Lemon Sevai and Thengai/coconut Sevai (Rice noodles )

Lemon Sevai

------------------

Ingredients

----------------

• Cooked Rice noodles  -      3 cups( Refer to the recipe with the provided link)
• Lemon juice                -     extracted from  1 lemon
• Ginger, chopped finely -     1 inch piece
• Green chillies               -     2 to 3 ( finely chopped)
• Curry leaves                -     5 to 6
• Coriander leaves          -     finely chopped
• Gingelly oil                  -     1 tsp
• Mustard seeds             -     1/2 tsp
• Chana dal                    -     1 tsp  ( kadalaparuppu)
• Split urad dal               -     1/2 tsp ( ulutham parupu)
• Asafoetida                   -     a pinch
• Turmeric powder         -     1/2 tsp

Method:

-----------

• Heat oil in a kadai. Add asafoetida and mustard seeds.
• When it splutters add chana dal , urad dal and saute till golden brown.
• Add curry leaves,ginger,green chillies and turmeric powder.
• Saute for a second and add the cooked sevai/rice noodles.
• Mix well and break the noodles slightly.
• Switch off and pour lime juice.
• Mix well and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with coconut chutney. coriander leaves in the chutney's recipe is optional.

THENGAI SEVAI 
---------------------------

• Sevai/rice noodles - 3 cups
• Coconut oil                        -   2 to 3 tsp
• Mustard seeds                    - 1 tsp
• Red chillies                         -  3
• Urad dal, chana dal             - 1 tsp each
• Curry leaves                       - a sprig
• Shredded coconut              - 1/2 cup
• Cashews                           - 5(roasted to golden brown in a tsp of ghee)

You can also do this tempering without coconut and cashews.

• In a kadai, add coconut oil and mustard seeds.
• When it splutters, add the dals and saute till golden brown.
• Add curry leaves and red chillies.
• Saute for few sec and add shredded coconut.Fry for 2 to 3 sec more.
• Add the cooked rice noodles/sevai and mix well.
• Garnish with roasted cashews.

Serve with coconut chutney.

Sevai ( Home made rice noodles)

This recipe serves 2 adults.

Ingredients:
--------------

• Idly rice                 -       250 grams 
• Salt                        -       according to taste
• Water                     -       as required.

Method:
-----------

• Wash the rice 2 to 3 times.
• Soak the rice in water for 2 hours.
• Add water little by little and grind the soaked rice with salt into a very smooth paste with a grinder.
• The consistency of the ground batter should be shown below.

• In a kadai, add a laddle or 1/8th cup of gingelly oil.
• To it, add the ground batter and keep stirring on a medium flame till it becomes a soft dough as shown below.

• Keep aside to cool down to room temperature.
• Dip your hands in water and make into dumplings as shown below.

• Steam the dumplings for 15 min.The outer layer will turn shiny.
• To make sevai, you need a sevai maker as shown below. There are also other types available in the market.

• The dumplings have to be put in the sevai maker when it is hot otherwise it will harden very much.
• So after 15 min of steaming, take 1 or 2 dumplings from the steamer with a fork and put it immediately in the sevai maker.
• Close and keep the remaining dumplings in the steamer itself so that it remains hot.
• Rotate the handle of sevai maker. Place a plate beneath the sevai maker.As you turn the handle,hold the legs of the sevai maker so that it does not move.Rice noodles will emerge from the holes as shown.
• Repeat the process for all the dumplings.

• Basic homemade rice noodles is ready. You can flavour it as per your choice.

Ragi Upma-A nutritious breakfast

Ingredients:

---------------

Ragi flour - 3 cup

• Urad dal - 3/4 cup
• Rice flour - 2 tbsp
• fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
• salt - 2 tsp
• onion - 1,chopped
• Green chillies - 2 ,slit open
• curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• chana dal - 1/2 cup(soak in water for an hour)
• oil - 2 tsp
• lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
• asafoetida - a pinch

Method:

----------

Batter:

=====

• Wash and soak urad dal,fenugreek seeds for half an hour.
• Grind into a smooth paste with little water.
• Mix ragi flour and rice flour with water into a smooth batter without lumps.
• Add urad dal paste,salt into it and mix well.
• Keep overnight to ferment.

Idly

===

• Mix the batter well and make idlies as shown.(Steam fo 15 to 20 min)
• Set aside to cool completely and tear off into small pieces.
• Add the pieces into a mixer and pulse twice /thrice to get fine crumbs.

Upma:

--------

• Cook soaked chana dal in sufficient water for 10 min.
• Drain the excess water.
• Grind green chillies and coconut.(julse pulse once)
• Add oil in a kadai .When hot add mustard seeds,curry leaves,asafoetida,onion and saute for 3 min
• Add chilli-coconut mixture and cooked chana dal.
• Saute for 3 to 5 min,add little salt(as its already there in idly) and add the ragi crumbs.
• Mix well for 2 min and switch off.
• Squeeze lemon juice and keep closed for 5 min.

Mix well and serve hot with sugar/chutney.

Sabhudhana/sago kichdi

Ingredients:

=========

• Sago / javarisi(in tamil) - 1 cup
• Red chillies - 3
• green chillies - 4
• Jeera - 2 tsp
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• chopped cilantro and shredded coconut - for gaarnishing
• salt - 1 tsp
• sugar - 1 tsp
• lemon juice - extracted from 1 lemon
• peanuts - 2 handful
• ghee /oil - 3 to 4 tsp

method:

=======

• Soak the sago in water over night.
• Drain the excess water completely.
• The sago should have puffed up really well.
• Chop the potato into very small pieces.
• Dry roast the peanuts and peel off the skin.
• Grind together the roasted peaanuts,red and green chillies,salt,sugar into a coarse powder.
• Add the coarse powder into sago and mix well thoroughly.
• 
  
• Heat a kadai,add ghee and mustard seeds, crushed jeera .
• When it splutters,add the potato pieces with a pinch of turmeric powder.
• Saute well sprinkling little water.Cook covered for 3 to 5 min till the potatoes get cooked.
• 
  
• Add the sago to it and keep mixing till it becomes tender.
• Take care when you mix.Do not mash it ,at the same time do not let it get burnt as it sticks easily to the kadai.
• Squeeze lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and shredded coconut.

Serve hot.You dont need any side dish for this kichdi.

Vermicelli pulao with aloo and Italain green beans

vermicelli pulao is just like rice pulao.You can use any veggies of your choice.here I have used only potato and bean of chikudukaya (Italian green beans)

Ingredients:

=========

• Vermicelli - 1 cup
• potato - 1 big
• Italian beans - 200 grams
• Salt - taste
• ghee - 2 tsp
• whole spices - 2 cloves,i inch cinnamon stick,2 elachi, 1 bay leaf
• onion - 1 big,finely chopped
• ginger-garlic paste - a pinch
• green chillies - 4

Method:

======

• Roast the vermicelli with a tsp of ghee till it turns golden brown in colour.

• Pound the whole spices(clove,cinnamon and elachi) in a pestle and mortar.
• Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a kadai,add the whole spices,bay leaf and saute for 2 sec.
• Add slit green chillies ,chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste.
• Saute till the raw smell goes off .Add the bean and potato slices .Saute for a min.
• Add water just enough to immerse the contents and cook covered for 5 to 10 min till the bean gets cooked.
• Add salt and water.( for every cup of vermicelli,add 2 cups of water) and let it boil.

• Add the roasted vermicelli .Mix well and cook till the vermicelli is cooked.
• Take care not to add more water as the vermicelli will get mashed.
• Seve hot with onion-tomato raitha garnished with coriander leaves.

Ragi sevai with readymade ragisticks

Ingredients:

-------------

• ragi sevai - 1 packet (any brand....anil/concord / any other brand)
• salt - to taste
• veggies(optional) - carrot/beans/potato/ all the three
• onion - 2 big
• green chillies - 4
• asafoetida - a pinch
• oil - 2 tsp
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• chana dal - 2 tsp
• shredded coconut - 2 tsp( optional)
• curry leaves - a sprig
• Lemon juice - 3 tsp
• ginger - 1 inch piece,chopped finely

Method:

======

• Soak the ragi sevai sticks in water for just 2 min.(not more that that)
• Squeeze the excess water and keep the ragi sticks in a perforated plate.
• 
  
• Steam for 10 min.
• 
  
• Add oil in a kadai.Add mustard seed,asafoetida .when it splutters add chana dal and saute till it turns golden brown.
• Add curry leaves ,green chillies ,ginger,onions and saute till it becomes translucent.
• If you use any veggies ,chop them finely and add into the kadai.
• Saute for 3 min,sprinkle water and cook covered till it becomes tender.
• Add the steamed ragi sevai,salt and mix well.
• Switch off the flame.Keep covered for 5 min.
• Pour lemon juice ,mix well and serve hot.
• Garnish with shredded coconut.
• 
  

Thayir/Curd Vada

Ingredients:

=========

• Vadas - Refer to my recipe of Medu Vada.
• curd - Semi-thick - sufficient enough to immerse the vadas.
• Onion - 1 small size
• coriander leaves - little,for garnishing
• Boondhi(spicy one)- a handful for garnishing(optional)

For Tempering:

===========

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Cashews - 4 to 5 ,broken (optional)

Method:

======

• Allow the vadas to cool down completely.May be 6 hours after preparing the vadas,immerse them in water and leave for 10 min.
• Take it out and squeeze out the water completely.
• Mix little salt in curd.(As the vada has salt already in it,add only little salt )
• Then immerse the vadas in curd and set aside for 1 hour.
• Temper with the given ingredients.
• Garnish with chopped onions ,coriander leaves and Boondhi.

Medu Vada-A typical TamilNadu Breakfast

This recipe serves three.

Ingredients:

=========

• Whole Urad dal(skinless) - 100 grams
• Green chillies - 3
• Pepper ,crushed coarsely - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds,crushed coarsely - 2 tsp
• curry leaves - 2 sprigs,chopped finely
• Ginger - a 1 inch piece,chopped very finely
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut (Dried/Kopra) - 2 tsps,finely chopped
• Onion (optional) - 1,finely chopped
• rice flour - 3 tbsp
• hing - 1/2 tsp

Method:

======

Medu Vada turns out really fluffy and crispy when done in a grinder than in a mixer.This is mainly due to the aeration in the process of grinding.So I prefer to use a grinder.Mixer can also be used ,but then aeration has to be done manually after grinding the batter.

• Wash and soak the Urad dal for exactly 1 hour.
• Drain the excess water.
• Add half of urad dal with green chillies and start the grinder.Do not add water immediately.
• Let it grind for a min.Then just sprinkle water.
• Add the rest of urad dal and rice flour too.Keep sprinkling water in between so that the Urad dal grinds uniformly into a nice fluffy batter.
• The consistency has to thick enough to take it in hands and form a ball.So be careful in adding water.
• Once its ground well,add the cumin seeds,pepper powder,curry leaves,onions,ginger,salt,coconut and hing to it.
• Keep mixing the batter well using your hands for 10 min.This enhances more aeration.If you use a mixer,then aeration timing can be increased to 15 min.
• Heat oil in a kadai,Have water in a bowl.
• When the oil is hot enough,start the process of making vada.
• Wet your fingers with the water in the bowl,take little batter(according to the side of vada) and make a hole with your thumb as shown.
• 
  
• Gently drop it into the kadai and keep sauting on a low flame till it turns golden brown.
• 
  
• You can make 5 to 6 vadas at a time.
• 
  
• Drain the excess oil using a tissue paper.
• 
  

Serve hot with Idly sambar/Coconut chutney.

Refer to the videos for better understanding.

Moong dal & Dhalia kichdi

Ingredients:

=========

• Dhalia(Broken wheat) - 1/2 cup
• Washed split moong dal - 1/2 cup
• salt - to taste
• Green peas - 1 handful
• Carrot - 1 medium sized,finely chopped
• Capsicum - 1 small,finely chopped
• French beans - 6,finely chopped
• Onion - 1 medium sized,finely chopped
• green chillies - 2 to 3,slit open
• water - 2 to 2.5 cups
• Ghee - 3 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Red chilli - 1
• asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

======

• Wash moong dal and dhalia twice or thrice.
• Drain excess water and leave in the colander for 5 min.

• Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai.Add dalia and moong dal mixture.
• Saute well till it turns brown.Remove from fire and set aside.

• Heat oil and rest of ghee in the kadai.Add hing ,curry leaves and jeera.When it splutters,add onions,green chillies and saute well.
• Add capsicum and saute till it becomes tender.
• Add peas,carrots,beans and saute till they turn tender.
• Add salt,water and cook covered till they veggies are 80% done.
• Add the roasted moong-dalia mixture,add little water if required and cook covered till it gets cooked well.

Adjust the quantity of water as and when required.

Serve hot with sugar/pickle/curd.

Idiappam & Sodhi

Idiappam can be made with a special vessel "Idiappam maker" as shown below.This has a stand with plates and a squeezer in which we put the dough.

Or you can also use the traditional nazhi that we normally use for making muruku/karuvadam and the vadam stand.

Ingredients:

=========

• Idiappam flour - I used Readymade Idiappam flour.The recipe for making idiappam flour at home will be posted later.
• salt - to taste.
• Luke warm water - to make the dough.

Method:

======

• Add the flour and salt to a wide open vessel.

• Add luke warm water little by little and knead to a dough as shown below.
• 
  
• It should not stick to your hands and you should be able to form a ball out of it.This will be the consistency of the dough.
• Choose the plate with thin holes for covering the bottom of squeezer.
• Put the dough into the squeezer and close the lid tightly by screwing it clockwise.
• Apply little oil onto the plates and gently rotate the handle of the squeezer so that the idiappam squeezes out through the holes in the bottom.
• Move the squeezer itself in circular motion as you do the above step.This is done to get round shape of idiappam.
• Repeat for all the plates and steam for 5 to 10 min.

Serve hot with sodhi/stew/coconut milk with sugar.

Bread Upma

Ingredients:

=========

• Bread - half a loaf
• Tomatoes,finely chopped - 3 big
• Onions,finely chopped - 3
• Green chillies ,chopped - 3
• Ginger,finely chopped - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Salt - to taste
• Baby corn,chopped into thin round slices- 2(optional)

Method:

======

• Tear down the bread slices into small pieces roughly as shown below.

• Heat Oil in a kadai and add asafoetida,mustard seeds.
• When it splutters,add chana dal and saute till it turns brown.
• Add curry leaves,green chillies,ginger,onions and saute till it turns transparent.
• Add baby corn, tomatoes with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.
• Saute till raw smell goes off.
• On a low flame,add the bread pieces and mix well.Saute for 2 min.

Serve hot.

Purple cabbage Sandwich

Ingredients:

=========

• Sandwich Bread - 1 loaf
• Purple cabbage - 1/4 or 1/2
• Capsicum - 1 (green/red/yellow)
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - 2 to 3 tsp
• mayonnaise - 2 to 3 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Tomato ketchup - (optional)
• Butter - for toasting

Method:

======

• Chop purple cabbage and capsicum into very fine pieces.
• Add salt,pepper,mayo,lemon juice to the chopped veggies and mix well.
• Apply little butter on the inner side of bread,spread 2 tsp of cabbage filling and add 1/2 tsp of tomato ketchup on top.

• Cover with another slice of bread and toast well with little butter/ghee.
• Cut diagonally and Serve hot.

Venpongal

Ven Pongal is one of the popular breakfast dishes in TamilNadu.It is very simple to prepare.Normally we have pongal along with sambar or chutney or gotsu.

This recipe serves three.

Ingredients:

***********

• Raw rice - 1 cup (120 grams)
• Moong dal,split - 1/2 cup (60 grams)
• Salt - to taste
• Ghee - 3 to 4 tablespoon
• Jeera seeds - 2 teaspoon
• Pepper - 2 teaspoon
• Curry leaves - 3 sprigs
• Ginger,finely chopped - from a 2 inch piece
• Cashews - 12

Method:

********

• Dry roast the moong dal till dark brown .
• Wash rice and roasted dal well.Pressure cook with salt and liberal water(for 1 cup of rice,add 4.5 cups of water ,This includes for dal too).
• Leave one whistle on a high flame and switch off after 15 min.It should very well cooked.Mash slightly with a spatula.
• Crush pepper and jeera in a pestle and mortar.(Or just pulse twice in a mixer)
• Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a kadai.Add cashews and roast till brown.
• Add crushed pepper and jeera,ginger and cooked dal-rice mixture.Mix well and switch off.
• Add curry leaves and 1 tbsp of ghee .Mix well.

Serve hot with chutney/sambar/gotsu.

kande Poha or kande Pohe

"Kande Pohe" is a very famous Maharashtrian breakfast.Since it can be prepared very quickly,it can also be served as a snack.

This recipe serves three.

Ingredients:

=========

• Medium/Thick Poha - 300 grams
• Onions - 1 big
• Potato - 1 big
• Peas - 1 handful(Optional)
• green chillies - 3
• Peanuts - 15 (Optional)
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Lemon - 1
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander leaves - 2 tsp,finely chopped
• Coconut,shredded - 2 to 3 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

======

• In a strainer,gently wash the poha in flowing water and drain water immediately. set aside for 10 to 15 min.Do not soak the poha in water.
• Add salt,sugar and lemon juice to the poha.Mix well with finger tips.Make sure the poha grains are separate.
• Chop onions and potatoes into small slices.
• Heat oil in a kadai,add asafoetida and mustard seeds.When it splutters,add green chillies,peanuts and onions.Saute till onions become tender.
• Add potatoes ,peas and turmeric powder .Sprinkle little water and cook covered for 5 min.
• When the potatoes become tender and peas get cooked,add the poha and mix well.
• Switch off and garnish with coconut and coriander leaves.

Serve hot with curd.You can also garnish with Sev.

Chocolate sandwich

"Nutella Bread Spread",a delicious hazelnut and cocoa spread can be just duplicated with the homemade chocolate.Please refer to the recipe through the link Homemade Chocolates.

Just keep two chocolates between two bread slices and toast them.The chocolate will melt forming a cocoa spread.

Enjoy the yummy sandwich!!!!

Roasted Bread with Italian Sesame White sauce

Ingredients:
========

• Milk Bread - 1 loaf
• Butter - 3 teaspoon
• Garlic pods ,peeled and crushed - 2
• Sesame seeds/White Ellu - 1 teaspoon
• Onion,very finely chopped - 1 big
• Baby Corn,chopped into thin round slice- 2(Sweet Corn Kernels can also be used-1 handful)
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Italian seasoning - 1 teaspoon
• Maida/All Purpose flour - 2 heaped teaspoon
• Milk - 1 to 2 glass

Method:

======

• Wash the sesame seeds and drain water.
• Heat a non-stick kadai,add butter,garlic pods and sesame seeds.Saute for 1 min.
• Add onion and saute till it becomes tender.
• Add corn and saute for a min.
• Add sugar,salt,pepper and sprinkle maida powder.
• Saute for 10 sec and add milk while stirring the mixture.
• Keep stirring till you get a thick consistency.(Like a bread spread).Switch off.
• Add Italian seasoning.Mix well.

• Make a sandwich with this paste (spread on one bread only) .

• Toast well in a toaster/tava.If using tava,spread little butter outside the bread.

• Yummy sandwich is ready.

If your kid is not having proper food,try some different presentation with the same bread and sauce.Some of them are Bread Nuggets and Bread sticks.Trust me...this will surely make them eat.

Bread Nuggets:

==========

Toast the bread.Remove the sides and slice them into small squares.Top each slice with a teaspoon of sauce in the middle and serve hot.That makes yummy Bread Nuggets.

Bread Sticks:

=========
Slice the toasted bread into lengthy sticks and serve hot with a cup of sauce.Dip the stick in sauce and enjoy your snack.