Apr 29, 2006

Lasagna


Tomato Sauce
Cook the noodles

cheese, tomato sauce and spinach





















A dish made by baking pasta with layers of tomato sauce and fillings such as cheese , spinach, carrot or meat. If anyone visits Italy realizes, pasta and pizza are the famous dishes, Italian cooks have making varieties of pastas and pizzas from region to region: In America most of the people like this dish.Lots of vegetables used in this dish and easy to prepare.You can use ragu tomato sauce instead of making it.The word "lasagna" is derived from the Greek word "lasanon" meaning chamber pot. The word was later borrowed by the Romans as "lasanum" to mean cooking pot. The Italians then used the word to refer to the dish in which what is now known as lasagna is made. The word lasagna or lasagna (plural) now simply applies to the dish itself. The British generally use the plural "lasagna" to mean both the dish and the pasta while the Americans commonly use the singular "lasagna".http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasagna

Ingredients
  • Chopped Spinach........ ...1 pack
  • Carrots Diced..................3
  • Garlic Cloves...................3
  • Onions Cut......................1 cup
  • Tomato Chunks...............1 can (12 0z)
  • Ttomato Paste.................2 cans(6 0z)
  • Parmesan Cheese............1/4 cup
  • Salt.................................2 and 1/2 tsp
  • Pepper............................1/2 tsp
  • Basil and Oregano.......... 1tsp
  • Pizza Cheese .................. 1/2 lb
  • Bay Leaf..........................1
  • Lasagna Noodles..............1 packet
























Method

  • Preheat the oven.
  • Heat a pan with olive oil add garlic and onions cook until becomes tender.
  • Add tomato,pepper,basil,oregano bay leaf, salt and simmer for an hour.
  • Cook noodles for 5 minutes adding little salt in the water.
  • Grease the lasagna pan.
  • Spread, in the layers of lasagna noodles,tomato sauce,carrot, spinach.
  • Repeat till the last layer noodles tomato sauce.
  • Put Parmesan cheese on the last layer
  • Bake this at 350 degree for 30 minutes.

Feb 19, 2006

Kaalan

Kalan This dish mainly from Kerala Nambuthiri( Kerala native Brahmins) They use pepper instead of chillies. Now we use pepper and chillies for this recipe. This kalan is main dish for Onam festival.

Yogurt and ground coconut and spices
Kaalan
Ingredients
  • Thick Buttermilk.............. 4cups
  • Pepper Powder................2 tsp
  • Jeera(Cumin Seeds)........ 2tsp
  • Yam or Plantain banana
  • (Nentrakai).............. .......100gms
  • Turmeric.Powder............. 1/4 tsp
  • Grated oconut................. 1 cup
  • Green Chilies................... 6
  • Mustard................... 1tsp
  • Red Chili..................2
  • Curry Leaves.............few
  • Salt to Taste
Method
  • Cut the yam /banana into small pieces and cook them in water and remove the water.
  • Boil the buttermilk with turmeric,pepper jeera powder cooked yam/ banana pieces till it becomes thick. (You can prepare this well in advance)
  • Grind the coconut, chilli into coarse paste and mix with the buttermilk.
  • Boil it,When it becomes thick add salt and change the kalan in to a serving bowl.
  • Heat a pan with oil add mustard, chilli and curry leaves. When it splutters add to the kalan.
  • You can keep this kalan for one month.
  • Eat with rice and roasted pappads.

Jan 29, 2006

Vazhakkai Podimas (Banana curry)


Boiled Vazhakai

Vazhakai ready to grate


Ingredients

  • Raw Banana........................6
  • Grated Coconut...................half cup
  • Green Chilies,......................5
  • Chopped Ginger..................2 tsp
  • Curry Leaves.......................few
  • Salt .....................................to taste
  • Mustard Seeds....................1 tsp
  • White Dhal (Urad Dhal).......2 tsp
Method


  • Boil the bananas . When the colour of the banana skin becomes black remove the skin and grate it in grater.
  • Mix the coconut and chillies in a blender (only one round).
  • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
  • When the mustard splutters add the grated banana and coconut. Mix it well.
  • This is a side dish for sambar rice or rasam rice.

Jan 22, 2006

Thiruvathirai Kali and Talagam (Kozhambu)

Roasted rice flour and Jaggery

Ellu,Roasted coconut,Red chili Tamarind and dhals




Kali and Thalakam
Jaggery and coarse rice powder
coconut,tamarind, sesame seeds, red chillies, urad dal, chana dal, tur dal and rice
pumpkin, okra, carrot, eggplant, tomato, potato, sweet potato
capsicum( can add many vegetables)
Thiruvathirai Kali

We celebrate Thiruvathirai the birthday of Lord Shiva.It is also called Arudra Darshanam.This is an important festival for young girls. Early morning we take bath and go to the Shiva temple and worship lord Shiva.Prepare Kali and Talakam do puja with naivedyam and arathi..
Keralites celebrate with dance and feast.
Ingredients
  • Raw rice .................................2 cups 
  • Jaggery .................................. 2cups 
  • Cardamom(Elaichi powder)..... half tsp
  • Grated coconut....................... half cup
  • Ghee ......................................2 tsp
  • Water......................................4cups


Method

  • Soak the rice for an hour.
  • Dry it by spreading them on a white cloth and roast the rice in a simmer flame until it turns light red colour. Powder it into coarsely when it cools down .
  • Heat a pan with water, add powdered jaggery.
  • When it boils add the rice powder . 
  • Add cardamom powder and coconut, mix it well

Talagam Kozhambu

Ingredients

  • Potato.....................................................1
  • Chenai(yam)............................................50 gms
  • Cheppangkizhangu(Colacassia Roots) ........6
  • Avarakkai................................................50gms
  • White Pumpkin.........................................50gms
  • Yellow Pumpkin.......................................100gms
  • Sweet Potato ..........................................2
  • Drumstick...............................................1
  • Vendakkai/Okra......................................50gms
  • Carrot.....................................................1
  • Tamarind.................................................1 lemon size
  • Powdered Jaggery....................................3 tsp
  • Mustard Seeds.........................................1tsp
  • Urad Dhal.................................................2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

Masala
  • Red Chilli......... .............6
  • Urad Dhal.....................3 tsp
  • Tur Dhal........................3 tsp
  • Raw Rice.......................3 tsp
  • Chana Dhal(Spiltgram)...3 tsp
  • Sesame Seeds ..............2 tsp
  • Grated Coconut.............1cup
  • Curry Leaves.................few
  • Oil ..............................3tsp

  • Fry the above ingredients with oil till they become red in colour.
  • Roast the sesame seeds with out oil. 
  • Grind all together into a thick paste.

Method

  • Cut the vegetables into big pieces. Soak the tamarind in water and remove the tamarind juice.
  • Boil the vegetables with tamarind water, turmeric powder and salt.
  • When the vegetables are cooked add the ground paste , jaggery and mix well.
  • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, urad dhal and when it turns red add to the kozhambu. 
  • This kozhambu is very tasty and enjoy this with kali .
  • This kozhambu goes with rice and pappads.

Dec 31, 2005

Puli Inchi

Puli inchi


Jalapneo Puli Inchi























Ingredients


  • Green Chillies.....................................................100 gms
  • Tamarind( imli, Tamarindus indica) ................       big lemon size
  • Inchi(ginger,ginger root))....................................  1 big piece
  • Hing(Asafoetida) ...............................................  1 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder...............................................  1tsp
  • Mustard seeds.................................................... 1 tsp
  • Urad dhal............................................................2 tsp
  • Chana dhal..........................................................2 tsp
  • Powdered Jaggerry(Vellam).................................3 tsp
  • Oil......................................................................3 tsp
  • Salt to Taste
Method.

  • Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water and remove the juice.
  • Cut the green chillies and ginger into small pieces.
  • Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, urad dhal and chana dhal and fry. 
  • When the dhals become red , add the chillies and ginger. 
  • When the chillies fried little add the tamarind water, powdered jaggery hing, salt, and turmeric.
  • When the mixture is thick,cool and pour it into bottle. 
  • This is a pickle. You can keep this pickle more than a month.
  • Eat with curd rice, chapathi and poori.

Use jalapeno and make this pickle. Fry them well and add little more jaggery.
It tastes very good

Dec 29, 2005

Chow Chow Koottu

Chowchow (chavote) is good for health
Chow Chow
(Chow chow is chayote squash, also called Bangalore katrikai in Chennai Christophine in french Hayato uri in japanese). You can use this vegetable to make koottu, thogayal(chutney), curry, adding it in sambar)

Ingredients

  • Chow chow ..................4 
  • Grated coconut..............1 cup
    Chana dhal.....................half cup
  • Red chilli....................... 2
  • Jeera(cumin seeds)........1tsp
  • Mustard seeds........ .....1tsp
  • Urad dhal.....................2 tsp
Chow Chow and coconut
Chow Chow Koottu
  • Oil................................2 tsp
  • Curry leaves...............few
  • Salt to Taste 

Method

  • Grind the coconut, red chili , jeera in a blender by adding half cup of water.
  • Remove the skin of the chow chow and cut them into cubes.
  • Boil them in 2 cups of water, add the chana dhal, turmeric and salt. 
  • When the vegetable is cooked, add the ground coconut paste.
  • Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
  • When dhal becomes red, add to the koottu.Remove this dish in to a serving bowl.
  • Serve this koottu with chapathi or rice.

Vathal Kozhambu

Vathal kozhambu
Vathal Kozhambu is favorite of all. Every home has their own way to prepare this kozhambu. Vathal means sun dried vegetables like chundakai, Manathamkali. This kozhambu goes with rice, pappad and keerai masiyal.

Satham, Vatha kozhambu and oil

Ingredients.
Tamarind                    a lemon size,
Turmeric                     half tsp
Chundakai or Maranthankali     quarter cup
Mustard seeds                            1 tsp
Methi seeds                                1 tsp
Jeera(cumin seeds)                    1tsp
Curry leaves                               few
Hing                                          1/2 tsp
Salt                                         to taste
To roast with oil(masala)
Chana dhal                        3 tsp
Raw rice                            2 tsp
Pepper                             1 tsp  
Jeera                               1tsp.
Red Chilies                      6
Urad Dhal                       3 tsp
           
                     (Grind finely all below ingredients with water)
 
Things to fry
Method
Heat a pan with oil . Add chundakai, mustard seeds, jeera, meth seeds, curry leaves.
When the mustard splutters add tamarind juice, ground paste, turmeric, Hing, salt.
Boil this for 5 minutes. 
When it thickens, remove to a serving dish.
Serve with sesame oil/ ghee, roasted pappads & plain white rice.
This vathal kozhambu is good for the indigestion.

Dec 26, 2005

Keerai Mulakuttal (Spinach Curry)



This dish is very tasty and can be taken with chapathi and/or rice


Keera Mulakuttal


 Ingredients

  • Keerai (spinach ) ........... .1 bunch(washed,cleaned and chopped)
  • Tur dhal ...........................1 cup
  • Grated coconut ................1 cup
  • Mustard seeds .................1 tsp
  • Urad dal ..........................2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder.............. 1/2 tsp

Roast the following items with oil

  • Oil ...................................2 tsp
  • Red chili............................2
  • Urad dal ...........................3 tsp
  • Jeera(cumin seeds)... 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
Method
  • Cook the tur dhal in a cooker.
  • Wash the keerai under running water and remove all the water. 
  • Cut the keerai into small pieces and cook it with 1 cup of water.
  • Add turmeric powder. When the keerai is cooked, grind it coarsely in a blender and keep aside.
  • Fry the chillies, urad dal and jeera in oil and grind in blender with grated coconut.
  • Boil ground spinach with the coconut mixture and the cooked dhal.
  • Add salt to taste. Once the spinach is boiled remove from the fire and place in the serving dish.
  • Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds and urad dhal. When the mustard seeds splutter, add to the curry. 
  • Serve in a bowl . Eat with rice.

Dec 10, 2005

Araichuvitta Sambar


This sambar is typically from Kerala

Gravy with vegetable and spices
Arachuvitta Sambar


Ingredients
  • Tur Dhal (Yellow Gram) ..................2 cups
  • Tamarind .......................................1 lemon size (1 Spoon paste)
  • Pumpkin ........................................half kg
  • Drumstick ......................................1
  • Potato ...........................................1
  • Lady s Finger(Okra, Vendaikai)......... 200 gm
  • Capsicum ......................................1
  • Tomato ..........................................2
  • Hing ...............................................half spoon
  • Curry Leaves .................................. few
  • Mustard Seeds ..............................2 tsp
  • Salt..to Taste


For the masala


  • Red Chilies .................................6
  • Coriander Seeds .........................4 tsp,
  • Chana Dhal(Split Chick Peas)..... 2 tsp
  • Methi Seeds ...............................1 tsp
  • Grated Coconut......................... quarter cup
  • Oil...............................................1 tsp
  • Hing.............................................small piece

Method

  • Cook the tur dhal in a cooker.
  • Chop all the vegetable in medium sizes and extract tamarind juice .
  • Boil half cup water and add all the vegetables, tamarind water, turmeric and salt .
  • Fry the red chillies, coriander seeds, chana dhal and methi seeds in oil and grind in blender with coconut.
  • When the vegetables are cooked, add the cooked tur dhal, hing and ground masala paste. Boil the sambar. 
  • Sprinkle curry leaves (you can add coriander leaves also). 
  • Heat a pan with oil and add mustard seeds.
  • When it splutters, add it to the sambar..
    It is very tasty and side dish for idli, dosa and pongal.

Dec 9, 2005

Beet Root Curry




Ingredients 
  • Beet Root big .................. 2( finely cut)
  • Mustard ....................       1tsp
  • White Dhal (Lentil)........      2tsp
  • Red Chili .....................     1 
  • Turmeric ..................       .a pinch
  • Oil ..................................3 tsp
  • Grated Coconut ...............half cup
  • Salt to taste..

Method



  • Remove the skin of beetroot and cut into small pieces.
  • Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard, dhal and chili. 
  • When mustard splutters add the cut beetroot.
  • Add turmeric and salt. Nicely mix them. 
  • When the beetroot becomes soft, add the chili powder and grated coconut.
  • Serve hot with rice or chapathis.

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