Kandarappam

One of the authentic chettinad delicacy is this kandarappam.For generations this has been a food item regularly made during festive seasons like Deepavali..pillaiyar nombu...tamil new years day...
Lets see how to make this chettinad delicacy.
Ingredients:
To soak n grind:
Raw rice-4 cups
Urid dhal-1/2 cup
Moong dhal-1/4cup
Methi seeds-1tsp
While grinding ...add
Coconut-1 grated
Jaggery equal to the rice -4 cups
Elaichi-3
     Grind all the above ingredients to a smooth paste..to a batter of dosa consistency..
Heat oil in a pan ...take a spoon of the batter n put in the oil ...fry in a medium to sim heat..turn it n let it fry till the sound stops...
Tasty kandarappam is ready!!!!

Vegetable Biriyani

Ingredients:
Basmathi rice-1 cup
Carrot-2 diced
Beans-a bunch cut into one inch
Peas-handful shelled
Potato -1 diced
Onion-2
Tomato-2
coconut milk- 1 cup
Salt to taste
To grind:
Garlic -5
Ginger-1 inch
Green chilly-2
Pudina - handful
         Heat oil...fry
bayleaf,patta,lavang,star anise..add the onion...brown it add the gingergarlic paste..then add tomatoes..add red chilly powder..turmeric...dhaniya powder...all three one teaspoon each....add salt..fry till oil leaves... Add the vegetables..
Soak the rice in water for sometime ..now add the soaked rice...
Add coconut milk ..n water..together two cups for one cup of rice.either pressure cook or cook in medium heat.
Rice cooker gives a good biriyani.

Onion pakoda

Ingredients:
Onions-2big
Chopped lengthwise finely
Besan-1 cup
Rice flour-1/4 cup
Rava-1tabsp
Red chilly powder-1tsp
Salt to taste
Hot oil -1 tablespoon
Mix all the above with little water ...and make pakodas...no need of a particular shape... Irregular shapes ..deep fry in oil.
Tasty pakodas r ready!!!!

Raagi idli

Ingredients:
Raagi -3 cups
Soak it overnight
Boiled rice-1cup
Urid dhal-1cup
Methi seeds-1tsp
Soak these two for two hours
Grind the above ingredients n ferment for eight hours ..the batter will raise ..
Make idlis as usual idlis..
Healthy raagi idlis are ready!!!

Adai and tomato chutney

Ingredients for Adai:
Toor dhal -1 cup
Channa dhal - 1cup
Raw rice -1  cup
Boiled rice-1cup
Moong dhal-1/2cup
Urid dhal-1/2 cup
Red chillies-8
Soonf-1 tsp
Jeera-1tsp
Salt to taste
Small onions-handful
Coriander n curry leaves
Soak all the dhal n rice together for two hours ...n grind coarsely with chillies n soonf ..jeera n salt.
To this add finely chopped coriander n curry leaves...cut small onions..
U can add murungai keerai also to this batter ...it will taste good n healthy too.
Spread this batter on a hot tawa like thick dosa...and turn it and cook the other side too....adai is ready!!!

Fresh red chutney:
Red chillies-10
Onions -2
Tomatoes-3
Tamarind-1 inch
Salt to taste
Grind the above ingredients
Heat gingelly oil n splutter mustard seeds ,hing,curry leaves...n add to the chutney .yummmmmy it is with the adai!!

Garlic chutney/ poondu chutney

Ingredients:
Garlic -2pods finely chopped
Tomatoes-4/5 finely cut
Red chilly powder
Salt to taste
Method:
Heat oil in a pan... fry the finely chopped garlic n add turmeric powder n red chilly powder n salt....add little water n let it cook
Don't add more water...once it is done ...mash it with a blender r masher..
Heat oil in another pan ...add mustard seeds..hing...
Then add the finely cut tomatoes...n fry till the oil leaves ....now add this to the mashed garlic paste...n simmer it for two mins n switch off .
This garlic chutney can b spread on a dosa to make garlic dosa ...yummmmm it is..!!!
This has a medicinal value too
Gastric problems can b overcome by having this chutney..!!

Vazhaipoo vadai

Ingredients:
Banana flower -1
Toor dhall-  1 cup(soaked in water for one hour)
Sombu/saunf-1 tsp
Jeera-1tsp
Red chillies 6/7
Salt to taste
Grind all the ingredients coarsely...in a mixie/ blender..
To the mixture add finely chopped onion -  one big...
Curry leaves...a handful
Dhaniya leaves..a handful
Make small balls out of the mixture n flatten it at the centre ...and deep fry in a pan of oil.
Tasty vazhaipoo vadai ir ready!!!

Methi paratha

A healthy paratha...good for health n good to pack for travel also.
My sister lives in Bombay for years...
Learnt this from her!!
Ingredients:
Small methi leaves -6 bunches
Cut finely n cleaned well in water
Red chilly powder-1 tsp
Tumeric powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder n jeera powder a pinch
Garam masala powder -1/2 tsp
Salt- as required.
Atta(wheat flour)-2 cups
Curd-1cup
Mix all the ingredients except atta n marinate for a few minutes
Then add the atta n mix well

Mix all the ingredients till it does not stick to ur hands...use little oil n knead well.
Now make small balls n roll it into chappathis ...
Tasty methi paratha is ready!!!
You can serve this with a raitha of ur choice!

Katharikkai thuvaiyal (egg plant chutney)

One of my daughter's favourite dish for idli n dosa is this katharikai thuvayal.
An authentic chettinad recipe learnt from my mom......
Ingredients:
To grind
Fry in oil...
Brinjal-8 medium size(cut into small cubes)
Big onion -1chopped
Red chillies-10-12
Tamarind -1 inch
Salt as required
Grind the above ingredients n keep aside ...
Now heat oil in a pan and fry few karivadams n keep it aside.
Take it out n fry urid dhal n mustard seeds n hing...
Then fry handful of finely chopped
Small onions ...add little salt to this...
Crush the vadams ...
Now add the crushed vadams n fried small onions to the ground chutney...
Yummmmmy katharikkai thuvayal is ready.!!
The crispiness of the vadams n the crunchy onions add taste to the chutney!!!

Masala bread

One of the easiest n tastiest recipe...
Thanks to my friend Shyla...she only taught me this recipe..
    Ingredients:
Bread-   a small pack
Coriander leaves-1 bunch
Patta-1 inch
Lavang- 2-3
Onion big - 1
Garlic- 5-6
Green chillies-6
Roasted gram (pottu kadalai)-2 tab sp
Lime(optional)
Salt - as required.
Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste .
Spread the paste on one side of the bread ..place it on the heated tawa with the pasted side on the tawa..spread ghee..let it get roasted on low heat...now spread in on the other side ...n turn it ...and roast well on a low flame...
Tasty masala bread is ready!!!

Mysore pa

After a long break i ..am back to the blog...
After sending my son abroad for higher studies...felt a bit lonely..was anxious about his getting settled down there... My daughter is now supporting me morally more than before...sweet as always she is ...
So let me start the blog again with a sweet....so simple ...but perfect!!!
     Ingredients:
Besan - 1 cup
Sugar ( can b powdered if the crystals r big)-2 cups
Ghee-1.5 cups

      Method:
Roast the besan in 1 tablespoon of ghee in a kadai.
Add little water  for the sugar to jus get wet fully...heat the sugar water mixture in a thick bottom kadai r a non stick tawa...
Once the sugar  is dissolved..add the roasted besan ..n continue mixing at a low heat...
At the same time ..heat the ghee in another stove n keep it ready ..too add it to the besan sugar mixture..
Once the besan sugar mixture...comes out without sticking to the tawa..add the hot ghee n continue mixing  ...when the mixture raises n comes out white at the edges... Right time to transfer it to a greased flat plate n slice it out.
Tasty mysorepa Is ready!!!!!!

Vendaikkai pachadi

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Vendaikkai-15-20
Small onions(sambar onions tastes good in this dish )-10
Green chillies-5
Tomatoes-2
Tamarind-1inch size

method

Heat oil in a pan and add 

Mustard seeds-1tsp

Methi seeds n jeera -1tsp

Hing a pinch

Now add the cut chillies n onions ...fry for a while and add the tomatoes then the ladies finger ...fry till the stickyness of the ladies finger goes...add a little sambar powder  (for the aroma ..its optional)..then the tamarind juice...let it boil for a while...at the end add the cooked toor dhal n simmer for a few minutes .

Vendaikkai pachadi is ready...this tastes good with rice n chappathis too...

Badam alva

One of the major hits with my family and friends....is this mouth watering dish..badam alva.
Chettinad marriages usually have this in their menu atleast once either in breakfast or dinner menu..
Long back only the master cook (in marriages)will prepare this ..as it includes all expensive materials..in a large scale...
    It seems easy..but to get the right pakkuvam is really difficult.
But it comes with practice...
I have mastered this technique somehow!!!
Recipe:
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Ingredients :
Badam -1 cup
Sugar -1 1/2 cup
Saffron -1 pinch
Milk -little (required to grind the badam)
Ghee-11/4 cup.
Method  :
      Soak the badam in water overnight or for a few hours.Alternatively you can boil the badam in hot water for five mins n switch off the  stove and let it cool .
Peel it n grind it with little milk.just add milk to get a smooth paste..
        Now add the sugar to it and keep it in a thick bottomed kadai on a low flame (non stick tava  can also b used).
    Stir it continuously...dissolve the saffron in one table spoon warm milk  n add to it ...you can also add food color if u prefer..keep on stirring for 15 - 20 minutes
       To find out the right time to switch off the stove....place one drop of it in a plate of water... If it does not loose its shape.... Time to switch off the flame.
        Keep the kadai away from the stove n start adding the ghee...
        You can see the alva taking all the ghee u add....add the ghee little by little fully n keep on stirring it ..
Once all the ghee is taken by the alva ...its over!!
Tasty ...melting badam alva is ready!!!!!

Godumai /Saamai pongal

     A healthy breakfast which has the goodness of wheat and moong dhal.
My husband has started avoiding white rice..but our cuisine includes mainly rice as  the staple food...
This is a recipe similar to rice pongal. For saamai pongal ..replace wheat with saamai...this too tastes sooo good.
Wheat pongal
Ingredients
Wheat rava-1 cup
Moong dhal -1/2 cup
Thaalikka:(to fry in oil)
Crushed peppercorns-1/2 tsp
Jeera-1/2 tsp
Cashews-1 tabsp
Curry leaves a twig
Green chillies- 1 slit into two
Ginger -1/2 inch (crushed)
Hing-1/2tsp.
Dry Roast  the wheat rava and moong dhal slightly and wash it and  Pressure cook with three cups of water.add salt n hing to the wheat n dhal  ( even before you cook)
   Heat oil (ghee gives a nice aroma and taste ...but calorie conscious people need not use ghee) and add the ingredients one by one( except wheat rava n moong dhal)and add it to the cooked pongal ...
Tasty ..healthy ...wheat pongal is ready!!!
Saamai pongal:
Same as wheat pongal..
Soak 1 cup of saamai for atleast half an hour ...wash it and pressure cook it with 1/2 cup of moong dhal and proceed the same way as above.
This saamai pongal is really very tasty!!!!
Both the pongal can b had with sambar and chutney of your choice.

Paal paniyaaram

One of chettinad delicacies.. is this paal paniyaaram .
Recipe:
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Ingredients:
Raw rice -1 cup
Urid dhal -1cup
Milk-1/2 litre
Sugar -1/2 cup
Saffron a pinch
Elachi powder a pinch

Method:
    Soak the rice n urid dhal for two hours and clean and grind it to a fine batter...if there is some urid dhal left without grinding ..the risk of bursting of the batter from oil is there...so grind to a fine paste.
    Boil the milk in a thick bottomed pan ....let the milk thicken ...add the saffron n elaichi powder and sugar...keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and sim the stove...Make very small balls of the batter..n drop in the hot oil which has to b kept in sim .deep fry ...take it from oil and put that in a bowl of hot water..so that the oil oozes out n creates some pores ...now take it out
Squeeze it slightly with the spoon and add it to the hot milk .
      Tasty paal paniyaaram is ready!! 

Vellai paniyaram and tangar

Chettinad marriages are incomplete without vellaipaniyaram and tangar in their breakfast menu...a popular dish ...seems easy ..but really difficult to get the flower like edges n softness...
Vellaipaniyaram
Take one glass (aalakku)of raw rice and cut the mountain like part above the glass (thalai valichuttu )place a handful of urid dhal.Alternatively take a glass of raw rice and a handful of urid dhal ...soak in water for a two hours and grind nicely.Add salt and pinch of sugar...and a  little milk.Heat oil in a kadai ....sim the stove ... Pour one flat tablespoon of the batter directly in the oil.
Flowery paniyaram is ready.
Tangar
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Ingredients
Small onions - handful
Garlic -1 pod full
Tomato-1
Red chilles-4/5halfed
Mustard seeds-1tsp
Hing a pinch
Curry leaves .
To grind
Red chilles-6
Onion -1 big (diced)
Tomatoes-2
Tamarind-1 inch size
Fry in oil and grind the above n keep aside.
Method
Heat oil in a pan ...add the mustard seeds , hing and curry leaves..once it splitters.. Add the split red chillies ..Add the finely chopped garlic..then the finely chopped sambar onions..then add the chopped tomatoes....fry for a while.
Now add the ground paste n fry...you can even add some red chilly powder (optional) and salt..add a little water n simmer for a few minutes.
Don't add more water.. As it will become watery ..it should bit thick in consistency ..this tangar is the best combination for vellaipaniyaram .
This can also be a good side dish for idli and dosai.