Idly Podi

Today I am posting an basic and essential podi of our kitchen. If this podi is available, there is no tension of making a chutney or any side dish for Idly, Dosa varieties. And also it can be used to make some varieties of dishes. I use this podi to make podi dosai/oothappam, mini idly fry, Muttai posi sadam, which is the left over recipe. Wheat podi dosai etc.  This is the basic Idly podi recipe, similarly by increasing and adding few more ingredients, you can make your own Podi varieties like, Ellu podi, kariveppilai podi, poondu podi, etc.

it is the simplest podi we make at home, I just wanted to have this in my space for my future references.I have made it to mild spicy, you can adjust the number of red chilies as per your taste buds

Now into the recipe:

Urad dal - 2 cups
Sesame seeds - 1 table spoon
Red Chilies - 10- 12
Garlic cloves - 2
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Perungayam / hing - 2 pinches
Oil- 1 tea spoon (optional)
salt - as per taste

Preparation:

1.In a pan, heat a tea spoon of oil and roast the urad dal until they are roasted well, nice aroma comes and the color changed to slight brown. (Even you can dry roast, oil is optional)
2. When they are turning into slight brown, add the Red chilies and roast until they are puffed and changing the color.

3.Transfer them to a plate and sprinkle the hing powder on the hot urad dal and mix with a spoon
4. In the same pan, dry roast, curry leaves, sesame seeds, and garlic desperately, and transfer them to the plate.
5. Garlic should be roasted until the skin peels of itself.
6. Let it cool down well, then in mixer grind all these by adding required salt.

Grind until you reach the required consistency. Let it cool down and store it in Jar and use.

Notes:
if you mixer cannot hold the entire quantity, grind it in batches and mix well.

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Mutton Chukka

From childhood, this word chukka attracts me so much. Mutton chukka and mutton chops were used to be my favoriteLamb /goat dishes.

Here I am posting a simple way to make the chukka and the taste is guaranteed :) I have used mild spices as my daughter doesn't like more spicy food. you can increase the chili and pepper quantity as per your taste buds.

Ingredients:
Goat / Lamb - 250 grams (approx) (wash with turmeric and salt and keep ready.)
Onion - 1 large
tomato -1 large
green chili - 1
ginger garlic paste - 1 tea spoon
Ginger - 1/2 tea spoon (grated or finely chopped)
Garlic - 1 tea spoon (finely chopped)
curry leaves - a few
coriander leaves - a few
salt- as per taste
Pepper powder - 1/2 a tea spoon
Oil- 3-4 tea spoon

Spice powders:
Chili powder - 1/2 tea spoon
coriander powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Dry garam masala:
fennel seeds - 1 tea spoon
cinnamon stick -1
anistar -1
bay leave -1

Preparation:

1.In a Pressure pan/cooker, preheat 2 tea spoons of oil and fry the items listed in dry garam masala
2. Add half of the large chopped onion and green chili and saute well until the onions turn transparent.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste to it and saute until the raw smell leaves.
4. Then add half of the chopped tomatoes and saute until they turn soft,
5. Add half a tea spoon of chili powder and one tea spoon of coriander to it and saute well.

6. When they all blend together, add the washed mutton pieces to it and saute for 7-10 minutes in medium flame.
7. Add 1 to 1 1/4 cups of water add half of the required salt and  close the lid, and cook for 6-7 whistles.Or until they cook softly.

8. In a frying pan, heat 2 tea spoons of oil and add the finely chopped ginger and garlic, curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds.
9. Then  add and saute the remaining half onions till they turn transparent.
10. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute until tit blends well with the onions.
11. now transfer the whole content from cooker to pan and let it cooked in the medium flame
12. When almost all the water is dried, check for salt and adjust accordingly.

13. Let it cook in open pan until you get the desired thickness.
14. Add half a tea spoon of pepper powder, mix well and switch off the flame.
15.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Serve with your favorite main dish. It suits well with briyani, steamed rice and idly dosa, idiyappam kind of dishes. When it is dried well good to eat as it is. I served it with Egg Dosai

Notes:
1. It is very important to cook the meat completely. Other wise kids will get indigestion. \
2. I used the boneless meat, you can use either with bones or boneless of your choice.
3. I have removed the visible Fat layer from the meat, if you are not removing, reduce the oil quantity.
4. Washing the meat with turmeric and salt will act as antiseptic to remove the germs if any.
5. Instead of using the ginger garlic paste, you can use the crushed ginger and garlic, it will enhance the taste more...

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Word Press Family Award

First I would like to thank Dhanya of skinny chef de cuisine for nominating me for the "Word Press Family" award. I am very glad to receive it. Thank you Dhanya for award.. :)

About the award, The ‘Word Press Family Award’ is a brand new one from Shaun (http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/word-press-family-award/) who has personally found much love and support after entering the blogging world. Good one Shaun.

Its been almost two months since i have started blogging and I am very proud to say I have got some good friends who gives the feel and comfort as a family. Though we get many friends in our life journey the first few will always remain in our heart and we will be grateful to them. Similarly here in the blogging world, I have got number of friends and these girls are the first circle i have got here. We Chat, exchange ideas, help and encourage each other and appreciate our works. Here I take this opportunity to thank these guys and  I wish this support and friendship should continue forever.

Here is my blogging family,

Asha of Chikku's Kitchen

Beulah of Full Scoops

Eliza Lincy of Lincy's cook Art

Preetha Sowmyan of A Bowl of Curry

Remya of Remmys Kitchen

Shereen Michael of Recipe Listed

Thank you for being with me Gals... 

Egg Puffs

Who doesn't like these egg puffs for evening snacks? Most of the evenings of my college days were accompanied by these delicious puffs only. It is one of the famous snack in our canteen. Those days Frutnik and Egg puffs used to be our favorite snack combo.

I learned about the pastry sheets some years back from one of my friend who is the former food blogger, So started making my favorite puffs by my own.

Lets get into the recipe now:

Pastry sheet - 1 sheet (makes 9 small puffs)
Boiled Eggs: - 4 (cut it into two halves)

to stuff:
onion - 1 big (coarsely chopped)
green chili - 2 (slit into two)
tomato- 1 table spoon finely chopped.
ginge garlic paste - 1 tea spoon
coriander powder - 1 tea spoon
chili powder - 1/4 tea spoon
Oil- 2-3 tea spoons

Preparation:

1. Thew pastry sheets as per the instructions in the package and keep ready.
2. Boil eggs, remove shells and cut into halves and keep aside.
3. In the mean time, In a pan, heat 2 tea spoons of oil, and saute the  chopped onions and green chili until the onions turn transparent.
4. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute, when the raw smell leaves, add the tomato and saute well along with the spice powders given. Add a tea spoon of oil if required.

5. Now cut the pastry sheets into nine equal parts, if the sheet has breakages, apply little water in it and press to fix it.
6. Stretch the ends a little and stuff the masala prepared and the cut eggs and close the edges by applying a drop of water to seal it nicely...

7. Preheat oven for 425F and bake these puffs for 15 minutes. check in between after 10 minutes.
Serve with tomato ketchup or sauce.

Notes: To have a  nice brown color, brush the beaten eggs on top of the pastry.

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Channa Pulao

Channa / Kondakadalai is rich in protein and kid's all time favorite. I used to add lentils in my cooking whenever it is possible. Even if there is no idea, what to cook, I just used to soak some lentil, so next day it will be used to make some dish or make it sprout and serve as salad. Even Sprouted Channa used to taste well, A handful of channa can be added while grinding for idly/ dosa, which gives a new taste with lot if nutrients in it.

Now Lets get into today's recipe Channa Pulao.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice- 1 cup
white Channa - 3/4 cup (soak over night)
tomato-1 small
Onion - 1 large
green chili- 2
ginger garlic paste - 1 tea spoon
garam masala - 1/2 tea spoon
chili powder - 1/2 tea spoon
coriander powder - 1 tea spoon
oil - 4-5 tea spoons
salt- to taste

Dry garam masala:

fennel seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
cinnamon stick -1 small
anistar - 1
bay leaf - 1
cloves - 2-3

1.soak basmati rice for 30 mins
2. In a pressure pan / cooker heat 2-3 tea spoons of oil and roast the items listed in dry garam masala.
3. Slice the onions and saute until they turn golden brown.
4. Add ginger galic paste to it and saute until the raw smell leaves.
5. Add sliced tomatoes, saute until they turn soft, then add the chili, garam and coriander powders, if required add a tea spoon of oil and saute until they all blend together and oil starts to separate.

6. Add soaked and washed channa and fry for few minutes
7. Add soaked and washed basmati rice and fry gently for few minutes without breaking the rice.
8. measure and add 1 and 3/4 cups of water to it,adjust salt and close the lod and leave it for 2-3 whistles.
9. When pressure leaves, add chopped coriander leaves and mix gently with fork.

Serve with Raitha or Kurma of your choice.

Notes: Few mint leaves can be added while cooking.

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Egg Dosai / Muttai Dosai

Another mouthwatering dosai variety it is. Love egg dosai with any non-veg salna or curry, that will enhance its taste more. It tastes heavenly even without any side dish. Lets see how to make a egg dosa in a simple way.

Ingredients:

Dosa batter
Eggs - 2 (for 2 dosa)
pepper powder - 1 tea spoon
salt - a pinch
oil- 1 tea spoon

Preparation:

1. In a pre-heated dosa tawa, spread a spoon of dosa batter.
2. break the egg shell and pour it on dosa, and spread it evenly on the dosa with a small spoon.
3. immediately sprinkle half a tea spoon of pepper powder and a pinch of salt and half tea spoon of oil evenly.
4. cook well on both the sides.
5. serve with your favorite curry or you can have it as it is.

I served it with Mutton Chukka...

Notes:
1. sprinkle pepper and salt immediately after spreading the egg on dosa, or it will get dried.
2.do not make too thin or too think dosa, it needs to be in a medium thickness.
3. you can wither beat the eggs and spread in the same way. I wanted to have that yellow and white colors in dosa so made it this way.

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Linking this recipe to #recipeoftheweek | A Mummy Too

Chicken Noodles

I have tried Chicken Fried Rice many times in the similar method...
And just applied that for noodles too this time.

Ingredients:

Egg Noodle - 1 cup
(If you are using the same twisted noodle which i have used, take 2 cups)
bone less chicken - 300 grams (approx)
Egg- 2 nos
onions - 1/2 medium
green chili -2
ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
pepper powder - 1 tea spoon
salt -to taste
soy sause - 1/2 a tea spoon (optional)
tomato sauce - 1 tea spoon (optional)
oil-to fry chicken(preserve 2-3 tea spoons of oil once chicken is fried)

To Marinate chicken:

garam masala -1/2 a tea spoon
chili powder - 1/3 tea spoon
ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tea spoon
salt -as per taste

Or

Even you can simply use any chicken 65 masala :)

Preparation:

1. Take 4 cups of water in a pot and bring to boil. when the water bubbles add the uncooked noodles to it.
2. cook for about 7 to 8 mins or until the noodles is tender.
(If your noodles pack says specific way of cooking, please follow those.)
3.Once the noodle is cooked, drain the water and wash it twice with the cold water (Preferably running water. if you dont have drainer or drinking water tap, you can still add cold water in pan and drain it.)
4. Keep the drained noodles aside.

5. In a pan, pre heat  about 2 table spoons of oil (or as per your measurement to deep fry/ shallow fry the chicken)

6. Fry the chicken until they are cooked softly. (Add few curry leaves in pan if you do shallow fry)

7. If shallow fried, drain all the oil and preserve only 2 tea spoons in the same tawa.

8.If not, just take about 2 tea spoons of oil to a frying pan, and add green chilies and onions to it and saute for 2 to 3 mins.

9. Once when the onions are turning into golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste to it.

10. Fry until the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes.

11. Break an egg and drop in the tawa, when it is half cooked, add the fried chicken pieces to it.mix well

12. Add the cooked noodles to this mix, with pepper, salt, and tomato sauce.

13. when they are all blended well add soy sauce and switch off the flame.. 

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Thatta Payir Puli Kuzhambu

Thatta payir / cow-pea is one of the tastiest and healthiest Bean.This bean suits for sundal as well as gravy. Though it can be done with any type of cow-pea, I always prefer Brown or Red Payir for this gravy. Soaking the bean is not required . Even if you are not pre-planned to prepare this curry, you can make it instantly. This lentil is also called as red chori or brown beans too.

Ready to taste this healthy and tangy recipe? lets see how to make this...

Ingredients:

Thatta Payir / Cowpea - 1 cup
Egg plant - 2 medium
Drumstick - 1 (cut it into 4 or 5 pieces)
tamarind - a big amla size (make the extract with 1 cup water)
onion - 1/2 a small onion (optional)
Greenchili - 2
sambar powder -1 or 2 tea spoon (as per your spice level, I added 1 tea spoon only)
coconut - 1/4 cup of ground coconut
oil- 3 to 4 tea spoon
coriander leaves - a few
salt- as per taste

To temper:
mustard seeds - 1/2 a tea spoon
urad dal - 1 tea spoon
hing/perungayam - 2-3 pinches
curry leaves - a few


Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the lentil with sufficient water for 3 to 4 whistles.

2. In a pan heat 2 tea spoons of oil, when heated add the sliced onions, and green chilies, saute well
3. Cut eggplants to lengthwise pieces, and drumstick into four to five pieces, add them to pan and saute for two to three minutes.
4.  When the raw smell of vegetables leave, add the prepared tamarind extract along with a tea spoon of sambar powder
5.close pan with lid and reduce the flame to simmer and cook until the veggies are tender / cooked. (do not over cook, for me it took about 15 minutes)
6. Now add the pressure cooked lentils to the pan. mix well and let it cook with the tamarind gravy for 5 to 10 mins.

7. grind the coconut pieces to a fine paste and add to the gravy and let it boil once.
8.Temper with the items listed and switch off the flame.

Best to serve with steamed rice with your choice of kootu or poriyal.

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