chundakkai adigeyi (pickle)

Pickles form an integral part of an Indian meal. Seasonal vegetables and fruits are cleaned and finely chopped, then mixed with a special blend of ground spices, and marinated in oil or lemon juice.The pickle serves as a flavor enhancer and is eaten typically in small pieces with the rest of the meal.Most pickles are made in the summer and allowed to mature in the hot sun for at least three weeks before use. Pickles are generally stored in porcelain or glass jars with air-tight lids. The acidic nature of the marinade retards bacterial growth, while the oil acts as a preservative. Pickles can retain their freshness and flavor so long as they do not come into contact with moisture.

Oorugai is the Tamil name for pickles. There are many indigenous varieties of pickles, some of the most popular ones being mangai urgai (mango pickle) and elimicha urgai (lime pickle). Some of the special pickles from Tamil Nadu include a tender mango pickle called 'maavadu'.

Maavadu is usually made early in the summer season when mangos are barely an inch long.

chundephel

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in konkani it is called as "adigeyi".or "nonche"or "pudighalene".these are three different methods of pickles which we konkanis usually do.adigeyi is more of liquid,and last for one month.where as nonche and pudighalene can be preserve for 3-4 years.this pudighalene is totally different from the nonche.it is completely dry and the nonche is semi liquid .

ingredients
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chunakkai -1/4 kg

oil - for frying

cut the chunakkai into two pieces and marinate with salt for half an hour and fry it in the hot oil. keep it aside.

salt water -2-3 cups (boiled and cooled)

red chillies -20 nos

tamarind pulp -1/2 cup

roast the red chillies in little oil and grind it with tamarind pulp and enough salt water.

oil -1tbsp

mustard -1tsp

jeera -1tsp

curry leaves -1 spring

hing powder -1tsp

salt -to taste

in a kadai, add 1tbsp of oil .put mustard seeds , when it start spluttering add the jeera , curry patha and ground chilly paste and 1 cup of salt water also. take a boil. add the fried chudakkaiand enough salt if needed,and boil it for another 20 minutes in a simmer fire. add the hing powder at last and put off the fire. serve hot with rice or dosa.......

mooli paratha and kasoori methi dal

Mooli is a form of giant radish which is also known as diakon .Mooli can get quite large, and it is snow white in color, with a flavor much milder than that of other radishes.

with this we can make mouth watering mooli paratha.paratha is a flatten Indian bread. you can stuff it with paneer, cauliflower, potatoes, mooli,and non veg like chicken and egg.

ingredients
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atta -21/2 cups
salt -to taste
ghee -1tbsp
grated mooli -1cup
chopped ginger and chopped green chillies -1tbsp each


METHOD
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sift the flour and add a little salt and ghee.rub all the ingredients with the hand to mix them thoroughly.the mooli will leave water and if you need water pour little at a time and knead to a
soft dough.( not very soft.)take a small portions of dough ,roll them out into thick chapatis.

put one paratha at a time on a heavy hot tawa (griddle),cook one side and turn over. add a little ghee from the sides till it gets a nice brown colour.
cook on a medium flame and when ready it should be crisp
similarly ,make more paratha....
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KASOORI METHI DAL
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INGREDIENTS
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Moog Dal 1/2 cup
masoor dal 1/2 cup
dry fenugreek leaves 2tbsp
ginger 1/2tbsp grated
red chilly 1
oil 1tsp
salt to taste
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

for tempering
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3-4 tbsp oil
asafoetida one pinch
fenugreek seeds 1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp each of garam masala, dhania powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

METHOD
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clean and wash both the dals together, add kasoori methi, ginger, oil, red chilli, salt, and haldi to dal.
preassure cook dals with 3 1/2 cups of water to give one whistle.
heat oil in a small pan. add methi dana ,fry it on a low flame till it turns golden brown. add red chilli powder dahnia powder, garam masala and hing stir for a minute and pour it over the cooked dal . stir well and serve with chappatis and parathas.....;....

cauliflower tikka

cauliflower is not only for "Gobi Manchurian".it has many uses and is rich in vitamin C,folate and phytiochemicals which is very good for health.it is also rich in cancer fighting bioflavanoids .it is an idle food for weight watchers because it is filling,high in fiber,and low in calories.

cauliflower is usually eaten cooked but some times eaten pickled and raw.Baking,steaming, boiling in minimum water are the best ways of cooking,to retain its flavor and reduce nutrient loss.

cauliflower tikka
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cauliflower -2cups(clean and cut into 1 1/2 "pieces)
capsicum -1medium cut into cubes
tomato -1 medium
onions -2 medium cut into Julian
hung curd -1cup(put the curd in the muslin cloth and keep hanging for 1/2 an hour to drain the excess water)

ginger garlic paste -2tbsp
red chilly powder -2tsp
salt to taste
garam masala -1/2 tsp
jeera powder -2tsp
oil -4tbsp
lime juice -2tbsp

METHOD
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mix the curd with ginger garlic paste, jeera powder, salt, lime juice, garam masala, 2tbsp oil and red chili powder. apply half of the paste to cauliflower pieces and marinate for 2 hours.

grill the cauliflower in a in a hot oven till the cauliflower gets light brown .heat 2tbsp oil in a pan,add the sliced onions, and capsicum.stir well,till the onions gets light brown. add the remaining paste into it and mix well. add tomato strips and stir lightly.add the cauliflower pieces to it and stir nicely. serve hot with rice or chappati......

roti

Roti with Dal and subji is a valuable source of proteins .Whole grain cereals like atta, are rich in iron, vitaminB and fibre. refined cereals like maida, however, furnish very little of these nutrients...

today i made tandoori roti (with out using a tandoor.).

you will be wondering how i made this roti with out using a tandoor.somebody told my mom in low that we can use the ordinary tava with handle(not the non stick) to make this roti. so we tried it . it came out very well. try this.....

ingredients

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atta -21/2 cups

water -1cup (approx.)

salt -1/2 tsp

sugar -1tbsp

ghee -2-3 tbsp

METHOD

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make a soft dough with atta, salt,and water.keep aside for half an hour.divide the dough into 6-7 equal balls.flatten each ball. roll out each into a round of 5''diameter.

heat the tava . don't apply any oil . sprinkle little water on the roties on one side and spread it . take it in you hand and and put it on the heated tava,and stick it.now turn the tava upside down so that the roti will be done directly on the flame and ,when it done keep the tava in its normal position and cook the other side too.

put a cube of butter on the roti and serve hot.

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tips for roties

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• knead the dough well and keep it covered for half and hour before using. if this is not done the edges become cracked and it will not get puffed properly.
• use enough water to make the dough so that It does not become too dry or too wet in cooking.
• the dough should be soft enough for chapattis and parathas.
• add less water for making dough for puries.
• do not use too much dry flour in rolling the roties.

kappa and meen curry

tapioca is known as poor man's vegetable.most of the kerala people like the combination of kappa and meen curry.the other day my mom in low bought kappa from the vegetable market.though she is a vegetarian, that day i made "kappa vevichthu" and "ulli chamanthi" especially for her ,and meen curry for my hubby and dudu.


kappa vevichathu
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Method
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Peel and dice the tapioca.
Wash well in cold water and soak it in cold water for few minutes.
Add a little salt and half measure of the turmeric powder to the tapioca with enough water and cook until soft (do not cover and cook) or pressure cook it .

MEEN CURRY

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fish -1/2 kg

1/2coconut -grated
red chilly powder -1tbsp
coriander powder -1 1/2 tbsp
small onions -4 to5 peeled
turmeric -1tsp
tamarind pulp -5tbsp
(if you have cocum(kodampuli) you can extract water)
coconut oil -2tbsp
mustard seeds - 1tsp
green chillies -2 slitted
curry leaves -1spring

METHOD
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grind the coconut with red chilly powder,coriander powder,small onions,and turmeric into a very smooth paste.

take a kadai and pour the tamarind pulp and enough water and salt and boil when it start boiling add the cleaned fish pieces.when the fish is done, add the smooth ground coconut paste and boil it in a simmer fire.and stir continuesly. season it with mustard seeds ,green chillies, curry leaves, especially in coconut oil.......

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mugali baingan

the brinjal is known as 'egg plant',and 'baingan' in Hindi and, 'kathirikkai' in Tamil ,and 'vazuthanakkai' in Malayalam.there are so many kinds of baingans available in the market.


this is mugalai baingan. for this you need small brinjals.here i used the normal sized brinjal because it was not available .now it is a season for green , purple, and big purple brinjals...

"mugalai baingan" is a north indian dish which is very easy to make and tasty and a good combination with phulkas, roties, and naan...

ingredients

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baingan -2nos

oil -as required

hing powder - 1/2 tsp

onions chopped -2nos

tomatoes -1nos

kashmiri chili powder -1tsp

dry ginger powder -1/2 tsp

sauf powder -1/2 tsp

haldi -1/2 tsp

coriander powder -1tsp

salt -to taste

water -1/2 cup

method

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heat oil in a kadai . cut the brinjals into round slices,sprinkle little salt and deep fry it in the hot oil.

keep it aside.

heat 2tbsp of oil in a kadai , add chopped onions ,fry it ,when it become light brown, add tomatoes and hing powder, chili powder, dry ginger powder,sauf powder, coriander powder,and haldi.and stire well.when all the masalas become pulpy and leaves the oil add the fried brinjals and enough water.take a boil .keep it in a simmer fire for 20 minutes.garnish with butter and chopped coriander leaves...

the mugalai baingan is ready.........

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idiyappam

idiyappam one of our favorite dish ....
my mom in low makes the idiyappam rice powder at home. here i am adding the preparation of the rice powder also. but so many people cant make this at home , they can buy the packet idiyappam powder ... that also comes out very nice....

preparation of rice powder for idiyappam.
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raw rice (we makes it around 5kg raw rice.)soak it for 1/2 and hour and put it on a paper and dry it under the fan. powder it in the machine very nicely.in a heated kadai, add small portions of rice powder and fry till the wetness goes off. when the wetness goes the rice powder become very silky. put it on a paper and cool it and you can keep it for months...

for idiyappam
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Idiappam flour – 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Water - enough to add in the flour.
grated Coconut - little

Method
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Add salt to the flour and mix well.Boil the water and add enough to the flour to make a soft dough cover the dough with a lid for 15 minutes . then add little gingely oil into dough and mix it with your hand thoroughly. then only the idiyappam becomes soft. Wet your hands and put enough dough into the idiappam press.Make idiappam on oil coated idli plates, sprinkle some coconut grating and steam it for 10 mints.

serve hot with egg roast .......
wow .....
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andhra prawns curry

this is andhra style prawn curry ,which our friend ananth taught me ,when we went to there house.

you need

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prawns -1/2 kg

onions -3 chopped

green chillies -2

coriander powder -1tbsp

red chilly powder -1tsp

grated coconut -4tbsp

for grinding

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ginger - 1"piece

garlic -7-8

cinnamon -1/2"piece

cloves -2

cardamom - 1

pepper corns -1/2 tsp

method

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grind the grated coconut into a smooth paste and keep it aside.grind the ginger ,garlic, cinnamon,cloves, and cardamom and pepper together and keep it aside.

heat oil in a kadai .add chopped onions and fry for 2-3 minutes.add the ground ginger garlic spices masala and fry till the raw smell of the masala goes off.add the cleaned prawns , sprinkle 1tsp of haldi and enough salt and stire well. leave it for five minutes.the prawns will leave water.add another 1/2 cup of water and cook . add the chili powder and coriander powder and cook till the water gets evaporated.add the ground coconut and fry till the oil comes out.garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatis and rice....

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simple bread upma

in one word simple and tasty breakfast.

you need
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bread sliced -5 nos

onions -3nos

tomatoes -2 nos

for seasoning

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oil -1tbsp

mustard -1tsp

green chillies -2

coriander powder -1tsp

sambar powder -1tsp

salt -as required

method

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cut the bread slices into small cubes and sprinkle 2 -3 tbsp of sugar syrup on it and keep it aside.

chop the onions, green chillies, and tomatoes.

heat oil in a kadai.add mustard .when it start spluttering, add green chillies ,chopped onions, and till it become transculant.add the chopped tomatoes and stire. add the powders and if required

add little water.allow the gravy to become thick and when it leaves the oil add the salt and cubed bread slices and mix well. stire well for 5 minutes. garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot....

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phulkas

Chapatis or phulkas is the daily bread for millions of Indians. No meal is complete without them and yet many find them difficult to make.These are called so because they swell up with steam while being cooked.They are cooked first on a dry hot tava, then directly over a flame where they "phulao" ("swell" in Hindi) with steam to the point of bursting.Serve them hot with a dollop of ghee.try this it is very easy.

ingredients

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1 cup -Indian wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon -Salt
1/2 cup- Water or as needed to make a soft dough
2 teaspoons - oil
Oil for kneading

Put the flour, oil and salt in a large bowl with half the water. Adding just enough water knead well to make a soft, dough. Knead dough until it is smooth and elastic. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Heat an ungreased tava.

Knead dough again. Making 1/2 inch balls as needed. That is just before rolling. This is to make sure that the dough does not dry out. Roll each ball into a Thin phulkas.it will puff up too.
Put phulka on the hot tava. Cook for about 1 minute, until the top starts to look dry and small bubbles start to form. Flip and cook the other side for until small bubbles form.

Take the phulka off the tava and turn down the heat, and put the phulka DIRECTLY ON THE FLAME! It should balloon into a spherical shape and puff up.

serve hot with ghee....