Kathirikkai poriyal/Brinjal fry

Ingredients
1.Brinjal- 250gms
2.Onion-1
3.Ripe tomatoes-2
4.Chillypowder-1tsp
5.Corianderpowder-1tsp
6.Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
7.Salt-1tsp
8.Mustard-1/2tsp
9.Urad dhal-1/2tsp
10.Oil-3tbsp

Method
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and urad dhal. Add finely sliced onion, saute it well until it is soft and pink. Now add finely chopped tomatoes and saute it well, until it is soft and well cooked. Now add sliced brinjals and saute it. Add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt, mix well, cover it and leave it cook. Once the brinjal is cooked remove the lid and saute it unitl it is well roasted and crisp. Garnish with curry leaves and serve.
Suggestion: Tomatoes cook fast, when the pan is covered with a lid for a couple of minutes,cook on low heat to avoid burning. It tastes good with rasam saadam, sambhar saadham and curd rice.

Paniyaram

Ingredients for the batter
1.Raw rice-1cup
2.Parboiled rice(puzhungal arisi)-1cup
3.Urad dhal-1/2cup
4.Salt- 1 and a 1/2tsp

1.Soak 1 and 2 separately and 3 separately for 2 hours.
2. Grind dhal to a fine 'butter' like paste.
3.Grind rice to a fine paste.
4.Mix both the batter with enough salt and leave it to raise for 7 hours. Alternatively, left over idly batter can also be used. The paniyarams in the given picture were made with idly batter only.

Ingredients for seasoning
1.Onion-2
2.Green chilly- 2
3.Mustard seeds-1tsp
4.Urad dhal-1tsp
5.Bengal gram-1tsp
6.Coconut-3tsp (finely chopped)
7.salt-1/4tsp
8.Oil
9.Curry leaves

Method
1.Heat a tbsp of oil and when it is warm add the mustard,urad dhal and the bengal gram.
2.Add curryleaves, chopped onions, green chilly and saute well .
3.When the onion is cooked add the coconut and salt, mix well and remove from fire.
4. Add this to the prepared batter and mix it well, which is now ready for making paniyarams.

Heat the paniyaram pan, apply oil and when it is warm, pour the batter in small amounts leaving enough space for it to raise. Pour 1tsp of oil on each paniyarams and close it. The pan should be maintained on medium heat. After a couple of minutes, using a knife, or a wooden stick that is specifically used for paniyaram making, turn the paniyarams upside down and let it cook for another 2 minutes. When done, remove each paniyaram carefully and serve with coconut chutney.

Potato fry/Urulai varuval

Ingredients:

1.Potatoes- 1/2kg
2.Oil - 3tbs
3.Mustard seeds - 1tsp
4.Urad dhal - 1/2tsp
5.Sambhar powder-2tsp
or
Red chilly powder and coriander powder -each 1tsp
6.Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
7.salt- 1tsp

Method
1.Heat  oil in a pan, add  mustard seeds and urad dhal.
2. Reduce the heat add the powders, stir it a little and add previously cooked and diced potatoes immediately (or else the powders will burn).
3.Stir the potatoes until they are coated well with the masala, add salt and leave on low heat for five to seven minutes or until it is roasted. When done remove and garnish with coriander leaves.

How to cook potatoes in a cooker
Cut  each washed potatoes to half and take it in a pressure cooker. Add water just enough to cover the potatoes. Bring it to full pressure on high heat, reduce the heat, cook for 8 minutes. Allow it to cool naturally. Peal the skin from the cooked  potatoes when it is cool and cut into cubes and add to the recipe.