Spicy egg curry Nanjil style. Perfect egg curry recipe to be served with rice. Tamilnadu style egg curry recipe. With step by step pictures.

This recipe again is from my mom’s newspaper cuttings dating many years back. She likes to save recipes from magazines / papers that she finds interesting and keeps it for me. This is one such gem. She takes a lot of joy in sharing these things with me. This recipe for nanjil egg curry goes so well along with rice. I have adapted the recipe making minimal changes to suit my family.
Nanjil country represents the southern part of Tamilnadu.

Here is how to do spicy egg curry for rice.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the bay leaves, curry leaves, kal pasi (stone flower) and cumin seeds. Saute for a minute on low flame.

Once the spices are sauteed and aromatic, add in the sliced onions.

When the onions are getting brown, lets make a spice masala paste.

Grind all the ingredients with quarter cup of water to a fine paste. Add in the spice masala paste.

Add in the salt. Adding salt will help in cooking faster and the masala paste will not stick to the pan. Fry well for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute.

Add in the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder and saute for 2-3 minutes till the masala is well fried and almost dry.

Now, we will make another paste.

Grind the fresh shredded coconut, cashew-nut and fried gram with quarter cup of water to a smooth paste.

Add the paste along with two cups of water.

Add in the boiled eggs to the curry. Let the curry simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and add in the coriander leaves and the lemon juice.

Spicy curry for rice is ready!!!! Serve the curry with red rice.

Nanjil Egg curry , Nanjil naatu egg kari recipe

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Spicy egg curry Nanjil style. Perfect egg curry recipe to be served with rice. Tamilnadu style egg curry recipe. With step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: side dish

Cuisine: tamilnadu

Serves: 5 servings

Ingredients

Tempering Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 bay leaves, broken
• 1 teaspoon kalpasi
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

Other ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped
• juice of half a lime / lemon
• 5 eggs, boiled and peeled

For the spice masala paste

• 5 cloves garlic
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 3 green chillies
• ½ inch piece cinnamon stick
• 1 cardamom
• 1 clove
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Coconut Masala paste

• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 5 cashewnut
• 2 teaspoon fried gram dal (pottukadalai)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the bay leaves, curry leaves, kal pasi (stone flower) and cumin seeds. Saute for a minute on low flame.
2. Once the spices are sauteed and aromatic, add in the sliced onions and saute till the onions are slightly brown..
3. Add in the spice masala paste. Add in the salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add in the chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute.
5. Add in the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder and saute for 2-3 minutes till the masala is well fried and almost dry.
6. Add the coconut masala paste along with two cups of water.
7. Add in the boiled eggs to the curry. Let the curry simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from heat and add in the coriander leaves and the lemon juice.
9. Serve the curry with red rice.

3.5.3226

The post Nanjil Egg curry , Nanjil naatu egg kari recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Healthy kollu dosai recipe. Dosa made with cooked and ground horsegram and spices. Healthy and filling dosa recipe. With step by step pictures.

Horse-gram is one of the healthiest lentils around and has properties that reduce insulin resistance. Its very rich in fiber and can help people with diabetes to a great extent. This dosa is very popular in the kongu region among the Kavundar community. Its very simple recipe where boiled horsegram is ground with spices and mixed with dosa batter. Horse-gram dosas are very flavorful and they turn out very crispy. My aunt Sarasu athama has a set of temple friends who gang up for bhajans and she got this recipe from one of her friends. I think, more than me, she works so hard in collecting recipes and passing it on for Kannamma cooks. No one can travel like my aunt. She used to just pack her bags and travel at least once a month with her gang to temples. I still remember a particular incident where she jumped into a temple pool just like that. It was somewhere in Kerala. We just finished the temple darshan and our van was getting delayed. We were waiting for the van. Those were the happy no-mobile days. You just had to waitttt!!! The pool was very deep and the jump would have been around nothing short of 30-40 feet. My aunt told that she was feeling like taking a dip in the water. My other aunt Kamalam athama told that she had to cross to the other side to reach the steps. When Kamalam athama was talking about the steps on the other side, she just jumped from wherever she was taking the long shot. Saree and all!!!! All of us froze. But she just had the time of her life. She loved swimming. She is in her eighties now and still going a strong sixteen. Luckily, she doesn’t jump anymore. She is one of the best people I like in my life. Here is her friends recipe. The one on the left with glasses is Kamalam athama and one on the right is the rebel!!!!!

First, we need to boil the lentils. Horsegram/kollu needs to be cleaned first. It almost always has some small stones and sand particles. Just take 1/3 cup of lentils and spread it on a plate and slowly remove the stones and sand. Wash thoroughly for 2-3 times in running water. Pressure cook the lentils in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. Set aside to cool.

Take a mixie jar and add in the cooked dal along with the water used for cooking. Add in the onions, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Grind to a smooth paste. Add extra water if necessary.

Add the ground paste to regular dosa batter. I have used about 3 cups of regular dosa batter for this recipe. I also added about a cup of water to thin the batter. I have not added salt to the batter as the dosa batter is already salted. You may add salt to taste if you may wish.
Note: The batter needs to be slightly runny than the regular dosa batter so that its easier to spread the batter on the tawa. If its very thick, the batter will not spread on the tawa properly. So if the dosas are not spreading properly, add 1/4 cup of water at a time and mix well and make dosas.
Here is the recipe for regular idli-dosa batter.

Heat the dosa griddle until medium hot. Add 1/2 cup batter and swirl to completely cover the dosa griddle. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of oil or ghee to the dosa.

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

Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Kollu Dosai, Horsegram lentil dosa recipe

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Healthy kollu dosai recipe. Dosa made with cooked and ground horsegram and spices. Healthy and filling dosa recipe. With step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 20 dosas

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup horsegram lentil
• 3 cups regular dosa batter
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 dried red chillies
• sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) for making dosas

Instructions

1. Boil the lentils and set aside to cool.
2. Take a mixie jar and add in the cooked lentils along with the water used for cooking. Add in the onions, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Grind to a smooth paste. Add extra water if necessary.
3. Add the ground paste to regular dosa batter. Add about a cup of water to thin the batter.
4. Heat the dosa griddle until medium hot. Add ½ cup batter and swirl to completely cover the dosa griddle. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of oil or ghee to the dosa.
5. Cook until underside of the kollu dosa is golden brown. Loosen the edges of the kollu dosa with a steel spatula. Flip the kollu dosa. Cook for 30 seconds more. Remove the kollu dosa from the griddle and repeat with remaining batter.
6. Serve hot!

3.5.3226

The post Kollu Dosai, Horsegram lentil dosa recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Peerkangai Thol Chutney Recipe. Ridgegourd Peel is often discarded but can be made into a very delicious chutney. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Ridgegourd Peel is often discarded at home. By peeling away the veggies, we are peeling away the rich nutrients too! The peels and skin is usually the most rich and colorful part of the vegetable. The colorful peels and skin are concentrated with pigments and super healthy phytochemicals. While most produce today is loaded with pesticides, most often we remove the peel to get rid of the chemicals. Usually country vegetables are safe to be consumed along with the peel. Here is how to do Ridgegourd peel chutney recipe.

Wash and peel the ridgegourd. The peels look rough but a good vegetable peeler does the job of peeling well. Set aside.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and fry on a low flame until the lentils are brown and roasted. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add in the garlic and asafoetida (hing). Fry for a few seconds. Add in the ridge-gourd peel.

Add in the salt and green chillies to the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the peel is completely wilted. Add in a few teaspoon of water if necessary while sauteing. Once the peels are wilted and changes color, add in the tamarind and jaggery. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and remove from heat. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Transfer the cooled ridge-gourd mixture and the roasted urad dal to a mixie and add in half cup of water and grind to a smooth paste.

Serve the chutney hot with idli or dosa. Click here for Idli-Dosa Recipes.

Peerkangai Thol Chutney Recipe, Ridgegourd Peel Chutney Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Peerkangai Thol Chutney Recipe. Ridgegourd Peel is often discarded but can be made into a very delicious chutney.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Peels from 2 medium ridge-gourd
• 2 teaspoon gingely oil (Indian sesame oil)
• 5 cloves garlic
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 2-3 green chillies
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon tamarind
• ½ teaspoon jaggery
• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Wash and peel the ridgegourd. Set aside.
2. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and fry on a low flame until the lentils are brown and roasted. Set aside on a plate to cool.
3. Heat remaining oil in a pan and add in the garlic and asafoetida (hing). Fry for a few seconds. Add in the ridge-gourd peel.
4. Add in the salt and green chillies to the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the peel is completely wilted. Add in a few teaspoon of water if necessary while sauteing. Once the peels are wilted and changes color, add in the tamarind and jaggery. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and remove from heat. Set aside on a plate to cool.
5. Transfer the cooled ridge-gourd mixture and roasted urad dal to a mixie and add in half cup of water and grind to a smooth paste.
6. Serve with idli or dosa.

3.5.3226

The post Peerkangai Thol Chutney Recipe, Ridgegourd Peel Chutney Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Chola dosai and chola idli batter recipe. How to make fermented sorghum idli-dosa batter. Recipe with step by step pictures.

We made Chola dosai for breakfast today. Many readers confuse between vellai cholam (sorghum millet) and makka cholam (corn). They are two different things. Chola dosai is made with sorghum millet. Sorghum is also called as the big millet and looks similar to Quinoa. Its an extremely healthy grain and is also gluten free. Here is how to do Sorghum millet dosa.

We will need equal quantity of urad dal, parboiled rice (idli rice) and sorghum millet (vellai cholam) for this recipe.

Wash and soak the grains in water for 4-5 hours. Sorghum millet is a very tough millet and it needs at-least 4-5 hours to soften a little. If you have the time, soak the grains overnite. It works best.

I have used a wet grinder for grinding the batter today. You may use a mixie too!
Drain the water and add the soaked grains to the grinder. Add water little by little while grinding. Grind the batter for half an hour in the wet grinder. Add 2 – 2.5 cups of water while grinding the batter.

Add in the salt to the grinder. After half an hour, stop the grinder and feel the batter. The batter should be smooth.

Remove the batter to a bowl. Cover the batter with a lid and allow it to ferment for 4-8 hours. If you live in a hot place, the batter will ferment in 4-5 hours. The batter will rise during fermentation. The Cholam Idli-Dosa batter should have increased in volume after 4-8 hours and should look foamy. Mix well using a spatula to release the foam. The Cholam Idli-Dosa batter should not be very thick. If the batter is thick, add some water to dilute. The batter should be the consistency of regular idli dosa batter.

At this stage, if not using right away, the batter can be refrigerated for up-to two days and used accordingly.

Heat a dosa pan / griddle until hot for making Dosa. Let the flame be at medium. Pour a ladle of batter onto the griddle. Using the back of the ladle spread batter into a round.

Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of oil onto the pan. Let it cook for 30 seconds until the sides are brown and little brown spots start to appear. Flip carefully with a thin metal spatula, and cook the millet dosa until browned. Up-to 30 seconds more. Transfer the millet Dosa to a plate. Continue with the remaining millet dosa batter.

Dosas are ready.

I also made idlis with the same batter and were really soft. I added a little ghee to the idlis and the sorghum idlis were சொர்கம் (sorgum in tamil means heaven).

Cholam idli dosai batter

 

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Prep time

12 hours

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

12 hours 20 mins

 

Chola dosai and chola idli batter recipe. How to make fermented sorghum idli-dosa batter. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 20-25 idli / dosas

Ingredients

• 1 cup parboiled rice (idli rice)
• 1 cup vellai cholam (sorghum millet)
• 1 cup whole white urad dal - unpolished
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Wash and soak the grains in water for 4-5 hours.
2. Drain the water and add the soaked grains to the grinder. Add water little by little while grinding. Grind the batter for half an hour in the wet grinder. Add upto two cups of water while grinding the batter.
3. Add in the salt to the grinder. After half an hour, stop the grinder and feel the batter. The batter should be smooth.
4. Use the batter to make idli and dosa.
5. The batter can be refrigerated for up-to two days and used accordingly.

3.5.3226

The post Chola dosai and chola idli, sorghum dosa and idli recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Stuffed bread rolls recipe. These Indian style fried potato stuffed bread rolls are delicious in every single bite. With step by step pictures.

This recipe for bread rolls is from my moms old cookbook, which is more than 40 years old and has been extensively used. She even had a binding done on the cookbook when I was young so the book stays sturdy. I don’t even know if book binding shops exist anymore. School season meant that all the new books would be sent for binding. Oh!!!! those days!!!! One recipe that I fondly remember from this book is the bread rolls. I never knew that bread rolls was a common thing in North India until recently. This recipe was such a hit all the time it was made and so novel those days. Mom and I made these rolls recently and had a great time in the kitchen together.

Here is how to do stuffed bread rolls.
First lets make the filling for the bread rolls.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds and onions. Fry for a minute.

Add in the fresh peas, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala. Add little water (about quarter cup) and simmer till the peas is cooked.

Add in the boiled, peeled and roughly mashed potatoes. Add in the coriander leaves. Mix well to combine.

Divide the stuffing into 8-10 equal size oblong pieces.
Now lets stuff it in bread.
Remove the crust from the bread. Gently dip the bread in water. Do not dip for long. The bread will become soggy. Just a quick dip for couple of seconds will do.

Gently press the bread between hands to squeeze out all the water. Make sure to squeeze out as much water as you can, so the bread does not break open while frying. Here is amma squeezing the bread. Those hands that tirelessly worked all the years!!

Place the bread on a plate and place the stuffing in the middle. Start covering the stuffing by bringing the ends of the bread together.

Bring the other two ends to cover the stuffing completely. Gently shape the roll on the palm so its a nice oblong.
Troubleshooting: If the stuffing break opens, just pinch that area so the wet bread closes the opening. Make sure it is smooth all around.

Repeat until all the stuffing is rolled. Heat oil in a pan to deep-fry. Heat until the oil is really hot. Gently slide the rolls in oil.

Fry till the rolls are nice and golden.

Drain the fried bread rolls on paper towels.

Serve hot with ketchup.

Stuffed Bread Rolls, Potato Stuffed Bread Rolls Recipe

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Stuffed bread rolls recipe. These Indian style fried potato stuffed bread rolls are delicious in every single bite. With step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 8-10 rolls

Ingredients

For the stuffing

• 2 teaspoon vegetable oil / sunflower oil
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh peas
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala
• 3 medium sized potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Other Ingredients

• A loaf of regular white sandwich bread
• 500ml vegetable oil / sunflower oil to deep fry

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds and onions. Fry for a minute.
2. Add in the fresh peas, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala. Add little water and saute till the peas is cooked.
3. Add in the boiled, peeled and roughly mashed potatoes. Add in the coriander leaves. Mix well to combine.
4. Divide the stuffing into 8-10 equal size oblong pieces.
5. Remove the crust from the bread. Gently dip the bread in water. Do not dip for long. The bread will become soggy. Just a quick dip for a second will do.
6. Gently press the bread between hands to squeeze out all the water.
7. Place the bread on a plate and place the stuffing in the middle. Start covering the stuffing by bringing the ends of the bread together.
8. Bring the other two ends to cover the stuffing completely. Gently roll between the palms to shape the roll.
9. Repeat until all the stuffing is rolled.
10. Heat oil in a pan to deep-fry. Heat until the oil is really hot. Gently slide the rolls in oil.
11. Fry till the rolls are nice and golden.
12. Drain the fried bread rolls on paper towels. Serve hot with ketchup.

3.5.3226

The post Stuffed Bread Rolls, Potato Stuffed Bread Rolls Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Coconut is the backbone of traditional south Indian cooking and not a day goes by without fresh coconut. During the yesteryear joint family days, a family would go through anywhere between one to two coconuts every single day. One of the main chore those days in the morning was to shred the fresh coconut in an “aruvamanai” – a tool used to shred coconut. Here is a picture of aruvamanai.

But now, for me at my home (a family of 3), one big coconut lasts for almost a week. Whenever I go to my hometown, I comeback with home grown coconuts from my in-laws farm. I bulk process the coconuts, shred them and freeze them all. Frozen coconuts lasts for a long time and is the best way to store them. Once thawed, they are as fresh as new. It also makes cooking that much easier as shredding coconut every day can be tedious. Morning cooking times are so precious and having ready made fresh frozen coconut is a little blessing.

Here is how I do it.
Here is a video I did sometime back on shredding coconut with a knife.

I go through about 4-5 coconuts a month. This whole process will take about an hour for 5 coconuts.
Break all the coconuts using a hammer or a machete.

Removing the coconut meat
All you need is a heavy knife (lite ones will break) or sathagam. Sathagam is a tool primarily used in the chettinad region to shred coconut. Its now widely available in all utensil stores across Tamilnadu. Here is a picture of Sathagam – சத்தகம்

Here is a video of how to remove the coconut meat using a sathagam.

Sathagam – The Chettinad tool for shredding coconut. It looks like a carpenters tool with a flat sharp edge in one corner which makes removing coconut meat a breeze. Next time when you are in Karaikudi, don't forget to get one. The tool is called as sathagam. I am told that it is now widely available across Tamilnadu in utensil stores. Do get one . #chettinad #karaikudi #sathagam #kitchentools

A post shared by Suguna (@kannammacooks) on Jun 11, 2017 at 7:32am PDT

Here is all of the coconut meat that’s been removed from the shell.

Note: After removing the coconut if the brown pith covering the coconut meat is very dark, you can peel them with a vegetable peeler to get really white meat. I have kept the brown part on today. I have not peeled.

Shred the coconut
Now, add the coconut meat in batches to a mixie/blender. Do not over load the mixie. Fill only until half of the mixie is full. You will need a heavy duty mixie for this and I really like my panasonic mixie. Its really powerful and is perfect for the Indian Kitchen.

Pulse the coconut several times till the desired texture you need.

I like my coconut to be really soft.

Store the shredded coconut
Transfer them to zip tote bags and store it in the freezer for upto two months.

A note on thawing
Try to thaw the coconut at room temperature for about 20 minutes and proceed with the recipe.

The post How to shred and store coconut in the freezer appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Mushroom kuzhambu / kulambu for idli and dosa. Easy Tamilnadu style Kaalan kuzhambu recipe to be served with idli and dosa. With step by step pictures.

This mushroom kuzhambu is a favorite for idli and dosa and the ground coconut masala makes it rich and perfect. The aroma that fills the kitchen in the morning when you make this kurma is just fantastic. Here is how to do it.

First we will make a masala paste.

Add in all the masala ingredients to a small mixie jar and grind it to a smooth paste adding half a cup of water. Grind to a fine paste. Set aside.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter.

Add in the chopped onions and saute till the onions are soft.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and salt.

Add in half a teaspoon each of coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Fry till the tomatoes are soft.

Add in the chopped mushrooms and the ground paste.

Add in about two cups of water and let it simmer for 15 minutes on a medium flame.

Switch off the flame and add in the lime/lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Serve hot with idli or dosa. Click here for collection of idli / dosa recipes.

5.0 from 1 reviews

mushroom kuzhambu , kaalan kuzhambu recipe

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Mushroom kuzhambu / kulambu for idli and dosa. Easy Tamilnadu style Kaalan kuzhambu recipe to be served with idli and dosa.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Curry

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

For the masala paste

• ⅓ cup coconut
• 2 green chillies
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 clove
• 1 cardamom
• 1 small half inch stick cinnamon
• 6 cashew nuts

Other Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon Gingely oil (Indian sesame oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 onion, chopped (about half a cup)
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 200 grams mushroom, chopped
• juice of half a lime / lemon
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. Add in all the masala ingredients to a small mixie jar and grind it to a smooth paste adding half a cup of water. Grind to a fine paste. Set aside.
2. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter.
3. Add in the chopped onions and saute till the onions are soft.
4. Add in the tomatoes and salt.
5. Add in half a teaspoon each of coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Fry till the tomatoes are soft.
6. Add in the chopped mushrooms and the ground paste.
7. Add in about two cups of water and let it simmer for 15 minutes on a medium flame.
8. Switch off the flame and add in the lime/lemon juice and coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with idli or dosa.

3.5.3226

The post mushroom kuzhambu , kaalan kuzhambu recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Tamilnadu style chinna vengayam kodhi chutney. Small onion (Indian Shallot) chutney made with shallots simmered in tomatoes and spices. Recipe with step by step pictures.

I first came to know about this recipe through a twitter friend Uma Krishnamoorthy. The tweet read that the recipe is an all time favorite at home made by her mum. I love such home style recipes. I got the recipe from her and we love anything small onions at home. The taste of caramelized small onions (Indian shallots) simmered in a tomato gravy is absolutely delicious. Here is how to do Chinna Vengayam Kodhi Chutney, Shallots Chutney.

Peel and slice the small onions (Indian shallots). Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan (I have used gingely oil – Indian sesame oil) for this recipe. When the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the chopped shallots to the pan. Add in the salt.

Saute on a medium flame until the shallots are nicely brown. Adding salt while cooking shallots will help in caramelizing the shallots.

Boil the tomatoes in water until the skin completely peels off. I have pressure cooked the tomatoes for 5 minutes. Grind the tomatoes to a smooth paste.

Add in the ground tomatoes to the pan. Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.

Add in a cup of water and let it simmer covered with a pan for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes once to avoid scorching at the bottom.

Serve hot with idli or dosa.
Here is the list of idli-dosa recipes on Kannamma Cooks.

Chinna Vengayam Kodhi Chutney, Shallots Chutney

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe for Tamilnadu style chinna vengayam kodhi chutney. Small onion (Indian Shallot) chutney made with shallots simmered in tomatoes and spices.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon gingely oil (sesame oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 20 small onions (Indian Shallots), sliced
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan for this recipe. When the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the sliced shallots to the pan. Add in the salt.
2. Saute on a medium flame until the shallots are nicely brown.
3. Boil the tomatoes and grind them to a smooth paste. Add in the ground tomatoes to the pan. Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
4. Add in a cup of water and let it simmer covered with a pan for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes once to avoid scorching at the bottom.
5. Serve hot with idli or dosa.

3.5.3226

The post Chinna Vengayam Kodhi Chutney, Shallots Chutney appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for making brown rice kara kozhukattai. A different variety of kara kozhukattai made with brown rice.

I have already shared the kara kozhukattai recipe that is very famous in the kogunad region that uses par boiled rice. These days I do with brown rice and it tastes really good too. This is a very light and super tasty kozhukattai. I like to add lot of onions to the kozhukattai as it adds a nice flavor. Here is how to do brown rice kara kozhukattai.

Soak brown rice (I have used brown sona masuri rice variety) for 3 hours. If you are planning for breakfast, then soak the brown rice over nite. It works well. Drain the water from the soaked brown rice. Now, grind the rice with some water. The quantity of water used while grinding will determine the final texture of the kozhukattai. For every cup of brown rice used, add exactly one cup of water while grinding. Too little water will give a really hard Kozhukattai and adding a lot of water will make the Kozhukattai gummy. So use the correct measurement of water while grinding. Grind to a really smooth fine paste. Set aside.

Heat sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped curry leaves and the urad dal. Chopping the curry leaves makes it easier while serving and eating. Wait for the urad dal to brown.

Add in the finely chopped onions and green chillies. Make sure all these ingredients are finely chopped, so its easy to prepare and shape the Kozhukattai. You do not want a big chilli or a curry leaf when you bite the dumpling. So take time and chop the ingredients as fine as possible. Add in the salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions are cooked and slightly starting to brown.

Once the onions are cooked, Add in the ground rice mixture and stir with a spatula.

The rice mixture will immediately thicken up into a mass of dough. Set aside to cool a bit. Let the dough become warm. When the dough is still warm, dip your hands in cold water and take a small lemon size ball of dough. Press the dough a little to form oblong shaped dumplings.

Repeat with the remaining dough. Dip your hands in cold water before shaping every dumpling.

Place the dumplings on an idli plate or any flat plate and steam it for 15 minutes on a medium flame.

The dumplings would become slightly glossy after steaming. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with coconut chutney, red chutney or kara chutney.

Brown Rice Kara Kozhukattai Recipe

 

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Prep time

3 hours

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

3 hours 20 mins

 

Recipe for making brown rice kara kozhukattai .A different variety of kara kozhukattai made with brown rice.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: tamilnadu

Serves: 20 dumplings

Ingredients

For grinding

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 cup water

For tempering

• 2 teaspoon gingely oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon urad dal
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
• 3 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Soak brown rice for 3 hours. Drain the water from the soaked rice. Grind the rice with 1 cup water. Grind to a really smooth fine paste. Set aside.
2. Heat sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped curry leaves and the urad dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the dal brown.
3. Add in the onions and green chillies. Add in the salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions are cooked and slightly starting to brown.
4. Add in the ground rice mixture and stir with a spatula. The rice mixture will immediately thicken up into a mass of dough. Set aside.
5. Let the dough become warm. When the dough is still warm, dip your hands in cold water and take a small lemon size ball of dough. Press the dough a little to form oblong shaped dumplings. Set aside.
6. Place the dumplings on an idli plate or any flat plate and steam it for 15 minutes on a medium flame.
7. Serve hot with coconut chutney, red chutney or kara chutney.

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The post Brown Rice Kara Kozhukattai Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for ellu urundai. Sesame laddu made with black sesame seeds, roasted peanuts and jaggery. Very special sweet in the kongunadu region.

Sesame is an important seed used in Tamilnadu cuisine. Sesame and its oil is very traditional in this part of the world. Sesame is called as எள் (Ell) in tamil. Sesame oil was referred in olden days as எள்நெய் (Ell Nei). Ell meant sesame and Nei meant fat. Later on the name எள்நெய் (Ell-Nei) became எண்ணெய் (Enn-Nei). So the name எண்ணெய் Enn-Nei was referred only for sesame oil in the olden days. When other kinds of oil started appearing, the term எண்ணெய் (Enn-Nei) became a generic word for oil. Sesame oil became நல்லெண்ணெய் (Nalla-Enn-Nei). Nalla means “good”. The nutritional benefits of sesame is astonishing.

Ellu Urundai is a kongunadu special sweet made with sesame as its main ingredient. Its really healthy and has very minimal ingredients. The traditional method is made using ural ulakkai (wooden mortar-pestle used for pounding grains). I have made the ellu urundai in a mixie today. Ellu urundai is extremely nutritious as sesame contains several B vitamins, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc. Many articles also suggest that sesame consumption may help in small reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

The recipe for ellu urundai is very simple. The main ingredients are soaked and dried black sesame seeds, roasted peanuts and jaggery. A little bit of roasted coconut is added along to make ellu urundai.
Here is how to do Ellu Urundai!

Soak the black sesame seeds in water overnite. After the long soak, rub the seeds pressing them with the palm. Some of the husk from the seeds will come off. Strain the water.

Spread the strained and wet sesame seed on a cotton cloth and allow it to dry completely under the sun.
If there is not much of sunshine in a place where you live, try changing the cloth after 30 minutes and let it dry under the fan or shade.

The dried sesame seeds can be stored in the freezer for upto 6 months and used accordingly. Storing the sesame seed in the freezer will help the seeds from becoming rancid fast. It stays fresh in the freezer.
To make the urundai
Dry roast the soaked and dried sesame seed in a heavy pan on a LOW FLAME until it starts to pop here and there. The sesame seeds will start to burst. Once it starts to burst, the roasting is done. Set aside on a plate.

In the same pan, dry roast peanuts. Roast until the outer skin is dark here and there. Remove from the pan and let it slightly cool. Remove the husk and set aside.

Dry roast the coconut for a minute. Set aside.

When the ingredients are still warm, we will grind everything to a powder. The warmth makes the jaggery bind well and it will be easier to make balls / laddus later on.
Take a mixie jar and add in the powdered jaggery, roasted sesame, roasted peanuts and roasted coconut. Pulse several times in a mixie, until its a very very slightly coarse powder.

Remove the powder to a bowl.

Make small balls / laddus from the mixture immediately. Its easier to make balls when the mixture is still warm. We like to make small balls that are bite size.
Tip: If the balls are not forming, add a teaspoon of very hot water, mix well and try to make balls.

Ellu Urundai is ready!

Ellu urundai can be stored at room temperature for upto 3-4 days in an air tight container.

Ellu urundai, Sesame seed laddu

 

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Prep time

24 hours

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

24 hours 10 mins

 

Recipe for ellu urundai. Sesame laddu made with black sesame seeds, roasted peanuts and jaggery. Very special sweet in the kongunadu region.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Sweet

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 20-25 laddus

Ingredients

• 1 cup black sesame seeds
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1 cup jaggery
• ¼ cup fresh shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Soak the sesame seeds in water overnite. Clean and drain the seeds, dry in sunlight. Dry roast the sesame seeds until the seeds starts to burst. Set aside.
2. Dry roast the peanuts and remove the husk. Set aside.
3. Dry roast the coconut for a minute. Set aside.
4. When the ingredients are still warm, grind everything to a powder along with jaggery.
5. Make small balls / laddus from the mixture immediately.
6. Ellu urundai is ready.

3.5.3229

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Recipe for coconut chutney hotel style. White coconut chutney for idli and dosa. South Indian Tamilnadu style white coconut chutney. Thengai Chutney Recipe.

Fresh shredded coconut is always recommended for making chutney. Refer to this easy method for shredding and storing fresh coconut.

For grinding the chutney
Coconut chutney is ground raw with other ingredients to which a tempering / tadka is added. Its one of the simplest and the quickest chutney one can make in no time. Take a small mixie jar and add in the fresh shredded coconut, fried gram dal, green chillies, salt, tamarind and a small clove of raw garlic. Add about quarter cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Add more water while grinding the chutney if necessary. If you want a spicy chutney, add more green chillies to your taste while grinding the chutney.

For the tadka / tempering
Add sesame oil in a pan. When hot, add in the mustard seeds and urad dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in a sprig of curry leaves.

Now add a pinch of asafoetida powder.

I like the brand of SSP asafoetida. Its very aromatic. Do try it for your chutney and sambar.

Add the tempering to the chutney.

Serve hot with idli or dosa.
Here is the list of idli-dosa recipes on Kannamma Cooks.

Coconut Chutney Recipe, How to make white coconut chutney

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

2 mins

Total time

12 mins

 

Recipe for coconut chutney hotel style. White coconut chutney for idli and dosa. South Indian Tamilnadu style white coconut chutney. Thengai Chutney Recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

For the Chutney

• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoon fried gram dal (pottu kadalai)
• 1 -2 green chillies
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon tamarind
• one small clove of raw garlic

For the tadka

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon urad dal
• a pinch of asafoetida powder

Instructions

1. Take a small mixie jar and add in the fresh shredded coconut, fried gram dal, green chillies, salt, tamarind and a small clove of raw garlic. Add about quarter cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Add more water while grinding the chutney if necessary.
2. Add sesame oil in a pan. When hot, add in the mustard seeds and urad dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in a sprig of curry leaves.
3. Now add a pinch of asafoetida powder.
4. Add the tempering to the chutney.

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The post Coconut Chutney Recipe, How to make white coconut chutney appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for bas saaru and palya. Curry made with veggie stock and vegetable stir fry. Karnataka style bas saaru and palya recipe.

This recipe is again from my sister in law Maithra who makes really tasty karnataka style dishes. This is a staple at her house and my husband was bowled over by the taste when he had it last time at her place. He simply loves her food. I had to get the recipe and add it to our daily recipe repertoire. This is a two-in-one recipe. You make a curry and a veggie stir fry along with it(palya / poriyal). The trick is that you make veggie stock and the stock is used for making the curry and the veggie goes for making palya. Its a really nourishing everyday recipe. Do try at home. Its best served with ragi mudde. Here is Maithra with our newly added laddu!!!

First we will make the bas saaru
We will need to cook the dal and vegetables. The dal should not be completely cooked to a mush. Take a pressure pan and add in the toor dal and 1 cup of water to the pan. Place the chopped cabbage bowl inside. Add 1/2 cup water to the bowl. Pressure cook for exactly two whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. Strain the water after cooking. Strain from both the dal and the cabbage. Set aside this veggie stock. We will make bas saaru with this.
For the bas saaru Masala
Take a mixie jar and add in the fresh shredded coconut, two tablespoon of the cooked dal, onion, garlic, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, tamarind, dried red chillies and black pepper. Grind to a smooth paste adding half a cup of water.
Note: I have used home made tamarind paste today. Here is the recipe for making homemade tamarind paste.
Cooking the bas saaru
Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, chopped garlic and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the turmeric.

Now add in the veggie and dal water (stock) and the ground masala paste.

Add in the salt and a cup of water.

Let it simmer for 10 minutes with a lid on.

Bas saaru is ready. Add in coriander leaves and remove the curry from heat.
For the cabbage palya
Heat oil in a pan and in mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chillies. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the chopped garlic and onions.

Add in the salt and saute till the onions are soft.

Add in the cooked cabbage and the remaining cooked dal. Mix well to combine. Add coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Bas saaru and palya is ready. Best served with ragi mudde or rice.

Bas saaru and cabbage palya, Karnataka style curry made with veggie stock

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Recipe for bas saaru and palya. Curry made with veggie stock and vegetable stir fry. Karnataka style bas saaru and palya recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Curry

Cuisine: Karnataka

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

Common Ingredients

• ¼ cup toor dal
• 2 cups chopped cabbage

For Bas Saaru

Bas Saaru Masala

• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoon of cooked toor dal (from above)
• ½ an onion (1/4 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 sprigs coriander leaves
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoon homemade tamarind paste
• 8-10 black peppercorns

For cooking Bas Saaru

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

For Cabbage Palya

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 dried red chillies
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• Cooked toor dal (from above)
• Cooked cabbage (from above)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

Cook the dal and vegetables

1. Take a pressure pan and add in the toor dal and 1 cup of water to the pan. Place the chopped cabbage bowl inside. Add ½ cup water to the bowl. Pressure cook for exactly two whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. Strain the water remaining after cooking the dal and the cabbage. Set aside this veggie stock.

For the Bas Saaru

1. Take a mixie jar and add in the fresh shredded coconut, two tablespoon of the cooked dal, onion, garlic, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, tamarind, dried red chillies and black pepper. Grind to a smooth paste adding half a cup of water. Set aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, chopped garlic and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the turmeric.
3. Now add in the stock and the ground masala paste.
4. Add in the salt and a cup of water. Let it simmer for 10 minutes with a lid on.
5. Bas saaru is ready. Add in coriander leaves and remove the curry from heat.

For making Palya (Stir-fried veggie)

1. Heat oil in a pan and in mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chillies. Let the mustard seeds splutter.
2. Add in the chopped garlic and onions. Add in the salt and saute till the onions are soft.
3. Add in the cooked cabbage and the remaining cooked dal. Mix well to combine. Add coriander leaves and remove from heat.

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The post Bas saaru and cabbage palya, Karnataka style curry made with veggie stock appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for ragi mudde. Ragi Balls made with finger millet flour. Ragi Mudde (Kannada: ರಾಗಿ ಮುದ್ದೆ) Ragi Sangati (Telugu: రాగి సంగటి) Ragi kali (Tamil: ராகி களி) . With step by step pictures.

Even though Ragi Kali is part of everyday food in several parts of Tamilnadu, my mom never made it at home. I learnt this method of making Ragi mudde / kali from my sister in law Maithra. Ragi mudde is a staple food in Karnataka and eaten everyday. Its a rich source of calcium and iron. I make it now regularly at home. Do try it.

We will need 2 cups of water for every cup of Ragi flour. Measure the water, flour and set aside.

Take half a cup of water and add in two tablespoon of ragi flour and mix well to make a slurry. Set aside.

Heat the remaining water in a pan until boiling. Add half a teaspoon of salt to the water. Salt is actually optional. Its a personal preference. You may skip the salt as mudde is had with curry and curry will be salted.

Add in the ragi slurry (water + ragi mixture) to the boiling water. Let it boil for a minute.

I like to use a wide pan for making Ragi mudde as I have seen that the mudde cooks very evenly. Its also very easy to stir if the pan is wide.

Now, sprinkle the remaining ragi flour. Do not mix. Let the mixture cook for 5-6 minutes on medium flame.

Traditionally a stick is used for stirring and mixing the mudde. Its called as Ragi Kolu. If you dont have it, you may use the back of a wooden ladle and it will work just fine.

After 5-6 minutes, start stirring the ragi mixture. Mix well making sure there is no dry flour left. Put the stove on low flame.

Keep mixing for a couple of minutes.

The mixture will form a ball and will come off from the sides of the pan without sticking. This is the stage where the mudde is done. If the mudde is very thick at this stage, add a few tablespoon of hot water to the pan and mix well. Use only hot water if necessary.

Take a plate and add in a teaspoon of ghee to the plate. Spread the ghee so the mudde does not stick. Ghee is called as thuppa in kannada and kannadigas love their thuppa with mudde.

Dump the mudde mixture onto the plate and try to form a ball with a spatula. Portion the balls. Usually the mudde balls are portioned to the size of a tennis ball.

Dip your hands in water and try to form the balls. Caution: The mudde ball will be very hot. Dip your hands in water frequently to cool.

Mudde is ready.

Serve the mudde with bas saaru or mutton kuzhambu.

Ragi Mudde, Ragi Kali Recipe

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Recipe for ragi mudde. Ragi Balls made with finger millet flour. Ragi Mudde (Kannada: ರಾಗಿ ಮುದ್ದೆ) Ragi Sangati (Telugu: రాగి సంగటి) Ragi kali (Tamil: ராகி களி) .

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 6 balls

Ingredients

• (1 cup is approx 240 ml)
• 1 Cup Ragi Flour
• 2 Cups water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ghee

Instructions

1. Take half a cup of water and add in two tablespoon of ragi flour and mix well to make a slurry. Set aside. Heat the remaining water in a pan until boiling. Add half a teaspoon of salt to the water.
2. Add in the ragi slurry to the boiling water. Let it boil for a minute.
3. Now, sprinkle the remaining ragi flour. Do not mix. Let the mixture cook for 5-6 minutes on medium flame.
4. After 5-6 minutes, start stirring the ragi mixture. Mix well making sure there is no dry flour left. Put the stove on low flame.
5. Keep mixing for a couple of minutes.
6. The mixture will form a ball and will come off from the sides of the pan without sticking. This is the stage where the mudde is done. If the mudde is very thick at this stage, add a few tablespoon of hot water to the pan and mix well. Use only hot water if necessary.
7. Take a plate and add in a teaspoon of ghee to the plate. Spread the ghee so the mudde does not stick.
8. Dump the mudde mixture onto the plate and try to form a ball with a spatula. Portion the balls.
9. Dip your hands in water and form the balls.
10. Serve hot.

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The post Ragi Mudde, Ragi Kali Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Keerai Vadai made with greens and soaked and ground urad dal. Crisy and crunchy keerai vadai recipe. Perfect tea time snack. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Keerai Vadai makes for a perfect evening snack. Its a famous thing in the evenings at South Indian tea shops. Its crispy and crunchy and goes perfectly well with tea. Its made with soaked and ground urad dal and added greens. Usually, Arai keerai or Siru keerai is used for this recipe. Its a variety of green amaranthus. You may use any kind of amaranth leaves and it works fine. Here is how to do Keerai Vadai.

Usually for vadai made with urad dal, I like to use unpolished whole white urad dal. Try to avoid split urad dal, nylon urad etc… Soak the urad dal in water for couple of hours. Drain the water used for soaking and grind the urad dal in a mixie to a paste. Do not add any water while grinding. Add a teaspoon if the mixie would not budge. Add it only if it is really necessary. The texture should be thick and very very slightly coarse for keerai vadai. Set aside.

Add in the finely chopped veggies namely onion, ginger, curry leaves, green chillies, coriander leaves and keerai. Add in the salt and asafoetida. If you like a spicy vadai, add in more chopped green chillies. Mix well to combine. Keerai vadai batter is ready.

I like to use SSP asafoetida at home. Its very aromatic and flavorful. You may buy the products here. To know more about their products visit their website www.sspandian.com .

Heat oil in a kadai until hot. Now lets shape the vadas. The trick to shaping the vadas is dipping the hands in water. The urad dal batter wont stick to hands if the hands are moist and wet. Take a gooseberry size ball on the palm and flatten it. Flatten it as a thin round. Make a small hole in the middle. If shaping the vada in the palm is difficult, you can shape it on a plastic cover. Just wet the plastic cover with a few drops of water and shape the vadas on the cover and gently remove the batter and add it to the oil.

Add it to hot oil. Keerai vadai takes time to cook. Around 5-6 minutes for every batch. The vadai should be really brown and golden. The vadai should be crispy and should have a little crunch on the bite. So be patient and fry till the vada is really golden.

Serve the Vada with white coconut chutney and masala tea.

Keerai Vadai Recipe

 

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Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

2 hours 20 mins

 

Keerai Vadai made with greens and soaked and ground urad dal. Crisy and crunchy keerai vadai recipe. Perfect tea time snack. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 15-18 small vadas

Ingredients

• ½ cup whole white urad dal
• 1 cup chopped keerai-greens, finely chopped
• 1 onion,finely chopped
• ¼ inch piece ginger, finely chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
• 3 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• a big pinch of asafoetida

Instructions

1. Soak the urad dal for couple of hours. Drain the water and grind the urad dal to a thick paste.
2. Add in all the veggies and salt. Mix well to combine.
3. Shape the vadas.
4. Fry them in hot oil for 5-6 minutes till golden. Serve hot!

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The post Keerai Vadai Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Asafoetida, perungayam (பெருங்காயம்), hing – is the most common spice found in every Indian Kitchen. The spice is extracted from the rhizome of the Ferula plant. Its a dried gum resin.  I received SS pandian Asafoetida for product review. SSP has three types of asafoetida for home use. The regular powder, granules and the newly introduced ultra powder. To know more about their products visit their website www.sspandian.com .

Non-Indians find the smell of asafoetida very strong and compare it with the smell of dung. In-fact its called as Teufelsdreck in German which just means devils dung . Famed Indian cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey mentions asafoetida as the Indian truffle. Truffle or not, it has a precious place in the Indian kitchen.

SSP regular asafoetida powder

The first thing that hits you when you see SSP products are that its expensive. Its expensive when compared with other brands available in the market. SSP asafoetida is very strong and the aroma that wafts your kitchen when you unpack the box is testimony to the same. Its very potent and a pinch of SSP is all you need to add. The smell is so concentrated and you will sure notice the same when you add it to hot oil.

SSP Ultra Powder
This is a newly introduced variant that’s a very fine powder.

I added a pinch while making tadka for my chutney and the result was really good. A little goes a long way and its so true with SSP asafoetida.

SSP Crystal Asafoetida / Granules

I think that this must be their signature product. I still remember breaking the asafoetida block using hammer or a mortar-pestle in the olden days as it will be so solid like a brick. SSP crystal asafoetida is a relief that it comes in an already granular form. Granules are generally used for curries / kuzhambus that has a tamarind base. It adds a nice depth to the curries. Try my Puliyodharai recipe using SSP asafoetida.

The packaging of the asafoetida powder.
The powder comes packed and you need to unpack the powder and add it to the box. But honestly, its a little troublesome. A little powder spills when you cut the pack and one needs to make sure that the pack is facing directly over the box so the spill goes into the box. You do not want to waste the precious perungayam even if its very little. Its not a great trouble but I feel that the unpacking of the powder into the box makes it little messy.

I am sure you will be convinced to give their products a try. Even though this is a sponsored post, I really recommend trying their products as they are very good.
Are you interested in SSP products? Here is the link from where you may buy them. Do try the products and write to me here in the comments section as to how you like it. Would love to hear from you!
SSP Powder Asafoetida
SSP Crystal Asafoetida (Granules)
SSP Ultra Powder Asafoetida

The post SSP Asafoetida – SS Pandian Perungayam – Product Review appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Paya – Veg version. Delicious served with idli. Recipe for veg paya with step by step pictures.

This post will get my share of trolling from my non-veg loving friends. Bring it on. I was first served this version of veg paya with mini idlies at a wedding and I really liked it. I contacted the “saraku master” and he told me that it was made with moong dal and a kurma masala. It was a delightful combination from the monotonous idli-sambar. I tried it at home with my own masala and it turned out to be very delicious. The mini idlies dunked in paya is breakfast made right. Do try it at home. I am sure this will be a winner. There is no better way to start the day than good food.

Prep Work
Cook 3 tablespoon of moong dal with 1 cup of water and set aside. I cooked for 4 whistles in a cooker and allowed the pressure to settle on its own.
For the Veg Paya Masala
Grind all the ingredients listed under paya masala to a smooth paste adding about a cup of water while grinding. Set aside. I have used ready made chicken masala powder today for making the masala paste. You may use your home-style masala or curry masala powder.

Making Veg Paya
Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and kalpasi (stone flower).

Add in the finely chopped onions, whole green chillies and saute for five minutes. The whole chillies are just for the aroma and flavour. If you want a spicy paya, you may slit the chillies and add them.

Add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft.

Add in the ground masala paste, two cups water and the cooked moong dal.

Cover the pan and let the veg paya simmer for 15 minutes on a low flame.

Veg Paya is ready. Serve the veg paya with idli.

Veg Paya Recipe, Vegetable Paya for Idli Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Recipe for Paya – Veg version. Perfectly goes will with idli. Recipe for veg paya with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: curry

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4 generous servings

Ingredients

Veg Paya Masala

• 7-8 cashew nut
• 1 tablespoon khus khus, white poppy seeds
• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 teaspoon ready made chicken masala
• 2 green chillies
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 6 cloves garlic

Other Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon moong dal
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil / sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 inch piece cinnamon
• 1 clove
• 1 cardamom
• 1 teaspoon kalpasi (stone flower)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 whole green chillies
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Cook the moong dal and set aside. Grind all the ingredients listed under paya masala to a smooth paste adding about a cup of water while grinding. Set aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and kalpasi.
3. Add in the finely chopped onions, whole green chillies and saute for five minutes.
4. Add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft.
5. Add in the ground masala paste, two cups water and the cooked moong dal. Cover the pan and let the veg paya simmer for 15 minutes on a low flame.

3.5.3229

The post Veg Paya Recipe, Vegetable Paya for Idli Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Spicy Nethili Meen Varuval, Deep fried Anchovies – நெத்திலி மீன் வறுவல். Anchovies marinated in a Tamil style masala with spices and herbs and deep fried. Crispy and crunchy Nethili Meen Fry recipe.

I love deep fried anchovies. They never made anchovies at my home. We had access to only river water fish when were young. Sea fish was very hard to come by in Coimbatore. The first time I had anchovies was in Chennai when I was young with Babu Uncle. When the deep fried anchovies arrived at the table, I took one and was incessantly trying to remove the tiny bones. He stopped me and told me to just eat it all. I was like “எனக்கு போன் சாப்பிட்டு பழக்கம் இல்லையே” – I am not used to eating bones in a fish (I was actually scared if the bones would poke me). He just casually took an anchovy and enjoyed it. He told that the tiny bones are so soft and so crisp that you will never realize that there were bones to begin with. I had my first deep fried anchovy – It was crispy, crunchy, salty and so full of the flavors of the sea. It has become one of my favorite fishes. I like it deep fried. Here is how to do Nethili varuval, my style.

We will need gutted and cleaned Nethili fish for this fish fry. Clean and wash the Nethili in salt water. Set aside to dry. If the anchovies are small, keep the bones in. If the anchovies are big (More than 2 inches), its easy to remove the bones from the anchovies. Today I had big anchovies. So I removed the bones. Refer to this video in you tube for deboning anchovies.

Take a bowl and add in the cleaned fish. Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. I use a mortar and pestle to crush the ginger and garlic.

Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and salt. Add in the rice flour and maida.

Add in the vinegar. Plain regular vinegar works just fine. No fancy vinegar is required. Add in finely chopped curry leaves. Curry leaves is what gives that southie flavour to the fish. Do not omit the curry leaves.

Mix everything well to combine. Sprinkle few drops of water while mixing. Let the fish marinate for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.

Heat vegetable oil / sunflower oil in a kadai until really hot. The masalas wont separate if fried in really hot oil. When the oil is hot, gently place the marinated anchovies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add in few sprigs of curry leaves to the oil. Try not to disturb the fish after placing in oil. 

Fry till golden.

Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.

Squeeze some lemon juice on the fish and serve hot with some sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Nethili Meen Fry, Anchovy Fry

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Recipe for Spicy Nethili Meen Varuval, Deep fried Anchovies – நெத்திலி மீன் வறுவல். Anchovies marinated in a Tamil style masala with spices and herbs and deep fried. Crispy and crunchy Nethili Meen Fry recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

• 250 grams Anchovies, cleaned and gutted, deboned if big
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon plain vinegar
• 2 tablespoon rice flour
• 2 tablespoon maida
• Vegetable oil / Sunflower oil to deep fry
• lemon wedges and sliced onions to serve

Instructions

1. Clean and wash the Nethili in salt water. Set aside to dry.
2. Add in finely chopped curry leaves, crushed ginger and garlic, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and salt.
3. Add in the vinegar. Add in the rice flour and maida.
4. Mix everything well to combine.
5. Let the fish marinate for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.
6. Heat vegetable oil / sunflower oil in a kadai until really hot. The masalas wont separate if fried in really hot oil. When the oil is hot, gently place the marinated anchovies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Try not to disturb the fish after placing in oil.
7. Fry till golden. Serve immediately.

3.5.3229

The post Nethili Meen Varuval, Spicy Deep Fried Anchovies appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Review of wonderchef soup maker with recipe. Recipe post in soup maker with step by step pictures.

I received this soup maker for review a couple of weeks back. This is the first time I am coming across the soup maker and the instructions were very simple. You just add in all the ingredients and the soup maker cooks and blends the soup for you. If you are someone who makes a lot of soups or make pureed foods for your baby or aged people, this machine can save a lot of time.

The looks and features
The soup maker looks like one big steel kettle with a lid on top. The lid comes along with an elegant Touch control panel with programme indicator lights. The function (mode) include Smooth, Chunky, Compote, Juice and blend. The lid contains a blade attached that blends the soup to the required consistency. Also, no need to stir and monitor during cooking, and no need to strain the boiled fruits or vegetables separately.

The additional features include an intelligent control system that prevents dry burning and has a pure copper motor for efficiency. The electrical power cord is detachable so its easy to clean and looks elegant on the table while serving.

The Five Modes
There are five functions in this soup maker. On top of the lid, you have functions that you can select like Smooth, Chunky, Compote, Juice and blend.
Smooth – If you want a creamy soup, use this function. The good thing about the soup maker is that there is no need to strain the soup. It comes super creamy.
Chunky – You can select this option if you want a rustic soup with bits and pieces of vegetables in chunks.
Compote – If you want cook fruits in syrup, this method is useful.
Juice – This helps in juicing fruits and vegetables and its a one pot solution. No need to strain and no need to transfer the ingredients. The steel jar is elegant to have on the table.
Blend – You can blend your veggies, fruits, lentils or anything you would put in a normal blender.

The Soup maker has a capacity of roughly about 1.6 litres. For more details of the product, check Wonderchef Automatic Soup Maker.

Pro’s
Its a compact piece of equipment in the kitchen and can be really helpful for making baby foods and pureed foods for aged people. Not just soups.
The cleaning of the soup maker is really easy and since it blends inside the jar, cleaning is a breeze.
As there is no need to strain the liquid and since it cooks in a covered environment, it retains the fibre and nutrients better than traditional cooking.
Con’s
The surface of the soup maker gets really hot. One needs to be careful as an accidental touch may be really hot.
There is no thermos like function to keep the soup warm. So the soup has to be reheated if it has to be had at a later point in time.

Lets put it to test
I decided to make a simple veggie soup and here is how I did it.
Clean and chop the veggies into big pieces. Set aside.

Add it to the soup maker. Add in a tablespoon of rice and the seasonings. I like to use rice to thicken the soup. Its a wonderful alternative for cream which is traditionally used for thickening soups.

Add in the water and cover the soupmaker with the lid. Select the mode and you are all set. I selected smooth.

After around 20 minutes, the soup was ready.

Simple Veggie Soup with Wonderchef soup maker

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Review of wonderchef soup maker

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soup seasoning powder
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

1. Add in all the ingredients to the soup maker except butter.
2. Select the function smooth and start the soup maker.
3. After about 20-25 minutes, the soup is ready.
4. Pour in soup tureen and serve hot with a dash of butter.

3.5.3229

The post Wonderchef soup maker appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

As is the case with most distinct types of cuisine, Indian food tends to be best in its native country. Whether you’re stopping in at an established restaurant or being treated to a home-cooked meal built from a delicious recipe, it’s going to be delicious. However, Indian food is a very popular export as well. The depth of flavors and spices make it a very interesting option for ambitious chefs all over the world (not to mention Indian chefs who move abroad), and as a result terrific Indian cuisine has popped up in cities around the globe.

In case this is of any interest to those of you who are generally enthusiastic about Indian food, we wanted to take a brief look at some of the international cities that have developed the best reputations for it.

New York, United States

We may as well begin with what is arguably the world’s greatest food city. New York City is simply so large and multicultural that it has inevitably gained a reputation for showcasing extraordinarily authentic cuisine from all over the world. In some cases, people even find that certain establishments in New York are as good or better than restaurants in native countries! At times on this list I will seek to provide some context for particularly interesting restaurants and locations, but in New York there’s great Indian all around the sprawling city. You can find cheaper options, expensive sit-down restaurants, and even excellent delivery options. I’m partial to Vatan – a fixed price, all-you-can-eat vegetarian venue in Manhattan – but Grub Street has done us the favor of listing the absolute best Indian restaurants in New York.

London, England

If one city tops New York, it’s probably London. In fact, it’s not uncommon to hear people say that London has the very best Indian food in the world – including India! The city is fairly multicultural, but Indians make up one of its largest minorities, so it’s no wonder Indian cuisine has blossomed there. One fun detail of London’s Indian food scene is that several of the better restaurants happen to be near major attractions or fun things to do. For instance, a well-regarded Southwest Indian place called Quilon is just a few streets over from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (two of the city’s top landmarks); Dishoom, another popular place, is in the middle of a full-fledged entertainment complex. There you can find the legendary London casino the Hippodrome, which has been around since 1900, as well as the city’s Royal Opera House.

Kampala, Uganda

Kampala may be the most surprising city on this list, but the Ugandan capital is known for having a lot of Indian dining options, and some very good ones at that. The Indian population in town is fairly significant, so while Kampala isn’t as large as London or New York, there was a similar inevitable quality to its development of fine Indian food. You can also find a nice assortment of different atmospheres diving into the Indian scene in Kampala. Khazana, a restaurant considered to be the best in the city (and potentially in this entire region of the world), features atmospheric Rajasthani-inspired décor. Meanwhile Nawab, a more casual (but still excellent) establishment, sits atop the main mall in town with an open-air design that makes it a fun vantage point from which to look out over the city.

Singapore

This list would be incomplete without Singapore, which is right up there with the other cities mentioned above when it comes to having a reputation for terrific Indian food. You might almost be surprised by the sheer number of Indian places in a relatively small area of Singapore, but as with London some of the most respected and well-reviewed restaurants are right in the middle of popular attractions. Shahi Maharani, an elegant North Indian restaurant, is right at the end of Clarke Quay, one of the city’s vibrant nightlife hotspots. And Maharaja Boat Quay, a more casual place for beer and dining, is located right on Marina Bay – perhaps the most popular and beautiful place in Singapore.

The post The Best International Cities For Indian Food appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for coriander thokku. Sweet and tangy kothamalli thokku Tamilnadu style. Perfect accompaniment for chapati and dosa. I even spread it on toast.

This is my mother in laws recipe for coriander thokku. Its sweet, spicy and tangy and is a perfect accompaniment for chapati and dosa. It is more like coriander pickle. I like to spread this on sandwiches too! It tastes great. Thokku on toast! Try it sometime. We call this coriander thokku as the Pethappampatti ketchup. Pethappampatti is my husband home town near Udumalpet. Its one of the must haves in the dining table during the season. Here is how to do it.

Clean and wash the coriander leaves and set aside. Young coriander leaves works well for this recipe. I have used around 250 grams of leaves for this recipe. Soak a golf ball size tamarind in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to release the pulp. Discard the fibre and the seeds. Set aside.

Take a mixie jar and add in the tamarind pulp, coriander leaves, salt, jaggery and dried red chillies. I like to use the gundu milagai or the Tamilnadu variety of chillies, the gundu chillies for this recipe. If you want a sweet thokku, you may add more jaggery (or) if you want a spicy thokku, add more chillies.
Grind to a smooth paste. Grind in batches if necessary.

Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds and the asafoetida. Add in the ground paste.

I like to use SSP Asafoetida as the flavor and aroma is very strong and it adds a nice flavor to the dish. Here is where you may buy them.
SSP Powder Asafoetida 
SSP Crystal Asafoetida (Granules)
SSP Ultra Powder Asafoetida

Keep the flame on medium. The thokku is going to splatter here and there. The stove is going to be a little messy. Heads up on that. The key is to keep sauteing all the time on a low medium flame. If the flame is too high, it will splatter more. So keep the flame low. The entire process will take about half an hour for this quantity of coriander thokku.

The thokku will slowly start to thicken and the colour will change. It will become darker and thicker. Keep sauteing.

The thokku is ready when it is really thick and resembles the consistency of Halwa.

Remove from pan and allow it to cool. Store in a glass jar.

The thokku stays good in the refrigerator for upto 20 days.
Keeping it real!!!!! The stove is going to be messy after all the splatter that happens. Cleaning the stove just after cooking the thokku makes for easy cleaning. If it dries out, it is going to take more time to clean. So clean immediately.

Coriander Thokku, Kothamalli Thokku Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Recipe for coriander thokku. Sweet and tangy kothamalli thokku Tamilnadu style. Perfect accompaniment for chapati and dosa. I even spread it on toast.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: chutney

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: ¾ cup

Ingredients

To Grind

• 250 grams coriander leaves
• golf ball size tamarind
• ½ cup jaggery
• 15 dried red chillies (preferably gundu variety)
• 1 tablespoon salt

To Temper

• ¼ cup sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

Instructions

1. Clean and wash the coriander leaves and set aside. Soak the tamarind and extract the pulp. Set aside.
2. Grind all the ingredients listed under "to grind" to a smooth paste.
3. Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds and the asafoetida. Add in the ground paste.
4. Add in the ground paste and keep stirring until the paste thickens and resembles Halwa consistency.
5. Store in fridge.

3.5.3229

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