Ulunthu Kozakattai

 This salted kozhakattai  is prepared for Ganesh Chaturthi. Sometimes for tiffin , we make it

Ingredients

Urad dhal…………….. 1 cup
Green chilis…………....3
Grated coconut………. half cup
Ginger………………. .1 piece
Curry leaves………….. few
Mustard seeds……….. 1tsp
Rice flour………… .....1 cup 
Water………………...1/2 cup
Oil ………………….. 1 tsp
Salt ………………….1 tsp
Asafetida……………half tsp



Soak the dhal for an hour and grind coarsely with chili and salt.
Steam this mixture for 10 minutes. (Or keep in microwave for 5 minutes, see the water is dried . If it is not, keep for 2 minutes more. In between mix it)
Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds curry leaves, chopped ginger asafetida and when mustard crackle add the steamed mixture and stir well..
Add coconut and make small balls and keep
Boil the water in a pan and add oil, salt and rice flour, maida.
Stir well with out forming lumps. When it becomes thick dough, cover and keep. 
Knead the dough with little oil till it becomes smooth.
Make cups and place this dhal pournam and cover them.
Steam all the kozhakattais for 10 minutes

Sabudana Kichadi

This recipe is famous in Maharashtra. During fasting people eat this. Easy to prepare

Ingredients

Sabudana                                  1 cup

Peanuts                                    ½ cup

Ginger                                       small piece

Green Chili                               3

Boiled potato                            1

Jeera                                        1 tsp

Curry leaves                             few

Salt to taste

Method

Soak the sabudana in water for 4 to 5 hours

Dry roast the peanuts, remove the skin and powder it coarsely

Heat a pan with ghee or oil add jeera.

When jeera is changed its color add sabudana, potato chili ginger curry leaves and mix well

Do not add water. If you need sprinkle a little.

When the sabudana is cooked add the peanut powder

Paneer recipe.

 Paneer recipe

Ingredients

Paneer cubes                               1cup

Tomato.                                        1

Onion.                                          1

Garlic.                                          2

Green chili.                                   2

Kaju.                                      6

 

Method. 

First add salt chili powder to paneer and mix and keep.

Tomato, Onion, Kaju, chili and garlic , make puree.

Heat a tawa add oil, and jeera. Add add the ground paste and mix well. Add chili powder, Turmeric powder and salt

When the oil coming from the sides add the paneer and boil .

Eat with paratha or chapathi.

Chutneys

 We make different types of chutneys. Coconut, eggplant Dhuthi, Tomato, Onion and Mango.

Athirasam

Athirasam

Ingredients

Raw rice                               2 cups

Jaggery                                2cups

Cardamom powder         1 pinch

                 

Method

Soak the rice for 2 hours. Remove the water and spread in a towel. When it dries grind in a blender.

Sieve it  to get fine powder. The powder should be slightly  wet.

Heat a pan with little water add the jaggery and make a syrup. Filter this syrup to remove the dirt in the jaggery.

Boil again till it forms one thread consistency Kambi padam(Put a drop jaggery  in cold water then it should be like soft gel).Add this syrup, cardamom powder to the rice flour  to a soft dough 

.

Heat a pan with oil to fry. Apply oil in plantain leaf or plastic, take small amount dough and spread like small discs. Deep fry them  and keep them in paper towel.

Kale fry

 Kale fry. Easy and healthy recipe

Ingredients

Kale Florets                                  3 cups

Garlic pearls chopped              6

Salt to taste

Oil

Method

Heat a pan with oil.

Add garlic and saute it.

After 1 minute add the kale, salt and mix well.

When the kale became tender remove, and serve. 

Very tasty.

Bajra Dosa

In Tamil, we call Bajra - Kambu. In Tamil Nadu, farmers drink this porridge made of kambu early in the morning and go to work in the farm. It is full of nutrients like fiber, protein etc.
Ingredients
Bajra                               1 cup
Split Moong dhal             1 cup
Urad dhal                        1/2 cup
Salt to taste



Method

Wash well and soak bajra for 6 hours and dhal for 2 hours
Grind all into a smooth paste and add salt
Make dosas and serve with coconut chutney

Dhal Dhokli (recipe got from my daughter-in-law )

Dhal Dhokli is made with leftover chapatis or freshly made ones
Ingredients
Cooked Tur dhal                  1 cup
Chapatis                             4
Sambar powder                   3 tsp
Tamarind paste                    1 tsp
Mustard seeds                     1 tsp
Red Chilies                          2-3
Jaggery(gud)                       3 tbsp.
Hing                                    a pinch
Peanuts(optional)                3 tbsp.


Method

Cut the chapattis one inch long
Boil the tamarind with turmeric, sambar powder (or red chili powder + coriander powder).
Add cooked dhal, hing, salt, gud,  peanuts and chapati pieces
Let it boil, add water according to consistency
Boil and stir  nicely
Heat a tawa, add mustard seeds and red chilies
When it splutters, add to the dhal.
If desired, add vegetables to the dhal e.g. onion, tomato, beans
Eat with raita or pappadams

Winter composting in Northern USA

How we dry out vegetable/fruit peels in winter by grinding it into coarse powder using the# Vitamix to later use as fertilizer for our plants.

Red Swiss Chard Molakuttal

Swiss chard (Beet greens) is full of vitamin A,K, Potassium, Calcium etc. I tried this Swiss chard molakuuttal  with ground coconuts. It is so  tasty and easy to prepare
Ingredients
Red Swiss Chard                       one bunch
Grated Coconut                          one cup
Red chili                                      2 
Turmeric powder                        1/4 Tsp
Urad Dhal                                   2 Tsp
Salt to taste





Method

Wash the red swiss chard thoroughly and cut into pieces with the stem,
Boil it with water and turmeric powder, till it is cooked.
When it becomes cold, grind and keep.
Grind coconut, chili and jeera into a smooth paste.
Mix both paste together with salt.
Heat a pan with little oil add mustard, and urad dhal. When it splutters add to the swiss chard/mix.
You can add cooked moong dhal or tur dhal too