Kal Dosai and Onion Chutney

Traditionally kal dosai is made in a tawa made in kal or stone. It is cooked one side only and has a soft texture. It is served with vadai curry, sambhar or chutney.
Ingredients
1. Raw rice - 1 1/2 cups
2. Urad dal - 1/2 cup
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp
4. Salt
5. Oil

Method
1. Wash and soak raw rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds together for 2 hours and grind to a fine paste. Add salt, mix and use it after 8 hours. Pour a ladle of batter in the tawa, add a tsp of oil, cover and cook until it is golden brown.


Onion Chutney
Ingredients
1. Onion - 2
2. Coriander seeds - 1tsp
3. Red chilly - 1
4. Ginger - 1inch piece
5. Curry leaves - few
6. Mustard+ urad dal - 1tsp
7. Oil - 1tbsp
8. Asafoetida -  a pinch

Method
1. Roast coriander seeds, red chilly,4 curry leaves and ginger in 1/4tsp oil. Remove and set aside. Add sliced roughly chopped onions in a tsp of oil and saute’ until it is cooked. When it is cool, combine onion and coriander seeds, red chilly, ginger, curry leaves add salt and grind to a fine paste.
2. Heat oil and add mustard + urad dal, curry leaves and when it crackles add asafoetida. Add this to the ground chutney, mix well and serve.

Idi Sambhar and mini Idlies

Idi Sambhar is the traditional sambhar which is made in South India, prepared using ground masala. Breakfast made in every home and south Indian restaurant is usually Idly, dosai, pongal and Idi sambhar.

Ingredients
1. Tuar dal - 1/2 cup
2. Onion - 1 large
3. Tomato - 1 large
4. Tamarind - small lemon size soaked in water
5. Coriander seeds - 1tbsp
6. Red chilly - 5
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp
8. Grated coconut - 1tbsp
9. Bengal gram - 1 1/2 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
11. Oil -1tbsp
12. Curry leaves
13. Vegetables - 250gms ( radish, carrot, brinjal, drumstick)
14. Mustard+urad dal - 1tsp
15. Jaggery - 1/4 tsp

Method
1. Cook tuar dal, with a 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida.
2. Combine coriander seeds, red chilly, fenugreek seeds, bengal gram and roast them in 1/4tsp of oil and finally add coconut, roast again. When everything is cool grind to a powder.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard+urad dal, curry leaves and when it pops, add sliced onion and saute' till it is cooked. Add chopped tomato and stir till it is cooked and add the chopped vegetables. Add some water, 1/4tsp of turmeric powder and cook the vegetables.
4. Half way through, add the ground masala powder, salt, cooked tuar dal and let it cook. When it is almost done, add tamarind water and cook on low heat for few minutes. Add jaggery, mix well, garnish with curry leaves and serve.
Suggestion: When mini idlies are served with idi sambhar add a tsp of ghee for enhanced flavour and taste.

Nilagiri Kurma

I still remember the first time I felt the chill air that brushed against my skin, when I set my foot in Kunoor (a hill station), when I was a kid. We had stayed in a friends house and as much as I remember the cold air, my visit to the market in the dark holding my father’s hand enjoying the weather, I also remember vividly the potato kurma and poori, the lady of the house had prepared for us the next morning for breakfast. It was different and delicious, ever since then, kunoor experience and the Nilagiri kurma has forever stayed in my memory. Poori is usually served with potato masala, thakkali thokku(tomato curry), but with nilagiri white kurma, I have had guests asking for recipe.


Ingredients
1. Potato - 250 gms
2. Onion - 2
3. Tomato - 1( small)
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
5. Coconut - 2tbsp
6. Poppy seeds - 1tbsp
7. Green Chilly - 2
8. Fennel - 1/2tsp
9. Cloves - 2
10. Cinnamon - 1(small piece)
11. Cardamom - 2
12. Oil - 1tbsp
13. Salt
14. Curry leaves - few

Method
1. Cook Potatoes separately, peel the skin and cut into small pieces.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add fennel, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves and when they splutter, add sliced onions, saute' till it is cooked.
3. Add ginger garlic paste, saute' for few seconds, add salt and water. Bring it to boil add cooked potatoes and ground paste of coconut+poppy seeds+green chillies.
4. Cook on low heat until everything is well combined and remove from heat when done. Serve with poori.

Vazhaippoo Vadai

The only recipe that my mother prepares using vazhaippoo is this vadai, which tastes like a kari(meat) vadai. Because of the long process it takes to prepare the flower, even I prefer to use it only in this recipe and never try to experiment with it.

Ingredients

1. Vazhaippoo or Banana flower - 1

2. Bengal gram - 1/2 cup

3. Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp

4. Fennel - 1/2tsp

5. Cinnamon - 1 small piece

6. Cloves -2

7. Coriander leaves - 1tbsp

8. Butter milk - 1 cup

9. Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp

10. Red chilly - 4

or green chilly -2

11. Onion - 1

12. Oil - for deep frying

13. Salt

Method

1. Chop banana flower and soak it in buttermilk immediately. After some time rinse in water thoroughly.

2. Cook them in water with turmeric powder.

3. Wash and soak bengal gram for an hour.

4. Grind the soaked bengal gram, add the cooked banana flower and grind again, add ginger garlic paste, red chillies, fennel, cloves and cinnamon and grind again to a smooth paste. Add chopped onion and grind again. Transfer to a bowl, add salt, coriander leaves, mix well and divide into portions. Flatten each portion and deep fry in oil. The vadai will be soft and not crispy, but very tasty.

( Before using a banana flower learn from someone how to prepare the flower for cooking, because it requires removing the centre vein and other portions that is bitter, from every individual flower) 

Suggestion: If I am too lazy to follow this method, I do it in my mother -in- laws way, which is to add the chopped banana flower, (soaked in buttermilk-it prevents the flower from becoming dark) directly to the masala vadai recipe( I have given already). But the taste differs.

Manga Pachadi - Mango sweet chutney

This sweet, spicy, tangy dish, is one of the many food items that is served in a feast. I believe this dish is a speciality of Tirunelveli district, which lies in the southern tip of Tamil Nadu, as my grandmother has her roots there, she used to make this often at home, as a matter of fact most of her cooking, is inspired from that region. This pachadi is served with rice, along with avial, kootu, porial, pickle etc, to balance the taste, but this can be eaten along with chapathi or poori also. Kids will love this, sweet and sour, spicy pachadi. Mine does.

Ingredients
1. Raw Mango - 1

2. Jaggery - 1/2 cup melted

3. Red chilly - 8

4. Mustard + urad dal - 1tsp

5. Asafoetida - a pinch

6. Curry leaves - few

Method

1. Cut mango in cubes and cook in little water.

2. When the mango is cooked, add melted jaggery and let it boil until it thickens.

3. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard + urad dal, split red chillies and when it crackles, add curry leaves and asafoetida, give it a stir, remove from heat and pour it in the mango and jaggery mixture. Mix well and serve.

Aappam and Tomato chutney

Aappam is a traditional food from kerala which lies in the western part of South India. Usually aapam is served with coconut milk mixed with sugar, chicken curry, paya (mutton curry) or vegetable kurma. I have made tomato chutney because there wasn’t any coconut at hand and  moreover I love the contrasting colours, the redness against white. The traditional aappa kadai (pan) has a concave bottom that gives the appam a nice curve, since I made these aappams in my regular non - stick pan, it is a little flat at the bottom.

Ingredients
1. Raw rice - 2 cups
2. Cooked rice - 1cup
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Dry yeast - 1tsp
5. Sugar - 1 tsp
6. Salt

Method
1. Wash and soak raw rice and fenugreek seeds for two hours.
2. Combine raw rice + fenugreek seeds, cooked rice and grind to a fine paste.
3. Add dry yeast to 25ml of lukewarm water with the sugar and after a minute or so, add this to the ground rice batter. Add salt and let it ferment for 8 to 10 hours.
4. Pour a ladle of the batter which should be, a little thin, in the aappa kadai( pan ) and swirl it around to get a crispy edge, close and cook. When the appam turns crisp on the edges and the centre is cooked remove and serve.
Note: Coconut milk can be added to the batter to enhance the taste, in that case reduce the amount of water added to grind the rice.

Tomato Chutney
Ingredients
1. Tomatoes - 5
2. Green chilly - 1
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp
4. Chilly+ coriander powder - 2 -3tsp
          or
   Any sambhar powder
5. Mustard + urad dal - 1tsp
6. Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
7. Curry leaves - few
8. Oil - 1tbsp

Method
1. Cut tomatoes into four pieces and grind to a paste.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard+ urad dal, curry leaves and when it pops add fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and split green chilly.
3. Add ground tomato paste and when it begins to boil, add chilly + coriander powder or sambhar powder, salt and cook on low heat until the tomato is reduced to a thick chutney and the oil separates from the chutney. Add a tiny bit of jaggery if desired. Can be served with dosai and idly also.

Sura Puttu - Stir fried Shark Meat

This is another food that is rich in garlic and one that is recommended for lactating women.
Ingredients
1. Shark - 250gms
2. Shallots - 100gms
3. Garlic - 8-10 cloves
4. Chilly + coriander powder - 1tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 3/4tsp
6. Fennel - 1/2tsp
7. Green chilly - 2
8. Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
9. Curry leaves - few
10. Salt

 Method
1. Cook shark in water, ( do not over cook) peel off the skin from the shark and drain excess water from the shark meat. Shred meat, add 1/2tsp of turmeric powder and mix well. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add fennel, when it begins to change colour, add chopped shallots, curry leaves and saute’.
3. Add green chilly, garlic cloves, stir and when they are cooked add shredded shark meat, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, chilly+coriander powder, salt and mix well, cook on low heat, until everything is well combined. Serve this healthy gramathu samayal with  rice.

Vegetable Balls

I had some left over vegetables and I was thinking of making cutlets, instead I decided to make these balls. My son, who usually frowns at the sight of vegetables, left no trace of the balls and I am sure it is a rare sight for a mother.
Ingredients
1. Potato - 2
2. Carrot - 1
3. Beet root -1
or
(simply take equal amount of the vegetables)
4. Ginger+ garlic+Green chilly(1)paste -1tsp
5. Garam masala powder - 1/2tsp
6. Bread crumbs - 6tbsp
7. Oil - 1 1/2tbsp
8. Onion - 1
9. Coriander leaves - 1tbsp
10. Bread crumbs for coating


 For dressing
1. Onion - 1
2. Red chilly paste - 1tsp
3. Tomato sauce - 1tsp
4. Honey -1/2tsp
5. Sesame seeds - 2tsp
6. Spring onions - 2tsp (optional)

Method
1. Peel off the skin from the potatoes and grate. Grate carrot and beet root as well.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add finely chopped onion and saute until it is soft and pink.
3. Add the ground paste of ginger garlic and green chilly. Stir well and add the grated vegetables. Add garam masala powder and mix well.
4. Cover and cook on low heat without adding water.
5. When the vegetables are cooked, add salt and stir until there is no liquid and the mixture is dry.
6. Add chopped coriander leaves, mix well and leave it to cool.
7. Add the bread crumbs, mix well, divide into small portions and make balls.
8. Roll these balls one by one in bread crumbs, shake off excess and set aside.
8. Heat a tsp of oil and toss one batch of the veg balls until it is fried on all sides(on low heat). It will take a minute or two for each batch. Repeat the same for the rest of the veg balls. They taste good as it is, since I wanted to serve with rice, I made this sweet and spicy sauce dressing.
1. In a tsp of oil, saute finely chopped onion, add red chilly paste, tomato sauce and sprinkle a little water. When it begins to boil, add honey, when the sauce becomes thick, toss in the vegetable balls and mix well. Turn off the heat and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, spring onions and serve hot.
( I could’nt get spring onions, that is why it is missing in the photograph. Would have been lovely to see the contrasting green with the red balls.)

Stir fried Carrot

This is a very simple carrot recipe, ideal for kids.
Ingredients
1. Carrot - 200gms
2. Cumin - 1/2 tsp
3. Coriander leaves - 1tbsp
4. Oil - 1tsp

Method
1. Cut carrots in cubes and cook them in water with salt. Drain off excess water.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, when it changes colour, add the cooked carrot cubes and saute for a minute. ( a wonderful aroma arises, when the carrots are fried in cumin)
3. Add chopped coriander leaves, toss the carrots well and serve hot. Add one or two split red chillies along with the cumin if desired.

Chicken Kurma

Chicken kurma is a very popular dish in South India, usually served with chappathi, parotta, Idly, Dosai, Idiappam, appam or even bread. Once, we had a family friend of ours, who had Idly, dosai and chicken kurma for breakfast with us. He thought there was a secret ingredient in the recipe. This happened many times. I believe the secret lies in the spices that I have mentioned below. I learned this from my In- laws, thirteen years back, and it always tops the chicken curry recipes that I have learn’t so far, except that I have made a few changes now. A healthy version of the recipe can be made, by using skinless chicken and avoiding coconut.

Ingredients
1. Chicken - 500gms
2. Onion - 2
3. Tomato - 2
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
6. Chilly powder + coriander powder - 3tsp
7. Thick Coconut milk - 100ml
               or
    ground coconut - 3tbsp
8. Fennel - 1/2tsp
9. Cardamom - 2
10. Cloves -3
11. Cinnamon - 2 small pieces
12. Curry leaves - few
13. Coriander leaves
14. Oil - 1 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Heat oil in pressure cooker, add the spices fennel, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Add curry leaves and sliced onions. Saute’ until it is soft and add chopped tomatoes and stir till it is cooked.
2. Add Ginger garlic paste, stir and add chicken. Add turmeric powder, chilly+coriander powder, salt and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for a minute.( The fat and water from the chicken will ooze out and aid in cooking, so do not add water). Bring it to full pressure, place the regulator and reduce the heat after a minute and cook on low heat for 9 minutes.
3. Add coconut milk (or ground coconut paste) and boil for another 5 minutes or so on low heat, until the curry thickens. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
(Usually ground coconut paste is added for kurma, but coconut milk enhances the taste of the chicken kurma.)
Chicken Masala
When the chicken is cooked, instead of adding coconut, boil the gravy until it is reduced to a thick masala, garnish and serve with rice or roti.
(In case if you are wondering what is that piled up, dark in a bowl, it is liver pepper fry)

Pudalangai Kootu - Snake gourd curry

Back in the 90’s, I dreaded coming home on saturday afternoons after school, because I know for sure what’s going to be for lunch, KOOTU and APPALAM. I don’t know if it was my mother’s favourite or the ladies at home found it easy to make, this combo was repeated many times a week, which only made me hate this delicious curry and most of the time I preferred finishing my lunch at my friends home. So my simple advice would be,  however delicious a food may be, do not repeat it often, because people will lose interest in the food very soon.

Ingredients
1. Onion -1(large)
2. Tomato - 1
3. Green Chilly - 3
4. Bengal gram - 1/2cup
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
6. Coconut - 3tbsp
7. Cumin - 1tsp
8. Snake gourd - 250gms
9. Mustard + urad dal -1tsp
10. Curry leaves, salt
11. Oil - 2tsp

1. Cook bengal gram in a pressure cooker and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, crackle mustard + urad dal, curry leaves and add sliced onion, saute’ until it is cooked.
3. Add chopped tomato and stir until the tomato is cooked. Add chopped snake gourd, turmeric powder, salt and a cup of water and cook the vegetables.
4. Make a paste of coconut, cumin, green chillies and add it to the boiling curry. Add cooked bengal gram to the curry and mix well.
5. Cook for another 5 minutes on low heat until everything is well incorporated.
6. Garnish with Curry leaves and coriander leaves and serve with rice or chappathi.
7. Serve the kootu with white rice and appalam or pappadam. It is good to eat with rasam. The spicy, tangy rasam actually adds a lot of taste to the kootu which is other wise slightly bland.

Chettinad varutha kozhi curry - Chettinad Chicken Curry

Chettinad is famous for its art, architecture and spacious houses, which looks like a palace. Chettinad’s culinary delicacy has drawn many people to know more about their food and life style. Now it is so well recognised that one cannot see a restaurant (that provides South Indian food) without chettinad cuisine on their menu. The following chettinad chicken curry recipe is a perfect combination for parotta, roti, dosai, white rice and it is extremely delicious. I have used skinless, fatless chicken and very little oil.
Ingredients
1. Chicken - 600gms
2. Onion - 2 (large)
3. Tomato - 2 (large)
4.  Chilly + coriander powder - 1tsp
5. Curry leaves - few
6. Cinnamon -1
7. Cloves - 2
8. Cardamom -2
9. Oil - 1 1/2tbsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp

Masala
Roast the following in 1/4tsp of oil and grind to a paste.
1. Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom - each 2
2. Fennel - 1/4tsp
3. Cumin - 1/4tsp
4. Shallots - about 15 (small size)
5. Garlic - 2 cloves (big size)
6. Coriander seeds - 1tbsp
7. Red chilly - 4
8. Grated coconut - 1tbsp
9. Curry leaves - 3 leaves

Method
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, curry leaves and when it crackles, add finely chopped onions and saute until it is cooked, add chopped tomatoes and stir well to cook.
2. Add the chicken, stir and add in the chilly+coriander powder, ground masala paste and turmeric powder. Add salt, mix well, close the pressure cooker, bring to full pressure, place the regulator and reduce the heat after a minute and cook for 9 minutes. When the pressure settles down open the cooker and let the curry boil for a few more minutes on low heat until the gravy is reduced to the required consistency. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
Adapted from a tv show

Butter beans Patties

Ingredients
1. Butter beans - 150 gms
2. Grated carrot - 150 gms
3. Bread crumbs - 50 gms
4. Egg - 1/2
5. Tomato sauce - 1 1/2tsp
6. Green chilly - 1
7. Salt
8. Oil - 1 1/2 tbs
9. Bread crumbs for coating

Method
1. Cook butter beans and mash well. Add grated carrot, bread crumbs, half of an egg slightly beaten, tomato sauce, chopped green chilly, salt and make small patties, roll in bread crumbs and set aside.. Heat oil in a pan and cook till brown on both sides.

( suggestion: Use equal amount of butter beans and carrot and adjust, rest of the ingredients according to  required taste and texture. The quantity that I have given makes only about 3 to 4 patties)
Based on a recipe from a book.

Pineapple pachadi - Raitha

Pineapple pachadi is one of the many items that is served during Onam sadhya(Kerala festival). The first time I tasted this raitha was in a restaurant that specialises in kerala cuisine and unfortunately it was the only food that, I liked from what they served. Now it has become a part of my festive food prepartion.
Ingredients
1. Pineapple - 1(ripe)
2. Red chilly - 1
3. Green chilly - 1
4. Grated coconut - 3tbsp
5. Fresh curd - 5tbsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
7. Chilly Powder - 1/2tsp
8. Mustard +urad dal -1tsp
9. Curry leaves - few

 Method
1. Cook chopped pineapple pieces in water, along with turmeric powder and chilly powder.
2. Combine coconut, curd, green chilly and grind.
3. Add this ground mixture to the cooked pineapple pieces, salt to taste and cook for a minute or two until everything is well combined.
4. Heat a tsp of oil and add mustard+urad dal, split red chilly and curry leaves. When it crackles add it to the raitha, mix well and serve this sweet, sour and spicy raitha with rice.

Vadai Curry

Vadai curry a popular food served with hot Idly, is usually made by deep frying the vadai. To avoid excess oil and long hours of standing we have stuck to steam cooking the vadais and using it in the curry, which, still does not alter the taste of the dish.
Ingredients
1. Bengal gram - 150gms
2. Onion - 1
3. Red chilly - 1
4. Coriander leaves - 1tbsp
5. Fennel - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt

Wash and soak bengal gram for an hour and grind to a paste along with the red chilly. Add finely chopped onion, coriander leaves, fennel, salt and mix well. Make balls and steam cook. When it is cool break the vadai into small pieces.
 For the curry
1. Onion - 2
2. Tomatoes - 2
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
4. Chilly + coriander powder - 2tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
6. Cardamom -2
7. Cloves - 2
8. Cinnamon - 2 (small pieces)
9. Fennel - 1/2tsp
10. Salt
11. Oil - 1tbsp

Method
1. Heat oil and add the whole spices, curry leaves and add sliced onions, saute and add chopped tomatoes and stir until it is cooked.
2. Add ginger garlic paste, stir and add chilly+coriander power, turmeric powder and salt.
3. Add some water and let it boil for a minute. Add the crumbled vadais and cook on low heat for few more minutes until everything is well incorporated. Add chopped coriander leaves and serve with Idly.

Kathirikkai Kothsu - Brinjal chutney

I was surprised the other day, when my mother asked me how I made this chutney, which was regularly made at home when my grandmother was alive. I have seen brinjal kothsu, usually made by burning the skin and using the cooked pulp of the brinjal, but my grandmother always prepared it in the following method, which is actually easy to make.

Ingredients
1. Brinjal - 5 (small size)
2. Onion -1
3. Tomato - 2
4. Green chilly -1
5. Asafoetida - 1/4tsp
6. Oil - 1 1/2tbsp
7. Salt
8. Mustard+urad dal - 1tsp
9. Curry leaves - few

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add roughly sliced onion, saute for a minute, add chopped tomatoes, green chilly, and sliced brinjal all one by one stirring in between. Close the pan and cook the vegetables  (do not add water) on low heat. When the vegetable are well roasted and cooked add asafoetida and remove from fire. When it is cool add salt and grind to a paste.
2. Heat 1/2tbs of oil, add mustard + urad dal, curry leaves and when it crackles add it to the ground chutney. Mix well and serve with Idly.

Masal Vadai

A super snack  of the traditional  Tamil cuisine is also a popular street food.  A set of crisp Masal Vadai and a hot cup of tea on a rainy evening sets the perfect mood to enjoy the drizzling weather.


Ingredients
1. Bengal gram - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 large
3. Green Chilly - 1
4. Fennel - 1tsp
5. Ginger - 1inch piece
6. Coriander leaves - 1tbsp
7. Curry leaves - few
8. Turmeric powder - a pinch
9. Asafoetida - a pinch
10. Salt

Method
1. Wash and soak Bengal gram for an hour. Grind the soaked Bengal gram to a coarse paste with little water(sprinkle).
2. To the ground paste add finely chopped onion, green chilly, ginger, coriander leaves, curry leaves, turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt, fennel and mix well. Divide into portions.
3. Take a portion, press with the inside of the palms, shape it and slide into the hot (medium) oil.
4. Cook on both sides, until it is golden brown. Remove and serve with Tea or Coffee.

Poondu Kuzhambu - Garlic curry

Garlic has been proved to have cardiovascular benefit (reduces cholesterol) and is generally advised for heart patients. Traditionally a new mother will be advised by their mother and grandmothers to include lots of garlic, drumstick leaves in their diet as it increases the secretion of milk. Though we use garlic in many forms in daily life, large amount of garlic is used in garlic curry. This garlic curry is good for lactating women and it is even called a medicinal food. I remember the time when my grandmother made this garlic curry and pepper crab masala after my delivery. Both rich in pepper which according to Ayurveda, has the property to relieve the body from kabam (cold) and it is  also the right food to be taken during winter. Garlic curry is also an essential part of the gramathu samayal, because of its meicinal properties.


Ingredients
1. Garlic -15 - 20 cloves (or more)
2. Shallots - about 20 of them
3. Tomatoes - 2
4. Red chilly - 4
5. Coriander seeds - 2tsp
6. Pepper - 1tsp
7. Cumin - 1/2tsp
8. Tuar dal - 1 1/4tsp
9. Grated coconut - 1tbsp
10. Curry leaves - 4-5
11. Tamarind - Small lemon sized ball soaked in a cup of water
12. Mustard + urad dal - 1tsp
13. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp
14. Gingely oil - 3tbsp
15. Curry leaves - few
16. Jaggery - a tiny piece.(1/2 to 1inch)

Method1. Roast Red chilly, coriander seeds, pepper, cumin, tuar dal, curry leaves in few drops of oil and finally add grated coconut, roast for another minute or two and grind to a paste.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard+urad dal, fenugreek leaves, curry leaves and when it crackles, add the shallots and saute until it is soft.
3. Add finely chopped tomatoes and stir till it is cooked.
4. Add the ground masala, turmeric powder, salt, garlic cloves and the tamarind water. Mix well and cook on low heat till the garlic is cooked and the oil separates out. Add the jaggery and after a minute remove from heat and serve with white rice.

Paruppu Rasam

Ingredients
1. Tuar dal - 1tbsp
2. Pepper - 1tsp
3. Cumin - 1tsp
4. Red chilly - 1
5. Tomato - 2
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
7. Coriander leaves, Curry leaves
8. Salt - 1 1/2tsp
9. Water - 600ml
10. Mustard + urad dal -1tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4tsp

Method
1. Boil the tomatoes in 300 ml of water, with the turmeric powder, for 5 minutes and let it cool.
2. Dry roast and powder tuar dal, pepper, cumin and red chilly.
3. Mash the tomatoes in the water using hand and add the powder, salt, chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
4. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and when they crackle add the rasam mixture.
5. Cover the pan and cook on low heat until it comes to a boil. Remove and serve with white rice.