Cauliflower Masala (Gobi masala)

             All vegetarians have to be satisfied with some specials made out of this veg when the non veg lovers treat themselves with chicken or mutton.Good spicy dishes can be made out of this.Cauliflower will attract worms and so should be boiled with a pinch of salt first. This vegetable is known to be gassy and should be avoided by  new and lactating moms. 

                                                         This recipe is a very easy and tasty one.It goes well with the soup rice which I blogged yesterday (Thakkali Soup).It will be excellent with curd rice also and will hardly take 10 to 15 minutes to cook.

Ingredients

Cauliflower- broken florets(20)

Tomato Big-1

Big onion-1

kuzhambu milagai thool-1 tablespoon or red chili powder-3/4 tablespoon

Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon (optional)

To season

Cinnamon-2 small pieces

Bay leaf-small piece

cloves-2

Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Curry leaf-little

Procedure

Boil the cauliflower florets nicely for 5 minutes along with a pinch of salt.Mince the onion and tomatoes.In a kadai add 1 table spoon of cooking oil and season the curry with the items given for seasoning.Now add the onion minced along with a pinch of salt and saute till the onions become translucent.Now add the minced tomato pieces and saute will smashing the tomatoes with the ladle When the tomatoes Get smashed add the milagai thool and turmeric powder along with the salt needed.Mix well.Now add the boiled cauliflower florets and mix well so that all the florets get coated with the masala. Cook for 5 minutes like that.Now sprinkle a handful of water and close the kadai keeping the flame in medium.After 5 minutes check for the taste and see to it that the pieces are well cooked .If not cook for few more minutes else increase the flame and mix everything well and see to it that there is not much water content.When the oil separates switch off the stove.If desired you can garnish with coriander leaves .

Thakkali Soup (Tomato clear Soup )

                                                  

                                                         we are almost on the look out for some good soup recipes, since soup is an indispensable item in all households .This is a simple soup which can be given even to small babies This soup can be had with rice also if made little hot and spicy.For bachelors this is a good recipe as it is simple and can serve dual purpose.This soup will go well along with papad for rice.

Ingredients
Tomatoes-2 (big)
Big onion-1
green chili-2
Broken green gram (pasi paruppu)-2 table spoons
Thoor dhal(thuvaram paruppu)-2 table spoons
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Pepper powder-1 teaspoon

To season
Pepper-1 teaspoon
clove-2
fennel seeds-1teaspoon(big jeera)
cinamon-2 small pieces
bay leaf-1 small piece
Curry leaf-little
Coriander leaves for garnishing

                    Cut the tomatoes into fine pieces. Mince the onions too.Slit the chilies.In a small pressure cooker add little cooking oil and season the soup with the items given for seasoning.Now add the dhals and saute for 30 seconds so that its raw smell goes(if you roast for long then the dhals will get roasted and will not get cooked.so be careful) now add the tomatoes and onion pieces along with the green chili.Add turmeric powder and the salt needed.Pour 2 to 3 cups of water.Close the cooker and cook for 7 minutes or for 2 whistles.Once the pressure goes open the cooker and pour the contents into a stainless steel strainer or any good strainer.Squeeze off the contents nicely with a laddle.Now add as much water or Arisi mandi(rice washed water) to get the desired consistency.Check for the hot and salt taste.If you are going to have it as soup for drinking then the salt and hot taste can be less.Keep the cooker again in the stove.Now add the pepper powder and without closing the cooker bring the soup to a boil or cook for 5 more minutes in medium flame.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves while serving.

Kaadai Masala (Chettinad style) Quail roast

                                The recent hot sale in the popular chettinad restaurents in the town is the dishes made out of Kaadai(quail),a bird similar to young chicks.In the olden days this bird was not breeded.They grew on their own in small bushy areas and people who were able catch it cooked it.Now a days people find ways to get all they need and have started raising farms for this bird.kaadai is a tasty meat similar to chicken but known to be more stronger than chicken in heat.Hence for curing cold it is very good.It is not so tender as compared to the chicken we get these days.But I find it little more tastier compared to chicken.

                                                In all the chicken shops in Tamilnadu they sell this kaadai too.The one I bought cost Rs 40 each.4 of it was enough for we two.I today really miss my younger one who is the hostel, since she is the one crazy of these new non veg items .For blogging sake I got this and cooked. It is similar to chicken and can be cooked the same way.Our experience was really disappointing when we ordered it in a restaurent since we got almost only bones in one serving. People who have had it in hotels will surely agree with me.If we cook at home it will be better.however we have agree the fact that young quails will not have much flesh.When we buy it we have to select little bigger quails

Ingredients for marination

curd-2 table spoons

chili powder-1 table spoon

coriander powder-1 table spoon

Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

garam masala-1/2 teaspoon

pepper powder-1 teaspoon
ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon

Ingredients for the masala

small onions -20 minced

garlic minced-2 table spoons

tomatoes minced-2

chili powder-1 table spoon

ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon

coconut milk-1/4 cup  (optional)

Seasoning

fennel seeds-1teaspoon

bay leaf-small piece

cinamon-2 small pieces

curry leaf-little

Procedure

Wash the kaadai nicely .Cut the hutch back of the kaadai.Make small slits all through.Mix all the items mentioned in for 'marination 'in the curd and apply on the quails nicely and marinate for an hour.Non stick kadai will be good to cook this if you have else no problem. Keep the kadai in the stove.In two table spoons of cooking oil season the masala with the items given for seasoning.Now add the garlic pieces and saute for a minute.add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.now add the minced onion along with little salt and saute till they become translucent. Add the tomato minced and mix well.The chili powder can be added now.mix everything well.Add the kaadai pieces and stir nicely so that the masala gets coated in the pieces.cook for 5 minutes in medium fire with the lid closed.After 5 minutes open the kadai and add the coconut milk or water 1/4 cup .I recommend coconut milk since it will take care of the heat of this meat.Now close the kadai and cook for 10 minutes in medium flame.Now check that the meat is cooked. If not close the kadai and cook for some more time. Add little water if it is dry.Once you find the meat is cooked open the kadai and raise the flame a little and fry till the masala becomes thick.switch off the stove .Transfer it into a plate and coat the pieces with the masala left in the kadai.let the quails absorb the masala till it is served.

Podimas with Soy Chunks (Vegetarian version of Mutton Podimas )

                                                I am back from US with a new recipe which I found very interesting for non-veg lovers who is restricted from taking mutton for some reason.  I happened to taste this podimas in one of our friend’s house in US. Since it was the month of Karthigai we don’t eat non veg and the host wanted to cook something interesting similar to non veg. In spite of their busy schedule our people in foreign countries want to cook delicious food. I will need a separate post to write about their interest in cooking and the way they carry our culture there. The curry she served was very similar to the mutton podimas we cook. I asked what it was and she gave me all details and even gave me the packet cover of the soy chunks she used. Many in US will be aware of this and will be cooking different recipes out of this. For the new comers I wanted to blog the recipe. This packet is available in almost all grocery stores in US like Giants,Walmart etc. Bachelors can cook this with not much of ingredients and have a great side dish for chappathi or idli or dosa if made little watery.

                                               This soy chunks used is precooked I guess with salt,garlic and chili.I tasted it before cooking and found all tastes in small quantities.So we should be careful while adding salt and hot taste while cooking.It is soy chunks cooked and crushed.

Ingredients

Onion- one (minced)

Green chili-2

Tomato puree -1/2 cup (I used Hunts crushed tomatoes)

Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon

Red chili powder- 1 table spoon (use as per your requirement)

Garam masala powder-1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Kadalai paruppu (channa dhal) -3 table spoons (¾ cooked) cook it for 10 minutes in a kadai or pressure cook for one sound or 6 minutes

For seasoning

Cinnamon-2 small pieces

Clove-2

Bay leaf-small piece

Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon (many wont like this taste but this should be added to all non veg since it helps in digestion)

Curry leaf-little

Procedure

                     Keep the frozen packet out for 3 to 4 hours till it comes to room temperature.Those who go for work  can keep it  in the regular fridge in the morning if they cook in the evening or at night if cooked in the morning.

                            Keep the kadai in the stove.In one table spoon of oil season the curry with items given  in ‘for seasoning’.Now  add the minced onion and green chili and sauté well . Add ginger garlic paste and mix well .Now add the garam masala powder and chili powder and the salt required. Remember the soy chunks already contains some salt taste. Saute well. Add the soy chunks and mix well and cook for 5 to 6 minutes with the kadai closed in slow fire. Now open the kadai and add the tomato puree and cook with the lid open till all water content disappears and try to roast it in slow fire to the desired consistency. If you want the dry version add the cooked channa dhal and mix well. If you want to use it for chappathi then don’t dry roast it. If it is for chappathi switch off little early that is sometime after adding tomato puree. Those who don’t mind adding an egg can add it to the dry version.It will increase the taste.

                                                     Try this recipe and find out different recipes out of this. I found it  being used along with vegetables in noodles and tasted similar to chicken.
                                                       People living in other countries please wait,I will find a method to cook this with the regular soy balls available

                                                 

Mangai Vellam Pachadi (Mango with jaggerry sauce)

                           It is mango season and it is a mega time for the mango lovers. This vella pachadi out of mango will be made on Tamil New year day to bring out the sour and sweet taste in lunch. People who love this will be really crazy of this dish. This time when I went to Chettinad, I tasted this almost everyday since this was prepared in my periamma’s house or in our house each day. Here I want to mention about the houses in Chettinad for the knowledge of others. Houses there will be very big running to the whole of a street .My home especially in Kanadukathan is very big. The front side of the house is one street and the backside another street .Those who are interested in seeing chettinad houses can have a view of my home by clicking this link http://chettinadumansion.com/. Part of the house is converted into a heritage home and is taken care of or rather managed by my father and brother. Coming back to vella pachadi, when we go home for holidays to chettinad it will be real treat, since we will have lot of items during lunch, dinner or breakfast. The houses will be big and will be shared by grandfathers brothers and hence so by dads brothers too. Each family will have a kitchen and whenever anybody living outside from anyone of the family comes to the house all will get excited and will try to prepare something special. So food will be shared between all kitchens and all will have lot of items. But now a days people living in Chettinad are few and hence in our house too we have only my dad’s elder brothers family there. I have already mentioned about my periamma  living there almost 78 years, but still very active cooking her own food since all her children are outside. She is very good in cooking like my mom and now she is very enthusiastic in sharing her rare recipes with me .she is very happy that my blog is very useful for her grand daughters.

                                This vella pachadi will be loved by those who like sweet taste with rice. To be frank, none in my family is a big fan of this and that is why I did not blog this recipe though requested by many readers. My mom prepared this especially for blogging and showed me how to cook this.

Ingredients

Mango -1  (peel off the skin and make it into thin slices)

Jaggerry-100 to 150 gms (according to taste)

Pasi paruppu -4 table spoons (roast a little before cooking the dhal)

Green chili-1or2

Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

For seasoning

Mustard seed-1 teaspoon

Curry leaf-little

Red chili-1

Procedure

Pressure cook the dhal and keep aside.

 Pressure cook the mango pieces adding half cup water (use the minimum water needed  ) along with the green chili, little salt and turmeric powder.

Remember the dish is sweet so don’t use too much salt.

Pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Open the cooker. Add the cooked dhal also.

Now add the jaggerry checking in between for correct sweet taste

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes smashing everything together with a ladle.

Finally season the pachadi with the items given in ‘to season’

The question in everybody’s mind now is why can’t we cook the dhal and mango together. I will tell you the reason. Roasted dhal itsef will take little long time to cook. Next point is that dhal will not get cooked fast  with anything sour.

Pala Kottai Poriyal (Jack Fruit Seed Fry )

                                        This recipe is for those living in rural areas where jack fruits are abundant. In kerala and in Neyveli  it is very common. So I am used to good preparations out of this seed. Palakottai murungakkai kuzhambu also will be very tasty. Little bit of patience is needed to cook this as we have to take of the outer white skin first.Cut it into two halves, then it will be easy to peel off the white skin. This seed is said to be little gastric. So avoid taking it too much. But this fry is very tasty and will go well with sambar, rasam and curd rice

Ingredients

Palakottai-30

Sambar powder-2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

Procedure

Pressure cook the kottai with half cup water and little salt for 5 minutes. Open the cooker ,I  f you have time peel off the brown skin too. Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon of oil,season the fry with little mustard seed. Add the chili powder and salt needed to the cooked kottai and put it in to the kadai. Fry everything together for 6 to 7 minutes without adding water

Instant Rasam (Quick Tomato Rasam)

                                     I have already blogged 2 recipes of rasam. Now a days I stick to this recipe because its a very easy, fast and tasty preparation. Bachelors who come home tired and want to have something hot and tasty very fast can have this along with chips. Even my younger one is able to prepare this in no time with almost good taste. I want my readers to try it once and get back with comments.

Ingredients

Tomato -1 (if you use a bigger one reduce the tamarind used)

Red chili-2 (1 for grinding and one for seasoning) I have shown 4 but use just 2

Garlic-7 pods

Pepper corns-1 ½ teaspoons

Small jeera-1 ½ teaspoons

Tamarind-little

Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves &coriander leaves-little

Jaggerry –a small piece (totally optional) Try with and without and find out your taste

Procedure

In the medium jar of the mixie grind the tomato, pepper corn,jeera,garlic,1 red chili and turmeric powder. Run the mixie for a minute. In 3 cups of water add the salt required along with the tamarind and keep ready.

Keep the kadai in the stove. In a teaspoon or two of cooking oil season the rasam with a teaspoon of mustard seed ,small jeera and little curry leaves. Pour the grinded mix into the kadai. Keep the stove in medium and sauté till you get a nice flavor. Now add the tamarind salt water and bring rasam to a nice boil (boil for atleast 3 minutes).  Jaggerry if used can be added now and cook for a minute.Check for the salt and hot taste. If found anything less, little pepper  jeera powder or salt can be added. Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves if you have 

Chettinad Milagu Kozhi Kuzhambu (Chettinad Pepper Chicken Gravy)

                                                 Chettinad is famous for spicy non-veg items. These pepper gravies of chicken or lamb are specially made during the mass prayer to the ancestors which we call padappu.To serve the big crowd the gravy will be little watery but the taste can’t match the carefully made gravy made at home. In the padappu they use only pepper for hot taste. But for the small quantity we make at home, I feel that little chili powder should be added .I recommend the use of a glass of coconut milk also since the chicken and pepper are hot and especially during summer coconut milk will compensate little bit of heat. This preparation which I have blogged is one of our favorite item in a mess in our town. I personally met the old woman who cooks this in the mess, a member of the family who runs the mess and got the recipe. My elder daughter also loves this gravy and wanted me to blog it today itself so that she can serve it in my grandson Siddarth’s Birthday party tomorrow. He is turning two today.

Ingredients

Chicken -3/4 kg

Big onion chopped -2 cups

Tomato-2

Garlic-10 pods

Ginger garlic paste-1 table spoon

Curry leaves-little

Red chili powder-1 table spoon

Pepper fennel powder- 2 table spoons (keep some powder extra so as to add according to taste)

Coriander powder – 1 table spoon

Coconut milk thick- 1 cup

To season

Cinamon-3 small pieces

Bay leaf-1 small one

Clove-3

Pepper fennel powder

Take 4 table spoons of pepper and two table spoons of fennel seed (perungeerakam).Powder it well and store in a container. Use the required amount.

Procedure

Marinate the chicken pieces with the 1 table spoon chili powder and little salt and marinate for an hour.

Keep the kadai in the stove. In three to four table spoons of oil season the gravy with the items given in ’to season’. Add the garlic pods first. When it turns golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste, chopped onion and sauté well. Then add the tomatoes.Saute well till the tomato pieces are soft. Now add chicken pieces.Saute well till water oozes out from the chicken.Then add the coriander powder and half of the pepper fennel powder and sauté well.Close the kadai checking in between that there is water in the gravy. If there is no water to cook, mix 1 cup of water to ½ cup coconut milk and add. Cook for 15 minutes in low fire .This cooking time absolutely depends on the quality of chicken you use. In  US I have found the chicken getting cooked very fast.But here in India it takes pretty long time to cook in an open kadai. When you feel the chicken is almost cooked add the remaining pepper powder and the salt needed too. Always be careful while adding the pepper powder. Be sure that you don’t make it very spicy. So use your required quantity. Cook for 5 minutes. Now add the remaining ½ cup thick coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes. If you want the gravy to be little watery add 1 or ½ cup water to the coconut milk. Today  as a  whole I used 1 cup milk adding 1 cup water.