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.

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

Homemade Mixture | Diwali Savoury Recipe !

Mixture is a very tempting snack, I prepared this for diwali. I have already posted Aval Pori Masala Mix here. This is very tasty and crunchy.

Ingredients
Omapodi - 1 cup (click here for recipe)
Ribbon Pakoda - 1/2 cup (click here for recipe)
Mullu Murukku - 2nos crushed (click here for recipe)
Karaboondi - 1 cup(click here for recipe)
Thatai - 2nos crushed

To Deep Fry
Roasted or Fried Groundnuts - 1 tablespoon
Potukadalai/Fried gram - 1 tablespoon
Aval - 2 cups thin
Curry leaves - few
Copra - 1 tablespoon(chopped thinly)
Mochai - 1 tspn
Cashews/Almonds /Walnuts- few
Cornflakes/Chivda - 1/2 cup(Optional)

Powdered Sugar - 1/2 tspn
Turmeric - a pinch(optional)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn 
Hing -1/4 tspn
Raisins - few
Potato sticks  1 cup(Optional)
Oil for deep frying and a metal seive with handle.

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai with oil. When oil is hot, deep fry ingredients above separately. Take this on a tissue paper to remove excess oil and then transfer to a wide vessel, sprinkle salt, hing, turmeric, red chilli powder and mix well. Add rest of the ingredients and mix.

Finally add powdered sugar and mix. I love this with potato sticks.

Store it in a airtight container for later use.

Homemade Mixture is ready.

Enjoy with Hot Coffee/Tea or with sambar rice or rasam rice.

Notes - You can also deep fry potato sticks and add.

Simple Veggie Aval Upma with Leftover curry | Lunch Box Spl

This tiffin I prepared for evening with leftover curry. It was quick and tasty dish.

Ingredients
Leftover curry - 1 cup(For choice of poriyal click here.)
Aval/Poha - 3 cups
Onion - 1 no
Green chilli - 1no
Oil - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves few
Turmeric powder - a pinch.
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and rinse aval in water.
Heat a kadai, add oil and onion. Saute for few minutes.
Add the curry and saute for few mins.
Add the Aval/poha and saute.
Add a pinch of salt. Mix well and off the stove.

Delicious Veggie Aval Upma is ready. Enjoy with Hot Coffee.

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.

Potato | Aloo Masal! Type 2

Potato /Urulai/Aloo Masal is very tasty sidedish. This is a multipurpose masal I have used it in 2 to 3 dishes.

Ingredients
Potato - 4 nos
Onion - 1no
Ginger - 1 tspn
Curry leaves -  few
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Pav Bhaji Masala - 1 tspn
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Jeera - 1/4 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and cook potatoes in pressure cooker with little salt for 3 to 4 whistles. When the steam is up, cut into medium pieces or break into small pieces by hand.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard, jeera, wait till it splutters. Add onion, ginger, curry leaves, a pinch of salt and saute till onions are transparant.
Add all the masala powders and saute.
Add the potatoes and mix well. Add salt.
Cook till raw smell goes and it combines well.
Off the stove.

Potato/Aloo Masal is ready to serve. I served with delicious Masal Puri!

Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin Sambar | Inji/Ginger Pachadi | Traditional South Indian Thali!

Sara's Corner is featured on the Foodie Blogroll  Featured Blogs for April 27, 2012. See this link here Featured Blogs Page. I am very happy and excited.

Let it be festivals or any occasions, at home we will have thali prepared and served on Banana Leaf. I have served in this steel thali plate, it was given by my grandmother with other utensils for my wedding.

Click on the names for Recipes
Paal Payasam
Beans Curry(French)
Paruppu Vadai
Ingi Pachadi (for recipe see below)
Steamed Rice
Paruppu (Plain toor dal cooked)
Ghee
Parangikai Sambar (for recipe see below)
Paruppu Rasam
Appalam/Papad
Curds/Yogurt 
Pickle
Salt
Banana

Recipe for Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin Arachuvitta Sambar. On all special festivals and occasions Arachuvitta Sambar should be prepared - This is my family's favourite sambar.

Parangikai/Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin -  1/2 kg
Tuvram Paruppu | Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn

For Grinding
Dhaniya /Coriander -  2 tablespoon
Channa Dal - 2 tspns
Dry red chilli - 4 nos(As per your taste)
Katti Peringayam/Asafatida/Hing - a small piece/1/4 tspn
Venthayam/Fenugreek seeds -  2 pinches
Fresh grated coconut - 1 /2 cup

Preparation Method
Wash, remove skin and seeds. Cut the mathan into medium cubes.
Cook Toor dal in pressure cooker with water for 4 to 5 whisltes and keep aside.
Heat a Kadai, add 1/2 tspn oil and fry all the ingredients under "for grinding" till the dal is brown. Allow it to cool and grind with little water to smooth paste.
Boil tamarind water and mathan with little salt and tumeric.
Once the mathan is boiled slightly soft add the grinded mixture and dal.
Boil well. It should be semi liquid consistency as later it will become thick.
Season it with ghee, mustard, curry leaves.

Recipe for Inji Thayir Pachadi | Ginger Yogurt Raitha.

This simple pachadi is mostly prepared on auspicious occasions at my home.

Ingredients
Ginger - 2" piece
Green Chilli - 2 nos(As per taste)
Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
Curds/Yogurt - 1 cup
Salt
Chopped Coriander for garnish.

Preparation Method
Grind ginger, coconut, green chilli with little water and curds in blender to smooth paste. If you like ginger you can grind to coarse paste too. Mix in the curds. Garnish with coriander.

Inji Pachadi is ready to serve.

Notes - On all festivals dishes are prepared without onion and garlic.

This recipe is going to Indian Thali Mela Event hosted by Srivalli.

Achari Tomato Cashew Rice ! Lunch Box Special!

Achari Tomato Cashew Rice was something new I tried one sunday for lunch, but my hubby was working. So packed for lunch that day.

Ingredients
Cooked/Steamed Rice - 1 big bowl
Onion - 1no (thinly sliced)
Tomato - 1no (thinly sliced)
Cashews - Handfull
Tomato Thokku - 2 tablespoons.(click here for recipe)
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon chopped
Spices - 1 bay leaf
Ginger garlic  - 1 tspn
Paneer - 15 cubes (Optional)
Jeera - 1/4 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Salt

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil, bay leaf add cashews and fry till brown. Remove and keep separately.
In the same kadai, add jeera, onion and fry till brown. Then add tomato, turmeric, red chilli powder and saute till soft.
Add curry leaves and tomato thokku and saute. Add salt and roasted cashews now.
Cook till it leaves oil on sides. Off the stove.
Let it cool a bit, mix the rice. Add salt if required.

Garnish with chopped Coriander.

Delicious Achari Tomato Cashew Rice is ready. Pack for lunch with simple plain curds/yogurt or raitha.

Notes
You can also paneer if you have, it will enchance the taste. I wanted to add but ran out of it.

Manga Sadam | Mamidikai Annam | Ugadi Special Recipe!

I wish you all my readers a very Happy n Prosperous Ugadi and Gudi Padwa!

ಯುಗಾದಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು,  ఉగాది శుభాకాంక్షలు and  'गुढी पाडव्याच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा'.

Manga Sadam | Mamidikai Annam| Mavinakayi Chitranna |Mango Rice is very tangy and delicious rice. Its usually prepared on Ugadi. Click here for recipe for Ugadi Festivals.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Raw Mango - 1 no(Kizhimukku)Grated

Groundnuts - Handful

Gingely Oil - 2 tablespoon

Mustard - 1 tspn

Channa Dal - 1 tspn

Dry Red chilli - 2nos(As per your taste)

Turmeric pwdr - 1/4 tspn
Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves

Salt

Preparation method:

Cook rice with 2.5 cups water for 3 to 4 whistles. Allow the rice to come to normal temperature.

In the mean while

Heat oil in a pan/wok, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add channa dal, groundnuts. Saute till channa dal turns light brown. Add curry leaves, red chillies and saute.
Add the grated mango and cook till its soft. Add little salt and turmeric powder.

Turn the stove off. Add the rice and salt. Let it sit for a while so that the taste of mango is gets obsorbed into the rice .

Manga Sadam rice is ready to serve. This can be served with fried papads and vadams. I served with Mor Kolambu.

Notes - You can also cut mangoes into small pieces and grind coarsely in mixie.(Optional)

This recipe is going to Only South Indian event by Pari

BBB | Spinach Soya Bisibelebath and Oats Onion Pakoda - Ver 2!

Bisibelebath(Hot Dal Rice) is a healthy dish, its also very filling. My previous post on this recipe Ver 1 click here. I mostly prepare on every weekend or fornightly and for get togethers. This is a most popular recipe and food liked in my house. 

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups

Tuvar Dal – 1 cup
Tomato - 1 no
Potato - 1 no

Soya Beans - 1/2 cup

Capsicum - 1 no
Carrot -  few pieces

Brinjal - 4 nos

Beans - 10 nos
Brocolli - few florets
Spinach/Palak - 1 cup chopped

Broad Beans/Avarekkai - 5 nos

Tamarind Water - 2 cups(from a LEMON SIZE)

Spices Cinamon/Pattai – 2 small pieces/ Cardamom/Elakka - 2nos/ Clove/Lavang - 2 nos

Bisibelebath powder - 4 tablespoons (Adjust accordingly)
Curry leaves few

Jaggery a small piece

Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and cut all vegetables.
Soak soya beans overnite in water.
Cook rice, soya bean and dal separately in a pressure cooker.
Steam the veggies for about 15 to 20 mins with little salt and turmeric or 1 whistle.

Heat a deep vessel or a pressure cooker, add 2 tablespoons oil, add a pinch of mustard, add hing, curry leaves, spices, dry red chillies, and saute for 2mins.
Add chopped tomatoes, spinach and saute for few mins.
Add tamarind water and allow it to boil for sometime.
Then add steamed vegetables, bisibelebath powder and allow it to boil.
When pressure is up, mash or whisk the dal, and add this.
Let it boil, slowly keep stirring without mashing the veggies.
Then mash the rice, and slowly add required rice and keep mixing.
Check on salt and add jaggery. Let it boil, keep stirring.
It should be little watery so by the time you eat, it will be just right and soft.
Off the stove.

Garnish with cashews - optional

Serve Hot Bisibelebath with any vegetable curry/Potato chips/Karaboondi or enjoy as it is.

I served it with Crispy Onion Oats Pakoda. Recipe below 

Notes - I usually make it without onion and if you wish please add.

Oats Onion Pakoda

Ingredients
Onion - 4 nos(Sliced lenghtwise)
Rolled Oats - 1/2 cup 
Kadalai Maav/Chickpea flour/Besan -  3 to 4 tablesppons
Rava/Semolina - 2 tablespoons
Red chlli powder -  1/4 tspn (As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Salt
Water to sprinkle
Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method
In a wide bowl, put onion, oats, salt and slight mix.
Add all other ingredients and sprinkle little water and mix well. It should be thick. Leave it for few mins.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok, when its hot. slowly spread and drop the batter in oil. Deep fry till brown both sides and take out on tissue to remove excess oil. Allow it to cool and store it in air tight container.

Enjoy it with Bisibelebath/Coffee/Tea time too.

Notes - Do not store, when its warm or hot it will become soggy.

I had previously posted Cabbage Oats Pakoda check here for recipe. This recipe is going to Fast Food not Fat Food by Priya and Uma.

Write to me if you have queries at simplysara07@gmail.com

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.

Karuvepilai Sadam | Curry Leaves Variety Rice!

Podi sadams are my favourite coloured rice. This is healthy and tasty. I have already posted Karuvepilai Podi Recipe here. Do have a look.

Ingredients
Karuvepilai Podi - 4 tspns(For recipe click here)
Steamed Rice - 1 cup(100gms)(For 2 persons)
Nalla Yennai/Gingeli/Sesame/Coconut Oil - 2 tspns
Ghee - 1 table spoon(If its for kids)
Mustard - a pinch
Jeera - a pinch
Asafotida - a pinch
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Salt as required
Pepper powder - Optional

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai, add oil, ghee,  mustard, wait till it pops. Then add urad dal, curry leaves, jeera saute till dal is brown. Add the rice, salt and curry leaves powder. Off the stove.
Now slowly mix the rice. Close and keep it for few minutes.

Delicious Karuvepilai Sadam is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions - Papads/Vadagams/Boondi/Curds.

I am linking this recipe to Cooking with Love Grandmom Event at my space. Link your entries soon.

Karuvepilai Podi | Curry Leaves Powder!

Karuvepilai Podi | Curry leaves powder is very good for health and keeps hair black as well as growing. Curry leaves powder is very tasty. It will also help when anyone gets cold, mix this powder with rice and ghee it as warms up the body. This is also a post pregnancy food.

Ingredients
Curry leaves – 4 cups
Urad dal – ½ cup
Bengal gram – ½ cup
Black pepper – 1 tspns(As per your taste)
Dry red chilli – 2 nos( As per your taste)
Dry coconut(copra) – 1 no (small)
Oil – 4 tspns
Asafoetida(Hing) – ¼ tspn or a small piece
Salt

Preparation Method

Split curry leaves from the stem

In a Kadai, put 2 tspns of oil add Urad dal, Bengal gram, pepper fry till dal is brown and now add red chill, asafoetida fry for a minute.

Now transfer this to a plate to cool.

You can always add or reduce pepper and red chilli as per your requirement.
Add in kadai 2 tspns of oil and add curry leaves. Fry this till curry leaves are hot and remove from fire.
Leave it for sometime till it becomes dry and crisp.
Cut or grate the dry coconut and mix to the dal.
When the dal is cool grind it coarsely.
Add curry leaves, salt and grind.

Once cool, store it in air tight container. This can be used upto 10days.

Curry leaves powder is ready. This can be mixed with rice or had with chapathi.

Notes - Dry coconut can be avoided for people with cholestrol.
If you love to add more curry leaves, feel free to add.

Brinjal Masala Curry !

Brinjal Masala Curry is a simple and tasty for rice and chapathi. One of the recipes learnt by my Father-in-law. Actually me and my hubby dont like brinjal and now both started eating:-)

Ingredients
Brinjal - 250 gms
Onion - 1 no
Tomato - 1no
Ginger  - 1 tspn
Garlic - 1 tspn
Grated coconut - 1 tspn
Bengal gram - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1 tspn
Turmeric - 1/4 tspn
Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste) 
Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn
Jeera powder - 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves - 6 nos
Oil - 4 tspns
Salt to taste

Preparation Method
Wash, clean and pat dry brinjal.
Chop it into small pieces and put in water to avoid change in colour.
Chop onion, tomato, ginger and garlic.
Heat a pan, put oil add mustard once it splutters, add Bengal gram and wait till its brown.
Add onion, ginger, garlic and saute till brown.
Add tomato and saute. Add brinjal and sprinkle little water for it to cook.
Add all the powders above one by one and saute.
Cook under low flame once its cooked add finely chopped coriander and grated coconut.
Mix well and cook for 5mins.
Now its ready to serve.


Delicious Brinjal Masala Curry is ready to serve. Serve hot with chapathis or rasam rice. This can also be good for Lunchbox.

Don't forget to send in your entries to ongoing event Cooking with Love Grandmom here.