PUDINA RICE...

RECIPE: PUDINA RICE

Now for some rice with a zing of mint to change the tastebuds after all the sweets and savouries.

INGR:

Cooked rice         a bowl (4 servings)
pudina                 a big bunch 
onion                   1
tomato                 1
ginger                  1/2 "
garlic                   4 - 5 pods
green chillies      4
coconut dices     1 tbsp
lemon                   half
cumin                   2 tsp
cumin pd              1 tsp
pepper pd             1/2 tsp
turmeric pd          1/4 tsp
sambhar pd          1 tsp  
fenugreek             1/4 tsp
hing                      a big pinch
mustard                1 tsp
urad dal                1 tsp
channa dal           1 tsp
cashew/peanuts   1 tbsp
sugar                    1/4 tsp
salt to taste
sesame oil          2 tbsp
ghee                    1 tbsp

Method:

1. Cool cooked rice (preferably basmati or any other raw rice will do)
2. Coat with 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil (to separate rice grains).Set aside.
3. Chop pudina leaves finely . Chop onion, tomatoes, gr chillies. Crush ginger & garlic.
4. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan and put in fenugreek, cumin seeds, crushed ginger garlic; add onions and saute
5. When pink, add tomatoes, green chillies and pudina. Toss for 2 mts. add coconut pcs.
6. Remove and cool.  On cooling grind this to a fine paste with little water. Keep aside.
7. Now heat rest of the oil and ghee in a pan for the tadka.
8. Put in mustard, urad daal, channa dal and fry; add cashew/peanuts fry to golden.
9. Add the pudina paste and mix well. 
10. Put in salt to taste,sugar, cumin pd, pepper pd, sambhar pd and turmeric.
11. Let this mix cook for 5 - 6 mts .  Add little water if necessary.
12. When oil starts oozing out at the sides, add lemon juice and remove from heat.
13. Coat the rice with this mix in 2-3 batches so that it gets smeared thoroughly.
14. Check for salt and mix as per your taste (some like it strong; others mild)
15. If needed warm ghee or sesame oil can be added at this stage.
16. Serve with papad and onion raitha.

Note: 

1. See to it that rice is cooked 3/4ths and on cooling the grains are separate. 
2. In a similar way dhania patti can be used and coriander rice made.

THATTU..( OTTA VADA )

RECIPE:
Ingr:  
Raw rice flour          1/2 kg
Urad dal                    100gm
Butter                        100 gm
Hing                           1 tsp
Jeera                          1 tsp
Pepper                       1 tsp
Channa dal                 2 tbsp
Til/sesame seeds      2 tbsp 
(optional)
Garlic                           8 - 10 flakes
Chilli flakes                 2 tsp
Curry leaves              a bunch
salt to taste 
oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Soak channa dal for 1 hour. Drain and spread the dal to remove any moisture.
2. Roast urad dal lightly and powder it finely.
3. Chop curry leaves finely and crush garlic with the peel on roughly.
4. Roast rice flour lightly.  Melt butter and set aside.
5. In a wide and shallow dish, mix all the ingredients rubbing off melted butter.
6. Add some lukewarm water and make a soft yet stiff dough as shown above.
7. Check for salt and other seasonings and adjust accordingly.
8. Make tiny balls and pat them out thinly into round shapes as shown.
9. Deep fry on medium heat to golden brown and set aside on a tissue to soak excess oil.
10. Cool and store in airtight containers. They stay fresh for at least a fortnight.

Note:

1. Use a greased plastic sheet or plantain leaf for this purpose.
2. Keep a tiny bowl of water and dip your fingers before patting.
3. This enables in keeping the dough soft and shaping of thin thattu without any cracks.
4. When still hot they may seem soft but on cooling they become crisp.
5. Til/sesame seeds and roasted, skinned,split peanuts can also be added for taste. 

CARROT& COCONUT KATLI...

RECIPE:

Ingr:

grated carrot             1 cup
grated coconut         1 cup
besan/gramflour       1 cup
milk                            1 cup
ghee                           1 cup
sugar                          3 1/2 cups
soaked kaju               8 - 10
blanched almond      8 - 10
cardamom pd            1/2 tsp
(few drops almond essence : optional )

Method:

1. Grind carrot, coconut, kaju, almond together with little milk into fine paste.
2. Mix besan, cardamom pd. & sugar in warm ghee in a thick karahi .
3. Put in the carrot coconut mixture and add rest of the milk. 
4. Place on medium flame and keep stirring continuously.
5. Remove when mixture begins to leave the sides of vessel and add essence. 
6. Spread on a greased thali evenly, cool and cut into desitred shapes.
7. (Can decorate with dry fruits by pressing them onto the katli while still warm)

  

RAVA KHICDI...

RECIPE:

Ingr:    ( 3 servings )

Rava/Sooji                 1 cup
Hot water             4 cups

Onion                        1

Green chillies            3

Ginger                       1/2 "

Curry leaves             1 sprig

Coriander leaves      1 sprig

Lemon                       juice of a half lemon

Green Peas                1/4 cup

Peanuts (optional)    1 tbsp

Turmeric                   1/4 tsp

Sugar                         1/2 tsp

Urad dal                    1 tsp

Channa/Bengal gram 1 tsp

Mustard seeds            1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee                          1 tbsp

Oil                         2 tbsp

Method:

1. Slice onions  and chop ginger, green chillies, curry leaves & coriander finely.
2. Take a thick bottomed pan and heat ghee & oil.
3. (Keep the water to boil in another vessel)
4. Add mustard, on crackling, add peanuts, urad, bengal gram and fry to golden.
5. Now add curry leaves, ginger, gr.chillies, onion and green peas.
6. Fry till onions turn pink and add turmeric, salt, sugar and rava. Toss and stir fry all the ingr well.
7. Let rava turn to golden and fry on slow heat till a nice aroma emanates from it
8. Transfer the contents on to a plate.
9. In the same pan pour the already heated water; let it come to a boil.
10. Add the rave mixture, stirring slowly to avoid lumps and cook on slow heat.
11. Check for salt and cover with a lid.
12. Stir once in a while and let the contents get cooked for 6 - 8 mts.
13. If needed more of oil/ghee may be added at this stage to get a soft and smooth texture.
14. Just before removing, add the juice of half a lemon and mix well. 
15. Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves & serve hot with sambhar or coconut chutney.

Note:

1. Adding a little bit of sugar and lemon juice gives a good twist & a nice taste to the  khicdi.
2. If followed step by step one can never go wrong and this dish makes for an excellent breakfast or an early supper.
3. You can add golden fried cashew and raisins to make it more delicious.

CRISPY VEGETABLE VADA ..

RECIPE:

Ingr:     10 - 12 

Batter to grind:
Urad dal                                     1 cup (150 gm)     
Hing                                            a big pinch
Pepper                                       1/2 tdp
Baking soda                              1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Veggie mix:
Onions cut lengthwise                2
Gr. chillies finely chopped         4 - 5
Curry leaves  chopped               a sprig
Coriander leaves chopped        a sprig
Carrot finely diced                     1/4 cup
Beans   diced                              1/4 cup
Coconut diced                            1 tbsp                           
Ginger chopped                         1/2 "
Cashew (optional)                     5 - 6

Method:

1. Soak urad dal in water for 1 hour. Drain excess water and put in a mixer.
2. Grind together coarsely all ingr. in 'batter' and keep aside. ( do not add any water for grinding).
3. The batter should be thick and firm in consistency, as shown.
4. Mix in all the veggie mix ingr. and shape into balls. Let them rest for 1/2 an hour.
5. Heat oil for deep frying on medium flame. 
6. Flatten the vadas as shown with a hole in the centre (this cooks the insides better).
7. Deep fry to golden brown on slow fire (otherwise it will brown quickly leaving the inside uncooked).
8. Take out on a tissue to drain excess oil.
9. Serve hot with chutney of choice, sambhar or ketchup.
10. It is a wholesome breakfast or evening snack by itself.

Note:

1. For flattening the vada, can use banana leaf or any clean plastic sheet.
2. Wet the leaf or sheet with water each time; this helps in handling it better without any sticking.
3. I use my palm for shaping by wetting for each vada (keep a bowl of water handy). It is quicker.
4. The batter mix can be refrigerated and used up later or next day also. 
5. This way they turn out crisper and tastier as they tend to soak more of oil !!

VERMICELLI KHEER...

RECIPE:

Ingr:

Bambino roasted vermicelli                    1/2 cup
Milk ( creamy )                                          600 ml
Sugar as per taste (or)                             1/2 cup
Cardamom whole                                     3 - 4
Raisins, almonds (slivers)                       1 tsp

Method:

1. Bring milk to boil in a thick bottomed pan. Add whole cardamoms to lend flavour to milk.
2. Simmer till volume is reduced to 2/3rds.
3. Add pre-roasted vermicelli and cook till it gets half-cooked.
4. Add sugar and nuts, cook for 5 more mts, till a semi-solid texture is reached. 
5. Remove the cardamoms and serve the kheer hot or cold with raisins sprinkled over.

KABULI CHANA SUNDAL...

RECIPE:

kabuli chana               1 cup
Scraped coconut        1 tbsp
Red whole chillies     2
Curry leaves              1 sprig
Mustard seeds           1 tsp
Hing                             a pinch
Urad dal                      1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil                               2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak chana dal overnight. Place the soaked chana in a pressure cooker.
2. Pour water to just immerse the chana, add little salt and pressure cook it.
3. Allow for the 1st whistle, reduce the flame; remove after 5 mts.
4. Drain excess water and keep aside.

Tadka:
Heat 3 tsp oil add hing, mustard, red chillies (split into small pcs).
On crackling, add urad dal, curry leaves, stir for a minute.
Remove and keep aside; mix in scraped coconut and add channa to it .
Stir well and check for salt. There goes a healthy chana salad.

(Navrathri times brings us back to the humble "sundal". It is made with diff. daals. Black channa tastes best and is also healthy. In Chennai it is a popular snack at the beach wherein it is garnished with grated raw mango, which lends it a tangy and refreshing flavour.)