Parupu poli at home

Ingredients:

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• kadalai paruppu - 200 grams
• Maida Flour - 400 grams
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• Gingelly oil/nalennai - 4 table spoon
• Sugar - 300 grams

Method:

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• Soak the chana dal/kadalai parupu in warm water till it becomes soft enough so that you can make it into half with your hand(killu prayam).
• Drain the excess water in a strainer and keep aside.

Make a semi soft dough(neither too hard nor too soft) with maida and water.Add water little by little to get the below consistency and set aside.

Grind the soaked chana dal in a mixer and make it into a coarse mixture as show below. Dont make it in to a paste.

• Powder the sugar finely in a mixie.
• Add the powdered sugar to the above ground chana dal and keep stirring it on a medium flame in a hard bottomed vessel.Do not stop stirring.
• The sugar will melt and at one point you will see that the mixture does not stick to the tava on stirring.It will be as shown below.At that point switch off the flame.
• The filling for the poli is ready.

• Do not make balls of the dough initialy itself as we do for roti .Do it as and when needed.
• Make a big lemon sized ball out of the dough and slightly smaller size out of the filling.
• Roll the dough on little maida flour and spread it to a circle of diameter say 10 to 15 cm.
• Keep the filling inside it and cover with the dough hence making a round shape again.(As we do for the paratha).

• Roll it over maida flour and and spread it again like a roti.Sprinke maida flour as and when needed so that it does not stick to the roller.
• Make sure your tava is sufficiently hot(not super hot) before putting your poli.
• Put the poli over tava and when you see small bubbles turn it upside down.Similarly topple it when you see bubbles on other side too.Remove it fron the tava,when you see brown spots on either side.

Apply half a tsp of ghee on either sides and spread it across the poli.

Yummy polis are ready.Serve hot.

Rava Dosa

Ingredients:

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Rava/Sooji - 1 cup

Maida - 1/4 cup

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Ginger - a small piece

Green chillies - 3 to 4

Coriander leaves - a small bunch

onion - 1 large

cumin seeds - 2 tsp

crushed pepper - 1 tsp

shredded coconut - 3 tsp

salt - to taste

water - to make the batter

curd - 2 cups

Method:

• Mix rava,rice flour and maida with curd and add enough water to it and mix until no lumps are formed.
• The batter should be thin enough to pour it over the pan,it should not have spreading consistency.
• keep this aside for 10-15 mins.
• Add finely chopped onion,ginger chopped,coconut,salt,green chilli paste,coriander,chopped curry leaves,jeera and slightly crushed pepper corns to it and give a proper mix.
• Now check the consistency of batter as the rava absorbs water,check it and add enough water if required to get the pouring consistency.
• Pour a ladle full of dosa batter from the outward base of the hot tawa in a circular motion to the centre,fill the major gaps in between.But do not try to fill all the small gaps,those gaps helps in making the dosa more crispier.This is a very important step in making rava dosa.The crispyness depends on the way you pour the batter on the tava and the flame you manage while cooking the dosa.
  
• Pour 1 tbsp oil approx over it and cover it with a lid.(No need to add more oil if using Non stick pan).
• Let it initially cook on medium flame for 1-2 mins and remove the lid and increase the flame later and cook for another 2 mins until you see brown/red patches.(No need to turn the dosa).But do not try to remove the dosa in between while it is roasting.We should remove it only when you are sure that the dosa is perfectly roasted.
  
• Remove it from the pan and fold it in any of the three ways I have shown or into a regular half fold.Serve it directly and do not drop them in hot boxes.It should be served on to the plate immediately to enjoy the flavor and crispiness of the dosa.
  
• Reduce the flame for one minute and start prepare the next dosa.Do not pour the batter on high flame.Always stir the batter before preparing the next dosas.
  

Serve it hot right from the pan and on to the plate with coconut chutney.

Other serving suggestions:

• You can make it Rava masala dosa by placing potato mixture(the way we prepare for masala dosa) and fold it and serve with coconut chutney.
• You can add finely chopped dry fruits like cashews,raisins and badam to the batter and make Dry fruit rava dosa which tastes very nice where you get to taste in every bite of the dosa.
• you can add finely chopped Tomato and little haldi to the batter and make to get a tangy twist to the rava dosa.It will be more colorful and flavorful.

Note: The Batter can be kept in fridge for next day usage.

Pavakai Pitla

Pitla is another gravy that can be made out of pavakkai/bitter gourd or brinjal.Adding kabuli chana is optional but it enhances the taste.

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:

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• Pavakkai - 1 large or Brinjal - 4 medium sized
• Kabuli chana - 1 cup
• tamarind juice - 1 cup
• Jaggery - lemon sized
• salt - to taste
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• tuar dhal - 3/4 cup

For grinding:

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• Coconut(shredded) - 6 tsp
• Pepper corns - 8 to 10
• Broken urad dal - 2 tsp
• Red chillies - 3 to 4
• Curry leaves - few

For tempering:

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• oil - 1 tsp
• mustard seeds - 1

Method:

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• Chop pavakai/brinjal finely and saute in a tsp oil till it becomes slightly roasted.
• Add tamarind juice,salt,jaggery,turmeric powder and cook till raw smell goes off.
• Add the cooked tuar dhal and mix well.
• In a tava,add 1 tsp of oil and pepper corns.When it splutters,add urad dal,red chillies,curry leaves,shredded coconut and roast well till it turns golden brown .
• Set aside to cool and grind to a fine paste.
• Add the ground masala to the gravy and allow it to boil.
• Temper with mustard seeds.
• Roast 2 tsp of shredded coconut in a tsp of coconut oil and add to the pitla.(This is optional)

Ragi Dosa

This recipe can make 15 dosas.

Ingredients:

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For the batter

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• Whole urad dhal - 3/4 cup
• Tuar dhal - 2 tsp
• Rice - 2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Ragi floour - 3 cups
• Salt - to taste

For chutney

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• Mint leaves - 2 small bunch
• tomato - 1 small
• onion - 1 medium sized
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• salt - to taste
• tamarind - a small gooseberry size
• jaggery - a pinch
• oil - 1 tsp
• green chillies - 3
• chana dal - 1 tsp

For filling:

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• Onions - 1
• green chillies - 2
• carrot - 1 small

Method:

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Batter:

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• Soak Urad dal,tuar dal,fenugreek seeds,rice in water for 1 hour.
• Then keep it in refrigerator for half an hour.(This can be done for normal idly/dosa batter also.By doing so,dosas/idly will be really soft)

• Grind the soaked contents with water in a mixie.(It should neither be very finely ground nor very coarse.)
• Mix 3 cups of ragi flour with water to get a consistency as show below.

• Then mix the ground dal and salt with the ragi batter .Set aside overnight for fermentation.

• Batter is ready.

Chutney:

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• Chop onion,tomato and green chillies.Separate the mint leaves and wash it well.
• In a tava,add 1 tsp of oil ,1 tsp chana dal,onion and saute well.
• When onions turn brown,add mint leaves ,tomato,turmeric powder,salt,jaggery and saute till raw smell goes off.
• Now set aside to cool.
• Grind the above contents to a fine chutney(if needed add little water) with tamarind.

Filling:

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• Grate the carrot.Chop onion and green chillies.
• Saute them in a tsp of oil.(You can do it in the dosa making pan itself)

Finally Making the dosa:

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• Spread the batter in a pan just like a normal dosa.(Should not be very thin)
• When its cooked well inside,just spread the filling on one side and chutney on other side.

• After few sec,fold it and serve just like that.You do not need any side dish for it.

Note:-You can even make plain ragi dosa just with the batter without filling and chutney.For that ,serve with coconut chutney.

Quick recipe:

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Just mix rice and ragi flour in 1:2 proportion with little salt,sour curd,red chilli powder,chopped onions, coriander leaves and water to dosa cosistency.Temper with mustard seeds,chana dal,green chillies and ginger.Set aside the batter for an half an hour and make yummy ragi dosas..!

Green gram dal

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

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• Whole green gram dal - 1 cup
• Tomato - 1 medium size
• Onion - 1 medium size
• Garlic - 2 pods(optional)
• Ginger - 2 tsp - crushed
• Green chillies - 4
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves - to garnish
• lemon - 1/2
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• oil - 1 tsp

Method:

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• Wash the dal and soak it in warm water for 2 hours.
• Chop onions and tomatoes finely.Slit open the green chillies.
• Add onions,tomatoes,chopped and crushed ginger,,green chillies,turmeric powder,salt and 2 cups of water to the dal and pressure cook.(one whistle on a high flame and switch off after 15 min)
• Slightly mash the cooked dal .
• In a tava,add 1/2 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of jeera.When it splutters,add 2 pods of garlic and saute.
• When it turns brown,add the mashed and cooked dal.
• Add 1 tsp of coriander powder and allow to boil.
• Set aside to cool for a while.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze 1/2 a lemon to the dal.

Serve with roti/chappati.

Podi potta Kathirikai

Ingredients:

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• Small purple brinjals - 250 grams
• Salt - to taste
• turmeric powder - a pinch

To grind:

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• Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Red chillies - 4 to 5
• hing powder - a pinch
• oil - 1/2 tsp

For tempering:

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Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

oil - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Method:

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• Chop the brinjals into small cubes.Add less than 1/4 cup of water,turmeric powder,salt and cook it well.
• Fry the ingredients in 1 tsp of oil and grind to a coarse powder.
• When the brinjal gets cooked,add the coarse powder and mix well.
• Use a flat spatula to mix and make sure they do not stick to each other.
• Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Podi potta kathirikai is ready.Serve with sambar or rasam or more kootan and rice.

Carrot Chapati

We can make 12 rotis with this recipe.

Ingredients:

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• Wheat flour/Atta - 3 1/2 cups
• Salt - to taste
• Carrot - 1 large
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
• Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Luke warm water - 5 cups
• oil - for making the roti

Method:

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• Peel off carrot's skin and put it in warm water for 5 min.
• Grate the carrot and chop coriander leaves finely.
• Add all the ingredients(atta,salt,chilli powder,carrot,coriander leaves) in a wide open vessel.
• Add 4 cups of warm water and knead into a soft dough.If required add last cup of water little by little and 1 tsp of oil and keep kneading it for 10 min.The more you knead,more softer the dough becomes.
• Cover the dough with a moist cloth and set aside for an hour.

• Make round balls with the dough,each the size of a lemon.
• Rub each ball in wheat flour,and roll it into a flat roti as shown below.
• Do not roll it very thin.

• Pre heat the tava ,so that it is really hot before making the roti.
• Then on a medium flame,add the roti on tava.When you see bubbles,turn it up-side down.
• When you see bubbles on this side too,add 1/2 tsp of oil and cook it.
• Turn the roti again and apply 1/4 tsp of oil and cook well.
• Put a tissue paper in a hot case and keep the rotis in the hot case so that it remains hot and soft.

Serve hot and yummy carrot chapati with whole green gram dal .

Rasa Kalan

This recipe serves two.The difference between rasa kalan and mambazha morekootan is that Rasa kalan will be more sour in taste when compared to mambazha morekootan.

Ingredients:

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• sour Ripe mango - 1 medium sized( Depending on the sweetness alter the quantity of jaggery added)
• turmeic powder - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Jaggery - 1 achu
• Sour buttermilk - 1 to 1 1/2 cups(slightly thicker consistency than usual buttermilk)

For grinding:

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• Coconut(shredded)- 6 tsp
• Green chilli - 2
• Red Chilli - 4
• Fenugreek seed - 1/4 tsp
  
  

For Tempering:

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Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 1

curry leaves - few

Method:

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• Peel off the skin of mango and take out the pulp completely in a thick bottomed vessel (except for the seed).
• Add turmeric powder,salt,jaggery and cook well.
• Grind the ingredients with water into a fine paste and add to the mango pulp.
• Mix well and allow it cook till the raw smell goes off.
• Now add the buttermilk and stir constantly.(Do not stop stirring )
• At a point when you can see that its about to boil(one / two bubbles),switch off the flame.
• Temper it with mustard,red chilli and curry leaves.

Rasa kalan is ready.Serve with rice and pappadam or kozhakattai .

RavaSemiya Upma kozhukattai

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

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• Rava/Sooji - 1 1/2 cups
• Semiya/Vermicelli - 1/2 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Ginger - a small piece
• green chillies - 2
• red chillies - 2 0r 3
• curry leaves - few
• Shredded coconut - 5 to 6 tsp
• salt - to taste
• water - 4 to 5 cups
• Hing - a pinch

Method:

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• Heat tava,add a tsp of oil and saute rava till it becomes brown.Repeat the same for semiya.
• Set them aside.Chop ginger and green chillies finely and crush it using a spatula or a stone.
• In the tava,add a tsp of oil and mustard.When it splutters,add chana dal,crushed ginger and green chillies ,hing and saute well.
• Add red chillies and curry leaves ,saute for 2 sec and add water.
• Add salt, shredded coconut and allow it to boil.
• When it boils ,add semiya and after 3 to 4 min ,add rava.
• If required add water and keep mixing so that no clogs are formed.Switch off when it becomes as shown below.The upma is ready to be steamed.Set aside to cool.

• Now make round dumplings as shown below.(Apply little oil on your hand)

• Keep the dumplings in a plate and steam it using a pressure cooker or an idly cooker for 5 min.(For steaming you dont need to use the weight in the cooker)

Yummy dumplings are ready .Serve it hot with rasam or morekootan.Here I have served with rasa kalan.

Vendaikai/Lady's finger Puli pachadi

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

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• Lady's finger - 200 grams
• Tamarind juice - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 3 to 4 tsp (if powdered)
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - a pinch

To grind

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• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 3
• Green chillies - 1 or 2
• Coconut(shredded) - 4 tsp

For Tempering:

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• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

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• Chop ladiesfinger into small pieces and saute it for 3 to 5 min with 1 tsp of oil in a tava.
• Add tamarind juice, salt,turmeric powder and jaggery to it.
• Allow it to boil till it gets cooked.(Close with a lid to cook faster)
• Grind the ingredients coarsely with little water and add it to the pachadi.
• When the raw smell goes off,temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Puli pachadi is ready to be served with molagootal.

Beetroot Puli pachadi

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

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• Beetroot - 1 large
• Tamarind juice - 1 cup (Soak lemon sized tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and extract the juice out of it)
• Salt - to taste
• sambar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery - a small piece
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• water - 1 cup

For Tempering

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• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

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• Chop Beetroot into small pieces.
• Add it to the tamarind juice along with salt,turmeric powder,hing, jaggery and boil it well (close with a lid so that it cooks faster).
• When its half cooked add sambar powder and cook it well.(Add water little by little to maintain the consistency).
• When beetroot is cooked fully,temper it with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

It has a sour and sweet taste.Serve with molagootal.

Molagootal

Molagootal is again a simple gravy that can be had with rice.It is not at all spicy.So we normally have some chutney or pachadi or pickle along with it.

This can be made of many vegetables like cabbage, ash gourd(Elavan),Spinach(Arai keerai or Palak) or a mix of veggies like ash gourd,carrot,beans,peas.When you use vegetables like ash gourd,bottle gourd,chow chow(Vegetable pear/chayote) you can add one/two potato along with it to have a better consistency of gravy.

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

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• Vegetables of your choice - 2 cups
• If spinach - 3 medium sized bunches
• Coconut - 4 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Red Chiliies - 2 or 3
• Urad dhal - 1 1/2 tsp
• Oil - for tempering
• Tuar Dhal - 1 cup(as shown in pic)
• Salt - to taste
• Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

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• Pressure cook tuar dal and keep it aside.
• Chop the vegetables into small cubes.Pressure cook the vegetables.(Cabbage gets cooked easily,so just 2 whistles will be sufficient)

In case of spinach, separate the leaves and wash them well. Chop the leaves and saute it well till the raw smell goes off.Then grind it in a mixie(Just a turn would do..Do not make a fine paste)

• In a Tava, add a tsp of oil and fry 1 tsp of urad dal till it turns brown .Add red chillies to it and saute for 2 sec.Do not let the red chillies get burnt.
• To the above fried ingredients,add coconut,cumin seeds and little water to make a very fine paste.
• In a thick bottomed vessel,add the cooked tuar dal,vegetables/spinach,salt and the ground paste and mix well.
• Keep it on medium flame and turn off when it boils.
• Temper it with mustard seeds,curry leaves and 1/2 tsp of urad dal.

Molagootal is ready .Serve with rice and any chutney/pachadi and pickle.

Mexican rice

Ingredients:

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• Basmati rice - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 large
• Capsicum - 1 large
• Tomato - 3 medium
• Kashmirilal chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

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• Soak rice in water for 2 hours.
• Strain the water using a strainer.
• Chop onions,capsicum and tomatoes into small pieces.
• Heat tava,add 1 tsp of oil and fry onions well.
• When onions turn light brown ,add the soaked rice and saute well till water evaporates from the grains.
• Add chilli powder, salt amd mix well.
• Add 1 cup of water(rice:water=1:1) and pressure cook.(Just one whistle on a high flame and switch off after 5 min)
• Note:-Electric cooker is preferable if you have one.
• In the tava,add ghee,capsicum and saute well.
• Add tomatoes and saute well till raw smell goes off.
• Pour it over cooked rice and mix well.

Serve hot with onion raitha.

Easy to make - Sweet Potato Patty

This recipe serves four.

Ingredients:

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• Sweet Potato - 4 small
• Salt - to taste
• Jeera - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste - a pinch
• Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• Coriander leaves - few
• Rava/Sooji - 3 cups
• oil - for shallow frying

Method:

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• Pressure cook the sweet potatoes.(one whistle in a high flame and switch off after 5 min)
• Add all the ingredients except rava and mix well.
• Make them into small balls and flat it for shallow fry.
• Rub in Rava/Sooji.
• Heat a tava,add 3 tsp oil and fry patty on both sides on medium flame.

Serve it hot with sauce.