Coconut is an indispensable ingredient in a South Indian Kitchen. Grating fresh coconut can be done in many ways. Traditionally an instrument called “Aruvamanai” is used in Tamilnadu where the coconut is broken and the meat is scraped with the help of aruvamanai.

Here are some pictures of aruvamanai.

I prefer to use my trusty knife and a mixie / blender for the job. Grating and shredding coconut is so easy with a knife. It will take just 4-5 minutes to shred a whole big coconut from start to finish.

Here is a video on how to shred / grate a coconut with a knife.

A note on storing.
Coconut is highly perishable even in the refrigerator. I like to store my grated coconut, coconut meat or shredded coconut in the freezer at all times.
I Store coconut meat (before grinding in the mixie) in the freezer and use it whenever required. I thaw the coconut and then use it for the recipe. In moments of hurry, I thaw the coconut in little water and use it.

I love my panasonic mixie that shreds the coconut in no time. Its a very powerful mixie and I cannot live without it in my indian kitchen.

The post How to grate Coconut, How to Shred Coconut in a Mixie / Blender appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

The very first plant I grew in a pot during my uniform days was coriander leaves. The whole idea of planting the seeds and watering them everyday and seeing whose plant grows well (between mine and my brother) was the biggest competition of my time. The joy of seeing them before leaving to school and to tend to them the first thing in the evening brought so much joy! Coriander is also my favorite herb. This rice is a very easy to do recipe that can be prepared and packed within 30 minutes. Its perfect for the busy mornings. This is my aunts recipe.

Getting the consistency of the rice is the key to variety rice. I always cook the rice in a pressure cooker using pot in pot method. Using a pot inside a pressure cooker avoids the spewing of water outside the cooker while cooking. I have used Sona Masuri (Raw Rice) today. Here is how I do it.

For every cup of rice, use 2 cups of water. Wash the rice in running water 2-3 times until the water runs clear, Soak one cup of rice in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Take a pressure cooker and fill it with one inch of water. Place the bowl with the soaked rice and water and cover and cook for exactly 2 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to be released naturally.

The rice is done. The rice soldiers will be well cooked and separate, the way we need for variety rice preparations. I have a prestige 3 liter pressure cooker that I use for cooking rice and other preparations everyday.

While some people use only the leaf part of the coriander for the rice, I like to use the stem part too. I like the robust flavour of the stem and its completely edible. So go ahead and use the leaf and stem and all!

Take a pan and heat a teaspoon of oil until hot. Add in the chana dal, urad dal and cumin seeds. Add in the curry leaves and green chillies. Let the seeds brown on a low flame.

Add in the coriander leaves and the shredded coconut. Fry for a minute. Switch off the flame and add in the salt and tamarind.

Here is how to make and store fresh shredded coconut.

Grind the fried ingredients to a paste with quarter cup of water. Grind to a fine paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in pan and add in the mustard seeds, urad dal and cumin seeds. Add in the curry leaves. Let the seeds splutter.

Add in the ground coriander paste and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add in the cooked rice and mix well. Remove from heat and serve.

Kothamalli Sadam, Coriander Rice, Kothamalli Rice Recipe

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe for Kothamalli Kalanda Sadam. Coriander Rice recipe without onion. Kothimir bath. A very tasty variety rice preparation from Tamilnadu.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

For Cooking Rice

• 1 Cup Raw Rice (like sona masuri variety)
• 2 Cups Water

For the Coriander Paste

• 2 teaspoon peanut oil
• 2 teaspoon chana dal
• 2 teaspoon urad dal
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 3 green chillies
• 1 bunch (100 grams) coriander leaves
• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 big gooseberry size Tamarind
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Tempering

• 2 teaspoon peanut oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon urad dal
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Instructions

For Cooking Rice

1. Wash the rice in running water 2-3 times until the water runs clear, Soak one cup of rice in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.
2. Take a pressure cooker and fill it with one inch of water. Place the bowl with the soaked rice and water and cover and cook for exactly 2 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to be released naturally.

For the Coriander Paste

1. Take a pan and heat a teaspoon of oil until hot. Add in the chana dal, urad dal and cumin seeds. Add in the curry leaves and green chillies. Let the seeds brown on a low flame.
2. Add in the coriander leaves and the shredded coconut. Fry for a minute. Switch off the flame and add in the salt and tamarind.
3. Grind the fried ingredients to a paste with quarter cup of water. Grind to a fine paste. Set aside.

For the Tempering

1. Heat oil in pan and add in the mustard seeds, urad dal and cumin seeds. Add in the curry leaves. Let the seeds splutter.
2. Add in the ground coriander paste and fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Add in the cooked rice and mix well. Remove from heat and serve.

Notes

For special occasions, add 2 tablespoon of ghee at the end. It will taste even more delicious.

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The post Kothamalli Sadam, Coriander Rice, Kothamalli Rice Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Brinjal rice, Vangi Bath is a keeper recipe with a lot of spice flavours. This recipe again is perfect for lunch box. Here is how to do Vangi bath, Kathirikkai Sadam my aunts style.

Getting the consistency of the rice is the key to variety rice. I always cook the rice in a pressure cooker using pot in pot method. Using a pot inside a pressure cooker avoids the spewing of water outside the cooker while cooking. I have used Sona Masuri (Raw Rice) today. Here is how I do it.

For every cup of rice, use 2 cups of water. Wash the rice in running water 2-3 times until the water runs clear, Soak one cup of rice in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Take a pressure cooker and fill it with one inch of water. Place the bowl with the soaked rice and water and cover and cook for exactly 2 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to be released naturally.

The rice is done. The rice soldiers will be well cooked and separate, the way we need for variety rice preparations. I have a prestige 3 liter pressure cooker that I use for cooking rice and other preparations everyday.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the sliced brinjal and salt. I cut the brinjal into 4 slices. Saute on medium heat for 15 minutes till browned and soft. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the urad dal, chana dal, white sesame seeds, dried red chillies, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Fry till the seeds are brown.

Add in the fresh shredded coconut and fry till the coconut is brown. Switch off the flame and add in the coriander powder. Mix well. Set aside to cool.

Here is how to make and store fresh shredded coconut.

Grind the fried ingredients to a powder. Let the powder be very slightly coarse. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, urad dal, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the urad dal brown. Add in the cooked brinjal, the ground masala powder and the salt. Saute for a minute. Add in the cooked rice and mix well to combine. Remove from heat and serve.

Vangi Bath, Kathirikkai Sadam, Brinjal Rice Recipe

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Vangi Bath, Kathirikkai Sadam, Indian Brinjal Rice Recipe - Recipe for Kathirikkai - Brinjal rice made with a spicy masala powder, Tamilnadu style.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

For Cooking Rice

• 1 Cup Raw Rice (like sona masuri variety)
• 2 Cups Water

For frying Brinjal

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 10 brinjals, sliced
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Brinjal Rice Masala Powder

• 2 teaspoon urad dal
• 2 teaspoon chana dal
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
• 4 dried red chillies
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

For Tempering

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon urad dal
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Wash the rice in running water 2-3 times until the water runs clear, Soak one cup of rice in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Take a pressure cooker and fill it with one inch of water. Place the bowl with the soaked rice and water and cover and cook for exactly 2 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to be released naturally.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the sliced brinjal and salt. I cut the brinjal into 4 slices. Saute on medium heat for 15 minutes till browned and soft. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add in the urad dal, chana dal, white sesame seeds, dried red chillies, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Fry till the seeds are brown.
4. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and fry till the coconut is brown. Switch off the flame and add in the coriander powder. Mix well. Set aside to cool.
5. Grind the fried ingredients to a powder. Let the powder be very slightly coarse. Set aside.
6. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, urad dal, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the urad dal brown. Add in the cooked brinjal, the ground masala powder and the salt. Saute for a minute. Add in the cooked rice and mix well to combine. Remove from heat and serve.

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The post Vangi Bath, Kathirikkai Sadam, Brinjal Rice Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Onion Tomato Thokku and chapati is a nostalgic dish for a lot of us, Tamilians. Whenever we used to travel, Chapati and Thokku would be packed and kept. It is like a mandatory thing in our house. It’s been quite a long time since I made Onion Tomato Thokku or travel thokku as we call it. We made the tomato onion thokku a few weeks back during our trip with our friends to Macau. We indulged in the Thokku laced chapati rolls for lunch. Even the children relished it and it was perfect finger friendly food – Chapati rolls!

If you are looking for “how to make soft chapatis”, check here.

I made this in the pressure cooker and finished it on a pan. It’s an OPOS – One Pot One Shot inspired recipe.

This recipe will work only in a two or a three liter pressure cooker. Using a bigger cooker may burn the ingredients. So, that’s a word of caution.

Here is a video of how to do Tomato Onion thokku.

I have used a three liter pressure cooker today. I have used 3 tablespoon of oil today. Double the oil to increase the shelf life of the Thokku. You can use it for two days without refrigeration. The Thokku stays fresh for one week if refrigerated.

We will need 2 cups of sliced onions and 2 cups of finely chopped tomatoes for this recipe. Around 3-4 Indian purple onions (American onions are big. Use less if using American onions), 4 ripe tomatoes.

# Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add in the mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
# Layer the sliced onions. No need to saute.
# Just add the chopped tomatoes on top of the onions.
# Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Cover the pressure cooker and cook on a medium flame for 20 minutes. I got about 25 whistles.
# Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle down naturally.
# Open the cooker and transfer the Thokku to a pan. Cook the Thokku for 2-3 minutes to thicken up.

The Thokku is ready. Pack your bags and brighten up your travel with chapati and my favorite Thokku.

Tomato Onion Thokku , Tomato Onion Thokku for Chapati, Picnic Combo

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Tomato Onion Thokku, Thakkali Vengayam Thokku for Chapati, Picnic Combo. Perfect for travel. This is a very easy to do recipe and can be put together in minutes.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 2 Cups

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon vegetable / canola or sunflower oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 Cups sliced onion
• 2 Cups finely chopped tomatoes
• ¼ cup water
• 1.5 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add in the mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
2. Layer the sliced onions. No need to saute.
3. Just add the chopped tomatoes on top of the onions.
4. Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Cover the pressure cooker and cook on a medium flame for 20 minutes. I got about 25 whistles.
5. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle down naturally.
6. Open the cooker and transfer the Thokku to a pan. Cook the Thokku for 2-3 minutes to thicken up.

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The post Onion Tomato Thokku, Thakkali Vengayam Thokku for Chapati, Picnic Combo appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

The first time I had Baingan Bharta was after marriage. I had this for the first time in a very cozy restaurant in Santana Row, CA called Amber. The smokiness of the eggplants combined with the flavor of butter and the masala’s was something so comforting that I could never forget. Food is nothing but memories. Ain’t it? . Ever since that smoky encounter with the eggplants, I make it all the time at home. Here is how to do Baingan Bharta, my style.

Use one big Eggplant for this recipe. I have used two today as the eggplants I had were really small in size. We will need about 300-350 grams of baingan /eggplant in total. Here is how to smoke the eggplant.
Stove Top: Pierce some holes on the eggplant in 3-4 places with a knife. Place the eggplant on fire and roast the eggplant for 3-4 minutes turning the eggplant frequently with tongs. Char the Eggplant well. Don’t be afraid to bring the black guy out! Let him enjoy his time on fire.
Oven Method: Alternatively, you can bake the eggplant on a 200C / 400F oven for 20 minutes. ( Halve the eggplant and apply a teaspoon of oil on the eggplant before roasting in the oven. )

Note:
If you don’t like the strong smoky charred flavor, use the oven method.

Once the skin is blackened, remove the eggplant and place it in a bowl and cover the bowl with a cling wrap or a lid that fits tight. Leave it aside for 10 minutes. The eggplants would still steam inside the bowl.

After 10 minutes, the skin should peel off easily. Do not wash the eggplant while removing the skin. Many people wash it off. But I don’t prefer that method even though its the easiest. By washing, you will be losing the smoky flavor you worked hard to develop. Chop the peeled eggplant. Set aside.

Now lets roast the garlic. The flavor of roasted garlic in baingan bharta can’t be beat. Place 10-12 cloves of garlic with a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt on an aluminium foil. (Double the foil to make a thick covering). Make a pocket and place the pocket on fire for 2 minutes. Make sure to seal the pockets well so it does not smoke. ( The oil inside will smoke if the pockets leak. )

After 2 minutes, the garlic will be well roasted. Chop the garlic and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the cumin seeds and finely chopped onions. Add in the salt. The salt will help the onions in browning fast. Once the onions are nicely brown, add in the tomatoes and the chopped garlic. Add in the red chilli powder, garam masala and the coriander powder. Fry till the tomatoes are cooked and almost dry.

Add in the eggplant and fry for a couple of minutes. Switch off the flame and mix in the ghee.  Ghee and baingan / eggplant are best friends. The little addition of ghee at last makes the bharta taste heavenly. Garnish with coriander leaves.  Serve Baingan Bharta with roti / chapati.

Baingan Bharta, Brinjal Bharta Recipe, Smoked Eggplant Curry

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Baingan Bharta Recipe. Restaurant Style Smoked eggplant curry recipe. Eggplants roasted in stove and made into a spicy curry.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: North Indian

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

For Roasting

• 1 big eggplant / brinjal (about 300-350 grams)
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon vegetable / canola / sunflower oil
• a pinch of salt

Other Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoon vegetable / canola / sunflower oil
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves
• 2 teaspoon ghee

Instructions

1. Pierce some holes on the eggplant in 3-4 places with a knife. Place the eggplant on fire and roast the eggplant. Char the Eggplant till its black. Once the skin is blackened, remove the eggplant and place it in a bowl and cover the bowl with a cling wrap or a lid that fits tight. Leave it aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the skin should peel off easily. Roughly Chop and set aside.
2. Place 10-12 cloves of garlic with a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt on an aluminium foil. After 2 minutes, the garlic will be well roasted. Chop the garlic and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the cumin seeds and finely chopped onions. Add in the salt. The salt will help the onions in browning fast. Once the onions are nicely brown, add in the tomatoes and the chopped garlic. Add in the red chilli powder, garam masala and the coriander powder. Fry till the tomatoes are cooked and almost dry.
4. Add in the eggplant and fry for a couple of minutes. Switch off the flame, mix in the ghee and garnish with coriander leaves.

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The post Baingan Bharta, Brinjal Bharta Recipe, Smoked Eggplant Curry appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Neikarapatti is a small town near Palani. My uncle’s wife is from Neikarapatti and I have shared my Neikarapatti stories before on the Kola Urundai post. Their recipes are so unique and delicious. The Southern Kongunad ( Pollachi, Udumalpet and Palani belt) has recipes that one cannot find anywhere else. This is Suganthi Akka’s recipe. She is an excellent cook. This is her family recipe. Here is how to do thayir kurma.

First we will need to make a masala paste. Take a pan and add in the oil. Let the oil heat up a bit. Add in the clove, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Add just very little as we want the flavour of the spices to be very subtle. Add in the fennel seeds and dried red chillies. Fry for a few seconds. Add in the chopped small onions (Indian Shallots), chopped garlic, ginger and green chillies. Add in the salt. Fry till the onions are soft. Once the onions are soft, add in the cashew nuts, poppy seeds and fried gram (pottu kadalai). Fry for a minute.

Add in the shredded coconut and coriander powder. Fry for a minute and remove from heat.
Let the mixture cool a bit.

Grind the mixture with a cup of water to a very fine paste. Set aside.

Next, we need to boil the veggies. Boil the veggies with half a cup of water in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and immediately remove the whistle weight manually to release pressure and to avoid the veggies from over cooking. Set aside. Alternatively, you can steam the veggies until they are fork tender. Set aside.

Take a pan and add in a teaspoon of oil. Add in the chopped onions and fry till the onions are soft. Add in the boiled veggies along with the water used for boiling if any. Add in the ground masala. Add in half a cup of water to dilute the kurma a bit. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add in 1 cup of beaten yogurt (half a cup of plain yogurt / curd beaten with half a cup of water) and simmer for just a minute. Do not simmer for long after adding the yogurt. The yogurt has a tendency to curdle if boiled for too long. Switch off the heat and add in the lime juice. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapati or idiyappam.

Neikarapatti Thayir Kurma, Curd Kurma Recipe, தயிர் குருமா

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Recipe for Neikarapatti thayir kurma with veggies. Vegetable kurma recipe made with creamy curd / yogurt. Perfect side dish / gravy for chapati / idiyappam.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

For the Masala Paste

• 2 teaspoon peanut oil
• 1 clove
• 1 cardamom
• ½ inch stick of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 10 small onions (Indian Shallots), chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 cashewnut
• 2 teaspoon khus khus (white poppy seeds)
• 2 tablespoon fried gram (pottu kadalai)
• ½ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder

Veggies

• 2 Potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 Carrot, peeled and diced
• ½ cup fresh peas
• 5-6 beans, chopped

For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• ½ cup plain curd / yogurt
• Juice of a small lime
• 3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

For the Masala Paste

1. Take a pan and add in the oil. Let the oil heat up a bit. Add in the clove, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Add just very little as we want the flavour of the spices to be very subtle. Add in the fennel seeds and dried red chillies. Fry for a few seconds. Add in the chopped small onions ( Indian Shallots ), chopped garlic, ginger and green chillies. Add in the salt. Fry till the onions are soft.
2. Once the onions are soft, add in the cashewnuts, poppy seeds and fried gram (pottu kadalai). Fry for a minute. Add in the shredded coconut and coriander powder. Fry for a minute and remove from heat.
3. Let the mixture cool a bit.
4. Grind the mixture with a cup of water to a very fine paste. Set aside.

Veggies

1. Boil the veggies with half a cup of water in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and immediately remove the whistle weight manually to release pressure and to avoid the veggies from over cooking. Set aside. Alternatively, you can steam the veggies until they are fork tender. Set aside.

For Tempering

1. Take a pan and add in a teaspoon of oil. Add in the chopped onions and fry till the onions are soft. Add in the boiled veggies along with the water used for boiling if any. Add in the ground masala. Add in half a cup of water to dilute the kurma a bit. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
2. Add in 1 cup of beaten yogurt (half a cup of plain yogurt / curd beaten with half a cup of water) and simmer for just a minute. Do not simmer for long after adding the yogurt. The yogurt has a tendency to curdle if boiled for too long. Switch off the heat and add in the lime juice. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapati or idiyappam

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The post Neikarapatti Thayir Kurma, Curd Kurma Recipe, தயிர் குருமா appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Here is a very simple egg fry recipe that can be put together in minutes and makes for a perfect side dish for lunch or dinner. Who doesn’t like masala coated fried eggs right! Here is how to do masala coated egg fry recipe. South Indian Tamilnadu style boiled egg fry recipe.

We will need 6 hard boiled eggs for this recipe. Here is how to do perfect boiled eggs every single time.

We will make a masala for coating the eggs. Take a small mixie jar and add in the following ingredients.
Dry Red Chillies, fried gram (pottu kadalai) , Ginger, Garlic, Black Pepper, and Salt. Add 2 – 3 tablespoon of water and grind to a smooth paste.

Halve the boiled eggs into two and apply the masala liberally on yolk side of the halved eggs. Let it marinate for 5 minutes.

Heat oil on a skillet on medium flame and place the eggs yolk side down and roast for couple of minutes. Turn the eggs and roast the white side for a minute. Remove from heat. Serve hot.

Serve hot with a garnish of chopped coriander leaves and sliced onions.

Tamil Style Spicy Boiled Egg Fry - Egg Fry Dry Recipe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

South Indian Boiled egg fry - Tamil style recipe. Dry Egg Fry Recipe. Masala marinated eggs roasted on a pan. Spicy Indian style.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 dry red chillies
• 2 tablespoon fried gram (pottu kadalai)
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• 10 black pepper corn
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon oil to roast the eggs
• 6 Boiled Eggs
• Sliced onions and coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. We will make a masala for coating the eggs. Take a small mixie jar and add in the following ingredients.
2. Dry Red Chillies, fried gram (pottu kadalai) , Ginger, Garlic, Black Pepper, and Salt. Add 2 tablespoon of water and grind to a smooth paste.
3. Halve the eggs into two and apply the masala liberally on the yolk side of the halved eggs. Let it marinate for 5 minutes.
4. Heat oil on a skillet and place the eggs yolk side down and roast for couple of minutes. Turn the eggs and roast the white side for a minute. Remove from heat.
5. Serve hot with a garnish of chopped coriander leaves.

Notes

The marinade can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 3 days.

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The post Tamil Style Spicy Boiled Egg Fry – Egg Fry Dry Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

I love black urad dal. I have already posted a recipe for Dal Bukhara which uses black urad dal as its main ingredient. Maa Ki Dal is a Punjabi everyday dal made with black urad. There is no addition of butter or cream in this recipe. Traditionally, the creaminess of the dal comes in slow cooking the lentil for hours. I have tried recreating the creaminess by pressure cooking the dal for 30 minutes on a low flame. The dal should be fall apart tender and creamy at the end and that’s what makes this dal so delicious.
This is a Zero Oil recipe. This is an OPOS – One Pot One Shot inspired recipe.

Soak half a cup of black urad for 5-6 hours or preferably over nite.

We will be using a 3 liter pressure cooker for this recipe. If using a bigger cooker try adding half a cup of more water to avoid burning the ingredients during cooking. Layer chopped onions in the cooker. Run the tomatoes and the ginger in a mixie / blender and add it to the pressure cooker.

Add in the soaked and drained urad dal. Add in one and a half cups of water. Add in the salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida.

Cover the lid and place the weight on the cooker and cook for 30 minutes on a low flame. LOW FLAME!

After 30 minutes are over, remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to release naturally. Open the cooker and add in the coriander leaves and mix well.

Serve hot with chapati.

Maa Ki Dal Recipe, Kaali Dal, Slow cooked Black Urad Dal Recipe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Punjabi Maa Ki Dal / Kaali Dal Recipe. Easy recipe for creamy slow cooked Black Urad dal. Recipe made in a pressure cooker.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Punjabi

Serves: 5 servings

Ingredients

• Measurements Used - 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
• ½ cup Urad Dal
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 1½ cups water
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 4 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped fine

Instructions

1. Soak half a cup of black urad for 5-6 hours or preferably over nite.
2. We will be using a 3 liter pressure cooker for this recipe. If using a bigger cooker try adding half a cup of more water at the end to avoid burning the ingredients during cooking.
3. Layer chopped onions in the cooker.
4. Run the tomatoes and the ginger in a mixie / blender and add it to the pressure cooker.
5. Add in the soaked and drained urad dal.
6. Add in one and a half cups of water. Add in the salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and asafoetida.
7. Cover the lid and place the weight on the cooker and cook for 30 minutes on a low flame.
8. After 30 minutes are over, remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to release naturally.
9. Open the cooker and add in the coriander leaves and mix well.
10. Serve hot with chapati.

Notes

If using a 3 liter pressure cooker, add 1½ cups of water
If using a bigger cooker, add half a cup of water more to avoid burning at the bottom.

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The post Maa Ki Dal Recipe, Kaali Dal, Slow cooked Black Urad Dal Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Seeralam is a very traditional tamil style recipe and there are a lot of variations found across Tamilnadu. While some recipes do not use rice, some vary on the type of lentils used. This is my aunt’s recipe and this is how we make at home. We use equal quantity of chana dal, toor dal, moong dal and rice for this recipe. Me and my son named this dish as lentil nuggets to make it interesting when he was young. The name has stuck with me till now. Its a really healthy recipe and very tasty. It makes for the perfect after school snack. Here is how to do Seeralam.

Soak 3 tablespoon each of moong dal, toor dal, chana dal and raw rice in water for a couple of hours.

Drain the water and use half a cup of the drained water to grind the dals and rice. Add in asafoetida (hing), salt and red chillies while grinding. Grind to a smooth paste.

Fill the idli plate moulds with the ground batter and steam for 15 minutes. You can also use muffin tins or ramekins if you do not have idli plates. After steaming, allow it to cool completely.

Once cooled, remove the cooked dal mixture from the mould and dice it into small pieces. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and the urad dal. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the finely chopped ginger, curry leaves, chopped green chillies and finely chopped onion. Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the diced dal-rice idlies and fry for a minute.

Add in the salt and toss well to coat. Finally, add in the fresh shredded coconut and toss well to coat. Remove from heat and serve hot!

Its a perfect evening snack!

Seeralam, Lentil Idli Fry Recipe, Lentil Nuggets

 

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Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

2 hours 20 mins

 

Recipe for Seeralam - lentil idlies tossed in a masala. A very healthy evening snack for children. With step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Evening Snack

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

For the lentil idlies

• 3 tablespoon toor dal
• 3 tablespoon moong dal
• 3 tablespoon chana dal
• 3 tablespoon raw rice
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 dried red chillies

For tempering

• 2 teaspoon peanut oil
• ¼ mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon split white urad dal
• ½ inch piece ginger, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Soak 3 tablespoon each of moong dal, toor dal, chana dal and raw rice in water for a couple of hours.
2. Drain the water and use half a cup of the drained water to grind the dals and rice. Add in asafoetida (hing), salt and red chillies while grinding. Grind to a smooth paste.
3. Fill the idli plate moulds with the ground batter and steam for 15 minutes. After steaming, allow it to cool completely.
4. Once cooled, remove the cooked dal mixture from the mould and dice it into small pieces. Set aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and the urad dal. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the finely chopped ginger, curry leaves, chopped green chillies and finely chopped onion. Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft.
6. Add in the diced dal-rice idlies and fry for a minute. Add in the salt and toss well to coat. Finally, add in the fresh shredded coconut and toss well to coat. Remove from heat and serve hot!

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This is a very easy recipe for making pongal using Kalkandu (rock sugar). The addition of milk makes the dish so creamy! We will be using raw rice and split moong dal for making pongal. I like to use equal quantity of dal and rice for sweet pongal. Take quarter cup each of rice and split moong dal and soak it in water for one hour.  After soaking, drain the water. Add in a cup of milk and a cup of water to the rice-dal mixture. Set aside.

We will be cooking the pongal in a pressure cooker today. I like to use the pot-in-pot method for cooking pongal as lentil and milk tend to spew out of the whistle if cooked directly. Milk and dal are notorious for spewing and scorching!  Here is the pot-in-pot method – I place some water (about half a cup)  in the cooker and place the bowl inside. This way the rice mixture does not scorch in the bottom. Cook for a good 15 minutes (10 whistles) on medium flame. Remove off heat and allow the pressure to settle naturally. Set aside.

Take a pan and add in the cooked dal-rice mixture. Take the kalkandu – sugar and grind it coarsely to a powder and add it to the pan.

The mixture will loosen up after adding sugar. Thats OK. Keep stirring for couple of minutes.

Grind the cardamom in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Add it to the pan.

Take a pan and add in the ghee, cashewnut and raisin and fry till the nuts are brown. Add it to the pan. Switch off the flame and let it cool down for 20 minutes. The mixture will continue to thicken up as it cools.

Serve at room temperature.

You may also want to check,

பொங்கல் SAKKARAI PONGAL / SWEET PONGAL RECIPE
AKKARAVADISAL RECIPE, TAMILNADU AKKARAVADISAL, AKKARA ADISIL

Kalkandu Pongal Recipe, Kalkandu Sadam

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Kalkandu Pongal recipe. Sweet Pongal made with Kalkandu-Sugar. Kalkandu - Sakkara / Chakkarai Pongal recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients

For cooking rice and dal

• ¼ cup split yellow moong dal
• ¼ cup raw rice
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water

Other Ingredients

• ½ cup Kalkandu ( Rock Sugar )
• 2 cardamom
• 3 teaspoon ghee
• 6 cashews, broken
• 10 raisins

Instructions

1. Take quarter cup each of rice and split moong dal and soak it in water for one hour. After soaking, drain the water. Add in a cup of milk and a cup of water to the rice-dal mixture. Set aside.
2. Cook the mixture in a pressure cooker (pot-in-pot method). Cook for a good 15 minutes (10 whistles) on medium flame. Remove off heat and allow the pressure to settle naturally. Set aside.
3. Take a pan and add in the cooked dal-rice mixture. Take the kalkandu – sugar and grind it coarsely to a powder and add it to the pan. Keep stirring for couple of minutes.
4. Grind the cardamom in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Take a pan and add in the ghee, cashewnut and raisin and fry till the nuts are brown. Add in the cardamom and the fried nut mixture. Switch off the flame and let it cool down for 20 minutes. The mixture will continue to thicken up as it cools.
5. Serve at room temperature.

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Moong dal is my husband’s favorite lentil. I have shared a lot of recipes using green moong dal like Moong Dal Masiyal, Moong Dal Upma, Moong Dal Vadai, Moong Dal Sambar to name a few. Pesarattu dosa is made with moong dal. This dosa does not need fermentation like the traditional dosa. With a little planning, breakfast or dinner can be made in a moments notice. Here is how to do Pesarattu dosa.

For the batter: Soak the whole green moong dal, raw rice and fenugreek seeds for 5-6 hours. Over night is fine too. The raw rice gives the dosa a very crispy texture. Fenugreek seeds is an optional ingredient. I add fenugreek as it aids in digestion. Do not add too much as it will make the batter bitter. After soaking, drain the water and grind the mixture to a fine paste along with the cumin seeds, ginger, green chillies, and salt. Add up-to a cup of water while grinding.

For making Pesarattu:
If the pesarattu dosa batter is very thick, thin it out by adding little water. We will need a pouring consistency for making pesarattu. Dense batter makes thick pesarattu.

Heat the dosa griddle until medium hot.
Add ⅓ cup batter and swirl to completely cover the dosa griddle. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of oil or ghee to the pesarattu.

Cover the skillet with a pan and cook for 30 seconds. Cook until underside of the pesarattu dosa is golden brown. Loosen the edges of the pesarattu dosa with a steel spatula. Flip the pesarattu dosa. Cook for 30 seconds more. Remove pesarattu dosa from the griddle and repeat with remaining batter.

Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Pesarattu Recipe, Green Moong Dal Dosa / Crepe

 

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Prep time

5 hours

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

5 hours 15 mins

 

Pesarattu Recipe, Pesarattu Dosa, Green Moong Dal Dosa / Crepe Recipe made with moong dal and rice. With step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dosa / Crepe

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 25 dosas

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole green moong dal
• ½ cup raw rice
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 3 green chillies
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon Oil for making pesarattu

Instructions

For the batter:

1. Soak the whole green moong dal, raw rice and fenugreek seeds for 5-6 hours. Over night is fine too. After soaking, drain the water and grind the mixture to a fine paste along with the cumin seeds, ginger, green chillies, and salt. Add upto a cup of water while grinding.

For making Pesarattu:

1. Heat the dosa griddle until medium hot.
2. Add ⅓ cup batter and swirl to completely cover the dosa griddle. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of oil or ghee to the pesarattu.
3. Cover the skillet with a pan and cook for 30 seconds. Cook until underside of the pesarattu dosa is golden brown. Loosen the edges of the pesarattu dosa with a steel spatula. Flip the pesarattu dosa. Cook for 30 seconds more. Remove pesarattu dosa from the griddle and repeat with remaining batter.

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I do not eat yogurt. Yogurt of any kind. I have never eaten plain yogurt my entire life. The first time I touched yogurt with my hands was to feed my son. Somehow I cannot take in the smell of fermented milk. Even my brother and a couple of my cousins don’t eat yogurt. I think it runs in the family. My parents love yogurt and so does my husband and son. I am the odd woman out! So, I don’t make mor kuzhambu often as its too “yogurty” for me to handle. Yogurt in kurma, biryani and things like that is fine but I still haven’t made friends with Mor Kuzhambu. My husband loves Mor Kuzhambu for lunch. Back in my place, we add shallots in mor kuzhambu which is unusual. This is my family recipe and this is how we do it. You can omit the shallots if you do not want them in your curry.

We will need to make a masala paste. Here is what you will need.

Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste with half a cup of water. Set aside.

Boil the pumpkin in a cup of water for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the shallots and the salt. Fry for a couple of minutes till the shallots are cooked.

Add in the boiled pumpkin along with the water used for cooking. Add in the ground masala paste and cook for 5 minutes in a low flame.

Run the curd and half a cup of water in mixie for 10 seconds.

Add it to the pan and simmer on a very low flame for 20-30 seconds. Do not simmer for a long time as the curd might break and curdle.

Remove from heat immediately. Serve hot with rice.

Mor Kuzhambu Recipe, Poosanikai Mor Kuzhambu

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Pumpkin Mor kuzhambu Recipe. Tamil style Mor kuzhambu made with coconut masala and onion. Easy Recipe. With step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Masala

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon fried gram (pottu kadalai)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 dried red chilli
• 2 green chillies
• ¼ cup fresh coconut
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 6 shallots (indian small onions)

Other Ingredients

• 2 cups ash gourd (white pumpkin), diced
• 2 teaspoon coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 6 shallots (indian small onions), chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup plain curd

Instructions

1. Grind all the ingredients listed under "masala" to a smooth paste with half a cup of water. Set aside.
2. Boil the pumpkin in a cup of water for 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the shallots and the salt. Fry for a couple of minutes till the shallots are cooked.
4. Add in the boiled pumpkin along with the water used for cooking. Add in the ground masala paste and cook for 5 minutes in a low flame.
5. Run curd and half a cup of water in mixie for 10 seconds. Set aside.
6. Add it to the pan and simmer on a very low flame for 20-30 seconds. Do not simmer for a long time as the curd might break.

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This is another of my dad’s favorite dish. He used to have a job which required him to travel a lot and so my mom would make this for lunch whenever he was in town. My dad had a job that involved lot of travel and his eating habits were a little chaos. He suffered from haemorrhoid / piles for some time and she used to make this for lunch everyday for him during that time. This is a very simple dish to make and very healthy. The entire dish can be put together in less than 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies and asafoetida (hing). Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the diced pumpkin and salt. Add in a half a cup of water and boil for 5 minutes. Ash-gourd (white pumpkin) cooks very quickly. Switch off the flame.

Take a bowl and add in the curd and half a cup of water. Whisk well to combine. Add it to the pan and mix well.

Poosanikkai thayir pachadi is ready. Serve with rice.

Poosanikkai Thayir Pachadi Recipe , Ash Gourd Raita

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Tamil style Poosanikkai Thayir Pachadi Recipe , Ash Gourd Raita. Easy Poosanakkai thayir pachadi.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced white pumpkin, ash gourd
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 dried red chillies, broken roughly
• a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ a cup of plain curd / yogurt

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies and asafoetida (hing). Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the diced pumpkin and salt. Add in a half a cup of water and boil for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame.
2. Take a bowl and add in the curd and half a cup of water. Whisk well to combine. Add it to the pan and mix well.
3. Serve with rice.

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This vegetable pulao is an excellent one pot dish that can be put together in minutes. Its perfect for the lunch box or as a make ahead for parties. Its a very easy bachelor friendly recipe. I have used canned coconut milk today for this recipe.

Wash and soak the rice in water before starting to cook. Let the rice soak for atleast 20 minutes. Soaking the rice is my secret to get fluffy rice at the end.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Add in the sliced onions and fry till the onions are soft.

Grind the ginger, garlic and fennel seeds (sombu) with quarter cup of water to a smooth paste. Add it to the pan along with sliced green chillies. Saute till the mixture is cooked and dry.

Add in the diced veggies, salt, coconut milk and water.

Add in the drained rice. Cover the pressure pan and cook on a medium flame for exactly 2 whistles.

NOTE: If cooking in the oven, preheat the oven – 400F for 10 minutes. Once the rice mixture comes to a boil, transfer the mixture to a heavy pan, cover the pan with a lid and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle for 15 minutes. Open the cooker and fluff up.

Serve with vegetable kurma or chicken kurma.

Vegetable Pulao Recipe, How to make Veg Pulao

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe for easy vegetable pulao made in the pressure cooker. Tamil style recipe made with coconut milk.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Rice Dishes

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon oil
• 3 cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon
• 2 onions, sliced
• 7 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 3 cups diced mixed veggies (like carrots, beans, potatoes and peas)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon water
• ¾ cup coconut milk (I used canned coconut milk)
• ¾ cup water
• 1 cup basmati rice

Instructions

1. Wash and soak the rice in water before starting to cook. Let the rice soak for atleast 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Add in the sliced onions and fry till the onions are soft.
3. Grind the ginger, garlic and fennel seeds (sombu) with quarter cup of water to a smooth paste. Add it to the pan along with sliced green chillies. Saute till the mixture is cooked and dry.
4. Add in the diced veggies, salt, coconut milk and water.
5. Add in the drained rice. Cover the pressure pan and cook on a medium flame for exactly 2 whistles.
6. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle for 15 minutes. Open the cooker and fluff up.

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Coriander seeds chutney is an everyday chutney that can be put together in minutes for breakfast or dinner. Coriander is also called as Dhania or “dhanya” which literally translates into rich or wealthy. Coriander is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. This is a very easy chutney to make and here is how to make it.

Take a pan and roast coriander seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies in half a teaspoon of oil till the dal turns golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.

Saute Indian Shallots (Indian small onions) in half a teaspoon of oil till the onions are soft. Transfer on a plate to cool. Add in fresh coconut, a piece of tamarind, jaggery and salt to the plate.

Grind the cooled ingredients with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Pulse several times to get to a smooth consistency.

For Tempering

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal and dried red chillies. Let the mustard seeds pop and the dal brown. Add it to the chutney.

A small tip: Do not mix the tempering after adding it to the chutney. Just mix the tempering right before serving. The tempering stays fresh, crisp and crunchy if the tempering is mixed right before serving.

Serve with Idli, Dosa, Ragi Dosa, Paniyaram varieties.

Coriander Seeds Chutney, Vidhai Kothamalli Chutney

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Easy Recipe for Coriander Seeds Chutney, Tamilnadu style Vidhai Kothamalli Chutney for idli and dosa. Easy recipe for how to make coriander chutney.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Chutney

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon white urad dal (split or whole)
• 10 Indian shallots (Indian small onion)
• 2 tablespoon fresh coconut
• 1 inch piece tamarind
• 1 teaspoon jaggery
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Tempering

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon urad dal
• 2 dried red chillies

Instructions

For the Chutney

1. Take a pan and roast coriander seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies in half a teaspoon of oil till the dal turns golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
2. Saute Indian Shallots (indian small onions) in half a teaspoon of oil till the onions are soft. Transfer on a plate to cool. Add in fresh coconut, a piece of tamarind, jaggery and salt to the plate.
3. Grind the cooled ingredients with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Pulse several times to get to a smooth consistency.

For the Tempering

1. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal and dried red chillies. Let the mustard seeds pop and the dal brown. Add it to the chutney.

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The Kanchipuram Idli or the Kovil Idli is the traditional prasadam offered in the Varadharaja Perumal Temple at Kancheepuram. The idlis are cooked in bamboo casings lined with dried “mandharai” leaves. The mandharai leaves add to the flavour of the idlis. The batter for the idlis is mixed with spices and steamed. I adapted the recipe from here.

Wash and soak the raw rice, parboiled rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in water over night. They all can be soaked together. Drain the water and grind the mixture to a slightly coarse paste. Run the batter in your fingers and you should feel the texture similar to that of very fine rava. Stop grinding when you reach that texture. The batter should not be very smooth. Add up to a cup of water for grinding and grind the batter in batches in the mixie. Do not add too much water while grinding.

Soak the avalakki / aval / poha for 10 minutes in half a cup of water. Grind it to a smooth paste and add it to the batter. This is not a very traditional ingredient but I like to add it as it makes for a very soft textured idli at the end. I really like adding a little bit of aval as it tremendously improves the texture of the idli.

Next comes the star ingredients. Its the spices that makes the kanchipuram style idli so tasty. The main spice in the idli is the dry ginger, cumin seeds and black pepper. The aroma of dry ginger in the batter is so heavenly!

Pulse the pepper and cumin in a mixie jar for a couple of times to slightly crush the spices. The cumin and pepper can also be crushed in a mortar and pestle.

Heat ghee in a pan and add in the ground cumin pepper mixture and curry leaves. Once the curry leaves are crisp, switch off the flame. Add in the dry ginger powder and asafoetida. Toss well and add it to the batter.

Add in the salt to the batter and mix everything well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to ferment in a draft free place for 8-10 hours.

The batter is now ready for steaming. You can steam the idlis in the regular idli plates but Kanchipuram idlis are steamed like cakes and cut afterwards. We will be using a 2 inch deep bowl to steam the idlis today. Grease the bowl with some oil and fill the bowl half way through.

Steam the bowl for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, insert a toothpick and the idlis are cooked if it comes clean. Cook for some more minutes if need be.

Remove from heat and let the bowl rest for five minutes. Insert a knife on the edges to release the sides of the idlies. Cut the idlies and serve.

Serve with chutney and sambar.

Kanchipuram Idli Recipe, Kovil Idli Recipe

 

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Prep time

8 hours

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

8 hours 20 mins

 

Kanchipuram Idli Recipe, Tamilnadu Kovil Idli Recipe. Kanchipuram Kovil Idli Recipe. Kovil Idli / Idly preparation with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Idli

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 1 liter batter

Ingredients

• Measurements used - 1 cup = 250 ml (approx)

For the batter

• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ½ cup parboiled rice
• ½ cup raw rice
• ½ cup whole white urad dal
• ½ cup poha / aval
• 1 teaspoon salt

Spices

• 2 teaspoon ghee
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon asafoetida / hing
• 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 1½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Wash and soak the raw rice, parboiled rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in water over night. Drain the water and grind the mixture to a slightly coarse paste. Add up to a cup of water for grinding and grind the batter in batches in the mixie. Do not add too much water while grinding.
2. Soak the poha for 10 minutes in half a cup of water. Grind it to a smooth paste and add it to the batter.
3. Heat ghee in a pan and add in the crushed cumin pepper mixture and curry leaves. Once the curry leaves are crisp, switch off the flame. Add in the dry ginger powder and asafoetida. Toss well and add it to the batter.
4. Add in the salt to the batter and mix everything well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to ferment in a draft free place for 8-10 hours.
5. Steam the idli for 20 minutes. Serve with chutney and sambar.

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Its festival time again and its time for sweets and celebration. This Malai Ladoo is a very easy beginners recipe. There are just two main ingredients in this recipe. You will need a can of condensed milk (milk maid-400 gms) and 250 grams of paneer. Here is how to do it. Shred the paneer and set aside. Heat a pan (preferably non-stick) and add in the condensed milk and shredded paneer. Keep the flame at medium at all times so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Keep sauteing.

Add in the cardamom powder. Keep sauteing for about 12-15 minutes. It will start to thicken gradually.

The mixture will become thicker and thicker. Remove from heat when the mixture comes as one mass of dough. It wont be solid at this stage. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes.

Apply ghee to the hands and make the mixture into ladoos while slightly warm. The ladoos are sticky. So place the ladoos on a wax paper lined plate. Garnish with shredded cashew. Cool the ladoos and store the ladoos in the refrigerator.
Shelf life: 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Malai Ladoo Recipe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Malai Ladoo with Paneer and Milkmaid Recipe. Easy Deepavali sweet recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 250 grams paneer
• 400 grams condensed milk
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 3-4 cashews for garnish
• 1 teaspoon ghee for greasing hands

Instructions

1. Heat a pan (preferably non-stick) and add in the condensed milk and shredded paneer. Keep the flame at medium at all times so the bottom doesnt scorch. Keep sauteing.
2. Add in the cardamom powder. Keep sauteing for about 15 minutes. It will start to thicken gradually.
3. The mixture will become thicker and thicker. Remove from heat when the mixture comes as one mass of dough. It wont be solid at this stage. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes.
4. Apply ghee to the hands and make the mixture into ladoos while slightly warm. The ladoos are sticky. So place the ladoos on a wax paper lined plate. Garnish with shredded cashew. Cool the ladoos and store the ladoos in the refrigerator.

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Here is a very easy everyday side dish that can be put together in minutes. This spicy prawn ghee roast goes so well as a side dish for lunch with rice and curry. Here is how to do prawn ghee roast.

First we will grind the masala. Take all the masala ingredients in a mixie and grind it to a smooth paste. No need to add water while grinding. Set aside.

Take a pressure cooker and add in the sliced onions, ground masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, oil and 3 tablespoon of water. Cover the pan and cook for 7 minutes on medium flame. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to release. The masala is ready. If the masala is watery, simmer the mixture for 2-3 minutes, so it becomes like a thick gravy. Set aside.
Note: 2 or 3 liter pressure cooker recommended as bigger cooker tends to burn at the bottom. If using bigger cooker, add 2-3 tablespoon of water extra while cooking to avoid burning at the bottom.

Take a pan (preferably non-stick) and add in the cooked masala and the cleaned prawns. Add in two teaspoon of ghee and the curry leaves. Saute the mixture on medium flame for 5 minutes.

Add in two more teaspoon of ghee and roast till the prawn is completely cooked and the masala is dry.

Serve with rice and curry.

Prawn Ghee Roast Recipe, Prawn Roast

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Prawns Ghee Roast recipe. Prawns coated and roasted in a spicy masala and flavored with ghee. Excellent everyday side dish. With step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

For Masala Paste

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 7 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)

Other ingredients

• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 4 teaspoon ghee
• 250 grams cleaned, de-veined prawn

Instructions

1. Take all the masala ingredients in a mixie and grind it to a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Take a pressure cooker and add in the sliced onions, ground masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, oil and 3 tablespoon of water. Cover the pan and cook for 7 minutes on medium flame. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to release. Set aside.
3. Take a pan and add in the cooked masala and the cleaned prawns. Add in the curry leaves and two teaspoon of ghee. Saute the mixture on medium flame for 5 minutes.
4. Add in two more teaspoon of ghee and roast till the prawn is completely cooked and the masala is dry.

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The post Prawn Ghee Roast Recipe, Prawn Roast appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

This is a very easy recipe for Kerala style Kadala Curry. We love puttu at home. I do not have my puttu kutty for making puttu here in Hong Kong. But I make kadala curry often and I serve it with idli, chapati or even dosa. It goes perfectly well. Here is how to make Kerala style kadala curry. This is how we make at home. Here is how to do kadala curry.

Soak the black chana / kala chana over night in water.

Now, some prep work. We will make a paste for the kadala curry. Grind the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cloves, fennel seeds and cardamom to a smooth paste. No need to add any water while grinding. Set aside.

Take a pressure cooker (I used a 3 liter pressure cooker) and add in the sliced onions, the ground masala, soaked and drained chana, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and a cup (250 ml) of water. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on a low flame. After the 30 minutes, remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. Set aside.

Take a pan and saute fresh coconut in a teaspoon of oil on a low flame for 5 minutes until slightly golden.

Grind the fresh roasted coconut with half a cup of water to a fine paste. Add it to the curry.

Simmer the curry for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat.

Tempering:

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chillies. Let the mustard seeds pop. Add it to the curry.

Serve kadala curry with puttu, idli, chapati or even dosa.

Kerala Kadala Curry Recipe, Easy Kadala Curry

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Recipe for Kerala Style Kadala Curry. Perfect side dish for puttu or chapati. Made with kala channa.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Kerala

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

For Masala Paste

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 1 clove
• 1 cardamom
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Other Ingredients

• ½ cup black chana / kala chana
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder

For Coconut Paste

• ⅓ cup fresh coconut
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 dried red chillies

Instructions

1. Soak the black chana / kala chana over night in water.
2. Grind the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cloves, fennel seeds and cardamom to a smooth paste. No need to add any water while grinding. Set aside.
3. Take a pressure cooker and add in the sliced onions, the ground masala, soaked and drained chana, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and a cup (250 ml) of water. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on a low flame. After the 30 minutes, remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. Set aside.
4. Take a pan and saute fresh coconut in a teaspoon of oil for 5 minutes until slightly golden.
5. Grind the fresh roasted coconut with half a cup of water to a fine paste. Add it to the curry.
6. Simmer the curry for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chillies. Let the mustard seeds pop. Add it to the curry.

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The post Kerala Kadala Curry Recipe, Easy Kadala Curry appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

This is one of my go-to easy breakfast recipes that we make very often at home. I always make extra chapati’s and I am the happiest person to have leftover chapatis after dinner on the table. Wrap the leftover chapatis in an aluminium foil and leave it in the kitchen at room temperature. I never refrigerate the leftover chapatis. Use the chapatis the next day for making scrambled chapati upma. There are a lot of ingredients you can add to the upma. I have kept it really simple as this is how I do at home. I do not have a lot of time in the mornings, so I like to keep it as simple as possible. I add a couple of eggs to the upma. If you do not want to add eggs, you can add shredded paneer or tofu.

Cut the chapati into small bits. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the onions, curry leaves and chopped green chillies. Add in the salt at this stage. Do not add a lot of salt. Remember that the chapati is already salted. Saute till the onions are soft.

Break in the eggs and add in the pepper powder. Add in the chapati pieces immediately. The eggs will coat the chapati better if added simultaneously.

Saute for five minutes until the chapati is completely dry and starting to crisp up a little. Finally add in the coriander leaves and mix well to combine. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Leftover Chapati Upma Recipe, Breakfast Scrambled Chapati

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Leftover chapati upma recipe, Easy breakfast upma made with cut chapati. Easy 10 minute recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 8 Chapati / Roti
• 2 teaspoon peanut oil / vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 green chillies, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 4 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Cut the chapati into bits. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the onions, curry leaves and chopped green chillies. Add in the salt. Saute till the onions are soft.
3. Break in the eggs and add in the pepper powder. Add in the chapati pieces immediately.
4. Saute for five minutes until the chapati is completely dry and starting to crisp up a little. Finally add in the coriander leaves and mix well to combine. Remove from heat and serve hot.

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The post Leftover Chapati Upma Recipe, Breakfast Scrambled Chapati appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.