Kathirikai Rasavangi

Rasavangi is nothing but the combination of sambar and kootu. It’s a very common dish in Brahmin household. Easy to prepare and less time consuming. Pumpkin can be replaced with Brinjal. If using pumpkin reduce the cooking time as they have the tendency of turning mushy quickly.

Ingredients:

Kathirikai / Brinjal – 5 numbers

Toor dal – ½ cup

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Tamarind – 1 big gooseberry size

Salt

Oil – 1tbsp

For grinding:

Coriander seeds - 1½ tbsp.

Chana dal – 1 tbsp

Red chilli – 5 numbers

Coconut shredded – 3tbsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Oil – ½ tbsp

For tempering:

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1tsp

Curry leaves – 2, 3 leaves

Oil – 1tbsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Method:

Wash and cut the brinjals lengthwise.

Cook the toor dal and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the brinjals and fry for few minutes.

Make a thick puree out of tamarind and pour it to the fried brinjal.

Add salt and turmeric to the brinjal and cook for 5min in low flame.

In the meantime fry the coriander seeds, chana dal, hing, redchilli, coconut in ½ tbsp oil.

Cool down and ground them to fine powder.

Add the cooked toor dal to the brinjal and cook for few minutes.

Add the grounded powder give a quick stir and remove from the fire.

Do tempering and pour it to the rasavangi.

Serve hot the kathirikai rasavangi with hot white rice.

Try with roti/chapatti.

Moong Dal Dosa / Pasi Paruppu Dosai

Moong dal dosa is very easy to prepare as they don’t require time like regular dosa. And don’t have wait till they ferment. Actually this recipe has only rice and moong dal. But I soaked excess aval for dinner. So while grinding the batter I added the aval. The dosa tasted yum.  My experiment with moong dal dosa got a good result. So now I got a new moong dal dosa recipe ;-) If you love onions, chop them to fine pieces, mix it to the batter and prepare dosa.

Ingredients:

Boiled rice / idli rice – ¾ cup

Moong dal (yellow) – ¾ cup

Aval/ poha (soaked) - ½ cup (Soak the aval in water for 10min)

Green chilli – 4 to5 (adjust as per taste)

Ginger chopped – 1tbsp

Salt

Method:

Soak rice and moong dal for 5 to 6 hours.

Add ginger, green chilli, salt, soaked aval, soaked moong dal and rice to a blender.

Add water and grind into smooth batter.

Keep the batter in room temperature for 3 to 4 hours.

Prepare dosas.

Check here the method for preparing Dosa

Methi, Aloo Masala Chapati / Roti

When tired of regular chapatis and if I’m in good mood to cook, I prepare these kinds of chapattis ;-).  This one is similar to Aloo / Urulaikizhangu stuffed chapati. In this recipe I added methi along with potato and some more masala to it. Methi gives nice flavor to the chapati. The dough once prepared can be used for 2 days. Just refrigerate in an airtight container. Prepare the dough just 10 min before making the chapati.  I made dal for side dish. It can be served with any side dish. Simple raita will do good with this masala chapati. Serve hot.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour / Atta – ½ bowl (approximately 3 to 4 cups, I use rice cooker cup for measurement)

Methi – 1 bunch

Potato / aloo – 1 small

Red chilli powder - 1tsp

Coriander cumin powder -1tsp

Garam masala powder – 1tsp

Ginger garlic paste – ½ tsp

Cumin – 1tsp

Salt

Oil -1tsp

Water

Ghee

Method:

Remove the methi leaves and wash thoroughly.

Cook the potato. Peel off the skin and mash it.

Making dough:

Take the wheat flour in a wide bowl, add methi leaves, mashed potato, red chilli powder, coriander cumin powder, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, cumin, and salt and start making dough adding water. Add oil at final stage of making dough so that the dough will be soft enough.

Make sure the dough is not too soft or hard. It will look little softer than the regular chapati dough.

Keep aside for 10 min.

Rolling the chapati:

Now make medium sized balls out of the dough.

Flatten them and toss it in the wheat flour both the sides.

Now slowly roll it using the chapati roller, flipping both the sides.

Making tasty hot chapati:

Place them in the non-stick tawa / pan.

Pour small drop of ghee over the chapati and spread. (Ghee can be replaced with oil)

Flip the chapati and do the same.

Remove the chapati once you see brown spots popping up.

Serve hot with any side dish. 

Homemade Apple Jam

When there are abundant apple sitting in the fridge, I have no other option than making jam. I googled and searched for the recipe, as I have no experience in making jam at home. First I though it’s a tough job and need some extraordinary ingredients to prepare a jam ;-) But I was wrong. It’s really simple. After reading plenty of recipes, I started making it. I didn’t go through the ‘sterilizing canning jar’ part, which everybody was suggesting for storing the jam. Sterilizing the jar prevents the jam from bacteria/fungus, if they are going to be stored for long period of time. I just washed and dried the jar completely before transferring the jam. But if you are going to store the jam for more than one week, follow the sterilizing procedure. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

Apple – 4

Sugar – 2 ½ cups

Water – ½ cup

Lemon juice – 1tbsp

Method:

Wash the apples and peel off the skin.

Remove the seeds.

Cut into square chunks.

Add the apple chunks to a heavy bottom pan.

Pour the water and close the pan.

Let them boil for 10min in medium flame.

Check if the chunks become soft enough to mash it, by pressing it with a ladle.

If they are not ready, cook them for 10 more min.

Once they are ready, mash it completely.

Add 2 cups sugar and stir well.

Close the pan and cook for 30min in low to medium flame.

Stir the jam in frequent intervals.

Add the remaining ½ cup sugar and cook for another 10 min.

Cook till the jam comes to semi-solid consistency.

Remove the jam from the fire.

Let them sit for few min, till they reach the room temperature.

Now add the lemon juice and mix well.

Transfer them to a clean and sterilized jar and close the lid.

Let the jam sit in the room temperature for 3 hours, and then refrigerate.

Wait till the next day to use the jam :-)

Sweet and Fresh Strawberry Milkshake

A quick Strawberry Milkshake for a fresh morning Breakfast. Use sweet and fresh strawberries for perfect taste.

Ingredients:

Milk - 2cups

Strawberry – 12 medium sized
Sugar – 3tbsp
Chopped strawberries – 1tbsp

Method:

Wash the strawberries and remove the leaf.
Slit the berries into two halves.
Combine strawberries, milk, and sugar and blend until smooth.
Pour the shake into a juice jar, add some chopped strawberries and serve immediately.

Note: Adding ice cubes is optional. If adding, add them while blending.

          Instead of adding ice cubes, use cold milk.

 

 

Spicy Pudina, Kothamalli Thokku / Mint, Coriander Thokku

Pudina, Kothamalli Thokku, we can call it as ‘thogayal’ also. It’s a simple, aromatic, tasty, tangy, spicy side dish. Once prepared, refrigerate in an air tight container. They remain fresh for one to two weeks. Try it as a spread for bread.  I used to make sandwich with this thokku, where I use this thokku for one layer, some onion and tomato over it along with jam. It tastes yummy. Instant side dish for chapatti / roti, dosa, idly. Also goes well with hot, steamed, white rice, with a dollop of ghee. Use fresh mint and coriander for great aroma.

Ingredients:

Pudina / Mint – 1bunch
Kothamalli / Coriander – 1bunch
Onion chopped – 1 ½ tbsp
Ginger chopped – 1 tbsp
Garlic chopped – 1tbsp
Green chilli – 7 (adjust yourself as per your spice level)
Tamarind – gooseberry size
Urad dal – 1tbsp
Hing – a pinch
Oil – 1tbsp
Salt

Tempering:

Oil – ½ tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Urad dal – 1tsp

Method:

Remove the leaves from mint and coriander.

Chop coarsely and wash.

Chop ginger, garlic, onion, into fine pieces.
Chop green chillies into two half.
Heat oil in a pan. Add urad dal, hing, ginger, garlic, chillies, onion, tamarind and fry.
Once the onions become soft, add the chopped coriander, salt and mint and sauté them in low flame.

Sauté till the raw mint smell goes. It will take around 2 to 3min.

Now remove the mixture from the fire and keep them aside to cool down.
Transfer the mixture to the blender and blend them to fine past without adding water. (If they look sticky just drop 2, 3drops of water)

Tempering:

Heat the oil in the same pan which is used to sauté the mixture.
Once the oil is ready, add mustard seeds, once they splutter add urad dal and give a quick fry (if you feel the thokku is less spicy, add one green chilli or red chilli to the tempering at this point)
Add the grinded thokku and sauté for few seconds till they get mix with the tempering.
Leave aside to cool down.
Transfer the thokku to an air tight container and refrigerate.

 

 

 

Kabuli Chana Masala

Ok I’m here after a short break. It’s a relocation time for me J. Now im back with a simple recipe, Kabuli chana masala. When you have very limited ingredients it’s going to be a tough time for elaborate cooking. But it’s actually time for learning simple cooking, what I’m doing now J. For my usual chana masala I grind some masalas. But my today’s version is just with store bought chana masala. It tasted good. And I should say this kabuli chana get cooked well and looks great. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Kabuli chana – 1cup
Onion chopped – 1cup
Tomato – 1big
Ginger garlic paste – 1tsp
Chopped ginger – 1tsp (optional) (I added for more masala effect)
Garam masala powder – 1tsp
Chana masala powder – 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chilli powder – ½ tbsp.
Chopped coriander – 1tbsp
Salt

For tempering:

Oil – 1tbsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp

Method:

Soak chana for 6 to 7 hours.
Transfer the chana to the pressure cooker and add chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt. Water level should be equal or little less than the chana.
Cook till 7 to 8 whistles.
In a pan heat oil and do the tempering. Add chopped ginger and ginger garlic paste and toss for few seconds. Then add the chopped onion and fry till they turn translucent.
Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they turn mushy.
Now add the cooked chana (drain the water and keep aside).
Add chana masala powder and stir them for 1 min.
Add water and cover the pan.
Let them cook for 2 to 3min in low flame till the masala get bind well.
Sprinkle the chopped coriander and serve hot with roti / chapati.