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.

Kerai masiyal

Greens are rich in vitamins n protien .
The look of the fresh greens tempts me to cook...that too the ones we get in the village is really fresh n pesticide free.
Keerai masiyal is one of the regular dishes in the chettinad kitchen.
Recipe:
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Ingredients:
Fresh greens-1 bunch
Sambar onions-6-8
Green chillies-2
Moong dhal-1/2 cup(cooked)
Jeera  -1  tsp
Garlic -2 crushed
Ghee - little
Method:
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Wash the greens and Cut it n clean it well without any trace of soil from the roots...
Cut the onions n green chillies n add it to the cut greens n cook in a pan with little water..once the greens r cooked add little crushed jeera n garlic..mash it with a masher... Now add the cooked dhal n salt n again mash ..atlast add some ghee n switch off .
If the whole cooking is done in a clay pan ..it  tastes awesome!!!!

Macaroni veggie delight

This is one of the favourite dabba special for my daughter's class mates...whenever i make this for her school...i used to pack two dabbas!!So that she gets some ...
Recipe :
Ingredients:
Macaroni- 2cups
Onions-2(sliced)
Tomatoes-2(puréed)
Carrot-1(grated)
Cabbage-small slice chopped
Capsicum-1 chopped
All three color bell peppers can also b used for a colourful dish.
Ginger-garlic paste-1tsp(optional)
Red chilly powder-1 tsp
Salt-to taste
Method
       Cook the macaroni in boiling water for five to eight minutes .once cooked ..add cool water n drain the water and keep aside. If it is over cooked ..it will not retain its shape.
       Heat oil in a pan ..add sliced onions ..add the ginger garlic paste n fry for a while..now add the vegetables and fry till they become soft .. Now add the red chilly powder n salt .then add the puréed tomatoes..fry till the oil leaves.
Now add the cooked macaroni n mix well.
You can add grated cheese to this at the end.. And switch off the stove immediately. kids..love the cheese taste. Its just an option ..this tastes good even without cheese.

  

Pudina kadamba thuvaiyal

Recipe
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Ingredients:
Pudina ( mint leaves)-1 bunch
Tomatoes-3
Onions -3
Coconut grated-1 tab sp
Channa dhal-1 tab sp
Urid dhal-1 tab sp
Red chillies -10-12
Tamarind-  1 inch (little)
Salt- to taste
Coriander leaves (optional)

Method
   Heat oil in a kadai..fry the red chillies..seperately n keep aside.
If it is mixed with onions n tomatoes initially ...its crispy ness might go.
Now first add the channa dhal, urid dhal ...roast them till golden brown ..now add the onions..tomatoes n tamarind...a few mins later ..add the coconut n pudina leaves ..give a toss for a few secs ..n switch off the stove .
Cool the mixture n grind it .
Grinding shd b done a bit coarsely so that it will give a ammila araicha feel.
Hot idlis with this pudina thuvaiyal is an all time favourite... Even during travel....this chutney will stay good if the frying is done for a longer time.
Try this n let me know ur comments .

Kalla veetu katharikai

-One of my favourite recipes..which goes well with idli,dosa,chappathi n poori..my children's favourite too!!

  Recipe
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Ingredients:
  Brinjal -4
  Potato-3
  Onion big -2
  Tomatoes  -3
Grind:
Grated coconut-1 cup
Saunf-1 tsp
Jeera-1 tsp
Small(sambar) onion -2
Garlic -4
Roasted gram- 1 tab sp
Red chillies -6( can use both red n green chillies too)
Salt - to taste
Method
Grind all the ingredients other than the vegetables..keep aside
Heat oil in a kadai..
Temper  mustard seeds,urid dhal
Fry onions..then add tomatoes..let
It change color...then add the potatoes cut into squares ..then add the brinjal ..cut into squares ..
Let it fry for some time till it get soft..
Now add the ground mixture ..n salt..and allow to simmer for few minutes .
Alternatively ..those who feel ground coconut shd not b boiled for long ..grind the coconut alone seperately n add it at the end.
Tasty kalla veetu katharikai is ready.
Excellent combination with dosai n chappathi.

Aalo parata

Recipe
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Ingredients:
Chakki fresh aata (wheat flour)-2cups
Potatoes - 4-5  med sized(boiled  peeled n mashed)
Onions -2 finely chopped
Green chillies- 3 -4 finely chopped
Carrot-one grated (optional)
Coriander leaves - finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

Method:
      Knead the flour with a little salt n water and keep aside.
Boil the potatoes peel n mash
Heat oil in a kadai n add jeera
Fry the finely chopped onions n green chillies ...add the ginger garlic paste ...fry till the kacha smell leaves ..now add the grated carrot..n then little chilli powder n salt ..give a toss
Now add the potato mash ..
Finally add the coriander leaves ..n switch off the stove
Now the stuffing is ready
Make small balls of this fillings..
Stuff it in the wheat dough and make chappathis ..
Aalo parata is ready!
U can serve it with pickle / any raitha/ plain curd..

Ragi - bajra adai

Recipe
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Ingredients:
Ragi-1 cup/130gms
Bajra - 1 cup /130gms
Jeera -1 tsp
Salt to taste
Green chillies 3-4finely chopped
Sambar onions( small )-a handful..finely chopped
Grated coconut-2 tab sp

               Mix all the ingredients adding little water ...like chappathi dough ...seperate into 6-8portions..
Make small balls and flatten it spreading ghee/oil on a plastic sheet.
Put these flattened adais on a hot tawa n shallow fry  it with oil.
Healthy ragi bajra adai is ready!!!

Maangai sambar

I have wondered if i can make sambar without tomatoes!!!!
S...with the sour taste of mango it is possible...i tried this recipe which turned out to b awesome...
Recipe
Ingredients:
Raw Mango - one small
Sambar onions- a handful..peeled n washed.
Sambar powder-2 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Salt -11/2 tsp
Toor dhal -2 cups(1/2 aalakku)
Cooked n mashed
       Pressure cook all the ingredients in a small pressure pan for two whistles...
Open..alter salt n add hot gingelly oil tempered with mustard ,jeera,hing n curryleaves.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Tasty maanga sambar is ready in few minutes..
U can cook the dhal while cooking ur rice ..in the same pressure pan ..in a seperate bowl..