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.

Paneer Curry | Kids Delight!

After preparing  Tawa Barbeque Paneer last week, again this week my son was asking for paneer dish.

This was the quick curry I prepared for my son who loves paneer in any form. I didnot know what to prepare was thinking something different and prepared this. He enjoyed.

I had it with  Paratha for lunch yesterday.

Serves - 1 to 2

Ingredients
Paneer cubes/Cottage Cheese - 1 cup (click here for homemade Paneer recipe)
Onion - 1no
Tomato - 1no(small)
Kasoori methi - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Oil - 1 tblspn
Jeera -  a pinch
Salt - 2 pinches

Preparation Method
Chop onions and tomatoes.
Heat a kadai, add oil, jeera and saute for 1min
Add onions and saute till transparant. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till soft and both blends well.
Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and kasoori methi and mix well.
Add paneer cubes and mix well. Let it cook for 5mins.

Off the stove.

Serve with hot chapathis or parathas.

For more paneer dishes click here.

This recipe is going to The Master Chef event.

Paruppu (Dal) Rasam

Rasam is a very tasty dish prepared with tamarind water, paruppu(dal) and rasam powder. Rasam is famous in South India. This is prepared in Karnataka style. Its sweet and spicy mixture tastes yummy. This is my brother's favourite:-)


Ingredients
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Rasam or sambar powder - 2 tspns(As per your taste)
Tamarind water - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 2 or 3 tspns
Jaggery - 1/2 lemon size
Tomato - 2nos(Optional)
Ghee - 1 /2tspn(Optional) If we use ghee it will be very tasty.
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Asafotida(Hing) -1 pinch

Coriander(cilantro) - 1 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method

Cook toor dal in pressure cooker.
In a vessel, add tamarind water, plain water, tomato(optional) and rasam powder.
Allow it to boil till raw smell goes .
Now take toor dal add little water to it and blend well.
Add it to tamarind water and boil well.
Add salt, grated coconut and jaggery.
Season it with ghee, oil, mustard once it splutters add asafotida.
Garnish with 1 tspn grated coconut and chopped coriander(cilantro) leaves

Rasam is ready. Serve hot with rice along with any curry or fried papads/chips.

Note - Check on salt once you season with ghee salt will reduce.

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.

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.

Idli Upma with Leftover Idlis | Breakfast Specials!

Idli Upma is very delicious and quick breakfast recipe. You can make it with fresh idlis or leftover idlis or even sometimes when the batter is not fermented fully you end up hard idlis. If you make this Upma no one will know your idlis were hard:-)

Do checkout my other Idli varieties here.

Ingredients
Idlis - 10 nos (I have used previous night leftovers)
Onion - 1 no(big)
Tomato - 1/2 no
Curry leaves - few
Sambar powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn (As per your taste)
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Ginger garlic (optional) I have not used.
Coriander leaves - 2 tablspns for garnish

Seasoning
Nalla Yennai/Gingely Oil - 2 to 3 tblspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn

Preparation Method
Chop onions and tomatoes finely.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard and wait till it pops out. Then add urad dal and saute till brown.
Add onion, curry leaves and a pinch of salt. saute till raw smell goes.
Add tomato and saute till its soft. Add all masala powders above.
Take each idli and mash it with hands and add it.
Sprinkle salt and close for 10 mins until the masala is coated. Mix well.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Mix and cook for 5 mins.

Off the stove.

Serve as it is or with pickle or chutney.

 

This recipe is going to Sowmya's Breakfast event cookcookandcook and thoushaltcook

Murungakai Vatha Kuzhambu/Kolambu

Murungakai Vatha Kozhambu is a gravy prepared with tamarind and spice. This is popular in South India.

Ingredients
Murungakai/Drumstick - 2 nos
Chinna Vengayam/Small onions - 10 nos
Nalla Yennai/Gingely Oil - 4 tspns
Kadag/Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Toor Dal - 1/2 tspn
Methi seeds - a pinch
Sambar Powder - 2 tspns(As per your taste)
Dhaniya Powder - 1/2 tspn
Vellam/Jaggery - a small piece
Manjal/Karuvepillai - few
Tamarind water - 3 cups
Salt

Preparation Method
In a Kadai, heat oil, add mustard wait till it splutters. Then add toor dal, methi seeds and curry leaves.
Add onion and fry till its brown and transparent.
Add Drumsticks and tamarind water.
Add salt, turmeric and boil well till the raw smell goes.
Add masala powders and boil well.
It has to condense a bit and become thick.
Finally add jaggery and boil for 5 mins.

Serve hot with steamed rice and chapathi.


Tip - If it becomes too watery,mix 1tspn of rice flour in 1/4 cup water, make a paste and add. This will make the dish slightly thick. 

Murungaillai | Drumstick leaves Pakoda(Medhu/Soft version)

Again this recipe was for my son to feed him Murungaillai/Drumstick leaves which is very rich in iron. This was very tasty and delicious.

Ingredients

Gram flour(Besan) - 2 cups

Onion - 2 cups(chopped)
Tender Murugaillai/Drumstick leaves - 1  cup
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn or Green chilli - 2nos

Curry leaves - few
Ginger - 1 tspn(chopped)
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tspn

Cooking Oil for deep frying

Salt as required

Preparation Method
In a bowl put gram flour, red chilli powder, salt and mix well.
Add chopped onion, drumstick leaves and curry leaves and mix.

Sprinkle little water and make a slight thin batter.

Heat oil in pan for deep frying.

Take small portions in a spoon and drop in hot oil carefully in med-low heat.

Slowly and deep fry on all sides.

Remove it on absorbant paper when its turning light golden brown.

Serve hot Murungaillai Pakoda as it is or with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.

Pavakka Uralai Stir Fry(Bitter Gourd Potato)

Pavakka (Bitter Gourd) Uralai(Potato) stir fry is very tasty and yet another different combination poriyal. Though Pavakka is bitter its very tasty.

Ingredients

Pavakka(Bitter Gourd) - 2 nos
Uralai(Potato) - 2 nos
Oil - 4 tspns
Karuvepilai(Curry leaves) - 10nos
Jeeragam (Cumin)- 1 tspn
Kadalaiparap / Uzhathamparap(Bengal gram/Urad dal) - 1/2 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Green chilli - 3 nos or Red chilli powder - 1 tspn (as per ur taste) I have used green chilli.

Salt

Preparation method

Wash and cut Pavakka in round shape then remove seeds. Soak it with turmeric powder and little salt for half n hour.
Wash and peel the skin of Uralai cut into small cubes.
Heat a kadai, put oil, mustard allow it to splutter then add kadalaiparap n uzhathamparap wait till it turns brown. Add jeeragam, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for few mins.
Add pavakka and uralai cook till soft. Keep stirring.
Add little oil and salt and fry well. Once its cooked well.



Pavakka uralai stir fry is ready to serve.

This recipe is going off to Yasmeen's Bitter Better health Event.

Maddur Vade

Maddur Vade is popular in a place called Maddur on way to Mysore, India over 60 years. MaddurVade is available in hotels in Karnataka and when you travel to mysore in train you will be able to taste this. This is very crispy, tasty and best munch. Never miss this Give it a try!!!!

Required ingredients
Chiroti Rava (small semolina) – 1 cup
Maida flour – 1 cup
Rice flour – 1 cup
Oil or Ghee or vanaspati - 3 tspns
Green chilies – 2 nos or
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Onions – 2nos
Curry Leaves -few
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
Preparation Method
1. Mix Rava, maida, rice flour with ghee or hot oil, then add chillies, red chilli powder and curry leaves.
2. Cut onions into thin and long pieces
3. Add onions and salt
4. Now mix everything with little water to a soft dough like chapathi dough
5. Make medium size balls
6. Press it to get round shape by hand on plastic sheet greased with oil
7. Heat oil in pan and drop it
8. Fry both sides in oil till golden brown
9. Remove on tissue paper.

Maddur Vade is ready. Serve the hot crispy vade as it is or with coconut chutney.

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.

Karadaiyan Nombu | Adai Recipes!

I am reposting this again, since today is the Nombu Festival. I am going off to prepare. Happy Karadaiyan Nombu to all ladies.

Karadaiyan Nombu is on 14th March between 8.00 and 9.30pm. It is a festival celebrated by Hindu married women. The story behind this is Savitri observed fast(upavasam) for the sake of well being and long life of her husband Satyavan. It is continued and believed by tying a yellow thread tied with flowers keeping turmeric at the center in front of Goddess photos. The thread is tied during the time Panguni Masam starts temple priest is best person to get exact time. Prayers are done by Hindu married women offering pooja, vella adai & kara adai, breaking coconut, offering fruits along with betel leaves, betel nuts and turmeric.

After pooja is done, they eat kara adai and sweet adai in plantain leaf with edge.

There are two types of adai sweet and salt. Recipe as follows:

Kara Adai

Ingredients

Karamani(Black eye beans) – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 2 cups
Oil – 5 tspns
Mustard – ½ tspn
Bengal gram/Urad dal – 1 tspn
Asafotida – 1 pinch
Dry Red Chilli – 2 nos
Curry leaves – 10 nos (chopped)
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Salt

Preparation method

Cook karamani(brown or white) in pressure cooker for about 3 whistles and keep aside.
In a thick bottom kadai, season it with oil, mustard, wait till it spulters.
Add Bengal gram, urad dal, asafetida wait till it turns brown.
Add curry leaves and dry red chillies and sauté for few mins.
Add 4 to 5 cups of water. Allow it to boil.
Now add the cooked karamani and salt. Stir for few mins.
Add grated coconut and mix well.
Add rice flour and keep stirring till it absorbs all water in medium-low heat.
Off the stove and mix well like chapathi dough by hand.
Take a plantain leaf or plastic sheet and grease oil on it.
Make small balls, spread by hand to small round patties and make a hole in the center.
Steam the patties in idli cooker or pressure cooker(without whistle) for 20mins.

Karaadai is ready to serve with butter.

Vella Adai

Ingredients

Karamani(Black eye beans) – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 2 cups
Jaggery – 1 ½ cups(you can lessen if you want less sweet)
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Cardamom powder – 1 tspn

Preparation method
Cook karamani(brown or white) in pressure cooker for about 3 whistles and keep aside.
In a thick bottom kadai, put jaggery and water. Wait till it dissolves and filter it to remove mud particles.
Transfer it to a vessel.
Now add the cooked karamani. Stir for few mins.
Add grated coconut and cardamom powder mix well.
Add rice flour and keep stirring till it absorbs all water.
Off the stove and mix well like chapathi dough by hand.
Take a plantain leaf or plastic sheet and grease oil on it.
Make small balls, spread by hand to small round patties and make a hole in the center.
Steam the patties in idli cooker or pressure cooker(without whistle) for 20mins.

Vella Adai is ready to serve.

Note - The quantity of jaggery can be reduced or increased according to one's requirement.

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.

Pavakkai Fry | Bittergourd Fry!

I love Pavakkai/Bittergourd, mostly I prepare Curry or Pitala with it, I had posted previously Pavakkai Urulai Curry. Then I remembered when I was working in ITC Office, they used to do this fry in the canteen, its so crispy and just perfect for Rasam or curd rice.

Ingredients
Pavakkai/Karela/Hagalkayi/Bittergourd - 4nos
Rice flour -2 tablespoons
Corn flour - 1 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Peringayam/Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Salt


Oil for shallow fry or deep fry.


Preparation Method
Wash and slice pavakkai (refer other names above) into circles, remove seeds or you can keep it.
Sprinkly rice flour, corn flour, red chilli powder, hing and salt. Sprinkle little water and  leave it for 10 mins.
Heat oil in a wok/Kadai, when its hot, drop them and deep fry till crispy golden brown.
Remove on a tissue paper and store in air tight container when its cool.
 Enjoy Pavakkai Fry with Samabar/Rasam or Curd Rice. You can also just munch with Coffee/Tea.

Rajma, Soya, Green, Red Bean | Mixed Legume Sundal | Navarathri Specials!!!

Navarathri is coming, this month end and this Mixed Legume Sundal is a different recipe and healthy one.

Ingredients
Soya Bean, Green Gram, Rajma, Red Gram  - 1 cup each 
Cooking oil - 1 to 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Green Chilli - 2nos (As per your taste)
Jeera powder - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt as per taste

Preparation Method
Soak Rajma overnite for 8 to 10hours. Others for 2-3 hrs. Pressure cook for about red and green gram for 4 whistles with water and salt. Pressure cook Rajma and Soya bean for about 10 whistles in simmer with water and salt.
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida, urad dal, and curry leaves. Saute till urad dal is brown.
Add add pressure cooked dals and mix well.
Grind grated coconut and green chilli to a course paste without adding water. Add this to the sundal. Cook for few minutes. Sprinkle jeera powder.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt mix well. Cook for 5mins and Off the stove.

Mixed Legume Sundal is ready to offer to God, later enjoy.

This recipe is going to MLLA 39 by Cathy and Susan.

Notes - I make it slightly mashy, if you want whole reduce no of whistles.

Pepper Paneer!!!

Happy Holi!!!

Pepper Paneer is a dish I tried since I wanted to make something different. My family liked it a lot. You can have it with chapathi or rotis.

Ingredients
Paneer cubed - 2 cups(store bought/homemade)
Pepper powder(coarse/fine) - 1 tspn(As per your taste)
Onion - 2 tspns(finely chopped)
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Asafotida - a pinch
Curry leaves - few (optional)
Salt

Preparation Method
Heat a  kadai, add oil mustard, wait till it splutters, then add asafotida, curry leaves, onion and saute till transparant.
Add paneer and mix well.
Sprinkle pepper powder and salt.
Saute for few minutes and off the stove.

Pepper Paneer is ready to serve. Serve hot with chapathis or enjoy as it is.

You can also try my previous Paneer Recipes click here.

Kara Boondi

Kara Boondi is a very famous deep fried snack and savoury. Its good to eat at tea/coffee time. This can also be prepared for Deepavali. Its available in most of the shops in India. I just love it in Adyar Anandha Bhavan in Chennai and Bangalore.

I sometimes make from leftover Bajji Maav/Batter.

Ingredients

Kadalai Maav/Besan/Chickpea flour - 2 cup

Chola Maav/Corn Flour - 1 tspn

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn( As per your taste)

Cashews - 1 tspn(Chopped)

Groundnuts - 1 tspn

Asafotida/Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves - few

Salt

Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method

Jara/Jarni

Mix Kadalai Maav, Chola Maav, salt, red chilli powder with little water to form a batter.
Heat oil for deep frying, reduce flame take Jara/Jarni/Ladle with holes and pour the batter in this.
Then deep fry those till brown and keep it in a bowl. Do the same with the balance batter.
After completion of the batter, deep fry cashews, groundnuts and curry leaves. Add these on the Boondi.

Kara Boondi is ready to eat. This can be served with any sweets or as it is. Its tasty for rasam rice and top it for Bisibelebath Rice.

BISI BELEBATH

Bisibele bath is a dish prepared with rice, dhal and vegetables.

Besibele bath is very popular in Karnataka State, South India.

INGREDIENTS

RICE – 2 CUPS

TOOR DHAL – 1 CUP
TOMATO – 2 NOS

CARROT – 1 NO

BEANS – 10NOS

POTATO – 2NOS

GREEN PEAS – 50GMS

TAMARIND WATER 1 CUP (SMALL LEMON SIZE)

SPICES CINAMMON – 2 NOS

BISIBELEBATH POWDER – 4 TSPNS ( IF MORE SPICY REQD ADD ACCORDING TO QUANTITY & TASTE)

CURRY LEAVES

JAGGERY - SMALL PIECE

SALT

PREPARATION METHOD

COOK - RICE, VEGETABLES AND DHAL SEPARATELY AND KEEP ASIDE.

KEEP A PAN ON OVEN, ADD 2 TSPNS OF COOKING OIL, HEAT FOR ONE MINUTE ADD MUSTARD, 2 DRIED RED CHILLIS AND CURRY LEAVES

PUT CINNAMON AND SAUTE

ADD TOMATOES and COOK

ADD TAMARIND WATER

PUT THE COOKED VEGETABLES AND STIR ON SIDES SO VEGETABLES DONT GET MASHED.

ADD BISIBELEBATH POWDER and WAIT TILL IT BOILS

NOW ADD DHAL AND STIR

ADD JAGGERY N SALT.

NOW ADD THE COOKED RICE AND STIR TILL IT BOILS.

ADD 1TSP GHEE.

GARNISH WITH CASHEWS.

SERVE HOT BISIBELEBATH WITH KARABOONDI OR POTATO CHIPS.

VARIATIONS:

1. YOU CAN ALSO ADD SMALL SAMBAR ONIONS.

2. OR JUST DO WITH POTATO AND PEAS.

Celebrate Thiruvadarai with Kali and Kootu (Tamil Iyers Special) - Reposting with new photos

Thiruvadarai is on 22nd December 2010. It is also called Aarudra Darisanam. Thiruvadarai is Lord Shiva's star which falls on full moon day in the tamil month of Margazhi. Speacial prayers are performed at 9th January night in various Shiva temples all over India.

courtesy - http://www.templenet.com/

Celebrate Thiruvadarai with Kali and Ezhukari Kootu.

Here goes the recipe for Thiruvadarai Kali.

 

Ingredients

Rice Rava - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Cardamom - 1 tspn (powdered)

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Ghee - 4 tspns

ashews - 6 nos

Water - 3 cups

Preparation Method

Preparation of rice rava Fry 1 cup of normal rice untill it turns light brown. Transfer it to a bowl and cool it. Grind to coarse powder in mixie(Like rava/semolina/sooji)

Fry 1 cup of moong dal till light brown and transfer it to a separate bowl.

Preparation of Thiruvathirai Kali:
In a kadai, add jaggery, add 1 1/2cup water to dissolve. Strain it prior to boiling to remove muddy particles generally present in Jaggery.

Boil moong dal with 1 1/2cup water separately and once ready add it to the jaggery water and boil it. When the desired consistency is achieved add rice rava little by little and keep stirring to avoid formation of lumps.

Add ghee and stir to make kali rich.

Add grated coconut and cardamom powder for taste and flavour.

Make the flame low and close the lid for few mins till rava is well cooked.

Heat ghee and fry the cashews (If you wish add more ghee to get good taste) mix well.

Kali is ready to serve with Ezhukari Kootu.

Here goes recipe for Kootu

Ingredients
Sweet Potato(Large) - 1 no
Potato - 2 nos
Yam (senai Kizhangu) - 1 small piece
Koorkai(Siru Kizhangu) - 6 nos
Arbi (Cheppankizhangu) - 2 nos
Chow Chow(Chayote) - 1no
Avarakai - 50gms
Mochaka - 50gms
Turmeric - a pinch
Grated coconut - 2 cups
Green chilli - 3 nos
Curry leaves - 2 tspns
Coconut oil - 2 tspns
Salt to taste
Preparation Method
Wash all the vegetables and cut them into medium size pieces.
In a Kadai, put all the vegetables with little water, salt and turmeric and cook.
Grind in mixie grated coconut and green chillies.
Once its 3/4th cooked add this mixture and mix well (do not over cook then vegetables will be mashed)
Keep it in medium flame, add little water if required.
Add 2 tspns coconut oil and curry leaves.Kootu is a side dish gravy for the Kali. It is called Ezhukari Kootu because we use 5 rooted vegetables and 2 any other vegetables. If you dont get rooted vegetables you can do with other vegetables also.

Allow it to boil.

From my mom's kitchen Kootu is ready to serve with Kali.