Paruppu urundai kuzhambu - mixed Dhal curry

Ingredients
1.Tuar dhal-1/2cup
2.Bengal gram -1/2cup
3.Red chilly-1
4.Onion-1
5.Coriander leaves-1tbsp
6.Fennel -1tsp
7.Coconut-1 1/2tbsp
8.Salt
9.Curry leaves-few
 Method
1.Wash the dhals, soak them for an hour or two and grind them with the chilly, to a thick paste.
2.To this add chopped onion, coriander leaves, coconut, fennel salt curry leaves, mix well and make balls.
3. Steam cook these balls for 15 minutes in Idly cooker.

 For the gravy
1.Onion-2
2.Tomato -2
3.Tamarind paste-2tsp
4.Chilly powder+coriander powder-3tsp
5.Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
6.Coconut paste-3tbsp
            or
    Poppy seeds -1 1/2tbsp +Roasted gram-1tsp
7.Coriander leaves
8. Fennel-1tsp
9.Mustard-1tsp
10.Fenugreek seeds-1/2tsp

Method
1.Heat oil and throw in fennel, mustard, fenugreek and add chopped onions, stir for 2 minutes, add chopped tomatoes and stir till it is cooked. Add chilly+coriander powder, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, salt and add some water for the gravy. Let it boil for 2 minutes, then add the ground paste of coconut or poppy seeds and roasted gram. Stir well and after five minutes drop in the cooked balls, reduce the heat, after a couple of minutes remove from heat,garnish with coriander leaves and curry leaves and serve with rice or chappathi or dosai.

Vazhaikkai varuval - Plantain fry

Ingredients
1.Plantain -1
2.Chilly powder+coriander powder-2tsp
3.Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
5.Cornflour- 2tsp
6.Bread crumbs-1cup
7.Ginger garlic paste-1/2tsp

Method
1.Cut plantain into thick slices and cook them in boiling water.
2. To the cooked plantains add chilly +coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt and mix well, so that they are coated well on the slices.
3. Mix cornflour with a little water and make a thin paste.
4.Dip the slice one by one in cornflour paste and then roll it in bread crumbs.
5.Shallow fry the plantain slices coated with bread crumbs,  in oil, until it turns golden brown.

Paruppu Payasam

Ingredients
1. Mung dhal-1/2cup
2.Sago-2tbsp (optional)
3.Jaggery-3/4cup
4.Milk-200ml
5.Coconut-2tbsp
6.Cashew+raisins-2tbsp
7.Ghee-1tsp
8.Cardamom-4

Method
1.Pressure cook Mung dhal and sago together.
2. Add the jaggery syrup (melt the jaggery in little water and strain it to remove dirt), Cardamom powder, mix well.
3.When it begins to boil add milk (add more if the payasam is too sweet), stir on low heat for a few minutes
4.Roast the cashew+raisins in ghee and add to the payasam. Add shredded coconut  mix well and serve hot.

Beans poriyal

Ingredients
1.Onion-1
2. French beans-1/4k
3.Mustard+urad dhal-1tsp
4.Coconut-1tbsp
      or
 Roasted gram-1tbsp
5.Chilly powder+Coriander powder-1/2tsp
6.Ginger+garlic-1/2tsp
7.Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
8. Fennel-1/2tsp
9.Oil-1tsp

Method
1.Combine 4 to 8 and make a coarse powder .
2. Heat oil crackle mustard and urad dhal, add chopped onion, when it turns pink add the chopped beans,stir well, cover and cook. When it is almost cooked add the ground masala powder, salt and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with rice.

Parotta

Ingredients
1.Maida-1/2kg
2.Salt-1 1/4tsp
3.Oil-1tbsp
Method
1.Mix maida with salt and oil and using water,make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
2. Apply a tsp of oil on the dough and leave it covered for 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into small balls.

4. Take a portion, roll it very thin and apply little oil and fold it forward and backwards like a fan and finally stretch the folded dough a little,by slightly tapping on the board, before arranging it like a coil.

5. Dust some flour  and roll it to 1/4 inch thickness using a rolling pin or by hand.

6.Fry this on a tawa, using a tsp or more oil.

7.After making 2 or 3 parottas, stack them in a line and crush them with both  the hands, so that the layers of the parotta gets separated.

Chicken curry

Ingredients
1.Small onions-200gms
2.Tomatoes-2
3.Ginger garlic paste-2tsp
4.Chicken-1/2kg
5.Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
6.Chilly powder+Coriander powder-3tsp
7.Poppy seeds(cus cus)-1 1/2tbsp
8.Cashew nuts-8
9.Cinnamon,cloves, cardamon- 3 each
10. Oil -1 1/2tbsp

Method
1.Make a paste of poppy seeds and cashew and keep it ready.
2.Heat oil in a pan or a pressure cooker, add the spices(9) and few curry leaves. When it starts to crackle, add the small onions and fry till it is golden brown. Then add the tomatoes and stir till the tomatoes is well mashed, add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Now add turmeric powder and chilly+coriander powder and saute well. Add the chicken, salt and the cashew+poppy seeds paste, close the pan and leave it to cook on medium flame. when done garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Roti.

3.If pressure cooker is used , after adding cashew+poppy seeds paste, bring it to full pressure on high heat (with the pressure regulator), cook for 10 minutes. (no need to add water) Open the cooker after 5 minutes and check for consistency  of the  gravy. To thicken the gravy, boil the curry for a few more minutes until the gravy is reduced.

Sandwich

Ingredients
1.Bread - 8slices
2.Onions-2
3.Tomatoes-2
4.Green chilly-1
5.Fennel-1tsp
6.Ginger and garlic-1tsp(chopped)
7.Carrot-100g
8.Coriander leaves-1tbsp
9.Garam masala powder-1/4tsp
10.Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
11.Chilly powder-1/4tsp
12.Coriander powder-1/4tsp
13.Oil-2tbsp

Method

1.Heat oil, add fennel seeds, when it changes colour, add finely chopped onions and stir till it fried well, add chopped tomatoes(remove the seeds), fry. Add ginger garlic, chilly, the masala powders, salt and keep stirring till everything is cooked. Add shredded carrots and stir for a minute, not too long. Remove from fire and mix in the chopped coriander leaves. Use this filling and make sandwiches using a bread toaster or  a tawa.

Crisp Dosai

Ingredients
1.Rice-2cups
2.Urad dhal-1/4cup
3.Fenugreek seeds-1/2tsp
4.Salt-1tsp
5.Oil

Method
1.Soak rice, dhal and the fenugreek seeds together for 2 hours. Grind to a fine paste, add salt, mix well.

2. After 8 -10 hours use the batter to make dosai, the consistency should be thin.

Fried rice(egg)

Ingredients
1. Basmati rice-1 1/2 cups
2. Carrot, capsicum-200gms (thinly sliced)
3. Cabbage-50gms
4. Onions-2

5. Ginger garlic paste-2tsp
6. Ghee-1tsp
7. Soy sauce- 1 1/2 tsp
8. Tomato sauce -1tsp
9. Eggs -2
10.White or black pepper-1-2tsp
11. Oil-3tbsp

Method
1.Cook the rice, spread on a wide plate and let it cool. ( To cook basmati rice, boil 10 cups of water with 1/2tsp of oil, add the rice, reduce the flame and approxiamtely after 7minutes, strain the rice. The rice should not be over cooked.
2. Heat oil, fry carrot, capsicum one by one, add ginger garlic paste, add the ghee, fry the thinly sliced onions, when it turns pink add the cabbage, toss it for a minute, add both the sauce, keep stirring it for 2 minutes. Add pepper powder,salt, mix and remove from fire. Mix this with the cooked rice along with the eggs.
3. Heat a 2tsp of oil in pan, break the eggs into it, add little salt, stir till it is soft and cooked. Mix it with the rice.
4.Garnish with spring onions.

5.Served along with paneer fry. Coat diced paneers in a tsp of cornflour, salt, chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and shallow fry in oil.

Coconut chutney

Ingredients
1.coconut-3tbsp
2.roasted gram-2tbsp(pottu kadalai)
3.green chilly-1
4.tamarind-size of a pepper
5.garlic-2
6.mustard,urad dhal, curry leaves for seasoning
7.oil

method
Grind 1 to 5 with 1/2tsp of salt.Heat the oil, add the seasoning, when they crackle pour it over the chutney and serve.

Madras Sambhar

Ingredients
1.Onion-1 (large)
2.Tomato-1
3.Tuar dhal-1/2cup
4.Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp
5.Sambhar powder - 3tsp
or
Chillipowder+coriander powder-3tsp
6.Tamarind paste - 1tsp
7.Mustard+urad dhal-1tsp
8.Asafoetida - 1/4tsp
9.salt-1 1/2 tsp
10.Oil - 1tbsp
11.Drumstick- 2 or any other vegetable - 250gms

Method
1.Cook Tuar dhal in a pressure cooker with 1/4tsp of turmeric powder, asafoetida and 1/2tsp of ghee or oil.
2.In a pan heat oil, add the mustard, urad dhal and curry leaves. When it starts to crackle add the sliced onion and saute, until it is soft and pink. Add the chopped tomato, saute well.
3.Add turmeric powder, Sambharpowder, salt and the vegetable. Pour in 3 cups of water, cover the pan and leave it to cook on medium fire.When almost done add the cooked dhal, tamarind paste,stir and leave it to cook. When done garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice.
4.For fast cooking , after adding the masala powders and the vegetable transfer the mixture to the cooker with the cooked dhal, add the tamarind paste.
5.Bring to a boil, once the steam comes, place the weight on the steam vent and reduce the fire. Turn it off after 5 minutes and leave it to cool.( do not release the steam).

carrot poriyal

Ingredients
1.Carrots-1/4k
2.Onion -1
3.Green Chilly -1
4.Mustard+urad dhal - 1sp
5.Cumin seeds - 1tsp
6.Oil - 1tsp
7.Salt-1/2tsp
8.Coconut - 1tbsp(shredded)(optional)

Method
1.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and urad dhal along with a few curry leaves. Add cumin seeds, when the colour changes, add the chopped onion, green chilly and saute well.
2. Add the shredded carrots, mix well, cover the pan and leave it to cook on slow fire. Once in a while open and stir and check if it is cooked.
3. When done add the salt, mix well and toss in the shredded coconut, remove from fire and serve with rice.

Jackfruit adai

Ingredients
1.Jackfruit - 10 to 12
2.Raw rice - 1 cup
3.Jaggery syrup- 100ml
4.Shredded coconut-1
5.Sugar- as per taste
6.Oil- 1tbsp
7.cardamom- 2(optional)

Method
1.Soak the rice for 2 hours. Grind the rice to a fine paste with little water, add the fruits to the rice and grind till the fruits are ground well, add the jaggery syrup ( add more or less as per taste). The consistency of the batter should not be thin, it should be little thicker than a idly batter. If cardamom is used grind it along with the rice.

2.To prepare the filling, mix shredded coconut with sugar ( as per taste-more sugar, more taste, can use equal amounts of sugar and coconut)

3. Take banana leaves cut into small squares, apply a little oil, take 2 tbsp of batter and spread it on the banana leaf without touching the edges. Spread a tbs of coconut mixture over the batter and fold the leaf. Make one batch of ilai adais and steam cook in a idly pan for 15 to 20 minutes. When done, remove from the pan, unfold the leaf and serve the adais hot. (Plastic sheets can be cut into squares and used, when banana leaf is not available, but the flavour of the banana leaf is lost when made in plastic sheet) Repeat the process until all the batter and the filling is used up.

4.To make jaggery syrup, take required amount of jaggery(say-150-200gms) in a pan. Add a tbsp of water and on slow fire keep stirring it until the jaggery melts. Strain the jaggery and what u get is the syrup. This process is done only to remove the impurities from the jaggery and there is no need to boil and check for consistencies as required in making sweets like adirasam.

Pineapple kesari

Ingredients
1. Rava(semolina) - 1 cup
2.Sugar - 1 1/2cup
3.Ghee -1tbsp
4.Oil - 2tbsp
5.Tutty fruity - 50g
6.Pineapple essence- a few drops
7.Green or yellow food colour - a pinch
8.Cashewnuts and raisins-1tbsp

Method
Roast sooji in oil and keep aside. Take oil in a pan, add cashews and raisins, when it changes colour add 2 1/2 cups of water and the food colour and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame, add the roasted sooji and stir it well. Cover the pan with a lid and leave it to cook for 2 to three minutes. When the sooji is cooked, add the sugar, essence and mix well. When the sugar is well absorbed into the kesari, add the fruits and the ghee and continue to mix well. The kesari is done when it is smooth and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Transfer to a plate,cut into slices and serve.
(I have not used nuts in the photo because i did not have any, while i made this)