Grocery and Essentials List at Pandemic times | Covid 19!

The sudden lockdown has caused this situation where we never expected Covid 19 can be so long and very serious issue. I have managed to put few essentials here. You can also add in your own priorities and availability. 

List of Groceries to stock during pandemic lockdown. This can be done in bulk quantity. These are dry ingredients and can be stored in refrigerator too.  

Food

Rice - Raw/Ponni/Basmati/Jeeraga samba, matta etc	Rice flour
Atta	Kadalai Maav/Besan flour
Toor dal	Ragi flour
Urad dal	Millet flour
Masoor dal	Oats
Channa Dal	Broken wheat
Split Moong dal	All millets
Green gram	Salt
Black channa	Red chilli powder
White channa	Dhaniya
Whole Dhaniya	Red chilli
Jeera	Maggi
Black pepper	Biscuits
Turmeric	Noodles
Mustard	Tamarind/puli
Fenugreek seeds	Garam Masala
Dry Rice Vermicilli	Pav Bhaji Masala
Aval/Poha	Biryani Masala
Rava/Semolina	Coffee powder
	Tea powder

Essentials

Bath Soap, Body Wash

Shampoo, Shikakai

Washing soap, Liquid detergent, dish washing liquid

Vinegar, baking soda

Tablets

PS :Do not go out if incase your area is affected with many cases, you can manage without vegetables for some days. You can do many recipes without vegetables.

Hope it is useful for everyone.

Karuvepillai Kulambu | Curry leaves gravy!

Karuvepilai Kulambu is curry leaves gravy, sidedish for rice or dosa. Its healthy and tasty as it has iron content.😋

Ingredients
Curry leaves/Karuvepilai - 2 cups(1 big bunch)
wash, pat dry and take only leaves.

For grinding
Gingely oil - 1 tablespoon
Daniya/Coriander seeds - 2 tablespoons
Channa dal/kadalai paruppu - 1 tablespoons
Fenugreek seeds/venthayam - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper - 1 tablespoon
Dry red chilli - 6 nos
Asafotida/peringayam - 1 teaspoon
Garlic pods (few) optional but tastes good when added.

For making kulambu
Gingely oil - 4 tablespoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilli - 4 nos
Toor dal/ Tuvaram paruppu - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds/venthayam - 1 teaspoon
Tamarind water/Puli thanni - 2 cups thick.
Turmeric /manja podi - 1 teaspoon
Sambar powder - 2 tablespoons
Jaggery/vellam -  small piece(optional)
Salt as per taste

Preparation Method

- Heat a thick bottom kadai, add for grinding ingredients except curry leaves mentioned above and fry till slight brown, transfer to a plate to cool. Then saute and make curry leaves also crisp, Keep aside. Grind the masala first in mixie and then add curry leaves can add water and make fine paste.
- Again heat the same kadai, add, gingely oil(sesame oil), add mustard wait till it splutters, add tuvar dal, fenugreek seeds, dry chilli, garlic if using.(see notes) saute till raw smell goes.
- Add the ground masala paste. Cook for sometime.
- Add sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
- Add tamarind water, allow to boil and get it thick. lower the flame.
- Check on salt, spicy and finally add jaggery.
- It will become thick kolambu.

Allow to cool and transfer to a clean vessel or bottle. Can store in fridge for 1 week.

Karuvepilai Kulambu is ready. Serve with hot rice.😋

Notes - Garlic if adding can add 1/2 while grinding and 1/2 for seasoning so it will be Poondu Karuvepillai kulambu.😋😋

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you.

Planning for Navaratri | Prasadham | Neivedyam Post!

Once festival season begins in July, biggest festival is Navaratri which we celebrate for 9 days between september and October. To celebrate the festival as easier way, planning ahead and executing plays a major role here.

We love to clean and decorate the house, take out all the dolls and set up neatly. Arranging can be from simple to grand depends upon once convenience. If kids are small its difficult to do everything, so can keep it simple. Many don't have house help here, some ladies do everything alone and takes lots of interest involved in it and months of preparations goes in. Themes are thought and each year some do different theme. We need to prepare almost a month before for doing art work if we are doing at home. They need time to dry, repaint, etc.

When I was in India, the affair was very grand, my in laws and sister in laws house they keep a lot of dolls, the set up will be almost 3/4th the big hall. But unlike here,  I keep it simple.

In India only sundal will be served with vethalai paaku as we will be visiting the whole neighbourhood around 50-60 houses, but in singapore we visit around 8-10 houses and they serve food to all ladies who come, some will come from quiet far. Here each day they visit one friends home all are called together. So everyone visits friends place and spend time. 

Here life is mechanical for some, in the festival season one can visit friends and have a divine darshan, chat and enjoy food.

Now coming to food part, planning.

1. List number of people you will be inviting.

2. Plan a menu, I will be giving down my menu suggestions below.

3. Buy groceries. 

4. Buy gifts, checkout options for ladies and kids. If you are going or while coming from India pickup few items also some extra.

5. Shop online 
6. Taking out dolls and wipe it.

Recipes
click on the names

Sundal

👉Pasi paruppu/ Moong Dal Sundal

👉Karamani Sweet Sundal

👉Patani /Dry peas Sundal

👉Soya Bean Sundal

👉Verkadalai/peanut sundal

👉Kondakalai Sundal

👉Mixed Sundal

👉Karamani Payir Sundal

👉Sweet Corn Sundal

Tiffin/Dinner Ideas

👉Vadai

👉Idli

👉Chutney
👉Sambar
👉Dhokla

👉Lemon Rice
👉Puliyodarai
👉Kesari bath
👉Veg Palav
👉Bisibelebath/Sambar Sadam

Sweets

👉Payasam recipes and Sweet recipes 

Menu for festivals you can check here.

All menu please prepare without onion and garlic.

Wish you all Happy Navaratri!

Saraswathi Iyer

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you.

Besan Poha Laddo | Krishnajayanthi recipes!

Maaladu/Besan poha laddu is a slight twist for regular maaladu/besan laddu. My kids love maaladu a lot, I added aval and prepared for this krishnajayanthi and they liked it. Checkout my Maladoo/Besan ladoo recipe here.

Ingredients

Aval/Poha/Rice flakes - 1 cup(medium size)
Potukadalai/Chutney dal - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom - 4 nos
Ghee - 1 cup melted
Cashewnuts - few

Preparation method
Heat a kadai/wok, add aval and dry roast it for 5 mins. Then transfer it to a plate.
Add pottukadalai and dry roast till you get good aroma. Tranfer it to plate.
Let it cool a bit.
Now add aval/poha to mixie and pulse to fine powder. Transfer to a bowl.(You can also seive it)
Add pottukadalai to mixie and pulse to fine powder. Add the aval/poha powder and grind together again to fine powder. Transfer to a bowl.
Add sugar, cardamom in mixie and make a fine powder.
Transfer to bowl and mix all well.
Heat the ghee and add cashews. Once its brown off it, add to the powder and mix well and start making lemon size balls.

Laddoo is ready to serve.


PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Thank you.

Varagu | Kodo Millet Adai | Breakfast Recipes!

Varagu Adai is really healthy and great to substitute rice with millets. I have been trying to include millets in my cooking mostly in my breakfast and tiffin. This was very tasty and delicious. Do try and enjoy.

Ingredients
Varagu/Kodo millet - 2 cups
Channa Dal - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1 tblspn
Peppercorn - 10 nos(according to taste)
Dry red chilli - 5 nos
Curry leaves - few
Ginger - a small piece(optional)
Asafotida - 1/2 tspn
chopped Onion - (optional)
Salt

Preparation method
Wash, rinse and soak all ingredients except salt for 2-3 hrs.
Then grind with salt to coarse batter with water.
Heat a skillet/tawa and can prepare adai like dosas immediately or can rest the batter for 1/2-1 hour and make too.
Drizzle some gingely oil and cook both sides until crispy.

Serve with any of them chutney /molagai podi / Aviyal/Jaggery/Curd.

Instant Adai

You can grind all the ingredients to coarse/fine powder store it and prepare dosa by just adding water anytime.

Relish the Adai!

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Thank you.

Saffron Rice!

Saffron rice is most simple yet fragrant and delicious rice. You can try when you make rich gravy. I have used the best saffron gifted by my friend Ms. Farrukh. Thanks dear.

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Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Saffron - 3 generous pinch
Salt - 1/2 tspn
Milk - 1/4 cup
water as required
Nuts - cashews, raisins, cranberry, badam
2 elaichi
1 tblspn ghee

Preparation Method
Soak 2 pinches of saffron in warm milk.
Take a pressure cooker, wash and add basmati rice, add water and milk and a pinch of saffron.
pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.
Once pressure is gone. let it cool a bit.
Heat a kadai, add ghee, nuts, and elachi saute for a minute.
Add the cooked rice and salt and mix well.
Now add the saffron milk and mix again.
Cook for 5 mns and off the stove.

Saffron Rice is ready to serve. This rice is very flavorful and colorful.

Checkout the gravy recipes.

Dal fry 
Paneer butter masala 
Paneer Pasanda
Mutter Paneer


PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Thank you for your encouragement.

Poondu Podi | Garlic Powder | Post Natal Recipe!

Poondu Podi | Garlic Powder is a special post for my dear friend Savitha. This is a Post Natal Recipe that is food after delivery for about 2 to 3 months.

You can have this alternate days with rice and ghee.

Ingredients
Garlic - 15 nos
Black pepper - 1/2 tblspn(As per your taste)
Urad dal - 2 tblspn
Ghee - 1 tspn
Salt as required

Preparation Method
Remove skin of garlic and keep aside.
Heat a kadai with ghee, add urad dal saute till brown. Transfer to plate.
Roast the garlic, you can even chop it. Fry till brown.
Roast black pepper in the same kadai till it pops out.
Allow it to cool.
Now grind these with salt to coarse powder.

Enjoy with hot rice and ghee.

This generates heat in the body so it is good for the baby.

# Photo to be updated soon.

Homemade Bisibelebath Pudi/Vangibath Powder | MASALA POWDER | PODI RECIPES| AMMA'S RECIPE

Homemade Bisibelebath Pudi is one of the most requested recipe among my readers.

Today I am sharing Amma's recipe here. Bisibelebath (BBB) is one of the popular rice delicacy from Karnataka. Its very flavourful and healthy. This recipe is one to be bookmarked. It is also a multi use powder.

Ingredients
Whole daniya seeds - 2 cups
Channa Dal - 3/4 cup
Urad dal - 3/4 cup
Red chilli - 15 nos or as per your spice level(round and badgi)
Pattai/Cinammon - 1 stick
Cloves - few
Dry coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tspn

Method
Heat a kadai on medium flame. Dry roast to brown all the ingredients separately except dry coconut.
Allow it to cool and grind to coarse powder with dry coconut.

Store it in air tight container and can be used in the following recipes:

Bisibelebath
Spinach Soyabean Bisibelebath
Vangibath
Venthayakeerai Sadam
Capsicum Bath

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Thank you for your encouragement.

This recipe is going to WTML event by Gayathri hosted by Manju.

Creamy Dal Makhni | North Indian sidedish for Steamed Rice and Rotis!

Dal Makhni is a north Indian sidedish. It is also called Maa ki Dal. last weekend was craving for something different and tried this. It was very delicious with steamed basmati rice or rotis/chapathis

Ingredients
Split Urad dal with skin - 3 cups
Black eye bean/Karamani (white)- handfull
Onion - 2 nos
Ripe tomato - 2 nos
Garlic - 1no
Ginger - 1 tablspn
Cream - 2 tblspns (Nestle)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Garam Masala powder - 1 tspn
Kasoori methi - 2 generous pinch
cinnamon - 2" piece
Oil - 2 tblspns
butter - 1 tblspn
Salt

Preparation method
wash, rinse, soak urad dal and black eyed bean over nite.(see notes)
Pressure cook with 1tspn of salt for 4 whistles.
In a kadai, add little oil, fry 1 chopped onion, garlic and 2 tomatoes till raw smell goes. cool it. grind to fine paste.
Now in the same kadai, add 1/2 tspn butter add cinnamon, rest of the finely chopped onion, ginger and sauté till the onion are slightly brown.
Add the grounded mixture, red chilli powder, garam masala powder mix boil well. Now add the dals. crush kasoori methi and add now. The consistency should be not too thick or thin, it should be pouring consistency.
Add 1/2 tspn butter.
Add the cream and mix well. Just boil once.
Off the stove.
Finally garnish with love.

Serve hot with basmati rice/rotis.

Notes: If you forgot to soak at night, you can soak morning in hot water.
You can use whole urad dal and Rajma for this.
I have used more cream, you can use cream to just garnish.

Sorakai | Bottle Gourd Kootu | Post Natal Recipes!

I am back after a short break and a good news!

I am blessed with baby boy Sushanth.

This is one of dish I have been eating all these days and love the flavour. A post natal recipe, which is good for the health. It warms the body and Bottle gourd is good for producing breast milk.

Ingredients

Sorakkai/Bottle Gourd - 1/2 no(med)
Pasi paruppu/Split green gram - 1/2 cup
Pepper powder - 1 tblspn
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Ghee  - 1 tblspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Hing - a pinch
Salt

Preparation Method

Wash, rinse and cook dal in pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
Chop the vegetable into small pieces.
Cook the vegetable with salt.
Add cooked dal, pepper powder, curry leaves and boil.
The consistency should not be too thick or thin.
Mix well once its done.

Season it with ghee, mustard and a pinch of hing.

Sorakkai kootu is ready to serve.

Serve with hot steamed rice and ghee.
Also with chapathis.

This can also be prepared with Chow chow and carrot.

Kathirikai Gothsu | Brinjal/Aubergine Sambar| Sidedish for Pongal/Idli!

Gothsu is a south indian gravy, like sambar for Pongal or Idli. For this we use split green gram/siruparuppu. I never knew until I got married to a Chennaiate. Many dishes are different from Karnataka.Tamilnadu dishes are prepared and enjoyed with combinations. I have prepared many times and today posting it.

Ingredients
Kathirikai/Brinjal -  2nos(Medium size chopped)
Tamarind water - 1 cup
Paasiparuppu/Split green gram - 1/2 cup(cooked and mashed)
Sambar Powder - 2 tspns
Ginger - 1tblspn
Curry leaves/Coriander - 1 tblspn
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn
Jaggery - a small piece(optional)
Salt

Seasoning
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Hing - 1/4 tspn

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard,wait till it pops out.
Add hing and saute for a minute.
Add ginger and curry leaves and saute for 5 mins.
Add brinjal, salt and cook till soft.
Add tamarind water, turmeric and boil
Add sambar powder and mix.
After one boil add mashed dal with water.
Check on salt.
Add jaggery and let it boil once.

Off the stove add chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Ven Pongal / Idli / Dosas.

I have served with Venpongal for Sunday morning Breakfast which was truly delicious.

Karuppu Ullandu Kozhakattai | Savory Dumpling | Modakam for Vinayagar Chathurthi!

Black Urad Dal Kozhakattai was prepared for the Creative Dumpling festival in Singapore and was tasted by the MP. This is the first cooking experience at the event. This is a savory dish. I had also prepared a sweet kozhakattai. Will post the recipe soon.

It was a big hit and tasted delicious. I have already posted this dish step by step here.

For the dough

Ingredients
Idiyappam flour - 2 cups and little more

Water -  as required

Nalla Yennai/Gingelli oil/Sesame Oil - 2-3 tspns

Salt a pinch

For Filling
Black Whole Urad Dal - 2 cups
Green Chilli - 4 nos(As per your taste)
Ginger - 2"
Curry leaves few
Salt as required

Preparation Method

In a vessel boil water and keep aside.
In a wide vessel add rice flour, add oil and salt and mix to form a chapathi dough consistency. Allow it to cool. Grease hands with oil and make small balls out of it. Close a clean wet towel on it to avoid drying.

In the meanwhile prepare the stuffing/filling.
Soak Urad dal in water for 1 to 2 hours. Grind with the rest of the ingredients to a coarse paste.

In a kadai/wok, add oil, hing, curry leaves and this grounded mixture. Saute till the raw smell goes.
Check on salt and add if required.
Mix well and keep aside.

Now take the rice flour mix and stuff the moulds.
Add the filling and close the mould.
Slowly open the mould and keep.

I have used the mould and was comfortable doing with this. You can do without mould too check out here.

Steam it for 15mins or till the rice flour is cooked.

Karuppu Ullandu Kozhakattai/Savory Dumpling is ready to serve.

Few Photos of the event and video below.

Few of my readers had asked how to use the mould pls see video below.

Click here for video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4m_9bhAP1Q

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you.

Green Dosa | Crepes | Savory Pancake! Healthy Breakfast!

I prepared this dosa for dinner yesterday, wanted to do Andhra Pesarattu but tried different combination. I have already posted Green Gram Adai here.

Ingredients
Green Gram - 2 cups
Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
Green Chilli - 4 nos(As per your taste)
Channa Dal - 1 tspn
Rice - 1 tspn
Urad dal - 1 tspn
Ginger - 1 inch
Onion - 1 no sliced
Capsicum optional
Salt

Preparation Method
Soak green gram, dals and rice for about 2 to 3 hrs in hot water/normal water.
Drain the water and grind with curry leaves, ginger, g chilli and salt to fine batter.
Take to a bowl/vessel add chopped onions and capsicum. Mix well and leave it out for 1 hour. Check for salt.
Heat a skillet/tawa and pour one laddle of batter and spread like dosa.
Put 1 tspn oil and cook both sides till brown.

Serve hot with any chutney or gravy.

I served it with Aviyal which was prepared in the morning.

Notes - You can also grind only green gram.
Adding of capsicum is optional, its tasty with just onions too.
You can also add coriander and mint leaves. I ran out of it, but loved the curry leaves flavour.

You may also like these recipes
Traditional Adai
Green Gram Adai
Andhra Pesarattu