Peerkankai Thogayal (Ridgegourd Chutney)

Peerkinkai

Peerkinkai pieces

Peerkankai Thogayal (Ridge Gourd Chutney)

• Prepare Time..........5 min
• cook Time...............5min
• Serve........................5

ingredients

• Peerkankai………………………2
• Urad dhal………………………  2tsp
• Red chili…………………………6
• Asafoetida………………………1/2 tsp
• Tamarind……………………… .1tsp
• Mustard seeds…………………..1tsp
• Oil………………………………3tsp
• Salt to taste

Peerkinkai Thogayal

Method

• Peel the skin of the peerkankai and cut into pieces.
• Heat pan and fry the red chili, urad dhal asafoetida. 
• When the Dal becomes red remove and keep aside. 
• Fry the peerkankai pieces little.Grind the dhal ,chili tamarind with little water. 
• Add the fried peerkankai ,salt and asafoetida and grind into coarse paste.
• Heat a pan with little oil add mustard seeds. 
• When it splutters add to the thogayal.It is very tasty and goes with rice, chapati , idli and dosa .
• I love to eat with rice and fried vadaam/applam.

Pumpkin Raitha (Mathan Kichadi)

Pumpkin Raitha

• Prepare Time.............5min
• Cook Time.............5 min
• Serve......................6

Ingredients

• Pumpkin.................1/2 kg
• Yogurt.....................2cups
• Mustard Seeds........1 tsp
• Red Chilli.................1
• Curry Leaves...........few
• Salt to Taste

Method

• Wash and cut the pumpkin into pieces. Boil and mash it. 
• When it is cooled add to the yogurt, salt and mix well. 
• Heat a pan with little oil add mustard seeds,curry leaves and chilli. 
• When the mustard seeds splutter add to the yogurt.
• This is very simple and good for health.It goes with vegetable pulav and chapathis.

Ennai Kathrikai (Egg Plant Curry)

For this recipe, purchase small tender kathrikai /eggplant .This recipe is very tasty and goes with rice or chapatis.

Ennai Kathrikai

Prepare Time              10 min
Cook Time                  30min
Serve                          6

Ingredients 
Small Kathrikai /Eggplant    10

Peanuts                     3tbsp
Grated Coconut          3tbsp
Coriander  seed         2stp
Chana Dhal                2tsp
Red Chili                     7
Tamarind Paste           1tsp
Asafetida                     1/2 tsp     
Turmeric Powder.         1tsp
Jaggery Powder            2tsp
Mustard Seeds              2 tsp
Sesame  seeds              3 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

Wash and slit the kathrikais into 4 on one side.
Heat pan with 3tbsp oil ,add mustard seeds and when it splutters add the kathrikai, turmeric and salt.
Cover the pan and time to time sauté it.
Fry chili, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, chana dhal, coconut, sesame seeds, peanuts till they become red. Grind them into a fine paste.
When the kathrikais are cooked, add tamarind paste, 1cup water and the ground paste. You can also add tomato puree( grind 3tomatoes with out water)
Cover the pan. When the gravy becomes thick and little oil seen on the top.
Remove and change into serving bowl
Serve this dish hot with rice. It is very tasty.

Kitchen treasures

Attukkal

Attukkal

We used to grind batter for idli/dosa in this attukkal.Now we use wet grinder.





Kalchatti (Kachatti)(Kitchen treasures)

Kal Chatti

Kal means stone and chatty means pot. I bought kalchatti(Kachatti) from Kerala. It is carved out of a single piece of soapstone.Before using for cooking you have to wash and season it with pouring rice kanji .It will be break if you prepare curry with out seasoning.it is grey /black in colour. Vathalkuzhambu, sambar, rasam avial and other food items become very tasty when cooked in kalchatti. I use kalchatti to make pulikachal and vathakuzhambu.
Idli Thattu
This is the idli mould.We use to make idli.Pour the batter into this and steam them.

Idli Thattu

We use Ultra Wet Grinder to make idli/dosa batter. Rice 3 cups and 2 cup urad dhal. Soak them separately for 6 hours and grind them separately. add salt and keep over night.Very very useful.

Ultra Wet Grinder

Indian spices and herbs

Coriander leaves (Cilantro)

The coriander plant provides both spice (coriander seed) and herb(the fresh leaves). It has delicate aroma and used by Indians in their cooking. It can be used in chutneys, vegetables, curries .To store this keep wrapped in a paper towel. Wash and cut into pieces and put them in ice tray adding water. When you need to use put one cube to your curry. It remains fresh.

Cilantro

Curry leaves.

In southern India we have curry plant in our houses .Curry leaves has dark leaves and used as herb. Add in hot oil which enhance the aroma in sambar, rasam and curries.Air dry the leaves ,store in plastic bag and keep it in fridge

Curry leaves

Cabbage Thovaran

Ingredients

• Cabbage ........................1
• Peas................................1/4 cup
• Mustard Seeds............ ...1tsp
• Urad Dhal...................... 2tsp
• Red Chili........................1
• Turmeric Powder...........1/4 tsp
• Salt to Taste

Cabbage Curry

Method

• Wash and chop the cabbage into small pieces. 
• Heat pan with 1tsp oil, add mustard seeds, chili , urad dhal. 
• When the mustard splutters ,add the cabbage, peas, turmeric and salt. 
• Mix it well. No adding water.When the cabbage is cooked remove to a bowl.
• Serve with chapati or sambar/rasam rice

Cauliflower Bhaji(Gobi Bhaji)

Prepare Time...................10 min
Cook Time.........................15 min
Serve...................................4

Ingredients

• Cauliflower........................ 1 cup ( separate small florets)
• Mustard, Seeds ................1 tsp
• Urad Dhal...........................2 tsp......
  
• Green Chili........................ 1 
• Grated Coconut.................3 tbsp
• Peas...................................3 tbsp
• Turmeric .Powder.............1/4 tsp,
• Salt to Taste
• 
  

Method

• Boil water add turmeric and salt. 
• When it boils add the cauliflower florets and cover it. Put off the fire.
• Heat a pan with 3 spoons of oil add mustard and urad dhal.
• When it splutters, add cauliflower florets,  salt, chilli and coconut .
• Mix it well.  remove from the fire.
• It is a simple and tasty recipe.

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani

This is a Punjabi dish served with naan or chapathi

Ingredients

• Whole black urad dhal........................1cup
• Tomato...............................................1/2 cup
• Onion.................................................1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder................................1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder......................................1/2 tsp....
• Garam masala....................................1/2 tsp
• Ginger................................................1 small piece
• Dhania powder...................................1tsp
• Amchor powder.................................1/2tsp
• Hing...................................................1/2tsp
• Ghee..................................................1tbsp
• Green chilli.......................slitted..........2
• Fresh cream........................................2tbsp
• Coriander leaves.................................few
• Salt To Taste

Method

• Wash and soak the dhal about 6 hours and cook it in a pressure cooker adding turmeric, chopped tomato and salt. Dhal should be soft.
• Heat a pan with ghee add cut onions, green chili, ginger, garam masala, amchor ,chili powder, dhania powder and little salt. 
• Fry nicely till the raw smells goes.Add cooked dhal and mash well.
• Add fresh cream and sprinkle coriander leaves. 
• Serve with naan, thandoori roti or chapathi

Kathrikai Pitlai (Eggplant/Baigan curry)

Kathrikai Pitlai (Eggplant curry)This is a recipe mostly Tamil Brahmins prepare in their house. Make this curry with eggplant or pavakai/karela

Ingredients

• Kathrikai( Eggplant) Big..................1 
• Grated Coconut........................... .1/2 cup
• Tur Dhal........................................1cup
• Red Chilli......................................7
• Urad Dhal.....................................2tbsp 
• Asoefoetida..................................1 small piece
• Mustard Seeds.............................1tsp 
• Tamarind Paste............................1tsp 
• Turmeric powder..........................1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves.................................few
• Salt to taste 

Method

• Cook the dhal in a pressure cooker. Cut the eggplant into small pieces.
• Boil this with water and turmeric powder.When it is cooked add tamarind and salt.
• Fry the chilli, dhal and asofoetida. Grind with coconut into a paste. 
• Add this paste and the dhal to the cooked kathrikai.
• Heat a tawa with oil add mustard seeds, dhal and 2tsp coconut and when coconut becomes red add to the curry.
• Let it boil , add curry leaves and change into the serving bowl. 
• Eat with rice, chapathi or puri.

Artichoke Bhaji

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Artichoke Bhaji

Artichoke Bhaji

Our friend Manohar recommended this recipe to me. I prepared this dish and it is very tasty.

Ingredients

• Frozen artichoke,pieces........ 1packet
• Soya bean............................ 1packet
• Onion seeds (Kalonji)............2tsp
• Chilli powder.........................1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder....................a pinch
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat a pan with 2tsp oil add onion seeds and when it fried add beans and artichoke.
  Add turmeric powder and chilli powder. Stir in between. 
• When the artichoke is cooked, remove to serving bowl.