Appala Kootu/Papad Ki Sabji

 I had been lazying around for the past one week.My Kids had a week off from their school and we had been to my hometown after an year.It is always  nice to get back to your hometown and meet some of your old friends...This makes u feel young n energetic...

 

It was quite hard to get back to my routine!!!I was very lazy to cook ...Suddenly remembered my athai's Appalam Kootu which she used to make whenever she runs out of vegetables.So with a simple Vatha Kuzhambu and a appalam kootu I started cooking my lunch.This appalam kootu goes well with the Kara Kuzhambu/Vathal Kuzhambu.

 

This Kootu can be made within minutes and it can be served as a side dish for the rice or as a main gravy...

 

For the recipe click READ MORE below:

 

Pepper Kuzhambu/Milagu Kuzhambu

Milagu Kuzhambu...This is the first dish that I learnt after my marriage..HH's grandma used to make it very often at home.They taste very good with a simple sutta appalam or a simple Vegetable Kootu.I make it in such a way that it lasts for a week.I use it whenever I find lazy to cook..So this serves me as a super saver pack...

 

Though it tastes little spicy...the pepper spicyness will give u a nice taste to the throat.As pepper is added it is definitely a medicinal Kuzhambu and tastes very good when u have cold and cough..

 

For the recipe pls click read more below..

 

Ammini Kozhukattai(Spicy version)

Wishing the readers a very happy

Ganesh Chaturthi....

 

 

Kozhukattais are one which I loved to have at any time.As they are steam cooked they don't impart any harm to our diet system...This Ammini Kozhukattai is the regular one which we take as dinner/Breakfast/Snacks.We don't make it on Ganesh Chaturthi as it consumes more time...I make it for a evening snack/Dinner.

 

My daughter named it as koli(Marble) kozhukattai as it looked like marbles.It is also called as mini kozhukattai.My mom used to make these when the dough gets remained after making the stuffed modak.When pooran Modaks are there we hardly take these ammini kozhukattais..

 

I love the texture of the kozhukattais.These ammini kozhukattais look very appealing and attract the kids much..

 

With no wait just click READ MORE to get into the recipe..

 

Paal Kozhukattai-Chettinad Delicacy...The traditional way...

This is the post which I wanted to post it for long time.This dessert is my favourite one.Usually I don't take much of sweets and this dish is one exception.My mom makes it so good that u cannot stay without having it.This is one of the authentic dish that is prepared for any occasions.Though the process of making them is time consuming the taste it imparts cannot be described in few words..

 

So please try it and pass on the recipe to our future generations too.Let them be aware of some of the authentic dishes that our grandmas made for us!!

 

Thought ganesh Chaturthi is an apt occasion for me to post the Paal Kozhukattai recipe..Many of my readers had been asking for a long time to post the recipe..

 

Make this Ganesh Chaturthi more special by making this traditional Paal kozhukattai too...

 

Please press READ MORE below to get into the recipe..

 

Nellikai Thayir pachadi/Gooseberry Raita/Amla Raita

 



 

Curd/Yogurt is one of the main item without which my family cannot survive.I can manage my cooking if I have curd at home.All of us take it for Idly,Dosa and for all the breakfast items..And a simple curd rice with a pickle is more than sufficient for my family to make my members happy.

 

So most of the time I make raitas for roti and make my cooking time short.In this regard the most common raita during hot climate is the gooseberry/Amla Raita.It serves as a coolant for the body and the dish also tastes very delicious.

I usually grind the coconut and the green chillies mixture and preserve them in the freezer for later use of other types of raitas..

 

For the recipe and instructions click READ MORE below..

 

Keerai Mor Kootu/Greenleaves in yogurt gravy

 

 

 

 

 

 

After my marriage and getting into a brahmin family Curd/Yogurt had became the most important item at my kitchen.Breakfast/dinner/lunch will not be perfectly finished without having curd in the meal.So making dishes out of yogurt had become a routine in my kitchen.I had learnt to make various dishes out of curd which taste delicious during the summer season.

 

Green leaves and curd make an exotic combination and anyone who loves curd but hates green leaves will also love this dish.It can be had as a sidedish for Vathakuzhambu or simply with steamed rice.

 

It is a less spicy and soothing dish to have in summer.

 

For the recipe pls click READ MORE below..

 

Arisi Ravai Upma/Broken Rice Upma

This is my dad's favourite breakfast..My mother makes it very often at home.This one is usually cooked in VengalaPaanai and all of us at home love to have the Kaanthal(the burnt part of the upma).This goes very well with coconut chutney.With the same ingredients we also make Upma Kozhukattai which is served as an evening snack/Dinner.As this contains rice and dhal it would be an apt one to have for the breakfast.

 

I break the rice to kurunai and use it for the idlies too.The rice-dhal mixture that we make can be stored for long days.I make it ready in a bulk quantity and reserve them for further cooking in future when I run out of vegetables and time

 

For the recipe please press READ MORE below

 

Aviyal/Avial

I had not tasted aviyal till I got married .Of course had heard about it but didn't have a chance to taste it.HH likes this traditional brahmin style aviyal  a lot ,But I don't like aviyal at all!!!.I use to wonder how can it be a sidedish for an Adai..

Since HH liked it much I was intended to learn the process of making it.When compared to other sidedishes the method of preparation of this aviyal is very easy and doesn't take much of our time.As the dish calls for much of coconut grinded I don't make very often at home.

 

HH likes to have curd with all food...esp with Dosa,Idly,Uppuma,Roti etc..After my marriage it was very odd for me to take curd with dosa.I can have curd separately but not with dosa!!May be the people who love curd will love to have this aviyal.As we add curd to this dish,it cannot stay good for more hours.Moreover reheating the dish reduces the flavour of the dish and sometimes it may cause the curd to cuddle!!!

 

 

For the recipe pls press READ MORE Below...

Poricha Kootu(Snake gourd)

This poricha Kootu was a new item to me when my MIL introduced it to me after my marriage.At my parent's house they add minimal amount of coconut in all cooking. But it was the other way round at my inlaws place.My MIL told she is going to make this poricha kootu and I literally took out the meaning...as a Kootu which is porichatu(deep fried)!!!This is an authentic Brahmin style of cooking ..I was struggling to cope up with the new environment and the food habit but got used to it after few months..Now I can make poricha kootu very easily(though I don't take much of it).

 

I make it only during the festival time ( we don't use onions,garlic on any festival day).Sometimes I make it in gravy consistency and pack it for lunch to the kids...As this dish doesn't call for onions/garlic it is very apt to make when we want our work to be done soon.

 

Make it,Have it...Enzoieee

 

For the recipe Please press READ MORE..

 

Rava Kichadi

This is an instant breakfast which can be served to the guests.I don't make it very often as my kids don't prefer this.Only HH loves it and I hardly make it at home!!!I made it as I wanted to post it in my blog..HH was very happy on this regard as he could taste more delicious dishes.HH and the kids are more straight forward at passing on the true comments about how the food tasted!!!

 

Making this kichadi again at home had brought back my old memories...When my inlaws came to visit us for the first time after our marriage this was the breakfast I cooked for them ...Infact my father-in-law asks me to make this whenever he visits us...!!! We miss him and it brings back his thought whenever we make it...

 

It is a modified version of the regular Rava upma with a little bit of touch here and there.Rava kichadi with a combination of thick coconut chutney is enough to satisfy the tastebuds of any person...

 

Please click READ MORE to get into the recipe..

 

Arachivitta Sambhar

After getting married  into an authentic Brahmin family the first thing I learnt was the Arachivitta sambhar.At my mom's house we make  simple sambhar with the sambhar powder...It was after marriage I learnt cooking and my first trial was the sambhar...My best critic is HH who always gives me the true comments !!(Though I had tested all my newly tried dishes on him!!)..Here at my MIL's house sambhar means its only arachivitta sambhar.During my earlier days after marriage the job of making sambhar was cumbersome!!Somehow after several trials I learnt the complete process of adjusting the tamarind and the chilli...

 

Though I am comfortable with the process I hardly make sambhar.It is only once a week we make this.As my kids  don't like packing sambhar sadham for their lunch...I hardly make  sambhar..

 

But it is apt when we feel like having an elaborate lunch.A simple sambhar with appalam/potato curry is an awesome combination...

 

For the recipe pls press READ MORE below..

Vazhai Poo(banana blossom) Paruppu Usili

This is an authentic dish at Brahmin houses.When i got married to Hari and went to one of my hubby's relative house they served this dish.That was the first time i tasted usili and just loved it.Later I collected the recipe from lakshmi maami and also got few hints from my Sister in law.This is my favourite dish and everyone in my family loves eating this including my 2 year old kid.The cleaning of the flower is time consuming.So I clean the flower the last night,pack it in an air tight container and refrigerate it.It will last for 2 days too.This dish tastes like puttu.Eating banana flower will overcome the constipation problems.Usual Usli consumes more of oil.But considering the health factor I had reduced the amount of oil and also steam cooked the dal and hadn't deep fried.The original recipe calls for deep frying the grinded dhal.But steam cooking the dhal doesn't alter the taste!!!The detailed procedure of cleaning the flower and the cooking method is being given.

Plantain (vazhaikai) Podimas

              This is a simple method of preparation.And it goes very well with any main course like sambar,rasam.It is very easy to make.To overcome the gastric problem asfoetida is added to the dish during tempering.