Kara Paper Avalakki | Spicy Thin Rice flakes !

Kara Paper Avalakki | Spicy Thin Rice flakes | Kara Paper Aval Mixture

This is a very easy snack for coffee/tea time. I also add to my rasam rice. Its very tempting. This is mostly made in Karnataka. Sweet also is made

Let see the recipe.

Ingredients

Thin Rice flakes/Paper Avalakki/Aval - 1 packet

To season

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Mustard - 1 tspn (optional)

Groundnut - 3-4 tablespoons

Hing - 2 pinches

Garlic - few crushed with skin(optional)

Curry leaves - handful

Dry red chilli 4 nos 

chilli powder - 2 tspns (optional)

Turmeric powder - 1 tspns

Dry copra - slices(optional)

Sugar - 1 tspn(optional)

Salt

Preparation Method

Heat a kadai add oil, mustard, groundnut, chillies, curry leaves

Once mustard is crackling, garlic, add turmeric, chilli powder and mix for few minutes. 

Add the paper aval add salt, sugar and  mix well thoroughly to coat all seasoning. Check on salt and adjust if required.

Off the heat, let it cool a bit

Transfer to air tight container and store it.

Kara Paper Avalakki | Spicy Thin Rice flakes is ready to serve.

Enjoy

Notes:

You can make without garlic.

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.

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.

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.

Instant Bread Vada/Vadai!

Are you bored eating bread? Bread vada is a very easy and delicious snack. You can make as starters for a party or a kids evening snack, you can make with or without onion. I had seen on TV long back in a cooking show.

Ingredients
Bread slices(white/brown) - 8 pieces
Rice flour - 1 cup or as required
Rava/semolina/sooji - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons finely chopped
Onion - 1 big finely chopped
Green chilli - 1 no(optional)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method
Cut the sides of the bread.
Take 2 bowls, in one water and dip the bread pieces and squeeze water.
In another bowl put this bread and make a dough.
Add rice flour, rava, onion, g. chilli, curry leaves, coriander, r chilli powder and make a dough.
Heat oil in a kadai
Make small balls of the dough.
Just flatten like vada and deep fry both sides till brown.

You can fry like medhu vada or normal vada or any shape you desire.

You can also fry in appe pan if you dont want to deep fry.

Checkout my other bread recipes here 

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.

Garlicky Brocolli Curry turned Mixed Rice! Bachelor and Kids Recipe!

Garlicky Brocolli Rice turned is very tasty and delicious rice prepared for my son. This can be prepared very fast and quick. You can also pack for lunchbox.

A quick tip for storing broccoli in fridge, every time I bring them should use immediately or sometimes it gets spoiled fast. This time I kept in freezer it stayed good for 3 days.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice (cooked)- 1cup
Brocolli - 1 medium
Garlic - 6 cloves(chopped)
Jeeragam/Cumin seeds - a pinch
Ghee and Oil - 2 tspns(If you are health conscious can avoid ghee)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn (According to your taste)-
Green Chilli - 4 nos(According to your taste)- Optional
Grated Coconut - 2 tblspns
Pattai/Cinnamon - a small piece
Elakka/Cardamom - 1 no
Star Anise - 1 no
Bay leaf - 1 no
salt

Preparation Method

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai. Add the cumin seeds and masalas wait till it crackles.
Add the finely chopped garlic. Saute till its brown.
Add broccoli florets and sprinkle salt and water. Let it cook for 15 mins.
Add red chilli powder, grated coconut and salt. Stir fry.
Then add rice and mix well. Cook for a 2minutes and off the stove.

Serve immediately. Serve with Plain curds/yogurt or raita.

Notes - 
You can do dum(click here) 
You can also cook with basmati rice and pressure cook for 1 or 2 whistles.

Tags : Brocolli, Basmati Rice, Easy, Bachelor recipe, Healthy, lunchbox, kidsmenu, vegetarian, indian

Sweet Potato Capsicum Curry | Sidedish

This is a simple and easy curry. I prepared this I had a leftover sweet potato, H loves sweet potato he always ensures its in our market list. I left it for long time and it started growing too, I showed my son how plants grow. But this potato is not from India its available in local shops just like potatoes but bigger in size with different colour. After we cook it almost looks like carrot.

I have tried to give something different. Usually I prepare homemade sweet potato chips. checkout the recipe here it may interest you to try.

Now to the recipe. 
Ingredients 
Sweet Potato - 1no(large)
Capsicum - 1no
Red chilli powder - 1 tspn(As per your taste)
Turmeric - 2 pinches
Salt

Seasoning
Oil - 1 tblspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Hing/Asafotida - 2 pinches
Curry leaves - few

Preparation Method

Wash, remove skin and chop sweet potato into small cubes. Put in water and keep.
Wash and cut capsicum into small pieces.
Heat a wok/kadai, add oil, add mustard, wait till it splutters.
Add hing and curry leaves. Saute it.
Add red chilli powder and turmeric. saute it. 
Add capsicum and fry for 2 mins.
Now add sweet potato, sprinkle some water, salt close with lid in medium flame. Cook till its soft with occasional stirs.
Once done off the stove.
Serve hot with rasam, sambar or curd rice.

Notes - You can also add daniya powder for flavour.
You can add or reduce chilli powder. I have added more as potato is sweet.
You can add more oil and roast it too.

Aloo Paneer Curry | Potato Cheese Curry| North Indian sidedish!

Aloo Paneer curry is a simple and delicious sidedish. This can be had with sambar, rasam or curd rice. I love to eat it with chapathi,

Ingredients
Potato/Aloo - 4 nos(medium size)
Paneer cubes - 1 cup
Garam masala - 1 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Oil - 2 tblspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Hing - 2 pinches
Turmeric - a pinch
Curry leaves few or Kasoori methi/Fresh methi
Salt to taste

Preparation Method
Pressure cook Potatoes for 4 whistles.
Soak paneer in hot water with a pinch of salt.
When steam is up, remove skin and cut potato into medium cubes.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard, wait till it pops. Add hing and curry leaves. Add turmeric.
Add paneer and saute till slightly brown.
Then remove on a plate. Add potato in the same oil and fry on medium flame.
Add red chilli powder, salt and garam masala.
Add paneer to it and cook for few minutes.

Off the stove and serve.

Aloo Paneer curry is ready to serve.

Enjoy with Dosa/Chapathi/Rice.

If you are trying out my recipe don't forget to take a picture and send it to on my mail simplysara07@gmail.com

I will share it on my Sara's Corner Facebook page.

Thaalaga Kozhambu | Thiruvadirai special! Contribution by Latha Ganesh!

This recipe is contributed by my Sister in law Mrs. Latha Ganesh from Bangalore. I will be adding the photo soon.

 

This is a trademark dish of Tirunelveli. it is called THAALAGAM. made on Tiruvadhirai.

.

Ingredients for roast:

Black Thil Seeds: 3 tbsps(Main ingredient)

Raw Rice : about 2tbspns

Toor Dhal: 1tbspn

Red Chillies - 2 nos(As per your taste)

 

Vegetables:

The most important veggie for this is Pumpkin- 1/4kg.

Vaazhakkai/Raw Plantain - 1no

Carrot - 2nos

Beans - 100 gms

Mochai - 100 gms

Peas - 100 gms

Chayote/Chow chow - 2nos

 

Method:

Soak Tamarind in water about lemon size

Dry roast all the ingredients to roast, add one half of a coconut n make a paste or powder.

Cook the veggies with salt n turmeric. Add tamarind pulp, bring to a boil. Then add ground paste or powder

to the veggies. Boil well, for about 6-8mnts.

Grate some jaggery with knife n add to the Thaalaga kozhambu and stir well.

 

Season with mustard  and curry leaves. (no Peringayam)

 

This recipe does not require cooked Toor Dhal separately as there is Rice for the thickness. The Flavor of the Till seeds is the main part of this recipe.  

 

Thanks Latha for your lovely recipe.

Gojju Avalakki | Puli Aval Upma | Karnataka style

Gojju Avalakki is one of my favorite tiffin, I just love the flavours. A little tangy and sweet.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients
Avalakki/Aval/Poha/Rice flakes - 250 gms
Tamarind water - 2cups
Groundnuts - handful
Sambar powder - 1 tspn(As per your taste)
Oil -  tblspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Turmeric powder - 1 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Hing - 2 pinches
Jaggery - a small piece
Salt
Coriander for garnish

Preparation Method
Pulse in mixie the avalakki to fine powder.
Take a wide bowl, add tamarind water, turmeric, sambar powder, jaggery and salt. Mix well. Add the powdered avalakki to this mix and leave.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard(wait till its pops out, then add hing, curry leaves and groundnuts. Let the raw smell go of the groundnuts.
Now add the avalakki slowly and mix everything.
Cook for 10 mins. Check on salt.

Off the stove and serve.

This can be had as it is or with chutney or curds.

Batata Poha | Masala Aval Upma | Gujarathi Special!

I discovered this Batata poha (Potato Aval) recently when one my friends mom prepared this. Batata is also known as potato. Its very different from our usual South Indian Aval Upma.

Just loved it and now often I am preparing this everyone at home likes it.

Ingredients
Aval/Poha/Rice flakes - 250 gms(thick/medium)
Potato - 2 nos
Peas - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 no
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - 2 tblspn
Sugar - 1 tblspn
Oil - 2 tblspns
Salt

Masala powders
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(as per taste)
Dhaniya powder - 1 tblspn
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn


Preparation Method
Wash, rinse the poha/aval twice. Drain the water. Add little of red chilli powder, turmeric and dhaniya powder. leave it as it is.
Chop tomato and potatoes.
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil, add chopped tomato and sauté.
Add potato and sauté. let it cook.
Add peas, and masala powders and sugar.
Let it mix well and cook.
Add poha/aval and salt. Mix well.

Serve for dinner or breakfast/tiffin.

Garnish it with coriander leaves, Fried Groundnuts and Raw onion(optional)

Notes - You can prepare with onions. I have served with raw onions.

Kathirikkai Roast | Crispy Eggplant/Aubergine| South Indian Curry Recipe!

Kathirikkai Roast | Crispy Eggplant/Aubergine is very easy and delicious sidedish. This goes well with sambar rice, rasam rice or curd rice.

 

Ingredients
Kathirikkai/Eggplant - 2 nos
Curry powder - as required(For recipe click here)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt
Olive Oil as required

Preparation method
Wash and cut the  kathirikkai/eggplant to medium size round shape.
In a plate, put rest of the ingredients mentioned above and make a paste.
Heat a tawa/pan/skillet on medium flame.
apply the paste on both sides of the vegetable place on the tawa and cook both sides until done.

Do the same with rest of the vegetable.

Delicious Kathirikkai Roast is ready to enjoy.

Notes - If you don't have curry powder you can also use red chilli powder or garam masala powder as per your choice.

Mathan| Sweet Pumpkin Curry | Type 2 ! Recipe by him

Pumpkin/Mathan curry is delicious and tasty. This recipe was told by my hubby. Since he also loves cooking I am adding one more label His Recipes, so whenever he cooks that will be posted here.

Until my hubby told me, I never used to do pumpkin curry with skin. When the skin is tender you can prepare with it. At home, now this is often in our menu. Here in the market we get such fresh and small pumpkin. Looks so colourful, so just took few photos.

Now lets go to the recipe.

Ingredients
Sweet pumpkin/Mathan - 1/2 no(Med size)
Oil -2 tspns
Mustard - a pinch
Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Salt as required

Perfect chunks by my hubby. Thank you:)
 Preparation method
Wash, remove seeds and cut the vegetable in medium size chunks.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard, asafoetida. Let it crackle. Then add curry leaves and sauté.
Put the vegetable and mix.
Sprinkle a little water.
Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder.
Close a lid and keep the flame on medium.
Stir occasionally.
Once the vegetable is cooked, slightly mash and mix well.

Mathan | Sweet pumpkin Curry is ready.
  You can have as a sidedish with hot rice /Sambar/Rasam/Curd Rice. 

Do participate in my event Cooking with Love - Cousins guest hosted by Amrita.

Karuvepillai and Thakalli Rice | Curry Leaves Tomato Rice | Lunch Box Special!

Karuvepillai and Thakalli Rice | Curry Leaves Tomato Rice!

This is an easy prepare and tastes delicious.

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups(Basmati or normal) I used Ponni rice
Tomato - 3 nos
Curry leaves Fresh - 3 sprigs
Curry leaves powder - 2 tablespoons
Onion - 1no
Ginger - 1 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Cinnamon - 1 big piece
Salt

Preparation method
First Wash, rinse and soak rice in water.
Heat a kadai, add oil, put cinnamon chopped ginger, curry leaves and onion. Fry till onions are slightly brown.
Add chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric, curry leaves powder and red chilli powder.
Let it all cook well and combine.
Add Rice and stir.
Add coconut milk, salt and water.
Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Once pressure is done, mix and serve.

Serve with Papad /Onion Tomato Raitha.

Notes - You can grind curry leaves with ginger and add.

Karuvepilai Podi | Curry Leaves Powder | How to make!

Its difficult to blog after post natal, taking care of both the babies is quite interesting and busy. since Amma and Appa is here to help me, I am posting quite a few recipes.

This is a post for Non Karuvepilai/curry leaves lovers.
Curry leaves is very healthy and rich in Iron. This also gives good aroma to the dish.

Most of the people/kids throw if found in food. Sometimes it gets spoilt keeping in fridge for long time. You can make large batches and reserve few. Making these still has the natural aroma and is flavourful.

Today,I had posted a question on my Facebook page check it out here. Thanks to my friends found interesting answers.

So here is a simple solution for this.

 

Method

Take Bunches of karuvepillai/curry leaves sprigs.

Wash curry leaves sprigs and pat dry it.

Spread them on a white cotton cloth or news paper.

Keep it in sun or under shade until all water is dried.

If its under good sun, remove stem and grind the leaves to fine powder in mixie.

In abroad if you cant put under sun, wipe them remove leaves dry roast the leaves in a kadai. Cool it and grind to fine powder.

Store in air tight container and use it in your cooking.

PS - You can reserve some fresh leaves.

We can feed Curry leaves to our kids :)

Checkout Recipe for Spicy Curry Leaves Powder here.

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.

Kollu Rasam/Horsegram Soup | Healthy Soup!

Kollu Rasam /Horsegram Soup is a very healthy dish or to mix with steamed rice. Checkout my previous post for Kollu Sundal here.

Ingredients
Kolluthanni/Water - 3 to 4 cups(As you get while steaming the kollu/horsegram for sundal)
Garlic - 2 nos(Optional)
Whole Black Pepper - 1 tblspn(As per your taste)
Jeera - 2 tspns
Tamarind water - 1 cup
Tomato - 1/2 no

Seasoning/Talipu
Oil - 1 tspn
Ghee - 1/4 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Asafotida - a pinch
Dry Red chilli - 1no
Curry leaves few
Salt as required

Preparation Method
In a vessel add tamarind water and chopped tomato, salt and cook till tomatoes are soft.
Now add the water you to got from steaming kollu. If you wish you can also strain it once.
In a blender, garlic, jeera and pepper Grind it to fine powder.
Add this powder to the water and mix well. Add more water if required.

Once the raw smell is gone. off the stove.

Heat a pan with oil/ghee and season it mustard, asafotida, dry red chilli and curry leaves.


Kollu/Horsegram Rasam Soup is ready to serve. Enjoy it with steamed rice and Kollu Sundal.

Notes - You can also add some steamed Kollu/Horsegram to it.
Also can skip adding garlic if you do not wish.