There are so many different ways in which you can do a hearty Chana Masala. This is the Chana Masala I make when I need to feed a crowd. Whenever there is an Indian party or a pot luck, someone is always bringing Chana Masala. Its hearty, liked universally by everyone and it tastes delicious. I pressure cook the chick pea and add it to the gravy. People soak the dry chickpeas in water over night. But, I usually soak the chickpeas for just 2-3 hours and then pressure cook it for 20 minutes. It comes out fantastically, every single time. Here is how to do a Chana Masala that will feed a crowd.

Soak the chickpeas for 2-3 hours. You can soak it over night if you want to but it just works fine with 3 hours. I soaked 1.5 cups of chickpea. Boil the chickpea in a pressure cooker with 6 cups of water for 20 minutes in medium flame. After 20 minutes, remove the cooker and let the pressure release naturally on its own. Set aside.

In the mean time, heat oil in a pan and add in the cinnamon and the cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the chopped onions.

When the onions are frying, puree ginger and garlic with 1/4 cup of water in a blender. Set aside.

Fry till onions are soft and starting to brown. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute.

Puree 5-6 tomatoes in a blender and add it to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and Chana Masala powder. You can use any store bought Chana Masala powder.

Add in the cooked chickpea along with the water if any. Add in 1 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer on low flame for 40 minutes until thick. Keep stirring once every 10 minutes, so it does not scorch at the bottom.

Once the gravy is thick, remove off heat.

Serve hot.

Easy Chana Masala Recipe

 

Save Print

Prep time

3 hours

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

4 hours

 

Easy Chana Masala recipe using chana masala powder. Hearty Indian Chickpea curry.

Author: Kannamma – Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side dish

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1½ cups chickpea chana
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 medium sized onions, chopped
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece ginger
• 5-6 ripe medium tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chana masala powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cinnamon and the cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the chopped onions. Fry till onions are soft and starting to brown.
2. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute.
3. Puree 5-6 tomatoes in a blender and add it to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and Chana Masala powder. You can use any store bought Chana Masala powder.
4. Add in the cooked chickpea along with the water if any. Add in 1 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer on low flame for 40 minutes until thick. Keep stirring once every 10 minutes, so it does not scorch at the bottom.
5. Once the gravy is thick, remove off heat.
6. Serve hot.

3.2.2925

Nellore Chepala Pulusu – Andhra Style Telugu Fish Curry – I first saw about this recipe on a cooking show run by Chef Venkatesh Bhat. I love regional recipes a lot. They can’t be beat any day. On top of that, the Chef mentioned that he learned the recipe at the farm house of the legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. The chef said that he loved this fish curry. That was good enough to get me cooking. I have made it several times now and we love this recipe at home too. It is tangy, spicy and finger licking good. The original recipe did not have pepper and coriander  but a lot of cookbooks mention it. I have made it both ways and I think the addition of pepper adds a little earthiness to the dish. Here is my adapted version of Nellore Chepala Pulusu – ANR Style.

Heat 6-8 tablespoons of Gingely (sesame) Oil in a pan. Be generous with the oil. Add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Lots of curry leaves. I used about 5 sprigs. Fry until the curry leaves are crisp.

Add in the finely minced garlic, chopped green chillies and finely chopped shallots (small onions). Add green chillies according to your taste. Fry till they are lightly brown. The oil will bubble up if you are using gingely oil. Its fine.

Soak a big lemon size tamarind in 2 cups of water. Let it soak for 20 minutes. Make a pulp by squeezing the tamarind well. Strain the pulp to get rid of the seeds. Set aside.

Puree 6 tomatoes in a blender. Set aside.

Add in the tomato puree and the tamarind pulp. Add in a teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 teaspoons of red chilli powder and 3 teaspoons of coriander powder (dhania). The ratio being 1:2:3. Add in the salt. Add 2 more cups of water.

Simmer the gravy for 30 minutes covered on a low flame stirring every 5 minutes once. After 30 minutes the oil would start to float on top. That is a sure sign that the gravy has been cooked.

Add in the fish pieces and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on low flame. Fresh water fish works well for this recipe.

When the fish is cooking, lets make a spice powder for the curry. Heat oil in a heavy pan and dry roast fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and black pepper on a low flame for 5 minutes. Low flame is key. Do not rush. Dry roast until everything starts to pop and starts to brown. Remove from heat and cool on a plate. If you are doing more than this quantity, dry roast everything separately.

Once the mixture is cooled, grind to a very fine powder.

Add the powder to the pan. Simmer for a minute. Remove off heat and serve hot.

Serve with hot rice. Left overs can be stored in the refrigerator and tastes heavenly the next day.

Spicy Nellore Chepala Pulusu – Andhra Fish Curry

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Nellore Chepala Pulusu. Tangy Andhra Style Telugu Fish curry in tamarind Sauce. Recipe from Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s House. Adapted from Chef Venkatesh Bhat.

Author: Kannamma – Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Non-Veg

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 5

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 6 tablespoon gingely (sesame) oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 3 dried red chillies
• 5 sprigs curry leaves
• 8 cloves minced garlic
• 4 green chillies
• 15-20 shallots (small onions)
• Big lemon size tamarind
• 6 very ripe tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
• 3 teaspoons coriander powder (dhania)
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 500 grams fresh water fish with bones

For the Spice Powder

• ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat 6-8 tablespoons of Gingely (sesame) Oil in a pan. Be generous with the oil. Add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Lots of curry leaves. I used about 5 sprigs. Fry until the curry leaves are crisp.
2. Add in the finely minced garlic, chopped green chillies and finely chopped shallots (small onions). Add green chillies according to your taste. Fry till they are lightly brown. The oil will bubble up if you are using gingely oil. Its fine.
3. Soak a big lemon size tamarind in 2 cups of water. Let it soak for 20 minutes. Make a pulp by squeezing the tamarind well. Strain the pulp to get rid of the seeds. Set aside.
4. Puree 6 tomatoes in a blender. Set aside.
5. Add in the tomato puree and the tamarind pulp. Add in a teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 teaspoons of red chilli powder and 3 teaspoons of coriander powder (dhania). The ratio being 1:2:3. Add in the salt. Add 2 more cups of water.
6. Simmer the gravy for 30 minutes covered on a low flame stirring every 5 minutes once. After 30 minutes the oil would start to float on top. That is a sure sign that the gravy has been cooked.
7. Add in the fish pieces and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on low flame. Fresh water fish works well for this recipe.
8. When the fish is cooking, lets make a spice powder for the curry. Heat oil in a heavy pan and dry roast fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and black pepper on a low flame for 5 minutes. Low flame is key. Do not rush. Dry roast until everything starts to pop and starts to brown. Remove from heat and cool on a plate. Once the mixture is cooled, grind to a very fine powder.
9. Add the powder to the pan. Simmer for a minute. Remove off heat and serve hot with rice.

3.2.2925

Summer vacation has started for the children here and it has been crazy. On the brighter side, I don’t need to get up early in the morning to rush for school. I love to sleep late in the mornings. I was never a morning person and never will be. I get to enjoy another month of happy morning sleep. My son loves fried rice. And I love Garlic. There is a saying, “Three nickels will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat.” Garlic makes everything good. This recipe is such a hit in our house. Its so tasty and so good. Here is how we do it at home.

Getting the rice to the correct consistency is very important for fried rice. You do not want the rice to be mushy. I have a few tricks for getting fluffy rice every time. I use Basmati rice for the fried rice. Soak the rice in cold water for 20 minutes. You can cook the rice in a rice cooker or a pressure cooker.  I cook the rice in the pressure cooker. For every cup of rice, I use 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Salt the water and bring it to a boil. Adding salt at this stage ensures that the rice is properly seasoned.

Add in the soaked and drained rice to the boiling water. Cover the pressure cooker with a lid and let it cook for exactly 2 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to release naturally.

Once the pressure has released naturally, open the lid and gently fluff up the rice with a fork and let it cool under a fan completely. The rice is done! Yay!!!!

Now the veggies. I use Cabbages, Carrots and Beans. Chop them very finely. I use a lot of cabbage as it tastes so good with the rice. I always use in the following ratio. 1 part carrot, 1 part beans and 2 parts cabbage.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped celery. Celery adds a nice texture to the fried rice.
Fry the celery for a minute. Add in the veggies.

Saute the veggies on high flame for 10-12 minutes. Once the veggies are cooked, add in the soy sauce and the rice vinegar.

Add in a teaspoon of sugar and freshly ground pepper. Saute for a minute. Add in the rice and mix well to combine.

Now, Its garlic time. Heat oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped garlic and saute on medium flame until browned. Add it to the rice.

I like to add eggs to my rice. Its optional. Just scramble the eggs in little bit of oil and salt and add it to the rice.

Combine everything well and check for seasoning. Add salt if necessary. Serve hot.

Burnt Garlic Fried Rice

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Vegetable Burnt Garlic Fried Rice Recipe. Measurements used – 1 cup = 250 ml

Author: Kannamma – Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Asian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Rice

• 2 cups Rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Main Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped fine
• 2 cups finely chopped cabbage
• 1 cup carrots, chopped fine (about 2-3 carrots)
• 1 cup beans, chopped fine (about 16-18 beans)
• ¼ teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the fried Garlic

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped very fine

For the Scrambled Eggs (Optional)

• 1 teaspoon Oil
• 4 eggs
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Cook the Basmati rice in a rice cooker or a pressure cooker and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped celery. Fry the celery for a minute. Add in the veggies. Saute the veggies on high flame for 10-12 minutes.
3. Once the veggies are cooked, add in the soy sauce and the rice vinegar. Add in a teaspoon of sugar and freshly ground pepper. Saute for a minute. Add in the rice and mix well to combine.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped garlic and saute on medium flame until browned. Add it to the rice.
5. Just scramble the eggs in little bit of oil and salt and add it to the rice.
6. Combine everything well and check for seasoning. Add salt if necessary. Serve hot.

3.2.2925

When I was young, me and my friends would never play near a drumstick tree. We were all made to believe that the tree hosts ghosts at night time. We would just never go near them. This is a very widely believed superstition all over Tamilnadu. It is also believed that eating drumsticks increases sexual libido in men. This belief was popularized in a Tamil movie called Mundhanai Mudichu and it caught up with the masses.

Tamarind curries are an all time favorite for all South Indians. Its spicy, tangy and oh so perfect with rice. The flavor of drumsticks cooked in tamarind water is unbeatable. This is how we do Murungakkai Puli Kuzhambu – Drumsticks in Tamarind Gravy Taminadu style.

Soak a big lime size tamarind in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Once the tamarind has been soaked, squeeze it between the fingers to release all the juices. Strain the juice and set aside.

The important thing about this curry is the addition of the ground masala paste. Here is how we do it. Heat oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and the chana dal and fry till lightly brown. Frying the dal till brown on a low flame is very important. So go low and slow.

Once the dal has been fried and lightly brown, add in the tempering ingredients. Add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, black pepper, coriander seeds (dhania), cumin seeds (jeera) and curry leaves. Fry in low flame until the seeds splutter and the curry leaves are crisp.

Add in the onions and fry till they are soft.

Once the onions are soft, add in the tomatoes, salt, asafoetida (hing) and turmeric powder. Fry till the tomatoes are mushy.

Once the tomatoes are mushy, add in the fresh shredded coconut and fry briefly for a minute to combine. Remove off heat and let it cool.

Grind the fried masala mixture to a smooth paste adding up-to 2 cups of water. Set aside.

Now the curry!
Heat oil in a pan until hot. We need to use sesame oil (gingely) for this recipe. Add in the mustard seeds and the dry red chillies. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the onions preferably shallots (small onions) and the curry leaves. Fry for a couple of minutes until the onions are soft.

Clean the drumsticks and roughly peel their thick outer skin. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Add it to the pan. Add in the tamarind pulp. Add a little salt and let the drumsticks simmer in tamarind mixture for 15 minutes on low flame.

Once the drumsticks are soft, add in the secret ingredient – Jaggery. There is an untold rule in Tamilnadu style tamarind gravies. Wherever tamarind goes in a gravy, a tablespoon of jaggery also goes. It rounds out the flavor and enhances the taste.

Add in the ground masala to the pan. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if required.

Simmer the curry on low flame for 15 minutes covered with a lid.

Stir once in 5 minutes to avoid scorching at the bottom.

Remove off heat and enjoy with hot rice.

Murungakkai Puli Kuzhambu – Drumsticks in Tamarind Gravy

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Recipe for Spicy South Indian Tamlinadu Style Murungakkai Kara Puli Kuzhambu. Drumsticks in tamarind gravy.

Author: Kannamma – Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Curry

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Tamarind Pulp

• Big lemon size tamarind
• 2 cups water

For the Masala Paste

• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon urad dal
• 1 tablespoon chana dal
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 5 dry red chillies
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon coriander seeds (dhania)
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ cup fresh shredded coconut

For the Curry

• 3 tablespoon sesame oil (gingely)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 Dry red chillies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 10-12 shallots (small onions)
• 2-3 drumsticks
• 1 tablespoon jaggery

Instructions

1. Soak a big lime size tamarind in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Once the tamarind has been soaked, squeeze it between the fingers to release all the juices. Strain the juice and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and the chana dal and fry till lightly brown. Add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, black pepper, coriander seeds (dhania), cumin seeds (jeera) and curry leaves. Fry in low flame until the seeds splutter and the curry leaves are crisp.
3. Add in the onions and fry till they are soft. Once the onions are soft, add in the tomatoes, salt, asafoetida (hing) and turmeric powder. Fry till the tomatoes are mushy. Once the tomatoes are mushy, add in the fresh shredded coconut and fry briefly for a minute to combine. Remove off heat and let it cool.
4. Grind the fried masala mixture to a smooth paste adding up-to 2 cups of water. Set aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds and the dry red chillies. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the onions, preferably shallots (small onions) and the curry leaves. Fry for a couple of minutes until the onions are soft.
6. Clean the drumsticks and roughly peel their thick outer skin. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Add it to the pan. Add in the tamarind pulp. Add a little salt and let the drumsticks simmer in tamarind mixture for 15 minutes on low flame.
7. Once the drumsticks are soft, add in the jaggery. Add in the ground masala to the pan. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if required.
8. Simmer the curry on low flame for 15 minutes covered with a lid. Remove off heat and enjoy with hot rice.

Notes

I use Idhayam brand sesame oil.

3.2.2925

Vellai Poosanikai Halwa / White Pumpkin Halwa is a very traditional sweet served at South Indian weddings. We usually start the wedding feast with a sweet. Its a divine moment when a hot scoop of this halwa is served on a banana leaf. Its my all time favorite. At a wedding lunch when I was in college, I told my mom that I want the same halwa for my wedding. She dint say anything at that time. Some years passed. Many weddings and many halwa’s later, my halwa time came. When my parents were finalizing the menu for my wedding, I asked for this halwa to be added to the menu. This halwa is close to my heart and warm to my stomach. For me, it needs to be served hot. The warm halwa, the pumpkin with a textural feel in the mouth, the golden yellow color, the melting ghee….what more can one need. Lets make this awesome wedding halwa.

That’s us at our wedding. That was a long time back.

Its always better to pick up a pumpkin that’s aged well. Choose a pumpkin that’s a little big and is more than 6 kilograms. We will need about 1 kg of pumpkin for this recipe.

Cut the pumpkin into small pieces and remove the seeds and the innards of the pumpkin completely.

We need to remove the skin too. Remove the green skin completely. The skin is bitter. So you want to remove it off completely.

Grate the pumpkin using a vegetable peeler. Pumpkin has a lot of water content. Squeeze the grated pumpkin on a muslin cloth to remove all the water. Set aside.

Heat a pan on medium flame and add the pumpkin. The 1 kg of pumpkin at the beginning has become a mere 300 grams now.

Add in a cup of the strained pumpkin liquid and cook the pumpkin on medium flame until dry.

When the pumpkin is cooking, soak a big pinch of saffron in half a cup of pumpkin liquid. Set aside. Grind 2 cardamom pods on a mortar and pestle to a smooth powder. Remove the outer skin of the cardamom before grinding.

Add in the saffron water and the sugar. Add in the broken cashewnuts. Add in a pinch of salt. Cook the halwa on medium flame for 7-8 minutes.

When the halwa starts to bubble on the sides, add in 2 tablespoon of ghee. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium flame. Add in a big pinch of the ground cardamom powder.

The halwa is done when the ghee streaks starts to appear on top.

Serve hot.

Khasi Halwa – Vellai Poosanikai Halwa

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Recipe for Khasi Halwa – Vellai Poosanikai Halwa served at weddings in Tamilnadu. South Indian Halwa made with white pumpkin.

Author: Kannamma – Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 Kg Pumpkin
• 200 grams Sugar
• a big pinch of saffron
• 2 cardamom
• a pinch of salt
• ¼ cup broken cashewnuts
• 2 tablespoons Ghee

Instructions

1. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces and remove the seeds and the innards. Remove the green skin completely.
2. Grate the pumpkin using a vegetable peeler. Pumpkin has a lot of water content. Squeeze the grated pumpkin on a muslin cloth to remove all the water. Set aside.
3. Heat a pan on medium flame and add the pumpkin. The 1 kg of pumpkin at the beginning has become a mere 300 grams now. Add in a cup of the strained pumpkin liquid and cook the pumpkin on medium flame until dry.
4. When the pumpkin is cooking, soak a big pinch of saffron in half a cup of pumpkin liquid. Set aside. Grind 2 cardamom pods on a mortar and pestle to a smooth powder. Remove the outer skin of the cardamom before grinding.
5. Add in the saffron water and the sugar. Add in the broken cashewnuts. Add in a pinch of salt. Cook the halwa on medium flame for 7-8 minutes.
6. When the halwa starts to bubble on the sides, add in 2 tablespoon of ghee. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium flame. Add in a big pinch of the ground cardamom powder. The halwa is done when the ghee streaks starts to appear on top. Serve hot.

3.2.2925

There are two kinds of people in this world. The chocolate dessert people and the fruit dessert people. I fall heavily on the fruit side. This pineapple pudding is really easy to make and a party favorite. It can be put together very easily and makes for a really good dessert for a party.

There is a really unique thing about pineapple. Its called as Ananas all over the world and by the same name in different languages except English. Oh yeah. Don’t believe me?

Here is how to do an awesome Indian Style Pineapple Pudding.

Take a really ripe Pineapple, clean and cut it into small bite size pieces. Set aside.

Cloves and pineapple are made for each other. Cloves enhances the taste of the pineapple. Take 3 cloves and grind it in a blender with 1/2 a cup of sugar to a fine powder. Set aside.

Add the pineapples, sugar mixture and 1/2 a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Remove off heat and set aside. If you have got the time, rest the pineapple mixture over nite in the refrigerator. The flavors mature and tastes much better. If you do not have the time, proceed with the recipe.

Mix a tin of condensed milk like milk maid with 2 cups of plain milk. Bring it to a boil. Set aside.

Soak a packet (10 grams) of agar agar / china grass in a cup of water for 10 minutes.

Boil the soaked agar agar / china grass mixture on medium flame until completely melted.

Now mix the milk mixture, agar agar mixture and the pineapple mixture together. Make sure everything is slightly hot. If you refrigerated the pineapples, boil it briefly on low flame for a couple of minutes. Agar Agar sets at room temperature. So its important that everything is slightly hot to achieve smooth texture while it sets. Pour it in the dessert cups and cool in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours.

Indian Style Pineapple Pudding

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Easy Indian Style Kerala Eggless Pineapple Pudding Dessert Recipe without gelatin. Made with china grass and condensed milk.

Author: Kannamma – Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 8

Ingredients

For milk mixture

• 400 grams / 1 tin Condensed Milk (milkmaid)
• 2 cups (500 ml) Milk

For Boiling Agar Agar

• 1 cup water
• 10 grams agar agar sheet / china grass

For Poaching Pineapples

• 3 Cloves
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 small pineapple (about 2 cups pineapple pieces)

Instructions

1. clean and cut the pineapple into small bite size pieces. Set aside.
2. Take 3 cloves and grind it in a blender with ½ a cup of sugar to a fine powder. Add the pineapples, sugar mixture and ½ a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Remove off heat and set aside.
3. Mix a tin of condensed milk like milk maid with 2 cups of plain milk. Bring it to a boil. Set aside.
4. Soak a packet (10 grams) of agar agar / china grass in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Boil the soaked agar agar / china grass mixture on medium flame until completely melted.
5. Now mix the milk mixture, agar agar mixture and the pineapple mixture together. Make sure everything is slightly hot. If you refrigerated the pineapples, boil it briefly on low flame for a couple of minutes. Agar Agar sets at room temperature. So its important that everything is slightly hot to achieve smooth texture while it sets. Pour it in the dessert cups and cool in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours.
6. Serve Cold.

Notes

If you have got the time, rest the poached pineapple mixture over nite in the refrigerator. The flavors mature and tastes much better.
You can substitute canned pineapples for fresh if you wish.
Recipe Adapted from Milkmaid Recipe Booklet.

3.2.2925

This is an everyday South Indian Tamilnadu style stir-fry poriyal served during lunch time. The combination of Carrot and Cabbage works very well. This recipe is very simple to make and I make it very often. Here is how to do an everyday Carrot Cabbage Poriyal also called as Thoran in Kerala.

First, clean the carrots and cabbage. Peel the carrots and chop them finely. Chop the cabbage finely too. Steam the veggies together until cooked well. I cook the veggies in the pressure cooker. I do not add any salt while cooking veggies as it may turn into mush. I pour some water, say a cup onto the cooker and I keep the bowl with the veggies inside it and cook for 4 whistles. Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally and you will have perfectly steamed veggies every single time. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and chopped green chillies. Add in the curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Wait for all the seeds to crackle and the curry leaves to become crisp and dry. You can add more green chillies if you want it spicy.

Add in a chopped medium sized onion and fry till soft.

Add in the cooked veggies and the salt. Saute for couple of minutes.

Add in 2 tablespoons of the fresh shredded coconut. This is an optional ingredient. You can omit it if you do not want it. Saute briefly for a minute. Remove from heat.

Serve for lunch with rice.

Carrot Cabbage Poriyal

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Easy South Indian Tamilnadu Carrot Cabbage Poriyal / Thoran Recipe.

Author: Kannamma – Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Stir-Fry

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 2 Medium sized Carrots, chopped fine
• 250 grams cabbage, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut (optional)

Instructions

1. Steam the veggies together until cooked well. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and chopped green chillies. Add in the curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Wait for all the seeds to crackle and the curry leaves to become crisp and dry.
3. Add in a chopped medium sized onion and fry till soft.
4. Add in the cooked veggies and the salt. Saute for couple of minutes.
5. Add in 2 tablespoons of the fresh shredded coconut.
6. Serve for lunch with rice.

Notes

You can add more green chillies if you want it spicy.
Coconut is an optional ingredient. You can omit it if you do not want it.

3.2.2925

After the post How to make Soft Idli Recipe I have been receiving a lot of comments asking how to make Idli with Rice Rava also called as Idly Rava . To be honest, I have never made Idli using Idli Rava. So I went on to experiment making Idli with Rice Rava. The first two tries were OK but not very satisfactory. I wanted to make an equally good batter with the Rava instead of rice. I learned a few things on the way. The mixie / blender was making the urad dal hot when ground. While warmth encourages the growth of the bacteria, heat kills it. A very hot environment can make the batter sour too soon and the taste will not be good.

Fermentation of Idli batter is carried out largely by lactic acid bacteria. Not yeast. There are two kinds of lactic acid bacteria. Homofermentive and heterofermentive.
Homofermentive lactic acid bacteria produces only lactic acid.
Heterofermentive bacteria – the Idli bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides) produces carbon dioxide in addition to lactic acid.

So for good Idli, we need the rise of batter (CO2 effect) and also souring of the batter. If the batter is too hot at the beginning, it gets fermented too soon and the resulting Idlies might not be very soft. Also the Idlies may be good for the first day but hard on the second day. So how do we solve the batter from getting hot when ground? Refrigerating the urad dal over nite in the fridge helped to a big extent from keeping the Dal getting hot when ground in the blender.

This is how I do Idli batter using rice rava.

There are just 3 ingredients for this recipe. 1 part urad dal, 3 parts rice rava and salt.

Whole White Urad Dal – This is what I use. I use unpolished whole white Urad Dal. I prefer this dal for the sake of convenience. First wash the urad dal in water and soak it over-nite in the refrigerator.

Wash the rava and soak the rava in water and leave it over-nite at room temperature.

Next day, grind the Dal in a mixie / blender with a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Use cold water to grind so the batter doesn’t get hot. The Dal will not fluff up like it does in a wet grinder. That’s fine.

Pour the ground Urad Dal in a bowl and set aside.

Squeeze the soaked Rava by hand and add it to the ground Dal.

Add salt. Mix the batter well.

Set the bowl in a warm place for 8-10 hours. It should have increased in volume to almost double.

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

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 immediately. It might stick. Leave it undisturbed for 4-5 minutes and then spoon it out. Serve hot with your favorite chutney and sambar.

A good idly must be soft and tender.

Make soft Idli using Rice Rava – Mixie Method

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 hours

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

10 hours 10 mins

 

Make soft Idli using Idly Rava Mixie Method. Fool proof recipe for making batter from scratch that will produce the softest idlis. Recipe for idly dosa batter.

Author: Kannamma – Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 16-20 idlies

Ingredients

• ½ cup Urad Dal
• 1½ cups Rice Rava
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Wash the urad dal in water and soak it over-nite in the refrigerator.
2. Wash the rava and soak the rava in water and leave it over-nite at room temperature.
3. Next day, grind the Dal in a mixie / blender with a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Use the same ice cold water used for soaking the Dal so the batter doesn’t get hot. The Dal will not fluff up like a wet grinder. That’s fine. Pour the ground Urad Dal in a bowl and set aside.
4. Squeeze the soaked Rava by hand and add it to the ground Dal.
5. Add salt. Mix the batter well.
6. Set the bowl in a warm place for 8-10 hours. It should have increased in volume to almost double.
7. Put some water in an Idli vessel and put it on medium flame. Oil the Idli plate and gently fill the rounds with the batter. Put it inside the Idli vessel and let it steam for 6-7 minutes.
8. Serve hot with your favorite chutney and sambar.

Notes

Store the left over batter in the refrigerator.

3.2.2925

Urundai kuzhmabu / Lentil dumplings curry is a very traditional Tamilnadu dish served for lunch in the weddings, during celebration times and festival days. I have already shared a variation of this curry here. The juicy dumplings soaked in tamarind gravy makes lunch divine. Here is how to do it.

Soak 3/4 cup toor dal in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and add fennel seeds (sombu), cumin seeds, salt, dry red chillies and green chillies. Grind it in a blender / mixie without adding any water. Do not add water while grinding. There might be one or two lentil grains that might be left whole while grinding. That is perfectly fine. After grinding, transfer the dal mixture to a cup and add in the finely chopped onions and coriander leaves. Mix well.

Mix everything well to combine. Make little dumpling balls from the mixture. Place the dumplings on an oiled idli plate. I use the mini idli plate. it works really well. Now, we need to steam the dumplings. Steam the dumplings in an idli vessel for 20 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a kadai / pan until hot. Add some fennel seeds (sombu), cumin seeds, coriander seeds (dhania) and curry leaves. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the onions and the garlic. Fry well until brown.

Once the onions and garlic is cooked and brown, add in the tomatoes and the salt.

Fry till the tomatoes are cooked and juiced down. Add in fresh shredded coconut and fry briefly for a minute. Remove off heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Grind the mixture to a fine paste. Add a cup of water while grinding to achieve smooth consistency. Set aside.

Soak half a lemon size tamarind in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Once the tamarind has been soaked, squeeze it between the fingers to release all the juices. Strain the juice and set aside.

Heat oil in a kadai / pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, fennel seeds (sombu) and curry leaves. Fry till the mustard seeds splutter and the curry leaves crisp up. Add in the tamarind juice and let it come to a boil. Add in the turmeric powder and sambar powder. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Add in the ground masala paste and simmer for 10 minutes on low flame. Check for seasoning. Add little water if the gravy is too thick.

Add in the cooked dumplings and let it boil on low flame for 5 minutes. Remove off heat.

Serve hot with rice.

Chettinad Veg Kola Urundai Kuzhambu

 

Save Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Tamilnadu Chettinad Style Veg Kola Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu recipe. Lentil kofta curry. Measurements Used - 1 cup = 250 ml , 1 teaspoon = 5 ml

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Gravy

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Dumplings

• ¾ cup toor dal
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 dry red chilly
• 2 green chillies.
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 6-7 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped

For the Ground Masala Paste

• 2 tablespoon peanut Oil
• 2 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoon coriander seeds (dhania)
• 2 sprigs curry leaves.
• 2 medium sized onions
• 12 cloves garlic
• 3 tomatoes
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup fresh shredded coconut

For the Tempering

• Half a lemon size tamarind
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil (gingely , nalla ennai)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sambar powder

Instructions

1. Soak ¾ cup toor dal in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and add fennel seeds (sombu), cumin seeds, salt, dry red chillies and green chillies. Grind it in a blender / mixie without adding any water. After grinding, transfer the dal mixture to a cup and add in finely chopped onions and coriander leaves. Mix well. Make little dumpling balls from the mixture. Steam the dumplings in an idli vessel for 20 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai / pan until hot. Add some fennel seeds (sombu), cumin seeds, coriander seeds (dhania) and curry leaves. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the onions and the garlic. Fry well until brown. Once the onions and garlic is cooked and brown, add in the tomatoes and the salt. Fry till the tomatoes are cooked and juiced down. Add in fresh shredded coconut and fry briefly for a minute. Remove off heat and set aside to cool slightly. Grind the mixture to a fine paste. Add a cup of water while grinding to achieve smooth consistency. Set aside.
3. Soak half a lemon size tamarind in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Once the tamarind has been soaked, squeeze it between the fingers to release all the juices. Strain the juice and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a kadai / pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, fennel seeds (sombu) and curry leaves. Fry till the mustard seeds splutter and the curry leaves crisp up. Add in the tamarind juice and let it come to a boil. Add in the turmeric powder and sambar powder. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Add in the ground masala paste and simmer for 10 minutes on low flame. Check for seasoning.
5. Add in the cooked dumplings and let it boil on low flame for 5 minutes. Remove off heat. Serve hot with rice.

3.3.2998

Its been a hot summer so far. A cold glass of water brings in so much of comfort these days. Summer means more time to sleep in the mornings as there is no rush to get the children ready for school. Days have been long and lazy. My husband’s sister visited us and I made this easy chocolate pudding. Here is how.

Whisk water, cocoa and sugar until its mixed well. Heat the mixture on medium flame until boiling. Remove off heat and set aside.

Take a pan and mix the condensed milk, milk and cream and bring it to a boil. When boiling add in the cocoa mixture and reduce the flame to the lowest setting on the stove. Let it simmer.

In the mean time, take a cup and add in the water and custard powder and mix well. Add it to the simmering pan. Mix well. Let it come to a boil. Remove off heat.

Soak the china grass / agar agar for 10 minutes and heat the mixture until the agar agar is completely melted.

Add it to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Strain to get rid off any small pieces. Then pour it in cups and let it set in the refrigerator for an hour.

For the chocolate ganache topping : Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces. Set aside. Bring the cream to a boil and remove from heat.

Add in the chocolate to the hot cream and mix well. Never heat the chocolate on the stove. It will burn. The heat of the cream is sufficient to melt the chocolate. Mix well until all the chocolate is incorporated.

Pour a tablespoon of chocolate ganache on each pudding cup.

Decorate with chocolate shavings.

Refrigerate for 4-5 hours and serve chilled.

Eggless Chocolate Pudding

 

Save Print

Prep time

5 hours

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

5 hours 20 mins

 

No bake Eggless Chocolate Pudding recipe made with china grass / agar agar.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Fusion

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For milk mixture

• 400 grams / 1 tin Condensed Milk (milkmaid)
• 2 cups (500 ml) Milk
• 200 ml cream (I used Amul cream)

For Boiling Agar Agar

• 1½ cup water
• 10 grams agar agar sheet / china grass

For boiling Cocoa

• 4 tablespoon cocoa powder
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water

For Custard mixture

• 5 tablespoon Custard Powder
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder

For Chocolate Ganache Topping

• 200 ml cream
• 250 grams Dark chocolate (chopped)
• Chocolate shavings for garnish

Instructions

1. Whisk water, cocoa and sugar until its mixed well. Heat the mixture on medium flame until boiling. Remove off heat and set aside.
2. Take a pan and mix the condensed milk, milk and cream and bring it to a boil. When boiling add in the cocoa mixture and reduce the flame to the lowest setting on the stove.
3. Take a cup and mix the water and custard powder well until mixed. Add it to the pan. Mix well. Let it come to a boil. Remove off heat.
4. Soak the china grass / agar agar for 10 minutes and heat the mixture until the agar agar is completely melted. Add it to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Strain to get rid off any small pieces. Then pour it in cups and set on the refrigerator for an hour.
5. For the chocolate ganache topping : Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces. Set aside. Bring the cream to a boil and remove from heat.
6. Add in the chocolate to the hot cream and mix well. Never heat the chocolate on the stove. It will burn. The heat of the cream is sufficient to melt the chocolate. Mix well until all the chocolate is incorporated.
7. Pour a tablespoon of chocolate ganache on each pudding cup. Decorate with chocolate shavings. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours and serve chilled.

3.3.3070

I love easy no bake desserts. This here is one of the top favorites in the family. There is no cream cheese in this cheesecake. Its really hard to find Philadelphia cream cheese in India. This Indian style cheesecake is made with hung yogurt and homemade paneer. I prefer home made paneer (recipe follows) as its more fragile and creamy than store bought ones.  I like this no fussy delicate and delicious No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake. “The only way cheese is dessert is when it’s followed by the word cake.”

Lets make a super duper dessert. Shall we?

For the hung yogurt – Place the yogurt on a strainer lined with muslin cloth and let it rest for 3 hours. After three hours you will have really thick yogurt. Set aside.

For the Paneer – Boil 750 ml of milk in a pan and let it come to a boil. Add 2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice when the milk is boiling and bubbling over.

Stir for a minute with a spatula until the milk curdles. Remove off heat. Strain the mixture and you will be left with soft paneer. Set aside.

For the Digestive Biscuit Crust –  Break up the biscuits and place in a food processor / mixie along with the butter and pulse it to fine crumbs.

Press the crumbs on the base of the removable cake pan. Make sure its even. Use a spoon to press the crumbs to adhere to the pan. Set aside.

For the Filling
Powder the sugar in a food processor / mixie to a smooth powder. Set aside.

Combine the hung yogurt and the paneer and pulse it in a blender until smooth.

Add in the cream, sugar, salt and vanilla extract and pulse 2-3 times until combined.

Take a small cup and mix the gelatin with 1/4 cup of water and set aside for 5 minutes. The gelatin will absorb all the water and will get  swollen.  After 5 minutes, heat it in a microwave for 20-30 seconds until completely melted. Let it cool slightly.

Add the gelatin mixture to the filling mixture and mix well to combine. Add it to the cake pan. Leave it to set in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

For the topping
Heat the blueberries, water and sugar in a pan for 3-4 minutes until syrupy. Remove off heat. Let it come to room temperature. Add it as a topping to the cake.

Serve the cake chilled!

5.0 from 1 reviews

No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake

 

Save Print

Prep time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Classic Indian No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake recipe using gelatin, hung yogurt and cream.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Fusion

Serves: 6

Ingredients

You will need One 7 inch removable cake pan

For the Digestive biscuit crust

• 100 grams Biscuits (like McVitie's )
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the Filling

• Hung Yogurt made with 500 ml milk (procedure follows)
• Homemade Paneer made with 750 ml milk and 2 teaspoon lemon juice (procedure follows)
• 200 ml cream (like Amul)
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1¾ tablespoon gelatin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup water

For the topping

• ¼ cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

1. For the hung yogurt - Place the yogurt on a strainer lined with muslin cloth and let it rest for 3 hours. After three hours you will have really thick yogurt. Set aside.
2. For the Paneer - Boil 750 ml of milk in a pan and let it come to a boil. Add 2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice when the milk is boiling and bubbling over. stir for a minute with a spatula until the milk curdles. Remove off heat. Strain the mixture and you will be left with soft paneer. Set aside.
3. For the Digestive Biscuit Crust - Break up the biscuits and place in a food processor / mixie along with the butter and pulse it to crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of the removable cake pan. Make sure its even. Use a spoon to press the crumbs to adhere to the pan. Set aside.
4. Filling
5. Powder the sugar in a food processor / mixie to a smooth powder. Set aside.
6. Add the hung yogurt and the paneer and pulse it in a blender until smooth. Add in the cream, sugar, salt and vanilla extract and pulse it 2-3 times until combined.
7. Take a small cup and mix the gelatin with ¼ cup water and set aside for 5 minutes. The gelatin will absorb all the water and puff up. After 5 minutes heat it in a microwave for 20-30 seconds until completely melted. Let it cool slightly.
8. Add the gelatin mixture to the filling mixture and mix well to combine. Add it to the cake pan. Leave it to set in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
9. For the topping
10. Heat the blueberries, water and sugar in a pan for 3-4 minutes until syrupy. Remove off heat. Let it come to room temperature. Add it to the the cake.
11. Serve the cake chilled!

Notes

Milk - Its preferable to use full fat milk for making yogurt and paneer.
I spread an old newspaper on the kitchen counter top while making this recipe, so after the spills etc....cleanup is easier.

3.3.3070

Some years back my friend had gone to her home town on an emergency. We friends decided to take turns to send dinner for her husband. My turn came and my husband suggested that we call him home for dinner as it would be nice to be together after a long day at work. I made fish curry that night. I called him for dinner the next night too. I made egg curry for dinner that night. He burst into uncontrollable laughter seeing the egg curry. The reason….we died laughing. Here is what he told. Usually in India, you treat your guests with a feast at every meal. Fish is a little pricey in India. So if you serve fish, you are saying your guests that you love to have them home. When the hosts are tired feeding the guests, the fish menu becomes mutton. After some more time it becomes chicken. After sometime it finally comes down to egg. When the guests get eggs as a main course for a meal, it’s a cue that they have been there a long time and it’s time for them to leave. So when we heard this story we all had a hearty laugh. And oh yes… I never made egg curry ever again for him. And coming to today’s post, we are making fish. Here is how to do Vanjaram Fish Fry, Tamilnadu style.

Clean the fish steaks and dry them thoroughly on a paper towel. Set aside. Take 10-12 cloves of garlic and grind it to a smooth paste. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water while grinding. Apply the paste on both sides of the fish. Set aside for 5 minutes.

In the mean time make a dry rub powder with 2 heaped tablespoon of red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon fine pepper powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 heaped tablespoon corn flour.

Take the garlic marinated fish and dust it in the dry rub powder to evenly coat. Let the dusted fish rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Heat oil in a pan until very hot. The marinade will not leave the fish if fried in hot oil. That’s the trick. Shallow fry the fish for 2 minutes on each side in really hot oil.

Drain the fried fish on a paper towel and serve hot.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Spicy Vanjaram Fish Fry

 

Save Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

True authentic Tamilnadu Chettinad Spicy Vanjaram Fish Fry recipe from a karaikudi kitchen with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Starters

Cuisine: South India

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 500 grams Seer Fish (Vanjaram Fish) cut into steaks
• Garlic Paste (made with 10-12 cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons water)
• 2 heaped tablespoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon fine pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 heaped tablespoon corn starch
• Oil for shallow frying

Instructions

1. Clean the fish steaks and dry them thoroughly on a paper towel. Set aside. Take 10-12 cloves garlic and grind it to a smooth paste. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water while grinding. Apply the paste on both sides of the fish. Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. In the mean time make a dry rub powder with 2 heaped tablespoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon fine pepper powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 heaped tablespoon corn flour.
3. Take the garlic marinated fish and dust it in the dry rub powder to evenly coat. Let the dusted fish rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
4. Heat oil in a pan until very hot. The marinade will not leave the fish if fried in hot oil. That’s the trick. Shallow fry the fish for 2 minutes on each side in hot oil.
5. Drain the fried fish on a paper towel and serve hot.

3.3.3070

I think the most favorite chutney for idli or dosa has to be Tomato Onion chutney. We also call it as the red chutney. The Tomato Onion chutney is my savior. It can be done within 15 minutes from start to finish. I do this at least twice a week. We like it so much that I even use it as a spread for sandwiches. Its quick, its super delicious and so so easy to make. I have never had leftovers. OK. Enough about my chutney ramblings. Here is how to do a jill-ikka-jast super fast Tomato Onion Chutney. Not just any Tomato Onion Chutney but a house favorite chutney. Its so so so so good.

Heat oil in a pan and add in very little mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the urad dal. Add in the dried red chillies. I like to use dried Byadagi red chillies. It gives a fantastic colour. You can add any dried red chilli you have in your kitchen pantry. If you like it spicy, pump up the red chillies. If you want it subtle, just use a couple of red chillies only. Fry until the urad dal is nice and golden. Its important to get the dal to golden colour for any chutney.

Add in the roughly chopped onions and the curry leaves. Fry till soft and starting to brown. About five minutes on medium flame.

Add in the tomatoes and the salt and fry in medium flame for five minutes or until the tomatoes are mushy. Adding salt with the tomatoes helps in breaking down the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are mushy, switch off the flame. Add in the tamarind and a teaspoon of jaggery. People think adding jaggery makes the chutney sweet. But adding jaggery enhances the taste of the chutney. There is an untold rule in Tamil cuisine. Whenever you add tamarind, you also add a teaspoon of jaggery. That spicy, tangy goodness gets elevated with jaggery. So the secret to the chutney is that little teaspoon of jaggery.

Remove the mixture from the pan and let it cool slightly. Run it in a blender / mixie to a smooth paste. Do not add any water while grinding.

Here are some recipes you can serve this chutney with.
Dosa Variety recipes
Soft idli using wet grinder recipe
Soft idli using idli rava / rice rava recipe

Tomato Onion Chutney Red Chutney

 

Save Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

South Indian Tamilnadu hotel style spicy Tomato Onion Chutney. Red Chutney, Kaara Chutney recipe for idli and dosa.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Chutney

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• ⅛ teaspoon mustard seeds (use very little)
• 2 tablespoon urad dal
• 4 dried red chilli
• 1 sprig curry leaf
• 3 Medium sized onions, roughly chopped
• 4 Medium sized tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a small piece of tamarind (10 grams, one rupee coin size)
• 1 teaspoon jaggery

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in very little mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add in the urad dal. Add in the dried red chillies. Fry until the urad dal is nice and golden. Its important to get the dal to golden colour for any chutney.
2. Add in the roughly chopped onions and the curry leaves. Fry till soft and starting to brown.
3. Add in the tomatoes and the salt and fry in medium flame for five minutes or until the tomatoes are mushy. Switch off the flame. Add in the tamarind and a teaspoon of jaggery.
4. Remove the mixture from the pan and let it cool slightly. Run it in a blender / mixie to a smooth paste. Do not add any water while grinding.
5. Serve with idli or dosa.

Notes

This chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.

3.3.3070

I saw these beauties one night on TV for the first time in Julia Child’s French Chef episode. I was hooked right away. I was new to french food then. I wanted to try Madeleines. Like really badly. I went shopping the very next day. I went and bought the pans from Williams-Sonoma and made Madeleines right after reaching home. I was excited to see those little scalloped shell shaped beauties bake to perfection. It was a buttery, dense, delicious, beautiful little cake. Maybe a cookie. Maybe a cake. Whatever you want to call it, it turned out to be a wonderful treat.

Julia Child spoke about how Madeleines became so popular after Marcel Proust wrote about it in his monumental work “Remembrance of Things Past”. I make these Madeleines very often. Here is Julia Child’s Classic French Madeleines de Commercy adapted from her book, “The way to cook”.

Here is the recipe for Julia Child’s French Madeleines

Slightly beat the eggs in a bowl. Measure 1/4 cup of eggs into a bowl.

Then beat in the sugar and the cup of flour. Add little more egg ( a tablespoon at a time), if the batter is too dry. When thoroughly blended, set aside and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauce pan, bring it to the boil, and let it brown lightly. Set aside.

Place the 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl and blend in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the browned butter. Paint the Madeleine cups with the butter-flour mixture. Set aside.

Stir the rest of the butter over ice until cool but liquid. Mix the butter with the last of the eggs along with salt, lemon rind and juice and vanilla.

Add this mixture to the resting batter and stir well. Allow the batter to rest for 10 more minutes. If you want a big hump in the middle which is so characteristic about Madeleines, allow the batter to rest for one hour at room temperature or couple of hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375 F, and set the racks in upper and lower middle levels. Divide the batter into 24 lumps of a generous tablespoon each, and drop them into the Madeleine cups. Bake in the preheated oven until the cakes are slightly browned around the edges, humped in the middle, and slightly shrunk from the cups.

Un-mold onto a rack. When cool, turn shell side up and dust with confectioners sugar for serving. (dusting is optional). They will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two in an airtight container.

Julia Child's Classic French Madeleines

 

Save Print

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Recipe for Julia Child's Classic French Madeleines de Commercy from her book way to cook. Recipe for Madeleine cookie / cake.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: French

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon All purpose flour (Maida)
• 140 grams unsalted butter
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Slightly beat the eggs in a bowl. Measure ¼ cup of eggs into a bowl.
2. Then beat in the sugar and the cup of flour. Add little more egg ( a tablespoon at a time), if the batter is too dry. When thoroughly blended, set aside and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauce pan, bring it to the boil, and let it brown lightly. Set aside.
4. Place the 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl and blend in 1½ tablespoons of the browned butter. Paint the Madeleine cups with the butter-flour mixture. Set aside.
5. Stir the rest of the butter over ice until cool but liquid. Mix the butter with the last of the eggs along with salt, lemon rind and juice and vanilla.
6. Add this mixture to the resting batter and stir well. Allow the batter to rest for 10 more minutes. If you want a big hump in the middle which is so characteristic about Madeleines, allow the batter to rest for one hour at room temperature or couple of hours in the refrigerator.
7. Preheat the oven to 375 F, and set the racks in upper and lower middle levels. Divide the batter into 24 lumps of a generous tablespoon each, and drop them into the Madeleine cups. Bake in the preheated oven until the cakes are slightly browned around the edges, humped in the middle, and slightly shrunk from the cups.
8. Un-mold onto a rack. When cool, turn shell side up and dust with confectioners sugar for serving. (dusting is optional). They will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two in an airtight container.

Notes

One can substitute orange zest for lemon. It tastes good too.
The batter can be refrigerated over nite and baked the next day. Slightly bring it to room temperature and proceed with the baking.

3.3.3070

This is my fathers secret tomato mint soup. Its a staple at my house. The mint leaves add so much warmth to the soup and it feels so light on the stomach. This is an excellent home remedy when you are sick. It clears up the blocked nostrils in no time. The addition of mint also aids in digestion. I used to get super excited when I was young seeing this soup made. I was given the task of tying the mint leaves together with a cotton thread and then the mint was simmered in the soup along with the thread. Somehow it brought so much joy. The whole process was so much fun. Today, this has become my sons favorite tomato soup. This soup has just 5 main ingredients plus seasoning. Here is how to do it.

First, we need to blanch the tomatoes to remove the skin of the tomatoes. Boil water in a kettle and drop the tomatoes in boiling water. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Remove off heat. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin of the tomatoes.

Run the peeled tomatoes in a blender to a puree. Strain the puree to get rid of the seeds. Set aside.

Heat a pan and add 2 teaspoons of ghee (you can use olive oil if you want it vegan). Add in the very finely chopped onions and fry till soft.

Once the onions are soft, add in the corn flour (corn starch) and fry for 10 seconds.

Add in 1.5 cups (around 375-400 ml) of water and stir well. Add in the strained tomato puree. Add in the salt, pepper and a little sugar to taste.

In the mean time take 15-18 mint stalks and tie it with a clean cotton thread.

Add it to the soup and make sure the leaves are fully immersed. Let it boil for 10 minutes on medium flame. After 10 minutes, remove the mint stalks and try to squeeze all of the juices back on to the soup with the help of the tongs.

Simmer the soup for a minute more. Check for seasoning. Add more salt or pepper if necessary. Remove off heat.

Serve hot.

Appa's Tomato Mint Soup

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Easy Vegetarian recipe for Warm Tomato Mint Soup. Best home remedy when sick with cold, fever or headache. Also aids in digestion.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon ghee or olive oil
• ½ of a medium onion
• 2 teaspoon corn flour (corn starch)
• 6-7 tomatoes
• 15 stalks mint leaves

Seasoning Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pepper powder
• 1.5 cups - 375ml water

Instructions

1. Boil water in a kettle and drop the tomatoes in boiling water. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Remove off heat. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin of the tomatoes. Run the peeled tomatoes in a blender to a puree. Strain the puree to get rid of the seeds. Set aside.
2. Heat a pan and add 2 teaspoons of ghee (you can use olive oil if you want it vegan). Add in the very finely chopped onions and fry till soft.
3. Once the onions are soft, add in the corn flour (corn starch) and fry for 10 seconds.
4. Add in 1.5 cups of water and stir well. Add in the strained tomato puree. Add in the salt, pepper and a little sugar to taste.
5. In the mean time take 15-18 mint stalks and tie it with a clean cotton thread. Add it to the soup and make sure the leaves are fully immersed. Let it boil for 10 minutes on medium flame. After 10 minutes, remove the mint stalks and try to squeeze all of the juices back on to the soup with the help of the tongs.
6. Simmer the soup for a minute more. Check for seasoning. Add more salt or pepper if necessary. Remove off heat.
7. Serve hot.

3.3.3070

I love tamarind based curries with rice. It makes for a tangy, yummy, spicy and delicious lunch. Black eyed peas is known as thattaipayaru or karamani in tamil. Karamani comes in different varieties. I have used the white karamani today. I like the white ones as I find them creamy when cooked. Hot piping rice, little ghee and this tamarind curry followed by a small nap. That’s my kind of day.

The peas needs to be soaked in water before cooking. I usually soak it for a couple of hours. You can soak it over nite too.

Here is how to do Karamani Puli Kuzhambu – Black Eyed Pea in Tamarind curry.

Soak the karamani for a couple of hours in water. Then boil the karamani with lots of water ( around 2 cups ) in a pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes or 8-10 whistles. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the finely chopped onions and the garlic and fry till the onions are soft.

In the mean time run the tomatoes in a blender / mixie to a smooth paste.

Add it to the pan along with asafoetida, turmeric powder, sambar powder and coriander powder. Add in the salt too.

Fry till oil floats to the top.

Soak some tamarind in water for 20 minutes. Run it between the fingers and squeeze to make a pulp. Strain the juice and add the juice to the pan. Add in the boiled karamani along with the water used for cooking karamani.

Let it boil for 30 minutes on low flame. Remove off heat and serve with rice.

Karamani Puli Kuzhambu - Black Eyed Pea in Tamarind curry

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Recipe for Tamilnadu style spicy Thattapayaru - Karamani Puli Kuzhambu - Black Eyed Pea in Tamarind curry.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Gravy

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 grams ) Black eyed pea - karamani
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 5-6 fenugreek seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 medium onions
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon sambar powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• a small lime size tamarind

Instructions

1. Soak the karamani for a couple of hours in water. Then boil the karamani with lots of water in a pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes or 8-10 whistles and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the finely chopped onions and the garlic and fry till the onions are soft.
3. In the mean time run the tomatoes in a blender / mixie to a smooth paste.
4. Add it to the pan along with asafoetida, turmeric powder, sambar powder and coriander powder. Add in the salt too.
5. Fry till oil floats to the top.
6. Soak some tamarind in water for 20 minutes. Run it between the fingers and squeeze to make a pulp. Strain the juice and add it to the pan. Add in the boiled karamani along with the water used for cooking karamani.
7. Let it boil for 30 minutes on low flame. Remove off heat and serve with rice.

3.3.3070

Usually kootu is made with dal / paruppu. This kootu curry is different that there is no dal used. Its called as masala kootu or vaasanai kootu. The addition of fennel seeds (sombu) and spices gives this dish a wonderful aroma that its called as vaasanai (aroma) kootu. It tastes so delicious with rice. This dish is also good for digestion as fennel seeds aids in digestion. This is such a nice dish, a welcome change from the usual paruppu kootu.

Here is how to do Chettinad Chow Chow Masala Kootu.

Boil the diced chow chow / chayote squash in 2 cups of water until tender. Set aside. We call this vegetable as merakai in tamil.

Heat oil in a kadai and add in one cardamom, one clove and a very small piece of cinnamon. Add in 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds (sombu). Fry on low flame until lightly brown. Add in the onions, garlic and curry leaves and fry till the onions are soft and they are slowly starting to brown.

Add in the tomatoes and salt. Add in the turmeric powder, pepper powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry for a good 5 minutes on medium flame until the tomatoes are nicely cooked. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the freshly shredded coconut and fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove off heat. Grind this mixture to a smooth paste in a blender / mixie. You can add up-to 2 cups of water while grinding. Grind it to a very fine paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds, cumin seeds and a few sprigs of curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the ground paste and add water if the mixture is very thick. You can add more water if you want a thin gravy. I like my kootu thick. so add water to your taste and preference. Add in the cooked chow chow and let the mixture come to a boil. Don’t cook it for long. Just a boil is enough.

Once it just starts to boil, remove off heat and serve hot with rice.

Chettinad Chow Chow Masala Kootu

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Tamilnadu style recipe for Chettinad Chow Chow Masala Kootu with coconut which is different from the usual kootu varieties.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized chow chow, diced

For the ground masala

• 2 teaspoon Oil
• 1 cardamom
• 1 clove
• 1 small tiny piece cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 medium sized onions
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 medium sized ripe tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ cup freshly shredded coconut

For the seasoning

• 1 teaspoon oil
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves

Instructions

1. Boil the diced chow chow / chayote squash in 2 cups of water until tender. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and add in one cardamom, one clove and a very small piece of cinnamon. Add in 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds (sombu). Fry on low flame until lightly brown. Add in the onions, garlic and curry leaves and fry till the onions are soft and they are slowly starting to brown.
3. Add in the tomatoes and salt. Add in the turmeric powder, pepper powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry for a good 5 minutes on medium flame until the tomatoes are nicely cooked. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add in the freshly shredded coconut and fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove off heat. Grind this mixture to a smooth paste in a blender / mixie. You can add up-to 2 cups of water while grinding. Grind it to a very fine paste. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds, cumin seeds and a few sprigs of curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the ground paste and add water if the mixture is very thick. Add in the cooked chow chow and let the mixture come to a boil.
5. Remove off heat and serve hot with rice.

3.3.3077

Kovakkai or Ivy gourd / tindora grows in a vine. It grows like a wild fire. It can grow 3-4 inches a day. Don’t believe me? Try planting one today. When purchasing kovakkai make sure its not very ripe. Ripe kovakkai tastes very sour. There are various folklore tales which say that ripe kovakkai is poisonous. But I have cooked it at times and I have survived to tell this story. So nothing is going to happen if you consume ripe kovakkai. But its not going to be very tasty and you might need a Gelusil or Tums later. So try avoiding the ripe ones. When picking Ivy gourd in the market, pick the ones that are dark green and very firm. They are the young ones. The pale green ones are the ripe ones. The seeds become red inside when ripe. Discard the ripe ones.

Here is how to do a simple and tasty kovakkai fry. Its one of my favorites.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies. Fry until the seeds splutter and the urad dal turns golden. Add in the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions are soft and starting to brown.

Add in the chopped kovakkai to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

Add about half a cup of water. Around 100-125 ml. Fry the kovakkai on low flame for a good 30-40 minutes. Keep sauteing every 5 minutes to avoid scorching at the bottom. The more you fry, the more brown and yummy its gonna get. Once its nicely cooked and fried and brown around the edges, finally add the shredded coconut and saute for a couple of minutes more.

Remove off heat and serve.

Kovakkai Fry

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Tamil Style recipe for Kovakkai Fry / Poriyal with coconut. Tindora Ivy Gourd Dondakaya Vepudu.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon refined sunflower / vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon urad dal
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 medium onions
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 500 grams kovakkai - tindora
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 125 ml water
• ¼ cup shredded coconut (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies. Fry until the seeds splutter and the urad dal turns golden. Add in the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
2. Add in the chopped kovakkai to the pan. Add in the salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
3. Add about half a cup of water. Around 100-125 ml. Fry the kovakkai on low flame for a good 30-40 minutes. Keep sauteing every 5 minutes to avoid scorching at the bottom. Once its nicely cooked and fried, finally add the shredded coconut and saute for a couple of minutes more.
4. Remove off heat and serve.

3.3.3070

Its the falling sick season. Everyone at home is down with a cold and fever one by one. With flu comes a whole lot of things. The fever, headache and the sneezing. Whether you are down with a cold or fever or both, this soup will help you fight the monster a little bit.

This soup tonic has a a lot of ingredients known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.

Take a pressure cooker and add in a teaspoon each of cumin seeds, black pepper corns, turmeric powder and mung/moong dal (optional). Add in a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, one inch piece of ginger, 6-7 cloves garlic and a little salt to taste. Add 750 ml of water to the pan.

Pressure cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. If you are not using the pressure cooker, add 500 ml extra water to the pan and boil for 45 minutes on medium flame. Cover the pan with a lid while boiling.

After the steam has released from the cooker naturally, gently mash the garlic and the dal with a cup.

Strain the liquid.

Serve warm. If you wish add a teaspoon of honey and serve.

Fever, Cold and Flu fighting Soup

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Recipe for warm Cold and Flu fighting Soup. Home remedy tonic. Anti inflammatory , anti microbial elixir.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Home Remedy

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper corns
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon mung/moong dal (optional)
• A small piece of cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• one inch piece of ginger
• 6-7 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt to taste
• 750 ml of water
• Honey to serve

Instructions

1. Take a pressure cooker and add in a teaspoon each of cumin seeds, black pepper corns, turmeric powder and mung/moong dal (optional). Add in a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, one inch piece of ginger, 6-7 cloves garlic and a little salt to taste. Add 750 ml of water to the pan.
2. Pressure cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. If you are not using the pressure cooker, add 500 ml extra water to the pan and boil for 45 minutes on medium flame. Cover the pan with a lid while boiling.
3. After the steam has released from the cooker naturally, gently mash the garlic and the dal.
4. Strain the liquid.
5. Serve warm. If you wish add a teaspoon of honey and serve.

3.3.3077

Key Lime Pie Popsicles- Paletas de Pay de Limón

If there is one dessert that is liked universally all over the world, then it got to be an ice-cream or a simple frozen dessert. Popsicles are called as Paletas in Mexico. There are basically two kinds of paletas. The ones that are water based and the ones that are milk based. The water based ones are called as Paletas de aguas and the milk based ones are called as Paletas de leche. This recipe for Key Lime Pie Popsicles- Paletas de Pay de Limón is inspired by the Florida Key lime pie. Its to die for. If you like tart and sweet, then this recipe is for you. The first time I had this dessert, I was just blown over. It was intensely tart and creamy. The addition of condensed milk makes for a very smooth texture and nicely compliments the tartness of the limes.

I adapted this recipe from a beautiful book called Paletas.

Paletas: Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice & Aguas Frescas

Here is how to do Key Lime Pie Popsicles- Paletas de Pay de Limón.

I did not use Key limes today as I am far, far, far away from Florida. I used the small Indian limes. First, lets zest the limes. Zest the limes so as to have about 2 teaspoon of lime zest. Make sure to only zest the top skin and not the white part that’s beneath the skin of the lime. The white part is the pith and its very bitter.

Juice the limes to have about 1/2 cup (125 ml). You can add up-to 3/4 cup. Indian limes are very tart. So 1/2 cup of lime juice was good enough.

Put the sweetened condensed milk, milk, lime juice, lime zest, and salt in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. The original recipe uses half and half instead of milk. I just kept it light by using milk. Add milk or half and half according to your taste and preference.

If using conventional molds, divide the mixture among the molds, snap on the lid, and freeze until solid, about 5 hours. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (1 1/2 to 2 hours), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours.

Pulse the graham cracker or marie biscuits in a mixer/blender to a coarse powder. Spread the graham cracker / marie biscuit pieces on a large plate. Unmold the paletas and press each side into the graham crackers, coating completely.

Key Lime Pie Popsicles

 

Save Print

Prep time

5 hours

Total time

5 hours

 

Easy and quick dessert recipe for Key Lime Pie Popsicles. Paletas de Pay de Limón. The only effort is in squeezing the limes, and it’s worth it.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce/400 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 6 small limes)
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups coarsely crushed Marie biscuits, or graham crackers

Instructions

1. Put the sweetened condensed milk, milk, lime juice, lime zest, and salt in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
2. If using conventional molds, divide the mixture among the molds, snap on the lid, and freeze until solid, about 5 hours. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (1½ to 2 hours), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. If using an instant ice pop maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Spread the graham cracker / marie biscuit pieces on a large plate. Unmold the paletas and press each side into the graham crackers, coating completely.

3.3.3077