my website recipes

Friends,

I will be transferring my website recipes here on my blog over a period of next week. I have already transferred some recipes now.

Thanks for being patient.

Hemant

TIFFIN .......Breakfast/Light Brunch

--- TIFFIN ---

TIFFIN..TIFFIN...TIFFIN...TIFFIN..TIFFIN

For any person outside of South India, word "Tiffin" means lunch box. But in South India, Tiffin has a different meaning.
If you hear the words "Tiffin Aachha?"
It means "Did you have breakfast or light brunch?"

In Tiffin section, I have provided with all the light and not so light snacks which serve as support at breakfast and early evening times .
So enjoy the TIFFIN.


BATATA WADA

INTRODUCTION
Batata wada is a savory which is extremely popular in Gujarat,
Maharashtra and western India as whole. It is very easy to make
and it tastes fantastic even with very simple spices which are
used Batata Wada is usually eaten with spicy sweet sour
Tamarind / Khajur Chutney or plain Tomato Sauce.


INGREDIENTS

( For five people one helping of about five Wadas each)

FOR THE STUFFING

1 Kg. Potatoes of Thick skin variety
1 Small Bunch of Kothumalli
5 Nos. Green chillies finely chopped
2" Ginger piece finely sliced
1/2 sp. Turmeric powder (optional)
2 Sp. Garam Masala
2 Sp. Lime Juice
3 to 4 Sp. Sugar
1 Sp. Asafoetida (perangayam)
Salt to taste
Other optional stuffings like Raisins, Dates, etc. can also be added

FOR THE BATTER

400 Gms. Besan/ Kadalai maavu
1 Sp. Perangayam/ Hing
2 Sp. Chilli Powder
3/4 Sp. Turmeric Powder
2 spoons Salt
Water to make thick Batter like Dosai.
500 ml of cooking oil for frying

METHOD OF PREPARATION


For the stuffing, first steam cook potatoes in a pressure cooker.
Remove the skin and let it cool. Now add, salt, Kothumalli,
Green chillies and Garam masala, Lime Juice, Sugar and salt,
perangayam and slowly mix the ingredients thoroughly .Don't make a
paste type thing of the whole mass. The stuffing should not be
totally smooth. Let the potatoes be mashed to 1/4th inch size .
Once all the ingredients are mixed , taste for salt and other things.
Add anything you want at this stage. Now take a big plate, smear
some oil on the surface and start making small urundais (Balls) of
the Potato stuffing and place in the plate. Try making all of them
of even size. Rub some oil on your palms to avoid potato sticking
to your palms. Keep aside.


PREPARATION OF THE BATTER
Take Kadalai Maavu (Besan) in a wide mouth vessel , add salt,
Chilli powder, Hing, Turmeric powder and mix very well. Now start
adding water in small quantities and start making the batter.
When you reach Dosai Maavu consistency, stop and taste for salt
and other ingredients.

GRAND FINALE Dip the Potato stuffings in the batter and fry in a
Kadai till golden brown. Please make sure that you do not drip the
potato stuffing in oil much as it will leave a lot of Bundi like
things burning in the oil for frying. Take care not to over fry
on a high flame. All the deep frying should be done only at a
medium flame. The frying of Batata Wada should be done after all
the food is cooked .This is to ensure that the guests get steaming
Batata Wadas. Serve with Tomato sauce to Sweet Sour Chutney.

If you want to serve only hot Wadas, under fry the Wadas about an
hour or two before the lunch or dinner. Re-fry them again on
medium flame or micro it just before you serve the guests.



BHAJJIS (Bhajiya)

Bhajjis are the king of "Tiffin". When the first showers come, the taste buds start tingling with fine aroma of frying Bhajjis in Gujarat and other northern parts of India. I am going to post hitherto never posted recipe of Bhajjis, which would surprise you with its aroma and taste. If you think that this is an over statement, try it out and you would agree with me..

For dough
Kadalai Maavu (Besan) 1 cup
Rice Flour 1 spoon
Dhania 1 tbsp
Red Chilli (coarsely broken) 1 nos
Onion Paste 1 tbsp
Green Chilli (paste) 1no.
Garam Masala 1/2 spoon
Dhania Jeera Powders 1/2 spoon+1/4 spoon
Chilli powder 1 spoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Curd/Amchur/Tamarind extract 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida powder 1/2 spoon
Salt to taste Oil for frying

For centre filler
Select big Potatoes or Onions or Brinjals. Make round slices in a slicer of about 3 to 4 mm thickness. Put potato and onion slices in salt water for some time, and drain off and wipe dry with cloth or paper. If you are using big chillies, make a long slice on each chilli , remove the seeds and keep them ready for dipping and frying..

Coarsely pound Dhania seeds and red chilli and set aside. Mix both Kadalai maavu (besan) and Rice flour thoroughly, make paste of a small onion and one green chilli and add all the dry spice powders and salt along with onion-chilli paste to the dough. Also add any acidic medium like Mango powder or a bit of tamarind extract or sour curd. Taste for salt and use as per your taste. Make sure that there should be just a hint of sourness. If you don't like it, you can avoid sour agents totally. Add little by little water and make thick dough of Dosai maavu consistency. If you want very crisp Bhajjis, you can mix quarter spoon of cooking soda in half a spoon of oil, mix thoroughly first and then add in dough and stir-mix thoroughly. Take oil in Kadai (200 ml) and heat it on high flame. after some time drop a drop of dough and check if oil is ready for frying. If ready, the drop would immediately come on top fried. Reduce the flame to medium or sim . Now carefully dip each filler like Onion round ring or Potato slice or Green Chilli and coat it properly in dough. Drop very carefully in oil and fry till the outer cover of Bhajji dough becomes golden Brown. Never fry Bhajjis till brown. Using a frying sieve, remove the bhajjis in a vessel where you should keep a paper at the bottom to absorb excess oil. Serve hot hot Bhajjis with Kothumalli Chutney or Tomato sauce. I bet , this recipe would bring loads of applause and appreciation from your loved ones and guests.


MYSORE BONDA

Mysore Bonda is one item in Hotels which is seen lesser and lesser now a days. This simple preparation is a great nourisher and with chutney, tastes fantastic. I prefer Mysore Bonda to Medhu Vadai for its rich creamy inside and a subtle taste.

Ulundhu (dehusked) 150 gms.
Payir parappau/Thoram Parappu 3 spoons
Coconut (2"piece) 1/4 cup
Ginger 1" piece
Green Chillies 4 to 5 nos.
Black pepper 1 spoon
Jeera 1/2 spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Cooking soda two pinches

The Parappus dhalls) are to be soaked in water for at least three hours in winter and 2 hours in summer.

Chop chillies, grate Ginger and cut a 2" piece of coconut flesh in small pieces. Set aside. Make a thick but very fine paste of both Parappus (dhalls) .If you want very fluffy Bondas, you can use the agitator or egg beater and make a frothy dough. But before doing that, add salt to taste. This dough should be of vadai dough consistency. so take care when you make paste. Coarsely grind Jeera and Pepper . Some people add whole peppers and pounded jeera. You can do as you like. Mix cooking soda in a little oil and mix thoroughly till it turns milky. Add this to dough .Now mix all the ingredients with dough and see that they have evenly been mixed. Now Take a Kadai and heat up oil. Check if it is hot enough by putting a drop of dough. When ready, wet your palms and make a small lemon sized bonda by hand and put directly in oil. Take care that you don't drop it from height or else you would burn your hand with hot oil. Fry at medium heat till the bondas are beautiful golden in colour.

The frying should be evenly done or else the center portion would not cook properly. The Bondas would be fine crispy on the outside and soft creamy inside. Prepare coconut chutney also and serve hot bondas with chutney.


--- Chapattis ---

CHAPATTIS

To make nice chappathis / Phulkas which Balloon when Roasted on fire, you need to make the dough in the following manner. Take required amount of (two cups) Whole-wheat flour. Add three tablespoons of cooking oil and half a spoon of salt. Mix the oil, salt and the whole-wheat flour thoroughly. Now take some water and slowly start adding and kneading the dough. When the dough is sufficiently soft, keep it aside for at least one hour after smearing the whole kneaded dough with a spoonful of oil to avoid drying up. Make urndais of only lemon size of dough to roll Chappathis. (sometimes on keeping for an hour, you may have to still soften the dough with a little bit of water as wheat flour sometimes absorbs water more than usual). You must not add too much water or else the chappathis will not balloon and you will not be able to make thin chappathis or Phulkas.

Take a little dry flour and set it aside, with a rolling pin, roll the chappathis on the stone. Once the flattened dough is thin and starts sticking to roller pin, turn the chappathi in dry flour on both the sides and start rolling in round shape. You may have to turn the chappathis in dry flour twice or thrice in order to get very thin (2.5-3mm) thickness without sticking. Now take the rolled flat dough and first place it on Tava. As soon as slight bulges start forming, With a chimta remove the chappathi from Tava and place directly on fire or flame of the stove. You will be amazed to see perfectly round Phulkas. Turn it and cook it on both the sides.

Remove from flame and apply nei (ghee) on the thinner side of the phulka. Serve it hot.


SPONGY DHOKLAS

DHOKLA is a dish, which Gujarat is famous for. There are a number of variations of Dhokla preparation. But I am going to post the most popular Spongy DOUBLE DECKER OR Dunlopillow Dhokala Recipe.

450 gms. Besan (kadalai maavu)
50 gms. of soaked Urad dhall
1 spoon of Turmeric powder
1 spoon of chilli powder
2 spoons of Fruit salt/ENO
2 spoons of Ginger and Chilli paste
1 spoon of salt or to taste
1 spoon of Perangayam (USE MILD PERANGAYAM)
1 pinch of extra citric acid
2 ladles of oil for smearing on plate and Tempering
2 spoons of Mustard seeds
2 spoons of white gingly seeds
2 springs of Curry leaves
1/2 cup of finely cut kothumalli/cilantro
250 ml of Tampering water on top of Dhoklas
2 spoon of sugar (add slightly more if you want typical Gujarati taste)

Make a thickish dough of Besan/kadalai maavu of thick bhajji maavu consistancy, the consistency must be almost like Idly maavu thickness. Make a paste of Soaked urad / ulandu dhall and add it to besan maavu. Now add salt, Turmeric powder, chilli powder, ginger Chilli paste, sugar asafoetida, salt, citric acid into the better and mix thoroughly. Taste the batter for ingredients. If you feel you need to add anything more to your taste, add it now. Prepare a medium sized Thali/Thattu smearing oil on the inside surface thoroughly including the sides. Keep it aside.

Take a large wide mouth vessel or a big kadai .Put a small stand in it this is a metal stand which we use to stand earthen pots) If you don't have it, you may use a wide mouthed Dabbi or a big katora filled with water. Put about 1 liter of water in the kadai. Now add one spoon of ENO /FRUIT SALT to half the batter taken in a separate vessel and mix thoroughly by hand. The bubbles would start forming. Immediately transfer the bubbling batter to the Thali/Thattu previously smeared with oil and put the whole thing in the Kadai on the stand. Cover the kadai and steam cook the batter for about fifteen minutes. Check after ten to fifteen minutes if the Dhoklas are cooked. If your finger does not stick to the surface, the Dhoklas are cooked. Cook the remaining batter in the same way. I have asked to use fruit salt separately from Thali to Thali because it should not lose the gas while the first installment is being cooked otherwise the second installment of Dhoklas would not be as spongy as the first one.

After about ten minutes, Temper 250 ml of water with oil, Mustard seeds, Gingly seeds and Curry leaves and also a pinch of Asafoetida, After the tampered water is ready, take ladlefuls of this water with all the mustard and other seasonings and spread it carefully on the Dhoklas. This water will be absorbed by the Dhoklas in short time. Now Decorate /Garnish the Dhoklas with cut Kothumalli/Cilantro Spongy Dhoklas are ready.!!! Now take a sharp knife and make square cuts of the Dhoklas. Dhoklas are to be eaten with Kothumalli/phudina chutney.You can enjoy the same with your tea or coffee.

Points to remember When you put batter in Thattu/plate, fill only upto 3/4 of the height of the thattu wall. This is because the batter will rise during steaming to almost double the height. When you sprinkle the Tempered water, take care that you don't over flood the Dhoklas or else they will become soggy. Never cover the Dhokla batter thattu,cover the whole Kadai. Serve the Dhoklas only after the sprinkled water has been absorbed. If the water remains on top, spread a tissue paper and absorb extra water.


KADLAI MAVU DOSAI

I am posting a recipe for making kadalai maavu dosais. The preparation time is 10 minutes. You need to have 250 grms of kadalai maavu, a small half spoon of Omam seeds which are crushed, some salt as per ones taste, chilli powder to taste and small half spoon of perangayam. Mix a tumbler of water in the Kadalai maavu, mix thoroughly so that small rounded pallets of maavu do not remain in the dough. Add salt , chilli powder, omam, and asafoetida in the dough which should have dosai maavu consistency. Make dosais just like you make rice dosais on a Tawa. Even the oil is to me applied in the same manner. Turn once on the other side and make the second portion slightly brown. The Kadalai maavu dosai is ready. This can be eaten with aavakkai uruga or any pickle or chutney. This can be eaten with Tea and coffee too!!! Try it out once. This is a dish which takes only ten minutes in preparation

RAVA DOSAI

Rava Dosai is very easy to prepare and is a wholesome and healthy breakfast dish. It is best enjoyed with chutney and Sambar.

250 gms. Rava ( Semolina )Fine Variety
25 gms. Rice Flour
1 cup Buttermilk
2" piece of Ginger finely shredded
5 Nos. Green chillies finely chopped
Oil for seasoning
One spoon of Mustard seeds for seasoning

Mix Rava and Rice flour and pour the butter milk in a medium sized vessel. Add salt, shredded chillies, ginger. Pour a little water and set aside the mixture of the batter for at least four to five hours after tampering with mustard in oil. If you are in a country like India, you need about four hours time for batter to ferment, If you are in USA or Canada, set aside the batter overnight at 28Degree C. Or keep the batter vessel near your room heater during the night. In short, give the batter a time of 8 hours at least. Remember not to use chlorinated or Zero Bacteria water. Water for batter must have some bioactivity. So keep the batter open in Verandah for an hour or so. When the batter rises , prepare the Rava Dosais as you would any other Rice dosais.

Variations One variation is to use finely chopped Onions along with other ingredients. This is a really tasty variation. Second variation is almost instant Rava Dosai. In this variation, you use All Purpose flour or Maida to an extent of 100 gms in the above recipe in place of Rice flour. You can add Onions, crushed Cumin seeds one to two spoons and crushed Pepper one spoon. Garnish the batter with Curry leaves and a little Mustard seeds. Set aside the batter for about two hours. Then prepare the dosais as before. This variation may prove a bit tricky if you are a novice ..But the end result is very good and tasteful.

VENDHIYUM DOSAI (Fenugreek Dosai)

After our cook Kamala Mami died, no body had prepared Vendhiyum Dosai in our house. In fact even myself had almost forgotten this rare dosai variety. Rare because it is rarely mentioned and prepared as per traditional method. (I had to refer my archives to get the recipe) This dosai has its own charm if enjoyed with coconut chutney. I am bringing back the recipe which you would try and enjoy the result.

Rice Flour 2 cups (200 gms)
Fenugreek (vendhiyum) 1.25 tspoons
Aval (Beaten Rice (Poha) 1 tb spoon
Ulundhu (Blackgram) 1 tbsp
Salt 1.5 tsp
Oil for frying needed qty


Prepare rice flour in a Grinder or use readymade Rice flour. Soak De-husked black gram and Aval (Beaten Rice) and Fenugreek seeds (Vendhiyum) for about an hour. Using mixi or food processor, make a fine paste using water just to needed quantity.
Add rice flour now and salt to your taste. Add enough water to bring it to dosai batter consistancy. Cover the vessel and let it ferment for at least eight hours at an ambient temperature of 24 - 26 degree centigrade. If you are living in a cold country, the best thing to do would be to keep the batter for fermentation near your room heater in the bedroom. Or you can use a preheated oven to store the batter overnight.Next morning you would have a very fine "PONGIFICATION".

I would suggest you to add just a pinch (1/8 spoon) of cooking soda in the batter. Prepare dosais as you would any normal dosai. But vendhiyum dosai is fried on both the sides. Enjoy with coconut chutney or sambar.!!!



--- Idlis ---

IDLIS

For every four portions of Para Boiled Rice, Take one portion of Dehusked Whole white urad. If whole white urad is not available, you may use urad dhall. Soak both Rice and Dhall with a quarter spoon of Fenugreek (METHI) seeds for about four hours if you are staying in a medium / warm climate. About six hours if you are in Canada or very cold place. Now wet grind the Rice and Urad dhall+fenugreek separately to a thick consistency.

Don't make a paste. The broken grains must be of thin Rava consistency. If you are staying in a cold place, warm up the batter to about 30 degrees and keep it near the room heater in the night. Don't use chlorinated water which still smells of Chlorine. This will hamper food fermentation.

Next day morning, the dough would have fermented nicely. Take only as much dough as you want, add little salt to taste and pour the dough in Idli patram. Take care to apply oil in Patram or else the Idlies will stick to the Patram. If you want very soft idlies, you may add a pinch of Baking soda in the batter.

After wet grinding the dhall and rice separately, mix both of them and then allow it to ferment. If you have fermentation problem and if you want to make really soft idlies insted of adding some cooked rice, add cooked rice, leftover rice) directly to the batter and mix thoroughly. Take care to beat/ mash the cooked rice very well. The quantity of rice to be used should be 25% of the dough weight







--- Kaanda Poha ---

A visit to Maharashtrian home would invariably result in you being offered famous Kanda-Poha.
My first taste of this wonderfully simple but very tasty dish was at PACHMARHI in Madhya Pradesh
in summer of 1978.
It was at the home of maharashtrian army colonel. I am giving the recipe as follows.

Kaanda Poha is a traditional Maharashtrian snack which sometimes works as
main dish also. There are many variations . I am giving the one I like most.

KAANDA-POHA (Maharashtrian Onion Beaten Rice)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups beaten rice (poha)
1 Medium sized potato,(diced)
1.5 to 2 Ladles cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Urad Dhall (Optional)
1 tbsp of kismis (Raisin)
8 to 10 broken cashewnuts
1/4 to 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2to3 green chillies cut finely
1 medium onion,thinly sliced
salt to taste
Little water to sprinkle
1/2 Tsp lemon, juice
chopped coriander leaves (1/4 cup)
2 sprigs Curry leaves.



METHOD OF PREPARATION:

Select beaten rice(POHA) which are firm and not waferlike. Ask for Jada/Mota poha.
Poha is available in different thicknesses. Hence select firm but not too thick and small poha.

Soak poha in enough water to cover for 5to 7 minutes.
First drain excess water and squeeze out by pressing handfuls of beaten rice.
Don't press too hard or else poha will become broken useless mass.
But don't let much water be left or else the end dish will become soggy.Set aside .
You may use absorbet paper to spread and then use poha.

Dice potatoes in small size of 3 cm cubes and set aside.
Heat oil in a Kadai/skillet , add the mustard seeds, Ulundhu/urad dhall,
add cashew pieces when mustard starts crackling.
When cashew becomes light golden , add curry leaves and finely cut green chillies.
Add Kismis last.
Now first add the onion and then potato and saute for four to five minutes.
Take care to see that potato pieces are not tough.
Add salt and sprinlkle little water, and cover with a plate.
After 5 minutes, uncover, add the poha and saute for another 5 minutes.
Take care not to break poha in irragula mass as it will lose its appeal.
Remove from flame add lime juice, turn it a little to let lime uice mix properly.
Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve hot.



KHANDAVI OR KHANDVI

When it comes to making savouries from Besan, probably Gujaratis have no equals.
Khandvi is one. Besan Rolls made without much fanfare but very tasty and appetizing.
Method of preparation is also simple. (However, you need a rather strong wrist and powerful and patient hand to make it).


INGREDIENTS

BESAN (Kadalai Maavu) 3 cups (250 gms)
Butter milk about 3/4 liter to 1 liter
Green chillies 2 to 3 nos
Turmeric 3/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Salt to taste
Sugar (optional)

GARNISHING
Kothumalli 1/4 cup
Copra 3 spoons


TEMPERING

Mustard 3/4 spoon
Jeera 3/4 spoon
Oil 2 to 3 ladles

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Make a batter of Besan using Butter milk.Add salt, Turmeric powder, and thinly sliced green chillies.Add quarter spoon of Asafoetida also.Take a non stick pan or a thick bottomed kadai and cook on a medium flame .Stir constantly so that the besan does not stick at the bottom.
After some time, the besan batter will become very thick and it would be difficult for you to stir it. But do not stop till the besan is fully cooked and the dough is thick .
Now take a large plate (Thattu).Smear oil on the inner surface of the plate and spread the hot besan dough on the plate evenly..
You may smear oil on your palms and if needed spread pressing with palms gently.
Let it cool fully.
Now using a knife, make one and half inch strips and roll the cooled dough in small rills and stake evenly at a side of the plate.
Take some oil in Tempering kadai.Add mustard, Jeera and part of Hing (asafoetida).
When mustard seeds crackle, spread the tempering on staked Khandavi.
Garnish with Kothumalli and Copra.

This dish can be served hot or cold.
But best to serve slightly warm.


KHATTA DHOKLA

Dhokla is synonymous with Gujaratis and they carry this flag wherever they go in this world. I have seen Englishmen to Americans and also Japanese who have become fans of Dhoklas. Dhoklas are almost like Idli and are prepared in the same manner. But the taste is entirely different. Here goes the recipe.

Raw Rice/Boiled Rice Rava (coarsely powdered) 500 gms.
Bengal Gram Dhall/Urad Dhaal ( coarsely powdered ) 250 gms.
Ginger finely sliced 2" piece
Green Chillies finely cut 4 Nos.
Asafoetida powder 1 spoon
Salt to taste
Soda Bicarbonate 1/4 spoon
Red Chilli powder for sprinkling 2 spoons
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Butter milk (sour) 250 ml.
Oil For smearing

Mix Rice and Dhall powders thoroughly and add salt, Soda bi carb and Turmeric Powder and add a cup of water and make a fine loose dough. Now add Butter milk and leave the dough to ferment overnight. If you want to make the Dhoklas in the evening, prepare the dough at about 9 am and leave it to ferment. By evening, the dough would have fermented just like Idly maavu but not that much fermented.

Now add Green Chilli/Ginger, Asafoetida and if you like, coarsely powdered Black pepper also two spoons) slowly and mix. Spread a little oil on small High sided plates ( something like Thattu Idly plates) and pour Dhokla Batter to 3/4 of its height. Sprinkle Red Chilli Powder on top of the batter evenly. Steam cook the Dhokla Batter just like Idlies. After 15 minutes, the Dhoklas are ready. Remove from steam cooker and cut in square or Diamond shapes. You may garnish with Kothumalli and serve hot with Garlic Chutney.

Try this out and let me know.

PS. Some people add Soda Bicarbonate after the batter has fermented, they add this to slightly give a bounce to Dhoklas and some people avoid Soda Bicarbonate altogether. Some people Temper Dhoklas with Oil and Mustard seeds before cutting in small pieces and some make small pieces of Dhoklas and Temper separately and add generous amount of Sugar and serve piping hot. This also tastes Heavenly.


MASALA DHALL

INTRODUCTION

Among the savories, two items are every one's favorites. They are
Fried Masala Dhall and Om podi.I am posting Masala Dhall which keeps
for a long time. I am sure all of you would try these simple
savouries and be happy enjoying them.


INGREDIENTS

Bengal Gram Dhall (kadalaiparappu) 500 gms.
Chilli Powder 1 spoon
Turmeric powder less than 1/4 spoon
Jeera powder 1/4 spoon
Black Salt (powdered) 1 spoon or to taste
Citric acid crystal powder one or two pinches
Curry leaves 1 sprig (optional)
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon (optional)
Soda Bi-carb 2 pinches
Oil for frying



METHOD OF PREPARATION

Soak Channa dhall over night in water but add two pinches of
Soda Bicarb and quarter spoon of common salt. Drain the water
completely in morning and dry the dhall thoroughly by spreading
it on paper for 1 hour. Now the dhall is ready for frying.
Take about 250 ml of oil (double refined) in a Kadai and fry
the Dhall on medium flame. Fry till bubbles subside and the dhall
becomes slightly creamy biscuit shade. Never make the dhall brownish. You must drain all oil from dhall and place a paper in the vessel at the bottom where you empty the fried dhall. Fry curry leaves last and remove . When the frying is over, add powdered black salt, Chilli powder, Jeera powder, Turmeric powder , curry leaves , Asafoetida powder etc. Mix thoroughly and keep it open for twenty to thirty minutes. The dhall would have become crisp by now. it takes about 20 minutes for the water to get evaporated from fried dhall completely after frying). Taste for salt and chillies now. If you like you can add more. Store in an air tight container.


METHI NA GOTA & DAKORE NA GOTA
( VENDHAIYUM VADAI)


INTRODUCTION

Methi Na Gota are prepared from Fenugreek leaves and Generally
used in winter. Dakore Gota can be made all the year round.

INGREDIENTS

250 Gms. Fenugreek leaves
150 Gms. Of Besan (Kadalai Maavu)
100 Gms. of Coarse wheat flour
three spoons of chiilli and ginger paste
Coarsely powdered Dhania and Black pepper, quarter cup.
This should be coarse.
One spoon of Fruit salt
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste.
One spoon of Asafoetida
Three spoonfuls of Sour curds
Oil for frying





METHOD OF PREPARATION

Mix the flours and all the ingredients in a pan and add three spoons
of oil. Mix the ingredients in flour very well. Taste the mixture
for salt and hotness. If you need to add chillies or salt, add now.
Add small quantity of water and start making the dough go on adding
little quantities of water till you get a soft consistency of
workable dough. Make small round balls of the dough and deep fry
in a kadai on a medium flame. If you like Vendhaiyum, you can add
Fenugreek leaves to the above dough and make vendhaiyum Gota.
These are very delicious. Other variation is using only
kadalai Maavu. You may avoid using wheat flour and use only
Kadalai Maavu.In such a case, use a little more of saapadu soda
along with fruit salt as Kadalai maavu alone tends to harden and
does not give soft Gotas. IN MY OPINION, METHI NA GOTA TASTES EQUALLY GOOD.!!!


MEDHU-PAKODA

My first taste of Medhu Pakoda was in 1962 when I returned to Madras from my village in Gujarat. Just round the corner from my house, fourth building had two hotels.One was Udipi hotel (Now owners own Swagath Hotel Royapettah) and adjucent to it was a non vegetarian hotel.Medhu pakoda was consumed in the evening with Kapee (coffee).A plate of Medhu pakoda (four nos) and a cofee cost 4 annas. I still remember the taste of pakodas and dosais served there. I got this recipe from Agra sweets Bangalore.

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour 100 gms
Kadalai Maavu 150 gms
Chilli powder 1 spoon
Green Chillies 4 to 5 nos.
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Black pepper 1/2 spoon.
Jeera 1/2 spoon
Omam 2 pinches
Cashew nuts 10 nos
Ghee /oil 4 to 5 spoons
Soda Bi-Carb Quarter spoon
Chilli powder 3/4 spoon to 1 spoon
Salt to taste
Oil (groundnut) 250 ml
Water for dough a little


METHOD OF PREPARATION

Mix rice and Bengal Gram flour along with salt, chilli powder, Jeera, Omam and coarsely pounded Black pepper. Add finelly shredded curry leaves and thinly sliced green chillies in round rings. Make a fine mix . Now take a wide mouth cup and make a mixture of Soda Bi Carb and Ghee/oil . agitate with spoon or fingers to make a milky frothy paste . Add this soda and ghee/ oil mix to the just mixed flour and once again mix thoroughly so that soda and ghee are mixed uniformly. Heat oil for frying in a kadai, till the oil gets hot, make five or six portions of dry flour mix and take individual portion and add just a little water so that it will bind the dough and No more.If you add more water, the dough will turn into batter.So be careful when you add water.Make small urundais of a large marble size.Insert small pieces (halves) of Cashew nuts in each pakoda urundai. dough will turn into batter. Fry the pakodas till golden brown to slightly darker brown shade.

Some people add chopped onion to Medhu pakodas also.
If you want , you may add onion too.Regular Medhu pakodas you get in Hotels donot have Omam in it.Instead it has Onion.So if you are using Omam, avoid Onions.

Keep a paper in a vessel and drop the fried Pakodas in it.

Serve HOT.

RAVA UPPUMA IN BUTTERMILK (MOR UPUMA)

Rava Uppumma is very nourishing and tasty Nasta variety which , if prepared properly will win you praise from all those who taste it. I am posting a lesser known but equally tasty variation.

Rava (samolina) 1. 5 cup
Butter Milk 500 ml (150 ml extra if needed)
Onions 2 Nos Cut in small pieces
Green Chillies 4 to 5 finelly chopped
Ginger finelly chopped 1. 5 " piece
Freshly cut coriander leaves 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Lemon Juice (optional) 1/2 to 1 spoon

For tempering
Blackgram dhall 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Red Chillies 2 to 3
Curry leaves 1 to 2 sprigs
Ghee/oil 3 ladlefuls
Cashewnuts 5to 6 nos( Broken )

Dice onions, Cut and chop/Grate Ginger and cut Coriander and Green Chillies and set aside in a cup. Now take oil/Ghee in a kadai and when hot, add Both the Dhalls and Mustard and Red chillies. When Mustard starts crackling, immediately add diced Onions and Sprigs of Curry leaves and sliced green chillies and start turning. When the onion becomes translucent, add Rava in Kadai and fry for about two to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame. Keep on turning the Rava . At this stage, add chopped Ginger and fry for 45 seconds. Now add sour butter milk and desired quantity of salt to the onions in the the Kadai. Take care that the Samolina Lumps are not formed. You must add the Buttermilk very slowly and must keep on stirring the mix. Let the whole mix simmer on a low flame. Keep some more warm buttermilk on hand in case you feel that the it is less and the Upuma becomes thick. When the the buttermilk is completely absorbed and Rava particles are fully cooked, remove from stove and you may decorate the Upuma with chopped Coriander and fried Cashewnuts.

As an accompaniment, you can prepare coconut chutney or serve with Avakkai pickle or Lemon pickle. Adding Lemon Juice is optional. Some people do not like very sour Uppuma. So use your judgement.

This variation of Upuma tastes totally different. Try and you might be surprised.








RAVA KHICHADI (Semolina Hotch-Potch with spices)

First dice all the vegetables except Tomatoes and Onions, steam cook all the vegetables 3/4 in a pressure pan or a steam cooker. As usual, do not forget to add a little salt and a little sugar to vegetables to preserve colour before you steam cook. Cut ginger and green chillies very fine and set aside.

Take Ghee in a kadai and add the tempering items, set on medium heat. When the mustard starts to crackle, immediately lower the flame and add Semolina (rava) and stir briskly and fry on low heat till Rava starts becoming light Pink. Now add about 250 ml of water and immediately add diced tomatoes, Onions, Salt, Turmeric, Ginger and Green chillies. Add enough water so as the whole thing is like Dosa batter. Now set the flame on medium and go on stirring briskly to avoid rava sticking at the bottom.

After about six to eight minutes, the Rava when it gets fully cooked the Khichadi will become thicker. check for salt and proper cooked rava .If water is less, add a little and stir briskly till you are satisfied that Rava is fully cooked. Now add 3/4 cooked vegetables and mix thoroughly. Your RAVA KHICHADI is ready. You can Garnish with Freshly cut Kothumalli and serve along with Coconut Chutney. Remember that coconut chutney is a must with Rava khichadi.

Semolina (slightly coarse) 150 gms.
Tomato (diced) 1 no.
Onion (diced) 1 no.
Green Peas (shelled) 1/2 cup
Carrot (diced) 1 no.
Ginger 2" piece
Green Chillies 3 to 4 nos.
Turmeric powder 1 spoon
Salt to taste

For tempering
Mustard seeds 1 spoon Red Dry chillies 2 to 3
Urad Dhall 1.5 spoons Pure Ghee 30 ml
Curry Leaves 2 springs


RAVA UPPUMA

Rava Uppumma is very nourishing and tasty Nasta variety which , if prepared properly will win you praise from all those who taste it. It is best enjoyed with Coconut Chutney or Avakkai Mango Pickle or Lime Pickle.

Semolina (slightly coarse) 150 gms.
Tomato (diced) 1 no.
Onion (diced) 1 no.
Green Peas (shelled) 1/2 cup
Carrot (diced) 1 no.
Ginger 2" piece
Green Chillies 3 to 4 nos.
Turmeric powder 1 spoon
Salt to taste

For tempering
Mustard seeds 1 spoon Red Dry chillies 2 to 3
Urad Dhall 1.5 spoons Pure Ghee 30 ml
Curry Leaves 2 springs

Dice onions, Cut and chop Ginger and Coriander and Green Chillies and set aside in a cup. Now take oil/Ghee in a kadai and when hot, add Both the Dhalls and Mustard and Red chillies. When Mustard starts crackling, immediately add diced Onions and Springs of Curry leaves and start turning. When the onion becomes translucent, add Rava in Kadai and fry for about two to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame. Keep on turning the Rava . At this stage, add chopped Ginger and fry for 45 seconds. Now add boiling water and desired quantity of salt to the onions in the the Kadai. Take care that the Semolina Lumps are not formed. You must add the water very slowly and must keep on stirring the mix. Let the whole mix simmer on a low flame. Keep some more boiling water on hand in case you feel that the water is less and the Upuma becomes thick. When the water is completely absorbed and Rava particles are fully cooked, remove from stove and you may decorate the Uppuma with chopped Coriander and fried Cashew nuts. As an accompaniment, you can prepare coconut chutney or serve with Avakkai pickle or Lemon pickle. Adding Lemon Juice is optional. Some people do not like sour Uppuma. So use your judgment. Some people pre-dry roast the Rava and keep it in an air sealed/tight bottle. In this case, you must Temper the Onion in a kadai and then add Chopped Green Chillies , Ginger and salt in kadai and add water and let the water come to a boil. Add pre heated/roasted Rava very slowly and keep on stirring to prevent lumps. Rest of the things are same.


ONION UTHAPPAM

Please soak 200 gms of boiled rice and 75 gms of Black gram dhall for half a day. Wet grind soaked rice coarsly like Idly batter. Make black gram dhall in smooth paste. Add a little salt to taste and let it ferment for about one night (10 hrs atleast).
Next day, make dosais like shape on a tawa but thicker. Sprinkle finely cut onion, green chillies and a little Kothumally on top of the spread batter. Make Uthappam like dosais. by spreading oil on sides and on top of the spread batter. Once one side is properly done, invert and let onion side get fried on the tawa.
Serve with chutney and sambar.


VEN PONGAL (yellow lentil hotch-potch S.Indian style)

Pongal, as Venpongal is known, is very popular breakfast item .It is enjoyed best with coconut chutney.

1 Cup Of Rice (don't use very old rice)
1/2 Cup of Paiyar parappu (Moong Dhall)
1 Tea spoon of Jeera (Pound with mortar )
1/2 spoon of Broken Black Pepper
1/2 Spoon of Whole black pepper
1/2 Cup of Ghee (small cup)
2 Broken Red Chillies (Optional)
8 Cashew nuts broken in half or 1/4th
2 Sprigs of Curry leaves

First roast the Dhall in ghee till it turns light pink in colour. Cook this roasted dhall along with fairly new rice in a pressure cooker. Add along with dhall, whole black pepper 1/2 spoon and also 1/2 spoon of Jeera in the pressure cooker. After four whistles , remove the cooker from stove and let steam subside. Now take some Ghee in the kadai and fry Cashew nuts till they turn pinkish brown. Frying must be done on a low flame. At the end of cashew frying, add Curry leaves and 1/2 spoon of Jeera turn it twice or thrice but no more than 15 seconds.

Immediately add the cashew and the contents of Kadai to Dhall Rice mixture. Now add Salt to taste. Some people prefer to add salt during steam cooking. I prefer to add half during cooking and half after the whole thing is ready. It is safe to follow my method. Now thoroughly turn the Ven Pongal in the vessel so that salt, cashew, broken black pepper and Jeera; mix well. Close the lid of cooker again for fifteen minutes. This will ensure jeera flavour to spread. Jeera should be semi broken. Now prepare Coconut chutney and enjoy .



HANDAVO

In my introduction , I have written about our dog who had his own food preferences.This is the story of 1960s .We had a dog named Tommy,.In those days, almost all male dogs were called Tommy and females were called Jimmy.This mongrel was more than our family member.He had certain rights which we did not have.He always knew that Handvo is being prepared .My mom or kamala mami when they soaked the dhalls in the night, he would know that handvo is being prepared tomorrow.He would refuse to go out anywhere and sit in front of the kitchen like a Sphinx in the same pose.From time to time, he would sniff and try and make out of the progress of baking.Mind you , he would not leave the home to go to his usual rounds of streets where his concubines lived on walltax road, till we served his piece (king size) of Handvo. He had many other preferences but that will come with his other likings or dislikings of certain dishes.
Gujaratis are the only people who prepare Handvo which is a traditional salty-spicy cake.You can call Handvo as cousin of Dhoklas but is baked instead of steam cooked.It has a great taste and is generally a weekend meal (light ) or an evening snack.Many variations are there but I am posting a vegetable rich spicy version.

INGREDIENTS
For a family of four 2 helpings)
Boiled Rice (parboiled) 1 cup
Kadalai Parappu ( Channa Dhall ) 1/4 cup
Ulutham parappu (black gram dhall) 3 tbsp
Thoram parappu (Red Gram Dhall ) 3 tbsp
Paiyar Parappu (Green Gram Dhall ) 3 tbsp
Rava (optional) 2 tbsp
Sour curds 1 cup
Julienned Bottle gourd/Carrots 1/2 cup
Onion (thin long sliced 1 no.
Capsicum 1 small
Green chillies (finely cut) 4 to 5 nos.
Grated Ginger 1.5 "
Chilli powder 1 spoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Sugar 1tbsp
Soda Bi carb 1/2 spoon
Salt to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR TAMPERING
Oil 50 to 60 ml
Sesame seeds 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Curry leaves (optional) 1 sprig
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
METHOD OF PREPARATION
Soak all the dhalls and rice for 4 to 5 hours, drain and wet grind to a thick paste (coarse like vadai maavu). Now add sour curds, salt and a little water and allow to ferment overnight.Keep in a warm place to allow proper fermentation.Adding a piece of stale bread would ensure proper fermentation.
Next stage is preparation of julienning of either carrots or bottle gourd (one cup), drain excess water from gourd and set aside.Grate ginger,cut chillies very fine, slice onion and capsicum in thin slices and set aside.
When the fermentation is over, add all the grated, sliced and julienned vegetables and spices like chillies , ginger,capsicum etc to the fermented dough.Also add chilli and turmeric powders and sugar.Mix soda bi carb in a spoon of oil and make milky solution and add it to the dough.Mix thoroughly.If you add a little sour curds again at this stage it will be great..
Now prepare a non stick pan or a big kadai.add oil and all the tampering spices (except sesame seeds).Set the flame on medium.When mustard starts to crackle, immediately add sesame seeds, they will immediately start crackling.Now pour all the Handvo dough in the pan/kadai and set it to a low flame .Cover with a lid.Or if you are using an oven, put it in pre heated oven at about 175 to 200 centigrade .
Late it bake for about 15 to 20 minutes in a non stick pan.Check if the under crust is brown .If brown, turn the Cake and let the other side cook in the non stick pan (inverting and removing the cake without breaking is very essential) .If you are using an oven, when you see the upper crust brown, turn the other side and let the underside brown also.Some people do not let the underside brown if they are using an oven, this leaves inside uncooked.
A fine aroma will prevade when the baking oven or the lid is opened.
The Handvo is ready.Let it cool for about ten minutes.Make cake like and cake sized pieces and serve steaming hot with chutney or sauce or with Garlic chutney.

RASIYA MUTHIYA ( Made from leftover Rice)

SPICED RICE BALLS IN SAUCE:
Rasiya Muthiya is one dish that you would love to have. Generally as a rule, it is made from leftover rice. It is generally cooked in the evenings and eaten as it is and the sauce is enjoyed with Rotis or Chapathis.

Leftover Rice 2 cups
Besan/Kadalai Maavu 1/2 to 3/4 cup
Garlic paste 2 spoons+1 spoon
Turmeric powder 1/2 +1/2 spoons
Chilli Powder 1 +1/2 spoon
Salt to taste


For the sauce:
Buttermilk 500 ml.
Water 250 ml.
Salt to taste
Kothumalli " 1/4 cup
Garlic paste 1 spoon
Green chilli finely cut 3 to 4 nos.
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Tempering oil 2 ladles
Mustard seeds 2 spoons
Red chillies 3 nos.

First of all, prepare the sauce. Take Butter Milk and add water to it. Take some oil in a tampering ladle and add the temperings. When mustard starts to crackle, temper the sauce. Now add little turmeric, chilli powders and add 2 sprigs of curry leaves and a spoon of Garlic paste. Also add salt to taste. Do not put too much of salt as the rice Balls would also have salt. After the boiling is over once, add green chillies and Kothumalli and remove from fire .cover and set it aside.

Preparation of spiced rice balls
Take the leftover rice ,add Besan/Kadalai maavu , salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, Garlic paste and little water. Slowly mix everything thoroughly. See that the rice is properly mashed. Make the mixed dough to a vadai or slightly softer than vadai consistency. Taste for salt and chilli .

Final preparation
Set the sauce to a boil and slowly drop the rice Balls mixed dough with bare hands, as you would make rice vadams. The drops of rice dough should be no more than a glass marble of small size, as they would assume a larger size after getting cooked in sauce. Go on dropping the rice mix dough at regular intervals and complete the process in about five minutes. During this time, assure that the sauce is boiling or almost at boiling temperature.
Take care and ensure that the dough of rice does not separate, if it separates, it means that you need to put in some more kadalai maavu. Also ensure that the sauce is enough, if not, add some more water. After about ten minutes of boiling, the Rasiya Muthiya is ready.
after adding a spoon of Ghee to each plate. You can eat as it is or with chapathi or rice too.

POTATO-VERMICELLI ROLLS

POTATO-VERMICELLI ROLLS is a savory which is very easy to make
and is so tasty that you would like to make it often.
It is crispy and crunchy with soft centre.
It tastes fabulous with very simple spices, which are
used just like in Batata Wada. It is usually eaten with
spicy sweet sour Tamarind / Khajur Chutney or plain Tomato Sauce.

INGREDIENTS
(For five people one helping of about four rolls each)


FOR THE STUFFING

750 gms. Potatoes of Thick skin variety
50 to 75 gms of toast crumbs
1 or 2 onions(Make crunchy rough paste)
1 Small Bunch of Kothumalli
5 Nos. Green chillies finely chopped
1.5" Ginger piece finely sliced
1/2 sp. Turmeric powder (optional)
1 Sp. Garam Masala
1 sp. of Cumin+Dhania powder
1/2 sp of Cinnamon powder
2 Sp. Lime Juice
2 to 3 Sp. Sugar
1 Sp. Asafoetida (OPTIONAL)
Salt to taste

FOR COVERING POTATO ROLLS

150 gms of Vermicelli broken in very small pieces
(use BAMBINO OR GOOD BRANDED SEMIYA ONLY)


METHOD OF PREPARATION

For the stuffing, first steam cook potatoes in a pressure cooker.
Remove the skin and let cool.
Now add, salt, Kothumalli, Green chillies and Garam masala,cinnamon
and Dhania-Jeera powders,Lime Juice, Sugar and salt.
Also make rough crunchy paste(Don't make smooth paste) of Onion.
Remove as much water content as possible by pressing with palm.
Add the crunchy onion paste to filling dough.
finally add toast powder/crumbs and mix thouroughly .
Don't press very hard.
Bread/toast crumbs will bind the potato rolls and also
give it uniform golden brown colour.
perangayam and slowly mix the ingredients thoroughly .

Potatoes must not have lumps.
The stuffing should be totally smooth except for crunchy onions.
Let the potatoes be mashed uniformly.
Once all the ingredients are mixed ,
taste for salt and other things. Add anything you want at
this stage. Now take a big plate, smear some oil on the
surface to avoid rolls sticking to surface.

start making potato rolls of the Potato stuffing and place
in the plate. Try making all of them of even size.
Rub some oil on your palms to avoid potato sticking to your palms. Keep aside.
Take a plate and fill up nicely broken vermicelli/semiya
to 1cm length, spread it and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai . While it is getting heated, take one roll and
roll it lightly in semiya plate evenly spreading semiya sticking
to its surface evenly.Take care to see that semiya is firmly sticking
to potato rolls and will not come loose while frying in oil.
Drop it carefully in oil or place it on a poori frying zari(SpatSpoon) dip the zari (Spat Spoon) in oil if you don't want to get oil burns while droping.and
fry at medium flame. Keep turning to give it a uniform golden colour.

Serve with sweet Tamarind/Khajur chutney or tomato sauce.
Tastes heavenly as it is also.

CHUTNEYS

--- CHUTNEYS ---

CHUTNEY...CHUTNEY...CHUTNEY...

North,South, East or West..anywhere you go in India, among the first items to be served on a meal plate would be Chutney.

Chutney is essentially a concentrated tastemaker in its own capacity. Idly or Dosai cannot be imagined without coconut chutney.
Khaman Dhokla or Samosas can't be imagined without sweet Tamarind chutney or pungent Garlic chutney or Mint chutney.
Every concievable form of chutney is available in India. It may be from Skin of Ridge gourd, Raw Tamarind, coconut or anything else for that matter.


GARLIC CHUTNEY


Garlic chutney is an universal chutney which adds proper spiciness to both the northern and southern dishes. Garlic chutney is always hot and is made to last for at least six months to a year.

250 gms. of Garlic pods which are of Hot variety.
50 gms. of Chilli powder
3 ladles of edible oil
3 spoons of salt (table spoons)
1 Spoon of Mustard seeds for tampering

Mash Garlic in a wooden pound and mortar. If you don't have wooden , use metal pound. Go on beating the Garlic till Garlic is almost 3/4 th mashed. Now add Chilli powder and salt. Start pounding for at least fifteen minutes. You will find a very hard mass of Red Garlic and Chilli powder. Take out the chutney in a clean bowl. Take oil in a tempering Ladle (Karandi) and add mustard seeds. When Mustard starts to crackle, pour the oil on Chutney. Take out the red chutney and taste for salt. If you find salt is proper, Take a clean glass jar and fill up the chutney. This chutney is to be used along with plain edible oil, which is used to thin down the chutney. This chutney will last for at least one year without any problem Remember that this chutney is very hot, so always take care to tone down the hotness with oil/ghee. VARIATIONS You can add 30 gms. of Tamarind to make a sour Garlic chutney. For children, reduce the hotness by adding a lot of Dry Copra powder and oil. Both the variations will last long. This chutney can be eaten with Khichadi, Upuma, Dosai, Idlies ,Dhoklas, Samosas etc.


KOTHUMALLI CHUTNEY (CILANTRO CHUTNEY)

1 bunch of Kothumalli /Cilantro
2 Two to three cloves of Garlic
1" piece of Ginger
2 Green chillies
1/4 spoon of Jeera powder (coarse)
2 Table spoons of Groundnuts
1/4 spoon of salt
1/2 Medium sized Lemon
1 spoon of Sugar (optional)

Pluck out only the leaves of Kothumalli /Cilantro. It should come to at least one and half to two cups. Make small pieces of ginger, chillies and Garlic and add to Kothumalli leaves Now powder Jeera coarsely and also powder Groundnuts in a mixi bowl.

Once the powdering is over, add Kothumalli mix and run the mixi on churn speed only. Take care that you DON'T MAKE A SMOOTH PASTE . At churner speed, the Chutney will be slightly coarse , but the real taste lies in it being coarse. Now take it out of the mixi bowl and taste for ingredients. If you feel that you need to add anything, add now. Also please don't forget to add lime Juice at this stage. Adding sugar is optional. With Dhoklas, Bhajjis and other savories, the sugar variety will taste beautiful. With idlies and Dosais, the non sugared version will be fine.

Put the chutney in a Glass bowl (medium sized) and keep it covered. It is prudent to put it in fridge till lunch/ dinner time. Try this out and let me know the result.!!

If you don't have Groundnuts, you may use Roasted Bengal Gram( Pottu kadalai- oduchhu kadalai). Take care to make this chutney slightly hot. You may use 1/4 cup of Coconut grating in place of Groundnuts too. This taste will be very different.


PEERKANGA SKIN CHUTNEY (Ridge Gourd)
(TURAI KI CHHAAL KI CHUTNEY)

Peeled skin of Peerkanga (about one large cup)
One spoon of Ulundhu parappu (urad dhall)
Small ball of Tamarind
Red chillies (about three to four )
1" piece of sliced Ginger
Salt to taste
20 ml of cooking oil
1 spoon of Asafoetida

Take 20 ml of oil in a kadai and on a medium fire, roast ulutham (urad) and Red chillies for about two minutes till ulutham becomes rosy brown. Now add one spoon of Asafoetida and immediately put all the skin and scraping of Peerakanga in the Kadai. Also put a small Ball sized Tamarind piece. Stir fry for about three minutes. Do not under any circumstances cook Peerkanga skin. Now add salt and mix thoroughly. Remove the Kadai from stove and allow it to cool. When sufficiently cold, put the whole thing in a small / medium jar of mixi and make chutney. This chutney tastes great with Rice and Ghee. This also goes well with idlies and Dosai. Try once and tell me.!! This chutney will keep good in fridge for three to four days.

Note: If the quantity of scrapings and skin is less, use about 15 ml of oil. If you want to use this chutney only with rice, you can add a green chilli or two along with peerkanga peelings during frying. But you need to use ghee also for taste.


TAMARIND-PALM DATE SWEET SOUR CHUTNEY

This chutney goes fine with Dhoklas, Samosas, Panipuri, Bhelpuri and Potato Bondas and Bhajees too.

15 nos. of Dates of very sweet variety (black)
1 Table spoon of Jaggary powder
1 Large Marble sized Tamarind Ball (extract Juice)
1 Small sized spoon of Rock salt (black)
1 Spoon of Chilli Powder (or more to your taste)
2 Spoon of Dhaniya and Jeera powder (Both one)
1. 5 Spoons of Garam Masala powder

Steam cook Dates after removing the seeds. Mash the cooked Dates. Add Tamarind Juice extract to dates, Put it in a mixi bowl and blend it properly. add some water and boil the mixture on a low to medium flame. After about five minutes, add chilli powder, Garam masala powder, Dhaniya Jeera powder, Rock salt and Jaggary powder.

Boil the mixture for about further five minutes on a low flame.

Remove from fire and allow it to cool.

Your SWEET- SOUR TAMARIND-DATE CHUTNEY is ready.

Please taste for any addition of salt or Chili powder etc before you serve.

Point to remember

The thickness/consistency of Chutney should be slightly thinner than Tomato Sauce

SOUPS AND SALAD

---SOUPS AND SALADS---

Soups and salads are an integral part of diet.
Indian food has both, albeit they have been "Indianised"by every state as per their own culture and taste.

Read some SOUPY facts at,

http://www.businesswire.com/emk/borden/supportfiles/funfacts.htm

If you want to "TOSS MORE SALAD"
or discover what's beneath
SALAD DRESSING,you may visit

http://www.whattocook.com/search/salad.html



CHEESE- JEERA SOUP (To serve four bowls)

Soups are an essential fare in western cookery. With changing taste and the Indian palate becoming Global, it is right time to post some exotic and not so exotic Desi soups recipes. I have made certain changes in recipes to suit Indian taste which I hope you won't mind.

Butter 3 spoons
Maida flour 2 spoons
White onion 1 no.
Onion Powder 1 spoon
Garlic 4 to 5 cloves
Milk 200 ml.
Cheddar Cheese 100 gms.
Jeera Powder 1 spoon
Green Chillies 1 no.
Salt to taste

Dice onion, finely cut green chilli and deskin Garlic. Grate Cheese and set aside. Add water to Maida and mix thoroughly. Add butter and little water and whole pods of garlic after just injuring them by pressing them to flatten just a bit and cook on slow flame for five minutes. Remove the Garlic pods and discard. Now add Jeera powder and Onion, which is diced to milk and boil .Add the boiling milk with spices to the maida butter mix. Stir thoroughly or else the maida is likely to make uneven mass. Now add cheese (grated) and onion powder. If you think that you need water, add some and also add salt to taste. Simmer for a minute or two and see that the cheese is melted. Pour it in Soup bowl, garnish with finely cut Green chilies. Enjoy this soup scalding hot with sprinkling of pepper and a dash of Vinegar if you like.

Variation
If you want, you may cut chicken meat from leg portion in small pieces, precook them with only a little salt and add to Cheese soup. In such a case, avoid Green Chilli. Use Halal Chicken for this usage.


--- Cucumber Pachadi (Karnataka) ---

DOSEKAI AAVU-PACHADI (sweet-sour cucumber pachadi from karnataka)

This is a sweet sour cucumber pachadi, which is a speciality in Karnataka cuisine especially during summers and special ocassions.


Cucumber 1 medium
Jaggery 1.5 tea spoon or more as per taste
Tamarind extract 1.5 Tea spoon

Make a paste of the following
Kadalai Parappu 2 spoons or Soaked Peanuts paste 1 tbsp.
Coconut 2 nos. of 2" pieces Green Chilies 2 to 3 nos Red Chilies 3 to 4 nos.
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon Cumin powder 1/2 spoon Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Salt to taste

Tempering
Oil 1 spoon, Mustard seeds 1/4spoon

First make a thick paste of all the above ingredients. Take care that there are no stones in Jeera and Mustard. If you have mustard powder it is good. Red chilies may be not too hot variety. Keep aside. Some people add jaggery to paste and some add along with Tamarind extract. You can mix both after you make paste of spices.

Kadalai parappu if used, fry in oil till light brown and then use it for paste. If you are using soaked peanuts, it is ok to soak it for at-least one or two hours .

De peal the cucumber and make finger digit pieces (1").
Sprinkle some water on the cucumber pieces and keep aside. When you are serving the pachadi, add cucumber just before serving. If you add in the beginning, the cucumber would become very tough to chew.

You must take care to match the amount of Tamarind and Jaggery so that the taste is exactly sweet and sour without being excess.

This pachadi is a refreshing change from the other pachadis you have had so far. Try it out and post the feedback please.



--- Cucumber-Curd Salad ---

CUCUMBER-CURD PACHADI (Karnataka)

This is a very simple yet tasty salad. Goes well with rice, pulao etc. It has four distinct tastes which fill the want of any dish which lacks in any of the taste.

Cucumber One small
Curds 1.5 cups
Green chilli 2 nos.
sugar 1 to 2 spoons
Salt to taste
Kothumalli 2 spoons
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Oil 1 spoon
Coarsely powdered Jeera 1/4th spoon

Peel the cucumber after checking if it is bitter or not. For that slice the stem end and remove a small portion of white flesh. Taste it. If it is bitter, discard the cucumber. If it gives a slightly odd taste, smear two pinches of salt and rub it. After some time wash the salted end and use it. This process removes odd taste of cucumber. Dice cucumber in small cubes of 1 cm to 1.5 cm size. Slice green chillies in thin round rings (take care to remove seeds). Adding coarsely pounded jeera is optional. Pluck Kothumalli leaves only and cut very fine. Use curds which are not too sweet, it should be slightly on sourish side. Add all the ingredients and then mix properly in a bowl. Take oil in a tampering ladle and add mustard seeds. Heat on a medium flame. When mustard starts to pop, add the tempering to cucumber salad. Place the bowl in fridge and serve cold. This salad has sweet, sour, hot and salty taste.



--- RAITU/ RAITHA ---

RAITHA...RAITU

Hundreds of recipes of Raithas are available in books and on the net.
The question is ,

"WHAT IS RAITHA?"

Basically Raita/Raitu is a Gujarati dish, which is
neither pure salad nor a pickle and also not a Chutney.
It is somewhere between dishes generally enjoyed with heavy sweets like Ladoo made from pure ghee.
It has a pungent smell and taste of nascent mustard
which packs a kick.


Word Raitha as it stands, is coined from the word,
Rai = Mustard
Atho = to pickle/To ferment.
In a Raitha, two ingredients are a must.
They are, Mustard seeds and Curds.

I have been seeing a lot of recipes of so called Raithas
with most inconceivable ingredients like Brijals ,and other
vegetables. Just as you can't call any ladoo as Boondi Ladoo,
you cannot call any curd dish minus Mustard seeds as Raitha.

A typical traditionalRaitha does not involve cooking
of any ingredient.

I am posting a basic raitha recipe of Banana, which is
one of the traditional recipes .


PAKA KELA NU RAITU

Ingredients

Ripe but firm Bananas...... 1 nos
Small sized Mustard seeds...1 tsp.
Fresh curds.................250 ml
Salt........................1/4 to 1/2 tsp (As per taste)
Green chiilies..............1 no
Ginger......................1/4" piece (Optional)
Sugar.......................2 tbsp
Kothumalli/cilantro.........1 spoon.

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Grind coarsly mustard seeds in a mixi and remove black husk
of upper skin layer and set aside.
Slice one green chilli of medium hot variety in thin shreds,
pluck kothumalli leaves and set aside.

Take curds in a glass bowl and add ground and dehusked Mustard.
You may add salt at this stage.Mix well.
Leave the mustard+curds mixture for about two hours at
room temperature after covering it with a plate.

After 2 hours, just smell the mixture. If it gives off strong pungent
aroma of nascent mustard, then it is ready for further treatment.

Now just befor lunch/dinner,first add sugar and mix it thoroughly.
Now make small pieces of Banana and add to fermented mixture.
Add finely sliced green chilli and shredded ginger (Optional)
and garnish with Kothumalli.

It tastes great with ghee sweets, Roti/parathas
and you can use it as a taste changer.
You may use any fruit or Bundhi to make this raita.

--- Mulangi-Tomato Salad (Tadakiyun) ---

TADAKIYUN (Mulangi kirai-Tomato Salad)

Salads are an integral part of any Indian meal. Unlike their western counterpart, Indian salads are regular salads, salads with oil dressing, salads that have partially cooked or partially fried or deep-fried ingredients. Some salads have spices and some are just SALADS. I would be bringing to you some known and some unknown varieties .I trust you would try them out. Happy Salad days!!!

I am partial to Mulangi (Radish) and my first salad comes in the form of Mulangi Kirai (radish leaves) salad which I bet You would never have tasted. This was my mother's favourite and is mine too!! So without much ado, here I go.......

Mulangi Kirai (Radish leaves) 10 leaves
Tomato 1 no. (Big)
Asafoetida 1/2 to 3/4 spoon
Red Chilli powder 3/4 spoon
Salt to taste
Salad oil/Groundnut oil 2 spoons

Select clean hot radish leaves (white mulangi ) Remove center veins with a sharp knife. Cut all the leaves similarly and arrange five leaves and cut leaves to make about 3 mm width long slices (ribbons). Set aside. Dice tomatoes into 1/4 " pieces. Select tomatoes, which are firm and not too sweet. Now mix both Mulangi kirai and tomatoes and all the dry spices. Jeera is optional. I don't use it. Add salt and finally add oil and mix thoroughly. Remember to add slightly more salt as this tastes great with anything.


--- Tomato Soup ---

TOMATO SOUP

Soups are an essential fare in western cookery. With changing taste and the Indian palate becoming Global, it is right time to post some exotic and not so exotic Desi soups recipes. I have made certain changes in recipes to suit Indian taste, which I hope you won't mind.

250 gms. Tomatoes
1/4 spoon Black Pepper powder
1/4 spoon Chilli powder
1 Small onion diced in small pieces
1 spoon of Ginger paste
Salt to taste
1 spoon of Jaggery
1/4 spoon of Jeera
5 cloves
2 Nos. 2" pieces of Cinnamon sticks
1 Tea spoon Of Ghee for tampering
1 strand of Curry leaves
1/4 cup of finely cut Kothumalli leaves

Steam cook the tomatoes and when cold, remove the outer skin, add a little water and make a fine mixture with a blender. Now add Pepper powder, chilli powder, salt and Jaggery. Add a little water and paste of Ginger and boil it on a medium flame. Take ghee in a Thallikku karandi (tempering ladle) and add cloves, cinnamon and Jeera. Heat and when cloves get puffed up, temper the tomato soup. Cover for five minutes. You may add onions fried in a little ghee at this stage. Now add Kothumalli and curry leaves and cover again. Reheat before serving.





TOMATO-CURD PACHADI (Andhra)

This is a very simple yet tasty salad.Goes well with rice, pulao etc.It has a distinct colour and taste which is very typical Southern.
This pachadi is a great accompaniment with rice and chapathis.

Tomatoes 4 medium
Onion 2 spoons
Curds 1.5 cups
Freshly grated coconut 1/4 cup.
Green chilli 2 nos
Salt to taste
Kothumalli 2 spoons
Asafoetida (Mild) 1/4 spoon (optional)
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Oil 2 ladles

First make a thick paste of all the above ingredients. Take care that there are no stones in Jeera and Mustard. If you have mustard powder it is good. Red chilies may be not too hot variety. Keep aside .Some people add jaggery to paste and some add along with Tamarind extract. You can mix both after you make paste of spices.

Kadalai parappu if used, fry in oil till light brown and then use it for paste. If you are using soaked peanuts, it is ok to soak it for at-least one or two hours .

De peal the cucumber and make finger digit pieces (1") .

Sprinkle some water on the cucumber pieces and keep aside. When you are serving the pachadi, add cucumber just before serving. If you add in the beginning, the cucumber would become very tough to chew.

You must take care to match the amount of Tamarind and Jaggery so that the taste is exactly sweet and sour without being excess.

This pachadi is a refreshing change from the other pachadis you have had so far. Try it out and post the feedback please.

My Website Recipes Corner

RASAMS

RASAM..RASAM...RASAM...RASAM...

No Meal in south India is complete without Rasam.
Rasam in its purest form consists of Tamarind extract boiled with Black pepper, Jeera and salt. As variations, many other spices are used.
With coming of chilies, pepper has mostly been replaced with chilies.
Rasam acts as digestive aid, increases acidic content of stomach juice, which in turn helps digestion.
Carminative property dilates sweat pores and facilitates body cooling as well as removing body toxins and excess salt.


APPLE RASAM

This is a Rasam, which you would not have tasted so far. This rasam is very good for people who have allergy for Tamarind and or Tomato or Kokum etc. This is prepared with raw green apples. Apples from New Zealand and Washington are excellent. Try this rasam and you would enjoy it to the core.

(To serve four people 2 servings)
Thoram parappu stock 500 ml Cooked Dhall 1/4 cup
Apple (Raw) 1 no. Rasam Powder 3 spoons
Chilli Powder 1/4 spoon Pepper powder (coarse) 1/4 spoon
Jeera Powder 1/2 spoon Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Kothumalli leaves 1/4 cup Curry Leaves 1 sprig
Salt to taste Sugar 1/2 spoon
Oil for tempering 1 tbsp Jeera 1/2 spoon
Mustard 1/4 spoon Asfoetida 1/2 spoon or 6 cloves of
Water 250 ml Garlic

Cook Dhall in pressure cooker with a lot of water. In the same cooker keep pieces of one raw apple after removing the seeds and outer peel. Mash the apple pulp and set aside.
Pluck Kothumalli leaves rough grind the kothumalli leaves and keep aside the paste.
Take the Dhall with water and churn till it froths, and add salt, also add jeera and turmeric powder, curry leaves and also add mashed Apple pulp and set it to boil on a medium flame. After four minutes, add rasam Powder , Chili powder and coarsely powdered Pepper and rough paste of Kothumalli. Let it boil for three minutes.
Take oil in a Tempering ladle and tamper the rasam with only mustard, jeeragam and asafoetida. Cover immediately after tampering. Use it 1 hour after preparing the rasam.
Taste of this rasam is very different from conventional rasams using Tamarind. Apple acids have a fine tongue tingling bite, which you would love. Use as an appetizer or as a rice accompaniment. (If you want, avoid Asafetida and use Garlic)

GOUNDER'S RASAM

Two spoons of Rasam podi (Podi recipe as given some time earlier by me)
Half cup of Thoor Dhall cooked and churned
One and half teaspoon of Jeera
One small spoon of Black pepper
Six to seven cloves of Garlic
One sprig of Curry leaves
One small ball of Tamarind. Soak and extract Juice
One medium sized Onion diced into very small pieces.
One medium sized Tomato diced in small pieces
Oil for tempering
Two red chillies and half a spoon of Jeera for tempering.
Half a cup of Kothumalli cilantro for garnishing
Salt to taste

Cook 3/4th of a cup of toor dhall and keep it aside. Make a paste of Jeera, Black pepper and Garlic and Curry leaves Add the juice of Tamarind and salt to taste to Dhall and set it to boil till raw smell of Tamarind goes off. First add Two spoons of Rasam powder and boil for a minute or two Now add the paste of Jerra etc to the dhall and let it boil on a medium flame for about five to six minutes. Add diced Tomato. Now tamper the Rasam with Jeera and Red chillies. Garnish the Rasam with Freshly cut kothumalli /cilantro and onion. Onion must not be sauted or cooked. Tomato pieces also must not be soft like Onion. Rasam should not be thin or watery but must be thick like Sambar. Enjoy.!!! With Rice, or appetizer. You may increase amount of pepper if you want hotter Rasam Some friends prefer tampering with Ghee. That is individual preference. This Rasam is a hot favorite with all my North Indian relatives.

TOMATO RASAM

Blanch or pressure-cook 250 gms of tomatoes along with one medium sized Onion and Six to eight pods of Garlic. When cold, put in a mixi and make a fine homogenous thick liquid. Pour enough water in the vessel for two to three people and add salt to taste, add 1/4 spoon of Turmeric powder, two spoons of Rasam powder, one spring of curry leaves and a pinch of Asafoetida. You may add a little sugar if you like. In case Tomatoes are of sweet variety, you may add little Tamarind paste to taste. One tablespoon of freshly made paste of Jeera, And two pods of Garlic with quarter spoon of Black pepper is to be added now.

Bring it to boil on a medium flame.

Temper with Jeera and a pinch of Asfoetida and one red chilli in oil or Ghee. Add finely chopped Coriander to taste. Usually a quarter cup of the chopped coriander will be perfect.

TOMATO RASAM IS READY!!!!

The above Rasam would be slightly Hot. If you want , you may reduce Rasam Powder usage to half the quantity. Some people use Toor dhall to make thick Tomato Rasam. You may use the same if you like.


KOTHUMALLI RASAM

This is a Rasam, which you would not have tasted so far. This rasam is very good for children and patients. Also it is good for nursing mothers and food buffs like me. This rasam is very good for people who are recovering from or suffering from long illness. It is easy to digest and induces hunger.

The best part is that this rasam uses both the leaves and stem of Kothumally plant. Try and tell me how you liked it.

Kothumalli 1 Bunch (200 gms)
Payar parappu (cooked) 1/4 cup
Rasam Powder 3 spoons
Jeera powder 1/2 spoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Tamarind extract from Marble sized Tamarind
Oil for tempering 1 tbsp
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon or 3 cloves of Garlic
Salt to taste
Jeera 1/2 spoon
Water 250 ml

Cook Dhall in pressure cooker with a lot of water. Pluck Kothumalli leaves and discard root part. Use only half cup of Kothumalli leaves and keep the rest for other use. Wash stem parts in water and prepare juice in a mixi after adding a cup of water. Using a filter, filter off fibers and keep only green stem water /juice in a cup. Set aside.

Rough grind the kothumalli leaves and keep aside the paste.

Take the Dhall with water and churn till it froths, add the extract of Tamarind and add salt also add jeera and turmeric powders, and set it to boil on a medium flame. When Tamarind loses raw smell, add rasam Powder and rough paste of Kothumalli. Let it boil for three minutes. Now add Juice of Kothumalli stem and just boil for one minute only. Set aside.
Take oil in a Tampering ladle and tamper the rasam with only mustard, jeeragam and asafoetida. No chillies are used except in Rasam powder.

Cover immediately after tempering. Use it 1 hour after preparing the rasam.


PEPPER-JEERA RASAM (Mulingatwany soup)

Rasam powder two spoons
1 spoon Jeera
Thoor Dhaal 1/4 cup
1 spoon black pepper
One tomato finely diced
Five to six cloves of garlic (optional)
Two sprigs of curry leaves
1/4 cup of Kothumalli/cilantro
1/2 spoon of Asafoetida
Sugar 1/2 spoon
One Lemon sized Tamarind ball soaked in water
Salt to taste
A pinch of Manja (turmeric) powder

Cook thoor dhall and keep it aside. Coarsely grind Black Pepper and Jeera keep it aside Add 400 ml. of water to Thoor dhall, churn fine and heat it in a vessel to boil. Add salt and a pinch of Manja (turmeric) powder along with extracted juice from Tamarind. Boil the above for six to seven minutes till raw smell of Tamarind goes off.

Now add coarse powder of Jeera and pepper along with Rasam powder as mentioned above. You may add Garlic at this stage if you want. Add curry leaves and Tomato now. Boil the Rasam on a medium flame for six to seven minutes. The water quantity would have reduced to about 350 ml. You may add a little Jaggery or sugar and enough salt to taste now.
Temper now with Jeera and two broken chillies along with a quarter spoon of Asafoetida. Add Kothumalli/cilantro last and cover the vessel immediately after tempering. Your Jeera/Pepper Rasam is Ready.

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO CRUSH GARLIC AND NOT SLICE IT.
Crushed Garlic has better aroma than sliced as, on application of pressure, the sulphurous compound of Garlic undergoes a quick chemical change and gives out better garlic smell.


SALSA RASAM

When I made Salsa Rasam, I was not sure if it is going to be accepted or liked.But when I had it, I knew that this was entirely different and probably first Mexican Rasam to see the light of the hearth. (LOL)
So without further Ado, I am posting the MAXINDIAN RECIPE # 2.

Cooked Thoram Parappu 1/2 cup
Salsa (Small pcs Variety But Med Hot) 4 to 5 Tbsp.
Tamarind juice 2 to 3 Tbsp.
Garlic 2 to 3 cloves
Red Chilli powder 1/4 spoon
Turmeric Powder a pinch (optional)
Pepper Powder 3/4 spoon
Curry leaves (crushed) 1 sprig
Jeera powder 3/4 spoon
Rasam Powder 1 spoon (optional)
Salt to taste
Sugar 1/4 spoon

Coarse powder
Jeera+Black pepper 1/4 spoon each

Tempering
Oil/Ghee 1 ladle
Jeera 3/4 spoon
Red chilli 1 no.
Mustard 1/4 spoon

Please follow all the directions as laid down by me in my Rasam preparation given in my other rasam recipes. (Gounder's Rasam, Pepper-Jeera Rasam, Tomato Rasam etc.)
Only difference is that you are going to add salsa last when you are done. Add salsa after tempering is over. Cover the vessel and leave it for about fifteen to twenty minutes.
Reheat and serve with steaming rice.
Go easy on eating.This Rasam is really spicy and Tasty.You should know when to stop.
Don't forget to post in your feedback all you "USAYERS".
I must add a note here for people who do not know what salsa is.
Salsa is a green salad consisting of diced Tomatoes, Green chillies, Onions and some salt and other spices and (God Knows What Not).
So try this recipe with these guidelines if you are out of USA, Canada and Mexico.

SHATHABHISHEKAM RASAM

Every journey in south India rewards me with something new. During my last visit, I happened to visit a small place which is famous for Nadi Joshiyam .

Vaidheeshwaran Koil is a small sleepy village which boasts of about 150 Nadi readers.We stayed at a hotel called Shathabhishekam which used to serve food only once during day time.

This is where I was served a beautiful thickish rasam. On exercising my tastebuds, I almost found out the recipe but this did not prevent me from asking the head cook as to how it was made.

Instead of the head cook, the recipe was discussed with me by the manager. He confirmed the ingredients as per what I had thought. But the method of preparation was totally different from what I had imagined. So here it is folks! The Shathabhishekam Rasam. I am sure that you would come to like this as much as the Gounder Rasam. The manager confirmed my observation that the cook was preparing mostly Chettinadu cuisine especially curries and rasams and kozumbus.

Thoram Parappu 75 gms Tomato 1 no.
Curry leaves 1 sprig Tamarind 1 Lemon sized
Garlic 8 to 10 cloves Ginger 1/4 " piece
Salt to taste

Powder the following
Black pepper 1 spoon + 1/4 spoon (raw) Jeera seeds 1spoon + 1/4 spoon (raw)
Dhania seeds 2 pinches Anise seeds (sombu) 3/4 spoon+ 1/4 spoon (raw)
Red Chillies 4 to 5 nos Fenugreek 1 spoon
Curry leaves 1 sprig Oil for frying and tempering. 4 spoons

Tempering & garnishing
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon Jeera 1/2 spoon
Red Chillies 1 or 2 nos. Oil
Kothumalli 1/4 cup

Pressure cook Thoram parappu and set aside. extract thick juice from Tamarind and set aside. Pluck Kothumalli leaves .

Dice Tomato, very roughly crush Ginger and Garlic with the back side of a flat serving spoon (arisi karandi) and set aside.

Take a little oil in a kadai and roast the ingredients for powdering as mentioned above. I would suggest you to fry red chillies and dhania first, followed by jeera and sombu, later light fry black pepper and curry leaves. Fry fenugreek separately to light brown.

Mix all the fried ingredients and powder them. Set the powder aside.

Now take 1/4 spoon of Jeera, Black pepper and sombu and make a coarse powder and set aside.

Now take some more oil in the kadai and add half spoon of Jeera and mustard seeds. Add a piece of Red chilli set the flame on medium. When mustard crackles, add diced tomato and a sprig of curry leaves. When tomato pieces start leaving water, add roasted powder and fry for no more than 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Now add extract of Tamarind and a cup of water and boil the mixture till Tamarind leaves the raw smell (five to six minutes at the most).

Now add churned Thoram Parappu and salt. Make the consistency of this rasam on a thickish side like a kozumbu. Now add roughly beaten Ginger and Garlic pieces and set to boil for further three or four minutes. Lastly add coarsely prepared powder of Black pepper and Jeera and sombu. Give a last boil for two minutes. Garnish with finely cut Kothumalli leaves. Cover the vessel and let the rasam mature for at least one hour .I would suggest you to prepare this rasam about two hours in advance.

I BET, YOU WOULD BE BOWLED OVER BY A REFRESHING TASTE OF THIS RASAM.