Baby corn Masala / Curry

Ingredients:

Baby corn - 10 nos.
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder  – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tblsp
Coriander leaves -  few for garnishing
Onions - 1 
Tomato - 2 
Ginger - a Small piece
Garlic - 2 small cloves
Green chillies – 2
Coconut - 1 1/2 tblsp (optional)
Cashew nut – 10-12  nos
Poppy seed/Khus Khus - 1 tsp
Elachi - 1
Cinnamon - small piece
Cloves – 2

Method:

Fry the cubed onions in a tsp of oil and when soft swtich off the gas. When cool grind it along with tomatoes, green chillies, ginger and garlic in a mixer. Heat the kadai with oil add elachi, Cinnamon and Clove followed by the above ground paste. Add turmeric, salt and garam masala powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Fry it in low flame for 5-8 minutes or till the oil leaves the sides of the kadai.(can stir it occasionally ,but take care not to burn..)

Cut baby corn to your desired shape. Pressure cook for 3 whistles and keep aside. Add the cooked baby corn and add water little by little  to make it to a gravy and bring to boil in medium low flame.  Fry till oil separates(2 mins).

Grind cashew, Khus Khus, (coconut if using) in milk to a smooth paste . Add this and switch off the flame. Stir well and Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapati or fried rice..

Recipe Courtesy: Raks kitchen

Sundakkai Kuzhambu ( Turkey Berry curry)

In Tamil Nadu, India, the fruit is consumed directly, or as cooked food like Sundaikkai Sambar, Sundaikkai Poriyal, Sundaikkai Aviyal & Sundaikkai Pulikulambu. After soaking in curd and drying, the final product is fried in oil as Sundaikkai vattral (available in all Tamil Nadu supermarkets), it is famous all around in Tamil Nadu. In siddha medicine one of the traditional systems of India Sundaivattral Choornam is used to improve digestion.( wiki)

Sundakkai is called as Turkey berry in English. It has extraordinary medicinal values which can cure many diseases. Turkey berry is a green colored fruit with bitter taste, it can be used fresh or in dried form as vathal. Turkey berries (sundakkai) have the ability to kill the germs, helps in controlling diabetes, gastric problems and when consumed on daily basis helps in strengthening the bones and nerves.

Ingredients:

Onions - 1

Tomatoes - 1

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Turkey berry / Sundakkai, deseeded - 1 cup 

Tamarind extract - 1/2 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - Few

Full Red chilly - 1

Asafoetida   - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry masala powder - 1 teaspoon

chilly powder - 1 teaspoon 

Salt - to taste

Cooking oil, preferably gingelly oil 

Method:

Wash sundakkai and remove its stem. Crush each sundakkai in a motor and Pestle so that they open. 

Wash them again and keep aside. Let some seeds be there but don't wash too much also.

Soak tamarind in water and take pulp.Keep aside.

In a kadai heat some oil and saute onions, Tomato, ginger and garlic. once they are soft remove from gas. when cool grind in a mixer and keep aside.  

 

In the same kadai add sundakkai / turkey berries and saute for a minute. Add tamarind extract, required water, salt and cook until berries are done. Add the curry Masala powder, Turmeric Powder, Asafoeitida powder, chilly Powder and  ground onion -tomato paste. Grind coconut and add that also. 

Boil until all raw smell goes off and thickness is as desired. Remove from fire. Splutter mustard, Full Red chilly and curry leaves in oil and add to curry.

Sundakkai kulambu ready......:) This will be slightly bitter but tastes good and is a healthy dish.

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Ramathai, Coimbatore.

Parippum MuringaeIlayum curry / Drumstick leaves and Toor dal gravy

The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant, being a significant source of B vitamins,vitaminC, provitaminA as beta-carotene, vitamin K, manganese and protein, among other essential nutrients.[25][26] When compared with common foods particularly high in certain nutrients per 100 g fresh weight, cooked moringa leaves are considerable sources of these same nutrients.[27][28] Moringa trees have been used to combat malnutrition, especially among infants and nursing mothers.( wiki)

Ingredients:

Tuvaram paruppu / Toor dal -  ½ cup
Tomato - 2 nos
Onion - ½ no
Turmeric powder - ¼ teaspoon
Garlic - 3 no
Ginger - 2 inches
Cumin seeds - ½ teaspoon
Mustard seeds - ¼ teaspoon
Red chili - 2 no (halved in two)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 2 tablespoon 
Water - 2 cups
Salt - to taste

Method:

Pluck and clean the drum stick leaves, remove as much stem possible, wash them in running water and set aside. In pressure cooker cook the toor dal, onion, green chillies ,Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric powder and tomato with 1 ½ cup water for 3 whistles (it takes about 15-20 minutes) and set aside. Add cleaned drum stick leaves and salt and give a pressure. When cool open the cooker and adjust the spice and salt if needed. Add water if needed to make desired consistency. 

In a small pan heat rest of the oil, mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves and halved chilies. when mustard seeds starts popping switch of heat and add to cooked dal muringa mixture.  Enjoy warm with rice or roti....:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Prassana Sugathan (Amma)

Potato fry / Urulaikilangu Varuval / Urulakizhangu upperi

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 nos
Curry Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger, Garlic, Green chilly paste - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt - to taste
oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Cut potatoes into small squares and keep aside. In a pan or kadai add onions and fry till golden brown. Add ginger, garlic, green chiili paste and fry till the raw smell goes. Add curry masala powder (or turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp, chilly powder- 2 tsp, Coriander powder-1 tsp) and salt and stir.  Add cut potatoes  and mix well. 

Cover and cook until the potatoes turn golden brown. Add curry leaves and red chilly powder if needed. Turn over to cook evenly on all sides.

This tastes excellent with curd or rasam and rice......:) this is Mathish's and Kshetra's favorite...:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs. Sumathi Prabakaran.

Ven pongal / Karapongal

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dal / pasi paruppu / Cherupayaruparuppu - 1/4 cup
Water - 4 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Salt - as needed
Ginger, chopped - 1 tblsp
Ghee - 2 tblsp
Pepper corns- 2 tsp
Jeera/ cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Cashews -  5-6

Method:

Wash rice and dal together. In a cooker add 4 cups of water, milk and washed rice, dal, salt and pressure cook for 4 whistles in medium flame.(You can cook rice directly in the cooker also or as I have done) Wait until pressure gets released by itself, open & mash. If the pongal is watery when you open, then you can try keeping it again in stove and mix well until water evaporates. If it is too dry/thick then add some milk to bring it to desired consistency. The rice should have got cooked properly. Pongal should be of soggy consistency so mash well.

In a separate pan  add ghee and fry cashews till it starts golden and keep separately. In the same ghee add pepper, jeera and asafoetida and curry leaves, mix in the heat well and then add it to pongal and mix well. 

yummy pongal is ready....we can mold it using a small bowl. press pongal in a bowl and turn upside down. garnish with nuts.........Usually pongal should hv lots of ghee. But we can change according to our taste, consistency also varies a bit...This pongal can be enjoyed with sambar and coconut chutney.. Happy Pongal:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs. Uma Mohan.

Sweet Pongal / Sakkarai pongal

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

Yellow moong dal /mung or moong bean/ cherupayaru paruppu - 1/4 cup

Jaggery - 2 cups (Make it 1 !/2 cup for less sweetness)

Water - 4 cups

Milk - 1 cup

Ghee - 4 tablespoons

Cashewnuts - 10

Raisins - 10

Cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

Wash rice and moong dal. Put it in cooker. Add 4 cups of water, 1 cup of milk and pressure cook till 4 whistles. (You can cook rice directly in the cooker also or as I have done) Allow the pressure to subside.  Open the pressure cooker. Mash the cooked rice and dal nicely.

Melt jaggery and strain to remove impurities or add powdered jaggery to the mashed rice and dal. Mix well so that all get combined well. Pongal should be of soggy consistency so mash well. Add cardamom powder and 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix well.

In a small pan add ghee and fry raisins and nuts. Pour it on pongal and stir well.

Sweet and yummy pongal is ready....we can mold it using a small bowl. press pongal in a bowl and turn upside down. garnish with nuts and raisins..........Usually pongal should hv lots of ghee. But we can change according to our taste, consistency also varies a bit..... Happy Pongal:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs. Deepa Sivakumar

Tutti Frutti Cake with egg

Ingredients:

Maida (All Purpose Flour) - 100 gms
Butter at room temperature -100 gms
Granulated Sugar-100 gms
Egg-1
Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 2 tbsp
Tutti frutti - 3tbsp
Extra 1 tbsp flour for mix with tutti frutti.
Some butter and flour for greasing the pan.

Method:
Mix tutti frutti with flour and keep aside.

With hand beater, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and milk to the butter and sugar mixture, beat well.

Whisk maida and baking powder together.

Using a whisk mix maida mixture to the butter,sugar and egg mixture. Add flour dusted tutti frutti  and vanilla essence and fold.

Pour it in the greased pan,level it. Bake it for 180 degree c for 30 mins or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let it cool. Pass a knife around the sides and turn the cake upside down and cut into pieces. And the tutty fruity cake is ready....:)
 
Recipe Courtesy: Rathi's Space , Blog.

Puffed rice balls / Pori Unda/pori urundai

Ingredients:
Pori / Rice puffs - 4 cups
Jaggery – 1 cup
water  - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
Oil/ Ghee - little 

Method of preparation:

Dissolve jaggery in  water and filter to remove impurities if any. Put it back again and continue boiling till you get the right consistency. Keep a small cup with water to test the consistency. The syrup should not be  too watery and too thick. The consistency of jaggery syrup should be in such a way that it should harden as soon as you as drop of it is added to water.you should be able to make a soft ball with the dropped jaggery in water.

Add cardamom powder to the pori. Pour the jaggery syrup over the pori. Immediately mix it quickly to make sure the rice is well coated with jaggery syrup. Apply oil/ Ghee on your hands and and immediately take a handful and catch into balls tightly.. Jaggery hardens as it cools off. You should be real quick in forming the balls. When the jaggery becomes hard you can keep it on stove for a minute and make the pori warm and continue making balls.

 Poriunda is ready....the color of the pori unda depends on the color of the jaggery you use...We can store this and use.. Some also add dried coconut pieces  to pori .:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs. Nitha Mathish

Zebra cake

Ingredients:

Eggs - 4 large, at room temperature

Granulated sugar - 1 cup (increase to 1½ cups for a sweeter cake)

Milk, at room temperature - 1/2 cup

Refined Oil - 3/4 cup

Maida /All purpose flour - 2 cups

vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Dark cocoa powder - 2 tbsp.

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, with a hand  beater or wire whisk beat oil and sugar. Add egg and continue beating until its well blended. Beat until the mixture is creamy and light in color.

In a separate bowl,  mix flour and baking powder. Add the Maida mixture and milk alternatively  to the wet ingredients(egg,oil,sugar) and combine until the batter is smooth and the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. (Do not over beat to prevent air pockets from forming in the batter). The batter should be of medium consistency, not too thick and not too watery.If the mixture is too thin, add a little more flour.if its too thick add little more milk.

Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions. Keep one portion plain. Add cocoa powder into another and mix well. Grease 9" round cake  pan with oil. Scoop 3 heaped tablespoons of plain batter (you can also use a ladle that would hold 3 tablespoons) into the middle of the baking pan. Then scoop 3 tablespoons of cocoa batter and pour it in the center on top of the plain batter. Do not stop and wait until the previous batter spreads. Do not spread the batter or tilt the pan to distribute the mixture.It will spread by itself and fill the pan gradually. Continue alternating the batters until you finish them. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degree C. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Do not open the oven door at least the first 20 minutes or the cake will shrink and will not rise. 

To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean when ready. Remove from the oven. Keep it for cooling. When cool run a small thin knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert the cake onto a pan and cut into pieces to see the surprise......:)

Recipe Courtesy: Kothiyavunnu Blog.

Vegetable cutlet

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 medium sized 

Big onion - 1

Mixed Vegetable, chopped finely(i used carrot & cauliflower. Beetroot, Beans or mushrooms can also be used) - 1 cup

Green peas - 2 tbsp 

1" - Ginger, 9 - Garlic and 2 - green chilly paste - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Pepper Powder- 1 tsp

Bread crumps or Rusk Powder - 1 cup

Egg - 1 (Pure vegetarians can use Cornflour or Maida/ plain flour - 1/4 cup)
Salt - to taste

Oil for Deep frying 

Method:

wash and Pressure cook potato in a cooker. If you cut and pressure cook it gets cooked fast. When cool peel the skin and mash the potatoes. keep aside.

Pressure cooked chopped vegetables and green peas with little water giving one whistle. keep them aside. There should not be any water in this,If there is any excess water we need to strain them.

If bread crumbs is available then we can use that if not, grind some rusk in a mixer and this powder can be used instead of bread crumbs.

In a pan add 2 tbsp of oil and saute finely chopped onions. Once the onions become soft add ginger garlic and green chilly paste and saute well. Also add turmeric and salt.When the mixture is dried and cooked  remove from fire.

Add smashed potatoes to this sauteed mixture. Add 2 tbsp of rusk powder, chopped coriander leaves, garam Masala, pepper powder and mix well.Check salt and add appropriately. Make equal balls of required size.

 Using a cutlet mould or cookie cutter  make the desired shape. 

Whisk egg and dip each cutlet in it and roll in rusk powder and keep aside. If using maida or cornflour, make a thin paste of maida/cornflour and water.Dip it in the maida paste one by one.Quickly take it out and coat both sides with the bread crumbs. Repeat the process for the rest and arrange in plate.

Heat oil in medium flame. Flip and deep fry cutlets in oil. Fry them one by one or 2 at a time depends on your pan size. Fry it till it become golden brown.

Once done take from oil and keep on  tissue paper for few minutes .We  can shallow fry it  also. Instead of deep fry using non stick pan with little oil turn both sides and fry.Enjoy with Tomato sauce...:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Prassana Sugathan (Amma)

Checker Board Cake with Ganache frosting.

Doughnut cake with vanilla and chocolate.

Marble Cake with vanilla and chocolate Cake.