Pullusu Attukulu/Puli Aval

         This is another tiffin variety which we can do in aval/poha.It will be little bit similar to tamrind rice but not exactly.Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients :

Aval/poha	1 1/4 cup
Tamrind paste	2 1/2 tbsp
Jaggery	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/8 tsp
Salt	to taste
Onion	(app) 1 medium sized
Water	1/2 cup
Sambar powder	1 tsp
Oil	3-4 tbsp

Seasoning :

channa dal	1 tsp
urad dal	1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds	1/4 tsp
Curry leaves	few
red chillies(long)	3-4

Method :

1.Break the aval/poha into one r two pieces by putting in the mixie in the whipper/pulse side for only once .
Now boil the 1/2 cup water along with tamrind paste, turmeric powder,salt and jaggery and then add the washed aval/poha and keep aside for 30 mins.(not able to take the pic as my cam fell down while clicking.)

2.Now season the items given in the kadai and add the onions n fry til transculent.

3.Now add the soake aval to the kadai and fry for 2-3 mins

4.Now add the sambar powder and if required salt and saute for few mins.

5.Now the uppuma is ready for serving.

Note :


1.Can adjust tamrind and jaggery according to our taste buds.

2.While adding the water should be very careful.If we add excess water then we wont be able to prepare uppuma.We can prepare only aval balls hehehehehe.

3.If want more spicy add more sambar powder and dont add red chillie powder as it will spoil the taste.

Sandwich Thattuvadai

            Yummy,yummy,yummy.That's wat i can say about this snack.Nothing more to explain about this snack.This is a very popular snack in Salem(Tamil Nadu).When ever i see this snack i start digging it till the last minute particle is there in the plate.If i prepare this snack at home myself and my hubby doesn't even need dinner.Ok let me come to recipe coz i want to tel about this recipe means i need to tel lots of story.So let me stop and go to the recipe.But one thing is sure.If we try once also,we will definetly will do again and again.Though its a easy snack but its a time consuming process,but still its really a mouth watering snack.

Ingredients :

Thattuvadai	250 gms
Onion(big)	1
Beetroot(big)	1
Carrot(big)	1
Coriander leaves	3-4 tbsp
Green chillie paste	(app) 3 tbsp
Onion chutney	1/4 cup

Method :

1.Grate the beetroot and carrot.Finely chop the onion and coriander leaves.

2.Spread all the thattuvadai/papdi in plate and on one side apply the green chillie paste.

3.Now spread the carrot on the chillie paste and then spread the beetroot,onion and coriander leaves layer by layer on the thattuvadai.

4.Take another plain thattuvadai and spread the onion cutney paste and keep the thattuvadai cover the other thattuvadai were we have already applied chutneys and kept the veggies.Serve immediately and enjoy the snack.

Note :

1.For green chillie paste i just grinded green chillies and salt together.

2.Onion chutney:

onion(medium)- 4, Salt  - 1 3/4 tsp,red chillie pwdr -1 1/4 tsp, jaggery -1 tbsp,tamrind - small lemon size                          

Seasoning:                                   

Oil   - 4 tbsp,Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp,Asafoetida - 3 generous pinch,Curry leaves - few

Soak all these items together atleast for 10-15 mins and the grind in the mixie.Now take a kadai and season with the seasoning items given and add the grinded chutney and saute nicely for around 5mins so that raw

smell goes and then bring it to room temparture and put in a air tight container and store it in fridge.It will be good for 1 or 2 mths.We can have this chutney as a side dish for idly,dosa and chapatthi/roti too while we are on travelling.

3.I used readymade thattuvadai available in shops.Incase of preparing at home should see to that thattuvadai should not be too crispy as well as should not be too spicy.

Vendakai Vathakuzambu

                         Vathakuzambu is one of my hubby's favourite dish.Every fortnight once he wants the dish.Few months back only i learnt this from my aunt and after that i use to make this kuzambu very frequently.Before marriage i never use to have this because i hate it.But after learning from my aunt,the easiest way of doing i also started loving it.So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients :

Ladies finger	4-5(bigsize)
Oil	3-4 tbsp

Grinding :

Tamarind paste(thick)	2 tbsp
Grated coconut	2 tsp
Tomato(medium size)	1
Jaggery	1/2 tbsp
Sambar powder	1 tsp
Toor dal(cooked)	1 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Fenugreek	1/2 tsp

Seasoning :

Mustard seeds	1/4 tsp
Curry leaves	few

Method :

1.Cut the ladies finger into thin slices.(thinner than how we cut for curries).Now grind all the items together given in grinding column.Now fry the ladies finger in the oil til it becomes as vathal.(since i cut into thin pieces it took only less than 5mins for frying)

2.Once the ladies finger becomes vathal add the grinded paste to it and allow it to boil by adding enough water.

3.Leave the gravy to boil nicely.After few min's oil will ooze out from the gravy.

4.Once the oil starts coming on the sides add cooked mashed toor dal .

5.After adding the toor dal boil the gravy for few minutes and then season with items given in seasoning column.

6.Enjoy the vathakuzambu with hot rice and appalam.

Note :

1.We can adjust the tamarind paste according to our taste buds.But vathakuzambu should have the tangy taste.
2.In case spicy is not enough in the gravy(since we added only sambar powder) we can add red chillie powder as well as salt.
3.Before grinding the fenugreek just roast in the tawa and then add to the other ingredients for grinding and should not be burnt.

Khus Khus Payasam

       SWEETS.What to tell about this 6 letter word.Because myself and my hubby does not like much sweets.That too especially me.Hahaha if hear this word means i will run thousands of miles.Trust me im not bluffing.That much i dont like sweets.But very rarerly if i feel like having then only i will have sweets.That too in very less quantity.2days back when i was fasting on Pournami for doing Sathya Narayana Pooja,my mom told me to have atleast some kind of simple payasam so that i wont feel hungry.Then i remebered once my MIL taught me this simple recipe without much ingredients.So when i tried for the first time itself it came exactly how my MIL did but with little alterations.So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients :

Khus Khus	50 gm
Milk	1/2 litre
Sugar	125gm

Method :

1.Soak the khus khus in warm water for around 30-45mins and then drain the water with the strainer and    grind in the mixie with the milk to a nice paste(I took 100gms of milk from the above mentioned 1/2 litre of milk).

2.Now keep the cooker in the  stove with the grinded paste and milk together.Once the milk comes up reduce the flame and close the lid.When steam starts coming put the whistle and keep upto 3 whistles.

3.Once we open the cooker we can find the water in the milk to be seperate and khus khus to be seperate.

4.At this stage add the sugar and start stirring now and then.When start stirring the payasam will splutter.According to that adjust the flame.I kept in medium flame and some time reduced it.

5.Once the payasam becomes semi liquid its done.Though called payasam it should be semi liquid only.Now have the payasam and enjoy.

Note :

1.I added only milk,if we want we can reduce the milk and water.

2.If necessary can reduce or even add more sugar according to your taste.

3.I did the payasam in small pressure cooker.

4.Payasam will taste good with this itself.No need to add any cashews or raisins.

Javarisi Uppuma

    Another one of my and my hubby's favourite dish.For the first time when i tried the dish,it really became a mess.But later wen i learnt the secret of the recipe from my mom later on each and every time it turned out to be really good.So here goes the recipe of JAVARISI UPPUMA.

Ingredients :

Nylon Sago/javarisi	1cup flat
Moong dal	1/3cup
Coconut	1 1/2 tbsp
Green chillies	3-4
Oil	3tbsp
Lemon juice	1 1/2 tbsp
Salt	to taste
Coriander leaves finely chopped	1tbsp
Water	1/2 cup

Seasoning :

Mustard seeds	1/4tsp
Channa dal	1tsp
Urad dal	1/2 tsp
Curry leaves	few

Method :


1.Soak Nylon Sago over night in 1/2 cup of water.Morning check out wether the sago is dry.If it's so then jus sprinkle 1 tsp of water and mix well.

2.Boil the moong dal in 1-2 cups of water.moong dal should not become too mushy.If we try to break the moong dal it should be easily broken into half.Then off the stove.Strain the water and keep aside.

3.Season the items given in the seasoning list and green chillies and then add the soaked nylon sago and stir it continuously without talking hand til it becomes transperent. Now add the moong dal and fyr for few min's.

6.Now add the coconut and salt and again stir for few mins.Finally add corainder leaves and mix well and off the stove.

7.Now add the lemon juice and serve hot  with maavadu/mahanikezangu and enjoy the recipe.

Note :

1.I generally use nylon sago as it will be small in size and will be nice to have uppuma.Normal sago wil be big in size and once it's soaked in water it wil increase in size.

2.If the entier sago sticks together and will become like a ball(hahaha) while we start stirring,that means we have poured excess water.To avoid too much of sticking add 1tbsp of rice flour before adding cooked moong dal.

3.If spicy of the green chilly is not enough can add green chilly paste.

Cake Idly

                 This recipe i learnt from my mother and its one of the mom's recipe which i like a lot.Last week my hubby asked me y i didn't prepare this recipe for a long time.Then only i realised that i didn't prepare it for a long while.Then yesterday i had a mood of preparing it and i finally did it.

Ingredients :

Idly batter	2 1/2 cup(3 r 4 days older)
Grated coconut	2 tbsp
Coriander leaves(finely chopped)	1 tbsp
Curry leaves	few
Ginger(grated)	1/2 inch
Green chillies(chopped)	3-4 nos
Cooking soda	1/4 tsp
Salt	to taste

Grinding :

Channa dal	2 1/2 tbsp
Moong dal	2 1/2 tbsp

Seasoning :

Mustard seeds	1/4 tsp
Urad dal	1 tsp
Oil	2-3 tbsp

Method :

1.Soak channa dal and moong dal together for 45mins to 1hr.Then grind in the mixy like coconut chutney consistency.(if u touch and see you should be able to feel the dal here and there)

2.Now take the idly batter and add finely chopped coriander leaves,curry leaves and grated ginger.

3.Then add the grated coconut.

4.Now add grinded dal paste.

5.Then do all the seasoning to be done and add to the batter.

6.Now add cooking soda and required salt and mix the batter well.Now grease the rice container with the oil (which we use to cook rice while keeping in cooker) and mixed batter.

7.Now steam cook the idly in cooker for about 15-20mins.If u wont know whether is batter is cooked,then insert a knife and see whether the batter is sticking to the knife.If its sticking means keep for few more minutes else the idly is ready.

8.Now allow the idly to come to room temparature and cut the idly to your desired shapes.

9.Now serve with idly podi and enjoy the idly.

Note :


1.Container used for keeping the batter in the cooker should have enough space because once the batter is cooked it will raise and come up .
2.You can increase or decrease the grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves to suit your taste buds.
3.Salt i added only for the dal and coconut as is the batter is already having salt.
4.In the final stage only i added cooking soda and immediately i poured the batter inside the container.
5.Do not use idly plate because the idly will become hard.

Coriander Pulav/Biriyani

     This is another one good recipe which i found from MB's cook book.When i tired for the first time itself it turned out very well and im sure every one will like it especially kids..Generally for all kinds of pulav and biriyanis i wont use basmati rice because my hubby wont prefer it.So very rarerly only i'll be using basmati rice.For this recipe i've used normal boiled rice which i use for my normal day to day cooking.

Ingredients :

Rice	1 cup(boiled rice)
Onion	1 big
Tomato	2 medium sized
Potato	1 big sized
Peas(frozen)	1/4 cup
Garam Masala	1/2 tsp
Dhania Powder	3/4 tsp
RedChillie Powder	1/4 tsp(optional)
Gingergarlic Paste	1tsp
Salt	to taste
Oil	3 tbsp
Water	3 1/2-4 cups

Grinding  :

Coriander leaves	1/2 bunch
Mint leaves	one fist or 15leaves
Green chillies	4-5

Method :


1.Cut onion lengthwise,tomato and potato into cube shape.Soak the rice for 30mins.Now add onion to a heavy bottomed pan(i used normal) and saute it and the add gingergarlic paste.

2.Now add tomato's and saute it till becomes mushy.

3.Once the tomato has turned to mushy add potatoes.

4.Fry potatoes for few mins.Now grind the coriander,mint leaves and green chillies together and add to the satued veggies.

5.Once u add the paste start frying all the veggies till the raw smell comes out.Now add all the masala powders and salt and again saute for few mins.

6.Now strain water from the rice and saute for few mins.

7.Saute the rice for few mins and then add the water,salt and frozen peas.

8.Once the water starts boiling close the lid and once starts escaping through the vent put the weight.

When whistle is about to come sim the stove and keep it for 8 to 10mins and off the stove.Serve hot with any kind of raita.

Note :

If you grind the coriander,curry leaves and g. chillies before hand means add lemon juice to the grinded paste and keep otherwise the green color will change.To avoid that i grinded the paste last minute and  added immediately in the pan.