Podiari Kanji(Broken Rice Porridge)

Podi Ari(Broken rice) kanji  is a breakfast item with Kappa Puzukku or Muthira Puzhukku.This kanji is taste better when you make with red broken  rice (kai kuthari).Take  this kanji with narthankai when we have fever or stomach upset.It is a healthy staple food.

Podiari Kanji

        Ingredients

• Podi Ari.......................1cup
• Water...........................6 cups
• Dry Ginger...................1tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

• Boil the water and add washed rice and cook.
• When the rice is cooked, add salt.
• Serve with koottu/puzhukku

Spinach Raitha (Keerai Kichadi)

Spinach Raitha

• Chopped Spinach…………….....3cups
• Yogurt………………………......2cups
• Red Chili………………………..2
• Cumin Seeds…………………. ..1tsp
• Mustard Seeds……………… ....1tsp
• Asafoetida………………………1/4tsp

Method

• Boil the spinach with very little water grind coarsely.
• Mix the yogurt and add the spinach in room temperature.
• Heat a pan with oil add mustard and cumin seed, and red chili.
• When the mustard crackles add to the raitha.
• Add salt and mix well.
• Instead of grinding the spinach add the spinach to the seasoning and cook till the water fully evaporates.
• Add this spinach to yogurt.
• Frozen chopped spinach can be used instead of fresh spinach.
• This raitha can be used as dip for vegetables and crackers.No seasoning is needed.

Cucumber Raitha.

Cucumber Raitha
.
Ingredients

Cucuumber Raitha

• Cucumber.......................1cup
• Yogurt............................1cup
• Green Chili......................2
• Mustard Seeds................1tsp
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera).......1tsp
• Red Chili.........................1
• Curry Leaves.................. few
• Grated Coconut...............2tbsp

Method

• Grind the coconut,green chili and mustard into paste.
• Add ground paste,grated (cut) cucumber, salt to the yogurt.
• Heat a pan with 1tsp oil add cumin seeds, red chili and curry leaves and when it crackles, add to the raitha.
• This is one of my favorite raithas.

Maaladu

Maladu

Maladu

( I make them very often. It is very easy to prepare.)
    
Ingredients
Pottu kadalai (Roasted Gram)         1 cup
(Dariya Dhal )
Sugar                                             one and half cup
Cashew Nuts(Broken)                   quarter cup
Ghee                                             quarter cup
Cardamom Powder                     1 tsp
Method
Powder the pottu kadalai and sugar finely in a blender separately.

Heat a pan with 1tsp of ghee and fry the cashew nuts, till it becomes red.

Mix both the powders, cardamom powder, roasted cashew nuts.

Add the rest of the warm ghee slowly, till you can roll like a a ball with hand and press tightly.

It is very tasty and if you keep the powder, any time you can make this sweet.

Carob Cake

Carob Cake
Carob powder is used instead of cocoa/ chocolate.Use the same amount of carob to replace cocoa.carob powder is made from the pod of the carob bean.
For more information about carob visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carob_tree

Ingredients

• All purpose Flour................................11/2 cups
• Sugar.................................................1 cup
• Carob Powder...................................2tbsp
• Baking Powder..................................1/2tsp
• Baking Soda......................................1/2 tsp
• Salt....................................................1/2 tsp
• Vanilla Essence...................................1/2tsp
• Lemon Juice.......................................1tbsp
• Cold Water........................................1cup

Method

• Mix maida, sugar,baking powder baking soda and salt.
• Another bowl carob powder,vanilla, lemon juice ghee and water mix thoroughly. 
• Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Transfer the dough into a baking cake pan.
• Preheat the oven into 375 degree  and bake  for about 40 minutes.
• Remove and keep it to cool.

Diwali Snacks & Sweets

I made Mixture, Thenkuzhal .Badam cake, Wheat flour Ladu,Ravaladu and Diwali Marundhu for this Diwali.
Click the Bhakshanams to get the recipes

• Thattai (Snack),   
• Ribbon Pakodas
• Thenkuzhal
• South Indian Spicy Mixture( Chivda)
• Diwali Special Marundu (Ginger Lehiyum)
• Maladu
• Kaju Burfi(cashew nut Burfi)
• Pal Kova (Milk cake)
• Anjir/Dates Burfi (Figs/Dates Burfi)

Diwali Bhakshanams

Poricha Kozhambu

Poricha Kozhambu is like koottu but in semi  liquid. This Kozhambu is less spicy so eat with rice pickle, raita, puli keerai and rasam. Typical Palghat recipe.In Kerala we prepare most of the dishes with coconut and tastes so good.You can add carrot. peas, beans too.

Ingredients

• Elavan (White Pumpkin)......................250 gm
• Raw Bana............................................1
• Yam (Chenai).......................................100 gm
• Podalangai............................................small piece
• Drum Stick...........................................1.
• Grated Coconut...................................2 cups
• Red Chilies..........................................6
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera)............................1tsp
• Mustard Seeds....................................1tsp
• Urad Dhal...........................................2tsp
• CurryLleaves.......................................few.
• Cooked Tur Dhal................................1cup 
• Salt To taste

Poricha Kozhambu

Method

• Cut all vegetables into small cubes and cut drumstick 2" long.
• Heat  a pan with water add turmeric and all vegetable and cook.
• When they all cooked add salt. Grind coconut, chili and jeera into fine paste.
• Add this paste and cooked tur dhal into vegetables.
• Heat a pan with oil add  urad  dhal, mustard seeds, 2tsp coconut and curry leaves.
• When the mustard crackles add to the kozhambu and mix well.
• Another way... Fry chili and urad dhal and grind with coconut and add to the vegetables, 
• Both ways we can prepare this dish. .

Palak Panner

Palak Panneer

• Palak .........................1 bunch
• Panner Tofu.................1/2 lb
• Tomatoes.....................2
• Onion...........................1
• Green Chilies.................2
• Cumin Seeds..................1/2tsp
• Coriander Powder..........1tsp
• Chili Powder...................1tsp
• Garlic.............................3 flakes
• Garam Masala................1/2tsp
• Fresh cream/ Yogurt.......1tbsp
• Coriander Leaves...........few
• Salt toTaste 

Method

• Wash and chop the spinach finely and cook it
• Slice the onion and tomatoes into pieces.
• Heat a pan with oil add smashed garlic,onion and tomatoes and fry.
• Grind with palak and fried ingredients.
• Heat another pan with oil add cumin seeds add slit chili,garam masala and onions.
• Fry for 2  more minutes.
• Add chili and coriander powder. Add the ground palak, salt and mix well.
• Mix panner cubes gently.
• Put off the flame and decorate with coriander leaves and cream.
• Serve hot with chapati.

Baingan Bartha

Baingan Bartha is a vegetarian curry ofNorth  Indian. (Mashed eggplant curry). We call kathrikai for eggplant in tamil

Baingan Bartha

Ingredients

•  Egg plant (Baingan)...................1
• Onion(Chopped).......................1
• Tomatoes (Chopped).................2
• Green Chili( Slitted)...................3
• Chili Powder.............................2tsp
• Coriander Powder....................2tsp
• Garam Masala..........................1/2tsp
• Turmeric Powder.......................1/4 tsp
•  Coriander Leaves..........few
• Mustard Seeds...........................1tsp
• Cumin Seeds..............................1tsp
• Salt to Taste

Method

• Keep the eggplant on the gas burner and roast it over medium flame(Apply oil and use oven 350 degree for 30 to 40 minutes)
• In between turn the eggplant to roast evenly.
• Peel the skin and mash it when it is cooled...
• Heat a pan with oil, add mustard and cumin seeds. When it crackles add the onion,turmeric,garam masala, chili and fry them.
• Add tomatoes , salt. and cook until they become tender.
• Add the mashed eggplant and mix well.
• Fry some more minutes and garnish with coriander leaves.
• It is a side dish for chapathi.
• You can add garlic ginger paste while frying..

Manga Pickle( Mangacurry)

Mango Pickle

Ingredients

• Manga …..........................3
• Salt....................................2 tbsp
• Chilli Powder.....................3tbsp
• Methi Seeds.....................1tsp
• Mustard Seeds.................1tsp
• Asafoetida …....................small piece
• Turmeric Powder............... ½ tsp
• Sesame Oil ….....................3tbsp

Method

• Wash, dry and cut the mangoes into small pieces.
• Fry the hing and methi seeds and powder them.
• Heat the oil and cool it.Mix chilli powder, salt methi seeds/ asafoetida powder and oil.
• Add the mango pieces and mix well.
• Keep in a airtight jar.
• Curd rice and kaduku mango goes very well with each other.