Kadappa is a lentil based gravy (resembling kurma) usually served with idli / dosa varieties in the Thanjavur – Kumbakonam region. When I first heard about this dish, I was curious about the name. I do not know as to how the dish got its name as kadappa. There isn’t any history available. Thanjavur – Kumbakonam is rich in history and heritage and this dish is truly an unique dish that belongs to the region. There are several things that are so unique to the region. Starting from the great temples to the degree coffee, it has a lot to offer. I was fortunate to witness the making of thanjavur bronzes ( may be the last generation of the dying breed of craftsmen) during my last trip. Chola Bronzes are famous worldwide and this art has a rich heritage of more than a thousand years. It is so meticulously crafted and detailed that one falls in love the moment you see them. If you happen to visit Thanjavur-Kumbakonam, don’t forget to pick up a few.

Here is the recipe for kadappa. There is a little prep work thats needed.
Boil half a cup of split yellow moong dal with 1.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles/10 minutes until mushy. Set aside.
Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are fork tender. Peel the potatoes, chop them into small pieces and set aside.

We will now grind the kadappa masala. Take all of the ingredients listed under masala and grind it to a smooth paste. Add up to 1 cup of water while grinding. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till the onions are soft. Add in the tomatoes and the salt. Saute till the tomatoes are slightly mushy.

Add in the ground masala, potatoes and the dal. Add in 1.5 cups of water. Cover the pan and let it simmer on a low flame for 10 minutes.

Saute once in a while so the gravy does not stick to the bottom. The gravy is ready when the potatoes fall apart. Add in couple of sprigs of curry leaves. Switch off the flame and serve hot with with idli / dosa varieties.

Kumbakonam - Thanjavur Kadappa Recipe

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Kadappa is very flavorful side dish served traditionally with idli in the kumbakonam / thanjavur side. Its made with lentils,potatoes and coconut masala.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 4 medium sized potatoes
• ½ cup of yellow split moong dal

For Kadappa Masala

• ½ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 5 green chillies
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 2 cardamon
• 2 piece cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu/perunjeeragam)

For Tempering

• 2 teaspoon peanut oil
• 2 medium sized onions, chopped
• 4 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 big ripe tomato, chopped
• 1½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Boil half a cup of split yellow moong dal with 1.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles/10 minutes until mushy. Set aside.
2. Boil the potatoes in salted water till they are fork tender. Peel the potatoes, chop them into small pieces and set aside.
3. Take all of the ingredients listed under masala and grind it to a smooth paste. Add up to 1 cup of water while grinding. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add in the chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till the onions are soft. Add in the tomatoes and the salt. Saute till the tomatoes are slightly mushy.
5. Add in the ground masala, potatoes and the dal. Add in 1.5 cups of water. Cover the pan and let it simmer on a low flame for 10 minutes.
6. Saute once in a while so the gravy does not stick to the bottom. The gravy is ready when the potatoes fall apart. Add in couple of sprigs of curry leaves. Switch off the flame and serve hot with with idli / dosa varieties.

Notes

Green chillies are only used for this dish. If you want a very spicy dish, add more green chillies.

3.5.3208

The post Kumbakonam – Thanjavur Kadappa Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

CHAI – TEA
There are two kinds of people in this world. People who make great tea and people who make mediocre tea. You know what I make. Indian tea is very temperamental. Some days my tea is great. Some days, its ok. Drinkable. I had given up on my tea making skills. I lacked consistency when it came to tea. Blame it on batman!

Then this happened. My close friend Prasanna posted about this dum tea. I was intrigued by the method. I tried it and it was a huge success. This is the only way I am going to make tea for the rest of my life. In this method, you make tea in a pressure cooker. The flavors are locked and sealed inside the cooker. It creates a very bold flavour. Its easy, its tasty and you will make it again and again.

Indian households make chai / tea mostly using loose tea leaves. Don’t spend too much on getting the best tea leaf available. Indian tea is made with mamri tea leaves. Mamri tea is tea that has been cured in an unique inexpensive way. It produces granules or powder instead of the popular curl tea leaf. Infact, my mother would refer to it as tea “powder”. She has never used the word tea “leaf”. So pick up an inexpensive tea “powder” with the label “made in India”.

Then comes the spices. I have used ginger, cardamom and cloves. Slightly crush them in a mortar and pestle to release its flavor.
A note on ginger – Too much ginger will make the milk curdle and you will ruin your tea. So don’t go over board on ginger.

Here is the fool proof and the best method of making tea.
Hope you like the video. Enjoy!
Note: 2 liter or 3 liter pressure cooker is recommended for this recipe

Chai Tea Recipe - OPOS Masala Chai Recipe

 

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Prep time

1 min

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

6 mins

 

Indian Chai Tea recipe with step by step pictures and a detailed video. Chai tea made with spices and indian mamri tea leaves.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Tea

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 1.5 cups

Ingredients

• 1 Cup water (add it to the pressure cooker)

For Tea

• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup water
• 1½ teaspoon loose tea leaf powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed
• 2 cardamom, crushed
• 2 cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

1. Add a cup of water to a two liter pressure cooker.
2. Place a bowl inside the cooker and add in all the ingredients mentioned above.
3. Cover the cooker and cook for 3 minutes on medium flame. About 1-2 whistles might come in these 3 minutes.
4. Switch off the flame and remove the pressure manually.
5. Strain the tea and serve hot.

Notes

I have used ginger, cardamom and cloves. Slightly crush them in a mortar and pestle to release its flavor.
A note on ginger - Too much ginger will make the milk curdle and you will ruin your tea. So don't go over board on ginger.

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The post Chai Tea Recipe – OPOS Masala Chai Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

The original recipe is from here
This is the recipe for Saravana Bhavan style vegetable kurma. The original recipe takes about one hour to do. When I came to know that this recipe was made using OPOS – one pot one shot in a food forum to great results, I wanted to try. I was a little apprehensive at the beginning as the original recipe takes a long time and OPOS promises to deliver the goods in less than 10 minutes. I put the recipe to test using OPOS and I am glad that I did. The results were amazing. I am really surprised that OPOS can pack in so much flavour.

The thing with OPOS is that we use very little water in cooking, So the flavor gets concentrated with the liquids found in vegetables. You just need to trust me and try this recipe to believe it. You will change your outlook on OPOS cooking I am sure.

I got a lot of mails asking if the bottom will get burnt as we are not adding any water. Trust me. As we are not sauteing anything, the moisture from the veggies are intact. So that will do the trick.
Also cook in medium high to high heat for just 5 minutes or 3 whistles whichever is the first.
Trust me in this. I have done it and it works. That’s the beauty of OPOS.

Here is how to do it.
Hope you like the video. Enjoy!
Note: 2 liter or 3 liter pressure cooker is recommended for this recipe

5.0 from 1 reviews

10 minute Veg Kurma - OPOS Method

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Easy 10 minute vegetable kurma recipe using the OPOS method. Serve with chapati/parotta/roti etc...

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 persons

Ingredients

For Masala Paste

• 6 Whole Cashewnuts
• 1 teaspoon khuskhus - White Poppy Seeds
• 4 tablespoon fresh grated Coconut
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece ginger
• 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• ¼ cup Curd

Veggies

• ½ cup chopped Potato
• ½ cup chopped Beans
• ½ cup Carrots
• ½ cup Green Peas
• ½ cup Chow Chow

Spices

• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 Cardamom
• 3 Cloves
• 1 small piece Cinnamon
• 2 green chillies, chopped

Other Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 teaspoon Ghee
• 2 medium sized Onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped

Finishing Ingredients

• ½ Cup Milk
• 4 sprigs Coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. Grind all the ingredients listed under masala paste to a smooth paste. Add very little water to grind. Maximum upto ½ cup. Set aside.
2. Take a pressure cooker and add in the oil, ghee and all the spices.
3. Top it with chopped onions. Spread evenly.
4. Top it with tomatoes. Spread evenly.
5. Then comes the vegetables. Spread evenly.
6. Finally, add in the ground paste as a top layer.
7. Cover the cooker and cook for 5 minutes on high flame. About 3 whistles.
8. Switch off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
9. Open the cooker and add in the milk and coriander leaves.
10. Mix well to combine.
11. Serve hot with chapati/parotta

Notes

Dont be tempted to add water. The water in the onion, tomatoes and the veggies are enough to cook the kurma. Thats the main thing about OPOS - concentrated flavor.

3.5.3208

The post 10 minute Veg Kurma – OPOS Method appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

How to do Nannari Sarbath / Nannari Syrup / Sharbath from scratch.
Nannari roots or Sarasparilla is used for making Nannari Sarbath. Nannari has cooling properties on the body. Its even used for treating acidity, constipation and urinary disorders.

You will be able to get the root in “naatu marundu kadai” / Medicine shops selling ayurvedic herbs etc… Its also available in your local super market shelves during summer. If you cant get the roots, you can buy them here. Nannari/sarasaparilla

Summer is super officially here and I am always opening the refrigerator to make myself a cold drink. It is necessary to take a lot of fluids to keep you sane in the super hot weather. Nannari sarbath is made using nannari syrup concentrate. Nannari Sarbath concentrate is available in the super market shelves but its laden with artificial colours, flavors and additives. The syrups available in the market doesn’t taste like nannari anymore. Its easy to prepare at home and the clean taste of the sarbath is so delicious that you will want to make another batch. Home made nannari syrup concentrate lasts for more than a month in the refrigerator. Here is how to do it.

The Nannari roots needs to be cleaned. Gently hammer the root to break it and remove the white inner part. It will come off easily. Discard the white part.

The bark or the outer part of the root alone is used for making sarbath. The bark has a wonderful aroma. You can smell it as you start breaking the root.

Here is the video of How to do Nannari Sarbath/Sharbath/Sherbet from scratch.

The Nannari syrup concentrate can be stored in the refrigerator and used for upto one month. There is nothing like the clean taste of home made nannari sarbath.

Go fix a drink for yourself today! Hope you liked the video.

Nannari Sarbath / Nannari Syrup from scratch

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

How to make Nannari sarbath using nannari roots / sarsaparilla. Has cooling properties for the body!

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Drinks

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients

For the Nannari Syrup

• 50 grams Nannari root
• 1 liter water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For making Nannari Sarbath

• Juice from half a lime / lemon
• 3 tablespoon Nannari Syrup
• 4-5 Ice cubes
• 150 ml water

Instructions

For the Nannari Sarbath Concentrate

1. Hammer the nannari root to remove the white inner stalk. Discard the white part.
2. Wash the dark bark of the root in running water to remove dirt and sand.
3. Grind to a coarse powder.
4. Pressure cook the root with water sugar and salt for 5 minutes on medium flame.
5. Wait for the pressure to release naturally. Strain the mixture.
6. Boil the strained mixture until syrupy.
7. Cool and store in the refrigerator and use it within a month.

For making Nannari Sarbath

1. Mix in the lime/ lemon juice, syrup, ice cubes and water. Enjoy!

Notes

Instead of water, you can substitute club soda.
You can add in ginger, sabja seeds (basil seeds), mint etc... for variation.

3.5.3208

The post Nannari Sarbath / Nannari Syrup from scratch appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Idli milagai podi means comfort food in Tamilnadu. During school days, 50% of all the school lunch boxes were packed with sesame oil coated idlis drenched in different kinds of idli podi. It is the best lunch box friendly food our moms knew those days. Slightly crunchy and spicy, idli is the perfect vehicle for podi. My brother was a big time picky eater when he was young. He would never have chutney, sambar or anything wet on the side with idli or dosa. The only thing you can give him was idli podi and it holds true to this day. So our house had gallons of idli podi at all times of the year. This is a very easy recipe to do. Hope you like it. There are countless types of idli milagai podi one can make and this is the most popular one that’s made with roasted lentils.

The key to a good idli milagai podi is the crunch when you bite. You can achieve that texture only by slow roasting making sure that the lentils turn golden. Low heat is key. Here is how to do it.

Heat a pan and add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add quarter cup of chana dal (kadalai paruppu). Roast the chana dal in low flame until golden brown. Keep sauteing to avoid burning. Have patience and roast slow until the aroma comes and the dal turns color. Remove from the pan once the dal is golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.

In the same pan add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add half cup of whole white urad dal. Use unpolished urad dal. Roast the lentil until it smells nutty and the dal turns color. It should be really golden in colour. Always roast on low flame. That is the key. Remove from the pan once the dal is golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Place the pan back again on the stove and add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and half cup of white sesame seeds. Fry on low flame till golden. Keep sauteing and spread the seeds on the pan evenly so the seeds doesn’t burn. Sesame seeds burn fast. So roast on low flame until it starts to pop. Remove the seeds from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.

Dry roast red chillies on the same pan until you can smell them. Remove the chillies from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.

Add in the cooled and roasted lentils, sesame seeds and red chillies to the mixie. Add in the salt, asafoetida (perungayam/hing) and jaggery.

Grind the ingredients to the consistency you like. You can grind it fine, slightly coarse or to a coarse powder. I like the slight crunch of the podi that comes from the lentils. So I ground slightly to a coarse powder. Just ever so slightly coarse.

You can store this idli milagai podi / idli molaga podi at room temperature for upto 15-20 days. If you are going to need it for a longer time, then store the podi in zip tote bags in the freezer. It stays fresh for upto 4-5 months in the freezer.

Mix the chutney powder either with sesame oil (nallennai) or ghee.
Serve with idli, dosa, paniyaram varieties.

Idli podi - Idli milagai podi Recipe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Traditional Recipe for idli milagai podi using dal. Idli and podi is comfort food in Tamilnadu.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney Powders

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 1.5 cups podi

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoon vegetable oil
• ¼ cup split chana dal
• ½ cup whole white urad dal
• ½ cup white sesame seeds
• 10 dried red chillies
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon jaggery
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

Instructions

1. Heat a pan and add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add quarter cup of chana dal (kadalai paruppu). Roast the chana dal in low flame until golden brown. Set aside on a plate to cool.
2. In the same pan add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add half cup of whole white urad dal. Roast the lentil until it smells nutty and the dal turns color. Remove from the pan once the dal is golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.
3. Add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and half cup of white sesame seeds. Fry on low flame till golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.
4. Dry roast red chillies on the same pan until you can smell them. Remove the chillies from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
5. Add in the cooled and roasted lentils, sesame seeds and red chillies to the mixie. Add in the salt, asafoetida (perungayam/hing) and jaggery.
6. Grind the ingredients to the consistency you like. You can grind it fine, slightly coarse or to a coarse powder.
7. Enjoy with idlis!

Notes

Mix the chutney powder either with sesame oil (nallennai) or ghee.
Serve with idli or dosa.

3.5.3208

The post Idli podi – Idli milagai podi Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

This is an OPOS – One Pot One Shot recipe.
# This recipe works well ONLY in a 2 or 3 liter Indian style pressure cooker. Do not use a big cooker without adjusting the quantity. It wont work. Do not scale the recipe up or down. Use exact measurements and equipment.
Generally, making of thokku / thick chutney can be very laborious which includes sauteing the veggies in oil for not less than 30-40 minutes. Thokku made using OPOS just takes 5 minutes on the stove. You might think that pressure cooking might just steam the onion. “A paste of steamed onions with spices is the last thing you wanna eat. Its aghast.” But you are in for a surprise. There is a catch. We will not be adding any water while cooking. The onions are going to caramelize in its own juices in high heat for a short time. Believe me, this recipe is one of the best things that has happened to me in cooking.

I tried this recipe 3-4 times so far and the flavor has been phenomenal. If you are worried about burning the bottom of your pressure cooker, don’t be.
Hope you enjoy the video!

Enjoy your thokku with rice, idli, dosa etc…

Onion Thokku - Vengaya Thokku Recipe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Tamil style recipe for vengaya thokku / onion chutney. Easy recipe using one pot one shot method. Just takes 5 minutes to make this thokku. Video recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney / Pickle

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 6 teaspoon sesame oil
• 250 grams sliced onions ( 3 medium sized onions ).
• 5-10 dry red chillies.
• 1″ coin size.tamarind
• 1 teaspoon of jaggery.
• 1 teaspoon of home made / store bought sambar powder.
• 1 teaspoon of salt.

Instructions

1. Take a pressure cooker (2 or 3 litres capacity only) and add 6 teaspoon of Indian sesame oil /gingely oil (nallennai).
2. Add in 250 grams sliced onions ( 3 medium sized onions ).
3. Add in 5-10 dry red chillies. (Add 5 chillies if you want a moderately spiced thokku / chutney. Increase the chillies if you want a spicy chutney.)
4. Add a small piece of tamarind. About a 1″ coin size. Add in a teaspoon of jaggery. and a teaspoon of home made / store bought sambar powder. Add in a teaspoon of salt.
5. Set your stove to medium high heat on a gas stove or your induction stove to 1200W. We are going to cook for exactly 5 minutes. Set up a timer in your mobile. Just 5 minutes irrespective of the number of whistles. You might end up getting 5-7 whistles.
6. Wait for the pressure to release. Open the cooker. If there is a lot of liquid remaining in the cooker, just briefly simmer on high heat for a couple of minutes until the mixture is thick. Ignore this step if the mixture does not have liquid.
7. Wait for the mixture to cool.
8. Blend to a paste.
9. Enjoy your thokku with rice, idli, dosa etc…

Notes

The term OPOS and One Pot One Shot are registered trademarks owned by Mr.Ramakrishnan. The recipes have been adapted from his OPOS Cookbook. They are used in Kannamma Cooks with prior permission. The recipes are an adaptation from the cookbook.

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The post Onion Thokku – Vengaya Thokku Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

I am a great fan of fermented foods. When the legendary Chithra Viswanathan had posted a picture of this morkali in a forum, I was instantly hooked. The unique thing about this recipe is that the batter for this recipe is naturally fermented. These days, the morkali we know is the “instant” morkali made with a batter of rice flour and sour curd.

CV was very generous to share her family recipe and this is the story behind this amazing recipe.
Whenever amma ground rice for sevai (string hoppers) with puzhungarisi (par boiled rice), amma used to reserve some of the batter for making morkali. The batter was usually fermented for 24-48 hours. One can even ferment it upto 36 hours. The batter stays good and does not rot. When amma was bedridden in her final years, my sister used to have this batter in the fridge at all times, so she could make it at moments notice. However small an amount, the recipe can be made with just enough batter. If made the right way, it just glides down the throat. Its easily digestible too because of the fermentation.

Recipes like these are hard to find. We are slowly losing the art of fermentation in this busy world. Just a little bit of planning and you will have a wonderful and heathy dish that you can make for your loved ones. Here is the recipe for naturally fermented morkali. Its the wonderful soulfood as they say!

Wash and soak the par boiled rice (I used Idly rice) in water for 24 hours. Drain the soaked rice and grind the rice along with coconut and a cup of water. Grind the ingredients in a mixie to a fine paste. Do not grind it to a watery mixture. Grind it to a thick paste. Mix in the salt and set aside to ferment in a draft free place. I allowed it to ferment for 24 hours.

After the time, the batter would smell sour and little foamy. The batter did not foam a lot for me like idli batter does. It foamed very little. Add in about a cup of water to dilute. It should be a thin batter (consistency of a light sauce, thinner than the dosa batter).

Now the tempering! Its a simple traditional tempering that goes in for making the Kali. Traditionally curd chillies (mor milagai) is used. I did not have mor milagai. So used dried red chillies.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the split urad dal and split chana dal. Let it slightly brown. Add in the curry leaves, red chillies and asafoetida. Fry briefly for a couple of seconds. Add in the batter. Stir on a medium flame.

Keep stirring the batter. It will keep thickening. Keep stirring until it has thickened well and does not stick to the pan anymore.

Switch off the flame and remove it to a plate. Let it cool. Cut into cubes and serve.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Morkali - Fermented Morkali Recipe

 

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Prep time

48 hours

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

48 hours 10 mins

 

Naurally fermented morkali recipe. Traditional mor kali recipe made using fermented rice batter.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3-4 cups

Ingredients

For the batter

• 1 cup parboiled rice ( I used idli rice)
• ¼ cup coconut
• 1 teaspoon salt

For tempering

• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon split white urad dal
• 1 teaspoon split chana dal
• 2-3 dried curd chillies (mor milagai)
• 2 sprig curry leaves, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing), perungayam

Instructions

1. Wash and soak the par boiled rice in water for 24 hours. Drain the soaked rice and grind the rice along with coconut and a cup of water. Mix in the salt and set aside to ferment in a draft free place for 24 hours.
2. After the time, the batter would smell sour and little foamy. Add in about a cup of water to dilute. It should be a thin batter (consistency of a light sauce).
3. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the split urad dal and split chana dal. Let it slightly brown. Add in the curry leaves, red chillies and asafoetida. Fry briefly for a couple of seconds. Add in the batter. Stir on a medium flame.
4. Keep stirring the batter. It will keep thickening. Keep stirring until it has thickened well and does not stick to the pan anymore.
5. Switch off the flame and remove it to a plate. Let it cool. Cut into cubes and serve.

Notes

Optional:
For garnish, I have used sliced green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

3.5.3208

The post Morkali – Fermented Morkali Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

I had my first Fettuccine Alfredo at Olive garden a lot of years back. It was one of my first meals in the US as we had just landed then. The creamy rich sauce was so comforting to the severely jet-lagged me feeling lost and alone in a far off land. Even the pickiest of eaters will fall for this delightful meal. While the traditional Alfredo sauce is made with cream and cheese, this is a lighter version of the original. I like this version much better as its so delicious and slightly guilt free. Its made with milk, cream cheese and Parmesan. Even though Fettuccine is the preferred type of pasta, you can make it with any shape of pasta. Spaghetti, Penne, linguine etc…

The thickness of fettuccine means it can withstand extremely robust sauces. It goes well with dairy-based, oil-based, or tomato-based sauces, and with sauces combined with meat, vegetables, seafood, or cheese. Buy Fettuccine Online – Click Here. Fettuccine Noodles is rich, and thick and very hearty. So indulge on your creamy Alfredo meal. My family enjoys this meal every-time I make it.

Here is how to do it.
Bring couple of liters of water to a fast boil. Add in a teaspoon of salt. Add pasta and cook for 6-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside. This will give you perfectly Al-dente (firm) pasta. You can cook a bit longer to soften it a bit more if that’s what you like. I fall sightly on the softer side. Sorry Mario Batali.

Heat olive oil in a pan and add in the minced garlic and dried herb mixture. Any store bought mixed herb mixture works fine. Saute for 10 seconds. Buy Italian mixed herb seasoning online. Click Here. Add in the milk and cream cheese. Boil the mixture for a couple of minutes until foamy and bubbly. Add in the cooked fettuccine and toss to coat. Add in the salt and Parmesan cheese. Go easy on the salt as Parmesan cheese is salty. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta evenly. Garnish the pasta with chopped parsley. Serve hot!
Hope you enjoy the video!

PS – Don’t worry if it looks like there is a lot of sauce. The sauce will coat the pasta and the pasta will absorb all the moisture and thicken in no time.

Really Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Delicious super creamy Fettuccine Alfredo recipe made with milk, cream cheese and Parmesan. A video recipe. Easiest and the best recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 1 person

Ingredients

For cooking pasta

• 50-75 grams Fettuccine pasta
• 2 liters water
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Alfredo sauce

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon dried italian herb mixture
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 tablespoon cream cheese
• 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Bring couple of liters of water to a fast boil. Add in a teaspoon of salt. Add pasta and cook for 6-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and add in the minced garlic and dried herb mixture. Saute for 10 seconds.
3. Add in the milk and cream cheese. Boil the mixture for a couple of minutes until foamy and bubbly.
4. Add in the cooked fettuccine and toss to coat. Add in the salt and Parmesan cheese. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta evenly.
5. Garnish the pasta with chopped parsley. Serve hot!

3.5.3208

The post Really Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

If there is one thing you would want to try from this site, then try flash cooking vegetables.
So whats the deal and whats flash cooking anyway?
Flash cooking is nothing but cooking at high heat for a very short time.
So what happens when you do that???
The veggies cook perfectly and retains all the bright and vibrant colors. Veggies are cooked to perfection without becoming mushy with very less intervention during cooking. There is no sauteing, there is no mess.
OK. Kind of interesting. Then?
Its easy, its addictive and you will never look at cooking veggies the same way again. Its perfect every time. Every single time.
Will the veggies smell raw as we are not sauteing?
No. Absolutely not. Its my family approved recipe. Trust me and enjoy the joy of flashing.
Will the veggies burn?
We add a little water to prevent the veggies from burning. If you use the correct equipment and cook just for 2 whistles, you are gonna be just fine. I dont even add oil to cook veggies these days.
Dont believe me. See this video and give it a try.

A little note on equipment.
Please use a 2-3 liter cooker only. This recipe was tested several times in a 3 liter prestige stainless steel pressure cooker.
Indian cookers whistle. If it does not, have it checked.
If using induction stove (recommended), cook the veggies in 1200W until your cooker whistles 2 times.
If using gas stove, keep on medium high and cook for two whistles again.
Depending on the quantity of veggies used, the timing may range from 5-7 minutes. Go by whistles and not time to get the perfect cooked veggies every single time.
When 2 whistles are over, switch off the flame and release the pressure immediately. Do not try to force open the cooker with the pressure inside. Its dangerous.

5 minutes poriyal / thoran - Flashed veggies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Flash cooked vegetables for poriyal / thoran. Basic carrot vegetable poriyal done in under 5 minutes.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 persons

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoon water
• 200 grams carrot (about 2 carrots), chopped
• 100 grams beans ( about 12-15 beans), chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Take a pressure cooker ( 2 or 3 liters only).
2. Add in the water to the pan. The little water will help in creating steam and to avoid the veggies from burning.
3. Layer the veggies in the cooker.
4. Add in the curry leaves, salt and the coconut.
5. Cover the cooker and add on the whistle weight on top.
6. Start the heat on the gas stove or induction stove, whichever you are using.
7. If using induction stove, cook on 1200 w until the cooker whistles 2 times.
8. If using gas stove, set the heat to medium high and cook until the cooker whistles 2 times.
9. In both the methods, it will take about approximately 5-7 minutes. Do not go by time. Go by whistles only.
10. After exactly 2 whistles, switch off the stove and remove the pressure from the cooker manually. Be careful. Do not at any point in time, force open the cooker without releasing the pressure first.
11. Stir well and serve.

Notes

I have not used any oil in this recipe.
You can cook any veggies using the same technique.
Beetroot, cabbage, peas, cauliflower, brocolli, potatoes, spinach etc... can be flashed using the same technique.
Cut the veggies into small pieces for even cooking.
When cooking mixed veggies, slow cooking veggies need to be cut smaller than quick cooking veggies, to match cooking time.

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The term OPOS and One Pot One Shot are registered trademarks owned by Mr.Ramakrishnan. The recipes and techniques have been adapted from him. They are used in Kannamma Cooks with prior permission.

The post 5 minutes poriyal / thoran – Flashed veggies appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Naatu kozhi is nothing but country chicken. Soup made using country chicken is very flavorful. This is an excellent rasam broth you can make for your family. Its an excellent way to clear your cold. Its very comforting to drink when you are not keeping well and very easy to digest too. We will be using chicken bones with little flesh. I have used the carcass and wings of a whole chicken for this recipe.

This is an extremely simple recipe with one little step. That is making your own home made rasam powder. This non-veg rasam powder is the main ingredient that flavors the Naatu Kozhi Rasam / Chicken Rasam. We will be roasting all the ingredients for rasam powder in a teaspoon of ghee. Once the seeds are roasted, its ground to a fine powder and added to the chicken soup.

Here is how to make naatu kozhi rasam / chicken soup. Hope you enjoy this video!

There are three steps in making this naatu kozhi rasam / chicken soup.

1. Making the rasam powder
2. Cooking the chicken bones to make stock
3. Tempering the rasam

Cooking the chicken bones in a pressure cooker is the easiest way to make chicken stock. The bones get completely cooked and all the flavors gets released into the stock. We use turmeric and salt for making the stock for this naatu kozhi rasam / chicken soup.

Naatu Kozhi Rasam / Chicken Rasam - Soup Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

A very simple and robust naatu kozhi rasam / soup made using country chicken bones and home made rasam powder. A very delicious Tamilnadu style recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Rasam / Soup

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

For Non-Veg Rasam Powder

• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds ( sombu )
• 5-6 dried red chillies

For Chicken Broth / Stock

• 350 grams chicken bones with little meat
• (I used the chicken carcass bones of a whole chicken and wings)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ litre water

For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 1 medium sized tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Roast all the ingredients listed under rasam powder in a teaspoon of ghee until slightly brown and fragrant. Grind the mixture to a very fine powder. You may have to pulse it several times to get a fine powder. Use a heavy duty mixie or a spice grinder.
2. Boil the chicken bones with turmeric, salt and water for 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. Switch off the flame and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally,
3. Strain the stock and remove the chicken from the bones. Discard the bones. Set aside.
4. Heat ghee in a pan and add in the cumin seeds and curry leaves.
5. Add in the chopped onions and fry for a couple of minutes.
6. Add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked.
7. Add in the ground rasam powder and saute for a couple of minutes.
8. Add in the shredded chicken and mix well.
9. Add in the strained stock and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Serve the soup hot.

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If there is one chutney that I can have everyday with idli and dosa, it has to be the kaara chutney / spicy red chutney. I have shared a different version of the kaara chutney here. This recipe is a 5 minute kaara chutney / spicy red chutney recipe. No frying, no sauteing. Easy, breezy chutney cooked to perfection in just 5 minutes.

This is an OPOS – One Pot One Shot recipe.
# This recipe works well ONLY in a 2 or 3 liter Indian style pressure cooker. Do not use a big cooker without adjusting the quantity. It wont work. Do not scale the recipe up or down. Use exact measurements and equipment.
If using induction stove (recommended), cook the chutney ingredients in 1200W for 5 minutes.
If using gas stove, keep on medium and cook for 5 minutes. When 5 minutes is over, switch off the flame and release the pressure immediately. Do not try to force open the cooker with the pressure inside. Its dangerous.

Here is how to do the chettinad style spicy kaara chutney. Hope you enjoy the video.

Serve the Kaara chutney with idli, dosa, paniyaram or uthappam varieties.

Chettinad Kaara Chutney - Spicy Red Chutney

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Recipe for Chettinad Kaara Chutney. A perfect accompaniment for idli - idly and dosa. Tamil style spicy red chutney recipe. Video recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: Chettinad, Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 persons

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon sesame oil (gingely oil, nallennai)
• 2 medium sized onion, chopped
• 2 medium tomato, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 8 dried red chillies
• 1 inch piece tamarind
• 1 teaspoon jaggery (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Take a 3 litre pressure cooker and add in the oil to the pan.
2. Add in the onion, tomatoes and garlic.
3. Add in the chillies, tamarind and jaggery.
4. Cover the pressure cooker with a lid and add the weight.
5. Cook for 5 minutes. (Set a timer)
6. Induction stove is preferred. If using induction, set the stove at 1200w. If using gas stove, set it in medium flame.
7. In both methods you should get about three whistles. You can switch off after 3 whistles. 5 minutes or 3 whistles whichever is first.
8. After 5 minutes, switch off the flame and release the pressure manually.
9. Open the cooker and add in the salt.
10. Grind to a paste without adding any water.
11. Serve with idli, dosa, uthappam etc..

Notes

The term OPOS and One Pot One Shot are registered trademarks owned by Mr.Ramakrishnan. The recipes have been adapted using his OPOS principle. They are used in Kannamma Cooks with prior permission.

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The post Chettinad Kaara Chutney – Spicy Red Chutney appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

These shallow fried spicy paneer fritters are so easy to make and its an easy appetizer / snack for parties. Its also a delicious perfect tea time snack and so good for after school munchies. They can be made in advance and shaped into patties and can be stored in the freezer. Just thaw them couple of hours before, and shallow fry them just in time. Here is how to do the spicy paneer / panneer fritters.

Shred the paneer and cheese and set aside.
Mix in all the ingredients to form a dough.

Make small oblong patties by pressing a dough ball in your palm. Preferably 2 inches in size. Make it firm so it does not break while frying in hot oil.

Shallow fry the patties in really hot oil for 2 minutes on each side. Gently keep turning the patties with a help of a spoon. Be gentle as the patties are fragile. Fry till the fritters are nice and golden. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Hope you enjoy the video!

Spicy Paneer Fritters

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Easy recipe for fritters made with paneer, cheese and scallions. Perfect for parties. Can be made in advance. Spicy shallow fried fritters. Serve with hot sauce or ketchup.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Indian - Fusion

Serves: 15-18 patties

Ingredients

• 2 cups paneer, shredded
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 5 green chillies, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup spring onion, chopped (green part only)
• 1 teasoon italian seasoning
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil for shallow frying

Instructions

1. Shred the paneer and cheese and set aside.
2. Mix in all the ingredients to form a dough.
3. Make small oblong patties by pressing a dough ball in your palm. Preferable 2 inches in size. Make it firm so it does not break while frying in hot oil.
4. Shallow fry the patties in really hot oil for 2 minutes on each side. Gently keep turning the patties with a help of a spoon. Be gentle as the patties are fragile. Fry till the fritters are nice and golden. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with hot sauce or ketchup.

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Iced Coffee

I love love love coffee. This is a no fuss easy peasy iced coffee recipe that can be whipped up in just 2 minutes. I use instant coffee granules and condensed milk. Condensed milk gives a nice smooth richness to the coffee. I have used milk in this recipe. If you want a rich coffee, you can substitute milk with half and half. I really like this recipe and make it so many times now as summer has hit so hard and its a perfect way to cool on your couch.

Here is what you will need.

Take a kettle and boil 1/4 cup of water. Add in a teaspoon of instant coffee granules. Add in two tablespoon of condensed milk and switch off the flame. Shake the kettle a bit so the condensed milk gets mixed evenly.
Take a mug and add in this mixture.
Top it off with ice cubes and milk.
Stir with a spoon and enjoy!
Repeat whenever you feel like drinking coffee.

Hope you enjoy this video!

Homemade Iced Coffee Recipe

 

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Prep time

1 min

Cook time

1 min

Total time

2 mins

 

Recipe for homemade iced coffee made with instant coffee and condensed milk. Can be made in two minutes. Easy iced coffee recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoon condensed milk
• ¼ cup ice cubes
• ¾ cup milk

Instructions

1. Take a kettle and boil ¼ cup of water. Add in a teaspoon of instant coffee granules. Add in two tablespoon of condensed milk and switch off the flame. Shake the kettle a bit so the condensed milk gets mixed evenly.
2. Take a mug and add in this mixture.
3. Top it off with ice cubes and milk.
4. Stir with a spoon and enjoy!

Notes

You can add more coffee if you want a stronger drink.
You can add more condensed milk if you want it more sweeter.
Add a little half and half instead of milk if you want a richer coffee.

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Brinji is a flavorful vegetable rice made with coconut and coconut milk. Chef Ramakrishnan in his book says “The word Brinji means nothing in Tamil, always a reasonable indicator that the recipe is a borrowed one. In central Asia, especially in Iran (Persia), polished white rice is still called berenj. Persians excelled in cooking rice. It is likely that this polished white rice cooked with mild spices by Arab traders, caught the fancy of Tamil nation and came to be called Berenji or Brinji. Flavoured Rice boiled in milk is still called Sheer Berenji (Milk Rice). It is possible that flavoured rice boiled in water might have been called just Berenji. The brinji is much older than Biriyani/ Pulao/ Tahiri, which are relatively new entrants to Tamil cuisine. Being older, the brinji has internalized south Indian ingredients like coconut and pepper. I’d think the Brinji is the earliest version of Biriyani/ pulav cooked in Tamilnadu. 50 years back no one knew biriyani or pulav in Tamilnadu. All they knew was Brinji. The Tamil name for bay leaves – Brinji elai ( Brinji Leaf) come from the fact they were invariably used in a brinji! Down south, in places like Madurai, the heart of Tamil culture, Brinji is still more famous than the Biriyani/ Pulao.”

This is an OPOS – One Pot One Shot recipe.
We are not going to saute or fry anything in this recipe. We will layer the ingredients in a cooker and cook. Do not scale the recipe up or down. Use exact measurements and equipment. If using induction stove (recommended), cook the brinji at 800W for 15 minutes or 2 whistles whichever is earlier. If using gas stove, cook on medium heat for 2 whistles.
Many people ask me if things will be raw after cooked as we are not sauteing anything. My answer is no. It will be perfectly cooked. Just try it once. I am sure you will like it.

Here is how to do brinji.
Mix all the ingredients listed under marination in a big bowl and set it aside to marinate for one hour at room temperature. During the same time, soak basmati rice in water and let it soak for one hour too! After one hour, the veggie mixture will be slightly liquidy. You are on the right track. Drain the soaked rice and set aside.

The layering process and cooking has been described in the video. Hope you enjoy.

Tamilnadu Brinji Recipe - Vegetable brinji saadam with coconut milk

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Recipe for Tamilnadu style brinji rice made with vegetables and coconut. This veg brinji is very flavorful tamil style recipe. Measurements used 1Cup approx 250 ml

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

Ingredients for marination

• ½ cup peas, chopped
• ½ cup carrots, chopped
• ½ cup potatoes, chopped
• ½ cup mint leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ½ cup coconut paste (1/4 cup coconut ground with ¼ cup water to a fine paste)
• 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste ( 6 cloves garlic and 1 inch piece ginger ground with little water)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Rice

• 1 Cup (250 ml) basmati rice

For final layering

• 2 teaspoon ghee
• 3 bay leaves, crushed
• 2 medium sized onion, chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• ⅓ cup light coconut milk
• ⅔ cup water

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients listed under marination in a wide bowl. Mix well to combine. Marinate for one hour.
2. Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for one hour.
3. Take a 3 liter pressure cooker and add in the ghee. Top it with chopped onions and tomato.
4. Add in half the quantity of marinated veggies along with its juices.
5. Drain the basmati rice and add it on top of the veggies to form an even layer.
6. Add in the remaining veggies.
7. If using induction stove (recommended), cook the brinji at 800W for 15 minutes or 2 whistles whichever is earlier.
8. If using gas stove, cook on medium heat for 2 whistles.
9. Switch of the flame and remove from heat.
10. Let the pressure release naturally. Wait for 20 minutes.
11. Open the pan and fluff up the rice. Enjoy!

Notes

If using ready made ginger garlic paste, use just 2 teaspoon as its concentrated.
When layering, make sure the veggies totally cover the rice layer.

The term OPOS and One Pot One Shot are registered trademarks owned by Mr.Ramakrishnan. The recipes have been adapted using his OPOS principle. They are used in Kannamma Cooks with prior permission.

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The post Tamilnadu Brinji Recipe – Vegetable brinji sadam with coconut milk appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Here is how to do home made murugal dosa batter recipe. Usually, I just use my idli batter recipe for making dosa. But if you are looking for making a really crispy dosa, then this is the recipe you need to be making. It is an extremely easy recipe and comes out good every single time.
Hope you enjoy our video instructions!

The recipe is very similar to the idli batter recipe but the easiest. All the ingredients are soaked together and ground. The batter needs to be ground to a fine paste and allowed to ferment for at least 12 hours. The dosa will nicely brown only when its fermented well. Also the batter consistency should be a little thinner than the idli batter consistency. After fermenting, if you feel that the batter is thick or your dosas or not coming out well, try to add little water and dilute the batter. But add very little at a time.

If there is one dosa pan that is really worth it, then its gotta be the Lodge cast iron Dosa Griddle.
Click here to buy! Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Tawa Pan – 10.5-Inch
I love it very much and have had it for more than a decade now. Its a cast iron skillet and cast iron dosa pan is the only way to go. The dosa pan you see in the video is a Lodge Iron Dosa Pan. I highly recommend it.

If you have old cast iron dosa pans at home, you can season them and bring life to those pans back. You can see how to season a dosa pan properly HERE.

Murugal Dosai / Dosa Batter Recipe

 

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Prep time

16 hours

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

16 hours 10 mins

 

Recipe for home made murugal dosai with batter made from scratch. Dosai batter recipe. Home style ghee roast. A video recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 30 dosas

Ingredients

Dosa Batter Ingredients

• !Measurements used - 1 cup = 250 ml
• 1 Cup Idli Rice (Par boiled rice)
• 1 Cup Raw Rice
• ½ Cup Urad Dal
• 2 Tablespoon Toor Dal
• ¼ Cup Aval / Poha
• ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
• 1½ teaspoon Salt

For making Dosa

• Ghee and Oil for greasing the pan

Instructions

1. Wash the rice and dal in running water 2-3 times.
2. Soak all the ingredients except the salt together in water for at-least 4 hours.
3. Grind the ingredients with little water to a very fine paste. Add upto 2 cups of water while grinding. If you are grinding in a mixie, take time and grind in 2-3 batches. Try not to add a lot of water while grinding.
4. Add in the salt to the batter and mix well to combine.
5. Cover the bowl and allow it to ferment for at-least 12 hours in a warm place.
6. The batter would have almost doubled in volume after the 12 hour fermentation.
7. Mix the batter well and the dosa batter is ready. Store the batter in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and use as required.

For making dosa

1. If the dosa batter is very thick, thin it out by adding very little water.
2. Heat the dosa griddle until medium hot.
3. Add ⅓ cup batter and swirl to completely cover dosa griddle. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of oil or ghee to the dosa. Cook until underside of the dosa is golden brown, about a minute.
4. Loosen the edges of the dosa with a steel spatula. No need to flip the dosa. Remove dosa from the griddle and repeat with remaining batter.
5. Serve hot.

Notes

Adding oil to the pan and then doing dosa will make it difficult to spread the batter. Always add oil to the dosa and not to the pan.

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The post Murugal Dosai / Dosa Batter Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

1980’s and 90’s were the days of Femina and Womensera magazines in India. If you wanted a new age recipe, that was the place most ladies thronged to. There was no internet and no blog. There was a lot of time and no information overload. Cook books and the few magazines were the only source of new recipes if one wanted to try. My neighbor Shantaka regularly subscribed to Femina and this recipe was featured in the magazine years back. She made this and that was the first time I had fish cutlets in my life. During my school days, cutlets were all the rage. The crisp slight sweetness from the bread crumb crust was something I really loved and I still do.

These fish cutlets are very easy to do and can be done within minutes. The only prep work that is needed is to boil and mash the potatoes, steam and shred the fish filets. If you cannot get fish filets, steam the fish and remove the skin and the bones. Shred them and set aside. Today I have used Salmon filets for the cutlet. Cat Fish, Basa etc.. also works fine.
Here is a detailed video recipe of how to do fish cutlets.

Enjoy your fish cutlets with ketchup and mayo.

Fish Cutlet Recipe / Deep Fried Meen Cutlet Recipe

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Easy recipe for deep fried fish cutlets. These fish cutlets can be made quick and it can be prepared well in advance.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 10 cutlets

Ingredients

For the patties

• 1 Big Potato / 1 Cup boiled and mashed potato
• 250 grams fish filet - 1 Cup steamed and shredded fish filet (I used Salmon)
• 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 green chillies, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 sprigs mint leaves, chopped fine
• 6 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped fine

For the Patty outer covering

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs

For frying

• 500 ml sunflower / vegetable oil

Instructions

For the patties

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the minced ginger. Fry for a minute.
2. Add in the onions and green chillies. Fry till the onions are soft.
3. Add in the salt.
4. Add in the mashed potatoes, shredded fish, mint leaves and coriander leaves.
5. Mix well and saute for a minute.
6. Remove from heat.

For the Patty outer covering

1. Take 2 tablespoon of the fish mixture and make small patties. Press them in between the palm and make it into a firm patty. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
2. Take two bowls. Fill one with the beaten egg and the other with bread crumbs.
3. Dip the patties in the eggs and then roll it in the bread crumbs.
4. Set aside.
5. At this stage, the patties can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and fried when necessary.
6. The patties may also be frozen at this stage for up to a month. Just thaw to room temperature and proceed.

Deep Fry

1. Heat oil until hot. Gently place the patties in hot oil and fry them till golden.
2. Serve with Ketchup or Mayo.

Notes

A Note on Freezing
Freeze the bread crumb coated patties on a plate for about 4-5 hours. Make sure they don't stick to each other. Then remove the plate and transfer the patties into zip lock bags. By doing this way, the patties wont get smashed and they will remain in individual pieces without getting stuck to each other.
Just remove the patties 30 minutes before and thaw them at room temperature.
Fry in hot oil

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The post Fish Cutlet Recipe / Deep Fried Meen Cutlet Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Who doesn’t love thala right? His interest in food and cooking is so well known and his biryani has become legendary in the sets where he works. This recipe was published long time back in Kumudam magazine where director Venkat Prabhu and actress Parvathy Nair describe the procedure of how to make thala style biryani. Venkat Prabhu states that thala uses only basmati rice for making biryani and never uses any ready made biryani masala.

Its a dum style biryani where a masala is cooked and partially cooked rice is added and put on dum. Here is what you will need for the Thala Ajith biryani masala.

For ingredient measurements and instructions for Thala Ajith Biryani, scroll to the bottom of the page.

First, soak the basmati water in lots of water and set aside.

Now, Lets make the Biryani Masala.

Heat ghee and oil in a pan and add in the spices. Add in the onions and cover the pan with a lid. I believe Ajith covers and cooks everything and also cooks only on a medium heat. That’s his secret to good biryani I believe.
So cover the pan and cook until the onions are brown. Open the lid and saute once in a while so the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn.

Now, add in the ginger garlic paste once the onions are brown. Cover the pan again and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Let it brown. Saute in the middle to avoid burning.

Now add in the coriander leaves and mint leaves and saute for a minute briefly.

Add in the tomatoes and the green chillies. Saute briefly and cover the pan with the lid and let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the spice powders ( turmeric, red chilli ) and the salt. Mix well.

Add in the chicken and beaten yogurt. Mix well. Slightly increase the flame and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. No need to add water. The chicken will cook in its own liquid and juices.

In the mean time, bring a big pot of water to boil. Add in little oil, salt and lime juice. Add in the soaked and drained rice.

The chicken will be cooked in the mean time. Reduce the flame to sim.

Cook the rice until 80% done. The rice should still be firm and little hard slightly in the middle.Drain the rice. Save the hot water remaining (kanji thanni) for putting dum. Add the drained rice to the pan.

Mix the rice and the chicken masala. Now, we are ready for dum.

Take a dosa pan and place the biryani pot on the dosa pan. Cover with a lid and place hot water (the drained water / left over rice water (kanji thanni) ) on top.

Put the flame of the stove on low and let it cook in dum for 15 minutes. Open the pan after 15 minutes, add in the ghee and gently mix the biryani. Put in dum for 5 more minutes.

Thala Ajith biryani is ready! Enjoy Thala Ajith biryani!

Thala Ajith Biryani Recipe with Chicken

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Recipe for Thala Ajith biryani. Chicken biryani recipe. Recipe adapted from a tamil magazine. Dum style Chicken Biryani / Thala Biryani.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Biryani

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Spices

• 2 cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 2 Cinnamon

Ginger Garlic Paste

• Grind to a paste the following:
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece ginger
• ¼ cup water

For Chicken Masala

• 2 Tablespoon Ghee
• 2 Tablespoon Vegetable / Sunflower Oil
• 2 medium sized Onion, sliced
• 6 sprigs Coriander leaves, chopped
• 6 sprigs Mint leaves, chopped
• 2 Tomatoes, chopped
• 4 Green Chillies, sliced
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• ½ cup fresh yogurt (curd)
• 3 teaspoon Ghee ( for mixing at last)
• 750 grams Chicken with bone

For Cooking Rice

• 3 litres water
• 2 Cups Basmati Rice, soaked (500 ml)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 teaspoon vegetable / sunflower oil
• 1½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Heat ghee and oil in a pan and add in the spices. Add in the onions and cover the pan with a lid. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are brown. Open the lid and saute once in a while so the bottom doesn't burn.
2. Add in the ginger garlic paste once the onions are brown. Cover the pan again and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Let it brown. Saute in the middle to avoid burning.
3. Add in the coriander leaves and mint leaves and saute for a minute briefly.
4. Add in the tomatoes and the green chillies. Saute briefly and cover the pan with the lid and let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add in the spice powders ( turmeric, red chilli ) and the salt. Mix well.
6. Add in the chicken and beaten yogurt. Slightly increase the flame and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. No need to add water. The chicken will cook in its own liquid and juices.
7. In the mean time, bring a big pot of water to boil. Add in little oil, salt and lime juice. Add in the soaked and drained rice.
8. The chicken will be cooked in the mean time. Reduce the flame to sim.
9. Cook the rice until 80% done. The rice should still be firm and little hard slightly in the middle.Drain the rice. Save the hot water remaining (kanji thanni) for putting dum. Add the drained rice to the pan.
10. Mix the rice and the chicken masala. Now, we are ready for dum.
11. Take a dosa pan and place the biryani pot on the dosa pan. Cover with a lid and place hot water (the drained water / left over rice water (kanji thanni) on top.
12. Put the flame of the stove on low and let it cook in dum for 15 minutes. Open the pan after 15 minutes, add in the ghee and gently mix the biryani. Put in dum for 5 more minutes.
13. Switch off the flame. Biryani is ready!

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This sambar powder is very fragrant and has roasted coconut powder added to it. It has the flavour of araithu vitta sambar. When a good friend Bavani Ganesan asked me to try this recipe, I immediately did and the kitchen was smelling so fragrant. She had got this recipe from an 89 year old chef and she had all nice things to say about the recipe. I am sure, once you make it, you will too!

Here are the ingredients you will need for making the sambar powder / sambar podi.

All the ingredients are roasted in a little bit of ghee and then ground. The addition of coconut makes for a very rich sambar powder. You need to grind the ingredients into a very fine powder so it kind of dissolves into a rich sauce while making sambar. You can store this recipe for upto a week at room temperature or upto three months in the freezer. Once you have this sambar powder, making sambar is a breeze.

When roasting the ingredients make sure you do not burn the lentils and the seeds. Keep sauteing all the time and keep the stove on medium heat at all times.

Hope you enjoy the video instructions.

Sambar Powder Recipe / Araithu Vitta Sambar Podi Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Recipe for home made sambar powder from scratch. This sambar powder is used for making araithu vitta sambar.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Spice Powders

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 1 Cup

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoon Toor Dal
• 2 teaspoon Urad Dal
• 2 tablespoon Peanuts
• 2 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• ½ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (methi)
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1 small piece Cinnamon Stick (1 inch)
• ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 12 Red Chilli
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric
• ¾ teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
• ¼ cup Copra / Coconut Powder
• 2 teaspoon ghee for dry roasting

Instructions

1. Roast toor dal and urad dal in ghee on medium flame until brown and golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Dry roast peanuts until nutty. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Roast the coriander seeds, fenugreek, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon and mustard in half a teaspoon of ghee until fragrant. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Roast the red chillies in half a teaspoon of ghee until fragrant. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
5. Dry roast copra powder until slightly golden. Add in the turmeric powder and the asafoetida and briefly saute for 10 seconds. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
6. Let all the ingredients cool to room temperature.
7. Grind to a very fine powder and use within a month.

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As they say, Idli is a word. Podi Idli is an emotion. This was my school lunch box favorite when I was young and it is becoming one of the staple snack for my son in school. He just loves it. Mini idlies coated in a rich podi or lentil masala. Who doesn’t love it? Its so comforting. It travels well too. I know many families who wont travel without packing podi idlies for a long travel. Its quick and can be made in minutes.

Here is the Recipe for Idli
Here is the Recipe for Idli Podi

There are two kinds of people in this world. People who prefer ghee for their podi and people who prefer sesame oil (nallennai). I like them both. My favorite has got to be the idlies coated in sesame oil. Its so nutty and aromatic. Podi idli is all you need to save yourself from this world.

Here is a little video of how to coat idlies in podi. Hope you like it.

Podi Idli Recipe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Recipe for idlies tossed in podi. Podi idli recipe. South Indian Tamilnadu Style idlies coated with podi and sesame oil / nallennai.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 15 mini Idlies
• 4 teaspoon Idli Podi
• 4 teaspoon Sesame Oil or Ghee
• 2 teaspoon chopped curry leaves

Instructions

1. Take a bowl and add in the idlies and 2 teaspoon of idli podi and 2 teaspoon of oil. Toss well to coat. Set aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add in the chopped curry leaves. Saute for 10 seconds.
3. Add in the idli mixture. Add in the remaining Podi in 2-3 intervals making sure the idlies are nicely coated and podi is fully absorbed before adding more podi.
4. Switch off the heat.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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There is a version of this recipe in everyone’s home. But there are two main ingredients in this recipe that makes it so aromatic. Its the pepper and the curry leaves. It makes this dish a truly emotional one. Everyone has a strong bond towards aroma or scent. It might be as simple as the smell of the shampoo on your girl friends hair or that manly cologne that your boy friend wore on the first day. I still remember the perfume my man wore on our first date. Sense of smell has a strong memory. So is the smell of pepper chicken for me. The smell of roasted pepper and curry leaves in chicken fat is something I will remember for a long long time. This pepper chicken is my family recipe and an extremely simple one. The first time I made it for my husband, he ate only this and nothing else. Here is how to do it.

We will need to make a spice powder for this recipe. This little extra step goes for a long way. Dry roasting of spices brings out the essential oil in the spices and flavors the chicken and makes it so aromatic. Add in all the spices to a heavy pan and dry roast on a low flame until very fragrant and the pepper starts to pop. Remove from heat and allow it to cool completely. Grind in the mixie to make a powder. Set aside.

Take a big bowl and add in the chicken pieces. Make sure that you cut the chicken pieces into small bite sized pieces. I used boneless chicken breast pieces. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and the ground masala. Set aside.

This recipe works well in a two or three liter cooker and cooking on a bigger cooker might burn the masalas as we are not adding any water. If you are cooking in a bigger cooker, add a little water to the pan (about 1/4 cup) to avoid burning the bottom of the pan.

Take a pressure cooker and add in the sesame oil. Add in the curry leaves to the oil. Add a layer of onions and a layer of tomatoes. Top it off with the chicken mixture. Add in 1/4 cup of thick coconut milk. I used store bought canned coconut milk today. If you are using fresh coconut milk, use thick milk. Here is the recipe on how to do fresh coconut milk.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes or 5 whistles whichever is earlier. Have a timer so you do not burn the chicken. If you are cooking in an induction stove (recommended), cook on 1200W. If you are cooking on a gas stove, cook in medium heat. No need to add any water. The moisture from the chicken, veggies and coconut milk will be just sufficient to cook the chicken.

Switch off the flame and let the cooker rest for 10 minutes. Wait for the pressure from the cooker to release naturally. Add in some fresh curry leaves and mix well. Heat a pan and transfer the pepper chicken gravy to the pan. Saute on high heat until the gravy becomes thick and the masala gets coated on the chicken. Remove from heat. Pepper chicken masala is ready. Serve hot with rice or the south Indian parottas. Its an all time favorite recipe of mine.

Here is a video of the recipe and I hope you enjoy the recipe.

Pepper Chicken Masala Recipe - Tamilnadu Style

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Recipe for Tamilnadu Chettinad Style Pepper Chicken Masala. Pepper Chicken Stir-Fry.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 persons

Ingredients

Spices For the Masala Powder

• 3 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• 2 dried red chilli
• 2 teaspoon coriander seeds

For the marinating chicken

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For cooking the gravy

• 3 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 large sized onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• ¼ cup coconut milk, thick
• 1 sprig Curry leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Add in all the spices to a heavy pan and dry roast on a low flame until very fragrant and the pepper starts to pop. Remove from heat and allow it to cool completely.
2. Grind in the mixie to make a powder. Set aside.
3. Take a big bowl and add in the chicken pieces. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and the ground masala. Set aside.
4. Take a pressure cooker and add in the sesame oil. Add in the curry leaves to the oil. Add a layer of onions and a layer of tomatoes. Top it off with the chicken mixture. Add in the thick coconut milk.
5. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or 5 whistles whichever is earlier.
6. Switch off the flame and let the cooker rest for 10 minutes. Wait for the pressure from the cooker to release naturally.
7. Add in some fresh curry leaves and mix well. Heat a pan and transfer the pepper chicken gravy to the pan. Saute on high heat until the gravy becomes thick and the masala gets coated on the chicken. Remove from heat.
8. Pepper chicken masala is ready.
9. Serve hot with rice or the south indian parottas.

Notes

Use a 2 or 3 litre cooker only for this recipe.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes or 5 whistles whichever is earlier. Have a timer so you do not burn the chicken. If you are cooking in an induction stove (recommended), cook on 1200W. If you are cooking on a gas stove, cook in medium heat. No need to add any water. The moisture from the chicken, veggies and coconut milk will be just sufficient to cook the chicken.

The term OPOS and One Pot One Shot are registered trademarks owned by Mr.Ramakrishnan. The techniques have been adapted from him. They are used in Kannamma Cooks with prior permission.

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