:

Yam- 500gm
Chilli powder- 1 tbsp
Gram flour- 1 tbsp
Gram dal [pottukkadalai] flour- 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder- half sp
Salt to taste
Enough oil to fry

Grind the following to a fine paste:

Small onions-8, fennel seeds- 1 tsp, shredded ginger- 1 tsp garlic flakes- 8

Procedure:

Clean the yam well and cut into big pieces. Pressure cook them without water for 3 whistles. Remove the outer cover and slice them into 1” to 11/2 “pieces with a quarter inch thickness. Coat them with the powders, salt and the ground paste. Let them marinade for 30 minutes. Then shallow fry them in oil. When they become golden brown on one side turn them on to the other side and fry them well.

SOYA TOMATO FRY

Ingredients:

Soya balls- 2 cup
Finely chopped tomato- 2 cup
Ginger paste- 1 sp
Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Turmeric popwder- half sp
Finely chopped coriander leaves- half cup
Oil- 4 tbsp
Enough salt

Grind the following ingredients to a fine paste:

Cashewnuts-8, cinnamon- 1 piece, fennel seeds- 2 tsp, Kashmir chilli powder- 1 tbsp

Procedure:

Soak the soya balls in hot water for 10 minutes. Then drain the hot water and again soak the soya balls in chilled water for 10 minutes. Then drain the water. Squeeze the water well from the soya balls using the fingers.
Heat a pan and add the oil. Add the tomato with the turmeric powder and fry them until they are mashed and the oil floats on the surface. Add the ginger and the garlic pastes and again fry it for a few minutes. Add the soya balls and cook them for some minutes until they are well blended with the tomato masala. Add the ground paste and coriander leaves. Cook for some more minutes.

SEPPANKIZHANGU PULI KUZHAMBU

Ingredients:

Seppangkizhangu- 200gms
Tamarind- lemon size
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Sambar powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- half tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Sambar onions[chopped]-half cup
Chopped tomato- half cup
Fenugreek powder- half tsp
Ground coconut paste- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Gingelly oil- 4 tbsp

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of water for an hour and extract its juice. Steam the seppangkizhangu in pressure cooker up to 4 whistles. When cooled remove the outer skins and cut them in to cubes.
Heat a pan and add the oil. When it becomes hot, add the onion and fry well. Then add the tomato with the curry leaves and the fenugreek powder. When the tomatoes are mashed well and the oil floats on the surface, add the tamarind extract with the powders, coconut paste, and seppangkizhangu pieces with enough salt. Cook until you get the desired consistency.

GUTTI VANKAYA KURA

Ingredients:

Small brinjals- 10 to 12
Tamarind- a lime size
Chopped onion- 1
Finely chopped garlic- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Turmeric powder-half sp
Chilli powder- 2 tsp
Coriander pr- 1 tsp
Shredded coconut- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Enough oil

Dry roast the following ingredients to a golden brown colour and then grind them with the coconut:

Peanuts - 3 tbsp
Sesame Seeds - 2 tsp
cloves-2
Cinnamon-one small piece
Jeera - 1 tsp

procedure:

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for half an hour and then extract its juice. Mix the paste with a tsp of oil, chilli powder, half of turmeric powder, coriander powder and a little salt. Take the washed brinjals (baingan), cut the stem a little bit and make a plus cut at the center. Do not make a very deep cut. The slices must not be separated. Stuff the masala inside each brinjal. Take a broad pan, add 3 tbsp of oil, add the seasoning of mustard seeds, and curry leaves. Add the brinjals and fry them on medium fire for some minutes. Add the remaining masala, tamrind extract, the remaining turmeric pr and salt to taste. Cook on medium fire. When the gravy is thickened, put off the fire.

CHILLI PAROTTA

Ingredients:

Parotta-6
Mashed tomato- 2 cups
Turmeric powder- half sp
Tomato pulp[tinned]- half cup
Diced capsicum-1 cup
Chopped green chillies-1 tsp
Chopped spring onion-1 cup
Chilli sauce- 1 tbsp
Pesto sauce [optional]-1 tbsp
Ginger paste- half sp
Ginger paste- half sp
Salt to taste
Oil-3 tbsp

Procedure:

For this, soft parottas are needed. Usually, in restaurants, chefs use a clean cotton cloth to puff up the hot parottas to loosen the layers. After this process, the parottas will be very soft. Dice them in to small pieces. They can also be cut into squares.
Heat a broad pan and pour the oil. Add the tomatoes with the pastes, turmeric powder, tomato pulp and green chillies. Cook well until the tomatoes are mashed and the oil floats on the surfaces. Add the capsicum and spring onions with enough salt and cook for a few minutes. Add the sauces and fry for a few seconds. Add the pieces of parottas and cook on slow fire for a few minutes until the pieces are coated with the tomato mixture.

RAW BANANA MANCHURIAN

Ingredients:

For the balls:

Raw banana-3
Big onion[Chopped]-1
Finely chopped green chillies- 1 tsp
Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
Chopped mint leaves-1 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
Gram dal powder- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

For the gravy:

Soya sauce- 2tsp
Chilli sauce- 2 tsp
Crushed tomato- 1 cup
Ginger paste- 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Tomato ketchup- 1 tsp
Coarse pepper powder- 1 tsp
Chopped spring onions- 1 cup
Finely Chopped capsicum- 1 tbsp
Corn flour- 2 tsp [mixed in 2 cups of water]
Salt and oil to taste

Procedure:

Steam the raw bananas for 15 minutes. Then mash it. Heat a pan and pour 2 tbsp of oil. Add the chopped onion and fry for a few minutes till it turns light brown. Add the green chillies with the pastes and the greens. Fry for a few seconds. Then add the mashed banana with enough salt and the turmeric powder and cook for a few minutes. Put off the fire. Mix the dal powder with the cooked mixture. Make small balls out of the mixture and deep fry the balls to a golden brown colour. Again heat a pan and pour 2 tbsps of oil. Add the tomato with the pastes and the turmeric powder and fry for a few minutes till they cook well and the oil floats on the surface. Add the spring onion, capsicum, sauces and the ketchup and fry for a few seconds. Pour the corn flour mixture and let it simmer. Add all the balls and cook in slow fire. Sprinkle the pepper powder and put off the fire.

GREEN GRAM SOUP

Ingredients:

Green gram- 1/2 cup[cooked]
Turmeric powder- 1/2 sp
Crushed tomato- 1 cup
Chopped small onions- 5
Chopped coriander leaves-4 tbsp
Chopped mint leaves- 2 tbsp
Enough salt
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Oil-2 tsp
Juice of a lime

Grind the following ingredients coarsely:

Cinnamon-1 piece, red chilli-1, green chilli-1, fennel seeds-1 tsp, cumin seeds- half tsp, peppercorns- half tsp, shredded ginger-1sp, garlic flakes-5[small]

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the oil and the ghee. When they become hot, add the chopped onion and fry for a few minutes. Then add the ground masala and fry well. Then add the tomato with the turmeric powder and fry until the tomatoes are mashed well. Now add the cooked gram, greens, salt, and 4 to 5 cups of water. Allow the soup to simmer for a few minutes and then put off the fire. Add the lemon juice and mix well.

MUSHROOM FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

Shredded carrot-1
Diced onion-1
Cauliflower florets-1/2 cup
Chopped tomato-1 cup
Garlic flakes-6
Shredded ginger- 1 sp
Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
Briyanai rice- 2 cups
Button mushroom-2 cups
Sliced onion- 1 cup
Thinly sliced capsicum- 1/2 cup
Chopped spring onion-1 cup
Slit green chillies-5
Aginomoto-1/2 tsp
Soya sauce- 2 tsp
Chilli sauce- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Enough oil

Procedure:

Put the first seven ingredients in a pressure pan with 3 cups of water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Drain out the vegetable soup. Cook the rice in this water with enough salt. Heat a pan and pour 3 to 4 tbsp of oil. Add the onion with the green chillies. Then add the capsicum with the mushrooms, the spring onions and a little salt. Fry for some minutes until everything is well blended and cooked. Add the cooked rice. Sprinkle the sauces and the ajinomoto. Mix well on slow fire for a few seconds. As the rice is cooked in a vegetable soup, the taste will be very different. Hope you will get the desired effect in this way.

VANGHI BATH [BRINJAL RICE]

Ingredients:

Small fresh brinjals[diced]-6
Rice cooked with salt- 4 to 5 cups
Tamarind- a small lime size
Sliced onion-1 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- a handful
Shredded coconut-1 cup
Bengal gram- 1 tsp
Black gram-1 tp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida-a marble size
Red chillies-3 to 5
Coriander seeds-2 tsp
Cinnamon- 1 piece
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Enough oil and salt

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in enough water for 1 hour and then extract its juice. Fry the Bengal gram, black gram, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, coriander seeds and the red chillies in a little oil and then powder them finely. Fry the coconut in the ghee to a golden brown colour. Heat a kadai and pour 3 tbsp of oil. Add he mustard seeds and when they splutter add the onion and fry them till they become golden brown. Add the brinjals with the turmeric powder and fry for a few minutes. Then add the tamarind juice with enough salt. When the gravy is thickened, add the fried powder and mix well. Let it cook for a few minutes. Add this to the rice along with the curry leaves and the fried coconut. Mix well.

SURAIKKAI PAAL KOOTU

Ingredients:

Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Red chilllies-5
Black gram-1 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Bottle gourd-a small one
Shredded coconut- a handful
Fennel seeds-1/2 tsp
Thick milk- half cup
Enough salt
Oil- 2 tbsp

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the oil. When it becomes hot, add the mustards. When they splutter, add the black gram, red chillies, curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves and fry for a few minutes. Cut the bottle gourd in to small pieces and add them to the pan. Fry them for a few seconds. Extract thick milk from the coconut and add this to the bottle gourd with enough salt. Powder the fennel seeds and add it to the pan. When the vegetable is cooked well, add the milk and allow it to simmer for a few minutes until it is blended well with the vegetable.

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.

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.

RADISH MASALA CURRY

INGREDIENTS:

Radish- 250gms
Green gram-3 tbsp [cook it until it is almost cooked]
Sambar onions-10
Crushed tomato- 1/2 cup
Shredded coconut- 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- a few
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Black gram- 1 tsp
Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
Shredded ginger- 1 tsp
Chopped garlic- 1 tsp
Oil- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Dry roast these ingredients and grind them into a fine powder:

Red chillies-a handful, cinnamon- 3 pieces, fennel seeds- 2 tsp, poppy seeds- 2 tsp, cloves-10, cardamom-10, star anise- 1 , coriander seeds- 4 tbsp

Procedure:

Either shred or chop the radish finely. Steam them for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excessive water. Heat a pan and pour the oil. Add the mustard seeds and the black gram. When they splutter add the chopped sambar onions and fry them until they change their colour lightly. Add the tomatoes with the garlic, turmeric powder and the ginger and fry them till they are well cooked. Add the radish and fry for a few minutes. Add the coconut, the greens, green gram and 1 tsp of ground masala powder. Cook the curry on slow fire until it is well done. You can reduce the quantity of masala powder according to yr taste.

CABBAGE TOMATO PROYAL

This is a very simple poriyal which I have learnt from a restaurant.

Ingredients:

Cabbage [chopped finely]- 5 cups
Onion[chopped finely]-1
Tomato [chopped finely][big]- 1
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Shredded coconut- 2 handfuls
Chopped coriander- 3 tbsp
Cooked Bengal gram- 3 tbsp
Oil- 3 tsp
Finely chopped ginger- 1/2 tsp
Asafotida powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the oil. Add the mustards and the cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the asafetida powder and fry for a few seconds. Add the chopped onion with the ginger and fry for a few seconds. Then add the tomato with the turmeric powder and the chilli powder. Cook well until the tomato is mashed well. Add the cabbage and cook on slow fire. Sprinkle water in intervals if needed. When it is almost cooked add the coconut, Bengal gram and the coriander. Cook the poriyal until it is done. If the cabbage is cooked fully and has become soft and soggy, then the taste will decrease a little.

GOBI MANCHURIAN

Ingredients

Cauliflower- 1
Finely ground ginger- 1 tsp
Finely ground garlic- 1 tsp
Corn flour- 1/2 cup
Plain flour- 2 tbsp
Soy Sauce- 2 Tbsp
Tomato Sauce- 2 Tbsp
Chilli sauce- 1 tbsp
Ajinomoto- 1/4 tsp
Green chillies cut into thin stripes-2
Chopped spring onion- 1 cup
Capsicum cut into thin stripes- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tbsp

Procedure:

Cut cauliflower into florets and put it in a vessel.
Add half of the ginger and the garlic, half of green chillies and enough salt. Let them marinate for 15 minutes. Steam them for 15 minutes. Then allow them to cool down and add the corn flour and the plain flour to the florets, mix well and form small dumplings out of it. The mixture must be thick and sticky. If you want them a little spicy, you can add 1/4 tsp of chilli powder when making the dumplings. If necessary, you can add more corn flour according to the texture.
Fry these small dumplings in hot oil to golden brown.
Heat a kadai and pour 2 tbsp of oil. Add the remaining green chillies, garlic and the ginger.
Fry for some time. Then add the spring onion with the capsicum and the ajinomoto. Fry for a few minutes. Then add the fried dumplings to it.
Add all the sauces and1/4 ¼ cup of water. If you want gravy add 2 cups of water mixed with 1/4 cup of corn flour. Add salt as per the taste. In some restaurants, they do not make dumplings. They mix all the ingredients with the steamed cauliflower florets, and fry them directly. You can try in this procedure also.

BABY CORN AND PALAK MASALA

Ingredients:

Bay corns- 1/2 kilo
Chopped palak- 2 cups
Crushed tomato-2 cups
Chopped onion- 1
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves- 3 tbsp
Oil- 4 tbsp
Grind the following ingredients in to a fine paste:
Coriander powder-2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Peppercorns- 10
Ginger- 1/2 tsp
Small garlic flakes-5

Procedure:

Blanch the spinach leaves in hot water. Remove, drain and puree in a food processor to a fine paste. Cut the baby corns into 1/2 inch pieces. Heat a pan and pour the oil. Saute the bay corns with the onion for a few minutes. Add the turmeric powder and the ground paste and fry for a few seconds. Then add the crushed tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. Add a little water and cook the bay corns until they become tender and the gravy is thickened. Add the ground palak with the coriander leaves. Cook the gravy until every thing is well blended.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Ingredients:

Cauliflower [chopped] - 250 kg
Plain flour- 2 tsp
Potato [chopped] - 1/2 cup
Milk- 1 1/2 cups
Chopped onion- 1/4 cup
Water- 2 cups
Butter- 1 tbsp
Sugar- 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
Grated cheese for garnishing
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Melt the butter in a pan over low heat. Add the onion and fry it for a few seconds. Add the flour and mix well. Add the vegetables and fry for a few seconds. Add the milk and water. Cook on medium fire till the vegetables are tender. Liquidize and pass through a sieve. Add the pepper powder, salt and the sugar to the soup. Add warm water if necessary. Garnish with cheese.

ENNAI KATHTHARIKAI CURRY

Ingredients:
groundnuts-2tbsp,
kuskus-1sp,
methi seeds[fenugreek seeds]-1/2sp,
white sesame seeds-1sp,
cummin seeds-3/4sp,
small sambar onions-15.
tomato pieces-11/2 cups,
garlic flakes-6,
coriander powder-11/2sp,
chilli powder-1 tbsp,
turmeric powder-1sp
kaththarikai[brinjal]-8 to 10[small size],
gingelly oil- 4tbsp,
mustard seeds-1sp,
peppercorns-1sp,
green chillies-5,[slit them lengthwise]
tamarind-a lime size
enough salt to taste.
Method:
Dry roast groundnuts,cummin seeds,kuskus, sesame seeds,fenugreeks seeds to a golden brown colour and grind them with onions, tomatoes and garlic without adding water.Add the turperic powder,chilli powder, and the coriander powder and mix well. Cut each brinjal in to 8 pieces lengthwise, add enough salt and the mixed masala to this,mix well and keep them covered for 1/2 hour.
Heat the oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the green chillies and the peppercorns and fry for two minutes. Now add the brinjal with masasla and cook on a medium fire until the oil comes on the top. Extract a thick juice from the tamarind and add to the brinjal.When all the water is absorbed and the oil floats on the top,put off the fire.The gravy must be thick.