Carrot Stir Fry / Carrot Poriyal

Carrot Stir Fry /  Carrot Poriyal

Carrots is an all time favorite food for my family . So we made this simple dish with sambar and stemed rice . It made a perfect lunch for us . The summer Vacation have started for my Kids here and we have my parents and Grandparents  at my place . I am having a lot of fun with them and we are planning to visit a lot of places .My dear friends and dear bloggers i will not be able to comment on your blogs till the end of August , so pls bear with me . In between i shall try to post a few recipes in my spare time . Thanks for all your Kindness and Support .

Ingredients:

• Baby Carrots - 250 gms ( Chopped or Grated )
• Onion - 1 no  , chopped
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Chiili powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a wok , add oil . Now add the mustard seeds and allow it to pop and add the urad dhal and add the chopped onions and cook till it becomes translucent .

Now add the Chopped Carrots .

Add salt , turmeric powder and chilli powder and sprinkle little water and allow it to cook .

Cook till the carrots become tender . Serve hot with Steamed rice .

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Appam Recipe / South Indian spongy Pan cake ( No Yeast ) / ஆப்பம்

Appam Recipe / South Indian spongy Pan cake ( No Yeast ) / ஆப்பம்

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice - 3 cups
• Boiled Rice / Idly rice - 1 1/2 cup
• Urad dhal - 1/2 cup
• Methi seeds - 3 tsp
• Cooked rice - 2 fistful
• Salt - to taste

Recipe :

Soak the raw rice , Boiled rice , urad dhal and Methi seeds overnight or soak it in water for a minimum of four hours . Transfer these contents to a wet grinder, add cooked rice, salt   and grind it in to a smooth paste by adding water .

 The consistency should be similar to the dosa batter ( Not too watery nor too thick ) .

Allow it to ferment for 8 - 10 hrs .

In a appam Chetti or any shallow pan  ( I used a shallow pan that fix in my electric stove ) spray some oil  , Pour a ladeful of the fermented batter in the middle .

 Hold the sides of the pan and swirl the batter in circular motion in such a way that the batter spreads on all the sides of the pan .

Cover it with a  lid and allow it to cook .

Now spongy Appam is ready to serve .

Serve this with any stew , chicken curry or Egg curry .

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Eggplant Curry / Brinjal curry / Katharikai Puli Kulambu

Eggplant Curry / Brinjal curry / Katharikai Puli Kulambu

Ingredients:

Eggplant - 1 no , Chopped ( I used 1 big black beauty eggplant )
Onion - 1 no , chopped
Tomato - 1 no , chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic pods - 3 no, crushed
Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

Recipe: 

Heat oil in a shallow pan , add the mustard seeds allow it to pop and add methi seeds , urad dhal and crushed Garlic . Cook till raw smell goes away .

Now add the chopped onions and Tomatoes and cook till they become soft .

Add the chopped brinjal and add the sambar powder , turmeric powder , salt and mix .

Now add the tamarind juice and bring the contents to boil .

Cook till the oil seperates out from the gravy .

Serve hot with steamed rice .

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EggPlant Masala / brinjal Masala / Yennai Katharikai Poriyal

Egg Plant Masala / brinjal Masala / Yennai Katharikai Poriyal

Ingredients:

Eggplant - 1 no , chopped ( I  used big  black beauty eggplant )
Onion - 1 no , chopped
Salt - to taste
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Gingely oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method :

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a shallow pan , add the mustard seeds and allow it to pop . Now add the cumin seeds and urad dhal an fry for few seconds . Now add the chopped onion and fry till it becomes translucent .

Now add the chopped Eggplant , turmeric powder , red chilli powder , salt and sprinkle little water and allow it to ger cooked in medium flame .

Cook till the Eggplant becomes soft . Now add the remaining oil and cook till the oil separates out from the masala .

Serve hot with Steamed rice and roti .

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Cauliflower Fritters / Cauliflower Bajji

Bajji is one of my kids favorite food . They never say no to Bajji . I had few cauliflower in my home so made this quick fritters . This served as a simple and easy snack .

Cauliflower Fritters / Cauliflower Bajji

Ingredients :

• Gram Flour ( Kadalai Maavu / Channa dhal flour ) - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 2 tsp
• Hing - 1 pinch
• red chiili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - for frying
• Cauliflower - cut in to florets

Method:

In a mixing bowl , add the gram flour , rice flour , salt , hing , red chilli powder and mix .

Add some water and mix it to a dosa batter  ( Not too thick and not too watery )  consistency .


Drop the cauliflower florets in to the batter and coat it well with the batter .

Heat oil in a shallow frying pan and drop the batter coated florets in oil , and deep fry till they turn golden brown in color.

Serve hot with sauce or any chutney .

Enjoy these fritters with a cup of chai .

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Veg Biryani / Dum Biryani / Vegetable Biryani

Veg Biryani / Dum Biryani / Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients :




Vegetables - 200 gms ( Carrot + Peas + Potatoes + Beans ) , Chopped
Basmathi rice - 500 gms , soaked in water for 1/2 an hour
Oil - 2 tbsp
Onion - 300 gms , sliced
Tomato - 1 no ,diced
Ginger - 50 gms
Garlic - 50 gms
Green chiili - 4 nos , slit
Mint leaves - A fistful
Corriander leaf - A fistful
Cloves - 2 no
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Ani seed - 1 no
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black Cardamon Seeds -  2 no
Bay leaf - 1 no
Salt - to taste
Yogurt - 1/2  cup , beaten
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method: 

Bring water to boil in a large shallow pan , add salt and drizzle little oil , now add the basmathi rice and allow it to be cooked 70 % . Transfer it to a tray and allow it to cool . Set aside.
Grind the ginger, garlic, fennel seeds in to a paste . set aside .
In a heavy bottom pan , heat oil and add the spices like cloves , cinnamon , aniseed , bayleaf , black cardamon seeds  and fry for a minute .
Now add the sliced onion , green chilli, mint and corriander leaves and fry till the onion turns slightly brown in colour .
Now add  the tomato and cook till they turn soft .
Add the ground ginger garlic paste from mixer and cook till raw smell goes away .
Now add the chopped vegetables, turmeric powder , red chilli powder , salt , yogurt and cook till the vegetables become crunchy and cooked . Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 F .
In a large shallow container , add one layer of the cooked vegetable masala and now spread the rice on top of the masala .
Make 3 to 4 layers of rice and masala  and cover it with the aluminum foil .
Seal it well and cook for 30 to 45 minutes  in the oven .
Remove from heat , Mix well .

Serve hot with raitha .

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Chennai Chicken Masala

Chennai Chicken Masala

I have done a guest posting for Chennai Chicken Masala in Lavanya 's blog . Lavanya has a wonderful recipes woth easy step by step presentation .

Thanks to lavanya for giving me this great opportunity  . Pls check back her link to find out more about this recipe .

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Sesame Seeds Powder / Ellu podi

Sesame Seeds Powder / Ellu podi 

 Ingredients:

Urad dhal - 4 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 4 tbsp
Whole red chilli - 5 nos
Salt - to taste

Method :

In a pan , dry roast the urad dhal till it turns slightly brown in colour . Set aside and allow it to cool .

Now dry roast the sesame seeds  till it crackles and add the whole red chillies and roast till the chili become slightly brown in color . I used black sesame seeds for this recipe . Set aside and let it cool .

Transfer the cooled urad dhal , sesame seeds , red chili , in to a mixer . Add salt and and grind it in to a coarse powder .

Store it in a airtight container and use it .

Mix this spice powder in rice with ghee and have it . It can be mixed with gingely oil / Ghee and served with Idly and dosa .

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Mughlai Chicken curry

Mughlai Chicken curry

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 750 gm , cleaned . skin out & chopped
• Onion - 2 no , chopped
• Bay leaf - 2 no
• Butter / Ghee / Oil - 2 tbsp
• Yogurt - 4 tbsp
• Coconut - 1/2 cup grated OR Cahew nuts - 10 nos (soaked in water )
• Salt - to taste

To Grind:

• Garlic - 10 pods
• Ginger - 2 tbsp , chopped
• Green chilli - 4 nos
• Whole red chilli - 3 nos
• Corriander leaves - few
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cardamom - 2 nos
• Cinnamon - 1' stick
• Cloves - 4 no
• Aniseed - 1 no

Method:

Heat a pan , dry roast all the ingredients under to grind section.

Add the ground coconut , the roasted ingredients , little water and run in to a paste in a mixer .

Add the ground paste , yogurt to the chicken . Set aside for an hour .

In a heavy bottomed pan / pressure cooker , heat oil add the bay leaf , chopped onions , salt and fry it till brown in color .

Add the marinated chicken and cook till the raw masala smell goes away .

Add water , check for salt and pressure cook for 2 hisses or cook in open pan till the chicken becomes tender .

Serve hot with Naan , parota , steamed rice , rotis . Garnish with cilantro leaves .

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Sambar Vada

Ingredients:

Vada
Sambar
Ghee

Onions + Cilantro leaves - few (Optional )

Method:

Take the fried vada in a bowl , Pour in the hot steaming sambar over the vada . Add ghee and garnish with onions and cilantro leaves .
Serve hot .

This is a very common dish from south India .

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Urad dhal Fritters / Methu Vadai recipe

Urad dhal Fritters / Methu Vadai recipe

Ingredients:

urad dhal / Black gram / Ulundu  - 1 1/2 cup , heaped
Pepper Corns - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 no , Chopped
Carrot  - 3 tsp , minced
Hing - 1 pinch
Oil - for frying
Salt - to taste
Green Chilli - 1 no , minced
Rice Flour - 2 tsp

Method :

Soak the uraad dhal  for 40 minutes , Grind it to a paste by sprinkling water . Add the onions , Carrot , Pepper corns, Cumin Seeds , hing , salt , green chilli , rice flour and mix well .

Put some water in your palm and make it wet . Now take some batter , put it on the wet palm and shape like a donuts and make a hole in the middle of the batter .Heat oil in a kadai and drop the donuts shaped batter to the hot oil .

Deep fry them till they turn golden brown in colour .Enjoy this fritters with Chutney or Sambar .

This also can be served as a breakfast along with Idly , pongal .

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