Recipe for Sorakkai verkadalai masala. Bottlegourd curry with ground peanut powder. Perfect side dish for rice or chapati. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This recipe for sorakkai verkadalai masala is from my maid Kavitha. She cooks home style south Indian food and this is an everyday Tamil style recipe. Like the vadivel joke “Vaai vasapadi varaikum poguthu”, she keeps me occupied the entire time she is at my place with her non-stop ramblings. The everyday talks ranges from saravanan-meenakshi show in vijay TV, the water problem at her home to Aadhar trouble with Modi. She takes care of the household work. She helps with the cooking when I am sick or travelling. This is one of her signature recipe. The richness of the curry comes from roasted peanut powder. It adds a nice flavor and body to the bottle-gourd masala.

Here is how to do sorakkai verkadalai masala!
Dry roast peanuts and garlic on a low flame until the peanuts are well roasted and brown.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Grind the roasted peanuts and garlic to a coarse powder. No need to peel the skin of the peanuts. Just grind the peanuts to a powder. Pulse several times. Set aside.

Peel the bottle-gourd and remove the seeds from the middle. Dice the bottle-gourd and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Add in a pinch of asafoetida. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the chopped onions. Saute for a couple of minutes.

Add in the tomatoes. Add in the salt and sliced green chillies. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked and dry.

Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Add in the diced bottle-gourd.

Add in a cup of water and cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Once the curry is cooked and dry, add in the roasted peanut and garlic powder.

Saute for a couple of minutes and remove the bottle-gourd masala from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with rice or chapati.

sorakkai verkadalai masala, sorakaya peanut curry recipe

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe for Sorakkai verkadalai masala. Bottlegourd curry with ground peanut powder. Perfect side dish for rice or chapati.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the peanut powder

• ½ cup peanuts
• 6 cloves garlic

Other ingredients

• 1 medium size bottlegourd
• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 green chillies, sliced
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. Dry roast peanuts and garlic on a low flame until the peanuts are well roasted and brown.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Add in a pinch of asafoetida. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the chopped onions. Saute for a couple of minutes.
3. Add in the tomatoes. Add in the salt and sliced green chillies. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked and dry.
4. Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Add in the diced bottle-gourd.
5. Add in a cup of water and cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 10-12 minutes.
6. Once the curry is cooked and dry add in the roasted peanut and garlic powder.
7. Saute for a couple of minutes and remove the bottle-gourd masala from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.

3.5.3229

The post sorakkai verkadalai masala, sorakaya peanut curry recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

I received these samples of organic cold pressed oils from Purva naturals for review and I am thrilled to share this post today. One thing I love about Purva Naturals as a company is that they source their ingredients locally and I know that for sure. My agriculturist father is one of their suppliers for organic cocount (copra). (That’s a disclaimer there!!!). Their farms are located in Gandhi Asramam, Periapodhu panchayat, Pollachi. Their products are really good. They have three kinds of oil to offer – Sesame oil, Groundnut oil and Coconut oil – All of their oils are 100% organic and cold pressed.

You may buy their products HERE!

Sesame Oil
My favorite among all kinds of oil has to be this sesame oil. 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”.
Purva 100% organic and cold pressed Sesame Oil
The nutritional benefits of sesame is astonishing. The major nutrients gained from the sesame oil, zinc, magnesium, iron and calcium are retained to a higher degree in cold pressed oils. Sesamol in sesame seed has been known to protect DNA against damage from radiation
I am in love with Purva’s sesame oil. The aroma is one and the froth is another! Sesame oil has a natural tendency to froth up when it hits hot oil. I used it for tempering the spices and look at the foamy froth in the oil below. That’s a very good sign that the oil was minimally processed. The flavour of purva sesame oil is really good! I think this is one of my favorites of Purva among all the three.

Coconut Oil
The coconut tree is called the ‘Kalpavriksh’, or the tree of life. 50 percent of the fat content in coconut is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. Breast milk is the only other natural source that contains such a high concentration of lauric acid. So next time someone says coconut is bad for you, throw a coconut on them. Will you?
Purva 100% organic and cold pressed Coconut Oil
The major nutrients gained from the coconut oil, the omega-3-fatty acids (DHA & EPA) are retained to a higher degree in cold pressed oils. Here is a pic of Purva’s coconut oil. It was still frozen due to the chill weather we are facing here in Bangalore. I love the smell of coconut oil. I always take a minute to enjoy the aroma of coconut oil when it hits a hot pan. Throw in a few sprig of curry leaves and that’s my kind of room freshener you will find at my place.
Purva’s coconut oil has a very distinct aroma that I have come to love. Cold pressing helps in retaining the taste and the natural flavor. We love to use coconut oil for all topical applications too and it smells really good. Purva’s purity can be sensed through both taste and smell and we really like it at home.

Groundnut oil
Groundnut oil is kind of a neutral oil used for everyday cooking. The major nutrients gained from the groundnut oil, Niacin and MUFA( monounsaturated fatty acids) are retained to a higher degree in cold pressed oils. High viscosity of this oil leads to high smoke point (can be heated to temperature of 450°F) therefore its perfect for deep frying multiple food stuff without cross contamination of flavor or taste.

The Packaging.
One thing I love about the oils is the packaging. The easy pour-able spout is such a cool idea that totally totally works. The spout is small so you have total control of the “pour” and it works so well!!! I am in love…….

The Pricing of Purva Naturals.
While compared with the cold pressed oils in the market , Purva oils are very reasonably priced (remember its organic too!). I am sure you will be hooked if you try them once. Do try them and let me know.

Buy Purva and we are sure you will like it!
You may buy their products HERE!
If you are confused as to where to start, start with my favorite – sesame oil!

Try making this small change in the kitchen by replacing your regular oils for healthy cold pressed oils.

The post Purva Naturals – Organic Cold Pressed Oils – Review appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for IKEA style Baked veggie balls – Grönsaksbullar – Swedish Vegan Meatballs. These vegan veggie balls are baked and served with a cashew sesame sauce. Healthy baked veggie balls recipe.

When we used to live in Hong Kong, one of my favorite places to simply roam around was IKEA. Me and my son would take an MTR to Causeway-bay and simply walk the streets. He was fascinated by all the electronic gadgets that one could find there. Not to mention the street stunts that happen all the time. It was oh! so crowded but was also a lot of fun. We would finish our trip in IKEA and indulge in cinnamon bun and these veggie balls. Later we would take a tram and sit on the top and just enjoy the slow ride till Fortress hill. Now thinking back, the sticky humid warm air was enjoyable too! We were basically jobless and just enjoying the time we had at hand. We would get down at Fortress Hill and wait for my husband to join us after work and we all would go back home together in the MTR. Those days are never coming back. But we made good memories. I made these baked IKEA style veggie balls and had a good time.
Here is the recipe. Honestly, this is not exactly like IKEA veggie balls but its close and tastes damn good. Do give it a try. Its healthy as its baked and not to mention its diabetes friendly – heart healthy recipe.

Soak the chickpea (garbanzo beans) for 4-5 hours. When ready to bake, start shredding the veggies.

Grind the chickpea to a coarse paste. Set aside. Do not add any water while grinding.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the chopped garlic, chopped onions and capsicum. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the corn, peas, chopped spinach, shredded cabbage and carrot.

Add in the red chilli flakes, Italian seasoning, turmeric, salt and black pepper. Add in the chickpea paste. Mix well to combine.

Cook for five minutes till the mixture is thick. Remove from heat and add in the coriander leaves. Mix well to combine.

Allow the mixture to cool a bit. Start making lime size balls.

Do not press to hard. Press gently to make a lime size ball.

Bake the balls in a parchment lined baking sheets at 400 degrees fahrenheit ( 200 degrees celcius ) for 45 minutes to an hour. The balls should be brown and dry and come off the pan easily.
Note: These can be made in an air-fryer too! Bake for 15-20 minutes if making in an air-fryer.

For the Sauce
Grind all the ingredients listed under “sauce” to a fine paste.

Serve the balls with sauce.

5.0 from 1 reviews

IKEA style veggie balls - Grönsaksbullar - Swedish Vegan Meatballs

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

IKEA style Baked veggie balls – Grönsaksbullar – Swedish Vegan Meatballs.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: swedish

Serves: 30 balls

Ingredients

For the Veggie Balls

• ½ cup chickpeas - soaked for 4 hours
• ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green or red bell pepper (capsicum), finely chopped
• ½ cup frozen green peas
• ½ cup frozen sweet corn kernels
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 3 sprigs coriander leaves (cilantro) , chopped

For the sauce

• ⅓ cup cashew-nut
• 3 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Grind the chickpea to a coarse paste. Set aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the chopped garlic, chopped onions and capsicum. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the corn, peas, chopped spinach, shredded cabbage and carrot.
3. Add in the red chilli flakes, Italian seasoning, turmeric, salt and black pepper. Add in the chickpea paste. Mix well to combine.
4. Cook for five minutes till the mixture is thick. Remove from heat and add in the coriander leaves. Mix well to combine.
5. Allow the mixture to cool a bit. Start making lime size balls.
6. Bake the balls in a parchment lined baking sheets at 400 degrees fahrenheit ( 200 degrees celcius ) for 45 minutes to an hour. The balls should be brown and dry and come off the pan easily.
7. Grind all the ingredients listed under “sauce” to a fine paste.
8. Serve the veggie with sauce.

3.5.3229

The post IKEA style veggie balls – Grönsaksbullar – Swedish Vegan Meatballs appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Japanese Style Okonomiyaki – Savoury Veggie Cabbage Pancake recipe. Perfect for snack or brunch. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese style savoury cabbage pancake that can be made in minutes and a big hit after school snack at my place. I make it often at home and its a good way to sneak in the veggies for the kids. Along with the cabbage, I sometimes throw in shredded carrots, leftover meat and veggies. The spicy mayo goes so well with the pancake and I am sure one cannot stop with one. I adapted the recipe from here.

Here is how to do Okonomiyaki
For the pancake
Take a bowl and add in two eggs, water and soy sauce.

Add in the sesame oil, black pepper and flour.

Whisk well to combine.

Add in the finely chopped cabbage and spring onions. Whisk well to combine. I have not added any salt as the soy sauce itself is salty. If you like your pancakes salty, add in half a teaspoon of salt at this stage.

If the batter is very thick, add in some water to dilute. Heat a skillet and add in a teaspoon of oil.

Add in a big ladle of the okonomiyaki batter and spread with a spatula.

Cover the skillet with a lid and let it cook for two-three minutes on medium flame.

Once the bottom of the pancake is brown, flip.

Press the pancake and let it cook the other side for couple of minutes more. Okonomiyaki pancakes are ready.

For the sauce
Mix in the Mayo, soy sauce, ketchup and hot sauce in a small bowl.

Transfer the mayo to a small zip bag and cut the end of the bag.

Spread the spicy mayo on the pancake. Finish off with a generous sprinkle of spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve hot.

Okonomiyaki - Savory Cabbage Pancakes

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Japanese Style Okonomiyaki – Savoury Veggie Cabbage Pancake recipe. Perfect for snack or brunch. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: Japanese

Serves: 6 pancakes

Ingredients

For the Pancake

• 2 Eggs
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ¾ cup all purpose flour (maida)
• ½ teaspoon salt (if using)
• 4 cups chopped cabbage
• ¼ cup chopped spring onion
• Oil for frying pancakes

For the sauce

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 teaspoon hot sauce

For garnish

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• ¼ cup spring onion, chopped

Instructions

For the pancake

1. Take a bowl and add in two eggs, water and soy sauce. Add in the sesame oil, black pepper and flour. Whisk well to combine.
2. Add in the finely chopped cabbage and spring onions. Add in the salt. Whisk well to combine.
3. Heat a skillet and add in a teaspoon of oil. Add in a big ladle of the okonomiyaki batter and spread with a spatula.
4. Cover the skillet with a lid and let it cook for two-three minutes on medium flame.
5. Once the bottom of the pancake is brown, flip.
6. Press the pancake and let it cook the other side for couple of minutes more. Okonomiyaki pancakes are ready.

For the sauce

1. Mix in the Mayo, soy sauce, ketchup and hot sauce in a small bowl.
2. Transfer the mayo to a small zip bag and cut the end of the bag.
3. Spread the spicy mayo on the pancake. Finish off with a generous sprinkle of spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.
4. Serve hot.

3.5.3229

The post Okonomiyaki – Savory Cabbage Pancakes appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for whole wheat bran muffins made with 100% whole wheat flavored with cinnamon and dates paste. A healthy morning muffin recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This recipe is one of our house favorites. This makes for the best American style morning muffins and has just a teaspoon of oil going in for each muffin. I flavor the muffins with date paste and cinnamon for extra richness and aroma. Dates paste makes for a soft and moist muffin and this muffin is very light even though its made with 100% whole wheat flour and bran. No one can ever stop with one muffin. I tweaked this recipe during my bakery days and this one used to be a favorite among my customers. You can get wheat bran online or in health food aisle of your grocery store. I have seen wheat bran in many organic stores here in Bangalore.

Here is how to do classic wheat bran muffins.
Preheat the oven for 20 minutes.
Dry Ingredients
You will need a weighing scale for this recipe. Weigh and add the wheat bran and whole wheat flour (atta) in a bowl.

Add in the baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder.

Whisk all the ingredients well to combine. Set aside.

Wet Ingredients
Even though sugar is technically a dry ingredient, it is almost always treated as a wet ingredient in baking. Take a bowl and add in the eggs and sugar.

Add in the vanilla extract, vegetable oil (sunflower/canola oil is fine too!) and regular white vinegar. I like to use pure vanilla extract. The flavor of real vanilla is so delicious.
Note: Artificial vanilla essence has ingredients like Propylene Glycol (one of the main ingredients) which is very toxic and a known carcinogen. It is always better to avoid these essences. Real vanilla is slightly expensive but it is worth it. A little goes a long way and the aroma and flavour is divine. Real vanilla can be purchased online.

Grind the dates (pitted – seeds removed) and water to a fine paste in a mixie / food processor.

Add it to the wet ingredients. Whisk all the ingredients to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix to combine.

Scoop the batter in the muffin cups. I like to fill the batter all the way to the brim so it rises well and has a “muffin top”. Bake in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit / 200 degree Celsius oven for 30 minutes. Always bake muffins at a slightly higher temperature so the batter rises well and has the “oven spring” and you will get a tall muffin.

Insert a tooth pick after 30 minutes and if it comes clean, the muffins are done. Remove the muffins and let in cool on a wire rack for half an hour.


Store the muffins in an air tight container. The muffins will last up to 2-3 days.

Bran Muffins, 100% Whole Wheat Bran Muffins Recipe

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Recipe for whole wheat bran muffins made with 100% whole wheat flavored with cinnamon and dates paste. A healthy morning muffin recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 100 grams wheat bran
• 100 grams whole wheat flour (atta)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

Wet Ingredients

• 2 regular eggs
• 100 grams fine granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon real vanilla extract
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 teaspoon regular white vinegar
• 200 grams pitted dates
• 1½ cups water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven for 20 minutes at 400F / 200C.
2. Weigh and add the wheat bran and whole wheat flour (atta) in a bowl.
3. Add in the baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder. Whisk all the ingredients well to combine. Set aside.
4. Take a seperate bowl and add in the eggs and sugar. Add in the vanilla extract, oil and regular white vinegar.
5. Grind the dates (pitted – seeds removed) and water to a fine paste in a mixie / food processor.
6. Add it to the wet ingredients. Whisk all the ingredients to combine.
7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix to combine.
8. Scoop the batter in the muffin cups. I like to fill the batter all the way so it rises all the way. Bake in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit / 200 degree Celsius oven for 30 minutes.
9. Insert a tooth pick after 30 minutes and if it comes clean, the muffins are done. Remove the muffins and let in cool on a wire rack for half an hour.
10. Store the muffins in an air tight container. The muffins will last up to 2-3 days.

3.5.3229

The post Bran Muffins, 100% Whole Wheat Bran Muffins Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Selavu Rasam is a kongunad specialty made with spices and aromatics and is an excellent home remedy for cold, sore throat and flu. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Selavu Rasam is one of the very unique rasam variety from the Kongunad region. The spices are called as selavu in Tamil. Everyday spices are referred to as “selavu samaan” செலவு சாமான். There is an interesting story behind the word selavu. Selavu also means expense in Tamil. In olden days – the grains, veggies etc… would grow in the farm and whatever is harvested will go to the kitchen pantry, some produce will be bartered with the neighboring farms and the remaining will go to the market. The only expense – “selavu” was to buy the spices for cooking. Interesting right! This selavu rasam does not use tamarind or dal and is an excellent home remedy for cold, sore throat and fever.

Here is how to do selavu rasam.
You will need the following for making the selavu masala.

I have used a clay pot for making the selavu rasam today. Heat sesame oil in a pan and add in all the selavu masala ingredients at once. Saute on a low flame for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and the onions are soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Grind the roasted selavu masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat sesame oil in the same pan and add in the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle.

Add in the finely chopped shallots and fry for a minute.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt. Make sure the tomatoes are very ripe.

Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the spice paste.

Add in 750 ml of water and fresh coriander leaves. No need to chop the leaves. Add it whole.

Let the rasam simmer. It will start to foam up. Once it foams up, reduce the flame to medium.

Let the rasam simmer for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame after 10 minutes.

Selavu rasam is ready!!!

Serve hot! This can be served like a soup or had with hot rice.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Selavu Rasam, Kongunad Special Selavu Rasam

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Selavu Rasam is a kongunad specialty made with spices and aromatics and is an excellent home remedy for cold, sore throat and flu. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 cups

Ingredients

Selavu Masala

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingelly oil)
• 1 Gundu chilli
• 5 small onions - Indian shallots
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 5 garlic cloves

For tempering the rasam

• 2 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingelly oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2-3 small onions, chopped
• 2 ripe country tomatoes, chopped (use one tomato if big)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves

Instructions

Selavu Masala

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan and add in all the selavu masala ingredients at once. Saute on a low flame for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and the onions are soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Grind the roasted selavu masala ingredients with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Tempering the rasam

1. Heat sesame oil in the same pan and add in the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
2. Add in the finely chopped shallots and fry for a minute.
3. Add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt. Saute the tomatoes.
4. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the spice paste.
5. Add in 750 ml of water and fresh coriander leaves. No need to chop the leaves. Add it whole.
6. Let the rasam simmer. It will start to foam up. Once it foams up, reduce the flame to medium.
7. Let the rasam simmer for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame after 10 minutes.
8. Serve hot! This can be served like a soup or had with hot rice.

3.5.3229

The post Selavu Rasam, Kongunad Special Selavu Rasam appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Arasanikai Poriyal. An everyday south Indian Yellow Pumpkin Stir-Fry recipe made with sauteed pumpkins and coconut. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Arasanikai or Yellow Pumpkin is my husband’s favorite veggie at home and this is a very simple everyday stir-fry recipe that can be put together in minutes.

Happy Wednesday! Pumpkin diaries The eager wait of close to about 3 months gave us this beautiful pumpkin (our first harvest) at the farm. The crop is a little invasive for small spaces. Vinodh has these nostalgic memories of pumpkin, Specially the yellow ones used extensively in South India. The harvested pumpkin at his parents place would be stashed in the attic and would be used the whole of summer when he was young. Pumpkins stay fresh for a long long time. This time, the children got so excited when the pumpkin started becoming big and could not wait any longer for harvest. We finally harvested our first pumpkin last Sunday! After sharing the pumpkin with friends, I brought home a quarter of this mammoth. I made a simple pumpkin stir fry to go with chapati! It’s going to be a happy pumpkin overdose this week. Count your little blessings #littleblessings

A post shared by Suguna Vinodh (@kannammacooks) on Jan 9, 2018 at 7:38pm PST

Here is how to do Arasanikai Poriyal.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves. Add in the chopped onions and saute for a couple of minutes.

Add in the chopped pumpkin. I remove the skin off of the pumpkin as it can be a little fibrous. In some households, if the pumpkin is young, they do cook the pumpkins along with the skin. Its a personal preference. But if its a mature pumpkin, the skin will be hard and fibrous. So do not use the skin of a mature pumpkin.

Add in half a cup of water. Add in a teaspoon of sambar powder and salt. At home, we also add half a teaspoon of jaggery. We like the little sweetness of the jaggery in pumpkin.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium flame for about 6-7 minutes. Pumpkin cooks very fast. It will become mushy if its overcooked. So do not add too much water.

Use a spatula to cut the pumpkin piece into half to check if its tender. If the pumpkin is not tender, add few tablespoons of water and cook for a minute or two more. Once the pumpkin is cooked and tender, add in the fresh shredded coconut and remove from heat.

Serve hot with rice.

Arasanikai Poriyal, Yellow Pumpkin Poriyal

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Recipe for Arasanikai Poriyal. An everyday south Indian Yellow Pumpkin Stir-Fry recipe made with sauteed pumpkins and coconut. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 500 grams yellow pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon sambar powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon jaggery
• ¼ cup shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves. Add in the chopped onions and saute for a couple of minutes.
2. Add in the chopped pumpkin.
3. Add in half a cup of water. Add in a teaspoon of sambar powder, jaggery and salt.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium flame for about 6-7 minutes.
5. Once the pumpkin is cooked and tender, add in the fresh shredded coconut and remove from heat.
6. Serve hot with rice

3.5.3229

The post Arasanikai Poriyal, Yellow Pumpkin Poriyal appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Mutton Biryani made Dindigul Thalapakatti style. Tamilnadu Dindigul style biryani. Recipe with step by step pictures.
One of the most popular recipes in the site is the Chicken Biryani Thalapakatti Style Recipe that I had posted years back. I had got many requests asking to make it with Mutton. This is a recipe that my mom had saved from a magazine cut out years back. Here is the recipe for mutton biryani recipe preparation.

Thalapakatti style biryani has a very nice flavor that is so different from all the other biriyani. It is made with seeraga samba rice. Seeraga Samba biriyani has to be the pride of Tamilnadu. Seeraga samba is a very aromatic rice. The grain of the rice is very tiny and it gets its name for its resemblance to Cumin seeds, also called as Seeragam/Jeera in Tamil. It has a very distinct taste, fluffs up well when cooked and south Indian biriyani’s are made with this rice. Samba rice is grown for a longer duration than other types of rice. Seeraga samba rice is the most important ingredient for this biryani. Before starting to cook, wash and soak the rice for at-least half an hour.

We will need a masala paste for making the biryani. Here is what you will need.

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

Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and add in the Thalappakatti Biriyani Masala paste. Add in the mutton to the pan. For biryani, always use mutton with bone. Bone has a lot of flavour.

Add in two cups of water and add in the salt.

Add in the plain yogurt (curd) and red chilli powder.

Mix well and cook the mutton in the masala for 20 minutes on a medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles in the cooker. Just cook for 20 minutes and remove the cooker from heat and wait for the pressure to settle.

Open the cooker and see if the mutton pieces are cooked well. Cook for 2-3 whistles more if the meat is hard. Set aside.

Remove the cooked meat to a bowl and roughly measure how much liquid is left behind.

Mine had about 1.5 cups of liquid. Just measure roughly. It need not be accurate.

Measurements used – 1 cup rice = 250 ml
We are using 2 cups rice. We require 2 times water to the quantity of rice. So we need to add 4 cups water. There was already 1.5 cups gravy that we measured before. So I added 2.5 cups water to the gravy mixture in a pan. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and the mint leaves. Let the mixture come to a boil.

Add back the meat and let it come to a boil again. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pan.

Wait for it to boil. Add in the lime juice.

Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for the first three to four minutes on medium flame.

Open the lid. Gently mix once from the bottom, cover the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes on very low flame.

After that time, open the lid and mix well. The rice will be three fourth cooked. Cook for a couple of minutes more.

Switch off the flame and close the pan with a lid. Do not disturb for the next 20 minutes. The rice will get swollen and absorb all the left out moisture. This time is very important. Do not rush.

After the rest, Enjoy Thalappakatti Biriyani!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Thalapakatti Style Mutton Biryani Recipe

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Recipe for Mutton Biryani made Dindigul Thalapakatti style. Tamilnadu Dindigul style biryani. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main Course

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Measurements used – 1 cup rice = 250 ml

For the Masala

• 5 Green Chillies
• 3 small two inch cinnamon sticks
• 3 cardamom
• 3 cloves
• ⅛ th of a nutmeg (Jaadhikai) (Do not use too much)
• 1 small piece Mace (Jaadhi Pathiri)
• 2 inch piece grams ginger
• 10-15 crushed Garlic
• 15 shallots (small onions)

Main Ingredients

• 500 ml Seeraga Samba Rice
• 500 grams Mutton with bone

Other Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon Ghee
• 3 tablespoon Sunflower Oil
• ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• ½ cup curd
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• 1 hand full Mint Leaves
• 2 hand full Coriander Leaves
• Juice of half a lime

Instructions

1. Before starting to cook, wash and soak the rice for at-least half an hour.
2. Grind all the ingredients listed under masala paste with half a cup of water. Set aside.
3. Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and add in the Thalappakatti Biriyani Masala paste. Add in the mutton to the pan.
4. Add in two cups of water and add in the salt.
5. Add in the plain yogurt (curd) and red chilli powder.
6. Mix well and cook the mutton in the masala for 20 minutes on a medium flame. Remove the cooker from heat and wait for the pressure to settle.
7. Remove the cooked meat to a bowl and roughly measure how much liquid is left behind.
8. Mine had about 1.5 cups of liquid. Just measure roughly. It need not be accurate.
9. We require 2 times water to the quantity of rice. So we need to add 4 cups water. There was already 1.5 cups gravy that we measured before. So I added 2.5 cups water to the mixture. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and the mint leaves. Let the mixture come to a boil.
10. Add back the meat and let it come to a boil again. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pan.
11. Wait for it to boil. Add in the lime juice.
12. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for the first four minutes on medium flame.
13. Open the lid. Gently mix once from the bottom, cover the lid again and simmer for 10 minutes on very low flame.
14. After that time, open the lid and mix well. The rice will be three fourth cooked. Cook for a couple of minutes more.
15. Switch off the flame and close the pan with a lid. Do not disturb for the next 20 minutes. The rice will get swollen and absorb all the left out moisture. This time is very important. Do not rush.
16. After the rest, Enjoy Thalappakatti Biriyani!

3.5.3229

The post Thalapakatti Style Mutton Biryani Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for crispy Ragi Pakoda. A Kongunad special recipe made with Ragi, peanut and veggies. A perfect snack for tea time. Ragi Pakoda recipe with step by step pictures.

Ragi Pakoda is a very special recipe that’s made in almost all the households in the kongunad region for evening snack. A little peanut powder is added to make it light and rich. The pakoda will be very hard and gummy without the peanut powder. So be sure to add the peanut powder. It is one of our house favorite recipe. Here is how to do it.

Take a mixie and add in the roasted peanuts and roasted fried gram (pottukadalai). Grind it to a coarse powder. Set aside.

Take a bowl and add in the Ragi flour and the ground powder. Add in a teaspoon of oil and mix well to combine.

Add in the salt and the veggies. Mix well with hands.

Sprinkle with water. Be cautious not to add too much water. Just sprinkle water and start mixing.

Add water little by little and mix until all the flour is moistened.

The dough should not be too wet. It should be just moistened and not dry.

If you take a small piece of dough and press in your palm, you should be able to form a ball. The dough is ready.

Heat oil in a kadai until medium hot. Add a small piece of the dough to check if the oil is ready. The oil is ready if the dough floats immediately to the top. If not wait for a minute more. Add in small pieces of the dough to the oil when the oil is ready. Cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes.

Remove and drain the pakoda on a paper towel. Serve hot.

Ragi Pakoda, Kongunad Special Ragi Pakoda Recipe

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Recipe for crispy Ragi Pakoda. A Kongunad special recipe made with Ragi, peanut and veggies. A perfect snack for tea time. Ragi Pakoda recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup ragi flour
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts
• 2 tablespoon fried gram (pottukadalai)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
• 3-4 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped
• vegetable oil / sunflower oil to fry

Instructions

1. Take a mixie and add in the roasted peanuts and roasted fried gram. Grind it to a coarse powder. Set aside.
2. Take a bowl and add in the Ragi flour and the ground powder. Add in a teaspoon of oil and mix well to combine.
3. Add in the salt and the veggies. Mix well with hands.
4. Sprinkle with water. Be cautious not to add too much water. Just sprinkle water and start mixing.
5. Add water little by little and mix until all the flour is moistened.
6. The dough should not be too wet. It should be just moistened and not dry.
7. If you take a small piece of dough and press in your palm, you should be able to form a ball. The dough is ready.
8. Heat oil in a kadai until medium hot. Add a small piece of the dough to check if the oil is ready. The oil is ready if the dough floats immediately to the top. If not wait for a minute more. Add in small pieces of the dough to the oil when the oil is ready. Cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes.
9. Remove and drain the pakoda on a paper towel. Serve hot.

3.5.3229

The post Ragi Pakoda, Kongunad Special Ragi Pakoda Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for red rice idli made with unpolished red rice and whole grain black urad dal thats been sprouted. Recipe with step by step pictures.

We all know that sprouted grains and lentils are more nutritious and I wanted to try making Idli with Sprouted black urad dal. I got this idea after watching a video of the popular organic farmer, Thanjavur G.Sither. He spoke about the numerous benefits of idli made using sprouted whole black urad dal. I wanted to try. He encourages people to use 100% unpolished red rice for making idli. I do make whole grain idlis at home, but nowadays I make it with 50% unpolished rice and 50% regular white idli rice so the idlis turn nice and soft (my son would not touch it otherwise) and at the same time, we get the goodness of unpolished grains and also makes for a healthy breakfast.

TIMELINE
Day 1 Morning – Soak Black Urad Dal
Day 1 Night – #Keep the Urad dal for sprouting #Also soak the rice #soak the fenugreek seeds
Day 2 Morning – Grind the Idli Batter
Day 2 Evening – Fermented idli batter is ready. Store in fride and use accordingly!
Here is how to do it! For recipe measurements, scroll to the bottom!!
Soak the black urad dal in water for about 10-12 hours.

Drain the soaked urad dal and place it in a bowl and cover it with a lid and allow it to sprout overnite.

The urad dal will start to sprout and here is a picture of the same.

When the urad dal is kept for sprouting, also soak the red rice and the regular idli rice. I have used the Jolaga variety of red rice today that’s popular here in Bangalore. You can use any kind of unpolished red rice thats popular in your state and it works fine.

Soak the rice overnite. Also soak the fenugreek seeds separately over nite.

Now its time to grind the batter. I always prefer to use a wet grinder for making whole grain idlis.
I use an Elgi Ultra wet grinder and I am very happy to recommend the same.

I always grind the fenugreek seeds seperately as it fluffs up so much and the resultant idlis are so soft. Add in the fenugreek seeds along with the water used for soaking (around half a cup of water) to the wet grinder. Grind for about 5 minutes.

Idli Batter Tip I always add fenugreek seeds (வெந்தயம்) in my idli-dosa batter. In some households, fenugreek is skipped so as to have a super white "sunnambu maadiri color" idli. I am so used to adding fenugreek seeds in my batter. My mom did it all the time. Infact the smell of dosas made with the addition of fenugreek in the batter cannot be beat. Thats the flavor that reminds me of childhood. Its healthy and it also aids in fermentation. But if you use a lot, your idli is going to be bitter. Usually people soak fenugreek seeds and urad dal together and grind it together. But I picked up this trick from my friend Neeraja that grinding fenugreek seeds separately contributed for a lot of fluffiness. I was excited the first time when I saw the fenugreek seeds fluff up so much when ground. I have also seen that the resultant idli batter made by this method produces by far the softest. Here in this video, you can see how much 1.5 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds ground with a cup of water has fluffed up. #kannammacooks #kitchentipkannamma #basics #southindian

A post shared by Suguna Vinodh (@kannammacooks) on Dec 5, 2017 at 3:19am PST

Once the fenugreek seeds are fluffed up, add in the sprouted urad dal. No need to remove the ground fenugreek seeds. Add the urad dal on top of the ground fenugreek paste. Its fine. Start grinding the urad dal. The urad dal will take about 30 minutes to grind. Sprinkle little water every five minutes. Do not add more than a cup of water for grinding the urad dal. The lesser water, the better.

The dal will be smooth after 30 minutes. Also remember that the ground dal will be slimy to touch as its sprouted. That’s perfectly fine.

Remove the urad dal to a big bowl.

Now add in the soaked and drained rice to the grinder along with a cup of water. Let the rice grind for 30 minutes. After 10 minutes, check the batter. If its really really thick like a dough, then sprinkle some water. Else do not add more water. Let it continue to grind.

While the rice is grinding, we will make some sabudana powder. Take a mixie and grind the sabudana (javvarisi) to a powder.

Add it to the rice that’s getting ground in the wet grinder. Sabudana makes for the softest idlis. As this is a whole grain idli, it can be hard. The addition of sabudana produces super soft idlis.
Note: If you dont have sabudana, you can also use aval / poha (about 1/2 cup). Powder the aval in a mixie, add little water and make it to a paste. Add the aval paste to the rice.

After 30 minutes of grinding, the rice is nice and smooth.

Remove the rice and add it to the bowl. Add in the salt. Mix the batter well (preferably with hands – they are the worlds best spatula – isnt it?) and cover the bowl with a lid.

Keep the bowl in a warm and draft free place and allow it to ferment for 6-8 hours.

The batter would rise and be very bubbly after fermentation.

Mix the batter well and the batter is now ready for making idlis. Store the batter in the refrigerator and use it in 3 days.

Lets make idli.

Put some water in an idly vessel and put it on medium flame. Oil the idli plate and gently fill the rounds with the batter. Put it inside the idly vessel and let it steam for 6-7 minutes.

The idlis are ready if a spoon / knife inserted in the middle of an idli comes out without wet batter.

The key to good idlis – Do not allow it to over cook. It might become hard and dry. Just keep an eye and remove the idlis after 6-7 minutes. Do not remove the idlis from the idli plate immediately. It might stick. Leave it undisturbed for 4-5 minutes and then spoon it out. Serve hot with your favorite chutney and sambar.

Annapoorna Hotel Style Sambar

The one common comment I get from a lot of readers is that, their idlies did not rise and the idlies were flat. The main reason is watery or runny batter. Watery batter will not rise and the idlies will be hard and flat. So use caution while grinding and do not add too much water while grinding. The batter will thin out a little after fermentation. So a BIG CAUTION on using water. Please use correct measurements as mentioned in the recipe.

Red Rice Idli Recipe with Sprouted Black Urad Dal

 

Save Print

Prep time

48 hours

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

48 hours 10 mins

 

Recipe for red rice idli made with unpolished red rice and whole grain black urad dal thats been sprouted. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 40 idlies

Ingredients

• 2 cups red rice, unpolished
• 2 cups regular white idli rice ( you can use any parboiled rice and it works fine)
• 1 cup whole black urad dal
• 2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 3 tablespoon sabudana - javvarisi (made into a powder)
• 2 tablespoon salt

Instructions

1. Soak the black urad dal in water for about 10-12 hours. Drain the soaked urad dal and place it in a bowl and cover it with a lid and allow it to sprout overnite.
2. Soak the rice and fenugreek seeds when the dal is sprouting.
3. Grind the fenugreek seeds in a wet grinder with half a cup of water for five minutes.
4. Add in the urad dal and grind for 30 minutes. Add upto a cup of water (max) while grinding urad dal.
5. Remove the urad dal to a big bowl.
6. Now add in the soaked and drained rice to the grinder along with a cup of water. Let the rice grind for 30 minutes. Add in the sabudana powder to the rice.
7. Remove the rice and add it to the bowl. Add in the salt. Mix the batter well
8. Keep the bowl in a warm and draft free place and allow it to ferment for 6-8 hours.
9. Mix the batter well and the batter is now ready for making idlis. Store the batter in the refrigerator and use it in 3 days.

Notes

For smaller quantity,
You can halve the recipe and it works perfectly well.

3.5.3229

The post Red Rice Idli Recipe with Sprouted Black Urad Dal appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for traditional kongunad style selavu aracha kuzhambu. செலவு அரைத்த குழம்பு. Selavu Kuzhambu is a kongunad specialty made with spices and aromatics. Recipe with step by step pictures.

When I posted the recipe for selavu rasam, a dear reader Priyadarshini, sent me her amma’s recipe for selavu aracha kuzhambu (curry made with ground spices). She sent me a detailed written recipe and I was so happy to receive it. Her amma’s name is also Suguna. How cool is that? I tried the recipe and we all loved it at home. It goes perfectly with rice. Priya has a blog. Do check it out!
The spices are called as selavu in Tamil. Everyday spices are referred to as “selavu samaan” செலவு சாமான். There is an interesting story behind the word selavu. Selavu also means expense in Tamil. In olden days – the grains, veggies etc… would grow in the farm and whatever is harvested will go to the kitchen pantry, some produce will be bartered with the neighboring farms and the remaining will go to the market. The only expense – “selavu” was to buy the spices for cooking. Interesting right!
Here is how to do selavu aracha kuzhambu, Mrs. Suguna Sekar Style.

Selavu Masala Powder – Selavu Podi
Dry roast all the ingredients listed under “selavu masala”. Dry roast on a very low flame until the spices are roasted and aromatic. It will slowly start to change colour. Make sure not to burn the spices. When they slightly change colour and smells aromatic, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Grind the masala to a fine powder.

Fragrant selavu masala powder is ready!

Lets make the Curry Paste. (Selavu Aracha Masala)
Heat Indian sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan and add in the chopped small onions (Indian Shallots), chopped garlic and the curry leaves. Fry till the small onions are soft and slightly starting to brown. It will take about 3-4 minutes on a medium flame.

Add in the ground selavu masala powder and saute for a few seconds. Add in the fresh shredded coconut. Fry for a minute.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

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

Heat Indian sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and curry leaves. let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the finely sliced small onions and garlic.

Once the small onions are cooked and slightly brown, add in the tomatoes and chopped brinjals. Add in the salt and saute for a minute.

Add in the tamarind pulp. (Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Press the tamarind with fingers to extract the juices. Discard the seeds and the pith. Use the pulp water.)

Add in the ground masala paste and a cup of water. Add in a small piece of jaggery. Jaggery is optional. We like jaggery at home in tamarind based curries. It nicely rounds out the flavor of the kuzhambu,

Cover the curry with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.

Selavu Kuzhambu is ready. Sprinkle the curry with a big pinch of asafoetida.

Serve hot with rice.

Selavu Aracha Kuzhambu Recipe, Kongunad Style

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Recipe for traditional kongunad style selavu aracha kuzhambu. Selavu Kuzhambu is a kongunad specialty made with spices and aromatics. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Curries

Cuisine: Kongunad - Tamilnadu

Serves: 5 servings

Ingredients

For Selavu Masala Powder (Selavu Podi)

• 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 inch cinnamon stick

Curry Paste (Selavu Aracha Masala)

• 2 teaspoon Indian sesame oil (gingely oil)
• 15 shallots (Indian small onions), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ½ cup fresh shredded coconut

Other Ingredients for the kuzhambu

• 1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil (gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 10 shallots (Indian small onions), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 ripe tomato chopped
• 4-5 brinjals , diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon tamarind (Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and extract pulp)
• ½ teaspoon jaggery
• A big pinch of asafoetida

Instructions

For Selavu Masala Powder (Selavu Podi)

1. Dry roast all the ingredients listed under “selavu masala”. Dry roast on a very low flame until the spices are roasted and aromatic. Grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Curry Paste (Selavu Aracha Masala)

1. Heat Indian sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan and add in the chopped small onions (Indian Shallots), chopped garlic and the curry leaves. Fry till the small onions are soft and slightly starting to brown.
2. Add in the ground selavu masala powder and saute for a few seconds. Add in the fresh shredded coconut. Fry for a minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Grind the cooled mixture with half a cup of water to a fine paste. Set aside.

For the Kuzhambu

1. Heat Indian sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and curry leaves. let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the finely sliced small onions and garlic
2. Once the small onions are cooked and slightly brown, add in the tomatoes and chopped brinjals. Add in the salt and saute for a minute.
3. Add in the tamarind pulp.
4. Add in the ground masala paste and a cup of water. Add in a small piece of jaggery. Jaggery is optional.
5. Cover the curry with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the curry with a big pinch of asafoetida.
6. Selavu Kuzhambu is ready. Serve hot with rice.

Notes

A note on veggie used.
Veggies like Bottle Gourd, Ladies Finger (Okra), Sprouted Lentils can also be used in this curry.

3.5.3229

The post Selavu Aracha Kuzhambu Recipe, Kongunad Style appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Akki Rotti – Karnataka style flat bread made with rice flour and vegetables. Perfect for breakfast. Recipe with step by step pictures.

My maid makes amazing Karnataka style akki rottis and I learnt this recipe from her. Akki Rotti is a staple in all Kannadiga homes. It makes for a heavy breakfast and its also healthy with all the vegetable fixings. Sometimes it also becomes a vehicle to use up the leftover cooked rice. The recipe is easy to make and very tasty. Here is how to do Akki Rotti.

Take a bowl and add in the rice flour, fresh shredded coconut, chopped onions, chopped ginger, curry leaves and green chillies. Make sure to finely chop all the ingredients. If you want a spicy rotti, add in more chopped green chillies according to your taste.

Add in the veggies. I have added finely shredded carrots, radish and cabbage today. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and dill leaves. Dill leaves impart a great flavour to the akki rotti and is called as sabbasige soppu in Kannada. If you do not like the flavour of dill leaves, you may choose to omit it.

Add in the cumin seeds and salt. Mix well. Once the mixture is well combined, start adding hot water. Really hot boiling water is key for making soft rottis.
Note: If you want really soft rottis, you may grind half a cup of cooked rice with little water and add it to the dough. This is optional. I have not added cooked rice today.

Slowly add the hot water and mix with a wooden spatula.

The batter should not be too thick. Let the batter resemble that of vada batter. It should be soft to the touch. The dough should be loose. If its tight, spreading the dough on the skillet will be tough. Try making tennis ball size balls and we will be using these balls to make the rotti.

Heat a skillet on medium flame. When the pan is hot, place the ball in the center of the skillet. Start to spread the ball using your fingers. Be quick to do it.

Sprinkle little water on the dough and spread the rotti on the pan. The water will help in easily spreading the rotti. Make sure that the rotti is evenly spread. Dip your hands in water often.

Make the rotti as thin as possible. Around 1/8th of an inch. Some people also make 2-3 small holes on the rotti. Its optional.

Sprinkle little oil on the rotti now. Cover the skillet with a lid and let it cook on a medium flame for one minute.
Note: I did not add oil to the empty pan. Adding oil in the beginning will hinder while spreading the rotti as the rotti wont stick to the pan and it will keep slipping from the pan.

Remove the cover and flip the rotti.

Cook for a minute more.

Akki rotti is ready.

Serve Akki Rotti with coconut chutney.

4.5 from 2 reviews

Akki Roti , Rice Rotti, Arisi Rotti Recipe

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Recipe for Akki Rotti – Karnataka style flat bread made with rice flour and vegetables. Perfect for breakfast. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Karnataka

Serves: 4 rottis

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour
• 2 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut
• ¼ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies.
• 2 tablespoon shredded carrots
• 2 tablespoon shredded radish
• 2 tablespoon shredded cabbage
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped dill leaves
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Hot Water (Approx - around 2 Cups - Add water carefully)
• Peanut Oil / Vegetable Oil for making Akki Rotti

Instructions

1. Take a bowl and add in all the ingredients except water and oil. Mix well.
2. Add in the boiling hot water little by little and mix with a wooden spatula. Let the batter resemble that of vada batter.
3. Heat a skillet on medium flame. When the pan is hot, place the ball on the center of the skillet. Start to spread the ball using your fingers. Be quick to do it. Sprinkle little water on the dough and spread the rotti on the pan.
4. Sprinkle little oil on the rotti now. Cover the skillet with a lid and let it cook on a medium flame for one minute.
5. Remove the cover and flip the rotti. Cook for a minute more.
6. Akki rotti is ready. Serve with coconut chutney.

3.5.3229

The post Akki Roti , Rice Rotti, Arisi Rotti Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Easy No Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake made with Digestive biscuits. This recipe does not use condensed milk. Any Indian style digestive biscuit will work for this recipe. This recipe is eggless too. Digestive biscuits dunked in chocolate ganache.

Chocolate biscuit cake is such an easy dessert that can be made in no time. Everyone loves this cake and I make this often at home for guests. My husband and I have quit eating dairy products due to a lot of allergy and inflammatory issues and I recently made this Vegan – No Bake Chocolate biscuit cake for a weekend dinner for the chocolate loving husband and son. The recipe uses digestive biscuits. McVities digestive biscuits are dairy free and Vegan. I made chocolate ganache for the cake using coconut milk! It came absolutely fabulous. Here is how to do it!

Coconut Milk Ganache
Weigh the chocolate and canned coconut milk. Chop the chocolate into small pieces so it melts easily. I forgot to chop the chocolate. So don’t be like me. Please chop the chocolate and then proceed with the recipe! I have used the regular Indian Dark chocolate bar (Morde dark chocolate)
Note: I have used canned coconut milk for making the ganache. One can use the same quantity of heavy cream for making the chocolate ganache. Any heavy cream variety will work. If in India, Amul cream will work!

Heat a kettle with little water and place the chocolate-coconut mixture on top of the kettle (Double-Boiler). Heating the chocolate directly on the stove will burn the chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted, switch off the heat.

In a pan dry roast the cashews until golden and add it to the chocolate ganache.

Mix well with a whisk to combine. Add in half a teaspoon of real vanilla extract.

Break / Crumble 10 digestive biscuits and add it to the ganache.

Mix well to combine.

Get a loaf tin prepared by lining the loaf tin with cling wrap.

We will be dipping the biscuits in coffee. I mixed a teaspoon of instant coffee in half a cup of hot water. Do not dip the biscuits in coffee for long. The biscuits will become soggy. Just a quick dip is all that is required.

Line the coffee dipped biscuits in the loaf tin. If the sides are wide, break the biscuits and line them.

Pour half a cup of the chocolate ganache mixture on top of the lined biscuits. Repeat the procedure by layering the biscuits and then the ganache till all the ganache is consumed.

I got about four layers.

Once all the ganache has been used, use a silicone spatula to even the top.

Refrigerate the cake for 4-5 hours before serving. Run a knife on the sides of the pan to release the cake. Remove the cake from the mold and remove the cling wrap.

Cut the cake into slices and serve immediately.

The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for upto a week.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe made with Digestive biscuits

 

Save Print

Prep time

5 hours

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

5 hours 5 mins

 

Recipe for Easy No Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake made with Digestive biscuits.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Serves: 10 slices

Ingredients

• 250 grams Dark Chocolate
• 200 grams Canned Coconut Milk
• 75 grams Cashew-nuts, broken into four
• ½ teaspoon Real Vanilla Extract
• 25 McVities Digestive Biscuits (around 2 packs)
• 1 Teaspoon Coffee
• ½ Cup Hot Water

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate and coconut milk in a double boiler. Add in the roasted cashews and vanilla extract. Add in 10 crumbled digestive biscuits. Whisk well to combine.
2. Mix the instant coffee in hot water.
3. Line the loaf tin with cling wrap.
4. Dip the biscuits in coffee and layer on the loaf tin. Cover the biscuits with half a cup of the chocolate ganache mixture.
5. Repeat the procedure by layering biscuits and ganache.
6. Once all the ganache has been used, use a silicone spatula to even the top.
7. Refrigerate the cake for 4-5 hours before serving. Run a knife on the sides of the pan to release the cake. Remove the cake from the mold and remove the cling wrap.
8. Cut the cake into slices and serve immediately.

3.5.3229

The post Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe made with Digestive biscuits appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for easy pumpkin pancake made with homemade pumpkin puree from scratch. Made with 50:50 whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. Recipe with step by step pictures.

I tried this pumpkin pancake last week for our Sunday breakfast and everyone loved it at home. I made it with half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour (maida). I tried making it with 100% whole wheat flour but I did not like the texture well. So will be sticking on to this 50:50. Making homemade pumpkin puree is easy and tastes really good too. Here is how to do pumpkin pancakes.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Peel and dice the yellow pumpkins. Steam the pumpkins for 15 minutes in a steamer. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once the pumpkin is cool, grind to a puree and use in the recipe.

For the Batter:
Take a bowl and whisk in the pumpkin puree, egg, vanilla extract and water. Mix well to combine.

Take another bowl and whisk in the Flour (maida and whole wheat flour), baking powder, salt, dry ginger powder and cinnamon powder. Whisk well to combine. Add in the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture.

Whisk the mixture well to combine.

Mix well to form a uniform batter. If the batter is too thick, dilute with some water.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. When the surface is hot, add the butter or vegetable oil to coat. I use an old ladle for easy portioning and to keep it nice and round. You can use an ice-cream scoop too for even portioning.

In General, pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles appear across the top surface. Wait for the bubbles to appear. Do not rush.
Flip when bubbles appear. Flip only Once.

Cook for another minute, then remove the pancakes and serve with maple syrup.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Homemade Pumpkin Puree

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Recipe for easy pumpkin pancake made with homemade pumpkin puree from scratch. Made with 50:50 whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Serves: 10 small pancakes

Ingredients

Please use correct cup measurements

1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5ml , 1 tablespoon = 15ml

• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup all purpose flour (Maida)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ¼ teaspoon dry ginger powder
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup water
• Vegetable oil for making pancakes

Instructions

1. Take a bowl and whisk in the pumpkin puree, egg, vanilla extract and water. Mix well to combine.
2. Take another bowl and whisk in the Flour (maida and whole wheat flour), baking powder, salt, dry ginger powder and cinnamon powder. Whisk well to combine. Add in the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture.
3. Whisk the mixture well to combine.
4. Mix well to form a uniform batter. If the batter is too thick, dilute with some water.
5. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. When the surface is hot, add the butter or vegetable oil to coat.
6. I use an old ladle for easy portioning and to keep it nice and round. You can use an ice-cream scoop too for even portioning.
7. In General, pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles appear across the top surface. Wait for the bubbles to appear. Do not rush.
8. Flip when bubbles appear. Flip only Once.
9. Cook for another minute, then remove the pancakes and serve.

3.5.3229

The post Pumpkin Pancakes with Homemade Pumpkin Puree appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for spicy and tangy tomato pudina chutney, country style. This recipe goes so well with idli, dosa and even ragi mudde. Recipe with step by step pictures.

தக்காளி புதினா சட்னி
This is an excellent everyday recipe made with tomatoes and mint leaves. I like to make this chutney a little spicy. This is perfect for breakfast and I am sure that one will go for second serving of idli or dosa along with this chutney. This is a very rustic country style recipe that my maid makes and we all love it at home. I even use it as a spread for sandwiches. Do try it!

Here is how to do tomato pudina chutney.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and green chillies. Add in the garlic cloves and saute for a minute.

Add in the sliced onions and salt. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the chopped tomatoes.

When the tomatoes are well cooked and dry, add in the fresh shredded coconut. Add in the tamarind and a small piece of jaggery. If you dont have jaggery, add a pinch of sugar. The jaggery rounds the flavour of the chutney.

Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the mint leaves.

Saute the mint leaves for a minute and remove from heat.

Once the mixture is cool, grind to a smooth paste in a mixie with quarter cup of water. Do not add a lot of water while grinding. The chutney needs to be thick.

Serve the chutney with idli, dosa and even goes well with ragi mudde.

Tomato Pudina Chutney Recipe, Thakkali Pudina Chutney

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Recipe for spicy and tangy tomato pudina chutney, country style. This recipe goes so well with idli, dosa and even ragi mudde. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian Gingely oil)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 3 green chillies
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 medium sized onions, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 4 ripe Indian country tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon tamarind
• ½ teaspoon jaggery or sugar
• 1 cup mint leaves

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and green chillies. Add in the garlic cloves and saute for a minute.
2. Add in the sliced onions and salt. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the chopped tomatoes.
3. When the tomatoes are well cooked and dry, add in the fresh shredded coconut. Add in the tamarind and a small piece of jaggery. If you dont have jaggery, add a pinch of sugar. The jaggery rounds the flavour of the chutney.
4. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the mint leaves.
5. Saute the mint leaves for a minute and remove from heat.
6. Once the mixture is cool, grind to a smooth paste in a mixie with quarter cup of water. Do not add a lot of water while grinding. The chutney needs to be thick.
7. Serve the chutney with idli, dosa and even ragi mudde.

3.5.3229

The post Tomato Pudina Chutney Recipe, Thakkali Pudina Chutney appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Parangikai (Arasanikai) Ellu Kari – Yellow pumpkin curry made with ground sesame seeds and coconut. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This Parangikai Ellu Kari is a very traditional everyday side dish served for lunch in Tamil homes. Its made with a ground masala of coconut and sesame seeds. Sesame seeds is very rich in calcium. One tablespoon of sesame seeds has 87.8 mg calcium. Here is how to do it.

For the masala paste
Take a small mixie jar and add in the fresh coconut, sesame seeds, dry red chillies and cumin seeds. Add half a cup of water and grind to a coarse paste. Set aside.

Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and add in the cumin seeds and dry red chillies. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves and the diced pumpkin.  Add in the salt and turmeric powder. I remove the skin off of the pumpkin as it can be a little fibrous. In some households, if the pumpkin is young, they do cook the pumpkins along with the skin. Its a personal preference. But if its a mature pumpkin, the skin will be hard and fibrous. So do not use the skin of a mature pumpkin.

Add in half a cup of water .

Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium flame for about 6-7 minutes. Pumpkin cooks very fast. It will become mushy if its overcooked. So do not add too much water.

When the pumpkins are fork tender, add in the ground paste and simmer for a couple of minutes more.

Parangikai ellu kari is ready. Serve hot with rice.

Parangikai Ellu Kari - Pumpkin Curry with sesame seeds

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Parangikai (Arasanikai) Ellu Kari – Yellow pumpkin curry made with ground sesame seeds and coconut. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: side dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the masala paste

• ¼ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

For tempering

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 500 grams yellow pumpkin

Instructions

1. Take a small mixie jar and add in the fresh coconut, sesame seeds, dry red chillies and cumin seeds. Add half a cup of water and grind to a coarse paste. Set aside.
2. Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and add in the cumin seeds and dry red chillies. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves and the diced pumpkin.
3. Add in half a cup of water, salt and turmeric powder.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium flame for about 6-7 minutes.
5. Add in the ground paste and simmer for a couple of minutes more.
6. Parangikai ellu kari is ready. Serve hot with rice.

3.5.3229

The post Parangikai Ellu Kari – Pumpkin Curry with sesame seeds appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

This Vegetable Omelette recipe again is borrowed from Sither, the naturopathy pioneer from Thanjavur, Tamilnadu. This recipe is made with sprouted lentils, ladies finger (okra) and veggies. He calls this as a veg omelette. Its more like a sprouted adai if you may call it. The ladies finger (okra) paste gives the texture to the omelette. Its super healthy and makes for a very filling breakfast. Do give it a try.

Sprouting Grains
Soak the moong dal, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in water over nite. Drain the water and allow it to sprout for a day. To know more about how to sprout grains, read here.

sprouting mung beans moong at home, how to sprout mung beans

For the batter
Take a mixie jar and grind the sprouted lentils and roughly chopped ladies finger. Add about half a cup of water to grind. Do not add too much water. After grinding, the mixture will be slimy. That’s fine. Remove the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Add in the finely shredded veggies (use veggies of your choice), green chillies, freshly ground black pepper and salt. Mix well. If the batter is very thick, thin it out with little water. The consistency of batter should be slightly thicker than idli batter.

Heat a dosa griddle until hot on medium flame. Ladle half a cup of batter and spread it on the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of oil.

Flip the omelette once after a minute. Cook the omelette for about a minute on each side, until golden.
Note: Do not make the omelettes big. It will be difficult to flip and may tear. Keep the size of the omelettes small. Also cook well until the omelette is well cooked and golden on both sides. The middle of the omelette, if poked with a fork should be dry and not raw!

Serve hot with peanut chutney.

Veg Omelette with Sprouted Grains and Ladies Finger

 

Save Print

Prep time

24 hours

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

24 hours 10 mins

 

Healthy Breakfast recipe for Vegetable Omelette with sprouted grains and ladies finger. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 10 small omelettes

Ingredients

For Sprouting

• 1 Cup Green Moong Lentil
• 2 tablespoon Black Urad Dal
• ½ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds

Other Ingredients

• 6-7 Ladies Finger
• 1 Cup shredded veggies ( Cabbage, Carrot, Knol Khol, Beans, Beetroot etc...)
• 1 medium size onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper powder
• Sesame Oil (Indian Gingely oil) for greasing the griddle

Instructions

1. Soak the moong dal, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in water over nite. Drain the water and allow it to sprout for a day.
2. Take a mixie jar and grind the sprouted lentils and roughly chopped ladies finger. Add about half a cup of water to grind. Remove the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add in the finely shredded veggies, green chillies, freshly ground black pepper and salt. Mix well.
4. Heat a dosa griddle until hot on medium flame. Ladle half a cup of batter and spread it on the pan. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of oil.
5. Flip the omelette once after a minute. Cook the omelette for about a minute on each side, until golden.
6. Serve hot with peanut chutney.

3.5.3229

The post Vegetable Omelette with Sprouted Grains and Ladies Finger appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

It’s no secret that eating well is the foundation for a well-functioning body. Food powers all our bodily functions and is our main provider of energy, directly impacting on our physical and mental well-being. Therefore, diet is critical in maintaining a healthy weight and increasing our chances of success while improving our quality of life.

The first step to improving our quality of life is recognising what – if anything – we are currently doing wrong. Alcohol, for example, is full of toxins and other poisons that we should be avoiding, unless in moderation. When eaten frequently, foods high in saturated and trans fats and/or sugar will lead to weight gain and eventually obesity. Alternatively, fresh fruit and vegetables are a great source of vitamins, a mainstay of any healthy diet. Initiating a healthy lifestyle will instantly be reflected in your self-esteem by boosting your confidence and helping you find your ideal weight.

But how? Firstly, understand (and then be mindful of) calories, the measurement unit we use for energy that’s stored in food. While some calories give us energy, calories gained from foods with low nutritional value will lead to weight gain. Because of this, it’s always best to strike a balance of good calories and nutrients to provide the body with the required fuel, while at the same time avoiding unwanted weight gain.

The same is true for carbohydrates and fats. Often, people hear the word “fat” and think the worst, but this isn’t necessarily so. In fact, fats and carbohydrates break down into glucose and provide energy that the body will either use instantly or store for later use. When looking for these good carbohydrates, try to ingest grains, vegetables and fruits, while avoiding sugar, which is high in calories but low in nutrients.

Another way a steady intake of fruits and vegetables can help is with disease prevention. This is especially true for heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. Trans and saturated fats, found in fried and processed meats, have all been proven to be responsible for increasing one’s risk of some cancers, raising levels of bad cholesterol, and causing heart attacks and strokes.

Another reason to eat well is to help improve the overall performance of the mind. Foods like tomatoes are high in antioxidants. These help to improve brain functionality and make new neurons while enabling existing ones to communicate. A healthy diet will also lower rates of depression and other anxiety disorders.
Unlike many western diets, South Indian foods, which are all about the freshest fruit and vegetables, are famously good for both the body and mind. This is exactly why I am posting below my favourite recipe for a delicious, nutritious  Pachadi for you to make at home for yourself and others and keep everyone happy and, of course, healthy.

A Pachadi is a South Indian salad, and it is great for providing the mental strength needed in situations where you need to stay focused, such as undertaking an important test at work or partaking in mind sports. This dish was a staple of my younger years, as my dad, who travelled a lot for work, would request this from my mum due to its simplicity. Believe me, this is a very simple, healthy dish to prepare, and it can be made in under 10 minutes. Please feel free to give it a try.

Pachadi

 

Save Print

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.

3.5.3229

The post Why it is important to eat the right foods appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Muttai Paniyaram Kuzhambu, Egg Paniyaram Curry. Paniyaram made with eggs that are dunked in a spicy south indian style gravy. Served with dosa or chapati.

Eggs are always a welcome side dish at home. This is a very easy and different curry that can be made for the weeknight dinners!

First lets make Egg Paniyarams for the gravy.
Take a bowl and add in the eggs, salt, pepper and water. Mix well with a whisk to combine.

Heat the paniyaram pan / paniyarakkal until hot. Add 1/4 teaspoon of oil into each mold. Drop the egg batter to fill the mold. Cook for half a minute. Then turn and cook on the other side. Turn again if necessary to make sure the paniyaram is evenly cooked on both sides. Set aside.

TIP:
Eggs expand when cooked. So while cooking the egg paniyarams, fill the mold only till 3/4th. If the pan is filled completely, it will overflow like the picture below. So do not fill the paniyaram mold fully.

For the curry
Make a masala paste with the ingredients listed under masala paste. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat sesame oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let the seeds crackle.

Add in the chopped onions and saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute. Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Also add in the salt.

Add in a few teaspoons of water and cook till the masalas are fully cooked and the tomatoes are mushy. Add in the masala paste.

Add in two cups water to the gravy.

Simmer the gravy for 20 minutes on a low flame with the pan covered with a lid.

Switch off the flame and add in the lemon juice, coriander leaves, fresh curry leaves and the cooked egg paniyarams.

Mix well and let the gravy rest for 10 minutes so the egg paniyarams can absorb the flavors of the gravy. I do not cook the gravy after adding the paniyarams as the eggs can become hard.

Serve the egg paniyaram with dosa or chapati.

Muttai Paniyaram Kuzhambu, Egg Paniyaram Curry

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Recipe for Muttai Paniyaram Kuzhambu, Egg Paniyaram Curry. Paniyaram made with eggs that are dunked in a spicy south indian style gravy. Served with dosa or chapati.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Gravy

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the egg paniyaram

• 6 Eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoon water
• Sesame Oil for greasing paniyaram pan

For the masala paste

• 3 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon cashewnut
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 green chillies
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 5 cloves garlic
• ½ inch piece ginger
• ½ cup water to grind

Other ingredients

• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 sprig coriander leaves
• 1 sprig fresh curry leaves

Instructions

For the egg paniyaram

1. Take a bowl and add in the eggs, salt, pepper and water. Mix well with a whisk to combine.
2. Heat the paniyaram pan / paniyarakkal until hot. Add ¼ teaspoon of oil into each mold. Drop the egg batter to fill the mold. Cook for half a minute. Then turn and cook on the other side. Turn again if necessary to make sure the paniyaram is evenly cooked on both sides. Set aside.

For the curry

1. Make a masala paste with the ingredients listed under masala paste. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Heat sesame oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let the seeds crackle.
3. Add in the chopped onions and saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
4. Add in the chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute. Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Also add in the salt.
5. Add in a few teaspoons of water and cook till the masalas are fully cooked and the tomatoes are mushy. Add in the masala paste.
6. Add in two cups water to the gravy.
7. Simmer the gravy for 20 minutes on a low flame with the gravy covered with a lid.
8. Switch off the flame and add in the lemon juice, coriander leaves, fresh curry leaves and the cooked egg paniyarams.
9. Mix well and let the gravy rest for 10 minutes so the egg paniyarams can absorb the flavors of the gravy. I do not cook the gravy after adding the paniyarams as the eggs can become hard.
10. Serve the egg paniyaram with dosa or chapati.

3.5.3229

The post Muttai Paniyaram Kuzhambu, Egg Paniyaram Curry appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Pol Roti – Srilankan Coconut Rotti is a flat bread made with atta flour mixed with coconut and aromatics. Delicious in every bite. Recipe with step by step pictures.

I love Sri Lankan food and I am obsessed with Peter Kuruvita. His Sri Lankan cooking videos are so charming. His shows reflect rustic home style cooking with absolutely no fancy equipment or pots and pans. I have just seen him with a good knife. That is all. His cooking is so approachable that you so want to try the recipes at home. Such a natural!!!!! Zero drama while cooking (Sadly, most of the cooking shows these days anyways are reality shows). Once he sat on a top of the boulder and used the surface and a stone as mortar and pestle. I think it was in Sigiriya. I am just awestruck at the ways he adapts naturally!
His recipe for Pol Roti is something I have wanted to try for a long time. I loved the fact that it is made with whole wheat flour. I adapted the recipe a little and used a rolling pin instead of spreading the rotis by hand. My boys devoured them and is now a regular at home.

Take the fresh shredded coconut and green chillies in a small mixer and pulse it 3-4 times so that the coconut is very finely shredded and the chillies are ground. One can also finely chop the green chillies and add too!.

Take a big bowl and add in the atta flour (Indian style whole wheat flour), ghee, finely chopped onion, finely chopped curry leaves, salt and ground coconut – green chillies mixture. Make sure to really finely chop the ingredients. Otherwise the dough will break while rolling. Add few tablespoon of water at a time and mix the flour mixture well until a firm dough is formed.

Take a golf ball size of dough, dust the dough ball generously in flour. Start rolling the dough gently.

Spread the dough to a 4-5 inch circle. Repeat with the remaining dough. Set aside on a big plate.

Heat a griddle and sprinkle oil on the griddle. Place the rolled dough on the griddle. Sprinkle oil to the top of the roti and cook for a minute.

Flip over and cook for a minute more. Cook till its golden and brown spots appear all over the roti on both the sides. Cut it into four pieces and serve hot!

The roti goes well with non-veg curry or a spicy sambol.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Pol Roti , Srilankan Coconut Rotti

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Pol Roti – Srilankan Coconut Rotti is a flat bread made with atta flour mixed with coconut and aromatics. Delicious in every bite. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breads

Cuisine: Sri Lanka

Serves: 12 rotis

Ingredients

• 2 cups Atta - Whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup fresh shredded coconut
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon salt
• coconut oil for greasing the griddle

Instructions

1. Take the fresh shredded coconut and green chillies in a small mixer and pulse it 3-4 times so that the coconut is very finely shredded and the chillies are ground.
2. Take a big bowl and add in the atta flour, ghee, finely chopped onion, finely chopped curry leaves, salt and ground coconut – green chillies mixture. Make sure to really finely chop the ingredients. Otherwise the dough will break while rolling. Add few tablespoon of water at a time and mix the flour mixture well until a firm dough is formed.
3. Take a golf ball size of dough, dust the dough ball generously in flour. Start rolling the dough gently.
4. Spread the dough to a 4-5 inch circle. Repeat with the remaining dough. Set aside on a big plate.
5. Heat a griddle and sprinkle oil on the griddle. Place the rolled dough on the griddle. Sprinkle oil to the top of the roti and cook for a minute.
6. Flip over and cook for a minute more. Cook till its golden and brown spots appear all over the roti on both the sides. Cut it into four pieces and serve hot!

3.5.3229

The post Pol Roti , Srilankan Coconut Rotti appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.