Iyengar Vatral kuzhambu

Popularly known as vatha kuzhambu, this simple curry is a speciality in Iyengar households. When there isn’t enough vegetables at home this curry comes handy and served with sutta appalam (baked pappad). The curry tastes delicious when made with manathakkali vatral. Vatral is nothing but vegetables like turkey berry(sundakkai), cluster beans(kothavarangai), manathakkali marinated in curd with salt and dried later under sunlight until they shrink without any liquid. Manathakkali has medicinal properties, the leaves and the fruit are consumed to treat mouth and stomach ulcers.

Ingredients
1. Tamarind - lemon sized ball soaked in 1/2 cup water.
2. Mustard + urad dal - 1tsp
3. Bengal gram - 1tsp
4. Tuar dal - 1tsp
5. Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
6. Vatral - 2tbsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
8. Sambhar powder - 5 1/2 tsp
9. Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
10. Gingely oil - 2 1/2tbsp
11. Curry leaves - few
12. Red chilly -1

Dry roast and powder 
1. Bengal gram - 1tsp
2. Coriander seeds - 1tsp
3. Red chilly - 2

 Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard+urad dal, as it begins to pop, add bengal gram, tuar dal, curry leaves split red chilly, roast until it changes colour. Add the vatral, stir for a while,  add asafoetida, and turmeric powder.
2. Add the strained tamarind water, when it begins to boil add sambhar powder, salt and let it boil for few minutes.
3. Add the roasted and powdered bengal gram, coriander seeds and red chilly.
4. Mix well, reduce the heat and let it cook on low heat until the oil separates.
5. Serve with rice.

Suggestion: I have used MTR sambhar powder, as it gives good result and moreover, I use only freshly ground masala and not in the habit of making sambhar or rasam powder, which tend to lose its flavour when stored for a long time.

Paal kozhukattai - Rice balls in coconut milk

A simple, sweet food, with rich coconut milk, which can be made within a short time. Used to have this as a kid, always asking for more and now I am happy to make this chettinad food more than enough.

Ingredients

1. Rice flour - 1/2cup

2. Salt

3. Water - 1/2cup

4. Coconut milk - 1 cup

5. Sugar - 6 tsp

6. Cardamom - 3 or 4

1. Boil water along with salt, remove from heat,  add the rice flour and mix it with a spoon initially and then using hand, form a dough. While it is hot, take tiny portions and make small balls or cylindrical shapes. Steam cook these rice balls for 15 to 20 minutes. 

2. Mix sugar to the coconut milk, add cardamom powder or whole cardamom, mix well, add the cooked rice balls or kolukattai and let it soak for some time before it is served.

Fruit and Nut Spice Cake

This is that time of the year, when the atmosphere is filled with the aroma of cakes, spirit of celebration, gifts and a jubilant mood to welcome a New Year. I still cherish my convent days, when we enjoyed the real spirit of Christmas. Every year the school would organise an event, where some of the students will play as Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men or magi and other characters, in a real stable put up in school and a nun would dress up as Santa Claus and come riding in a cart,carrying a bag full of chocolates, singing and the music of jingle bells echoing all around the school, which was fun and definitely entertaining. Such celebrations have become oblivion in present schools, where the children hardly get the chance to even watch any entertaining competitions(like fancy dress, Dance, singing or mimicry) held in school which is mostly witnessed by parents of the participating students and the teachers who judge. Now to the cake.
This cake is based on a recipe by Michelle from Brown eyed baker.
Ingredients
1. Flour - 3 cups
2. Butter - 1/2 cup
3. Sugar - 1 1/2 cup( powdered)
4. Mixed nuts - 1 1/2 cups ( cashew, almonds, walnuts)
5. Dry fruits - 1/2 cup(raisins, black currents, sultanas or any one)
6. Salt - 1/2tsp
7. Candied orange peel - 1tsp
8. Baking soda - 1 1/2 tsp
9. Baking powder - 3/4tsp
10. Cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, clove powder - 1/2 tsp each
11. Eggs - 2 (slightly beaten)
12. Water - 2 1/4cup

Method
1. Combine water, dry fruits and butter in a pan and boil over medium heat, covered for 20minutes. Remove from heat, cool for 10 minutes and use it in the recipe.
2. Combine the dry ingredients and whisk, pour the slightly cooled raisin mix and stir with a spoon, until combined. Add the eggs and stir until combined. Stir in the nuts, mix and transfer to a baking pan and bake at 180 degree Celsius for 35 minutes.

Ulundu kali

A sweet made from urad dal called 'ulundu kali' or 'ulunthangali', is a traditional food given to young girls entering into adulthood because of its therapeutic property. Apparently, the kali taken during this time strengthens the pelvic bone of young girls and generally suggested for all women for their health benefits. It’s a combination of goodness from the urad dal which is rich in protein, jaggery rich in iron and gingely oil rich in Vitamin E that makes this food unique. Even today the practice of giving raw egg and gingely oil first thing in the morning for the first few days, for young girls whose first cycle of menstruation begins is followed in villages. Though it is not palatable it is highly nutritious for the girls as they strengthen the uterus and prepares them for healthy child bearing later in their adulthood. In my case, my grandmother helped me sometimes to finish off the egg, but made me drink the oil. Though my mother makes the kali often, I actually learn’t it from my relative from nagercoil, who walked into my kitchen one day and prepared it using a small quantity, which he had learn’t it from his mother. Sadly, he is no more and I remember him every time I prepare this kali.

                   Video on ‘How to make Uluthangali’. Follow the quantity that is given below in the Ingredients list. Use only required amount of urad dal flour in the jaggery until the right consistency is obtained. It will actually take less than a cup of flour for 3/4 cup of melted jaggery. Here for this video, I roasted the dal, powdered in a mixie and sifted to get a fine flour. ( In the video urad dal is spelled mistakingly as grad dal - my computer's auto correction fault !)
I owe a 'Big Thanks' to my son who did quite a good job on shooting this video.

To watch the video, pause the blog’s music that is at the bottom of the page. Feel free to mail me for any clarifications or any difficulty in viewing the video.

These are new photos and the urad dal used here was ground in a mill, which gives a smooth texture to the kali

The  UlunduKali was hot when I took these pictures, when it cools down it easy to shape into balls.

Ingredients
1. Urad dal                   1  cup (preferably urad dal with skin)
2. Melted jaggery         3/4 cup
3. Gingely oil               1/4cup
4. Ghee
5.Cardamom                2

Method
1. Dry roast and powder urad dal along with cardamom.
2. In a pan add melted and strained jaggery and bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and add urad dal powder, stir and when it is mixed well, add oil little by little and when everything is well amalgamated and begins to leave the sides of the pan, remove from heat. When it is slightly cool, divide into portions, make a small depression in the middle of each portion and add a tsp of ghee. Kali should be had by dipping it in ghee for a nice flavour and taste.
( Don’t try to add the urad dal flour all at one go, add little by little, check and add just enough flour the jaggery can hold. The mixture should not be too thick)

 Made with white urad dal, which was powdered in a processor at home, which was slightly coarse.

suggestion: Do not over boil the jaggery, this will make the kali rock hard. Adding too much of urad dal flour will also result in a hard kali. Can use ‘karupatti’(palm sugar) instead of jaggery for more health benefits.



                                                        Made with black urad dal

For those who find it difficult, blend urad dal powder and jaggery to a fine powder, transfer to a plate, add gingely oil little by little and form balls, add some ghee for flavour. Recipe and picture posted in Maa laddu post.
Note:

 Will soon be posting my mother - in -law’s version of ulundu kali, using rice flour. This time I am planning to make it totally healthy by using karuppatti and urad dal with skin.

Uppu Urundai - Rice balls

 This used to be our dinner in my home made by my grandmother and it is called as uppu urandai (salted balls) not because it is salty but a salt based dish made using rice. I think it is made only by ethnic people who have followed this recipe from generation to generation, because not many know about this dish and usually they say it sounds new to them. Though we were given this with no curry those days, I usually serve with some spicy curry and it goes well with tomato chutney, kara kuzhambu, pickle or fish curry.

Ingredients

1. Par boiled rice - 2cups

2. Onion - 2 (large)

3. Red chilly - 4

4. Chopped coconut - 1 1/2tbsp

5. Curry leaves - few

6. Mustard + urad dal - 1tsp

7. Bengal gram - 1 1/2tsp

8. Oil - 2tbsp

9. salt

Method

1. Wash and soak rice for 2 hours and grind to a fine paste.

2. Heat oil in a pan(preferably non-stick), add mustard + urad dal, curry leaves, bengal gram, split red chillies and when they crackle, add finely chopped onions, saute' until it is cooked add salt and stir.

3. Add in the ground rice paste and keep stirring, after a few minutes the mixture will thicken and start leaving the sides of the pan, gathered will like a huge ball. Remove from heat.

4. Smear some oil in the hand and start making balls immediately, if the mixture turns cold it will become dry. 

5. Steam cook these balls in an Idly cooker or any steamer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot as it is or with any spicy curry.

Kathirikkai kara kuzhambu - Brinjal spicy curry

This is actually another version of fish curry, but I  have used brinjals instead of fish.
Ingredients
1. Brinjal or Egg plant - 5
2. Shallots - 15
3. Tomato - 2
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 12tsp
6. Chilly powder + coriander powder - 3tsp
7. Cumin - 3/4tsp
8. Mustard +urad dal - 1tsp
9. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp
10. Curry leaves - few
11. Garlic cloves - 4
12. Tamarind - size of a small lemon
13. Salt
14. Coriander leaves

Method
1. Soak tamarind in water.
2. Grind the tomatoes to a fine paste.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard + urad dal, when it splutters, add curry leaves, cumin and fenugreek seeds.
4. Add shallots cut in half and saute, until it is cooked. Add brinjals( cut like a cross without splitting it open) and stir until it is almost cooked. Add ginger garlic paste and stir.
5. Add ground tomato puree and bring to a boil, add turmeric powder, chilly+coriander powder, salt and when it begins to boil again add tamarind paste, mix well, add crushed or whole garlic cloves, cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes, until everything is well combined and the oil begins to separate. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice, dosai, idly, appam or any rice based dish.
If fish is used, when the curry boils and reduced to the required consistency, add the fish, cover and cook for ten minutes.

Kara chips - spicy maida chips

A simple and an instant snack that everybody prepares here. If I am making too many fried items then I blame it on rain, there is this constant demand and craving for crisp food when it rains.

Ingredients

1. Flour - 1cup

2. Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp

3. Chilly+coriander powder - 3/4tsp

4. Asafoetida - a pinch

5. Salt -1/4tsp

6. Coriander leaves -2tsp

        or

       Mint leaves 

7. Oil for frying

Method

1. Combine everything from flour to chopped coriander leaves, add water and knead to a soft dough.

2. Divide into four portions.

3. Take a portion, roll as thin as possible, Cut lengthwise, vertically an inch apart, make horizontal cuts across, so that you get small squares or diamonds. Repeat the same with the rest of the portions.

4. Fry the squares in oil until crisp. Store it in air tight container.

Paal Paniyaram

This is yet another chettinad delicacy. Some use sugar, but I prefer to use jaggery.
Ingredients
1. Raw rice - 1/2 cup
2. Urad dal - 1/4 cup
3. Oil - for frying

 Wash and soak rice and dal for 2 hours. Grind to a fine paste. Heat oil and on medium heat, add a tsp of batter and fry like vadai just until it is golden in colour. Repeat the same with the rest of the batter.

                      

                                                                                                                                     Fresh
                                  
1. Milk - 1 1/2 cup
2. Coconut milk - 1 1/2 cup
3. Melted jaggery - 1 cup
4. Cardamom - 4
5. Almonds - 8

                    

                                                                                                                                   After it is soaked
Method
1. Boil milk, on low heat add coconut milk, mix and add melted jaggery and stir well, add crushed cardamom, mix and remove from fire. Add the fried paniyarams or vadais, stir well and let it soak for an hour and then serve garnished with almond or cashew.
suggestion: Once coconut milk and jaggery are added, do not let it boil as it may curdle.

Cheese and garlic bread

I love garlic bread and nothing is heavenly than home made bread, particularly the aroma of freshly baked food, be it bread, cake or cookies, that too when baking is a passion. The source of this recipe is from bbcfood.
Ingredients
1. Flour -500gms
2. Dry yeast - 1tbsp
3. Salt - 1tsp
4. Sugar - 1tbsp
5. Oil - 2tbsp
6. Butter - 25gm
7. Garlic - 4 cloves
8. Cheese - 100gm
9. Thyme - 1tsp

Method
1. Add sugar  and yeast to 30 ml of lukewarm water.
2. Add salt to the flour.
3. Add yeast, oil to the flour, add water and knead to a soft dough.
4. Cover with a cling film and leave it to raise for 2 hours.
5. Punch the raised dough, knead for another 5 minutes, transfer to a loaf tin.
6. Mix melted butter and minced garlic, spread it on the bread, sprinkle thyme and cheese. Cover  and leave it to raise again for an hour. Bake the bread at 180 degree Celsius for 25minutes.
suggestion:  Using cheese slices on top is a better option than using grated cheese.

Milagai Bajji - Chilly bajji

It’s raining outside. No one cane resist a hot cup of coffee and spicy chilly bajjii. Reminds me of Marina beach.


Ingredients
1. Green Chilly - 200gms
2. Bengal gram flour - 1cup
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
4. Chilly+coriander powder - 1 1/2tsp
5. Asafoetida - a pinch
6. Salt
7. Raw rice flour - 1tbsp
8. Oil for frying
9. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2tsp (optional)

Method
1. Combine everything from bengal gram flour to rice flour, add water and mix to make a batter.
2. Deseed the chillies, dip it in the batter until it is coated on all sides, slide it in hot oil and deep fry till it is cooked. Potato slices, onion slices, plantain slices, even bread slices cut in long stripes like french fries, can be used to make bajii with the same batter. I can guarantee that bread bajii will be a hit among kids. Can add ginger garlic paste to the batter if desired.

Peas and paneer masala

In school, my lunch box was always confiscated everytime it was packed with chappathi and peas masala. I remember giving a written recipe from my mother to my friend who had asked for it and later said that it did not taste the same at home. Even I would say the same thing, though I follow exactly the method she says I never get that taste, even my son says that mine does not taste as good as his grandmother’s, wonder why. Paneer is something I added to the masala, those days we never heard of paneer.

Ingredients
1.Onion - 2
2. Tomato - 3
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
4. Chilly + coriander powder - 2 1/2tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
6. Peas - 100gms
7. Paneer - 200gms
8. Cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon - each 2
9. Oil - 1 1/2tbsp
10. Tomato sauce - 1tbsp
11. Coriander leaves - 1tbsp
12. Salt

Method
1. Cook peas separately.
2. Paneer can be fried in a tbsp of oil or can be added directly to the masala.
3. Make a paste of onion and tomato separately.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and when they crackle, add onion paste and saute until it is cooked.
5. Add ground tomato paste and stir until it is cooked, add ginger garlic paste stir and add turmeric powder, chilly+coriander powder and salt.
6. Let it boil for some time, add cooked peas and roasted paneer, add tomato sauce and cook on low heat until the oil separated out. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti, chapathi or naan. Follow the same method while using channa, soya or kidney beans but try adding a bit of garam masala powder, little cream for different taste.