Friday, November 30, 2007

Soup with Pasta sauce and Vegetables

Ingredients :
1. 1/2 a bottle of Pasta sauce.
2. 1 big onion - cut into pieces.
3. 2 carrots - cut into pieces.
4. celery - a handful cut into pieces
5. corn and peas - frozen/fresh - a handful
6. frozen lima bean - a handful
7. boiled chick peas/ boiled red kidney beans - a handful
8.1 tsp oil.

Method :
1. Fry the onions in the oil until reddish brown.
2. Add the vegetables and fry them.
3. Add the pasta sauce and equal amounts of water.
4. Allow these to boil and add the boiled chick peas/red kidney beans
5. Add salt and allow to boil for another 10 min
6. Creamy soup is ready to serve hot with bread/croutons.

Carrot/Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
1. 2-3 carrots cut into pieces.
2. 1 big onion - cut into pieces
3. 2 tomatoes - cut into pieces.
4. 2-3 cloves and about an inch of a cinnamon stick.

Method:
1.Boil all the cut vegetables with the cloves and cinnamon in a pressure cooker with water or broth.
2. Remove the cloves and cinnamon.
3. Allow this to cool and then grind the mixture in a mixie and pepper powder and salt.
4. Bring this to a boil.
5. Serve hot with bread/croutons.

Vegetable Soup(Carrots or Spinach or Cauliflower)

Ingredients :
1. 1-2 bulbs of garlic
2. 1-2 inches of ginger - cut into pieces
3. 1 big onion cut into pieces.
4.1 big potato - cut into pieces.
4. 2-3 carrots(cut into pieces) or 2-3 handfuls of spinach or a cup of cauliflower flowerlets.
5. slit green chillies - acc to extent of spice required.
6. Vegetable Broth(2 cups).You can even use equal parts of broth and water - 1 cup of broth and 1 cup of water.
7. 1 tsp of oil.

Method:
1.Fry the garlic,ginger,greenchillies in oil.
2.Then add the onions and fry until they are golden brown.
3. Add the broth/water to this and bring it to a boil.
4. Add all the vegetables and allow them to boil.
5.Once they have boiled, switch off and allow it to cool down.
6.Later remove the garlic bulbs and green chillies, and grind the mixture in a mixie.
7.Add salt and bring this to a boil again.
8.Serve hot with bread/croutons.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Urulaikezhangu Paal Kootu (Aloo + Coconut Milk)

1.Empty one tin(400 ml) of coconut milk into a pot.
2.For 400 ml of coconut milk, you would require 6-7 medium sized potatoes.
3.Boil the potatoes.Peel them and mash them well.
4.Cut ginger and green chillies (according to the level of spice required) and mash these too along with the potatoes. Mix them well.
5.Add these to the pot with coconut milk and mix well. Just add a little bit of water.Do not make it watery.
6.Add salt to taste.
7.Add curry leaves and corrainder leaves and heat it just for a while in the stove.Donot allow to boil. Just heat the mixture.
8.Finally fry mustard seeds in oil and add to this.
9.Serve with rice.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Puli ittu keerai (Spinach with tamarind)

1.Cut and boil a bunch of spinach along with 1-2 sliced tomatoes and 3-4 sliced green chillies.
2.Boil toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder.
3.Soak some amount of tamarind in water and make an extract.
4.Add the boiled spinach and the toor dal to this tamarind extract.
5.Add salt to taste and a little amount of asafoetida.
6.Allow this to boil for about 10 min.
7.Fry a teaspoon of mustard seeds,a teaspoon of methi seeds and 3-4 red chillies in oil and add to this.
8.Serve hot with rice.

Thengai arachi vittu keerai (Spinach with coconut)

1.Cut and boil a bunch of spinach.
2.Boil some toor dal along with a pinch of turmeric.
3.Grind about 3-4 tbspns of grated coconut,a teaspoon of jeera, red chillies(acc to the level of spice reqd) and 1-2 tsp of rice flour along with water.
4.Add the ground mixture to the boiled spinach and add salt to taste and a little asafoetida.
5.Add the boiled toor dal to this and allow to boil for about 10 min.
6.Fry a tsp of mustard seeds in oil and add to this.
7.Serve hot with rice.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Brahmin Vatha Kozhambu

1.Soak some tamarind in water and make an extract out of this.
2.Fry 1 tsp each of mustard seeds, methi seeds,5-6 red chillies,curry leaves and 2-3 tsp of toor dal in 2 tsp of oil.
3.Add the tamarind extract to this along with salt, a little asafoetida and sambar powder(acc to the spice level reqd).
4.Allow this to boil for 10 min.
5.Add either one of the following vegetables - cut drum stick(cut in uniform sizes)/ cut ladies finger/ cut onions/ the whole pearl onions available after peeling the skin and allow them to boil along.
6.Allow to boil for about 15 min.
7.Switch off and serve hot with rice.

Onion Pakoda

1.Take some besan, rice flour, salt to taste, red chilly powder(depending on the level of spice reqd).
2.The amount of rice flour to be slightly more than that of besan.
3.Cut onions into tiny pieces.
4.Add the onions to the above mixture.
5.Boil about 4-5 spoons of plain oil and add to this.
6.Grind about an inch and a half of ginger along with 3-4 green chillies and ajwain(oregano) and water.
7.Add the ground mixture to the above and mix well with little water.
8.Donot add much of water.The resultant mixture should be not much watery.It must be a bit dry so that while making the pakodas, they will be crispy.
9.Mix these well and fry them in oil by making small balls.
10.Serve hot.

Lemon-Cabbage Kootu

1.Cut cabbage into tiny pieces and allow it to boil with salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.
2.Add green peas, ginger(cut into small pieces) and green chillies(cut into small pieces) to this and allow to boil.
3.Add a little asafoetida for taste.
4.Meantime, boil some amount of toor dal with a pinch of turmeric.
5.Once the cabbage is well-boiled, add the boiled toor dal and leave for about 5 min.
6.Switch off.
7.Fry mustard in oil and add to this.
8.Leave this to cool down.After it has cooled down, add lemon juice extract to this and mix well.
9.Can be served with rice/rotis.

Mysore Rasam

1.Soak some tamarind in water for about 15 min and make an extract out of it.
2.Take about 1 teaspoon of dhaniya, jeera,channa dal, toor dal, pepper and a few red chillies ( acc to the spice level reqd) and fry these in oil.
3.Grind the above with some coconut and water.
4.Boil some toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder.
5.Boil the tamarind extract with salt and the ground mixture.
6.Add some asafoetida for taste.
7.Cut about 2 tomatoes into pieces and add to the tamarind extract and allow to boil.
8.After 15 min, add the boiled toor dal to this and once a white layer is formed, switch off.
9.Add some corriander leaves and curry leaves for dressing.
10.Serve hot with rice.

Friday, January 5, 2007

Poricha Kootu

1.Boil some water and add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt after the water is boiled.
2.Cut vegetables - beans,flat peas,kothavarangai(cluster beans),chow chow(chayote squash),brinjal,yam,potato,snakeguard,carrot and add to the boiling water.
3.Allow the vegetables to get boiled.
4.Grind red chillies(amt acc to the reqd level of spice),1 teaspoon jeera a nd coconut with water.
5.Once the vegetables are well boiled, add the ground mixture.
6.In the meantime boil toordal/yellow moong dal with a pinch of turmeric.
7.When adding the ground mixture, add the boiled dal along.
8.Bring it to a boil and add fried mustard seeds in oil.
9.Serve hot with rice.

Molaeshiyam

Its the same procedure as for "Poricha Kozhambu", except that do not add ground coconut and add an extra amount of asafoetida.

Poricha Kozhambu

1.Boil some water.Add 1/2 teaspoon each of red chilly powder and pepper powder.
2.Cut vegetables - potato,yam,carrot,brinjal,beans,flat peas,snakeguard,drumstick,chow chow(chayote squash),kothavarangai(cluster beans) into small pieces of uniform size.
3.Add them to the boiling water.
4.Allow to boil.
5.Add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.
6.Meantime boil toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder.
7.Grate some coconut and grind the grated coconut with water.
8.After the vegetables have boiled, add the boiled toor dal and the ground coconut to this and bring to a boil.
9.Fry a teaspoon of mustard seeds in oil and add some curry leaves to the boiled mixture.
10.Serve hot with rice.

Mor kozhambu (Buttermilk kozhambu)

1.Take some curd and churn it to buttermilk.Donot make it watery, let it be thick to some extent.
2.Grind coconut, greenchilly(acc to reqd amt of spice), a small amount of ginger, jeera(1 teaspoon) and rice flour(arnd 1-2 teaspoons).
3.Add this to the buttermilk along with salt and asafoetida.
4.Heat this with the gas in simmer and DONOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
5.Fry a little amount of mustard in oil and add this to the buttermilk along with some curry leaves and corriander leaves for dressing.
6.Serve with rice or rice sevai(rice noodles).

Molagu Kozhambu (Pepper Kozhambu)

1.Fry red chillies(count depending on the reqd level of spice), toor dal(2 teaspoons),urad dal(1 teaspoon),pepper(2 teaspoons) in oil.Take approximately equal amounts of red chillies, toordal and pepper.
2.Grind this with some curry leaves and water.
3.Soak tamarind and take an extract.
4.Add a little amount of turmeric powder(a pinch), salt to taste and asafoetida to the tamarind extract.
5.Allow this to boil for about 10 min.
6.Add the ground mixture to this boiling tamarind water and allow to boil for about 15 min.
7.In the meantime, fry some sundaikkai vathal and manathakalikai vathal in oil and add to this boiling mixture.
8.The consistency will turn thicker.
9.Switch off at this point of time.

Jeera Rasam

1.Soak tamarind in water for sometime and take an extract out of this.Take a little extra mount of tamarind, than required for the regular rasam.
2.Boil this tamarind extract with salt and rasam powder(depending on the required level of spice).No asafoetida required.
3.Allow it to boil for about 15 min.
4.Grind 1 teaspoon of jeera,2 teaspoons of toor dal,1/4 teaspoon of pepper,1/4 teaspoon of dhaniya into a coarse mixture.
5.Grind this mixture only after the tamarind extract has boiled.This is the time when this ground mixture is to be added to the boiling tamarind extract.If this is ground earlier, it will give a sour taste.
6.Add the ground mixture to the boiling tamarind extract and allow for about 5 min. A white layer will be formed.
7.Switch off and add fried mustard seeds and curry leaves for dressing.
8.Serve hot with rice.

Lemon Rasam

1.Take some water.
2.Add cut tomato pieces to this along with salt,asafoetida and rasam powder(reqd amt - acc to the spice level).
3.Cut green chillies and add to this mixture.
4.Crush some ginger(depending on the spice level) and add to the mixture.
5.Allow this mixture to boil for about 15 min.
6.Meantime boil a little toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder.
7.Add the boiled toor dal to the boiling mixture and allow it for about 5 min on the flame.
8.Once a white layer is formed over this, switch off.
9.Add some corrainder leaves for dressing.
10.Fry a teaspoon of mustard in oil and add to this.
11.Allow this to cool down a bit and after 20 or 30 min, add lemon extract to this.
12.Do not add the lemon extract while the mixture is hot, because it will give a sour taste when added hot.
13.Serve with rice.

Tomato Rasam

1.Soak some tamarind in water for about 15 min and take a watery extract out of the tamarind.
2.Add rasam powder(depending on the reqd spice level), salt, asafoetida to this tamarind extract.
3.Cut about two tomatoes into pieces and add to this tamarind extract.
4.Allow this to boil for about 15 min.
5.Meantime boil a little amount of toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder.
6.Add the boiled toor dal to the boiling tamarind extract.
7.After 5 min, a white layer will be formed.Once this happens, switch off.
8.Add some corriander leaves for dressing.
9.Fry a teaspoon of mustard seeds in about a teaspoon of oil and add to the rasam.
10.Serve hot with rice.

Thursday, January 4, 2007

Brinjal/Bitterguard Pitla(Sambar)

1.Red Chillies, 4 teaspoons Channa dal, 4 teaspoons Dhaniya, a little amount of grated coconut.
2. Fry all the above in oil.
3.Grind these with water into a coarse mixture, not a smooth one.
4.Boil some amount of toor dal.
5.Soak required amount of tamarind in water and make it into an extract.
6.Add turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt to this and allow to boil.
7.Cut bitterguard/brinjal into pieces of uniform size and aad it to the tamarind water and allow it to boil along.
8.After the vegetables have boiled(may be 15 min), add the ground coarse mixture to this and allow for about 10 min.
9.Then add the boiled toor dlal to this and allow for about 5min.
10.If required, boiled balck channa/boiled groundnut can also be added to this at the time of adding the ground mixture.This along with the toor dal and vegetables will enhance the taste.
11.Finally add mustard fried in oil and some curry leaves and corriander leaves for dressing.
12.Serve hot with rice.

Madras Sambar

1.Soak some tamarind in water and make an extract out of it. Some people use the tamarind paste, but the regular tamarind used to extract the tamarind water makes the sambar to taste better.
2.Boil toor dal in a pressure cooker with a pinch of turmeric powder.
3. Take a teaspoon or two of oil.
4.Fry 1 teaspoon of Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds,2-4 red chillies, some curry leaves,a little asafoetida for taste in oil.
5.Add the tamarind extract to this and add sambar powder ( according to the spice level reqd)
6.Add salt to taste.
7.Allow this to boil for abt 10 min.
8.If some vegetables(onion/capsicum/drumstick/radish/lady's finger) are to be added - cut them to pieces and add them to this boiling mixture and allow them to boil together for about 15 min.
9.Add the boiled toor dal to this and allow to boil for about 5 min.
10.Switch off and serve hot with rice/idly/dosa.