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:
********
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!!!!!